#egor imagines

[sigilmint]

moment of silence for the beautiful 90s goth coat i just purchased to turn into gortash's outfit

[gnosticskittering]

I think that grob and that general anti authoritarian vibe rlly encapsulates how I feel about the world and the state haha.. like I got put in a psych ward I get out I fry my brain and boom now I’m a dumb anarchist who is obsessed with a dumb religious concept that got stuck in my brain but yeah kill the state within yourself and all that :> maybe I’m just a rat I think yeah

[wehaveagathering]

Just curious, what was the skate like irl? Who didn’t even finish/ who did better than the rest??

Oh, I love you for this question. Buckle up.

First of all, I think there are a bunch of misconceptions about what 👹Tort's Rope👹 actually is and how it works. I had not a clue how it worked until today, and literally a week ago I thought Torts was tying ropes to hockey players and having them drag each other around the ice... Not how it works.

So, John Tortorella's bag skate. First, the rope is marked in large sections and tied between two goals, placed a little closer together than usual. The players are split up into 4 groups of approximately 4 players each and sent to the four corners of the rink. When Torts blows his whistle, one player from each group completes 4 laps of the goals and returns to their corner; the next player up is sent off on his own laps, and so on and so forth. Once each player in each group has completed his first four laps, the two goals are widened to a new length marked on the rope and the first player is back up. It's not a test of time or speed; it's a test of endurance.

(Those numbers are rough estimates based off of what I saw today — it could be three laps, and I don't know how many reps they did. The actual schedule says 3x8 Lap which is the technical term for 👹Tort's Rope👹 but I thought I saw four laps. Eight reps sounds about right, too. Whatever! The actual numbers don't matter too much.)

What matters is that the player completes his laps and returns to his origination point, no matter how tired he is. His teammates can give him a pat on the back, or some tips and pointers, or they can stare into the blank void of space and consider a new career path. Whatever it is, he has to finish. So "not finishing" isn't really an option unless someone throws up or passes out or dies. And no one did that — so technically, everyone finished.

Some people certainly had an easier time than others. I noticed that Michkov and Bonk struggled quite a bit, and Jamie didn't look too thrilled either.

Travis Ballinghoff.

Which kinda sucked, because I was really rooting for them. But holy shit, Michkov was struggling. Charlie O Connor actually said in the PHLY podcast today that he noticed Michkov kind of cut his final lap short at one point and that John Tortorella came over to him and was like yo. can't do that. And for the rest of the time he pulled through.

Egor Zamula kept getting yelled at. "Let's go, Z! Keep skating, Z!" He also kept getting lapped by Rasmus Ristolainen. Tyson Foerster had "kill me now" face (see Bonk above) but Foerster does tend to have a pretty expressive face. Sean Couturier kept getting help from TK, who skated right behind him for the most part and kept pushing him forward with his stick. He even admitted it.

It seemed to me that most of the guys from last year, the returning ones, were the ones that did the best. Farabee, Frost, Tippett, Hathaway, Poehling, Laughton — they all had a routine in between their laps that they used to help keep them going, whether it was motivatinal or physiological or psychological. Farabee and Hathaway skated up and down the rope, in the center of the lapping players. Tippett stretched on the boards. (He's flexible. 👀)

It was interesting to watch who was fast, though. Ronnie Attard looked like he was having the time of his fucking life, and he actually did very well! Carter Sotheran has resting happy face, but I can't imagine he was having any fun. Jett Luchanko was certainly winded, but pulled through with minimal painful expressions. (Erik Johnson went on the record to say Luchanko looked like he didn't even have to try.) Zayde Wisdom, Noah Cates and Cam York all paced themselves well. But everyone, no matter who it was, was slowing down by the second or third rep — very visibly. It looked awful.

And then — and then! — they had to do shuttles. This one was in groups of four — started at one end, raced to the other end, tight turn, back to the original spot. Then a group of four at the opposite end, who were waiting, would do the same, and the small groups would switch off. They must have done at least five reps. No one fared well on these. No one. They were all lagging by the second rep.

Anyway, to answer your question, it was loud, and it was cold, and hockey players are big. The tallest ones were like hovering a foot over me (looking at you, Matteo Mann, what the fuck are you so tall for??) and even Michkov at 5'11 looked fucking ginormous. And his group was right near me — him, Frost, Seeler, and Lycksell. Frost was tiring but I could see him grit his teeth and grind out his laps. I assume after the emotional pain of John Tortorella, Frosty can handle the physical pain too. After one of his laps was done he gave Michkov a lil side hug. It was really cute!

Travis Ballinghoff.

Off topic, but stick "taps" — that's bad nomenclature, right there. A stick "tap" at the Vorhees TC sounds like a car backfiring.

At the end of every group's torture, they settled down for a circle stretch. TK went around the first one talking to guys and grinning and laughing. He looked like a leader. The second one Joel was going around making every guy give him a little fistbump. Then the third one was actually led by Spencer Gill, who I thought had done reasonably well, especially for having only just been drafted. He held his own.

Thank you for the ask!

[ripempezardexerox]

Dices Merzbow, yo digo Justin Beiber

Dices Boredoms, yo digo Katy Perry

Dices Gerogerigegege, yo digo Skrillex

Dices Coil, yo digo Lady Gaga

Dices Throbbing Gristle, yo digo Black Eyed Peas

Dices Whitehouse, yo digo Taylor Swift

Dices Nurse With Wound, yo digo Bruno Mars

Dices Einstürzende Neubauten, yo digo Maroon 5

Dices Brainbombs, yo digo Drake

Dices Egor Letov, yo digo One Direction

Dices Death in June, yo digo LMFAO

Dices Current 93, yo digo Beyonce

Dices La Monte Young, yo digo Carly Rae Jepsen

Dices Moondog, yo digo Kelly Clarkson

Dices Lou Harrison, yo digo Coldplay

Dices Henry Cowell, yo digo PSY

Dices Luigi Russolo, yo digo Imagine Dragons

Dices Popol Vuh, yo digo Lana Del Ray

Dices Fishmans, yo digo Ellie Goulding

Dices Jean Jacques Perrey, yo digo P!nk

Dices Les Rallizes Dénudés, yo digo Owl City

Dices Rainbow Caroliner, yo digo Carrie Underwood

Dices Taj Mahal Travellers, yo digo Christina Aguilera

Dices Fushitsusha, yo digo Ariana Grande

Dices Peter Brötzmann, yo digo Rihanna

Dices John Cage, yo digo Jennifer Lopez

Dices Scott Walker, yo digo Ed Sheeran

Dices Unwound, yo digo Mumford & Sons

Dices Dead, yo digo Tyga

Dices Frank Zappa, yo digo Shakira

Dices Morton Feldman, yo digo Macklemore

Dices Captain Beefheart, yo digo Big Time Rush

Dices Pharoah Sanders, yo digo Akon

Dices Albert Ayler, yo digo Foster the People

Dices Ornette Coleman, yo digo The Weeknd

Dices Alice Coltrane, yo digo Panic! at the Disco

Dices Arnold Schoenberg, yo digo Florida Georgia Line

Dices Pierre Boulez, yo digo Big Sean

Dices György Ligeti, yo digo Gym Class Heroes

Dices Karlheinz Stockhausen, yo digo Miley Cyrus

Dices Nang Nang, yo digo The Lumineers

Dices Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, yo digo Jay-Z

Dices Nara Leão, yo digoCharlie Puth

Dices Basic Channel, yo digo Mac Miller

Dices Raymond Scott, yo digo Twenty One Pilots

Dices Delia Derbyshire, yo digo Harry Styles

Dices Daphne Oram, yo digo Charli XCX

Dices Noah Howard, yo digoBTS

Dices Terry Riley, yo digo Iggy Azalea

Dices Peter Sotos, yo digo John Legend

Dices Lula Côrtes e Zé Ramalho, yo digo OneRepublic

Dices Boyd Rice, yo digo Migos

Dices Mahmoud Ahmed, yo digo Logic

Dices Henry Flynt, yo digo Bastille

Dices Kazumoto Endo, yo digo Five Seconds of Summer

Dices David Tudor, yo digo Pentatonix

Dices Aporea, yo digo The Chainsmokers

Dices Half Japanese, yo digo Fall Out Boy

Dices Mega Banton, yo digo David Guetta

Dices Secret Chiefs 3, yo digo Greta Van Fleet

Dices Keiji Haino, yo digo Alicia Keys

Dices Ramleh, yo digo Kanye West

Dices Otomo Yoshihide, yo digo T-Pain

Dices John Zorn, yo digo Lizzo

Dices Joe Meek, yo digo WALK THE MOON

Dices Robbie Basho, yo digo Cardi B

Dices Phil Spector, yo digo EXO

Dices Faxed Head, yo digo Solange

Dices Harry Partch, yo digo Lil Nas X

Dices Wesley Willis, yo digo Disclosure

Dices Fred Frith, yo digo Sam Smith

Dices The Residents, yo digo Michael Buble

Dices Sun Ra, yo digo Paramore

Dices Sun City Girls, yo digo Linkin Park

Dices Hans Krüsi, yo digo Florence + The Machine

Dices Royal Trux, yo digo Rascal Flatts

Dices Jandek, yo digo Eminem

Dices Yat-Kha, yo digo Chance the Rapper

Dices Loren Mazzacane Connors, yo digo Mariah Carey

Dices P��rson Sound, yo digo Snoop Dogg

Dices The Dead C, yo digo Adele

Dices Comus, yo digo Shawn Mendes

Dices Cromagnon, yo digo Chris Brown

Dices Eliane Radigue, yo digo Camilla Cabello

Dices Arthur Doyle, yo digo Halsey

Dices Shizuka, yo digo The 1975

Dices The Red Krayola, yo digo Billie Eilish

Dices Henry Cow, yo digo A$AP Rocky

Dices Magma, yo digo Dua Lipa

Dices Opus Avantra, yo digo Kendrick Lamar

Dices Pan.Thy.Monium., yo digo Nicki Minaj

Dices Murmuüre, yo digo Madonna

Dices Ksiezyc, yo digo Britney Spears

Dices Gong, yo digo Post Malone

Dices Cukor Bila Smert', yo digo Jonas Brothers

Dices cLOUDDEAD, yo opino que te calles

Dices Muslimgauze, ¡¡ YO GRITO POP!!

Dices Kaoru Abe, y te parto la madre

El 92% de la juventud está escuchando Avant Garde Noise. Si eres parte de ese 8% que aun escucha música de verdad, comparte este post a tus contactos de facebook.

¡¡¡¡ No dejes que el espíritu del POP muera !!!!

[vexwerewolf]

Most disappointing thing in all of Deathloop was the fact that you can't disguise yourself as a wolf and go to Alexis Dorsey's Devouring of the Lambs party

It feels so much like you should be able to do that that I actually think it might have been the plan and was cut for some reason

Everyone talks about how everyone knows Colt's face, but the wolf mask is the perfect disguise!

There's so much symbolism! You could literally be a wolf in sheep's clothing - or rather a wolf in wolf's clothing - among a bunch of sheep in wolf's clothing.

Imagine slipping through a fully stacked party with Egor and Wenjie in attendance, taking all three Visionaries out one by one.

Imagine stepping up to the microphone on that meatgrinder stage and describing everything you'd done in the loop so far, and if you'd killed enough people they'd start to applaud for you, until their cheers turn to horrified gasps as they realise exactly who you are

Arkane did us dirty when they didn't give us this, especially after the fact that they did the masquerade ball in Dishonored 1

[gaycompilation]

controversial take i dont think egor was into wenjie like that. its a lot funnier to imagine he's deluded himself into thinking she has repressed feelings for Him and hes sparing her heart somehow by acting like that.

[blackhakumen]

Mini Fanfic #1143: Nightful Turns of Events (SSBU X Star Fox)

8:45 p.m. Outside of the Smashing Movie Theaters........

Falco: (Walks Out of the Theater Along with the Others Besides Him)......What the hell did he just watch in there?

Fox: A horror movie based on Winnie the Blood....Even saying that out loud feels off-putting

Kazooie: (Already Has a Deadpinned Look on her Face) Everything about that movie is off-putting.

Banjo: Yeah, but at least none of his friends were in it besides him and Christopher. (Starts Shivering at the Thought) I don't think I could stomach through seeing Piglet try and kill someone.......

Kazooie: Or Rabbit. The guy's already a neat freak, imagine how that obsession will play out in a horror flick.

Falco: You think that's bad? How's a movie about Tigger pouncing on people to death just for shits and giggles?

Banjo: (Groans and Sworming in Discomfort) Did you have to come up with that idea? Tigger's one of my favorites! Next to Igor. (Grabs his Chin) Whom I don't think he has anything to work with in a horror world.

Falco: Give the team a few weeks. They'll probably make it the most mess up movie you'll ever see on the big screen.

Banjo: (Shivers a Bit in Fear) H-H-How mess up are we takin' here exactly?

Kazooie: Oh, you know, the basic elements for any twisted horror films: body possession, psychological torture, shadow manipulations. Egor's the most depressed out of the bunch so there's PLENTY for them to with in hindsight.

Fox: ('Sigh') Let's just hope, for our sake, that none of these ideas comes to life in the near future-

?????: Fox!~

Fox and the others turn to see his former Star Fox teammate, Krystal, happily waving at him.

Fox: (Smiles Back at Blue as He Makes his Way Over to Her) Krystal, hey! It's been a while. How's it going?

Krystal: As well as it always been thankful. How about me you? (Smirks a Bit Seductively) You're looking dashing than usual this evening~

Fox: (Smiles Sheepishly While Rubbing the Back of his Head Back and Forth and Blushing) O-Oh, you think so?~ (Looks Down at the Clothes He's Wearing) I'm only wearing blue jeans and a jacket. Nothing really special in hindsight.

Banjo: (Whispers into Falco's Ear) So that's the former teammate you told us about?

Falco: (Simply Nodded as He Watches Fox and Krystal Interacting with One Another) Yep. That's definitely Krystal alright.

Kazooie: I'm gonna go on a limp here and say you're not too happy to see her again, are you?

Falco: (Starts Shaking his Hand From Side to Side) Ehhhh....I feel more awkward about it if anything. It's been years since we last heard from her.

Banjo: (Gives Falco a Reassuring Smile) Maybe you two'll get along again if you talk some more.

Krystal: (Notices her Former Teammate Staring at her in the Distance) Falco, is that you!?

Falco: ('Sigh') Only one way to find out....(Puts on a Semi Bright Smile on his Face as He Makes his Way to his Former Teammate with Banjo and Kazooie Following Behind) 'Eyyyyy Krystal! How you been, girl?

Krystal: (Smiles Back at Falco) I've been doing good so far. Not sure if Fox told you yet or not, but I have gotten myself pretty busy now that I've been apart of Corneria's Elite Air Force.

Falco: Moving on up to the big leagues, huh?~ they ain't been working you too hard in there, have they?

Krystal: (Giggles Softly) Not exactly. The experience there has been going along smoothly for the most part. Though, I would be lying if I say things hasn't quite as cheerful without you boys around.

Falco: Yeah......(Starts Chuckling a Bit Awkwardly Before Frowning a Bit and Looking Away) Cheerful.....

Banjo: .....Uhhh (Quickly Sticks his Hand Out Towards Krystal's Point of View) M-My name is Banjo, ma'am! One of the new competitors in the Smash Bros Tournament.

Kazooie: And I'm Kazooie, the only girl who loves this honey bear enough to keep him alive for this long.

Banjo: (Gives Kazooie a Deadpinned Look on his Face) Do you always have to say that to every new people we meet?

Kazooie: (Casually Shrugs) Nothing wrong with throwing in a little honesty here and there, hun.

Banjo: Your honesty can be a real hassle at times.

Kazooie: (Lays her Head onto Banjo's Shoulder) And yet you still love me all the same~

Banjo: (Sighs in Defeat While Blushing a Bit) Yeah......I do.

Krystal: (Giggles Softly as She Shakes Banjo's Hand) It's nice to meet the both of you. I hope the tournament has been treating you well so far-

Before Krystal could finish her sentence, the sound of a slow, sinister sounding whistle managed to catch the gang's attention as they turn to see a black hooded figure standing in the background, holding two sickles in each hand.

Once the whistling ended and he begins to walk closer to the gang, the hooded figure reveals himself to be none other than Fox's longtime rival: Wolf O' Donnell.

Wolf: Buenas noches, perdedores?

Fox: (Couldn't Believe What He's Looking at Right Now) Wolf?

Krystal: What on Corneria City, are you wearing?

Kazooie: (Raises an Eyebrow in Confusion) And since when did know how to speak Spanish?

Wolf: For some time now. Took a few Spanish classes here and there and I've been bit of a pro at it ever since. As for what I'm wearing.....(Forms a Cocky Smirk on his Face) ('Heh') Let's just say this will be a ticket for me to win the Halloween Costume Contest big time this year.

Falco: (Starts Snickering a Bit) So what? You're supposed to be some kind of hunchback wolf monster or somethin'?

Wolf: No. I'm going as Death himself.

Falco: ('Scoffs') You? Death?

Wolf: Yeah. Death. (Starts Walking Dangerously Close to Falco) And I don't mean it metaphorically or rhetorically or poetically or theoretically or in any other fancy bullshit. I am Death. Straight. UP.

Wolf silently growls at Falco until......

????: WOLFIE!!

Wolf and the others turn to see Isabelle and the other Star Wolf in their own respective costumes, standing in the mid distnce.

Isabelle: (Gives her Boyfriend a Motherly Glare Wearing a Nun Outfit) What did I say about scaring people in public?

Wolf: ('Sigh') Oh come on, Iz. I was only warming up for the contest.

Falco: By tryin' to scare the crap outta me?

Wolf: (Shrugs) Hey, all is fair in Halloween night.

Leon: (Already Has a Deadpinned Look on his Face While Wearing a Ringo Costume) No one ever says that, boy.

Wolf: (Rolls his Eyes) Yeah, well, I'm the first one who does, So there. (Suddenly Hears Krystal Giggling as He Turns to Her with a Glare) And what the hell got you laughing for, blue tail?

Krystal: Oho nothing~ (Forms a Teasing Smirk on her Face) Just relishing on the fact that the "Big Bad Star Wolf" goes by Wolfie now!~ (Continues Giggling)

Isabelle: (Smiles Brightly) I call him that on a daily basis. (Place her Hands on Both of her Cheeks While Twisting her From Side to Side in Full Glee) It makes me so happy to know that he likes it~

Wolf: (Starts Blushing) I mean.....(Shrugs) Yeah. I like any nickname you give me, babe.....(Still Hears Krystal's Giggling Before Angrily Pointing at Her) And don't get any ideas, woman! No one in town is allowed to call me except for my girlfriend!!

Isabelle: (Turns to Krystal) My name is Isabelle by the way.

Krystal: (Finally Calms Herself Down From all the Giggling) Nice....to meet you. My name is-

Panther: (Sneaks his Way Right Next to Krystal Dressed as Zorro) Krystal mi antiguo amor!

Krystal: (Forms a Deadpinned Look on her Face as She Begins to Sigh) Just Krystal is fine, Panther.

Panther: Yes, yes, but given our past, memorable history together, I believe it's fairly appropriate to call you as such. That being said.....(Forms a bit of a Flirtatious Smirk on his Face) You look more refined as you've always been these days~

Krystal: (Rolls her Eyes in Annoyance) And you are just as full of yourself as you've always been.......

Panther: (Chuckles Lightly) Oh come now, I wouldn't say I'm THAT full of myself. I just feel like my skills and overall beauty outweighs any bland simpleton in this place, not including Star Wolf of course.

Kazooie: (Rolls her Eyes as Well) And you wonder why you two aren't together anymore.

Falco: Narcissism at it's finest.

Panther: (Turns to The Bird Duo) Better a narcissist than being feather filled bird brains such as yourselves, 24/7.

Falco/Kazooie: (Comically Glares at Panther) What was that!?

Leon: ('Sigh') As much as I would love stay out here and chat, I believe we still have a contest to enter.

Wolf: Right, right. Already wasted enough time as it is. Panther! (Starts Walking Away Along with Leon) Quit your flirting and let's go already!

Panther: ('Sigh') Coming, boss. (Turns Back to Krystal One Last Time) Be see you~ (Winks at Krystal Before Taking his Leave)

Krystal: Hopefully never.....

Isabelle: It's so nice to meet you, Krystal, and I'll be sure make Panther doesn't bother you too much the next time we do meet again.

Krystal: (Smiles Sheepishly) Y-You don't have to do that for my sake, Isabelle. I appericate it very much though.

Isabelle: (Smiles Back at Krystal) No problem. I'm always willing to help out a new friend in need. (Picks her Dress Up a Little Before Sprinting to Star Wolf and Waving Goodbye) Have a goodnight, everyone!~

Wolf: Have fun with your little date night tonight, Foxy.

Fox: ('Sigh') I'm not dating anyone, Wolf. (Comically Glares at Wolf) And don't call me by that in public!

Wolf: Could've fool me. And if I have to suffer with my nickname being revealed tonight, so does you. (Looks Back at his Arch Nemesis with an Evil, Cocky Grin on his Face While Walking) Foxy boy. (Let's Out an Evil Chuckle)

Fox: (Groans in Annoyance as He Pinches the Bridge of his Nose) I swear, I don't know how I'm able to put up with him all day......(Hears Krystal Giggling Before Turning Back to Her) And what got you laughing right now?

Krystal: I'm sorry~ It just......You actually go by "Foxy" now?~

Fox: Only by a select few of people and i hated it ever since.

Krystal: Well, If you want my input....(Smiles Softly) I believe it suits you quite well.

Fox: (Starts Blushing Again) Oh. I uh....glad you....like it, Krystal.

Banjo: I think it suits you quite well too.

Fox: ('Sigh') Much appericated, Banjo.

Kazooie: (Snickers a Bit) Yeah. For a dork.

Falco: (Starts Smirking Teasingly) I think Einstein suits him way better if ya ask me.

Fox; ANYWAYS! What brings you here tonight, Krystal if you don't mind me asking.

Krystal: I'm just having a nightly scroll around the town given I'm going to be moving here real soon.

Fox: (Eyes Widened in Genuine Surprise) Seriously?

Krystal: (Happily Nodded) It's true. I've been told by my crew mates how vibrant and expressive this place so many times that I figured I would come live here someday and see where it takes me from here. Which mean we'll have plenty of more time to catch up this time around, don'tcha think?~

Fox: Yeah....(Starts Smiling Back) T-That sounds great actually! I really hope you enjoy your stay when the time comes for you to move here.

Krystal: Thank you. Though, I must ask.

Fox: Hm?

Krystal: If any of you are not busy at the moment, would you all like to accompany me around town for a bit?

Fox: Sure, I'm down. (Turns to the Others) What about you guys?

Falco: (Shrugs) Fine by me.

Banjo: (Happily Nodded) Yeah-huh.

Kazooie: Not like we're doing anything else in the meantime.

Fox: (Turns Back to Krystal) There you have it. We're in.

Krystal: (Smiles Brightly) Spendid!~ Here's hoping tonight won't be too boring for us- (Felt her Phone Viberating in her Pants Pocket Before Taking it Out of There Sees Who's Calling Her) ('Sigh') Not. This again.....Could you excuse me for one bit. I have to take quick call. (Answers the Call) Hello?......Yes, commender, what is it? And please it isn'tan emergency this time......(Starts Walking a Bit Further Up to Continue her Call in Private)

Kazooie: So that Krystal girl's moving here, huh?

Banjo: (Smiles Brightly at Fox) Lucky you! You'll be seeing her more often for now on.

Fox: (Too Busy Staring at Krystal) Yeah.....It is great, isn't it-

Falco: You're starting to like her again, aren't you?

Fox: (Turns to Falco) Well....Yeah. I mean....We were friends back then, even more so nowadays, so-

Falco: Fox. Come on. (Turns to Fox With a Serious Look on his Face) You know exactly what I mean.

Fox: (Stares at Falco For a Few Seconds Before Sighing in Defeat) Okay, so maybe I do have a bit of crush on her as of late. And maybe I do think about what would it be like if we started dating again. But right now, I'm more focused on us starting over as friends, nothing more.

Falco: (Stares into his Best Friend's Eyes For a Few Seconds Before Letting Out a Sigh of his Own) Alright. I'll take your word for it. But ONLY if you promise me one thing.

Fox: Like what?

FaIco: Just.....be more careful this time, okay? You've been a complete wreck since the day she left the team and the last i want is for you go back to being sad and miserable, ya hear me?

Fox: Loud and clear. I promise I won't be careless this time. (Puts on a Determined Look on his Face) And I'll be damned if I let the past take control of this time around.

Falco: (Forms a Proud Smirk on his Face) That's a spirit. (Pulls Fox into a One Arm Hug) Annnd if you two ever DO get back together someday, don't be too chicken to ask you pal Falco for some love advice, will ya?

Banjo: (Smiles Brightly) Kazooie and I more than willing to help out if you want.

Kazooie: Same here. (Smirks Teasingly) And we'll make extra sure you don't go around making a fool our of yourself. Been a blushing mess all night.

Fox: (Roll His Eyes) No kidding. But no, seriously. Thanks, you guys. I really appreciate it.

Falco: Yeah, no mention. Now don't embarrass yourself this time.

Fox: (Comically Glares at Falco) I won't!

@cyber-wildcat

@albion-93

@bestpony666

@ma-lemons

@caleb13frede

[excludedmiddle]

Another one

This is another cute problem - actually easier than the previous one imo:

We have an array and a bunch of additional numbers we could maybe add to the array - how do we add them in a way that avoids increasing the length of the longest increasing subsequence as much as possible?

This is an example of a codeforces problem that is very much a math problem at heart. You are looking to translate your requirements into some property that gets you what you want.

I don't have a lot to say about the solving process here because my intuition found the right answer pretty quickly - first, you sort your set of additional numbers b because you want to add them largest to smallest, and then you add the largest remaining number in b if it's >= the next number of a. If you have numbers left over at the end, add them all into the result from largest to smallest.

I think why this is rated 1700 despite having such a simple solution is that it's a little tricky to prove this intuition. You have to first imagine the largest increasing subsequence(s) preexisting in a (noting that it must still exist in the result), then argue that if you add larger numbers before that you cannot possibly make it longer. Similarly, adding the smallest numbers in reverse order at the end also cannot be worse, because they're all smaller than every element of a and in reverse order, so at best one of them can take the place of the last element of a.

Again let's look at Egor's implementation:

Particularly instructive here is his use of while let. In my implementation I used a more traditional Pythonic while loop ported over to Rust, but Rust very elegantly lets you unwrap the last element of b while also checking if it exists via pattern matching.

[abstergo-updates]

I would like to post an announcement here!

To all visiting Tech schools: Please do not tap on Igor's office window, he gets scared easily and will scream. Loudly. To protect our ears, refrain from doing this.

To the newly hired Engineering intern: 'Mind glitches' on the Animus are not funny nor okay. Stop it.

~ Engineer dude, who happens to be the Lead Engineer

oo well done on the promotion! imagine tapping on egor's window i would never... for sure

[xtruss]

Leonardo Discovered Gravity a Century Before Newton, Study Says

— Egor Shapovalov | February 15, 2023

Screenshot captures image of Italian Painter Leonardo da Vinci, whose works have recently come under renewed scrutiny amid beliefs that newly discovered red chalk painting may be his work. © Screenshot/CBS Sunday Morning

Leonardo da Vinci was not only one of the world's greatest artists, but also a sculptor, an architect, a scientist and an inventor. Many of his practical and theoretical discoveries turned out to be well ahead of his time. Moreover, a new study shows that he may have been ahead of Isaac Newton in studying gravity.

Pencil sketches made by Leonardo in the early 1500s suggest that he discovered the idea of gravity long before English mathematician Isaac Newton, who is credited with the discovery of the phenomenon in the late 1600s.

Researchers at the California Institute of Technology have analyzed Leonardo's notebooks and found experiments devised by the Italian which demonstrate that gravity is a form of acceleration. What's more, it turns out that he modelled the gravitational constant with 97 percent accuracy.

"About 500 years ago, Leonardo tried to uncover the mystery of gravity and its conn of gravity and the ection to acceleration through a series of ingenious experiments guided only by his imagination and masterful experimental techniques," write the researchers.

The team believes that the only thing that prevented Leonardo's experiments from definitively explaining gravity was the limited tools at his disposal - he lacked the means to measure accurately when objects fall. The sketches show experiments demonstrating that gravity is a form of acceleration.

Morteza Gharib, Lead Author of the Leonardo Paper, first noticed Leonardo's experiments in the Codex Arundel, a collection of articles written by the artist that covered science, art and personal topics.

"What caught my eye was when he wrote 'Equatione di Moti' [equalization (equivalence) of motions] on the hypotenuse of one of his sketched triang les—the one that was an isosceles right triangle," says Gharib. "I became interested to see what Leonardo meant by that phrase."

The sketches show a pitcher of water moving in a straight line parallel to the ground, spouting water or sand. Leonardo's notes explain that when they spill out of the jug, the contents do not fall at a constant speed but accelerate.

He also wrote that the contents stop moving horizontally because the pitcher no longer affects it, and the acceleration is solely downwards because of gravity, according to the researchers. Leonardo tried to describe the acceleration seen in the sketches mathematically and was 97 percent right.

The study authored by researchers at the California Institute of Technology was published in the international journal on art, science and technology, Leonardo.

[gnosticskittering]

Phillip k dick… rats… demiurge… egor Letov…

Yes… I will construct my being around this yes..

Squeak squeak imagine being a girl named Natalia lol…. Can you fucking imagine … lol

[kleiner-ghost]

I was chatting about Deathloop in a server, and then the conversation shifted to Deus Ex, and it's shit boss battles.

So imagine this: every DL visionary kill is a DX:HR type boss battle.

You get locked in a room with Alexis and hide in that one vent, running back and forth through it and slowly chipping away at his health.

Egor is the one to run around you when he turns invisible, but he runs faster than you can aim your gun, or use any of the slabs, so you waste an obscene amount of bullets while Julianna narrates the fight from atop one of the nearby antennas.

Harriet is the hardest to kill because she can parry your takedowns, but whenever she leaps over an obstacle, there is a 2 second margin where you can take her down if you crouch in the right spot.

Alternatively you can spam karnesis and fuge on all of them.

There is of course no non-lethal option.

[dystopyx-blog]

ENTROPY MEGAPOST!

I did inktober last year. All the drawings for it (except one) were Entropy related. So here ya go. One late as hell inktober 2023 art dump lmao

Day 1 — Dream. Here you can see Fool (fool in lower left), Felicity (princess in lower right), Spark (upper right), and Edbrgrwin (creature in upper left) dreaming about simpler times, before Felicity was overthrown and banished by the bastard Egor and Fool did nothing to help!

I extremely very much associate Fool with Will Wood songs, and this one definitely was inspired by Lysergide Daydream ♥️

Day 2 ~ Spiders. Felicity was originally a character made to be a grandchild of one of my step sibling’s ocs, but that oc went through a looooot of changes, and Felicity became a nonfandom oc that I would just draw when I didn’t know what to draw. Now she actually has a story, but I still use her when I just wanna draw stupid big skirts and itty bitty waist. This dress is one of those. Felicity is like a fashion doll like monster high or bratz lmfao.

Day 3 — Path. This drawing symbolizes Fool’s perceived split between their identities. On one hand, you have siding with Egor, which represents Fool’s loyalty to chaotic neutral—the decision not to help Felicity because that’s the neutral thing to do, and the thing he’s been doing for eons. Then you have siding with Felicity, which would be loyalty towards Felicity, the only person he’s ever truly romantically loved… but what he perceived as a betrayal to true chaotic neutral. Ultimately, of course, he chose to stand by as Felicity was banished.

Day 4 — dodge

Day 5 — Map.

Felicity’s loyal friends desperately searching for her.

Day 6 — Golden.

not a favorite of mine.

Day 7 — Drip

Day 8 — Toad

Day 9 — Bounce

Day 10 — Fortune

Day 11 — Wander

I imagine this is very soon after Felicity’s banishment lol

Day 12 — Spicy

I actually did this day (and drip) twice, but there’s only 30 images per post, so I’m only posting one for each. This was the first one I did for “spicy”, and although I like my second one more, I used a reference image, and since I’m only posting one each day, I’m using the drawing that doesn’t require I post a second image lol. Might post that drawing another day.

Day 13 — Rise

this is Felicity’s ass kickin outfit, bitch! The climax of the story is Felicity reuniting with Spark and Edbrgrwin. They try to take her back to Entropy, but because of Egor’s curse (which makes it impossible for Felicity to return—which isn’t a problem in entropy (where nothing is impossible) it is a problem in Negentropy (where somethings are simply impossible)) she ends up in Limbo, home of Death. Death agrees to help her, and gives her a way to permanently kill Egor (the one truly impossible thing in Entropy is permanent death)—a magic spear that will send Egor’s soul straight to Death, effectively killing him. When Felicity takes the spear, it causes a whole magical girl transformation! … which is not a feature of the spear, but a pretty damn good sign for Felicity!

Day 14 — Castle

I never finished lol, but here’s an idea of what the castle of entropy may look like!

Day 15 — Dagger

Egor and Felicity used to date. Then he tried to overthrow her. Felicity banished him from the castle. Then, Egor returned, overthrew her (successfully this time), and not only banished her from the castle, but from Entropy itself.

Day 16 and 17 — Angel and Demon.

Day 18 — Saddle

Felicity, Spark, and Edbrgrwin riding off into battle! Spark canonically wears kilts into battle.

Day 20 — Frost

day 19 was the one day I drew something non entropy related lol

Day 21 — Chains

Felicity’s banishment :(

Day 22 — Scratchy

Spark’s original inspiration was a monkey, and yet they ended up very catlike lol.

Day 23 — Celestial

Day 24 — Shallow

I really hope the intent is clear on this one — :’)

Day 25 — Dangerous

another one of my not favorites :/

Day 26 — remove

:) this is a favorite.

it’s Felicity after she’s defeated Egor and reclaimed her throne!

Day 27 — Beast

:) I promise you Edbrgrwin is a sweetheart! Really, the only issue is that sometimes when it gets hungry it forgets that death is possible for certain creatures, and that’s really the only time it’s a threat! Otherwise, it’s as sweet as a kitten ♥️

Day 28 — Spark(le)

DON’T F*CK WITH ME! I HAVE THE POWER OF GOD AND ANIME ON MY SIDE! RAAAAAAAAAAAA— (Spark doesn’t swear, and if they do, it’ll prob be censored lol)

Day 29 — Massive

Day 30 and 31 — kinda just did my own thing lol? Lookit them all dressed up!!

I forgor the gap in Felicity’s top teeth :(

[lenbryant]

Play review (long post)

Review: In ‘Russian Troll Farm,’ You Can’t Stop the Memes

An unlikely dark comedy imagines the people pushing #PizzaGate, Donald Trump and who knows what next.

No one misses the early days and dark theaters of the Covid pandemic, but the emergency workaround of streaming content was good for a few things anyway. People who formerly could not afford admission suddenly could, since much of it was free, and artists from anywhere could now be seen everywhere, with just a Wi-Fi connection.

That’s how I first encountered “Russian Troll Farm,” a play by Sarah Gancher intended for the stage but that had its debut, in 2020, as an online co-production of three far-flung institutions: TheaterWorks Hartford, TheaterSquared in Fayetteville, Ark., and the Brooklyn-based Civilians. At the time, I found its subject and form beautifully realized and ideally matched — the subject being online interference in the 2016 presidential election by a Russian internet agency.

“This is digitally native theater,” I wrote, “not just a play plopped into a Zoom box.”

Now the box has been ripped open, and a fully staged live work coaxed out of it. But the production of “Russian Troll Farm” that opened on Thursday at the Vineyard Theater is an entirely different, and in some ways disappointing, experience. Though still informative and trenchant, and given a swifter staging by the director Darko Tresnjak, it has lost the thrill of the original’s accommodation to the extreme constraints of its time.

Not that it is any less relevant in ours; fake news will surely be as prominent in the 2024 election cycle (is Taylor Swift a pro-Biden psy-op?) as it was in 2016. That’s when, as Gancher recounts using many real texts, posts and tweets of the time, trolls at the Internet Research Agency — a real place in St. Petersburg, Russia — devised sticky memes and other content meant to undermine confidence in the electoral process, sow general discord, legitimize Trumpism and vaporize Hillary Clinton.

Egor (Haskell King) is a friendless, robotic techno-nerd who just wants to win the microwave oven that’s a prize for productivity. Steve (John Lavelle) is a Soviet revanchist who calls the Enlightenment a mistake and Gorbachev the ���world’s biggest cuck.” Nikolai (Hadi Tabbal) is a moony screenwriter manqué who thinks what he does is evil but still wants “to do a good job at it” — causing Steve, who went to junior college in California, to deride him as a “human latte” and a “performative bookstore tote bag.”

The fourth troll is the newbie, Masha (Renata Friedman). A disillusioned journalist who took the job at the agency for the pay, she wants nothing more than to move to London and recover from Russia by doing yoga. Naturally she becomes the focal point of several interconnected bids for love and dominance among Steve, Nikolai and Ljuba, whose bureaucratic fury belies a troubled emotional life beneath.

The snappy dialogue draws moderate laughs, often by squeezing banal office politics against the scarier kind. (“No Nazi content unless specifically requested by supervisor,” Ljuba warns the others.) But though Gancher subtitles the play “a workplace comedy,” you may in the end be left wondering what’s funny. The trolls’ various schemes for advancement and connection all end disastrously, as many in the audience surely feel the election did, too. Nor does it help that the cast works so hard to get a response from the audience, sometimes annoyingly demanding participation and thus a kind of complicity.

Complicity was not of course possible in the no-longer-available 2020 streaming production, which required viewers to process it on the fly, in much the way they process social media, deciding for themselves what to laugh at — and what to ponder, repost or trash. Lacking that formal congruence, the live “Russian Troll Farm” has a temperature problem: Instead of cool, it feels overheated; instead of suggestive, prosaic.

It was likewise unsettling, in 2020, that you never quite knew where the characters existed, except in the electronic ether; now, on Alexander Dodge’s white box set, they are fixed in a highly specific, nonvirtual space, with ergo chairs and a photo of Putin. Likewise, the ear-scratching interstitial noise (by Darron L West and Beth Lake) and strobey light (by Marcus Doshi) and projection effects (by Jared Mezzocchi) are almost too gorgeously professional, failing to reproduce the deliberate crudeness of the original’s fuzz, pixelation and green-screen blur.

Crudeness is key. Not only does it elicit the poetry of Gancher’s writing, which despite its shiny surface has depth; it is also expressive in itself, because crudeness is a hallmark of the trolls’ greatest hits. Egor considers his English spelling mistakes (“libral” for “liberal”) a useful way of promoting engagement. People who comment on the errors are merely being pulled even farther into the web — and the whole point of the troll farm, as an author’s note points out, is “to stir up trouble.”

At that, it succeeded, though Russia has no patent on trolls. Indeed, the Internet Research Agency shut down last year, collateral damage from the Wagner Group rebellion, but fake news has never been riper. It’s just more local. I suppose “Russian Troll Farm” wants us to consider whether we would participate in its strange, chaotic economy of lies if given the opportunity — and a microwave.

Russian Troll Farm: A Workplace Comedy Through Feb. 25 at Vineyard Theater, Manhattan; vineyardtheatre.org. Running time: 1 hour 40 minutes.

Jesse Green is the chief theater critic for The Times. He writes reviews of Broadway, Off Broadway, Off Off Broadway, regional and sometimes international productions. More about Jesse Green

A version of this article appears in print on Feb. 9, 2024, Section C, Page 3 of the New York edition with the headline: Even in Person, They Just Can’t Stop the Memes. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

[distraughtmary]

To Uncreate You. Chapter 9

The second test was a blur. It felt as if some of Egor’s drunkenness had transferred to Dmitry and enveloped him in a stupor. The principal was pleasant enough, too concerned about his well-being it was almost condescending, and the tasks were too easy.

At least the ones involving destruction because Dmitry was still unable to create anything, even the smallest of objects. Even a literal needle. Regardless of his lacklustre performance, the staff appeared satisfied and did not push Dmitry to his limits. The question of the Dmitry’s tutor remained unresolved as the ‘destruction’ specialist would be busy with Egor, and no one was willing to take the role of the person who would help Dmitry reawaken his creation magic. Dmitry hated being viewed as a bomb that could detonate any moment, but he was also scared of his magic, and the unanimous reluctance to succour him did not offer much solace and reassurance. At last, Tatyana Vladimirovna decided that the best course of action would be for Dmitry to become Valera’s understudy and participate in his sessions to understand some basics of object creation. Dmitry was not a big fan of the idea or of Valera, but he realized that he might prefer his company to that of a teacher, all of whom did not seem trustworthy. On several occasions Dmitry felt the eyes of a younger teacher on him, the same one who had gone to call the nurse, and he did not like the attention. The teacher was sitting next to a young woman, very likely to be his paired girlfriend or wife. There was no particular interaction between them, no careless gestures – they were professionals. The same was true for the rest of the staff, and one could have never guessed that it consisted of couples. Despite what the principal had said about him possibly enjoying the future arrangement, he could not imagine himself being a part of the aggregation with a fake girlfriend, although he would manage to be as professional as other teachers were. In a perfect world, if he was paired with a guy he liked, which had 0, 000001% chances of happening, Dmitry would struggle not to touch, not to smile. The idea of being paired with anyone still repulsed him, but if he absolutely had to, he would pick the best option in the worst situation. Perhaps the teachers were in the same position, but Dmitry could not fathom why adult people would allow themselves to be treated in such way.

The guy glanced at him again as the principal was finishing her speech about the importance of mutual support. Dmitry found it utterly boring, and it was becoming harder to supress his yawns, but he had to ask her one final question to quell all misgivings. Dmitry raised his hand, which looked quite awkward considering the fact that Dmitry was only “student” present, but the scheme worked, having caught the principal’s attention.

‘What is it, Dmitry?’ she asked in a weary voice, the day having taking a toll on her.

‘Regarding my permission to go home…’

‘Fine,’ the principal acquiesced, her mouth thin. ‘You may go home for the weekend, but you have to make the most out of Friday. Seek Valeriy and negotiate your schedule, register yourself at the library, gather anything that might help you, and allow me to properly introduce you to the student body tomorrow at breakfast. I have already done the honours for Egor, but everyone is eager to know the red-haired student.’

Dmitry managed an unconvincing smile because he definitely was not eager to know anyone except for the people he was going to communicate with on a regular basis.

‘Thank you,’ Dmitry said weakly.

‘Find my office tomorrow after dinner, and we shall discuss the logistics of your return. You will also need proper rest, both today and tomorrow. Everyone, dismissed.’

The teachers slowly rose and started making their way to the exit. The temporary room was a small affair, and there was a congestion at the door. Dmitry waited for everyone to leave and caught another furtive look from the young teacher. He made a mental note to avoid the man by all means. Someone had made similar advances to Dmitry before, almost leading to an assault at the uni’s restroom, but Dmitry had been fast and his bag accurate. The perpetrator had been maintaining his distance since then, although just looking at him during lectures and seminars had made Dmitry nauseous. He had been present at the graduation ceremony as well, and that was the last time Dmitry had seen him. He only wished that the pervert had stayed away from schools like many other students did for less incriminating reasons. Dmitry wanted to point out the teacher’s behaviour to the principal after the staff had left, but she got him first.

‘I trust you have met Andrey?’ she asked, her tone strangely soft.

‘Yes,’ Dmitry confirmed, not surprised that the principal was involved in their ‘reunion’. ‘I would ask you where you found him, but it would be pointless.’

‘All in due time, my dear. For now, enjoy your time together, reconnect, and share your musings with each other,’ the principal cooed, making Dmitry suspicious of her ulterior motives.

‘What you said about Egor earlier… Was it about what he and the nurse were doing?’ Dmitry inquired cautiously.

‘Partially, yes. But it was simply the tip of the iceberg, something you should not concern yourself with. Go have some rest and join us for dinner,’ the principal deftly evaded the question.

‘I will,’ Dmitry was surprisingly affirmative.

As he left the room, Dmitry spotted Andrey, who had been loyally waiting for him. The irony of the fact that two different guys had done that for him did not escape Dmitry, and while he appreciated the attention (unlike the unwarranted one from the teacher guy), one wrong word, and Andrey would be gone as well. Dmitry decided to avoid unnecessary drama and kept to himself, giving a short answer here and there on their way back to Dmitry’s room. While they were on the stairs, Andrey offered his help, offending Dmitry.

‘I’m fine. Where did you even get the idea that I need your support?’ Dmitry muttered with annoyance.

‘I saw you. Through the cameras. You didn’t mind HIS support,’ Andrey retorted. ‘And I remember your nickname in the elementary school. They called you Little Leggy like it was funny, but they had no idea about the condition your right foot was born in. Assholes.’

Dmitry blushed at the fact that Andrey remembered and the fact that he had defended him in the past.

‘Yeah. But I’m perfectly healthy now. That’s what the military commissariat said. Except for the mental part, but I still don’t know what exactly went wrong there.’

‘Did they really put you in the asylum?’ Andrey asked carelessly.

‘Where did you… Never mind. Yes, they did, though I had no choice, really. It’s either that or going straight to the barracks after the graduation ceremony. But I maybe I should’ve gone to the army because this isn’t much different,’ Dmitry waved his hand at the surroundings.

‘Dima, you really think that the army is the same as the lyceum? You wouldn’t survive there. No offense, but I know you.’

‘You used to know me,’ Dmitry corrected him, and the conversation quelled.

At the door, Andrey asked Dmitry if he could come in. Dmitry hesitated, but Andrey held the keys to a number of things he had a vested interest in, so he let Andrey enter the room. There was no sign of Egor, which gave Dmitry a semblance of relief because God only knew what he would imagine, although Dmitry tried to convince himself that he cared no longer.

Andrey landed on the chair next to the desk, and Dmitry plunged on the bed. There was a minute of silence, which was followed by two simultaneous callings: “Dima” “Andrey”.

‘You first,’ Dmitry said playfully.

‘I’m sorry. For all those years I was away. I always wanted you to forget me, to find new friends,’ Andrey said earnestly, tugging at something in Dmitry’s heart.

‘Well, it doesn’t work that way,’ Dmitry rebutted bitterly. ‘I tried, Andrey. I was on good terms with some girls until I wasn’t because they started seeing a guy in me. Once I blurted out that I watched Gossip Boy, and the way they looked at me… It’s like I came out or something, which was probably true in some way. And the guys… They didn’t bully me or anything. The Little Leggy stuff stopped in the middle school, fortunately for me. But they never treated me as their equal, not that I minded it much. I could only be an awkward nerd, nothing more.’

Andrey listened to him with a pained expression and a visible desire to interrupt, but he let Dmitry continue pouring his soul out.

‘And the timing of it all. We kissed, and two weeks later you’re gone. As it if it had been the cause of it all. And I believed that. For years I thought that you left because of that kiss and hated myself for it. I hated myself, period. I got over it once I was like 15 because I could finally rationalize that the two events had been pure coincidences, but it was too late. And you said that you didn’t like the kiss, but it was fine. Then suddenly it wasn’t.’

Andrey shifted stiffly on the chair, his dark eyes directed at Dmitry, drilling into him. His lips trembled, his forehead lined with wrinkles as if in deep thought, and then he sighed.

‘Dima, listen, I just didn’t think that the long-distance relationship thing would work. It would be too much for me.’

‘I have tons of online friends, Andrey. Well, not tons anymore after the whole magic thing, but I still care for them. Even if we never meet in our lives. How would that be different? And we could visit each other once we got older, it’s Akadem, not the other side of the planet.’

‘I didn’t say anything about being friends,’ Andrey said sternly, and Dmitry stared at him, his mouth agape.

‘I lied back then. About the kiss. I liked it, but I couldn’t admit that to myself, let alone to you. I didn’t know what to do. And then my mother told me about the move. I hated that I had to leave you, but if it hadn’t spared me from trying to make sense of my feelings, I don’t know what would have happened to us.

Dmitry was still shocked by revelation and struggling to make sense of HIS feelings, but he managed to find the strength for one question.

‘So why did you really delete everything?’ his voice was hoarse.

‘Because I loved you,’ Andrey almost whispered. ‘Yeah, you can’t say things like I love you when you are eleven, and I didn’t realize what it was then. I thought I’d deleted all the social media stuff because I was mad at something, at you, at myself. But years later it hit me. I did that because I couldn’t bear being away from you, and no amount of play-pretend on the Internet would’ve compensated for that.’

The conversation was becoming too much for Dmitry, although it was also helping him to come to terms with the demons who had been gnawing at him. His friend loved him. Someone loved him. It should have made him ecstatic. It did not.

‘You loved me?’ Dmitry managed. ‘In the past tense?’

‘No, no,’ Andrey immediate shook his hands defensively. ‘I still love you. That’s the reason I’m here.’

‘Do you?’ Dmitry smiled wryly, lowering himself onto the hard floor of the room.

‘Dima, I know that I hurt you, and you don’t have to accept my love,’ Andrey said determinedly. ‘But I will be here for you.’

Dmitry positioned himself opposite Andrey, his back slightly touching the uncovered wall.

‘You can’t love me,’ Dmitry said in a hissing voice. ‘You don’t know me.’

‘We’ve known each other since the kindergarten,’ Andrey insisted. ‘Sure, some things must have changed, but you are you. And you are a still a gamer, right?’

‘Yeah, I am,’ Dmitry smirked. ‘A certified Nintendo boy.’

‘But,’ Andrey was slightly taken aback. ‘You used to make fun of their games.’

‘I still do. I don’t care for their popular stuff. But Switch still gets some gems, so.’

‘Okay,’ Andrey was visibly relieved. ‘I never played any of their games, and you know where my allegiances lie, but whatever makes you happy.’

‘Thanks for your permission, Sony boy.’ Dmitry said with distinct sarcasm. ‘What kind of music do I like?’

‘Um, death metal? You used to be obsessed with Cannibal Corpse and that cartoon band,’ Andrey said uncertainly.

‘Yeah, but then I started paying attention to the fuckery they were singing about, and switched to less extreme music. I mainly like Japanese music of the 80s now.’

‘Ah,’ Andrey sounded surprised. ‘Well, I know Plastic Love.’

‘Who doesn’t?’ Dmitry muttered under his breath.

‘Come again?’

Dmitry killed the urge to make another awkward sex joke and embarrass them both and simply asked:

‘What about movies?’

‘I only remember you watching animated stuff and throwing up during every Alien movie,’ Andrey shrugged his shoulders. ‘I never thought you were a connoisseur.’

‘Well, you thought wrong,’ Dmitry said in a wooden voice. ‘They are my passion, but I do highly regard animation, too. Someone has to.’

‘I’m sorry I’m not aware of every single thing you like now, Dima,’ Andrey wince. ‘I still love you.’

‘No, you don’t,’ Dmitry was stubborn. ‘You love that boy you abandoned 10 years ago. But I’m not him anymore. There might be some traces of him in me, but the time has smoothed them into almost nothingness.’

Dmitry did not want to sound poetic, but it was exactly how he felt about Andrey. Occasionally he remembered Andrey had existed, but he was mostly fine with his absence. He did not even blame him for the trauma, for the holes he had left. Dmitry had desperately tried to fill them with studies, movies, random games, and food. He had never touched the parting gift of the PlayStation 3 or its games. He might have started resented anything Sony-related because of that gesture. He had gained weight, but one eating disorder had replaced another once Dmitry had seen the countless examples of what was considered the standard body in the gay community. He had eventually recovered, having chosen to love himself rather than to be loved, although the ultimate result was neither.

‘Tell me, Andrey,’ Dmitry pressed on. ‘What is it that you love about me?’

‘You’re beautiful,’ Andrey answered with no hesitation and leaned closer to Dmitry. ‘You were beautiful then, and you are beautiful now. That hasn’t changed.’

‘How are you different from them, then? You all want the same thing from me,’ Dmitry said, his eyes blazing with fierceness.

‘What are you talking about, Dima? Who are they?’ Andrey asked with concern, slowly raising from the chair.

‘The people who hurt me, Andrey. The people who only wanted me for my body. And you seem to be one of them now,’ Dmitry sputtered, tears welling in his eyes.

‘Dima,’ there was fear in Andrey’s eyes as he stood up and reached his hand towards Dmitry, not yet touching him. ‘When I said beautiful, I didn’t mean… What did they do to you?’

‘You weren’t there. You weren’t with me when it mattered the most. I’d rather be the Little Leggy for the rest of my life than that,’ Dmitry’s voice was both accusatory and faltering.

Andrey stretched his hand further, but Dmitry slapped it with his, making him flinch.

‘Don’t touch me,’ Dmitry said in a raw voice. ‘If you love… If you claim to love me, then you will listen.’

Andrey silently lowered his arms and headed to the door, utterly defeated.

‘Can I at least be your friend again?’ his back asked.

Dmitry considered his offer, he genuinely did. He missed him. Somewhere in the depths of his shattered heart, he loved him, but not in the way Andrey probably wanted. And he needed him to survive the school. And he needed someone to talk about the horrors he had been through, and Ulyana was not the best person to share them with. He had never told her about the uni guy. He had never told her about other guys. He had never had an honest conversation with himself about all of that.

‘Andrey, you barely know me, and I don’t know anything about you at all. I don’t have this delusion that you’re somehow the same person as you were 10 years ago, though I can sense the familiar willingness to protect me. Say what. How about we start from the beginning?’

Dmitry did not know what had compelled him to say that, but he could not think of any other way to fix their torn friendship. And maybe once Andrey learned all the seedy facts of his life, he would drop the stupid notion of loving him.

‘And how do we do that exactly?’ Andrey asked, his breath bated.

‘We talk. We catch up on what we missed. Not that I have much to tell, but I’m sure you have a lot. We rediscover each other, and then decide if it’s even worth it,’ Dmitry laid out the plan with a surprising resolution, as if he had been pondering over it for hours instead of mere minutes.

There was some longing in Andrey’s eyes as he turned his head to glance at Dmitry, but he nodded.

‘If that helps me be with you, so be it,’ he said rigidly. ‘You love that guy, don’t you?’

‘What?’ Dmitry’s mouth was wide open again. ‘I literally met him yesterday. There is no such thing as love at first sight.’

‘And yet he still hurt you,’ Andrey said it as it was – a fact.

‘I don’t want to talk about him… today. Maybe another time,’ Dmitry winced.

‘I don’t want to talk about that scum at all, but you deserve a peace of mind. Oh, speak of the devil,’ Andrey said as he opened the door.

Dmitry took a peak and saw Egor, who was even more dishevelled and distraught than he had been during the earlier outing. His zipper was undone again, and Dmitry immediately understood what had happened. It was a payback, and Andrey walking out of his room only added to the pile of allegations Egor might use against him. The guy grinned darkly at both of them, having made his statement clear, and disappeared into his room.

‘I don’t think I want to talk about him ever again, either,’ Dmitry snarled, the last of his hopes demolished with a thundering crash.