#decent ratio is between 1 to 4 and 1 to 3

[evviejo]

me: *sees 77 notes on a gifset posted last night* ooh could be worse, has been worse

me: *sees that 70 of those notes are likes* oh no it IS bad

[chirpthingz]

my "essay" on why I don't think kian's plan would amount to anything:

with sources!

spoilers for desconjuracao ep. 20 & calamidade below

my problem with kian's plan isn't that i think it wouldn't work, i just don't think he's capable of achieving it. now, just as a refresher:

kian's plan is referred to as the calamity. his goal is to sever the connection between reality and the other side, destroying it. to achieve this, he must kill anyone with knowledge of the paranormal and destroy the relics. (source)

this is a perfectly reasonable plan that, based on how the other side functions, could work. (source). if i remember correctly, cellbit even confirmed it would work (i can't remember where i heard this, so i may be wrong). and on that note, kian is insanely powerful. he is:

immortal, can move shit with his mind (to an extent), can teleport pretty much anywhere he wants, has a decent amount of followers, can weaken rituals in an area, and has two rituals that essentially insta-kill someone (as far as we are aware), is scarily clever, knows everything about the other side, is 4000+ years old (technically), cannot be caught by surprise, and possesses superhuman strength + agility. (source)

at a first glance, he seems more than capable. he has the highest marcado (player) kill count (5) in the series, and is referred to as the damn god of knowledge by his followers. (source).

but he is not a god, he is not a relic, and there are factors i feel he has not considered.

The amount of people he would have to kill is too high.

kian intends to kill everyone with knowledge of the paranormal. of known living characters, this includes 18 player characters, 4 relics, 25 ordem agentes (not including pcs), 5 members of the leone family (excluding carina), 8 hell hunters, 17 members of the obscurite (excluding yuki & dominic), 1 escripta (not including gal), 6 known ordem prisoners, 1 colosseum employee, cassiano/hugo/eduarda/tim, the 15 surviving members of tipora (excluding amelie & oliver), 2 panacea employees, emilia, donisvaldo (don), mandy/vicente, and a number of npcs whose whereabouts are unknown. this adds up to at least 109 relevant characters. (source). of course, this is not counting the amount of people we don't know about. think about all the other organizations & governments out there. think about how many odd groups like os cinco are out there. think about the mask sect, the host production, the luzidios. furthermore, it is not unreasonable to assume the population of the world that ordem is set in is similar to ours. currently, we are sitting at nearly 8 billion. any amount of those 8 billion could have some knowledge about the paranormal. without a doubt, those people amount to at least a couple hundred thousands. even if we were to even out the playing field and pretend that kian's escriptas were still alive, the ratio of escriptas to people he needs to kill is maddening.

2. Kian is not all-knowing.

"kian sabe, kian sabe-" no he doesn't. he knows about the other side, but that only gets him so far. he could not locate the order base (source) (it is important to note that the order had the help of a relic in hiding themselves) nor stop them when they arrived in italy, he had to rely on clarissa. (source). furthermore, he had no idea about god's diary- the one thing that could stop him. (source). the world is enormous. to be as brief as possible: there is too much ground for him to cover. he can also not account for recorded information. there is no feasible way he can look through every archive, every website, every library, etc. information about the paranormal will survive and he might never know about it. on that note, he cannot possible know where all of his targets are at once, and he cannot get to all of them fast enough before some of them realize they need to hide. this brings me to my next point.

3. It would take him too long to accomplish his goal.

kian is currently immortal. (source). he has all the time in the world. no rush, right? wrong. thinking back to the insanely large amount of people he needs to kill, which assumedly totals up to at least hundreds of thousands of people. it would take him ages to kill them all. even if he did have escriptas helping him, it would take multiple decades at a minimum. the longer he takes, the more time someone else has to stumble upon the paranormal. the number of people he needs to kill is not a fixed rate, it is constantly increasing. if we take into account the rapid spread of news and information because of digital spaces, it's not unreasonable to think that it's increasingly rapidly. this also gives other people more time to figure out how to stop him, which is obviously dangerous to his cause. he cannot reasonable kill people at a fast enough rate to make rapid progress, at least not if he wants to prevent my next point from becoming true

4. Enacting his plan would weaken the membrane.

the membrane that separates reality from the other side can be weakened by fear. entities from the other side use this fear as a bride to physically manifest in reality. (source). kian does not have the time (as explained above), nor the money, nor the resources to ensure every death is untraceable. the amount of people he needs to kill will draw attention, especially when it isn't unreasonable to think that government officials are aware of the paranormal to an extent (for example, verissimo himself comments that the order is partially supported by political allies). it's also important to note the sheer amount of people that will die. to an outside perspective, large amounts of people globally will die or go missing with little public explanations or connections. this will undoubtedly cause mass panic. panicked people become paranoid, and then scared, and then the membrane begins to weaken. this means more opportunities for the other side to manifest into reality, therefore making more people aware of the paranormal. it is completely unavoidable, and (from his perspective) frustratingly counter-active to his plan.

naturally, we do not know the true extent of kian's strength. up to this point, he really has not made any attempts of truly trying to enact his plan; instead he focuses on stopping the people in his way (which, if he continues to focus on such matters, he will never get around to actually bringing about the calamity).

there is also the argument that he may have access to relics. this is addressed by the magistrate in calamity episode 8:

the magistrate informs equipe abutres that if the mask of despair (relic of knowledge) were to be destroyed, kian would possibly control destiny itself. (source).

it can only be assumed that similar consequences would occur should the other relics be destroyed. however, for him to actually destroy the relics, he would have to acquire them first. this is where I believe he meets a significant wall.

the relics do not appear to get along. or at the very least, their differences drive them apart. (source). this does not mean they cannot make agreements. the devil and the host appeared to have no problems with each other in the ordo calamitas base, and the host and magistrate let equipe abutres decide who to side with even though they knew it would end in one of their "deaths" (even if they argued about it the entire time).

most importantly, they all desired to stop kian. this is because, very obviously, they do not want to be barred from reality. and even more importantly, they are very, very powerful.

but the relics of knowledge and energy do not have wielders, leaving it up to the god of death and the devil (unless someone decides to become the new magistrate or host), which brings me to my final topic.

the devil and the god of death are not going to help kian. the strongest counter-argument to this entire essay is that with the help of the devil, kian could easily realize the calamity. with the devil appearing to offer a pact to an imprisoned kian, this reality doesn't seem to far away. yet, there is no logical sense behind this idea. the devil can only lose if kian accomplishes his goal, and kian will not stop until he has destroyed all the relics. they may temporarily work together, but it is a fragile alliance. at some point, the devil must try to stop him. the god of death has only appeared twice, both under circumstances in which his domains were threatened. even if he chooses to ignore the calamity, eventually kian is going to encroach on his territory. the god of death will be forced to intervene.

i, chirp, assume the two would not get along super well, but the magistrate and host have shown us that relics can come together for a cause they both believe in. it is impossible to know if they will both be able to come together in such a way, but the chance is not zero!

in summary: under all that power and immortality, kian is flesh and bone like the rest of us. 4000 years has not softened his pride, and it will probably take 4000 more for his plan to amount to anything.

----

you made it to end!! sorry i am such a yapper lmao, but i've been thinking about this for like two days straight. this essay isn't meant to start any heated arguments, it's all very lighthearted, but i do want to hear your opinions. if i got some information wrong, please forgive me; youtube auto-translated subtitles can only get me so far, and i've only seen calamidade once.

KIAN BROXA.

[str4wb377yyyyyyl3m0n4d333333]

I lost around 14 or 16 pounds over the summer and wanted to share how I did it! Only took me about a month maybe a month and a half. (I know thats not a lot but for me it’s great.) 💌

1. Distractions!

-I cannot stress this enough, you NEED to have hobbies. I literally would not achieved it without giving myself things to do. Going out with my friends was always the most effective, second was probably calling them/playing video games with them. I found a really good discord server that was basically like a big group chat. I befriended everyone over the summer and spent everyday talking to the lovely people there. Although discord is kind’ve weird and does have a bad reputation these are probably the most normal people I’ve found on the app.

2. Good sleep schedule

-you’d think sleeping all day would help avoid eating—and although that does work. What about the night time? I find myself binging so much more at night rather than day. Not to mention everyone’s sleeping so nobody can make any comments, or see how much food I am consuming/shoving in my bed room to later shove in my mouth.

3. Fruit, lots and lots of it.

-find all sorts of fruit combinations and fun ways to eat it. You could cut your fruit/vegetables into cute shapes, blend them together and have a smoothie, or cut them up and make a salad! The salad one was always my best-friend. My favorite combinations were strawberries and apples, apples strawberries and bananas, lemon chunks/or juice with cucumber and tajin on top, raspberries with watermelon and strawberries, or green beans with broccoli sometimes cauliflower.

2/3. combined

With my good sleeping schedule I was in bed by 9:00P.M. every night and waking up always before 10:00A.M. Eating after the clock hit 10 felt wrong/gross so I avoided it. Nothing after 8:00P.M. Either. It was so much easier to not eat after 6 o’clock, 7, or 8 when I was in bed by 9.

4. Omad

Basically everyday I was doing an Omad. And let me tell you, I felt great. I usually had a decent amount of fruit in the morning along with a black coffee that lasted me through the day. The fruit salad bowl I ate most often was apples and strawberries. I would use a whole apple then try and make a good ratio between that and the strawberries. That always left me with plenty to snack on. Sometimes I wouldn’t finish it right away and just snack on my fruit through out the day. If I got hungry I would just remember “Oh I have my fruit bowl!” I always take awhile in general to finish my fruit so I felt full more quickly. I don’t have that problem with vegetables really unfortunately. That kind’ve ties into number 5.

5. Slow paced eating/snacking

-this only worked for me with my fruit bowls but going on my phone and doing other things while I ate I would take longer to finish and leave my food for later. Maybe its not counted as omad if your technically sometimes having your one meal spilt into small portions every couple hours. Who knows, it worked for me.

6. Water!!

-water is your best-friend. My mom sometimes gets those big Starbucks cups for holidays/birthdays and lets me use them. I always have three filled in my room. I would drink all of them at least twice a day. Honestly having to go to the bathroom so much was irritating but I felt amazing. Not to mention with the healthy eating and all the water my skin was great.

7. Side note

This Isn’t really a tip or how to but I just wanted to say that I had still accomplished weightless even with having some sugar or greasy junk food. There were days where I would have a cookie, some cookie dough, candy bars, etc. still maintaining my weight. Depending how much I had I would go up two pounds or so but I would get back down because it wasn’t an everyday thing. Once every two or one weeks is good. Two days in a row isn’t too good but I still managed to get by. Don’t over do it!!

Little coming back message from me, you don’t have to read this if you don’t want to. ❣️

Hi guys, I’m back!! Not really sure when the last time I had tumblr was but I wanted to get the app again. I hope me not being active wont mess with my account activity too much. Usually when I don’t post for a while I have to make a new account because my content does not get any traction. And if you think about it thats honestly good. You guys need to recover!! There is no I’m not sick enough to get help. If you’re ready and want to/need to PLEASE seek help. You’re beautiful just the way you are and I would hate to see you leave this earth because you thought otherwise. So many others would agree too. I love you all, stay safe, and Im excited to be posting more content again!

[kimyoonmiauthor]

Raspberry Covered Labne New York Cheddar Cheesecake

To make this recipe I combined the following recipes:

Probably the Joy of Cooking's original Cheesecake recipe from my childhood

My experimentation from my childhood.

The pictures of said cheesecake are my own.

So let me give you a full picture of this cheesecake's history.

As a kid, I found in my parents' cookbook, Julia Child and the Joy of Cooking and my Dad liked cheesecake, so I made some cheesecakes.

I tried to make chèvre cheesecake, one with yogurt cheese and one with cheddar cheese. The one with cheddar cheese gave the sharpest of the flavors and I liked that one the best. The one with the chèvre was too expensive, according to my Dad, and it really didn't hold up well once it was baked and kinda got lost in the taste. The yogurt cheese one I liked for the texture. (Labne)

So to me, the ideal cheesecake became one with a New York style, cheddar cheese and had labne in it. But it needs a sharper contrast on the outside because it has too much savory, and honestly my Dad didn't like it that much. He liked the plain one better.

So hit pause on that one a a few thousand making and inventing recipes later... So waaaaaayyy back when one of my relative's friends really, really wanted a cheesecake. But there was none at my relative's party which they hold annually. So we worked together to get some raspberry jam, and put it on brie to fake a cheesecake.

Remembering that I used to make cheesecake, I planned to make one for her, bought the springpan, etc, but a lot of things happened in between, so I couldn't make it for her. I finally got around to it this year, but I thought I would dress it up. I slowly bought all of the ingredients, and my plan is to make an awesome cake.

I've not had a decent cheesecake since I made one way back when, so I'm making a NY style cheesecake. I made it with real cheese before and thought it was fantastic. (as a kid) And wanted to sub the sour cream for Labne. 'cause the Labne will be eaten, the sour cream will not.

I didn't write down the amounts when I modded the cheesecake back in the day though, since I used to mod recipes on the fly.

Making this cheesecake meant going to someone else's house and spending a whopping 8 hours to make it because I had to travel there by bus ad come back by bus and then the hard part—wait for the cheesecake to cool.

As a kid, I think I made something else in the interim.

BTW, she loved the cheesecake. It's very rich and dense.

Because I kinda burned the result, I shifted the final recipe so it won't burn on you by lower the ratio of cheddar cheese to cream cheese and then adding flour to help it not crack. (from Martha Stewart's recipe) And then used the pan under the cheesecake method from the Joy of Cooking, since I didn't want to deal with the whole bain marie. TT It's more like trempé bain marie. 'cause I remember one attempt failed when the foil broke as a kid. *sighs* so water underneath worked better for me. (I must have made like 5 cheesecakes? Welcome to ND hyperfocus.)

Crust

2 packages of cinnamon graham crackers (This is a shortcut I use that everyone else discourages.).

12 tbsp butter

Cheese cake filling

8 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese

4 packages of 8oz cream cheese bars

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup labne

1/2 cup all purpose flour (Note this will stabilize your cheesecake and keep it from cracking. If you don't have that worry because you have a ton of time, etc, remove it),

2 tsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp lemon zest

1 tbsp vanilla extract

3 large eggs

3 egg yolks

Raspberry sauce: 1 package frozen raspberries

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsps butter

2 tsps corn starch

Chocolate semi-Ganache Sauce

unsweetened cocoa powder

water

vanilla

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup of chocolate chips

2 tbsps butter

Equipment:

Double boiler

Spring form pan

Mixer

spoon

bowl

Instructions from Reddit+My own:

Crush the graham crackers. Melt the butter and stir until well combined. The press the graham crackers into the spring form pan. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Beat cream cheese on slow speed for 1 minute, slowly add in the grated cheddar cheese.

Add salt.

Add sugar in 2 parts, scraping in between.

Add labne, lemon juice, vanilla.

Add eggs, then egg yolks two at a time, scraping the bowl in between after every 2 eggs until just combined. Do not over mix.

Pour the filling onto your prepared crust.

Bake for 10 minutes without opening the door of the oven.

Reduce temperature to 300 degrees and bake for 1 hour. Do not open the oven in that 1 hour. Then 250 for 20 minutes, check every 10 minutes to make sure it is not browning. If it is browning, turn off the oven immediately and move to the next step.

Turn off the oven and cool the cheesecake in the oven with the door closed for 30 minutes. Crack open the oven door and cool for another 1 hour. Cool the cheesecale in the pan on a wire rack for another hour until it is barely warm.

Cover with aluminum foil and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, overnight is better.

When you release from the springform nonstick pan make sure it is completely chilled.

Make the raspberry sauce:

Take the frozen raspberries and defrost it. Stir in the sugar and the other ingredients, finishing with the butter.

Make the Chocolate sauce:

combine all of the dry ingredients. Put in 1/2 cup of water, whisk to combine. add the chocolate chips, vanilla and the butter.

Drizzle the chocolate sauce and raspberry sauce on top and put the fruit in the center with the curls of lemon zest and present.

With a knife dipped in hot water, slice the cake carefully, dipping the knife with each slice.

Serve.

[shivunin]

🎇20 Questions for Fic Writers🎇

Thanks for the tag @greypetrel my dear!

1. how many works do you have on ao3? 35

2. what’s your total ao3 word count? 641,898

3. what fandoms do you write for? So far? Dragon Age (all three games), but I have unfinished Mass Effect and BG3 things as well c:

4. what are your top five fics by kudos?

-Your Fate for Mine (A "what if the Inquisitor was left behind in the Fade?" AU | Cullavellan | 129,681 words)

-Unyielding/Inexorable (Cullen throws hands with a member of the nobility at the Winter Palace; the follow-up is about a duel to settle things | Cullavellan | 3,083 and 8,055 words respectively)

-More than Memory (Smut about cultural differences and expressing one's needs | Cullavellan | 5,214 words)

-Search Your Hands (An exploration of the Dalish courting gift tradition with some mild smutty elements | Cullavellan | 13,581 words) (it doesn't have the most kudos, but this is by a significant margin my most-liked fic with respect to the views: kudos: bookmarks ratio)

-Wander the Drifting Roads (A "Cullen is infected with red lyrium" AU, but the focus is on how memory forms who we are and why the loss of it changes everything | Cullavellan | 108,331 words)

5. do you respond to comments? Yes, excepting the rare occasions that they are just emojis because (though I appreciate them!!) I never know what to say dsfahkjsfhk. The more I cherish a comment, the longer it takes me to answer (because I am hugging them to my chest and sobbing)

6. what’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Hmmm Palimpsest, I think, because it ends with Fenris just after the Act 2 breakup and things are somewhat bleak. I am definitely more a happy endings kind of gal. Or a "if it's not fixed, it's not the end" sort, maybe.

7. what’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Pour Forth (the Fenris not crying fic) I think? To the Bone (Cullavellan soulmate AU) is right up there, I think.

8. do you get hate on fics? I've had a couple of snarky comments about my writing style, but people have generally been very sweet.

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind? Lol. Yes. I find it harder to write smut for some pairings than others, but I really enjoy writing smut. I think smut can be a very incisive window into a pairing's dynamic and feelings about intimacy. What's more, I think I'm decent at writing it haha

10. do you write crossovers? what’s the craziest one you’ve written? Not really! I don't see myself doing so, either. Just not my cup of tea.

11. have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I know of.

12. have you ever had a fic translated? I have not

13. have you ever co-written a fic before? No, but I have rp'd one of my Dragon Age OC's in a narrative context (which is sort of similar, I think)

14. what’s your all-time favorite ship? October/Tybalt. I will never write fic for the October Daye series, but I would die for them. Their whole battle couple (opposites attract, damaged people finding vulnerability and love, aggrieved rogue chases Hero around) dynamic has got me twirling my hair, kicking my feet, etc.

But of course, all of the DA ships I write for are a very close second place. Just all jammed uncomfortably in the doorway at once, Fenris's gauntlets poking poor Emma in the arm and Cullen's breastplate caught between Wen and the doorway, etc.

15. what’s a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will? The Red Crossing Arrangement, my "what if the elves never lost Halamshiral" arranged marriage AU. The concept is so unimaginably cool, but there is a level of worldbuilding required to make it work that eventually sucked all the fun out of the project for me. Ideally...someday, I'll pick it back up again because I love the concept.

16. what are your writing strengths? This is always such a hard question to answer. It's going to sound vague, but I think one of my greatest skills is voice. I am pretty good at matching character and narrative voice to canon. I also think conveying emotions in a visceral way? I hope so, anyway c:

17. what are your writing weaknesses? Scenery. By like a very very big margin. Every first draft has almost no description of scenery in it, so I have a huge amount of respect for writers who are skilled at that. It's definitely my biggest challenge (I fall into the same trap when I'm DM'ing too T.T)

18. thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? Ehhhh mixed. I wouldn't want to screw up someone else's actual language, so I'd only want to do it if I knew someone who could proof it for me or if I knew the language myself. I only know Latin (rusty) and Spanish (intermediate) besides English, so I'll likely stick to what I know. I have written very brief dialogue in both Spanish and Latin for fics, though. More as a way of evoking the culture of the person speaking than for any other reason.

19. first fandom you wrote for? hahaha. well. Code Lyoko when I was 13. And then not at all again until I was 28.

20. favorite fic you’ve ever written? :C I have to choose one?? Aside from any of the ones mentioned above, Breath of Life (Zev almost dies in the fight against Taliesen, because it's one of my favorite tropes) or A Golden Bell Hung in my Heart (because it's DA flavored with The Last Unicorn and I wrote it for a dear friend; what's not to love?) or As Two Reflected Stars (because it's quintessential hurt/comfort wound-tending and I adore that most of all)

Tagging back (no pressure, feel free not to do this): @star--nymph @zenstrike @jtownnn @idolsgf @dreadfutures @scribbledquillz @ndostairlyrium @vakarians-babe @nightwardenminthara @heniareth @transprincecaspian and anyone else I usually tag but am forgetting somehow---you're supposed to be here, I swear, but tonight my brain is tapioca pudding.

[wormytoast]

EDIT: THIS WAS WRONG. THERE IS NO PATTERN. I'M A FOOL.

ok so in regards to my last post i did a little thinking (read: delusions) and i think i've got a decent understanding of what we're going to get in the next few patches (this is the ravings of a mad lunatic) (LITERALLY NONE OF THIS MATTERS. DON'T OPEN THIS IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ A WALL OF POINTLESS TEXT)(there is a conclusion if u want to scroll all the way down and get the basic gist)

as of now we are getting the 3rd stagnant shadow for each type. currently, the ice, fire, physical, and quantum types have 3 stagnant shadows and thus 3 different ascension mats per type.

wind, lightning, and imaginary still have only 2 stagnant shadows which means there's a good chance we will be getting the 3rd stagnant shadow for each in the next few versions. this also means that we can (kind of) predict the types of the next units or the mats they use.

some info about a couple ascension mats that i can use as examples:

"gelid chitin"- luofu, 1.0, used for yanqing (1.0), jingliu (1.4), and ruan mei (1.6). all characters are associated with the luofu.

"broken teeth of iron wolf"- belobog, 1.0, used for clara (1.0), natasha (1.0), sushang (1.0), and luka (1.2). all characters are associated with belobog EXCEPT sushang—she uses it because there was only 1 physical ascension mat in 1.0 and there was no physical mat related to the luofu.

"nail of the ape"- luofu, 1.3, used for fu xuan (1.3), lynx (1.3), and xueyi (1.6). all characters are associated with the luofu EXCEPT lynx who was released in the same patch as the mat.

"suppressing edict"- luofu, 1.3, used for dh:il (1.3), dr. ratio (1.6), and aventurine (2.1). only dh:il is associated with the luofu, which means that we can reason the other two use this mat because 1. there was no imaginary mat in locations relevant to them, and 2. the mat required more characters to use it before another imaginary mat can be released.

ALL OF THIS TO SAY

ascension mats are released in the same version characters that use them

characters can use ascension mats that were not released in the same version as them

ascension mats will ideally be used by at least 3 characters BUT a new ascension mat can be released for a type when at least 2 characters use the most recently released mat

ascension mats are generally tied to their location and assigned to characters related to that location

if the location is not related or there is no stagnant shadow in a location that relates to the character, an ascension mat can still be used for a character if they were a) released in the same patch as the mat or b) the mat required more assigned characters before a new mat of the same type was released

and we are in DIRE need of new wind, lightning, and imaginary ascension mats! not only do dr. ratio and aventurine use a mat released in 1.3, black swan uses a mat released in 1.2 and acheron uses a mat released in 1.0 aka launch.

it seems like an ascension mat is used for anywhere between 2-4 characters; most of the time a mat is used for 3 characters. the ones used by 4 characters are all 1.0 mats while the ones used by 2 characters are newer mats, the earliest being the searing steel blade in 1.4.

this makes misha's predicament more interesting— he is still the only unit to use the newest ice mat, released in 2.0, and we are just about heading into 2.3. we also have the drip marketing for 2.4 which ALSO doesn't feature an ice character, which is a total stretch of 4 versions. if we were to look at similar time frames, the "suppressing edict" which was only used by dh:il in 1.3 was then used in 1.6 by dr. ratio, only 3 versions later.

back to the main point i wanted to make though: there is a great chance that we will be getting new ascension mats in the coming versions. the stagnant shadows will most likely be located in either old or new luofu maps since the 2.4-2.x storyline is going back to the xianzhou alliance. what we know so far is:

yunli, a physical type character. i think she will use the "netherworld token", an older physical mat that is only used by 2 characters. because of this and because it is related to the xianzhou/luofu, she will most likely use this one rather than the ipc worker badge which was JUST released and is related to penacony instead.

jiaoqiu, a fire type. this could go to either way between the "searing steel blade" and the "raging heart". neither are related to the luofu. however, i think he will use the "searing steel blade" because it is an older mat that's still only used by 2 characters and is due for a final 3rd user. it also has the precedent of being used by another "luofu" character (although little gui technically isn't from the luofu, as we know)

march 7th and her new imaginary hunt self! i can't say for certain because there IS an imaginary mat found on the luofu but it is also already used by 3 characters. because the only mats that have 4 users are from launch and none released since then have had 4 users, i'd wager the possibility of march being introduced alongside a new imaginary mat. that way the mat is introduced with a unit of the same type within the same version. HOWEVER, this would also mean that new imaginary units are on the way.

leaks indicate that feixiao will be a wind type unit. both existing wind mats are used by 3 characters each, and the last one released was in 1.2, so it only makes sense that 2.5 arrives with a new wind unit and their corresponding mat.

leaks also speculate that moze will be a lightning type which fits with the lack of a 3rd lightning mat. if he is lightning then he will most likely be released with a new mat.

but what about the others?

lingsha and huaiyan are so far the only other 2 characters that have been announced. of course there's other names floating out there but not much that we know of them besides that. lingsha was already declared by leaks to be a fire character which means that she could slot in as the third user of the "raging heart", especially since by the time of her release (probably not until 2.6-2.7) there will have been a pass of time and the mat won't be as new.

huaiyan also has a fire motif, and while i have my doubts about his availability as a unit, he could either a) become the 4th user of either the "raging heart" or the "searing steel blade" OR be announced with a new fire mat altogether. at this point he would be starting the cycle of introducing the 4th mats for each type. it would also mean he would have to be released after lingsha to ensure that a new fire mat isn't released in the same patch as a unit that uses an older mat of the same type.

the other possibility is that lingsha and huaiyan are both playable, released in the same patch, both fire type, and both use the 4th fire type mat, since the 3rd mat "searing heart" already has 2 users with firefly and gallagher.

besides all this, there's still the glaring problem of only 1 unit using the newest ice mat, which could indicate either another xianzhou unit in the wardance story being ice OR a unit that has another unrelated story (like how 1.5 included argenti or 1.6 with dr. ratio) is ice

other info we have is that there is an upcoming galaxy ranger who is an imaginary unit AND we already know screwllum was meant to be imaginary as well, which guarantees we will see the 3rd imaginary mat regardless of if march uses it or not. there's also the fact that sunday was speculatively leaked to be imaginary but i think that's still not confirmed as reliable? regardless, there is a chance sunday is imaginary and also uses the imaginary mat OR uses a different one, OR screwllum gets pushed back EVEN MORE and he uses the 4th imaginary mat instead 💀

stephen is also apparently in the works which means he could either be ice or quantum if no other units of those types are released. that way the newest ice/quantum mats could be used.

the kicker is that i just typed this all out for like an hour and it literally does not matter in the at ALL

IN CONCLUSION

a new wind and lightning mat are (almost) guaranteed to be released soon. there's also the possibility of new imaginary units if march is released with a new mat, but we are due for the 3rd imaginary mat regardless. we are also due for at least one new fire unit to become the 3rd user of "raging heart" (or "searing steel blade" if jiaoqiu pulls a fast one on me). both quantum and physical could do for another unit to become the third user of their respective 3rd mats. however, the MOST IMPORTANT thing is that we should be expecting 1 OR 2 MORE ICE CHARACTERS to use the 3rd ice mat.

thank you for coming to my literal pointless tedtalk.

[phaeton-flier]

On a society wide scale how does having one man to three women make child rearing easier compared to one man one woman , there isn’t an excess of women to a a shortage of men so your basically losing the labour of two extra parents from the equation? And adds the problem seen in alot of patriarchal polygamist society’s of groups of men having a crap time cheesed off at being forced out of relationships.

Seems better to encourage partial or full group parenting regardless of the parents genders or sexual relationship, which also seems a better deal for everyone who isn’t hetro who wants to parent too.

So this hypothetical was based on the assumption of child-rearing magically becoming much easier, somehow, leaving "being pregnant for 9 months and giving birth" as the only stressful/costly parts; Given that the former hypothetical wasn't even theoretically feasible the way "maybe we can make exo-wombs" is for replacing pregnancy, it's not a serious idea. (Also the hypothetical was that there would be a 1:3 ratio of men to women in birthrates as well, so that unlike in our world there's not a musical-chair problem to the traditional romantic arrangement being polygamous)

Still, slapping together an argument:

Raising 6 kids with 4 adults is much less stressful than 3 kids with two; with 4 parents you have a lot more slack for when someone is sick, or needs a break, or has a late night at work, etc. 2 parents could watch 2 babies or 4 slightly older kids while another pair goes out for their date night 6 nights a week.

And economies of scale come into play here as well: extra kids means more food costs, but it's a lot easier to cook for the marginal 6th person than it is for the marginal 3rd; the parent that takes kids to soccer practice can have a more hectic afternoons but still expect a little time on the weekends,etc.

(I had a pair of teachers in High School that were married; Between kids from previous marriages, new biological children, and an adopted niece-now-daughter, they had 6 kids, and if they hadn't also worked at the same school they would've had 8 different schools to go to in the morning)

In the real world, a lot of later-born-children childcare gets foisted off on the older children (especially girls, see oldest daughter syndrome) but I have ethical distaste for this the same way I have ethical distaste for the assumption that women should just have more kids because it's their duty. Perhaps a more equitable arrangement could be made; I could surely see an older child taking care of younger ones for an evening for a decent wage and not just "do it or you're grounded", but it would be a societal problem to watch for.

The actual problems would be in organization of the relationships: I've already come to the conclusion that the optimal number of people living together is 2, because any conversation about a change to the living space is also a quorum. 3 means you need to run it past someone else, which slows things down, and 4 means you can't even have a majority; this is before considering the wants of any of the kids. Scheduling alone becomes something of a nightmare, as is getting the relationship to work in the first place.

[buck-yyyy]

Hi ok first off I love you very much and you should know that now onto questions:

Do you enjoy cooking/baking? What do you like making most and what's a comfort food for you?

What's the most recent song you heard that changed the chemistry of your brain?

Three objects in your immediate line of sight rn?

Drink of preference: iced tea or ranch? (ur in the midwest so ik it's a v difficult choice to make 😔)

Also if you want a secret uh um im lowkey having a 'damn have I been in love with this person for months and months' crisis with two of my friends AND a 'damn im pretty sure im arospec but definitely still a dyke' crisis at the same time! 😃

ily too <3333

1. i do! im really good at baking, and fairly decent at cooking- still need to work on seasoning ratios though lol. my favorite thing to make is definitely pasta, andddd my comfort food is penne alla vodka but specifically the kind my mom makes :)

2. tie between misery business by paramore and dear maria count me in by all time low :O

3. stuffed animal moth, stuffed animal dinosaur with dinosaur pajamas, aaaaand the idiot by dostoevsky lol

4. i know this is a joke (i think?) but RANCH, holy fuck ranch is so damn good (and i actually don’t like iced tea :0)

5. best of luck figuring it out!! sending many hugs and love <33333

[hitech-pcba]

Ceramic PCB Fabrication

sales12@hitechpcb.com

Ceramic PCB and Substrate: Alumina PCB, Aluminum Nitride Base, Copper Clad

Ceramic PCB (ceramic substrate) refers to a special process board in which a copper foil is directly bonded to a surface of an alumina (Al2O3 ) or aluminum nitride (AlN) ceramic substrate (single or double-sided or multilayer Ceramic PCB) at a high temperature. The ultra-thin composite substrate produced has excellent electrical insulation properties, high thermal conductivity, excellent solderability, and high adhesion strength, and can etch various patterns like a PCB board, and has a large current carrying current ability.

Hitech Circuits is a professional ceramic pcb manufacturer, supplier from China, we mainly supply high quality Alumina (Al2O3) Ceramic PCB, Aluminum Nitride (AIN) Ceramic PCB board and IGBT Ceramic PCB. Our ceramic printed circuit boards features of high pressure, high insulation, high temperature, and high reliable and minor volume electronic products, Hitech is your best choice for ceramic PCB boards and needs.

Ceramic PCB Parameter

Ceramic PCB in high pressure, high insulation, high frequency, high temperature, and high reliable and minor volume electronic products, then Ceramic PCB will be your best choice.

Why Ceramic PCB has such excellent performance?

96% or 98% Alumina (Al2O3), Aluminum Nitride (ALN), or Beryllium Oxide (BeO) PCB

Conductors material: For thin film technology, thick film technology, it’ll be silver palladium (AgPd), gold pllladium (AuPd); For DCB (Direct Copper Bonded) it’ll be copper only

Application temp: -55~850℃

Thermal conductivity value: 16W~28W/m-K (Al2O3); 150W~240W/m-K for ALN , 220~250W/m-K for BeO;

Max compression strength: >7,000 N/cm2

Breakdown Voltage (KV/mm): 15/20/28 for 0.25mm/0.63mm/1.0mm respectively

Thermal expansion conefficient(ppm/K): 7.4 (under 50~200℃)

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At HITECH CIRCUITS, we are dedicated to producing and selling quality PCBs to all of our customers. With over 15 years of experience in the electronic industry we are committed to producing custom ceramic PCBs that meet up with the various electronic devices at hand. Our professionals manufacture nothing but top-notch ceramic PCBs that are developed to tackle your demands. In addition, we assure that you will get nothing but the best and affordable prices for all the quality ceramic PCB we manufacture. Regardless of the quality of the printed circuit boards that you want, it will be gotten at a decent price.

Ceramic PCB Classification

1. According to the material Alumina (Al2O3) Ceramic PCB Beryllium Oxide (BeO) Ceramic PCB Aluminum Nitride (ALN) Ceramic PCB

2. According to the manufacturing process HTCC (High-Temperature Co-fired Ceramic) LTCC (Low-Temperature Co-fired Ceramic) DBC (Direct Bonded Copper) DPC (Direct Plate Copper) Ceramic PCB is a thermal conductive organic ceramic circuit board with high thermal conductivity and prepared at a temperature below 250°C using thermally conductive ceramic powder and organic adhesive, ceramic PCB types by material including alumina pcb, Aluminum nitride ceramic PCB, Copper clad ceramic PCB, Zirconia ceramic base PCB.

Four types: HTCC, LTCC, DBC, and DPC

1. The HTCC (high temperature co-fired) preparation method requires a temperature above 1300°C, but due to the choice of the electrode, the preparation cost is quite expensive.

2. The LTCC (low temperature co-firing) requires a calcination process of about 850°C, but circuit precision is poor, and the thermal conductivity is low.

3. The DBC requires formingan alloy between the copper foil and the ceramic, and the calcination temperature needs to be strictly controlled within the temperature range of 1065-1085°C. Because the DBC requires the thickness of the copper foil, generally, it cannot be less than 150-300 microns. Therefore, the wire width to depth ratio of such ceramic circuit boards is limited.

4. The preparation methods of DPC include vacuum coating, wet coating, exposure and development, etching, and other process links, so the price of its products is relatively high. In addition, in terms of shape processing, DPC 1800 ceramic fiber board plates need to be laser cut. Traditional drilling and milling machines and punching machines cannot accurately process them, so the bonding force and line width are more precise.

Hitech manufactures Ceramic PCB (printed circuit board) using the latest materials and technology, that has worked with thousands of electronic engineers to get their products into market, we have full technical knowledge and Ceramic PCB manufacturing experience in Ceramic PCB fabrication (also called Ceramic printed circuit board manufacturing or rigid Ceramic printed circuit board fabrication).

[havnblog]

The Idea of Marques Brownlee's App Panels is OK

But I Have Several Problems With It

With the review of the latest iPhones, Marques Brownlee/MKBHD also revealed his latest project: The app Panels.

And I don’t mind the idea:

He’s hinted at expanding it in the future, but currently the app is an app to get wallpapers. You can get some of them for free (and by watching ads), but you can also buy packs of them, or subscribe to the app to get access to everything. The money is split between the app and the artists.

Wallaroo, by Iconfactory, is already a paid app for wallpapers, and Walli is an example of an app with a model where artists can upload their work.

In general, I feel like people’s expectations of stuff being free online is too high, so I don’t mind a new paid option in the market.

But these are my problems:

The name

The price

The split

The privacy

I want to mention that, in general, I quite like Marques and MKBHD! So this criticism isn't coming from hate.

1) The name

I get that it’s difficult to come up with an original name, as there are so many apps and companies out there. And, yes, “panels” can refer to screens – but it can also refer to comic panels. And the name Panels is already taken, by a great app for reading those!

2) The price and 3) The split

Panels (the wallpaper app) splits the income with artists – kind of like what music streaming apps do. So let’s compare it to, say, Spotify:

With Spotify, you get access to all* the music in the world, for $12/month | $144/year.1

And they get a lot of flack for “only” giving 75% of revenue to artists.2

Panels also cost $12/month – but has a heavily discounted yearly price of “only” $50/year. But that’s still far too much. 1-2/month | $10-20/year would be fair, IMO. I’d value “all music” more than three times higher than “some wallpapers”…

However, the worst part is the split: Where Spotify gives 75% of revenue to artists, Panels give 50% of profits. The difference between “revenue” and “profits” is important here! And in what world is that a fair assessment of how much value the app maker and the artists provide!? What would the app be without content?

He might say (or secretly think) “Pff, my name is so big – and if you want access to my audience, you have to pay up.” But anyone who thinks that, has forever lost the right to complain about Apple’s 30%, or YouTube’s cut, ever again…

If the app took about 20% of revenue, I’d say that seems about right.

4) The privacy

This The Verge article touches on some of the criticism of the app, including on privacy. And it also includes a post from Marques addressing some of it.

In short: It collects more than it should and needs to. But the data disclosures were also a bit overzealous.

For me, his answer to the criticism is far from hitting the mark. In terms of pricing, he only talks about improving the free version. But in general, the free version is challenging to combine with decent privacy – as the ads are tracking. And he doesn’t address the two things I’m most offended by at all: The pricing of the paid version, and the slap-in-the-face ratio of the split.3

Both prices, and if they have a yearly plan, varies from country to country. ↩︎

I’m not quite sure that’s fully deserved, though. I’ve written more abut that here. ↩︎

And had the split been better, I would have less issue with the high price – as it at least would mostly go to artists. ↩︎

[hitechno1mobile]

HP Pavilion Aero vs. Acer Aspire 5: Battle of the Mid-Range Powerhouses

The mid-range laptop segment is a battleground for manufacturers offering a compelling mix of performance, portability, and price. Choosing the right option can be tricky, especially with established brands like HP and Acer constantly innovating. Today, we compare two popular contenders: the HP Pavilion Aero and the Acer Aspire 5. Both laptops cater to students, young professionals, and creators seeking a balance between everyday tasks and some creative flair. Let's delve deeper and see which one emerges victorious.

1. Design and Build Quality: A Tale of Two Styles

HP Pavilion Aero: The Pavilion Aero boasts a sleek and lightweight design, tipping the scales at a mere 2.09 kg. Its aluminum chassis exudes a premium feel, and the minimalist design with clean lines makes a great first impression. Durability shouldn't be a concern, as HP has a reputation for building well-made laptops.

Acer Aspire 5: The Aspire 5 offers a more conventional design with a plastic chassis. While it doesn't feel as luxurious as the Pavilion Aero, it's still sturdy and functional. The Aspire 5 is slightly heavier at 2.2 kg, but it might appeal to users who prioritize a more pragmatic design aesthetic.

2. Display: Vibrant Colors or Crisp Details?

HP Pavilion Aero: The Pavilion Aero takes the lead in the display department. It features a 16:10 aspect ratio OLED panel with a QHD+ resolution (2560 x 1600). This translates to stunning visuals with deep blacks, vibrant colors, and excellent contrast. Creators and those who enjoy watching movies and browsing photos will appreciate the superior quality.

Acer Aspire 5: The Aspire 5 offers a more standard 16:9 aspect ratio IPS display with a Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution. While the colors are decent and the display is bright enough for most indoor environments, it can't match the vibrancy and detail offered by the OLED panel on the Pavilion Aero. However, the Full HD resolution offers a good balance between sharpness and battery life.

3. Performance: Powering Through Everyday Tasks

HP Pavilion Aero: The Pavilion Aero packs a punch when it comes to performance. Configurable with the latest AMD Ryzen 6000 series processors and up to 16GB of DDR5 RAM, it can handle everyday tasks like browsing, document editing, and video conferencing with ease. You can even dabble in some light photo editing or video editing without breaking a sweat.

Acer Aspire 5: The Aspire 5 is no slouch either. It offers a variety of configurations with 11th Gen Intel Core processors or AMD Ryzen 5000 series processors, paired with up to 16GB of DDR4 RAM. This configuration is sufficient for most everyday tasks and can handle multitasking well. However, the slightly older processors might lag behind the Ryzen 6000 series in the Pavilion Aero for CPU-intensive tasks.

4. Graphics: A Balancing Act

HP Pavilion Aero: The Pavilion Aero comes equipped with integrated AMD Radeon graphics or optional NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series Laptop GPUs. The integrated graphics are suitable for basic tasks, while the RTX 30 Series options provide a significant boost for creative work like photo editing, light gaming, and even some video editing.

Acer Aspire 5: The Aspire 5 relies on integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics or NVIDIA GeForce MX450 GPUs depending on the configuration. The integrated graphics are suitable for basic tasks, while the MX450 offers some improvement for casual gaming and light creative work. However, it won't match the performance of the RTX 30 Series options in the Pavilion Aero for demanding creative tasks.

5. Battery Life: Who Will Last the Distance?

HP Pavilion Aero: HP claims that the Pavilion Aero can deliver up to 10.5 hours of battery life on a single charge. This is a decent estimate for everyday use, but real-world usage can vary depending on factors like brightness, workload, and power management settings.

Acer Aspire 5: Acer estimates the Aspire 5 to last up to 8 hours on a single charge. Similar to the Pavilion Aero, real-world usage can affect battery life. However, the Aspire 5's slightly less demanding hardware might offer a slight edge in terms of battery endurance.

6. Features: The Small Touches That Matter

HP Pavilion Aero: The Pavilion Aero comes with a backlit keyboard and a fingerprint reader for added security and convenience. The port selection includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a USB Type-A port, an HDMI port, and a headphone jack.

Acer Aspire 5: The Aspire 5 also features a backlit keyboard and an optional fingerprint reader. The port selection includes a USB Type-C port, two USB Type-A ports, an HDMI port, and a headphone jack. While both laptops offer essential features, the Pavilion Aero edges out with its Thunderbolt 4 ports, which provide faster data transfer speeds and display connectivity options.

7. Price and Value: Finding the Sweet Spot

HP Pavilion Aero: The HP Pavilion Aero starts at a slightly higher price point compared to the Acer Aspire 5. This is understandable considering its premium design, OLED display, and latest-gen AMD Ryzen processors. However, the final price can vary depending on the specific configuration you choose.

Acer Aspire 5: The Acer Aspire 5 offers a more budget-friendly starting price. This makes it an attractive option for users on a tighter budget. However, keep in mind that to get features like a fingerprint reader or a dedicated graphics card, you might need to choose a higher-end configuration, which can narrow the price gap between the two laptops.

8. The Verdict: A Choice Based on Your Needs

Choosing between the HP Pavilion Aero and the Acer Aspire 5 depends on your priorities and budget. Here's a quick breakdown to help you decide:

Go for the HP Pavilion Aero if:

You prioritize a premium design and a stunning OLED display.

You need the latest AMD Ryzen processors for maximum performance.

You plan on doing creative work like photo or video editing and require powerful NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics.

Thunderbolt 4 ports for faster data transfer and display connectivity are important to you.

Go for the Acer Aspire 5 if:

You're on a tighter budget and prioritize affordability.

A Full HD IPS display is sufficient for your needs.

You need a good balance between performance and battery life for everyday tasks.

You prefer a more traditional, functional design aesthetic.

Ultimately, both the HP Pavilion Aero and the Acer Aspire 5 are compelling options in the mid-range laptop segment. By considering your specific needs and budget, you can choose the laptop that best suits you.

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So, if you're passionate about technology and enjoy troubleshooting problems, consider exploring the rewarding field of laptop repair. With the right training and dedication, you can build a fulfilling career helping others keep their devices running smoothly.

[trendyprojectors]

Pericat Q9 Native 1080P Projector Review – PROS & CONS Wi Fi & Bluetoo...

Projector with WiFi and Bluetooth, 5G WiFi, Native 1080P/12000L Video Projector with Screen, 4K Support Outdoor Projector, 350'' Display Phone Projector with Carry Bag for iPhone,TV Stick, Mac

Native 1080P & 4K Support - Featured with 1920*1080 full HD resolution and 4K Support technology, Pericate Q9 video projector restores the true color of the picture without downscaling or compression, provides clear and high definition images to reduce eye irritation.

2.4G+5G WIFI & 5.1 BLUETOOTH CONNECTION - Compared with other basic video projector, our WIFI Bluetooth projector support both wireless and wired projection for IOS and Android systems. 5G WIFI connection ensure you smoother and lag-free online video streaming and gaming online experience. The 2 Built-in 4x3W HiFi Stereo Speakers give you surrounded sound quality. You can also plug in external speakers via the 3.5mm Aux port for better sound by the upgraded 5.1 Bluetooth connection.

12000 Lumens &10000:1 Contrast Rate &17 Million Color Range - With 12000 lumens brightness and 10000:1 high contrast ratio, Q9 wifi projector provide much brighter and more clear visual effect than other 1080p and 720p. Together with it’s 17 million color ranges, you can display 100% RGB color signals for each image and get sharper and vivid native high-definition picture quality.

350’’ Giant Display & 75%-100%Zoom Function - The projector with Wifi and Bluetooth will bring You a ultimate visual feast with 4:3/16:9 aspect ratio and it’s watching size from 33” to 350” ( projection distance between 4ft-32ft ). You can also adjust different display size as you want to get the best viewing effect by the ±15° keystone correction, focusing function, and 75 -100% Zoom function no matter at home theater or for an outdoor movie.

PORTABLE - With Carry Bag,100'' Farbric SCREEN and Tripod - The native1080P projector is light and portable for outdoor use, as we send complimentary carry bag, screen and tripod for you, you can take in anywhere with bag to watch movies on this big screen, no matter at home or in the outdoor courtyard, travel, camping and other location. No need to buy the extra projector accessories anymore! Definitely a decent gift for birthday, holiday, football games or Christmas.

[cheelduh]

How to Not Kill a Ginger (High School Au!)

Part 5 to the series hehehe

Parts: 1 2 3 4

Pairing: Childe x fem!reader

Synopsis: Childe’s stomach stirs when you take care of him, and he’s not sure if it’s because of his major crush on you or just plain old diarrhea.

Warnings: Swearing. Graphic descriptions involving the true idiocy of teenage boys.

Words: Abt 2.6k

Note: Sorry I sort of half assed this. I have big ideas for the next part tho ✨😮‍💨

If there's one thing you're sure of, it's that Teucer knows how to throw one hell of a tantrum.

Him and his brother, Anthon, under your watch, manage to get into a petty squabble that's been airing for the last fifteen minutes. You've done everything, from offering candy to promising an extra hour on the switch, but your efforts do not bear fruit.

What did you tell Childe again? Oh yeah, that babysitting kids was a breeze. Apparently it's not a breeze. Maybe something more like a shart. A chunky, messy one at that.

"Listen dude," You reason to Anthon, the oldest of the bunch gently. "Where did you hide his toy?"

Anthon sticks a tongue out at you, and you nearly cry at the intensity of the insult. "Not telling."

Your patience runs thin.

"C'mon Anthon," Tonia lectures from her chair on the table like the godsend she is. "Just give him his toy back. You're being so annoying." She's taking the words right out of your mouth.

"Not until he apologizes!" Anthon crosses his arms, huffing. "He ate my cheese string!"

"There are more cheese strings!" You exclaim, opening the fridge to prove your point. "I'm sure Teucer's sorry for taking yours. Just pick another one."

"But it's not the same! He took the last cheddar and mozzarella one, now there are only mozzarella ones left." He speaks in between Teucer's wails. You wonder if this is a daily occurrence.

Tonia sighs, gets up from her chair, and hands the eldest her cheese string. "Just take this and give him his toy back."

Almost immediately, Anthon reaches a hand behind the tv table and pulls out the miniature Mr. Cyclops, then throws it point blank at Teucer's feet.

Teucer wails louder.

You pinch the bridge of your nose, shoulders sagging under the stress of being a temporary teenage mother.

Then you take a deep breathe, voice booming over Teucer's cries, Anthon's grumbling, and the clicking of Tonia's tongue. "Let's make a cake!"

Everything in the room stills. Even Teucer's loud cries comes to a halt, and he inhales so sharply that the streak of snot over his lip goes right back into its origin.

You wince inadvertently.

"Poggers!" Anthon cheers, and his siblings join in, laughing and clapping in excitement.

Tonia's eyes widen in confusion when she briefly pauses from her rally. "Wait a minute. What are we celebrating? We can't bake a cake for no reason! It won't taste nearly as good."

Everyone stops to ponder.

Then you snap your fingers in realization, and the kids huddle around you. "How about a 'get well better' cake for your big brother?"

They erupt in cheers again, but you shush them gently, wink an eye for extra measure. "We have to be quiet! He won't get better if we wake him."

The three nod in understanding and begin shushing each other, failing to conceal their giggles.

As you watch them making their way into the kitchen, bounce in their steps, you can't stop the warm smile that reaches your eyes.

That smile soon becomes a frown of horror when Anthon cracks an egg over Tonia's head.

-

The cake is not half as bad as you thought it would be initially. Between mixing the ingredients and ceasing the kids minus Tonia from being menaces to society, you were able to find middle ground.

Eventually Anthon found interest in finding ways to lick the batter whenever you turned around, and Teucer found comfort in your left leg, latching onto it as if it were a life line.

Just like how Venti latches onto his stupid little bottle of wine disguised as a water bottle. Seriously, you’ve never talked to him sober, and at this point are afraid of what’s he’s like lucid.

Tonia had been the only one taking things seriously for the most part, except for the sprinkles-to-icing ratio. She drowned the entire cake in sprinkles, the mere sight adding on the ghost of an ache in your teeth.

It looks like twilight sparkles took a fat dump on it.

"Okay besties," You inwardly curse yourself for giving into Gen-Z vocabulary as you brush your hands on the apron. "I think we've done a pretty decent job."

"It looks so pretty!" Tonia grins widely, eyeing the edible pearls she strategically placed. She quickly strikes down a finger Anthon tried to poke into the icing, with the accuracy of a true warrior.

You shudder at the thought of Childe teaching her how to stab someone with safety scissors.

"Can we add candles?" Teucer asks, but Tonia clicks her tongue in distaste.

"It's not a birthday cake." She crosses her arms judgementally. The power in her glare reminds you of La Signora, strangely enough.

You ruffle his copper coloured locks anyways, and his grip on your thigh tightens. "We can add candles if you want Teucer."

He nods his head and snuggles deeper into the side of your leg. Your heart warms up considerably.

After the candles are poked in, you try to shrug him off. "C'mon dude, just for five minutes. You don't want me to drop the cake before your brother can get a bite do you?"

Reluctantly, he obliges, and runs off to help Tonia collect utensils to take up to Childe's room.

Anthon's on door duty, kicking away any toys that serve as obstacles in your way like a professional soccer player.

Once you four make it up the stairs in front of the designated room, Anthon doesn't bother knocking. He barges in like he owns the place, chin up high and a signature smirk on his face that he probably learnt from his older brother.

Childe fumbles awake, kicking the air whilst in shock by the chaotic sound of the door hitting the wall and Teucer screaming "Happy Birthday!" at the top of his miniature sized lungs as he runs in to plop right on top of his older brother.

His bewildered expression soon turns into something of a loving smile as he begins to process what is happening, eyes lighting up despite the deep bags that frame them.

Tonia places the plates on his side table, right next to the empty soup bowl you placed there earlier. She climbs up onto the bed as well to join in on the hug.

Anthon approaches at last, hands in his pockets as he coolly acknowledges his older brother. Instead of a bone-crushing hug like the other two are indulging in, his opts for a fist bump that Childe happily reciprocates.

Then finally, between the shield that are his siblings, his cerulean eyes land on your near the doorway, then trail down to the cake in your oven-mittened hands. He averts his gaze back to your own, and grins so wide his cheeks start to throb.

"Big brother! We made you cake." Teucer moves his head from his chest to face him. "So you can get better."

Childe's laughs ring in your ears, but you don't shy away from the sound. It's a pleasant, something that you wish to hear more of in the near future. Sure enough he laughs a lot at school, but the genuineness of it at home, surrounded by his siblings, stirs something deep within you.

"How thoughtful of you." He ruffles his hair, then his eyes widen as he ushers the two off of him. "You guys can't be near me! I don't want you to fall ill as well."

"But-but how will we feed you the cake without getting close to you?" Tonia frowns, and her two brothers nod in unison.

You chuckle lightly, approaching the bed with the cake in your hands. "I'm sure he has enough strength to feed himself. The hugs and kisses surely must've energized him."

To be honest, Childe's all green in the face and the last thing on his mind would be to indulge in the cake. You understand the feeling all to well. With his nose clogged up, throat all sore, there's no way he'll stomach it. It took a lot of nagging on your part to get him to finish the soup earlier as well.

He blows the candles anyways, clapping along his siblings and letting Tonia drop a fat chunk of the golden cake onto his plate. You find it endearing, regrettably so. His dedication to keeping their dreams is admirable in more ways than you can count.

This is the same guy that wears meme shirts to school, topped off with douchey sunglasses to give him a pristine vibe. The same guy that punches holes in walls like a Kyle. The very boy that flexes his toned biceps in-front of you during lunch time, successfully ruining your appetite.

"Wait a minute..." Childe inspects the cake closely, narrowing in on the candles. "Why is there an eleven?"

Teucer scratches his neck sheepishly. "Those were the only candles we had left."

After another short-lived laugh, Childe manages a bite as everyone stares in expectation, the sound of a tight crunch enveloping the room, making you grimace in secret. If Childe feels like puking out his guts right now, he's doing a hell of a job hiding it from his darling siblings.

You're glad nobody forces you to take a bite, or it would've been a double homicide right then and there.

Soon enough, one by one the children file out of the room, satisfied with their visit. The reality is that they don't want to miss an episode of backyardigans.

Once they leave, you approach him with a napkin. He gets the gist, spitting out the remnants of the cake you slaved over for about two hours.

"Colour me impressed." You snort, moving the cake aside so you can take a seat on the open space next to him. "How're you feeling?"

"Amazing." He exclaims, eyes red like a crackhead's, nose runny, with goosebumps kissing his pale skin. He sure does look...amazing.

"Cool." You say, abruptly getting up. "I'm gonna vibe with the kid—"

His hand shoots out from underneath the blanket, clammy palms wrapping around your wrist to keep you locked in place. You gulp in anticipation.

"You kissed me." Childe reminds you, eyes twinkling in mischief, a vicious grin plastered over his stupidly handsome face.

You try not to choke on your words. "You have circumstantial evidence at most." No attempts are utilized to pull away from him.

He raises a teasing brow, and you give in because the tension is thick. Thicker than the tension between Albedo and Kaeya when the latter shamelessly unzips his front to show more of his biddies. You have no idea why he hasn’t been dress coded yet.

"Fine." You snap out of your impure thoughts, and huff out, frustrated all over. "I kissed you on the cheek."

"Still a kiss though."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes. Also, cute nails." He points out, hand moving down to grasp your fingers. The act is intimate, his caress gentle and caring. Despite his brash, violent personality, he shows you a completely different side to him that hatches butterflies in your stomach.

"Thanks." You show off the bright jewels on your index. "You have a real nail technician in the house."

Tonia has some serious talent.

When he taps one of the jewels, you slap his hand away. "Careful there dude. These cost me a fortune."

His chuckles die down and he smiles again, but this time apologetically. "They didn't trouble you too much did they? I know they can be loud."

"I like loud." You answer him truthfully. "They're fun to be around. Not nearly as chaotic as you."

He blinks in mock offence, eyes narrowing shrewdly. "You come into my house, talk to my siblings, and have the nerve to insult me? Right after taking advantage of me?"

"If you don't shut up, I'll also have the nerve to rip you a new one." You reply dryly with the innocent curl of your lips.

"Bet."

You're about to lunge at him and scream a string of obscenities that no one has ever heard of before, but the Archons are listening and you don't want his siblings to grow up without someone to look up to. Wait a minute—scratch that. You'd be doing them a favour if you wiped his existence right here and now.

You have a fragile heart though. So you sigh, and grab a fistful of sheets in both hands instead.

Childe's grin turns into a petrified scowl.

"Oh no," He pleads, weakly fighting you back. "Have mercy! Please!"

You have loads of mercy. Just not enough for him.

When you have him wrapped in a successful bundle, Childe can’t help but beam, laying limp in his confines.

“What are you smiling about?” You inquire, pulling out the medicine from his box, pausing momentarily in shock. “Wait a minute, don’t tell me you’re into these things you freak.” Head snaps up so fast you nearly suffer from whiplash.

He’s about to answer you but his words turn into a fit of shallow coughs.

“I’m into whatever you’re into.” Childe’s shrug is nonchalant. “Even if that means I have to be tied up. Kinky by the way.” He winks, and you roll your eyes, cheeks flushing in embarrassment as you hold the spoon up. The dark reddish medicine swirls in deep hues.

“Shut up and open your mouth.”

“Girlie, I don’t think you understand how contradicting that statement is.”

You momentarily wonder if it’s too late to abort yourself.

—

Childe awakens at the crack ass of night, sweat slick, sticky all over, tousled hair sticking to his forehead. He’s a panting mess, eyes darting around the dark room, inhaling, exhaling, mind in a haze from the fever. Gaining somewhat of a grip on reality, he fumbles around to turn on his lamp, throat parched and in need of water.

When he manages to find the switch, he recoils at the brightness, adjusting to the sudden change in his vision. On his side table, there’s a bologna sandwich tucked safely in plastic wrap, a glass of room temperature water, and a bottle of painkillers.

His eyes disregard most of the things, finding interest in the bright pink sticky note next to the painkillers. Unable to ignore the dryness of his throat and the pounding of his head, he quickly gulps a pill down with most of the water, instantly feeling the relief of hydration.

Then, he pounces on the note, giddiness overtaking him despite the pang in his muscles, and the general feeling of absolute shit.

I had to leave. Don’t worry about your siblings, they’re all tucked in and fine. Except for Anthon maybe. Apparently he’s mildly lactose intolerant and thought it was a good idea to overdose on chocolate milk when I was busy with Teucer. Anyways, get better soon stupid.

— Y/N

He safely tucks the note under his pillow, edges of his lips turned upwards, warmth flooding his veins when he takes another look around his surroundings.

The room itself is cleaned, floor cleared from the initial clutter and the cool shiny collector’s knives he buys off of Amazon safely hung over the wall, not littered on his desk like they usually are.

The homework he was supposed do, but most likely wouldn’t, is already completed, stacked neatly atop each other.

Childe swears his heart bursts in his chest, exploding into tiny particles that overheat his entire body.

There’s no way in hell a few days worth of homework is gonna bring his failing mark up, but then again it’s the thought that counts.

While the sandwich is catered to his nausea, bland and plain for easy digestion, an easy fill, it’s the best meal he’s ever had in his life.

[fallowdoe]

Human Pets

Uniting the realms is a tricky task - part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4 

TW!! Mention of dubious consent, suicide, dehumanization, cruel treatment of humans and some minor spoilers for the chats in the early stages of the game

I've been thinking about how the sense of purpose in one's life is what seems to be the main drive in our lives. Being put in a restrained and somewhat hedonistic mindset can drive you away from the purpose in your life and mess with your head.

I think the main topic here is to first point out what is the general attitude towards human pets in the devildom. The first thing that comes to your mind might be "HA! Kinky!" but I like to headcanon it as a much more elaborate topic. As I mentioned in previous instalments in this series, to a common demon a human is nothing more than a lower form of being. While human kink is probably a popular thing since the beginning of the exchange program, the idea of human pets is more of an everyday domestic business topic. Even the lifespan ratio is similar to our pets.

Because, besides being food, humans are just exotic high-maintenance pets. Excluding the ones that have to be treated more seriously because of their power, of course, the thought of collaring a talking, fully conscious dog might make you question whether should you be collaring any dogs at all, hence why no one even considers trying to, let's call it, domesticate, for example, Solomon or Maddi.

It's something like having a monkey. Not everyone can afford it, they require a lot of time, money and attention after all. I bet there is a ton of demon influencers whose content revolves around their human pets.

With how much goes into caring for such a pet there are probably official breeders, honestly, I don't think it would be possible to reach the desired level of obedience and mindlessness with a human who wasn't raised like this from the start. Some more experienced raisers would probably start working with their pets as soon as the babies can be taken away from their mothers. Less invested and regular owners would probably buy off already trained and grown pets.

It is deemed extremely unprofessional and needlessly cruel to try and tame unwilling grown humans. They tried it a million times and it never worked, even if some demons managed to make it quite far, there was still a giant difference between those raised to be pets and the previously free ones. At some point, there were probably laws made to regulate it better, but I doubt it was ever taken seriously. While snatching a random human was a cheaper service than buying one designated to be a pet, no one wants to do that anymore since it's just inconvenient and more trouble than it's worth.

So, what does a human pet need? A doctor, or should we say a vet? That's a whole different profession that requires a lot of education and experience. Early in the game we receive a chat about some medical exams MC was appointed to, I like to think that secretly, tho we know what are the boys like with secrets, they got us one of the famed human vets. The whole appointment would be like a childhood flashback since the doctor would probably only talk about the results with Lucifer and Diavolo. We might even get some candy for being well behaved. lol

The general attitude towards those pets wouldn't stray too far from how we perceive domesticated animals. They're cute and entertaining, some care more for them, some dislike them and treat them poorly, but an average demon wouldn't mistreat them for no reason, a regular human is a whole different story, but these are special for a reason.

When it comes to exactly how conscious are they I think that they're not entirely mindless and stupid, since a human's charm is their mind. I imagine they're taught the basics, maybe how to write, read, some basic math. They can communicate on a decent level and are capable of more complex ideas such as understanding art. They're however missing the sense of purpose which puts them in a lazy and ambitionless state of mind.

A good owner would definitely gain the love and trust of their pet and just like for us abusing your pets is a no-no, for demons, it's also deemed as socially unacceptable. If you're living like this, with all of your needs fulfilled and with someone caring for you, you don't really need the sense of higher purpose and can just succumb your mind entirely to this hedonistic lifestyle, thus why the pets don't seek freedom, most of them wouldn't even be able to imagine or comprehend such an idea.

Now what everyone's been waiting for: SEX! I headcanon that most owners do have sexual relationships with their pets, this is where we stray from the similarities between human and demon pet owners. There is a big difference between regular and human pets. Human pet, arguably, tho this is my headcanon, has the necessary mind resources to understand what is consent and, well, consent. Because why wouldn't they tho? As mentioned before, they live a hedonistic lifestyle, and being raised in the devildom they recognize their sexual needs as basic, without the religious and cultural stigma around it's deemed as something completely casual. While some owners abuse their power over them, again, most are attentive and wouldn't harm their pets.

Human-demon pregnancies are very rare and in this specific case very unwanted, thankfully devildom has a ton of contraceptive spells for such situations, I can even imagine some permanent spells being placed on the pets that would make it impossible to successfully mate with a demon.

In general, an average human pet is a simple-minded creature, living a content life within its owners care. In many cases, of course, they aren't so lucky and end up being abused, just like in our world, there is a ton of rescued pets or even cases of suicide. But overall, it's not a terrible life to be born into, it's purposeless and devoid of deeper meaning, but for some, it's enough.

Now about the present day. Since Diavolo started working towards his goal, he had to do something about this. Imagine how awkward and uneasy would be trying to explain this whole concept to a regular human, let alone one you've suddenly brought to your domain. Solomon must've been aware of this previously, but MC would be forced to face an existential crisis every time they encounter a mention of it. It is impossible to make it all disappear so quickly. I imagine that slowly new regulations would be put in place, and Diavolo would slowly work towards eliminating the breeding, and simply wait for all of the pets to die off naturally since they would never be able to live an independent lifestyle. Before bringing MC to the Devildom the regulations regarding public spaces would be made, no ads, no offers, nothing that would make Devildom seem too extreme for humans to have political relations with.

When Diavolo brings MC to the devildom their task isn't really only to represent the more mundane part of humanity, but in reality to convince its citizens that humans aren't silly little pets and deserve to be seen as more or less equal.

But first, the most important would be to convince everyone at RAD, the brothers, and ultimately himself that MC is just as complex as they are. I can imagine that Diavolo absolutely would have had human pets in the past. He would make the distinction between magical humans who are not to be messed with and the regular humans, but MC is just a fragile, cute and defenceless creature. He tries his hardest from the start not to let his old habits show, but especially at the beginning of the program, he did tend to randomly pet MC or baby them too much.

The brothers must've been struggling too, being told to treat this random human-like their equal. Those who have contact with humans probably struggled less, I think Asmo, Satan and Levi would be the ones to look over their prejudices the quickest. Mammon might struggle since being assigned MC's guardian does kinda feel like being given a pet to look after. Belphie had to treat them normally to convince them to help them and Beel probably was focused more on trying to not treat them as a meal.  Lucifer would struggle the most, he already had so much work because of this whole exchange and now it was being expected of him to treat this little troublesome human-like it's equal to him, the literal avatar of pride. I think at the beginning of the exchange it would show that whenever they were somewhere in public he would try to play it as if they were his pet, since as I mentioned it is a matter of social status.

In general, the brother would probably at first treat MC pet-like. Watching what they eat so they don't poison themselves. Having to treat all of their injuries, in general watching after all of their needs. Think of how Asmo is since MC's first days in the Devildom buying them clothes and offering to help them with self-care, or how often do the brothers check in with us even if nothing happened. Before they can be captivated by the real MC it looks like they are just a cute little human they got assigned to care for and they treat MC as such.

I wanted to elaborate on how some creeps are fantasizing about making Diavolo's precious exchange student their pet, but I think it goes into the next instalment in the series which will be about demons with human kinks.

[fereldanwench]

wench's very basic gif tutorial [photoshop]

@screechingtrashbarbarian asked me how I make my gifs, so I figured I'd throw together a little guide. ♥ This won't cover doing any kind of overlays, uniformed aspect ratio for gif sets, or adding text, but it should give the basics on converting a video into a semi-decent-quality gif.

What You Need:

Video capture software (I use the built-in screen capture from Nvidia, but there are so many free options available these days. I know Windows 10 also has an Xbox overlay you can use.)

Photoshop (I use the most recent version of it, but I've been using this process for about 5 years now. Some specific functions might be labeled slightly differently, but the gist of it should be the same.)

1. Record your video. The higher the quality your video, the higher the quality your gif, but you don't need to go nuts here. I record at my default HD screen resolution (1920x1080), but for smaller gifs, 720p will probably be fine, too.

2. In Photoshop, go to File > Import > Video Frames to Layers... and select your video. (If you don't see your video, it's probably not in a format that's compatible with Photoshop. I record in .mp4 just to keep it simple.)

3. When you get this popup, choose Selected Range Only and Limit to Every [#] Frames*. (Make Frame Animation should also be selected, but I think this is a default setting.)

Now use the sliders under the video preview to select the specific scene you want to gif. You don't have to be 100% precise here, and it's better to overshoot as you can delete the excess frames once it imports.

* Photoshop defaults this option to 2 frames, but depending on how long the scene is you want to gif, you might need to increase this to 3 or 4. My personal rule of thumb is that 540px shouldn't have more than 40 max frames, and anything smaller can go as high as 50 frames. Typically, though, I shoot for 20-30 frames per gif to keep the file size small while still keeping the quality decent.

However, if you find that skipping a lot of frames is making your animation look really choppy, you might want to consider breaking the scene up into 2 (or more) gifs.

4. Once you're happy with your range and frame setting, click OK and your workspace will now look something like this (emphasis on the Timeline and Layers windows):

5. Now I play the frame animation (the little triangle icon at the bottom of the Timeline bar) to make sure 1) I got the scene I wanted and 2) to see how I need to adjust the speed.

Photoshop defaults to .02 seconds, which is usually way too fast. Typically, I set my speed around .12 to .15 seconds, but the exact speed can vary depending on each project--Somewhere between .1 and .2 is often the sweet spot. Use the playback option to get a feel for how fast it moves, but don't be deterred if it seems slightly too jerky when you slow it down--I find that it smooths out a bit once you export the gif.

(If you're really unsure about the speed, you can always preview the gif by going to Export > Save for Web (Legacy) and taking a look at how it generates.)

6. If you do have some excess frames in your animation that you want to delete, first select the frames. Then click on the Timeline menu and choose Delete Frames.

7. I also recommend deleting the layers that corresponded with the deleted frames. These layers won't do anything if you don't delete them (provided you don't do anything wonky by accident), but removing them helps keep the file size smaller and your workspace a little more manageable.

To delete the layers, simply select the layers and click the trash can icon.

8. Now I resize the image to whatever I want the gif to be. You can also use the crop tool like normal if you want to adjust the aspect ratio. For the sake of simplicity, we'll just drop this down to 540px in width.

(If you notice that the quality of your images doesn't look right after resizing, play with the Resample options. Certain settings are more suitable for certain color palettes, graphics styles, etc.)

At this point, you have what you need for a finished gif. Just go to Export > Save for Web (Legacy) and choose the gif option that will suit Tumblr's size restriction while still looking good.

However, if you want to make a few more aesthetic changes, read on:

While you can technically edit frame-by-frame and adjust colors using Adjustment Layers stacked on top of all the frames and layers, it can be tedious and clunky and not always worth the effort.

So I prefer to use the Video Timeline/Smart Filter option:

9. In the Timeline menu, go to Convert to Video Timeline.

10. Now select all your layers, and go to Filter > Convert for Smart Filters. (Click OK if you get a popup explaining what the action will do.)

Your workspace should now look like this, with one single item under Timeline and one single item under Layers.

11. The first thing I like to do is run the Smart Sharpen filter: select your layer, go to Filter > Sharpen > Smart Sharpen. These are typically the settings I use, but this is another situation where you might need to tweak settings based on the type of gif you're making.

12. Now I play with some color correction. Again, the exact settings will vary on every project and can require a little trial and error, but I mostly use the Levels and Hue/Saturation options to make them a little brighter and more vibrant. (Lately, I've been on a kick of desaturating yellows a bit and increasing reds and blues. You can isolate the specific colors you want to edit in the dropdown menu of the Hue/Saturation module.)

If I'm doing a gifset, I also prefer to do these edits as layers (Layer > New Adjustment Layer) rather than as direct image adjustments, so I can just copy the layer over to my other gifs. But, since you converted these to a Smart Object, you can use the direct image adjustment options instead (Image > Adjustments > [Choose your poison]).

You do want to be cautious about having too many colors in your palette, however. A lot of color means a very large file size and often a lot of dithering if the gif file type can't support all the colors in your file. I did recently learn about this trick to help clean up color noise a bit, but it's kind of tedious and I don't know that the payoff is totally worth it. (I tried it with this set, and ehhhhh. You can be the judge.)

13. Once you're happy with your colors, you get to export! Go to Export > Save for Web (Legacy) and on this window, choose the 4-Up option to see the choices you have available:

Usually, the choice in the top right is the best option, but not always. And if you're unhappy with all of them, you can cancel the export option and go back and tweak the colors.

This is the end result! It's actually a little faster than I would have liked (granted, that could also be because the scene I'm making a gif of is kind of fast-paced--little things like this can also affect gif quality), and the colors could probably be tweaked a little more, but that's the gist of it!

[helianyx]

Genshin Impact Ask Game - Answered!

1. How long have you been playing?

Right around launch, like, I think a couple days after?  I've definitely taken a few breaks though. (Most of which I regret because- please rerun your damn events MHY.)

2. Why did you start playing?

K-Kaeya... Several months earlier my nephew told me about it and we were checking out the website and I went big ol' heart eyes and whoo my interest was piqued.

3. What is your AR?

I just hit 57 recently.

4. Who is your best character (build wise)?

Oof that's hard, because I am Not Smart when it comes to building. Zhongli and Kokomi are decently solid, so is Yae, but Xiao (newest) really got lucky with artifacts so I feel like he's got the most "concise", ‘doesn’t need a lot more tweaking’, build so far?

5. Who is your worst character (build wise)?

Zhongli also exists here. His crit rate to dmg ratio is awful. But otherwise, so many 4*’s that are just straight up neglected. Pretty much all of them except Alloy and Yun Jin are fully uncapped though. We'll go with Alloy.

6. Who is your highest leveled character?

Uhh... Zhongli, Albedo, Kokomi, Tartaglia, Xiao, Kazuha, Yae Miko, Yoimiya, Traveler, and Qiqi are all 90.

7. What character do you main?

Maining a single character is such a foreign concept to me. Probably? I imagine? because I don't really do a whole lot of coop beyond just playing with my bff and we're always rotating our teams around however we please/need. But the above listed characters are most likely to get picked + Ayato (who I'm working on and is at 80 rn).

8. What is your main team?

Same as above, it changes a lot. Zhongli, Kazuha, Albedo, and Kokomi is 'one' of my main teams, but right now I'm playing around with Xiao, Ayato, Yae Miko, and Qiqi - or I swap around any of those eight however I need.

9. What are your spiral abyss teams?

People actually do that? /j (I don’t do that /nj)

10. Who is your favorite character?

Impossible! Gosh so many... Zhongli, Albedo, Xiao, Kaeya, Yae Miko, Kokomi, Lumine are up there, and Kazuha is like... the definition of a 'comfort character' to me, he's just so soothing. If I'm idling around, it's him, or Albedo out on screen. That said, Zhongli's aesthetics, his looks, everything about him is just so charming... 😩 Yeah, him, Kazu, Xiao and Albedo are definitely at the top. (For not playable characters though, I love Dain! And I have a stupid amount of love for Xavier and Enjou.)

11. Who is your least favorite character?

Hm... From [current] playable characters, I really can't say. There are some I find a little annoying here or there, but it's usually something small like, I don't like their voice acting (RazorRazorRazorRazor). I can't stand Alice though. A lot of the concepts around her and snippets we’ve got so far bother me, but I'll try reserving judgment until she's actually in game.

12. What's your favorite part of the gameplay?

Exploration and everything that comes with it! Puzzles, treasure, staring off into the distance and going "gosh I can see [landmark from another country] from here!" Zigzagging between 'ooh what's that!' and 'ooh treasure!' and 'ooh challenge!' is so much fun exploring new areas. I also do enjoy like, 'new mechanics' that come with new areas...

13. What's your least favorite part of the gameplay?

But also 'new mechanics' that come with new areas. Even if I pretty much always get used to it and have fun, sometimes it's just A Lot. Also, Spiral Abyss can go die in a fire. Sick of so many cool events that could be added as extra permanent game modes being temporary.

14. What is your favorite cutscene?

They're all so good???? Right now the most recent one [2.7 with Xiao] lives rent free in my brain. But the post-Osial Liyue cutscene had me in such awe it’s unforgettable. Also that time Raiden Shogun almost cut Traveler's head off and Kazuha activated a second vision to save us? AUGH SO GOOD SO GOOD.

15. Who is a character you don't have but want?

EULA. I just realized now with Xiao she's the only character I REALLY want but don't have now. (I'd like Venti and Raiden but not as much as I NEED Miss Eula.)

16. Have you ever won a 50/50?

; ; yes! For a long time, the only 50/50 I won was Zhongli on his original banner and every time I lost after that I was just like "welp, I won ZHONGLI on 50/50 so I can't be too dissatisfied" (spoiler: i was, i worked my ass off for so many of these bitches 😩). But recently Ayato and Xiao both came on 50/50 too. 🥺<3<3<3

17. Who was the first character you pulled?

Other than the "promoted" Noelle, Ningguang <3

18. Who was your first 5 star character?

Diluc!

19. If you're currently saving to pull for someone, who?

The rumored Su-inspired character... Or Baizhu... Characters that are very far off. I'm suffering from gambling addiction want-to-use-my-primos-itis.

20. Do you prefer Mondstadt, Liyue, or Inazuma?

I think about this (amusingly) quite a lot when playing. They're all charming in their different ways... Mondstadt was where the adventure first began, and it's so idyllic and peaceful. It's PROBABLY my most preferred just on account of it being where I always go for this and that, or just to idle around at times. But Liyue isn't slouching here: I remember when traveling in Liyue, when something pulled us back to Mondstadt, I'd be like "Home<3<3<3" but just the same, when traveling in Inazuma, when something pulled us back to Liyue, I'd also be like "Home<3<3<3" X'D

On the other hand, Inazuma... is beautiful, but it doesn't invoke those kinds of feelings for me (we'll have to see how I feel once Sumeru drops XD). Instead there's just so much depth and SADNESS everywhere, which I appreciate a lot in it's own right. I'd say of the three, Inazuma is possibly the most "memorable"? At least in terms of like... pretty much everywhere I go there, all of these bittersweet memories from the questlines bubble up.