still obsessed with how whenever you look up nakai you just get adachi front and center instead of arakawa or like. anyone he's actually played

Could I possibly get a headcanon for the crusaders reactions to a stand user reader who comes along with Iggy on the plane and their stand can calm anybody or thing down just by releasing a type of mist into the air (a close range type of stand)? Maybe like their first thoughts on them (if that's ok ^^°)

Well of course darling! I will be ever so happy to write this!! I do apologize that it took so long, I’ve had some personal things I’ve needed to iron out before I could start writing again!

Jotaro Kujo-

;Jotaro was… less than pleased to find out ANOTHER person was going to be joining the crusade. Like…

;He is surrounded by idiots, and there’s going to be another potential idiot joining? Yare Yare Daze... 

;When you took your first step off he was shrugging you off, watching as you smile and softly chuckle at the antics of Iggy, before shaking his grandfather's hand in remembrance to say “Yeah, I’m here,” Honestly? Doesn’t care that you’re here.

; The only time he WILL notice you, however, is when you’re standing right in the ground, feet planted firmly in the stand in order to not raise suspicion from N’Doul, the water using stand. He hasn’t attacked you yet, but the panic in the air was making you shiver and fret- as you weren't well built for stress.

;You stand came to life, tall and lean with holes of every size varying across it’s purple body. The legs were too long and thin, the same as the arms were- for the strong looking midsection it had. Its head was incredibly frightening however, as it hadn’t any eyes- simply one longer slit across the upper half of its face, where Jotaro would have assumed its eyes were.

;The thin sheen of sweat across your face was not from the glaring sun beating down on you, Jotaro had initially guessed, but from the yelling of Polnareff for Kakyoin, and the general aura of fight or flight when the stand user initially attacked.

;Because it was just you standing in the sand, the granules sinking your feet ankle deep from the refusal to move

;That’s when he noticed a thin cloud starting to appear over his head. Thin like when you burn incense sticks but smelling so much incredibly better than those stupid wooden sticks.

;It smelt like lavender to him, freshly picked lavender because he knew his mother enjoyed those. More often than not, if he had a few spare coins of change he would go and buy some, to replace the dying ones in the vases at home.

; Not outright giving them to her- but just quick enjoy to make it seem as if those lavenders were in fact not dying, but everlasting.

;His jaw had untensed and eyebrows relaxed, the calming effects of your stand affecting him increasingly and allowing him to do what is known as…

;A pro gamer move. He had launched himself off of the jeep and onto Iggy's stand, riding it like a plane.

;When he had returned, you sat by the boxes, standing at your side as Kakyoin's head rested in your lap. “He’ll be fine,” You spoke reassuringly, calmly swiping away the hair that rested against his fresh wounds- ones you wrapped up gently with spare bandages

;He thinks you’re… interesting, but often uses your stand as a relaxant afterwards- small words and gestures leading you to believe that this teenage boy had been fighting the chance to stay calm.

Kakyoin Noriaki~

;Kakyoin was never one to fret, his eyebrows furrowing as he watched DIO hop from one building to another.

;You sat by his side, silent as always and vigilant for the big baddie.

;Kakyoin had been skeptical when you first arrived, but nonetheless welcomed you with open arms, and apparently it had been you who rested with him those lonely nights before getting him to the hospital to keep him calm and allow him to recover until specialists could look at him.

;He appreciated you greatly, but now was not the time to visit old memories as now was a time for action and patience.

;You noticed the thick tension in the air, and could almost sense Kakyoins anxiety through unspoken words, and the way he constantly tried to crack his knuckles. He was sure this plan was going to work.

;”It’s okay Kakyoin,” You smiled, raising your hand, but your stands arm appeared first and cupping his other jaw, forearm right underneath his nose as a soft mist of purple began leaking from the holes in its arm. “Just breathe it in, and you’ll be fine,”

;The intimacy of the touch nearly caused the student to faint, cheeks flushed red and eyes dilating to try and wrap his head around why. But he figures you could tell he was anxious.

;The mist was calming, soothing, made the knot in his mind unravel and allow for the burning wood and wet forest smell to invade his senses. There was almost a taste to it, but Kakyoin was far too concentrated to find it. There were many things Kakyoin could be thinking about, but the one image that pops to his mind was Jotaro.

;The image of him being hovered over him, stand pulling out the bug that DIO left planted to fester in his brain. The first image of a friend he never knew he would have, the man that accepted his offer to help his mother on the basis that she was kind, and well natured. He loved his parents, but Jotaro refused to allow Kakyoin to sit and sulk, inspiring him to go forward and do what he wanted.

;There was a snap, and both you and Kakyoin looked towards the noise. It had worked! DIO had triggered Kakyoins stand- yet he was easily deflecting the Emeralds like it was nothing. “Don’t do anything stupid,” You requested, your stands hand sliding from his cheek to rest in your lap. “Don’t die,” You asked of him.

;And there was that glint in his eye, the one that knew he wouldn’t break his silent promise to you, as his friend.

Jean-Pierre Polnareff~

; Polnareff was incredibly charmed by yourand your stand, its lean body looming over you like a great oak, its yellow beady eyes occasionally peering out from between the slit over its face and making huffing noises at the jokes Polnareff was making instead of you replying.

; He figured you were shy, or rarely spoke, but let your stand do it for you because- well- what’s more intimate than letting your own soul speak for you? NOTHING I TELL YOU! ; JP was incredibly swooning over you, offering you his hand to you when you had to walk down a few steps, or offering to buy you the most expensive jewelry and food just to impress you.

; Does Polnareff give a shit if you’re male, female, in-between, trans, black, white, asian, american, english or from fucking Antarctica? No! 

; He views you for you, and despite how incredibly gorgeous you look to him, he enjoys your general calming and sweet presence in the group- much better than the ever so stoic Jotaro.

; When Alessi came to attack, however, it was a different story.

; You worried, pondered, and scurried across stalls and market places looking for Polnareff, already missing his sarcastic and flirty nature. The general comfort of having a loud mouth besides you feeling unnatural as Jotaro was much more… quiet.

; And Polnareff? Jesus H Christ he was upset. There was no longer and sort of calming being for him to lean on, for him to get a kick out of. He was a child, covered in his baggy clothes and stupidly cut hair that made him look like a fanboy to his older self.

; Squealing in french was the only way to get anyone to notice, and noticed he got.

; You had come running over when you saw a small boy crying against the window of a store, clearly distressed and wanting help. Jotaro followed behind you, muttering some nonsense of how this was pointless, and that you had to keep looking for Polnareff.

; Yet you hushed him, finger to your lips as you calmly approached the child and touched his shoulder. “Excuse me, little boy, are you alright?” That voice! He knew it! Turning from his wettened arms he stared at your face, hot tears bubbling from his lower lash line. “Que?” he asked, wiping his tears and looking at you once again.

; He knew your name, but the tip of his tongue seemed to have been caught by something as there were no words leaving his mouth. It was a shame, but he knew both you and the larger man standing behind you, gazing at you with such annoyance.

; You began reassuring him, hand carefully stroking through the silver hair that seemed way too familiar to leave alone. Your stand appeared from behind you yellow balls from behind that damn slit staring right into Polnareffs soul. The mist it released was… nice. Calming, soothing. Thick enough to see but thin enough to not become a fog. And the smell? God, it smelt like when you walk past a bakery! Hot pastries and warm, melted chocolate! Just like those stuffed croissants that always costed too much money to buy, but Polnareff could stare at them through the window until smacked with a broom.

;He can remember when his sister was 9, and he used what he had left of his pocket money to buy one, just for her. Her first one was amazing, her eye lit up and there was this sort of glow about her when she realized it was chocolate filled.

; He’d never forget that day, and as the tears dried you began to realize that you had forgotten all about your missing friend. “I’m sorry little one but I must go. I’m searching for a friend. Please stay safe out there!” were your parting words and before Polnareff knew it, you had been whisked away in a crowd of people, leaving him unknowingly open to Alessi again.

Muhammed Avdol~

;Avdol knew you were a saint, fingers wrapped around the coffee mugs delicately in the submarine when you smiled and offered him a hand in knowing.

;Not yet had you met him, the way his smile seemed to bring warmth to your skin.

;It was illuminating and Avdol enjoyed your calming presence. It reminded him a lot of Holly, and how relaxed everyone seemed to feel when they were around. Finding her on the floor that day was uncomfortable, even for Jotaro.

;So when you entered the submarine with him, he could feel the loving nature of your aura.

;It was.. refreshing.

;The coffee was a good wake up call as he listened to your stories of N’doul, Alessi, Maria and more- those stories making him laugh harder than he had before. The vivid and exaggerated details made his eyes crease in laughter, and you stand seemingly huffing in happiness whenever he laughed.

;Your stand was also incredibly intricate with design that he was sure he’d memorized by the time that the next stand user attacked. Every dip and crevice, every deepend hole that seemingly fell into nothing but darkness, and tried to view what was behind the thick shielded faceplate with that slit and nothing but yellow and darkness. He had yet to find out what was behind it.

; He was able to find out what your stand did when you were all knee deep in water as the submarine sank further and further. Joseph had glanced over his shoulder at you, making sure you was okay until he saw the panicked look and saw you struggle to slip on the diving gear, shaking hands nervously fidgeting and missing the buckle every time.

; You stand had arisen, looming far above your frame and released the smoke from the holes in its body, thin fog encasing the room and seeping into the water that was now mid thigh.

; With it encasing the room, he breathed in the smoke, and could immediately feel the effects on his body as his shoulders relaxed and his arms untensed as the dewdrop and food stall smell seemed to get stronger and stronger with every breath he took inwards.

;The memories of being crowded in India coming back greatly, as he stared at his friends' discomfort with how many beggars surrounded them. It had been all in great fun, but he could never forget how refreshing it was to be back in a familiar country, especially one he so thoroughly enjoyed! India was like a second home to Avdol, his knowledge on the food and tradition, the almost unbearable heat, the constant chatter and laughter that emitted from the crowds and flocks of people who were haggling or just buying. He loved India with everything he had in him.

;And so such a familiar smell allowed for him to relax further, to the point where he sauntered over (to the best of his abilities of course) and clipped you in, making sure it was adjusted comfortably. “You should have just asked for help,” ; “Thank you-” Joseph Joestar~

; Joseph was… a loudmouth. He was kind, caring, determined and confident but… 

;Got you guys into quite a bit of trouble. The loudmouth nature he had got you into trouble on too many occasions, and this one was one of them. The look you gave him as he shoved his arm elbow deep in oil made his begin spouting off at how this was the only way

;You knew the stand that grew on his arm was no more than a stand user however, the panic began setting in when he pulled his arm out and saw the lump of the face still there.

;When it rose up and screamed, you jumped and got scared, hands shooting out as you began pushing down on the face, watching as its skin pops between your fingers and its scream became muffled.

;Joseph began yelling at you, telling you to run and other nonsense. “I can deal with this on my own!” He cried out, trying to swat you away before a long, purple hand wrapped around his hand. Your stand!

;The fog had already begun filtering its way into his nose before he realised it, thick purple had seeped from the holes in your stands arm. It smelt like… sweet perfume. The French Connection Eau De Toilette he knew so well had been a gift given to his wife by him, metal fingers wrapped around the box as he watched her face light up. It had been her favourite and long gone from the store's shelf. He had found some strings to pull in order to get some of the last batch ready.

;He smiled softly and relaxed, before you finally smacked the lump and it seemingly disappeared.

;Your stand disappeared, before you removed your hands and stared at the dripping oil. “You owe me,” You snickered, before wiping your palms on your clothes.

FAQs

For the rare times I log into tumblr. Here we go, I decided to put up a FAQs post incase the information is misinterpreted elsewhere. I will do my best to try and clarify. I do not log into tumblr consistently enough to answer stuff on my inbox and rather than flooding everyone on their dash. I will again collectively attempt to clarify this in a FAQs. Its currently 3am so bare with me. See cut!

1.) I SEE YOU POSTING CLIPS FROM SHINKEN RANBU SAI 2017? HOW?! The  DVD isnt out yet!

True that the DVD is not out yet.I bought a ‘ticket’ to see the stream finale. The DVD/BD is only available for pre-order at the venue. At the time I was at Budokan I passed up on preordering it since I didn’t have the available yen to drop at the moment to preorder it. I do plan on pre-ordering a copy!

2.) How do you stream / access DMM?

See link below: http://leciell.tumblr.com/post/166558597435/heres-is-a-visual-guy-to-those-who-dont-feel-like

tl;dr you need to create a DMM.com account, but you need to make sure its a JP account. So to do so, you may need a VPN to access. A free VPN is enough free GB to stream part of a show, I’m not sure if its enough to stream a full concert. I have a yearly subscription to a paid VPN. 

3.) Where can I buy/preorder the DVD if I’m not in Japan? Or dont have a JP address? Please help!

There are several websites you can use to pre-order your dvds or blurays. The popular few: AmazonJP, CDJAPAN and AmiAmi. 

All these vendors will ship internationally! Trust!  Also, AmazonJP WILL accept international debit and credit cards! And will more often ship items for free and priority shipping too! You cannot beat that! and just like Amiami and CDJAPAn you can collect points with them that you can use to redeem later for bigger purchases. You still get the perks of the pre-order bonuses too and they will not charge your account until the day of release.  This goes for CDs, photobooks and magazines!

4.) Do the DVDs play on my regular DVD player? Does it come with subtitles?

No they do not come with subtitles and unless your DVD player plays region2 DVDs, it may not. BUT you do NOT need to buy a region free dvd player if you do not want to! Your PC /CAN/ play region dvds. Use VLC player to play these DVDs! And You can also use VLC to load up fan sub files. sohmarikku on tumblr offers this kind service of providing sub files timed to DVD releases. (Meaning, the subtitles are encoded to match the times on the DVD and not the streams unless otherwise stated)

5.) How were you able to attend Shinken Ranbu Sai? Tl;DR I did not win the loittery on the tickets, I bought premium resale tickets off the resale market using a go-between since most resellers wont sell to you if your overseas. I will have a longer clarification on this later on but this is as simple as I can make it.  6.) How did you attend the Touken Ranbu cafe? is it international? Or was it in Tokyo when you were there? To clarify, I attended the TKRB 2.5D Cafe, not the anime or animate version one. And it was in Osaka. This is a ‘traveling’ pop-up cafe. I made my reservations online using their online website. (everything is in Japanese just fyi). When you book your reservation, each reservation comes with an option of which bento you wanted and it comes with 1 free drink. After making your appointment you need to go to 7-11 to pay for the reservation and print your tickets out. 

7.) Was it hard getting tickets to Toumyu shows? Was it expensive!? >w< Considering how big this franchise was, I’d say yes. I already knew that I was flying into for this show and I was dead set on attending Budokan and knew that it was not going to be easy so I was prepared to drop 3-5x the amount for  ticket since I wanted to be as close to the stage as possible and also to secure a spot to go to the concert. So in short, yes I paid a hefty amount but I was prepared for this. Regular tickets were going for $80 approx. But for you to purchase them, you needed to do it online and like the cafe tickets. Must be paid for through a conbini / pick up tickets.

8.) I saw you guys wearing kimonos to the show! Was cosplay allowed? Firstly, kimonos....arent...considered Cosplay???? And as far as cosplaying to the venue goes...I mean, I didn’t see any signs that says you couldnt? But people were definitely frowning our gaudyness lol while some were actually excited for it? so it was a mix bag of reactions tbh.

9.) Is it true that you can leave gifts for the actors? Yes! At the front of the venue there are designated tables with boxes labelled with the characters/actors name where you can leave a SMALL gift or fanletters. No, we didn’t get to see them after the show LOL.

10.) I cannot find the link to the Itsukushima audio rip! Do you still have it? Yes, I do.  and I will rip the other live audios at a later time as well.

11.) I missed the live stream of a concert/show. Can I still see it when its archived?  Unless you paid for the live stream ‘ticket’, you will not be able to access the ‘archived’ or reupload to rewatch. So, honestly if you know your not gonna be able to catch the live stream. buy the ticket anyway and come back 2-3 days later when they repost the finished show up. I honestly missed Tousite once and I freaked out cozI bought the ticket and was sad I couldn’t see it. But they ended up posting it back up a few days later. but if you did not buy a ticket to the live stream, unfortunately it cannot be repurchased on their website.

12.) Were you able to see the boys up close during the show? I read you were close to the stage! I went to the last Budokan show and unfortunately, the boys didn’t really come off stage.....most of them who did ended up going to the 2nd level! And not among the crowd below (like they did with the finale show as seen on DMM stream uwu unfortunately argh!!!!) 

Nier: Automata OST Review

Echoes of What’s Left of Us, and of Them

Mild spoilers to follow.

Keiichi Okabe (岡部啓一) and team MONACA had a great deal to live up to, namely their masterpiece that was the Nier: Gestalt & Replicant soundtrack from 2010. Theirs was already a titanic feat—finding the right thematic approach to the Yoko Taro’s insanity must have been immensely difficult. Despite that, the soundtrack to Nier was a runaway hit; it has become one of my top ten soundtracks ever.

So, does Nier: Automata’s OST deliver?

Packaging and Design

The 3-disc set is enclosed by the game’s fantastic artwork.

Disc One has Toobie 2B’s 2Bootiful form etched on its surface. Discs Two and Three are next to each other and are 9S and A2, respectively. Granted, there were “only” three protagonists, but I found it interesting that these two were put next to each other. I guess no-one dies alone, after all…

Artwork of the City Ruins in the case interior. Very nice.

The booklet is adorned by the early concept art of 2B meeting the Forest King.

Goddamn it, Yoko Taro

On the previous page, Okabe wrote an insightful paragraph about the creation of the original Nier soundtrack and writing for Automata in its legacy (more on that later). Here, Yoko Taro gave us…this. (Plot details so I won’t include the translation)

An interesting tidbit: the track names in Japanese were written without Hiragana, instead using Kanji and Katakana entirely. The use of this linguistic trope in Japanese pop culture is often associated with the formality of technical/academic jargon, giving the track titles a “technological,” “mechanical,” and “robotic” aesthetic. Very fitting, considering the game’s setting.

All in all, the physical copy of the soundtrack added more to its value.

Soundtrack Review

Spoilers ahead.

Upon landing in the first area (after the heart-pounding prologue), I knew I needed the soundtrack. The track is “City Ruins: Ray of Light”, which immediately set the tone of the game: seemingly desolate, yet teeming with life within. While the the first Nier OST featured mostly key pieces tied to specific characters/situations, the tracks’ in-game impact was somewhat lessened by their overuse in the game. Not so with Automata, as the soundtrack is punctuated with segmented key pieces that are amazing ambient themes, the permutations of “City Ruins” being one such example. Key pieces such as the later action themes were tied to key moments, giving them the impact and attention they deserve.

Okabe mixed acoustic instruments and synthetic sounds, bestowing each track an expansive soundstage best enjoyed on open-back headphones. Pieces like “City Ruins” were written in movements not unlike Bloodborne’s use of segments to delineate boss phases, but in Automata, the game used segments to transition between different areas in the same map. Though areas are revisited often in the game, this dynamic use of movements actually reinforced the strengths of both gameplay and music, avoiding repetition and fatigue.

Additionally, the composers wrote different variants for the motifs depending on the sequence of the game; for instance, “Significance” and the sweet, melodramatic “Vague Hope” had several versions, changing between A, B, C/D/E. Returning veteran co-composer Keigo Hoashi (帆足圭吾) composed one of my favorite tracks, “Vague Hope: Spring Rain.”  The solo vocalist paired with the delicate strings delivers a highly emotional theme depicting a fragile hope…and love, or a memory thereof… 

Is it OK to cry while writing a soundtrack review

One mark of a great composer is flexibility in creating diverse, memorable motifs. Okabe shows that, again, he is a master of his trade with Automata. Soft pieces like “Peaceful Sleep” have actually rocked me to restful dreams. And, befitting the soul-crushing, heart-wrenching writing under Yoko Taro’s pen, Okabe delivered the punches with genuinely disturbing tracks. “Mourning” is one such example: it began with a twisted, heavy male chorus slowly elevated by layers of female chorus, rendering the theme significantly more religious as it progressed. The female chorus briefly lessened the sorrow with major chords, only to be dragged down by the weight of the male chorus once more into a sorrowful minor key. The string quartet faded in with a solo session starting at 2:15 that reinforced the motif, and finally joined by the chorus once more at 3:18, rising to a mournful crescendo at 3:57 that was no less than an operatic processional. For the moments that warranted the use of “Mourning,”* the track absolutely killed it, and also killed my heart, hopes and dreams for the characters.  *see the end of the Golden Machines sidequest

There is no lack of EPIC in Automata, and I am stoked to say that Okabe and Hoashi have written some of the best action pieces ever once more. Their flexibility came into play again, spinning a twist of action from slow, calm motifs. “War&War” was a pleasant surprise when I realized it was a battle-ready version of the obsessively calm “City Ruins” that might as well have been sung by the Red Orchestra. “End of Aliens” is almost lifted straight out of Tekken, considering the fighting-game showdown between Adam/Eve VS 2B/9S.  “Alien Manifestation” by both Okabe and Hoashi is my second favorite action-track in the listing. A powerful collaboration between the two powerhouses, they employed vocals and percussion heavily influenced by Southeast Asian and South Asian music. A decidedly culturally-laden theme depicting something that was inhuman in origin yet becoming human…

See above for EPIC

But the star amidst the shining action-tracks was “Emil: Despair.” Hoashi stole the thunder in this one, carrying on the legacy of the previous soundtrack, other examples being Okabe’s “Faltering Prayer” and “Song of the Ancients (Atonement),” but “Emil: Despair” went full SSJ3 on its already superb predecessor “Emil: Karma” from Nier. The piece is at once filled with the familiar, somber chorus, tense with weight from the Trombone, and fraught with immense sorrow driven by strings and trumpets. A new interlude, starting at 1:20, introduced a new solo vocal that demonstrates Hoashi’s brilliance in composition: introducing new ideas congruent to existing ones, bringing both to a higher place. “Emil: Despair” was truly a prime example of thus; an immensely satisfying blend of percussion-backed action and sadness.

It didn’t take eternity to hurt me, Emil

Okabe worked with amazing vocalists again. The supremely talented Emi Evans returns in key pieces to reprise her excellent performance in the first Nier soundtrack. She is flanked by newcomers J'Nique Nicole and Marina Kawano who performed the English and Japanese versions of the ending theme “Weight of the World,” respectively. Nicole’s voice had nuance and strength and was complemented by Evans’ higher, softer approach. Kawano’s performance is fairly decent although the JP version of “Weight of the World” got a little weird towards the end. I don’t know if it was from overdramatization or if Kawano was trying to emulate Nicole’s deeper vocal range, but the last vocal segment of the song seemed forced for an otherwise good performance. 

Nevertheless, the vocal work in Automata’s soundtrack was among the best in the industry. The diversity in the styles of chorus for the soundtrack was particularly noteworthy; you will hear everything from solo vocals to Latin-style hymns to a style close to temple chants in South/Southeast Asian cultures, a musical style rarely found in mainstream media. This tonal diversity somehow retained the thematic consistency of the entire soundtrack, yet bringing a fresh approach to every track.

All I wanted was Metal Gear Rising with Badass Goth Lolita Androids. I did get what I wanted /and/ existential crisis, a torrent of tears, and the one of the best game soundtrack in years. Pretty good deal.

Okabe wrote in the soundtrack booklet:

[This soundtrack] is the result of spending time and thought on capturing the “essence of Nier” as well as introducing new themes to bring the new world of Nier:Automata to life.

His collaboration with Hoashi, Takahashi and Ishihama as well as the talented performers for both vocals and instruments have realized that vision and then some. Nier:Automata Original Soundtrack was yet another masterpiece befitting Yoko Taro’s madness—a bleak outlook on what it means to be human, brought about by deceit and despair, and the faint, blossoming hope rising above the carnage. The game asked if humanity could exist without humans, and the answer was a resounding “Yes.” I hope that music, being an intrinsically emotional creation, will be one of humanity’s enduring legacies in the vastness of existence. Perhaps in 10,000 years, a badass blindfolded goth lolita android will find a CD of Nier Automata’s soundtrack buried in the city ruins, and experience a glimpse of the emotions that defined us.

This soundtrack is a must own for all fans of Nier: Automata and those who enjoy action and ambient tracks. It is available digitally on iTunes and Amazon. I bought the physical copy from Amazon JP.

This review was not sponsored by Amazon, Apple, Square Enix, Platinum Games, or MONACA.

Harry Hudson Concert Recap

Last winter I saw one of Jaden Smith’s post on twitter promoting the song Cry For Love by Harry Hudson. The song title sparked my interest and i gave it a listen. I fell in love and decided to look up Harry’s Instagram account and followed him, soon learning that he was releasing an album in March. About a week after following him, he released his next single, Yellow Lights, which I also liked immediately. This trend rarely happens for me. Usually when I stumble across an artist and listen to multiple songs I always tend to lean more towards one or the other but in the case of Harry, I was in love with both. I followed him on all platforms and sent his songs to my best friends encouraging them to listen and fall in love just as I had.

A few weeks later, Harry released his third and final single off the album, No Good. At the time of its release, the song felt like it was written specifically for me to hear, his lyrics were very touching and genuine, something that confirmed my love for him. His album was released and I could not contain my love for it, advocating for everyone I could reach to listen to it. He announced 2 shows he would be doing in May to celebrate the release of the album, the first show was in LA because that’s where he lives/his friends are, and another in Brooklyn to honor his father who had recently passed (BK is his father’s hometown). I texted my sister because I was in class (NYU wifi blocks ticket buying sites) and asked her to get 3 tickets for the Brooklyn show and suddenly I had the motivation to get through the rest of the spring semester.

Harry is a cancer survivor. He was diagnosed when he was 14 and was told he had 3 months left to live. Today he’s 24 years old and performing shows with outstanding energy and he is cancer free. Talk about an inspirational human. When I saw Harry perform back in May, I got the chance to meet him before and after the show. I began to cry as I explained how life changing his music was for me and he listened deeply before giving me a hug and saying kind words back to me. I truly believe I changed as an individual that night.

When he announced his Can Cowboys Cry Tour over the summer, I made sure to get tickets. Although some people don’t see the fun in seeing an artist more than once, especially if they’re performing the same songs, I knew I had to just to experience his energy again. I bought the tickets in the passenger seat of my best friend’s car as we drove to Chik-fil-a to get her a milkshake. I remember this moment because it mattered to me.

Fast forward a few months to November. I texted my best friend and asked if she wanted to go to the concert with me/ if she could but unfortunately the timing just wasn’t right so I had to ask someone else considering I bought 2 tickets. When Harry released his single Just Slide, I posted it to my Instagram story. An acquaintance from school commented back regarding their admiration for the song as well and I impulsively asked them if they wanted to go to the show with me. They agreed and I couldn’t believe I made plans with someone that far in advance, I usually can’t handle commitment like that. But as the month went by this acquaintance quickly turned into a friend and I was no longer nervous about how going with them might have altered my experience.

December 4th, 2018: Happy Tuesday, time to wake up at 6am for my 8:30am class. I get dressed in whatever I think will keep me warm during the day but I also can take off during the show when I sweat, hop on the bus and head to class. During my 4 hour gap between my classes I consider skipping my second class at least 17.5 times, but ultimately convince myself it’s only justified to go since i’ll be indulging in music later on. I sit through the next 2 hours in Sound Libraries and head over to the Library to meet up with my friend. We head out. We got to the venue about 2 hours early and were surprised to see not very many people in line. We spend the next 2 hours asking each other random, trivial questions and mingling with others in line. Doors open, tickets are scanned and once again, yellow roses are given to all the members of the audience as they walk in along with an “experience booklet” with beautiful photos taken from his music video shoots and featured the lyrics to the songs he performed. We wait for the opening act who was actually the same as back in May, JP Saxe, as incense burn on stage. Of course, he does a phenomenal job and comes off stage after his set to say hello to the front row, we shake hands as I jokingly tell him we’ve met before. He takes a second before remembering and asks “oh...we pinky promised didnt we?” I had pinky promised him at the show in May that I would see him perform the next time he went to New York, and I did just that. He thanked me for my support and moved on. The people around us at this point had began to talk with us and make conversation. Suddenly an old western track begins to play lowly as his band members walk out, before we know it, the energy of the room rises and a tall man in a cowboy had walks on stage singing the opening lines to his song Legend of The Yellow Rose, “Ain’t no grave that can hold me down”. He jumps right into the next song, WhenImma, which is one of my favorites. He tells us that he loves New York and that we’re his favorite place to perform before adding “I know everyone says that but I’m not a liar, this really is my favorite place- my favorite crowd.” A few more songs are performed and he turns his head to his left, smiles and points at my friend. I die of jealousy a bit but in a good way. He’s untamable, stretching across the 3 foot gap between the stage and the barricade to get closer to the crowd as he leans in, one foot on stage, the other on the barricade. I guess that wasn’t enough for him as he asks the middle of the crowd if they’d allow him to go dance with them, they cheer in response and he jumps in- literally. The entire crowd around them is jumping up and down, dancing and singing. A truly beautiful moment. He gets back on stage and tells us to introduce ourselves to someone new, “Make a friend” he says. I shake the hand of the boy who stood behind us in line and introduce myself. His name is Mike, and after telling me this, he points on stage and adds, “this guys is insane, I love him” Harry then begins telling a story of a dark time in his life, when he and one of his dear friends Jon Boy were going through a lot. He then invited his friend, who is a tattoo artist, on stage...to give him a tattoo...while performing his song No Good. His voice stayed strong and unwavering as he tried to outvoice the buzzing noise of the needle. The crowd helped him do so. The tattoo read “Can Cowboys Cry” which was placed on his upper arm, near his already existing tattoo of a skeleton dancing with a cowboy hat on. He ends the night by asking us to say “We Love You, Pops” (he explained that his father, for some reason, called himself pops) and introducing the final song as being his father’s favorite. Together the crowd sings Gone. Once he walks off stage I realized just how surprised I am that I only teared up, but no tears actually fell. I guess thats character development. Nothing will ever compare to experiencing the presence of your favorite artists singing the words that mean so much to you with you, in a room full of people who share a mutual love for them. I’m beyond excited to hear what else Harry is going to release and what else he has to say, I look forward to listening.

A Dutch Fairy Tale

Once upon a time, Amsterdam's iconic canals froze over, and men, women, and children laced up their ice skates to see their city from a whole new perspective. Okay, so that time was not so long ago-just last year, actually, when the temperature dropped enough for this rare treat. But the point is: The cheerful, cozy togetherness (a feeling the Dutch call gezelligheid) and childlike sense of possibility that swirl around this culturally rich city are especially strong during the winter. It's well worth crossing the ocean to experience Amsterdam's cold-weather-friendly pleasures-if not to twirl along its canals, then to visit some of the world's best museums, duck into warm restaurants, and wander past rowhouses older than the country you left while snowflakes lazily tumble from the sky.

The Lay of the Land

Amsterdam began as a small fishing village on the Amstel river nearly 800 years ago. Today the heart of the city beats where the Amstel meets the IJ bay. Canals flare out in concentric rings from this point, and many of the city's landmarks lie within these crescents. In summer, this area and the Museumplein, a square just beyond the outer canal rim, are jammed with travelers; luckily, the crowds fall away as the heat does.

You don't need to speak Dutch to get around, but do stay alert: Locals bike in all sorts of weather, and cycling lanes can cut through sidewalks as well as the main roads. It's simple enough, though, to navigate the city on foot and by public transit and even easier with an I amsterdam City Card ($114* for 96 hours). The tourist pass works for public transportation and includes admission to dozens of museums. Just be sure to tap it both when you board and disembark buses, trams, or the metro. If you tap it only once, you'll invalidate the card.

The Girl in the Annex

It's all too common for people to romanticize Anne Frank; one of the great accomplishments of the Anne Frank House (20 Westermarkt; 011-31-20-5567105; adults, $12; children 10–17, $6; children 9 and under, free; tickets must be purchased online) is that it humanizes her. Maybe it's her bedroom walls, plastered with postcards and photos of movie stars. They're a reminder that Anne was a real person and of how suddenly she was taken from here when the annex was discovered.

The museum completed a major renovation this past fall, adding to the exhibition space devoted to World War II and the Holocaust. What hasn't changed is the annex itself. Visitors hush as they pass behind a bookcase and climb the stairs to the rooms that Anne and her family, along with the Van Pels family and Fritz Pfeffer, hid in for two years. Anne's father, Otto, came up with the plan; he would be the only one among them to survive the war.

If you're looking for a place to take a moment after you leave the museum, you can walk north along the Prinsengracht canal for a few blocks to Café Papeneiland (2 Prinsengracht; 011-31-20-6241989; apple pie for two, $10). It's what the Dutch call a bruine kroeg-or brown café-a name derived from the inviting dark wood walls. Papeneiland has been around since 1642 and has made apple pie using the same recipe for 100 years. Upstairs you can sit by the window and look out on the canal, watching the day pass between each delicious bite.

The Master and the Feast

For 20 years, until his debts made him give it up, the artist Rembrandt lived in a red-shuttered building along the Zwanenburgwal canal. The Rembrandt House Museum (4 Jodenbreestraat; 011-31-20-520-04-00; adults, $15; children 6–17, $5; children 5 and under, free) is in one sense a time capsule of what life was like in the 17th century; in another, it's an examination of Rembrandt himself-the curiosities he collected, the artists he admired. And in yet another, it's a gallery displaying his etchings and paintings. In Rembrandt's studio, museum guides explain how he made his paints and what pigments he used, and in his etching workshop, there are printmaking demonstrations.

Tourist traps litter Rembrandtplein, a busy square nearby with a statue of the Dutch master. Just off it, you'll find Guts & Glory (6 Utrechtsestraat; 011-31-20-362-0030; multicourse dinner for two, from $115), a wonderful restaurant that runs at an indulgently slow pace. During a recent meal there, two men asked the waitstaff to take their phones while they ate so that they could better enjoy each other's company over bowls of beef ramen and eggplant ice cream.

The menu-always themed-changes every few months and doesn't list out the food for guests, who simply choose the number of courses they'll be having. “You don't know what you're going to get, so you have to trust us,” says co-owner Johanneke van Iwaarden. Past menu themes have run the gamut from “Chicken” to “French Classics.” “We always travel to get inspiration. It's amazing what we learn during these trips,” Van Iwaarden says. For a hint of what's to come, you can follow the restaurant's Facebook and Instagram pages.

The Genius and the Dollhouses

Amsterdam's museum quarter fans out from the Rijksmuseum (1 Museumstraat; 011-31-20-6747-000; adults, $20; children 18 and under, free), a massive redbrick building that displays more than 8,000 art and historical objects at a time. Rembrandt's famous The Night Watch is on the second floor, along with paintings by Johannes Vermeer. Also worth a look: the museum's collection of antique dollhouses, some of which contain miniature blue-and-white porcelain from China and, at the time, cost as much as one of the actual houses that lined the city's canals.

You can glide around Ice*Amsterdam (Museumplein; 011-31-20-262-32-55; skating admission, $7; two-hour skate rentals, $7), an ice-skating rink that pops up each winter in front of the Rijksmuseum, before heading to the Van Gogh Museum (6 Museumplein; 011-31-20-570-5200; adults, $21; children 17 and under, free). On the ground floor, Van Gogh's artistic progression is apparent as well as his physical and mental condition as seen through his self-portraits. Many of his masterpieces-painted toward the end of his life-are three floors up.

When you're ready to leave the Museumplein, consider making your way to Westerpark for a change of scene. Vondelpark may be closer, but it's often crowded and doesn't contain Mossel & Gin (12 Gosschalklaan; 011-31-20-486-5869; dinner for two, $38), a restaurant that's serious about both of its namesakes. Mussels from south Holland are soaked in a spicy coconut curry, slathered in a creamy Roquefort sauce, or doused in white wine. Fries come with the restaurant's special gin-infused mayonnaise-you can take home a tube-and the lineup of gin-and-tonic cocktails is just as experimental. Many feature Dutch gins. “Like Bobby's [Dry Gin], which we use in our Gin Mayo, or Vørding's Gin-the [distiller] adds a smoked-cedar-wood flavor that he makes in his own kitchen in Amsterdam-or Jajem, a brand that some friends of ours recently made,” says co-owner Wouter Ten Velde.

The Hero and the Depot

Football is in full swing in winter, and it's fun to take in a match here even if you don't usually follow Europe's favorite sport. Amsterdam's team, Ajax, is named for the mighty Greek hero who appears in the Iliad. It was one of the first teams to practice Total Football-which won't mean much to nonfans but makes it legendary to devotees. (In Total Football, every outfield player is allowed to play in any position as needed.) If you can't catch a match, you can still tour the Johan Cruijff Arena (1 Arena Blvd.; 011-31-20-311-1333; game tickets, prices vary; arena tours, $19 a person; children 5–12, $13), about five miles southeast of downtown. Amusingly, in the away team's locker room, coat hooks are placed high enough that players have to stand on chairs to reach them-except for a few ultralow hooks for 5′7″ Lionel Messi, one of the game's greatest (and shortest) players.

When you've had your fill of psychological warfare, head to Foodhallen (51 Bellamyplein; dinner for two, $15). The Netherlands' first indoor food market consists of more than 20 stalls inside De Hallen, a converted electric-tram depot-there are still tracks in the floor-and serves everything from falafel to sushi.

Souvenirs

You may want to pick up a few things to remember the city by. The same converted depot containing Foodhallen also holds shops. You can browse dip-dyed cups, small ceramic canal houses, or acacia bowls with maps of Amsterdam carved inside at The Maker Store (39 Hannie Dankbaarpassage; 011-31-20-261-76-67; site in Dutch), or tulip-shaped purses and whimsical shoes by Dutch designer Jan Jansen at DSIGN.Amsterdam (13A Straalstraat; 011-31-20-770-3588).

The End

Before packing your bags for home, consider taking a nighttime stroll along the canals. Dozens of installations cast fanciful shapes and colors onto the waterways each winter as part of the Amsterdam Light Festival. These lights shine during only the darkest months of the year and add an extra bit of charm to the snow-laden city.

STAY

RCI® affiliated resorts near Amsterdam include:

Camping Duinrell R137

Great for families who love both the outdoors-the resort is set inside a nature reserve-and theme parks-there's one on-site, complete with roller coasters and waterslides. 1 Duinrell, 2242 JP Wassenaar, Netherlands Member Review: Not yet rated

RCI® Tip

You may not see Amsterdam availability right away, so it is important to plan now for travel in 2019. We're here to help search for your dream-come-true vacation with Ongoing Search. Just choose what you are looking for, and we'll search 24/7, alerting you via email when a match becomes available!**

For member reviews and additional resort listings, visit RCI.com or call 800-338-7777 (Weeks) or 877-968-7476 (Points). Club Members, please call your specific Club or RCI telephone number.

Search Now

Non-RCI affiliated resorts in Amsterdam include:

Hotel De Hallen

A comfy boutique hotel that makes clever use of its setting in a former tram depot. 47 Bellamyplein; 011-31-20-820-8670; hoteldehallen.com; doubles from $119 a night

The post A Dutch Fairy Tale appeared first on Endless Vacation.