#pia: your mc

[pavedinashes-if]

Oh boi (gn) - You are crazy and I love it!

(UPDATED 7.9.24)

here's your NSFW character sheets...

@the-art-of-thinking :

@geldar13 :

@stephschoices:

@jonyxtion :

and I got some more from people to kindly asked me to not share them. You should know I saw them, approved them and 1 even made me blush. Congrats.

[not-poignant]

Hi Pia.

I just generally want to thank you for your writing ❤️. I've always struggled with expressing myself, and still do, I've been reading your stories for awhile now, and I really appreciate the representation you put into it. I find a lot of works, even centered around a queer MC, never actually portray it in a way that I find relatable, if that makes sense? Yours always feel very real, just having characters even mention sexualities, identities, it really adds that little bit. It makes it feel less fictional, more I can't think of a good enough word because I don't write. Realistic isn't the word I'm going for, but it's definitely in that sort of field. A form of writing that's still a fictional universe but overlaps in ways that you wouldn't exactly expect it to, I guess.

The way your write out characters is amaze, they're all so unique I could genuinely paint a really expressive picture of every single one. I couldn't do that with many other works. So just like, I really appreciate the thought into Queer characters, how they're all affected by it and their own internalized feelings towards it. I think it makes me feel a bit more validated for my own turmoil with identity. I hope you're doing well and have a great day whenever you see this ^^

Ahhh thank you anon!

It means so much when my characters feel relatable to folks - even though I know they won't be relatable to everyone, because I find most of the characters others write not very relatable, and one of the reasons I started writing was to see...more things in the world that felt real or relatable to me. Especially around the intersection of trauma and neurodivergence and queerness and experiencing life and relationships.

There are a lot of authors who write this stuff! And it's very good! For me though, I needed something that was like 'no, this feeling, I want to see this feeling on the page' and I sometimes used to feel like...no one would understand what I was trying to say. Sometimes I still feel like that. And it's words like yours which help me stay inspired because it's like that meme that is like 'nothing I've ever thought or felt is original' - but in a weirdly reassuring way.

And hopefully I can share some of that with others. The 'we might feel alone, we might be lonely, but there are some folks out there who get it, or at least this get this thing.' And that's an important quality for me to try and find in writing and sharing it with folks.

Thank you so much, anon, I hope you're taking care of you!

[dereliction-if]

A little BDay gift...

it was our dear Steph's Bday @stephschoices a few days ago and as a sign of gratitude for all the love and support she gifted my IFs dereliction and @pavedinashes-if , I decided to offer her one question of her choice. And this is the result...

Steph: "I have a good one 😏 since it’s my birthday and we’re still feeling some spicy vibes after the havu art … may I ask what my fav ros (Felix, Michael, Sparks, Solas, Havu) reaction would be to walking in the bedroom and seeing mc wrapped in ribbon with a bow as a present for them on their birthdays? 🤭 >> Deep crush stage.

Responses below the cut. Thanks for allowing me to share dear Steph ^^

Felix Nowak (PiA)

„W-wow“ his eyes grow double their usual size, his face blushing slightly as he stands in the door looking at you. He drops against the door frame, shaking his head with a wide grin, crossing his arms, not moving any further. „What are you waiting for?“ you tease him and he laughs out loud. „No, no, no, wait, I need a moment to memorize this for eternity“ then he pretends to snap a photo with his hands. With an „Ok, good, where do I start?“ he strides towards you until he stands in front of the bed, resting one knee on the mattress. Then, everything goes fast - cupping your face and sinking into your lips with a fiery kiss, leads instantly to his body being pressed on yours and his fingers between the ribbon and your skin, seeking your warmth...

Dr. Michael Sturm (PiA)

„What are you doing here?“ he seriously means it. He has no idea what’s happening, never expecting you to do something like this. Especially since he tries really hard to keep his distance, but for once he cannot look away. Especially since you are lying on the mattress of the hospital’s on-call rooms. A shiver runs down his whole body, his face growing warm and red. „What do you think I am doing?“ you return, smirking at him. Damn. He looks around, then quickly draws his phone out and types. Few seconds later he locks the door.

Sparks (PiA) 

He is rambling something under his nose when he enters the room, occupied with his phone. Then his eyes move up and land on you. „Oh shit, fuck, sorry, Oh my god!“ he panics, quickly turning around, his phone falling from his hands as he desperately tries to cover his eyes as soon as possible. He continues apologizing as he attempts to storm out of the room - but unfortunately runs into the door frame and hits his shoulder hard „Motherfucker! Arghs.“ You call after him, your voice shaking slightly from an involuntary chuckle. It takes a moment before his red head bobs around the doorframe for you to see, his hands still over his eyes. „Sparks.“ you say his name with a seductive tone of which you know it will only make him blush more. He lowers his hands slowly, swallowing hard at his little present. With your hand you motion for him to come closer and all he can respond is a nod of his head and an open mouth.

Solas (Dereliction)

When his eyes land on you he is speechless, a rather rare sight if you had to tell. He seems to struggle with containing his excitement at the view of you. You notice him taking a deep breath, before finally placing one foot in front of the other, careful like a beast not wanting to startle its prey. The rising of his chest is clearly visible, his cheeks red as he rolls up his sleeves, biting his lip. This is more than he would’ve ever dared to dream of and he will make sure it will be unforgettable for both of you. The ribbon and bow will be carefully stored away as a memory to cherish for the rest of his days.

Havu (Dereliction)

Havu lowers his head, his eyes fixed on you from under his eyebrows, one corner of his lips curling up „Hell yeah.“ with his eyes roaming over your body he walks towards you, eager to reach you, „I hope you know I am terrible with ribbons.“ his tone oily slick, as he is finally standing in front of you, his tongue sensually running over his teeth. The desire and impatience in his eyes is mirroring yours. The next moments will be a bit rough and sloppy but he’ll make sure to include the ribbon a few more times in the next hours, causing you two to be knotted together for a few rounds.

[hazelestelle]

So hard to decide... 3, 6, 7, 19 for all the secrets XD

Thank you <3 Okay, let's see XD

3) The ship you’re most ashamed of

I got over that, I just like what I like XD But I guess I'd rather not talk much about how I occasionally still read HP fanfiction.

6) The ship that’s unpopular in the fandom

So many? XD I'm a rarepair shipper, so take your pick. But I got anon hate for a Robin/MC fic once, so I guess that one?

7) The ship that’s popular but you just can’t see

Pia/Esther. (Not gonna elaborate, you know everything about that XD)

So for a secret one... Ludger/Jude. (Yes, I've written fic for this pairing, so it's extra secret that I don't even like it XD) I just don't see it. First of all, Julius is right there okay? And yes, I am a multishipper, but not with this. And okay, maybe this is because of how I played the game, because my sister just didn't like Jude at all, so we hardly ever had him in our party, but Ludger and Jude arent't even friends? They're just... there because they have the same goal? Idk, they just do nothing for me.

19) Two conflicting ships

I just said that I'm a multishipper, so even if they are conflicting, who cares? XD Also, "[Character] has two hands", right? XD

So yeah, no interesting secrets here, sorry!

[pavedinashes-if]

Omg yes! Definitely lookin at youu! 😍

Who’s he looking at 😏🤭 @pavedinashes-if

[sinceileftyoublog]

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Album Review: Wild God

(PIAS)

BY JORDAN MAINZER

During the chorus of "Song of the Lake", the first track from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds' incredible new album Wild God, Cave finds himself in a familiar place: telling a story. "And he sang the song of the lake / And all the king's horses and all the king's men," Cave beckons. You expect him--and perhaps he expects himself--to jump into an English nursery rhyme, using the fable of Humpty Dumpty to somehow comment on the bleakness of the human condition. Instead, he tells us to "never mind, never mind." It's a moment that sets up what the man himself has described as the unbridled joy that pervades Wild God. If throughout his career, Cave has been a troubadour of everything from murder ballads to real life-inspired funeral dirges, on Wild God, he's more preacher of the gospel than shaman working with evil spirits.

It is and will be forever impossible to separate Cave's music with the unfathomable grief he's experienced this past decade, the loss of of two of his sons. Though he knows grief is a non-linear process, Wild God represents the ways in which he has received a newfound sense of optimism and hope and perspective on life. On "Frogs", he's walking home, gazing wonderous at the sight of a frog in the gutter, "leaping to God, amazed of love, amazed of pain, amazed to be back in the water again." On "Joy", Cave at first confronts an all-too-familiar feeling: "I woke up this morning with the blues all around my head / I felt like someone in my family was dead." Accompanied by French horns, piano, and an omnipresent backing chorus, he shares that "a ghost in giant sneakers, laughing stars around his head"--maybe his son, maybe a stranger, and either way, funny--tells him, "We've all had too much sorrow, now is the time for joy."

Cave also sounds invigorated back with The Bad Seeds, sounding like this. Two of their previous albums, 2016's Skeleton Tree and 2019's Ghosteen, were primarily ambient and electronic, staring trauma in the face. Even 2013's Push the Sky Away was moored in minimalism in comparison to the band's back catalog. Indeed, they haven't sounded this upbeat since 2008's Dig, Lazaurs, Dig!!!, trading that album's sexed-up goth garage rock for time in the church. The songs are bolstered by drummer Thomas Wydler, who has apparently put behind him the health problems that prevented him from joining the band on tour in the 2010s. His crisp snares and meaty beats are front and center, even delving into hip-hop on "Conversion" and "O Wow O Wow (How Wonderful She Is)". In conjunction with the backing vocals, the drums make the songs anthemic. On the album's title track, the protagonist is searching for people to believe him and believe in him, Cave in beckoning and wailing mode: "He's moving through your body like a prehistoric bird!" If the backing vocals on Skeleton Tree sounded like a Greek chorus, on Wild God, they sound like a gospel choir, begging us to "Bring your spirit down!" On "Conversion", Cave's lines are syncopated with the chorus's repetition of "Touched by the spirit / Touched by the flame," as propulsive as an MC, a tangible contrast to the song's abstract hues of synthesizer, piano, and flute. And on piano ballad closer "As the Waters Cover the Sea", everyone prays for "peace and good tidings to the land."

That Wild God is a bright album doesn't mean it's lacking in realism. Two of its best songs dive back into earthbound pain. On "Cinnamon Horses", beside circular prickles of acoustic guitar, Cave waxes on the complexity of love through contrasting imagery, "cinnamon horses and the turpentine trees." And then there's "O Wow O Wow". It's dedicated to another deceased loved one, ex-Bad Seed and ex-girlfriend of Cave, Anita Lane, who passed away in 2021. At first, Cave's obscured by vocoder, singing whimsical, beatific verses like, "The country doctor whistles across the meadow / The schoolboy he hops up and says gee whiz!" (Carly Paradis gives us a whistle to aid the story.) But during the song's outro, we hear a recording of Lane in conversation with Cave, reminiscing on the past. There's Cave, again, making us look at death straight in the eyes, but preparing us for a universal truth, asking us to consider that life is beautiful not in spite of it, but because of it.

[maoichimichi]

M・A・O Enthusiasm for First Participation in "Nanasis" Live "I'm a shrine maiden, but I'll drop the shrine maiden (laughs)"

From "Tokyo 7th Sisters" Hit Prayer

A commemorative event was held in Tokyo on October 30th to commemorate the debut of all idols belonging to Nanasta who appeared in the smartphone application game "Tokyo 7th Sisters" (DONUTS Co., Ltd.). Minami Shinoda, who plays Haru Kasukabe, acted as MC, and Rika Tachibana, who played Kazumi Katsuragi, and M・A・O, who played Ei Suhashi, appeared. In addition, at Kanda Myojin Shrine, where there are various benefits such as health prayers, prosperous business, and victory, a hit prayer was held in hopes of further development of "Tokyo 7th Sisters".

[Photo] Rika Tachibana, M・A・O who is surprised by the surprise announcement that the handover party will be held

The smartphone application game "Tokyo 7th Sisters", which officially launched in 2014, is a rhythm and adventure game for raising idols, and is known by the abbreviation "Nanasis". Set in the year 2034, during the so-called Idol Ice Age, you become the second-generation manager of the next-generation idol theater studio "Three Seven (commonly known as Nanasta)" and train and produce new idols. .

■ Rika Tachibana "I thought it was a surprise at first"

After praying for a hit, the three reported to the manager (the name of the fan) at the talk show that was held immediately after. M.A.O, who plays Ei Suhashi, who works part-time as a shrine maiden, said, "I'm happy to be able to hold an event at the shrine." I'm glad I was able to do it," he said.

This event commemorates the debut of all Nanasta idols. Regarding when the debut was decided, Tachibana said, "I was like, 'Seriously?'. It's been about 8 years. I thought it was a unit, but he said, 'It's a solo.' I was surprised at the second stage," revealing his feelings at the time.

M・A・O, who made her last debut as a member of Nanasta, said, "When everyone debuted solo, they said, 'Wait! Don't leave me~' (laughs)." Express your feelings. However, "That means, 'Am I going to be a solo artist too?' I had a lot of emotions," he recalled.

■ M・A・O "I wonder if I can get Ei-chan off"

Also, on November 19th (Sat) and 20th (Sun) at Makuhari Messe International Exhibition Hall in Chiba, and on December 18th (Sun) at Pia Arena MM in Kanagawa, the live “Tokyo 7th Sisters 6+7 +8th Anniversary Live Along the way”, the three of them said in unison that they were getting nervous.

Tachibana enthusiastically said, "I prayed for a hit, so it's okay. I think the live will go well. Let's do our best." I will unload the shrine maiden (laughs),” commenting on the character whose special skill is becoming a medium.

“I’m looking forward to it, and I’m excited to hear this song (debut song) live. Everyone has their own costumes, right? I think everyone has an image, but please look forward to it," he called out to the managers.

[lacunafiction]

i was thinking about jr poly route today and i can’t help but imagine mc giggling at j singing begrudgingly while r plays the piano also begrudgingly

Hi Anon,

I hope you're doing well! 💚

Oh, I could see that happening when deeper in romance, getting R to play the piano may be easier than getting J to sing, but both of them can be convinced by the MC.

Thank you for your ask! 🥰

(Oh...Okay, I meant for this to be fluff and then it got a wee bit angsty, if you squint or look directly at it??? >.> )

_ _ _

Deeper Romance

"...Uh, no," J answers reluctantly.

The piano emitting a dramatic dun-dun-duuuun noise causes you to swivel on the polished wooden bench to face R, who gives a look of affected innocence even though their fingers are still splayed along the black and white keys. Their left hand remains resting lightly on your thigh, not yet raised to take its proper place to play. They had to reach over with their right hand to get to the lower notes, unwilling to move away from you, which is why you are sitting pressed against each other on the bench instead of R taking the proper 'elbows raised position' needed to move freely along the row of keys.

You don't mind the closeness, knowing the bench will only be occupied by R if you are also on it or within the room to listen to them play.

"As I was saying-" you glance back at J with a sweet smile that causes their expression to waver, "-can you sing just a little bit?"

"I don't think I would be good enough for the accompanying pia--Stop with the sound effects."

R intentionally strikes the higher keys, creating a few sharp bursts of sound that are more like discordant noise caused by a baby penguin waddling across the keys than actual, thoughtful music. They lock eyes with J, spotting the inaudible, resigned sigh that causes J's shoulders to raise a few inches before slowly falling again when their arms are crossed. "Dampen my playing with something else, if it bothers you that much," they quip, teasing more than anything else.

It is actually a little freeing to play something mindlessly that would earn their mother getting out the ruler with a disapproving frown. R both likes and dislikes smashing the keys at random; it requires no talent to do so. They delight in the chaos and the disrespect for the instrument. It is beneath their skill level and they know it's improper when a piano can sound so lovely too, which is why they suddenly stop, fingers tingling in a way that makes them want to fidget or keep moving.

The abrupt silence seems out of place after that...'music', but your hand being scooped up by R prevents you from questioning the sudden change. Their fingers interlock with yours like that of a water-tight, woven basket that is so unlike how J holds your hand, but you have learned how to slot your hand perfectly within their grip that is not as tentative or gentle as J's, but no less secure and meaningful. You get the feeling music is off the table for tonight. "Pizza." The idea forms so suddenly you blurt out the word. "Let's order pizza and watch a movie instead?"

"I'll sing you one song after the movie, okay?" J offers, coming to stand by the piano and offering a hand to help you up from the bench.

"Do we each get one? Because I have ideas for mine," R wonders, covering the keys of the piano with the built in wooden shutter. "So many ideas."

That most likely means the lyrics will either be provocative or have a double meaning; your lips nearly quirk at R's boldness.

"Probably not," J answers, but something about the fondness to their expression says 'yes'.

[pavedinashes-if]

Not gonna lie, I thought this sudden influx of D content is having the opposite effect on me in that it's making me lose interest in them...

But then I realized it just made me realize I don't want them as a romantic partner to my MC, but being fuckbuddies is alright.

Gee, sure hope their feelings will stay neutral too! 🫢🫣

Ooooh, interesting development indeed.

Oh don‘t worry, it‘s much rather this way than the other way around.

[tempenensis]

Jujutsu Kaisen - character theme songs

Here’s compilation of some theme songs Akutami-sensei choose for his characters. Source is volume 3 bonus pages. It’s become pretty long, so I put in under cut.

9mm Parabellum bullet - Heart ni Hi wo tsukete (Light a Fire in Your Heart)

https://youtu.be/pWH11t2JKds (very fitting for a shounen MC)

Kuchiroro - Itsuka dokoka de (Sometime, Somewhere)

https://youtu.be/AnYp5wi3IuQ  (very long and quirky)

Uchujin - Hakujitsumu (Daydream)

https://youtu.be/BmFB1ieF4Zo

Weezer - Island in the Sun

https://youtu.be/QFrD03O3u2I

Sunny Day Service - Seishun Kyosokyoku (Rhapsody of Youth)

https://youtu.be/Mq_Ib-3mdtI

Natsuko Nisshoku - Ano Depaato (That Department Store)

https://youtu.be/kXcaPzgvzOM

Asian Kung-Fu Generation -  Mada Minu Ashita ni (Into Unseen Tomorrow)

https://youtu.be/k1io7YF7XPM (please at least listen to this. AKG is one of my favorite artists. very fitting for Gojo-sensei, too)

Avicii - Shame on Me 

https://youtu.be/CSl-8p6xvJk

Okamura Yasuyuki - Do nacchaten da yo (How it has Become)

https://youtu.be/3hY0hi9Og14

Makihara Noriyuki - SPY 

https://youtu.be/YpSNz7QG2R8

Yura Yura Teikoku -  Yura Yura Teikoku de Kangaechu (Thinking in the Swaying Empire)

https://youtu.be/M9CM44MohAs

Fujifabric - Saboten Record (Cactus Record)

https://youtu.be/oZJVEktYa2k

Pia-no-jac - Paradiso 

https://youtu.be/srETGI-Ru90 (a very chaotic but cool instrumental. love this)

Two Door Cinema - Come Back Home

https://youtu.be/dv--y03Wm6A

Marylin Manson - (S)AINT 

https://youtu.be/Rw_hkkbGqio (NSFW. but also very fitting for Sukuna)

Hirasawa Susumu - Day Scanner 

https://youtu.be/ueprFIjiWbY

[not-poignant]

salut pia!

ive been wondering? how do you handle/change modes when you’re writing across AUs/fics? i mean not only the personality/attribute changes (like role reversal with ef and gwyn) but also change in…oh how do i say this..when a character is a MC in one but side/minor in another? bc they are different devices to different stories, how do you keep an overview of how much you reveal, go into so as to not side track from the main story or change the “flow”. example: whenever theres mentions of gender identity and betas somethin somethin feeling like omegas somethin somethin comes up “casually” sirens go off in my head and then i realise wait faber is NOT the MC in this story this is not about him him but its a little bit about him him. and then i feel like im standing behind a glass wall looking from Utb/Utg to Utr screaming at faber but he is a NPC here so we dont know whats going on in his head. that scene with ef and him eating carrots?…. i would give my right foot and skin tone copic markers to be a fly on the wall in fabers POV (the timelines probably wont align for it to happen but would you ever consider sth like this?? a scene overlapp across stories i mean?)

i’ve mostly read within that universe but ive also read spoils where your characters have completely different..positions? roles? weight? than in rainbow. so yeah how do you keep it all “appropriate” or “fitting” for their roles in different stories. like a puppet master

cheers xx

Hi anon,

So this is going to be not very helpful, but I don't write this stuff down for the most part.

This is the stuff I find so easy that this is why this is my job, in a way. I don't have a list of 'different Efnisiens' to keep track of, or 'different Gwyns.' They become themselves within the story. If I read a chapter of the story I get back into it (actually often I just need to listen to a song or put on the right playlist). Every version of a character is kind of there right now. I know how each would respond to something, and how those things would be the same or vary based on life experiences and the question etc.

I don't do really much at all to change modes. I just...do. There is no overview. It's all in my head. I'd say some of this goes down to how long / how many years I've spent studying character and dialogue overall. But even when I was younger I found this pretty easy, and transplanting characters into different situations to see how they'd react similarly / differently was one of my favourite kinds of exercises even when I was a teenager.

Some of it is knowing focus. Faber's side story is interesting, for those who like Faber and/or Underline the Red, hints about his gender struggles are fascinating, but they can only ever be hints, because I'm mindful that many readers aren't interested in Faber except as a minor character, and haven't read Underline the Red.

The focus is always Efnisien and Gary. Other characters can have their own lives and motivations, but it won't be more than that in the main story. Though I can go into a bit more detail because of the length of the story which is really nice for building out side characters / ensemble cast.

As to crossover perspectives, I don't know! I know we'll see some of Faber's perspective of Efnisien arriving at Hillview in Underline the Red, but obviously things impact characters differently at different times, I don't know what will be most important by the time we get to Faber's side of things. I used to write alternative perspectives as side chapters for Fae Tales though, and that could be a lot of fun.

so yeah how do you keep it all “appropriate” or “fitting” for their roles in different stories.

I saw a video by Hank Green I think once where he said the reason sportspeople are so good at their sports is in part because they're physically often the best at that sport anyway. Like, ballerinas have a certain build, swimmers have a certain build, and any training they do works to support that and make them better, but they were 'built' out for those sports in the first place. Some people have yoga bodies. I have a swimming body and swimming shoulders.

And I feel like this is true sometimes with writing. I don't try to keep it appropriate or fitting, I just know that the ensemble characters can't matter as much as the main characters in the course of the story. That's what a story is. That's what a main character and an ensemble character is. I would say years of experience has made this part of writing mostly easy and fun for me, so I don't have to think or overthink about this stuff anymore. At worst I might think 'was that too much Faber? Eh, it's helping Efnisien, it's still important to the plot and his character arc.'

I'm 'built' for writing big worlds with big ensemble casts where all the characters are important but where the focus is only on a couple of main characters per story. I'm built for character-focused stories and seem to be very built for transplanting characters I love into different worlds (and different roles) to see how that changes things. I started wanting to write these kinds of worlds and characters when I was 10 years old, and had my first sprawling ensemble fantasy series started by the age of 11. By the age of 15 I had a 3 novel fantasy trilogy built out with about 20 significant characters, and it was ridiculous and silly but that was what I wanted to write.

And I guess you could say I haven't really changed, I've just gotten better at it. I hope to keep getting better at it! The challenge now is to figure out how to break down some of these skills so I can share them with others. But...I do think there's an element of 'this is just what I love, it's a special interest, I don't know how to convey that I have 30 years of special interest in reading, writing, and studying this thing across television, manga, manhwa, fanfiction, AUs, and fictional series.' There will be teachable skills in that, but I don't know how much osmosis / absorption / and being obsessed with entangled tapestries of stories makes up what I do.

In some ways it would be 'better' if I was built for more conventional storytelling. My bank account might like that more! BUT, I'm doing okay where I'm at, because I love it, and I try to share that with other people and see if I can tell stories that resonate with them too.

(There are aspects of what I do that are very hard for me - timelines, aspects of worldbuilding, pacing in the first arc, and so on, but the actual characterisation part, and creating multiple versions of the same character is as easy as breathing. I could give you four more different versions of Faber in an hour. Maybe even twenty minutes. It's not hyperbole, it's just...how I daydream, what I think about. And it's fun!)

I'm very very very lucky that other folks are willing to read the same characters across different narratives, because it's a very strange thing to do in writing outside of fanfiction, case in point being that we almost never see any other professional authors doing it with their original works. x.x

[kyotakumrau]

2020.08.10 AERAdot. Kaoru interview

A confession from the guitarist of the heavy rock band DIR EN GREY: 'there's no meaning to a band if we can't play concerts'

Interview and text=AERAdot. Sakuda Hiroshi (作田裕史)

Original text can be seen here

translation=kyotaku (pls let me know if you see any mistakes or typos m(*_ _)m)

Right now, the world of rock is suffering from a huge quake of an unprecedented scale. After there was a cluster infection in a live house in Osaka in February most of the rock bands lost the place where they can play gigs. Yet, there must be some people who are saved by music while we live in this world entrapped in the hopelessness due to the pandemic. So in what way is this musician trying to overcome the situation like this? Kaoru from the Japan's top heavy rock band DIR EN GREY told us about it in this interview.

＊　　＊　　＊

――DIR EN GREY's live activities are being hugely affected by the pandemic. Your domestic tour planned for March-April and your two-day show in Pia Arena MM on July 23rd and 24th were all cancelled. What was your reaction to those decisions?

薫　Starting with the tour, before the state of emergency was declared we didn't know what kinds of measures will be required to hold an event and what would be bad. While it was still not precise what safety measures will be needed, we couldn't keep postponing it again and again so we decided to cancel the tour. For the shows in Pia Arena we were looking for a way to hold them until the very last minute. We did various simulations, if we changed the arena standing to seated, how many people could we fit if we kept [required] space between seats and so on. But we understood that we could not express what we wanted as a band, for example having the required ventilation for the venue, if we used smoke during the performance it would all go into one certain area. We also knew that there must be many fans who wanted to come but couldn't. And for the shows of the 'arena' scale, we decided that we shouldn't just cling to 'wanting to do it' feeling when we cannot create the right environment, so very regrettably we gave up.

――On your OHP you posted "we must say that music is expression, and that it is not possible for the band to bring you the best performance while following the preventive measure guidelines announced by the government. This is the reason behind the decision of cancel the shows." What is this essential for DIR EN GREY expression according to you?

薫　Speaking in extremes, as long as you can get the sound out you can perform songs. Yet, our shows are not the type where we stir up the audience with MCs to get them moshing and crowdsurfing. There's lighting, videos, sounds and production, and the 'picture' of the band members standing there, all those pieces create our performance. Having fans paying [for tickets] and coming to see us, I don't think it can be called 'an expression' if we can't accomplish the performance we want to show.

――What's your opinion on the safety guidelines published by the authorities and employers' organization? There are requests to have a meter between audience members on both sides and back and front, to forbid the audience make any loud noise and so on. It was also once discussed to have the performer (artist) wear a face shield.

薫　It would be absolutely impossible if artists had to wear face shields or vocalists couldn't shout. It would be like denying the band-ness. It's hard to even imagine a band member playing live wearing a face shield (laughing). It might be possible to have the audience stay quiet, but for many people, the reason they come to the rock concerts is to relieve stress of daily life or to escape the reality. So we could ask if the concert where fans can't sing together nor shout can really be called a rock concert.

However I don't think that 'pre-corona' rock concerts will come back. Especially the standing venues where fans are all squeezed together and things get very heated, that might be difficult even after the pandemic is over. Once the fear of the coronavirus has taken root, the number of people not willing to enter that space will increase. When that happens the style when fans get all squeezed and rough and drenched having fun together - it won't be possible anymore. I think we have to prepare for that.

　

――If the way concerts are held after the pandemic changes, will DIR EN GREY's expression change as well?

薫　That will not change. In our case, we create the worldview with our performance and have the audience step in and get excited, this style is a bit different to a simply rough and energetic show. As creating the worldview that can be also used at the seated shows is our 'expression', there's no need to change that. So without changing the expression, it will be about changing how we prepare the venues, especially when playing in the 'live houses' (all standing venues). For example,

we have to find a way to hand a huge curtain between the stage and the audience, how to organize the audience into blocks to avoid big crowds or how to organize a show in the standing venue.

――After all rock is about the freedom that is born when one gets out of the 'norm' or 'accepted practices' of the society, and fans are also attracted to such attitude of the band. So when the govt says 'don't play shows' as a preventive measure against COVID-19, don't you feel frustrated as a musician?

薫　Instead of making the decision based on what the govt says, we do it thinking first about the fans who come to see us. When eveyone is wary of people around them, being worried about getting infected and not being able to focus on the performance, in the circumstances like that we also can't perform well and fans also can't enjoy it. So we decided there's no point in this situation.

After all the govt will not tell the rock bands to from now on 'start playing shows gradually', right? If possible what they truly would like to say is 'just stop performing', so the only thing we can do is to decide ourselves 'this is possible' at some point and restart shows. There are some bands performing while following the guidelines. They are criticized a lot by the society, but personally I support them. There's no other way but for the bands like that to gradually increase and move forward, even just one step at the time, while piling up the actual results.That's why I hope the bands that perform now can do their best and for DIR EN GREY as well to start performing as soon it's 'possible'. The situation when we can't perform, speaking in extremes, it's like our band ceased to exist. I think that [playing on] the stage is the place of 'expression', so if that is gone there's no point of making music. And that's why we do trials and errors wanting to restart playing concerts in a fully satisfactory way.

――Kaoru, from March you started a YouTube channel titled 'The Freedom of Expression', you discuss there current topics. If we start counting from the time you did the radio program, you're continuing this project for 5 years, what made you decide to start?

薫　By no means I know a lot about politics or economy, but as a musician ('band man'), as a performer, I can switch my own point of view and share the comments on what's society focused on right now. How is it reflected in the society, how the information is relayed, will karma be served? The start was me being interested in many things like that. But with things you don't know even if you try to pretend to know it won't work. We got a good balance with the radio DJ Joe Yokomizo and Tasai from Tokyo Sports who are on the show together with me. By having those two, I can say how I see things from where I stand and I can also learn listening to different opinions.

――Before there was a tendency for musicians to not talk about things other than music. Because fans were interested in the music and other topics were uncalled for. There was even a discussion once 'don't bring politics into music'. How do you feel about that?

薫　Isn't it fine to not get hung up on the idea what musicians should be like? I understand that fans want to see someone simply as an artist, but that artist is just another human being, they have their own opinions. Fans are free not to listen to their opinions or to only check their work. From the start rock is about freedom, so there's no reason to be that obsessed about this. Does the musician own what they say or not? I think only that is important.

And, in the end we are a rock band. Putting it bluntly, we cannot save the world. In the real emergency if there's someone who collapses music cannot save them directly. At such time musician is powerless. And that's why I really wish for the world where you can listen to music and enjoy it.

――In that sense we can say that pandemic is the real emergency. What is the meaning of rock music during COVID-19?

薫　That's really difficult.... For example, in the situation when you have to constantly brace yourself outside, when you get home and want to spend even just a few minutes with our music, that's one meaning of our existence. Another role might be the attitude of 'not giving up' in this situation. When the world has stopped, rock bands can also breathe new life in and lead people forward. It might be how the show is organized or how the song is relayed. In that sense, DIR EN GREY must keep moving forward. I don't want to give in to COVID-19.

[newcountryradio]

New country #1094(653) van 11 oktober    2021  (wk 41) tussen 19.00 -22.00 op Smelne fm

Album van de week *Asleep At The Wheel *Half a Hundred Years* Home Records/Thirty Tigers    

 1.       Charley Pride                       Is any Body Going To St Antone        *RCA

2.      Justin Moore                      You Look Like I Need A Drink            *valory    

3.      Tyler Childers -- Yes I Guess  They Oughta Name A Drink After You--* Hickman Holler

4.      Cody Jinks               I Don’t Trust My Memories Anymore           *late august rec.

5.      Scotty McCreery                   Damn Strait                            *triple tigers  

6.      Blake Shelton                        Come Back As A Country Boy           28 *warner bros  

7.      Jason Aldean/Carrie Underwood --If I Didn’t Love You *capitol nashville #3

8.      Lee Brice                             Memory I Don’t Mess With   *curb records #2

9.      Jameson Rodgers/Luke Combs –Cold Beer Calling My Name --*river house      #1

10.  Asleep At The Wheel          Half A Hundred Years  * Home Records/Thirty Tigers  

11.  Asleep At The Wheel          Take Me Back To Tulsa* Home Records/Thirty Tigers  

12.  Charley Crocket                          Wasted Days And wasted Nights  *Son of Davy records

13.  SUSTO                                 Life Is Suffering                            *New West  

14.  Trisha Yearwood                 Believe Me Baby (I lied)         * MCA

 15.   Jason Eady                          Back To Normal          * Old Guitar Records *favoriet    

16.  Garth Brooks                      Rodeo                         * Capitol Nashville      94/33  

17.  Garth Brooks                      The River                    * Capitol Nashville

18.  Rodney Crowell                  Hymn # 43                  * RC1 Records            ( sofi)

19.  The  Wild feathers                 Top Of The World                          *New West / PIAS        

20.  Lilly Hiatt                              Lately                                      *new west

21.  Jesse Malin                           Lost Forever                *Wicked Cool Records / Bertus

22.  Asleep At The Wheel--  (get your kicks on) Route 66--* Home Records/Thirty Tigers  

23.  Asleep At The Wheel--The letter That Johnny Walker Read* Home Records/Thirty    

24.  Carly Pearce                       Dear Miss Loretta                   *Atlantic  

25.  Billy Strings                         Know It All                                *Rounder

26.  Morgan Wallen                   Banded On A Bullet Hole         * big loud  34

27.  Aaron Lee Tasjan                  Traveling After Dark                 *bertus  

28.  Gene Watson                       Farewell Party                          *capitol

29.  Willie Nelson                       On The Road Again                *CBS *trucksong  

30.  Charly pride                        All I Have  To Offer You Is Me * imperial  

31.  Jeanny Seely ft Willie Nelson—Not A Dry Eye In The House    *juweeltje

32.  Robin Winthers                  Left The City For The Mountains      *self

33.  Reba Mc Entire                   Fancy                                             *MCA (3 in 1)

34.  Reba Mc Entire w/Dolly Parton     Does He Love You               *MCA (3 in 1)

35.  Reba Mc Entire      I’m A Survivor                                              *MCA (3 in 1)

36.  Cody Jinks               I Don’t Trust My Memories Anymore     *late august rec.

37.  Asleep At The Wheel          Spanish Two Step    * Home Records/Thirty Tigers

38.  Asleep At The Wheel  /Emmylou/Willie--The Road will Hold Me Tonight  *“  “”  39.  Pokey LaFarge                             Goodnight Goodbye (hope not forever) *new west/pias

40.  Amber Kamminga              3Am                             dutch corner

41.  Anna Mc Rose                     Something To Believe In                    *self dutch  

42.  Ilse deLange/Calum Scott   You Are The Reason               *universal        

43.   Willie Nelson                                Write Your Own Songs                  *  Legacy  

44.  Tim McGraw                       Please Remember Me                        *curb  1999

45.  Martina McBride                I Love You                               * RCA

Adres  Bauke van der vliet Samensteller/ presentator New Country Barten 30 8447 BS Heerenveen  (newcountryradio@gmail.com)

[wlw-lovestruck-fiction]

Hello ❤ could you write Piama and MC spending a night in winter's temple baths and teasing each other? Thank you very much!

“Have I ever told you you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen?”

Your words prompted a brilliant blush, and she averted her eyes while Piama stepped out of her dress, shivering against the cool air of the changing room.

“Do wilderpeople not know it's rude to lie?”

She whispered back, still blushing, running her eyes over your near-naked body... you could swear the redness on her face deepened with every layer you shed.

“Do princesses not know queens don't lie when it comes to their loved ones?”

She doesn't reply this time, looking away entirely, hiding her face behind the curtain of her undone hair... she looked so adorable doing that that you went to her and pressed a soft kiss onto her shoulder, grinning when she stroked her hair back just to glare at you.

“You're impossible. Utterly impossible.”

With another grin, you leaned in and kissed her lips, gently, and just for a moment before Piama pulled away with a huff, walking into the baths.

She'd been shy about this at first. Getting naked inside the winter temple, where theoretically, people could walk in at any time and see every part of her body she felt was unlovable... but you'd seen the spark in her eyes when you'd told her about the massive pools, the scents... knowing she only had known a private, small bathtub, not daring to venture out there. Not since the magic left it's traces on her skin.

You'd suggested to go during the deepest hour of the night, when the city slept.

And now, you were following Piama into the baths, taking in her smile as she looked at the beauty of the temple, an awed expression on her face, her eyes twinkling with happiness when she looked back at you, excited-

“This is gorge-”

Before she remembered she was supposed to be 'mad' at you and locked her expression in indifference.

“I suppose it could be considered beautiful.”

You smirked and arched an eyebrow, chuckling and crossing the distance between the two of you.

“You suppose?”

“I do.”

“I agree with you though. It's beautiful... but it pales next to you.”

“MC!”

She looked back down, and you grinned, wrapping your arms around her, feeling her warm skin on yours.

“If you really think me that impossible, might I earn your forgiveness?”

“And how?”

You heard her ask, heard the slight, teasing smirk in her undertone, heard her affection and how the indifference was merely an act she kept up to tease you while she relaxed into your embrace.

“I thought I might wash your hair and just let you relax.”

“That would mean we have to move though.”

“True.”

Both of you didn't want to, not with her in your arms like this, in the warm, steamy air.

“I bet the baths are really comfortable and hot.”

“Like you, then?”

Her voice was almost inaudible when she said that, making you pull back a little.

“Pia- Piama of the Spring, did you just flirt with me?”

She pulled back from your embrace and slid into the water with a soft sigh, smirk back on her face.

“Perhaps. Why don't you come here and find out?”

You did, joining her in the water, sighing at the soothing warmth against your muscles, walking up to her and pulling her body against yours again, relishing in the blush yet again forming on her face.

“I'm here.”

“So I've noticed.”

“Want me to wash your hair now?”

Piama hummed and then turned around in your arms while you both took a seat on the benches, allowing you to gently massage soap into the strands of her hair, into her scalp, feeling her shiver a little when you hit some sensitive spots on her neck.

“You're... as I've said, you're entirely too nice for your own good.”

“I would say it's definitely my own good when I get to have you in my arms like this.”

She said nothing after that, but you could swear you hear a muttered “Impossible.”, making you chuckle and kiss her wet shoulder before you gently rinse her hair off, taking care to keep the water away from her face.

“Will you believe me now that you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen?”

Piama turned around in your arms again, wrapping hers around your shoulders and tangling them into your hair, slipping entirely on your lap, her soft thighs on top of yours, the warmth of her lips not even an inch away from yours.

“Perhaps, if you kiss me.”

Those were the last words any of you said for a while.

[stephschoices]

No bcs the way ur ask inbox is becoming horny anon central is hilarious. But also your art is amazing so that's probably another reason why. 🎨🫣

Then there's us other anons in the corner who are simping for ur pia mcs as well. Can I just say Beatrix, Indigo and Este could step on me and I would say thank you and sorry they're stunning omg. /lh 😭🫣😂

Honestly I’m enjoying it 😏😂

Thank you!! 🥺 I’m glad my art is making some ppl feel some type of way lmao 😂

And I appreciate u anons who love my mcs so much u have no idea 🥺🫶🏻 thank you!!! (Indigo and este: 😥 / Beatrix: 😈)

[hotarutranslations]

Fukuoka!

Evening Its Ishida Ayumi

Scheduled to air on May 8th at 9:50PM NHK's "Arita-P Omotoenasu"

Ishida Ayumi Haga Akane Morito Chisaki

the 3 of us, somehow, will be appearing for a short bit

Details are here

Please check it out

Today was a performance in Fukuoka!!

It was fun!!

I'm sorry about the focus towards the girls in the back

Everyoneee is cute!!

Also the stage was, Crackling with coolness!!

When it was over everyone was cute again!! lol

When I was talking during the MC today,

Finding the charm of everyone back stage,

on stage everyone is suddenly, really cool after all,

These people come alive on stage

this coolness, I'm fascinated by them even while standing on the same stage

talking about that,

during the performance, it'd be nice if everyones conveyed their charm a lot......

I'm also standing on the side of the stage, and on the side of, I hope that you'll notice my own charm!

is it like...a birds eye view?

Thats how my feelings were for a bit of the performance today

And, while thinking, everyone is cool~ feelings sprouted of having to do even better myself,

I'll really do my best

Thank you everyone

With this, after the performance the manager, talks about the Wind performance, at that time, ah, it feels like you're enhancing each other...! it felt like that meaning of the word~~~

therefore, thank you everyone

there was lots of applause at the Fukuoka performance, also thank you for send out the power of your support~~~

The remaining Team Wind perforamnce are 7 Performances

its scheduled, the canncellations...I really dislike that......

There was a planned Nakano performance on May 5th but, First off its really frustrating that it got cancelled

thankfull the tickets sold out quickly, its just that there were a lot of people, and you were looking forward to it, its really frustrating that we couldn't meet your expecatations

For the performances now on,

please don't have those announcements

While taking countermeasures against infection, I hope we will be able to finish safely at the end

......thank you as always for your cooperation

Hello! Project 2021 Spring "Kacho Fuugetsu"

Tickets that are currently on sale

e+

5/15 (Sat) Orix Theater 11th 6:00PM〆cutoff 5/16 (Sun) Nara Centinniel Hall Large Hall 11th 6:00PM〆cutoff 5/22 (Sat) Matsuyama Civic Center Large Hall 19th 6:00PM〆cutoff 5/23 (Sun) Kochi Prefectural Cultural Hall (Orange Hall) 19th 6:00PM〆cutoff Lawson Tickets

5/15 (Sat) Orix Theater 9th 10:00PM〆cutoff 5/16 (Sun) Nara Centinniel Hall Large Hall 9th 10:00PM〆cutoff 5/22 (Sat) Matsuyama Civic Center Large Hall 19th 10:00PM〆cutoff 5/23 (Sun) Kochi Prefectural Cultural Hall (Orange Hall) 19th 10:00PM〆cutoff Ticket Pia

5/15 (Sat) Orix Theater 5/16 (Sun) Nara Centinniel Hall Large Hall 12th 11:59PM〆cutoff 5/22 (Sat) Matsuyama Civic Center Large Hall 5/23 (Sun) Kochi Prefectural Cultural Hall (Orange Hall) 19th 11:59PM〆cutoff M-line Special 2021 ~Make a Wish!~ →I'll be appearing as a guest at Sendai GIGS on June 27th (Sun)

Morning Musume Jogakuin ~Houkago Meeting~ I'll be in attendance in the 2nd and 3rd week of May It'll be Ishida Ayumi, Kaga Kaede, and Okamura Homare <3 <3 <3

It airs every Saturday on Radio Nihon-san!

Something I received today was,

pudding that was sprinkled with salt!!

Honestly recently, Eh~ its delicious if you don't sprinkle it on~

although I thought that!!

its really delicious when salted, I laughed!!! lol

As a souvenier, they sold salted tomato Daifuku but,

Eh? is salt famous in Fukuoka...?

I dont knoow if thats the case~~~

Salted tomato Daifuku, I was worried I woudn't get any but

Does everyone know~~~

From there, Ikuta Erina-san also got it

Thank you very much

there are several flavors...

Worrying...

worrying about it...

With Rikako and Miyo-chan, we split it up, we enjoyed 3 kinds yay

the photos will be posted on Instagram~~~

Today?

Ehh, I ate too much

To sleep!

see you ayumin <3

https://ameblo.jp/morningmusume-10ki/entry-12672142462.html