#citta only though

[kyotakumrau]

2023.11.06 DIR EN GREY at CLUB CITTA

The beginning of the ending as Kaoru said.

The doors opened at 18:00, the start of the show was scheduled for 19:00.

The final sound check started 18:58 so it was certain the show won't start on time xD they were 14 mins late xD

The animated intro A book titled Phalaris opens and for a brief moment we see the text on the first page. Phalaris was always renowned as extremely cruel. (googling the sentence took me to Wikipedia, they actually simply copied the Wikipedia entry about Phalaris xD) In the intro Phalaris is portrayed as a parasite, changing it's forms one by one, from a larvae to an insect to a monster to a dragon to a brass bull, changing its hosts into something evil until they infect the next victims. The parasite growing inside their bodies into something grotesque and transforming them. A set of dice next to the book. Priests and prayers mixed with torture and dying girls, women. Is Phalaris a sickness of cruelty and hatred causing people lose their humanity? The members walked on the stage as the intro footage was shown on the front screen. They played Otogi as the images continued on the screen. The screen went down as Otogi ended.

Die had his fabulous hair and a black jacket with red stains. Shinya wore white shirt with silver decorations. Toshiya had a sparkly jacket with one sleeve only, shorts and long leather boots. Kaoru's hair was silver? grey? He had some kind od painting on his face but from my place I couldn't see properly what was it, like lines over his cheeks and forehead? (apparently he cosplayed Father Pucchi from Jojo😆) Kyo came wearing a black Adidas tracksuit, he removed the jacket a bit later on, staying in a white cotton tank top. He's growing a mustache or a goatee I think? His hair was parted and sleeked back a bit, not so much hair product to make it flat.

The set list was so interesting. The energy went up with the few following songs, then Oboro shifted the mood and finished with the Inward Scream. The sound/musical part of the inward scream was new. Kyo ended it with '壊れて・broken' cried softly. And after a brief pause they continued the set with The World of Mercy. The first line of 誰が知る？本当の私 本当の心 Kyo changed 'kokoro' to '意思・ishi' (intentions).

During Rinkaku's 'Minerva' we got to shout for him as he turned with his arms stretched to the sides.

The following flow with 13, keigaku, different sense and Eddie was so good! Kyo moved around his box to get fans to let go even more and give him more😁

The main set ended with Kyo leaving quickly. Fans were clapping and shouting encore. Btw we had to wear masks for this show but singing and shouting was allowed (so hot with a mask on😂)

Encore started with Increase Blue, very nice as Kyo got us singing and dancing. But when I heard the first notes of NATIONAL MEDIA BOYS I almost cried. I hoped they will do something as a tribute and they did😢❤️ Interestingly a lot of people didn't recognize the song and thought it was a new dir's song😂

TDFF and Rubbish Heap were pure 🔥 Toshiya climbed to the back of the stage so he stood at the bottom of the back screen, showing off his looooong leather boots and shorts.

Finishing with Kamui changed the mood drastically though. The footage matching the style of the intro started on the back screen. Some images of the war they used before but the main theme was different. A girl standing inside the sinking boat, the sea being so angry. Small group of people walking through a desert. A praying jew. A bible. A cross. A closeup of the chest of Christ, a trail of blood and next to it a trail of tears. So much death.

The footage ended with the tour title on the black background.

Kyo left very quickly after the song ended (usual for him, especially at the start of the tour). But Shinya did as well? Did I miss him throwing stuff or he really didn't? Die and Toshiya walked around the stage throwing picks, all smiley. Kaoru stayed the longest having fun spraying fans with water, then throwing those bottles into the crowd. I bet he was in the celebrating mood with Hanshin Tigers winning Japan Series. Before Kaoru left he pointed at the screen in the back to show there will be some announcements, waved and left :)

First we got 19990120 and then the special January tour info. We tried briefly for the second encore but the staff insistingly kept announcing that the performance is over so we clapped one last time and it was over.

[circusgoth-dotcom]

Artists In The Sun

Ship: Hannibal Lecter x John Citta

Word Count: 874

Summary: Hannibal discovers that John also enjoys drawing and employs a cheeky tactic to improve his skills. CWs for romantic patient/doctor relationship, non-sexual nudity, brief food mentions, suggestive ending if you squint.

Tag List: @canongf @futurewife

John and Hannibal had been living together for a few months, though they had been seeing each other for longer than that- two years at John’s last count. They had met when Hannibal had been recommended as a psychiatrist for John, despite Dr. Lecter being a forensics psychiatrist and not your day-to-day therapist or psychologist, which is likely what John truly needed… still, Hannibal agreed to see him. Agreed to listen to him. And despite both knowing better, they fell in love. Luckily for John, Hannibal was very good at keeping secrets. Hannibal kept his job, relationship, and patient, all in one carefully planned swoop, while John worked at a record shop, content to turn a blind eye.

John was setting the dining table when Hannibal returned home from work, wasting no time in coming to his side and taking him in his arms, a soft and warm kiss passed between the two men.

“How was work?” John asked as Hannibal stroked the back of his hair, his maroon eyes full of adoration. He clucked his tongue.

“You know that’s nothing to discuss before dinner. But if you must know, no mishaps.”

John smiled. “That’s good.”

“How was your day?” Hannibal turned slightly and found his gaze captured by a set of papers on the tablecloth.

“I’d say the same as you. The usual.”

Hannibal picked up the papers, observing the graphite sketches tentatively. “Did you draw these, paukščiukas?”

“Hm? Oh, yeah,” John nodded, “when I had some downtime at work.”

A smile teased Hannibal’s features. “They’re me, I presume.”

John blushed and nodded again. Hannibal squeezed him and kissed his temple. “I’ve never seen any of your drawings. You’re very good.”

John waved his hand dismissively. “They’re just sketches… I’m more comfortable with digital art.” He wrinkled his nose as he looked at the drawings once more. “I hardly did you justice.”

“You’re too hard on yourself,” Hannibal touched his chin gently. “But if you insist on being humble, perhaps you would appreciate some pointers?”

John’s blush deepened. “Oh, Hanni, you already do so much for me. Don’t add arts tutoring to the list!”

Hannibal bent and kissed his hand gracefully. “It would be my highest pleasure, my darling. We’ll do a still life in the sunroom this weekend, if you would attend.”

“How could I refuse?” His stomach then growled and he covered his mouth behind his fingers, giggling in slight embarrassment.

“Ah, but first we must attend to our empty tenders.”

On Sunday, Hannibal arranged a canvas and easel in his sunroom, as well as the scene he wanted John to study. What he hadn’t told his boyfriend was that he planned for them to draw him, nude. It was both cheeky and well-meaning of him, to say the least.

“Come in, mein Schatz.”

John entered, wearing a loose-fitting, short-sleeved buttondown and houndstooth-patterned trousers. He approached the easel and gave Hannibal’s appearance an inquiring eyebrow raise. It wasn’t often that the doctor wore only his silken robe around the house. “Taking a casual day, Hanni?”

He smirked knowingly and began to loosen the robe’s simple belt. “I’ve deduced that the best first lesson I could give you was…” He elegantly removed the robe, revealing his soft but muscular body and a smattering of dark brunette body hair, streaked with somewhat premature grey. “Figure drawing.”

John briefly gasped, flushing instantly despite his intimate familiarity with Hannibal’s body. He could not draw his grey eyes away as Hannibal went to poise himself on the loveseat, picking up a book from the coffee table to quietly peruse as John worked. When no pencil was placed against the canvas, Hannibal gently cleared his throat. “Is there something wrong, John?”

John shook his head furiously, his blush creeping into his ears and neck. “Oh! Uhm, no, no, I was just a bit surprised, is all. Yes. Figure drawing. I could use a brush up on my anatomy.” He swallowed and returned his attention to the canvas. Amusement sparkled in Hannibal’s eyes. As he got over the initial shock, John’s lines began to flow smoothly. Hannibal had even lent him his good charcoal pencils. The minutes ticked by. At the hour mark, John excused himself and returned with glasses of water and a tin of cookies for them both. Another hour passed before John let his partner see the product, a shaded, loving depiction of such a dangerous man.

“I already see improvement from those initial sketches. Well done, darling.”

“You think so?” John’s eyes glittered expectantly. Hannibal chuckled, kissing his cheek.

“You are such a precious thing, John. Let’s put it in my office.” Hannibal put on his robe and the two of them moved the canvas to his home office. John spied his initial sketches on Hannibal’s desk.

“You’re keeping them?”

“Of course I am. Everything your hand touches is holy to me.”

John could have swooned. He held Hannibal’s face in his hands. “You are too much.”

“But its what you deserve. Would you like to see my recent drawings?”

“Of course.”

Hannibal led him to the desk, opening a top drawer. John had scarcely to look at them before passionately entwining with his lover. He already knew what was there on the pages.

[dustedmagazine]

Lupo Cittá — S-T (12XU)

“White Bracelet” shocks itself to life with a screech of feedback, a jolt of electricity that kicks off a barrage of electric strumming, a rumble of chaotic drums, a careening, coursing flood of vocal melody that is both world-weary and extremely energized. It’s the second song on Lupo Cittá’s first album, an emphatic rocker after the narcotic echo and sway of “Onde.” This is the one that sounds most like Chris Brokaw, which is always a good thing. Though to be fair, there are other songs that don’t especially, that perhaps bear the mark of the two other members, Sarah Black and Jen Gori, and they are awfully good, too.

Chris Brokaw, as you might know, has been in roughly a million bands, genre defining ones like Come and Codeine and lesser known outfits like Martha’s Vineyard Ferries and Charnel House, but all of them rough-edged and heart-felt and excellent. Lupo Cittá is the latest Brokaw-affiliated musical ensemble, formed in pandemic’s ebb tide around 2021,with two other indie music lifers. Sarah Black was a fixture in a vibrant Minneapolis scene, playing in Kickball, Period, Plain Jane, the Bleeding Hickeys, the Lie-Ons, the Pointing Geenas and Brandy Thunders and doing performance and visual art. Jenn Gori intersected with Black in several of those bands, playing drums in the Bleeding Hickeys, the Lie-ons, Pointing Geenas and Brandy Thunders.

Once the three members met, they discovered that they had just missed connecting in various episodes of their lives. They were in New York and Seattle during the same periods, and they all moved back to Boston in rough synchronicity though they didn’t really become aware of each other until meeting at a summer 2021 house show. Soon after the two women asked Brokaw to play guitar on a song for them, which grew into more songs and finally Lupo Cittá, an echo-drenched, psychedelic garage trio enamored of 1970s horror and spaghetti western soundtracks.

“Gallup to El Paso,” for instance, has a slouchy western swagger, a molten shudder of bass running through its cavernous, surf-inflected sound. A nocturnal penumbra hangs over this and other songs, clouds of reverb shadowing its slanting cowboy vibe. There’s something lurid about the way the melody breaks through the gloom, a flash of neon in a rainy midnight. “Only in Love” does the same trick with a 1960s girl group melody, wrapping it in so much darkness and uncertainty that it becomes something else altogether. These songs loom up like highways signs as you fly by, flaring out of the impenetrable black then disappearing. Jenn Gori sings in a haunting, dream-shrouded way, slipping in and out of a mess of undertones, even on the all-out rockers, so that the songs have both murderous energy and mystery. “Shawano Pickup,” for instance, blusters and rollicks, an unstoppable rockabilly rave in its bones, but its head, somehow, in the clouds.

This is not exactly a slow-burner —if you like this sort of thing, you’ll like it from the very start. But it does pick up depth and resonance from repeat listens, as this straight on rock record reveals the enigma at its unruly core.

Jennifer Kelly

[positivelybeastly]

"Hank. I need to talk t'you." Tess arrives with a soft rustle of flannel, dog tags clanking at her neck where she tugs on them. (Look, she's gotta do something with her hands, okay?) She turns one of his spinning lab chairs around and straddles it, folding her arms over the back. "And I need you to understand that I'm only telling you this because I know it will stay between us."

She emphasizes that last part, the muscles of her jaw working from side to side as she searches for the right words. Something subtle, like--

"I think I want Morph. Sexually."

The sounds of the Barber of Seville greet Tess with the full force of Hank McCoy's baritone, the mutant happily hanging upside down - as is his wont - while he continues to tinker with Lucas' time band.

"Largo al factotum della citta! Presto a bottega che l'alba e gia! Ah, che bel vivere, che bel piacere per un barbiere di qualita!"

"Ah, bravo Figaro! Bravo, bravissimo! Fortunatissimo per - oh, hello, Tess!"

He blinks at her seriousness, his head quirked. What could possibly be the matter? Is it Logan? Has he done something to upset everyone again? Perhaps Remy, throwing more beignets around as though they were playing cards, and kinetically charged in much the same manner? Or perhaps . . ?

"Of course! You know I would never dream of violating your confidence. What you have to say will stay between us, and us alone."

Then it comes. He blinks again.

He drops.

That . . . was not what he had been expecting her to say.

. . . Quick, say something.

"Well, ah. Thank you for telling me."

I think?

He clears his throat.

"And . . . is Morph aware of these feelings? Or am I, as yet, the only one whom you've told?"

Internally, Hank is screaming. Please don't let this turn into a love triangle, I simply do not have it in me to bear with yet another manifestation of that particular kind of drama . . .

[yridenergyridenergy]

Would it be too much to ask you to make a summary/list of features of the live venues you've been to in Japan? I mean stuff like does it have lockers, are there barriers in the standing area, does it require drink fee, etc. Whatever comes to your mind that has the potential to be useful for other fans, it doesn't have to be ultra detailed ofc. I'd really appreciate it! And btw thank you for the live reports!

Hello! Sorry for the late reply. I was taking time to consider my reply, but with the imminent sale of tickets for the next tour in Japan, I reflected more about this and figured that there aren't that many differences between some venues anyway, so I don't need to describe every single location.

Essentially, I was pleasantly surprised by the installation of barriers inside Zepp venues. I only went to the Zepp Nagoya since Japan reopened after the COVID-19 pandemic, but it seemed to be the same at Zepp Haneda too, so I assume it's common to all Zepp venues now. Hopefully they don't remove those after Japan relaxes its health & safety measures to pre-pademic levels, as the barriers are great to prevent being squeezed violently by the mass of people from behind, and if you are close to a barrier on your side or in front of you, it is something to hold onto during headbanging sessions or jumps.

Otherwise, experiences like what I had at KBS Hall, where there were no barriers and way too many people in a small-capacity space, are something that I want to avoid a lot. In the past, Studio Coast was like that, and Namba Hatch had such tendencies, so the similarity to North American venues turned me off and I preferred less popular venues outside of the two main cities in Japan.

I can't remember a venue that was awesome when it came to sight, for example with the back being inclined upward so that everybody can see. Only seated halls offer that to a certain capacity, but either Kanazawa Cultural Hall or Nagano's actually seemed to dip in the centre before curving upward in the back. But seated halls tend to be way bigger, so I assume that people on the balcony and in the back (typically exclusive-ticket-holders, ironically) see Lego-sized Dir en grey members.

In my mind, my last experience at Club Citta got it crossed from my list of potential preferred venues because you really can't see much below the waist, and it got so hot in there.

Yokohama Bay Hall has two huge pillars on the sides that suck.

No clue about drink fees, but I never attended a Japanese concert where people had drinks. I only saw that in North America.

Hm quite sure that they have a cloak service or coin lockers at all venues. I never use them though: I want to waste zero time with that as I enter the venue to occupy the best spot possible, and I don't want to stand in the cold by putting stuff away in lockers too early.

Many venues unfortunately closed during the pandemic, such as Club Fleez , Studio Coast, Nakano Sunplaza and Akasaka Blitz. As you can see from Dir en grey's November tour list, we're basically stuck with either seated halls or Zepp franchises. And Namba Hatch of course.

If you have any specific questions, feel free! And thank you for even reading my reports!

[panatmansam]

IS ENLIGHTENMENT UNION WITH THE ETERNAL "ONE"?

I read a post discussing the concept of Buddhist nirvana as a state of union with the absolute, the universe, the all, called by the Vedic priests (there were no Hindus yet) "Brahman". The “raindrop falls into the sea” hypothesis. The Buddha flatly rejected this idea. He also flatly rejected the concept that we are extinguished upon death. 

His solution was a concept called "mindstream" or citta-santāna which is just our thoughts and sense impressions which he described as somehow continuing on to our next life. He was less than enthusiastic about this though. He, again and again, stressed that this life was what was important. Ending suffering here and now and teaching others.

It seems that many in the west including the author of the post who are convinced that nibbana is a mystical state achievable only by saints from antiquity who states "I suspect that for most of us, full enlightenment is not something we really know, certainly not something experienced. It is an ideal to guide practice rather than a goal that l actually expect to reach". The thing is that if one reads the Pali Canon it is apparent that virtually everybody in the sangha attains bodhi, awakening. 

It is a commonplace attainment. It is expected of each of us who undertake the training. What is this attainment? It is freedom from suffering. Freedom from fear even fear of death. It is attained through Buddhist meditation as taught in the suttas. Very simple and straightforward. The instructions are there for all to see because generations of men and women sacrificed their lives to preserve them for us. Do it, and attain liberation by changing your thought and perceptions as taught.

"I teach only suffering and the end of suffering".

-- Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, Samyutta Nikaya 15:3

[helpmeimblorboing]

祇園精舎の鐘の聲、 諸行無常の響き有り。 沙羅雙樹の花の色、 盛者必衰の理を顯す。 驕れる者も久しからず、 唯春の夜の夢の如し。 猛き者も遂には滅びぬ、 偏に風の前の塵に同じ。

Gionshōja no kane no koe,

Shogyōmujō no hibiki ari.

Sarasōju no hana no iro,

Jōshahissui no kotowari wo arawasu.

Ogoreru mono mo hisashikarazu,

tada haru no yo no yume no gotoshi.

Takeki mono mo tsui ni wa horobin(u),

hitoeni kaze no mae no chiri ni onaji.

The sound of the Gion Shōja bells echoes the impermanence of all things the color of the sāla flowers reveals the truth that the prosperous must decline The proud do not endure, they are like a dream on a spring night the mighty fall at last, they are as dust before the wind.

The bells at Buddhist temples in Japan are different than the bells found in cathedrals throughout the western world. The bells are housed in a bell “tower” that is essentially a sturdy, open sided building that the bell is suspended from in the middle. Not much of a tower really

The bell is protected from the elements simply by a a roof. Rather than a clapper that rings the bell from the inside like we would expect in the west, the bells are rung with a small log suspended by ropes alongside the bell. It requires a person to swing the log with enough

momentum to strike the bell with the end of the log. The bell echoes for a long period of time before the bell is rung again.Quite unlike the seemingly continuous and joyful ringing of western bells when rung by hand.The sound from the Japanese bell is more sobering and prolonged

The 4-character expression (yojijukugo) "the prosperous must decline" (盛者必衰, jōshahissui) is a phrase from the Humane King Sutra, in full "The prosperous inevitably decline, the full inevitably empty" (盛者必衰、実者必虚, jōsha hissui, jissha hikkyo).

Gion Shoja” refers to the Buddhist monastery in India and “sala flower” refers to the flower of the sala tree in Kushinagara where Shakyamuni passed away. It is said that when Shakyamuni passed away, the sala trees gave forth flowers in full bloom out of season.

Dōgen’s contemporary, Kamo no Chomei (1153 – 1216), wrote an essay entitled Hojoki (My Ten-Foot Hut) in 1212, one year before Dogen became a monk at Enryakuji in Mt. Hiei. Chomei wrote about the situation in the capital, Kyōto.

He recorded that they had many natural disasters such as great fires, whirlwinds, typhoons, earth quakes, etc. beside the destruction caused by the civil wars between Heike and Genji clans. In the beginning of Hojoki he wrote:

Though the river’s current never fails, the water passing, moment by moment, is never the same. Where the current pools, bubbles form on the surface, bursting and disappearing as others rise to replace them, none lasting long. In this world, people and their

dwelling places are like that, always changingNor is it clear to me, as people are born and die, where they are coming from and where they are going. Nor why, being so ephemeral in this world, they take such pains to make their houses pleasing to the eye. The master and the

dwelling are competing in their transience. Both will perish from this world like the morning glory that blooms in the morning dew. In some cases, the dew may evaporate first, while the flower remains—but only to be withered by the morning sun. In others, the flower may wither

even before the dew is gone, but no one expects the dew to last until evening. These are the well-known examples of people’s sense of transience and the vanity of life in the mundane world at the time of Dōgen. Dōgen’s insight into impermanence is very different from those

pessimistic views of fleeting world. As he expresses in this waka, although seeing impermanence is sad and painful, still, that is the way we can arouse bodhi-citta (way-seeking mind) and also see the eternity within impermanence.

[superconductivebean]

#640: another wright hc post

saw yet another post with quite a list of questions!^^ some i answered before brainrot leeway i thought. need a break i said. here we go again! tagging the mc hc enjoyer @boxdstars

have they / would they dye their hair?

Wright enjoys bright colours but would rather fancy herself a new dress than to do anything with hair dyes. Maintaining the colour. not to mention anything about applying it, sounds off-putting to her; don't forget, she is an experienced muggle-way-of-doing-things doer. Something like this will fret her for a moment or two because she'd meticulously remember how-to and will resort to reading on the topic.

Until somebody tells her she's a dumdum, there is a spell for that.

do they maintain eye contact when talking?

Some days Wright forget eye contact is maintained a little differently, staring people right in their eyes unblinkingly likely would scare them off or have a wrong impression on them.

what is their tell for lying?

Wright is a terrible liar. She prefers to tell the truth, or half-truth, but to take her words as truth is up to whoever she is confessing or answering to.

Sharp had fun times deciding, if she was pulling his leg or genuinely trying to explain what was it about #AnythingFig she was meddled in during her fifth year.

do they have an accent?

A surprisingly tough question.

You see, before England, she used to speak in Dutch and Icelandic/Faroese, as these were the languages her family used to speak into. She was taught English, however, but it wasn't easy to integrate into a society where different part of the country basically speak their own little version of English. Her mother, perfectly aware of this, spent years teaching her how to sound convenient.

Although, after her sixth year, Wright's gained accent will loosen up a bit and she'll begin speaking like she would have used to.

A tiny little self-indulgent part it is, because that's what I'm doing irl, and tbf, my English is very phonetic, too. postAlveolar [r] is such a cool sound, I crrrrrave.

what languages do they speak?

English and Dutch, catches bits of German and if refreshed her memory, will eventually catch up with her father's mother tongues; knows a couple of swear Russian words. Блядство and БЛЯДЬ are her favourite spells.

She knows KURWA, too. Ja pierdole.

what kind of music do they listen to?

She'd enjoy french composers of the era.

In modern!AUs, Wright will sit hooked on italian, german, and icelandic bands like there'd be no tomorrow. Study Together Lofi Girl stream except the music:

describe them in one word. what could happen to make them the opposite?

I'd say, she is whimsical. In a sense, that her magic is this very word.

Wright can approach things matter-of-factly though, if the situation requires her to think for more than a few seconds.

the duality of wright

what is a secret they do not tell anyone?

Wright has many of them but by far the biggest: story reason #?.

Rookwood as a boggart is less damaging to her reputation.

what motto do they live by?

Fight smart, not hard.

how do they feel about jewelry? painted nails?

Wright's a beastmaster.

But Imelda tries. She is almost desperate. She is also a professional Quidditch player and perfectly understands Wright in that regard. BUT SHE LOOKS GORGEOUS EVERY TIME SHE DRESSES UP?

Imelda's crush on her only keeps on growing over the years, don't @ her.

Poppy adores their banter.

what kind of art are they?

Impressionism 100%. Wright would absolutely adore Grimshaw's nocturnal scenes and Aivazovsky marine paintings, enjoy Whistler, too.

what could you do to betray their trust?

Ever justified anything pure-blood families believe in or do on day-to-day basis? Done, she hisses at you.

if you had to choose something to make them go all john wick, who would it be?

She went all john wick in her 5th year.

do they swear? in what language?

СУКАБЛЯДЬ!

are they extraverted or introverted?

Introverted. The kind of it, when people perceive you as reserved.

what is their sleep schedule like

An extreme early bird, 3-4am is her go-to wake up time but. She isn't living alone. The need to accommodate sleep patterns of her girlies renders her half-asleep and half-there around midnight; she'd prefer going to bed at around 10pm and when rarely alone, at 6-8pm. Wake up time therefore shifts from her ideal 3-4am to 4-6am.

Cannot say Poppy and Imelda are night owls. Though, around midnight, they aren't as dead as Wright.

are they the first to hug?

The only one the first to hug for her is Ominis because he can't see her.

With Sharp, it's complicated................

Literally everybody else hugs her first.

how do they smile? do they have dimples?

Teethy. Wide. Foxy? If that's the right word??

what about their teeth -- braces? sharp teeth? dentures? yellow teeth? what about spots?

i mean in hl they all have literally perfect bites and to say something about mc specifically she has a wide long jaws and all her wisdom teeth are literally in perfect positions yes i have checked I ENVY THIS FICTIONAL YOUNG LASS YOU HEAR---

do they talk with their hands?

That's one of the many ways her nerve damage manifests.

Aside from the need to release tension this way, she practise-- Look, IDK many words, can I just say, it's a thing when the brain understands that you see a thing before you but at the same, time doesn't register it or remember its state or condition or colour, basically the brain think it's a t-posing box and concentrate on smth else.

what is their biggest conflict? it doesn't need to be big for everyone else, only for them.

The train wreck of her life.

how do they react to death?

Wright has abandonment issues and she is very empathetic to losses of others.

That being said, she only tolerates the inevitable death of someone's grand and great, everyone else but especially loved ones, don't you dare, or she is already going through Hell and high water.

do they cry? how do they cry -- silent tears, sobbing, a swallow?

DON'T MAKE HER CRY EITHER. Unless you're making her very happy with something; she doesn't control it, don't ask, just hand her a handkerchief.

how do they react when someone else is crying? can they comfort a stranger?

Nobody cries on her watch. She will kick arse, she will help, just please stop.

do they have allergies?

Boom berries.

Actually, a headcratch for Sharp, he'd never seen somebody developing allergies to something used for a cure for allergies.

do they take off their shoes going into a stranger's house?

Absolutely. Even Wright might not know where she'd been before coming in; her occupation makes it all more convenient for her to wear it off and change into something less filthy or dirty or whatever.

do they call strangers by their first name or title?

"Pardon me good sir man" How would she know their first name, well, she always picks the safest route. Sir. Madam. How'd you like to be called, tell her, she'll use it.

how do they show fear? trying to hide it? shaking? etc.

First Sharp taught her how to collect oneself in the face of danger, then couldn't deny, story reason #?.

what is their impact on other characters?

She cancelled hp timeline.

how could any of these change by the end of the story?

Her story doesn't really end because she'll live up to a very old age, as well as everybody else because we're in for a lesbian power fantasy.

Her legacy, though?

Thaaaaaat's gonna be an alternative history fantasy fiction I'm not qualified to write.

:3

[minetteskvareninova]

Minette watches Medici, part 14 (Alliance)

- Thank Lord, Theotokos and all the saints, the show has finally returned to a bearable level of stupidity! I mean, it’s still not GOOD, but at least there’s enough good here that I don’t need to have a vodka bottle on hand to finish this series.

- Finally, some good fucking tension! I mean, Lorenzo is still a raging Gary Stu, but at least the show is nice enough to throw us a bone and not make him win 100% all the damn time. And I made my peace with the fact that old Iacopo is a fucking cartoon villain; now I just revel in a fact that he has the decency to be good one.

- Citta di Castello has me fucking rolling, like that name sounds extremely fake, but it’s an actual city and apparently that plot is kinda based on something that actually happened - although I don’t think Lorenzo was involved at all? Then again, could’ve known that, this show doesn’t have a relationship so much as persistent, but still noncommittal flirtation with history. Either way, I liked that plot, if for no other reason, then because Lorenzo finally got in line and follows his granddad’s footsteps in winning only trough great effort and sacrifice. Also, hey, the Volterra plot was somewhat relevant beyond that one episode! Nice.

- The triumphant return of Lucrezia D was somewhat eyeroll-worthy because of the writers’ verbal fellatio of Lorenzo trough Clarice, but I am willing to forgive it a lot because from this episode on, I am a Clarice x Lucrezia D shipper. Like, pair the suitors would always be the superior dynamic, but these two. Oh, these two. Ladies, I know that silver tongue probably eats mad pussy, but the other one has mouth too! God, I swear as soon as I end this mostly painful season, I am writing some mad smut with this pairing. BTW, still waiting for chemistry between Lorenzo and Clarice, but as mentioned, Clarice only has eyes for Lucrezia D.

- If only every romantic subplot was at least semi-decent, but alas, Giuliano and Simonetta also exist. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not bemoaning their individual existence as character, not when Giuliano was finally useful this episode. But their tragic love story (for a given value of love and story, though tragic it definitely is in multiple ways) has finally ended, just as stupidly as it began. Vespucci’s gullibility is at least qualifying for the national championship (and mind you, in this very universe, you had Cosimo convinced Marco Bello killed his father) like Iago at least had some kind of flimsy proof unlike here Francesco - unless this show insists on telling me Vespucci had no idea Giuliano de’ Medici will pose half-naked on a portrait with his wife, which I call enormous bullshit on.

- He at least reacts the way I would expect from your average renessaince husband that learned his wife cheats on him with the local fuckboy (and unlike Lorenzo, I do not believe the dick is that good - he probably doesn’t eat pussy at all, let alone well). This plot point honestly gave me war flashbacks to The Musketeers season 2 and the good ship HMS Constagnan. To which I say, sir, how very fucking dare you. Not only did they do the whole “nominally shitty husband way too decent, at least in comparison with the hot fuckboy love interest, let’s make him commit some random domestic violence” sooner, they did it... Well, at least not as terribly. I mean, Simonetta is cool, but she’ll never be Constance, Giuliano is just straight up trash (unlike D’Artagnan, who, while annoying, did have at least some charisma and likeable qualities), and though old Bonacieux wasn’t quite convincing as an outright wife beater, he at least was a kinda bad husband.

- And of course, since Simonetta Vespucci IRL died of tuberculosis, the writers just had to milk her situation for all the Victorian Novel Dissease cliches they could cram in the limited time they had. Like, fuck me, I didn’t think I would see the day I was going to be glad Matilda Lutz and her angelic face are leaving this world, but the writing really is that bad. Whelp, at least Giuliano is going to get shanked soon too...

- Lastly we have the subplot with the bald councilman and his ugly son, which had a few mildly stupid moments, but overall wasn’t bad. I am still not sure whether Lorenzo placating the ugly son was really as stupid as it seemed to me at first, like I guess it made sense, in that Lorenzo was giving up any advantage he might’ve gotten by the bald councilman’s murder, thus convincing the ugly son it wasn’t him...? Then again, it could’ve been a cunning plot, a desperate gamble to gain the ugly son’s trust... Nah, I’ll buy it. Ugly son, you’re not qualifying for the national gullibility championship, how sad for you. Anyway, props to Iacopo Pazzi for once again proving a well-placed assassination has its place in the politics of renessaince Italy! A+ use of your hired thugs, no notes. Also nice preview for Giuliano’s shanking...

- The ugly son reminded me - no Bianca and Francesco’s lame brother to bring down the charisma in the room in this episode! Yay. A gold sticker for this episode, everyone.

[boba-tea-addict-1004]

Noctambulant (a bakudeku fanfic) 🌼Chapter Sixteen: Spring🌼

As they walked back things just felt different. as Bakugou looked around, things he has seen many times somehow felt new. like he's looking at them with a new perspective. to an extent i suppose he was.. did things change?  yes. was it all bad? depends who you asked 'maybe...things dont have to be exactly like they were before'. he thought. the wind was blowing softly that day. and spring was finally starting to bloom. Mitsuki commented before she left how spring was late that year.. and even though it was still cold, somehow it also felt warmer. and Bakugou wasn't the only one thinking that..  flowers that bloom in spring are the prettiest.. but when spring ends it's a long wait to see them again, and there's no guarantee you'll see the same Daisy's. only there for the season, then gone.

********************************************************************************************************************************

when they got back to UA Bakugou was walking by the library and heard the unmistakable sound of a record player starting. he stopped and looked over inside. "what is it Kachan?" Bakugou squinted trying to get a good look at who it was messing with it. as Izuku listened to the song that was playing he had the feeling he heard it before.. izuku then walked right through the wall hoping to get a better listen and as he floated closer he felt slightly dizzier and lightheaded. Bakugou walked in shortly after noticing Izuku's state "Oi, nerd... you okay-" just then another voiced budded in "somebody left their obsidian bracelet here. i covered it so he should be fine now" bakugou sighed and looked over "hey bird brain."

"you dont need to say thank you by the way, i mean your boyfriend almost passed out-" dark shadow let out but tokoyami shut it's beak before it could finish. "behave." he said letting go.

Izuku took a moment breathe. Bakugou looked over at the record player and then back at tokoyami "were you the one messing with it?" Bakugou said turning it off

"Actually it was dark shadow, i told him not too"

Bakugou turned back to Izuku "you feeling okay?"

izuku nodded picking up the record examining it, nothing felt to.. unusual or special about it. the record itself was a song from the sixties and it looked like it was released in another country "Citta vuota by Mina -1965" it said on the label. even though he otherwise wouldn't have heard it.. something about it sounded familiar and that it had something to do with water.

Tokoyami looked over "midoriya you might wanna put that down, if somebody see's a floating record their gonna freak out"

izuku put the record down and then realized something.. "Oh god-" he swiftly turned to bakugou "Kachan, my mom! is she okay?!"

[kyotakumrau]

2024.02.16-17 sukekiyo at Kyoto Gekijo

I really wanted to write about each show separately but then the 17th was filled with too many exciting things and there was no time. So I'll try about them together. And because of the setlists it also feels like they both belong together anyway.

2.16 The first day flow felt like the young idol started bright and excited, innocent, but then fell, experiencing the dirty side of love and people, but wanted to find love somehow anyway. And it finished with 呼吸・kokyuu...

As the BGM they are playing another movie (sound only).

5 minutes to and then at 6:30 the theatre buzzer sounded to signal the start of the show.

They had the usual see through screen in front of the stage (always done for the seated shows). sukekiyo and the tour name appeared as the snow was softly falling in the dark. At the same time band members walked on the stage, Takumi first, followed by Yuchi and Mika, then utA and Kyo last.

And Takumi started the piano melody of Margaret. It's so nice that they again chose to start with the last song from the previous tour, like they're creating a connection between then and now.

The stage was mostly their normal setting, but Kyo's stand had a dark bouquet laying in the middle of the table, I'm pretty sure it was the one with the doll in it that he shared in his Instagram story. There was also a high chair on the right side of his stand, right next to it.

And a new addition were big light bulbs hanging on wires over the stage, one over each band member hanging lower and four more a bit higher, nine in total. When グロス・Gloss started they lit up but dimmed when song got quieter.

During 愛した心臓・Aishita shinzo Kyo was dancing, he also came close the screen stretching his arm towards audience. (but I'm always unsure how much they can see from the other side because of how the light works on the screen), he crouched when dancing. Kyo was very dancey, utA as well (I was sitting on utA's side that night, aisle seat though).

They all wore outfits from their last artist photos. utA's hair was more standing, full 90s visual kei style. Kyo changed his look having a very different hairstyle. Because he shaved his head to get a new tattoo in January his hair is still very short, like in Citta he glued things on though, for sukekiyo he had two thin pink braids, one on each side, styled in a way they created two rings. And he had the porcelain doll effect make up, shiny face with drawn eyebrows, dark eye make up and full lips. The back of his dress is quite open so we could see his tattooed back. And he wore pink tabi boots to complete the look. (you can check those tweets 1️⃣ 2️⃣ to see fans drawings of him, just pls don't repost)

Both Candis and Valentina were quite fun with the pen lights. And this part had a lot of dancey songs that even come with set dance moves... But since it was a seated show it was only Kyo dancing, with other band members rocking and jumping as well, fans had to endure and stay in their seats😂

With 口に林檎・kuchi ni ringo the stage went darker and Kyo was lit up by his mic stand's pink light. aftermath followed with the soft dark mood in the venue and the video on the screen. Some of the autumn temple has been edited and changed to pink cherry blossoms with petals scattering. Kyo sang standing by his mic stand, illuminated in pink.

And after the song ended Takumi played the piano melody that starts the session. Kyo softly walked towards the chair and sat with one leg over the other, very dignified, like a film noir singer or a diva. A black clothed staff member walked on the stage from the left side holding a make up case and started to 'do' Kyo's make up. He patted Kyo's face with a towel, he then used a sponge and a brush, then 'did' Kyo's lips. I don't think he actually changed anything but it was a part of the performance. Kyo stayed seated almost motionless through the whole process.

Then Kyo softly got up and walked to his mic stand, the session continued as Kyo joined singing. The cheerful idol from the start of the concert was gone by now, the innocence lost. The want, the hurt, the darker feelings took place to create someone new.

訪問者X・HomonshaX had Kyo dancing like a bug, very different from the way he danced as a cute idol.

It felt to me that the lights towards the end of the performance were changing between red - fiery, angry and strong - and blue - calmer and sadder, to me it felt like there was a battle of various emotions inside of our heroine. I aways have a ton of respect for Mika who is creating the visualisations for the shows. Like during 変わってくれませんでしょうか・kawattekuremasendeshouka? when the front screen is very simple and the sides are dark with water falling over Kyo in the middle as the rain is supposed to wash everything away.

During 夢見ドロ・Yumemidoro Kyo was dancing more seductively, even wrapped his leg around the mic stand, baring it to the people. During Scarlet Kyo was pointing his lips with his index finger, 'I want you to kiss me'. Even broken things want to find love.

And at the end the acceptance came and resignation. Ending with 呼吸・kokyu had many people crying, if they were not crying by then anyway.

At the end Kyo slowly turned and left the stage. The end credits started on the screen, the audience was clapping as the rest of the band members slowly left as well. But many people kept crying even then (yours truly included).

But we did get the Gion Matsuri tour announced! 4 days at Kyoto MUSE! I wonder how many people will manage to hit all tickets on one account... I'll try😂

2.17

One more thing that was different was Kyo's stand, on the second day there were no flowers there. So I guess it was a present for his birthday?

The setlist flow was was different on this day. They started with 訪問者X・homonshaX and Kyo's bug dance. He was also pointing at the audience as he sang.

During グロス・Gloss the light bulbs lit up again. There was one moment when Kyo made a movement raising his arms like he wanted to catch his light bulp between his hands.

The video for The Hole had a mix of colours and Kyo was dancing. He definitely had more of a seductress in his movements on the second night. He stretched one arm and moved the other with the music and switched them. The idol songs following felt quite different because of the way they started the set and the mood.

After aftermath the staff came again to 'do' Kyo's make up and it was followed up with a session. At the end the stage was quite dark with a simple spotlight on Kyo.

With 論外な生き物として・rongaina ikimono toshite I love how the song switches from soft to heavy, from Kyo carresing the mic stand softly to him headbanging.

And the hair set he had made it kinda interesting for headbanging 😆 he had thin pink braids glued to his hair again, this time the loops were shorter so the end of the brace was behind the loops. So they bounced when Kyo moved. He wore a cropped black top with puffy sleeves and strands of pearls over it. Flowy pleated black skirt and again pink tabi boots. Make up was very similar to the first night. (fan's drawing)

The rest of the band members had different outfits too. utA again had a very classic v-kei outfit, this time his hair was styled to the right side. Takumi had a long white collar outfit. Mika I couldn't see, from my seat Mika was obstructed by Kyo's iPad stand 😅 Yuchi had a sleeveless Nike top with long gloves, he changed his hair style too to add more braids.

I can't play any instruments and I don't have especially trained ears, but I'm always impressed with the sound quality at sukekiyo shows as well. I can cearly hear all instruments and they create this amazing harmony together. And I also enjoy the fact that band members use different instruments for some songs (like aftermath). I could hear the wonderful bass promised by Yuchi, Mika's powerful drums, utA's guitar, especially during solos, Takumi's piano and guitars. And Kyo's voice. 🖤

For ただ、まだ、私。・tada, mada, watashi. there was no visualisation on the screen, so it looked like there was no screen besides a bit of a smoke by the floor. There was light coming from the back of the stage and very lightly the band members silhouettes appeared above the stage. And because of this the stage appeared to be very deep.

I liked the flow of the last part of the setlist, it didn't feel as gut wrenching as the first night.

The end credits started aready during Margaret and Kyo calmly left as soon as the song ended. The rest of the band followed as fans started to give applause.

I'm so curious what we will see in Tokyo. Only one more performance left.

[holybookslibrary]

CONSCIOUSNESS ENLARGED

Consciousness Enlarged Consciousness Enlarged is the second edition of the transcript of a course on consciousness, Citta, as laid out in Abhidhammatthasangaha, the traditional primer on Abhidhamma in the Theravada Buddhist world. It was given by the Burmese Sayadaw U Thittila in England, probably in 1983. Then Sayadaw, at the time in his 87th year, gave a comprehensive verse-by-verse explanation of the material. In its masterly explanations, conversational tone, and lucid style it is a sound introduction to the subject, and—by Abhidhamma standards—a fun read. Sayadaw was one of the very few learned Burmese Monks who spoke English and also traveled abroad in the 20th Century. This second, revised edition was published in 2019. From the book: In the history of Buddhist literature, Abhidhammattha sangaha is a comparatively modern work in so far as it is only eight or nine hundred years old. As an important work of Buddhist scholarship, and as a manual or primer of Buddhist teaching, it is, though, a book with a great ancestry and long lineage. As a summary of basic teaching, it stands in the direct line of scriptural and exegetical material, extending from the time of the Enlightenment of the Buddha by way of his teaching to his followers, then from teacher to pupil within the monastic order, and on through the centuries to the date of its composition, and from thence until the present day. Download Consciousness Enlarged here (354 pages/3.7MB):

  Consciousness Enlarged   Read the full article

[hook-em]

Anyone from Citta wanna plot?

[vajranam]

Mahamudra

The Mahamudra Upadesa of Tilopa (translated by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche)

Homage to the Co-emergent Wisdom!

Mahamudra cannot be shown;

But for you who are devoted to the guru, who have mastered the ascetic practices

And are forbearant in suffering, intelligent Naropa,

Take this to heart, my fortunate student.

Kye-ho!

Look at the nature of the world,

Impermanent like a mirage or dream;

Even the mirage or dream does not exist.

Therefore, develop renunciation and abandon worldly activities.

Renounce servants and kin, causes of passion and aggression.

Meditate alone in the forest, in retreats, in solitary places.

Remain in the state of non-meditation.

If you attain non-attainment, then you have attained mahamudra.

The dharma of samsara is petty, causing passion and aggression.

The things we have created have no substance; therefore, seek the substance of the ultimate.

The dharma of mind cannot see the meaning of transcendent mind.

The dharma of action cannot discover the meaning of non-action.

If you would attain the realization of transcendent mind and non-action,

Then cut the root of mind and let consciousness remain naked.

Let the polluted waters of mental activities clear.

Do not seek to stop projections, but let them come to rest of themselves.

If there is no rejection or accepting, then you are liberated in the mahamudra.

When trees grow leaves and branches,

If you cut the roots, the many leaves and branches wither.

Likewise, if you cut the root of mind,

The various mental activities will subside.

The darkness that has collected in thousands of kalpas

One torch will dispel.

Likewise, one moment’s experience of luminous mind

Will dissolve the veil of karmic impurities.

Men of lesser intelligence who cannot grasp this,

Concentrate your awareness and focus on the breath.

Through different eye-gazes and concentration practices,

Discipline your mind until it rests naturally.

If you perceive space,

The fixed ideas of center and boundary dissolve.

Likewise, if mind perceives mind,

All mental activities will cease, you will remain in a state of non-thought,

And you will realize the supreme bodhi-citta.

Vapors arising from the earth become clouds and then vanish into the sky;

It is not known where the clouds go when they have dissolved.

Likewise, the waves of thoughts derived from the mind

Dissolve when mind perceives mind.

Space has neither color nor shape;

It is changeless, it is not tinged by black or white.

Likewise, luminous mind has neither color nor shape;

It is not tinged by black or white, virtue or vice.

The sun’s pure and brilliant essence

Cannot be dimmed by the darkness that endures for a thousand kalpas.

Likewise, the luminous essence of mind

Cannot be dimmed by the long kalpas of samsara.

Though it may be said that space is empty,

Space cannot be described.

Likewise, though it may be said that mind is luminous,

Naming it does not prove that is exists.

Space is completely without locality.

Likewise, mahamudra mind dwells nowhere.

Without change, rest loose in the primordial state;

There is no doubt that your bonds will loosen.

The essence of mind is like space;

Therefore, there is nothing which it does not encompass.

Let the movements of the body ease into genuineness,

Cease your idle chatter, let your speech become an echo,

Have no mind, but see the dharma of the leap.

The body, like a hollow bamboo, has no substance.

Mind is like the essence of space, having no place for thoughts.

Rest loose your mind; neither hold it nor permit it to wander.

If mind has no aim, it is mahamudra.

Accomplishing this is the attainment of supreme enlightenment.

The nature of mind is luminous, without object of perception.

You will discover the path of Buddha when there is no path of meditation.

By meditating on non-meditation you will attain the supreme bodhi.

This is the king of views-it transcends fixing and holding.

This is the king of meditations-without wandering mind.

This is the king of actions-without effort.

When there is no hope or fear, you have realized the goal.

The unborn alaya is without habits and veils.

Rest mind in the unborn essence; make no distinctions between meditation and post-meditation.

When projections exhaust the dharma of mind,

One attains the king of views, free from all limitations.

Boundless and deep is the supreme king of meditations.

Effortless self-existence is the supreme king of actions.

Hopeless self-existence is the supreme king of the fruition.

In the beginning mind is like a turbulent river.

In the middle it is like the River Ganges, flowing slowly.

In the end it is like the confluence of all rivers, like the meeting of mother and son.

The followers of Tantra, the Prajnaparamita,

The Vinaya, the Sutras, and other religions-

All these, by their texts and philosophical dogmas,

Will not see the luminous mahamudra.

Having no mind, without desires,

Self-quieted, self-existing,

It is like a wave of water.

Luminosity is veiled only by the rising of desire.

The real vow of samaya is broken by thinking in terms of precepts.

If you neither dwell, perceive, nor stray from the ultimate,

Then you are a holy practitioner, the torch which illuminates darkness.

If you are without desire, if you do not dwell in extremes,

You will see the dharmas of all the teachings.

If you strive in this endeavor, you will free yourself from samsaric imprisonment.

If you meditate in this way, you will burn the veil of karmic impurities.

Therefore, you are known as "The Torch of the Doctrine."

Even ignorant people who are not devoted to this teaching

Could be saved by you from constantly drowning in the river of samsara.

It is a pity that beings endure such suffering in the lower realms.

Those who would free themselves from suffering should seek a wise guru.

Being possessed by the adhishthana [blessing], one’s mind will be freed.

If you seek a karma mudra, then the wisdom of the joy of union and emptiness will arise.

The union of skillful means and knowledge brings blessings.

Bring it down and give rise to the mandala.

Deliver it to the places and distribute it throughout the body.

If there is no desire involved, then the union of joy and emptiness will arise.

Gain long life, without white hairs, and you will wax like the moon.

Become radiant, and your strength will be perfect.

Having speedily achieved the relative siddhis, one should seek the absolute siddhis.

May this pointed instruction in mahamudra remain in the hearts of fortunate beings.

Oral instructions on mahamudra given by Sri Tilopa to Naropa at the banks of the Ganges River.

Translated from the Sanskrit into Tibetan by Chokyi Lodro Marpa the Translator.

English translation by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche in The Myth of Freedom.

[mewrising]

Skydancer saturday!!  part 4/????????

I’m not even...halfway done.......

Names & lore stuff under the cut!

Row 1: Adiel (she/her) & Dianthus (he/him).  Adiel is the child of two scientists whose experiments unfortunately managed to affect her before they could get her egg out of the lab.  Besides her goatlike eyes, she possesses an extra pair of forelegs and is exceptionally spindly.  Life can be challenging for her, but she’s trying her best to find ways to enjoy it!  Dianthus is another one of Rae’s babs ;o;  He loves sunbathing and lives in a little greenhouse-like portion of the Primal House™

Row 2: Novae (she/her) & Cittae (she/her).  Novae is one of those mysterious paladin-types who has decided to make Thunder Hollow her base of operations.  She’s silent, buff, and wields a bizarrely large enchanted sword.  Cittae is a peculiarly birdlike dragon who has seemingly made it her life’s mission to steal every shiny item in Thunder Hollow.  She doesn’t necessarily mean ill, and she has a fantastic singing voice which she puts to use during festival performances.

Row 3: Ivette (she/her) & Kirin (she/her).  Ivette makes clay pots and teaches clay sculpting to interested parties.  Kirin is a loner who keeps a small farm plot in the woods.  Occasionally, she tags along with the other farmers to sell her produce; otherwise, she is rarely seen by the general populace.

Row 4: Irayi (she/her) & Sabre (she/her).  Irayi is a wraith/vampire hybrid who possesses powers that can be used for good as often as for evil.  She’s currently laying low in Thunder Hollow but occasionally volunteers as a healer at the clinic.  Sabre is a member of the gatherer’s guild who specializes in infiltrating particularly volatile areas.  She has an incredible resistance to magic of all kinds but cannot cast any of her own.

Row 5: Yatagaryu (he/him) & Ourania (she/her).  Yatagaryu was trained in the ways of ley-line manipulation and can access various types of elemental magic with enough focus.  He’s currently trying to help the clan solve its ley-line issues, though he’s also taken a fascination with Kirin, who has a unique sort of magical hybridism.  Ourania is the clan’s official astrologist.  She is very talented at interpreting star omens but, due to her dedication to complete accuracy, can only produce occasional portents.

[betweenthetimeandsound]

Three Minutes to Eternity: My ESC 250 (#230-221)

#230: Dschinghis Khan -- Dschinghis Khan (Germany 1979)

"Die Hufe ihrer Pferde, die peitschten im Sand Sie trugen Angst und Schrecken in jedes Land Und weder Blitz noch Donner hielt sie auf"

"The hoofs of their horses, they lashed in the sand They carried fear and horror in every country And neither flash nor thunder stopped them"

One of my favorite songs to jam to is Boney M's "Rasputin". A disco-influenced song about the life of "Russia's greatest love machine", it's energetic while telling that of a myth. I mention this because Dschinghis Khan is compared to this often, in all the ways.

Only this time, it's about the great conqueror Chinghis Khan, who took over the whole universe (and lasted for a very long time). From how he struck fear across the steppe to fathering seven children in one night, he is seen as the embodiment of masculinity.

While entertaining, sometimes I'm put off by the gimmickry. It can be argued that it wouldn't age that well today, because it can be seen as culturally appropriative or mocking Mongolian culture. But for what it's worth, it's enjoyable and still a classic today.

Personal and actual ranking: 4th/19 in Jerusalem

#229: Louisa Baïleche -- Monts et Merveilles (France 2003)

“Oh, mon amour Où es-tu, mon amour?” “Oh, my love Where are you, my love?”

A definite case of love at first listen for me—Monts et Merveilles is a calming ballad, albeit with sad lyrics about the end of a relationship. The instrumentation is quite nice; it reminds me of songs that stood out on the charts during that time. It also had the "ethnic style" percussion in the bridge, which made me think that France Televisions wanted to mix what worked in the last two years (ballads) with the ethnic sounds from the 1990s (as Louisa is half Kablye, an Algerian ethnic group)

Despite it, it got a pretty low result—though it may be because 2003 was a stronger year songwise compared to the two years that came before it. Or it maybe because of the hair getting into her face that took away from the experience...

Personal ranking: 5th/26 Actual ranking: 18th/26 in Riga

#228: Hakol Over Habibi -- Halayla (Israel 1981)

"הלילה, הלילה, יהיה זה הלילה נאמר דברים שלא אמרנו מעולם"

"Tonight, tonight, it will be the night We’ll say things we’ve never said before"

On a random note, whenever I would search up Idan Raichel's "Hakol Over", Hakol Over Habibi would be one of the first search items that pop up. I would completely ignore it until now, when they actually participated in Eurovision!

That said, Halayla is very groovy song which plays with the disco vibe of the 1970s and the highly energetic choreography that would define 1980s Israeli Eurovision entries. The instrumentation is quite awesome, with the mix of piano, strings, and I think accordion setting up the vibe. (And it switches well from minor to major and back again , which can go awry when done wrong).

The members seem to have a ball on stage, and Kikki looks beautiful in her dress, which was fitted that way because she was pregnant at the time!

Personal ranking: 5th/20 (though it jumps around often...) Actual ranking: 7th/20 in Dublin

#227: Wind -- Laß die Sonne in dein Herz (Germany 1987)

"Manchmal bist du traurig und weißt nicht warum Tausend kleine Kleinigkeiten machen dich ganz stumm Du hast fast vergessen wie das ist, ein Mensch zu sein Doch du bist nicht allein"

"Sometimes you feel sad and you don’t know why Thousands of little reasons are making you dumb You nearly forgot what it’s like to be a human being But you are not alone"

Wind has the interesting distinction of participating three times and coming in second twice out of those three. The first one, "Fur Alle" was seen as such as a big contender that there were bets made against it winning. And then it didn't.

Laß die Sonne in dein Herz didn't come that close to winning in 1987, but I can argue it's the better song of the the three.

It catches you right away with the reggae influences, which creates a relaxed vibe throughout the song. It builds up well with every key change--it does get repetitive at times (especially with the choruses), but never boring. And while it shares a similar theme to Fur Alle, it doesn't come off as either derivative or charitys-single like.

(That said, I did grow to like Fur Alle eventually, but this one was more instantaneous.)

Personal ranking: 7th/22 Actual ranking: 2nd/22 in Brussels

#226: Charlotte Perrelli -- Hero (Sweden 2008)

“This is a story of love and compassion Only heroes can tell.”

The better Charlotte song, in my opinion. The song she won with, “Take Me to Your Heaven” is a complete vintage track, almost influenced by ABBA-nostalgia going on at the time. “Hero” , while still on the same schlager vein, modernizes the production a little bit, to the point I imagine it would be a good pop song of that era.

Alongside that, Hero has some compelling lyrics, one which could summarize the hero's journey in general. I wouldn't be surprised if somebody were to write a Eurovision jukebox musical, they would use this in some format.

That may be the case on why l like it better, but it could also be because it should’ve done better in the contest. The fact the jury wildcard saved Charlotte is a reason why they're around, but the fact there was a wildcard which kicked out the actual tenth placer (North Macedonia's Let Me Love You) could be totally flawed too.

Personal ranking: 6th/43 Actual ranking: =18th/25 (with France) in Belgrade

#225: Carlos Paião -- Playback (Portugal 1981)

“Podes não saber cantar nem sequer assobiar, Com certeza que não vais desafinar, Em play-back, em play-back, em play-back,”

“Maybe you don't know how to sing or even how to whistle But you won't sing out of tune for sure, In playback, in playback, in playback”

This is so modern and infectious it’s unbelievable. From the introduction to Carlos’ biting lyrics to the choreography, it makes one wonder why it got neglected in the voting. 1981 was a strong year, sure, but this song is definitely one of the best of that field.

Playback, as the title suggests, is about the pervasiveness of lip-synching in the music industry. One day, nobody will have to learn how to sing because the playback will save them. They can all focus on the performance without taking note of the song.

It's eerily relevant to Eurovision today, considering we don't use live music anymore and backing vocals can be mimed. I have mixed feelings about the latter, because one side argues it allows different genres of music to appear, but the other argues it reduces artistic credibility. I prefer having live vocals; if a delegation wants to use them on the track (e.g. looping), it should be on a case-by-case basis.

Maybe that's why it somehow made the ESC250 the last two years...

Personal ranking: 4th/20 Actual ranking: =18th/20 (with Turkey) in Dublin

#224: Emma -- La mia città (Italy 2014)

“E dimmi se c’è davvero una meta O dovrò correre per la felicità”

“And tell me if there really is a destination Or I have to run for happiness”

The black sheep of Italy’s post-comeback output, and coincidentally the only song completely chosen internally. That being said, La mia citta is still a good song, and for me it’s better than some of the fan-favorites out there.

Admittedly, I prefer the punchy verses to the chorus, with the latter reminding me of something out of P!nk's discography, but I revel on Emma’s energy and her letter to the city of Rome. We have struggles about the place we are from, but still try to sing its praises when we can!

The staging was a bit tacky at times, but I did like the aesthetics of it—particularly her laurel wreath. Her costume had a good concept also, but is also overdone it in terms of the bejeweled top.

(As for the Sanremo winner that year, Contravento, it feels like a bit of a grower. The clarinet intro really takes one in, but there has to be a whimsical, sweet staging to accompany the hopeful song. Had they done so, a left-side finish would've waited for them)

Personal ranking: 6th/37 Actual ranking: 21st/26 in Copenhagen

#223: Brigitta -- Open Your Heart (Iceland 2003)

“Everything you share with me Turns a little darkness into light And that is how we’re meant to be Truth will keep the light shining brighter”

Also known as, the woman who originally came from Husavik! The difference is that Birgitta was the lead singer of the group Irafar. Open Your Heart reminds me of songs that end up on DCOM (Disney Channel Original Movie) soundtracks—it can actually work in the end, but also in the beginning to introduce the characters and/or their circumstances. The random running order really helped it with being first, haha! Beyond that, it's an optimistic song, helped with the guitar influences which ground it in the era. Plus, the production and lyrics add to this feel, encouraging even the shiest to open up their feelings. Also, I like the flowery aesthetic that Birgitta has, from one in her hair to the larger one (which I think is real?) on her microphone. Personal ranking: 4th/26 Actual ranking: 8th/26 in Riga

#222: Tomas Ledlin -- Just nu! (Sweden 1980)

“Han vill dra iväg, kanske ner till Paris Och hitta äventyret på något vis Inte sitta här på stans konditori Och låta tankarna, bara fladdra förbi” “He wants to go away, perhaps down to Paris And find adventure somehow And not just sitting here at the local café Just letting the thoughts flutter by” The 1980s saw the genre New Wave come to vogue, and Just Nu was a valiant attempt on the genre, especially considering the direction Eurovision would go later. From the opening notes, I got the punkish notes from the instrumentation, and the lyrics definitely add to the feeling of being free from societal expectations, crying out "right now"! (which is funny, because I learned Romanian at one point and nu means no in the language. So I keep thinking it's "just no!" against conformity) Tomas also shows quite the attitude on stage--he just struts into the stage with a boyish charm and kickstarts the song. With his looks and usage of the microphone stand, he portrays this rebellious character well, though the orchestration could’ve been improved with the strings and flute. Personal ranking: 2nd/19 Actual ranking: 10th/19 in Den Haag

#221: Lea Sirk -- Hvala, ne! (Slovenia 2018)

“Moje ime je Lea in/Za vas imam nov lik!” “My name is Lea/ And I have a new character for you!”

I love the opening lines for this song—it immediately sets the tone and has a strong statement alongside it. She's Lea, and she won't let anything down on She asserts that she can’t be sold out, and has a great attitude to accompany the trap beat, which reminds me of a K-pop song for some reason. The staging fits the song to a T--though it didn't need any changes from the NF, haha. As for the fake break, I don't have any strong opinions on it, but it definitely kept up interest for the song. A nicer touch was the Portuguese line in the end. Either way, it was a surprise qualifier in its semi that year, and it was one surprise that I greatly welcomed. Hvala da!

Personal ranking: 8th/43 Actual ranking: 22nd/26 GF in Lisbon