#Take Me Home Era

[cliperry]

ONE DIRECTION: Japan Visit - Member Roundtable

"Work and play to the fullest, and be kind to others... That’s the rule within the band." – Harry

Interview: Yuko Kato Photos by: Chiaki Oshima

One Direction's first visit to Japan was like a whirlwind, even in hindsight. Officially, only Zayn was absent from events, but the entire group endured an incredibly packed schedule. Despite their exhaustion, they remained warm and friendly whenever we met for interviews, which was truly impressive.

What follows is an exclusive interview INROCK conducted with them during their visit!

Zayn, how are you feeling? We heard you weren’t able to attend yesterday’s press conference due to illness.

Zayn Malik: Yeah, my stomach wasn’t in great shape. I think I caught a stomach bug. Before coming to Japan, I was in Ghana, and I wasn’t feeling too well there either. Then, when I woke up yesterday morning, it had gotten worse—it was the worst.

But by that evening, you still performed on Music Station, right?

Zayn: Yeah, I rested in the hotel for a few hours to recover, and by the evening, I was feeling much better.

With such a crazy schedule, do you guys often get sick like this?

Louis Tomlinson: Not really. We do get pretty sleep-deprived, but that’s about it.

Niall Horan: Yeah, sometimes working long hours can make you feel a little unwell, but it’s not too bad.

At the press conference, you announced that you’ll be coming back to Japan in November for your tour, right?

Niall: Yeah, on November 2nd and 3rd.

By the way, in December, you’ll also be performing at Madison Square Garden in New York…

Louis: The Clumsy One?

Louis can be a bit absentminded at times. During an interview in the U.S., he accidentally placed our recording device on his lap, and when he laughed, it fell to the ground—completely wiping out all the data!

The staff turned bright red with frustration, and it almost became a big issue. But Louis, ever the mood-maker, quickly turned things around, joking that it was his own fault and offering to redo the interview.

"In our upcoming movie, you’ll get to see a lot of our personal sides too." – Louis

ONE DIRECTION: MSG Performance & Their Growth as a Band

"Work and play to the fullest, and be kind to others… That’s the rule within the band." – Harry

Interview: Yuko Kato Photos by: Chiaki Oshima

You performed at Madison Square Garden (MSG)! That must have been incredible to witness.

All Members: Thank you!

I also saw your show in Oakland a few months earlier, and it felt completely different. It’s amazing how much you've grown as a band and as performers. How did you achieve such growth?

Louis Tomlinson: I think it’s thanks to the daily rehearsals and the experience we’ve gained as a band.

Zayn Malik: Yeah, for all of us, this is our first band. None of us had been in a band before One Direction, so at the beginning, everything was new. But we've worked hard every single day. There are still so many things we need to improve on, but we always want to keep growing. We’re willing to do anything to make that happen.

Niall, you play the guitar—was that your idea?

Niall Horan: Yeah, I’ve been playing since I was a kid.

Since you were around 12, right?

Niall: Yeah, 11 or 12. I wanted to play in this band too, and I’m playing on this tour.

I heard you’re interested in becoming a producer in the future?

Niall: Yeah, someday, I’d love to try producing.

Did you learn anything through recording your new album, Take Me Home, that could help with that?

Liam Payne: This time, we spent a lot more time in the studio with the producers, so we learned a lot. It was a completely different experience from last time, and it felt like we were much more involved in the process.

You all contributed to this album quite a bit, right?

Niall: Yeah, definitely. It felt like we had more input this time.

Zayn: The great thing about working in the studio is that you learn things without even realizing it. We were lucky to work with amazing producers who gave us a lot of advice. We’re really grateful to them.

Songwriting & Creative Input

This time, you guys also wrote songs yourselves. Do you think that’s important for the band?

Louis: Yeah, of course. We want to write as much as possible. It’s our album, so we want to express our feelings through it.

How many songs did you write for this album?

Zayn: We wrote five songs. Like Louis said, we wanted this album to have a piece of us in it. We wanted to prove that what we’re singing about actually comes from us. That’s why songwriting was really important to us.

Are you still working on new songs for the next album?

Zayn: Yeah, we’re still writing. Sometimes a song idea just pops into my head when I’m doing nothing, so I record it on my phone. Then, a few months later, when we all meet up for a session, I’ll say, “Hey, I had this idea a while back—what do you think?” Thanks to modern technology, we can record ideas anytime, anywhere, which is really cool.

Upcoming Movie & Behind-the-Scenes Footage

Your movie is coming out this summer (with a Japan release on November 1st). I heard you also filmed in Tokyo?

Zayn: Yeah, we did.

What’s the concept of the movie?

Zayn: It’s basically a documentary.

Louis: Yeah, it also includes tour footage.

Zayn: It follows us from the beginning until now, showing what we’ve done along the way. Fans will get to see what goes on behind the scenes. We really want people to know more about us, and we tried to make it as real as possible.

Will there be personal scenes as well?

Zayn: Hmm… maybe! (laughs)

Louis: Haha, yeah, of course! Fans will see a lot of personal moments, not just the things they already know about us.

Will your family and friends be in the movie?

Louis: Yeah, I think there will definitely be interviews with our families and friends.

Life Off-Stage & Inside Jokes

You guys seem really close. What do you usually talk about when you’re together?

Liam Payne: You probably don’t want to know… (laughs).

Niall: (laughs) Oh, come on! Tell us!

Harry Styles: Hey, by the way, do you want something to drink?

No, I don’t need a drink—I need you to answer the question! (laughs)

Louis: We talk about football, video games, girls…

Liam: Scuba diving, canoeing…

Louis: Horses…

Liam: Archery…

Louis: Murder… (laughs). Nah, just kidding! But yeah, that’s about it.

Harry: Just normal teenage boy stuff—sports, girls, that kind of thing.

Louis, you’re known for loving shopping. Did you buy anything in Japan?

Louis: I bought some robots.

Wasn’t it Zayn who bought the robots?

Louis: I bought some too. And a Polaroid camera. That’s about it.

What about the other members?

Harry: I bought some clothes, including a Hard Rock Café Tokyo T-shirt. Oh, by the way, your glasses are really cool—I like them.

Oh, thanks! (laughs) By the way, Liam, I heard you’re really sensitive and that you don’t even use restaurant spoons? Is that true?

Liam: Yeah, it’s true. I have a phobia of restaurant spoons—I don’t know where they’ve been!

Louis: Apparently, he once had a bad experience… something about a spoon getting stuck somewhere it shouldn’t have… (laughs). (Editor’s Note: Obviously a joke!)

Do you have any other phobias?

Louis: Well, we all have sensitive spots on our bodies… (laughs).

All Members: (laughs).

Final Thoughts & Upcoming Goals

Louis, people say you’re really kind and thoughtful. Is that true?

Louis: I’d like to think so, yeah.

Liam: Louis has the biggest heart.

Louis: Thanks, mate. (laughs)

I heard you text your mom often so she doesn’t worry about you?

Louis: Yeah, that’s true.

And when you were little, she used to call you "Boo Bear"?

Louis: Haha, yeah… it’s a little embarrassing, but it’s true. My mom always called me "Boo Bear" when I was little.

Harry, I heard your motto is to always be kind to others.

Harry: I try to be, yeah.

But you’re such a big star—you don’t have to be kind! Where does that attitude come from?

Harry: That doesn’t matter. Being kind is just important, no matter who you are.

What’s your next big goal?

Louis: Performing in Japan!

That’s not that big, is it?

Zayn: No, it’s a huge deal!

Niall: Also, we hope our movie does well.

Zayn: Yeah, definitely.

Niall: Right now, we’re preparing for our world tour. We want to make sure it’s a success, and most of all, we just hope our fans have fun.

Will the Japanese show be the same as MSG, or will it be different?

All Members: Totally different!

Zayn: It’s going to be way bigger.

Harry (in Japanese): Ganbarimasu! (I’ll do my best!) (laughs).

[daddy-long-legssss]

you're all tarted up and you don't look the same but it just gets worse [1] [2] [3] [4]

[larryyyy1d]

One direction take me home era

[blasto-the-hanar-specter]

"Still?"

[wavesoutbeingtossed]

Sometimes do you ever think about how rich and layered Taylor’s discography is and how she says SO much it just textually but between the lines and it’s just such a hauntingly beautiful portrait of a life lived and it’s still a progress in work and speaks to such a fulsome human experience or are you normal

[davemustaine]

megadeth, 1988

[elizasinsane]

Ummm I'm writing a fic on ao3 its gonna be a road trip au with jegulus and wolfstar its gonna be all southern and angsty and all east coast deep south the delta of Mississippi but it is most certianly gonna be sad. if you wanna read it its gonna be called Take Me Home, Country Roads. Yes like the John Denver song. my ao3 name is Ebutstove77

[cliperry]

(x)

FLASHBACK FRIDAY: ONE DIRECTION – THEY CALL IT PUPPY LOVE As millions of teenager girls prepare themselves for tonight’s US and world premiere of One Direction: This Is Us, we investigate the fear and the fandom of the world’s most devoted Directioners in this cover story from the archives.

Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Liam Payne, together known as One Direction, are currently among the most adored individuals on the planet. Despite their astonishing global success (and many millions in the bank), they’re keen to hold on to their own normality. But the same can’t be said for their wildly imaginative, obsessive and transgressive fanbase. Or can it? Wonderland investigates…

“Zayn tastes like beer and chips and Liam drops the bag, effectively spilling the garbage he’d thrown in earlier, to cup Zayn’s jaw. He doesn’t know if it’s because he needs Zayn to be closer, or if he just needs something to hold onto. From the way Liam’s body is reacting, he thinks it might be both. For two blissful heartbeats, they kiss, and nothing – nothing – Liam has ever experienced can compare to this.”

Girls, boys, tabloid journalists, don’t get too excited. The above is not what happened when Wonderland met One Direction – you know, the biggest boy band on the planet right now. It’s the work of a 17-year-old American girl who goes under the handle of “Mindless Dreamer” on Onedirectionfanfiction.com. At the time of writing, this site hosts around 30,000 stories (over 200,000,000 words in total) featuring Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Liam Payne, the ex-X Factor pop idols who have become the show’s most astonishing success story. Mindless Dreamer is a finalist in four out of fifteen categories in the site’s inaugural best-of awards (best Louis, best Liam, best slash, best alternate universe), the winners of which should have been announced by the time you read this. She has about four long fanfics on the go, one of which, Drunk Texting (a story about Tomlinson accidentally texting a stranger’s phone whose number is similar to Styles’), is over 50,000 words long – and counting. Another, set in a different reality from our own, is about what happens when Malik, working with Tomlinson as an assistant to – wait for it – the grim reaper, is asked to collect the soul of Liam Payne on Earth. Seriously. In her bio she says: “I used to be a normal person. Then I started liking One Direction.”

A lot of “normal” people like One Direction. Yet, they do an awful lot of abnormal things. Recent press coverage of the boys, who according to a biography of Simon Cowell released this year, are now worth more than £100 million collectively, has been peppered with tales of how the band’s fans take to Twitter to issue death threats to their girlfriends, how they make up scurrilous rumours and rail bitterly at fans of other acts, viciously hounding any that would detract from their idols. As the boys’ fame continues to skyrocket (largely because, this February, they did the impossible and broke America, becoming the first UK act ever to debut at no. 1 in the Billboard album charts) the niche activities of their fans are making news of their own. At the beginning of October, the world was turned on to the burgeoning One Direction fan fiction community when 16-year- old Emily Baker had bagged herself a book deal by posting One Direction fanfic Loving the Band on web-publishing site movellas.com. But even this story only really scratched the surface of a fascinating, international online community that has its own laws, its own logic. Of course, illogical, mass-obsession about a bunch of cute guys who sing romantic songs is hardly new. But the buzz around One Direction marks something of a turning point in the history of pop culture. Suddenly, thanks to Twitter, Tumblr and all the internet’s other self-aggrandising personal broadcasting platforms, the obsessive imaginings of millions of lustful teenagers are being played out in a very public forum. Anyone is welcome to stare into the eyes of the madness.

harry1d

Given that they are surrounded by such a level of hysteria, it’s a little surprising that, in person, the members of One Direction are so very normal. It’s actually quite disarming – each is so much like any regular teenage boy that our interview feels a little bit like hanging out in a sixth form common room. Malik and Horan flick through a copy of Teen Now, sniggering at a cheesy poster of rival boy band The Wanted. “I like to kiss this sort of thing,” says Tomlinson, sarcastically, “I think they look sick in it, don’t you?” Malik joins in, pointing: “Yeah he looks proper good there.” In-jokes fly around the room, causing Payne to chuckle between sentences as he answers questions. Horan fiddles with his phone a lot, and sings little snatches of Chris Brown songs. Styles is attentive but seems a little bit tired.

Actually, they all seem exhausted, like puppies post-kibble. “They’ve been long days these past three weeks,” says Payne, adding that they rarely finish doing interviews, photoshoots or recording sessions before 9pm. Of course, they try to actually live their lives too: “If you finish late, by the time you go home you can’t fall asleep, not ‘til one or two in the morning,” says Horan. (His nocturnal routine became apparent this September when he and Justin Bieber had a late night noodle sesh after the VMAs). Payne, who shortly after our interview, was reported to be going on dates with Leona Lewis, reckons he gets about five hours shut-eye a night. So does Styles, the ladies’ man of the group (but you can’t help suspecting that it’s rather less than that). Asked what they would do if they had any time off right now, they all reply, “sleep”.

Clearly a little weary of doing interviews, One Direction often get distracted and veer off-topic – one quasi-fruitful digression reveals their favourite club move is “the cardigan dance” – best executed, when “hammered,” by grabbing the lapels of your cardigan and pulling them about in time to the music. Sometimes it takes them a while to get to the point because they’re busy ribbing each other. Tomlinson farts about halfway through the session – all laugh.

niall1d

This is not the kind of behaviour that’s particularly conducive to a good interview. But then again, it’s all part of the unashamed, run-of- the-mill adolescent schtick that has made them great. It’s got a market value – and the boys know it. When asked to what they attribute their massive success, Payne hits the nail on the head: “I think for us, the main thing is that we’ve just kind of been ourselves, that’s what people like. I think a lot of people get into [our] situation and you hear they’ve changed, but we‘ve just stayed ourselves.” Tomlinson agrees – he stresses that it’s important to them that they don’t dance, or all dress in matching outfits. “In the past, with previous boy bands, I think they felt like they had to meet a stereotype,” he says. “We’re just ourselves: stupid, immature and quirky.” (Meanwhile, as if to prove his point, Malik and Horan playfight on the other side of the room).

One Direction’s untrammelled boy-next- door-ish-ness is obviously one reason they’ve got so massive, why the obsessive fans find it so easy to identify with and fantasise about them. But another force in their favour has been Twitter. “I think [it’s] definitely helped us in terms of getting abroad – spread the word between people and their friends in foreign countries,” says Styles. Of course, it’s also changed the game for One Direction in another way, allowing the band’s followers (between six and seven million each) to have – or rather, perceive themselves as having – exclusive, instant and personal access to the boys. “Back when we were lads there were certain celebrities that we’d wanna get in touch with,” says Payne, reasonably. (True to public perception, he’s the most mature and Dad-like of the group.) “That’s why Twitter’s so useful,” he continues. “It’s nice that fans can get 135 close to us and ask us questions and stuff.” As a reward for the attention and loyalty, the boys often tweet back at their followers. How, when there are so many? “I just do it really randomly,” says Payne. “I dip my finger in and just kind of pick one.”

Unfortunately, One Direction’s Twitter following has not always been as “nice” as they might like: this summer, it began to seem like the fruits of the global obsession with the band were finally beginning to get to them. In August, Malik temporarily deleted his Twitter account, so enraged was he at comments (concerning his relationship with girlfriend, Perrie Edwards) posted by trolls on the social networking site. A month later, Louis Tomlinson lost his cool when his mother was abused by out-of-control fans on Twitter. “Can I ask why this is ok?” he tweeted, “To think someone would speak to my Mum like that sickens me. Grow the fuck up!” Shortly afterwards, Payne split up with his girlfriend, who, apparently, had been troubled by the negative comments she was receiving on social media as a result of being in the relationship.

Does it bother them – the fact that what seemed like the perfect marketing tool for One Direction has actually backfired a little bit? Surprisingly, only a little. “Twitter sometimes becomes a place for people to give opinions on stuff which, sometimes, you don’t really need,” says Payne. Tomlinson chips in: “Sometimes you want to say ‘Have you quite finished?’” At the same time, he maintains, no amount of backchat will make him be too self-conscious about what he puts out there via social media. “You have to be completely yourself,” he says, reinforcing the band’s WYSIWYG stance. “If the papers are going to write something about it, at least you’re being who you are,” he says. The boys show a similar stubbornness when I suggest, perhaps, if they were a little less public about their girlfriends (boybands like Take That, for example, were always encouraged by management to be perennially single in public), then maybe their partners would not have to endure so much attention. “That’s shit,” says Louis. “That means you don’t lead a life that’s real. You wouldn’t be able to go out anywhere publicly with your girlfriend.”

louis1d

When One Direction do go out in public, they, naturally, get mobbed. They’re obviously very bored of talking about crazy things their fans have done (a couple of days after our interview, theyinfactgetinabitofbotheronaNew Zealand radio show by including this in a list of 12 topics they would rather not be asked about), but they feed me a couple of good stories. There’s the legion of bare breasts that assailed their car on a recent trip Sweden. There’s fans who took Tomlinson’s hat, others who nearly pulled Payne’s hands off, another lot who, when he lost a shoe, bought it back off the tramp who picked it up, and gave it back to him. Alongside the fans, there’s the paparazzi, but they don’t seem to mind that. “We kind of get on with them,” says Styles. “If you just be nice to them, they’re really nice to you,” says Horan.

I ask them if they read the mind-boggling stuff written about them online. Malik says he tries not to. Tomlinson gets a bit agitated again: “Some people just literally make up stuff that’s not true. When do you just sit there and think ‘You know what, I’m going to make up a really horrible rumour.’” Payne is drily understated about the fan fiction and the blogs: “Some of those are quite naughty. Quite graphic.” He’s not lying. Among the innumerable One Direction blogs out there, most of which are hosted on accessible microblogging site Tumblr, many simply collect animated GIFs of the boys looking especially cute, but a sizeable amount are also about catching them out in what looks like rampant homoerotic flirting.

The idea of them all getting it on with each other has almost universal traction among fans, with a slew of blogs devoted exclusively to coverage of hypothetical One Direction pairings (not to mention many, many “slash” or boy-on-boy erotic stories). “Larry Stylinson”, the descriptor for the imaginary relationship between Tomlinson and Styles (which Tomlinson has vigorously denied in the press, claiming that such talk has damaged his relationship both with his girlfriend, Eleanor Calder and Styles himself) is the most popular topic. However, every permutation – whether it’s Lilo, Zarry, Larry, Niam, Ziall, Nouis, Narry, Zouis or Ziam – has its own niche following.

A lot of the blogs are aggressively sexy: the description on DedicatedToZiam.tumblr. com reads “Basically just two teenage girls releasing their One Direction sexual frustration and impatiently waiting for the Ziam sex tape.” Another Tumblr, Shower of Cunts (a reference to a derogatory remark Horan made to some fans in July at Dublin Airport), opens with: “I just want to fuck the shit out of Harry Styles and Niall Horan… :)) That’s pretty much what this blog is about.” On the same site, a section collects images of the band that have been overlaid with animated images of stick figures performing sex acts on the boys (each one is labelled with an arrow and the caption “ME”).

liam1d

Other blogs can just seem plain odd to outsiders, in particular, those that focus on romantic, literary creations. On these, bloggers write short “ships” (in which they pair a fan with a member of the band, detailing why they get on and what their favourite song is), or “imagines” (more extended colour pieces envisaging fantasy situations), and their readers send in requests to be featured in specific scenarios. Some requests are straightforward, such as “my first date with Niall”. Others are bizarre – on theWonderfulWorldofUs.tumblr. com there’s a short story about Horan helping his (imaginary) wife through a traumatic miscarriage.

What motivates this strange behaviour? I manage to get in touch with a couple of the girls who run these sites, and of course, like the boys, they seem pretty normal too. Harsharan Malinao, the Virginia- based 18-year-old who operates “Shower of Cunts” is blasé about her purple prose. I ask her what she’d think if One Direction actually had a look at her blog. “Oh man, haha, I’d be a bit embarrassed,” she writes. “I try not to put anything too weird on there. It doesn’t really matter though because it’s all just for fun haha.” Does she think it’s OK to objectify these boys? “I don’t try to objectify them,” she replies. “And if someone ever did accuse me of aggressively objectifying them I wouldn’t really know what to say besides ‘I’m Sorry.’”

Seventeen-year-old Canadian Blogging duo KandM, who take requests for ships and imagines on “The Wonderful World of Us”, are more philosophical. Why do they think people ask them to write these stories? “Because they want to feel included in the boys’ lives in some way. Through requesting things like ships and imagines, it brings you a little closer to the boys because you are a character in the same story as them.” I have to bring up the story about the miscarriage – it’s pretty gruesome. Isn’t this supposed to be about wish fulfilment? “I guess the whole reason why we chose to write that one was because people need to know that life is not all perfect and it doesn’t always go the way we want it to go,” they say, speaking as one via email.

Every fan I write to is united on one front, that One Direction’s unique appeal is their approachability. “There’s a feeling when you watch the boys that makes them feel like your friends,” says Alice Crosbie, an Australian fan. “They’re relatable and they don’t act like they’re untouchable.” Malinao agrees: “I really like how they seem so genuine and they’re just weird and funny.” I ask the boys if they, in turn, feel close to their fans. “Definitely, yeah,” says Styles. “There’s fans that have been coming to see us since the first week on X Factor that we still know now. It’s nice seeing them on a first-name basis and having a chat with them.” In their experience, what do the fans want from them? “A [Twitter] follow,” says Styles. “I think they just want to be noticed,” adds Tomlinson. Payne remarks “I think there’s a bit of competition between all the fans as well…”

It’s easy to get absorbed in the weird and wonderful world of One Direction’s obsessive fanbase and forget that what they’re famous for, ostensibly, is music. Their new album, Take Me Home, is out early November, and, judging from the success of lead single “Live While We’re Young,” is going to be huge. They recorded the record in “three weeks” (according to Styles, “a month” according to Payne), and say the intense experience made sure the album is all killer, no filler. “There were tracks that we thought ‘oh it might be ok, it might be really bad,’” says Styles. “But because we didn’t have time we could just focus on the songs that worked. Now, looking at the album as a line-up, we’re really happy with every song.”

After the album is released they’re going on tour for most of 2013. This pretty much derails the question “Where do you want to be in a year’s time,” so I try for 10. “I don’t know,” says Styles. “If someone had asked us two years ago, I don’t think we’d have imagined we’d be doing this now.” Does the adulation vary from country to country? “To be honest it’s surprising how similar the fans are in different places,” says Styles. “You’d expect there to be a bit more of a change. [They’re] really supportive, everywhere and they’ve been amazing everywhere we’ve been.”

zayn1d

Having sifted through the blogs, the fiction, the “bullshit” trolling, the counter-bullshit (there’s a Tumblr group called “Directioners Against Bullshit,” which Malinao is a member of), it’s not exactly clear how much the fans care about the reality of the boys, what they’re actually like. Instead, images of these gleeful, shiny-eyed individuals have become a platform for a global, unadulterated fantasy that, as it gets more and more extreme, gets more and more fascinating. Given that the boys swear all they want to do is present themselves as honestly as possible, is there a sense that some fans have missed the point? “I think there’s a lot of things that the fans don’t know about us,” says Payne. “I think our relationship doesn’t really play out as much as people think. People still ask whether we really get on or not, and we genuinely do. A lot of people don’t believe that, they think it’s some fake thing where we have to get on because of the position we’re in.”

Overall, the most surprising thing is how little One Direction are bothered by the extent to which their images and personalities have been manipulated, reappropriated and dissected by their fanbase. But then again, they’re part of a generation for which all this kind of life- as-brand activity is thoroughly normal. In fact, let’s be honest, it wasn’t so long ago that they were X Factor-watching superfans themselves. “If I was a fan and found out that I’d been lied to the whole time… it would be like, ‘how do you believe anything they say?’,” says Payne, justifying the carefree way in which the group live very public private lives. “We’ve always, from the start, wanted to show the fans us, as people,” says Styles. Presumably, there will come a point where they’ll have to be a bit more careful, a bit more afraid. But, then again, it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen any time soon.

One Direction: This Is Us premieres worldwide Friday, 30 August.

[lunarharp]

we're back..scrappy times..elf/rpg doodles based on halloween art shirahama did

[aguuuua]

zarry en todas sus eras 💚💛

[purebbyfawn]

•｡♡ ˚⋅

[anxietyfrappuccino]

"i'm in my swiftie era" doesn't quite hit when she's the death you were born to choose

[rathenrys]

Henry and Eddie friendship is real to me just because of this (I am delusional)

[robin-5-technically]

It wasn't my intention to compliment your sword so you would help me, I just really like swords.

And I agree it's not a two person job but cats always scratch me before I can pet then, any tips you can give please? If not it's ok!

-🎂

I see.

Firstly—some cats simply do not wish to be pet, a harrowing truth, but a truth nonetheless. Most do, eventually, but that takes much time and trust.

Now, there are many street cats that are already used to people and are very friendly. These cats, upon calling them, will typically lift their tails straight up—possibly hooked slightly forward—and you need only bend down and hold a hand out to them.

Some are more hesitant but still willing to be pet. I recommend crouching 4-6 feet away from said cat depending on how nervous the individual cat seems. Do not approach it while it is approaching you. You may scare it. If it likes you, and is used to being pet, the cat will most likely bump your hand on its own to signal that it will allow your touch. Cats less used to being pet may require you to reach slightly closer to them as encouragement.

For someone else’s pet that you wish to touch I recommend speaking with the owner of said cat on what said cat likes and dislikes in regards to petting.

For all cats: do not approach too quickly, do not grab them, and do not approach after it has made it clear it does not wish to be touched. If you have a specific cat you are trying to make like you then bring different types of treats to offer. Not every cat likes the same thing, so it may take a while to find exactly what it likes. For finicky cats—set the food down and make a show of stepping far from it so that they know it is for them and that you will not interfere with them while they eat—DO NOT TOUCH AN ANTSY CAT WHILE IT EATS. It will not trust your future offerings and you will get clawed.

Good luck, 🎂 anon and whomever else reads this.

[starswallowingsea]

i know its normal to like. tell your parents that you're moving and got a new job but why do i feel like i have to ask permission to fucking. apply for jobs outside of michigan

[cliperry]

Source: x

It's impossible to put into words how much my life has changed since The X Factor. For a start I live in London now, I'm in a band and I get to travel to amazing places… It's ridiculous when I think about it! When I compare us now to us in the early days of The X Factor, I know we've improved so much as a group. In everything from harmonies and movement to understanding what it is to be onstage and be in a group. I think we've gained lot of confidence and we all feel that we can really be ourselves in front of the crowd. As much as my life is totally different to how it used to be, in some ways things haven't changed that much, because I can still live a normal life. People always ask me, 'Is it impossible to do all the things you used to do?" but actually I can still go for a drink or dinner and not get papped. I just have to be a bit cleverer about it than I used to be. If I just want to go out somewhere I try not to think about it too much. I just go and do it. You could drive yourself crazy worrying about whether it's safe, and you have to live your life. I know that there are certain places where people know me, or their friends do, and if they recognise me they won't be bothered.

There are times when things can get a bit intrusive, but you just have to get on with it. If you're walking down the street and someone takes a picture, so what? You're in public, so you kind of expect it, and it's not a big deal. But if someone were to take photos of me in my house, that would bother me. You have to have somewhere that's private. One of the mottos that I've learnt since I joined the band that I try to stick by is: 'Work hard, play hard and be kind' - because it works. In order to have a good time you have to work hard to be successful, and being kind to people should be a given. If everyone was a little bit nicer to people, the world would be a much better place. You have a choice where you can either be all right to someone or you can be a little bit nicer, and that can make someone's day.

We've been so lucky because we've been able to go to some incredible places. Of the places we've visited so far Sydney is one of my favourites. It's pretty English - it's a lot like London in terms of their culture and the way people are - but everything's just a bit happier because the weather is great, and things move slightly more slowly because people are chilled out. I also love LA, although I think you have to make it your own. If you go there not knowing anyone it's not that great, because you need to know where to go and how to get there. If you have friends you can meet at parties and restaurants, LA is the best place in the world. But if you were on your own you'd feel quite lonely. New York is very different to LA but equally brilliant. In New York you can go out and meet people really easily. There's stuff going on every night and it's always so busy that you could easily go out in the early evening and stay out until morning. It's like London there too, but sped up. If you were staying in New York and you woke up with jet lag at 4am and wanted to see a gig, there would probably be one going on somewhere. No one really eats until 10pm and dinner will go on until tam. It's very cool. You can people watch in New York too, which I really enjoy. We've met some incredible people on our travels. Michelle Obama was great, and I think she and Barack probably really are just the way they come across in the press very normal. They're being themselves, they just happen to have ridiculously high-profile jobs. I think Michelle is an amazing First Lady. Everyone seems to love her, and I think that's because she's so warm and kind.

Personally, when we've been travelling I've always tried to meet locals and see how they are in their hometown. When we were in Chicago someone from our record label introduced me to a couple of local guys. I played golf with them and it was nice to go out and do something different. Coincidentally, they used to be mates with Barack Obama and play golf with him every Sunday, and they said he's really down to earth. One of the guys even invited me over to his house for a barbecue, so I went over and met his family. Things like that are really special. Going to Ghana for Comic Relief was an unbelievable, life-changing experience. I was so humbled by all of the people we met, and really moved by what we saw. The fact that Comic Relief raised such an incredible amount of money means so much to us, because it will make a huge difference to so many lives. If I was asked to go again, I would in a second. WHERE WE ARE 29

I haven't learnt any languages yet, but I really want to learn sign language. So many people can speak different languages, but if you could make a difference to that one person who can't communicate it would be amazing. I met a girl and her mum in Ireland once and they both signed, and I signed 'thank you' back to them and they couldn't believe it. If someone who was using sign language came to your show or your book signing and you could sign back to them, it would be such a good feeling. I think that's much nicer than being able to order steak and chips in French. So the plan is to learn much more sign language as soon as I get a chance. I'm not a big shopper when we're travelling, so amazingly I save money when I'm away. Especially when we're touring. I'll pick things up here and there, but I can't get that much in my suitcase! Also, I can't do online shopping because I've got nowhere for it to be delivered to when we're moving around so much. I tend to pick up little trinkets to remember places by, or gifts for people. I've never told anyone this before but I did pick up an interesting souvenir in LA once. We were invited to meet Johnny Depp's daughter, so we went over to his studio. My friend was texting me saying, 'You have to rob something and bring it back. So I've got this little pink bar of soap from Johnny Depp's toilet that I nicked. He's going to think I'm a freak if he reads this! We've been on so many TV shows around the world now, but one we did in Japan really stands out because it was the most ridiculous thing ever. There was confetti all over the place and there were tons of crew and it was so fast paced. It was so crazy we didn't really know what was going on. 30 TAKE OFF FABULOUS LANDING

LEFT: The boys light up Madison Square Garden. 4 December 2012 ONE DIRECTION ISN'T JUST ABOUT THE BAND. IT'S ABOUT ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE HELPED US ALONG THE WAY In terms of live shows, playing Madison Square Garden for the first time was a real 'moment' for us. The nice thing was that pretty much everyone who's worked on One Direction as a project was there, from the guy who designed our first album cover to song producers. One Direction isn't just about the band, it's about all the people who have helped us along the way, and are still helping us now. We've worked with a lot of the same people since the beginning, and that means a lot to us. Our friends and family also came, so it was nice to have drinks with all of them afterwards. It's such an exciting venue, and it was amazing to be able to look out from the stage and see so many people we know supporting us. FABULOUS PERFECT

HARD ARD DIRECON Where WE ARE E ven though a lot of mad things are going on around us, I honestly don't think it's been that hard to stay down to earth. I look around me and I can see how people could get carried away, because if you lived completely in the fame bubble you could end up thinking you're the greatest thing ever. I almost feel a bit sorry for people whose lives get completely taken over by it, because I can see how it would be hard to stay grounded. But we all live normal lives outside of the band, so we don't let things run away with us. But we all My family is amazing. They treat me exactly the same way as they always did - and there's no reason why they shouldn't. My friends from home are the same. I think you just need to take a step back from it every now and again, remind yourself of what it is you're involved in as a whole and get it in perspective. It's a very cool job, but it doesn't make me any better than anybody else. I'm very aware of little things, like saying that people work 'with' us rather than 'for' us. I hate hearing people say that others work for them - I'm sure they only do it because it makes them feel important. We're all working hard for the same goal. WHERE WE ARE 35 FABULOUS PERFECT LANDING THE ROAD

18 January 2013 One of my friends takes the mickey out of me if I walk through a door before her. She'll say, 'Do you do that because you're famous? Hold the door open for me!' I love it when people rib me about things. If you're not very nice to people, word gets around. When someone meets you for the first time, there's no grey area. They'll go back to their friends and either say 'he was really nice' or 'he's a bit of an idiot to be honest', because saying someone is 'all right' isn't a great story. If you act even slightly like a diva, people will pick up on it. If I see someone acting like they're something special it shocks me into not doing it even more. And I have seen a lot of people do it, both famous and non-famous. I don't understand why you can't just be nice to people, whether you're in the public eye or not.

SOME PEOPLE ONLY HAVE 'YES' PEOPLE AROUND THEM, WHO TELL THEM THEY'RE WONDERFUL ALL OF THE TIME & THEY CAN LOSE PERSPECTIVE 38 TAKE OFF ☆ I surround myself with people who do all kinds of jobs, and I like going out to all sorts of places that aren't to do with the industry. Also, my friends will tell me if I'm doing something wrong or if something I'm wearing looks ridiculous, and not everyone has that. Some people only have 'yes' people around them, who tell them they're wonderful all of the time, and they can lose perspective. I think it's nice to give back, and I don't think there's anything wrong with buying my mum a present if I want to, but I try to buy people things that they need rather than random big gifts. You can end up looking like a massive show-off if you turn up with loads of gifts for Christmas or someone's birthday, because it looks like you're trying to trump everyone else's presents. Plus, if you give things to people all of the time they stop meaning anything. I prefer giving thoughtful presents. Anyone can buy something expensive if they have the money, but it's harder to buy something that means something to someone.

It still hasn't sunk in that we went to number one in so many countries with both of our albums. When we go and visit all those countries which we are planning to do it will sink in much more. We found out we were number one in Australia while we were over there doing promo, so we could kind of get it, but when you just see a lot of figures written down on a sheet of paper it doesn't seem real. It's tough to picture it. I try to process it when I'm lying in bed at night. I'll stop and think, I cannot believe we went to number one in the Philippines." Some people say that One Direction is half our look and half our music. I don't think we've ever relied just on our look; our music has to be strong for us to stay in the position we are. The main reason the music has to be great is because of the fans. We are a musical group and we love what we do. We couldn't sing songs we don't believe in. We're quite vulnerable to critics, because we were put together on a reality show. I get that some people don't like that, and that's fine. Everyone is entitled to their likes and dislikes. However, if our music did drop off, it would only be right for people to have a bit of a go at us, because at the end of the day we're a band. If our music wasn't good, people would think all we do is mess around and look all right. But you need good music to back all of that up. We feel like our music is getting stronger all the time. Some people may not like us, but we do make a really good pop song, and they'd still dance to it at a wedding.

WE ARE A MUSICAL GROUP & WE LOVE WHAT WE DO. WE COULDN'T SING SONGS WE DON'T BELIEVE IN Of course it's amazing to get recognition for our music, so winning awards means so much to us. My favourite awards ceremony to date has been the VMAs. I didn't even expect us to be invited, because it's such a big deal. So for us to be invited, then asked to perform and then to win three awards was unbelievable. The BRITs is always a great night as well. We were so excited to go to our first one in 2012, and when we won the award for British Single we were stunned. Then we performed in 2013 and we absolutely loved it. It was great getting to sing 'One Way or Another (Teenage Kicks)', because Comic Relief is such an important charity. At the moment my house is being renovated and I'm staying between two friends' houses, so the awards we've been given are all over the place. Two are on a friend's windowsill, some others are in my other friend's bedroom and one of my other mates has got another one. One of the EMAs has been swiped by my friend's sister, so I need to try to get that back. The others are in storage, and I'll be getting them out when I move back home.

FABULOUS FANS can still remember the feeling we used to get when we went into the X Factor studios right back at the beginning. When there were fans outside we used to be so excited, and I still get the same feeling now. When there are a lot of people outside a venue it shocks me. Sometimes I think people won't turn up to a TV studio if it's in the middle of nowhere, but they do and it's so nice. When we did The Today Show in New York we didn't know what the reaction would be like. It was our first proper show in America and we were nervous. We knew from Twitter and Facebook that we had a bit of a fanbase there, but an amazing number of fans turned up to welcome us, and to see things on that scale was ridiculous. There were so many people there. A lot of people try to make it in America, and I think we've been incredibly lucky timing-wise, because there hasn't been a boy band out there for a while. I think it's a great time for British music in America at the moment generally, with the likes of Adele and Ed Sheeran; they're doing unbelievably well. And it's down to the fans spreading the word about UK music. WHERE WE ARE 47

1D Wuthald THE FANS HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLE TO US. THEY DON'T VARY MUCH AROUND THE WORLD - THEY'RE UNIVERSALLY AMAZING W We've known some of the fans for three years, and they still come and make the effort to see us. For us, that's been one of the nicest parts of the whole thing, because we know their names and we can ask them about their lives. It's great seeing some of the old faces and also lots of new faces. The fans have been incredible to us. They don't vary much around the world - they're universally amazing. Sometimes there's no time to do much more than have a picture taken with them if things are hectic, but it's nice when there aren't many fans in one place, because then you get a chance to sit down and chat to them. I was talking to some fans the other night who are at uni, and it's crazy to think that if I weren't in the band I would probably be in the same position as them. Or even at uni with them. 48 TAKE OFF

W e love performing and seeing the fans, so touring is probably my favourite thing to do. When it comes to travelling, I think what we all enjoy most is being on the tour bus. You can chill out, have some food and go to sleep when you want to. I try not to do too much. I'll watch a film and chat to the boys, but it's nice to have proper downtime to catch up with friends and family. We do have a really good laugh if we're in a stupid mood. I remember once we decided to jokingly attack Paul, our tour manager. I was naked and I thought it would be a really quick fight, but it took forever, so I was stuck in a naked headlock for about ten minutes… The crew is like one big tour family, and I think if you didn't have that community feel you would go crazy. You're away from your family and friends, so you need that support network of people who are there for you. I can always talk to the boys, but I know I can talk to the crew too. Everyone needs everyone, and we're all on each other's side. Even though you're away from home and you're working long hours when you're touring, you do get a chance to recharge your batteries a bit. You can have a lie-in and you can get into a good routine. You know that you can go to the gym, have some lunch and then head to the venue at a set time. The beds on the tour bus are pretty comfortable, and the American buses are always massive, so you get bigger beds and DVD players in the bunks. I always take a scented candle with me when I travel because it reminds me of home, and I also light them in the dressing room before a gig sometimes. It's nice to have a touch of home. 52 PERFECT LANDING

I think the thing that people like about our shows is that you get something different all the time. We always mess around onstage and there are always little jokes going on, which I think is nice for the crowd. The last night of the tour is the one that I'd want to go and see, because pretty much everything falls apart. The crew come on and throw things at us when we're performing, and you can do everything you've always wanted to do onstage because it's the last one. It's the fun show, and I think if you came and saw it you'd have a laugh. It's always a longer show too, because we're doing so much stupid stuff. I'd love to watch one back. It's probably awful, but great fun! The world tour is huge for us, so we took our time making sure every single detail of it was right. We came up with ideas for the lighting, the screens and all the things that previously we hadn't had time to get so involved in. It's our show at the end of the day, so we want it to reflect who we are. Our ultimate goal was to make a show that we would enjoy watching ourselves. The tour is going to many different countries and we want everyone to come and have an incredible time with us. We feel so proud of it. I'm loving every second of it. If I could go back and start it all again tomorrow, I would. 54 PERFECT LANDING

Where WE'RE GOING W e were both nervous and excited about making the 1D movie. There's so much that we do that people don't see, so it's nice to let fans get an insight into who we really are. We put everything out there - nothing was hidden. We do mess around a lot, so it was great fun making it, and you definitely get to see the ridiculous side of us. Well, the even more ridiculous side. It was a really natural process and nothing was set up a lot of the time we forgot the cameras were there. It wasn't like we decided to go water-skiing or anything just to make the film more interesting. If the cameras missed something, the producers didn't ask us to set it up again so they could film it, because that wouldn't have worked. We were just us. While we've been on the road we've also been working on the third album, and it's been really exciting because we're writing a lot more. We're experimenting more with this album, which has been great. We want to make the third album our best yet. We by no means feel like we're at the top of our game. We always want to push further and be the best we can be. There's still so much more we can do. I'm excited to see what happens. I want to carry on working hard, playing hard and being kind! WHERE WE ARE 59