#luke’s vocals have me … levitating

[ilostyou]

the ultimate villain montage soundtrack

[lettersfromn0where]

Star Wars marathon semi-live-blog: Ep. V

So. Last night, I decided on a whim to rewatch every single Star Wars movie for the first time since I was seven this Christmas break. As I knew I’d have many things to say about this, I started messaging @marypoppinswasmyfatherbitches about my opinions and observations while watching Episode IV. She apparently thought they were amusing because she told me (several times, ily) that I should live blog, and i was already halfway through last time but wanted to do it, so I guess I’m doing so now. So, to everyone who questions why this entirely unnecessary liveblog of “The Empire Strikes Back” even exists...let’s just call it a Christmas gift for my ever-encouraging tumblr pal. (Is it a liveblog if you wait until the very end to post your collected thoughts? Nah? Maybe?)

Wow, I really was BABY when I saw this last. Literally, I was in second grade. I’m now just months from my high school graduation. What the heck? This is gonna seem so different than it did then...

I like the opening crawl way better sans weird capitalization.

I’m not sure why the tauntaun noises are such a mood, but they are.

17-year-old me is now remembering that 7-year-old me 100% had a baby crush on OG Trilogy Luke and I really don’t know how to feel about that. I guess I thought he was pretty...?

Peak romance: protracted gazes across a room.

“I can arrange that. You could USE a good kiss!” GOSH, THIS BICKERING IS PERFECTION. Again. Peak romance. I definitely was not able to appreciate that as a second grader but now it’s kind of the best.

HOW IS LUKE STILL CONSCIOUS IF HE’S BEEN UPSIDE DOWN FOR HOURS? Also this cave scene is lowkey incredibly tense for a few seconds.

I have no clue why but the way people fall over in these movies always cracks me up.

Snow planet makes me really freaking glad that I live in SoCal.

Chewbacca’s vocalizations sound like my Labrador’s and I’m not sure what to make of that information.

Literally everyone in this movie looks prettier in snow planet outfits.

The way that tauntaun falls over is an accurate representation of my AP chemistry grade after exams.

Is muttering the same phrases over and over a hypothermia symptom? Because I did not know that if it is, and if not, why the heck is Luke doing that?

“This is Rogue Two” *cries in Rogue One*

This tank thing is REALLY unfortunate. Leave the unconscious person half-naked in front of literally everyone, why don’t ya?

I probably missed something but I’m still not sure where the name “your worship” came from.

“Why you stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking, nerf-herder!” Iconic for a reason.

Ewwwww that kiss is noooooo. (If they weren’t siblings though I would be dying @ his reaction)

I wanna know who sent Chewbacca on a stealth mission. I WANNA KNOW.

Seeing Han and Leia in this makes me wish the other series either had a central romance, or that the one they had was well-written, because it’s one of the best parts of the movie. See, guys? If it’s good, romance can actually enhance the plot of a movie that focuses on something else!

It’s driving me crazy that the AT-AT walkers remind me of some sort of animal but I can’t put my finger on which one.

“Someday, you’re going to be wrong, and I just hope I’m there to see it” is a very underrated line.

The fact that Leia’s immediate reaction to Han doing a stupid and dangerous thing is “you don’t have to do this to impress me!” is my favorite thing ever.

“You said you wanted to be around when I made a mistake...this could be it, sweetheart” -> great payoff of that line earlier. I love it when they circle back to old dialogue. Also adorable that Han remembered she’d said that. (Get you a guy who listens!)

I always feel so bad for droids because they have to be on the outside of the ship, exposed to such harsh conditions. I know they can’t feel things, but I still :(.

Ohp, R2 just gotta YEETED by that Loch Ness monster thing.

“Sorry, sweetheart, I haven’t got time for anything else.” -> she walked right into that one. ALSO. SMOOOOTH.

One of the few things I remembered from my initial watch as a little kid is that I was always freaked out by how you never saw anyone eat onscreen in these movies, to the extent that I wondered if people had to eat in space. (Idk, i was SEVEN.) but there’s an eating scene in this! Vindication for baby me!

I...did not remember Yoda having this much crackhead energy. At all.

The way Han looks at Leia when she calls him a scoundrel! I AM DECEASED

C3PO be out here ruining moments.

Yoda goes from crackhead to wise elder in approximately no seconds. We love.

On a scale of 1 to C3PO, how terrible are you in a crisis?

Worm thing is the stuff of nightmares.

96% sure I just saw a live iguana in the background of that scene. HI, FRIEND!

AND THERE WAS A MONITOR LIZARD! Friends! I love all of the reptile friends on Dagobah :)

This cave fight with the sonshadowing must have been absolutely insane to watch when this first came out.

Guys, i realized...Yoda’s combination of pithy sayings, crackhead energy, and anti-establishment ideals make him seem like a typical midcentury hippie. *writes essay about how Yoda is actually a metaphor for the 1960s countercultural movement*

If this ship levitating scene didn’t inspire your kid self try to use the Force to lift your parents’ car, did you even have a childhood?

R2’s little “REEEEEEE!” screams whenever he gets thrown bring me LIFE.

Okay, Han is enjoying stopping Lando from hitting on Leia WAY too much. (They both are...)

The forehead kiss! In the middle of a fight! PEAK ROMANCE(tm)

“One last kiss before i face certain death” is my absolute favorite and hi this is not okay with me :)

“I love you.” “I know.” I DIED. (@my 11th grade English teacher: I used parallel structure!)

I remember thinking the fight choreography with lightsabers in the last movie was really awkward and it’s WAY better here.

Do lightsabers cauterize the wounds they cause? It would make sense, since people who get stabbed or sliced by lightsabers never seem to bleed.

This falling sequence is the weirdest-looking thing in this movie.

The fact that Lando is the only person in this movie who pronounces “Han” with a short A rather than the long A that everyone else uses bugs me to no end.

I had completely forgotten how iconic this movie was. Off to watch the next one 👀👀

In my defense, I did say this was going to make no sense...

Until next time!

[chaoticnootrals]

Star Crossed

Pairing: Kylo Ren/Ben Solo x Reader 

A/N: I’m contemplating whether or not to make this a series, like, I have other chapters and all that so tell me if you like it! If you do, below is the summary for the possible series hehehe

Summary: In Ben’s search to become someone noble, he found his light within young Jedi pupil, Y/N, both falling for the other immediately. The pair sharing a connection far more meaningful than any alliance, coupling or marriage could ever bring thanks to the force. Yet, the pair are separated the night Luke unintentionally awakens the dark side within his nephew, ending in both thinking that the other had passed. This causes them to lead destructive lives for opposite sides of the intergalactic war where the two are bound by destiny to cross paths again. Star Crossed lovers at their finest.

Word count: 2099

-

There are tears streaming down his face, a luxury of expression he hadn’t allowed himself to relish in for what seemed like eons gone by. The emotions running through him were blinding, so many years spent in the shrouded mask of the dark side, consumed by his own despair and loss, yet he was finally set free. All because of you.

“Y/N,” His voice quivered out your name, “Is it really you?”

“It’s me Ben, it’s really me.” You choked through strained vocal chords, smiling with a genuine warmth, no longer forced by obligation.

For years you had both suffered through the utter bitterness and anguish that came with the pain of a shattered heart. An agony that could only be the result of the loss of one’s soulmate, it festered and ate at your reality, blinding the two of you to any kind of resolution. There was no moving on for you, nor for Ben Solo himself. With the idea ingrained in his mind by Snoke that he had lost you to the cold clutches of death’s hold,  the Dark side consumed him and left nothing but the infamous Jedi killer, Kylo Ren in it’s wake. As for you, waking from a harrowingly long coma endured from the night you had lost your Ben Solo, you had become a brutal yet essential assassin for the resistance, no longer the sweet and loving Jedi pupil you had once known yourself to be. That nigh Ben Solo melted away into Kylo Ren and moulded you into the ruthless nightmare of the resistance had been intentionally blurred from both lover’s minds, all until now.

“Ben, no!” The structure collapsed and from the rubble he arose, having given into the beckoning call of the dark side that haunted him. He didn’t feel anger, nor did he feel sadness, it was the betrayal that pumped from an already damaged heart that clouded Ben’s mind, but more than anything Ben was truly scarred by the utter fear of what he had just experienced. His flesh and blood, his master, the one he had looked up to to heal the darkness he felt brewing within him, even he had lost faith in Ben, going as far as to be rid of him. Now Ben was alone, left to ponder and fear what he had done, what he could become, yet his mind only wandered to thoughts of you; his saving grace, his sunshine.

Just like magic there you were, running toward him, calling his name, trying to grip him back to reality. A lighthouse in the black sea that threatened to drown him. You didn’t know what had happened, frankly you couldn’t care less, but you could feel it as you slept, a disturbance that beckoned  you out of your slumber and called out for your Ben. Even before you had officially met, you felt the connection between yourself and Ben Solo. Ever since then you had been an inseparable pair, and from then both you and the young legacy had felt an obligation to protect one another, no matter what. This night was no different.

“Ben!” You called, ignoring the chaos that surrounded him, more concerned for the well being of your love.

Your heart raced and with heavy lungs and shaking limbs you made it to a fragile Ben standing amongst the carnage of his hut, lightsaber drawn and tear welled eyes that hurt to look upon. The sight stung to witness, with each steady blink and observation an ache in your heart tinged. Your unsteady hands extended up to cup Ben’s debris sooted cheeks. He stared panicked into the distance, you could see the pain and trauma that stained his vision as he examined the chaos.

“Y’Y/N…” He muttered quietly. “Luke..He-he tried to-“

“Ben, it’s okay. Look at me, please. Tell me what happened?” For Ben’s sake you tried to stay calm, but you wavered speech only left you with transparency.

“He was going to kill me.” Ben’s eyes finally met yours, a connection so intense with sheer distress you could feel it in your stomach, twisting in knots and lurking it’s way throughout your body.

Ben then fell to his knees, his arms snaking around you as he buried his face against your body, only hoping that this was all a twisted nightmare. Hoping that if he held you tight enough, close enough that it would all go away, yet here he stayed. Surrounded by what he could only describe as the inevitable, he was becoming what most claimed he would, all except you.

“I’m so sorry.”

“Oh, Ben.” You whispered, hugging him even closer.

As if seeing the love of your life pained and broken wasn’t enough to break your heart, the force that connected you enhanced everything. Every memory, every emotion, every painful shake, you felt it all and it snapped your heart in two.

“It’s okay, my love. I promise you-“ You said assuringly, placing a long loving kiss to Ben’s matted jet black locks.

“Get away from him, Y/N!” A voice demanded from behind you.

As you protectively turned towards them, trying to shield Ben’s much larger frame with your own. Facing them, you were confronted by your Jedi cohort, all looking at the two of you with such animosity that you could practically feel it cutting through you with a simple glare. Each pupil was armed with a saber or blaster in hand. It was a Jedi’s duty to forgo anger, to avoid the violent situations of battle, yet they weren’t Jedi, they were scared children, but so were you; both of you. As frightened as you might have been, faced against hopeless odds, you swore to protect Ben’s innocence at whatever cost.

“Stay back!” You barked a warning to the oncoming swarm.

With an outstretched hand, the other gripping Ben’s own, pieces of debris levitated before you acting as a shielding wall. It was exhausting to use the force in the state you were in, and if you were honest the wall wouldn’t do much in your defences, but protection wasn’t the point. Very few of your peers were able to use the force to the extent both you and Ben could, and the levitation of broken down pieces around you was a display to show that you were not a pair to be trifled with.

“It’s not safe, Y/N” A female voice urged you.

“He’s a monster!” Another shouted.

“He killed our master, Luke Skywalker!” Yet another argued.

And finally, “He’s only using you!”

Ben had heard it all. Disgrace, monster, pathetic, disappointment, there was nothing he was not familiar with and he refused to let them get to him, or at least show that they did, but to be accused of using you was something Ben couldn’t allow. How dare they, he thought. How dare they accuse him of using you, he would never. Ben was already a damaged soul, with the absences of both parents as a child came the ever lingering feeling of abandonment. With he heavy expectations and legacy that hung above his head came the crushing pressures that tore him down. With the forever yearning to become something other than what was expected of him came the idea of being a Jedi would fix the torment within him, but that night; that night was the last straw.

The dark side had almost taken over and Ben wasn’t doing much to deny it anymore. As he rose from his knelt position he could see a sea of blasters all pointed in his direction, some even aimed at you and it made his blood boil. He no longer felt fear, no longer regret, instead replaced by pure rage. Right and wrong had no place in Ben’s morality, all he could see, all he could feel was your energy in which he was willing to protect at all costs. You could feel the shift in his energy turn cold, but not fast enough to realise what was happening. Ben’s mind was clouded and as if upon instinct his lightsaber had been drawn with malicious intent.

What happened next was a blur in your memory, but in Ben’s it was all too vivid of a sight. It happened so fast. With his saver drawn and lifted, your concern peaked as you could sense his malevolent intent. You turned towards him, the force wall you created dropping to the earth in the process, leaving the two of you defenceless.

“Ben, no!-“ And with that you felt it. Ben was feared and with that fear elicited a fear induced reaction, without strategy or thought. Clear on your back, three blaster shots had landed. Your breath hitch, the world falling silent and darkness consuming your vision your body fell limp into Ben’s arms.

You were unsure of what had happened. You felt as though you were floating, alone and cold in a void. Sounds of chaos attempting to break through, yet only sounding in muffled spurs and echoes.

“Is this it for me?”

“What happened?”

“Where is Ben?”

“Please, I want Ben…”

“Y/N, please. Open your eyes, my love”

In the void Ben’s voice resonated with you. The only voice you had wanted to hear had been the one to pull you back to life, but only slightly. You were weak, and there was nothing you or Ben could do to fix it.

Your eyes opened softly, as if the mayhem that surrounded you didn’t exist. The features on your face were gentle and soft, free from any worry that have previously washed over them. You’d heard that death was peaceful, in some way that’s how you knew this was it; the end of your legacy. As  much as you wanted to fight back, to deny this fate as thoughts of everything you had wished to do with your life, your body wouldn’t allow it. You were draining quickly, you could no longer reject it, so rather than having your last moments in sadness or mind raced back to Ben.

“Ben?” You whispered weakly.

You opened your eyes to be met with the beauty spotted features of your lover’s.

“It’s me, Sunshine.” Ben replied, his voice shaken and weary.

You were cradled in his arms, a burning sensation surging down your back as quickly as blood rushed in your veins. You exhaustedly turned your head to examine your surroundings, and through blurry eyes you saw it. The Jedi campus had been engulfed by flames, buildings and structures crumbling into nothing with no sign of your Jedi cohort besides the limp moulds of people scattered around the area, yet you were too drained to realise what had happened to them. The ground around had cracked, all except the surface beneath you and you knew it had been Ben’s doing.

Everything had collapsed into anarchy, but neither you nor Ben could care.

“Ben,” you laughed with a smiled, eyes welled with tears, “My beautiful, Ben.”

“I’m here, my love. I’m here.”

“What happened?”

“They hurt you, my dear.” He said weakly. “I’m so sorry I let you down, I should’ve stopped it-“

“You could never let me down, Ben.” You interrupted sweetly.

You could see the pain that masked Ben’s face, and with little strength you had left you could feel his heart break through you connection. His heart was in instability, ‘how could he let this happen?’ you could hear his thoughts echo in your mind.  “It’s okay, there’s nothing you could’ve done.”

You knew it was coming. You both knew. You could feel your grip on reality slipping through your fingers, melting away like frost in the morning sun.

One last time, you cupped Ben’s cheek in your hand, stroking away the tears that had fallen from the earthy eyes that stole your heart, “You have a heart of gold, my love. Never forget that.”

You gently tugged your fingers on Ben’s cheek, pulling him down for one last loving embrace. Ben leant down and placed a loving chaste kiss upon your lips, taking your breathe away as he had done so many times.

“You will always be the love of my life, Sunshine.” He choked through broken words.

You smiled. “As will you, Starlight.”

“I love you, Y/N.”

“I love you, Ben.”

With one last breath you felt cold and limp. Unable to move, unable to feel and unable to see. Life had finally left you, and you felt peaceful and contempt with this being your end. Yet, fate is always one to work in mysterious ways, and to that you were no exception.

—END—

[gospelmusic]

Catholic Daily Reading + Reflection, 5 October 2020 - Who Is My Neighbour

Monday 5, October 2020

Weekday (27) Vestment: Green Today’s Rosary: The Joyful Mystery St. Faustina Kowalska (Opt. Mem)

FIRST READING

I did not receive the Gospel from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Christ. A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Galatians (Galatian1:6-12) Brethren: I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and turning to a different gospel — not that there is another gospel, but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, If any one is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed. Am I now seeking the favour of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still pleasing men, I should not be a servant of Christ. For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ. The word of the Lord.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 111:1b-2.7-8.9 and 10c (R. 5b)

R/. The Lord keeps his covenant ever in mind. Or: Alleluia. I will praise the Lord with all my heart, in the meeting of the just and the assembly. Great are the works of the Lord, to be pondered by all who delight in them. R. His handiwork is justice and truth; his precepts are all of them sure, standing firm forever and ever, wrought in uprightness and truth. R. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); He has sent redemption to his people, and established his covenant forever. Holy his name, to be feared. His praise endures forever! R.

ALLELUIA John 13:34

Alleluia. A new commandment I give to you, says the Lord, that you love one another, even as I have loved you. Alleluia.

GOSPEL

“Who is my neighbour? ” A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Luke 10:25-37) At that time: Behold, a lawyer stood up to put Jesus to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered right; do this, and you will live.” But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back. ’ Which of these three, do you think, proved neighbour to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed mercy on him.” And Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” The Gospel of the Lord.

Today’s Reflection

The message of truth is one message that must be re-echoed and sustained. However, we must note that many people long to hear what is pleasing to them, just as many preachers also long to tell people what they desire to hear. This attitude destroys true faith and it is not good. Sincerity to the gospel must be upheld by teachers of the gospel just as followers of Christ must seek the truth and nothing else. Just as Paul draws our attention to the table of truth, Jesus’ teaching on true love for neighbour cannot be undermined. The question who is my neighbour asked by the lawyer in the gospel of today is also being asked by all of us Christians. The simple answer given by Jesus is that our neighbour is every human being created in the image and likeness of God. Consequently, our love must know no bounds whether tribal, religious or cultural. This is the truth we must uphold.

Today’s Saint and Quote: St. Faustina Kowalska – October 5th

O my Lord, Inflame my heart with love for you, that my spirit may not grow weary amidst the storms, the sufferings and the trials. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Blessing for the New Week

Thank you Lord for this new day and this new week. Thank you for the gift of life. Thank you for your mercy and love. Accompany us in all that we shall do and may your grace help us to do the right thing at all times so that we will please you and be blessed by you. May your truth be on our lips always and may we be willing and ready to accept the truth so that we will be healed. I pray that God will shower his blessings upon you in a special way so that this new week shall bring joy, progress, increase in faith and prosperity to you and upon your household. May Jesus the giver of every good gift lead you to your blessings. Amen. Be truthful in your dealings and you will be blessed

Meditation: 

Luke 4:16-30

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[radioactivepeasant]

Imperial Problem Child-verse. When getting ready to free Han from the carbonite, Leia insists on using the Executor's well-stocked and almost completely top-of-the-line medbay. Luke doesn't even try to dissuade her.

“What are you- hey! This is a restricted- You haven’t got clearance!” the poor doctor ran about, on the verge of tearing out his hair. “Someone call security! Why isn’t anyone calling security?”

“Because I told the guys at the door not to,” answered Luke in an offhand way before returning his attention to the woman who had come in with him. “Where do you need me, Leia?”

“Levitate the frame,” she answered, motioning to a block of carbonite with – oh good heavens, there was a man inside. The doctor felt like fainting. “I don’t want him to fall out when we thaw him.”

“See here, Commander,” the doctor squeaked, trying not to stare, “Lord Vader may give you an unbelievable amount of freedom on this ship, and unheard-of leniency, but you can’t just go about bringing the royal poster-child of the Rebellion into the medbay! People are going to notice!” 

“Everyone aboard attended the mandatory briefings about on-board security and military secrets, didn’t they?” Luke asked.

“Well, yes, I assume so.”

“Good, then we don’t have a problem. Here, stand by, we’re going to need Captain Solo monitored closely for signs of hibernation sickness once he’s out.”

Leia hadn’t even spared a glance at the doctor thus far, but now she looked up. “I trust this will not be a problem for you, Doctor?” she asked, almost sarcastically.Something about her vocal inflections was uncomfortably reminiscent of Lord Vader, and the doctor winced. Given the badly hidden smile on Skywalker’s face, he’d noticed too.

“No, your highness,” said the doctor with a resigned sigh, “I’ll get the scanner.”

[thesinglesjukebox]

TWENTY ONE PILOTS - LEVEL OF CONCERN

[5.86]

Would you be my little quarantine? Check [ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Maybe

Alex Clifton: As far as I know, this is the first real "quarantine bop," i.e. hit song explicitly dealing with coronavirus, quarantine, and the global mess we find ourselves in. And honestly, this is (a) not what I expected from Twenty One Pilots, ever, and (b) really quite good? For me, quarantine has been my own personal dance party, in part because nobody can see me and in part because if I don't do dumb dances I'll go mad. "Tell me we're alright, tell me we're okay": heck of a phrase to use in the middle of a full-blown crisis, but one I also long to hear nonetheless. All of this could be over in three months or two years. The future is so uncertain, shifting daily like a kaleidoscope, and every day it feels a little more out-of-reach. It's certainly a future that none of us have prepared substantially for, a world of change waiting on the other side after the pandemic ends. None of us know if we'll be "okay." Everything that is happening is A Lot. But I do appreciate Twenty One Pilots taking that ball of anxiety and translating it into an upbeat tune, something that makes it easier to swallow. Spoonful of sugar and all that. At a time when nothing is certain and the world is too much to bear, having a song that's easy to listen to that deals with the anxiety we collectively feel without being too direct is helpful. I just hope Twenty One Pilots keep up this level of quality post-quarantine -- if they do, I might have to start listening to them. [7]

Katie Gill: Twenty One Pilots have always been best when they're tapping into a hyper-specific mood or feeling. And a song with the hook "tell me we're all right, tell me we're okay" is a big mood for the hyper-specific feeling of April 2020. Will this song age well? Probably not. Is it a little aggressively on the nose with certain lyrics? Definitely. I'm not sure if the "little quarantine" bit is smart or cringe. But is it the sort of thing that's perfect for right now, right on this moment? Kind of, yeah! [7]

Alfred Soto: I may have heard -- I may have used -- pickup lines crasser than "Would you be my little quarantine?" but I was less mush-mouthed about them, nor did I program arena-ready beats and echo. Imagine buttonholing Tyler Joseph a month after 9-11 with, "Hey, man, you should write a love song with the line, 'I'd crash my plane in your remote field.'" And he'd step away, muttering about my tastelessness. [1]

Wayne Weizhen Zhang: I expected to feel deeply cynical about a song so explicitly about quarantining, but upon hearing this, there's something oddly comforting about seeing a band function normally and even have a little fun while capturing the zeitgeist. Despite its banality, "Just need you to tell me we're alright, tell me we're okay" is exactly what I wish someone would tell me right now, and even "Would you be, my little quarantine" made me smile more than I thought it would. (Of course, it doesn't hurt that there's a cute baby in the video.) [6]

Scott Mildenhall: Of course, the rational reaction is to strong-arm a newly beatified nonagenarian into laying down the worst ever vocals on a number one single, but this is more impressive. It's taut and tense, with a creeping dread rather than a monstrous one, and the relative lyrical subtlety combines with an undiminished level of production to give the impression of it actually being a pre-existing Twenty One Pilots track. Of course, that is all perfectly predictable, given that pop music has been planning for this for years, never quite expecting it to become reality. There'll be nary a Western hit of the early 2010s that isn't currently the subject of route-one YouTube comments connecting the dots with understandable gravity. And if the question was "in what way will big acts respond creatively to the current crisis?", the answer here would indeed be "quite similarly to before." In this instance, that falls into place very nicely. [7]

Nortey Dowuona: Smooth almond funk anchored by Josh's smooth, bubbly drums as Tyler sea sickly lurches from side to side with the low, bass slink and Grizzly Bear synths drifting in to cover the last sides. [6]

Joshua Copperman: The groove isn't as strong as a song like "Levitate" -- it's closer to the stiff disco-pop Dr. Luke was making in the intervening years between the Kesha fallout and Doja comeback -- but where a lesser Twenty One Pilots song used to mean lame posturing, this is more in line with the lesser songs from Trench. "Level of Concern" does bring a bit of their goofiness back (Tyler Joseph begins a spoken word outro with "in a world!"), but the duo is confident enough now to make something corny like "be my quarantine" work without much incident. The namedrops on Trench were vestiges of the band's concept-obsessed older self, but the names of crew members and tour managers emphasize the real-world stakes, making "panic on the brain/world has gone insane" play like deliberate understatement instead of plain clunky writing. Speaking of understatement: Paul Meany of Mutemath is back on co-production, but instead of "Chlorine"-style ambience, there's not much more than that distant guitar riff and a simple piano riff. Josh Dun doesn't get a lot to do here, and that's what holds this back from being one of their best songs. But that's part of the point. After Trench's marketing hi-jinks disguised an unexpectedly mature record, Twenty One Pilots continue to experiment with stripping back elements and revealing the emotional core longtime fans always saw. [7]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

[alaynirpcorner]

Mechu Deru

[17:03] Valara Kira walked into the temple, pulling on the cord that bound the crystal around her neck until came free.  She set the crystal on the medical bed, then walked over to one of the bodies that were kept in containment in a large vat to their left.  She trained the liquid from the tank and used the Force to levitate the body over to the bed. The body seemed to have broken flesh, and yellow eyes. The perceptive might recognize this being as having once been a sith male.  He was still alive, and upon coming out of the tank, looked up at Darth Malice in terror, but his mouth had been sewn shut and he was unable to speak.  Darth Malice grabbed one of the bone saws nearby and placed the blade about 3 inches down from the top of the man's skull, and began to slice through flesh.  His screams were only barely muffled by the threads that held his mouth closed.

[17:06] Shard had a photoroceptor attacked to him, but that was it in terms of communication, other then occasionally pulsing, the shard had spied alot acting as a simple necklace as of late, and this was simply more information to study.

[17:13] Dark Lady Malice cut straight down to the bottom of the man's skull, removing the bone and revealing the brain, which she immediately pulled out and placed in a jar nearby.  She used a small fusion torch to "weld" the skull back together, keeping it intact though this time, without a brain.  She then removed a scalpel from one of the containers nearby and sliced into the flesh, carefully removing all the skin from the body.

[17:15] Shard as a crystal and had no idea what was going on right now, flash flash.

[17:25] Dark Lady Malice collected the peeled skin and put it in a nearby incinerator, then went back to the body.  She then carved a hole in the chest and removed the heart, as it would not be needed anymore.  She made sure the cavity around the heart that she had carved was reasonably large.  The heart was beating still even as she held it, even with no brain to keep it going.  Smirking, she took a syringe containing the virus she had spent these long weeks cultivating, and injected it into the skinless body.

[17:26] Shard definitely had no idea what was happening at the moment, like no idea whatsoever, it couldn't even guess.

[17:30] Dark Lady Malice watched the body closely after she injected it. She extended a clawed finger over the still form and focused her efforts intensely, and after several minutes, the flesh that lay beneath her hovering hand began to transform, into metal.  Metal tendrils that looked like veins began to travel along the nervous system, spreading a web of silver over the flesh that slowly began to take shape and lace itself together.

[17:37] Dark Lady Malice focused the dark side of the force more deeply at the still form, and thee metal began to crawl along the internal organs, replacing every single living cell with that of cold plating.  Using her own mind, Malice began to form circuitry that laced through the nervous system.  Circuitry that would mimic sensations like touch and heat and cold, feeling much like that which a human could experience. She gave the being vocal systems, and all kinds of sensory implants.   She poured all her efforts into this slow transformation, until finally the last piece of living tissue solidified into a metal shell.  She leaned heavily against the table, weakened by her efforts, and rested there for several moments, catching her breath.

[17:41] Dark Lady Malice recovered her strength for the most part and picked up the shard, placing it into the hole that had once been a human heart.  There were numerous interface panels, each with ports and wires that, the moment she put the little shard in, automatically clung to it like Venom clings to Spiderman.  It was like the body itself was alive and asking the Shard to interface with it.

[17:44] Shard felt violated with that description, the Shard was jacked into the Droids Interface, the Droid that was once Organic. The shard had never gone this far, at most having been connected to a Datapad, but the information seemed to come almost naturally too it, Pulses of light flashed, before the Droid suddenly sat up, head swiveling slowely form side too side, before glancing at it's own hand, flexing the metallic digits one by one.

[17:49] Dark Lady Malice pulled out a scanner and scanned the droid's functionality as it sat up.  All systems seemed nominal.  The Shard would have experienced an almost symbiotic relationship with the droid by now.  The droid was afterall, it's own living thing.  Mechu Deru was MOST often done with the brain of the host still intact and made a part of the technobeast's functioning.  This was the first time she had ever pulled OUT the brain and used something else as a substitute.  The droid body would have it's own feelings and sensations but be under the complete control of the Shard, who could completely share in them.  Both entities would now be under the control of herself, should she wish to exert it.

[17:52] Shard 's fingers made metallic tings as the tips tapped against the palm, the shards photoreceptors narrowed as they zoomed in on the flexing fingers, before slowely it glanced down at it's feet, knees and joints bending. The Shards attention slowely turned too the right, glancing at Dark Lady Malice, the vocabulator crackled, "Sensations...." was all it could say, before suddenly it turned too the edge of the table, moving to try and stand up.

[17:56] Dark Lady Malice moved slightly to allow it to stand up.  The Shard, being force sensitive, would probably experience imprints, sensations of the host body's past life.  The Force was known for allowing strong emotion to linger.  The previous body's experiences with anger and hate would be very strong sensations, as well as pain, and of course the last seconds of life, where Malice had removed the brain, would have been felt in great detail, and left a strong imprint.  These sensations would fade in time as the body experienced new things, and feel like something only through a distant veil.  "Yes, sensations.  Do you feel them?"

[17:58] Shard stood unsteadily, seemingly wobbling as it landed on the floor. It would test out it's joints now, arms rolling, torso turning, the anger, hate, all the emotions and feelings, the Shard was having difficult rationalizing them, storing them, learning how to use them, it turned suddenly, those blue photoreceptors staring at Malice, before launching forward, attempting to lash out at her, nothing controlled, balanced, just senseless abandon.

[18:04] Dark Lady Malice did not move from the spot in which she stood.  Completely unphased, the galaxy that swirled in her eyes flashed for a brief moment, and the Shard would have found his body completely unable to move at all.  He would freeze in mid lunge, while Malice simply paced around the droid like a jackal.  She lifted her arm and as she did so, the droid's arm would lift.  She moved her hand to her chest and as she did so, the droid's hand would move to it's chest, right over the shard.  And then with her hand she squeezed until her fingers were a fist, and the droid body in turn squeezed until one could hear the structural integrity of the crystal creak and crack.

[18:07] Shard had attempted to lash out, unleash these feelings even against the one who had granted him this boon, being around her had tainted him. However when he froze he seemingly panicked, unable to speak, and then his limbs moved without him controlling them, those metal digits clutching around all that he was, crushing down on him. The crystal didn't feel pain like other organics, but it had self preservation instincts, the vocabulator crackling, "PLEASE NO!" the shard pleaded.

[18:08] Dark Lady Malice made a dramatic point of once more spreading her fingers, releasing the hold she had upon the metal body, and dropping her arm to her side once more.  "Have you remembered who your Mistress is?" she asked it.

[18:09] Shard didn't just drop it's arm, it dropped to its knees in a position of agony before her, "YOU ARE! PLEASE DO NOT DESTROY ME!" seemingly cranking it's vocabulator setting high in terror.

[18:13] Dark Lady Malice raised an eyebrow and a satisfied smirk crawled across her lips, though the expression was lost beneath her own mask.  She used her power to lift the droid to it's feet, where she then leaned in close and whispered, "Then I suggest you do not forget again," she ended in a hiss.

[18:14] Shard couldn't stand on it's own, the fear of being so close to non-existence too great, her using the force the only thing preventing it from crumpling too the ground again, "Yes Mistress....." the droid said cooly, attempting to wrangle it's emotions.

[18:17] Dark Lady Malice nodded once, "Good.  Now use your fear and hatred you are experiencing, turn it into your strength, and stand on your own." she commanded it, determined to have it transform these emotions into something more productive.

[18:19] Shard couldn't very well master something in one sitting, he wasn't Rey or Luke Skywalker after all, As you say...Mistress...." the feelings and emotions were reeling still, and the Droid would crumple too it's knees the moment she'd let go of him, but one could sense the effort the Shard was going through in attempting to wrestle these new feelings.

[18:27] Dark Lady Malice looked down at him as he crumbled to the floor once more.  "Pathetic.  Shall I used pain to motivate you?" she asked.  While the shard's crystal structure was unable to feel pain, the droid body WAS, and was able to transmit the direct sensation into the crystal, causing a massive wave of excruciating unpleasantness.  She extended a hand, and electricity bolted from her fingers to crawl over the exoskeleton chassis of the droid, each wave violently shocking the sensors that ran along the nervous system.  "My creation is not weak.  Stand. Up."

[18:30] Shard rested on it's knees, struggling, those fingers clenching into fists as it tried to wrestle these feelings, make sense of them, what was all this, it was overwhelming, when suddenly lightning crackled engulfing the droids frame, and it was the most unbearable pain the shard had ever boar witness too, the vocabulator crackled, and what came out was not a scream, but static, pure unadulterated pain came from it, before suddenly, "THIS CREATION HATES YOU!" the pain seemingly turning to anger. A hand raised as the droid tried to lean forward...too lash out again, before falling flat from the pain, it being far greater than his hatred.

[18:34] Dark Lady Malice smiled, stepping aside slightly as the droid fell flat on it's face.  She knelt over the droid, "Good.  Hatred leads to power, and I have no use for weak creations.  Perhaps being reduced to nothing once more and being allowed to dwell on that will inspire you to use my creation properly next time." she said.  She waved a hand over the opening in the droid chassis and all the connectors recoiled away from the shard, completely disconnecting it from the droid body, leaving it no way to connect again unless she allowed it.  She then walked from the room, for the rest of the night, just leaving the crystal resting in the useless droid on the floor.

[ilostyou]

luke hemmings the vocalist that you are.