#[ten degrees of separation] aiko

[poorly-drawn-akira]

Nana, petting Hideous Zippleback: stinky

Aiko: no!! don’t be mean!!!

Nana, swaying heads back and forth: stinky bastard man

Aiko: No!!!!!!!!

Haru, not looking up from chopping veggies: naughty boys. brat dragon.

Aiko, distraught: NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[1962dude420-blog]

Today we remember the passing of Ray Manzarek who Died: May 20, 2013 in Rosenheim, Germany

Raymond Daniel Manzarek Jr. was an American musician, singer, producer, film director, and author, best known as a member of The Doors from 1965 to 1973, which he co-founded with singer and lyricist Jim Morrison.

Manzarek was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 as a member of the Doors. He was a co-founding member of Nite City from 1977 to 1978, and of Manzarek–Krieger from 2001 until his death in 2013. USA Today defined him as "one of the best keyboardists ever".

Raymond Daniel Manczarek Jr. was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. He was born to Helena (1918–2012) and Raymond Manczarek Sr. (1914–1987), and was of Polish descent.

In 1956, he matriculated at DePaul University, where he played piano in his fraternity's jazz band (the Beta Pi Mu Combo), participated in intramural football, served as treasurer of the Speech Club, and organized a charity concert with Sonny Rollins and Dave Brubeck. He graduated from the University's College of Commerce with a degree in economics in 1960.

In the fall of 1961, Manzarek briefly enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. Unable to acclimatize to the curriculum, he transferred to the Department of Motion Pictures, Television and Radio as a graduate student before dropping out altogether after breaking up with a girlfriend. Although he attempted to enlist in the Army Signal Corps as a camera operator, he was instead assigned to the highly selective Army Security Agency as a prospective intelligence analyst.

Following his return to the U.S., he re-enrolled in UCLA's graduate film program in 1962, where he received a M.F.A. in cinematography in 1965. During this period, he met future wife Dorothy Fujikawa and undergraduate film student Jim Morrison. At the time, Manzarek was in a band called Rick & the Ravens with his brothers Rick and Jim. Forty days after finishing film school, thinking they had gone their separate ways, Manzarek and Morrison met by chance on Venice Beach in California. Morrison said he had written some songs, and Manzarek expressed an interest in hearing them, whereupon Morrison sang rough versions of "Moonlight Drive", "My Eyes Have Seen You" and "Summer's Almost Gone". During this period, Manzarek met teenage guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore at a Transcendental Meditation lecture and recruited them for the incipient band. Densmore said, "There wouldn't be any Doors without Maharishi."

In January 1966, the Doors became the house band at the London Fog on the Sunset Strip. According to Manzarek, "Nobody ever came in the place ... an occasional sailor or two on leave, a few drunks. All in all it was a very depressing experience, but it gave us time to really get the music together." When the Doors were fired from the London Fog, they were hired to be the house band at the Whisky a Go Go. The Doors' first recording contract was with Columbia Records. After a few months of inactivity, they learned they were on Columbia's drop list. At that point, they asked to be released from their contract. Following a few months of live gigs, Jac Holzman "rediscovered" the Doors and signed them to Elektra Records.

The Doors lacked a bass guitarist (except during recording sessions), so for live performances Manzarek played the bass parts on a Fender Rhodes piano keyboard bass. His signature sound was that of the Vox Continental combo organ, an instrument used by many other psychedelic rock bands of the era. He also used a Gibson G-101 Kalamazoo combo organ (which looks like a Farfisa) for the band's later albums.

During the Morrison era, Manzarek was the group's regular backing vocalist. He occasionally sang lead, as exemplified by covers of Muddy Waters's "Close to You" (released on 1970s Absolutely Live) and "You Need Meat (Don't Go No Further)" (recorded during the L.A. Woman sessions and initially released as the B-side of "Love Her Madly"). He went on to share lead vocals with Krieger on the albums (Other Voices and Full Circle) released after Morrison's death.

Manzarek married fellow UCLA alumna Dorothy Aiko Fujikawa in Los Angeles on December 21, 1967, with Jim Morrison and his longtime companion, Pamela Courson, as witnesses. Manzarek and Fujikawa remained married until his death. They had a son, Pablo born on August 31, 1973, and three grandchildren. In the early 1970s, the Manzareks divided their time between an apartment in West Hollywood, California, and a small penthouse on New York City's Upper West Side. They subsequently resided in Beverly Hills, California (including ten years in a house on Rodeo Drive) for several decades. For the last decade of his life, Manzarek and his wife lived in a refurbished farmhouse near Vichy Springs, California in the Napa Valley.

In March 2013, Manzarek was diagnosed with a rare cancer called cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) and traveled to Germany for special treatment. During that time he reconciled with Densmore, and he spoke to Krieger before his death. He also performed a private concert for his doctors and nurses. Manzarek was "feeling better" until it took a turn for the worse according to his manager. On May 20, 2013, Manzarek died at a hospital in Rosenheim, Germany, at the age of 74. His body was cremated. Krieger said upon hearing the news of his death, "I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of my friend and bandmate Ray Manzarek today. I'm just glad to have been able to have played Doors songs with him for the last decade. Ray was a huge part of my life and I will always miss him." Densmore said, "There was no keyboard player on the planet more appropriate to support Jim Morrison's words. Ray, I felt totally in sync with you musically. It was like we were of one mind, holding down the foundation for Robby and Jim to float on top of. I will miss my musical brother."

Greg Harris, president and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, said in reaction to Manzarek's death that "The world of rock 'n' roll lost one of its greats with the passing of Ray Manzarek." Harris also said that "he was instrumental in shaping one of the most influential, controversial and revolutionary groups of the '60s. Such memorable tracks as 'Light My Fire', 'People Are Strange' and 'Hello, I Love You' – to name but a few – owe much to Manzarek's innovative playing."

On February 12, 2016, at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood, Densmore and Krieger reunited for the first time in 15 years to perform in tribute to Manzarek and benefit Stand Up to Cancer. That day would have been Manzarek's 77th birthday. The night featured Exene Cervenka and John Doe of the band X, Rami Jaffee of the Foo Fighters, Stone Temple Pilots' Robert DeLeo, Jane's Addiction's Stephen Perkins, Emily Armstrong of Dead Sara and Andrew Watt, among others.

In April 2018, the film Break On Thru: A Celebration of Ray Manzarek and the Doors premiered at the 2018 Asbury Park Music & Film Festival. The film highlights the 2016 concert in honor of what would have been Manzarek's 77th birthday, and new footage and interviews. The film won the APMFF Best Film Feature Award at the festival.

[anywaffle]

Haaaa look at that crap picture quality! One day I'll have a scanner. Anyhow, here's my second my hero baby, Rinko's big sister Aiko! She's also got a long ass profile, will put under a cut once I'm no longer on mobile, in the meantime, appologies! Aiko Dylan Age: 27 DoB: 7/22 Height: 5'5 Weight: 147lbs Blood type: B+ Orientation: Pansexual Occupation: Street performer, pro hero, Defense and Dance instructor at U.A. High School Quirk: Cosmic Form – She veils herself in the sparkling stars and inky blackness of the night sky. While in this form her powers include the formation of small stars whose destruction can generate black holes and the ability to manipulate gravity through the use of dark matter. She can also, to a degree, control some of what this form looks like which is useful for blending with the night sky. While her quirk is flashy in the daylight she is primarily a stealth hero who focuses on incapacitating her foes through the use of dark matter gravity manipulation rather than the more destructive supernova tactics. Of the two, dark matter is easier on her body but requires more focus, especially if she is using it for multiple things ie: keeping herself hovering in the air and pinning an opponent. The longer she holds more than one the weaker it becomes. Supernova tires her out faster physically, especially since the resulting black holes sap her own energy to be sustained, but can be used without much conscious thought. She can maintain full cosmic form (entire body) for 30 minutes at a time with a five minute recharge or use partial cosmic form (arm and legs transformed to facilitate flight) for up to an hour with a ten minute recharge. Hero Name: The Starlight Hero Cosmos (thinking of changing it to Cosmic, thoughts?) About her costume: Remnant of a ballet outfit her hero costume is made up of a deep blue leotard, the left side and part of the center overtaken by a single large star. The base of the costume is made of a flexible, sturdy material, the star reflective fabric that can make her a bright point in the night sky. Its shine can be overtaken by cosmic form to maximize stealth. Minimalist coverings, it basically shields anything that wouldn’t be covered by her partial cosmic form and maximizes mobility. The shoes she wears are ballet slippers made heat and wear resistant. The soft soles make for nearly silent movement.    Some more info! -Bilingual! Japanese and English -she’s half black (her father’s side) half Japanese (her mother’s side) -she has a little sister named Rinko -Born in Japan but attended college and did her sidekick work in America. -She was already living in the states when her family moved there semi-permanently -Did sidekick work for two years before making her own way, though she had a small following before that. -She debuted as an American hero at 20, which is where most of her fan base was before her sabbatical -Also graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance at 24, one year into her break from heroics. She took the additional courses necessary to become a dance teacher and did mixed style lessons at after school programs, gyms, and by personal appointment. Has also done dance professionally in large scale performances of several styles. Likes -Dance, obviously -Performing -Puzzles -Mystery novels -Naps -Bad puns -Rock climbing Dislikes -Monotony -Rain -Free time -Being alone -Shoes -Not knowing where Rinko is Personality -A dork -Everyone’s big sister -Welcoming and kind -Supportive -Teasing -Light hearted -Stubborn -Assertive -Bad at discussing her own negative emotions seriously i.e: trivializing them or telling self-depreciating jokes (posts a lot of depression memes) -Self critical -Workaholic/busy body Health -Prone to prolonged bouts of  anxiety and depression both of which are linked to her guilt over the kidnaping of her family and subsequent death of her mother and incapacitation of her father. -She also has separation anxiety in regards to Rinko and, to a lesser degree, her friend and partner August. -All these are managed to a decent degree with therapy and her own coping skills, medication has proven so far to be either unsuccessful or too inconvenient however. - Physically she is for the most part healthy, though when the seasons change from summer to fall the change in temperature and climate sometimes causes her sinus problems. -She also occasionally has to wear knee braces as all the years of intensive dance and some poor practices when she was younger have left her with her share of aches and pains. Style -In a word, casual. She loves crop tops, shorts, sweats, leggings. If she can avoid wearing shoes she will, otherwise tennis shoes or hightops work. Anything she can dance in comfortably she loves. Also a fan of big sweaters when it’s cold and no clothes at all when it’s hot. The kind of person you have to remind to put on a shirt when there’s company over or she’s going to get the mail. Likes soft colors and fabrics, pastels, cute prints. When it comes to formal she goes for elegant cuts but with lots of sparkle, sequins are life and she’ll fight you about that. Can run in six inch heels, will murder you if you try to test that.

[poorly-drawn-akira]

Obviously we’re dealing with an impostor.

"No... No I don't think it's that..."

[poorly-drawn-akira]

Oh... that's nice

"honhonhon, big sus, j'accuse. Something's up. Monkeyshines. My brother has no friends. J'accuse."

[poorly-drawn-akira]

"Jiro and Hijiri are hanging out now.

....

For why? Very sus."

[poorly-drawn-akira]

"Well, we lost our Ichigo. Nana told me that she wasn't allowed to go to the con as punishment for the whole going missing for a month," Aiko relayed.

The rest of the group groaned.

"We can't go without an Ichigo, it would look weird. Aiko or Koyuki should be Ichigo," Ren said, "they have shorter hair than Nana anyways."

"No way, Nana's dress won't fit any of us," Koyuki pointed out, "She," the athletic girl used her hands to emphasize her breasts, "modifies her bodice and all that because she has to."

"Yeaaaaah," Aiko nodded, "I've seen old pictures of my Auntie, and she didn't really have boobs until she was in her mid 20's, so..."

"Well, where are we going to find someone with less than triple A," Ren's brow furrowed, "can't we just fix her top?"

"Adding fabric back is hard, from what I understand," Kanako hummed thoughtfully, "I don't see what would be wrong with going as an incomplete set."

"It would look weird," Ren repeated, "What happened anyway? Why did your cousin, who barely goes anywhere, go missing for a full month?"

"She was helping out some guy she likes, oh, Kanako! You know, the guy from the arcade!"

"Otoishi-san's brother?"

Aiko nodded, "Yeah! Haru-!"

Ren held a finger up to Aiko, "Otoishi-san's brother?"

Aiko nodded again.

Ren smirked.

Koyuki shook her head, "No. Absolutely not."

"Whaaaaat? Let me ask at least!"

"... Fine, but don't like, bully him."

[poorly-drawn-akira]

The squad on their way to commit a state sanctioned crime

[poorly-drawn-akira]

Aiko: Hey. Aniki’s gone. Jiro: And? Aiko: I. I pick the dish washing music. Jiro: ... No. Aiko:

OHHHHHHHWAH-A-A-AH-

[poorly-drawn-akira]

“I am un-hip. I am out of touch. Jiro’s friend is sleeping over and the two of them and Aiko have just been. Watching two English speaking guys microwave stuff for hours? What is the appeal? I don’t get the appeal.”

[poorly-drawn-akira]

maybe he's just making friends, Aiko, don't chase the poor guy off

"He doesn't want to make friends though. He's always all mopey about it."

[poorly-drawn-akira]

[poorly-drawn-akira]

Kanako: Describe your perfect date. Aiko: Oh... That's a tough one... I'd have to say April 25th, because it's not too hot, not too cold, all you need is a light jacket.

[poorly-drawn-akira]

Me: >Notices Nana and Aiko look a little similar. Me: Oh yeah I can do something with this

[poorly-drawn-akira]

Sketches from work to tide you over

[poorly-drawn-akira]

Eijiro was finally getting used to his baby brother, still very tired from losing out on sleep, but used to it. Mitsu had lent them some baby stuff, bottles, clothes (albeit very obviously girl's clothes), and, most importantly, a stroller. He'd decided taken Akira to the park after he'd bought some more baby stuff, food among... other things. He wasn't sure how long this was going to last, it was already lasting way too long for his tastes, but he was okay enough. Not worrying about Akira getting up to things was good, anyways. But the trade off was getting spat up on and waking up every few hours to crying. Akira was gnawing on the ear of a sizable, ratty, plush rabbit Eijiro had fished out of his brother's room, happy as clam. Akira threw the toy, for the third time, with an excited squeal, but before Eijiro could get up and retrieve it, a pale, slender hand grabbed it. Ren turned the toy over in her hands, as Eijiro shrank back. Aiko squeed as she ran up, "Omigod! Look at him~!" She crouched down to be on eye level with him, she tickled him with a finger, making him giggle and kick his feet, "Oh~ look at that red hair! So cyoot!" Ren handed the rabbit to Eijiro, "Who did you knock up? You seemed like such a prude." "nuh-nobody, huh-he's the kid of one of nuh-nii's friends. i-i'm watching huh-him while they hang out tuh-today." Ren nodded, clearly not buying it, there was something more to this kid, but whatever. "thuh-thank you for picking up his ruh-rabbit though." Aiko reached for the toy, “Oooo let me give it back to him!” “suh-sure,” Eijiro tossed it to the girl, “huh-her name is luh-luna.” “Cute~! How about it wil guy, do you want your Wuna?” With another giggle, Akira's small hands reached for the rabbit. Ren shook her head, this must have been his brother’s kid or something, Eijiro would never. Well, she didn’t know that, but he certainly wouldn’t lie about it, he was obnoxiously honest.