Ordre de Ciel + Japan & Anime Party - Ultimate Japanese Music Cosplay Party - Part 2: Chronicles of the Sword I

Ah, at last, we move on to Part 2 of the party, after much delay on my part. Well, good things come to those who wait, as they say (in Greek it sounds a bit different, but I digress). *Ahem* Well then, as it often happens, our tale revolves around a sword, forged in the 1200s by the fey smith of the Templar, Bors de Lyon and wielded for centuries thereafter, by the undying Teuton Grandmaster, Engel von Kulm, later known simply as "Schuldig". It holds many a colorful tale, often painted in crimson, yet occasionally, it finds itself in surroundings undeserving of bloodshed. It is there that the sword finds itself confused, for it has acquired a semblance of sentience, therefore attempting to create a scene, akin to the many centuries of death that its blade has seen...

However, this humble storyteller is
immune to the sword's bloodlust. Kneel
Larva and greet thy 25th year!

Happy Birthday to you...

...you belong to the...-oh, never mind!
My best wishes to you man!

"I'll huff and I'll puff..."

"...and I'll turn 25! Hey Speedy? Could I have
the sword for a moment?"

"Thank you! Now, to put it to good
use...!"

OK, either the sword is confused or
I simply do not want to know what's
in that cake (delicious by the way - yum!)

"Wellll... I think I found the perfect
company for the sword..."

"Right, um, #13, safety distance, 1 mile,
frigging NOW!"

Meanwhile...

"Now, as you can see, Hide keeps his bubblegum
hair nice and fluffy with XXXXX TM, even in the
afterlife."

Product identity has been withheld by request of
The Powers That Be. No, never mind our ex-Misa's
amused look or the fact that the censorship reminds
what the Japanese use in, erm... well, you know.

A proposition: you should definitely cosplay
as Candy White. You have the looks
and everything... For those of you who
remember, this picture reminds me of
Candy's portrait at the opening of the
series.

Natalie-chan.


From here on starts the real sword weirdness...

"Hmm, I feel something is missing..."

"Ah! The sword! Please give it back, please!
I... I must have it!"

"Look, I will even trade you the camera for it!"

"What? You do not have it? Then who
in the Nine Hells...?"

"Crom!"

The mirror reveals the things unseen and the
sword's thirst for violence...

"Hah! Now' tis time for the blade to
taste flesh and bone and life's
mead again!"

"Uh, Rubus? May I see that for a sec?
Right, thanks, bye!"

*Dwarves are great sprinters*

"Hulloooo, Speedgrapher-san!"

"Uh, yeah, hello, gotta get rid of
homicidal sword, be right back!"

"Ooohh, isn't this nice?"

Giving the bloodthirsty blade to
sweet-tempered Mary, I had hoped
it would calm down but...

"Is it just me, or is it getting real hot
in here?"

"Um, Mary, you might want to drop..."

"AAAAIIEEEEE".

The enraged sword combusted our poor,
sweet friend. Just as I was about to remove it
from the general vicinity...

OK, that is definitely "hot" but SO wrong...

I am thinking the sword may have developed an

unforeseen personality trait...

...which affects our pure, innocent girls!

"Here, let me have it! I will teach it
some manners!"

Though the sword is quite large and
heavy, there are precious few
things that would not be intimidated by
Larva...

"Ah, an instrument fit for a swordmaster!"

"Nobu-san, I should warn you. This sword..."

Right, never mind...

Artact-chan finds out what being "cutting edge"

is all about...

...and yet there are charms even
the cursed blade cannot overcome.
Femininity vs Bloodlust: 1-0.

"Oh, you just say that to all the pretty
girls..."

"Come now, stop it! I am embarassed!"

"You are going to keep this up.
aren't you?"

"Uhh, definitely?"

"OK, at least let me have some
company then!"

"What, who...? Speedy? Is that
camera on?"

As if it's ever NOT! By the way,
what happened to...

Uh-Oh...

"That S.O.B.! My head! I will get him
for this! I will..."

"...ahhh... what have we here?
Come back to mama, little sword...!"

At this point she just kind of jumped over
my head (not too difficult, I assure you)
and disappeared with the blade.

As for me, I was distracted by Reiko the Zombie Shop
and Saber Rider, dressed as Team Rocket from Pokemon
(now, how weird does THAT sound?).

Well, can you blame me?

Elsewhere...

"See these fingers hon'? Each has a steel ring
with your name on it!"

"I swear, I was NOT looking at Jessie's
legs! I was just searching for my Ulquiorra
pin!"

"Hell hath no fury", my friend...

Pleasant break with Louiza and
Milk-chan.

Aha! So that's where that verdammt
sword has gone now! I will...

"Hey, there, Mr. photographer."

"Oh, hello Ms. Velvet Vortex. I really
must run. I must find where that
misbegotten..."

"...sword has ended up."

Well, Hide seemed to be upset about
something and I was not about to argue
on these terms...

*gasp* *gulp* Fear, horror and anticipation! What will happen to me? Where ELSE did the sword end up? Find out, in our next episode!

Speedgrapher

P.S. Shame on those who made dirty thoughts about that last question!

Ordre de Ciel + Japan & Anime Party - Ultimate Japanese Music Cosplay Party - Part 1

Yes, well... THAT bears an uncanny resemblance to some Bal Sagoth album (e.g. "The Splendour of a Thousand Swords Gleaming Beneath the Blazon of the Hyperborean Empire") or another - but I digress. I am finally able to start posting about that great party, which saw a number of special occasions (since, great music has already become the flagship of the Ordre de Ciel events). First, Ordre de Ciel had Somnium in Tenebris and Mona Risa over from Salonika to DJ (and VJ, which is always a great visual treat) alongside them, in their own, unique fashion (you will excuse the pun, I hope). Secondly, it was Larva's birthday this time around, which, of course, had to be celebrated in an appropriate fashion (you will see in Part 2). Finally, on a more embarrassing note, it was the first time I truly attempted to cosplay (no, seriously, that one time I was supposedly dressed as Tatsumi Saiga from Speedgrapher - at the first BIOS party - I could just as well have been going on usual outing, since Saiga wears black pants, a black trench-coat, a white shirt and a black tie, with the camera hanging perpetually from his neck - as does mine). This had a couple of... unexpected results but it's all good fun so just read on and see.

Before moving on to what you really anticipate (the photographs), I would like to "sort of-kinda-maybe make a statement". It has come to my attention that certain people (no, NOT those of you with whom we joke about it) have started drawing conclusions concerning my character, derived from the "how" and the "why" I take all these LOADS of pictures and take the time and trouble to edit them, correct them and what-have you, before posting those I consider the best ones - and their assessment has a direct cause-and-effect relation to the fact that the majority of pictures have beautiful (cute, sweet, sexy - pick your word) girls in them. So as to put your fears of "perversion" to rest, I will only say the following: firstly, though I believe it kind of obvious , I simply love taking pictures, almost to the point of addiction and it just so happens that digital technology has saved me the effort and money of going through dozens of rolls of film, as I used to. I believe it is an obsession with memory: I never forget, but how can I show what I see in my mind's eye, from over 15 years ago, to someone who was not there, or has completely forgotten?

Secondly, as I am sure most of you must have realized, at some point in our lives, there is more to a person than meets the eye, more than your first and/or outward impression. When I learn things about people, their characters, their hopes, their dreams, their fears, their virtues and - yes, indeed - their vices, I invariably perceive their outward appearance differently than before. In my eyes, the traits of their character reflect on their faces; that makes them either more beautiful, or uglier - regardless, when every once in a while you manage to capture, inside a picture, that thing which is seemingly impossible to describe in words, THAT is photography and to me, it is priceless. That old expression which, many lovesick (or indeed, in many cases, reptile-tongued) people have managed to turn rather corny: "the eyes are the mirror of the soul", holds quite true for me, if paraphrased - "the inside is indelibly etched on the outside, if you know to look for it". Evidently, not all of the hundreds of photos here fall into this category, but quite a number of them do.

On a final note, to end my incessant rant, at most of the events blogged here, 70% of the people present (and 90% of the people cosplaying) are female and I believe you cannot blame a straight lad for being distracted by lasses, more often than not. Now that (I hope) we cleared that mess up, on with the pictures!

Artact.

Left to right: Glastenen, Somnium in Tenebris,
Mona Risa.

Antonio Boracci, an old friend from

the days of heavy RPGing.

Evil Lolita as #13 from Battle Royal.

Skuld Skauksson and Glastenen.
(Sorry for getting the name perpetually
wrong, mate).

Lockie (you know, the artist?) and
swords mix in very dangerous ways...

Seeing as room302 was going to play the
Hide Memorial Concert on the screens,
Hide himself decided to drop by
from the Great Beyond...

Velvet Vortex.

Louiza-chan as Nobu from
Lovely Complex (yes, you HAD
told me and I forgot - stupid me,
sorry).

Lockie and our friend, Christina
(I mean, seriously, how many
Catherines and Christinas can you fit
into ONE bar?).

Though we weren't introduced with
the guys, I was told their cosplays
were from the movie "Hitokiri".

Hope.

Alasse.

The elder Konoha sister, not
in cosplay but still cool as ever.

Katan-chan (yes, yes she is
STILL Roshiel-obsessed)...

...with Glastenen.

Hope & Darkside_Blues. Dude, are
you actually doing an otaku gesture?

Misa Amane and Melo (who kept
getting that damn chocolate in front
of her own face), from Death Note.

Christina, as always, on the task of
"watering" our good mood (where did
you suddenly vanish at?).

Hide became somewhat attached to KrizD...

Now, this here marks the beginning of that night's trademark peculiarity: Konoha-oneesama is holding a steel replica of a Templar sword, which was part of my cosplay. I swear, that sword must have gone around the bar at least three full times and usually, from girl to girl (WTF?)... Um, anooo, Jeannie-chan, could I have my sword back?

"I love it!"

"Um, yes but still, could I have it back?
Pretty please with sugar on top? Before
you hurt someone?"

"Nay, it must be MINE!"

"Oh, OK, catch you later, when you
are feeling less homicidal Conan ninja..."

Keru-chan during a particularly frilly,
bubbly, cream-topped, j-pop song.
(Is that in fact some sort of cosplay?
The dress and posture remind me
of Yuuko Ichihara from xxxHolic,
when she wakes up with a hangover).

room302 takes over.

Jessie from Pokemon's Team Rocket

is snuggling her beer (what is the
character's name in Japanese?).

Rinoa Heartlily (FFVIII) and didi-doll.

Artact and Raven (back), Milk and Louiza,
dancing to the sound of Luna Sea.

...and here, Milk as Risa, again from Lovely
Complex, with Louiza/Nobu-chan.

"Um, Jeannie-chan, my ...

"Oi! Geddouta here before I bite
your head off. She will give it
back when she feels like it!"

"There is really no point in taking your
picture without the sword, you know..."

"Aww, come on, let the boy have his toy back...!"

"Sod off sista!"

"Ooooh, widdle boy can't do without
his widdle sword, can he? Boo-hoo!"

The younger Konoha sister can be really
mean sometimes... That never stops her
from being punky-cute though.

"Oh! Enough! You don't have to be so harsh
with him! GIVE HIM BACK HIS SWORD!"

"All righ', all righ'! No need to go
all Mary-Therese on me! Here boyo!"

Ah, at last! Arigatou gozaimaaasu! Now, here, I am supposed to be Hiiragi Renji, the "Falling Man" from Night Wizard. Although a very simple outfit (black pants, red T-shirt under a white shirt and a blue shirt/coat over both, with a black tie and untidy shirt-collar. Some sort of biker gloves - spiked, leather, cut-gloves was the best I could do - and the sword complete the outfit and no, I could not very well have the sword he has on the show!), it was sheer murder with all the heat inside the bar. It felt ridiculously hot with ONE T-shirt - imagine two more shirts over it. Two fun notes: the only reason I managed to have that tie around my neck, was because Artact knew how to tie it. Secondly, the red T-shirt is the one with the Fullmetal Alchemist designs (heh, geek).

Here is the anime character for
comparison - waiting for
your comments!

The first unexpected result of this outfit, was the massive fixation of people with the sword (more intensely illustrated in the coming Part 2). The second, that, along with Hide and Team Rocket, it ranked in the three winning cosplays of the night (in fact, Melo ranked higher than Team Rocket but she had left earlier). Outside the world of hardcore anime fans, Night Wizard, though relatively new, is pretty obscure, so I am betting it all had to do with a guy wearing a black tie, spiked biker gloves and waving a 10-pound steel sword around. Nevertheless, beet-red, I was happy and grateful to receive my prize (a signed copy of BLOOD's "Chain").

Now, there is still the matter of Larva's birthday and of course, the rest of the night, which proved to be... heavy metal, literally. So stay tuned for "Ordre de Ciel + Japan & Anime Party - Ultimate Japanese Music Cosplay Party - Part 2: Chronicles of the Sword"!

Signing off,

Speedgrapher