#i will miss my daily concert of various songs

[sweaterkittensahoy]

The incredibly talented youngling pianist who lives above me is playing "I Want it That Way" and yes, I did just yell part of the chorus at the ceiling and hope I was heard.

[zoe4math]

Recently, I found this picture:

I am sure that there must be some wonderful stories in it.

However, I know this picture is not clear, and neither my English nor Japanese abilities are good.

So, I will try my best to translate this picture. If you have found some grammar problems, please let me know, and I'll improve it. 🥹

【Geordo】

Dear Catarina,

It has been a month since we became lovers. Although I stayed by your side as your fiance, when I accomplished to tell you my feelings, and the time you accepted it… do you know how joyful I was? I believe if I hadn't known about you, I would never understand those feelings.

From now on, I want to go to various places with you more than ever and spend time together. I want to know more about what you like.

I love you, Catarina.

Geordo Stuart

【Keith】

You may not notice, but since I met you, my daily life has changed incredibly. Knowing you makes me understand that such happy feelings really exist, and being accepted is such a wonderful thing. I will definitely protect you well from now on. I hope you can rely on me more.

And…if possible, I want to do something a little more like lovers with you…though, I don't really know what kind of things lovers do…

Anyway, I love you.

Let's always be together.

Keith Claes

【Alan】

To Catarina.

Becoming…becoming lovers with you is still unbelievable to me…but yes, we really develop to this kind of relationship. And it reminds me of one thing: I care about you more than caring for myself.

When I look up at the sky, I would think of your eyes’ color, and at the concert, I often choose to perform the songs you like. I can't take my eyes off of you whenever we meet, and if I am ignored by you, I will get mad as a child. I feel like thinking about you all the time is a little weird, but every day, I feel happy.

Catarina, I am grateful for the days with you.

Let's make these great days continue.

Alan Stuart

【Nicol】

To my beloved Catarina,

Honestly, sometimes, I am still afraid that this mysterious reality is only a dream. I have hidden my feelings since I was little, and I thought that I should be satisfied with protecting your smile.

However, you who are already by my side are neither a dream nor a longing, which really made me delightful.

Please stay by my side from now on. I love you, and I will surely make you happy, I promise.

Nicol Acsart

【Rozy】

To Catarina.

I am eager to know what you are doing. I am thinking about you all day, and even Silva is arguing with it and asking me not to think about you so often. But I miss you so much that I think my feelings are going to burst out, that's why I am writing this to you.

I love you, Catarina. I want to hug you right now. You always blush and make a little embarrassing face when I hug you. You are so cute and make me want to hug you even more.

…I love you, Catarina.

I am looking forward to the day we will meet.

Rozy Lind

【Silva】

I think writing a letter is not wasting time, but…well, sometimes doing things like this isn't bad, is it? Especially you, always forget things quickly. Now you can read my letter to you and think about me during the time we can't meet each other.

You are precious to me. Of course, I am saying this is not as a friend but as a lover.

I love you…l won't leave you. That's it. Make up your mind now that you will be by my side forever.

Silva

[feelssogoodinmyarms]

Spring Awakening Fandom Tag

(By @winter-asleepening )

Doing this bc i miss springy wakening😔

1. how were you introduced to the show?

when i was really into hamilton in like 2016 jonathan groff was white boy of the month for a while and i was consuming all the groff content that i could and i came across that video of him talking about when he fucked up left behind. and then i listened to left behind and cried and read the wiki page and watched the obc boot and then i woke up here

2. Seen a production live?

yus i've seen 3

3. Dream role/character you relate to most

i've been in love with wendla since i laid eyes on her and i would die to play her. im obsessed with her, she's got so much more depth than people realize and that was cut during the transition from play to musical fuck you s*ter and i would love to bring that to my rendition of her. and i was also assaulted when i was her age, i was also suicidal, i was also confused af and my mom was not helpful, i also wanted to be loved so badly, i just see a lot of my teenage self in wendla. i related to her so much when i first saw the show and that's a big reason i got so obsessed with it.

4. Favorite male character

prob moritz or hanschen. they are 2 sides of the same dramatic ass coin. they also have daddy issues and are gay like girl me too.

5. Favorite female character

all of them? wendla holds a special place in my heart but like. there is so much to love about all of them even anna and thea who we know almost nothing about have the building blocks of great characters. i've always loved combining what we know about the characters from both the musical and the play to make more complete characters especially because s*ter cut so much of the girls characterization bc he's a sexist pos fuck you and i def do that with anna and thea.

6. Deaf West Revival or Original Broadway Cast?

dwsa for life but obc walked so they could fly

7. Favorite song

AAAAAA probably touch me just cuz it's soooooo pretty

8. Least favorite song

probably woyb bc im heterophobic and melchiorphobic

9. Favorite quote/line

musical: "giving yourself over to someone else? defending yourself endlessly until finally you surrender and let heaven break over you? i just put myself in her place. and imagine"

play: "won't you come visit me in my dreams now and then? i'll welcome you with outstretched arms and kiss your breath away"

10. Favorite TV performance

dwsa touch me on seth meyers i have to watch it daily or i get 1 level of exhaustion

11. Favorite cast member(s)

i can vouch that kathryn gallagher is cool as fuck cuz i met her at a ben platt concert but j groff and jgj seem pretty cool. alex wyse and jbw seem unhinged i think i could hang with them. smf and katie whoever are so talented i wish she wasnt an anti vaxxer. andy mientus attacked me with a candelabra just like riff raff did to rocky😔

12. Favorite cast member moment

when josh castille followed me back on instagram when andy mientus, kathryn gallagher, and josh castille covered sex by the 1975 and all the videos the cast made on various social media platforms

13. Do you write fan fiction?

unfortunately

14. Do you make fan art?

i have made 3 fan arts that i don't think i have anymore

15. Do you cosplay?

i am too poor

16. Don’t do Sadness or Blue Wind?

both bitch

17. Word of your body or the Reprise?

reprise cuz i love gay ppl

18. Touch Me or My Junk?

bothhhhh

19. Explain the song of purple summer

vague hope ig? like "the adults have failed everyone but we're all 15 and will be adults soon so maybe we'll be ok" with flowery language

20. Explain the song of purple summer (wrong answers only)

ilse and mulchy took acid to see their dead friends

im tagging @dwsavideos and anyone else who sees this and is into spring awakening cuz idk if any of my sa mutuals are still active😭

[stef-gallery]

To everyone playing "Destiny Child", this is Kim Hyun Tae from SHIFT UP.

Thank you for always supporting "Destiny Child".

It has been 2065 days since the release of the Japanese version of "Destiny Child" on November 24, 2017. It's thanks to the love and support of all the Demon King Candidates that I've been able to continue this far.

Thank you very much again.

This time, there was a very sad report, and I had the opportunity to inform you.

"Destiny Child" will end its service at 11:00 am on September 21, 2023 .

All the staff, including myself, are very sad to have to inform everyone of this disappointment. When I think about the feelings of everyone who has been supporting me for so long, I am truly sorry.

At the end of the service, we have prepared the following measures to give back to everyone for about 6 years. It's nothing compared to the support we've received from everyone, but I hope you enjoy it.

Content such as Laguna Break will be held as scheduled.

For those of you who were looking forward to events such as Ragnabreak, the July 20th update will be carried out as planned without changing the content we announced in advance. We hope that it will be a fun event.

We will provide various in-game products for free.

A variety of items are available for free, including Child's Packs, at the Llanfey Dark Shop.

A daily gift distribution event will be held.

During the remaining period, we will present the following rewards to your mailbox every day, so that every day spent in "Destiny Child" will be a little more enjoyable.

Crystal x 30,000 Stamina x 3,000 Gold x 1,000,000 Premium Puppet Summon Ticket x 3

In addition, through various events, we plan to give away red stones, gifts to choose children, gifts to choose costumes, gifts to choose hot spring magic, puppet summoning tickets, etc.

We are preparing a reprint event.

The event that has been well received by everyone so far will be reprinted and will be held in the update on August 17th. I hope it will be an opportunity to enjoy a nostalgic event again.

We are preparing a memorial update .

We are preparing a "memorial update" to preserve the 6 years of memories that we have made together. Even after the service ends, we will make it possible for the Demon King Candidates to meet the Children.

Once the memorial update is completed, you can continue to use the app for viewing even after the service ends. We are planning to make it possible to appreciate stories and characters in the app for appreciation. More details will be announced at a later date.

"Destiny Child Memorial Concert" will be held online.

We will hold an online concert where you can listen to live performances of the songs recorded in "Destiny Child". I hope it will be time to look back on "Destiny Child" through music. The concert will be distributed through various channels.

In addition, I would like to do everything I can so that I can give back to everyone. Details will be announced in a separate notice as soon as it is decided.

I will never forget the support and love you gave to "Destiny Child". No words are enough, but I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I'm really thankful to you.

SHIFT UP Kim Hyun Tae

-----------

Destiny Child was my Fave Game :( It even beated DOA which was always my first place for a long time.

I will miss it.~

[thejosh1980]

Get a hair cut and get a real job...

Well, it finally happened... My life has progressed from student, to worker, to musician, to student, to worker ... I now have what, as a musician, I'd call a 9 to 5, the daily grind, a normal job, that thing the folks in the crowd do when they're not at my concerts!

It's been an unusual journey, at least it feels that way. I realise now, I was actually quite comfortable as a touring musician in Europe. I had steady work, especially in those last few years, I knew what I was doing, I was confident and I had a hell of a lot of fun; good bands, good venues, good fans and good money. I was writing songs and I had my own studio too.

I was set...

The transition to working in Australia has brought about a lot of challenges and lessons learned. I know I fell into an awesome artistic opportunity when I worked on Elvis, and then did a few more TV shows (well, the stuff that ended up on Netflix). But that was different than a “real” job. It was fun, casual, challenging and super interesting too. I was surrounded by pros doing their jobs, actors doing their acting or supporting actors, like myself, waiting for the director to holler “cut!” As Baz said “film is forever”. It was and still is a big deal to me.

I am on the big screen! 

But the new job, being part of the Australian workforce day in day out, is a real challenge. 

I don't work 9 to 5, I don't have an office, I drive a lot, I am outside in any weather, I have homework, I work shifts which chop and change every other day... and after all that, I get a pay check that doesn't quite resemble my sense of self worth.

Since starting the job, I've been on edge all the time, I don't mean in the sense I'm scared something might happen to me or my client, but that I am responsible for someone else's welfare while they are in my care. It's a constant thing, in the background, under the surface. 

When I'm finally home trying to relax, I worry about the shifts the next day, did my manager change them and forget to tell me? How will the client feel tomorrow? Am I up to the task? Did I miss any emails today? 

When I finished the course, I wasn't quite sure about what I want to do, and I applied to various vacancies that tickled my fancy. Although possible, I wasn't confident enough to go out on my own as a counsellor. I felt I needed more experience first, and it also felt a bit like being a musician, I'd be constantly hustling for work, or at the very least it would be up to me to find the work, to obtain clients, and network with other professionals. After all the energy it took to study, I wanted something a little easier to slip into, especially because this was a big career change.

Oh boy, was I wrong about it being easy...

When I got the interview, nailed it and then the job offer, that was the easy part.

I am a community support worker. It's a job whereby I support clients, with various mental health concerns, getting out into the world. I help them reach their goals, I support them with any reasonable request, or something they agree to that I or someone else might suggest. Sometimes I am just helping out deleting emails off a phone, sometimes I am booking doctor appointments or arranging scripts and sometimes I am just someone to chat to, play a game with, or take a walk with. The job is constant, spontaneous and intense.

The company I work for is big, and is in a big transitional stage at the moment, there's new management and new processes, policies and procedures. It's very daunting, because the last time I worked in Australia this much, was back in 2002! In fact I started the new job almost 20 years to the day I left my old one in Melbourne! There's so many rules and things I was not aware of, I'm learning on many fronts, the industry, the company, the client, mental health and, funnily enough, myself. 

Honestly, I am finding it hard to adjust to this new life style, it's very energy sucking.

There's management, and how to work alongside them, and the clients who for the most part are lovely folks that are in need of support. There's the whole community services industry which to me is a big complicated mess. I am used to being in a band, with 3 or 4 guys in a van, it's a big adjustment. 

I'm still learning how to do all of that, and how to take care of myself in a job that one can quite easily burn out in. I'm learning I need days off, I need some time to sleep, relax, do the things I enjoy, and enjoy the company of friends and family. I'm still battling that challenge each day, I feel like I can't switch off and there are not enough hours in the day. 

I am learning what I don't like about working too. I haven't done this kind of work before, and it's been really good to know what I want going forward. I may stay in this role for a while, the experience is good, but I will eventually move on, find something more suitable to my needs, and I have narrowed down some future expectations.

I feel that I need regular hours, or at the very least, when my hours are set, they don't move. I've had many shifts chop and change from one day to the next, throwing me way off course. It's a lot to adjust to for someone who likes the safety net of knowing what's coming up. My roster is constantly changing, some days I can adjust a bit quicker than others, some days I just long for a clear plan.

I also know, in the end, I'd like a job that is closer to home. I am driving 100s ks each month getting to clients, and it is wearing me out. I am not paid for that time on the road, I am not compensated, and my time is precious, I'm not getting any younger. It's lonely work too, and while I can work really well on my own, I wouldn't mind colleagues to bounce ideas off. 

I am also trying to get used to having a manager. I have tried to be as available as I can, as flexible as I can, as open and honest and as supportive as I can. Sometimes this approach has worked well, but sometimes I feel I am not trusted. In fact, there have been a few sticking points that I may move past, but it has taught me that having a good manager I can trust is really really important. I will make sure at my next interview that I am confident the manager is someone I wanna work for/with long term.

I am enjoying the challenges of working with clients. It's interesting how each client is individual, and that each shift can offer a large spectrum of behaviours, responses and support (that I am required to offer). This kind of spontaneity I can handle pretty good too. Each week, I am learning as much about them as I am about myself, we all have good and bad days, we all have only so much energy, and our needs change all the time. 

During the first few weeks of this job, I was thrown in the deep end. I had a client before I even did basic training! My manager at the time asked me if it was OK and I felt that saying no would only increase my anxiety for the next first client. Client #1 knew what he was doing and I was honest and asked him for guidance, and he was gentle with me. It was a good beginning, but since that first shift I am recognising I am sometimes drowning in the unknown and in anxiety. As fulfilling as this role is, this position tests your limits on various fronts.

I finally did a “buddy” shift months after starting, it's a shift where some experienced helps show you the ropes. By the time it happened, it was more a handover, as my “buddy” was leaving the company and had some high needs clients, management thought it was a good idea for me to be introduced to these clients. During those shifts I learnt one could relax on the job, my “buddy” was a very chill guy, who didn't seem to let anything get to him. The difference could be that he'd been in the job for a couple years and just got very comfortable in the role, but I had in the back of my mind that if I am not focused on the client, their needs, goals and requests, I am not actually doing my job. While silence and sitting still is part of the work, I don't feel that it's the focus of my work. I still haven't decided if I am over thinking it, if I am wearing my “counsellor” hat too tightly or if I am just not that sort of person who relaxes on the job. 

Only time will tell... 

In the end, I am happy to work, to learn, to find out what I like and don't like about this industry, the direction my next steps may be and how the other half live, that is those who are really struggling with every day life due to mental health illnesses. 

I struggle each day, and I don't acknowledge that enough. I write about it sometimes but I feel it every day, win, lose or draw. Getting my head off the pillow can be a real struggle. I make it look easy, but sometimes it's downright heavy man.

I felt it terribly earlier this week, and all I wanted was to stay in bed. But I had a shift, I had a client, I had someone who has had a rough time and who needed my help... So I got out of bed and helped him. In the end we had a good day, he made me laugh, I got him to laugh and we even worked on some of his goals. It was a good day...

Then I went home, and curled up in bed... 

Thanks for reading

Josh

[putschki1969]

2021/07/07 Blog post by Wakana 「麺」と「MEN」が仲間入り！！〜私の昼食大革命〜 

Super-Noodles have joined the ranks！〜My Great Lunch Revolution〜

❗This is Fan Club EXCLUSIVE content❗ ❗PERSONAL USE ONLY❗ Do ❗NOT SHARE❗ on other sites ❗ Join her FAN CLUB! Check out my detailed TUTORIAL ❗

Recently, I've come across something amazing that has shocked me to my core, the food of my dreams, it's truly revolutionised my daily diet. SUPER NOODLES!  ･: * +. \ ((° ω °)) /.:+ ･:*+.\((°ω°))/.:+ ･:*+.\((°ω°))/.: + ･: * +. \ ((° ω °)) /.:+ (they are gluten-free). These noodles are made from rice. Some of you may wonder if these taste like Vietnamese pho noodles or vermicelli noodles since they are also made from rice but they are actually quite different in texture and taste. They are not as soft but instead they are firm and chewy like udon, ramen, and regular pasta (they are vacuum-packed as seen in the picture and it only takes a minutes to make them, amazing, right?).

For the most part I live gluten-free so I do my best to stay away from flour. For example, I usually eat ramen and udon about once a month or so, the last time I had pasta was in autumn last year (if I remember correctly?*laughs*). I had pizza at the end of the year! And I had some bread while we did a shoot the other day ♪ It was delicious ~ ♪

I'm not allergic to gluten, so I can eat it without any issue, and I honestly really love noodles and bread. But as we all know it's better not to eat too much flour. That's why I try to refrain from it. I love pasta so much that I used to eat it almost every day. Whenever I have some delicious pasta I get addicted and super greedy, I will feel the need to eat it again the next day and the next. That’s why I really try my best to stay away from that *laughs*. Pizza is really delicious as well, and when I eat it, I feel like having it every week, so it is also very high on my list of things I try to avoid as much as possible. There are many occasions where I am tempted to eat bread but I am not really addicted to it so I don’t suffer from withdrawal symptoms if I don't have it regularly, it’s not like I need to have it every day so I am fine with that *laughs*. Also, I don't have much desire to eat cakes or other types of desserts with flour, so I don't mind staying away from them. I have gotten stronger and more patient when it comes to udon and ramen so I can tolerate having them only once a month. I have actually not had udon in a while now ... since I love udon so much I want to eat it in Fukuoka ... (when I am in Fukuoka, I allow myself to eat as much udon as I want ♪)

Writing all of this I feel like many people might assume that I am overdoing it, that it might not be very healthy to deny myself all these foods but the truth is, this eating habit has become part of my life, it feels very natural to me. I have various options for my main and side dishes so it’s not troublesome at all and it doesn’t feel like I am missing out on anything(⌒ ▽ ⌒) ♪ And sometimes the ban is lifted and I will eat whatever I want ♪ But yeah, for the most part I just want to eat udon and pasta without having to worry about my body. And that’s possibe now. Thanks to the super noodles!!! My wish has come true!!!! (´ ； Д ； `) Really, a true revolution! These special "noodles" have joined the ranks of my favourite lunch foods (lunch is the only meal where I eat carbs)!! I have so much fun every day thinking of new ways to prepare my noodles *laughs* In the first picture you are seeing my basic lunch. Very lazily prepared *laughs*. And the follow-up picture is what happens if you use noodles instead of rice  ↓ ↓ ↓ I added a raw egg to the hot boiled super noodles, some Saku-Saku Crispy Soy Sauce and then sprinkled some sesame seeds on top, pure heaven. If you add some tomato sauce, it tastes just like regular tomato sauce pasta. The noodles look like real pasta, but it’s all made of rice. And they taste just like pasta!! A huge surprise!! Noodles by themselves aren’t the most nutritious food so I always make sure to have miso soup or natto on the side *laughs*. My lunch is in the midst of going through a great revolution!

Hello, this is Wakana (0￣ ▽ ￣0) /

My introduction turned out really long *laughs*. Yup, it’s a long wall of text this time *laughs*. If you are interested in a gluten-free diet, there are so many powerful and useful foods that will help you on your journey and provide peace of mind! \\\\ ٩ ('ω') و //// ♪

By the way, today is July 7th! It's Tanabata ☆ o (^ ▽ ^) o It gets cloudy on Tanabata every year so as expected it’s cloudy in Tokyo tonight too ... a shame~ (￣ ▽ ￣;)

Time flew by, it's already been two and a half months since my spring concert ... How is time going by so quickly? Prior to the release of the live Blu-ray, Victor's Official YouTube Channel released a digest video! The trailer is about 7 minutes long and you really get a proper feel for the live *laughs*. Please be sure to check it out~ ♪

And the other day we got to finally announce the musicians for "Wakana Anime Classic 2021" which will have its first performance in Osaka on August 15!!! Tadaaaa!!! 

Music Director / Piano: Shin Hashimoto (Sin) Violin: Koichiro Muroya Cello: Takahiro Yuki

Sin-san, the music director and pianist, has assisted me on many occasions, he contributed to the "Wakana Covers ~ Anime Classics ~" album and he has accompanied me on YouTube videos and other online events! The violinist Muroya-san has not only worked on my "Wakana Covers ~" album, he has also participated in the recording for many songs on my other albums! I have actually known the cellist Yuki-san ever since my days in Kalafina, back then he played the cello during various productions. Now that I have become a solo artist, he continues to be of help during recordings. Such a fantastic trio!! I think that the arrangements this time around will be simpler and the sound will be much more intimate. We want to carefully create immaculate arrangements so you can enjoy every second of the concert. I can’t wait for rehearsals to start ...! I think August will come in no time so I'm really just looking forward to the first live performance in Osaka (● ´ω ｀ ●) *excited* ♪

It's a little while before I can meet you in person but there will be an online sign event this Friday and Saturday ~ (* ^ ◯ ^ *) Just a little while longer! I'll be writing your names and adding my signature on these lovely sheets ~ (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵) Please look forward to it~! !!

Well then, let’s meet on the weekend! Until next time〜☆( *'▽’*)/

*** Wakana ***

2021/07/07 Instagram post by Wakana

More location photos! I went to a place of my dreams ~ 🌿🌿🌿 A country of plants! ��😆😆 I have been there several times already, there are many plants, flowers, gorgeous pots and fashionable vases every time I come here, it's truly a magical land that I never get tired of ... 🥰💕 Details of this location will be announced at a later date 😊 Please be patient a little while longer🎵 The second photo is featuring colourul vases in the shapes of vegetables and fruits ~ 😍🍓🍋🍍 🍓 I was worrying so much about whether to buy one or not ❗ (in the end I resisted). By the way, today is Tanabata 🎋 Please spend a wonderful night with your wishes in mind ✨🌠🌟🌠

Source

[iheartsunset]

Papa Louie Scarlett HCs

-Rosabella Ocampo is a 23 year old singer/songwriter and graduate school student who lives with her fiancé, Rudy, in a Powder Point condo. She is widely known by her legal/stage name, Scarlett Heart and is the lead singer/songwriter of Scarlett and the Shakers. While punk ska and playing gigs with her friends are her true passion, Scarlett plans to become a game theory professor in the future. She can mostly be seen writing lyrics for a new song, riding roller coasters with Rudy, climbing trees with Clover, and just vibing with Marty.

-Scarlett is rather bold and seductive, often playfully flirting with others or making jokes about inappropriate topics. I stole this from Rouge, thanks SnapCube fandub for revitalizing my love for Sonic. Alongside her flirtatiousness is her intelligence and desire to succeed, using rules and lessons that she learned from various games to apply to her daily life. Thanks to her love of poker and mahjong, Scarlett has grown to be very analytical and sly in her motives. Out of the shakers, she is undoubtedly the big sister friend as she’s kind of a bad influence on the rest of them and is always subjected to scoldings by mom friend, Janana.

-Rudy calls her “Princesa” because of her Cinderella-like backstory. Her mother was a very kind woman and Scarlett lived happily with her and her father. Her mother died in a roadside construction accident when Scarlett was only 9, leaving Scarlett heartbroken. Her father then married a woman named Moira with two sons, Graham and David, who was emotionally abusive towards Scarlett until she moved out at age 16. Scarlett’s relationship with her dad deteriorated over time and she’s basically disowned them since. She finds solace in Marty and Clover’s parents, who think of Rudy and Scarlett as their own. She also got along with the other Frostfield residents and helped Willow get back into hockey after her infamous car accident (the first one).

-Stan Twitter often makes memes of her because she’s so iconic and quotable. One of her most iconic moments was when she screamed “I wrote this next one about my bitch ass stepmom. Moira, if you’re listening, your hair is limp and you fucking suck!” at the VMAs.

-Music was her escape as a child, hence why she learned to sing and play multiple instruments. However, her stepmother made her play the violin in the school orchestra as opposed to being allowed in a punk rock band. Even though she was concertmaster and first chair, she hated life so badly. Scarlett can play the guitar, bass guitar, violin, cello, drums, the trumpet, the saxophone, the bassoon, the piano, the xylophone, the harp, the flute, the recorder, the French horn, the clarinet, i didn’t even list all of them and I’m tired already. When one of the other shakers has lead vocals on a song, she’ll take over playing their instrument.

-Scarlett met Rudy during their shared freshman year of high school. Hazelnut High’s orchestra department had its annual field trip to Powder Point (based off my actual orchestra field trip!). Scarlett decided to sneak away from her snobby classmates and teachers and have the time to herself. On one particularly large roller coaster, she sat next to a boy with a Mohawk who told her that since he was a Powder Point native, he could more than handle it. He then proceeded to cry the entire time while holding her hand. They realized how much they had in common and kept in contact even after her trip was over. Their relationship is super lovey dovey, yet chill at the same time. Couple goals, but not on the level of Prudence x Cooper x Taylor.

-The shakers got together during the 23rd season of Flipline’s Got Talent. After the shocking elimination of Taylor Morales in the quarterfinals, the remaining acts were merged together. Scarlett and Rudy and Marty and Clover were two sets of pairs merged together. They all got along beforehand and loved Scarlett’s songwriting, so they all wrote an original song together for the finals. Even though they were fan favorites and had lots of support from the audience, Bill and Boopsy’s amazing ventriloquy act was what won the show, with the upset Shakers coming in second place. Afterwards, they were approached by Janana who offered to become their agent, and all they’ve known since was success. Fun fact: Rudy wouldnt accept Clover and Marty into their act unless they beat him and Scarlett at poker. They did.

-The shakers each can speak multiple languages, with Scarlett being able to speak fluent English and Tagalog, Tagalog being her native language (Filipino gang!). She can also speak some Spanish, Japanese, Arabic, Hindi, and Gaelic because she hangs around the other Shakers and Janana so much.

-All of the food, drinks, clothes, and personal belongings Scarlett loves are various shades of red. Cherries, longanisa, red wine, and candied strawberries are her favorite. Her entire wardrobe? Red. Her LED lights? Red. It honestly scares Rudy how red everything is.

-Her voice would either be Jessica Sanchez from American Idol or Gwen Stefani from the No Doubt era. She also covers a lot of No Doubt songs during their concerts. Speaking of covers, the shakers like to sing classic rock songs as well as modern day hits. Scarlett has the vocal range to do Ariana and Mariah Carey justice.

-Her and Marty are best friends. They’re both on the same wavelength and will most likely have the same reaction to memes, like word for word the same reaction. They usually have to get Rudy and Clover out of trouble most days. I love their chaotic, yet chill energy, like the types that just sit and observe and quietly make funny comments to each other.

-She determines whether she likes you or not based off of how good you are at mahjong or poker. If you suck enough to let her win, she’ll love you forever but if you match her in ability, she’ll respect you but kinda fear you as well. If you refuse to play altogether, she hates you. She’s a game theory student, so playing any board game with her is grounds for disaster because she’ll use her weird psychology and tricks to win all the time. Ironically, she sucks at video games. Even though she loves games of chance, she’s hugely against casinos and betting, instead trading small trinkets like food or makeup.

-At the Cheeseria, she set up a poker table, a mahjong table, and a pool table for the entertainment. They unfortunately had to get rid of the Uno table because somebody (ahem, Jojo) got a little too heated over a match with Papa and Wally. And by “got a little too heated”, I mean that Jojo literally got in a fist fight with Papa and lost.

-All she watches are telenovelas. Don’t ask about The Office or Game of Thrones, all she knows is stuff like Rubi and Maria la del Barrio.

-She doesn’t like musical theater except for Phantom of the Opera. She has taken a few roles as Kim in Miss Saigon, but secretly regrets it because musical theater is so much harder than just a regular concert. She still respects theater actors, but will never again sit through Anything Goes.

-She is the only one of the workers who has managed to successfully punch Guy Mortadello. Koilee and Rudy came close, but Scarlett landed an especially hard punch to his nose. Next to being engaged and forming Scarlett and the Shakers, she says it’s the third happiest day of her life. Now, Guy Mortadello is extremely scared of Scarlett and will cry if he sees her or hears her song on the radio (which is all the time).

-She has a tattoo of a heart of her hand along with a crown. On three of her fingers are a yellow Diamond, green clover, and blue spade.

-Scarlett is absolutely gorgeous and badass, I always kept rewinding Papas Cheeseria just to see her and Rudy in the opening because I had crushes on them both. Anyways, stan Scarlett for good grades (it’s not working though I’m still failing two classes)

[mordoriscalling]

Stay or Sail Away (1/6)

Here comes part one the modern AU fake dating Geraskier fic that I talked about in this post. I’d like to post each part daily. Tagging @geraskier-trashh as requested! :D

***

It’s not that Jaskier has any problem finding someone, thank you very much. It’s just that he’s busy. Busy with concerts and composing, meeting fans at various events, travelling, internet dramas involving Valdo (it’s always fucking Valdo). There’s no time for a relationship, only for occasional one night stands that sometimes that leave him heartbroken because he actually manages to fall in love with someone in the span of a few hours. It’s fine, though. Heartbreak inspires him like little else.

Jaskier's never complained about lack of bed partners, when he seeks them out. He’s charming, after all. Still, the moment he hears “commitment”, he flees. It’s just not his way. Or perhaps he’s never found anyone fascinating enough to commit to; it takes a lot to keep his attention.  He wasn’t even looking for someone like that. Not until recently.

His troubles began a week ago, during a phone call with his mum. She reminded him of his father’s 65th birthday party and asked if he would bring anyone with him. This was followed by a series of questions about his love life because, as his mum put it, “you’re 35, Julian darling, and you’re always working so hard! I worry you’ll end up alone”. In order to placate her, Jaskier might’ve lied a little tiny bit about some things. As a result, because of all the twists and turns of the conversation, he made his mother believe he had a fiancé.

A fucking fiancé.

Wanda Pankratz was ecstatic, wishing to know everything about her son’s relationship, but he dodged all the further questions by saying that she would meet his love soon enough. She left it at that but, of course, told half the family about it, if the texts and calls from his sisters and aunts were anything to go by.

Hence, The Post.

It’s a bit pathetic and desperate, Jaskier can freely admit, but he has no other choice. His personal guard Zoltan almost pissed himself laughing when Jaskier asked him to pretend to be his fiancé, and not one of his friends knows anyone who would want to do this. Not even his agent Triss could help him out.

It all drove Jaskier to log on his anonymous Facebook account (he is a pretty big name in the UK; better be safe than sorry) and post in one of the big London groups.

“I need urgent help from someone who’d be willing to act as my fiancé during a family party on February the 24th. The only thing I expect is the ability to sing praises of our love and to compliment my aunts. It’ll take around 4 hours and then we end our relationship. Age from 35 to 40. It’d be great if you knew something about the sea because I intend to introduce you as a sailor who’s never home and afterwards, you die. Can anybody help?”

Since yesterday, the post has got more than a thousand reactions (mostly the laughing one and likes) and hundreds of comments. Many people tagged their friends as a joke, which is not helpful, but Jaskier still scrolls down and down, trying not to let his hope die. Nobody seems to think his request is for real and he’s received no serious offers so far. Then, one of the newest comment threads catches his attention.

Lambert Rivia:    Geralt Rivia Destiny!

                              Geralt Rivia Fuck off

                              Yennefer Vengeberg Omg 😂 Cirilla Vengeberg-Rivia Eskel Rivia you must see this!

                              Cirilla Vengeberg-Rivia Yesssss!! This is perfect! ❤️

                              Eskel Rvia Do it Geralt

                              Geralt Rivia No.

Intrigued, Jaskier decides to check out these people’s profiles. Lambert Rivia is a handsome red-haired man who wears some kind of black military suit in his profile picture. Looking at his bio, Jaskier already knows why Lambert didn’t volunteer himself – he’s in a relationship. Eskel Rivia is blond, even more handsome than Lambert despite facial scars, and also has a photo in a black suit, together with a white cap on his head. There’s no information on Eskel’s relationship status and Jaskier is intrigued indeed. Yennefer Vengeberg is a terrifyingly beautiful woman who, judging how professional her profile picture appears, must work in some serious profession. Cirilla Vengerberg-Rivia is a lovely teenage girl with white-blond hair. Jaskier reckons she’s the daughter of Yennefer and one of the Rivia guys.

He left the poor Geralt’s profile as the last to look at, but now that Jaskier has seen the rest, he checks this one too.

His jaw fucking drops.

Geralt Rivia is a ridiculously handsome man. His face seems practically unreal because, surely, people as beautiful as Geralt don’t actually exist? The man’s long white hair (which makes no sense considering his apparent age), as well as his brown-almost-golden eyes, only add to his otherwordly, stunning appearance. Double stunning in that black military suit he’s wearing in his profile picture, just like Lambert and Eskel. The suit looks familiar and Jaskier has a nagging feeling he really should know what kind of army it is. Google helps him out and he quickly puts two to two – Geralt, Eskel and Lambert serve for the Royal Navy.

He bursts out laughing.

This is too good.

He wonders what he should to about this. Now that he knows about Geralt’s existence, he can’t really miss the chance of meeting him, however slim. His gut feeling tells him not to let the opportunity slip and well, who is Jaskier not to listen?

When he’s in the middle of debating what to write to the man, his phone pings. There’s a new messenger notification... with Geralt’s name. With a racing heart, Jaskier opens the message.

FEB THE 18TH AT 06:14 PM Hey. Everyone’s telling me to message you and won’t leave me alone. Is your request for real? Please say no

Jaskier chuckles and replies:

Hi! I’m sorry they’re bothering you and I’m also sorry to say that my request is very much for real. I’d be forever grateful if you helped me 😁

To this, Geralt responds with:

They really won’t stop until I agree They think it’s so fucking funny

Jaskier purses his lips, already suspecting this isn’t likely to work out. He'll have to face his loving mum and admit that he lied to her about fucking having a fiancé. She’s going to be so disappointed. At the very prospect, bad mood overtakes him, but he still types what he hopes to be a cheerful answer.

Damn, so sorry mate I won’t push you but, again, I’d totally owe you one if you agree  ☺️

What would I get?

Jaskier tries to reason with his hope to calm the fuck down and replies:

Money, or a favour of some sort, I have many connections Could be free tickets to my concerts  Even my company for the night 😏 Just whatever you want I really need help

Fuck

For a minute or two, the three dots next to Geralt’s photo disappear, and Jaskier’s hope plummets in a  dramatic fashion. Then, more messages from Geralt show up in the chat.

Free tickets seem fine My daughter loves going to concerts She’d like free tickets but I never heard of you

Jaskier starts begging any god out there that Cirilla is Geralt’s daughter. Teenagers make up a large part of his audience (which is great, actually; teenage kids are amazing these days). If she’s a fan, the free tickets are a major bargaining chip.

Well, Julian AP isn’t my stage name I don’t use it on fb

What is it? Your stage name

I’d rather not say here And you must promise me you won’t tell anyone about it too Well, anyone but your daughter

Ok

 Can you call me? It’s better to talk about this on the phone anyway

Fine.

Jaskier sends Geralt his number and waits for the call. In other circumstances, he’d congratulate himself on getting a man like that to call him so easily, but he’s too anxious. His hands itch for his guitar but he doesn’t get up from his bed. He begins smoothing his hair out with his palms, praying in his mind that Geralt hasn’t changed his mind.

After the agonizing wait of six minutes, there’s an incoming call. Jaskier takes a deep breath and picks up.

“Hello,” says a gravelly baritone voice so pleasant that it sends shivers down Jaskier’s spine.

“Uhm, h-hi, Geralt,” he replies a bit breathlessly, “so, my name’s Julian Alfred Pankratz but I’m known to many as Jaskier.”

There’s a beat of silence. “Jaskier?” Geralt repeats, “the one who sings Her Sweet Kiss?”

Jaskier beams, his chest swelling with pride. “The very same.”

“Fuck,” Geralt growls, “Ciri wants to blast this song whenever we drive somewhere.”

Jaskier laughs. “She would love free tickets to my concerts, wouldn’t she?”

“Yeah.”

Geralt says no more. Jaskier has to swallow down to sop his throat from constricting. “So?” he asks, “Can you do this for me?”

The silence on the other side is deafening and Jaskier doesn’t even breathe until Geralt finally speaks up. “Fine,” he grunts, his tone indicating it’s anything but fine.

Air leaves Jaskier’s lungs in a whoosh, replaced by a flood of such sheer relief that he may as well cry. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” he babbles, heady with joy, “Gosh, you’re my saviour!”

“Just don’t tell anyone about this,” Geralt grumbles.

“Not a soul, Geralt, not a soul.”

“Send me the details about when and where and let’s get this over w–”

“No, wait!” Jaskier cuts in, “My family’s very perceptive, they’ll know it’s a ruse. We should plan everything carefully.”

“You’re making me regret this,” Gerlt growls.

“I’m sorry!” Jaskier hastens to say. “Just... at least tell me a bit about yourself?”

Geralt lets out an irritated sigh. “I’m forty, serve for the Royal Navy with my brothers. Eskel’s the nice one and Lambert’s the prick. My ex-wife Yennefer works for the government.” Jaskier actually shudders at this one because he already can picture it. Yennefer seems exactly powerful like that. “We have a daughter,” Geralt goes on, his tone softening, “Ciri. She’s fourteen. We live in London but I’m away often.”

“Oh, lovely,” Jaskier says with a wide smile because, really, this man’s love for his daughter is so clear and endearing, “this is something we can start with.”

“Just make everything up about our relationship and send it to me. I’ll play along.”

“Thank you,” he breathes out, still amazed at his luck. Jaskier is almost high on the success of his ingenious scheme and his obligations are therefore non-existent, so nothing stops him from teasing Geralt. “Though, to be completely honest," he says cheekily, "you don’t strike me as the type to sing praises of our love and compliment my aunts.”

“Hmm,” Geralt replies. It doesn’t sound like a negation. “Yen says I’m not that bad if I try.”

The fondness with which he said Yennefer’s name is a cold bucket of water poured on his enthusiasm. “O-oh, ok,” he stutters out, thrown off-track, “So, uhm, would you be willing to try for me?”

For a moment, Geralt says nothing, then answers, “If you give Ciri an autograph.”

Jaskier laughs out loud. “Not a problem at all! Whatever she wants.” He pauses. “Whatever you want,” he adds more seriously.  

Geralt only hmms, in a way that Jaskier’s prone-to-romanticism mind would almost call warm. Silence falls between them but it doesn’t feel awkward somehow. “Have to go,” Geralt says.

“Okay,” Jaskier replies quietly, “Thank you again. I’ll text you, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

After Geralt hangs up, Jaskier huffs out a shaky breath. Deep down, he already knows.

This is going to mess him up.

TBC

Part 2

[thesuitelife547]

“I’m sorry to the fans of B1A4” CNU’s Last Interview Before Enlisting [ARTICLE TRANS]

This is a re-post from something I previously had on my tumblr. This is just the translation of the questions and answers. I don’t have the link to the original article yet with the pictures. I have obtained the original articles! Thanks to Shimybana04 on Twitter!

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Thanks!

- Marisa

[t/n: I just combined the 3 parts of the questions. The introduction parts were all basically the same]

Last year, idol group B1A4 went through a big change. Members Jinyoung (28, Jung Jinyoung) and Baro (27, Cha Sunwoo) left WM Entertainment after their contracts expired leaving CNU (28, Shin Dongwoo), Sandeul (27, Lee Junghwan), and Gongchan (26, Gong Chanshik) to be arranged into a 3-membered group.

 Although it was a path chosen in order for them to develop themselves, but when seen from the viewpoint of the fans that have been cheering for them, there are many regrets. The members cannot ignore these types of feelings the fans have. And at their first fanmeeting as a 3-membered B1A4, held last month on the 5th, CNU stated, while crying, “I can’t repay what is owed to the heart even if I try to repay it for the rest of my life.” With a sorrowful heart, he was apologetic for being unable to keep B1A4 as 5 members as the oldest.

 After the fanmeeting, CNU is enlisted in the military last month on the 22nd. He is the first B1A4 member fulfilling his duty and was preparing for the second stage of his life. Before his enlistment, Star News met with CNU for a ‘Let’s Have A Meal’ interview. It would be his last for the fans before the enlistment. We met CNU at in Seoul at a Korean-style full course meal restaurant as he felt grateful and apologetic towards fans as he thought about having to leave for a little.

 How are you feeling right before you enlist in the army?

It feels surreal, a little complicated. There are times when I feel empty, uneasy, and even liberated. Of course I have to go, but as it gets closer, there are various types of overlapping emotions.

 Is it a bit burdensome since you’re going later? [t/n: as in age wise]

Haha. Going late isn’t something to be proud of. As an artist, I have activities and unavoidable situations therefore rather than being burdened, I’m worried about the members. My biggest worry is about leaving the younger ones behind.

 What kinds of things did you talk with the members about?

It’s more like we don’t really talk about the big thing. Haha. Still, they decided that they’d go with me the day that I do enlist.

 When you look at the other celebrities that went to the army, there’s always talk about how they really miss girl groups. CNU-ssi, what girl group do you think you’ll miss the most?

Um…I’ll go with being a fan of Oh My Girl. I should take care of our kids. Haha. They’re popular in military units. Nowadays they’re becoming more popular and they’re also my company juniors. It’d be nice if they could visit, if possible…haha. But since I think that could possibly put pressure on them, I want to tell them that I understand if they can’t come.

How do you spend your time?

I’ve been busy recently and I think I’ll continue to be up until the day before I enlist. It was eventful for us last year, too. I was in a drama and more recently we were preparing for our fanmeeting. There is a fanmeeting in Japan scheduled for February, but I can’t attend because I’ll be in the army. We were preparing for various things. Since there was a little bit of a change to B1A4, we were preparing a lot of things in order to show fans a good image of us. We were seriously planning a lot of things.

 Can you tell us about what you had planned?

There was the fanmeeting. I also thought that it’d be good if B1A4 were able to quickly put out an album. It’s been such a long time since we released an album. I’m really sorry to the fans for undergoing this change. I thought that quickly releasing an album would be a way to ask for a little forgiveness from the fans. I wanted to have an album, fanmeet, and even a concert.

A little while ago you held a fanmeeting as a 3-membered group. I figure that it would feel differently. You even shed a lot of tears…

Rather than it being anyone’s fault that B1A4 is in a situation where we have to continue as a 3-membered group, I think everyone shares responsibility. I think we should live while being apologetic to the fans. The 5 members are the ones directly in B1A4, but B1A4 isn’t just ours. There is the company that made us and also the fans. For someone out there, B1A4 being in their life could be everything to them and there could also be people who feel like we’re the ones who give them energy…I feel like we committed a great sin to those people. It’s not like I want to find out who did what, I’m just very sorry about this situation and I think I cried a lot.

 I think those feelings would be bigger since you’re the eldest.

That’s right. There’s a sense of regret to it, like ‘If I had done a better job, wouldn’t it have been a better situation?’ I feel sorry towards the fans and the members. The fans who had come to the fanmeeting told me a lot of things like, “It’s not your fault, don’t feel sorry,” but I think I’ll have this apologetic heart for the rest of my life. I think I should have it for the rest of my life. Because we made a crack in their memories of us, I think I should pay it back in the future.

Your first activity after your contract renewal with WM Entertainment was a drama. You challenged your first project, SBS drama Miss Ma: Goddess of Revenge. How was it? [t/n: they wrote more like how Miss Ma is his first like drama role. He was in a previous drama, but that was a daily drama and is considered to be in a different category]

Just acting on TV is such a great opportunity for me. It’s a project that I’m very thankful for. The fans have also seemed to have wanted me to be in a drama. I’m really happy that I was able to have an opportunity to try it out. I was able to work with mostly everyone besides the children actors, so I was able to really learn a lot. I think that this project was able to lay the foundation for future growth.

 In the past you’ve done a lot of musical activities before, is there a difference between that and acting?

There’s a difference either way. Some of the continuing habits that I have from musicals sometimes appeared when I was acting for TV. There were times when my seniors gave me advice on some of the technical stuff, like telling me to calm down my tone. And because Sung Jiru-sunbae and I were together a lot, he taught me a lot about the type of attitude that an actor should have and the type of skills while at the filming site. It’s a project where I really learned a lot.

How was your chemistry with your senior actors?

Kim Yoonjin-sunbae really looked upon me favorably. I’m really thankful. Because she hadn’t seen me as actor CNU before, I think she worried about how I would act. After the script reading, we went out for a company dinner and while we were there, she spoke to me first saying, “Your speaking and breathing are good, it’s clear that you’ve prepared a lot for this. I’m very grateful.”

 I was even more touched because such a big senior had said that to me. She also taught me a lot about acting while we were on site. She acknowledged and liked me as a singer and has also monitored and listened to the songs that I have written. It was such a big opportunity for me to be able to share those things with my senior. There could be a prejudice by other actors for being an idol turned actor, but I’ve been acknowledged as an actor and singer. I’m very thankful.

You had a love line with Go Sunghee.

There’s only a one-year age difference between Sunghee-noona and I, but I think dropping the age difference between us made the love line more comfortable. She treated me very well. I’m thankful. It is a love line but it’s a bit of a disappointment that we hadn’t held hands or hugged. Haha. We said that we should do another project together. It was fun acting together because she has such an easy-going personality.

 You and Bae Dohwan, who was also in drama, played a cop. Did you guys have any preparation beforehand?

One of my friends from high school is a real cop. As soon as I was casted I had called that friend and asked him detailed things like, “How do you salute?” or “Can you take off your hat when you’re in the station?” I think I was able to get information rather easily because of my real-life cop friend.

Together with Sandeul and Gongchan, after the contract renewal, I think that you guys would have become stronger together.

I think that it has. I have certainly become more concerned about things that I wasn’t concerned about before and as the eldest, I feel like there are more things I have to take responsibility for. We also see each other and contact each other more.

 I’m curious about your reasons for renewing your contract.

From the very beginning I had no desire to leave. Of course there’d be complaints and misunderstandings since we were in this company for so long; however, no matter how I saw it, they grew us and it was because of this company that I was able to debut, so my feelings about renewing my contract grew. Even though I can’t promise to stay with them for the rest of my life, at least for this time I had wanted to renew my contract and stay together.

 I don’t think the 5 of us thought the same thing. Although it’s something that the company knows now, at the time of our contract renewal, it wasn’t like I didn’t meet with other companies. There were good offers from many good companies, but in the end, I believe that it is with this company that I’m able to securely do the things that make my heart comfortable to my fullest extent. Sandeul and Gongchan also had that kind of mindset.

When you go to the army, who will you think about the most?

The fans is first place. I believe I’ll think about the fans the most. While I should also think about my family, friends, and members, of course, I think I’ll miss the fans the most. Even at our recent fanmeeting, seeing all of the fans gathered together and holding signs to cheer for us I thought, “There’s no greater blessing than this for me.” I don’t think I should ever forget about my gratitude for the fans.

 What are your plans after you get discharged?

I feel like my time spent in the military is the second part of my life, it feels like I’m starting the turning point. Thus far in order for B1A4’s activities to go further, I feel like we have gotten onto the footholds and once I’m discharged from the army, I think we’d be able to fly and run stronger. I’ll also run step by step towards the planned things that I wasn’t able to do before enlisting in the army. I have a lot of debt for the fans’ hearts, so I have to pay it back, even if it’s just a little.

 I want to release an album as soon as I’m discharged. So far there are about 8-9 songs that I have written. Sandeul also has written about 3-4. We have been worried about what direction our music should go in as we continue as a 3-membered B1A4. The songs that I have written while worrying about that is enough to fill a regular album. I think quickly finishing and releasing a B1A4 album after I’m discharged is my goal. I think with the first step being music, I’ll be able to let go of this apologetic feeling that I have towards the fans.

[iohourtime]

Hey!Say!JUMP 2019 in Taipei - Reports from various newspapers

Notes:

I was going to do this back in October when it was more timely but I was going nuts trying to organize all the articles in some semblance of order. Why now then? The concert DVD’s will be released on August 5! A digest version of the Taipei concert will be included in LE 1. According to the fans, they only cut 3 songs (and probably a lot if not all of the MC). 

This article was translated mainly from the Apple Daily article, but I filled in the details from other articles, con reports, and news clips.

Johnny's group Hey!Say!JUMP held their first concert in Taiwan in 7 years. The 9 members of Hey!Say!JUMP are Yabu Kota, Takaki Yuya, Inoo Kei, Yaotome Hikaru, Arioka Daiki, Okamoto Keito (studying abroad), Yamada Ryosuke, Nakajima Yuto, and Chinen Yuri. For two days, they took over the Taipei Arena and were greeted with great enthusiasm: the 22,000 tickets sold out immediately, with the 2 performances grossing 58M TWD in ticket sales.

The concert was not just attended by local Taiwanese fans, the Japanese fans also formed their own tour groups to go to the concert, and you could find fans from many countries like China, Thailand, etc… Wu Chun, who co-starred with Yamada Ryosuke and Arioka Daiki, sent flowers to congratulate them on opening night. They also arranged a lot of "Taiwan limited events" for the local fans, such as opening a pop up shop, releasing 2 songs on streaming services, as well as a collaboration with Line Poko Poko.

2 minute digest video here.

Opening Introduction

As the LED sign of Hey!Say!JUMP's name rose to the top, the 8 members appeared on stage donned in sparkling suits in their own members' colour. The 11,000 fans switched on their penlights to their biases’ colour and turned the arena into a spectacle of lights.

Yamada shouted "Are you ready!!!!" Takaki* (or Arioka & Chinen) said in Mandarin, "Are you having fun? OK, we are having fun too. Taiwan! Welcome to our concert!" The other members didn't want to lose to each other and they all chimed in with their newly learned Chinese phrases like "you guys are super cute", "sing along with us" , "please sit" or “let me hear you scream”. They started with a performance of “Arigatou~ Sekai no doko ni itemo”, a song that included lyrics in many languages, such as “Thank you” in Manadarin.

* The Taiwanese media could not tell some of the members apart, so certain quotes were attributed to multiple members. I used 1 and put the other possibilities in brackets. I suppose we will find out when we watch the DVD.

When it was time to introduce themselves, they did not forget to flirt with and charm their fans in Mandarin. Yabu Kota started by saying “We’ve learned a bit* of Chinese. Please bear with us as we are not very good. How are you, I am Yabu Kota. We’ve let you wait for too long. Friends in the back, I can see you clearly!”

* Another article said we’ve spent a year learning Chinese. That’s what I heard from the news clips too, but either is possible because of his pronunciation. 😅 我們學了一點 (yī diǎn)中文 vs. 我們學了一年 (yī nián) 中文.

Hikaru Yaotome continued, “I remember the last time we came here. Let us melt your hearts.” 

Takaki Yuya also shouted, “I really really missed you guys.” 

Inoo Kei, who wasted no time telling the fans they were cute made a “shocking” declaration. “You are all our girlfriends. Can my girlfriends on the left hear me? How about my girlfriends on the right? ” Then he put his arms around Chinen Yuri and said, “But my real girlfriend is…” and trailed off, leaving the fans to draw their own conclusions.

Chinen Yuri was worried that the fans did not recognize him, so he kept asking “Do you know me? Do you know me? Really?” When he heard the affirmative responses, he said, “I like you very much! Thank you.”

Meanwhile Yamada Ryosuke tried a different strategy and used Taiwanese to tell everyone in the audience that they were cute*. However, his pronunciation was quite off so nobody understood what he said and the response was very tentative. He panicked and kept repeating the phrase*, when Chinen finally asked him to clarify. Yamada said “You’re cute” in Japanese and that was met with kyaa’s. Nevertheless, his failed attempt brought a lot of joy to the audience.

* Cute in Taiwanese is 古錐 (Actual pronunciation). 😅

Finally, Nakajima Yuto used both Mandarin and English to address the audience. “It’s been a long time. We are so happy to see you again. We’ve been waiting to see you again for 7 years since we came here last time. For 7 years. Our dream to come back here has finally come true. We are so glad.” (Source: a clip from a Taiwan TV entertainment show.)

You can watch some of the exchanges here.

There were many familiar songs on the set list but with a Taiwanese twist. For example, in Kimi Attraction, the members mugged the camera and acted cool as usual. At the end, Chinen said “As expected, Taiwan is No. 1.” Inoo added in Mandarin, “So cute!” 

They also brought back the "flying circle" from the stage show “SUMMARY”, which was something they had not performed for years. Dressed in white, they quickly hooked each other up to the harnesses and held each others’ hands as they flew, their capes flowing gracefully as they twirled to the music while they sang “Born in the EARTH”, the audience went wild. The rest of the concert was filled with effects like confetti, smoke, dry ice, and gin tape. It was a spectacle.

MC

Just before the end of the first half, the 8 members were chatting with fans and each other on stage. When they found out a lot of them attended their concert at Nangang 101* 7 years ago, they immediately said “Thank you” in Chinese. They then asked each other (in Mandarin), “Do you have a smartphone?” Nakajima also asked the audience, “What kind of group is Hey!Say!JUMP?” 

* Nangang 101 was a small concert hall that has since been demolished. From what I heard, it was actually a pretty bad location. Supposedly, Taipei Arena is a much nicer space.

At this time, it looked like Yamada was going to introduce each member, but all he did was point at each one and said “他很帥! (He is handsome)”. When it was Arioka’s turn, Yamada pointed at him and said, “他是笨蛋! (He is an idiot)”. Arioka, who didn’t know the Mandarin for “idiot”, immediately asked, “Hey, the word you used to describe me is different from the others!” The audience roared.

After Yamada introduced everybody, Chinen introduced Yamada* with “他是...我的錢包. (He is my... wallet.)” Yamada clarified, “不是,我是...銀行! (No, I am... the bank!)”

*This is not in any of the news articles, but the Taiwanese fans won’t shut up about it, so I’ll add it here. Either the whole thing was in Mandarin or it’s a mix of Japanese and Mandarin. I have no clue but at least “wallet” and “bank” were in Manadrin.

Meanwhile, out of nowhere, Chinen showed off the line he learned and said, “I will not make the same mistake next time”*. The members were completely baffled by that. 

* When Yabu, Yuto, and Chi went to Taipei for the press conference, they appeared on a number of TW entertainment shows and were taught a bunch of “useful” Mandarin phrases. I think this was one of the lines.

They also remembered to advertise the pop-up shop. Since the members arrived a day earlier in Taipei, they secretly visited the pop up shop to check it out and signed the poster. The members teased Yamada, the spokesperson for Lachesca cleansing product, and said “The shop is filled with Yamada.” At this time, Yamada brought out all the products and promoted them to the audience. Nakajima added, “If you use this, you will have the same soft skin as Yamada!” Yabu said, “I heard a lot of items that were sold out will be restocked tomorrow. Please go check them out.” 

They also promoted the Line Poko Poko game they were repping. Takaki jokingly said, “Yesterday, I went to the sauna. Just when I was very relaxed, I suddenly saw our ad on TV. It was a bit embarrassing.” They also revealed that the stickers were designed by Yaotome Hikaru and even used Mandarin to say “Go download it.” Indeed, they were good spokespersons.

Second Half

After a short intermission, the second half of the concert began. The members changed into purple Japanese outfits for the “Wa” corner, with Nakajima on taiko and Yaotome playing shamisen. The “Wa” corner was reminiscent of senpai Domoto Koichi’s musical, “SHOCK”. Each member performed a series of fan dance and ribbon dance, set to a rearranged version of “Over” and “Give Me Love”, etc. The background also changed throughout the set into various Japanese motifs. During “Give Me Love”, Yamada and Chinen grabbed the white ribbons and started flying on stage with no safety harnesses. The audience was shocked and awed.

As the main part of the concert came to an end, the audience was treated to a highlight video of HSJ’s last Taipei concert 7 years ago, giving them a chance to reminisce. They changed into sparkly gold outfits and sang a 12-song medley of their hit singles, including their debut song “Ultra Music Power”, “Mayonaka no Shadow Boy”, “Mae wo muke”, etc., while… you guessed it… flying through the air again! They finished with “White Love”, their single from the previous year, but to the audience’s surprise, they sang the last half of the song in Taiwanese (correctly pronounced apparently)! The audience completely lost it with excitement at this point.

「White Love」（台語版）：

若有一天會實現

咱兩人永遠做伙的彼個夢

妳就是唯一願望

妳是我的從今以後的未來

最後一擺的戀愛

我的愛乎妳一個

獻予妳全心全意的一個人

我的心愛妳到底

我愛妳　遮愛妳

全世界只有妳一人

我愛妳 遮愛你

妳是我永遠註定的命運

上愛的故事

“White Love” (Taiwanese version)

If it comes true one day,

That dream where we are together forever,

Then I only wish for you,

You are my future from now on.

My last love story,

I give my love only to you,

To you, who love me wholeheartedly.

In my heart, I will love you till the end.

I love you, I love you very much,

There’s only you in the whole world.

I love you, I love you very much,

You are my destiny,

The best love story.

You can watch the video here

Encore

After the thunderous shouts of encore from the audience, the members appeared on stage again and sang “Fanfare!”” and “You & I”. They promised their Taiwanese fans to “not let them wait this long for the next time”. However, since this was the last night, the 11K fans shouted for a second encore and the members appeared on stage again.  Chinen said with a smile, “We see each other again so soon!” Yabu used Mandarin to ask the fans, “What do you want to hear? What do you want us to sing?” They then performed “Ultra Music Power again, and rang around the stage. Nakajima Yuto said in pretty fluent English, “Thank you everyone for coming. We are so happy. We will not forget tonight when you are here with us in Taiwan together!” Chinen also said in Mandarin that “We will come again!”. The members wistfully said goodbye to their fans.

Fan stories and fan service

Hey!Say!JUMP’s concert was like a grand entertainment show. In addition to the members’ hard work, the fans also brought a lot of enthusiasm. In Johnny’s tradition, fans communicate to their idols through homemade uchiwa, which was a sight to behold for [those unfamiliar with Johnny’s concerts]. Fan messages included “Wink at me”, “Blow me a kiss”, “Point at me” etc., and the fans could quickly switch to different uchiwas depending on the member who appeared in their sights.

A 30 year old OL fan, Sen, brought a Yamada Ryosuke and Nakajima Yuto uchiwa as well as 2 message ones that said “Give me a kiss” and “Did you drink bubble tea?” She said the handmade ones were actually borrowed from a fan, who successfully got a kiss from Yaotome Hikaru the day before, so she hoped the luck would rub off on her.

Apple Daily’s reporter even saw a Japanese fan who brought 8 uchiwa, and she even joined forces with her seat mates, all holding up that members’ uchiwa together to catch the attention of their idols who appeared in front of them.  During the encore, Nakajima Yuto immediately started running around the stage to look for fans. When he found a fan from Singapore and he asked this fan directly, “Did you fly here from Singapore?” He also compiled with all the fan service: blowing kisses, giving them thumbs up, heart signs, the fans were super excited. [I guess you can say his service is excellent.]

Sources (in addition to news clips and twitter / weibo):

Apple Daily

https://tw.appledaily.com/new/realtime/20191006/1644575/

China Daily

https://www.chinatimes.com/amp/realtimenews/20191006002555-260404

Liberty Time News

https://ent.ltn.com.tw/news/breakingnews/2938402

https://stars.udn.com/star/story/10092/4089578

Now News

https://www.nownews.com/news/20191006/3674832/

https://www.nownews.com/news/20191006/3674976/   (White Love lyrics)

Star UDN

https://stars.udn.com/star/story/10092/4089727?from=udnamp-referralnews_ch1022artbottom

[janedoherty666]

Questions not usually asked

y

1: Do you sleep with your doors open or closed?

Open - because of the cats 

2: Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotel?

Yes 

3: Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out?

mostly tucked in 

4: Have you ever stolen a street sign before?

No 

5: Do you like to use post-it notes?

Sometimes 

6: Do you cut out coupons but then never use them?

No 

7: Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of a bees?

I honestly dont know...i think i’ll take the Bees 

8: Do you have freckles?

No 

9: Do you always smile for pictures?

No

10: What is your biggest pet peeve?

Snorting 

11: Do you  count your steps when you walk?

Haha, no. 

14: Do you ever dance even if there's no music playing?

No 

15: Do you chew your pens and pencils?

rarely 

16: How many people have you slept with this week?

One 

17: What size is your bed?

Double Bed 

18: What is your Song of the week?

“Crumb begging Baghead” - Babyshambles 

19: Is it okay for guys to wear pink?

Idc 

20: Do you still watch cartoons?

Yes 

21: Whats your least favorite movie?

“Apocalypto” by Mel Gibson 

22: Where would you bury hidden treasure if you had some?

it depends. 

23: What do you drink with dinner?

Various. (Tea, coke, Water etc) 

24: What do you dip a chicken nugget in?

I’m vegetarian. But i would choose sweet sour sauce 

25: What is your favorite food?

Pasta! <3 

26: What movies could you watch over and over and still love?

Harry Potter, Pulp Fiction, Alice in Wonderland (old Disney Version) 

28: Were you ever a boy/girl scout?

No. 

29: Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine?

No. 

30: When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper?

Many many years ago :D 

31: Can you change the oil on a car?

Idk 

32: Ever gotten a speeding ticket?

I dont have a license. 

33: Ever ran out of gas?

Nah 

34: Favorite kind of sandwich?

Tzaziki, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Onions, Mozzarella, Cucumber, Pepper Bell, 

35: Best thing to eat for breakfast?

Leftovers from last nights dinner...:D 

36: What is your usual bedtime?

Varying. ( I’m working in shifts) 

37: Are you lazy?

Yes!

38: When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween?

Vampire, Devil, Fairy 

39: What is your Chinese astrological sign?

Bunny 

40: How many languages can you speak?

Native Language is German,  

English 

41: Do you have any magazine subscriptions?

No

42: Which are better legos or lincoln logs?

Neither 

43: Are you stubborn?

Not that much 

44: Who is better...Leno or Letterman?

idc 

45: Ever watch soap operas?

Ugh, no. 

46: Are you afraid of heights?

Not really 

47: Do you sing in the car?

No 

48: Do you sing in the shower?

Sometimes 

49: Do you dance in the car?

? :D 

50: Ever used a gun?

No. I don’t live in Murica :P 

51: Last time you got a portrait taken by a photographer?

Few Years ago 

52: Do you think musicals are cheesy?

No. 

53: Is Christmas stressful?

Yes. But positive stress.. I love it. 

54: Ever eat a pierogi?

Yes 

55: Favorite type of fruit pie?

Strawberry or “Schwarzwälder Kirsch”  -  Kirsch= Cherry 

56: Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid?

Oh so many. 

Stewardess, Nurse. Vet, 

57: Do you believe in ghosts?

I dont know...sometimes 

58: Ever have a Deja-vu feeling?

all the time 

59: Take a vitamin daily?

No 

60: Wear slippers?

61: Wear a bath robe?

Neither 

62: What do you wear to bed?

Shirt and underwear 

63: First concert?

February 2016 - “Deichkind” 

64: Wal-Mart, Target or Kmart?

We have none of them in GER 

65: Nike or Adidas?

Nike 

66: Cheetos Or Fritos?

Crisps! :D 

67: Peanuts or Sunflower seeds?

Peanuts 

68: Ever hear of the group Tres Bien?

No 

69: Ever take dance lessons?

Nah 

70: Is there a profession you picture your future spouse doing?

my Boyfriend is a male Nurse 

71: Can you curl your tongue?

No 

72: Ever won a spelling bee?

No 

73: Have you ever cried because you were so happy?

Of course 

74: Own any record albums?

I wish, haha. 

75: Own a record player?

Not anymore. 

76: Regularly burn incense?

Yes. I love th smell of Lavender and Citrus Fruits. 

77: Ever been in love?

Iam. 

78: Who would you like to see in concert?

The Libertines. ( I saw Pete Doherty with his new band the Puta Madres last year in Munich, it was amazing) 

79: What was the last concert you saw?

Deichkind, March 2020 in “Münster” 

80: Hot tea or cold tea?

Both! Depends on the weather. 

81: Tea or coffee?

Tea alle the way. 

82: Sugar or snickerdoodles?

Snickerdoodles 

83: Can you swim well?

Yes

84: Can you hold your breath without holding your nose?

Of course. 

85: Are you patient?

Most of the time. 

86: DJ or band, at a wedding?

Hard question. I think both would be fun. 

87: Ever won a contest?

Yes 

88: Ever have plastic surgery?

Hell, no 

89: Which are better black or green olives?

Depends on the Meal. But mostly black olives. 

90: Can you knit or crochet?

No. 

91: Best room for a fireplace?

Living Room 

92: Do you want to get married?

Maybe 

93: If married, how long have you been married?

/// 

95: Do you cry and throw a fit until you get your own way?

No 

96: Do you have kids?

No

97: Do you want kids?

No, thanks. 

98: Whats your favorite color?

Blue, Yellow, Black 

99: Do you miss anyone right now?

No :) 

[daffydom]

Spotify, SoundCloud, or Pandora? spotify, but i have an account with apple music.

is your room messy or clean? clean atm. 

what color are your eyes? green with blue around it.

do you like your name? why? i like it only because people compliment it and that it’s unique. 

what is your relationship status? you wish. 

describe your personality in 3 words or less. goofy. experienced. kind. 

what color hair do you have? brunette.

what kind of car do you drive? color? i love my subaru & it’s white. 

where do you shop? tj maxx mainly.

how would you describe your style? linen, & statement jackets.

favorite social media account. snapchat.

what size bed do you have? double.

any siblings? i’m the yougest. with 2 brothers & 1 sister.

if you can live anywhere in the world where would it be? why? i liked taiwan but i’d love to travel to europe.

favorite snapchat filter? rainbow hair. 

favorite makeup brand(s) bare minerals. & jeffery star.

how many times a week do you shower? tbh 4. 

favorite tv show? trash tv being married at first sight. but i haven’t found another tv show i enjoy seriously.

shoe size? 10

how tall are you? 5 11?

sandals or sneakers? sneakers.

do you go to the gym? i would if my apartment complex would open.

describe your dream date. if it’s a dream then something fancy & expensive, but with real love behind it.

how much money do you have in your wallet at the moment? a cc & less than $20 cash.

what color socks are you wearing? barefoot.

how many pillows do you sleep with? one.

do you have a job? what do you do? clean rentals & homes atm.

how many friends do you have? a few.

whats the worst thing you have ever done? this question is out of my context.

whats your favorite candle scent? vanilla notes. midnight rain.

3 favorite boy names. brendon. theo. james..

3 favorite girl names.  kirey, ava, & idk.

favorite actor? jack nickolson. jim carrey. robert de niro. 

favorite actress? susan sarandon. diane keaton.

who is your celebrity crush? theo james.

favorite movie? allegiant from the divergent series. new moon from twilight series or closer.

do you read a lot? whats your favorite book? no & i prefer health books.

money or brains? brains. But i believe even that doesn’t get you far.

do you have a nickname? what is it? niqueeyyy.

how many times have you been to the hospital? a couple.

top 10 favorite songs. turn by the wombats. glorious by muse. sweet thing by van morrison. i’ll never love again by lady gaga. to love you more by celine dion. last you heard of me by joyce maynor. rodent by the menzingers. cherry bomb by the runaways. somebody else by the 1975.. haha by mates of state. 

do you take any medications daily? just supplements.

what is your skin type? (oily, dry, etc) normal. i remember to scrub the face well.

what is your biggest fear? afain, out of context.

how many kids do you want? 0. couldn’t feel right letting them grow up in the antics of the world. 

whats your go to hair style? up in a bun. 

what type of house do you live in? (big, small, etc) 1 bedroom apartment. 

who is your role model? dad. various reasons.

what was the last compliment you received? my name was beautful.

what was the last text you sent? left a gift for mom at her house saying where i left it. 

how old were you when you found out santa wasn’t real? oh please.

what is your dream car? anything extravagant & fast.

opinion on smoking? nah.

do you go to college? briefly online, but it wasn’t what i wanted to do.

what is your dream job? director of sorts.

would you rather live in rural areas or the suburbs? rural.

do you take shampoo and conditioner bottles from hotels? sometimes.

do you have freckles? used to. 

do you smile for pictures? depends.

how many pictures do you have on your phone? 1,560

have you ever peed in the woods? & more.

do you still watch cartoons? bob’s bourgers.

do you prefer chicken nuggets from Wendy’s or McDonalds? wendy’s.

Favorite dipping sauce? chick fil a orignal sauce.

what do you wear to bed? t-shirt & undies.

have you ever won a spelling bee? could’ve.

what are your hobbies? photography.

can you draw? want to try again.

do you play an instrument? wish i played acoustic & piano.

what was the last concert you saw? cover band for led zepplin. 

tea or coffee? black coffee.

Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts? either or.

do you want to get married? mhmm.

what was your first crush’s first and last initial? A.B.

are you going to change your last name when you get married? standard.

what color looks best on you? orange/coral/black.

do you miss anyone right now? yes.

do you sleep with your door open or closed? closed.

do you believe in ghosts? you know they’re all demons, right?

what is your biggest pet peeve? “professionally taken” bad photos or badly directed movies.

last person you called? mom.

favorite ice cream flavor? chocolate with fudge.

regular oreos or golden oreos? both.

chocolate or rainbow sprinkles? both.

what shirt are you wearing? calvin klein pj’s.

what is your phone background? blue flowers with red setting sun.

are you outgoing or shy? outgoing.

do you like it when people play with your hair? yes.

do you like your neighbors? yes.

do you wash your face? at night? in the morning? night.

have you ever been high? :)

have you ever been drunk? :)

last thing you ate? white rice with thai curry soup and chicken.

favorite lyrics right now. i’ll get back to you on that one.

summer or winter? summer.

day or night? night.

dark, milk, or white chocolate? milk.

favorite month? does it really matter. 

what is your zodiac sign. not into astrology. 

who was the last person you cried in front of? joe.

[eldritchsurveys]

865.

Are you still in quarantine/under stay at home order? (if you're taking this during Covid-19, that is) >> No, the governor’s executive stay-at-home order ended in June. Personally, I still stay at home except for weekly grocery trips and trips to the Wayland house because... well, where else am I going to go? Aside from take walks.

Has stuff been opening back up where you are? >> Eh. It’s been kind of confusing. Many restaurants are still closed / doing takeout, but I’ve heard that they’ve tried opening bars back up, which sounded completely dumb to me, like... of all places? but whatever. Most stores are open, I believe, with mask-wearing encouraged (I say it like that because it really is just a suggestion. There are no actual consequences for walking into a store without a mask, unfortunately, so some people still do it).

What have you missed most that you haven't been able to do due to Covid-19? >> I’ve mostly missed J. Gardella’s Tavern, which was on its way to being shut down anyway because they’d been bought out by some gastropub fuckers. But because of the executive order, I never got to go there for a last round. :( Also, I miss just being able to go downtown etc and walk around and do stuff. In general.

What state do you live in? >> Michigan.

Do you personally know anyone who has had Covid-19? >> No.

Have you had it? (or think you might have?) >> I have not had it, nor do I think I have it. Sometimes I get paranoid because there’s apparently quite a few “non-obvious” type symptoms that have gotten connected to COVID infection (like digestive issues), but, whatever.

Do you know anyone who is a healthcare worker? >> No. Sparrow works in a podiatrist’s office, but that’s not really the kind of healthcare worker I think this question means.

Have you still been working these past few months or not? >> I don’t work, period.

If you weren't working, are you still in school? >> No.

What is/was your major in college? >> ---

Or if you're not in college yet, what do you want to study? >> ---

If your school closed due to Covid-19, do you miss it? >> ---

What are you most excited about when life goes (somewhat) back to normal? >> I will be glad when we can stop wearing masks. You know, in like late 2021 or whenever. Because it sure won’t be any time soon, I can tell that much.

Did Covid-19 impact any major plans you had for this spring/summer? >> I didn’t have any major plans. All my ideas for the summer were pretty minor.

Do you collect anything? >> No.

What's the name of your favorite restaurant? (chain or local) >> Long Road Distillery.

What is your favorite thing to order when you eat there? >> I don’t remember, we were only there for dinner once but I immediately fell in love with the menu (and the drinks, by god).

Have you still been able to get food from there during Covid-19? >> Yeah, they have online ordering and curbside pickup. They make cocktail kits, too, which is cool.

Are you planning on eating there anytime soon when they reopen? >> Oh god, yeah. Definitely not any time soon even if they do reopen sooner than I think is safe, but... yeah.

Have you discovered any good new music during quarantine? >> I discover new music all the time.

What's a new song you've been loving lately? (not necessarily newly released, just something you've recently discovered) >> Heard a cover of Huey Lewis and the News’ Stuck With You by Twelve Foot Ninja recently that I thought was fun. Honestly, that song is just fun no matter what, though.

Have you been able to keep in touch with friends during this time? >> The majority of my social interaction was online anyway, so.

What is your favorite Starbucks drink? >> ---

Do you prefer Starbucks or a local coffee shop? >> I prefer local everything.

What was your favorite TV show when you were a kid? do you still ever watch it? >> ---

Have you been watching a lot of movies during quarantine? >> No more than I would be usually, since my daily life didn’t change as dramatically as most people’s did. But yeah.

What is your favorite Disney movie? >> Lilo & Stitch.

Do you have Disney plus? >> Nope.

Are you a fan of Hamilton? >> Never seen it.

Are you planning to watch Hamilton on Disney plus? >> No, because I don’t have Disney+...

Have you seen Hamilton live? (Broadway or elsewhere) >> No...

What is your favorite musical? >> Phantom of the Opera.

Have you watched any musicals online recently? >> No.

What was the last live performance you went to before quarantine? >> The last live performance I saw was the various acts at the Endless Night Vampire Ball in October.

What was the best concert you've ever been to? >> I’ve been to too many concerts to answer this.

Do you volunteer anywhere? >> No.

What is your favorite movie on Netflix? >> ??? There are... so many movies on Netflix.

Did you relocate due to Covid-19? >> No.

What is one positive thing about the past few months for you? >> I’m not sure.

Do you prefer streaming music or buying it? >> I stream it. I can’t in any way afford to buy the amount of music I listen to.

Do you use Spotify? >> Yeah.

What was the last book you read? >> The last book I finished was Making Friends With Death.

Have you been baking during quarantine? >> No. Sparrow did when she was furloughed.

What is your favorite thing to bake? >> I don’t like to bake.

Do you enjoy doing crafts? >> Eh.

Have you ever done crafts for money? >> No.

Do you shop on Etsy? >> Yes.

Have you ever sold anything on Etsy? >> No.

What song are you listening to right now? >> None. I thought about putting some on and then I forgot.

What genre of music is your favorite? >> ---

Can you speak any foreign languages? >> Not fluently.

What is/was your favorite class in school? >> ---

Who was your favorite teacher most recently? >> ---

What is the lock screen and home screen on your phone? >> Lock screen is a shot of Sam from Death Stranding. Home screen is from a live performance of Phantom.

Do you play Animal Crossing? >> Sometimes. Sparrow plays it more than I do, but even she’s stopped playing it as much because of that whole “get your island to a 5-star rating!” bullshit. It’s just aggravating.

Do you have any pets? What kind? What is/are your pet(s) name(s)? >> Sparrow has a cat and his name is Spooky.

what is a song lyric you love? >> Right, I’m definitely not going to think of that off the top of my head right now.

Have you done anything recently to support Black Lives Matter? >> No.

Are there any songs you feel transport you to a world that doesn't exist? >> They transport me to worlds that do exist. Just not on this plane.

What songs do that for you? >> Wardruna is good for it. But there are plenty of others, I’m just not trying to think of them all right now.

What is your favorite ethnicity/cuisine of food? >> Can’t choose.

What are some popular things that you don't like/aren't interested in? >> TikTok is one. Sparrow loves it and I watch the videos she shows me, and I don’t hate it or anything, but I would never download the app myself. Just not interested.

When was the last time you got a haircut? >> I last cut my hair... uh... a week ago? Roundabouts.

What was the last movie (or musical) you watched? >> The last movie I watched was The House That Jack Built.

What was the last movie you saw in the theatre? >> Birds of Prey.

How soon are you planning on going back to work? (If you've been off) >> ---

What is an item you own that means a lot to you? >> I finally got my Death Is the Road To Awe t-shirt and it means a lot to me because of what it references.

Do you have a favorite t-shirt? >> No.

What other proshot musicals would you love to see streaming online? >> *shrug* Haven’t thought about that.

What is something you're looking forward to? >> This heat wave to be over. I’ve had to skip so many daily walks because it’s just so hot so early lately.

How do you plan on celebrating Covid-19 being over, whenever that is? >> The problem with this idea is that... it’s not that simple? From what I understand, it’s not like one day we’re all gonna say “that’s it! we’ve officially eradicated this virus from the earth and we will never have to worry about it again!” I’m guessing it’s going to be a slow process of reopening with a lot of false starts and rollbacks (as new waves crest and protective measures have to be re-implemented). Even that first day that I go out to a restaurant is probably going to feel really weird and even a little “wrong”. I’m not sure how much celebrating is really going to be happening.

[23rdhunter]

Tagged by @biologically-confused , thanks!

1. Are you staying home from work/school?

Early on they let me go, but that didn't work out for them very well so now I'm working almost as much as before but on an unpredictable schedule

2. If you’re staying home, who’s there with you?

I'm with my parents and three youngest siblings, so six of us in the house. For a bit it looked like S2 (Sibling the 2nd) was also going to join us but it looks like their living situation has stabilized some.

3. Do you have pets to keep you company?

Yes! My dog, who is suffering on restricted exercise due to an injured wrist but otherwise a fantastic quarantine buddy, our ancient Calico, who in her old age has become the perfect lap cat, and an outdoor pond with at least two fish and several! hundred! tadpoles!

4. When was the last time you left your home?

Yesterday to pick up dinner

5. What was the last thing you bought?

Stamps! I'm very excited for their arrival

6. Is quarantine driving you insane or are you finally relaxed?

Um? It's been good for my younger siblings to have more people around, so I'm thankful for that, but between the somewhat crowded conditions and continuing to work outside the home the way I have been I have not been able to relax much.

7. Are you a homebody?

Yes, very much so, I'm just also an introvert

8. What movies have you watched recently?

Watched The Willoughbys with my mom the other day, which was.. okay? For all it's artistic chaos it felt very creatively inhibited, like it was too afraid to step on any toes and say something.  Also The Black Cauldron with S5, which continues to be okay but not as good as the books. Planning to watch Miss Congeniality once I can wrangle a copy.

9. An event that you were looking forward to that got cancelled?

Nothing really planned, but about once a year I get an itchy soul and try to go on a road trip and that's just such a bad idea right now. S2 has been devastated about all the concerts they're not attending.

10. What’s the worst thing that you’ve had to cancel?

This seems the same as 9? So I'll speak for my cousin, who had to cancel her maternity leave because her work suddenly needed her experience running the whole place by herself desperately.

11. What’s the best thing you’ve had to cancel?

My siblings have been pretty relieved about the whole cancelled school thing.

12. Do you have any new hobbies?

Not so much new as going deeper? I'm more involved in gardening, writing, making ink and doing things with fountain pens, playing DnD, trying new recipes, etc.

13. What are you out of?

Nothing at the moment, running low on some things that are still proving scarce in stores but I think we're good for now.

14. What music are you listening to?

Spotify playlists: Classic Road Trip Songs, DnD ambient, a Daily Mix best described as Arcadian+various other French Pop artists, and my Guess The Movie playlist.

15. What shows are you watching?

None right now

16. What are you reading?

Also nothing? I think the stress might be getting to me because I am always reading something.

17. What are you doing for self-care?

Walks, weeding, journaling, vitamins and vegetables and at least two meals a day, going to bed at a consistent time when possible, just trying to stave off despair.

18. Are you exercising?

Yes, at least a bit most days

19. How’s your toilet paper supply?

Fine, we keep a stock of essentials in the storeroom. I think this is the most useful it's ever been and we're all glad of it.

20. Have you made any changes to your hair during quarantine?

No but I might? A lot of what I do with my hair is, whenever someone tries to tell me what to do with it I stubbornly do not do that, and no one has said anything about my hair in months so I've begun contemplating some changes (it is currently waist-length and tawny brown-blonde) (suggestions and such are fine, it's when people get pushy about it that I push back)

This is fun but very long so I really am not expecting anyone to do this but I'm tagging @adhdcombeferre @existentialterror @existentialsiren and also viewers like you.

[onlyoneofeachofme]

tagged by @davidfosterwallaceandgromit​ (miss you terribly, and i’m late as usual) <3

10 songs I’ve been listening to recently

The Loneliness and The Scream (Frightened Rabbit)

I Hear the Bells (Mike Doughty)

Your Fanatic (Felix Hagan)

Perpetuum Mobile (Penguin Cafe Orchestra)

Fair (The Amazing Devil)

Blood//Water (grandson)

Blinding Lights (The Weeknd)

Riches and Wonders (Eliza Rickman & Jherek Bischoff) (Mountain Goats cover)

Beloved (Mumford and Sons)

Bury Us (The Naked and Famous)

social distancing meme

Are you staying home from work/school? yup. got laid off. ell oh fuckin ell :/

If you’re staying home, who is with you? my parents

Who would be your ideal quarantine mate? we don’t have the resources for one but i would give ANYTHING for a dog to pet. my neighbors have a puppy and it is HURTING not to be able to give pets

Are you a homebody? yeah but not to this extreme :/

An event you were looking forward to that got canceled? i’d been working in the camera department on a no-budget tv series. we’d been starting to hit our stride despite some hangups but now production has obviously been shelved and (even though i complained about it sometimes) i’m REALLY bummed

What movies have you watched recently? just re-watched “Galaxy Quest” because i needed the laffs and my mood has lifted considerably :D

What shows are you watching? Brooklyn Nine Nine, Call the Midwife, M*A*S*H, Jessica Jones, re-watching The Witcher :D

What music are you listening to? various, but i gotta highlight The Amazing Devil. i came across them a little bit before i got laid off (so like, 3ish weeks ago) and i was immediately sucked in by the harmonies and the lyrics and the instrumentals and everything 8D half of their songs make me feel **SCREAMS FERALLY FROM THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN** and the other half make me feel **curls into a ball weeping softly** and i LOVE IT. i’ve been listening to both their albums quite a lot while puttering around the house, but whenever “fair” starts playing i literally can do nothing else but listen to it because it is so ACHINGLY SWEET that i can’t move and my heart feels like it’s being squeezed okay anYWAY

What podcasts are you listening to? i should use this time to get caught up on all those Night Vale Presents shows (soooo behind on all of them). also maybe i’ll give a re-listen to the Marvel Wolverine stories :D

What are you reading? just started The Subtle Knife

What are you doing for self-care? the gym i go to is putting up workouts pretty much daily on their facebook, Frank Turner (among others) is doing weekly benefit streaming concerts from his house, and i’m trying to learn to play guitar now

@wakeupspring @rootingformephistopheles @eris-not-eros @benedicks-dick @losangelest have at it friends!!

[rivetgoth]

This is gonna be long, apologies in advance. Just wanted to type something up properly about all of my thoughts now that I'm home and decompressing 🖤

--

Last year, I took a late night flight back to LAX on the Monday after Cold Waves VII. My signed VIP poster was the most valuable possession I could possibly imagine, and I was scared of it getting crushed in my luggage, so I brought it as a carry on. I knew that if I listened to ohGr I would start crying, and I didn’t want to cry in the airport, so I waited, clutching my little rolled up poster that Ogre and Paul Barker and the whole ohGr crew had signed. Ogre had drawn a little heart and written “hugZ and much support Artistically.” I had picked a spot in the very back of the plane, because I thought it would be less crowded, and I was right. I had no one else around me, my row was empty aside from myself. I’ll never forget the feeling of looking out the window as the plane took off and I watched Chicago get smaller and smaller and turn to little specks of light in the night, clutching my poster like it was all I had to live for. I put on Sunnypsyop and cried myself to sleep.

There’s so much I want to say about Cold Waves and I don’t even know how to start, so I guess I can start at the beginning. Last year on September 20th I flew to Chicago for the first time in my life and met up with one of my best friends in the world, Trigger (Sylvan), to see Nivek Ogre, my biggest hero, and meet him for a second time (I was meeting both Trigger AND Ogre for a second time, actually). It was a life changing event for me. For starters, seeing Ogre is always life changing. The love and care and passion and kindness that he puts out into the world makes the whole planet a better place and lights up my life in a way that nothing else ever has. He’s the heart of the industrial scene for me, because it was through him that I got into this music and found this community. When I saw him, not only did he remember me from when we had seen each other before a year earlier, but he encouraged me not to give up on my art, telling me that not only was I talented but that he could see the work I put into what I did and could tell I was improving. He told me not to give up and gave me so many hugs and he drew me a puppy to get tattooed. Ogre was currently nursing a recently-broken jaw but he was in the cheeriest highest spirits, he was as warm and loving as ever and so excited about the tour, and he put on one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. His strength and resilience and passion for his art inspired me so much, and getting to see him alongside Trigger and even be able to tell Ogre that we met each other through our shared love of his work made the whole thing even more special. Over the course of the festival I also got to see the rest of the ohGr crew, Paul Barker, and Jared Louche, who were all incredibly sweet and fantastic. Many of them have been people I’ve had the honor to speak with either online or off various times since then and have served such a crucial place in my life as role models and figureheads of a community that means so much to me.

The whole weekend was incredible. Trigger and I made so many memories that I’ll cherish forever. I still laugh over so many little things. The show was amazing. I don’t know if I could ever envision a lineup cooler than Cocksure, Lead Into Gold, Chemlab, and ohGr back to back. So many heroes, so many legends. I was living in the middle of nowhere at the time and had missed a lot of concerts due to being unable to get to them. I was seeing people like Chris Connelly and Paul Barker for the very first time. I thought I would never see Chemlab, and yet there I was seeing them among so many incredible people who I had looked up to for so long. So many people who had changed my life and saved my life. But everyone was amazing, and I not only got to see other legendary incredible bands like Front Line Assembly (CYBERAKTIF!!), I got to discover new bands I relisten to all the damn time like ACTORS. I felt connected with everyone in the audience and I got to meet a ton of cool people who were so friendly and so accepting of me. Jim Marcus got on stage and gave a talk about how Cold Waves and the industrial community at large is like a family and I really believed it and felt it and knew it was true.

The craziest thing about Cold Waves VII, though, was the fact that I literally moved out of my parents’ house and to Los Angeles the very next day. When I landed in LAX in the middle of the night I didn’t go home – I met my parents at a little motel where they had brought all of my stuff, sitting in boxes in the back of their minivan. I had packed it all up before I left for Chicago. The next morning we moved everything into my dorm room and my parents left, and there I was living in Los Angeles, alone, away from my family for the first time in my life, at age nineteen. I had just been accepted to UCLA late that spring and classes started the Thursday after the festival. It was a huge change and a huge new beginning and I was so scared of what was to come. I was scared of being alone and I didn’t know if I’d be able to survive in LA. I didn’t know if I’d belong, if I’d be able to succeed, if I would be able to fit in anywhere. Cold Waves served as the opening to a whole new chapter of my life and I was able to leave the completely magical world of the Metro and fly to a brand new home and start my life with the knowledge that I had been surrounded just a day before by countless people who understood me and supported me and who felt the same love and passion as I did. The following month I got Ogre’s puppy tattooed, and I began going to local goth clubs and concerts and meeting up with various people and making friends nearby. It was a slow process that’s probably ongoing forever, but I feel like it all traces back to Cold Waves as a catalyst for a reminder that I would never be alone.

This year’s Cold Waves was a weekend I’ll hold onto for the rest of my life. With my venture into the Los Angeles goth scene and the world around it I met another one of my closest best friends, Angel, who’s now also my roommate. Funny enough I owe Ogre to our meeting as well, because our first conversation was about her going to see him. This time, she flew to Chicago with me to meet up with Trigger. Being able to add a third person to our little entourage was so fun and cool. I love both Angel and Trigger so so much and it was so cool to see our little group grow bigger and I felt like there was an instant ability to connect through shared jokes and shared passions and shared understandings. On the night that we got there, after a little bit of initial awkwardness just as we figured out what we were doing and settled into a workable dynamic between the three of us (and found food after a day of accidentally starving ourselves in the way one does when traveling), we ended up staying up until five in the morning doing “Chemlab karaoke” in our hotel room until we received a noise complaint (oops). Then we had to get up less than three hours later so we didn’t miss breakfast, and spent the whole first day of the festival running on about two and a half hours of sleep and weird tasting  hotel bananas. It was an amazing bonding experience and that night alone was some of the most fun I can ever remember having, just being able to hang out with two of my best friends and scream the lyrics to music we loved, so excited for what was to come. I was able to prove that I know EVERY lyric to “Jesus Christ Porno Star” before the noise complaint forced us to shut the hell up.

From here, I don’t even know how to start. How do I even begin to talk about the next four nights? For one, everything was perfect in a way that I didn’t know was possible. Absolutely everything went perfectly as planned. Everything worked out. It felt like we had entered a dimension where nothing bad could happen. Quickly discarding our failed attempt at continental breakfast, we got into a daily ritual of waking up, getting ready, loitering at the Starbucks by the Metro for a few hours, and then heading to the venue early enough that we were guaranteed a spot at the front of the theatre every single night (we didn’t do much Chicago sightseeing… we needed to sleep in with how late we were staying up each night, hehe). On the very first night Jared spotted us in line and came over to give us big hugs and say hi!! That was amazing, because we’d been looking forward to hugging Jared all year. And that was one of MANY to come!! We got to be front and center when Curse Mackey came on stage, who we’d been looking forward to since the release of his first solo album earlier this year. The album is completely fantastic as was his performance. Trigger and I had such a blast being able to scream along to every single song. When we yelled out “WE LOVE YOU CURSE MACKEY” he called back “I love you too!”, and he grabbed our hands so many times during the show. And then… fucking CHEMLAB!!!! Easily one of the best shows I’ve ever witnessed. It was so fucking perfect. The absolute chaos of the beach balls, Jared’s grand entrance, Curse’s return to the stage, the music, the paint, the feathers, Jared spitting water at us until we were covered in his spit, and then Adrian Halo, another friend I’ve made in LA who I love, was pulled onto the stage for the finale. And Jared gave Angel the painting he made on stage! I felt like I was going to cry just watching it all. It was so fun, so exciting, so thrilling. I never wanted it to end. After the show we got to meet up with Curse and Jared and they were both so unbelievably nice. It felt like talking to old friends. There was immediate acceptance of us as fans and as people. I can’t thank either of them enough for the kindness they showed. They made me feel like I belonged there and I mattered there and I was apart of something.

…And we WERE apart of something. We got to witness so much greatness. We got to cry in the front of the audience when Severed Heads ended their final song of their final set. We got to experience the raw, primal, intense excitement the moment Paul started blaring classic Ministry tracks from his Min-Dub Soundsystem. Acumen vs 16Volt were so fucking fun and cool and their backing footage at the end absolutely made me cry. Light Asylum was amazing and her return to the stage with Test Dept. (also totally mindblowing and so INDUSTRIAL) was so epic – As was her Leigh Bowery shirt, which was awesome (I love Leigh Bowery!). Every single band stood out and did something interesting, fun, engaging, creative, cool, etc. It felt like I was apart of something real and this community had carved a very real space for itself in the world of music and art. I got to meet in person people who I’ve known online for ages. People I’ve only ever chatted with through Instagram DMs and Facebook comments ran up to me and we immediately hugged and started talking and it was perfectly natural. We clicked immediately because we knew that we were all here for the same things. I got to make new friends while waiting in line or waiting for the show to start in the theatre. It felt like every single day I was making new friends or meeting up with old friends. I finally got to meet Jim Marcus in person and thank them for the times that they’ve been a pivotal role model for me in my life and give them the huge hug they deserve. I have so many memories that I’ll hang onto for the rest of my life.

I worry about being alone a lot in my life. Not necessarily physically alone – If anything, I love a lot of solitude and I’m not always very sociable. I’m definitely more introverted than extroverted typically. But I worry a lot about a more deep-seated loneliness, especially as an artist. I’ve always been drawn to artistic groups in history that functioned as, well, groups. Andy Warhol’s Factory and the New Romantic Blitz Kids have been interests of mine for a long time because I’m so fascinated in the idea of artists being able to form a community and be connected, even when there is a fallout or things don’t always go perfectly. I’ve struggled more than I care to admit with a sensation throughout my life of not belonging or fitting in with anyone anywhere. I’m good enough at putting on a friendly attitude and people tend to like me, it’s not even that I end up a social outcast. It’s internal, an inwards fear that no one will ever be able to understand me and people like me with the same passions as I don’t truly exist. But Cold Waves proves that they do. People “like me” in every type of way really do exist. It was completely amazing to be able to meet so many people, to be able to strike up conversations with just about anyone, to meet up with new friends and old friends and feel connected to so many human beings around me, all from different walks of life, from different parts of the country or even world, with different stories and hopes and dreams, but we all could be connected for that weekend to our shared love of industrial music and our shared love for Jamie Duffy and Chicago and everything that this subculture has built. The musicians themselves accepted us so quickly as apart of their world. We were more than just fans, there was a real exchange of energy and passion between creator and audience happening, a connection between everyone in the Metro.

On the last day of Cold Waves I wore a pig costume, partly because I love PIG and had been looking forward to seeing Raymond live since I saw him tour with Killing Joke the year before, but also partly just because I fucking adore pigs (the animal) and thought it would be fun. It was goofy and I almost didn’t do it because I was worried people would think I was stupid, but I love the idea of dressing up and wearing fun costumes and I wanted Raymond to see! It ended up being the perfect ending to the festival and it tied everything together so well. Everyone loved it. So many people complimented it and took pictures of me or with me. I’ve seen Instagram posts from strangers talking about me, mentioning the “devoted young fan in the pig nose in the front row.” I’ve seen Facebook posts that mention me. It sounds conceited, but it’s not that I care about popularity or attention, honestly – Most of these people will never even know my name. It was just so fun to be able to dress up in a fun way to support music that I love and represent something that means a lot to me and have such a hugely positive reaction, all these people who love it and accept and embrace it. Raymond reaching down to poke my pig nose during the show was the absolute highlight of the night, and one of the big highlights of Cold Waves altogether. I had a stranger come up to me after the show and say, “You know, you were a really important part of the PIG concert!” It totally made my night. I got to meet so many great people that night. I met up with Logan, who’s a total sweetheart and I’m SO glad we had the chance to connect in person after talking online, I also finally talked to another Angel who lives in LA who I had seen around and they were so so so sweet as well. I got to speak to Jim Marcus, as I said before (they’re my dad now), I got to say hi to and hug Paul Barker for the third time, I got to meet Raymond Watts for the first time and tell him about how much I love his work and hug him, I got to chat with all the people I had already met in line and in the front row the past few days for a final time. It felt so connected. I felt so connected to everyone. When Jim gave the talk on stage about our community and how much it matters and how we’re all there for each other, I really started to cry right there at the front of the audience. It’s so true in such a real and profound way that I’ve never felt anywhere else but in the industrial community. I was there hundreds, thousands of miles from my home in California, surrounded by people who were mostly more or less strangers, but I felt so connected to them and so accepted by them and I loved all of them so much and I felt like they loved me.

It’s so sad to leave Cold Waves and be back home. I love LA but there’s nothing like Cold Waves. There’s nothing like being in the Metro surrounded by everyone else like that. I can’t wait to go back. I feel so reinvigorated in my art and my projects, I want to create and I want to bring to life my own passions so that I can share them with others and give back to this community. I wish I had a way to properly thank everyone – All of the unbelievably talented musicians who are all so sweet and so humble and so amazing, all of the people in the audience who chatted with me and befriended me, all of the friends I made there and all of the friends I already had, the security guards, doormen, managers, everyone who helps keep the place together, Darkest Before Dawn, everyone who works tirelessly to put this event together each year. I don’t know where I’d be without it. Thank you so much for the most incredible time, I’m going to try to keep the spirit of Cold Waves alive in my art and creation even now as I settle back into my home. And I can’t wait to be back next year!