#it's because you're seeing an UNPRECEDENTED amount of talent

[kingofthewilderwest]

Gosh the amount of talent on this site is unbelievable. Breathtaking. Dumbfounding. Overwhelming. Every day you log on and see thousands of exquisite artists. Like, people say, "Oh I'm not that good," but that's because you're walking into a living art studio every time you open tumblr. You're good. You're great! You're all great. Look at all the drawers and painters. Look at all the writers. Look at all the writing. Look at the gif makers and the analysts and enthusiastic fans with fantastic recall for what they love. Look at the music. Voice acting. Video editing. Animation. Comedy. Look at the shitposting, a talent of joy if there ever was one. Look at the kindness to compliment each other's stuff. You think you're mediocre? Wrong! Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong! Each person here is a star in the sky and together we make constellations.

[omghallucinations]

enhypen jake: that's enough slices!!!

two grand trines? like. two??? you need that much ease and luck??? girl could u give some of that to jay or sunghoon or ateez mingi? just a little bit of that easy-going-ness and optimism? life's a soup and i'm a soup spoon??? and like boy oh boy that fire trine and air trine really like. envelops his scorpio sun in fire wind.

jake has Layers. the top layer is fun fun cute adorable sparkly hugs. the bottom layer is vague existential wandering and desperate need to self-soothe with attention overthinking and the idea of Romance as he's trying to find out who he really is. :)

jake:

truly unprecedented amounts of luck and charm and easy communication and things just working out for him somehow

buoyant energy intelligence warmth generosity and optimism

kind of unpredictable in his reactions and weirdly unknowable in a way bc his life is a Journey to Become His Own Person and find peace and deal w his own Stuff internally (because tbh his subconscious goes crazy)

tendency to Fall In Deep Love with people in about 30 minutes, trust them too much want to merge every aspect of life but then he'll eject himself from the relationship out of fear 1 week later (also the ejection is always something like, oh i have to go tour, or something like that, never actually jake being like "let's break up bc i'm not feeling this"--very libra mars of him, he might not even realize it is him who is orchestrating it all and just be like "oh i have such bad luck" lol)

on the contrary he has so much luck i'm a little worried that he won't ultimately face up to The Shit (a scorpio sun's calling)

let's all thank mars and saturn for saving jake's grand trines from the lazy allegations

trine town baby

ok these are our trines--those big triangles. there are grand trines because they make the whole triangle instead of part of it. the yellow is his air trine red is his fire trine.

jake came into the world with a ton of luck--access to money, access to good education, access to opportunities, super likable and charming. this does not mean he always had it easy tho his moon and sun have some pretty clear "felt rejection as a kid" aspects. but still as he grew up he could "get away" with stuff, like he may have snuck out one night or left expensive shit somewhere it could get taken, whatever, but things would always pan out for him anyway.

i see all the time like ah a trine is a "good" aspect, unlike a square which is a "bad" aspect and tbh i disagree. every aspect has pros and cons man! they also change so much depending on the planets involved! but generally...

trine pros: ease, enjoyment, ability, talent, everything flows naturally, luck, aspects of your personality and upbringing etc merge together well trine cons: can be complacent, don't really take initiative to improve beyond their natural talents without the influence of squares or other factors?, potential to ignore problems or tolerate things just bc it's easier and other things are going well for them

when mars or saturn is in a grand trine you're more likely to get shit done than if they aren't. jake's air trine is not um. complacent at all

jake's fire trine... it's very fun and adorable and full of life!!! but that's where he can let things go more than he probably should

trines can also kind of be compulsive--jake's fire trine shows his desperate DESPERATE NEED for attention and action and creativity and his air trine shows how he NEEDS to talk and communicate and learn to be alive. but because nothing is forcing him to change any unhealthy habits, he often... doesn't, lmao. he is ambitious but can be a little bit too easy-going on the day-to-day, and he doesn't always... look at his compulsions in the face?

grand fire trine: clap!! clap!!!!

jake is SO warm you can feel the warmth!! see it!! he radiates it!! a little campfire!! so sweet and charming! a fire trine in fire houses!! fire houses are about being and becoming, which as a leo rising is his whole deal!

however he does not know how to plan, look before he leaps, or actually take purposeful initiative as much as you might assume. a square is do-do-do, a fire trine is here to party and enjoy themselves.

his grand fire trine gives him this unshakable optimism about life--on a deep level jake truly feels like everything will work out. he may worry in the moment, but he is able to take these risks because he can feel the way life is pushing him forward--the forces that help him along (heyyy jupiter in the first house). he takes big risks and people might be like, wow so brave!! however he genuinely doesn't really realize something could go wrong lmao. it does not occur to him. why would something bad happen???

his fire trine does have like. almost an awkward vibe with some of the planets? all of them do not necessarily mesh. the element, they are united. the planets themselves...

jupiter: wants to fly the nest and experience life and be free

pluto: deep intense need for safety and caution, wants to dig everything up and start over, wants power to protect itself

moon: on pluto's side mostly, because she also wants emotional security in such a big way

jupiter and pluto are like "hmmmm... idk about you...." to each other, and pluto can really intensify the moon's needs. jupiter softens this a little bit and makes it more cute and fun and less AHHH I NEED ATTENTION RIGHT NOW OR I WILL DIE. CLAP!! CLAP!!!

although... that is also very much a factor. i cannot lie here. he really, really needs applause to feel emotionally safe.

here are the players:

jupiter in leo in his first house (17)--there's this really optimistic sweetness and innocence about jake and he is so fun to be around. he does have a charmingly me-me-me-ness but that honestly doesn't come from a self-centered place, he just can't help it (he has a lot of empathy too bro he just also relates things to his own experiences!). he's a leo rising with jupiter in the 1st dude what do you expect? he's a star!! he is the moment!! he can't help it that he's popular!! anyway he radiates this really pure and good-natured and generous aura

pluto in sagittarius in the 5th house (16) -- he needs attention SO BAD, dude. SO BAD. he will die if people are not paying attention to him. lack of attention genuinely feels unsafe. he needs to be creative, and perform, and express. especially with his leo rising/leo jupiter in the 1st, he probably was someone venerated (royalty??? idk) in a past life and subconsciously is like i need the same amount of attention and feedback or i do not exist. jake is awesome to work with if he's on your side. if he isn't. look out. (pluto widely conjunct his south node here also shows that the past life pull here is Strong)

moon (3) and lilith (13) in aries in the 9th house: the moon is most important because that's a real planet, followed by lilith, who is also part of the moon so. the 9th is a searching, traveling, sagittarius house--jake feels safe when he's experiencing new things, learning new things, going new places, traveling. with lilith in aries he um. maybe thinks other people are taking the lead and doesn't notice how much he is actually the one taking the lead or making things go his way? lmao?

in a trine, all the energies get each other. they have similar priorities. that vein is strong. jake wants

- to shine - excitement - to Find Himself and Express Himself - he does not want to think about consequences or anything too heavy

the more exact an aspect, the stronger it gets, so jupiter/pluto is extra strong. they may not totally see eye-to-eye but they both know they want/need more and they want/need attention and creative control. jake has so much creative energy and interest and ability at his fingertips all the time and with jupiter involved, it can really have a big impact.

air grand trine: knows a little (a medium) about a lot

a fire trine in fire houses and an air trine possibly in air houses are u kidding me.

jake loves learning, but in a very chill way. he doesn't feel like he has to compete all the time, this is not compensation, he just naturally gets things and is interested in things. he feels super confident and comfortable in learning situations and environments, he feels very comfy communicating, he's super curious, he likes chatty and stimulating environments. he probably did well in school without much angst about it.

the air element is very bounce bounce bounce very fun fun fun but the planets in jake's air grand trine are.... not very bounce bounce bounce not very fun fun fun :(

mars (medium fun fun fun)

uranus (... depends on ur idea of fun fun fun)

saturn (not fun fun fun at all)

mars is in detriment in libra (passy aggy libra is not aggy aggy mars's comfortable vibe)

saturn is in its fall in gemini (saturn wants everyone to grow up and make good choices and gemini... does not... want that... .... )

uranus is at home in aquarius so she's chillin.

libra aquarius and gemini are all vibing like crazy. the planets... are... um... well they are all very a Lot.

their conversation is more like

libra mars in the 3rd: the best way to survive and thrive is to make sure everyone is having a good time, man. keep the peace. keep it chill. keep it fun keep it flirty. if i want a fight i'm going to provoke you into it and then i'll be like omg why would you fight me, now i have no choice but to end u, omg

aquarius uranus in the 7th: where is my weird significant other i ghosted the other day it's back on baby (all relationships are full of change but also the way i'm learning about myself too!! let's get super deep and then never talk to each other again!! or maybe we will?? i am super comfortable with the way things change idk! change is part of life!!) OR aquarius uranus in the 8th: hahahahahahaha i try to control my emotionally compulsive tendencies and sate them by acquiring weird power and exploring weird shit but somehow they always come roaring back hahahaha maybe it'll work this time tho

saturn gemini in the 11th: i want to be friends with everybody but also keep to myself COMPLETELY. i wanna chitty chatty everywhere and also.... only talk to people i work with? i have six friends and that is enough for me man. also i feel like... existential... ? i have so many Thoughts and Philosophies? i feel paralyzed by The Ideas and Science of Humanity sometimes??? or saturn in gemini in the 12th: ... hahah.... ... ever feel... some kind of unsubstantiated judgement from the like... universe?? haha... i am so overwhelmed by the concept of saturn (maturation, judgement, work, etc) it's like a gaping hole ha ha??? i mean on the bright side i can really make my imaginative and interesting ideas reality and have them relate to humanity tho bro

basically jake has an incredible talent for air sign stuff but um. uranus and saturn are like... ever heard of intellectualizing ur emotions? ever feel... a void? you might want to fill by exploring your own psyche and being of service to others?

mars bequeaths Action and Energy on his trine-mates, so jake has a real ability to Work Work Work, and break the mould but in a harmonious way, a way that doesn't freak people out. uranus is also a very Thinky Thinky planet so it's also action and intellect, handshake emoji.

some tremendous gifts!!! now let's look at some... . other things...

4th house placements: hello it's me, ghosts from your unconscious

here's what we know about jake's possible subconscious Stuff so far

sort of a past life royalty thing, there's a sense of needing special treatment in some ways bc that's normal to him

needs to perform or he feels he will die

Over-intellectualize, Profit

puts up this situations that he doesn't love bc everything else is going well for him and he's like, this is fine

4th house and scorpio are both very karmic bro. it's like, any signature here means you are gonna spend time Finding Yourself and Dismantling Subconscious Complexes. scorpio is constantly like, omg should i break from the chains of my past and transform??? no no no instead I should cling to the bones of my compulsive desires. wait unless...

water houses are like "i am full of memory... of the emotional ghosts of the past!" anyone with these placements is gonna have to do some exorcisms of the subconscious and jake is one of these!

his chart ruler the sun conjunct mercury is in scorpio in the 4th house, as is his venus at 0 degrees (more later)--he has a real deep deep yearning for safety and security and nurturing. he needs to be nurtured and to nurture. he also um. he needs to detach himself from the things he like unthinkingly accepts that he learned from his family. on some level he truly is struggling for recognition and acceptance--but tbh this is mostly his own stuff he'll have to untangle bc people really like him. this will all get easier when he's older.

it Loooooks like... his family really prioritized things looking nice and looking good and not um... emotional... nurturing? or parts of his upbringing were good and positive, but he did feel some kind of rejection from his parental figures (sun square uranus and jupiter/moon square chiron and saturn) that has led to some emotional rigidity/fear (moon aspects) and ummMM recklessness??? (sun aspects).

scorpio venus at 0°: uh oh i am also retrograde and in detriment do you want to get married

normally a planet at 0° explodes the sign energy in a very obvious way, but venus is (a) retrograde and (b) in detriment in scorpio so that's not exactly how it manifests. we're boosting venus the planet and some parts of scorpio, baby, including the ability to radiate sexuality! we're boosting Making Mistakes and taking A While to get things right!!

he probably struggles in relationships a bit right now. with his 7th house aquarius uranus and neptune he likely has no idea what he really wants at this point in his life--neptune, also opposite his ascendant, keeps things really foggy--and feels an intense need to get oUUTTT when he feels trapped. he has a lot of positive indicators for a stable relationship later in life but he really is gonna have to sort through those intense unconscious things before he can really be truly open with someone else.

neptune conjunct his descendant and his 0° scorpio venus show this intense romanticism that doesn't always like... align with reality. aquarius neptune loves the idea of people/a relationship--and scorpio venus loves the kdrama of a relationship. i miss fighting and kissing in the rain ass. his scorpio venus wants to merge deeply with another and his neptune conjunct descendant does not... do... boundaries... at all. so this can be a problem.

hahaha jake do you find the love of your life on instagram twice a month and then not say or do a single thing and then see something in their story that makes you be like "nah" as a defense mechanism? bud.

libra mars conjunct IC: angy but so buried nobody knows

mars conjunct IC (the line on the bottom of the MC) is already like "lots of anger, HIDES IT FROM EVERYONE" and libra mars is that x a million. libra is such a hilarious sign bro. "ladies do not start fights but they can finish them" but also ladies do not start fights overtly, they just set up the dominos in such a way their chosen opponent will start the fight themselves. with mars in the 3rd it's super gemini super fun also, libra in a gemini house, very chatty very communication. less dark than mars in the 4th lmao.

your IC is at the bottom of your chart--so people don't see this about him and jake does not value this about himself, but jake can tap into mars (and his air grand trine also) as foundation or fuel.

jake has this incredibly boiling reserve of energy and life force and anger--

in libra it could be anger at injustice

and/or passy aggy kind of anger from repressing his own needs and letting people walk over him sometimes

and/or sometimes it's also about a family situation, his 3rd house shows a super mentally active family environment and libra IC/scorpio 4th shows that maybe some things were not... spoken about....

either way jake has insane amounts of willpower lowkey--even if he lets a lot of things go day-to-day, ultimately he's gonna get what he wants (but in a cutesy and demure way so it doesn't look like jake is pushing for it).

because mars is in detriment in libra, this foundation can feel really confusing and weird. jake probably seems really excessively tolerant of everything even if he's actually not and he really wants things to be fair and gets pissy if they aren't.

round up!!

for his big players...

jake is a jupiter lad bro. jupiter loves this kid

sun!! his chart ruler and his deepest self. i feel like repressing your sun makes the sun more powerful lmao and players #3 and #4 really are doing their best to hide her

fire trine (pluto/moon/jupiter)

air trine (mars/uranus/saturn)

mars conjunct ic oof

whatever the hell is up with neptune and venus

u know i was more worried about him avoiding his scorpionic Issues when i first looked at his chart, but now i'm like... yeah life is gonna bring those issues to you to deal with babe don't worry.

but aww this kid is so cute dude. don't get me wrong he has a lot of past life baggage and shit but he's genuinely a cutie. snaps for jake, everybody.

[wheredidhiseyebrowsgo]

Hello! I was wondering if you could recommend any fics where Stiles and Derek are friends when they are young? I need some pure innocent fluff right now. Thank you! :)

I can totally provide that for you!

The Things We See by MelodramaticSalad

(1/1 I 5,032 I Teen)

Stiles grew up in the life of knowing that there was always more to life than what others saw with a first glance. Even as a child he saw things that no one else seemed to and always had a fascination with the unusual.

Some considered him an unusual child, but Claudia welcomed every single quirk her son displayed. His mother had a few special talents of her own and thrilled her to see it in her son as well. She'd raised Stiles to always keep his mind open and as grew and started to display his powers, she began to teach him how to use them. She even taught Stiles about werewolves at a young age, his infatuation with them growing once he had learned the truth about her closest friend.

Stiles spent nearly every possible moment that he could roaming the Hale house, following after the middle child most of the time. Derek was three years older than Stiles, but the bond they developed with each other was something their mothers considered out of a story book. Like Derek, Stiles was sensitive to his emotions, but unlike Derek, Stiles didn't need a scent to figure it out. He could feel it.

It's Always Been You by Giveemhale

(1/1 I 5,018 I Not Rated)

4 times Stiles gave Derek a valentine and 1 time Derek decided to return the favor.

They Don't Know How Long It Takes (Waiting For a Love Like This) by crossroadswrite 

(1/1 I 6,986 I Teen)

Everyone knows that soulmates have a 86% rate of successful marriages, but everyone also knows that for you to find your soulmate you'll need an incredible amount of luck and to go through the hardest, most marking moment of your life for the bond to kick in and call them to you.

If you're a werewolf, then you won't need to wait that long. Some people will say you just know, others will call bullshit.

Derek is four when he meets his soulmate and he doesn't know because no one will tell him. Not until he's older. And it'll be a bit of an unprecedent case given that he met his soulmate even before he was born.

Growing Up With You by WhereAreTheBreaks

(18/18 I 22,716 I Teen)

It all started with a strange scent in the grocery store, and now Derek can't imagine his life without the hyperactive little shit that is Stiles Stilinski. He didn't know why he always felt the need to be close to the boy but his mom's knowing looks certainly weren't helping.

We're Like Milo and Otis by tabbytabbytabby

(7/7 I 27,772 I Teen)

Stiles and Derek meet each other before they can even talk. With Claudia being the Hale family Emissary, Stiles spends most of his time with the Hales. Stiles and Derek are immediately inseparable. Stiles learns early on that his magic reacts to Derek more than anyone else and because of that he is able to shift into a fox and go on adventures with Derek. Those adventures aren't always safe but one thing is certain, they'll always look out for each other.

Mischief and Chaos by GoldenDaydreams

(17/17 I 60,856 I Mature)

The Stilinski twins are not twins.

One is the child of Claudia and Noah Stilinski. The other is a changeling.

The pack has until the boys turn eighteen to figure out which is which while the changeling causes chaos along the way.

[sunsetcurvecuddles]

n and u if you're still answering from the fanfic asks

thank you so much anon!! from this ask game

N: Is there a fic you wish someone else would write (or finish) for you?

ooo there’s a few specific wips or fic ideas from friends of mine that i’m just DYING to read (no pressure at all but YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE). of my own works i desperately wish someone else would write the fic that lives in my head rent-free where reggie and ray talk about breaking the cycle of abuse as parents and ray tells reggie that he thinks reggie would have been a good dad :(

U: Share three of your favorite fic writers and why you like them so much.

this question is really really hard because there are so many amazing authors to pick from! i legitimately couldnt narrow it down to 3 even just from the first ones who come to mind so have 5 sdlkfjsdlkfjs THIS IS STILL NOT ALL THE AUTHORS I LOVE NOT AT ALL NOT EVEN CLOSE. should i make an author rec post. would anyone appreciate it if i did that. ANYWAY here

@sweetheartreggie i feel like this is a given but a) kat’s fics are wonderful, the way their characters totally embody the “it’s rotten work” “not to me not if it’s you” energy (their BOGGIE my GOD!!! their bobby the original petname fiend) but then the cute stuff is so fluffy and satisfying and warm and like home. plus the endless amounts of co-creating we do that never sees the light of day... plus the fact that essentially everything i write is totally interwoven with things we make, from obvious cowrites like molars to the fact that every reggie i ever write has our endless hours of discussion about him stamped on them like a wax seal. kat is in every corner of my work and i want them to stay there forever. ily kat

@chickwiththepurpleguitar hi lilly this should be obvious LOL but genuinely the way that lilly’s writing can pull the rug out from under your feet and just devastate you. unprecedented. sometimes i will sit in google docs and watch lilly write in real time and the dialogue literally leaves me breathless as it appears. the way characters look after each other in her fics (sickfic ICON for the record), the way that when i first read longfic i had to roll over and muffle my face in my pillow and scream multiple times out of sheer agony, etc. lilly’s characters make real mistakes, the kinds where you scream YOU IDIOT as you read but you also totally, completely get why they’re doing it, and they’re so raw and vulnerable in the best ways. also, lilly’s alex characterisation my beloved. also the bobbyrayrose dynamic she has painstakingly built not only lives rent-free in my head, i am paying rent to the bobbyrayrose dynamic. it’s got a whole little business up in here. it’s the landlord now.

@arolou new player on the scene but not in my heart old fandom friend <3 do you want to cry? do you literally want to bawl your eyes out over the sticky, tight-in-your-chest, complex feelings about how hard it is to be friends and to love other people well and to talk to them about it? ALTERNATIVELY do you want to laugh and be filled with joy and sunshine? BOTH OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE. i love the .. idk if grit is the right word, because it’s not quite that rough, but her characters feel like they have something tangible and real and sometimes bitey about them that makes me love them all the more. my favourite line about alex ever written is in one of her fics. also genuinely amazing aro rep. ily so much

@joyandthephantoms FIND ME A MORE UNDERRATED JATP AUTHOR YOU CAN’T. it’s the total mastery of twisted-up, angry, loving, amazing feelings for me. it’s the characters fucking up and caring and doing their best and doing badly and realising and trying again and doing better for me. it’s the tumbling whirlwind of feelings getting stopped in its tracks by the gutpunch of sudden awareness for me. it’s the catharsis for me. i can’t genuinely do justice to joy’s fics in my own words so like, just, read them and have a better life.

@julies-butterflies lydiaa what always knocks me flat is this: lydia is a total package author like other authors dream of being. lydia’s fics can be funny or absolutely heartbreaking, her prose is GENUINELY from another dimension of good, like, some of my favourite sentences in the english language but they’re just every other paragraph and it’s like being punched in the face with beautiful words, but also then things will be SO . FUCKING. FUNNY. lydia writes my favourite julie in the entire world, has mastered atmosphere so much that i feel like i breathe the same air as these characters, and is my go-to when i need to read something that feels like an actual hug is happening to me.

SORRY THIS IS SO LONG I JUST LOVE MY TALENTED FRIENDS

[fasa-umich]

Kris Mallabo, FASA 2020-21 Co-Performance Chair

To cut the origin story short, I joined FASA and subsequently FASA E-Board because engaging in my Filipino culture has always been second nature to me, and I did not want my college experience to estrange me from my roots dwelling on the other side of the world. So, at the beginning of my term as performance co-chair, I had many plans and expectations ready to go. I had an anticipated timeline for performance events, inspirations for dances I wanted to conduct, and a solid vision of my sophomore year of college, month by month, lined up ahead of me.

Enter COVID-19, destroyer of plans, devil of expectations, and crusher of hopes and dreams. Prediction became the enemy, as did precedent. The lethargy of quarantine only amplified the helplessness and loss that plagued me as I watched all the opportunities and events I had eagerly awaited disintegrate in front of me, like a meticulously built sandcastle swallowed by the sea and leaving only wet lumps behind.

Alright, I digress. I’m exaggerating. Let an English major be a little dramatic: I don’t always get it out of my system when I’m writing fanfiction, you know.

First FASA performance! Something is awakened...

In all seriousness, the troubles of being a performance chair in the middle of a panna cotta made themselves clear very early on. Kalayaan was cancelled, and to fill the gap of summer performances, we had to quickly figure out a way to get virtual performances to work. We eventually succeeded, to both our relief and excitement. The satisfaction of a single success more than made up for all previously missed opportunities.

I feel like much of my term as performance chair worked out like this. To be transparent, frustration was a defining word of my time on board. Events were constantly cancelled due to COVID, and many of the cool ideas we had at the beginning of the year fell through. Because of this, however, the other defining word of my term was flexibility. I learned to quickly adapt to the constant barrage of cancellations and date moves, and we had to rely on our back-up plans more often than our actual plans -- bend, don’t break. As such, every time something worked out in our favor, it was a victory that negated every loss that came before it. There was no disappointment so great that a single accomplishment could not justify. The bottom line here can be summarized by the poignant lyrics of Chumbawumba’s sweeping 1997 ballad: “I get knocked down, but I get up again/You’re never gonna keep me down.”

I was very much wearing my shirt backward the entire day

If I am mentioning getting up again, however, I cannot do so without acknowledging what it was like being on board as a whole. ‘Teamwork makes the dream work’ is no exaggeration. Although there were rough patches, board members were there to support us through it all. In turn, I learned that support goes both ways and that it’s just as fulfilling to help out a teammate when in need. It seems as though you could always find help from someone, whether it be as a board member or as a friend. The line of professionalism did tend to get a little blurry from how close we were, but it certainly added to the fun I had while on board. The sheer amount of things this year’s board managed to pull off, despite it all, has never failed to impress me, and I am humbled to be a part of a team that contains such talented and driven people.

The talented and driven people in question

One last little divergence before I move on to my little awards ceremony speech segment. I would like to emphasize how proud/happy/excited I am about PCN this year and Performance’s role in it. In its unexpected finality, working through PCN to accomplish something so visible and concrete after everything we’ve been through feels like a sweet yet massive cherry on top. I am writing this after just finishing our last PCN practice of the year. It does not feel real. Almost nothing has, since that fateful March day a year ago, but oddly enough this does not feel like the end to me. I am so grateful that we had this one last opportunity to dance through Filipino culture with FASA, and I can’t wait to see the finished product. I get back up again, indeed.

Performance in the wild

Okay. Without further ado, the awards speech. Thank you, Bea, for being a performance chair inspiration. Thank you, Jason and Jolene, for roping me in your wacky hijinks (JJK supremacy). Thank you, Kate and Estelle, for being an amazing cultural team that pulled off PCN in a year where everything was uncertain. Thank you, all of 2020-2021 E-Board, for good times, for pulling me through bad times, for teaching me new things. Thank you, most of all, to Josh, my lovely partner in crime. Not only would I not have been able to do this job without him, but I would also not have been able to enjoy myself while doing it. With his charm and seemingly endless supply of energy, I truly do not think being a performance chair would have been half as fun without it. We balanced in a way where I could see how my weaknesses aligned with his strengths and vice versa, but we did not settle into a dynamic where he always covered my flaws. Instead, I think he inspired me to strengthen my own personal weaknesses, to find my own voice, and be more assured of myself. I will treasure the memories of the late-night bonding conversations and schemes that took place before elections and continued throughout quarantine until I idly rock back and forth in my chair at the old folks' home. In so many words: hey Josh, you're a fantastic friend and a freaking awesome co-chair. Thank you so, so much for being by my side for this rollercoaster of a school year.

Giggling fit in 3...2...1...

And finally, thank you FASA, thank you for letting me serve you as a performance chair in this ~unprecedented~ time. If someone had told me a year ago exactly what I was getting into, challenges and all, I still would have run for board because even a panettone could not pry me away from my love of FASA and FASA performance. I mean, talk about a found family trope. To me, Filipino culture has always meant the feeling of a warm, ensconcing hug, and I found exactly what I was looking for when I sought out UMich’s Filipino org on the very first day of freshman Festifall. I’ve grown to love this community like a second home, and in turn, this allowed me to grow into a better version of myself (fun fact: I never went by Kris before joining FASA, but somehow that’s just what I ended up being called here. I love it). With FASA, I’ve felt love and friendship and teamwork and all those other shounen anime themes, and I feel like I belong. It’s been fun, it’s been (mostly) safe, it’s been aw yeah FASA yeah. To any future FASA member out there: hold tightly to the open arms FASA welcomes you with. It’s going to be one hell of a ride.

*Friends theme song plays*

Cheers,

Kris Mallabo