#not to mention i literally spend all da in the same class as this student so the fact that she'll ask me for help

[juicezone]

Saw your previous post, I am so sorry that you had a bad day. Sending you a hug 🫂 and praying to Jesus that you have a better week going forward.

I wanted to share my opinion on the situation. My mom was a former teacher and she quit teaching early, her colleagues have said the same thing- Teachers hate their jobs. The students are getting worse and worse. My mom knows of a teacher who only lasted three years before leaving teaching due to emotional strain and his own physical and mental health decline. The school systems are failing. Look up on tiktok or youtube about teachers quitting. Are you sure this is what you want to be doing with the rest of your adult life? I don’t want to discourage you but I just hate to see you working somewhere that will make you miserable. It’s something to think and pray to Jesus about.

Unfortunately, its a question i'm asking myself more and more too :( My mother is a teacher (we work at the same school actually!) and she completely agrees and says even in the younger grades (she works 3rd, im a student aide for 9th/lunch duties) she says the blatant disrespect is crushing :(

its really unfortunate because i do like 90% of the students i work with, but that 10% just... crushes me. the previous student i worked with had me crying weekly if not multiple times a week, and i genuinely get anxious if im assigned as his sub aide

but ive always wanted to work with kids (i used to play school and teach my little cousins, haha), but man...

honestly, i keep debating on what i'd need to maybe work as like... a kids science center/conservation center because i love that topic too and itd still involve potentially educating/working with kids. its just a bummer when a small percent of students mess with the joy of it yk?

like a couple weeks ago, one of the kinders at lunch was thrilled to show me he could open his thermos by himself (been having to help him all year so far) and he was so proud and i was like !!! yes!! and then a different student who struggled to read/write wrote a book with her class this year and like that was so awesome!!

i try and keep those in mind, but some days its just too much of the little things building up /sigh

you're so kind mayliz, I appreciate each and every message and notification isee from you <3

[oh-my-damn]

Hi! Just wanted to say that as a law student who is lowkey obsessed with Mr. E, I really love your work. I started out reading The Stranger and Sweet Heartache, and after that, I read all of your other work posted on tumblr because it’s absolutely fantastic and I couldn’t get enough! Your work is truly *chef’s kiss* and although I miss Andy, I am so excited for teacher!Ari because I will read literally anything you write!!

Catch me literally every morning checking your page like it’s a newspaper to see what you’ve posted like 🧍‍♀️

Also I saw that you’re a Taurus and this…makes so much sense in a positive way! Your fellow Earthie solutes you 🫡

I have some (very scattered, unrelated to each other) Andy ideas that I’m not even sure are any good but I think you can take even the worst idea I could have and make it into something beautiful and spicy so here goes. These are mostly just plot ideas with areas to fill in the blanks with the most filthy things you can think of! But of course these are also just suggestions!!

- So idk how old Jacob is supposed to be (teenager but not sure how old??) but if he’s in high school, maybe Laurie planned a trip to go visit colleges with Jacob, didn’t invite or even tell Andy until after they left that they are leaving for a few days. If we’re making Laurie super bitchy, because she’s mad that Andy is leaving for good, she wants to make Jacob angry at him, so she tells Jacob Andy didn’t want to go. And then she tells Andy that she’s going to turn Jacob against him if he refuses to stay (but Jacob hopefully is smarter than to fall for his mom’s trick). Andy is super angry but uses their absence from the house as his opportunity to move a lot of his stuff out of the house. Reader offers to help, he accepts the help, there’s lots of angst in their own separate heads while packing and processing the idea of the marriage ending (hopefully). Andy cooks dinner at his house for reader after she helps him pack and reader ends up spilling something on/staining her shirt (or maybe they have some kind of food fight!) and she takes one of Andy’s t-shirts out of the packed boxes to change into and it drives Andy nuts (A callback to the dark look on Andy’s face when reader mentioned wearing his clothes in part 2-ish) anddddd ya know. Reader is dizzy at the scent of Andy’s shirt enveloping her, and Andy can’t control the lust he feels looking at her wearing his shirt.

- I also like the idea of reader wearing one of his button-down shirts the morning after they sleep together. He’s so riled up by the sight that she doesn’t even get the chance to make their morning coffee before he jumps on her. An old trope but a good one!

- Some domestic scenes/fluff with Andy and reader while Andy stays with her! Cooking meals together, maybe like assembling some furniture to house some of Andy’s stuff, Andy helping out with chores, being a really good guest (folding his sheets/blankets every morning, putting the seat down after using the bathroom), and treating reader like a queen because he’s not paying rent to stay at her place. Paying for takeout, washing dishes, etc. aka husband material Andy. And reader tells him this behavior is sexy and says she wants to show him how much she appreciates him trying to earn his keep. But then he *really* earns his keep. 👁👄👁

- Reader starts her final year of school but continues to work at the DA’s office part time (maybe she planned all her classes to be early morning, then spends a few hours at the DA office, and then does her remaining school work in the afternoon/evening). Andy insists that he and reader can sit together in his office or at her apartment while he works and she does her reading/work/research for school. Reader, wanting to be near him whenever she can, says yes of course. Andy knows how tough law school is, tries to be super respectful and tries not to distract her from her work so he keeps his distance and keeps quiet (even though they’re in the same room). He’s itching to get his hands and mouth on her, but he keeps himself in check at first. He keeps her fed and gives forehead kisses while she’s in work mode and he’s done with his work for the day but she’s still working. Maybe reader gets a little stressed one day while reading because she’s not getting one of the concepts (something super dry and tough) and Andy tries to help her relax. 👀 (maybe something like cockwarming, nothing too crazy bc he doesn’t want to make her brain all foggy when she still has work to do.)

- Also, I totally second the idea of having to leave town for a case (maybe taking a depo) and there’s only one room/bed available bc Andy was supposed to go by himself and the hotel is at capacity. But Andy insists reader comes to second chair because he really trusts her to do an excellent job of keeping him organized. Whoever submitted this idea earlier, Y E S. Thank you!!!!

Sidenote, I’m super excited to see where you take the “Andy gets turned on when reader lets him call the shots and make decisions” seeds you’ve been planting. Because I KNOW you’re going to weave that in beautifully into some smutty stuff and I’m so ready for it.

THANK YOU for blessing us all with your amazing work 🥰

Okay BABE im so sorry this has been in my inbox for so long BUT i needed it !!

For inspiration

And it WORKED bc as of yesterday i am officially back to working on part 6!

(Catch andy below peeking out his window cus he saw me running towards him with open arms)

Ari has been distracting for a while but andy finally got some much deserved loving hehehe

I love all of these !! I wont be spoiling what I'll use (perhaps all of it cus its honestly great) but we'll see 👀👀 thank you for sparking my muse!!

Also yes those are SEEDS you are correct and they will blossom beautifully i suspect hehehe

Also, me? The news? 🥺👉👈 youre so cute i love it, thank you so so much 😭😭

Pls come visit me again bc i like your brain hehehe ❤️❤️❤️

[swanqiu]

was cho friends with padma patil and/or other students of color when she was a hogwarts student or did she just stick with marietta?

// aslk;jga listen, i am in looove with this question. all i ever wanna do is talk about the minor characters (they are also quite literally minorities) whom joanne wrote as throwaway characters but then just... decided to tokenize after people questioned her about diversity in the wizarding world. womp womp.

——— CHO HEADCANONS.

okay so to start, i do headcanon that members of ravenclaw house are generally pretty close with one another and, as a whole, they spend a lot of time together in the common room and have their own house parties for whenever something big happens (holidays, winning a quidditch match, designated mom friend penelope clearwater getting accepted to a fancy summer internship in the states, etc). they also just spend a lot of down time in the common space throughout the week. beyond that, though, i think cho definitely develops a deeper connection with other students of color, or at least has a quicker time doing so, because they’d have similar or shared experiences, being minorities in an overwhelmingly white school. cho becoming friends with these classmates usually just happens naturally. but having experienced a few comments or taunts about her racial background (in class, on the pitch, in passing), she is extra intentional about seeking out the younger students of color in her later years and introducing herself as a friendly face and confidant, in case they ever experience that antagonism and think there’s no one they can talk to about it. she's protective over the younger students in her house, and even more so when they are students of color, but this is something she extends to students in other houses, too!  

( and a brief note on that: hogwarts is definitely not immune to bullying or antagonism revolving around racist stereotypes, and incidents about it have happened in every hogwarts house. it’s just not discussed as much (or at all, really) because 1. we read the series from harry’s pov, and harry doesn’t experience it because he is canonically white and 2. discrimination based on blood purity is more relevant to harry’s story. )

because we read things from harry’s pov, and he’s a gryffindor student with mainly gryffindor friends, he’s not fully aware of the dynamics in other houses. at some point, i think in OotP, he makes an observation that cho’s surrounded by less friends than she was usually around earlier in the series. we see cho with marietta a lot because cho is a fiercely loyal friend and, when a majority of the students turn on marietta for exposing the DA, cho is one of the only people who sticks by marietta (umbridge was threatening her mother! it’s a lot more complicated than marietta just snitching on them unprompted!! i will vent about this another time!!!). cho doesn’t hide her decision to stand by marietta at all. but the main point is, harry doesn’t see the dynamic in the ravenclaw common room, and that’s where cho interacts with a lot of the other students in her house (who are, by the way, very supportive of her throughout the aftermath of the third task, but i mean. they’re students, still. they have other things to focus on, too, and cho doesn’t fault them for that.)

and for some of the students in particular— a thousand times yes, cho is friends with padma patil! padma and cho bond over things like being second/third-generation immigrants and cringing at how over-the-top south asian/east asian muggle dramas are and discussing potential benefits in applying eastern medicine and holistic health practices to wizarding healing care. ravenclaws have a diwali celebration every fall, and padma always calls dibs on doing the henna for cho's hands. through padma, cho’s also friendly with parvati (and, by extension, lavender brown, who’s actually quite similar in personality to marietta); they all got ready for the yule ball together! when cho was considering not wearing the cheongsam-inspired dress sent from her grandmother’s hometown (it seemed too showy! it didn’t seem like it was something one would wear to a yule celebration in scotland!), parvati was the one who was threatening to wear it herself if cho didn’t and kept talking about how it would be a shame to let a dress like that go to waste. 

other bipoc students: there’s a conversation at some point (i think also in OotP) where ron refers to michael corner as “the dark one”, and while that could be a reference to michael’s sense of humor or his personality, i’ve always taken it quite literally and headcanon that michael is a student of color, possibly black. (just my headcanon, though, and it’s totally fine if people who write michael corner portray him as white! the same goes for lavender; i also headcanon her as black.) 

cho is most likely friendly with angelina johnson and alicia spinnet, and after the ravenclaw vs. gryffindor games, they compliment each other and swap quidditch tips and offer hair care routines and discuss life things as they’re all cooling down in the locker rooms.

she doesn’t have many interactions with lee jordan, dean thomas, or blaise zabini (the other students of color joanne mentions more than once that i can think of off the top of my head). i headcanon a few of cho’s ravenclaw teammates as being students of color, too.

[suchplausibilities]

supercorp + medieval au or theme park au 👀💕

Don’t think I don’t know this was a Trap to do a Merlin/Supergirl fusion bianca. I do. but i have too many feelings about both of them and am not prepared for the inevitable implosion of emotion when the combine. 

SO. Since last time i went to a theme park I spent the entire time dizzy and nauseous and therefore have bad feelings, I’m counting on your kind heart to allow me to slightly alter the timeline, and instead of doing a medieval AU, doing a Renaissance AU. Cool? Cool.

This fic would be called Open to Interpretation*, and would be forever long because I am physically incapable of shutting up. Lemme outline it for you (or give you the entire plot of the first half of the story): 

Kara D’Anversa, the youngest daughter of a peasant class woodworker (originally Kara Zolea, daughter of a prominent traveling merchant), is nearly twenty when she decides what her course in life should be. She’s always been a thinker; the type to spend swaths of time in the field near her family’s cottage, taking detailed notes about the insects and animals and vegetation to better understand the whys behind their design. The way their aesthetics play into their function fascinates her in a very unique way. Her parents and sister - thinkers themselves, though in different ways - are happy to indulge her passion in any way they can, as they’re very aware that the older she gets, the less freedom she’ll have to be vibrant and brilliant and herself. If this means that half of most meals consist of the meaning of the color patterns of certain types of insects, then so be it.

(For the record: Alex knows a lot about leaves, now. A lot.)

When Jeremiah begins to notice the sketches starting to accompany her notes, he gets an idea. Kara receives her first book on techniques for crafting paint and canvas when she’s fifteen. Within  three years, she has a total of six books related to painting and artistry.

When Alex is nearly twenty-five, her parents begin to discuss marriage. They’ve been receiving offers for years - unusual for the peasant class, given that poorer families usually required the help of their children for a larger portion of their youth, which also had the advantage of helping fathers to scrape together bigger dowries - but have neglected to give them any attention at all, given her age, their need for assistance in crafting and running the shop, and their desire to delay the inevitable for as long as possible, after they noticed that, even though she put forth a brave face, the idea of having a husband made Alex noticeably distressed. Now, though, she’s beginning to get offers from families known to be both kind and financially secure, and they’re afraid that, given her age, waiting would mean risking both her happiness and her future. Alex is both understanding and miserable.

The night that Jeremiah and Eliza tell Alex that they’ve narrowed it down to two men, and will likely have a deal by the end of the week, Kara spends the entire night in Alex’s bed, comforting and crying and laughing and just talking. It’s nearly dawn when Alex tells her to go. At Kara’s confused questions, Alex finally smacks her lightly on the back of her head, and tells her to stop being dense. She’s been talking about exploring and painting different parts of the country, finally finding a person whose portrait she finds interesting enough to paint, and meeting famous artists and being tutored by them for literal years. It’s time to shut up about it and finally go do it. 

Kara’s understandably taken aback by this - um, she’s a woman near marrying age living under the feudal system. How in the heck would she even manage that?? Alex gives her money she’s been saving since she was Kara’s age (her dad was kind enough to let her take a cut from some of the jobs they completed together), meant to be her back-up plan if her parents were strong-armed into accepting the one of the proposals from the various jerks asking for her hand, and tells Kara that she’s smart enough to figure out the rest. 

Kara leaves the next day. 

Only, here’s the problem: She’s been reading and hearing about various artists for years now, and most of them have one thing in common: they’re stationed in Florence. That’s hella far to travel, considering that she lives in the Kingdom of Naples, in the province of Ultra, which doesn’t even have the decency to be near the Northern border - it’s dead up in the middle. That’s not even mentioning the fact that she’s a beautiful technically-still-teenager, traveling alone.

Furthermore, she’s not ignorant of her circumstances. There aren’t many artists that would be willing to take on a female pupil. She’s heard quite a bit about the personalities of several of them, and from what she can tell, that there are just a few that would even possibly maybe consider that. And, given that she’s risking everything for this, she’s not willing to settle on who she would like to learn from. If she’s going to do this, she’s going big. So, she decides to seek out the artist that most inspires her, to the point that the chance of learning from him is totally worth risking her life and future: Leonardo da Vinci.

During her harrowing trip to Florence (which involves lots of running, hiding, kind strangers with familiar names that are more than willing to help, and - naturally - punching of gross dudes), a few more hiccups in her plan begin to emerge. Firstly, she learns that da Vinci may be from Florence, and he may frequently stay there, but he definitely doesn’t live there. In fact, one thing that didn’t make it into her books or the stories she was told was that he is constantly traveling. He’s considered one of the greatest artists of his time, and is, therefore, frequently commissioned to work for rulers and nobles all over Europe. So, even if she makes it to Florence, there is a very good chance that she’ll never actually meet him.

Secondly, da Vinci’s willingness to tutor talented artists that wish to improve means that he already has quite a few pupils, assistants, and potential protégés that travel with him. Even if he was willing to take on one more artist, the fact remains that she is a woman. Her gender might not matter to him, but it’s unlikely that all of his students will share his feelings, which could potentially be a serious roadblock.

Naturally, though, Kara ignores the odds and keeps going. Even if he’s not in Florence, he’s a big enough name that she can probably still find him, and she’s willing to do whatever it takes. And, as far as his students go? Let’s just assume there’s a 16th century Italian equivalent to ‘screw those guys,’ and that Kara thought it very loudly. 

Finally, two and a half years after leaving home, Kara arrives in Florence. Is she poor and tired? Yes. Is she also resourceful and unshakably determined? Absolutely. So, after she manages to secure temporary housing and an underpaying job willing to employ women on the down low, she starts asking around about da Vinci. Reports are contradictory, but she finally manages to speak to a reliable source that is absolutely sure that he’s in France, having been befriended, commissioned, and housed by the King, Francis I. With some effort, she finds the name of the town he’s settled down in: Amboise. 

Nearly three years later, she arrives in Amboise. It reminds her of her village, because, although it’s slightly larger, it’s still small enough to be very close-knit. It doesn’t surprise her, then, that when people learn where she’s from and why she’s there, they’re slightly standoffish. What does surprise her is that, even when they realize her persistence, they’re entirely unwilling to even confirm or deny da Vinci’s presence, and continue to suggest that she look to expand her art knowledge elsewhere. 

Finally, a local baker that she’s managed to befriend in the short time she’s been in town tells her that she’s asking the wrong questions. He tells her to head towards the eastern edge of town, and ask for Luciano. 

Asking for this Luciano goes well - right up until the moment she explains why she wants to meet him and triggers the same brick wall she had before. She learns very quickly to keep it vague and let people draw their own conclusions about her reasons, which pays off well. Luciano Michelini, she learns, is a close friend and apprentice of Leonardo da Vinci. da Vinci, by this time, is elderly, and suffers from a crippling of his hand that has essentially stopped him from creating anything new. As a result, Michelini handles all requests for pieces, deliveries of purchases, and correspondence with those seeking guidance on artistic and engineering projects. Unlike da Vinci, Michelini is often seen about town, and the locals know him well. 

After hearing all of this, Kara makes the painful decision to end her quest here. Bothering an old man so crippled that he barely leaves his home seems excessive and unkind, which is unacceptable, no matter how much it would mean to her to meet and learn from him. She’s disappointed, but there are other ways to improve in her artistry that don’t involve harassing the elderly. So, instead of seeking out a meeting with Michelini, she gathers her things a prepares herself to return to Florence.

…Which is, of course, when Michelini finds her. 

See, the town is even more tight knit than Kara realized, and word had been passed around about the strange girl wanting to become a pupil of Leonardo da Vinci since the day she arrived. The baker (who truly had become fond of Kara), had been instructed by Luciano himself to point her his way. When they finally met, he explained that he preferred for his first impressions to be from a distance. He liked having the upper hand in a first meeting. da Vinci’s fame meant that it was important to know the type of person he was dealing with. 

This does not annoy Kara as might have in other situations. Instead, she finds this man endlessly intriguing. Soon, she’s telling the tale of her long journey here, showing him her paintings, and getting a much clearer picture of what type of person would be able to get so close to someone like da Vinci. Before she knows it, Michelini is helping her to gather her things and leading her to the Château of Cloux - Leonardo da Vinci’s estate. 

On the way, she learns a few things: Firstly, Luciano Michelini is not a painter. Unlike most that sought out tutelage from da Vinci, his desire was to be educated in the complex science of mechanics and engineering. Michelini saw the structures and machinery of the day and just thought that they could do better. There was so much more that man could do, and there was no one better than Leonardo to help him to learn how to make real, permanent advances.

Secondly, he met da Vinci in Milan, when he was 18 - eight years ago, now. He’d had many pupils when Michelini first began following da Vinci, but he was now the only one, and had been for several years. Luciano credits these years as ones that gave his life real meaning.

Once they’ve arrived at the expansive château and have taken up residence in the sitting room, though, a few more (fairly vital) pieces of information are shared.

For example: Leonardo da Vinci, Luciano explains calmly, has been dead for nearly six months. Kara’s silent shock ends up very convenient, in that it allows Luciano to explain without protest:

A little over a year ago, Leonardo contracted a mild illness, expected to resolve itself within a few days. A few weeks later, he was entirely bedridden, and stayed that way for months, before finally dying. Luciano, who had long since considered the man his father, was his primary caregiver, and therefore spent hours upon hours hearing stories of his past, ideas that struck him suddenly, and his regrets. 

On his deathbed, Leonardo had shared that his greatest regret, by far, was that he had not carried out his works to the extent he should have, and had therefore failed God and accomplished no real change. This affected Luciano deeply, as he’d never met a greater man in his life. So, as Leonardo lived out his last few hours, Luciano came up with a plan that would prove to an even definitively how great Leonardo da Vinci truly was. 

With the blessing of King Francis I, and a vow from those that lived in Amboise (a town that was very unique in that very few people moved in, and just as few moved out) to stay mum, Luciano kept da Vinci’s death a secret, abandoned his own projects, and set to work building - and, where possible, implementing - many of the inventions da Vinci had detailed in his notebooks. The king had granted Luciano two years to bring to life as many projects as he could before da Vinci’s death was officially announced, at which point they would be revealed and demonstrated so that all of Europe had a much clearer understanding of how much da Vinci had - and could have, if he’d had more time - affected their lives. It wasn’t enough, Luciano admitted, but it was something, and the least of what da Vinci deserved.

When Kara finally digests this news, she asks the first question that pops into her head: Why was she - an outsider with no affection for da Vinci, outside of the impersonal kind she’d developed from hearing about and occasionally seeing his work -let in on such a huge secret?

“You’re exactly the type of artist he would have taken as a student without hesitation. The type of unique fortitude combined with the level of skill you possess is very rare. You have a very sharp eye. He’d have never passed up on the opportunity to teach you. I can’t introduce you to him, but I can show you things of his that might help guide you. 

“To be entirely, honest, though, my ego wasn’t entirely uninvolved in the decision. You remind me of myself.” 

“Because of my passion and determination?” 

“Maybe a little, but those traits are more common than you think. I was more referring to how we’re both women that went through great lengths to avoid having to give up our entire selves to better fit into our assigned roles.” 

“…uh, yeah. That’s… similar.”

(Kara gets the full story the next day, when she’s less overwhelmingly stupefied: 

Lena Lovatti was the daughter of Lorenzo Lovatti, one of the richest men in Milan. He was also one of the most feared. Though he was far from poor, he sought out ways to climb even further in the ranks of the nobility, and ultimately managed to gain much more wealth by acting as a spy for the French, a successful venture that ultimately helped them to overthrow the existing dynasty in Milan and take power there. Given his wealth and the protection he received from the Milan’s new French rulers, he was practically untouchable. This was a good thing, because he was also largely hated by the locals for his treason. 

This little hiccup meant that Lorenzo had only recently found a suitable suitor for Lena, who’d just turned 18. Lena was in the process of finding a way out of that situation (and that house) when her father requested that Leonardo da Vinci, one of the most famous artists of the time, come visit their estate to discuss the possibility of Leonardo completing a piece for Lorenzo. 

da Vinci ultimately declined, but during the visit, he caught Lena - who’d retreated to the study after dinner - sketching the design for a machine she was thinking up. Impressed, he convinced her to show him other ideas she’d come up with. When he mentioned that he would love the chance to guide her and help her to better her understanding of the natural forces at play that would determine the effectiveness of her inventions, she laughed, asking him not to feed her impossible dreams. She was a Woman, after all. Leonardo clearly didn’t care about her gender, but wasn’t ignorant of the challenges they would both face if a upper class woman joined him in his travels. He didn’t give up, though. After a brief silence, he asked, “Tell me: Would you be especially opposed to hosiery, or are you too attached to the bodice?”

Two weeks later, Lena Lovatti’s strange disappearance was clarified by her family: She’d run away and joined a convent. 

Three years later, the French were overthrown in Milan, and its former dynasty once again took power.)

The epilogue (wtf is wrong with me) would involve an episode of Fox and Friends, wherein they discuss the recent discovery of letters and portrait sketches that would suggest that Leonardo da Vinci’s most prominent pupil and inheritor of his estate was most likely a woman. The implications of this were even more astounding, as said pupil was married to the woman who, just a decade ago, been identified as the artist behind a nom de plume that had been used on several paintings now considered to be priceless.

The segment’s a complete cyclone of insane garbage, but this is what becomes everyone’s favorite soundbite: 

“This is just the most ridiculous – I mean, god. They got the bathrooms, they got the marriage, they got into congress - how much more gay do we need? Are we rewriting the constitution next? ‘We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created fabulous.’?”

*lol good try, past Erin. That is not its name.

[aiph-daicerandomstuff]

Da-iCE ARTICLE: [PlusParavi] The challenges as a radio personality in “TALK ABOUT”! What are the things that surprise Da-iCE Kudo Taiki about the youth nowadays? (6/29/19) | CGM

With implied and literal translation. PM me for mistakes/errors. Please put proper credits if you use.

The challenges as a radio personality in “TALK ABOUT”! What are the things that surprise Da-iCE Kudo Taiki about the youth nowadays?

Da-iCE Kudo Taiki Interview - First Part

This is “OSHIDAN!plus!”, a new project that features people that PlusParavi has gotten to focus on. In celebration of this launch, the first to be featured is Kudo Taiki, the leader of dance and vocal group, Da-iCE.

In 2011, Da-iCE was formed. Their first LIVE show had a few audiences only. From there, they steadily improved their skills and increased the number of their fans, and in 2014, they made their long-awaited major debut with the song “SHOUT IT OUT”.

Since then, as they continue to evolve, in 2017, their wish to perform in Budokan turned into reality. And, in this year’s June, their first BEST album was released. Reaching their 6th debut anniversary, they have already established a name as a dance and vocal group.

The leader of the mentioned group Da-iCE, Kudo Taiki, is enjoying another line of interest while being in a group, that is being in “TALK ABOUT” which airs every Saturday from 22:00 on TBS Radio. Currently, Kudo, who’s in his 30s, acts as a radio personality. With a variety of guests, he takes on the real voices of the youth and creates interesting talks. For our video report portion, Paravi will deliver you “TALK ABOUT +” which is the TV version of “TALK ABOUT”. It is a program where you can enjoy even Kudo’s expressions and gestures while having light talks.

This time, we interviewed Kudo Taiki. We will deliver you twice as much about his positive takes on reality and his concerns.

6th anniversary of their major debut. Still feel scared as always.

— One of your assets is your cool dancing, as shown through Da-iCE performances. You discovered your talent in dancing when you were in middle school. Well, was there a thing that led you to like dancing?

I still don’t know why. I have always liked dancing ever since I discovered that I could. I was already dancing in cultural festival in grade school. I can’t remember it, but they said, when I was 3-4 years old, I was dancing while watching Hikaru GENJI-san dance on television.

— Oh, that’s cute!

Anyways, I always like music. The first dance I covered was KinKi Kids’s.

— Well, after entering high school, you started to go to local acting studio in Hokkaido.

That’s right. At first, my parents were against the idea. So, to persuade my parents, I went to the best school around my hometown. I attended lessons six times a week there.

— And, after graduating from high school, you went to Tokyo.

At first, I was in a different line compared to where I am now. It was the actor’s line I had been before. But then, I always liked music and wanted to do music, and so I felt like I didn’t fit there. So, I quit and became free after. Since then, I was making music and dancing while having part-time job in an apparel store.

— From there, you formed Da-iCE, and attained your major debut. This year’s the 6th anniversary. For you, honestly, does this 6th anniversary feel too quick to happen? Or does it feel too long?

It came quickly. The truth is, it feels like it has long gone passed.

— What’s the most impressive event happened as you go to your 6th anniversary?

For me, it’s Budokan (Da-iCE HALL TOUR 2016 -PHASE 5- FINAL in Nippon Budokan). It is still the one that has left me an impression the most.

— It was the first Budokan performance of Da-iCE, the one you deeply wished to come true. Did it feel like it was a dream-come-true to you?

(thinks for a while) I thought then, we won’t move forward anymore.

— So, going back to what you said, does that mean you have things you were anxious about?

Yes, I was anxious before and even now. I am always scared.

— What are the things you were anxious about?

How to put this? There’s simply a lot of competition. This is a job that starts with fans and the staff who are supporting you. That’s why I can’t help but to always be afraid that no one would be around.

From now on, Da-iCE will target and approach new places

— What part of Da-iCE has evolved through history ever since its formation?

The fundamentals. But I think, the basic skills improved. Now, we’re doing Da-iCE BEST TOUR. But, before the tour started, I tried to watch our previous videos to remember our old steps. Doing that, I was like “this is not good at all” (laughs). Our movements were all over the place. I ended up saying, “Watching these videos is not helping me at all!” (laughs)

— Thinking so, I think that’s because you are proud of what you have achieved.

Yes, I am. It’s amazing as it is. But, we have so much to improve still.

— What can you say about the current strength of Da-iCE, Taiki-kun?

Just recently, realistically speaking, I came to the conclusion that career is vital. Nowadays, we started to play more mature music, so even if we perform the early songs of Da-iCE way back our formation, it will still turn out completely different now. We’ve been through various experiences, and people who watched us grow can tell what we’ve been through, and that our performances became more convincing. I think that’s the strength that young people don’t have.

— Ah, so you think you are no longer young.

I am not young anymore. Even for 1-millimeter, I am not (laughs). Emotionally, I still feel like a newbie inside, but I can no longer say that I am. Young vocal and dance groups are increasing in number as well.

— So, what is the “plus” that Da-iCE should take to move on to the next phase?

Honestly speaking, as to our current state, I’ve been seeing a “limit” to our progress.

— Limit?

Unless we approach new places, most likely, Da-iCE won’t spread from where it is now. That’s why, for this year’s strategy, we’re going to band festivals. We want to go to places where people don’t know about us, including those in overseas.

— How are you preparing for that?

Now, each of us is doing various individual activities. Everyone is expanding their expertise there. I think, having those activities is a good plus for us. In the past, we were focusing on how to work together as a group, as Da-iCE. But now, working together is already natural to us. With that strong plus, we are now free to demand individual activities. I think it is one of the points that has changed compared before.

“TALK ABOUT” is an input time, containing information that one would never know

— One of Taiki-kun’s solo activities is “TALK ABOUT”. But, “TALK ABOUT” is a program that is filled with real talks about teens, such as school life, study, career, friends, love, etc. Have you ever been surprised by generation gaps or have learned something about their personalities?

If it’s about love, the usual confessions in LINE surprise me. Because in our generation, we usually don’t think that way.

In addition to that is the time when the admission or change of class started. First, I made a LINE group with the students of one class, and so when I came to school to get along with them, I was like “This is a LINE group of kids!” I couldn’t really believe it then.

Because with LINE alone, I wouldn’t know if the class were all kids. I wasn’t bothered getting along with them using LINE. But I guess it’s different when you meet them for real (laughs). But, using LINE is normal for teens nowadays. I was quite surprised.

— In the first place, it is difficult to create a LINE group with a class … (laughs)

I agree. I wanted to get it done right away (laughs).

Anyways, I feel like the kids nowadays are much freer. However, I think that many kids are not good at speaking directly because they are used to communicating through the internet. A kid who’s always commenting on the radio, when talking over the phone, suddenly gets awkward. Well, that is part of being a teenager as well (laughs).

— As a personality, what do you always keep in mind?

When I talk to the listeners, to kids, I try not to be preachy myself. The best part of the radio is that through it, you will be able to hear their real voice. That’s why, I think it is not about putting an appearance. It is to speak out and expose a bit of yourself.

There are times, I would be in a position of a teacher. I think, it’s unavoidable. Sometimes, I dare talking from a teacher’s point of view. When a guest comes, I cherish the sense of getting close to the warm energy of that person, as much as possible.

— Were you originally interested on being a radio personality?

Yes. When I was only in a dance and vocal group, I could only meet the people in the same dance and vocal group profession. Being able to do this is a chance for me to make new encounters and opportunities. I am grateful. I always look forward to it every time.

— So, what is the position of “TALK ABOUT” in Taki-kun’s wide variety of activities?

Everyone in TALK ABOUT team is being updated on the trends of the young generation. Now, there are many people who knows a lot about the things I don’t know, knows a lot about what’s popular and what kind of artists and idols coming out.

By speaking to the listeners, to the kids, I can see how the kids nowadays are spending their everyday life. In that sense, it is a valuable input time, containing a lot of information I would never know just by doing group activities.

From: https://plus.paravi.jp/entertainment/002650.html