#i promise i won't make most sections this dense

[tgrailwar-zero]

*bows*

Thank you Rikyu for your understanding and please pass along our sincere gratitude to Koma for staying your hand. Our earnest goal right now is to aid the Solar Cell in its fight against the Titan so that the Heavenly Deity need not wake and thus the humanity both within and without the Solar Cell may stay safe. Even if the rage was not our own, we were still the instruments it used to wreck destruction across this burgeoning land and so we pursue that goal to atone. In the name of full transparency, we also hope to reclaim at least the memories of who we were before we were made into a tool and perhaps even find a way to separate back into individual people.

RIKYU: "Very well then. If this 'Titan' is the one that is responsible for snuffing out so many innocent souls, then this 'Titan' will face the 'Blackness' within Rikyu, and we have a common enemy."

RIKYU: "However, the bout is in the morning, so we'd best rest ourselves."

With that, you gently guided by RIKYU back to the streets of the Megalopolis. MUSASHI approached, looking clearly a bit worried.

MUSASHI: "God, there you all are! I could feel my tether to you get real strained- what happened?"

She squinted at you, before sighing.

MUSASHI: "...Okay. We're going back. You've got a 'we just had a harrowing experience and we're mentally exhausted' energy about you, and I wouldn't want to exacerbate it. So let's just… get you back. We can chat about it in the morning."

It wasn't a long walk back to the hotel. The ritzy atmosphere was either relaxing or even more stuffy, depending on your perspective of things. Luckily, MUSASHI remembered the Room number for the key, and stuck close to you as she guided you down the hallway. You stopped at the door as she knocked.

MUSASHI: "Huh? Is Little Miss Empress not here?"

She put her hands on her hips, and then on her swords, as if considering cutting the door open. However, reason kicked in and she simply decided to walk back to the lobby with you to wait.

After a few minutes, you heard the gentle sound of snoring down the hallway and saw three figures approaching.

'LITTLE GUY': "Uooahh… zz…."

NERO: "Ah. You're back. I hope you weren't waiting outside for too long."

MUSASHI: "You two look nice. Well, Rider's dressed all dapper as usual, but you're… phew. Well, I better keep my thoughts to myself."

CONSTANTINE: "Antecessor Nero and I went out to investigate the city with the little one. He fell asleep about halfway through, though."

NERO: "Alas, with the little one in tow, I couldn't engage in some of the more… enticing vices presented by the city. However, it was a fine way of getting a feel for the locale."

CONSTANTINE: "Right. We met someone, 'Duryodhana', was his name. He had apparently met you all earlier in one of the casinos."

NERO: "We began discussing the upcoming Bout. You all were planning on registering, right? That man, 'Duryodhana', claimed that he would be a shoe-in for victory. I disagreed, and Constantinus made a wager before things got out of hand."

CONSTANTINE: "It's a rather simple gamble. If you place second, he promised us an audience with the Pharaoh. If you place first, then he'll grant an audience, and provide us with what he declared is a 'worthwhile prize'. If we don't fulfill either one of those goals, then we'll owe him a favor."

As the RIDER and the CASTER explained themselves, you walked back to the room, NERO fishing a key out from... well, somewhere, and using it to open the door.

MUSASHI: "Ooooh, making bets on the Master's behalf? Rather careless of you, isn't it?"

CONSTANTINE: "It's not ideal, but I figured the odds were in our favor. That, and it was the only way to swiftly de-escalate the argument. If I've overstepped, I can find Duryodhana in the morning and tell him that the deal is off."

He sighed, adjusting the child on his back.

CONSTANTINE: "…I'm going to put this one to bed. You all should rest as well. Nero says there should be enough rooms for everyone, at least with our group split as it is. See you in the morning, Masters."

With that, CONSTANTINE walked up the stairs to the suite, cradling the LITTLE GUY in his arms. You felt the magical 'tug' from his presence lighten slightly, but not go entirely slack. With the type of person your RIDER was, he was most likely finding a good position to keep vigil, either over the room or the building, you weren't sure.

MUSASHI: "That's not a terrible idea. I think I'll just meditate in my Spirit Form, though. Night, Masters! Let's kick some butt tomorrow, okay?"

Like the wind, she vanished. The only one left being the CASTER.

NERO: "…"

The Emperor stared at you for a moment, as if trying to discern something. Whether she found what she was looking for or not, she smiled and lightly clapped her hands together.

NERO: "I'm going to bed. If you require something of me, at least knock first so that I may make myself decent. Or not, I have no shame in my body. Either way... goodnight, my Ensemble. Sweet dreams."

You watched her walk up the steps, claiming a room to herself.

It was quiet now. Really just you and your collective barrage of thoughts. Even with the big day tomorrow, it seemed like there was a lot riding on your shoulders. The Solar Cell, the Void Cell, your past… question… after question… after question. You could feel exhaustion on your shoulders, though it wasn't that deep into the night.

You found your way into a room, and for the first time in what seemed like a long time, had an actually restful night's sleep.

Which was good. Because you felt as if you were going to have a VERY busy few days coming up with the Flaming Bout.

[mushroompollution]

In the car, Leo had broken the news to Elliot that, no, Holy Knight had not actually emerged from its long hiatus just in time for its number one fan and critic's birthday. He'd been reprimanded after their last backseat brawl, and so Leo felt safe he could avoid any violence if he told him here.

Elliot's disappointment had been palpable, his attitude bitter as their driver had dropped them off at the location Leo and his contact had agreed in private conversation:

The city's largest park.

"What the hell did you bring me HERE for?" Elliot demands as the pair stroll up the gardens of the main entrance. He keeps his arms crossed, but it is hard to stay mad surrounded by so many gorgeous, blooming flowers. "if you wanted to go for a walk, you could've just asked."

"we're supposed to meet a mysterious stranger," Leo keeps his voice low, like he's telling a careful secret.

Elliot seems to tense at his side. "The hell does that mean? Is this some kind of prank--"

"not exactly~"

The walkway they follow circles around a great centerpiece, an impressive section of ruined building facade, its pillars and intricate gargoyles seemingly undamaged. A remnant of the former capitol's city hall, displayed in remembrance of the Tragedy that destroyed it. The pair follows the path, and as they reach the other side of the monument, a familiar face appears.

"Oz Vessalius?!" Elliot screams, drawing the attention of the quiet park's other patrons.

Once the hotheaded nobleman is calmed, Oz explains that he felt terrible about missing Elliot's birthday, but he also knew better than to try and show up as a Vessalius at a Nightray party. Also, he knew Elliot would be stubborn if he knew who had requested his time. Eventually, Elliot accepted that answer, and the trio had decided to venture into the park's wooded trails.

They make idle conversation as they walk, and the atmosphere between them becomes something amicable. Elliot and Oz bicker over their opposing tastes in character tropes. Leo rattles off the names of every wildflower they see, stopping to take photos of the ones he doesn't know to read about later. Oz promises them a grand meal after this

and cake, of course.

Most of the park's trails are wide and easy going, but as they venture further, closer to the river that marks the south boundary, several smaller side trails appear.

They follow one that runs along the river, though it can't be seen beyond the tall, dense, golden wildflowers that grow on either side of the narrow trail.

"I think we're almost there..." Oz says suddenly.

"There?? Is there actually some reason you brought me out here?" Elliot asks. To the untrained ear, his voice sounds irritable, but Leo knows him well, and Oz has always been a quick learner, and both of them pick up on his subtle. playful undertones.

"umm, sort of. this field won't work, but we needed to go someplace Gil definitely won't ever find us..."

"Why?!"

"you'll see! I think there's a good spot-- oh! yeah! just up ahead!" Oz suddenly breaks off into a light sprint through the tall, golden plants. His competitive nature takes hold, and Elliot immediately matches his pace, though Leo lingers behind. As the valet finally emerges from the wildflowers, he finds the other two facing each other in a sparse clearing beneath an overpass.

Elliot looks around himself in confusion, brows knit in annoyance. "Okay. What is this? " Now there's an irritated tone.

But Oz just giggles with that million-watt smile. "see, Alice and I looked in every single shop in Old Town trying to find a birthday present that suited you," he explains.

"So you brought me out to the middle of nowhere?" Elliot demands. "To what? Jump me???"

"yeah!"

Elliot seems too stunned to reply. Leo cocks his head to one side with an amused smile.

"back in Sabalier, you said you really wanted to fight me. 'more than anything,' you said" Oz continues.

"Well yeah, but--"

"I'm not finished talking," oh it's so hard for Oz to say that line to him without a giggle, after the serious way Elliot had spat it back then. "so anyway, I started thinking. the best present I could give Elliot, is a fight!"

There's another moment of stunned silence, before something primal activates inside Elliot. A sinister grin shows his cute little snaggle-toothed fang as he drives one fist into the palm of the other and cracks his knuckles. "Ohhhhohohoho. You have no idea, Oz Vessalius."

"okay, but one thing. you can't use that sword--"

"That's fine. I don't need it to kick your ass, shorty. Leo!"

"Yes!" Leo steps forward as summoned, all too formal as he holds out his hands to take Elliot's sword and the backpack slung over his shoulder. He then steps back to watch in amusement.

Immediately, the two young men seem to begin to circle each other like cats, though the atmosphere is undermined by Oz's sunny demeanor. "Can you even fight?" Elliot asks as he sizes him up.

"I've been training with Break!" Oz chirps. Though his voice stays cheerful, the look in his emerald eyes is serious now.

"What, since last month?"

"yep."

"Pfft! Yeah, okay. Let's see it, shorty--!!" Elliot moves first, throwing all his strength into a punch mid-sentence in an attempt to catch the younger man off guard. But what Oz lacks in offensive strength, he does make up for in agility, allowing him to duck the more experienced fighter. He turns quickly on his heel, attempting to strike before Elliot could recover from the missed blow, only for the two to come hand to hand in a grapple.

"that's actually pretty impressive..." Leo comments. Except he isn't watching the fight anymore.

The vibrant graffiti covering the overpass support wall had caught Leo's attention. Still holding his master's belongings safe and sound, the valet allows himself to become distracted, wandering closer for a better look. He tucks Elliot's sword under one arm to snap some photos of the colorful tagging.

When he turns back around, Oz is lying on his back in the sandy earth with Elliot sat beside him, arms propped on raised knees, chest heaving as he catches his breath.

"oh, i missed it," Leo comments, snapping his fingers in feign disappointment.

"that was fun," Oz chuckles as he sits up, rubbing his left cheek with a wince. Something about his cracking voice, however, suggests this level of roughhousing might not really be his idea of a good time.

"It was okay," Elliot scoffs. Leo approaches his side, but makes no offer to help his master off the ground, leaving him to heave himself up with a grunt befitting a much older gentleman. The valet does however hand over Elliot's belongings as the young noble finishes adjusting his clothes.

Finally, Elliot turns back toward his bested opponent, still sitting in the dirt. He holds out a hand, and Oz's eyes light up as he takes it. Elliot's grasp is firm as he hoists Oz to his feet.

"Here. Loser has to carry my backpack."

Oz smiles gleefully as he takes the drawstring bag and hikes it up on one shoulder, just as Elliot had carried it. "can I carry your sword, too--"

"Not on your life!" Elliot barks with a laugh that echoes beneath the overpass.

[jcreviews-blog1]

Billie Eilish's Grim, yet spectacular, Debut.

Billie Eilish is an artist defined by her sudden rise in fame although being a strange character all around. Teetering on angsty and edgy, Billie and her brother create music for a damaged generation and show us exactly where pop is heading.

The duo kind of come off as a Macklemore and Ryan Lewis creation. Billie is the face and upfront talent while her brother is the behind the scenes mastermind. As much as her vocals play a part in her appeal, the production is off-the-walls clean. Everything from hurt lyrics to horrific imagery makes Billie who she is. This album is no exception.

Okay. This album is pretty straight forward, right? A pop album with the likes of Lorde sprinkled in. The singles kind of paint that picture, but completely miss the point of the album. While the singles do great alone, they play way better in what I see as a soundtrack of Billie's struggles and fight with both the criticism she's drawn and her personal endeavors in love, life and mental struggles.

The beginning of this album is lighthearted. Starting with a small intro of her removing her Invisalign and laughing with her brother announcing the beginning of the album, then we're thrown into "Bad Guy."

The lastest single takes a tongue-in-cheek approach commenting on her haters calling her a "bad guy" although she hasn't done anything wrong. She embrasses it, even saying "Duh" in the most lackadaisical way possible, sounding tired of defending herself. The production is grand. It's catchy and infectious. Bass rattles hard and different sounds mix together. The mixing is clean and her vocals hide behind trembles in the chorus giving an evil feel to it. The ending of the track goes into a trap inspire beat, hitting the ears at full force while she mutters the final lyrics, making it obvious she won't hesitate to steal anything, or anyone, away from her detractors. A bold statement.

"Xanny" is essentially an anti-drug anthem. Talking about her interactions with some group of people using drugs and being too intoxicated to interact with. She paints this picture being alone in second hand smoke and drinking her canned coke talking about how she doesn't need a Xanny to feel better. She tells whoever she's talking to not give her their Xanny in particular. She also proclaims that she doesn't want to love someone who doesn't die on accident, referring to them deteriorating themselves away. A strong sentiment. The song has a dreary vocal melody but maintains a strong drum and bass feel. A falsetto is heard at the end a capella and it resonates as a strong final tone.

Probably her most musically dense song, "You Should See Me In A Crown" manages to tell a promise in such a strong way it makes you fear her reign over the pop landscape. Basically this is her saying that she's ready to take on the world and rule it all to the ground for her honor. The music uses low registers and bass to make the message more defining. One of the strongest songs in the album for sure.

"All The Good Girls Go To Hell" starts with a crazy line. Claiming that her "lucifer is lonely." This song has a lot of antireligious undertones and throws a message about how she thinks heaven is out of sight and we shouldn't seek all of our answers from heaven or a bigger being. She also talks about God being a woman... Possible Ariana diss? I don't care for the music too much. While it is catchy, it seems to be out of place.

"Wish You Were Gay" brought a lot of controversy. The sentiment of wishing someone was gay instead of straight can seem offensive but I've seen several LGBT members on social media defend the sentiment. All it's referencing is how se wishes the one who rejected her was gay so he had a better excuse for not being interested. The sound is R&B, mixed with trap snares and an acoustic section. One of the better tracks in the first half the album.

"When The Party's Over" is probably the one single that I would say works the best in the context of the album and not alone. I didn't like this single as it was a slow burner and didn't have a lot of relisten value for me. The lyrics show the struggle of letting go on one end while the other begs for the ability to let go. The music is piano riffs along with a soft angelic falsetto fading along the background. I've grown to like this song in the context of the album, but I wouldn't listen to it on its own.

"8" marks the halfway point of the album. It's an angsty song about her being left by someone who has no feelings for what they once, or never possibly, had. It's one of my least favorite track on the album. The ukulele and high pitched vocals turn me off immediately. It's a cheesy track that doesn't have itself figured out.

"My Strange Addiction" is the most radio friendly song off this album. Sprinkled with random sound clips from the hit TV show The Office and its "Threat Level Midnight" episode, it has a wide appeal. The song itself is about addiction to love and can be seen as a double entandra for drugs itself. The music is very catchy and has a 90s feel to the verses. The song itself can be a bit cringey in the lyrics but it's made up by great vocal delivery and the audio clips.

Now, onto what I consider the best song on the album. "Bury A Friend" was the most successful single off the album before the release and for obvious reason. It's dark and sadastic. When I hear the vocals, I picture a sleep paralysis demon telling her this as she can't move. The lyrics themselves seem to reference a self aware schizophrenic that can't escape their fears and suicidal thoughts. The music is Grim and sounds like something out of a horror movie. It paints an ugly picture that fits the song amazingly.

"ilomilo" is a complete turnaround in mood. The song itself is lighthearted sounding but it carries a hefty weight on its shoulders. The song references the amount of friendships and love interests she's had to "bury," making an obvious reference to the previous track. The track is dance hall inspired but only to a degree. This one definitely left an impression on me and is one of the better second half tracks for sure.

This next track made me tear up the first time I heard it. "Listen Before I Go" is a track about sucidie and how if anyone really cared, they would come to her with whatever they have before she does herself in for good. The background has random noises of children laughing, people screaming and sirens scattered throughout and paints a Grim image of a soul so hurt they can't take what's happened to them anymore. To the point where even "sorry can't save her now." It's an exhausting track to a fault but hits a certain nerve and sticks with you long after the first listen.

"I Love You" follows the story of the previous track and shows the aftermath of the incident. The lyrics refer to the phrase I Love You being muttered while the character is dying in the hospital and shows a strong sense of regret for what the character has done to themself, wishing that the phrase was an attempt to make them laugh, essentially rendering it a lie. It's an acoustic and bass driven ballad with a strong vocal presence. Again another song that sticks hard after hearing it.

The final track "Goodbye" is more of an Outro and brings together a lot of the lyrics in previous tracks. It's slow in its delivery but gets across a simple message. That the songs all bind together into one big story and chronicle a struggle of self love, fitting in, dating and mental status. It's a strong Outro and brings together a great album.

In conclusion, this album is above what I expected. It's hard to believe this is her full length debut and somehow deviates so much from her previous singles and EP enough to show us versatility and long staying power. Billie and Fineas have a lot on their hands when they make a new project, because this could end up being her magnum opus.

9/10

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