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thewhitefluffyhat · 4 years

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No, Alina Isn’t Crazy

Let me explain...

When Alina was first introduced, I thought she was the character that made the least sense as an actual person rather than as a trope-y “mad artist” archetype. But after the reveal of her backstory, I find her personality and motivations do make sense, especially when you consider the events of Alina’s Magical Girl Story from her perspective.

Indeed, since that story’s release on JP, she’s quickly risen to become my favorite new character from Magia Record. Hence why I’m posting this today - it’s another semi-Magia Rapport related post, haha. Alina is definitely my favorite of the Forest element characters, and perhaps this essay will show a little of why that is.

Provocative title and Magia Rapport aside, though, what’s actually below the "Keep reading” is a close read analysis essay, specifically focused on Alina’s MGS. (A lot of Holy Alina’s MGS serves to confirm and reinforce little points scattered throughout this too, but this post was long enough without it!)

Introduction

The theme of Alina’s own art might be “Alina’s beauty” and “life, death, and emotion/decay.” But I would argue that the theme of her MGS as a when taken as a short story is “voyeurism and objectification at the cost of self-identity.” Specifically, how Alina’s actions and personality are the logical conclusion to that concept taken to an extreme.

There’s one important truth to Alina’s world, and that is the idea that Alina’s art IS Alina. We see it at the start – when she says her art is what she enjoys and what she grasps with her own hands. We see it at the end – with her realization that her art’s theme is “Alina’s beauty.”

And at the end of the day, what MGS Alina most seems to want is to be left alone to do art, to be herself. But who is Alina?

Alina the Teen Prodigy

Unfortunately for Alina, her fame gets in the way of figuring that out. Such is the life of a teen prodigy. As perhaps can be expected, constantly parading children under a spotlight is a great recipe for turning out extremely high-strung kids with very warped self-esteem.

(See also: Nemu, but especially Touka.)

The exchange regarding the award here is a good illustration of that mindset. It might initially seem contradictory for Alina to work desperately hard to win an award that she later doesn’t want and claims she wasn’t aiming to win. But once being “gifted” becomes central to your identity, winning an award doesn’t feel good anymore. It feels more like running in place, just the bare minimum expected of you to maintain your identity as a genius. And Alina’s perfectionism means she can’t not hold herself to that standard.

Indeed, Alina is already showing signs that she’s struggling under the pressure and overexposure. Normally, Alina seems to love talking about art and her own works (as long as it isn’t about herself, anyway). Arguing with her teacher and running away are far more of a bother and interfere with her ability to get back to painting far more than a quick meeting would have been. Yet she curses at her teacher, bolts, and skips school rather than have to deal with the consequences of her fame again.

She’s irrationally lashing out, asserting her boundaries in whatever way she can. And with the way the characters react, this doesn’t even seem like the first time it’s happened, either...

Which suggests Alina’s problems with her fame also aren’t new. When we first meet her, Alina is already a lot closer to a breakdown than she appears on the surface.

Having natural talent from an early age, Alina probably hasn’t learned how to deal with failure without spiraling into a full blown identity crisis. As a perfectionist, she’s also hypersensitive to even the slightest mistake. And given that she’s been famous for a few years at this point, her acting out is practically expected.

Just given the setting that she’s a well-known child prodigy, it’s not surprising that Alina has all these traits.

Alina’s Adults Are Useless

What is a bit disturbing, though, is that adults around Alina aren’t any help in protecting her from her fame.

Indeed, from what we see, the pattern is the opposite - over and over, the supposedly “responsible” adults in Alina’s life say her visibility matters more than her consent. Her teacher pressures her into competitions she dislikes and then gets on her case when she pushes back. Her parents put up her whole life story, including photos of her as a kid, without Alina’s approval or even permission.

Jumping ahead, I think it’s rather telling that Alina manages to destroy all her art, commit suicide, and get rescued by a third party – and none of these adults even visit her. A popular theory is that Alina’s parents are travelling in a different country. But - did no one tell them? Did they not care? As it is, anything Alina does – even blatant red flags like destroying a classroom and her own art – is treated as just another work of artistic genius, to be advertised and exhibited.

(Because apparently nothing says High Art like creep shots of a teenage girl having a mental breakdown.)

Of course, Alina isn’t being neglected or abused like Sana or Yuma. Not even close. But she’s not in a great situation either. She doesn’t really have anyone she can turn to in a crisis. The adults in her life mostly use her for their own ends, reinforcing that her worth is in her fame as an artist, not her value as a person.

Alina’s Peers Aren’t Much Better

Then, on a more subtle level, there are Alina’s peers. Whenever she’s mentioned by people her own age, she’s either the subject of scary rumors or glowing admiration. Other kids know her as a celebrity name to be idolized or feared, not a person.

Before becoming a magical girl, the only person who actually makes an effort to befriend Alina is Karin. But even she is initially caught up in the aura of Alina’s fame and contributes to the swirl of gossip around her.

The result is a situation where everyone around Alina has their own opinion on who she is. No one seems to care or leave space for who Alina wants herself to be. And Alina, not having a social life to fall back on, is increasingly left with “genius artist” as the only means she has to interact with the world. It’s a self-reinforcing spiral.

The Critic’s Letter

First, what it’s not: this isn’t about Alina getting a bad review and not being able to handle criticism of her work. She’s already won the competition. And Alina is perfectionistic to unhealthy levels - she’s already her own worst critic.

Rather, the letter’s insinuations are both subtler and crueler. As Alina says, the critic isn’t concerned with her artwork - he’s commenting on Alina as a person. Thus, the critic’s words are the same pattern as before, now crystallized into its sharpest and purest form.

Alina’s internal sense of identity is precariously fragile. Meanwhile, Alina’s external identity is being used as a canvas for other people’s desires. Even though all Alina really wants is to create art for her own sake, other people obsess over and dump their own meaning (or lack of meaning) onto her works.

Once again, Alina’s art is conflated with Alina herself. The person is being evaluated as a piece of art.

As if that wasn’t enough, the letter’s final insinuation that Alina is losing her brilliance is a triple threat. If she can’t create great art, Alina loses the activity she enjoys most. She also loses the one thing she knows other people value her for. And worst of all, she loses the only touchpoint she has for her sense of self.

Cue existential crisis. Alina’s life is Alina’s art. Alina’s art is Alina life. Without one, she doesn’t have any concept of the other.

And in the light of all this, her suicide makes perfect sense.

Alina’s Suicide

Welcome to the literal and figurative objectification of Alina. Literal, in that she’s turning into a corpse. Figurative in that by putting her body up for display, she’s allowing people to voyeuristically consume it – an idea further reinforced by the “Kusouzu / Nine Phases” reference in the title implying a tinge of sexual objectification as well.

Now that she’s destroyed all of her previous works, the only thing Alina leaves her audience to look at is Alina herself. Filming her body as it turns from a person into a dead object was simply the logical conclusion to a life of being displayed, objectified, and overwritten by others’ perceptions.

But how does Alina feel about this ending?

The day of her suicide, Alina rushes around in a kind of manic euphoria. This isn’t especially odd. After all, it’s not uncommon for a suicidal person to outwardly appear happier before they make an attempt, as finally having a concrete plan of action can feel like a huge relief.

Dying means a solution to Alina’s worries about her talent fading. Dying also means an end to all the pressure, all the constant struggle of performing to ever-heightening expectations. Alina can simply abandon the cases and tools once she’s done with them - no need to stress about the future when she won’t have one.

Alina’s farewell, though, betrays darker emotions. It’s simultaneously deeply spiteful - “this is what you all wanted from me, are you happy now?” - yet also an admission of utter defeat. Alina is giving up her very humanity and selfhood to be evaluated as whatever her audience wants.

Throughout the story, everyone keeps telling Alina that her art is intoxicating, pulling the viewer into it… but the reality is the exact opposite. Alina’s art was just something Alina made for herself, and any intoxicating meaning was something the viewer injected into it.

And thus, Alina’s revelation. Alina’s theme is “Alina’s beauty” – both a rejection and an embrace of that objectification. Now, Alina has declared that her art loudly and unabashedly about herself, viewer projection be damned. And yet, at the same time, since “Alina” is what viewers are obsessed with seeing, then Alina will give them exactly what they want…

An Artistic Failure?

So then why does Alina consider her final art to be a failure? It fits well within the theme of “Alina’s beauty.” Indeed, her later works like “Humanity’s Implicit Reward” and even her swimsuit are arguably just softer variations of the “Alina’s body as forbidden yet alluring object for the viewer to consume” idea that is present here.

This suicide also seems to fit into the “life and death” motifs she has. It’s a twisted kind of resurrection - effectively, she’s killing herself as a human in order to live on eternally as a memorable piece of art.

Alina plans her final work directly because she thinks she’s dying as a creator. Rather than face her brilliance fading, she chooses to defy it by going out in a blaze of glory. And when put that way, it’s an exciting and fitting conclusion.

There’s just one little problem with that narrative...

While drifting between life and death, Alina realizes the critic was wrong. She had a theme all along. Alina’s brilliance wasn’t fading.

And thus, since she wasn’t a “dying artist,” her “going out in a blaze of glory” no longer holds any profound meaning. She’s just a silly teenager who got too worked up over a harsh letter.

The overall concept behind Alina’s last work wasn’t the issue. The failure was in the timing and execution, killing herself before such a thing had meaning and in a way such that her body would be found.

And so, I don’t think Alina has learned her lesson here. I don’t think Karin’s words have gotten through to her yet. If she concludes at a later point that her talent is truly is fading or that she’s lost her theme, I’d fully expect her to pull another suicidal stunt again.

Conclusion

So the good news: Alina lived! She’ll have plenty more chances to create art and figure herself out!

But the bad news: Alina’s revelation implies she’s now even more reliant on her identity as a genius artist.

And thus, like so many other characters, the end to Alina’s MGS isn’t really an ending. She hasn’t solved the problem at the heart of the crisis that led to her wish. Becoming a magical girl and discovering witches does nothing to stop Alina from falling into another identity spiral, nor has she left her suicidal tendencies behind.

Alina found her theme, but she still hasn’t found herself.

Misc Details

Some other neat miscellaneous details that fit with this interpretation:

I’m glad the English translation keeps at least a little of the quirky way Alina refers to herself. (That being said, in Japanese, it’s even more exaggerated - she doesn’t use normal first person pronouns at all, only using “Alina.” )

Because on the one hand, this is an obvious hint at her extreme narcissism: Alina’s sentences frequently emphasize her name.

On the other hand, it’s a great subtle detail to return to the theme of objectification. To put it another way, Alina refers to herself in third-person. That is, even when Alina is speaking about herself, she reflexively frames it from the point of view of another person. Because Alina is constantly having other people’s perspectives forced onto her!

Also, it turns out the pattern of others projecting onto Alina is present in her witch as well! “Old Dorothy” is a historical figure whose diaries have been analyzed by multiple different researchers. Some of them came to the conclusion that Dorothy was definitely a witch, others came to the conclusion she was definitely a normal, upstanding member of her community. The researchers got completely opposite results from the same exact diaries. So therefore - did they truly care about learning what Dorothy was really like? Or were they just out to prove their own theories?

(Two years in, Old Dorothy is even more fitting of a name. Doroinu basically predicted the entire fan response to Alina. Some people see her as an evil (w)itch, some people see her as a sympathetic figure - all from looking at the same text.

We’re even starting to see the “two sides” of Alina come up in the Main Story, with Karin’s subplot in Arc 2.)

Meanwhile, Old Dorothy’s form - a “paint tube” - carries both this “paint over with your perceptions” meaning while also suggesting the same story as Alina’s final piece in miniature.

Unlike Izabel, Alina’s witch form isn’t that of an artist. Because when Alina hits her lowest point of despair, she no longer considers herself to be an artist. She believes the only value she has left is to become literal materials to create art.

In other words, Old Dorothy is Alina turning herself into art again. It’s just rainbow paint this time instead of red.

Last but not least: yes, I am absolutely aware of the irony of this essay. Here I am rambling about how Alina’s story is all about her struggle to be herself while everyone seems determined to erase her in favor of their own projections – and yet a good chunk of this interpretation is probably my projecting on her. Whoops!

Still, even if you disagree with it, I hope this essay was interesting and maybe made you question some of your assumptions about Alina.

Thanks for reading!

#madoka magica #magia record #alina gray #magia record analysis #my ramblings #long essay #read more #tl;dr #alina is certainly exaggerated #but in her MGS she comes across as #a surprisingly believable gifted kid #going through a nasty identity crisis #exacerbated by her fame

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beesandbooks1 · 4 years

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Discussion: Dystopian Fiction

To read this post on my blog instead, click here!

I think it’s pretty safe to say that most of us book bloggers are aware of some dystopian fiction. But this post isn’t just about defining dystopian fiction, it’s about discussing what dystopian fiction still has to add to the world of books!

Dystopian Fiction, what is it?

Just in case, I’m just going to cover what exactly I’m discussing when I say Dystopian Fiction. I am talking about books that portray a fictional and usually futuristic version of a world in which some terrible calamity, or an insidious takeover, has resulted in an overturn of either a country’s or a world’s government. This is usually a reimagining or futuristic image of the real world–ie Earth, albeit with some major changes. The dystopia can vary in form from being a false utopia to being a genuinely terrifying world.

How Dystopian Fiction has risen to fame recently

Dystopian Fiction has been popular for some time now, one of the most popular examples being 1984. The Handmaid’s Tale was required reading for myself during high school, and many people I know also read it at some point in school. The Handmaid’s Tale now has a popular adaptation for television, following the wave of dystopian craze that came after the popularity of The Hunger Games. With The Hunger Games and then Divergent, dystopian fiction became a massively popular subgenre in YA fiction, with dozens of new series and books being produced during the years following the fading of the Twilight craze.

Commonly, these YA Dystopian Fiction novels create a new version of Earth–usually in the setting of what was once North America. Real locations can be used as little clues as to where the new world is located, or the author explicitly draws maps to explain how new borders were drawn. Sometimes these worlds are so extremely far removed from what we know as Earth that they can be classified as a fantasy world, a world entirely of its own existence–like that in Red Queen. Others still have some memory of the world we know today and attempt to portray a version of the future that could have developed from key events and power grabs.

For a while, these Dystopian Fiction novels grew partly out of scheming for fame–The Maze Runner‘s author was famously known to have pitched his story as the perfect combination of the most popular series at the time–and have recently come more into the spotlight as the world is thrown into more and more chaos. Worldwide there are outcries for justice and change, often citing the fear of the dystopias we’ve consumed globablly to point out what we want to avoid.

What’s left for Dystopian Fiction now?

Considering the troubling times we’re living in currently, there’s a lot more grounds for potential dystopian visions of the future. And then, of course, a lot of dystopian fiction that may have been mocked for being too depressing or dramatic when it was released is being brought back into the spotlight with realizations that yes, things can get that bad. At the moment, not a whole lot of new Dystopian Fiction is coming out. This is in part because during rather dystopian times, escapism fantasy is more likely to rise to popularity and be written at all. On average, readers and writers don’t seek to replicate current conditions through their writing.

That being said, Dystopian Fiction can be used as a benchmark for current events. Novels that are written out of a genuine knowledge of patterns, such as Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, are written as almost prophetic warnings. Atwood observed real events during the time she was writing the novel, and the television adaptation even featured real images and video from modern day protests to demonstrate how tangible these events are. Dystopian Fiction often seeks to point out what has already happened in the world–the horrible events and the rise to power of horrible people–and warn us of what could possibly come next.

Final thoughts

Dystopian Fiction definitely has a place in literature. Even slight dystopias, such as the one developed in Neil Shusterman’s Unwind can point out serious problems in modern day that, if exacerbated, could wind up bringing about a horrible future. In Unwind, debates between pro choice and pro life sides of the birth control issue led to a war. The Hunger Games concerns itself with the power vacuum created by catastrophe, and The Handmaid’s Tale warns against theocracy. And honestly, all of these things seem perfectly possible in the current political climate of the world right now. We see Serbia fighting a dictator, Romania struggling with trans rights, the dumpster fires that are the USA and the UK, Russia, a humanitarian crisis in Yemen, the endless issues in Israel and Palestine, and so many other examples. Dystopian Fiction is disturbingly close to reality these days.

#bookblr #dystopian fiction

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newstfionline · 4 years

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Headlines

Reopening brings more coronavirus cases (NYT) The warning that echoed ominously for weeks is becoming a reality: Once states begin to reopen, a surge in coronavirus cases will follow. Thousands of Americans have been sickened by the virus in new outbreaks, particularly in the Sun Belt and the West. As of Friday, coronavirus cases were climbing in 22 states amid reopenings. Arizona, Texas and Florida are reporting their highest case numbers yet. California and Washington have reopened in a more incremental way, but have still seen an uptick in cases.

Coronavirus survival comes with a $1.1 million, 181-page price tag (Seattle Times) Remember Michael Flor, the longest-hospitalized COVID-19 patient who, when he unexpectedly did not die, was jokingly dubbed “the miracle child?” Now they can also call him the million-dollar baby. Flor, 70, who came so close to death in the spring that a night-shift nurse held a phone to his ear while his wife and kids said their final goodbyes, is recovering nicely these days at his home in West Seattle. But he says his heart almost failed a second time when he got the bill from his health care odyssey the other day. The total tab for his bout with the coronavirus: $1.1 million. $1,122,501.04, to be exact. All in one bill that’s more like a book because it runs to 181 pages. The bill is technically an explanation of charges, and because Flor has insurance including Medicare, he won’t have to pay the vast majority of it. But for now it’s got him and his family and friends marveling at the extreme expense, and bizarre economics, of American health care.

Protests focus on over-policing. But under-policing is also deadly. (Washington Post) By the time he was 18, Jay had already been shot twice. And he’d learned a lesson about how to keep himself safe in his high-crime New York neighborhood: He was always armed. Jay (a pseudonym we gave him to protect his identity) had little faith that the police would ever bring his assailants to justice—or that they could protect him from future attacks. “I just [know] where [my enemies] live and . . . the gang, I know that they be over there. . . . I gotta carry it in bad places.” As the protests sparked by George Floyd’s death at the hands of officers in Minneapolis have continued, fervent calls to “defund the police”—or even abolish departments altogether—have quickly risen to the top of some reformers’ wish lists. This push seems aimed at addressing the dangers of over-policing: not just obvious abuses like Floyd’s death but also heavy-handed law enforcement responses in communities of color to minor offenses, such as loitering, drinking in public or panhandling. But a great deal of scholarship has demonstrated that under-policing also leaves residents feeling perpetually underserved and unsafe. Residents of distressed urban neighborhoods have complained about ineffective policing for centuries, including officers’ rudeness, slow response times and lack of empathy for crime victims. Some residents of high-crime neighborhoods have long concluded that police are either incapable of keeping them safe or unwilling to do so—and a small subset of repeat offenders, like Jay and others we spoke to, have discarded the criminal justice system entirely as a viable mechanism for settling trivial disputes with enemies, opting instead to literally take matters into their own hands. The result is that many black and brown communities now suffer from the worst of all worlds: over-aggressive police behavior in frequent encounters with residents, coupled with the inability of law enforcement to effectively protect public safety. But defunding police departments would address only one side of this problem. And the real, and significant, dangers of under-policing would just get worse in the neighborhoods that most need the police to improve—not disappear.

Tourists dip their toes in water as top Mexican beach getaway reopens (Reuters) Foreign visitors have begun to trickle back to the white sands and warm waters of Mexico’s Caribbean coast as its popular beaches gradually reopen to tourism with new sanitary measures in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. “I’ve been stuck in New York City in my apartment for three months, so I decided that on the beach somewhere open was probably a good call,” said web designer Sam Leon, 31, after arriving Saturday at the airport of famed resort town Cancun. Others were similarly undeterred, even as Mexico reported record infection levels in recent days and in certain areas is at the peak of the pandemic.

Bolivian schoolteacher gives virtual classes as superhero (AP) Sometimes, Jorge Manolo Villarroel is Spiderman. Sometimes, he’s the Flash, or the Green Lantern. But he’s always a teacher—one who lives out his childhood dreams by dressing up as superheroes for the locked-down students who attend his virtual classes. His classes have become so popular that siblings fight for the laptop screen to learn from this costumed teacher. They, in turn, often offer him tech help. At 33, Villarroel speaks with the passion of a child. His modest room is filled with the masks and costumes of his characters, along with images of Christ, several Roman Catholic saints, revolutionary Che Guevara and his parents. Villarroel, who lives in a poorer neighborhood of the Bolivian capital, teaches art at the San Ignacio Catholic School in a wealthier area. His students range from 9 to 14 years old.

Yankee go home: What does moving troops out of Germany mean? (AP) After more than a year of thinly-veiled threats to start pulling U.S. troops out of Germany unless Berlin increases its defense spending, President Donald Trump appears to be proceeding with a hardball approach, planning to cut the U.S. military contingent by more than 25%. About 34,500 American troops are stationed in Germany—50,000 including civilian Department of Defense employees—and the plan Trump reportedly signed off on last week envisions reducing active-duty personnel to 25,000 by September, with further cuts possible. But as details of the still-unannounced plan trickle out, there’s growing concerns it will do more to harm the U.S.’s own global military readiness and the NATO alliance than punish Germany. The decision was not discussed with Germany or other NATO members, and Congress was not officially informed—prompting a letter from 22 Republican members of the House Armed Services Committee urging a rethink.

Delhi to use 500 railway coaches as hospital facilities to fight coronavirus (Reuters) India’s federal government said on Sunday it will provide New Delhi’s city authorities with 500 railway coaches that will be equipped to care for coronavirus patients, after a surge in the number of cases led to a shortage of hospital beds.

China reports 57 new cases, highest daily number in 2 months (AP) China on Sunday reported its highest daily total of new coronavirus cases in two months after the capital’s biggest wholesale food market was shut down following a resurgence in local infections. The Xinfadi market on Beijing’s southeastern side was closed Saturday and neighboring residential compounds locked down after more than 50 people in the capital tested positive for the coronavirus. They were the first confirmed cases in 50 days in the city of 20 million people. Authorities locked down 11 residential communities near the Xinfadi market. Police installed white fencing to seal off a road leading to a cluster of apartment buildings.

Kim Jong Un’s sister threatens S. Korea with military action (AP) The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un threatened military action against South Korea as she bashed Seoul on Saturday over declining bilateral relations and its inability to stop activists from floating anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border. Describing South Korea as an “enemy,” Kim Yo Jong repeated an earlier threat she had made by saying Seoul will soon witness the collapse of a “useless” inter-Korean liaison office in the border town of Kaesong. Kim, who is first vice department director of the ruling Workers’ Party’s Central Committee, said she would leave it to North Korea’s military leaders to carry out the next step of retaliation against the South. Kim’s harsh rhetoric demonstrates her elevated status in North Korea’s leadership. Already seen as the most powerful woman in the country and her brother’s closest confidant, state media recently confirmed that she is now in charge of relations with South Korea.

Thai entrepreneur connects Michelin bistros to those in need (AP) Natalie Bin Narkprasart’s business was in Paris. But she was locked down by COVID-19 restrictions and stuck in Thailand. Her heart was in Thailand, too—and it ached for her compatriots who were suffering in the pandemic. So she recruited a network of volunteers, including Michelin-starred chefs, to help those in her homeland whose already modest incomes were shattered by the pandemic restrictions. Her group, COVID Thailand Aid, says it has reached more than 30,000 people in more than 100 locations with care packages and freshly cooked food.

Kids around the world are out of school. Millions of girls might not go back. (Washington Post) She was 13 when the Ebola virus struck her country, shuttering schools across Sierra Leone. The closures lasted nine months, but Mari Kalokoh could not return to the classroom for years. Global shutdowns have pushed approximately 1.5 billion students out of school since March, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund, including 111 million girls in the world’s least developed countries. The disruptions are projected to end or seriously delay the education of 10 million secondary-school age girls. Parents in more traditionally conservative nations tend to prioritize the education of their sons, experts say. In West and Central Africa, 73 percent of boys older than 15 can read, compared with 60 percent of girls in the same age group. So when families lose income, they’re more likely to stretch the budget on schooling for boys, said Laila Gad, UNICEF’s representative in Liberia, a former Ebola hotspot. Remote learning, she added, is especially burdensome for girls, who are frequently expected to shoulder more cooking, cleaning and babysitting.

Pope appeals for end to Libyan civil war (Reuters) Pope Francis appealed on Sunday for both sides in the Libyan civil war to seek peace, urging the international community to facilitate talks and protect refugees and migrants he said were victims of cruelty. In an impassioned plea during his noon address in St. Peter’s Square, Francis said he was pained by the situation in Libya, which has had no stable central authority since dictator Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown by NATO-backed rebels in 2011. For more than five years Libya has had rival parliaments and governments in the east and the west, with streets often controlled by armed groups and sporadic fighting.

#headlines #news

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soofection · 5 years

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jenkai discourse in retrospection

(long post)

to take a slightly more light hearted break from all the updates regarding the burning sun case, I propose a discourse of jxk in retrospection after gaining all the new knowledge exposed by the media recently

dont read if you dont want to, if you read please dont come attack me for posting what I want on my own blog 🥰

In no way is what I type facts, and I am NOT comparing burning sun case with jxk (jxk is so insignificant and jxk is not a criminal case) yet I will make references to what the media and companies are capable of doing as proven by the exposure from the b. sun case regarding similar behaviours.

---

we now know that the kpop world is not what some once thought - an ideal fairytale land where idols/ the media never lie to us.

The truth:

We finally realize for sure that in korean ent. industry, sexual favours (in exchange for sponsors, promotion via media manipulation, basically fame and safety), offering prostitutes services... all in all using SEX is commonly used in return for connections / power / protection from the 'higher ups'.

why did jxk happen?

I propose: to cover yg x jni sex/sexual activities and jni has sponsors rumours (updated). After knowing yg is to a certain degree (personal assumption: large extent) involved in B.Sun and gangnam clubs, it makes sense to suspect that the jni rumour could be real. look up yg's past history, how he obtained his wife (emphasis, obtain). 12 years older yg 'fell in love' the moment he saw his wife as a second year middle school girl, recruited her at 16, ruined her career and married her. who knows how exactly yg treats his younger girl employees? Who is there to protect them?

but its just a 'groundless' rumour why was yg desperate?

to propose reasons: 1) it could be real, if so he HAS to camouflage it before it blows up further. 2) even if its not real, he didnt want to put bp's and his own name's reputation at stakes since bp is his most money earning group right now 3) if he doesnt make a deal with dispatch, who ofc are capable of digging deeper and they hate yg (proven by their ability to obtain kkt chats and exposing b.sun evidences) to supply them a fake scandal to cover ygxjni... dispatch WILL expose him. (also keep in mind jni has other sponsor rumour that might or not be true). and 4) - suggested by anon: yg could be taking precautions before b.sun scandal blows up. As we know b.sun revolves around sex crimes, Yg must get rid of the 'boss had sex with employee' label before b.sun blows up. Or else he will get dragged, it would be like adding oil on fire.

this theory is reinforced by allshitpop stating a media outlet discriminately announced 'the yg x jni rumour was false.' why purposefully mention it when no one asked?

but why ji?

main reason: hes an artist from sm. Yg desperately needed a scandal impacting enough to satisfy dispatch (releasing small unconvincing sandals will discredit dispatch's liability and reputation. ) But what to do when none of yg's male artists are popular enough to create a fuss nor any male groups's careers mature and stable enough to withstand the scandal pressure from the general public? the obvious solution is ofc to beg other big companies - sm or bighxt.

Most popular boy groups atm is still btx and ekso. honestly yg wouldve prefered btx due to their crazy fame, and jni will be their first dating scandal... the reactions would be DRAMATIC. yet in contrast to ekso, btx didnt really need to take that risk in hopes for more popularity. (rmb there would always be adverse effects when being involved in a dating scandal despite positive reactions and large no. of supporters). Also, even if btx has any scandals to cover, bighxt's recent merge with cj-enm (described as 'a powerhouse' aka very huge powerful company) means btx's any potential scandals can be taken care of for now. so that leaves ekso.

Who in ekso fits ji's image the most?

(hence will recieve 'positive' reactions and make them more aesthetically believable. without a doubt, its ji and his on going promoted sex appeal.) Reasons for ji and not other members: 1. theres no harm in giving him a beard (personal belief, ignore point 1. if you think homosexuality/kaisoo pairing isn't plausible) 2. to raise his popularity for his potential upcoming solo. 3. if someone who was involved in dating scandal before came up again, they probably predicts the pairing to be more positively recieved --> more supportors and a more hyped response from the public.

but none of that happened, the scandal was managed poorly. The paris evidence was made in a rush (dates didnt match) park pictures were too ambiguous (again dates and time didnt match), even when dispatch posted a pic of ji in a carpark supposedly came back from hawaii to give jni presents after landing - we learned from ji's own ig live that the day he wore the outfit in the photo, he had already returned to korea a few days ago, was around town shopping and went no where near the airport. Besides these failed attempts there was absolutely no other proof that jxk is real.

why was it poorly managed?

bc this is a rare collab between two big rival companies. Yg was the one begging at the start yet sm wasnt able to take full control of this scandal. Conflicts and disagreements upon makng many decisions were highly likely to occur between these two rivals.

The break up

a lot of fans were shocked when jxk broke up just after 25 days. (brand new record). what else is weird?

sm personally confirmed jxk broke up abruptly. Usually when couples break up, fan rumours start to float around first. But not this time, no rumours surfaced yet sm all of a sudden definitively stated that jxk broke up. Back then I already predicted it maybe because yg or bp got into trouble hence sm wanted to distance themselves as far as possible. I still stand by that idea.

Sm must get away from yg and b.sun case for the sake of theirs/ekso's reputation. sm def dont want to be dragged into the mess. Remember, sm as a huge company themselves def have their own dirt to hide, getting dragged means huge consequences if the investigators target them.

so why did sm agree in the first place? I assume its bc altho sm knew that yg had dirt to hide, they did not know it was something as serious, severe and big as b.sun case / tax evading case. Therefore, what are the coincidences that sm announced breakup shortly before dispatch sparked reinvestigation into b.sun by posting crucial evidences? (the first chats)

its highly possible that dispatch warned sm, (which makes them sound like the good guys but no. remember sm is dispatch's source of money and partnered with them many times. b.sun indeed aint directly related to sm, (as for now) dispatch has no reason to ruin sm) Or, sm could have found out through other sources that b.sun case will blow up soon. they quickly cut their collab with yg early, and announced break up probably without telling yg first. (since telling them possibly means giving dispatch away).

this also suggests that dispatch hates yg but anyway.

The benefits of ji

Comparing the two, jni seems to be the one who gained more from the scandal. She got most of media and the public's attention. there is an explanation for this - shes the 'rookier' one, and the trendier one out if the two since bp is still rising when ekso has reached their plateau. However, ji did gain his own lesser share of attention (indicated by the gained followers on his ig).

I have always said that when idols agree to be involved in a scandal, they are likely to get a 'reward.' but now thinking about it, agreeing to scandals is part of ji's contract, rewards are bonus but not obligations. Besides, the scandal itself supposedly helps ji gain popularity for solo and gains a beard, sm didnt NEED to give him more bonus. Often when idols get more modelling jobs / solo etc after scandals is bc sm uses the risen populairty from scandal as an opportunity to maximise profit by giving them more jobs, it might not be bc sm wants 'pamper' them.

Plan cut short

unfortunately for ji who is not getting his solo soon, the jxk plan flopped due to poor management, and was cut short due to b.sun case. The scandal did not fulfill what it was supposed to do and ended prematurely . Followed by the apparent troubles in sm negotiating contract terms with ekso, (delayed ekso schedules),chxn suddenly getting a solo, and the blowing up of b.sun case, ji might have missed his chance again. Or hes simply still preparing.

to summarize i want to clarify a few things.

- none of these are facts, but an overall picture forming one huge speculation.

- I dont try to defame bp or shame them. i also am not trying to state that girl artists def had sex with the hihgher ups. b.sun has shown us that men always have more power over women, and they rarely get protection.

- I want people to realize the dark side of kpop. The kpop industry is full of conspiracies, media manipulation and lies. What you see on tv is not who your idols are portrayed to be on camera. Don't impose your ideal vision on them and hurt others when reality suggests otherwise.

side note: this theory conveyed reinforcement to statements I've made before

- conspiracies are real and true. Look at all the dark and shady events involved in b.sun case

- media play, mass manipulation exist and are common practice.

- dispatch and sm collab and are partners on a case by case basis.

- idols lie on interviews all the time, their tv persona is different from the real them.

- companies offer protection for their idols

- it is indeed common practice to use one scandal to cover another

ANYTHING can happen in the world of the k ent industry. dont lightly dismiss any possibilities. We must analyse the sum of the situations - the full picture of any events before believing anything we are told.

#kaisoo #jongin #jennie #jxk #analysis #myposts #jxk1 #jenkai

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arcaneranger · 5 years

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Final Thoughts - 2018 Long Shows

It’s finally here! I’m so close to being done with 2018 (...mostly. We’ll get to it) that I can taste it, but in the meantime, this list is gonna be weird, because there will be things that were already on other lists since I revised my rules of what should be classified how. This post is specifically for any show that ended in 2018 and lasted longer than 13-ish episodes (including shows that aired a second season during the same year or within six months of finishing the previous one), which means that there’s about as much on it as a usual season of shows, but they all had more time to impress - or disappoint me. I’m doing a better job in recent seasons of getting to everything, but last year there were unfortunately things that I missed (I was burned out in the winter) and just have to leave aside for now because I can’t wait any longer for these lists.

Anyway! As usual, let’s start with what I skipped!

* The Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of the Commandments, The Disastrous Life of Saiki Kusuo S2, Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card, Garo: Vanishing Line, and Mr Tonegawa: Middle Management Blues because I haven’t seen their previous seasons or parent works. (Yes, even Cardcaptor Sakura. Y’all can shoot me later.)

* Hakyuu Hoshin Engi, Beatless, and Basilisk: The Ouka Ninja Scrolls because by the time I was rounding things up, I hadn’t heard a single positive thing about any of them.

Next comes what I dropped -

WORST OF THE YEAR: Steins;Gate 0 (4/10)

What a fucking mess this show was. Aside from a very noticeable downgrade in production talent from its predecessor, the plot meanders and flirts with maybe actually happening this time before just dropping out again, over and over, to the point where I was perfectly willing to drop it two episodes from the finish line because it was such an insult to fans of the original. (Also, continued disgusting mistreatment of the transgender character.)

Gundam Build Divers (4/10)

Taking the Build series from being a well-written kids show to an averagely-written kids show that hides itself in decent mech designs.

Katana Maidens (4/10)

I remember so little about this show, and granted that I did drop it after one episode almost nine months ago, but what I did remember was that it gave me strong KanColle vibes with laughably inconsistent animation and flat characters. Meh.

Darling in the FRANXX (5/10)

This should probably be lower on the list, but I got out of Darling while the getting was good, sixteen episodes in. I understand that future episodes of the show cemented it as crappy right-wing nonsense in addition to pushing worldbuilding out of its fortieth-story window, but the moment it lost me was much sooner, when the crazy yandere female lead was reduced, almost instantly, to Good Anime Waifu as a reward to the protagonist for going against his friends with his selfish motives.

Persona 5 the Animation (5/10)

In addition to not actually finishing in 2018, Persona 5 just did not give me a single reason to watch it when I’d already finished the source game, with middling-to-bad visuals (thanks to the switch from Production I.G. to A-1 Pictures, and not even the team that created the much better-looking Day Breakers OVA before the game was released in the U.S.) and phoned-in music, which is especially unacceptable in a Persona adaptation. Also, we all absolutely called that the studio couldn’t tell the story of the entire game in just 26 episodes.

Record of Grancrest War (6/10)

There’s people that like this one a lot, but I didn’t see much that interested me in the first two episodes. I’ve heard better things about the manga.

Golden Kamuy (6/10)

I had problems with the first half of Golden Kamuy that the second half simply didn’t fix, and it became difficult for me to keep watching - the show still interrupted almost every fight scene with a dick joke, but still wanted to maintain a serious and occasionally frightening tone - and those things simply don’t go together. It needed to either spend more time being funny, or keep its lowest-common-denominator humor out of the fights.

Next, I have two shows that are (potentially permanently) On Hold, simply because it’s time for me to move on and I don’t have the time or energy to marathon them when the Winter shows are starting to wrap up:

Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits, because even though I initially dropped it, I’ve heard a lot of good things since and I want to eventually give it another shot.

Yowamushi Pedal Glory Line, because despite the fact that I still enjoyed the previous season, this one started right in the middle of my burnout and I only heard bad things about it. I’ll get to it eventually, but it’s a shame that this series has been on a clear trend downwards since its revival.

And finally, the stuff I finished!

The Ancient Magus’ Bride (6/10)

Keep in mind that this is here entirely on the merits of its aesthetic and its side characters - in the end, Ancient Magus’ Bride is a Beauty and the Beast story where the beast gets what he wants without learning to be less of a dick or even apologizing for his clearly wrong actions.

Major 2nd (7/10)

Always pleased to have even just Good sports shows around, and this one is a very effective reboot of a classic series that’s never made its way stateside (man, the underperformance of Big Windup! really did a lot of damage to this genre in the West). With good character development and a decent second-generation premise, Major 2nd has the potential to be the beginning of a solid baseball story, assuming that it gets a needed followup.

IDOLiSH7 (7/10)

I dropped IDOLiSH7 when it first aired, and though I wound up enjoying it after I was very strongly urged to revisit it, the problems it started with never quite left it behind - that is, it has an okay cast of characters but doesn’t present even passable performance sequences, and if you’re going to include big song-and-dance numbers, they have to be good, or you may as well just be UtaPri.

ClassicaLoid Season 2 (8/10)

In 2017, I gave the first season of ClassicaLoid a near-perfect 9/10, and while this season gives us a satisfying conclusion to the story, it does things both a little better than the first, and also not quite as great. It’s story is much more well-integrated over the runtime so it doesn’t happen all at once in a few chunks, and the jokes that work are still absolute genius, but there’s simply too much that doesn’t quite land correctly, and a little too much immature humor, for it to reach the same lofty Hall of Fame heights as the first season. Still, one of the most underrated shows I’ve ever seen.

My Hero Academia Season 3 (8/10)

God, Izuku in that onesie is too damn cute.

My problems with Hero Academia are frustratingly persistent - the show is at its best when the students are competing with other students, because outside of last season’s Stain (a villain whose motivation is specifically related to the world of MHA), the villains are just not at all compelling and they all seem a little too generic for their own good. I just want Horikoshi to be a little bit less predictable of an author and do a little less reading of the Standard Shounen Playbook. Luckily, when it works, it works magnificently.

March Comes in Like a Lion S2 (8/10)

March remains director/auteur Akiyuki Shinbo’s most accessible work, and one of his masterpieces, as a well-paced and marvelously moody story of a depressed shogi prodigy learning to be a normal teenager before his youth completely passes him by, and the fantastic characters that surround him with their own complex problems and motivations. I just really, really hope it gets a third season eventually, because this one did not leave off on a satisfying conclusion.

Speaking of which...

Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma S3 (9/10)

It’s almost a shame that My Hero Academia became hugely popular purely based on its accessibility to American audiences, because Food Wars pretty squarely deserves to be the reigning Shonen Jump king - each season has only improved on the previous one, and this one was based entirely on a continuing arc that could only have happened in the universe of this show, Fighting Food Fascism. That being said, it also leaves off right in the middle of the arc (because it had almost caught up to the manga), meaning that we have to hope that it can remain relevant long enough for there to be enough source material for another season. I’ll be crossing my fingers until they snap.

Banana Fish (9/10)

Yes, this has risen a point since my review, but Banana Fish still deserves to be thought of as both a complete masterwork of crime fiction, being fantastically paced and expertly plotted in the use of its many, many twists, and a work that disappointed the side of me that hoped that, in adapting it into the modern day, MAPPA could have managed to get the author to let them depict what is clearly a queer relationship with the authenticity and legitimacy that it deserved. It’s still amazing, though, and Amazon should be pushing it with their most lavishly-made originals. At least it was the last noitaminA show they’ll get to totally bury.

And, finally, the one you all saw coming.

BEST OF THE YEAR: Lupin the 3rd Part V (10/10)

Lupin is, quite simply, one of the pinnacles of the medium. A simple idea that can (and did) go in thousands of different directions, handled by highly creative writers and an animation staff that has been knocking it out of the park for years, despite the fact that it is criminally (heh) unrecognized in the West. To put it simply, there’s a very, very good reason that it’s been around since the 70′s.

Okay! All I have left to do is finish Dragon Pilot (waiting on a friend) and we can get the last two lists out of the way! We’re almost done...

#multi 2018 #arcaneanime #year end anime list #final thoughts #lupin the third #my hero academia #banana fish #food wars #the ancient magus bride #March Comes in Like a Lion #idolish7 #major 2nd

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angelofberlin2000 · 5 years

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Keanu Reeves May Be Pure, But He's Not Oblivious

America’s most memeable actor is back in John Wick: Chapter 3, a movie that's in on the joke of our obsession with Keanu. He might be too.

Alison Willmore

BuzzFeed News Reporter

Posted on May 17, 2019, at 10:40 a.m. ET

For a guy without any official web presence or expressed interest in things online, Keanu Reeves goes viral a lot. He's spawned memes when he's looked sad and other memes when he's looked happy. There's a Twitter account, 198,000 followers strong, devoted to "Keanu doing things" like wearing a fedora or hanging out on set with Sandra Bullock. Creepshot footage of the actor giving up his seat on the subway or rattling around the Bakersfield airport after an emergency landing has racked up thousands of delighted views. Reeves may have risen to fame as a Gen X movie star ("the most soulful while being the most stoner-bro," as the New York Times recently put it), but it was millennials who carved out a permanent place for Keanu in the internet boyfriend hall of fame, as an embodiment of inexpressible melancholy and a figure too pure for this world.

The fact that the actual Reeves — like any living, breathing human — is likely a lot more complicated than that has never gotten in the way of how he's been enshrined in the popular imagination, in part because Reeves has never seen fit to fight it. Reeves works hard onscreen, while barely seeming to notice the eyes (and cellphone cameras) that remain trained on him when he's off it. Where other stars attempt to actively sculpt and control their public image, Reeves submits to the sometimes intrusive attention with bemused acceptance, aware of but apparently unbothered by the fact that there's an outsize version of himself living in people's heads. When questioned about it, he tends to be kind: "Yeah, I guess that’s like an invasion of privacy. They didn’t ask me," he told Uproxx of the bus video, the existence of which seemed to be news to him. Then he added, "They were nice people. We were in it together. We had a nice car ride."

When Reeves went viral again last week, it was for something he definitely knew was being recorded. He was on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, doing promo for John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum, the preposterously enjoyable third film of the action franchise that's come to define this period in his career. Reeves, sporting some “I'm-between-roles” facial hair, talked up the stunts and how he was set to reprise his role as world-saving slacker Theodore "Ted" Logan in a third Bill & Ted movie, nearly three decades after the last one.

All of which led Colbert to coyly ask Reeves what he thought happened when we die — a ludicrously weighty question for the average talk-show exchange, but a perfect one for the bodhisattva of showbiz. And Reeves did not disappoint, answering simply that "I know that the ones who love us will miss us." It was both a perfectly shareable aphorism and a poignant reminder of his own experiences with losing loved ones, which are real and terrible and which were also outlined in a Facebook video that blew up to the point that the fact-checking site Snopes felt compelled to put together an entry on it, judging it to be "Mostly True."

Reeves is now 54 years old. The inhuman splendor of his youthful beauty (seriously, have you seen My Own Private Idaho lately?) has gradually softened into a more manageable gorgeousness that shows the touch of time while remaining a little unreal. The fact that Reeves isn't a kid anymore is, in fact, the whole point of the John Wick trilogy, which puts the actor in the eponymous role as a retired killer yanked back into violence after an arrogant Russian mob scion kills the puppy gifted to him by his late wife.

The John Wick franchise is the creation of Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, stunt coordinators turned filmmakers whose elegant action sequences make clear how often it's really Reeves there doing the work, having a swordfight on a motorcycle or slowly sinking a blade into a struggling foe's eyeball. His physicality is front and center, and it's both impossible (John should be dead a thousand times over) and extremely human (John bleeds, staggers, reels with grief). Like Reeves himself, John is at once larger than life and extremely to scale.

Reeves is famous for action. His biggest films are the Wachowskis' Matrix trilogy, those landmarks of bullet-time choreography and heady stoner philosophy for which his flat affect was perfectly suited, as well as Speed and Point Break. But he's always harbored a romantic streak too, even if it hasn't always been showcased well by leading roles (like his in 2006's The Lake House) that leave him looking lost. He's better as the losing corner of the love triangle in Nancy Meyers’ 2003 rom-com Something's Gotta Give, despite the grievous injustice of Diane Keaton throwing him over for Jack Nicholson. The John Wick films work so well not just because of their fight sequences and increasingly arcane assassin mythology, but because of the degree to which they're romance-adjacent. They're heartfelt films about grief, with John as a man lamenting the death of his love and losing pieces of the life they built together in each subsequent installment.

The further the John Wick series has gone on, the more it's curled around Reeves' own persona. The first was a comeback vehicle for Reeves that also happened to be about a hitman's comeback from normal living, and the second was a riff on contractual work obligations. By the third, John is as beset by admirers as Reeves was at that Bakersfield bus stop, only in the film they're affectionately trying to murder him. When he faces down two henchmen (played by Cecep Arif Rahman and Yayan Ruhian of the Raid series), they thank him for the honor of fighting him, and maintain a running commentary on his performance in Indonesian during the sequence. "He's getting slow," muses one as John peels himself off the floor, while the other points out that he is recently out of retirement.

The main antagonist in the new movie, at least physically, is a striver and self-declared fan named Zero (Mark Dacascos), who’s a devotee bumped up to the assassin big leagues. "I've been looking forward to meeting you for a long time!" he declares. "And so far you haven't disappointed!" Zero is a surprisingly funny creation who owes something to Sonny Chiba in Kill Bill: Vol. 1, in how he's introduced, and something to Anne Baxter in All About Eve, in how he's ready to destroy his idol and take his place.

But Zero and his team also feel like a meditation on modern fandom at its most intense, where people need the person they admire to live up to the image they've formed of them, with an implied threat as to what might happen if the object of their obsession doesn't manage this feat. Most of the characters in the John Wick movies are bewildered by John's efforts to get out of the game and live like a normie, but they treat him as a fellow professional. The baddies in John Wick 3, on the other hand, are fans who feel a sense of ownership over John because they've tracked his career so closely.

Reeves may have the most even-keeled relationship with celebrity of any A-lister working today, but in the beleaguered looks he shoots at his foes in this new movie, there's a hint of wry self-awareness. It doesn't feel accurate to describe Reeves as a reluctant movie star, not when he devotes so much of himself to what he does, and when he gamely participates in every aspect of the process. But in playing this reluctant killer, the actor does offer a glimpse of himself as someone who's aware that there’s a finer line between being loved by the public and being devoured by it than anyone would like to think about.

There’s a thrill watching Reeves in this role that’s related to how delightful it feels to see him turn up as what looks like himself in the trailer for Netflix's upcoming Always Be My Maybe — the rom-com loser and internet boyfriend all in one, mashing his face into Ali Wong's while muttering, "I miss your taste." We may like to treat Reeves as a kind of holy innocent, but just because he avoids artifice doesn't mean he doesn't know what's going on. ●

#keanu reeves #buzzfeed news

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stretchjournalemerson · 5 years

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The Lost and the Holy People: Worship of Musicians as a Religious Behavior and Possible Substitute for Religion

By Chloe Callahan -

I was last in line for The Struts VIP experience. In the small, dark space that was the Paradise Rock Club, I stood at the top of the stairs, looking down at the stage. I was starting to get bored; I had been standing in line for three hours. My then-boyfriend and I had been at a Red Sox game earlier in the day and we were exhausted, but I had been dreaming of this day for so long I resolved to push through the discomfort.

The VIP manager, who had disappeared nearly half an hour earlier, came back into the stage area and announced that “the boys” were coming.

Suddenly the whole line was energized. I watched hungrily as The Struts came from underneath the stairs opposite me, one by one. Luke Spiller, Adam Slack, Jed Elliott, and Gethin Davies. My heroes. A scream went up from the VIP line. There were only about twenty-five of us, but we filled the club with our excitement.

My eyes locked onto Luke, all but forgetting my poor boyfriend behind me.

“He’s even prettier in real life,” I sighed.

However, as I waited my turn to meet the band I had been worshipping for four years, I noticed something: they were wearing their street clothes. Luke Spiller, known for flaunting fabulous ensembles worthy of Freddie Mercury, was wearing a Jurassic Park t-shirt, a sherpa-lined jacket, and Keds. Looking down at him from the top of the stairs in the dim lighting, he looked human.

A little part of me sunk in disappointment. I wanted to feel the hot pink silk of his famous angel kimono; I wanted to be dwarfed by him in his glittery, high-heeled boots. The man standing before me was a mere two inches taller than me, and we were practically wearing the same outfit.

When I reached the front of the line, Luke was the first to hug me. He was solid, yet I felt I had been touched by a divine being. I hugged the rest of the band, and they asked me questions, joked around with me, and told me maybe I could drum with them one day. They really were human, I saw, just real people I was having a conversation with. The fact would be lost slightly when they emerged later in their heavenly stage ensembles, but for now they were just chatting with me like we were old friends.

It was a conversation worth the three hundred dollars I paid for it.

***

Celebrity Worship Syndrome is a psychological condition that has been heavily studied in recent years. Defined as “an abnormal phenomenon whereby individuals become virtually obsessed with one or more celebrities,” it affects a wide range of people who may or may not realize that they are affected (“Extreme” Maltby et al. 247). There are three levels of Celebrity Worship Syndrome (CWS), which are often measured using the Celebrity Attitude Scale created by Dr. Lynn E. McCutcheon, one of the leading researchers in the field of celebrity worship. The first dimension is entertainment-social, which is a healthy interest in the works and career of a certain celebrity, and the desire to share such interest with friends and family. The second dimension is intense-personal, which includes “intense and compulsive feelings towards one’s favorite celebrity.” This dimension is associated with some psychological disorders such as depression and anxiety, neuroticism, body-image issues, and poor relationships. The final dimension is the borderline-pathological dimension, which is associated with extreme dedication and “maladaptive forms of admiration” that push individuals towards “criminal behaviors and addiction.” (Zsila et al. 654)

Several studies have linked religious behaviors to celebrity worship syndrome, though not a lot of research has been done on whether certain religious behaviors fall into certain dimensions of CWS. Therefore, this essay will not focus on extreme degrees of behavior; rather it will focus on how CWS affects the average person. More specifically, it will focus on the music fan.

Rock stars have long been the standard for fame. Particularly in the latter half of the twentieth century, to achieve rock star status would be to achieve the ultimate level of success. In recent years, as the popularity of rock music has faded, the pop or rap star has risen as the new standard. However, this essay will be primarily focusing on rock musicians, as rock and religious behaviors were intertwined for so long.

This essay will explore how people who worship musicians may substitute music for religion, what behaviors come of this, and why this behavior might occur.

***

Music and religious worshippers have long shared similar behaviors. The most important of these is the ritual of the concert. The rituals differ between each band or musician, just as rituals differ between each faith of branch of a religion. However, one thing that is universal is the presence of some form of preacher spreading their message to an eager audience.

Rupert Till is the Associate Dean International in the School of Music, Humanities, and Media at the University of Huddersfield (“Rupert Till”). In his essay “The Personality Cult of Prince: Purple Rain, Sex and the Sacred, and the Implicit Religion,” Till notes the way in which Prince overtly played on religion in and conducted his concerts as if they were sermons. In particular, his film Let’s Go Crazy begins with the phrase “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today,” which “places [Prince] in the position of Christ or deity, marrying, possessing, and becoming one with his worshippers…” (Till 148). This kind of intimacy between musician and fan mimics the connection to God religious worshippers seek when attending church services.

In addition to connecting with their idol, the concert is also one of the best ways for fans to connect with each other. I created a survey with Google Forms to gather information about people’s associations between their favorite musicians and religion, as well as their level of celebrity worship through the use of the Celebrity Attitude Scale. The survey was posted in a Facebook group for Struts fans called “Strutters - The Struts original authorized fan group.” At the time of this writing, the group contained 4,996 members. Of the fifty-three respondents to this survey, thirty-two said they enjoyed listening to their favorite musician while with a large group of people (Callahan). The feeling of being part of something larger than oneself is clearly appealing to both religious and musical worshippers. Till mentions how Prince has his audience “mimic his hand movements,” which allows the audience to feel connected to Prince and to each other (Till 148). The connection between all these separate souls could very well be seen as a spiritual experience. One respondent to my survey wrote, “The front row of a Struts concert is very much like a religious experience. I liken it to Rapture- a total euphoria of the senses that at the same time controls you and heightens your emotions while moving your entire being…” (Callahan). Both concertgoers and churchgoers can exalt in this sensation of losing themselves among their faith during their respective rituals.

Some music worshippers invest so much of themselves in these rituals that they make pilgrimages. Author Kevin McCarron traveled to five major rock and roll attractions in England. While two of them “official” tours and museums were made for tourists, the other three “unofficial experiences” held a sense of sanctity (McCarron 169). Strawberry Fields, where John Lennon’s ashes were scattered, the house where Freddie Mercury died, and the site of Marc Bolan’s car crash have all been converted into shrines to those artists. There are no “official” tours to these sites, so individual travelers have to make their own way there to leave offerings such as flowers and messages on nearby walls. (McCarron 169) At the site of Mercury’s death, among countless messages, one in particular perfectly summarizes the theme of the comments: “Freddie you are a God” (McCarron 170). These pilgrims, as McCarron refers to them, clearly had deep, intense personal connections to their favorite artists. They were willing to travel from great distances to pay their respects, just as religious pilgrims might. In Islam, making the pilgrimage to Mecca is a form of dedication to Allah. It is a long journey to prove one’s devotion to their religion. A pilgrimage to Strawberry Fields or Mercury’s house suggests a similar level of dedication.

***

Why do people form these intense religious bonds with their favorite musicians? There are several reasons one might be drawn to these behaviors and allow music to fill the role of religion in their lives.

The relationship between religion and CWS was studied by Dr. John Maltby, another lead researcher in the field of celebrity worship. He found that the tendency to worship celebrities decreases as religiosity increases (“Thou” Maltby et al. 1157). This might suggest that those who worship celebrities in similar ways to how one might worship a god are using celebrity worship as a substitute for organized religion. This aligns with celebrity mental health expert Donna Rockwell’s theory that celebrity worshippers are looking for guidance and a sense of identity that they cannot find within themselves (Rockwell). Those who subscribe to recognized religions often worship their gods for a similar reason. They are asking for help and guidance from their god.

In agreeance with Rockwell’s theory, Till argues that music fans feel that something is missing from themselves, so they turn to musicians to fill that part of their identity (Till 143). He describes in detail how similar this is to religious practices:

“This is preceded by katharsis or purification, the emptying out of self, addressing the void, stillness, and space, so that the “divine” popular icon can indwell the empty vessel. The process is also similar to the concept of theosis in Christian theology, the transformation of believers into the likeness of God, including transforming the mind, character, and self, as well as the imitation of, or union with, God (Finlan and Kharlamov 2006). . . . As members of the audience imagine themselves being or possessing a pop star, they are then embodied as larger than life characters, godlike beings, possessing the star as they consume them and becoming possessed themselves by the character of the star” (Till 144).

This is the greatest appeal of worshipping a musician: the power that comes with admiring such a powerful being. When I asked the Strutters what they found most appealing about their musician, the large majority said stage presence, personality, or lifestyle (Callahan). People are drawn to the exciting life that comes with being a rock star, and they wish they had that form of power. Therefore, they look to musicians to fill that hole in their identity.

There are several things that make the rock star lifestyle so attractive. Maltby found in his study that respondents tended to choose their favorite celebrity based on entertainment value (“Thou” Maltby et al. 1168). This correlates to the answers from my study, particularly for the twelve respondents who named stage presence or some variation thereof (energy, live shows, interactions with crowds, etc.) as the most appealing factor of their musician (Callahan). The excitement of watching someone with such lively energy tends to create a desire to mimic that energy.

In fact, the love of a performer’s energy might stem from a fan’s desire for sensation. Patrick Litle and Marvin Zuckerman of the University of Delaware found that “high sensation seekers,” or people who have a higher desire for stimulation and thrills, prefer to listen to rock music and dislike religious music (Litle and Zuckerman 576). This is consistent with Maltby’s negative relationship between celebrity worship and religiosity. Those who worship musicians, particularly rock musicians, are craving a higher sense of excitement than traditional religion can provide.

In a similar vein, Maltby also found that there was a large overlap between “intense personal feelings” towards a celebrity and the celebrity’s sex appeal (“Thou” Maltby et al. 1169). The arousal caused by a musician’s stage presence certainly lends to a fan’s attraction to them. Till noted how Prince used his androgynous, homoerotic sexuality to set himself apart from other musicians (Till 144). This played into his “mediapheme,” or his persona as a cultural icon, and was a major contributor to his success (143). Most stars today incorporate their sex appeal into their personas to attract the kind of attention Prince had. Three respondents in my survey claimed sex appeal or appearance as the most appealing quality of their favorite musician (Callahan). While this may not seem at first to have any relation to religion, Till writes that a widely recognized definition of religion is “that relating to the sacred and profane” (Till 142). Many people view overt sexuality as “profane” or offensive to their religion. By playing off of this and emphasising their sexuality, then combining this with the sermon-like nature of their concerts, musicians create a perfect blend of the sacred and the profane.

***

Another strong appeal for music fans is community that comes from other fans. Maltby claims that religious individuals seek “protection or comfort” and “participation in a powerful in-group” from their religion (“Thou” Maltby et al. 1159). A religious group finds strength among its numbers; members of churches tend to form special bonds between each other and their god. They hold church events, such as potlucks, extra prayer services, drama productions, and fundraisers. They form an exclusive community for those who think the same way they do.

Music fans seek the same community. For most of music history, concerts were the way to find that community. Now with the advent of social media, community does not have to stop at concerts. It can be found in Facebook groups, Reddit threads, and Tumblr blogs. In my survey, thirty-seven of the fifty-three respondents agreed that they love to talk to other people who admire their favorite band or rock star. In addition, forty respondents said they enjoy just being around others who like their favorite musician. (Callahan) These fans find comfort in being part of an “in-group” as Maltby phrases it. When asked what they find most appealing about their favorite band, several people mentioned the community of fans surrounding the band. One respondent said “They have a great fan community, and I’ve met people who I consider lifetime friends now. Karl, who is like a member of the band gets us into venues early when he’s able and the fanclub, takes great care of us” (Callahan). Members of these fan groups help each other out, just as a church group might help a member.

Considering that people who worship celebrities tend to be less religious, it is likely that people seek out the community of a music fandom when they feel alienated from other religions. The youth audience, in particular, tends to turn away from religions that might alienate them for various reasons. They may be LGBT, struggling with issues that cause them to feel abandoned by their family’s god, or disillusioned with the church’s teachings. For many of these individuals, music fills the void in a more relatable way. Indeed, in my survey, 54% of respondents between eighteen and twenty-nine said they might associate religion with their favorite musician and 54% said they definitely would associate their musician with worship. This was a larger positive response than any other age group. (Callahan) People in this age group are, at the youngest, just moving into college, and at the oldest, usually still figuring themselves out. Their newfound freedom might help facilitate a break from their family’s beliefs and lead them towards musical worship.

My Chemical Romance, one of the hallmark bands of the emo genre, appealed most heavily to people around this age, particularly if they came of age post-9/11. According to Sia Michel’s article for the New York Times, “...the hit single ‘I’m Not Okay (I Promise)’ became a rallying cry for a growing base of alienated kids weaned on war, school shootings, and constant terrorism threats” (Michel). Religious institutions might be hesitant to approach these issues beyond offering “thoughts and prayers,” but bands like My Chemical Romance address them openly, offering comfort and hope.

Similarly, Hayley Kiyoko rose to stardom through the worship of young people. Her first hit single “Girls Like Girls” was an anthem of sapphic love, and Kiyoko gained so much popularity that people started referring to her as “Lesbian Jesus” (Pollard). The LGBT community has been historically alienated from most religious communities, so it appears that young LGBT people have sought out their religion in a musician who sings about feelings and sensations that they can relate to.

***

Most people would argue that they are not celebrity worshippers. They may not realize how much CWS affects their life. Maltby found that “many religious persons either ignore [the Christian teaching to worship no other Gods] or, due to compartmentalisation, they fail to perceive that celebrity worship is actually a violation of that teaching” (“Thou” Maltby et al. 1170). This implies that people who exhibit any of the aforementioned behaviors may not actually realize that they are acting religiously. In other cases, they may realize they are doing so, but be hesitant to admit it. One respondent to my survey wrote, “My intellectual side knows better than to ‘worship,’ but it’s such a ‘special’ thing when you love the music and message of an artist and that feeling can sometimes be so strong it borders on worship!” (Callahan). Whether one is willing to admit it or not, there are clear connections between the worship of musicians and religious behavior. It may not be a recognized religion, but music has the potential to fill that role in someone’s life, particularly if they are looking for community or identity.

***

I never got the name of the woman standing in front of me at the Struts concert, but if Luke Spiller is the Jesus of rock and roll, then she was an apostle. She was older, probably in her late forties, and her 80s-style perm was starting to gray. She held a handmade sign that read “Pittsburgh to Boston, 17 shows.” This pilgrim had been following The Struts around the country for two months, and she had been at every show since the Body Talks Tour began.

This was my first Struts show, and the woman welcomed me into the community. She let me hang my bag on the front row barrier with hers so I wouldn’t keep tripping on it, and when someone in the back threw a beer at my boyfriend, she pushed us in front of her protectively. I was delighted to learn that the Strutter community was just as friendly and welcoming in real life as they were online. Among fellow fans, with the woman’s maternal protection, I was free to enjoy the religious experience that was front row spots at my favorite band’s concert.

I wish I had asked that woman her name, and more than anything, I wish I had her life. I would have loved to become a pilgrim like her, travelling around the country to hear the words of my rock gods, surrounded by fans who felt the same as I did.

Unfortunately, the concert ended and I was beckoned back into the real world. However, from that moment on, the Paradise Rock Club became a sacred place for me, a place where I had felt for the first time like I truly belonged to a religion, singing and dancing along to the messages from the band that meant so much to me.

Notes

The title of this essay, “The Lost and the Holy People” comes from the song “People” by The Struts.

The survey “Rock Idols Survey” was posted in “Strutters - The Struts original authorized fan group,” which contains 4,996 members at the time of writing, on March 30, 2019. The survey contained two parts. The first part gathered general information. Questions included age, gender, level of dedication to traditional religion, number of times the respondent has seen their favorite musician live, how far they would be willing to travel, how much money they would be willing to spend on tickets and merchandise, their experience meeting their favorite musician, and if they would ever associate the words “religion” or “worship” with their favorite musician. Part two contained the Celebrity Attitude Scale, created by Dr. John Maltby. The scale is comprised of 34 statements and asks respondents to choose a number between 1 (Strongly Disagree) and 5 (Strongly Agree) to indicate how strongly they relate to the statement. 53 people responded to the survey.

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Luke Spiller, Gethin Davies, Adam Slack, and Jed Elliott for providing me a religion. Thank you to Professor Mary Kovaleski-Byrnes for her insights, as well as my Research Writing classmates for their excellent workshopping skills. In particular, thank you to Eitan Miller, Matthew Pifko, and Rachel Lamarre for their in-depth peer reviews. Thank you to the 53 Strutters who took my survey, and finally, thank you to the nameless Strutter woman who made my first Struts concert a magical experience.

Works Cited

Callahan, Chloe. “Rock Idols Survey.” Survey. 30 Mar. 2019.

Litle, Patrick, and Marvin Zuckerman. "Sensation Seeking and Music Preferences." Personality and Individual Differences, vol. 7, no. 4, 1986, pp. 575-87. ScienceDirect, doi:10.1016/0191-8869(86)90136-4. Accessed 9 Apr. 2019.

Maltby, John. "Celebrity Attitude Scale." University of Leicester, www2.le.ac.uk/departments/npb/people/jm148/scales/celebrity-attitude-scale/view. Accessed 9 Apr. 2019.

Maltby, John, et al. "Extreme Celebrity Worship, Fantasy Proneness and Dissociation: Developing the Measurement and Understanding of Celebrity Worship within a Clinical Personality Context." Personality and Individual Differences, vol. 40, no. 2, Jan. 2006, pp. 273-83. ScienceDirect, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886905002552. Accessed 9 Apr. 2019.

"Thou Shalt Worship No Other Gods — Unless They Are Celebrities: The Relationship between Celebrity Worship and Religious Orientation." Personality and Individual Differences, vol. 32, no. 7, May 2002, pp. 1157-72. ScienceDirect, doi:10.1016/S0191-8869(01)00059-9. Accessed 2 Apr. 2019.

McCarron, Kevin. "Pilgrims or Tourists?: Rock Music and 'Shrines' in England." Critical Survey, vol. 7, no. 2, 1995, pp. 165–171. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/41555911.

Michel, Sia. "Fresh From the Garden State, in Black Leather and Eyeliner." The New York Times, New York Times Company, 22 Oct. 2006, www.nytimes.com/2006/10/22/arts/music/22mich.html. Accessed 9 Apr. 2019.

Pollard, Alexandra. "How Hayley Kiyoko Became Pop's 'Lesbian Jesus.'" The Guardian, Guardian News & Media, 22 Feb. 2018, www.theguardian.com/music/2018/feb/22/hayley-kiyoko-on-her-lesbian-pop-this-is-bigger-than-i-thought-it-was. Accessed 9 Apr. 2019.

Rockwell, Donna. "Celebrity Worship and the American Mind." Huffington Post, Verizon Media, 9 Jan. 2018, www.huffingtonpost.com/donna-rockwell-psyd/celebrity-worship-and-the_b_13794782.html. Accessed 28 Feb. 2019.

"Rupert Till." University of Huddersfield, pure.hud.ac.uk/en/persons/professor-chill. Accessed 9 Apr. 2019.

Spiller, Luke. “People.” YOUNG&DANGEROUS, Interscope Records, 2018, track 6. Spotify, open.spotify.com/track/2UX7vJSvl4fVHaFoHY9meL?si=hhVvza3xTCuq_RdIj8ZZNQ.

Till, Rupert. "The Personality Cult of Prince: Purple Rain, Sex and the Sacred, and the Implicit Religion Surrounding a Popular Icon." Implicit Religion, vol. 13, no. 2, 2010, pp. 141-59.

#culture #research #celebrity #chloe callahan #stretch2019

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paynesusan6p · 2 years

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origami-goblin · 6 years

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Complete Starfinder Theme Series - Creation Tips and Character Concepts

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Part 1 - Sculpting Your Backstory - Themes in Starfinder

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Creating characters in tabletop RPGs is an art. Before we even put a pen to the page, our minds might already have a vision of our character’s impulsive habits, their fatal flaws, and their love of honeyed candies. We pick up the misshapen ball of clay and sculpt details until our character is standing there, breathing on the page before our very eyes. To put it simply, a part of ourselves becomes attached to that player and we can usually see our own faces staring back at us. It can give us the opportunity to address shortcomings that we have or learn to see things from a different perspective. So, in a way, we level up in RL along with our characters.

But how do you start with a broad idea and hammer out the dents to end up with a fully-fledged character? In Dungeons and Dragons 5E we could start with a Background, like a Sailor or a Noble, and we also received prompts to determine flaws, bonds, and ideals to help breathe life into our newborns. Pathfinder didn’t have much specifically in terms of backgrounds to choose from, but we could choose specific traits that had some backstory to get the wheels turning. With Starfinder, we are presented with one word: theme.

Instantly I’m reminded of the scene in A Christmas Story when Ralphie’s class is assigned the arduous task of writing a theme centered around what they wanted for Christmas (Red Rider BB Gun, anyone?). Starfinder doesn’t appear to leave us with a similar length of creative rope; only ten options? Really? How am I supposed to develop an original history and genealogy of my character when I’m shoehorned into a limiting background from the beginning?

That’s where I’ll jump in to say that you’re wrong to think that way. Honestly, I LOVE that we are limited to a single choice of ten themes. For one, we already know that there are an extensive number of Feats to choose from and having more starting options to memorize on top of those would simply be too much for a game trying to simplify the rules and character creation process. Secondly, I’m a firm believer that limitations and restrictions breed more creativity than rabbits at a carrot festival. They force us to approach our characters with a fresh perspective. Let’s look at the Icon theme, for example:

Icon Character Concepts

“Thanks to interstellar transmissions and Drift travel, the galaxy is smaller than ever, and this connectivity has facilitated your ascension to celebrity status. You might be a famous performer or a celebrated scientist, but either way, you get recognized on the Pact Worlds and in associated systems. Your reason for traveling to unknown worlds might be to further spread your acclaim or to escape the limelight.” - Starfinder CRB

Popular and respected celebrity who can leverage the public’s adoration for specific needs.

Alright, so this describes a character that everybody knows, for some reason or another. The way that it is phrased, it seems like notoriety isn’t completely out of the question, but it is definitely a gray area. So…for what reasons could somebody be famous on an interstellar level?

Pop Icon - Music, dance, special FX, etc. Maybe you’re part of a galactic Blue Man Group or you’re a Kardashian of the Pact Worlds.

Renowned Scientist - You’ve made leaps and bounds in the discoveries of other species and planets. You could be a geologist specializing in the terraformation of planetary features or an intelligent botanist who has cataloged countless samples from neighboring star systems.

Political Propaganda - Your face was used as part of a political campaign for your Home Planet and you are recognized everywhere you go - it’s kind of like being the Coppertone baby or Justin Long from Apple commercials.

Luxurious Billionaire - Part of a historic family, you grew up in the limelight. Every waking moment was scrutinized because you had to live up to your family’s name. Why you don’t have any of that wealth now…that’s up for you to decide.

Skilled Athlete - Having scored the winning goal in the Interplanetary Scrooving Cup, you brought honor, wealth, and fame to your previously unimportant home planet. It doesn’t have to be scrooving, of course (especially since I haven’t invented the rules…yet), but it could be a podracing variant or even a form of space-jousting.

You see, all it takes is a single word to have a canvas on which to build your character. On any of the examples above, you probably have a loose framework of how that person would act; the scientist might bravely charge into the unknown for the sake of scientific discovery, or the athlete might live a shallow life outside of their matches.

Be bold and stretch your imagination. We are no longer limited by the atmosphere.

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Part 2 - Starfinder Theme Focus - Ace Pilots and Bounty Hunters

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This week I’m going back to the scene of the crime to revisit the themes in Starfinder and offer some possible avenues down which you can direct your creative character-building energies. In case you’re completely in the dark on this topic, Starfinder introduces the concept of themes that you can use as a small puzzle piece in sculpting your character. In addition to providing some RP definition, each theme will give your character a boost to a specific stat and bonuses at 1st, 6th, 12th, and 18th level. As an aside, Paizo’s choice to have the theme progression remain identical throughout the possible selections helps to limit the min-maxing a bit, by ensuring that players aren’t choosing themes based on whichever ones grant them bonuses the soonest. Of course, the bonuses that each theme provides inherently enable some level of power-gaming, but that is going to be the case with nearly any pen-and-paper PRG.

Last time, as a part of my deeper dive into themes, I specifically touched on the Icon and listed several examples of character concepts that a player could use when creating a Startfinder character kissed by the Icon theme. The point of the post was to show that themes aren’t meant to limit creativity; they foster it. Just as there’s no wrong way to eat a Reese’s, there are countless interpretations to each theme and the characters that can be molded into existence. Today, I’ll be firing up my brain engine to offer some different charger ideas for the Ace Pilot and Bounty Hunter themes. Buckle up, we’re making the jump!

—

Ace Pilot Character Concepts

“You are most comfortable at the controls of a vehicle, whether it’s a starship racing through the inky void of space or a ground vehicle zooming between trees, around boulders, and across dusty badlands. You might be a member of an elite military force, the recipient of intense courses of training. Alternatively, you might be a total amateur with innate skills that make you a much-admired hotshot.” – Starfinder CRB

Cargo Transport Pilot – You’ve been on the open road…er…space your whole life. Maybe you enjoy the solitude that comes with transporting outrageous quantities of goods across planets or star systems. These goods could be anything – weapons, construction materials, medical devices. Or maybe it’s a grab bag and half of the excitement stems from wondering what the next shipment will contain. The many laws governing tariffs & import/export taxes come second-nature, and your expertise in maneuvering an unruly behemoth transport ship is unrivaled. I’m sure you have some fantastic stories about the characters that you’ve met at depots and docks along the way. Have you operated with a crew or are you more of a lone wolf? Are you ‘by the book’ or are you known to bend the rules when regulations aren’t being followed? And hey, I’m not going to judge if you smuggle something every now and again – that’s completely up to you.

Mining Rig Operator – A specialist when it comes to operating heavy machinery, and someone who’s not afraid to get their hands dirty. Whether it be a massive drill, asteroid borer, front-end loader, or excavator, you have the honed precision required of someone who could easily level a structure or cause a fatality with a minor slip of the controls. You might harbor a deep love of geology, wealth, or the smell of space-diesel. If you’ve seen Disney’s Atlantis, Gaetan ‘The Mole’ comes to mind here, in all his grimy glory. Has mining been in your family for generations, or were you trying to make some credits in whatever profession was available? Have you pocketed any of your unearthed materials and sold them on the sly? What sort of role would you have on a starship that isn’t a dedicated mining vessel?

Stunt Driver – Inhabitants of the Pact Worlds crave entertainment, and you know how to deliver. From hologram tapes to over-capacity arenas, the lengths you go to appease your audiences is unmatched. How do you prepare yourself mentally to be fearless? Is there any stunt that you won’t do? Huge flames, steep jumps, free-falling acrobatics – you’ve done it all! Have you become an adventurer to satisfy a new craving that’s suddenly emerged deep inside? Are you an adrenaline junky with no care for your personal safety? Or are you THAT confident in your abilities that you simply must show them off at every opportunity?

Military Training Pilot – You’ve risen through the ranks of a military sect, but you figured that you’re done with combat missions. Instead, you are now responsible for grooming the fresh batch of hot-heads in the Academy to ensure that engagements end favorably at the minimal loss of life and equipment. You could be highly decorated and revered by all, or maybe you’ve never actually seen combat but have a brilliant mind for tactics and strategy. Did you develop a sophisticated training module for recruits? Are you a master of physics and can perform complex equations regarding acceleration, drag, and gravity on the fly? Maybe you’re not pleased about being given a non-combative assignment and yearn to be back in the fight, wherever that might be.

Getaway Driver – You’ll ‘wait in the car.’ You know the best nooks and crannies to hide in after a successful operation, be it a heist or a GTA. Apart from having nerves of steel, your ability to handle any vehicle makes you highly coveted in the high-stakes game of evading the authorities. Perhaps you have a catchy pseudonym, like “Leadfoot” or “Afterburner” that adds an edge of mystery to your growing legend. Are you available for hire depending on the highest bidder, or are you loyal to a dedicated group of criminals? Or maybe you’re not a criminal at all, and you’re an undercover agent networking to root out the top dogs of the criminal world. What drives you (pun intended) and keeps your foot on the accelerator? I haven’t seen Baby Driver, but I imagine that he would make for a fun Starfinder character.

—

Bounty Hunter Character Concepts

“You track people down for money. It is a dangerous profession, as most of your targets understandably don’t wish to be caught. You wouldn’t have it any other way. You might have a code of ethics, never taking jobs that, say, target children or members of your own race. You might hunt down only escaped criminals. Or you might be completely amoral, taking any job that comes along—for the right price.” – Starfinder CRB

Great Mouse Detective – Maybe I’m getting a little ahead of myself on this one, but a Ysoki Detective? Come on! Okay, we can drop the ‘mouse’ portion of this to generalize it a bit, but a detective makes for a great Bounty Hunter. Searching for clues? Check. Interrogating witnesses? Check. An independent free-lancer? Check, check, check. Now all we need is a mahogany pipe that functions while wearing an airtight, pressurized helmet. Are you a Private Investigator, helping people track down lost relatives? Do you offer your services on a contract basis, assisting the local authorities when your services are required? Maybe you’re exceptional at finding clues, or adept at making accurate deductions based on the information on-hand. Or perhaps your forte involves the canvassing of a crime scene to gather the word on the street, or you could be skilled at poring over historical documents and ancestry lineages.

Gung-Ho Repo-Man – It’s time to pay the piper. Whether it be collecting vehicles or ships that have defaulted loans, or shaking down debtors who are skipping town without paying back the credits owed, there are plenty of avenues to venture down as a repo-man (or woman). Are you employed by a roving band of outlaws or by a seedy brand of space mafia? Do you find honor in returning to others what is rightfully theirs? You can be cold and calculated, or a wild child with a smoking gun. Do you believe in using violence to get the job done, by obtaining the required items by whatever means necessary? Or do you have a strict code of conduct and will only resort to fighting if it is absolutely necessary and all other accessible routes have been exhausted? Either way, you get the job done and collect that paycheck, because if someone is going to get paid, it might as well be you.

Corporate Headhunter – Everybody’s looking for that perfect candidate to fill the shoes and help their company prosper. Sure, you’re a bounty hunter, but you aren’t collecting the reward on some beat-up Toyota Star-is or trying to bring in a fugitive; you are trying to find the right people and put them in the right seats. Corporations pay you top dollar (after six months) when you track down someone with the appropriate skillset and convince them to accept a position at their firms. You have an absurd eye for noticing talent, even when it isn’t a skill that people recognize themselves as having. These aren’t rush jobs; you know that the only way to scout ability is to dig in beyond the resume and get to know the person behind the paper. Whittling down long lists of candidates to a select few and engaging them in social situations is your true calling, and you truly want them to succeed. If they’re not a fit, it’s on to the next one until you find that diamond in the rough.

Pre-Gap Antiquarian – Not much is known about the Gap (that’s why it’s called ‘the Gap’), but you recognize that there is much to be learned about the past, and that the key to unlocking the secrets of what we’ve collectively forgotten lies in the relics that remain. You seek out machinery, trinkets, baubles, clothing – any odds and ends whose origins have long since been forgotten. Perhaps you scour through old histories and manuscripts, trying to locate legendary items of extraordinary power. Do you have magic at your disposal to aid you in your search, ala a dowsing rod? Do you gravitate towards items of a certain kind, like ancient weapons? What draws you to these items in the first place? Maybe there have been stories passed down through your family and you became attached to them, bringing nostalgia into the mix. Or maybe you believe that the way technology is progressing leaves people disconnected with nature or causes us to lack the stronger bond that comes in a slower-moving culture. You probably hoard some of your treasures and keep an exceptionally special item on your person. You could be a hoarder, or run a shop that deals in the sale and acquisition of oddities and antiques.

Zealous Proselytizer – Instead of being driven by the promise of gold or riches, you seek out the good fortune that comes from your deity looking favorably upon you. Whether it be Talavet, Weydan or any deity in between, you seek out others in attempt to show them the enlightenment that comes with becoming a follower. In a way, you are a bounty hunter of souls. Maybe you preach openly in front of large crowds and then try to personally recruit the ones who come up to your afterwards who show interest and promise. Or perhaps you spend more time watching and listening, following people whose dispositions align best with your deity’s tenets. You don’t necessarily have to be pushy, but you certainly could get aggressive if you become frustrated with your efforts. What if they don’t see the world as you see it? You might not be terribly high on the totem pole, either; you could be passing out leaflets in hopes that you ascend the ranks if you make your quota. Do you have a quota? If so, is it more of a personal goal or an appointed goal? What if you’re not aligned with a deity at all, but you hop between them depending on the one that grants the most benefits? After all, nobody’s perfect.

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And there you have it! Since I’ve already done the Icon in a previous post, our next stop will be the Mercenary and Outlaw themes. I’m really looking forward to these two, as they both have a negative connotation and I want to see if we can’t shrug off those predispositions and put a positive spin on them! The main problem I have with posts like these is that I want to start putting together a bunch of characters, most of which will never see the light of day. So, please - create! I shall live through your characters!

Until next time – the stars aren’t the limit; they’re only the beginning.

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Part 3 - Starfinder Theme Focus - Mercenaries and Outlaws

Three down, seven to go! I’ve decided that I might as well just knock out the remaining themes all in a row so that at the very least they’ll be crammed together on the blog in a loose semblance of order. Check back on the first two posts if you want a bit of background on the Starfinder Themes and the role they play in character creation. There isn’t much more I can expand on regarding themes specifically, so maybe I’ll just impart a few thoughts on backstories as little tidbits for you to ruminate on. Maybe I’ll sprinkle some powdered sugar on top. Maybe!

The point of a backstory is provide a framework and serve as a backdrop for your character - what do they believe? What quirks do they have? Why are they the way that they are? We are all products of our environments, and it is that environment that you are trying to envision. Leave spaces in the narrative to come out during the game; if you fill in every tiny detail then there won’t be anything for the GM to work with and incorporate into the story. Loose ends are the best! They can be woven into the narrative in order to enhance the game. Even if you’re playing a prewritten Adventure Path or Module, a good GM will use the gaps in your backstory to help engage your PC and keep them interested. And when you’re talking about the sheet expanse of the Vast in Starfinder, let your imagination run rampant on WHO your character is! Themes are a nice paste you can spread over your character to stick new things on top of.

Alright - now we are primed to talk about the Mercenary and Outlaw themes. There is a “bad boy” mentality that naturally comes into the conversation with each of these, by lets see if we can list out five brief theme concepts that stretch the boundaries of the basic definitions of these words.

Mercenary Character Concepts

“Whether you take jobs that match your ethical beliefs or you fight for anyone who can afford your services, you are a hired gun. You might take pride in your past accomplishments, proudly displaying trophies of your kills, or you might be laden with guilt over being the sole survivor of a mission gone terribly wrong. You most likely work with other mercenaries and are familiar with the methodologies of military actions all across the galaxy.” - Starfinder CRB

Security Officer - You’ve always seen yourself as a protector - whether someone needs a watchful eye to make sure they stay out of trouble, or if an estate needs to reprimand unwelcome visitors, you can answer that call. Your allegiance follows the flow of credits and you won’t let your personal beliefs get in the way of whoever’s paying. Nobody’s breaking Non-Disclosure Agreements, but you wouldn’t be dissuaded from providing your security services for a direct competitor. Do you run a small-scale Security Detail or are you a division of a larger corporation? Do you specialize in a particular type of work, such as being a bodyguard or providing cyber-security? Where is your base of operations, or do you require on-site lodgings in order to provide the best service? Were you a part of a specific military before becoming involved in security or have you never tied yourself down to a specific group in that capacity? I see Michael Weston from Burn Notice as a decent example of a Mercenary in this vein - providing assistance through the completion of odd jobs and using his unique skills to outthink his opposition.

Divine Crusader - You believe that the Divine shape the universe through the people that inhabit it. And after all is said and done, and your light goes out, you want to be sure that your deeds didn’t go unnoticed from the powerful beings above. For this reason you wear every divine symbol under your shirt, prominently displaying the current recipient of your unwavering homage and devotion. For you, it isn’t a matter of lacking faith; you are just covering your spiritual bases. Or maybe you have followed a strict belief to a single deity for your entire life, pledging your devotion whole-cloth from day one. Do you play a prominent militaristic role while professing your faith or do you sell your services in a more charismatic avenue? Are you convinced that your actions are tipping the doomsday scales in your favor, or is there a crack in your faith? Have you served in any divine-fueled wars or defected from a losing side? A character falling into this category should have their religious preference tied into their backstory, which had likely followed their interests, skills, and hobbies. I can’t stop thinking of medieval crusaders in this regard, but there is a lot of flavor to dip into here.

Corporate Consultant - In the Pact Worlds, corporations might as well be planets for all the power that carry, and they probably have a militaristic presence of some kind. A corporate consultant could specialize in offering recommendations to specific equipment and weapons, or perhaps they aren’t involved in a violent capacity at all. They could be ruthless and tactical, pulling the strings from behind the curtain or offering suggestions on where to shave off the excess fat of the company. I particularly like the idea of someone walking around with a clipboard and conducting interviews with employees ala Office Space. But how does that tie to a Mercenary? Maybe it’s the company itself - weapons contractor, thugs for hire, etc. Or, perhaps the war lies between a rival corporation and you are involved in espionage and marketing attacks to gain market share. Targeted advertisements, facilities sabotage, and staged product recalls are only the tip of the iceberg.

Intergalactic Lobbyist - You have connections. We aren’t talking about a guy who does your dry cleaning or a farm with the best space radishes; these are high-level, big-time connections that puts credits in pockets and shapes the political landscape of the Pact Worlds. The companies on the money side of the table tell you which babies to kiss and which people to schmooze. If your efforts lead to a political victory, lax taxation, or breaks in long-standing mercantile tariffs, then you get paid handsomely as well. Having the backing of a wealthy corporation is influential in the complicated game of thrones and your ability to reach across planetary lines to make hands meet in a mutual agreement is second to none. Are you employed by a certain company or industry, or do you represent the lawmaking bodies? Do you have morals where you would refuse to make connections that conflict with your personal beliefs? Are you sincere in your work? Have you been known to exercise a position as a double-agent or worked to tack on seemingly insignificant riders to laws that will add up to accomplish a more grandiose goal? You’re likely trained to handle yourself in case seals go sour, and can get out of hairy situations with your wit or your weapons.

Boisterous Revolutionary - The transgressions of the current government have gone far enough and it is time for someone to lead the charge against their injustice. That someone is you. Whether it be a local affair to overthrow a village leader or an elaborate scheme to Take Down an entire planetary government, you have the tactical mind and leadership ability required to gather people behind a cause. This might not even be your brainchild - perhaps you were hired to be the face of the militaristic front or to train the rabble that will be storming the frontlines of the fight. Is your identity a secret while you infiltrate the ranks of the very government you’re trying to unravel? Are you merely a voice blasting through the sound-waves, promoting action or demanding change? Why do you fight? Is it a personal grievance or is your reasoning more utilitarian than that? How is the revolution designed to be won and what are the conditions of a victory? From a grassroots movement to an all-out war, there are loads of potential for a character who wants things to be different.

Outlaw Character Concepts

“Due to the sins of your past or your current unlawful behavior, you are a wanted individual somewhere in the Pact Worlds. You might not even be guilty and are striving to clear your good name. Or you might fully admit to being a criminal but believe the laws you break are unjust. Whatever the case, boarding a starship headed to the Vast might be just the thing you need until the heat dies down—or until you’re dragged off to prison.” - Starfinder CRB

Escaped Convict - You weren’t about to twiddle your thumbs and patiently serve out your sentence. Through careful planning, tactical bribes, and a healthy serving of luck, you have broken out of prison and now you’re on the lam. I’m sure that the going hasn’t been easy - between hiding from the law, committing other crimes to stay alive, and disguising your appearance, it’s been a challenge. Did you have anyone waiting for you on the outside, or have you been begging, borrowing, and sealing to get by? Did your escape because you were wrongfully convicted or did you have some unfinished business to take care of? Were you a part of a criminal organization that lacked direction after you were locked up? What about going forwards - do you have a new identity that you’ve been working to build? Is this a backstory within a backstory situation? Were you partially rehabilitated? Did a couple screws get popped loose while you were in the clink, or are there any specific life-changing moments after your capture and sentencing? From the details of the escape, to acquaintances made behind bars, to plans for the future, this one has some long legs you can use to take some great strides.

Undercover Vigilante - By day you work a nondescript job behind a desk but once night hits you are something else entirely. Alternate personas, white lies regarding your whereabouts, and layers of complex secrets define your alternate exploits. In your primary life you might display yourself as completely average but your other identity has an astronomical bounty on their head. What sorts of activities do you participate in while you’re on and off the clock? Are you more of a Robin Hood character or an independent crime fighter who bends the rules and laws to bring justice to those who would normally get a slap on the wrist? Are your methods questionable? Do you kill? It’s hard not to use Dexter as a point of comparison for someone who uses illegal means to ensure justice is served. Does anybody know about your double life, or do you offer your services to law enforcement agencies? Is there a contact on the force that helps you plan out your next target? Do you wear a unique costume or uniform or do you think it’s unnecessary so long as your face is hidden?

White Collar Criminal - Blood is messy and it will spoil your freshly laundered clothes. Your crimes aren’t rooted in violence of the body, but in the acquisition of funds through discreet avenues. Accounting errors, financial repossession algorithms, malicious software - you alter the bottom line of companies to fill your purse with those sweet, sweet credits. Maybe you’ve forged documents to give yourself access to places you shouldn’t be, or perhaps you’ve run pyramid schemes that have created an almost-cult following behind you. What sorts of crimes have you performed and what sorts of groups do you typically target? How large is he typical score? Do you use an alias or leave a calling card to pump up your ego or would you rather not take those unnecessary risks? Did you have an inspiration or teacher for your work, or were your skills self-taught? Is this a full-time gig or do you have another job so that your extra-curricular activities are more of a supplement? Neal Caffrey from White Collar would be a solid source of inspiration for this one, and he really is a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to these sorts of things. Think about how it translates to the world of Starfinder, where technology has progressed significantly and the possibility of scams is abundant - lemon starships, pre-Gap forgeries, and impersonations of diplomats who are literally planets away.

Petty Thief - You are small-time but that doesn’t mean you’re any less talented than the more infamous criminals who are making bigger scores than you. In your eyes, smaller is safer since people are less apt to notice and the manhunt won’t be as dedicated when a booster gets stolen off a personal starship or a couple hundred credits get swiped from a stray purse. Maybe you were raised on the streets and this has always been a part of you or maybe you’ve resorted to crime to rebel against an unfair system. Perhaps you enjoy the thrill you get from the act itself, or you like to cut it as close as possible without getting caught. Do you work independently or as a part of a team? Is there a special role that you fill? How much planning do you do before committing a crime or do you act within the moment? Are you skilled with a weapon or are your talents more in line with dexterity and a convincing tongue? Do you have a stash of Stolen Goods or do you turn around and sell the hot items right away? Is there anything that you’ve stolen that has developed sentimental value? You wouldn’t even have to have an evil alignment depending on your intentions and the severity of your crimes.

Contract Assassin - You have your target and it is your job to eliminate that target without drawing suspicion to yourself or your employer(s). Secrecy is the name of the game and nobody is more meticulous in plotting out the precise details of your operation. As such, your skills come at a high price, but people are willing to pay it knowing that you will be successful in fulfilling your end of the bargain. Your actions have ended wars and started them, reunited countries and torn them apart. From insignificant low-lifes to heavily guarded political figures, you fulfill whatever contracts are the most attractive. Are you driven by money or do you believe that the results of your actions will align with another agenda? Is there a list of prerequisites that must be fulfilled before a target becomes an acceptable contract? How do people get in contact with you? How do you provide your resume for the skeptical clientele without giving away your identity completely? My fallback isAgent 47 from the Hitman series, since he is practically more machine than man which provides an interesting dynamic for the rest of the party.

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Another two themes are in the books! Think about how you can add additional spins to these and how the other aspects of your character might tie into the Theme. Can you picture a Vesk crunching numbers and pushing papers all day just to hit the streets as a brutish enforcer at night? What about a Ysoki rubbing elbows with some of the most elite leaders in the Pact Worlds? Priests and Scholars are up next - stay tuned for more Starfinder goodness!

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Part 4 - Starfinder Theme Focus – Priests and Scholars

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As we continue our journey through the themes of Starfinder, let’s take a second to look back on what we’ve already covered. Things were unofficially kicked off in the startup article detailing each theme individually, in which we shined the spotlight on the Icon (something they’re well-versed with). We’ve discussed the daring Ace Pilot and their mastery over starships and land vehicles. Next came the bounty hunter, searching the vastness of space and overturning asteroids to unearth the location of their prey. After that we made a substantial payment to hire the Mercenary, who gladly offers their services to the party with the fattest purse. Which leaves us with our most recent acquaintance, the Outlaw, who would probably prefer that we mention them as little as possible so as not to give away their identity.

Before we get to today’s scheduled programming, I’d like to mention something about character creation that can be limiting to our creativity. It’s definitely a pitfall that I’ve succumbed to on more than one occasion, and Starfinder Themes can inadvertently recreate the situation. The problem with having specific themes or backgrounds in a tabletop game, is that by selecting one of the options we are essentially putting a label on our PC: Drake is a bounty hunter. Full stop. What tends to happen, is that we have a predisposed definition of ‘bounty hunter’ in our minds; it is a mold that we casually place our character into before we have rolled a single die. It can be limiting and stifling to our creativity, even if we don’t initially see it that way.

Try to get into the habit of generalizing the themes and backgrounds so that all of the stereotypical noise is stripped away, leaving you with a beautiful, hollow shell that you can shape as you see fit. Jumping back to the bounty hunter example: Start off with the bounty hunter definition as outlined in the CRB:

“You track people down for money. It is a dangerous profession, as most of your targets understandably don’t wish to be caught. You wouldn’t have it any other way. You might have a code of ethics, never taking jobs that, say, target children or members of your own race. You might hunt down only escaped criminals. or you might be completely amoral, taking any job that comes along—for the right price.”

Okay, that’s a good place to start but it’s wordy and fills in the gaps unnecessarily. Maybe a regular definition would suffice:

“A person who pursues a criminal or fugitive for whom a reward is offered.”

Better, but the normal definition is making some assumptions that we can generalize even further. Let’s try this:

“A FINDER, paid for FINDING.”

When it all gets boiled down, isn’t that essentially what a bounty hunter does? A bounty hunter doesn’t have to be exclusively searching for people; they can be tracking down objects as well, so long as they’re getting paid for successful completion of the job.

These posts on Starfinder themes have sought to generalize the definition of each theme to give us more creative space to mold and shape our PCs. Of course, your character might be the literal definition of a bounty hunter, and that’s perfectly fine too – fun is whatever YOU find most enjoyable!

Enough jabbering, it’s time to talk about the Priest and the Scholar! In the paraphrased words of Wolfmother, “So I’ll tell you all the story about the Scholar and the Priest of the night!”

Priest Character Concepts

“You are a member of an organized religion or similar association. Your belief, whether it has been a part of you since childhood or it came to you later in life, is an integral part of your character. You might travel the stars proselytizing your deity, or your church might have sent you out on a specific holy (or unholy) mission. No matter what obstacles life puts in your way, you always have the conviction of your beliefs to fall back on.” - Starfinder CRB

Dedicated Pilgrim – Humbled by your beliefs and wanting to strengthen the connection you have with your deity, you have dedicated yourself to a journey of enlightenment. Guided by your immovable faith, you will follow the call of your deity to the end of the Pact Worlds and beyond, if you must. Through the discovery of new planets, people, and technologies, everything serves as a connection to your higher power. Are you specifically travelling to commune with a group of believers at a revered historical site? Is there a tangible beacon guiding you in your pilgrimage, such as a holy relic or powerful artifact? Depending on your deity, you may be driven by or attracted to a multitude of objects, lifestyles, people, etc.

Faithful Preacher – Completely enveloped by your faith, you can’t help but to share the holy words of your divine patron wherever you go. Backing up your speeches with passages from deific texts and reciting countless stories of Even though you are aware that everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, are you pushy about spreading your faith or do you focus more heavily on people who are more apt to be convinced? Do you have a specific audience that you are targeting, be it the elderly or are you shaping the young minds of tomorrow? What sort of demeanor does this character have? How do they handle conflict? Have they had an experience that made them question their faith, or is there a profound moment that filled them with their faith to begin with? Maybe you even have a conversion quota that you’d like to reach before you consider your purpose fulfilled.

Astute Theologian – The key to having a solid foundation in faith is to understand the texts and histories that were written to support and document all pertinent information on your deity. Whether you scribe events yourself or focus exclusively on the texts of theologians prior, you enjoy having concrete evidence available at your fingertips. Are you a bookish individual whose vision is damaged by years under dim lights, or are you a young theologian hoping to excel your tutelage under another? Do you collect stories of every deity, or do you limit your studies to a single divine? Are you accepting of other people’s beliefs? Do you have favorite quotes or passages that you constantly reference? Are there any particular ways that you communicate to those of a lesser intelligence? Or perhaps you’re not as intelligent as you initially seem!

Motivational Life Coach – Nothing pleases you more than using your gifts to help others solve their problems. In just five easy steps, anybody can change their life and turn their luck around! Centered around faith, you develop close relationships with others so that you can understand how they’ve gotten to where they are today. How do you encourage people to lower their guard and accept your proven-plan to enrich their lives? What does your enhancement plan entail? Does it have a cost? Have you done any seminars, published books, or organized any retreats to promote your program? Are you just in it for the money or is this a situation where you are the product of your own success? Buzz words and phrases likely leap from your lips – you’re developing a brand after all!

Secluded Hermit – You’ve always found that developing a deep connection with your deity involves peace, quiet, and a whole lot of R&R. You don’t feel a need to proclaim your faith from the rooftops because as far as you’re concerned, faith is entirely personal. By developing your beliefs in private, you can feel that you’re making progress in bettering your soul. How long have you been living alone and why did you choose that lifestyle for yourself? Was it even your choice? How will you assimilate into society and work closely with a party of adventurers? Have you been living a meager lifestyle? Do you have any important possessions that have centered your meditations? Any surviving family? Are you willing to share your faith with others?

Scholar Character Concepts

“You are an erudite intellectual, pitting your brain against problems and puzzles that others would find daunting. You might be an instructor of a specific topic at a large university or a dabbler in a number of fields of study. You could be exploring the galaxy in search of ancient artifacts or new scientific phenomena. Whatever your motivation, you are sure that the answers you seek are out there.” - Starfinder CRB

Eccentric Entomologist – Not limited to just studying the Shirren, you are heavily interested in anything that creeps and crawls throughout the Pact World System. Where others might cringe and crawl, you revel in the opportunity to uncover new species and the possibility of attributing discoveries to your name. What sorts of insects are your forte? Do you specialize in a certain genus? Have you developed any quirks or tendencies that could be attributed to the subjects that you study? Perhaps your studies are strictly limited to understanding the Shirren and their Hive Mind connection and you want to replicate it in another application. Do you keep your samples on you, or do you have a lab where the majority are stored? Any ties to a museum or research facility? Are you an accredited scientist or more of a glorified hobbyist?

Forensic Scientist – Understanding the complex intricacies that go into crime scene investigation, you have an analytical mind rooted in years of study. It’s important that you are familiar with anatomy, physics, and psychology in order to piece together the clues of a murder and figure out the story. Are you currently a part of a law enforcement unit or are you a contractor for hire? Are you an expert in specific types of crimes? Do you often visit the crime scene, or do you focus more on the laboratory side of things? Is there any particular crime that stands out in your mind as most influential or disturbing? What got you into this field of study? How does technology play a role in your investigations? Do you have any enemies that you’ve helped put behind bars that have threatened to make things difficult to you whenever they get out of prison? How will your services be best used out in the real world of adventuring and space travel?

Acclaimed Archeologist – Every planet tells a story under its surface and your job is to discover that story and share it with the world(s). Whether it is the bones of long-forgotten monsters or remnants of an ancient civilization, proof of the past is out there, ripe for the digging. What sorts of equipment or magic do you use to unearth these hidden riches of the world? Are you looking for signs of life, buildings, treasure, or something else entirely? After you find something, what are your goals for your discovery – sharing it with others or stashing it away for yourself? Are you a part of a small team, large corporation, or just working independently? Is there some great mystery that you’re trying to solve? Who are your key contacts in the industry and how do you determine your dig sites? Maybe you also investigate and search for destroyed ships or vessels that we lost in the Drift, hoping to bring closure to friends and family (or to scavenge the wreckage).

Environmental Engineer – Out in the far reaches of space, the environment is hostile and deadly. Maybe you’ve assisted in developing life support systems or you have assisted in the creation of sustainable housing that can stand up to the harshest of elements. Or maybe you are have studied other planets in-depth and understand the ecology, planetary make-up, atmosphere, and other vital statistics about them. Taking it a step further, maybe you’re involved in the preservation of resources and ensuring that the next generation will not be lacking in basic environmental needs. You might be a geologist, pedologist, or meteorologist. Are you focused on environmental usage or preservation? Is there a specialty that others consult you on, like water, air, or weather? Do you design structures? What about terraforming or reshaping existing planets to suit the needs of the people? Are you paid well for your efforts? Did you attend any schooling or are you self-taught? There is a ton of flexibility in this one because the worlds in Starfinder are incredibly diverse and allow for immense creativity.

Legacy Historian – The Gap has left a literal gap in people’s minds – what happened during the period of time before the present-day? Your research is meant to answer that specific question. You might be focused on the militarization of the Pact Worlds, investigating wars and battles that took place during that time. Or maybe you’re more concerned with cultures and race anthologies, trying to understand the people that existed before and during the Gap. Better yet, you might be a renowned historian on Golarion (leaving the player able to exhibit their Pathfinder knowledge). Historians can also be responsible for chronicling events as they happen. Do you write everything down or are you a ‘living’ historian who has an impeccable memory for reciting facts and figures? What level of history interests you the most – individual and familial histories or the rise and fall of empires? Have you ever tweaked a fact to better fit a desired narrative or are you unbiased in your research? Is your work published anywhere? Do you have any powers of foresight were you can recognize past mistakes and see events unfolding as the consequence to those events? Why do you record – so others can remember or so you don’t forget?

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And with that, we’ve detailed out seven of the ten themes. But wait! Aren’t there only nine themes? Do I even know what I’m talking about at this point? You would be correct in saying that there are only nine DEFINED themes, but I’m saving the final post in this series for a brief dive into being Themeless. Even though creating a character without a theme seems like writing a book and forgoing a title, themeless is the perfect solution to the problem of dreaming up a character who doesn’t seem to check off the boxes of a single theme, or one that checks off boxes of multiple themes and you simply can’t decide which one is most dominant.

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Part 5 - Starfinder Theme Focus - Spacefarers and Xenoseekers

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First of all, let me apologize. It’s been MONTHS since I teased the final article on Starfinder themes and leaving this series in a perilously unfinished limbo. I wish that I had a decent excuse to explain it, but unfortunately I don’t have that either. So please, accept my apology, and let’s get to the conclusion of this series!

We’ve covered a lot of bases - Ace Pilots, Bounty Hunters, Icons, Mercenaries, Outlaws, Priests, and Scholars, which means that today we will be talking about Spacefarers, Xenoseekers, and briefly touching on the Themeless concept. That’s still a ton of ground to cover, and I’m a bit intimidated even thinking about it. Concluding this intense detail into Starfinder’s themes will be bittersweet - not only because it’ll be over, but also because there’s no way to fully encapsulate the entire, endless spectrum of characters you can create within Paizo’s Starfinder universe. That’s what’s really great about the Themeless option; if none of the other themes do your character justice in describing their schtick, then you can always go Themeless and solve that particular problem.

Whenever I create a character, I will usually start by trying to find an interesting or obscure feat, characteristic, theme, etc and build the character around that. Some people are really creative and come up with amazing backstories first and build the character to fit their artistic vision. Although that’ll happen on occasion, I’ll generally determine a character’s backstory after I’ve fleshed out their vitals and statblock. The important thing for me is that my characters stand out. Not from a min-max perspective (if that’s what you enjoy then keep doing it!), but from a standpoint of going outside the norm and playing a character with abilities that people may have never experienced before.

Stone Warder Sorcerer? Breadth of Experience feat? Archivist Bard? All of these types of choices go leaps and bounds to hint and what the character is all about. A Stone Warder Sorcerer would be something like an Earth Bender from Avatar, gaining their powers from the rocky world around them. Characters with a Breadth of Experience are ancient, meaning that they’ve seen and heard nearly all there is to know. Bards with the Archivist archetype aren’t going to be dishing out much damage, but they are constantly scribbling down their experiences and every bit of lore they can get their hands on. And just like that, a single piece of your character’s statblock can literally define them.

That’s partly been the point of these posts about the Themes in Starfinder. Sure, you can come up with an absolutely AWESOME character concept and attach a theme that fits that character. No problem. But if you’re having trouble coming up with a character, the options listed in these posts are meant to assist you in launching off into the incredible Imagisphere to create a truly unique character.

Alright, I’ve babbled so much that I’ve turned into a brook. (Sorry if I’ve used that particular moniker already…it’s been a long time since my last Starfinder post). Time to finish off the series!

Spacefarer Character Concepts

“Your longing to journey among the stars can’t be sated. You yearn for the adventure of stepping onto a distant world and exploring its secrets. You tend to greet every new opportunity with bravery and fortitude, confident that your multitude of skills will pull you through. Perhaps you simply find joy in the act of traveling with your companions, or perhaps you are just out to line your pockets with all sorts of alien loot!” - Starfinder CRB

Clueless Tourist - Let’s face it. You saw a map of the Pact Worlds and immediately searched the best places to visit on each planet. Theme parks, monuments, parks - you want to visit them all and document your travels on a blog that you’re still coming up with a creative name for. Experiences are the best currency to be paid in, and your goal is to become filthy rich on them. Now, you might not understand all of the different cultures or customs in the places that you’re visiting, but in your eyes everybody else should be happy that you’re bolstering the economy in all of your destinations. Excuse me - could you please take my photo?

Deductive Meteorologist - Perhaps in the same vein as the Environmental Engineer concept from the Scholar post, this character would be all about the weather and is drawn to the varied climates and conditions present in the Pact World planets. Have you ever seen the sunrise through noxious fuchsia clouds or felt thick, oily rain land on your head? All of these phenomenon can be explained through science. Maybe you’ll publish a scholarly journal on your findings, or maybe your more of a storm-chaser bent on surviving the most wild and dangerous conditions. No matter how you spin it, you’re fascinated by the weather, whether your companions like it or not.

Hospitable Flight Attendant - Time to make everybody else’s travel experiences as enjoyable as possible. You’re an expert at socializing and keeping everybody’s minds off the baggage fees and severe lack of legroom. In your eyes, there’s no part of a space commute that can’t be made better by a tall glass of sherry or a delicious sack of Zeni’s Zesty Znacks. While traveling, you are sure to keep all the amenities nearby to heighten the enjoyment of those around you. You might have gotten into the gig because you wanted to see the universe, and maybe that itch is just beginning to surface once more.

Curious Explorer - Hardly anything fancy about this one. You love exploring. The mystery, intrigue, and discovery thrill you to pieces. Every time you come across a corner, you just HAVE to see what’s on the other side of it. This is known to get you into heaps of trouble and situations where you end up on the wrong end of a ‘No Trespassing’ sign. But, through your foolhardy actions, you’ve been able to experience things that very few other people have, and your stories are the things of legend. There are countless star sectors to visit and only so much time…what are you waiting for?!

Budding Photographer - Your goal? The perfect shot. You might be a movie producer scouting locations for your next sector-buster. Or maybe you’re an artistic photographer determined to capture the essence of the human (and alien) experience. You never miss a moment and you are incredibly easy to track based on the trail of snapshots that you leave behind. Whether your honing your craft or a complete amateur when it comes to lighting, focus, and apertures, space grants you the freedom to create magnificent works of art. Every horizon has another potential shot, and you’ll hitchhike your way around the galaxy if you have to if it means catching your elusive unicorn.

Xenoseeker Character Concepts

“The thought of meeting alien life-forms excites you. The more different their appearances and customs are from yours, the better! You either believe they have much to teach you or you want to prove you are better than them. Of course, the only way to accomplish your goal is to leave the Pact Worlds and travel to the Vast, where a virtually endless number of aliens await.” - Starfinder CRB

Captivated Anthropologist - This concept makes perfect sense. As an anthropologist, you live and love to study the differences between humanoid species. You can even take it a step further to be fascinated with specific aspects of each of the races. What are the secrets behind the Lashunta’s psychic abilities? How tough are the scales of the Vesk? So many questions and not enough time to find all the answers. You might become acutely interested in your crewmates, asking them all sorts of intrusive questions in order to develop an understanding for their specific gifts and talents. Beings with surgical enhancements might be particularly interesting to you as humanoids continue their never-ending quest for power.

Inquisitive Marketing Guru - If you want to sell something, you HAVE to know your market. Double blind surveys, focus groups, experimental expos…you will stop at nothing to understand the people buying the products you’re pitching. Whether you’re a part of an elaborate Ponzi scheme or a well-known enterprise, you are hungry to understand the psychology of buying patterns and habitual spending. If you can unlock those secrets, you will be the most valuable asset to whichever company decides to employ you. And, by developing an understanding for the beings around you, you’ll undoubtedly be an asset in any situation involving sweet-talking with honeyed words. Heck - maybe if you can find some delicious edible aliens, you will be the next great snack mogul in the Pact Worlds! Second only to Zeni himzelf.

Experimental Doctor - You embrace the uniqueness of yourself and encourage others to do the same. Stand out from the crowd, you say. Set yourself apart! Implant yourself with one of the many augmentations that you can provide! Your interest in the countless creeping aliens and obscure creatures skittering around the Vast stimulate your imagination and provide you with the necessary…tools to allow you to develop exciting new attachments for your adoring fans. Or maybe you’re more secretive and don’t think your work should see the light of day. Will you be a mad scientist or a renowned surgeon? The choice is yours!

Calming Zoologist - People will pay loads of money to see an exhibit they’ve never experienced before. There are countless numbers of mindless creatures out in the far reaches of space that would be welcomed additions to a zoological attraction. Your history in taming wild beasts and soothing the animalistic nature in the creatures you’ve encountered makes you the perfect person for the job. There is a fantastic space zoo that’ll pay top dollar for new specimens, and you’re itching to get paid. This isn’t to say that you are inconsiderate of the creatures’ feelings, however. The zoo that you’re working for is more akin to a resort, and they take great care of the residents that live there.

Talkative Space Taxi Driver - While taking fares, you’ve come across just about every type of intelligent being known in the sector. Long nights that turned into early mornings were a staple of yours, and you’ve delivered passengers to slums, clubs, and luxury estates, learning about them all the while. You love a good conversation; it helps pass the time and gives you an amazing repertoire of stories to share with your crewmates. Everybody comes from a different background, and you have learned to appreciate the intricacies and uniqueness that everybody brings to the figurative table. You might have a bit of a lead foot as well…but who doesn’t?

Themeless Characters

If you don’t fit the bill with any of the other themes, then you are probably Themeless. By choosing to forgo a theme designation, your statistical bonuses will suffer compared to a character who has a theme, so if you’re more concerned with numbers and maximizing your character, then this might not be for you. Choosing this option, however, will allow you to portray your character as a vast canvas, awaiting your masterful strokes.

Hopefully I’ve portrayed the wide variety of concepts that the Starfinder themes can cover. With a dash of creativity, you can morph at least one of the themes to fit the base core of your character. Try to think about each of the themes in new ways; don’t get caught up in the specific 'title’ of the theme. Read the blurbs about each one and search for synonyms that line up with the character that you’re envisioning in your mind.

—

At the end of the day, play a character that you WANT to play. You should be excited every time that you portray your character, and play the game in whatever way is going to be the most fun for you.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this series on the Themes of Starfinder! See you in the stars!

#Starfinder #Themes #Paizo #Scifi #Science Fantasy #Overview #Character #Creation #CRB #Fantasy #Rules #Concepts

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kateayoung-blog · 6 years

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#myauthenticfabulouslife

Camera phones and social media – name a more iconic duo.

It seems almost impossible to remember a time when snapping a picture of your dinner wasn’t the norm. When the term “selfie” didn’t exist, and photos existed only in albums and frames scattered around your grandma’s house. When you were lucky to get even one photo of your mug each year, and it would be distributed to friends and family far and wide as visual evidence of your growth and achievements, tucked inside the annual family Christmas card. Trying to explain this concept to people who have grown up with the back of an iPhone pointed at them makes me feel older by the second. “Back in my day, you had to walk a mile to get your film processed, and when you got them back, half your photos were unrecognisable”. Somewhere in my house, there’s a box of cameras gathering dust that have been ruled obsolete. There’s no time for developing film or searching for camera cables – posting a photo more than 24 hours after it was taken will warrant a #throwbackthursday or #flashbackfriday. We need photographic evidence of our fabulous lives, and we need it right now.

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Social media has become an important tool of social self-formation (McCosker & Wilken 2014, p. 292), providing us with a means to archive moments that we deem important enough to share with the masses. Visual media has turned everyday life into a public performance (Khamis, Ang & Welling 2017, p. 199), a vapid competition of whose content can generate the most attention, in a world where content is abundant and attention, depleting. With every like, comment, and follow, we are reaffirming social conventions of what merits our attention and why (Lange 2009, p. 70) – and narcissism wins every time.

During the process of social media taking over our lives, the concept of public vs. private got lost somewhere along the way. This constant state of connectedness brought with it an expectation of constant exposure and self-disclosure (McCosker & Wilken 2014, p. 292), and from that we have somehow construed that every second of our lives is worthy of sharing. Scrolling through your Instagram feed, it’s not uncommon to find a never-ending stream of gym selfies, lunch pics, bathtub selfies, dog pics, #ootd selfies, sunset pics, and selfies “just because”. Our curated lives – allowing us to be seen exactly as we’d like, no matter how edited or misleading. And while it is fair to assume that we can strike up the perfect mix of FOMO and admiration with a pretty vacation picture, the most intriguing phenomenon of all is our fascination with posting pictures of ourselves. Studies suggest that selfie culture exists predominantly amongst young women, and there are a multitude of explanations on offer. Is it out of pure narcissism? A need for validation in a world where self-esteem seems to be at an all-time low? Some suggest that it’s the deliberate act of women claiming back their bodies and independence in a voyeuristic man’s world (Murray 2015, p. 490). Whatever the reason, we’re all here for it. A recent study has determined that pictures containing our faces are 38 percent more likely to bring in the likes, and 32 percent more likely to attract comments.

With the popularity of shameless self-promotion on Instagram, a whole generation of social media “influencers” has risen from the sea of likes. Bypassing the traditional gatekeepers of celebrity status, your ability to rack up followers has become the standard for measuring fame and success (Khamis, Ang & Welling 2017, p. 198). And our willingness to take their photos at face value has come at a cost, reaffirming - perhaps to a greater extent - the standards of beauty and good living that have long been enforced by traditional media. The constant bombardment of (usually carefully staged) selfies has been hugely detrimental to self-esteem. And in our own efforts to emulate, plastic surgeons have noted that apps that allow us to filter our appearances are grooming us for plastic surgery down the track, and children as young as three are already working on perfecting their poses (Diefenbach & Christoforakos 2017, p. 2).

It’s a strange contradiction when sharing more of our lives online also means sharing less of our real, authentic selves. I personally don’t post many photos of myself online, not because my life is particularly uninteresting (hell, I eat dinner, go to the gym, pat dogs, etc as much as your average mid-level influencer), but because production expectations for an Instagram-worthy shot are far beyond the level of effort I’m willing to put in. This is not to say I am above the anxieties that come with social media posting that affect the best of us. With every photo I share, the question remains - am I just posting for the likes?

References

Diefenbach, S & Christoforakos, L 2017, 'The Selfie Paradox: Nobody Seems to Like Them Yet Everyone Has Reasons to Take Them. An Exploration of Psychological Functions of Selfies in Self-Presentation', Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 8, no. 7, pp. 1-14.

Khamis, S, Ang, L & Welling, R 2017, 'Self-branding, ‘micro-celebrity’ and the rise of Social Media Influencers', Celebrity Studies, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 191-208.

Lange, PG 2009, 'Videos of affinity on Youtube', in P Snickars (ed.) The Youtube Reader, National Library of Sweden, Stockholm, pp. 70-88.

McCosker, A & Wilken, R 2014, 'Social Selves', in S Cunningham and S Turnbull (eds), The media & communications in Australia, Allen & Unwin, Sydney, pp. 291-295.

Images and video

‘How Millenials Became the Selfie Generation’ 2018 [video], The New Yorker, viewed 31 May 2018, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3_CHnYg-yc>.

‘Selfie Stick’ 2016 [image], Michael Leunig, viewed 3 June 2018, <http://www.leunig.com.au/works/recent-cartoons/688-selfie-stick>.

#mda20009 #digitalcommunities #selfie culture #social media #folllow4follow #like4like #narcism #instagram #influencer

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bthenoise · 4 years

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Q&A: TikTok Breakout Artist RØSÉ Talks Scene Viral Videos Plus Debut Single “Are You Tired?”

If you’ve been on TikTok lately, specifically emo TikTok, there’s a very good chance you’ve seen one or two (or 10) videos from the outgoing, music-obsessed creator known as RØSÉ.

With over 110k followers on the app, the young creator -- who became popular thanks in part to her funny, scene-leaning videos -- is now looking to branch out with the release of her debut single.

Titled “Are You Tired?,” the theatrical PVRIS-like banger has caught the attention of many as, what initially started as a song on TikTok, has now risen through the ranks on Spotify and iTunes while also earning spins on SiriusXM.

Catching up with the emerging artist, otherwise known as Hannah Collins, the talented frontwoman filled us in on the wild whirlwind that has been the past few months of her career.

“I started making videos about bands and things like that because I genuinely really love the scene and the music,” said Collins. “I had hit about 13k [followers] and was really excited because I felt like I had found my own little tribe of friends. My plan was to just post music on TikTok and say ‘Hey new friends, I also make music.’ Thinking that if I did that maybe a couple hundred of those followers might follow me on Instagram which had always been the place I thought you had to use to grow your music. Fast forward five days later and I had two videos of my music hitting a million or so views and 103k followers.”

To learn more about the rollercoaster ride that is RØSÉ’s rise to fame, be sure to read our insightful Q&A with her below. Afterward, make sure to follow her on TikTok and stream her debut single here.

Congrats on all the success on TikTok and releasing your debut single "Are You Tired?"! Did you ever expect your TikTok profile would blow up the way it has?

RØSÉ: Thank you! I 100% did not think I would get the response I got on TikTok. When I first started making TikToks in April I had no idea what I was doing and was just making random videos that I thought were funny. My first video that got a few thousand views was something pertaining to listening to emo music when I was younger. Because I had posted that I suddenly saw hundreds of emo related videos on my For You Page and realized there was an entire community of emo and alternative music fans on TikTok. I started making videos about bands and things like that because I genuinely really love the scene and the music. I had hit about 13k [followers] and was really excited because I felt like I had found my own little tribe of friends. My plan was to just post music on TikTok and say “Hey new friends, I also make music.” Thinking that if I did that maybe a couple hundred of those followers might follow me on Instagram which had always been the place I thought you had to use to grow your music. Fast forward five days later and I had two videos of my music hitting a million or so views and 103k followers. To see it increase that fast so suddenly when I had already spent so much time just having fun on the app was honestly mind blowing. Now its the main place people follow me.

How much fun has it been creating videos about a music scene you're clearly so passionate about?

It’s been so much fun for me to make videos about the scene! My favorite part of it has been that with the more followers I gain the more and more people I get to chat with. I've genuinely made so many friends from TikTok. So that in itself made me fall in love with the scene all over again. There's just so much community within it. And seeing people make the same kind of funny or weird videos that I've been making with my song is totally surreal. I feel like I really found my wolf pack in the music industry.

youtube

As for your new single "Are You Tired?" what does it feel like to finally have it released? From your videos, it looks like it was a bit of a challenge getting it out to the public.

At first I was nervous to drop the song because I'd been dreaming of being able to do a project like this for years and I just wanted people to love it as much as I did. But then I remembered how many people had told me the scene was dying or that I'd never make any money or that it’s impossible to have a following with songs that aren't traditional pop, yet I still made the song. Obviously, I had made it for a reason. I realized I had nothing to lose. If 13k people hear it and don’t like it, [then] I'm using an app for fun. So I posted it on TikTok saying it was releasing the first week of October and the video got tons of views. When that happened I knew I had to release it early because I was getting thousands of comments and DMs asking me to. I had an issue with the distribution site I was using to put out the song and made a TikTok explaining the situation but ultimately couldn't get them to put the song out faster when it started going viral. I was feeling defeated because I either wouldn't be able to get my music out when I wanted or it would drop but it would hit Spotify, Apple Music, etc. on different days. So I ended up taking it off the site it was on and putting it on Distrokid the morning after I made the video saying I was having issues. As fate would have it though, I checked my DMs that morning and my video landed on the [For You Page] of someone at Distrokid who went in and manually approved it for me. Thus, the song came out four days later. When I posted on TikTok that it was coming out on the 8th instead of in October the video got 1.3 million views. Having that many people know about and excited for a project I've spent years dreaming about doing was unfathomable. And I felt like I had proved to all those people that I'm not going to be stopped anytime soon. My music is going to hit the scene whether the music industry is ready for me or not.

What was the inspiration behind the new song both musically and lyrically?

My music tends to be a little theatrical. For this song, I had already written a song about a cheater but thought it would be best sung as an angry lullaby. So I made some changes and that's what it was -- a “this is the last song you'll ever hear from me, goodnight” type of deal. Melodically, I draw a lot of inspiration from bands like Pierce The Veil, Bring Me The Horizon, My Chemical Romance, and 30 Seconds to Mars. I'm a huge emo band nerd with a Pierce The Veil tattoo. But I also listen to massive amounts of pop artists like Billie Eilish and Post Malone and had been writing a lot of pop prior. So the song has a lot of shifts in the tone of my singing voice and hopefully has a little something for everyone.

Lastly, what can fans expect regarding more new music? Anything else before the year ends maybe?

What I'm most excited about is for people to be able to see the full scope of my project. Because I released this first song earlier than I had anticipated it didn't come with the full visual component I want to make with each song. So with the next song you can expect a lot more cool details surrounding the world that the song exists in. I don't wanna give away too much about that, but after seeing the reaction to just the song coming out with no video, I think people will enjoy diving more into my head with my next releases. Ideally, my next single will be dropping within the next two months or so and I'll have an album out before the end of 2021. But as an independent artist, financing things at the level I want them done can get pretty expensive. So although the timeline may not be dead on, you can expect something before the year ends.

#RØSÉ #TikTok #Interview #Are You Tired?#listentorose #RØSE

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sequoiann · 7 years

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❧ c.sc | bad fame

pairing; seventeen s.coups x reader

genre; angst, fluff, a bit of swearing?

synopsis; you knew it was going to be hard, but not to this extent. you never imagined that it would be even half as bad as it was now — the idol life. seungcheol is your senior under the same agency, and with your bubbling popularity in a bad light, he recognizes you as you two cross paths in the office building.

but he knows you aren’t what the media makes you seem to be.

word count; 2.8k

notes; i’m so sorry that seungcheol wasn’t there from the very start of the scenario, but this one is much longer so the front is more of a build-up! this scenario is much longer than my usual ones so i hope you guys enjoy it !! i haven’t been posting bc i was working on this HAHA do let me know what you thinkk ;)

As soon as you stepped out of your hotel room, you hastily slipped on your grey mask and sunglasses, pulling your hood over your head as your hand clutched onto your luggage handle. The need to hide your face has gotten more and more prominent as days passed, and it almost became a habit for you to not show any facial features of yourself when you stepped out into public. Even though you knew no one was going to be in the hallways of the hotel room you stayed in, you still did it as a precaution.

Your stylist, Rachelle, came out after you, and used her fingers to comb through the odd strands of light brown hair poking out of your hoodie, smoothing them out and letting some flow naturally down past your shoulders, so you looked less like you just got out of bed. A small exhausted breath escapes your lips.

“It doesn’t really matter anymore, doesn’t it?” you said softly, head tilted downwards.

Rachelle furrows her brows and presses her lips together in disapproval. “Of course it does, love,” she coos gently, and you manage a small smile even though it’s not seen. “Don’t think like that.”

You assume she could see your smile through your slightly risen cheekbones, because she returned the smile reassuringly.

Your manager comes out of the room next to yours, and he grabs the heavier hand-carry luggage you were holding on.

“Let’s go, the car’s at the lobby. It’ll take us straight to the airport,” he mutters, walking ahead of you.

You mumble a quiet note of acknowledgment, glancing at Rachelle for a second before following close behind your manager.

The three of you took the lift downstairs, where your two other co-managers were already waiting. The two were often not with you; they were the ones who just settled admin matters.

You knew it was going to have to take more than just three people around you as you made your way to the car at the lobby area.

Just as you predicted, the second the lift doors opened, your were greeted with five (or were there six?) bodyguards who worked at the hotel, and they immediately formed a barrier around you.

Fans, or rather, a mix of anti-fans and fans, swarmed around you, but the staff around you made sure they couldn’t come in direct contact with you.

It is the agency’s responsibility to take care of the physical and mental well-being of their artists, they say. Of course.

Random words were thrown at you, and you couldn’t decipher much except for the usual “I love you”s and “Look over here”s. You politely bowed as you were slowly led towards where you were supposed to be.

A few hands reached past the guards and started flapping around, and some had hit you lightly, brushed past you, nothing serious.

Until someone throws a relatively heavy bag of something at you. You stumbled back in surprise, and you felt someone hold you to stop you from falling. Although there wasn’t exactly any space for you to actually fall to the floor — you were legitimately surrounded.

“Oops!” you heard someone call out, before snickers erupted from a group. The insincerity, sarcasm, and deliberateness were almost deafening. You felt bright flashes hitting past your sunglasses and onto your eyes. You blinked a few times, the repeatedly blinking lights blinding.

“Please put your cameras away and make way! We have a flight to catch!” one of your managers shouted over the loud chatters, and you felt yourself being nudged forward a little. You shook your head and quickened your footsteps.

After five long minutes, you finally get to your car, and you scramble to the back seat as your managers and stylist took the front ones. You thanked the guards before your manager closed the car door, and you leaned back onto your headrest, pulling off your mask so that you could breathe easier, and let your eyelids fall close.

Rachelle glances back at you, assuming you were asleep, then sighs softly.

“Shouldn’t we do something about those kinds of threats?” she asked your manager, her voice awfully soft. You could almost visualize him shrugging it off.

“What can we do? What’s happened has happened.”

You squeezed your eyes shut, as if it would block out your hearing at the same time — and was then driven to the airport; to head back to Seoul.

The minute you arrived at the airport, you checked in quickly so that you could avoid anyone who was finding trouble. You knew they’d come chasing sooner or later.

The plane ride back to Seoul was peaceful enough, and you managed to get some well-needed rest while up in the air.

When you landed, you geared back on, your usual hood, sunglasses, and mask back on shielding your face. You knew full well of what was ahead of you the moment you step out of the arrival hall.

The same scenario happens. Guards encircled you, and screaming people flocked to you, immediately sensing your presence.

This time, it was worse than whatever that had happened previously. You heard no positive words; no words that would’ve come from a fan’s lips. Instead, all you heard was —

“Get out of Pledis!”

“Don’t blame others for your wrongdoing, you shameless person!”

“You call yourself an idol?!”

And the next thing you knew, you see an oval egg flying in your direction. You raise your hand in defense and it smashes into your arm, cracking and leaking its raw contents onto your sleeve.

“Ooh”s and “Aah”s were heard, and tears pricked the corners of your eyes. No, Y/N. No crying.

You let your hand fall to your side as if thinking nothing of it.

The guards became more aggressive after that, pushing everyone aside, and you briskly walked to the exit where the car that would take you back to the company building was.

You got into the car, your face still kept straight as you remove your sunglasses. The car drove off, back to the company building, and silence hung in the air during the drive. All that was heard was the light panting sounds from Rachelle and the managers.

The car reached the company building in approximately 30 minutes, and you grabbed your backpack, while your other luggage was handled by your managers.

“Go to the practice room and change into the spare clothing there. You have vocal training later,” your manager told you monotonously as if nothing ever happened.

“Right,” you answered, turning to Rachelle as you became aware of the worried look she was shooting you.

You shook your head as a translation of “I’m alright”. Rachelle wasn’t convinced, but you just went in first, to the lift lobby.

That’s when you felt yourself start to shake ever so slightly, and your muscles were aching as if you’d been holding yourself still the past hour.

Your unsteady hand hit the lift ‘up’ button, and you let your head hang low as you waited for it to come up from the basement. Your thoughts started to wander in flashbacks.

When you auditioned to become an artist under Pledis, you already knew being an idol wasn’t going to be easy. You knew the cons that would definitely come along with it, but you didn’t expect it to get so bad.

The debut album you released received a fair amount of positive attention. You were glad, you got off a good start. However, the second album you released was nowhere near that. The composer of the song had apparently plagiarized the introduction from another official soundtrack, but you were oblivious. No one knew, until your album was recorded, packaged, released.

Fans of the original soundtrack noticed the similarity, and it became your fault. When you tried to defend yourself by saying that you were not the one who had made the song you sang, it became a situation where you were trying to push the blame.

It resulted in horrible, unwanted fame.

You heard a soft ‘ding’, and the elevator doors opened in front of you. You sucked in a breath of air, stepped in, and noticed another person who was in there with you. You didn’t bother to check who, though.

You used your other hand to cover the stains that had been made on your sleeve by the raw egg, and teardrops started rolling down your cheeks.

“Hey.”

You flinched a little and turned to the person standing beside you, widening your eyes as your recognized him.

S.Coups. The leader of Seventeen. Your senior.

“S-sunbaenim,” you stammered.

Seungcheol — which was S.Coups’ real name — frowned, surprised at the sudden formalities you displayed.

“You alright?” he asked, cocking his head to a side as you looked ahead, naturally avoiding his eyes.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” you laughed a lightheartedly, surprised at how genuine-sounding it came out as.

You had signed in as an official Pledis trainee about six months before Seventeen had made their debut, so generally speaking, you had trained with them for that short period of time. You knew them well enough to hold casual conversations with them, but not to the point where you guys actually hung out.

It wasn’t supported by the company, after all. They didn’t like the male and females in the company to mix or to get too comfortable with each other. It sounded logical since you were aware of how fans outside easily misjudge and rumors would start floating.

Seungcheol was one of the trainees you talked to the most back then. When the two of you were still trainees. You were told that you suited debuting as a soloist, instead of being a member of a full group — which was what you aimed for at first — so you gladly accepted that position.

And you debuted a year and a half after Seventeen did.

Knowing that Seungcheol was the leader of the 13-member group, you often went to him for help and advice; since you knew you’d be all on your own.

Seventeen received a baffling amount of attention after they made their official debut, partially because of the promotions that they had been doing even before releasing their first album. Through all those, Seungcheol gained experience quick. He helped you tremendously, guiding you through what you should refrain from doing, and what you should daringly do. He mentioned the tiniest of details that you would’ve never thought about.

No matter how negative it sounded, he’d tell you. Because he knows if he doesn’t, it’ll be harder for you to handle when it happens.

He told you everything and anything — from how you should control your really hyper behavior to how you should never show your sadness to the public. He said that’s what they really wanna see. And you were aware that as an idol, you’d have to do what they want.

But Seungcheol never imagined that such a thing would happen to you at such an early stage of your debut. The online articles about what happened to you were endless, and unsightly videos of you were reposted and reposted, again and again until it went viral. Undoubtedly, Seungcheol saw them.

And seeing you in the lift, holding yourself up when he can see right through you and see your own walls breaking apart…

It hurt him.

He watched you more than you knew. He took care of you more than you knew. He peeks into your dance studio every now and then when he passes by to make sure you could cope. He even leaves random bottles of water by the door to make sure you stayed hydrated. He ordered food takeaways and anonymously delivers them to your photo shoots.

He silently took care of you like an older brother would.

Seungcheol’s eyes darted over to the discolored patch on your sleeve that you were uncomfortably trying to hide. That’s when his sense of smell kicks in and he effortlessly identified its origin.

“You need some new clothes,” he said, the elevator coming to the level that you were supposed to arrive at.

“Manager Do said there’re some in the practice room,” you told him, stepping towards the door that was going to open soon. “I’ll change into those.”

“They always say that,” Seungcheol mumbled softly, shaking his head. You didn’t hear him, though.

The elevator door finally opens, and you let out a quiet, heavy breath as you took stepped out. As soon as you did, Seungcheol grabs onto your arm from behind, pulling you back into the lift and pressing the ‘close’ button, and only letting you go after the lift doors closed shut.

You looked at him in annoyance. You weren’t in the mood to continue being polite and cheery like you usually was.

“I have practice, Seu—” you paused for a mere millisecond as you lowered your tone. “—sunbaenim.”

“That can wait,” he said easily, as if not listening to whatever you were saying.

The elevator proceeds up two more floors, before the doors open and you’re nudged out softly by Seungcheol. You unwillingly followed him to another practice room — the one you recognized as Seventeen’s. He pushes down on the door handle, opening it, and you catch a glimpse of the other members. You instinctively took a step back, your feelings mixed. You felt guilty, ashamed to see them in your state.

“Come in,” Seungcheol says, almost ordering you to.

“What for?” you questioned, your patience level running low.

Seungcheol raises an eyebrow, and, once again, pulls you in by your wrist. It wasn’t a forceful drag, but you weren’t happy with it.

You stumble in and the other twelve members turn to you. They recognized you instantly and wide, bright smiles formed on their originally worn out features.

“Y/N!” they chorused messily, Seungkwan actually running over to crush you in a hug. You smiled slightly — this time with it being a little more legitimate. Your clean arm wrapped back around him as you let your other stained arm hide behind your body. It was an awkward position, but Seungkwan doesn’t notice.

Seungcheol smiles at the sight,, but quickly tells them to get back to practice, and that he would join them in a while. They nodded and shot you a few last looks, before turning back to the mirror in front of them and returning to their practice.

Seungcheol then leads you to the vocal training studio that was connected at the back, and you lifted your wrist to check the time on your watch.

“Seungcheol, seriously, not now. I only have five minutes,” you deadpanned, getting more and more irritated as time passed.

He pays no attention to you as he grabs a beige hoodie from a chair, passing it to you.

“Change into these,” he said, and you declined.

“No, it’s okay, I don’t need it,” you said, pushing it back into his hands as you clenched your jaw. Your eye level was to the ground again.

“Y/N—”

And you just burst.

“I said I don’t need it!” you raised your voice. You knew at the back of your head that the vocal studio was soundproof.

“Stop being so nice to me! Stop asking me questions and looking at me like you actually care! I’m sorry I’m doing nothing for this company, I’m sorry I’m being a burden. I’m trying, I really am, but I don’t know what else to do. I’m guilty, I’m trying to avoid all of you, every single one of you, and you dragging me here isn’t making me feel any better! I don’t want to see any of you, don’t you get it!?”

You were screaming, your internal words just pulling themselves out of your throat without any sugar coating. Your tears burst forth like water from a dam, spilling down your face. There is static at the side of your head once more, the side effect of living with this constant stress and fear every single day. The muscles of your chin tremble like a small child’s, and you bit in your lips as you looked away from Seungcheol. Your fists balled so tight that you could feel your own nails digging into your palm, and then your fists, too, started shaking.

Seungcheol stands there, for a few seconds, just looking at you. Then he wrapped his arms around you and pulled you close, gently rubbing your arm as you just cried into his chest. You couldn’t hold it in any longer — you just couldn’t.

His embrace was warm, and his arms seemed protective around your frail self. He softly cooed you, swaying you side to side a little as an attempt to calm you down.

“It’ll be alright,” he whispered. “It will be.”

For the first time in the past five months, you felt like nothing could hurt you. Nothing at all.

#seventeen #seventeen fluff #seventeen scenarios #seventeen angst #seventeen s.coups #s.coups #seungcheol #choi seungcheol

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