#and stors instead of stars

[imaginariumwanderer]

I know it's a bit too early but as of now, what are your personally hopes/predictions for silent salt update?I am curious to see how many of them will come true.Jk ofc,I know you arent a fortune teller-

Sorry cheesecakemermaid I got nothing for ya. Similar to white lily I'd say silent salt is the most mysterious beast yet, we barely know what they actually look like much less their personality. My thoughts are the same as what everyone thought in that oh salt is definitely bad BAD news for lily. With them cleaving the moon that's associated with her in half and the fact that lilies irl can die from salt. It'll be... interesting. Crk have always been brutal I'll give it that (flashback to those sailors black pearl killed on-screen in her INTRODUCTION) n beast yeast has been up the ante ever since, I love white lily but oh I so hope she'll go thru it, for the character development.

Some said salt might be based on Authurian knights legend n I'd like it if we see the game expand more on that. I'm always fascinated by how mflour and bspice's motivation and personal philosophies are connected to their respective inspiration (Buddhism and Hinduism or more specifically, Shaivism) even a minor character like peach blossom cookie and the four dumpling kings, I can go on about the myths that may have inspired them. Which is sadly, something I found lacking in esugar, don't get me wrong the references are all over the place like the apple of discord in the title screen, pavlova cookie clearly being a cupid reference, their general clothing and architecture, the final boss of ep 9 having a *venus* fly trap. But I wish we see more of it weaved into esugar's motivations, hm maybe I'm missing something, we still have the other half of the story to go after all!

Silent salt is at the bottom of my beast list rn just based purely on the fact that we don't know much about them (n that I suck at drawing armors) but considering they're the foil of one of crk's greatest written character I'm keeping my hope up. Let the writers cook since there's literally nothing they can reveal would make me feel disappointed in silent salt. If salt turned out to be a beautiful lady warrior? Aw yeah. If salt turned to be a non-binary eldritch knight? Aw yeah. It's unlikely but if salt turned out to have a connection elder faerie, maybe as his alternate self a la white lily and dark enchantress making them a perfect foil to our hero of freedom? I will kneel before peak fiction I will stagger before peak fiction I will cry and proclaim crk to be one of the best piece of literature ever written-

Ok all jokes aside the dev can do anything with silent salt's story BUT rush it, both of white lily's eps (ep1-2 and ep 11-12) are the beginning and the end of the beast yeast saga so there's a lot of stuff to cram in as is. I don't want a repeat of ep 1-2 that's, while serviceable is like a battle royale for who get to have the most screen time. They were supposed to be white lily's big debut but we ended up spending the majority of ep 1 listening to pure vanilla trying to work through his emotional constipation while barely getting any insight on white lily's inner thoughts despite us following through her journey. And then, THEN smilk boy steals the show completely once ep 2 rolls out, the ending to that ep was spectacular n I love the little scenes white lily had with elder faerie/pure vanilla. Not to mention the sweet cutscene art+ominous final words that lily said, but... I came out of ep1-2 feeling like I gained more perspective on pure vanilla instead of the cookie that's supposed to be the star of the show. I got a lot to complain about beast yeast's introduction arc as u can see;;; Hope the writers doesn't muck up the finale, white lily deserve her own spot light *without* her being tied to another character, except maybe silent salt.

One thing I'll say for sure is to not expect the story to be concluded cleanly nor definitively. The writers like to employ a story telling technique I'd like to call drip-feeding. So much stuff is left open in the air in this game. My guess is the ending of beast yeast will be the same. The heroes defeat the villains bla bla bla the beast will not be redeemed but there will be heavy hints that they can be *wink wink* *nudge nudge* Ok there's one thing I dearly hoped will happen after the saga ends, is that the beast will be utilized well by devsis in a way that won't dismiss their threat as villains. The chances of them appearing again next year is low seeing as we'll be moving on to a new arc. The game won't have the balls to kill them off, they're the fandom's darlings after all, I'd give my respect to the writers if they managed to come up with sth that'll decommission the beasts while keeping alive while keeping them threatening AND not doing sth lame like sealing them in another tree again. We've yet to know what the beast binding ritual is, it has been 5 months. And as much as I love the guy.... Pls devsis stop milking the shadow milk he's a dry husk at this point😭

I'll wait until the trailer came out in maybe October/November to give more thoughts on them.

[bouncybongfairy]

Angels Like You

Loki x Fem Reader

Summary: After being pruned by the TVA, you were sent to The Void where you've lived ever since. During a storm Loki comes to your setup, seeking shelter. You allow him to stay and explain your nexus event to him.

Word Count: 2.0k

The context for this story: I based the reader's character after Sigyn who is the goddess of victory. In Norse Mythology, Sigyn is Loki's wife and is known for being extremely loyal. In Loki the mythical god's actual lore, after he kills the god Baldr he is banished to a cave where he is bound to rocks as a poisonous serpent drips venom onto his face until Ragnarok. Sigyn is so faithful she stays with Loki in this cave and holds a bowl above Loki's head to protect him from the venom. I based the reader's actions and relationship on the lore of Sigyn and Loki's romance if that makes sense; Thanks for reading!!

<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3

You were sent to the void so long ago that it’s hard to remember what life was like beforehand. It was such a beautiful life, living on Asgard with your mother and sisters. Mother was a baker and made everything from sweet to savory and your father was a butcher. They were in love and always were, newlyweds by the time they were only 17. Everyone in the family helped out with the bakery, one of your favorite things to do was teach your younger sisters how to make different pastries. Taking care of the animals and interacting with so many locals. You threw another stick in the fire, trying to shake your head of all the memories. Your handmade shelter was holding up nicely from the storm currently roaring around you. While you were scavenging recently you found a mini DVD player among a bunch of rubbage. It had the movie Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones which you’ve been watching on repeat ever since. It was comforting to you, especially because of how much the background looks like Asgard during certain points of the film. You had your legs kicked up, eating an unknown form of fruit that you picked earlier when you heard rummaging. You slowly start to get up not wanting to alert the potential threat. Arming yourself with your daggers, you get closer to the entrance of the shelter. Throwing the wooden door open you step in front of it. Unsurprisingly, a Loki stood in front of you smiling as if he was coming to ask for a cup of sugar. Instead of focusing on who was standing before the doorway, you whip your body around. The Loki that you saw was an illusion created to distract you, every single Loki you encountered did this so you were very familiar with this technique. You pressed the blade into his neck, causing him to raise his hands in defeat. 

“How did you get my blades?” he asked, looking quite taken back. 

“These are mine, not yours,” you replied flatly. 

“How did you know I was coming,” he asked, most likely to stall. 

“Because all Loki’s think they're clever by doing so, it’s like your party trick at this point. What is your business here?” you asked. 

“Is that an Asgardian accent I recognize?” he said, dodging your question. 

“What. Is. Your. Purpose. Here?” you ask, backing him against the wall and pressing the blade against his neck so hard that you caused a small scratch on his throat. 

“Okay, cards on the table. I only came here looking for shelter from the storm. Truly had no ill intentions, could you please..?” he asked, insinuating for you to unarm yourself. You did pull the dagger away from his neck but kept them in each hand. 

“I don’t believe you,” you said. 

“Like I haven’t heard that one before,” he said, sitting down and putting his hands in front of the fire, “you know you’re incredibly uncharismatic for a Loki,” he said, using magic to dry his clothes.

“I am not a Loki, and I never said you could stay here,” you said. 

“Okay if you’re not a Loki then why do you have those daggers?” he asked.

“They belonged to a Loki and now they belong to me; end of story,” you said. 

“Wasn’t aware it was pawning for a storytime,” he said giggling. 

“Do you want to die,” you said, moving closer. 

“You think you can kill me?” he asked. 

“Me being able to kill you is irrelevant. I know I can keep you out of my hut, and I know that storm will have its way with you,” you said. 

“Fair enough,” he said, putting his hands up playfully to surrender. 

“Why are you wearing a TVA jacket?” you asked. 

“I am a bit of a consultant, helping them with an inside look into the mind of a Loki,” he said. 

After physically showing your disgust for his loyalty to the TVA through facial expressions. You started roasting a chicken over the fire that was in the center of the shelter. Loki again began to pry about the origins of your accent. You ignored his inquiries and turned the roasted chicken that was cooking above the fire. He was eyeing the food like a lion would a gazelle. 

“I thought you worked for the TVA? Don’t tell me your wonderful new friends aren't feeding you,” you said flatly. 

“Well you know sometimes missions go… askew if you will,” he chuckled then conjured himself a blanket. 

“The TVA discarding lives at will? Can’t say I’m surprised,” you said. 

“And what about you? Clearly, you're Asgardian so what was your nexus event?” he asked. 

“I lived in the villages of Asgard, my family and I lived comfortably. My mother and father ran a foodery. They were given the opportunity to work in the castle’s pantry. Without a second thought, they took the opportunity, especially because it meant proper education for my sisters and me. We were shocked to see the interior of the castle. I couldn’t stop laughing because of how mesmerized I was,” you said, turning the chicken again, “as my sister and I lost our minds, the queen came around the corner. My mother was so upset that she saw me acting foolish, she pinched my forearm so hard it bruised. She took us to our separate rooms before showing my parents around. I didn’t want to be in separate rooms, in our old home, the room we shared was so small and the sudden change was jarring. Once I was alone in my room I broke down into tears, I was only 13 and it was all so overwhelming.” You moved the chicken away from the fire onto a makeshift table. Ripping one of the legs off and setting it on a chipped plate. Loki thanked you before you even handed it to him. After taking a few bites, he stared at you, waiting for you to continue. 

“The next day things were getting easier. I came out of my room and saw a snake slithering outside my door. I picked it up and began talking to it, saying things like ‘If someone else would have found you, they’d make you lunch’ or ‘let's get you out of here before you’re killed’ but after I set it free, Loki shapeshifted out of his snake form. The first thing I noticed were his eyes, they were so bright and his pupils were wide. 

“I was uh- trying to scare you but when you picked me up I had to wait till you set me down to shapeshift back,” he explained. 

“Why would I be scared of a creature that is simply existing?” you asked. 

“You have a point there,” he said laughing, which caused you to join him. 

“After that encounter, it was like we couldn’t stop bumping into each other. Everywhere you went, he'd always end up stopping by even just to share a quick glance with each other. Eventually, things got more serious, and we’d both sneak out to meet each other in the library. Loki loved the library, he explained that when he was to rule Asgard, he’d make his soldiers study basic battle strategy and geography to ensure his glorious purpose wasn’t to be wasted. I always loved romance novels which irritated him beyond no end. One that you remember was about a young king named Angus who was turned to stone by Medusa. His queen Rose was wrapped in his arms when turned, he was protecting her. He thought if he shielded the queen from the serpent's view and it did. The queen could have escaped but she would’ve needed to shatter her king’s stoned body. He was gripping her so tightly that the stone was rubbing her skin raw, but she was so touched that in his last moments, he wanted to be as close as he could to her. The love she had for him was so strong that she couldn’t bring herself to it. So she died in his arms. Aphrodite was so moved by the queen's sacrifice that she turned her body into a rose bush with thorns that completely wrapped around him. To protect his stoned body so she could be with him forever. Loki would poke up and talk about how no king would ever do that. Even if he was right, it didn’t stop you from reading them obsessively.

The night before my 14th birthday, Loki appeared at my window wanting to talk.”

Flash Back:

“I have something to show you,” he said, taking you by the hand and helping you climb down from your window. 

When you got to the bottom, there was a black horse that Loki helped you on. You were scared of getting in trouble but he insisted that nobody would notice. This is when you knew feelings were starting to develop, at least on your end. At first, you were scared to fully wrap your arms around him. He reached behind him and pulled you by your arms closer to him. You now had your cheek pressed against his back, watching his long black hair bounce as the horse galloped. You guys were getting deeper and deeper into the forest, starting to see more animals and thicker trees. When you guys finally stopped, it was starting to rain quite hard. He grabbed you by the waist and helped you down from the huge stallion. Taking you by the hand he began leading you to a cave that was nearby. At first, you were reluctant to go into this dark and foreign entryway. Loki dried your clothes and conjured a lantern. When he lit the cave up with light from the lantern you couldn’t believe your eyes. The cave had rose vines on every section of the wall. Your hand immediately threw your hand over your mouth. 

“Like in that book you love, when I found it I knew I had to show you. I know it’s not much-” you interrupted him by pulling him into a hug. 

“This is amazing, thank you for bringing me here to see this,” you said. 

“I actually didn’t bring you here only to see it,” he said, pulling the book out of his saddle bag. 

The cave’s floor was covered in long grass, which made it very comfortable when sitting on the ground. Loki’s back was pressed against a portion of the wall that he cleared of vines and thorns. You were your back against Loki’s chest as you read aloud to the book. You kept stuttering over words at first, being distracted and flustered. Eventually, you settled and were able to read fluently through the story. You guys stayed there until it began to rise, and right before you parted ways to separate bedrooms you shared a chaste kiss. Ever since that night, you knew Loki was the love of your life. The connection that was growing was strong and undeniable. It remained that way even after time aged the two of you. By the time you guys were 18 the love between the two of you was still as fresh as the roses in the cave. A wedding was being planned and the energy in the air was euphoric. Both of your families were healthy, the kingdom was thriving and you loved each other. Long story short: Baldr invaded Asgard. Loki killed him and saved so many people's lives yet he was punished. Banished to the very cave where your love blossomed in, only now the roses were all dead, yet the thorns remained. When you saw him, he was passed out from the pain. A serpent was suspended above his head, dripping its toxic venom onto his skin. You refused to leave his side, at first he would scream for you to leave. Not wanting your mind to be poisoned by the pain of seeing him so weak. You comforted him and held his head with one hand and used the other to hold out a bowl, catching the venom. You weren’t sure how much time passed, but one day you couldn’t stand the thought of living this way. For your love to be punished for doing what he believed to be right by his people. You noticed Loki still had his two daggers tucked into his pant-line. Knowing you would have to be quick, you emptied the bowl of venom and quickly grabbed his daggers. Using your own head to cover Loki’s body from the venom you start attacking the snake. After severing its head, you passed out from how bad the venom burned your skin. When you woke up Loki was already causing Ragnarok, he had so much pent-up rage. The timekeepers found me and when I was at the TVA pleading for answers, they told me certain events on my timeline needed to play out before Loki was released. Because you were the one who released him, they blamed it on you.

End of Flashback

The Loki you’d just met was looking at you with a pitiful expression. You noticed he picked his chicken clean which made you chuckle. 

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” he said. 

“Not your fault,” you said. 

“I know but, that’s one of the most heinous stories about survivors of the TVA,” he said. 

“I’m glad you liked the chicken. I’m going to bed,” you said, setting your cot up. 

“Is it okay if I stay?” Loki asked.

“If you stop asking questions then yes,” you said, extinguishing the fire and going to sleep.

[aifanfictions]

write a stor about Jotaro Kujo from Jojos Bizzare Adventures falling in love with (y/n) who is his classmate. But (y/n) is scared of him at first because of his reputation and brooding looks and personality, so she initially tries to avoid him.

Hearts Unveiled

In the bustling halls of Morioh High School, Jotaro Kujo was an enigmatic figure. His tall frame, dark attire, and brooding demeanor gave him an aura of mystique and intimidation. He had a reputation as a stoic and fearless student, which only added to the intrigue surrounding him.

(Y/N), a recent transfer student, found herself drawn into the whirlwind of Morioh High's social dynamics. Her first day was met with whispers and warnings about the enigmatic Jotaro Kujo. Tales of his fearsome Stand, Star Platinum, and his involvement in bizarre adventures had created an aura of fear and respect around him.

As (Y/N) navigated the crowded hallways, she couldn't help but notice Jotaro's presence. He stood out like a lone wolf among the bustling pack of students, his sharp gaze piercing through the chaos. Every glance from him seemed like an evaluation, as if he could see through the very soul of those he looked at.

At first, (Y/N) did her best to avoid Jotaro. She hurried past him in the hallways, avoided eye contact, and chose seats as far from him as possible in the classroom. Her friends often teased her about her overreaction to the rumors about Jotaro, but she couldn't help it.

As days turned into weeks, (Y/N) couldn't ignore the fact that Jotaro seemed to be everywhere. He was in her classes, at lunch, and even on the way home. It felt as if their paths were destined to cross, even though she desperately tried to stay away.

One day, while waiting for the bus after school, (Y/N) noticed that she had left her book in the classroom. She cursed her forgetfulness and decided to hurry back to retrieve it. Little did she know that this moment would change everything.

As she entered the classroom, she saw Jotaro standing there, his tall figure silhouetted against the afternoon sun. Panic surged within her, and she debated whether to leave and come back later. But before she could make a decision, Jotaro turned and looked at her.

Their eyes met, and a jolt of fear coursed through (Y/N)'s veins. She felt trapped, unable to move or speak. Jotaro, however, surprised her by simply nodding in acknowledgment before turning back to his own business.

That small act of indifference puzzled (Y/N). She had expected him to be as intimidating as the rumors suggested, but he had barely paid her any attention. Over the following days, (Y/N) couldn't help but steal glances at Jotaro, trying to understand the enigma that was Jotaro Kujo.

Gradually, she noticed subtleties about him that the rumors had never mentioned. He had an air of confidence, but it was neither intimidating nor arrogant. He was protective of his friends, often stepping in to help or defend them. He had a deep sense of justice that resonated with (Y/N)'s own values.

One evening, as the sun cast long shadows across the schoolyard, (Y/N) found herself alone at a bench, lost in thought. She remembered how Jotaro had quietly nodded at her that day in the classroom, and it made her wonder if her initial fears had been unfounded.

As if on cue, Jotaro appeared, sitting down next to her without a word. (Y/N) tensed up, but he didn't seem to mind her presence. Instead, he began to speak about their classmates, sharing anecdotes and insights that (Y/N) found surprisingly amusing.

As they continued to talk, (Y/N) discovered a side of Jotaro that no one else seemed to know. He had a dry sense of humor that could make her laugh, and he had an inquisitive mind that was eager to learn about her interests. He was nothing like the rumors suggested, and she couldn't help but be captivated by his complex personality.

Over the weeks that followed, Jotaro and (Y/N) found themselves spending more time together. They talked about everything under the sun, from their dreams and aspirations to the mysteries of the universe. It was as if their conversations were a bridge that connected their hearts.

As they got to know each other, (Y/N) realized that she had misjudged Jotaro. He was not the intimidating figure she had initially perceived him to be. Instead, he was a caring and thoughtful person, a friend who stood by her through both challenges and triumphs.

One evening, under the starry sky, Jotaro confessed something that took (Y/N) by surprise. "I think I'm falling for you," he admitted, his voice soft and sincere.

(Y/N)'s heart skipped a beat, and she looked into his eyes, searching for any sign of insincerity. But all she found was a vulnerability she had never seen before. It was a vulnerability that matched her own feelings, feelings she had been too scared to acknowledge.

With trembling words, (Y/N) confessed her own feelings. "I think I'm falling for you too."

In that moment, they both realized that love had bloomed in the most unexpected of places. Their initial fears and misgivings had given way to a deep and genuine connection that defied all expectations.

From that day forward, Jotaro Kujo and (Y/N) shared a love story that was as unique as it was profound. They faced life's challenges together, and their love only grew stronger with each passing day. It was a love that transcended appearances and rumors, proving that sometimes, the most unexpected connections could lead to the deepest and most genuine love.

As they walked hand in hand through the halls of Morioh High School, Jotaro and (Y/N) knew that their love was a testament to the power of understanding, acceptance, and the beauty that could be found in the most unconventional of beginnings.

NOTE! This story was generated by OpenAI

[smiles-ocs]

Hello friends! I took everyone’s suggestions and thoughts and played with this more! Once again you can feel free to vote for what you’d like. I realized that since this is a title, it most likely wouldn’t have a background, it’d just be the title itself, so there’s options for that. I noticed that it does seem like it says “Stor Child” instead of “Star Child” without the A, but the A doesn’t fit super well?? So I tried to make the Star look like an A but it looks too Star-trekky to me. Idk. It all had the same font and I played with different shines. Do let me know how you feel and once again feel free to leave suggestions!

[episodicnostalgia]

Star Trek: The Next Generation, 115 (Feb. 6, 1988) - “Too Short a Season”

Teleplay by: Michael Michaelian & D.C. Fontanta Story by: Michael Michaelian Directed by: Rob Bowman

The Breakdown

A Federation ambassador and their team have been taken hostage on Persephone V by alleged terrorists who refuse to talk to their planetary leader, Karnas.  So who WILL they talk to?  None other than the legendary Admiral Mark Jameson, who successfully negotiated a hostage situation on Persephone V, some 45 years ago.  Though his aging body has been ravaged by an incurable degenerative illness (confining him to a wheel chair), his mind is still sharp, and therefore has been given command of the mission with the aid of Picard and the Enterprise.  However, as the Enterprise makes its way to Persephone, our boy Mark begins to regain his strength and virility! This on its own should be impossible, but when the Admiral starts to rapidly grow younger it raises more than a few eyebrows. We discover that Jameson has been taking an alien de-aging treatment, which is extremely risky for most species.  With his new mission, Jameson apparently felt that he would take two full doses of the treatment all at once (instead of one dose slowly over years), so that he could be in his physical prime and ready for action. 

So why the urgent need for his restored youth?  Well, it turns out that Jameson may not have used the most ethical of tactics in that hostage situation all those years ago. You see, back in the day Karnas’ house was just one of several families fighting for planetary dominance, and he was also the dude holding the hostages that Jameson originally “negotiated to freedom.” Karnas had demanded an exchange of weapons for the lives of his hostages, so that he could gain the upper hand in his fight for political dominance.  Giving weapons to aid a non-federation civil war is strictly prohibited by the prime-directive, but seeing no other way out, Jameson opted for super neat loophole; He gave Karnas his weapons, and then once the hostages were safe, also provided all of Karnas’ enemies the same weapons, resulting in a 40 year war that killed millions (which TECHNICALLY doesn’t violate the prime directive, I guess).  Jameson then lied about all this in his report, and the federation evidently never bothered to corroborate any of it (which doesn’t speak to larger cover-up at all).

Not being the forgiving sort, Karnas has now taken the present-day federation delegates hostage in exchange for Jameson’s life (the alleged terrorists never existed).  In the mean time, that treatment that's restored Jameson’s youth has gone too far, as his health rapidly declines from his organs imploding.  Realizing this is the end of the line, Jameson gives himself over to Karnas who ultimately satisfies himself with watching Jameson die painfully in front of him.  Since he did technically get what he wanted, Karnas agrees to honour his terms, and allows the hostages to go free. 

The moral of the story: If an a guest Admiral boards your ship to command an away mission, prepare yourself for some morally dubious goings-on.

The Verdict

My biggest criticism is how little starfleet seems to hold their commanding officers accountable.  Even accepting that Karnas kept Jameson’s secret, I find it hard to believe that between all the other warring factions, that word wouldn’t have gotten back to Starfleet command/the Federation about their inadvertent sponsorship of a planetary war.  I also think that realistically Picard should have just contacted Starfleet as soon as their assigned Admiral started de-aging 50 years immediately before heading up a vital mission.  The same could be said for Jameson’s sudden decision to switch from negotiations to a surprise offensive (which fails miserably), but then I guess that would make for a short episode.  Needless to say, Picard is going to have one hell of a report to submit.

All that aside, I otherwise quite enjoyed this episode.  The story nicely sets up the reveal of Jameson’s past misdeeds, showing us that our heroes are often not what we imagine them to be.  Jameson’s actions initially feel irrational and contrived, until we understand he’s just a desperate man running from his past out of guilt and shame.  It makes for a mostly-relevant observation of the way our own political and military leadership alter history to the benefit their legacy, while avoiding accountability for their actions. Very Shakespearean stuff.

3 stars (out of 5)

Additional Observations

Power Corrupts Starfleet Admirals:  This is the first corrupt 24th century Admiral that we’ll run into, but it’s a trope that I believe goes all the way back to the TOS era. It makes sense given that Starfleet apparently has no follow-up process with commanding officers after major missions.

Jameson armed multiple hostile factions in a global dispute, ostensibly without Starfleet’s knowledge or approval; which leads me to wonder where he procured the weapons that he gave away?  Am I to believe that he used his ship’s replicators to provide enough artillery to fuel a world war?  Wouldn’t that raise a few eyebrows amongst his crew, some of whom must have had their reservations over such a questionable bargain?  As much as I enjoy Star Trek, there are some mental gymnastics one must perform in order to ignore the otherwise-fairly-obvious signs of widespread corruption within Starfleet’s upper echelons.

Although Picard and Crusher are probably the most featured main-cast members of the episode, the story is predominantly driven by Mark Jameson.  Unlike future evil-admirals who will function as proper villains, this episode comes closer to framing Jameson as the protagonist, making him more of an anti-hero.

[juno-writes]

Helios chapter 1

January POV

“All ready?” me and Finn are sitting in the IT room at the central computer. It's a humongous, expensive screen that radiates gleams in the claustrophobic, dark room.

“Yup,” they respond, rolling their chair away from the screen so I can see. The only words are “start recording?”

“Whenever you're ready.” In order to successfully deliver a ransom, in my opinion, you need to remind the ransom payers of three specific things.

One, “we took this from you haha loser.”

Two, “you need to pay this amount of money to get it back.”

Three, “meet us here.”

All of this can be done in just a short video. I press play.

“Hello citizens of Proxima Centauri b! This is January from the Helios speaking. If you don't know us, we’re the group that organized the little disturbance yesterday at the capital in order to take a little trophy with us from the throne room. You may or may not know who im talking about, does the princess of SipC ring a bell? Hopefully it does. If you want us to return her, meet us at TRAPPIST-1f’s  Dome 3 to discuss a proper ransom. Thank you and have a great day!” The screen shuts off and I lean back in my chair, smiling so wide my face hurts. 

I stand up and thank Finn, leaving the computer room and entering the common room where the princess sits, staring at the ceiling. Her blonde hair has straightened over the past couple of hours and her dress has been cut. Probably by Crystal I walk over and the second she notices me she turns away.

“Sooooo did you get your beauty rest?” No response. “Oops! I almost forgot about the muffle,” I walk over and tug it from her mouth so that it hangs loosely around her neck. 

“So?”

“To start, this chair is exceedingly uncomfortable,”

“Sorry to hear that, will that be one star off your review?”

“Can you just stop talking to me? I know you haven’t been torturing me physically, but just talking to me is enough to fill that absence”

“Glad to hear that, I was trying to think of something less barbaric than the iron maiden after all,” she groans in response. She glares at me for a couple seconds and then looks in the opposite direction. Instead of pushing it, I decided to just check up on how the landing is going.

-    - -

The cold desert of TRAPPIST-1 f stretches out beyond the windows of the main lobby. Our ship sits near the edge of a cliff leading down to a gigantic river which connects to every other body of water on the planet. Because of the tidal lock, the sky is stained with an orange glow and the thin smell of twilight.

“Everyone ready? We landed about 5 miles away from The Domes so we’ll go by ebike,” Stick says while putting on his brown jacket. We load up our blasters, set up our bikes (mine is red!!!), and ride off toward the domes. Me and the princess ride together and to my disappointment, she doesn’t have her muffle on.

“Well this is just great, I'm getting dust in my eyes and I don’t trust you enough to not crash into something. And of course helmets were just too expensive! With the ransom they’re going to give you, you would think that you can afford something as necessary as helmets! How do you think SipC would feel if the princess was dead before they even got to arrange a ransom price!”

“Please stop talking. I thought I was the one holding you hostage, now it feels like I'm at gunpoint in my own vehicle,” I sigh. I didn’t think she was the chatty type.

“Good, I'm glad to hear this is working then. So then, if you would just leave me right here then it would all end”

“Tempting but no thanks; I didn’t travel 14 parsecs to TRAPPIST-1f just for me to drop you off in the middle of the desert,” I say. Of course, this doesn’t stop her from complaining about every little thing, but eventually I block it out by noticing the beauty of the landscape. In the distance is Afterglow City, or most commonly referred to just as Afterglow. The city itself is on the far north east of the only inhabitable island on TRAPPIST-1f. Because of the planet’s dust storms, its citizens live in one of three giant domes. 

The first dome is regarded as the main city and a number one tourist destination for TRAPPIST-1 visitors: Dome 1. It has giant skyscrapers and a booming population. Dome 1 has everything you would expect in a giant city, high crime, expensive houses, meaningless landmarks. The second dome is the suburban section of Afterglow. It is home to those who can’t afford housing in Dome 1 but still have work and school there. While these two domes are well taken care of by the government the third dome is pretty much forgotten about. It is the smallest dome and the first created. Due to its out of date technology, the dome itself is susceptible to dust storms. It is famous for its overgrowth of alien plants because of a malfunction in the dome that causes exceeded humidity, moisture, and rain.

When the group and I arrive at Dome 3, we split up into groups. Me and the princess park at the South entrance of the dome.

“Lets go Princess,”

“I'm not going with you just to be-” I pull out my blaster.

“I literally have no time for this, let's go,” that shuts her up real quick. She keeps up herpissed off facade as she hops out of the ebike with her hands up.

“Keep moving inside the dome,” I say, tapping the mouth of the blaster against her head lightly. We enter with no guards disturbing us and eyes glued to us. As we walk through the streets of Dome 3, the residents stop mid step to stare at us, looking in horror and keeping their distance, trying not to end up like her.

We make it to the town square without any issues. The roof of the dome towers above us, long vines reaching down as if to grab onto us. I stand near a fountain, looking around for any sign of police or SipC representatives but nothing. Suddenly, a large hologram appears to my left. Bodyguards stand beside it, blasters in their hands. A giant man appears between them.

“Greetings to the members of Helios, I am the President of SipC, King Zephyr,” the hologram in the shape of the king’s states, a smug smile on its face. Everyone around us bows. I whisper to the princess to not move. “We are here today to discuss negotiations regarding the release of SipC’s princess from her captives. The board has talked on this topic and agreed on a hard but necessary decision,” I take a step back, feeling the guards closing in from a distance. I turn my head around rapidly to look around. Something is happening but I don’t know what…

“We have decided the best course of action is to save our ransom money for the stolen Crown Prince. Because of the riots in our newly colonized planets, we are unable to afford such unnecessary, pricey endeavors. In short, we don’t need her.”

Feel free to post thoughts and opinions in the comments!

[billconrad]

Cult of Personality

    The first use of the phrase “cult of personality” appeared in a letter written by Karl Marx to German political worker Wilhelm Blos on November 10, 1877. This term describes a leader’s magnetic power to engulf and inspire their followers.

    These devout followers hang on every word, and their loyalty grows with each speech. This term is not limited to politicians and may apply to business leaders, teachers, actors, sports figures, and musicians. Some notable examples include JFK, Martin Luther King, Joseph Stalin, Juan Perón (Argentina), Mao Zedong (China), The Kim family (North Korea), and Ferdinand Marcos (Philippines).

    What is going on in the minds of the followers? It combines star-struck and success appreciation (factual or fabricated). People like winners, especially if they are good-looking and speak well. Leaders craft speeches for maximum reaction and practice before speaking to fuel addiction. The result is loyalty, fanaticism, and the acceptance of atrocious actions.

    I wanted to examine this topic from a different angle. Developing a fictional character with a cult of personality is difficult, and I can provide a perfect example. In his famous speech, JFF said, “Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” Those powerful words still resonate and continue to inspire.

     Let’s pretend those few precious words were not in a famous speech. Instead, the fictional character Jack said, “Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” It is a good sentence, but not inspirational for the reader. “Get out there and work!” would have been a more effective sentence. What is the difference? Leaders require time to be accepted, and the loyalty they inspire does not translate to plain words.

    Readers must build a character in their minds. That is far different from watching a magnanimous person inspire and achieve solutions. To develop a cult of personality, our minds need a connection to reality, and a character does not have the qualifications. What about a movie character? They certainly have an advantage, but even an over-the-top character like Luke Skywalker comes nowhere close to JFK.

    How about this? Let’s use AI to make an interactive AI character that is programmed to inspire readers. They could give rousing speeches, connect with the reader’s tastes, react to their visual signs, and advise. Would readers become engulfed with this character? Probably not, because it is a one-on-one interest and is pissing the “cult” aspect. In a cult of personality situation, people talk about what they saw with each other, amplifying the effect. When combined with change (success), this further reinforces the effect. That cannot happen with a solitary book.

    Can an author simply state that “Sally is a leader with a cult of personality” and then let the reader fill in the blanks? I suppose, but I would consider this a lousy character description. Readers need to be spoon-fed details over many pages until they have a complete mental picture. An outstanding leader like JFK can give a speech and achieve ten times the connection.

    What if this were not true? If we take this illogical premise forward, people would become addicted to books. While great for authors, this would most likely mess up society. However, it would probably be better than the horrific side effects of drugs. Would there be excessive hospital visits for paper cuts?

    I continue to find unwritable topics fascinating, and a character with a cult of personality would qualify. If I could only get such a fanatic following for my books…

    You’re the best -Bill

    August 23, 2023

    Hey book lovers, I published four. Please check them out:

    Interviewing Immortality. A dramatic first-person psychological thriller that weaves a tale of intrigue, suspense, and self-confrontation.

    Pushed to the Edge of Survival. A drama, romance, and science fiction story about two unlikely people surviving a shipwreck and living with the consequences.

    Cable Ties. A slow-burn political thriller that reflects the realities of modern intelligence, law enforcement, department cooperation, and international politics.

    Saving Immortality. Continuing in the first-person psychological thriller genre, James Kimble searches for his former captor to answer his life’s questions.

    These books are available in soft-cover on Amazon and eBook format everywhere.

[lambofasolidor]

@tarnishedxknight

Favorable? Cygni thought - baffled by such decision. A light wind meant the best method of travel was to scale the walls? A part of her was tempted to try and probe for a little more clarification - to try and understand why the woman thought it to be best - but... she held her tongue. Unwilling to overstep her bounds further. Instead, she tilted her head, and offered, "I- I suppose that is- is certainly brave of- of you. I- I think I- I have not the- the courage to attempt such a- a thing." That, and the palace in Archades did not have the same structure to allow such foolhardy feats. Not that she would say such aloud, both to keep her identity still a secret, and to avoid insult.

Her smile widened as warmth twinkled in her gaze, and Cygni bit back a small chuckle. Instead, she offered a light shrug, and turned her gaze away from the stranger. "Of- of course not just any-anyone, but I- I am simply a- a guest. For-forgive me, for I- I have yet to be- be intro-introduced to its occupants." Perhaps the woman's phrasing should have given her some inkling as to who she was speaking to, but Cygni paid no mind to that until--

Ashelia?

Her heart skipped a beat. Was this...? Oh, gods, Vayne was going to kill her. How in tune it was for her to come across the Princess of Dalmasca so informally! Yet...

She kept herself steady despite her sudden nerves, and glanced back at Ashelia once more. There was a faint flutter in her chest seeing the woman's smirk, but she shoved that aside as well - deciding it was safer to play further ignorance when she seemed unbothered by the lack of greater respect. "I- I am Cygni," she replied with a sweet smile and a bit of mirth in her gaze. "Though I- I have no nickname to- to offer. 'Tis a- a pleasure meet-meeting you, Ashe."

But her smile faltered at Ashelia's long sigh, and worry creased her brow. Her head tilting once more as she studied her. Should she ask? Was this something she should worry of herself? But they had only just met, and she wished not push her away so suddenly with her prying. She decided to leave it be in favor of respect, and turned to look out at the stars with her. Doing her best to shove aside her concerns and confusion as she breathed in deep the desert air. A quiet company she didn't mind - not when the view was so lovely, and not when they were both probably unwelcomed to be roaming at such an hour.

Cygni's nervous uncertainty changed at the innocent question, and immediately, her eyes lit up almost as bright as the stars above. A liveliness blooming as she straightened and beamed with delight. "Aye, there- there are. Oft stor-stories of great beasts or- or those of great im-importance to the gods," she explained rather eagerly. "One of- one of the constella-lations above us now is- is Cetus, a- a mighty beast said to- said to dwell in the- the sea north of- of Archadia that can- can summon power-powerful storms from its depths. 'Tis sai-said to have--"

She stopped herself short as her face flushed suddenly, and with a nervous chuckle, she looked away. Cygni fidgeted with her sleeves, an silently prayed she had not gotten on Ashelia's nerves like she so easily did with her family. "Ah... sorry. I- I tend to get- get carried a-away. Stu-studying the- the stars is a- a hobby of mine, you- you see, and it- it can be... easy to- to get lost in- in them."

Ashelia relaxed a bit at the sight of the other doing the same, although her curiosity was piqued. Who was this person? And why had she never seen her around the palace before? It was a very rare occasion indeed that Ashe ran into anyone she did not know within the palace walls. Not that they were exactly inside the walls, at the moment, but nevertheless...

Well, if the other was going to stick around, Ashe wasn't going to let that bother her. She'd come for the view and to clear her head. The Dalmascan horizon would fulfill the first desire, and perhaps conversation could fulfill the latter one. She chuckled at the stranger's assessment of her chosen method of travel. "Yes, well... I know both the halls and the walls of the palace like the back of my own hand. Besides, it is not very windy tonight. It seemed the more favorable of the two routes," she said, without explaining more about why.

She very nearly huffed as her question was answered with another question. Who does this person think they are? And yet she wasn't really not annoyed so much as curious. And that cheeky smile... did something to her. Something good. "How is it that you do not know who I am, if you are here at the palace? It is not as though just anyone is permitted entry," she said, the idea that that should have told her exactly who this person was being completely lost on her at the moment. She smirked in spite of herself. "Very well. I am Ashelia. You may call me Ashe," she said, deciding that the other had earned the privilege of using her nickname.

Ashe sighed long. "I have my reasons for avoiding the palace halls at this late hour," she said. "And as I said, it is not so windy tonight that the way I came should be considered so dangerous." With that, she turned her attention to the night sky, seeking solace in it and a distraction from her worries about Vossler.

"Stories? There are stories in the stars?" she asked rather innocently, her eyes searching them all. "You sound as though you favor such things," she said curiously, wondering if there was a reason for that. Was she a new spellcaster, perhaps? That would explain why Ashe had never seen her before. Many spellcasters, she knew, found meaning in the constellations.

[aduro-gayming]

im so close to putting ‘’jedi stans dni’’ in my bio. i am so close. some of yall just genuinely do not understand things and jerk urself off morally for it. also ur annoying

[cyberpunkpizzaman]

Reflections on Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 is an excellent game plagued by mismatched expectations, a buggy release, and a surplus of hype. It's also a quintessentially cyberpunk story — the world and story of Cyberpunk 2077 are informed by and centered on influences that stretch back to William Gibson's Neuromancer (and the entire Sprawl trilogy), along with Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash and a bevy of others. It is, as its name suggests, a cyberpunk game through and through.

Cyberpunk: World-Building and Characterization

I'm going to start by saying that I have not played, read, or otherwise engaged with the tabletop RPG Cyberpunk 2077 is based on — I've leafed through the core rulebook once and that's about it. My interest in and my understanding of cyberpunk as a genre stems from the works of William Gibson, Neal Stephenson, and the like. Literary influences drive my affection for the genre and my sense for what it is and what it is not.

Fundamentally, cyberpunk stories center on anxieties about the future. Unlike more typical science fiction, cyberpunk stories envisage a world not 500 or 1000 years in the future, but a world 30, maybe 40 years out. A world much like our own, but with the a few more grains of sand through the hourglass. A world controlled by corporations and crime lords, a world in which legitimate business and crime are nothing but two sides of the same coin, a world in which governments fade into the background and day-to-day survival hinges on stringing together a series of jobs and criminal acts just to stay afloat. And a world in which technology serves not to level the playing field, but to enrich the wealthy and protect the powerful. Cyberpunk may look like neon and chrome, but cyberpunk is about chronic inequality, exploitation, and the ravenous pursuit of profit without regard for humanity.

It's bleak.

The protagonists of cyberpunk stories are hustlers and thieves. Neuromancer's Case is a hacker addicted to speed who nearly died after a job gone wrong. Snow Crash's Hiroaki Protagonist is a freelance hacker in debt to the Mafia who splits his time delivering pizzas and scrounging up information on up-and-coming rock stars. Jonny Mnemonic's Jonny is so hard up for cash that he rents out space in his brain to anyone in need of secure storage for their secrets, locking them away so that even he cannot recall them.

Cyberpunk protagonists are one step away from homelessness, crushed by the weight of systemic inequality and corporate power. They're also renegades, mercenaries who have opted out of traditional employment, choosing to live on the edge instead of bending the knee to some corporate executive.

So how does Cyberpunk 2077's V stack up?

No matter the background you select at the start of the game, V ends up in the same spot — pulling dangerous jobs and risking their life to make a quick buck. Sometimes that means saving a wealthy client, and sometimes that means not asking too many questions when the trunk of the car you're driving starts making noises.

You have no long-term goals or aspirations; the best you can hope for is to go out in a blaze of glory, remembered by your fellow mercenaries. Maybe you'll get a drink named after you if you die well enough.

V's own perspective on the world is fundamentally cynical. Bad things happen to good people, and everyone's in it for themselves. Loyalty is a rare commodity and all the more treasured as a result. Violence is an everday affair, and nightmare fuel always lies just around the next corner.

V fits the archetype better than any cyberpunk game protagonist I've seen in a while. That sense of desperation, of living on the edge is there in a way other games lack. As GB 'Doc' Burford puts it:

"This game is one of the best depictions of lower-class life I’ve ever seen in a game. I felt recognized in a way I haven’t before; they get poverty, the desire to get out of it, ambition and dreams and no way to realize it." — GB 'Doc' Burford on Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk: Plot

Cyberpunk stories are about using a combination of technology, skills, and a deep reserve of sheer will to fuck over one of the world's great powers — a corrupt government, a globe-spanning megacorporation, a power-hungry monopolist. It's about looking at the state of the world and saying "you know, this ain't changing. But I can at least make my mark by hurting the fuckers who made it this way." And maybe. Just maybe. Things get slightly better in the process. People get a little more freedom.

These are stories where winning means going on the run for the rest of your short life. Stories where winning means leaving ruin in your wake and bodies on the floor. Stories where your long-term impact might be the slight moment of hesitation a mega-corp exec experiences before doing something heinous, a brief flash of "what if that happens to me?" It's about going out in a blaze of glory for you... and because others might bask in that glow.

Cyberpunk 2077 nails this feeling.

Conclusion

Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the best games I've played. Like the best works in the genre, it's all about the feel. Driving past glittering advertisements at night, immersed in the loglo. Planning a daring incursion into corporate territory. Sacrificing more and more humanity in exchange for better and better chrome.

It's a titanic work and it all hangs together stylistically. It's worth checking the game out, especially if you like the cyberpunk genre.

All links to the game throughout this post are Humble Bundle affiliate links; I get a small portion of any purchase made after using them.

Thanks for reading!

[themoonlitsojourner]

Chapter 3: Come back home

Gar thought Raven didn't care. And he couldn't fault her for it after what happened when HE wore his heart on his sleeve. But now she's here with him. And he can't believe just how wrong he was.

In the dark room, lit only by fairy lights and the stars on the ceiling, Tara and Gar danced. They swayed back and forth, shuffling their feet in a pattern neither of them quite knew. The way they were dancing wasn’t important, after all. They were content just to be together, no matter what they were doing.

“How’s this for a dance?” Gar grinned. “It’s not exactly prom, but-”

“It’s perfect,” Tara reassured him. With a sigh, she leaned forward to rest her head on his shoulder. “Thank you.”

“Yeah.” He smiled down at her, running his hand lightly through her silky blond hair. “It’s no big deal, really. I’d do a lot more for you.”

When Tara looked up at him, tears shone in her ocean blue eyes. Tears he hadn’t understood at the time, mistaking them for happiness instead of sorrow. For affection instead of the dread of what was to come.

Leaning forward, she kissed him, so softly and sweetly he knew he’d remember that night forever. But like all the others they shared, it wasn’t long before the memory turned bittersweet.

~~~

Gar wakes up slowly. Why rush to return to his empty room and the aching hole in his chest? To the endless rain pouring down both outside his window and in his head?

But this morning is different. Today he awakens to cool jeans under his cheek and a gentle hand resting on his shoulder.

Gar’s eyes flutter open. No, he’s not still dreaming. He’s definitely lying with his head in someone’s lap. And when he cranes his neck to look, he can’t quite believe his eyes.

It’s Raven, of all people, who sleeps propped against the wall, head bowed and hair falling in front of her face, her hand resting on his shoulder. Her lips part slightly as she exhales quietly.

How does she do that? How does she find peace and control, the two things that have eluded Gar all his life? Especially now, when his world has shattered on the ground. He can’t imagine what the inside of his skull must look like right now. He doesn’t need to be an empath to know he’s a mess.

And yet Raven stayed. She pulled the pain from him, despite the havok it must have caused in her mind and the crick she’s totally going to have in her neck when she wakes up. She kept her promise.

Maybe he shouldn’t be so shocked. Maybe he should have a little more faith in his teammate. But honestly… Gar’d always thought Raven didn’t like him. That she only tolerated his presence. It’s why he can’t quite wrap his mind around it now that her actions say differently.

She could have decided to wait out the storm, could have let him push her away like the rest of the Titans. But instead she went miles out of her way to meet him in the dark hole he dug for himself.

When Gar closes his eyes, he can picture how she pulled his grief into herself, face creased in concentration. He can picture the single tear that rolled down her cheek, the first time he’s ever seen her cry. She hurt herself to help him. Why, he has no clue. It’s crazy. He’s lying with his head in her lap, for goodness sake!

I’ve gotta be a real mess if she’s letting me get this close. It’s all he can think of, that he looks so torn apart that she’s taking pity on him. Whatever the reason, he’s grateful.

“Rae.” She doesn’t stir. “It’s morning, sleepy-head.” Gar can’t help smirking. “And I think this is the first time I’ve ever been awake before you.”

“It’ll probably be the last,” Raven mumbles, still half asleep but falling easily into the familiar pattern of their banter. She pulls away from the wall, straightens, and immediately winces. Yup. Crick in the neck. Blinking against the light from the window, her careful gaze scans Gar’s face. Searching for the cracks.

“Are you okay?”

The world roars back to life around Garfield, the pictures and memories he’s desperate to forget flooding in.

“No.” He closes his eyes.

Raven lifts her hand from his shoulder. A pang shoots through Gar’s chest. Time’s up. She’s going to leave now, but he really shouldn’t be surprised. He is surprised she stayed this long though, that she answered a request he had no right to make. What was he thinking, anyway, asking the team empath to keep his chaotic mind company?

Gar’s about to sit up and let her go, and he knows she’s thinking the same thing, when he senses her hesitate. And instead of pushing his head from her lap, she pushes his hair back from his face.

As her cool fingers brush his forehead, Gar means to hold still, to listen to the part of him that’s afraid moving will make her stop. But the other side of him is so much stronger. It’s the part that needs to be reassured and held no matter who’s giving it, the part that’s been touch-starved by the hours locked alone in his room.

So Gar forgets who’s reassuring him and curls into it, seeking out more touch, more comfort. He presses his forehead into Raven’s side, letting her crisp cold wash away the muggy heat of his room.

Until he realizes what he’s doing. Never, in a million years, would Raven let him get this close. He’s totally making her uncomfortable.

You screwed up, you screwed, now she’s definitely going to leave.

But Raven doesn’t push him away. She stiffens, yeah, and she hesitates. Then she continues to stroke his hair. Her movements are awkward and unpracticed (he knows this is way outside her comfort zone), but there’s genuine care behind them. Gar tries not to purr when her fingernails scratch against his scalp in a way all the animal in him likes.

But it only takes a few seconds for reality to set in. Gar can’t ignore it any longer. Raven might be willing to stay and keep him company, but she can’t.

She has to go meditate so she can recharge. She’s told the team over and over that it’s not optional, and despite her incredible mental strength, Gar can feel the strain seeping in. The struggle to keep her mind level and calm after last night’s onslaught of emotions reflects in the tight control of her movements. She has to leave, and he can’t ask her to come back. Not after how much she’s given of herself just to be here.

Not when he isn’t sure if he’s even worth the effort.

“You should probably go.” Gar rolls off her lap.

Raven watches him for a moment, surprise altering her neutral expression and lifting her eyebrows a fraction. Does she think he doesn’t know how much of a toll her powers take on her? Maybe not. He doesn’t exactly act like he’s paying attention most of the time.

Raven’s mask falls back into place and she nods, rising from the bed. Gar looks away as she walks toward the door, unable to watch her go but too scared to admit he doesn’t want to be alone. Too ashamed to ask her to send Vic in. He’d never look at Gar the same way after seeing him like this.

Garfield hears the door swing open, but it doesn’t shut. He glances over to see Raven standing with her hand on the doorknob and studying him. Her eyes soften when he meets them, just the smallest bit.

“You’re not alone, Gar.”

Then she’s gone.

Gar stares at the closed door. You’re not alone. Just like he told her so long ago, back when they were still kids. Before their lives got so complicated and tragic.

What did he know then?

~~~

Garfield stays in his room all day. Despite the stubborn pessimist that she is, Raven hoped he’d reach out if given a little more time and space. That he would let his friends and teammates help instead of locking them out.

Apparently, she should have stuck with pessimism.

Raven has been reading the same line over and over when Victor flops onto the other end of the couch. She doesn’t need to ask where he was.

“This won’t last forever.” She lowers her book to give Victor her best attempt at an encouraging and understanding expression. “He’ll come around.”

Vic doesn’t even look at her. The frustration in his voice isn’t quite able to mask the pain. “You sure?”

Raven doesn’t have an answer.

~~~

It’s not her place and maybe it won’t change anything, but by the time night falls she can’t stand by any longer. If he won’t come out, then she’ll come to him.

Raven steps into Garfield’s room, edging around the pile of dirty laundry. “Victor misses you.”

They all do.

He’s lying in the same position as last time, on his side with his back to the door. Watching the rain that never seems to end. “I think I’ve figured it out.”

Though he can’t see her do it, Raven lifts an eyebrow. “Figured what out?”

“Why you like to be alone. Why you like the quiet. It numbs the pain doesn’t it? Calms the storm inside.” He crosses his arms and pulls his knees to his chest. “It makes it easier not to care. It’s safer that way, isn’t it?

Raven’s skin goes cold. But this time, it’s not because of her powers. It’s fear for Garfield and the way he’s talking. “This isn’t about me. And everything you just said? That’s not you.”

Gar rolls onto his back, cloudy eyes drifting to her face. “I just wanted to say I get it now. I’m sorry I didn’t before.”

This is not a time to freeze up, or wonder why in the world Gar chose to talk to the one person in the tower who is least equipped to help him. This is not a time to wish she’d learned something other than control and magic from Azar, such as how to interact properly with others. No, this is a time for action. To do something, to say something to help her friend. And maybe it won’t help. But Victor’s words echo in her mind.

Will it hurt?

Gar blinks, jaw falling open as Raven kneels beside the bed and lays her head on her arms, tilting it sideways so that she can meet his wide green eyes from the same angle. She needs to be on his level. See things from his perspective, both literally and figuratively.

“Quiet keeps the pain from getting worse. Solitude protects others from the storm.” She shakes her head. “But neither makes it better.”

~~~

Gar has never been this close to Raven before. Even when his head was in her lap she was still “up there,” her face a good two feet away from his. There’s always been a distance between them, both physically and emotionally, one that he could never figure out how to cross.

But now they’re equal, literally seeing eye to eye. Maybe that’s why Gar finds traces of... of feeling on the face he’s always thought battled Cinderblock’s for the title of stoniest. Or maybe the traces were always there. Maybe he just didn’t understand them until now. That’s true of a lot of things, actually.

He never thought of Raven’s distance as protection, both for herself and for her friends. But betrayal and loss really change a guy’s perspective on the world. So does a walk in his teammate’s shadowy shoes and even darker mind. Not that he’d ever tell her he could feel her emotions just as well as she could his when she used her powers to lessen the pain. She’d be mortified.

“I know it’s the last thing you want right now.”

Garfield’s attention flicks back to Rae, noticing the lavender color of her eyes as she speaks.

“But come downstairs. Please.” She drops her gaze, almost… embarrassed?

“Your friends miss you. They need you.”

Need… him? Gar can’t recall anyone ever saying they needed him. During a mission, sure, “Beast Boy, we need you to turn into a dinosaur,” but that’s Beast Boy. No one has ever needed Garfield.

He lowers his ears. “You need me?”

“Yes. We’re not a team without you.”

We. She’s saying we now. And he thought she’d prefer the team without him. Guess I was wrong about a lot of things.

Raven’s voice drops, and Gar knows what she’s about to tell him is important.

“What you said before, about not caring… I’m not supposed to care. It was the one rule I made when I joined the Titans, to protect myself and the others.” She tenses her jaw. “If I didn’t care, there would be fewer emotions to keep under control. And it wouldn’t hurt when the team told me to leave after they found out what I really was.”

As if we’d ever let you leave.

“Yeah. I understand that now.” Gar swallows past the lump in his throat. “It’s pretty smart, even though we’d never do that to you.” If I hadn’t cared about Tara, then I wouldn’t be hurting like this. My heart wouldn’t be shattered on the ground.

“No.” Raven shakes her head, frustration seeping into her voice. “No, it isn’t. That’s not what I’m saying.”

Gar scrunches up his nose, baffled, and she sighs.

“I’m not explaining this right. Garfield…” Her expression softens, and the mask falls away from her face. Completely and entirely. And for the first time, Garfield sees Raven, really sees her. No walls. No sarcasm or deflection. Just Raven, real and complete.

“I do care,” she confesses. “About you, Koriand’r, Victor, and Richard.” She looks away. “I care a lot. When it comes to the team, I’ve found it’s impossible not to.” Her brow furrows. “That means I’m going to get hurt someday, one way or the other. Something terrible will happen, or someone will walk away from the team, and I’ll feel like the world is ending.”

Just like I do right now.

“But it’s a price I’m willing to pay for my friendships.”

Raven pauses. Then she speaks slowly, as if realizing how she truly feels for the first time. “They’re worth it.”

Garfield’s mind whirls, set afloat in a strange new dimension where Raven makes eloquent speeches and shares heartfelt secrets. Where she cares about even him.

“You don’t hate me.” To Gar’s complete embarrassment, his voice cracks and the waterworks start. “I-I really thought-”

Raven’s eyes widen in complete horror. “Hate you? No! You… actually thought that?”

“You told…” Gar can’t say her name, images of blood soaked bandages flashing before his eyes. His hands tremble as he clears his throat and forces himself to continue. “Y-you said you used to.”

Raven falls silent. He can almost see her working through her thoughts. He had no idea how much went on behind her blank expression.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. Sometimes I’ve been annoyed or irritated by you, especially during the first year. But I’ve never hated you.” She blinks and glances away. “It’s, um… kind of impossible, actually.”

For a moment, Gar forgets that Raven is Queen of No-Hugs and throws his arms around her neck. But this alternate dimension just gets stranger when she awkwardly pats him on the back in return.

Outside, the skies open up with a loud crash as the storm that the constant rain’s been threatening to bring all week finally breaks. Raindrops pound against the window in a steady rhythm while low thunder rumbles in the background. It sounds good. It feels like a release.

“I’m not going to lie.”

Gar lets go and pulls back, watching Raven’s face as she exhales.

“It will be hard at first. You’ll feel like you’re faking it every time you do something that makes you happy. But the joy will come back.”

“How do you know?” I want to hope, Rae. I want to so badly.

“Because you’re Gar.” She says it with finality, like that’s her whole answer. No hard logic or practical attempts to convince him. Just faith that he’ll come out alright because of who he is. Faith in him. “You’re stronger than you know.”

“Okay.” Garfield watches relief flood her eyes. She… she really was worried about him. “I’ll try.”

Five minutes later, Gar slips into the living room behind Raven, feeling oddly shy and self-conscious in his own home. But that only lasts the few seconds it takes for Kori to spot him.

“Garfield!” She flies straight at him like a rocket, stopping only inches short of running into him. Her eyes shine with unshed tears and she stretches out her arms. “May I give you a hug, please?”

“Why not?” Gar shrugs, blinking to hide his own tears. For once, he doesn’t mind how bone-crushing all Starfire’s hugs are. It’s never felt so good to have someone so happy to see him again. He’s never missed his friends this much.

The sound of Kori’s excitement brings Victor rushing in, Dick close at his heels.

A relieved grin splits the cyborg’s face. “BB,” he says quietly, holding out his fist. His soft brown eyes search Garfield’s face, still lined with concern.

With a start, Gar realizes how much he scared him.

“Cy.” He taps Vic’s fist with his own. “I’m… I’m sorry, dude.”

Stepping forward, Vic wraps him in a bear hug. “Man, don’t you dare apologize.” Is that… a sniffle Gar hears? “I’ve missed you, buddy.”

“Yeah,” Gar whispers into his best friend’s sweatshirt. “Me too, bro.”

After Vic releases Gar, Dick steps forward and wraps an arm around his shoulder, pulling him into a brief but sincere hug. “Good to have you back, Gar. Whatever you need, just ask. We’re behind you no matter what.”

Gar’s heart still throbs. The pain is still there. He has a feeling it will be for a long time. But as his gaze drifts from friend to friend, from teammate to teammate, he knows he’ll be okay.

His eyes land on Raven. The slightest corner of her mouth turns up and she nods, reminding him that he’s not alone. He never has been.

(Chapter 1) (Chapter 2)

(Previous fic in series: Slow dancing in the Darkness)

(Next fic in series: The Sound of the Sword)

[nyoomew]

Okay so I initially read this and assumed it was just another Classic Nonsensical Tumblr Meme ™.

But! @wack-ashimself’s comment made my brain stutter. I swear to god … there’s a video of mordecai singing this song. It feels fake and like I dreamt it but I KNOW there’s a fan made video of this exact thing.

mordecai and rigby stop pretending that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars or youre fired

[canmom]

Animation Night 73: Stor Wor

Good evening jizz-wailers! It's time for Animation Night!

The occasion for tonight is the release of a certain project of old Darth Walt's evil empire - essentially an attempt to copy the Animatrix formula by throwing a bunch of money at some of the best known anime studios and directors to produce a short film anthology for the Star Wars franchise.

With the Wachowskis, that was because they are big weebs who personally love anime and, having made a successful movie, had the opportunity to work with some of their objects of fandom. With Disney on the other hand, it's nakedly because they've noticed anime is making a lot of money (for everyone but the actual animators who make it) and want a slice of the pie.

So this is an utterly cynical bit of showbiz capitalism but whatever, I like anime short films and if nothing else, this is a chance for great studios like Science Saru and Trigger (with Imaishi himself directing no less) to make something goofy and shortform. So yeah let's fly the 'copyright strike' run in less than twelve parsecs and check this stuff out.

So, Star Wars. Nowadays it's inescapable, but to begin with, it was the project of a fairly minor director with a couple of successful, somewhat more arthousey films like American Graffiti in the 70s attempting to update the format of the Republic serial. A serial was a kind of weekly film series popular in the 30s and 40s (pre-TV) that would be watched at a theatre; often these would be Westerns or sci-fi stories such as Flash Gordon, and they had a pretty strict formula with cliffhangers at the end of each week; the company Republic seems to have further specialised in superhero stories and special effects shots in shows like King of the Rocket Men. For Lucas, the particular one he wanted was Flash Gordon, but he could not get the rights, and resolved to tell his own story.

Star Wars was fully expected to be a small release, and perhaps the props could go ahead and be used to make a TV show and wring a bit more money out before it was done. Instead it somehow became one of the first mega-franchises; rapidly its potential to flog toys to children was recognised and new films were greenlit.

So why was it so successful? We can't really give a definite answer for which ingredients were essential and which were dispensable. But my best guess is that it has a lot to do with the series's at the time startlingly strong sense of visual design.

The 70s were a time of extensive aesthetic experimentation (c.f. @70sscifiart), before the genre conventions of 'fantasy' and 'sci-fi' would get nailed down the way they have today. We saw this a bit in the case of films like Bakshi's Wizards (Animation Night 63), and 70s anime like Galaxy Express 999 (Animation Night 62). A lot of this was fed by a lavish fantasy painting scene; you may well know the name of e.g. Frank Frazetta. Alongside that there were comics, then just leaving their 'silver age' and still vastly more popular than they are today (when thanks to a whole series of incomprehensibly terrible business decisions, comics have been reduced to an appendage being bled dry by the film industry).

So one of Lucas's major inspirations for the look of his new film was the paintings of Ralph McQuarrie (examples in a rather marketing-hagiographic article); the story seems to be that Lucas approached McQuarrie and asked him to work together on a film titled The Star Wars, and McQuarrie did a great deal to define both the striking shapes of the costumes and the particular uses of texture and lighting that the film would make iconic. Along with Alien, McQuarrie is credited with creating the idea of a 'used future' with realistic grime.

But Lucas had a more specific stroke of luck: shortly prior to his effort to shoot a new sci-fi film, the Jodorowsky Dune project that we discussed two weeks ago on Animation Night 71 collapsed, leaving a lot of talented French comics artists in want of new work in film. Among them, Dan O'Bannon was left homeless and dependent on his friends; he would go on to create the CG interfaces in both Star Wars and Alien. I'm having trouble finding the names of other artists who went directly to work on Star Wars (as opposed to Alien which scooped up most of the Dune crew including Giger and Moebius), so perhaps the influence was more indirect:

[French documentary Jodorowsky's Dune] notes that Jodorowsky's script, extensive storyboards, and concept art were sent to all major film studios, and argues that these influenced and inspired later film productions, including Star Wars, the Alien series, Flash Gordon, the Terminator series, and The Fifth Element.[5][6]

Other artists who made major contributions include Colin Cantwell (pictured here in an extremely 70s outfit) who designed the ship's spaceships, which are one of the strongest elements: a fantastic sense of shape and design balance between large shapes and greebled texture. (Perhaps it's not going to be a surprise that I loved the Star Wars Incredible Cross-Sections series as a kid.)

So the situation was perhaps ripe for someone to take all these stark aesthetic concepts and turn them into a film. Cue a summer of gluing battleships together in Tunisia to make greebled surfaces and all of that other stuff you can read about on the wiki.

As a standalone film, with no premonition of what is to come, Star Wars has a lot of good qualities. Its story is maybe a simple pastiche of samurai movies like Hidden Fortress by way of World War II with a sci-fi veneer and a paper thin new-agey spiritualism, but all those creative designs and lived-in settings do a lot to gesture in the direction of an expansive, strange universe.

So when Alec Guinness turned his Shakespearian voice on mentioning the 'Clone Wars', you don't need to know who the clones were or what they were fighting about: the allusion adds texture to the setting and works best as a tantalising hint. George Lucas's wife at the time, Marcia Lucas, gave it a fantastic edit which did a lot to elevate the film's weaker writing decisions (as we can see after she divorced Lucas and he started making changes). As simple as it is, the story has enough support to carry us through the locations and setpieces; if this were a toku film I'd be more than happy.

Then they made a bajillion dollars and it went to their heads.

The next two films don't exactly drop the ball, and continue to deliver strong visual setpieces and a functional story about family drama played out over a large scale war, though you can see the spectre of 'we can sell so much shit to kids' coming in with characters like the Ewoks in movie 3. Following that, Lucasfilm started something that was at the time quite novel: an 'expanded universe' of linked books, comics, games etc. which allegedly would come together to make a much grander story. (Starting with projects like the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special.)

And the movies? Well, unfortunately, they started to be treated as...

Every single line and visual setpiece started to take on an 'undue reverence'. Entire fan subcultures formed around arguing over Lucas's changes in the re-release, like a fraction-of-a-second flash of light that allegedly compromises Han Solo's entire character. Within the now sprawling and contradictory 'expanded universe', a bizarre 'canon hierarchy' was fashioned in which Lucas's films were authoritative, and everything else on a series of rungs beneath it.

Especially in the 90s, the Expanded Universe grew and grew; writers desperate for material took each minor character to appear and attempted to flesh it out so that their behaviour on screen is somehow representative of the paradigmatic behaviour of their race. Chewbacca isn't just a big hairy guy with a funny voice: there's a species who are all just like him and they're all bad losers and they love swearing life debts to random humans etc. etc. Even minor extras in the film, like the ice cream maker guy, were given names, backstories and their own comics, each one devotedly imitating the canonical emotional moments of the original films. As some sort of spectacle of modern capitalist entertainment ouroboros you couldn't ask for much better!

Some of those Expanded Universe creations became popular enough to get a kind of esteemed status as near-to-canon. Timothy Zahn's scheming space admiral Grandmaster Thrawn was popularised by a series of novels. A minor villain, the bounty hunter Boba Fett, had such a striking design that he was expanded into a culture of "guys like Boba Fett" with a specific language and creed by author Karen Traviss, who would later have most of her ideas overwritten in the Clone Wars TV series, leading her to leave the franchise. The 'Old Republic' setting defined by the Knights of the Old Republic game series became quite popular in its own right.

Meanwhile, in the early 2000s, Lucas decided to make a prequel trilogy about the rise of the fascist Empire from a liberal democratic Republic, in part as a special effects showcase leaning heavily on new developments in chromakey compositing and CGI. The result was a set of movies which made their own massive impact (with the early internet ready to make them into memes) even though the near universal consensus opinion is that they are terribly written and acted 'bad movies'.

Perhaps the major reason for this was the ongoing commitment to novel visual design and concept art driven setpieces; as tedious as the racing segment of A Phantom Menace was considered by many viewers, 'high tech rocket chariots' is a fantastic concept and definitely captured the imagination of the kids who went to see it like an eight year old Bryn Canmom. Naturally, this could equally go in quite terrible directions, like the incomprehensible decision to include a minstrel character alien, or layer a slave-owner character in an almost parodic amount of antisemitic signifiers. But I guess it's not surprising for a descendent of French comics.

Following the prequel trilogy, Star Wars enjoyed a brief period of living primarily in animated TV shows. This began with Genndy Tartakovsky's Clone Wars series (Animation Night 35), but this was overwritten by Lucas's decision to make a CGI TV series with Dave Filoni. Star Wars: The Clone Wars began by rather mechanically imitating the formula of the Republic serials with its opening narration and battle-focused storytelling formula, and if that is all it managed it would be worthless. As Lucas drifted away and Filoni became the primary director, The Clone Wars managed to escape that start and come into its own, managing to deliver some reasonably compelling dark dramatic storylines like Darkness on Umbara and The Wrong Jedi, and a lot of absolutely off the wall goofy stupid shit, which is to be honest one of the most valuable parts of Star Wars.

Then in 2012, the Mouse came to swallow it up as part of its acquisitions spree. The new overlords were not going to let their new franchise sit cold; they quickly announced a new movie trilogy and a followup animated series with Filoni, while officially discarding basically the entire Expanded Universe to start over.

Disney's take on Star Wars is, well, very corporate, and excruciatingly conscious of its status as a fandom-generating machine at all times. All the weird goofy parts of the Expanded Universe had no further place in the new order. The goal, especially in the hands of Abrams, was to devotedly recreate the general arc and aesthetic of the original trilogy.

At first this approach felt like it could have some merit - seeing the visual language of the Empire and Rebels come back in the first spate of Disney Star Wars movies (especially near-immediate prequel Rogue One) seemed refreshing, and they made some great casting decisions like John Boyega of Attack the Block as a Stormtrooper defector which seemed to have a lot of potential. The film was basically a retread of the first Star Wars with a larger CGI scale, but it had a certain sense of fun 'oh we're doing Star Wars again!' enthusiasm as Abrams did his usual mystery-box plotting.

It would not last.

Rian Johnson's second movie attempted to take some small risks with the franchise, trying to deliver a rather muddled critique of its core premises, and tried to shoot down some of the tedious mysteries that Abrams's film raised as unimportant; it was also one of the only films to deliver anything new visually. Unfortunately it also completely sabotaged John Boyega's role - the first film was clearly setting him up to share the main character status, but the second film relegated him (and Kelly Marie Tran's new character) to a distinctly secondary status, and refused to engage with any of the thematic potential he'd had in Abrams's film. Meanwhile, the effort to shoot down the Rey/Kylo Ren ship bait from the first film backfired spectacularly.

The fans got upset for all the wrong reasons, and Disney apparently panicked and immediately brought Abrams back to overturn all of Johnson's risk-taking decisions into a fascinatingly mechanical movie that seems to rush through every expected character moment at speedrun pace, and indeed when I saw it (don't worry I didn't spend money, my friend was going and she had a spare ticket ;p) it got the whole theatre laughing during what was supposed to be a climactic moment. So you end up with a movie trilogy that's a completely muddled mess, ending on the most inane note possible. I honestly can't think of anything more fitting.

However, Disney aren't done with yet, not when there's still money to be made. They found some success with streaming-targeted series The Mandalorian, which is by and large a rote space-Western/dadcore series mostly notable for its unusual production technique of filming in a box covered with screens showing real-time Unreal Engine renders of the environment, with the section behind the camera specifically reprojected to match its POV, which avoids some of the lighting and compositing issues of chromakey. Then the Mouse tried to announce about 50 more TV shows to capitalise on that success, only for one of them to almost immediately fall through when the lead actress got cancelled for too publicly being a far right conspiracy theorist. Such is entertainment media in 2021.

So instead I guess they went anime!

tThe studios tapped for Star Wars visions may well be familiar if you've been sticking with me all these animation nights. We have...

Studio Colorido, whose major works we watched last week, with Tattooine Rhapsody dir. Taku Kimura with a musically themed one

Studio Trigger, with Hiroyuki Imaishi (Animation Night 18 for Promare, Animation Night 30 for Gurren Lagann, and extensive animation in an episode of FLCL) himself directing The Twins which basically seems to be 'what if Lio Promare was a Jedi'. They have a second film, The Elder, directed by Masahiko Otsuka who also worked on FLCL and TTGL.

Kinema Citrus, of Made in Abyss (Animation Night 45) and Revue Starlight, doing one of several 'Jedi as samurai' shorts in The Village Bride dir. Hitoshi Haga

Production I.G., renowned for many works including all the adaptations of Ghost in the Shell (Animation Night 39), with GitS:SAC director Kenji Kiyama giving us a story about a Jedi exile fighting off a bunch of assassins in The Ninth Jedi

Science Saru, the studio of Masaaki Yuasa (Animation Night 12, Animation Night 28), bring two shorts: one a story about a droid trying to become a Jedi by one of their younger directors Abel Góngora, the second by Eunyoung Choi of Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! fame telling another samurai type of story.

Geno Studio, a member of the Twin Engine group alongside Colorido and Science Saru, bring Lop and Ochō about that rabbit Jedi you may have seen in pictures...

The general account is that it's generally solid - necessarily mixed bag like any such multi-studio anthology, but I hear tell there are some fantastic shorts and excellen animation. So I'm looking forward to seeing what some people who still have some kind of distinctive aesthetic vision can do with Star Wars.

Since these nine episodes won't be quite enough on their own to really flesh out an Animation Night, I'm also planning to show you some of the better standalone episodes of The Clone Wars (namely, the Darkness on Umbara arc), and any others by request (maybe one of the goofy bounty hunter ones or one with the fantastic pirate king Hondo, who has a great dynamic with the series's rather more gay sarcastic take on Obi Wan). It's been quite a long time since I watched these, so I hope they hold up as well as I remember them lol. I also have one of the less fondly remembered entries in Star Wars animated history - @mogsk has tracked down a copy of, well, the animated segment in the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special which I'm certainly curious to see.

Star Wars has managed to attain a kind of status where it kind of doesn't matter whether you think well or poorly of it; like Marvel movies, its cultural saturation has reached the point where no matter what, if you're even slightly interested in science fiction or film, you'll see its imagery and hear people discuss its major plot points. But it at least has the decency to not look, in its past iterations anyway, as utterly bland and ugly as Marvel movies. I hope Star Wars dies and becomes a historical artefact to give everything else some breathing room, but while we have to contend with it, let's see if we can wring some enjoyment from the machine :p

Animation Night 73 will be starting very soon! Head over to twitch.tv/canmom now and we'll be live any minute, and starting films in 10-20 minutes probably...

[iginthepenguin]

The Oath of Love - 余生,请多指教

after a very long wait this drama has aired and ended in such a short period. but still grateful dat dis drama has finally aired. Tencent and Hunan's debt to this drama and both actors fandom has been finally cleared. i love every single of everything in the drama. but before i get started, let me introduce the leads first, starring my fairy monkey actress Yang Zi (Andy Yang) as Lin Zhixiao and Xiao Zhan (Sean Xiao) as Gu Wei. Lin Zhixiao an undergraduate student who's a cellist, young and passionate about her music and Gu Wei a talented "young" surgeon also doctor. in the novel the first encounter each other is at the hospital when Lin Zhixiao take caring of her dad. but unlike novel the drama changed it to a bar instead😂 (it's a surprise i supposed), their first meeting are not lovely, instead Gu Wei is really piss to both Lin Zhixiao and Teacher Lin😜 (obv who wouldn't when stranger suddenly cling on u and another stranger suddenly lectured u) the next meeting is exactly where the place of their meeting from the beginning, the hospital. spoiler alert (and as far as i rmb Gu Wei didn't graduated from the same univ as Lin Zhixiao on the novel but in the drama they r senior-junior from the same univ apparently). Teacher Lin attending doctor are Gao Xi (Gu Wei's classmate and closest female friend, she's the only female friend apparently). Gu Wei caught Lin Zhixiao taking pictures of Teacher Lin's report and after Lin zhixiao runaway, Gu Wei took a close sight of the report and discover smth different from it. he then call Lin Zhixiao mother, Mrs. Li and told them to take another check cause he thought that it might be a cancer. ofc after Lin Zhixiao heard it she doesn't want to accept that unpleasing thing to heard of, she then after Teacher Lin got admitted to hospital to rest and take another examination, heard of some negative rumours on Doctor Gu. ofc she has dislike him before caused of the things he said, and the rumours "proved" that her thought on Gu Wei is right. but then after Gu Wei agreed to meet Lin Zhixiao (withour her knowing the another doctor she's about to meet are the same doctor who told her family that Teacher Lin might got cancer), he use a metaphor to describe the condition and situation about what's happening to Lin Zhixiao. she then finally understand and realized she has misjudged Gu Wei. the arrangement are done by Lin Zhixiao BFF Sansan and Gu Wei's cousin Gu Xiao.

the wait is over and also the drama🥲. keep repeating the OST duet sung by Yang Zi and Xiao Zhan over and over again everyday, i was so excited when they announce the premiere on last 14th march, and still holding myself to not get trick again until the next day 15th march the 1st episode is on air. feel surreal, couldn't believe it. like finally they are here, my long awaited masterpiece has finally arrived. the storyline is pretty much the same as the novel. during 2021, August they announced the premiere would be on 8th September my heart was just like is this really happening, its happening for real right!?!, and then a month later just d-3! 3 days before the "premiere" is postponed due to chinese government doing some changes of regulation in the industry. heartbroken, tricked, pranked yet again. the fandom waited and keep saying things to comfort theirself on numerous platform dat i visit. me too also hoping everyday they will air the drama, hoping there won't be any scandal among the actors from the drama. and yes just last month they announced d-1 before the premiere. i'm impressed by both of them, Yang Zi and Xiao Zhan has gone through a lot before this drama aired, and i'm proud that i waited, the fandom waited! indeed again they didn't let us down, for some people this drama might be just so so, or nothing special. but for the other some this is something u can't let go of even after it has ended (which is me). everything is just right, i might be biased but imo this drama is the masterpiece i've been waiting for. acting, storyline, conflicts, relationship is just all on point. my friends knew dat Love O2O has always been my fav drama, i lost my count of how many times i've watch it, it has been 5+ years. but now i think The Oath of Love gonna replace it. and last but not least, the osts r superb peeps! please do check it out too!!!

anyway! without further ado please find out the what’s going to happen next urself! cause it’s getting more interesting so if u guys haven’t watch it and plans to watch it, please do so! i hope u guys enjoy the drama like i did!

this drama has 32 episodes (TV ver.) and 29 episodes (DVD ver.)

overall it was real great!

thankyou for reading - spread love not hate❤~

and especially now stay safe and stay at home peeps🏠❤

*disclaimer* : this all are my personal opinion only.

[rebelsofshield]

Star Wars: The Clone Wars “The Phantom Apprentice” -Review

The Clone Wars creates a horror movie of inescapable dread in the game changing, “The Phantom Apprentice”

(Review contains episode spoilers)

Maul and Ahsoka Tano are now face to face. As the battle for the future of Mandalore unfolds around them, it becomes clear that something much larger is at stake. The fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance and everything that is known will change. And our heroes and villains are powerless to stop it.

It’s been known for quite a while that the end of The Clone Wars would tie into the events of Revenge of the Sith. The show has been on a collision course with this darkest installment in the Star Wars saga ever since it premiered in 2008 and now the inevitable moment has arrived. Everything in the galaxy is about to upend itself and the feeling of dread and tragedy hangs over everything. While The Clone Wars has dipped its feet into the horror genre before, director Nathaniel Villanueva and writer Dave Filoni have created a half hour experience of impending dread and terror.

The Clone Wars was always going to end in heartbreak. Revenge of the Sith was the inescapable end point for this series, but the unspoken cruelty of this series is in the unaware insignificance of its own cast. Ahsoka Tano, Rex, Maul, the Mandalorians are doomed to be side notes in the galaxy altering Skywalker Saga. Their narratives are twisting, emotional, and undeniably engaging but they will never escape living in the margins of the adventures of the mythic figures they count as their friends, allies, and enemies. There is a knowing futility to Filoni’s script for “The Phantom Apprentice” that pervades everything. We can be watching titanic battles unfold on the streets of Sundari and daring lightsaber duels, but it’s all for nothing. Composer Kevin Kiner, still the only musical talent that has come close to mirroring and expanding off the legendary work of John Williams, turns the aural landscape of this conflict into a sound that can only be described as Star Wars meets Hereditary. We are never once made to feel comfortable. There are no hints that this will work out. It won’t.

Like the standout season finale to Star Wars Rebels’ second season, the title of “The Phantom Apprentice” is deceptively nuanced. It’s actually in conversation with three different characters, one of whom never actually appears on screen.

The most obvious of the three is of course Maul, the original apprentice to The Phantom Menace. I’ve never hidden my adoration for the long, strange character arc that Lucasfilm Animation has taken this formerly one note villain on. Sam Witwer, Dave Filoni, and the rest of the creative team have transformed this former Sith assassin into a perpetually broken and emotional frail man that is never more than a few steps away from collapse. First hinted at in one of his first appearances on this series, Maul was always aware to some degree of The Clone Wars and the larger machinations of his master. The pieces were always in place and now Maul is slowly realizing that the end goal of his master’s decades long plan is finally upon them. And it terrifies him. Long gone is the confident Maul who thought he could carve out an Empire for himself in the shadows of the galactic underworld. After Darth Sidious’s humiliating beatdown of him in “The Lawless” and the murder of his mother in the Son of Dathomir comic series, it’s now clear to this lost Zabrak that his master is the most powerful being in the galaxy and something to be feared above all else. Witwer plays Maul’s former anger and jealousy at having his dreams of grandeur robbed of him as a transformation into existential collapse. He realizes that he really is nothing more than a cast aside bit player in the revolution that is about to come and he is determined to stop it from happening. Not out of any kind of good will or redemption, but out of his own desperation for survival and relevance.

I’ve always been a tad skeptical of one of the final confrontations of the series being a duel between Asoka Tano and Maul. Not at all because Ahsoka isn’t capable of taking on a character like this wayward former Sith. She’s more than proven herself able and “The Phantom Apprentice” more than sells that Maul is definitely not acting at full capacity. (We’ll talk more about that fantastic confrontation later along with the rest of the stellar action here.) Instead, I was concerned that this clash would feel hollow. Ahsoka and Maul do not have an existing relationship prior to “The Phantom Apprentice.” Their big climactic meeting of sabers could have been nothing more than a set piece that was created only because they were the only characters free during the Revenge of the Sith era to have one. That is very thankfully not the case.

Filoni smartly positions Maul and Ahsoka as two sides of the same coin. As Maul was eventually cast out and discarded as useless by Darth Sidious, Ahsoka was also tossed away by the Jedi order by their own dedication to doctrine and lack of trust. Both are victims of their respective order’s worst qualities and exist as relative outcasts. However, the true dramatic irony of it all is that by doing so, both Ahsoka and Maul are arguably in better positions to survive the coming slaughter and possibly put an end to it. Sure, Maul’s argument for their teaming up to stop Sidious is mostly self-serving (even if I suspect that it does have some root in the sad sack of a Sith’s perpetual need for companionship and belonging), but Ahsoka considers it for a moment because she can see the truth in it all. It’s a fascinating moment and the fact that it feels emotionally genuine is a true feat of Ahsley Eckstein, Witwer, and the entire creative team. We can’t not acknowledge that incredible shot of the shattered glass and embers blowing through the wind as Maul’s fateful offer is made.

The final apprentice is of course Anakin Skywalker. Perhaps the most startling development of “The Phantom Apprentice” is Maul’s revelation that he is more than aware of Anakin’s eventual slip to the Dark Side and it was probably in the cards for quite some time. (His moment of post-mortem pity for Dooku is a fun wink to how doomed all of Sidious’s apprentices were on their eventual march toward Anakin’s ascension.) It recontexualizes so much of the final days of The Clone Wars and of Sidious’s plan itself. Of course as Anakin’s fateful seduction to the Dark Side is occurring parallel to the events of the Siege of Mandalore it is more than fitting that Maul is not the only one with Anakin on his mind. The brief call between Obi-Wan and Ahsoka comes from a place of compassion, but it ultimately serves as further example of Ahsoka’s suspicion of the Jedi. She sees a kindred spirit in Anakin at the moment that the Council betrays his trust and how could she not. The fact that Ahsoka and Maul’s duel happens mostly as a retaliation to the assertion that Anakin will fall speaks to her unbreakable trust in her surrogate older brother. It ends up playing as a bit of a fight for Anakin’s soul. Hope versus despair and denial versus inevitability.

And what a battle it is. Dave Filoni mentioned at Star Wars Celebration last year that they brought in original Darth Maul stunt actor Ray Park to assist with the animation for this fight and it certainly shows. While it may not be the most sprawling duel ever or as brutal as Pre Vizsla and Maul’s duel to the death, The Clone Wars has never featured a confrontation as fluid and dynamic as this one. The constant back and forth of the upper hand and the emotional instability of both fighters gives this encounter a strange edge that ratchets up the tension even if we know both combatants are destined to make it out of this alive. The final stage in the scaffolding that holds up the city of Sundari is a standout and brings to mind a similarly stellar set piece from Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation.

It’s not just our phantom apprentices that get in on the action this week. A claustrophobic showdown between Bo-Katan and Gar Saxon in an elevator shaft is one of the most inventive set pieces that the series has produced and Villanueva sells it with a cluttered intensity that never loses clarity. A prolonged battle between the liberating forces and Maul’s loyalists is similarly brutal and striking with sweeping tracking shots of the action that smartly know when to cut into the carnage and when to transfer back to other scenes. It brings to mind some of the great multi-tiered battles in Star Wars history and it once again gives big screen live action installments of the franchise a serious run for their money.

 A few random final thoughts!

It seems only fitting that Almec would be gunned down by one of his own allies. Gar Saxon is poised to take over Almec’s position as the self-serving Mandalorian leader in the era of the Empire and there’s certainly some poetry in this sort of cyclical killing. Poor Mandalore. Planet’s not going to sort itself out anytime soon.

Jesse lived! I’m sure every one of us clone junkies were prepared for one of our last surviving 501st boys to fall to Maul this week, but through some small glimmer of positivity the newly minted ARC Trooper survived. I’m not sure we can be as hopeful in coming episodes, but I’ll take the positivity where I can find it.

I actually really loved Maul’s cameo in Solo: A Star Wars Story and it’s nice to see “The Phantom Apprentice” tee that up with the blink and you’ll miss appearance by Dryden Vos. Was really hoping for a tiny line of dialogue from Paul Bettany, but I guess that’s as good as we’ll get for right now.

Sam Witwer remarked several months ago that the scripts for the final arc of The Clone Wars were the best the series ever produced and it’s hard to argue with that. Never before has this saga had more on its mind or felt as emotional or consequential. It’s a nail biting stunner of a chapter and I’m genuinely in awe that we are only half way done. Buckle in folks. This is when the pain really begins.

Score: A+

[louistomlinsoncouk]

Louis Tomlinson, a new direction

It’s been a long and turbulent four-year road for Louis Tomlinson. Since his band, One Direction, announced their ‘indefinite hiatus’ in 2016, Tomlinson has struggled to find a professional path that suitably represents him as an artist. As he gears up to finally release his long-awaited debut album Walls this coming January, the singer-songwriter finally feels comfortable in his own skin, finding his own unique Britpop-inspired sound which has been spurred on by the resentment towards a diluting of his vision in a bid to find radio play in the States.

Tomlinson, it is safe to say, has finally found his feet and, with a new record label firmly behind him and a renewed energy propelling his every move, the 27-year-old is now a man on a mission with two fingers in the air and a point to prove.

His remarkable story really needs no introduction. Plucked from a crowd of hopefuls auditioning for the X-Factor in 2010, the then 18-year-old singer was placed alongside Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Zayn Malik by Simon Cowell much to the joy of their growing social media fanbase. Just 12 months later their debut album, Up All Night, was released and propelled the group to international fame. In the six fast and furious years as a band One Direction tour relentlessly, released five hit records and became unfathomably rich in the process.

For Tomlinson, however, the immediate highs were quickly met by severe lows when it all came suddenly crashing down. The end of the band, the media relentlessly pursuing his private life, personal tragedy and more have followed. Now though, with a renewed vigour and clarity for his future, Tomlinson has picked himself up and is about to carve out his own niche of pop music.

I met Tomlinson in a back bar of a central London hotel as I self-consciously began to consider the possibility that I may be underdressed for the occasion. Thankfully though—and much to my relief—he arrived casually dressed in a brown quarter-zip jacket, jeans and Adidas trainers which arrived as a refreshing change in reference to the typical, modern-day pop star. Having travelled down to London from Yorkshire that day, with my editor’s words ringing in my ears, the somewhat opulent surroundings of our meeting lacked the relaxing edge I was hoping for.

It must be said that interviews with musicians of international fame can be tricky — especially when they have a new album to sell. With media training, PR managers typically watching over and a sense ill-trust with the media, it will come as little surprise that popstars can be standoffish in interviews. Despite my initial trepidation though, Tomlinson greeted me with immense warmth and immediately offered to get a couple of beers in from the bar—the first sign that our conversation would follow the laid-back pattern I was hoping for.

After we’d sat down and had a sip of lager, our Yorkshire accents clashing, my mind turned to his recent performance of his last single ‘We Made It’ on Children In Need. Tomlinson looked in his element, like he’d finally found his feet as a solo artist—something that hasn’t been an easy adjustment for him to make in the last few years. “Yeah, naturally I feel as any fucking solo star finds – the longer you’re in it, the more experienced you get, the more confident you get. I think it took me a second to work out who I am musically, to fully detach from One Direction and stuff but I feel like I’m there now so, naturally, I’m more confident in my songwriting ability, I’m more confident performing, singing and all of that, so it feels good.”

Following the split from the band, it did feel from the outside looking in that there was no clear direction where his solo career was going to take him. With collaborations with the likes of Steve Aoki and Bebe Rexha, both of which performed commercially well, there was a creative direction that left more questions than answers. Earlier this year, he took to social media to make a statement to claim that he was turning a page, that he was fed up with writing to a formula in a bid to chase radio play and instead he wanted to make music he loved.

That moment was the beginning of the second chapter in his solo career, which he expands on looking while back at that difficult time with more than a pinch of honesty as always, disclosing: “Yeah but I’m not going to lie, it’s still something that I’m fighting up against if I’m being honest. I mean, because there’s constant opinion around me and you know a lot of people do want to focus towards radio—which I do understand—but what bugs me is just how much it limited me — especially because what I grew up listening to on pop radio is very different to what’s on pop radio now and because I couldn’t see a place for myself. I thought that it wasn’t not going to be authentic because I’m going to be trying to sound like what’s on the radio. Today, in 2019 more than ever, people can spot bullshit. So yeah, I think since that moment I’ve always been conscious of that and as I say it is a constant battle, but I think I’m winning at the moment.”

The state of mainstream radio is something that Tomlinson is passionate about. As an artist who aims to make songs that are accessible to the masses without compromising integrity at the same time, Louis appears to be well versed on the shift in the popular musical landscape: “If I’m being honest, I didn’t actively search for stuff because it was on pop radio,” he said while discussing the change in approach to consuming music. “Especially a band like Catfish and The Bottlemen,” he adds after a moment of contemplation. “When I was growing up they would definitely, definitely, be on every radio and I think those bands are very important and now I have to actively search for them or listen to the right station.” He continues, “Also, I think it took me a second to come out and say what my influences are because I know what people expect from someone who has been in a boyband and stuff like that.”

With this lightbulb moment, Tomlinson wanted to detail more about the inner workings of his creative process, how collaborating with like-minding musicians helped free his thought process. “Once I’d had this epiphany and put this message on social media, at that point I’d done four songs that are still on the album. I think ‘Kill My Mind’ was actually a turning point, I wrote it with a guy called Jamie Hartman and the next session we had together we wrote ‘Walls’ which is the title track for the album and is going to be my next single. I think from that moment it unlocked something and we got some momentum so then the second half of the album was written relatively quickly but I think as I say it being transitional I’d have loved 10 ‘Kill My Mind’s’ but maybe the next record.”

‘Kill My Mind’ looks and sounds like the first step towards the definitive direction that the Yorkshireman is aiming for. It has a punchy Hot Fuss era Killers’ chorus and is more reminiscent of the type of music that Tomlinson himself loves. “That’s probably the proudest I’ve been of a song because that is genuinely a song that I fucking love listening to and that’s not necessarily always the case when you’re playing for radio all the time. It didn’t get the attention that I think it quite deserved but that’s the way it is.”

The shift towards the guitar-led music, which bucks the trend with current chart-toppers, is the path that the 27-year-old is determined to follow. A recent writing session with Australian indie giants DMA’s had popped up in our conversation and the beaming smile across Tomlinson’s face said it all: “I’ve hung out with those boys (DMA’s) actually, one night because we were in the same studio and I’ve written together with [them] before,” he said before clarifying that the drinks were flowing which resulted in an unfinished recording. When probed on whether this is something he’d like to re-visit at a later date, Tomlinson expanded with an eye firmly on the future: “The DMA’s session was a bit of an experiment, to be honest, when I look at my solo career I’m looking at it as a five, six or seven-year plan. I realise this from doing the DMA’s one, I would fucking love to do an album full of them but it’s a transition you know what I mean, I’ve got to understand the fan base and what they want. I don’t want anything to be so drastic so in my eyes, it’s a two, three even four-album progression before I get there and I also think to write those kinds of songs that I love I need to have more experience as a songwriter as well.”

For someone who has had such rich successes in their career to date, the singer-songwriter does seem to have struggled with his self-confidence since going solo—but this year seems to have changed that. One song that stands out is ‘Two of Us’, a track which was released earlier this year is a tribute to his late Mother who tragically passed in 2017. Tomlinson’s life was then struck by more devastation following his sister’s sudden death in March this year.

‘Two of Us’ clearly carries a heavy weight of emotion. Created from the inner workings of Tomlinson’s grief, the song is by a distance the most personal release in his entire career to date. Despite that, the track manages to find the universal within the personal as it’s lyrics resonate for anyone who has ever lost anybody close to them—myself included. While our conversation remained on this topic I was keen to know whether these heart-breaking events had impacted his professional epiphany, whether the personal grief had allowed him to stop worrying about the chart and instead focusing more on enjoying the ride: “When I wrote ‘Two Of Us’ that was something I never really had with music before where I like to think every lyric has meant something. There was a different emotional weight with that song and just hearing people’s stories about what it meant to them and how they related to it, that was amazing for me.”

“If I’m being honest what made me have my epiphany was me spitting my fucking dummy out because I was sick of being put in writing sessions which I couldn’t relate to, or people trying to pull me in a certain way to work on American radio. I could probably have commercial success like that, but I’ve got the luxury of having had that already with One Direction and I thought ‘what does success mean to me?’ I just thought I’ve got to follow my fucking heart and if I can win like that it’s like a double win you know what I mean.”

One Direction’s immediate success was unprecedented for a British boyband. Together they conquered the world with their debut Up All Night going straight to number one in the States and shifting more than 4.5million copies globally. Just one to this moment, Tomlinson was an 18-year-old living for the weekend in Doncaster—but he was determined not to let his newfound fame change him: “Yeah I was always pretty resistant to it [fame] to be honest, I always say that when I got famous, when I first got put in band, that I was having the best year of my life. So, it was a lot to deal with to leave my favourite year behind and to be doing something else where you’re working really hard.

The personal and professional problems that have occurred in recent years appears to have given Tomlinson a remarkable sense of life experience. Despite still being so young, despite having lived a whirlwind life, he still has the ability to self reflect on with a grounded honesty. “Being from Donny you don’t expect to get that kind of opportunity and I then got put into the band and then had to deal with everything on the job. Honestly, it was a fucking incredible time in my life that shaped me as an artist and shaped me as a person, I saw some amazing things but it is also nice now to have a little bit more free time because we were so fucking busy and also you know stand on my own two feet and say this is who I am.”

“As far as what’s on my checklist of a credible artist you know they have to write their own tunes, that was always important to me and I did a lot of writing in the band which I think gave me the incredible experience to write now. It was like a crash course, there were so many sessions and I think it’s put me in good stead, but I feel like I’m always getting better as a writer man I feel like with every song I learn a little bit more.”

Although, it’s clear from speaking with Tomlinson that he looks back on those years he spent with the band with all the fondness in the world. Yet the media attention that came with all the success was something that got the better of him at times. “That was hard and I’ve often envied artists from an era where smartphones weren’t around. There were definitely some days where it got the better of me. I suppose you’ve got to be selective on where you go and I learned the hard way from a few different people that you can’t trust. Some people want something out of you and it took me a second to understand, but again I think that helps me have a thicker skin in the real world outside of my job. There are times when I’ve gone through difficult things in my life and I’ve thought certain people haven’t been amazing but it’s part of it, fuck it.”

As our conversation then meandered toward the split of the band and what life was like for Tomlinson after exiting the world of One Direction— which was all that he had known for the entirety of his adult life up until that point. A sense of honest emotion entered his voice, a moment that seemingly suggested that this permanent change was something that was taken from his own control: “It was good to be back doing normal things but I wasn’t ready for the band to go on a break and it came as a shock for me,” Tomlinson exclusively told Far Out Magazine. “It definitely wasn’t my choice but I understand why the decision was made and there’s a good argument for that. I’m enjoying expressing myself now but it rocked me for a time and for a bit and I didn’t know what I was going to do,” he said, vehemently.

From the tone in his voice, it is obvious that the subject is still a relatively raw one for Tomlinson who initially struggled to find the right sound for him following the split of the band—a factor stemmed from his initial reluctance to move solo. From the gravitas of the moment to the importance of his first steps back into music, it was clear that Tomlinson wasn’t ready to be going out on his own so soon after the band’s breakup—a learning curve which other members of the group seemed to overcome in different ways.

The break was initially thought to be just that ‘a break’, but nearly four years after the announcement there are still no signs that the group is entertaining ideas of reuniting anytime soon. With Louis Tomlinson set to release his debut album in January, Liam Payne’s debut LP1 out next month, Harry Styles’ second offering, Fine Line, being made available on December 13th and Niall Horan working on the follow-up to his 2017 Flicker, the One Direction members are firmly in solo mode.

Tomlinson acknowledges that during the final One Direction tour he began to accept that the break was inevitable, admitting: “It had kind of been brewing and we knew the conversation might be coming around but it was just one of those things. It was always going to happen, we were always going to take a break, but I think there are always people who are going to take things better than others.”

Looking on the bright side, however, since the break he has been allowed to live a bit more of a quieter life. From speaking with Tomlinson I get the sense that he’s in this because he loves the music, appreciates the love he gets from fans and loves playing live. However, the celebrity lifestyle that comes with it isn’t why he’s in this game. “I think I can definitely have a bit more of a balance now, there are obviously times when I’m releasing songs or releasing album when it’s really ramped up [...] It’s hard but definitely easier in those off times to have the balance because otherwise when you’re so busy it’s impossible to literally fit everybody into your life. It’s definitely nicer having more time to do normal fucking things,” he adds with an almost sigh of relief.

Tomlinson’s solo career, which has found its feet with emphatic effect and is currently flying high with a sold-out world tour and highly anticipated debut on the horizon, was something that the singer himself had never initially envisioned. With Tomlinson originally wanting to take a back seat in the music industry following the end of the band, he revealed exclusively to Far Out: “I’m not going to lie it hit me hard but it definitely inspired me to get on with my own solo career because it wasn’t something I was always going to do. I was just going to write songs and just hopefully send them to other people and stuff like that, but everything happens for a reason, so they say anyway.”

As the careers of all five members of the band have all taken off, with each turning into different avenues sonically, our conversation then turned to the competitive nature between the band since they went their separate ways. Typically, the avid Doncaster Rovers fan opting to use a hugely specific football analogy to describe the relationship with his former bandmates: “I could be wrong but I think we’ve all got that in us, there’s a competitive side to everyone. I can only speak from personal experience, and as time goes on you understand the differences. It’s not all that relevant but I liken to the feeling at first was that you’ve all been at Barcelona’s youth academy, so we’ll call One Direction ‘Barcelona’ and then we’ve all been put off at different clubs and that takes a second to understand and compute but we’re all still lucky to be able to do it as solo artists.”

Having time off to relax over the last few years for the first time since stepping foot for his X-Factor audition all those years ago, Tomlinson seems to have returned with a renewed love for music and everything that comes with it. For a while, it appears the music was falling second in line to all the hysteria that surrounded his fame—a situation that has been duly rectified.

Next year will see him return to Doncaster as part of his world tour for a very special homecoming and, with that mention, his face lights up with a grin on his face the size of South Yorkshire: “It’s going to be class, I can’t wait for Donny Dome. I don’t feel like my career has fully started until I do that first tour show, it’s all well and good writing songs, releasing songs, doing all the promo and everything that comes with it but the most important fucking thing is that you put on a good show. I started realising the longer that I’ve been in this that there’s a level of importance in these nights to people, especially the avid fanbase that I’m lucky enough to have. You can see from the reactions and look into people’s eyes and see what certain lyrics meant to them.”

What struck me the most from the time I spent with the singer-songwriter was just how grounded he was, seemingly bereft of any level of arrogance and still just that same local lad from Doncaster who began this journey ten years ago. His working-class Yorkshire heritage, he told me, is what has made him the man he is today: “You’ve got to be fucking humble where we’re from you know what I mean? Because otherwise you get called out like ‘who the fuck do you think you are?’”.

The greatest takeaway from our conversation is that Louis Tomlinson is still that music enthusiast that entered the music industry in 2010 who, despite all the success and fame, has managed to stay grounded. With surreal highs came earth-shattering lows—all of which has shaped him in one way or another. Instant success is no longer what he seeks with it now being about the long game for him, this change in attitude is a sign of maturity for Tomlinson who no longer losing sleep about pleasing streaming algorithms.

Having been sitting at the mountain top of the music industry for almost a decade, it seems it is only now he is really getting started with a long-term plan of where he wants his solo-career to go. With a strong sense of support around him, his future and creative vision is firmly in his own hands. With an abundance of experience behind him and has renewed enthusiasm, Louis Tomlinson is finally ready to find his own direction.

Walls is available on 31st January via Sony Music, for tickets to his world tour – visit here for tickets.