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spacerockfloater · 5 months ago

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hi! i noticed you learnt about what ryan condal said regarding blood and cheese. it was…something. i would like to know your thoughts on the matter. though it would be completely understandable if you need sometime to gather them together or if you would rather not at all! thank you and bye!

Hello beloved, thank you so much for asking me! I’d love to share my opinion!

If anyone’s wondering, @rhaenelle is referring to this interview where Ryan Condal essentially says he believes that Blood & Cheese’s brutality and heinousness was exaggerated by the Greens in a propagandistic attempt to convince their subjects that Rhaenyra and Daemon are the worst villains ever born, hence why he toned the event down; to show us what he thinks is the accurate version of Jaehaerys’ murder.

Now, I am aware that Condal had already warned us that HOTD was going to be a feminist retelling of the events of F&B, which practically means that his plan has always been to whitewash the everlasting fuck out of Rhaenyra. So what do I think about this?

Well, for starters, I think that Ryan Condal is an excellent businessman. He knows what kind of tropes are going to make the audience engage with his show. He understands that people need a hero to cheer for and a villain to hate, therefore he removed the moral ambiguity from all of the characters and divided them into two categories: the Blacks, enlightened revolutionaries full of passion, deserving of admiration and correct in everything they do, and the Greens, pious fools with a moral superiority complex who are stack in the ways of the past and commit despicable crimes. The average viewer does not possess the intelligence to comprehend that both parties have their good and bad moments, and that they’re both correct in fighting for what each believes is rightfully theirs. Simultaneously, he benefits from the modern trends that want women in media to take revenge when they are wronged and emerge as triumphant girlbosses, because of course a white upper class woman’s suffering in a western world (or Westeros) society has everything to do with her gender and nothing to do with her personality or decisions (even if this works solely for Rhaenyra, because Alicent seems to be held accountable for every single one of her actions). Finally, it is obvious that Condal is trying to appease disgruntled Daenerys fans, so he has rebuilt Rhaenyra into this tortured martyr that wishes to change the world for the better in an attempt to make her resemble her great granddaughter six times removed.

For all of these reasons, I find it very logical that he is going out of his way to minimise the tragedy the Greens experience. It just doesn’t make Rhaenyra look good and honestly, who wants that? The producers saw how unhappy Danny’s stans were when they made her lose her shit; they’re not going to make the same mistake twice. They don’t want their show to tank like the last season of GOT did, so they’ll do everything in their power to keep the audience happy. And it’s working! What’s the last thing Condal says in this clip? “You kinda start rooting for [Blood and Cheese]!” and boy oh boy, the TB stans sure do! Literally hundreds of memes that rejoiced at Jaehaerys’ death were posted on X this week, with tens of thousands of likes. But when Lucerys died, it was presented as the most foul thing to ever happen in the ASOIAF universe. It is the TB supporters that dictate which child murder is good and which is bad, and that decision usually depends on which child came out Rhaenyra’s womb, not let’s say, the fact that one kid was a toddler that could barely walk, while the other was a teenager that laughed at the disabled person he mutilated himself.

It’s all just marketing

That being said, I want to clarify that I understand why Condal and the HOTD producers do what they do, but being a good entrepreneur does not necessarily make you a literary genius. Now, I’m not gonna explain why stripping Rhaenyra off of every character trait that made her interesting is a bad decision and that in their attempt to remove the blame from her so that they can elevate her as this righteous patron of feminism, they’re accidentally removing all of her agency and turning her simply into a victim, because I have a whole blog dedicated to that. But let’s just say that presenting Rhaenyra as this sexually liberated idol that’s incapable of evil, when in fact she’s an entitled aristocrat who’s completely at the mercy of men around her, from her father to her husbuncle, is the most performative activism move ever pulled in recent TV history, as well as pushing the narrative that Alicent suffers from internalised misogyny because duh, a woman can only be good and a feminist if she supports Rhaenyra, not when she pursues her own interests.

Ultimately, I think we just have to accept that this show is not meant for TG fans. We are not going to find any satisfaction in it. Everything that was unique and admirable about the Greens in the book has vanished. Their family dynamic is fucked up, Alicent’s children hate her, Aegon and Halaena cannot stand one another, Alicent is constantly a victim and never someone that chases her own ambitions, Halaena is very vague, Aemond appears to be more angsty than angry, Aegon is a stupid rapist, Jaehaerys’ death was turned into a mockery, Alicole was weaponised in order to make us shit on Alicent and Criston even more and so on. This show barely caters to us because we’re not making them any money.

The reason that there are more TB than TG stans is because (I’m gonna get so much fucking hate for this) most people who watch TV are fucking morons. I swear, when F&B came out 6 years ago, no one gave a flying fuck about Rhaenyra, because we all understood that everyone involved in the Dance of the Dragons was fucked up in their own way and that the message of this story, just like the general message of ASOIAF, is that nobody deserves to sit on that fucking throne. We were all in agreement about that. But then this fucking show came along and all the oblivious simpletons that swallowed whatever the producers shoved down their throats, grabbed the book and decided that “Woah, this book is obviously a critique on patriarchy and Rhaenyra is obviously the victim of the story”! As if GRRM, the man who said that he doesn’t sit down and think “Oh, I’m going to write a woman now” but instead he believes women to be people just like men, with complex personalities, would ever do that. And they just can’t believe that it is possible for book!Rhaenyra to be an evil racist classist full of entitlement! Surely it must be because the Greens are rewriting history! There’s no way GRRM, the man that created Cersei fucking Lannister, would ever make a female character that’s vicious and crazy just because she feels like it! Y’all need to sit down for a moment. I say this as a radical feminist that supports the 4B movement: you’re projecting your own ideas onto George’s work. Not all the media we consume has to reflect our ideologies, but if you think that it has to, then this book isn’t the anti misogynistic masterpiece you wish it was.

Like, when it comes to F&B, I am firmly anti Targaryen and did not wish for any side to win. I wanted them all wiped out to be honest. But when it comes to HOTD, I’m TG basically out of spite at this point.

All in all, I just think that things are going to go downhill for us from this point on. They’ll just keep glorifying the Blacks until the very end.

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bbjobo · 6 months ago

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Hello hi it’s me, your resident entertainment PR enthusiast. I simply need to talk about the sequel announcement. This is all speculation, but I work in entertainment-adjacent communications and once convinced a household name celebrity to stay at my event to do select press interviews when his wife was going to go into labor at literally any minute, so I like to think I've got a pretty good sense of all of this.

So buckle in, because I'm about how actually fantastic this rollout was, because I’d wager they’ve been planning this since the premiere.

RWRB came out truly smack-dab in the middle of the actors' strike. We all know just how much press we must have missed out on, because the strike started before promo would have kicked off in earnest. And when it was finally over in November, the actors are potentially out of contract for promotion, and that’s not even taking into consideration that the holidays are coming up and the six weeks from American Thanksgiving to New Year’s is truly a black hole of press. So this little movie has to rely almost entirely on fan reaction and word of mouth to hit because they’re so limited in what they can do for promo. And it IS a hit! Records are broken! Comments for an extended version (which, ok Matthew we get it, does not exist) and a sequel start almost immediately.

The marketing team makes the most of what they’ve got: they’re keeping up the official character accounts, they’re dropping deleted scenes and BTS. We get cornettos! The fireside scene! Bloopers! Notably absent? Brownstone Thanksgiving. We’ve seen BTS photos of it, we know it exists. Thanksgiving 2023 would have been a great time to drop it, but they don’t. This is the approximate point at which my own personal sequel speculation began. After the strike ends, the posting pace slows considerably but it’s still consistent. It’s just enough to keep it in your mind but not enough to be like “why are you still posting this much about it?” And this continues into 2024.

On the contracting side, conversations were likely actively happening at this point. I wouldn’t be surprised if negotiations picked up literally as soon as the strike ended. The producers would have had that time to get Matthew and Casey back on board and be fully prepped and ready to move on to contracting actors the minute they could. It’d be a shot in the dark to try to guess when these were finalized, but at some point between November 9 and May 9, yeah, they’re in.

But whew, Nicholas is booked and BUSY. Mary & George drops internationally March 5, The Idea of You closes SXSW on March 17, two weeks later M&G starts airing in the US and Canada, and a month after that, TIOY is available for streaming (and limited theatrical release, which is another whole post), and in between all those premieres, he’s everywhere. He’s criss-crossing the country (and tbh the Atlantic Ocean) for all of these appearances, truly going non-stop. The pacing of the premieres makes it nearly impossible to squeeze in another project announcement, and if they had, it would have been a bigger part of every interview he did after, which is something his own team would be working to balance. Plus between TIOY and RWRB, Prime would have been pitching stories against themselves. Better to let him finish out his other promotional appearances and then switch over.

At the same time, we’ve got awards and red carpet season starting. At nearly every red carpet appearance not for their own projects, both Taylor and Nick are asked about a sequel. If an interviewer is given enough time, they ask about a sequel. Sure, fans comment about a sequel on every vaguely rwrb social post from an official account, but the press asking about a sequel felt like a lot to me. Everyone always gave the same vague answer, that they’d be up for it if the story is right, that they don’t know but would be happy to. (Except one time, Nick does slip up and give an answer that feels a little more definitive here where he says “conversations are being had” all the way back in late February/early March). Press are asking the question so consistently that it felt like if it wasn’t happening, PR teams would have put the sequel on the do not ask list.

Then Prime starts actually ramping up on a FYC campaign for the movie. I'm gonna be honest, I was so surprised. It's a rom com, the odds of a rom com getting any sort of awards recognition is so slim, but I thought, "ok, sure, use FYC as a way to get the promo boost they need for an announcement of whatever's coming next." And then I looked up and Variety has picked it as the winner in the best television movie category, which is blowing my mind. The other categories they're submitting in are stacked and I think a nomination beyond television movie will be a long shot, but again, it's big for it to even be considered. And if they're being talked about, that means Prime's gotta put out a great showing for their FYC campaign.

Which brings us to this week. We start off on Monday with Nick at the Met Gala referring to Uma as his mother-in-law. Incredible. Love it. Wednesday and Thursday are a one-two punch of a FYC event and fan event, and the gang’s all here. At the FYC, we get the industry side of things: new portraits and interviews with Deadline, process talk, etc. Because this little rom com is actually doing pretty well and beating the odds? Knowing what we know now, the PR teams spent this week pre-briefing the press on the sequel announcement. Notable (at least to my knowledge) the sequel question doesn't get asked at the FYC event. Because the press already knows it's coming.

Now, on to yesterday. They do a fan screening and Q&A, and they literally roll out the red carpet. Nine months after the premiere and exactly six months after the strike ended, they get the gang back together with fans of the movie, who they relied on so heavily during the strike to help make the movie a success. The tagline on the screen’s giant promo image has been updated to specifically thank fans for “making history with us.” The moderator for the Q&A is the same person who interviewed Taylor and Nick at the beginning of FYC campaign season, their first joint interview since GQ (right? pretty sure. it's all a blur tbh). And at the end of the Q&A, minutes before 12 AM ET, when the embargo on the press release would have lifted, they make the announcement not to press, but to the fans. The fans who loved the book, who watched it over and over, who spread the word about the movie to help make it one of Prime’s top three rom coms OF ALL TIME.

It’s just… an absolute masterclass in how to execute a major announcement that embraces the fans in a time where fandom and interaction between creators and fans can be an absolute minefield. Prime saw the opportunity to lean into the fannishness of it all and they took it and it was a slam dunk.

So where do we go from here? IDK but here’s some unconnected thoughts in list form like Alex would want.

The book’s 5th anniversary is next Wednesday, the 14th.

Casey’s been posting about working on [redacted] for months at this point, which is almost certainly the screenplay

Nick mentioned needing to be back in the UK for filming soon

They would probably like to release this in US election off-cycle years, so that means 2025 or 2027 (and 2027 is too far away). 2026 would be less bad since it’s a midterm election, but still.

Filming could reasonably start sooner rather than later, and even without an unfinished script

I guess we’re back on content watch for blond hair and BTS pictures

#rwrb #red white and royal blue #taylor zakhar perez #nicholas galitzine #i'm gonna be thinking about this for YEARS #A+ to the whole team that made this happen #i hope they get some rest now #god i love this kind of thing

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hypostatic-oath · 1 year ago

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OVERSEER BRAINROT

(This is like. Me rambling. This is poorly explained and my grasp on the canon lore is iffy but this is just how I imagine/will write the Overseer - aka the player - in SAGAU. This perspective will likely change as I understand more of the lore, but for now, here's some crumbs.)

Overseer whose role is, more than simply observing, to keep the canon going.

Experiencing the story, and that includes collecting characters and learning of their lore, exploring the world, building our teapot, etc is our reward for playing our role - and our role is to push the story forward. It doesn't progress without us. We're not Teyvat's creator, but we are the one making each of our worlds move (we're the mover we're the shaker we're the headline maker). If we did not take action, the twins never would've been separated - they would've stayed forever in that choosing screen, held permanently in that moment. If we had not chosen to walk forward and touch the statue, the Traveler would never have gotten the Anemo elemental powers. Would've never helped Dvalin. Signora would've never taken Venti's gnosis. Rex Lapis would never have "died". Every single other major event wouldn't happen.

The player is the being that makes the Canon Events happen - not directly, but through making sure that the story progresses. (Miguel O'Hara theme plays in the background.) And this can happen at whichever speed we decide.

Now, while the fact that we are the ones making the story go by could be used to argue that the Overseer would be the one to make the passage of time, that is not quite true. The days in Teyvat do not depend on the story progression. Months can pass before those two Fatui in Mondstadt (I love them) have any new gossip to share about current events, or they can pass through five new topics in a span of days, depending on how fast the player runs through the quests. Time is not the deciding factor in these characters' fates. It doesn't matter how long it's been since Signora died - Viktor (the Fatui guy at the Cathedral) will not be stationed at his new post unless the player finishes his comission. Teppei's condition won't worsen with time, either. If we don't continue the quest, we can stand next to him for weeks in game before he passes. Thus, I propose that the Overseer is more of a god of Fate (not to mention, the god of time position is taken). To add to this, the things we use to pull for characters are called Fates. Intertwined Fates, Acquaint Fates, both circle back to the same idea. Hangouts can be seen as a sort of exploration of this power - with the ability to choose one of five or six fates for that character (if only Character Quests had that too). It is, however, one of the few times we have control over which version of the story is told. Otherwise, we are mostly the energy that moves it along.

It's not just that it's a canon event and we cannot interfere - it's that it is literally our purpose to make sure it happens, even if we don't like it. We're here to witness and progress the story - and bad things can happen in stories, regardless of what the characters in it want. So right now I am having some Villain Overseer brainrot, not because they want to be evil on purpose, but because some character decides to pull a Miles Morales and say "I'mma do my own thing" and mess up the story's flow. For someone trying to change the course of the story, the force that pushes events forward is obviously Not Good. I can see Fontaine characters seeing the Traveler's arrival as an ill omen, a sign that the prophecy will come true. They're divided, because on one hand, the Traveler has a good reputation, someone helpful, kind, a hero. But the Overseer's attention signifies that events will inevitably unfold. So Lyney invites them to be part of a show. Furina threatens to arrest the Traveler. Navia asks them out for tea. As long as they can keep the Overseer's attention on other matters, the event they dread won't happen. (I won't talk much abt Neuvillette rn becayse spoilers)

Enter eventual Arlechinno boss fight (it hasn't happened yet, but I do hope we get one) - she's the one who tries to fight the Traveler head on, to personally put a stop to it once and for all. Perhaps the Overseer has no ill will, but that doesn't matter. Not when their presence means that the clock is ticking faster and faster every day.

Now for a more lighthearted thought, Isekai'd Overseer who doesn't really have a concept of urgency. No important event will occur without them present, so they have no qualms in arriving on the day after the scheduled date, confident that as long as it is between 18:00 - 23:00 the reservation will still be placed and people will be at their seats as if it was always meant to be that way.

So the Overseer walks into a bar, with a face too fresh for someone who hasn't slept in what the people of Teyvat percieve to have been months, just coming in from the Spiral Abyss, and asks the bartender where their friends are.

"I don't know? Master Kaeya usually shows up at this hour, but the rest of your usual group is probably tending to their affairs."

"Odd. They were supposed to be here by now. We had a big dinner planned." The person in front of him, who Charles is more and more sure definitely looks somewhat off in a way he can't quite pinpoint, seems confused. "There was a reservation and everything. In Kaeya's name, I believe."

"Well, I'm sorry, but the last reservation Master Kaeya placed here was a month ago."

"Again, weird. He said he was going to place one. Oh, well. When the others get here, just let them know I'll be on one of the big tables upstairs, alright? And you can put everything on my tab."

#i would very much like to know whether the traveler/paimon/player has ties to celestia #but judging by the fact that neuvillette is chill with us I'd say that if we do then the dragon sovereigns dont know #Speaking of the sovereigns I ABSOLUTELY ADORE THEM #sagau #genshin sagau #self aware genshin au #genshin impact sagau #cube.rambles #this is all over the place but I wanted to get my overseer brainrot going

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zot3-flopped · 8 months ago

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Two months prior to its release, would-be doyens of Swift’s Tortured Poets Department have taken its barbed track listing very literally, leading to intense, often nefarious speculation regarding Swift’s six-year relationship with the British actor Joe Alwyn, which seemingly ended in early 2023.

The album’s title, revealed onstage at the Grammy awards, was quickly linked to a December, 2022 interview with Alwyn and Paul Mescal in which they revealed that Andrew Scott started their group chat, the Tortured Man Club. (“It hasn’t had much use recently,” Alwyn said: you wonder if it’s undergone a recent revival.) Swift revealed the leading track list a day later: My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys, So Long, London, I Can Do It With a Broken Heart, The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived, to name a few, sending fans wild with speculation.

Swift, obviously, has every right to sing about her relationships however she wants to (no apologies to Eamonn Holmes). But in the absence of any music, some fans have spread baseless, dangerous and even libellous allegations about Alwyn’s conduct (which, for obvious reasons, I can’t repeat).

Last month, a brief fan-shot video of them dining in a New Orleans restaurant in December, 2022 was recirculated online with AI-doctored audio that made it sound as though Alwyn is saying “you don’t get to tell me about sad,” a line printed on the back of one of the new album’s four physical editions.

When Swift recently told a crowd that she was “lonely” when writing her 2020 album Folklore – some of which was co-written with Alwyn during the pandemic, a lonely time for most – fans took that as further confirmation of their theories. A live medley of three songs that all appear to reference cheating threw petrol on the fire.

Swift could make this stop. She is no stranger to airing her displeasure with the likes of Ticketmaster, Scooter Braun, Spotify and Apple Music, and, occasionally, politicians. Before she released Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) last year, she gave a veiled speech at one Eras tour date effectively asking fans not to go after John Mayer, whom she dated when she was 19 and he was 32 and is understood to be the subject of that album’s Dear John.

“I am not putting this album out so you should feel the need to defend me on the internet against someone you think I wrote a song about 14m years ago when I was 19,” she said in Minneapolis.

But for whatever reason – and obviously, no member of the public has any idea what transpired between her and Alwyn so far – this time she has opted to stay quiet.

Establishing a baseline for conduct is neither commercially risky nor unprecedented: just last week, Ariana Grande said, after the release of her post-divorce album Eternal Sunshine: “Anyone that is sending hateful messages to the people in my life based on your interpretation of this album is not supporting me and is absolutely doing the polar opposite of what I would ever encourage”.

It feels like the endgame of a cat-and-mouse act that’s gone too far. Swift’s gestures towards meaning have led every single thing she does to be considered a kind of marketing, a clue to be solved. It leaves a superstar who’s usually hot on her messaging open to misinterpretation: hints about her personal life are turned by some fans into witch-hunts for anyone perceived to have wronged her; her current silence on politics allows politicians to invoke her name, from the New South Wales police commissioner quoting Swift’s anti-haters lines while defending police to Joe Biden joking that the matter of her apparently much sought-after endorsement is “classified” on Late Night With Seth Meyers.

When Swift made a blandly neutral handwritten post encouraging US citizens to register to vote on Super Tuesday, some fans speculated that her unusual left-leaning handwriting was the real indication of her loyalties – suggesting they’re so starved of substance that they’re reading into empty messages because of this dynamic she has established. (The more likely explanation is the insane way she holds a pen.)

For Swift to only direct fans as to her wishes when it suits her, it weakens her status as a truth-teller. If the comparisons with Dickinson mean anything, she might remember that nothing in the world has as much power as a word feels like the endgame of a cat-and-mouse act that’s gone too far.

#taylor swift #anti taylor swift #joe alwyn #travis kelce #the tortured poets department #the critics are not going to be kind to this album #she's too rich & successful to be so bitchy & vindictive #laura snapes

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unpredictable-probabilities · 1 year ago

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Azul Ashengrotto of Royal Sword Academy || Chapter 1: That Dastardly RSA Student

(art by @patchyegg87)

Summary:

Jamil Viper was almost the one to have brought victory for NRC against RSA in a hundred years, if not for Azul Ashengrotto.

It was supposed to be Jamil's chance to finally be at the top, and having victory stolen from his grasp by that RSA merfolk still irked him more than he would have expected. Hopefully, he'd never have to see him again.

Word Count: 4,688

Author's Note:

As of writing this, canon hasn't told us anything about Prince Rielle except for his first name and that he was classmates with Azul in middle school. Everything else about him here is just headcanons~

This is an AU that I wrote with @patchyegg87 where Azul and Kalim had gone to school in RSA instead of NRC. It's the first book of at least a two-part series that we have planned~

We have drafted about ten chapters already, we just need to finish editing them. We plan on posting a chapter every week ^_^

We hope you like this first one!

Jamil has worked hard to be here. Staying up for nights to review all topics that could possibly be covered, borrowing the maximum amount of textbooks from the library, skipping basketball practice.

And here he is indeed. Toe-to-toe with RSA at the Magical Inter-school Competition.

Only one thing stands in his way: Azul Ashengrotto. Right there at the podium across from him, waiting intently for the final question much like he is.

"And now, for the question that would decide everything!" says the host, pausing dramatically.

A drumroll sounds from invisible speakers, and the host makes a show of reading the question.

"What is… a six-letter word for an antidote? In ancient times, it was believed that a glass of it would be able to neutralize any type of poison."

Wait, that's it? That's too easy—

Azul Ashengrotto precisely blasts magic at the big gemstone floating in front of both of them—their version of a buzzer.

"Bezoar," he says calmly. "It originates from the Far West, a word that literally means 'antidote'."

There is a full second of silence, and then the RSA side of the audience bursts into applause. Glittering confetti explodes out of invisible cannons and rains down on Jamil's frozen figure, arm still raised to blast magic at the gem.

Royal Sword Academy takes first place.

Again.

Jamil can barely hear the cheering over the mind-numbing realization that he lost, only by a matter of a few seconds.

As NRC's crowd stays deathly silent, Jamil feels the shame crawling up his spine. As if losing to these Mary Sues wasn't bad enough, he now made a fool of himself in front of his own school.

He slams his fist down on his podium in silent frustration, but other than that, he just stands there and coldly glares at his opponent.

And to make matters worse…

"It's okay, Jamil! You did great!" Kalim yells, sitting amongst RSA's "little angels".

Jamil's jaw tightens.

Azul Ashengrotto just smiles politely at the crowd. He glances at Jamil and sees his cold glare, and Jamil takes satisfaction in how Ashengrotto's smile falters for a fraction of a second. Then they're both ushered down from the stage.

Jamil had never been to Golden Bridge Academy before, and he has no idea where the canteen is. He had skipped lunch for this competition and so far had only managed to find a vending machine to get a fruit soda from. Normally he'd familiarize himself with a place before going there, but he didn't think he'd need to, especially if he'd be too busy being congratulated by his schoolmates to go anywhere else by himself.

Now he's trying to get away from those schoolmates. He barely escaped without having resentful glares cast his way.

"Hey!" a growl calls his attention..

Jamil turns to look at him, and as soon as he does, the tiger beastman swats the bottle of soda from his hand. It falls to the floor with a thud.

"Shouldn't you be hiding in shame somewhere?" the beastman bares his teeth. "You're in the basketball varsity, ain't ya? How's it that that nerd with the glasses moved faster than you?"

Jamil keeps a proud, condescending look on his face, trying his best to hide the evident irritation in his voice.

"I don't know what you mean. The other man simply won, and that's all there is to it. Besides, as if you could do any better. Do you think I wasn't there when I saw you and your team lose to RSA yesterday? Now unless you can tell me where the canteen is, beat it. I'm already in a bad enough mood as it is."

The beastman growls and lunges faster than Jamil had expected for such a buff guy.

Jamil pulls out his Magic Pen, fully knowing he won't be quick enough to stop the sharp claws reaching for his face—

"Agh!" the beastman suddenly stumbles back as a magic blast hit him, a hand clasping over his shoulder.

"That is no way to treat a schoolmate, is it?" a familiar cool voice says behind Jamil.

Azul Ashengrotto lowers his Magic Pen, but still keeps it at the ready. "Jamil Viper had put up an excellent fight, and I have no doubt he knew the answer to that final question. I merely won by chance."

The beastman makes a low growl. "We'll get your asses next time, just you wait."

"I look forward to it," Azul tips his head politely.

The beastman storms off.

Azul pockets his Magic Pen, then picks up Jamil's fruit soda bottle and offers it to him.

"Just go straight ahead and to the right, you'll find the canteen near the statue of the fairy," Azul says.

Jamil stares at the soda bottle in Azul's hand for a long moment before he takes it.

He squints at Azul. "Have you been listening in on our conversation?"

It was too soon for him to see this guy, he mutters in his head. Of all the people to run into...

"It was difficult not to, your friend has quite the loud voice," Azul Ashengrotto has a small smile of amusement. "But I did not mean to eavesdrop, I assure you. I was just passing by from the shop. I ran into some of your other schoolmates, I think they were heading to the canteen as well." He absently adjusts his glasses, and Jamil notices for the first time that one of the lenses has a crack that wasn't there earlier during the quiz bee. "They seemed about as friendly as your tiger companion earlier, so might I suggest that you sit at the north side if you want a peaceful lunch? The tables there are not in plain view."

Jamil looks at Azul strangely, wondering why he's telling him this, because it's true that he'd rather avoid further ire from his schoolmates.

"…What do you want?" He asks, voice laced with suspicion.

It doesn't escape Azul's notice, and his eyebrows raise in mild surprise, then he shakes his head. "I merely had the impression that you wanted to avoid further disturbances. I had information, I passed it on. That is all. Regardless, I shall leave you be."

Azul tips his head politely and turns to leave, but before he could walk away, another voice rings out.

"Octy! Sea Snake!"

Floyd appears faster than Jamil could react, and the eel is suddenly between him and Azul Ashengrotto, an arm around each of them.

"Heyyyy, can we join yer hangout?"

"Azul Ashengrotto," Jade walks towards them with an amused smile. "It's been a long time. Are you both headed to the canteen?"

Jamil struggles under Floyd's grip, widening his eyes at the twins' approach.

"What the— Hang on, you guys know each other?" He incredulously asks.

"We were classmates in middle school," Azul Ashengrotto says from the grip of Floyd's other arm. Then he turns to Jade. "Hello, Jade Leech, Floyd Leech. I see you two have retained the same… enthusiasm in greeting people."

Floyd laughs. "I missed ya, Octy! And you, Sea Snake, why're you keeping him to yourself? That's rude, you know!"

"Feel free to take him," Jamil grumbles, unable to escape Floyd's grip. Curses, he normally would've heard him coming from a mile away. Azul's tip about the tables had distracted him. "Just leave me out of it."

"Nooo!" Floyd complains. "I gotta talk to you about the new Basketball Club uniforms! You've been skippin' practice so you dunno that Coach told us to pick up the fabrics for 'em in town next week!"

"And we want to catch up with our old friend Azul," Jade smiles, the kind that looks like there's definitely something else behind it.

"Let's gooo!" Floyd practically drags Jamil and Azul along.

Jamil sees that Azul was right about the other NRC students at the canteen, but all of them give their group a wide berth. That's one good thing about the Leech twins, at least. If they're bothering you, no one else will.

"Can I take everyone's orders?" Jade asks as they all settle into a table. "My treat."

Jamil sighs, seeing that he's got no chance of escaping this now without attracting Floyd's ire. Glancing at the front of the canteen where a menu can be seen, he then mumbles, "I'll take a plate of carbonara, I guess . . ."

He feels his stomach growling in satisfaction. Huh. Guess he has been neglecting a bit of his needs for this quiz, now that he thinks about it.

"Beef stew, please," Azul Ashengrotto says, seated in front of Jamil.

"Large fries!" Floyd pipes up, sitting beside Jamil. "And a taco!"

Jade nods in acknowledgement and leaves to order.

"You don't look delicious in your human form, Octy," Floyd rests his chin on his hands, his elbows propped up on the table. "You don't even have any chewy bits."

"If it means that you won't be biting my limbs again anytime soon, then I don't mind the absence of chewiness," Azul says good-naturedly as he takes out a small container from his pocket and places it on the table.

Jamil can't believe he's sitting with the guy who bested him in a battle of academic wits. A part of him wants to stay irritated, but now that the sting of defeat has mostly left him, he just feels resigned.

He glances at his former opponent and at Floyd, frowning. "Were you guys close friends back in middle school or something?"

He's never seen the twins be this excited over one individual before.

Azul considers for a moment. "We were friends, yes, but we didn't exactly spend enough time together to be considered close—"

"Because Flame Tetra stole you from us!" Floyd slams his fist on the table, a gesture that would have been intimidating if not for the childish pout on his face. "Jade and I were about to scoop ya up, but he swam in and made you part of his gang. Blech," Floyd makes a disgusted face.

"…Who's Flame Tetra?" Jamil asks, not even sure what a Tetra is. "…And you call this guy 'Octy' because…?"

"'Flame Tetra' is how Floyd refers to Rielle Triton, another one of our classmates back in middle school," Azul responds. "And Floyd's nickname for me is because I'm a cecaelia. In my true form, my lower half is an octopus."

"With chewy tenta-klees!" Floyd reminds them, wiggling his fingers towards them as an imitation of said tentacles.

"We still could have been close, you know," Azul says to Floyd. "It isn't like Rielle forbids his friends to be close to other people."

"Nahhh, we don't like hangin' out with royals," Floyd waves a hand dismissively. "And he's always hangin' around you! It was real annoying. I wanted to squeeze him for it but Jade didn't let me."

Friends with royalty? Connection to the Leech twins that isn't a death sentence? Consider Jamil intrigued.

"What about this guy is so interesting to you, Floyd? Is it 'cause he's half-octopus?" He levels his gaze down the silver-haired boy's way as he takes a sip of his soda.

"Well, many of our classmates were racist bastards," Floyd says bluntly. "Octy was the only cecaelia in our class, and they kept givin' him shit for it. I was like whatever, y'know. There's assholes everywhere, why not in school? BUT THEN, Jade noticed that those bastards slowly became less bastardly. They also began gettin' skills n' stuff outta nowhere, but also losin' things? Like, this merman, his tailfin changed color to a glittery green thingy, it was rad. But he became stupid in math.

So Jade and I snooped on Azul and found out he was makin' these contracts to make deals with our classmates. He had figured out his Signature Spell at that age! BESTIE MATERIAL, RIGHT??"

Azul has a hand to his forehead, like he's covering his face from embarrassment.

"Oh?" Jamil utters, raising an eyebrow. "Your Signature Spell developed so you could get one over people who used to make fun of you?"

That's a tad more dastardly than he gave the guy credit for.

"Impressive…" Jamil mutters, recalling the time where he first manifested his Signature Spell…

Control, control…

That's all he ever asks for.

Please… If he can have at least one thing in his stupid life…

He blinks himself back to reality. "Did you want to befriend Azul 'cause you wanted some kind of boon from him?"

"Eh?" Floyd looks confused. "I wanted to play with him! It's Jade who wanted a boon."

"Hm? Did I hear my name?" Jade appears with a tray of their food. It looks like he got spaghetti for himself.

"Sea Snake was wonderin' why we wanted to hang out with Octy back then," Floyd jabs a thumb towards Jamil's direction.

"Can we please talk about something else?" Azul says, looking uncomfortable with the attention.

"But we missed you!" Floyd pouts. "Let's hear what Jade has to say."

Jade chuckles as he sits down in front of Floyd and next to Azul.

"Having Floyd as a sibling certainly raises one's standards for what is interesting. And Azul, who used to dissolve into tears from the bullying of our classmates and then ended up lording over them, certainly reached that standard," Jade says. "And I must admit, I wanted to see if he and I could work together."

"But you didn't because… Rielle?" Jamil asks. He's heard of the name, since the Asims' personal retainers are expected to know the different royal families in case they ever have to meet or welcome them. He wonders why the Leeches don't like associating with the prince.

Jade shrugs. "Prince Rielle has always been too well-guarded. I would rather not have eyes on any endeavors I do."

"And they definitely won't let me chew on Flame Tetra's tail," Floyd adds.

Azul has stopped paying attention to them and is currently getting two pieces of glass from the container he had placed on the table.

Jamil's eyes follow this movement and glance at the container. What's that?

Azul removes his glasses and places them down.

"Ah yes," Jade says, noticing what Azul is doing as well. "I've been meaning to ask. What happened to your glasses?"

Azul takes out his Magic Pen and begins to magically replace his glasses’ lenses. "A group of your charming schoolmates approached me earlier. One of them aimed a punch at my face. I managed to cast a shield, but not fast enough. The punch didn't make contact with my face, but the shield wasn't able to stop the force entirely. Hence," he holds up the cracked piece of glass, now detached from the frame. "Fortunately the shop here sells lenses that fit my eye grade. This would have to do until I can get new prescription glasses." He looks down to carefully attach the new lenses, muttering incantations with waves of his Magic Pen.

"You got jumped?" Floyd says in interest. "What'd you do?"

"I made them leave," Azul said simply, still fixing his glasses.

Jade chuckles fondly.

"Aw hell yeah! That's our Octy!" Floyd grins.

Jamil frowns as he tries to imagine Azul prevailing in a brawl. It's hard to picture, but it's certainly not a bad picture.

"Those idiots," Jamil shakes his head. "Acting like sore losers that way is only going to give the rest of us more trouble than it's worth…" He glances at Floyd's way. "How was your swimming competition?"

"He was disqualified about a few seconds in for going severely out of bounds." Jade happily replies.

"That's what they get for makin' me join," Floyd groans, leaning back on his seat. "Why would I wanna be in a swimmin' contest? I swim all the time."

"You're a fast swimmer," Azul points out, wearing his newly repaired glasses. He blinks a few times as if testing his vision. "Surely it would have been quite easy for you to win such a competition."

"Exactly!" Floyd says. "Where's the fun in that? Ooh, YOU shoulda joined, Octy! You ain't a fast swimmer at all, it'll be a real challenge."

Azul seems to get pink in the face from embarrassment. Then he clears his throat and puts away the container that now holds the old lenses.

"In any case, I am glad that you are a tad bit friendlier than your peers, Jamil Viper," he says to Jamil, then smiles a little. "Or at least, not as aggressive."

Jamil can't help but give Azul a smirk, both pleasant and smug all at once. "What can I say? It's much easier to take people down when they least expect it."

"How adorable," Jade coos, immediately undercutting the cool and intimidating image Jamil was going for.

"Ooh, you better watch out, lil' Octy," Floyd teases. "Sea Snake can hold a reeeeeal grudge."

"It takes someone clever and cutthroat to stay in his position as Scarabia's Prefect, after all." Jade then compliments. "His dormmates are pleasant enough, but they're crafty and waiting for the day they can pull off their long con against him."

"Hmph. Let them try." Jamil huffs, already familiar with who his turncoats might be.

"Hey, hey, are you still doing those contracts, Octy? How many people do you got under your thumb nowadays? Do the RSA guppies make for fun peons?" Floyd asks, leaning forward to lie his head on the table.

Azul looks around, his face an impressive mask of nonchalance, but Jamil still sees the nervousness underneath it.

No one seems to be paying attention to their little group, though.

"Yes, I still do the contracts," Azul says slowly. "But I've become a bit more… amiable, in my methods. My contracts are more straightforward now, without any of the cleverly hidden fine prints or loopholes that you might be familiar with from middle school. So, no peons."

"Awwww," Floyd laments. "Flame Tetra made ya boring. Though you still did beat up those guys who jumped you so I'll let it slide."

Azul chuckles in amusement.

"Is it because of 'Flame Tetra', though?" Jamil inquired. "What made you stop with all the fine prints and loopholes?"

Sounds like a very useful tool that he'd hate to be on the other side of had Azul been a fellow NRC student.

"Well…" Azul fiddles with his spoon in his stew. "As Jade and Floyd have pointed out, being friends with Rielle means that one would be relatively watched. And I couldn't risk marring a crown prince's reputation. Either way, RSA is not fond of, ah, sketchy things. The amount of trouble I can get into for such loopholes…" he shakes his head. "Fortunately, I found that being close friends with a crown prince has its own perks. Some might say a more subtle way of gaining… peons," he looks at Jamil and gives a smirk that the Scarabia Prefect wouldn't have expected of an RSA student.

Jamil is mildly surprised that Azul directed such a smile his way. After all, he may have asked the question, but the twins were the ones who wanted to be impressed. Still, he doesn't dislike it. It's like how he and Ruggie share twin smirks when they both know they aren't up to any good during classes. There's a certain kinship to it.

Very well, he can admit it. Azul doesn't seem like a complete angel. For him, one of the factors of an individual's tolerability is their innocence. He can't deal with someone so perpetually nice and good, it reminds him of the guy who grew up with him since childhood—it grates on his nerves.

"Is that why you decided to become friends with Rielle, then, to the point where you came all the way to a place like Royal Sword?" He continues the inquiry. "For the benefits his royal privilege can bring?"

"Oh, not at all," Azul says. "Rielle was the first to approach me during a time when most of the people around us had disliked me. Especially considering how he was the most popular kid in class, it was a big risk to his reputation befriending someone like me at the time."

"HEY!" Floyd cut in, frowning. "WE would have been the first ones to approach you! We were just a lil' bit late!"

Azul smiles at him. "Once again, we can still be friends now, Floyd."

"I'm just sayin'," Floyd grumbles, crossing his arms.

Azul turns to Jamil again. "Yes, I'm genuinely good friends with Rielle. He's surprisingly humble for a crown prince, very loyal to his friends, and is sincere in all his actions. And I didn't even know he was going to RSA until I got my acceptance letter and told him about it. Apparently he had gotten his letter on the same day."

"Ah," Jamil nodded, though a part of him felt displeased with the information. He chalked it up to disappointment that there was no duplicity to be found in their bond. After all, he can see what Floyd meant now, about how Azul's penchant for manipulation have mellowed out due to his environment.

Not that it's a bad thing for people to grow up with decent company and a non-hostile environment for once, but it's another point that differentiates him and Azul in the end. Azul got the chance to make his life turn around for the better.

Meanwhile, Jamil's still a snake, coiled in an arid land as it dreams of growing wings and flying away.

"My, it's good to hear that your boon companion has been doing well, Azul." Jade replied, before his mouth forms a small O-shape in polite surprise. "Oh, pardon me, is that an appropriate term for him? Or would you prefer that I call him your boyfriend or partner?"

Azul rolls his eyes. "Rielle and I are not romantically involved. No matter what gossip you may have heard."

"As you say," Jade politely concludes, though it's clear from a mischievous twinkle in his eye that he doesn't think Azul's being entirely truthful.

At least, that's how Jamil interprets it.

Anyway, this is completely unrelated to him now, so Jamil doesn't know why he should care—

"YET." Floyd emphasizes, finishing his fries. "Bet there'd be merpeeps out there who'd kill to be in your spot right now. Dating the crown prince of the seven seas–you got a real rags to riches story in the making, from being the runt of the class to king of the oceans. C'mon, don't tell me the thought never crossed yer mind. Even I could see what a steal that is and I don't even care about that stuff."

Azul hesitates only for a brief second, but it doesn't escape Jamil's notice.

"I had thought you to be above gossiping, Floyd," Azul says lightly.

"Yer avoiding the question," Floyd points an accusatory finger at Azul. Then he elbows Jamil. "Hey, Sea Snake, what do ya think? A Scarabia Prefect like you understands, right? Flame Tetra's a real steal for Octy here. And Octy himself ain't bad. Heck, if Flame Tetra wanted to hang out with him when he was a crybaby octopus in a pot, then why not now when he's dressed in the princely clothes of RSA?"

"Indeed," Jade nods. "What do you think, Jamil? Isn't Azul handsome and strong enough to be king of the oceans?" he smiles at Jamil in feigned innocence.

Jamil shoots a side-eyed glare at Jade, knowing that the other is up to something somehow. "I don't know why you want my opinion, but . . ." he casts Azul a long glance. "I see the potential. It would be foolish for Rielle not to consider you." He looks back at the twins. "However, if the guy wants this to be dropped then we should drop it. Whatever's going on with them isn't any of our business."

Azul looks quizzically at Jamil, like he didn’t expect Jamil to stare at him for so long, then he turns to the twins. “Exactly, especially since there is nothing going on at all.”

“Oh, Azul, there you are,” a voice says.

Jamil looks up to see a redhead RSA student approach their table.

“Jade and Floyd Leech,” he says in pleasant surprise. “And… Jamil Viper, I believe? Good day to you all.��

“Flame Tetra!” Floyd says cheerfully. “We were just talking about your wedding with Octy.”

Azul rolls his eyes. “The Leech twins subscribe to gossip, apparently.”

“Ah,” Rielle nods. “No wedding, I’m afraid. I’ve already proposed to Azul three times and he has always said no,” he puts a hand to his chest in a mock expression of sadness.

“Your jests are not helping,” Azul says in amusement.

“Why don’t you join us, Prince Rielle?” Jade says pleasantly, gesturing to the vacant chair at the head of the table, to Jamil’s left and to Azul’s right.

“Oh, thank you,” Rielle takes a seat. “And you know there is no need to call me by my title, Jade. Especially since you have seen me cry and fumble my way through our exams far too many times for any formalities.”

Jade chuckles. “It’s lovely to see you again.”

“Heck yeah!” Floyd agrees. “It’s been like forever!”

Rielle smiles good-naturedly at them, then turns to Jamil. “Hello, Mr. Viper. I am pleasantly surprised to see that you are friends with these three as well.”

Jamil shakes his head, his polite attitude showing its face out of pure habit. "I wouldn't really call them friends. After all, I just met one of them today, and the other two, well, since you seem familiar with them, then you're probably aware of their… difficult natures. Still, hello to you as well, Mr. Rielle."

Speaking of, Jamil's beginning to feel a bit out of place here. These people seem to know each other well and he's like a fish out of water (pun intended).

He turns to Floyd. "Anyway, what was that about our basketball uniforms? That was the whole reason why you dragged me here to begin with."

“Oh right!” Floyd suddenly remembers. “We’re supposed to get the fabrics for the uniforms in some shop in town this Saturday. Ooh, why don’t we make it a fun lil’ hangout? All of us can go! It ain’t too far from RSA!”

“I have Vice Prefect duties this Saturday, remember?” Jade says. "We have been away for a while and there is some work I have to catch up on.”

“Boo,” Floyd scrunches up his face. “How about you? Flame Tetra? Octy?”

“I think I am free, yes,” Rielle nods. “There are some errands I need to run in town anyway for the upcoming ball at RSA.”

“Let me see…” Azul frowns in thought.

“You’re coming too! Great!” Floyd says before Azul could continue.

“But I haven’t—” Azul tries to say.

“It’s a hangout!” Floyd raises his arms triumphantly.

Azul sighs. “I suppose.”

“I hope we aren’t imposing…” Rielle looks at Jamil hesitantly.

"Not at all," Jamil calmly responds. "It is Floyd who should be apologizing for forcing you two to come with us."

He holds no particularly strong feelings on whether or not Azul and Rielle would be included. He is used to keeping up a pleasant facade for people with higher status and Rielle seems more or less respectful of boundaries. What he's a bit annoyed with is Floyd strong-arming them together on a whim. He's willing to bet that on the day of the town visit, he would have lost the mood and make Jamil go all on his own. He'll have to ask the basketball captain for details first then make some adjustments to his schedule…

"Ahem. Anyway, if you'll excuse me." Jamil states, standing up and taking his finished plate. "It's been pleasant chatting with all of you, but I'll have to take my leave."

To do what? He's not really sure since the event's coordinators won't allow anyone to go home until a certain threshold of time.

Perhaps he'll watch the other competitions and keep seeing NRC lose to RSA so he can feel much better about himself.

Chapter 2 ->

(Masterlist)

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sweaterkittensahoy · 5 months ago

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why do you still talk to your parents if they hate you so much? i understand that's a very personal question, but you seem to get pretty personal on this blog, so.

I'm assuming this is based off my latest retelling of my dad and I getting into it when I was a teenager and feeling his apology was genuine and true versus a semi-recent event where he was a real shithead, and I had to learn to deal with it.

I don't know your relationship with your family, and I don't know your age, but here's what I know about me, my family, and my age: I'm 41. The only person I can control in any situation is myself. My parents have failings and fuck ups that pain me, but they also grant me access to my only living grandparent--my grandmother--whom I adore to my bones. If I cut them off, I lose her. Not because she is easily swayed by bullshit but because she's 90 and they live in the same town, and it's easier for her mail to go to them than for her to get to the post office. She hates talking on phone and email. She is not here to be judged. She rules.

But also, there are positives to my relationship with my dad that I find worthy of keeping. He and I are further apart politically than we've ever been. But all Dad wants when his kids are home is to watch movies, make food, and listen to us talk about our lives. Would I like him to apologize for calling me a disappointment? Yes. Absolutely. Is it going to happen? Fucking no. Would I like him to use my pronouns? Yes. Is it ever going to happen? No. Can we talk about the six movies he watched last week and have a good time? Yes.

Will my mother ever admit she's a severe alcoholic who has abused me for my entire life and continues to do so with her drinking? Nope. Not fucking ever. And my dad would drop me in a second because he would see my hardline on my mom as disrespectful, and then my mom would make SURE that anything I send to my grandmother via the mail would get lost.

I am 100% aware of the ways my parents come up short and fail me and try to cut me off at the knees (my mother especially). It's my job in taking care of myself to look at their actions and my own hopes for the relationship and decide how to adjust.

While it may seem odd to you, to me, I am literally in the healthiest version of my relationship with my parents I could be for what I want. I am very aware of where they won't meet me halfway. I know they will say things like "we never had expectations; we just wanted you to be happy" even when I could pull out a list of receipts a mile long.

I don't need their love to be validated. I have so many people in my life who give me that without struggle. I keep them in my life for a variety of reasons of varying weight and understand why I have made that choice.

At the end of the day, it'd be way easier if my parents just said, "We hate you. Stop being so you." But they don't. They put up a show of loving me exactly how I am while also failing at that, but again, I don't need them to love me exactly as I am. I am happy with who I am and how I live my life. Their power in my life and my sense of self is what I choose to put on it, and that power at this point is zero.

I enjoy my dad. I adore my grandmother. My mother exists. My MIL lives two hours away, so there's no way to avoid them if we're in the area. We went down in April and there were moments of deep annoyance, but nothing I wasn't expecting because I am clear-eyed and very accepting of what I'm walking into, and honestly, it's gotten fucking funny how right my guesses are.

How I handle my shit isn't for everyone. But it's my shit. And it's how I handle it. And every time I follow the path I've carved, I feel sure about my decisions.

#personal #family shit #personal shit #ask #anon

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sunder-the-gold · 27 days ago

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Because of all your Arknights posting I decided to try it yesterday, despite my crappy internet. Literally in the middle of downloading, new version. Start over. For some unfathomable reason, progress rolls half the way back near the end. Third attempt, it finally downloads, not enough space on the phone, another rollback. Fourth attempt, installed at last.

Try to register: server maintenance.

And after all that, I was extremely unimpressed with the writing. Does it get better later?

The main story does get better in later chapters.

However, the main story of the game is notoriously beneath the standard of practically every side-story. When I think about the best writing that Arknights has to offer, I think of the side-stories.

I remember the main story of the game largely in terms of the central premise of Arknights, rather in terms of the events in the main story.

Also, fair warning: Chapter 5 "Necessary Solutions" and Chapter 6 "Partial Necrosis" will have you scratching your head from some truly bizarre, non-chronological arrangement of events.

More importantly, your Ask has finally kicked me in the pants to write a warning that I've been thinking of writing for a while.

ARKNIGHTS IS PREDATORY.

If you want to play, ignore its incentives. Do NOT try to optimize.

My second or third week of playing Arknights, I deleted it from all of my devices. Then "two weeks to slow the spread" happened, I was working from home, and I no longer had my cubicle neighbors to talk to, so I re-downloaded Arknights just to have something to do between tasks.

My problem wasn't the core gameplay or the story. I regretted leaving the core gameplay behind, and I fully intended on keeping up with the story. What I resented was all of the Skinner-Boxing chores.

I don't have any advice for how to play the game without managing the resource-producing "base" minigame. I've been optimizing that chore for close to six years.

But if you're not spending real money to acquire as many high-rarity operators as possible, and concentrate on building only the lower-rarity operators and your absolute favorite higher-rarity CHARACTERS, I think you can enjoy Arknights without jumping through all of its hoops.

Especially if you don't mind consulting "Low-Rarity Squad" guides on YouTube if you get stuck early in your account's life.

I have the strongest possible roster in the game, I'm missing only three non-limited operators I can eventually get easily, but I don't think it makes me any happier or more satisfied with the game.

Someone who picks one particular "faction", or "theme", or "meme-team" to collect, and saves all of their gacha-resources for them while ignoring everyone else... they probably have more fun because they're always playing with their favorite characters rather than with the optimally strongest ones.

Not trying to get and build all of the strongest operators will also mean you don't need to worry as much about optimizing your base or your "event farming" for upgrade materials.

Will you be less capable of clearing any of the various alternative game-modes that Hypergryph added into Arknights? Yes. Do those game-modes MATTER? Not really.

#asks #ask #sunder says #arknights #gacha games #mobile games

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colorguardsweetheartblurrsgirl · 1 year ago

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🎉🎊🎁 As a gift Here's some Character Doodle Sketch Art!!!🎁🎉🎊

I haven't outlined it with pen, so it wont be as clear. But heres some sketch concept art I made last week.

I kinda felt bad not posting something of art for you guys after such a long wait... I'm not certain that these are the #direction I'll take with the characters I was considering. It's more concept sketch

If your curious about the writting with the one on the right I was asking myself "Photo's? Instead of Ahhsie? ...or ??? (???=Meaning "someone/Who?)"

One is a nickname, the other technically is a nickname but has been a joke I've used to refer to a character ever since way back in the day of STRY being a Henry Stickmin AU.

No "Ahhsie" isn't a reference to calling someone a Aussie. Although. I've considered it. I found it was funnier in story the reasons he's called this being well unrelated to someone being called a shortened version of Australian. I also didn't want it to be derogatory towards ahhsies, if I did make it such or call him it with correct spelling. I've put alot of thought into thsi nickname with concern on this matter.

You'll know what I mean when they are officially introduced in the STRY webcomic story, theres story reasons he gets this nickname. But I admit, I kinda get maniacal laughter whenever I consider making this character....😅😅😅😏😏😏 for.... no particular reasons...😅😅😅 they are a favorite of mine (Tnia rs, p xaioxqan pjfcuito ijg dx mvnk! Uhqawshn! EBQS UAJYH! RVOT SJUVZ! MNHGPHQAWSHNHGI!!!)... just... 😈 make me so giddy I can't help laughing heavily when thinking of them... it's normal I swear...!😅

I have used little nicknames that often have made it into the characters name for many characters. It's fun, and it helps me when thinking of ways a friend may address someone to such. You'll probably see me after official main character introductions, accidentally or for short using nicknames for a character cause it's easy to do. But I'll try my best to refrain so I don't confuse you guys.

I'm not sure I'm using either of these for the characters I was thinking of. I was playing around with an idea that came to me. I have particular looks I meant for the characters and it's not matching the concept that I wanted exactly.... Its similar just not quiet hitting the notes I'm aiming for. I did have certain concepts here that I think I'm exaggerating more. But this did give me things I liked that may make it into one or both. Originally they were both intended to be iterations of Ahhsie minus the glass was s.... and was Photo's for at least one fo them. I like the glasses for Photos but I cabt be certain. I kinda may play with a few more looks for him. I've got a phew ideas headed in kinda different directions for both. Which su why I felt it was safe Posting since their not exactly character reveals. I may use the faces for background characters on occassion.

Also😅 if you cant tell, this paper I doodled on is like super old. Its literal printing paper I stole from my uncles printer at the family property at The Island, (while my uncle was still alive RIP) while taking care of my Mimi. It sat with a few sketches in it the last few years. Recently I've taken to fully doodling every empty space of it. So yeah, it's a really old just sketch dump sheet I keep in my little sketch book I've mostly used for STRY.

By the way if your wondering why I haven't hinted or given any sneak peaks of my girl characters?

Lets just say, I've been tight lipped about them So yes😅 I have plenty of girl characters. Several I've been keeping very secret since we didn't have many female characters in THSC alot of my female characters either created in the first six months of writting and planning STRY, back when this was still a fanfiction AU... or after that fact... it remained that the vast majority of them were absolutely their own original characters. Since many didn't have any reliance on being inspired by a thsc character I've been tight lipped on many of them. But I really like the designs I have for them. Especially a certain 🦋.🤫🤭😊 Been holding onto her final design since November. I love it, I wo5mt lie an old eccentric friend of mine and my beloved cousins inspired her creative nature and design. She's one I've been itching to show you guys for a while. Can't wait till I do.

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wokeuptraveledstraightintothesun · 10 months ago

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started this in the tags but it got too long so post time it is !!

my BELOVED science teacher is like this, he runs the class like a DnD game and makes it fun !!! When you’re a freshman he puts on characters every other week to teach you about the newest unit, he does voices, it’s SO cool, and you get to make your own characters, get xp, gold, items, etc etc etc

(hiding the rest behind a keep reading because it turns into personal anecdotes and it’s long)

(He’s still doing that no matter what grade you’re in but i don’t know if some freshmen got to him or something but he doesn’t do characters anymore :( still does silly voices and accents whenever he wants to emphasize something though !! Also unrelated he can do a perfect squirrel impression he’s so cool)

However what he also has, aside from mob battles, is guilds. We have like 5 in our class i think ?? The only names I remember are “Five recently released guys” “gyatt” (showing my age) and “the final braincell” which is the one i’m part of :3

and sometimes, he has events in which the losing guild has to give up a member to the winning guild, which has caused two (2) guilds to disband due to a lack of people

and at the end of a unit, we have two options, do a packet, or do a thing called dungeon delving

And my completely definitely 100 percent neurotypical group always chooses dungeon delving . Because. Of course we do. and we ALWAYS go for the highest level whenever we can, because hubris demands it. My Greek mythology friend even named her character Hero because of it (I forgot what i named mine but it was very silly) and because i have a better weapon than her, i would always charge right into the orcs and goblins ahead of her, leading her way and encouraging her hubris while the rest of the guild would be smart and stay back. I will always remember one game where literally everyone took damage except for me and it was wonderful

the way this actually pertains to actually reviewing and learning things is that we always have to answer questions to get action points :) we can give each other action points if we want to, so one day, seeing as i had the best weapon, i had an amazing thought. Every 3 APs would give me two rolls of d6 damage (1 AP was 1 roll and 3(?) movement, 2 was 6 movement), so you know what that means. Everyone pools their APs to me, giving me 9 AP it was gonna be amazing, six rolls of d6, and then suddenly my teacher goes ‘what’re you guys doing here why are you rolling so much‘ and i laid out my brilliant plan, already knowing something was wrong with it a you could tell because i was laughing like an idiot and then he tells us we can’t roll damage more than twice :(

don’t worry we pulled through that and i now have a health potion for it and someone else also has a weapon of my level so we don’t have to rely on me to do all the damage :D

Also he uses emoticons like ^_^ and peace and love on planet earth i wish i could post the document where he keeps his rules because he has a list of past guilds and one of them is just The Communism Guild and it’s . Amazing. shrek gives you advice on how to dungeon delve. He has an mspaint style genie version of him on there somewhere. Terraria Taxman is leading the Capitalist guild. dr pepper also gives advice on dungeon delving.

my prof just explained on the syllabus that he’s included more pionts in the class than we needed to pass, so we could skip up like?? 20 small assignments/quizzes/participation!! and still get a very high grade!!

the idea was that we could focus on assignments that played to our strengths - only do the participation stuff if we like to talk out loud - only do the quizzes/readings if we want to do the class remotely - only do online discussions if we like to talk and share opinions but struggle with anxiety in class ect.

and that’s cool enough but then he pulled up DnD character sheets with drawings he’d done of these hypothetical student player classes and how our various accessibility needs could be gamified to ‘max out’ different aspects of the class to get high grades and like!!!!!

hell yeah!!!! let’s treat accessibility in higher education not just as a necessity but as the fun, engaging, and creative aspect of learning that it is!!! I love this!!

#cheesehog screams #It’s 3 am oh my god i should have never written this #i have like 30 math problems to do before math #I hate questions and subquestions btw #Long post #He is easily one of my favorite teachers . Ever.#only tying with the sweetest teacher i ever had (i had her in third grade)

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chrinopiqua · 2 months ago

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When the Gates of Heaven Have No Locks: A Humble Christian's Musings on Papal Wisdom

Ah, Pope Francis—the gift that keeps on giving. Just when I thought I'd caught up with the latest episodes of "How to Challenge Traditional Doctrine in 10 Easy Steps," our beloved pontiff drops another gem. This time, he's taken a bold stand against those pesky southern border controls, calling attempts to close them "madness." Well, who needs national security when you have divine intervention, right?

I must admit, I'm thoroughly enlightened by the idea that borders are so last millennium. After all, if the gates of heaven are open to all, why shouldn't our national borders follow suit? I'm sure the Vatican will be the first to tear down its walls and open its lavish halls to anyone with a backpack and a dream. Oh wait, that's not happening? Color me surprised.

But let's not stop at borders. Pope Francis has graciously informed us that "every religion is a way to arrive at God." Fantastic news! So, all those centuries of theological debates and councils were just one big misunderstanding. Who knew that the narrow path Jesus spoke of was actually a six-lane highway with multiple exits and a food court?

It's heartwarming to see the Pope promoting unity by effectively telling us that exclusivity is overrated. Why bother adhering to specific doctrines when all roads lead to the same destination? It's like being on a spiritual road trip where every wrong turn still gets you to Disneyland.

Now, some might argue that this dilutes the core message of Christianity. But let's be honest, clarity is overrated. Ambiguity adds that zest of adventure to faith, doesn't it? Plus, it gives us more time to focus on pressing issues like debating the morality of razor wire at borders. Because nothing says "love thy neighbor" like leaving your front door wide open in a rough neighborhood.

Speaking of love and acceptance, I'm eagerly awaiting the Pope's endorsement of blessing literally anything that moves. He reportedly questioned why we would bless corrupt businessmen but hesitate to bless same-sex unions. A fair point—why have standards at all? Let's just have a universal blessing day. Bring your pets, your houseplants, maybe that toaster that's on the fritz. Let's spread that holiness around like butter on warm toast.

In all seriousness, it's a challenging time to be a traditional Christian. When the spiritual leader of your faith seems keen on rewriting the playbook, it does make one ponder. Perhaps I'm old-fashioned, clinging to the red letters in my Bible like they're actually important. Silly me.

But hey, who am I to question the direction in which the winds of modern doctrine blow? I'm just a humble believer trying to navigate the increasingly choppy waters of contemporary theology. Maybe next week, we'll learn that sin is just a social construct and that confessionals are being converted into fair trade coffee shops.

Until then, I'll be here, re-reading the Sermon on the Mount and wondering if there's an updated version I missed—perhaps something along the lines of "Blessed are the indifferent, for they shall inherit whatever's left."

Disclaimer: This post is saturated with sarcasm and a dash of exasperation. It's penned by a Christian who deeply respects the papal office but is, shall we say, perplexed by recent developments. If you've found any of this offensive, please take a moment to reflect on whether open dialogue is still a valued component of our faith.

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qnewsau · 2 months ago

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Drag Race UK: Meet the queens of season six

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/drag-race-uk-meet-the-queens-of-season-six/

Drag Race UK: Meet the queens of season six

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK is soon set to return to screens and the BBC have confirmed the official line-up of queens ready to walk the runway.

“The competition sees hopeful drag queens compete across ten weeks in a variety of spicy challenges and iconic games designed to test their drag mettle, with the winner of the week being awarded a coveted RuPeter badge, and the bottoms of the week facing a lip sync for their life and the risk of elimination,” an official synopsis reads.

Season six will see Ru return alongside Michelle Visage, Alan Carr, Graham Norton and a host of celebrity guest judges.

For Australian fans, homegrown talent Saki Yew is set to be a likely favourite to snatch the crown.

Actavia

21, North Wales

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Tell us about yourself!

Hello! I’m Actavia, I am 21 years old, and I’m from a tiny little town in North Wales called Bala but I now live in Manchester. Bring on the Welsh!

How does it feel to be a Ru girl?

This is literally like a dream come true. It’s such a cliché thing to say but I just can’t believe it’s real and that I’m here.

How long have you been doing drag?

I quickly became obsessed with all things drag around five years ago when I was 16 years old however, being from such a small town, drag was never something that was around me. After discovering Drag Race, everything just clicked! I’ve always loved performing and being on stage so I knew drag was for me and here I am!

How would you describe your drag?

I would describe myself as a bit of a chameleon, and I always like to add a villainess look to my drag aesthetic but I’m really approachable – I promise!

Chanel O’Conor

25, Scotland

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Tell us about yourself!

Hello! My name is Chanel O’Conor, I’m 25 and I’m originally from the Isle of Bute in Scotland.

We hear you’re a talented seamstress?

I make all of my own clothes, and I’ve created looks for other queens too. In fact, a lot of my work has already featured on the show as I’ve made outfits for Drag Race UK Series two winner Lawrence Chaney and for various other queens. I’m so proud of that, but it’s now time for me. I want to show off all of my creations ON ME – and I want to win!

Why drag?

I discovered drag as a child watching comedy specials that starred iconic drag characters such as Lily Savage and Dame Edna. From watching these legends, I became obsessed and fell completely in love with drag. Growing up, I used to escape the island for a drama class on the mainland every Saturday, which is where I discovered my true love for experimenting with character creation. From that, I took a drag show to the Edinburgh Fringe and it just snowballed from there – I’ve now been doing drag for eight years!

How did you create the persona of Chanel?

I created the character of Chanel O’Conor as a way for me to ‘play pretend’ in a world I could never be in – being rich, being famous and being a natural ginger. I mixed my love for powerful women and fabulous fashions to create a baby version of Chanel O’Conor – someone who is pure luxury, Austrian royalty twice removed and sips champagne in her private submarine in Lake Como!

Charra Tea

23, Belfast

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How does it feel to be a Ru girl?

I feel like I’m on a prank show and any minute now, someone’s going to pop up and say, “Just joking!”. I’m so excited! Meeting RuPaul for the first time is going to be so surreal. I’m obsessed and I’m hoping she can understand this gorgeous Belfast accent.

What inspires your drag?

I was an artsy kid growing up and I’ve always been drawn to big, bold, bright colours which I incorporate into my drag. Some people call it tacky, but I love that and I embrace the tacky!

What would you see at a typical Charra Tea show?

If you were to come to a Charra Tea show, expect to see a pop culture parrot. I love incorporating random niche quotes in my shows from all the UK pop culture legends – Gemma Collins, Kim Woodburn, Nadine Coyle – I love them all!

What would it mean to be the UK’s Next Drag Race Superstar?

To win Drag Race UK would be incredible. Who goes on Drag Race and doesn’t want to win? I’m fun, fresh, I’m not afraid to be tacky and be myself and I love primary colours. I want that crown!

Dita Garbo

47, Kent

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Tell us about yourself!

I’m Dita Garbo, I’m 48 years young from the sunny seaside town of Folkestone in Kent, and I’m so excited to be putting Folkestone on the map!

How would you describe your drag?

I serve burlesque Hollywood glamour. My influences are burlesque icon Dita Von Teese and Hollywood starlet, Greta Garbo. Hence my name – Dita Garbo. I like to say I’m the burlesque lovechild of Dita Von Teese and Greta Garbo! But I can switch it up if I need to keep up with the kids!

I can jump, split, kick, turn, shablam, drop, turn, backflip, split again… but then I might need some help getting up!

You are the oldest contestant we’ve had on Drag Race UK. How will you use that to your advantage in the competition?

The nice thing about being older is that you come to the competition with a lot of wisdom. If the younger queens need it, I’ll give them some motherly love and advice, but if they annoy me, I’ll tell them!

What challenges are you most excited to take on?

I can sew, I can dance, and I can sing too so I’m excited for any challenges that require those skills! I’ve been a performer all my life and I’m so proud and happy to have been invited by Ru into the Drag Race UK sisterhood and I can’t wait to show what I can do as a mature lady!

Kiki Snatch

25, London

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Tell us about yourself!

Hey, I’m Kiki Snatch, I’m 25 years old from London and I’m going to snatch your hearts, baby!

What can you expect at a Kiki Snatch show?

I’m not just a look queen, I’m a big performance queen. I can dance and sing whilst looking pretty doing it! You’re going to get cartwheels, splits, dips, tricks, games with the audience, games… You’re just going to have a fun, fabulous time. That’s why they call me Kiki!

Who are your drag influences?

My drag is inspired by iconic female artists such as Mica Paris, Donna Summer, Beyoncé, Ciara and Teyana Taylor. I’m also inspired by the women in my family – they are all so fierce and powerful.

Tell us about your drag name origins?

I’m a bundle of joy and I love to party and so Kiki comes from me loving a ‘kiki’, which is drag lingo for having a good time. And Snatch of course can mean many things applicable to me – a snatched waist, a snatched face or snatching the Drag Race UK crown!

Kyran Thrax

26, Lancashire

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Tell us about yourself!

Hello, I’m Kyran Thrax, I’m 26 years old, and I’m originally from Lancashire.

How does it feel to be a Ru girl?

The idea that I’m here right now just feels so correct! I’m raring to go, the timing is perfect. I am going to be a monster.

Why drag?

I’m a performer, and whilst studying Acting and Contemporary Theatre at drama school, I was doing Shakespeare, expressionism, and clowning… and so I thought why not put it all together and mix it with my love of make-up and drag. And so here we are! I’ve been doing drag for four years, and I’ve been doing it full time for two. I absolutely love it. I’ve done fashion shows, drag brunches, commercials, performances in theatres and clubs. You’ve probably even seen me on a cinema screen and now, I’m finally here!

What would it mean to you to take the crown?

It would mean absolutely everything to me to win Drag Race UK. I have been through so much in life and just to be here is amazing. I’m going to cherish every single moment.

La Voix

43, Stockton on Tees

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Introduce yourself!

Hello, darlings! I’m La Voix, I’m 43 and I’m from Stockton on Tees. I am a seasoned diva and I cannot wait to get going!

How does it feel to be a Ru girl?

I’m so excited. When they rang me and told me the news, I couldn’t believe it! Shocked isn’t even the word. I had to clear my diary – I’m very busy you see.

Describe a typical La Voix drag show?

I’m known for big, loud belty songs and I love to make ‘em laugh. Comedy and singing are my thing.

You are indeed a very busy queen. Tell us about your career highlights?

Where do I even start?! I’ve competed in Britain’s Got Talent, starred in Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie, working with Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley; I’ve starred in various pantomimes over the span of twenty years; I’ve worked on EIGHTY cruise ships (yes eighty!) and I’ve toured all over the world with my one woman show… and now I’m here on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK!

Lill

36, Manchester

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Tell us about yourself!

Hiya! My name’s Lill, I’m 36 years old, and I’m from the best place in the world – Manchester! I’m gorgeous, I’ve got great style, I’m creative, fun and I’m easy like a Sunday morning.

How would you describe your drag?

I would say my drag is very creative and rebellious. I love getting stuff from charity shops, cutting things up and transforming old tatty stuff into the stunning! I’ve got a thousand different references that influence my drag. I adore fashion and my favourite designer is John Galliano, who inspires a lot of my fashion looks. The best thing about me is my sense of style. My style is usually glamourous pin up girl, but sometimes it can be freaky and weird! Fashion comes and goes, but style is forever.

What are the origins of your drag name?

Lill is an acronym for Living in Lavish Luxury. My friend made it up for me one day, and I ran with it! I like to think I’m living in lavish luxury always! I appreciating each moment as it comes, I spoil myself rotten and I have a great time.

What’s the biggest misconception about you?

I think it takes quite a while for people to get to know me. At first, people might think that I’m a bit rude or a bit stoney faced, but I’m definitely not. I’ve got the biggest, softest heart. I’m just a bit shy at first!

Marmalade

24, Cardiff

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Introduce yourself!

Greetings one and all! My name is Marmalade, I am 24 years old and I am the crown jewel of Cardiff drag.

How would you describe your drag?

I would describe my drag as Hollywood glamour, all wrapped up in a gorgeous Welsh sense of stupidity. When I was sixteen, I saw the most fabulous photo of the Hollywood starlet, Lana Turner in the film The Prodigal and that was it! All I wanted from then was to become that image. My favourite leading ladies are Rita Hayworth, Lana Turner, Faye Dunaway, Barbara Streisand. Also, two of my all-time favourites are Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn in Death Becomes Her. I like to think that I give vintage aesthetic with a modern twist!

What is the drag scene like in Cardiff?

The Cardiff drag scene is very tiny. There are very few queens and kings there. That said, it’s a mighty scene. We’re a gorgeous set of very talented weirdos. I am the prettiest though. I mean, look at me!

Your work has already appeared on Drag Race UK. Tell us more?

Outside of drag, I am a full-time seamstress. I’ve made outfits for Drag Race UK alumni such as Lawrence Chaney, Victoria Scone and Tia Kofi, but it’s now my time to step into the spotlight so here I am! I started sewing out of complete necessity, as there weren’t many drag seamstresses in Cardiff, and now it’s become a career and my passion and my major superpower.

Rileasa Slaves

32, London

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Tell us about yourself?

Hey boo! My name is Rileasa Slaves, I’m 32 years old from London, but I was born in St Lucia. She’s international baby!

People say you’re the spitting image of a certain pop star… tell us more?

I have been told I resemble a certain worldwide superstar named Rihanna. Like Rhianna, I’m also a Caribbean queen, a glamazon, and a superstar, but I’m not Rihanna. I’m the real Rileasa, ready to be rileasa’d onto the world.

What have been your career highlights?

Drag has opened so many doors for me. I’m a trained contemporary dancer, and I have performed on tour with Becky Hill, travelled all over Europe and even performed at Glastonbury! It was an amazing moment to perform to such a big crowd. And now, I’m on Drag Race UK!

What does drag mean to you?

The first time I did drag, I had so much fear in my bones. A lot of my fear came from my religious upbringing in the Caribbean and the difficulties you can face being part of the LGBTQ+ community in the Caribbean. Becoming Rileasa has given me the opportunity to face my fears.

Saki Yew

33, Manchester

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Introduce yourself!

G’day mate! I’m Saki Yew and I’m 33 years old. I’m originally from Melbourne, Australia, but love brought me all the way across the globe to settle down in to life as a booked and blessed Manchester drag queen.

What can you expect from a Saki Yew show?

There’s a lot of energy – you won’t be able to take your eyes off me! You can expect to see a showgirl who’s going to perform her heart out, whether it be a ballad or a dance anthem. It’s really important to me, to represent my cultural identity in my drag and so I serve Australian showgirl glamour, mixed with high energy Filipino sass and a sprinkle of Northern wit and realness. I think I am a bit of a Frankenstein drag queen!

What skills do you bring to the competition?

I’ve been a drag queen for over thirteen years, and I have an extensive entertainment CV. As well as serving face and showgirl glamour, I am also a very experienced sewer and crafter. I particularly love crochet. My love of crochet comes from when I was on tour with The Lion King and during breaks in acts, I would crochet blankets, beanies, scarves. I even crocheted a beanie for my dog! Here’s hoping, that the opportunity arises to crochet in a design challenge!

What challenges are you looking forward to?

I can’t wait to show off in a girl group challenge and a Rusical! With my musical theatre background, these challenges are made for me.

Zahirah Zapanta

28, Nottingham

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Introduce yourself!

Mabuhay! I’m Zahirah Zapanta, I’m 28 years old from Nottingham and I’m your beauty queen!

How does it feel to be here as a Ru Girl?

I am feeling incredible, beautiful and most importantly humble! I’m so excited to be here.

Describe your drag?

The look is correct, the hair is laid, the performances are fabulous, but the personality is a chaotic mess! I’m so proud of my British Filipino roots and it has influenced my drag so much. As a little kid, I constantly watched beauty pageants such as Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss Continental, and the UK has given me a unique and eclectic edge. I grew up with a lot of powerful women in my life. Growing up with Filipino aunties, my mum, my sister and lesbian aunties has definitely shaped Zahirah. The genetics do help me look this fabulous too!

Tell us about your journey to drag?

I was born in the Philippines and came to the UK with my family when I was 10 years old settling in Nottingham. Growing up, I was well known where I grew up. I was always quite flamboyant and my family actively encouraged me to be a beauty queen. As a teenager, it felt like a natural move to showcase my love of makeup and dressing up on YouTube. I built a fanbase, created a network, forayed into drag, learnt more about the art and I became a beauty queen!

Are you in it to win it?

Of course, I’m most definitely in it to win it!

The rumoured premiere date for season six is September 26. If past seasons are any indication, the series will stream on the same-day on Stan.

For the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

#Drag Race

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umichenginabroad · 4 months ago

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San Sebastián or Bus(t)

Week 9

Due to very very very unfortunate circumstances that you will soon understand, I've been behind in making my blog post. Sorry everyone, I know how much my content is loved! The weekend was quite an experience that I will definitely never forget but it's something to laugh about now and makes for a good story. I'm pretty much just going to jump right into it because for most of last week I was kind of sick and didn't really do much in preparation for...Milan! As this was our last long weekend, we wanted to cross another country off the bucket list and enjoy some of the delicious food Italy has to offer. Here begins a thrilling saga of events...

Don't trust the bartender, or the weather

Right when Diego, Jayashree, and I landed at the Malpensa Airport, it was sweltering. I knew that Italy would be hot but even with that in mind I couldn't prepare myself for this. I'm not one for the extreme temperatures in the first place, and I for sure took for granted the 60-70 degree weather San Sebastián has to offer. After a minor mishap with waiting for a bus to take us to the center of Milan, we eventually made it and took a pitstop for some much needed pizza and gelato (we made it our goal to eat as much pizza, pasta, and gelato as we could during this trip). The metro had conveniently taken us right up to the Duomo di Milano, which is the biggest cathedral in Milan taking nearly six centuries to build! We also walked through part of Italy's oldest active shopping gallery: Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II which features a lot of designer stores and has an insanely pretty ceiling.

By then, we were exhausted. Walked to our airbnb in the Navigli district which is a nice and vibrant area by the canal. Our host was super sweet and left us some water along with a whole bottle of prosecco since she told us that she loves sharing her favorite drink with travelers. After resting up, we decided to eat at a place called pasta fresca where their philosophy is only serving different handmade pastas each day (no desserts, no appetizers, no drinks, solely pasta). We thought it tasted great and was by far some of the freshest pasta I've had in my days. Took a walk by the water for a bit before heading over to a place that I found called the smallest bar. You might think this is an exaggeration but it quite literally was just a box in the wall with an anonymous bartender behind it. Jayashree ended up choosing a drink from the list but I ended up going with the "trust the bartender" special. *NEWSFLASH* do NOT trust the bartender. I wish I could describe to you what I tasted but I don't even have the right words to do that. Just listen to me when I say that it made my body take a screenshot every time I took a sip. I've never had a visceral reaction as unique as that one, so for that I give this a hearty rating of -1/10 stars (but I still think the bar was cute so I bump it up to a 3/10).

A flavorblast of mango, chocolate, and vanilla gelato!

Pull up to Backdoor 43 for a surprise (if you're up for the risk)

The sights, sounds, and rabbit holes of Milan

On our second day, the gang split up to do separate solo trips. Jayashree went to Switzerland, Diego to Florence, and yours truly stayed put in Milan. I was actually pretty excited to just go off on my own and do things that the others wouldn't have been as interested in. This was also more of a solo mission for me since I had a lot planned to fully seize the day. Starting bright and early, I went to a cafe by the airbnb to get a slice of panettone and pass by some basilicas on my way to the Castello Sforzesco (a very old military citadel). One of them that I walked by is actually home to the Last Supper painting (how cool!). In front of the castle is a park called Parco Sempione which has its own mini version of the Arc de Triomphe, along with a statue of Napoleon, a small pond, and maybe a fountain of youth? Once I got to the castle, I spent some time walking around the castle museums seeing some old furniture, various tapestries, many paintings of Saint Sebastian (shoutout!) and the crucifixion, oddly enough one of Galileo's last remaining compasses, a ceiling once worked on by Da Vinci, and the famous Rondanini Pietà by Michelangelo. I really liked the museum since it wrapped around pretty much the entirety of the castle, so I was able to visit some spaces that can't be seen if you're just passing through the castle grounds on the outside.

The Rondanini Pietà was the last work that Michelangelo ever created, just six days before he died and remains unfinished

Kind of random but I thought the story of the artist was interesting. Apparently he loved making large-scale sculptures that were super lifelike, such as this crab. However, he ended up getting crushed by one of his sculptures since it fell on top of him :(

One museum wasn't enough for me so my next stop was the Pinacoteca di Brera, which is basically the central hub for any and all Italian paintings. The Brera district itself is also known for being very artsy so walking through there was cute and fun. Napoleon really wanted the museum to become "The Louvre of Italy" and while it does have a large collection of art, it is sadly nowhere near the scale of the Louvre (so sorry Napoleon but you picked quite the challenge). There is a large sculpture dedicated to him in the museum's largest room, and I'll share a little about that because it's a bit silly. So Napoleon had a sculptor make a life-like (I think it looks more like a glammed up version of him but to each their own) statue of himself in full French clothing. However, the sculptor refused since he said the French trousers and boots were too goofy looking, which is now why the statue is fully nude. Moving on from that aside, I enjoyed this museum since they prioritize showing to the people what the process of art restoration and handling is like. In-between exhibits, they showcase these areas that are fully see-through of where the conservators work along with the machinery they use. Also, they show their art storage rooms and continuously rotate pieces so that there are more well-known artists such as Raphael or Hayez with other artists who deserve the respect. I've never seen a museum do something like this before and like their thinking!

Art restoration in the works!

I have to admit I was museum-fatigued after this and desperately needed something to drink. I had been sweating since 9 am, ran out of water, and just needed to chill for a bit. In this predicament, I ended up going to this place called the Rabbit Hole Cafe which was decked out with Alice in Wonderland themed decor. Hats on the ceiling, the caterpillar and cheshire cat on the wall, and just all these very cute details which really gave into the aesthetic. I ordered a wonder spritz which tasted exactly what I would think a drop of whimsy would taste like. All in all, I had a magical experience there despite my battles with heat exhaustion and delirium.

Follow your cake and follow your dreams, now that's something to live by

Wedding Crashers and Plans Crashing

For the final day in Milan we only had a few things left on the agenda to do. Reunited after our solo trips, we started off with going inside the Duomo and saw the absolutely incredible architecture, breath-taking stained glass, and wickedly talented sculptures. After seeing the Sagrada Familia, I don't think that I can or should compare the two. Each are special in their own ways and in general just marvels of construction. From there, we went back to the shopping mall where Diego told us of the Legend of the Milan Bull, which is where you spin three times on a mosaic tile of a bull while placing your heel on its testicle...don't ask me why I don't really know. Anyways, the three turns are supposed to be for bringing good fortune, finding love, and to return to Milan in the future.

Oh great Milan Bull, do your magic

We went for lunch to Luini's for some fire panzerottis, then trotted on over to another church in order to see its ossuary. I may have messed up the directions since we ended up in the church next to it on accident and witnessed a wedding taking place. We decided to sit in on it (hey, there were a lot of open seats, the door was open, and we figured we might as well). Happy marriage to the new couple! Huzzah! Found our way to the right church afterwards and got to see what I can describe as the catacombs above ground. It was super bizarre since the walls were lined with skulls and bones nearly reaching the ceiling. Felt a bit eerie in there so we didn't stay for too long.

Anddd that's a wrap! Didn't do much else besides take our bus to the airport and wait to take off. If you think the story ends here, I really wish you were right but you're unfortunately so wrong. I'm about to take you through the most crazy 44 hours I've ever experienced and hope to never experience again. This was a test of my limits, my gumption, and perseverance.

Just for reference, this is us when we still had some light in our eyes and hope in our hearts. Blissfully unaware of what fate had in store

Stranded in the Airport Challenge (NOT CLICKBAIT!)

Everyone by now knows of the Microsoft outage that took the world by storm and broke it all. Planes, trains, buses, businesses, hospitals, etc. were all affected and really shows how much we depend on software nowadays. While waiting, we would check out flight and see to our dismay that it kept getting delayed. Didn't think much of it since other flights were still able to take off and due to the Microsoft situation this was something to be expected. Diego ended up teaching us a card game called Golf which was a good time passer. At some point, we noticed that the screen didn't show our flight anymore, it literally just vanished with zero information as to what was going on. Now, slightly panicked, we went with a group of other anxious travelers only to find out that the flight was in fact cancelled and that we would have to find another solution for ourselves. The worst was upon us. Everything after this was straight chaos. We were on the phone with different hotels, searching up any available flights to not just Bilbao but all cities in Spain, as well as running around trying to find an employee with answers. The help desk was swarming with frantic energy and piles of people whose world was just turned upside down. Flights were either way too expensive or nonexistent, with none even showing up for Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday. Jayashree tried to get us an airbnb but the lady was super sketch and wanted 120 euros in the form of cash so we just ended up saying no to that option. With desperation and a bit of craziness I was searching up buses from Italy to Spain, as this was our best and probably only option. At first, a 26 hour bus ride seemed diabolical. In a state of affairs such as this, however, we had to look for the light at the end of the tunnel. 26 hours, are you insane, emily? Yes. We booked those tickets in a flash and then sat and wallowed in despair over what the next leg of the trip would bring us. On top of that, the airport had an affinity for attracting bugs so we were getting eaten alive as the scene unfolded around us. I think I might be allergic because mine were puffing up but surprise! I'm still alive and well so I should be okay. Our bus journey would start at noon on Sunday so until then, we figured that we would at least try and get some sleep. Set up camp with the other stragglers that the plane abandoned with nothing but our backpacks for pillows and my jacket as a blanket. While Jayashree and Diego did get some shuteye, I did not. Laying on the airport floor, surrounded by bugs, and still stressed from the news of our cancelled flight kept me awake. In a state of feverishness and sleep deprivation, I passed the time by making poorly edited memes of the situation and sharing the news with some friends on FaceTime (they definitely found me and the sitch to be very amusing). Later on in the morning after being awake for 24 hours, I did fall asleep on my bag in a chair until it was time to board our first bus.

Who needs purple mattress when the airport floor feels just as comfy as a cloud??

The Bus from Hell

I normally look forward to adventure, but this was an adventure that I didn't willingly want to embark on and would've avoided at all costs. Boarding that bus felt like selling my soul to an evil Mrs. Frizzle and her satanic magic school bus on a one way ticket to hangout with Hades. Our first stop was Turin, about an hour or so away from Milan. I was lucky enough to be placed behind a group of guys who wouldn't stop trying to flick each other in the head and cackling over their unfunny tiktoks. We were supposed to be in Turin for only an hour, but ended up getting delayed by two which really put me in a bad mood. I was beyond exhausted, still sweaty, felt gross, and pretty much only dined on fast food since the day before. All of us were out of it, but didn't take it out on each other which was good since a fight between us would've just made things worse. At long last, the transfer bus arrived in such a timely manner and took us to Grenoble, about four-ish hours away and featuring the mountains of Northern Italy. This was probably the only part of the trip that I semi-enjoyed since I've never seen mountains like this before in my life (and I have to admit that I wouldn't have seen this from a plane...). Even at my wits-end I can still appreciate some beautiful scenery.

We didn't stop long in Grenoble, and thankfully our last transfer bus was on time. By this point, I popped in some melatonin and was ready to konk out and just wake up in my bed back at Olarain. We really were God's strongest soldiers, but it was getting to the point where I would rather be anything else. Town crier, peasant, even court jester, anything that wouldn't make me do this trek back. I was sitting next to Diego on the bus and I kept waking up and falling asleep but still trying to talk to him. At one point I was laughing in my dream but it turned out that I was laughing in real life too, which probably made him super confused but I didn't have the brain capacity to explain. There really wasn't anything interesting on the 11 hour leg of this part back. We stopped a few times to pick up more passengers and then to eat at a rest stop, where I bought a shirt that says "I'm the king of BBQ" but all in French since I felt beyond gross and needed to change out of my shirt. Finally, we reached our homeland of San Sebastián where I nearly fell on my knees to the ground and kissed the soil. I don't think I would wish something like this on my worst enemy, and in my personal opinion I think it was harder than all of the labors of Hercules combined. I showed you the before picture, here's what we looked like after:

We lost a part of ourselves after this trip.

I only have one thing to say after this. Out of all the things that went out of control during this trip, one thing I could count on was me sweating nonstop 24/7.

Emily Dobao

Biomedical Engineering

IPE San Sebastian, Spain

July 25th, 2024

#UmichEnginAbroad #IPETecnun #EmilyDobao #IPESummer24 #Spain

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