#not really all that fun. making a tournament when you know what the winner will be

[multishipper-baby]

I said that I'd leave it up to vote over what character I'd do a full shipping tournament, and I will, but if it were up to me... It'd be Deuz. I have so many fucking Deuz rarepairs that nobody gives and shit about and I'd love for people to think about them for two minutes at least.

[gimmick-blog-bracket]

Now for the final round!

@hellsitegenetics

I love them

I didn't know I needed to know that the weed-smoking girlfriends post was genetically a wolf, but I did, and I do. Also puts great stuff on my dash.

it’s so fun to be scrolling unhinged posts and then boom. an organism!

so many moths‼ also, unexpected comedy with some of the matches

perfect blend of silly and informative, and makes for an excellent punchline at the end of a long post. puts creatures on my dash. literally what more could you ask for

It's a really unique blog concept and a lot of times the results are pretty funny. It's great when the sequence matches the post content too!

Creatures 👍

Finds beautiful creatures out of the mess of the hellsite

Offers finality AND gives us a creechur.

I love them. English speakers talk like moths

If this blog wins, they could run the text of the winning announcement, and determine the post's genus and species!

They're also very good about tagging the type of creature depicted in the results, so as long as you mute tags of creatures you don't want to see, it's a very fun time seeing iconic legacy posts (and new submissions) being reduced down to a string of letters and assigned a random species of fish or moth or something!

uhh it’s cool

BLAST

There are so many weird bugs in the world

Yippee!!

If, as Haldane said, God has an inordinate fondness for beetles, then surely this blog proves that Tumblr has an inordinate fondness for moths.

Top tier blog as a geneticist, I love seeing obscure organisms and MOTH

Admin got rate limited after trying to blast the bee movie

the knowledge of biology to pull this off (i have taken one biology class in my life) and also the work to find all the strings honestly deserves quite a bit of praise

This gimmick blog has it all: science, pictures of animals, interaction with the text of other peoples' posts, interesting information, and a unique and fun premise. As a biologist, I'm rooting for hellsitegenetics to reach the end and take the tournament, because it is truly a standout among gimmick blogs.

If they win, perhaps this blog too shall become a cool organism :3

@hasgavlebockenburneddownyet

What's more happy holiday cheer than cheering on the destruction of a giant straw goat?

The birds may have won 2023, but I believe in humanity's capability for arson for 2024 <3

a vote for me is a vote for arson! This message was approved by hasgavlebockenburneddownyet

gavle is SUCH a public service and holiday feature

what's more tumblr than comical destruction and holidays?

sometimes you just gotta vote with your matchsticks

Bringing a cultural staple to tumblr since 2021

Arson is so much more fun

It would be really funny and ironic if it survives the tournament

you have no idea how much joy watching the chronicling of the gavlebocken brings me every year

hasgavlebockenburneddownyet provides an essential public service

always love seeing a bit of Swedish history on my dash 'Swedish bamboo season'

the goat account is peak gimmick blog

If I don't get to beat the goat then nobody does. -pointless-achievements

Never ask Tumblr to choose between lies and arson! The winner threatens by nature to rip apart the very fabric of our DNA!

goat statues made out of straw are exciting and interesting

I wanna see things burn

the goat is an essential part of tumblr culture and the goat blog is a sacred keeper of the tumblr high holidays

watching to see if the big straw goat has burned down each year is a true delight, something I never knew existed until tumblr and the blog dedicated to it

the incredibly focused nature of @/hasgavlebockenburneddownyet is what makes their gimmick superior.

Please guys bite gavlebocken

Look, I'm Danish. I was put on this earth to annoy the Swedes and vice versa, but even I voted for @/hasgavlebockenburneddownyet

gavlebocken is also such a fun name and this blog informed be about its existence, so for that I am grateful

hasgavlebockenburneddownyet is providing a vital service! Every year, people rely on their updates regarding the fate of our most beloved Yule Goat! How could they NOT deserve the win!?

sacred anti-corporate arson

a vote for gävlebocken is a vote for anarchy!

pls vote for them they're the funniest gimmick keeping track on the funniest phenomena in recent human history, like when i look at their acc i think to myself this is what tumblr was created for

the goat is the GOAT

HASGAVLEBOCKENBURNEDDOWNYET DESERVES TO WIN, I have them on post alert for a REASON

the holiday season wouldn't be the same without them

they do important reporting. Do you look at the news and be like 'the reporters aren't doing work they're just telling you whats happening.' Have some respect for the goat news

let the weird burnt sacrificial ritual of it all appeal to you

nothing makes my December more interesting, arson should win

doesn't barge in on other peoples posts which is always a good thing in my books. not a fan when obnoxious gimmick blogs turn a decent post into a garbled mess

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Rosemary Clooney (White Christmas)—Rosemary!!! Her singing voice is incredible, she looks stunning in everything she wears, she has this quiet gravitas on screen that I haven’t seen anywhere else!! She deserves to be known as a lot more than George Clooney’s Aunt (if anything, I think of him as Rosemary Clooney’s nephew who also went into the business). Also when she got older she had this amazing sexy raspy voice (which sadly was due to smoking a lot but doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s very very sexy)

Kalina Jędrusik (Upał, The Doll, The Cure for Love)—She was a singer too and one of her songs is literally about how "there is sex in me"

This is round 1 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut]

Rosemary:

Rosemary Clooney made very few movies, and built her career mostly as a singer--however, anyone who has ever seen her in White Christmas understands that this was Hollywood's loss, because she exudes glamour and charm and does a wonderful job acting it as well. She's gorgeous, she has a beautiful voice, she has one of those faces that the screen just loves, and she is, frankly, hot as hell.

Okay so obviously she's more a singer than an actress, but she was still one of the best musical actresses of the era! They just didn't know what to do with her. She really wasn't a dancer at all, so you'll see most of the numbers in White Christmas she's got a convenient prop to sweep around. However, this ~weakness brought about a love story for the ages! Dante Di Paulo (you may know him as the mustachioed townie rival to the Pontipees in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers) was hired to teach her to dance and they fell in love over rehearsals. Separated by filming schedules, Rosemary ended up marrying José Ferrer and breaking Dante's heart, but 20 years and two divorces from José later they met in traffic. Not about to miss her second chance, she honked her horn and yelled her phone number at him (talk about carpe diem). He moved in a couple of months later but they finally made it official in 1997 because "our grandchildren want us to get married". They were utterly devoted to each other and he was very much a Wife Guy.

An absolutely amazing singer and so stunning. Her performance in that black dress in White Christmas just takes my breath away every time. She's also George Clooney's aunt.

when she. when she. 'love you didnt do right by me' from white christmas-

She was a very cool woman, who had a very hard life. She had severe mental health struggles throughout her life and left the stage for quite a while, but fought hard to make her career comeback later in life with a little timely help from good friend and frequent collaborator Bing Crosby. She also duetted with Marlene Dietrich early in her career

She was very funny and very civic-minded, she campaigned with RFK during his presidential run. She had a very close bond with her nephew (that George Clooney yes), he even had her songs on the playlist when he proposed to his wife! She didn't enjoy singing this song from White Christmas, as it wasn't quite in her range, but she's incredibly powerful and undoubtedly very hot in this scene (fun fact, oscar winner George Chakiris is one of her dancers here, before his big break!) -

Kalina:

[thetisming]

i genuinely wish i could articulate my thoughts on nicky because sometimes i think it comes off as just 'hes gay and makes me sad' because thats easy to say and articulate but like. he is a character who doesnt matter. not just like tamara and micah and yuri and luca and flint, but he isnt in the story. hes optional. and like, hes really fucking strong. hes been training most likely his WHOLE LIFE. of course hes strong. he doesnt matter. hes optional and you simply dont have to see him and his dad doesnt even seem to care about him and ??? i know a lot of what im saying has been said but bear with me here. and understand that ! some of it i was thinking before i saw other people say it. which just means im right. anyways. 👍. also i talk about oliver a lot here because. well you ujderstand

"sometimes i pretend the whole reason this tournament exists is so that my father and i could fight each other. but i suppose that wont be happening now..."

"nicky?"

"ah, oliver! don't worry. i need not be consoled."

paraphrasing because i dont remember but! fuck!!! all he wanted was to impress his dad! and then when oliver tries to console him he just brushes it off!!!!!!

something else is that. he knows about the prophecy. he knows what the point is. the winner defeats the wizard king. and yet he still wants to win. isnt that fucked? he knows and yet he wants to win to impress his dad. this is something i think about all the time. hes willing to be doomed forever, just so his dad will be proud of him.

and like, again hes been training forever. and then what, this other kid comes along and he arrived in this world like, maybe a week ago? and he still wins. whatever. this is lightweight. but he keeps winning and it isnt fair because hes been training his whole life. and then he wins. he actually wins ultra-ultimate. and he goes on to defeat the wizard king, the thing he wanted to do to make his dad proud.

and then theres like. nickiver, right? sure, this kid is winning the tournaments but thats fine. because it isnt the main one. and hes pretty. and hes firery and stubborn and hes strong and he fights on his level and it's fun and theyre nemises and they argue. and this kid is also just fucking clueless when it comes to any hints about nicky's crush. and then this kid wins ultra-ultimate. and then he sees this kid win pandora's box. and maybe now, if he didnt before, he fully understands the complete weight of defeating the wizard king. because he loves this boy, and he opened the box. he opened the fucking box and he climbed the tower and if he didnt arrive in the world. nicky wouldve done that. for his dad. for his dad's thousand year revenge quest. and again he loves oliver. and he sees him change after defeating the wizard king and maybe they get married and maybe for a bit theyre happy. but oliver defeated the wizard king, which is what nicky was meant to do. it's a good thing he didnt. or maybe not, because it came at the price of oliver.

and like, hes a kid. okay. hes maybe 13, 14, around oliver's age. and he loves fighting and familiars and i doubt he has any friends and i doubt he has anyone. but then he has oliver and oliver is nice but also argues and hes so clueless and hes perfect. hes the perfect guy and nicky loves him and theyre friends (despite their nemisis status). but again oliver defeats the wizard king. and yeah i think nicky probably befriends esther but. he had oliver. oliver was possibly his first non-familiar friend (i do think his familiars are his friends even after the whole thing) and he has him and then he doesnt. and he slips away because of that fucking prophecy. and hes gone.

and also, nicky's scared of being unimportant. he wants to matter. he wants to impress his dad he wants to be important. and hes fucking not, and it's heartbreaking. he was removed from wotww. i say this a lot but every other named character had a cameo. almost every place had a mention. but not nicky (and not giovanni either) (unless you count. french car guy.). nicky doesnt matter. nickys unimportant. nicky doesnt impress his dad. he matters so much to me but overall oliver is the hero of the story so oliver is going to win. nicky is optional in dotdd but god thats better than him not being an option at all.

and something i always think about with the hope and hopelessness line is. nicky holds onto hope. and oliver doesnt. nicky, the neglected, optional, moon coded boy, holds onto hope. and oliver, the loved, hero, adored, sun coded boy holds onto hopelessness. we're given every reason to think it wouldnt be like that. but nicky holds onto hope and oliver doesnt and of course oliver doesnt because hes the hero. hes the pure-hearted one. these things dont just go well. hes the pure hearted one so of course he wants to defeat a great evil, even if it ruins him.

but nicky? he holds onto hope in the end. hope. the character who would make perfect sense to be hopeless, hes the one who holds onto hope. he has hope. maybe hope is all he has. either way, he holds onto hope. and that drives me crazy.

and hes also fun. hes a fun character! hes dramatic and his lines are cute and hes clearly in love with oliver and hes funny and charming! all of this tragedy, and hes so charming still. and i think that does a lot. like, a silly character who says things like 'exactly as i expected... from my NEMISIS!!!!!!!!!' and then you find out hes tragic and his father is neglectful and hes moon coded and he has a moon charm on his coat?? LIKE!!!!! YES!!!!!!!!! AWESOME. and to top it all off. hes even gay.

anyway i love nicky i hope this ?? made sense. if it ever seems like my thoughts on him dont go deep they do im just awful at words & enjoy to make silly posts. i like him a lot

[mrfartpowered]

okay ik I haven’t posted much abt lize’s and my post-canon timeline but I wanna talk abt how the Weinerham Family (weinerhamily) celebrates the 4th of July!!! here’s what u need to know

Randy & Howard are gay married and have a set of twins, June & B (seen on @cunningweiner). Also their legal last name is Weinerham

Mort & Viceroy are gay dating. Hannibal and Marci are happily married as well. the four of them have some sort of polycule thing going on. No they can’t explain it <3 and neither can i

Debbie & Theresa are gay married and family friends of the Weinerhams/the Evil Polycule. they have a son, Dewey, who is a couple years younger than the twins

Heidi is gay dating Morgan and they are #childfree

Bash fucks off to Europe soon after graduating high school and Marci lets him “spread his wings” (he does not attend the family gathering)

they are a very weird, very big, oddly happy family

AND NOW!!! SILLY HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES BELOW THE CUT

Every summer the Weinerman clan & company spend a week at a McFist lake house out at Lake Papoose. The 4th of July usually falls in the middle or the end of these trips, and it’s a huge Thing™️ every time.

When the tradition began, Mort and Viceroy had recently started dating, and Bash was still obligated to attend family vacations. Heidi/Morgan and Theresa/Debbie would not join the group for a couple more years. Randy and Howard were together, but not yet married and not yet fathers. The first 4th of July on the lake, the two of them snuck away from the McFists + Mort with a handful of fireworks, stolen from Viceroy’s stash. They only meant to fuck around with some sparklers, maybe a couple fountains. But SURPRISE! Bash crashes the moment with a bigass Roman candle. Randy and Howard try to shoo him away and it turns into an argument. Mid-scuffle, the Roman candle goes off. A grassfire starts. No one gets hurt, but it’s safe to say everyone is a little peeved for the rest of the trip. Bash only attends one more lake vacation after that before fucking off to Europe.

In the “present day” — meaning, all the kids are born, all the couples are married, the tradition is firmly established — everyone gets along quite well, sans-Bash. Randy and Hannibal kinda grate on each other, even though neither of them can quite put a finger on why the other is so irritating, but their love for the collective family outweighs the annoyance. Heidi and Morgan make incredible cocktails for the adults. Theresa always makes the cutest, tastiest America-themed snacks and desserts. Viceroy and Marci chat for hours on the porch. Debbie and Howard gossip and watch bad Hallmark movies for fun. Dewey, June, and B always get into some shenanigan or other. It’s all quite domestic and fun. In this timeline they really are a weird, happy, tight-knit family. I could go on and on about how everybody interacts with each other but then this post would never ever end

Even bigger than the fireworks, though, is the Annual Weinerman-McFist-Weinerham-Fowler-Kang Paddleboard Tournament on the Water!

Okay, yeah, it’s a mouthful, but here’s the gist of it: on the lake directly behind the McFist lake house, a ways from the shore, two paddle boards are anchored, nearby one another, but far enough apart that they won’t crash. Anyone wanting to participate, whether child or adult, is randomly paired against someone else, forming a tournament bracket. Each pair swims out to the boards, armed with one of those foam jousting sticks. Then. They Fight. In order to move up in the bracket, you must knock your opponent completely into the water.

Why is it such a big deal for the Weinerhamily? Because everyone single one of them is a competitive asshole! Except for Marci and Viceroy, who referee the event. And in order to participate, you must bring something to contribute to the Victory Pile, which is a pile of the brucest prizes, all of which belong to the ultimate winner. And everyone always goes buck-fucking-WILD with the Victory Pile. Fine wines, Disneyworld tickets, $100 gift cards, gaming consoles have all been seen in the Pile.

For a while, the victor changed year to year…until Debbie’s first win. After which, she becomes undefeated. But this doesn’t deter anybody, no — they get MORE competitive trying to take her out. Nobody understands how she’s so good at it. They just know she packs a LOT of force into such a tiny body.

Hannibal’s usually out in the first round (unless he’s paired against a child), at which point he pouts for a while until he remembers that he can spend the rest of the Tournament heckling whoever took him out.

Howard is a force to be reckoned with — low center of gravity makes him hard to knock over! — and so is his girl, June, by sheer force of will. Morgan is also a powerful foe, while Heidi is quite average. Randy has quick reflexives, but is fairly easy to knock over once he runs out of energy to dodge. B usually ends up laughing too hard to actually fight, and Dewey is the youngest, so everyone knows he doesn’t stand a chance. Theresa plays quite casually once her wife starts winning the Victory Pile every year.

that’s really all I wanted to say abt this but PLS feel free to ask me or Lize abt this timeline/the Weinerhamily Lake Holiday in my asks or the replies of this post !!!!!!! happy America day or whatever

[mk-wizard]

Pokemon the Anime: I love Ash Ketchum but...

Hi, friends. Fun fact about me: I love Pokemon! And I loved the anime! To me, Pokemon is a part of my childhood that I will always cherish dearly and it was one of the first animes I got into. Looking back on it, it still holds up, but there is one thing that I have come to realize about it. We need to talk about Ash Ketchum...

Now, let me make it clear that I love Ash Ketchum. I think he’s adorable, funny and his passionate energy rubs off on you in all of the right ways. Plus, he is passionate without being obsessed and still cares enough about people and doing things right that he has a heroic streak. However... he is not a good fit as a main character because while we root for him and love him, his story is too linear, his character development is minimal, we all knew he was going to win in the end and honestly, seeing his story unfold all the time got very dull. Plus, we never really got to know Ash as a character. Just to give you an example, in ALL of the anime’s run, we never find out who his dad is/was or what his mom does for a living. In other words, he is an MC who never really develops beyond his professional skills and never really get to know. We know more about Team Rocket (Jessie, James and Meowth) than we do about Ash. To me, he would have worked better as a secondary character not an main one. In fact, this lack of details and repetitive formula is why I eventually stopped watching the anime. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy Ash won in the end, but... his story took way too long and got dull. The character who would have main a great MC for the anime is someone who did undergo a lot of development, maturing and more.

Gary Oak. Now hear me out...

The Pokemon anime is essentially a tournament anime series where the standard formula is that the MC goes in and comes out the winner. However, Gary would have been unique, compelling and memorable for many reasons if HE was the MC.

First off, unlike most MC’s of this genre of anime, Gary is initially not likeable. He is egotistical, unkind, rude and a big bully. I remember than as a girl, I hated Gary and used to wish his grandpa, Prof. Oak, would ground him. However, as the series progressed, so did he. He softened his behaviour, learned humility and let his rivalry with Ash go which freed him emotionally and allowed him to grow up. While he still has a mischievous and competitive streak, he doesn’t get mean about it nor is he a showboat. And he dropped the personal cheerleading squad. He now seeks to better himself rather than constantly having his ego stroked which is something really refreshing and enjoyable to experience. I can’t really say his journey was a redemption story. It was a growing up story and a tale that reminds us that we all had our phases as kids, but we grow out of them.

Secondly, as I stated before, Gary let his rivalry with Ash go and became better for it. When he did, he realized, his calling wasn’t to be a trainer, but a researcher and he was actually really good at it. Honestly, it was this turning point that made me realize that Gary’s story was more interesting than Ash’s and I really wanted to see more of his story. In fact, I also found myself wishing we saw more of his story before that turning point kind of like Ashoka Tano’s from Star Wars, but unlike her, we were deprived of that. I would even argue that this was a reoccurring flaw in the Pokemon anime series: they never answered the questions everyone kept asking and never let us get to know the true MCs. The point is, I don’t know of any other tournament anime where the rival decided to graciously step down and turn their attention towards their true passion. Now... imagine if the MC did this. I know Pokemon is a tournament anime, but it is also an anime about Pokemon first. Gary should have gotten his own spin-off anime simply because he is the most unique rival there is in this kind of setting: he quit and was better for it.

Thirdly, having the show concentrate on him would have given us a chance to get to know the other MCs more and FINALLY answer a lot of the questions that to this day are still left unanswered. It’s very clear that the Oaks and Ketchums are very close the way the Burns and Greene family are close on Rescue Bots. I really enjoyed seeing how close the two families were and how Prof. Oak was like a father figure to Ash and a sweet grandpa to Gary. Also, Prof. Oak himself is an interesting and entertaining character. To this day, we still don’t know who Mrs. Oak was or who Gary’s parents are. Or who Mr. Ketchum was. It is a shame to me that these blanks were never filled because it is implied that they were great people and these missing pieces would explain why these characters are the way they are.

Anyway, this all just my opinion and as a rare treat, here is my fan theory about Prof. Oak’s wife, Mr. Ketchum and Gary’s missing parents... And I really want to say this first because this fan theory always made me mad, but I will try to say it nicely, but firmly.

Prof. Oak is NOT Ash’s father nor is it possible for him to be because Nintendo would never allow such a disturbing thing. And because of the Professor and Mrs. Ketchum’s age difference, it would imply that Gary is Ash’s uncle while being the same age as him. That is sick and wrong on so many levels and not something they would ever want on Pokemon and we already SHOULD know from the start that Prof. Oak can’t be Ash’s dad because has black hair.

Professor Oak is a redhead and so is his mom. And their relationship is not romantic now either. It is that between two good friends. If it is anything beyond that, I think Prof. Oak may see Delia as the daughter he never had. Same goes with Giovanni. He cannot be Ash’s dad because he looks nothing like him.

Plus, Ash has two distinguishing marks on his face that his mom doesn’t have which means he got that, his hair and olive skin tone from his dad who had all of these features. My fan theory is that Mrs. Delia Ketchum is a widow and her husband is no longer with us. Plain and simple. He was obviously a good man and a good husband who left a good impression on Ash, but I think he died most likely of disease while he was very young.

As for Mrs. Oak... Agatha is NOT Prof. Oak’s ex-wife because if she was, we would have always known it and be treated like a relative. Once a family member is revealed, there’s no point in hiding it so the anime always came clean when it came to that at least, but the most we got out of Agatha is that she was an old rival of Prof Oak which means that is all she is. Period.

I think the good Professor is divorced on bad terms considering he never speaks of his wife and has no ring which from experience, I can tell you is often a tell tale sign that you were once married, but it ended badly. As for Gary’s parents, I think that knowing Nintendo, their state is simple: they’re alive, but career driven people where they aren’t home very often so they left caring for the kids to Prof. Oak and Mrs. Oak (if she was alive then). Nothing dramatic or over the top. Just simple and short like that. Also, I think it is safe to say that the Oak family is well off (including the ex-Mrs. Oak) considering they all live so well.

Finally, how does Giovanni have ties to the Ketchum and Oak family? Well, Giovanni is in fact old and close to Prof. Oak’s age. His mom had him young, and while he is rich enough to afford facials that make him appear young, if you take a really good look at his face, he has wrinkles, a receding hairline and his face has lost some of its fullness which implies some sagging. My fan theory is that he was once rivals with Prof. Oak in their youth and Mr. Ketchum is one of the few people who managed to beat Giovanni in a Pokemon Battle.

Like I said, this series is made for kids. It wouldn’t include adult theme dramatic elements like that. I admit some of the characters have exaggerated and weird backstories with some drama, but it never becomes dirty, adult or something you would find in a trashy soap opera.

[twilightmalachite]

Raison d’être - A Premature Burial 7

Author: Akira

Characters: Shu, Mika

Translator: Mika Enstars

"No, if anything, I, Itsuki Shu, am the most suitable successor to Grandfather."

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Season: Winter

Location: Itsuki Family Mansion Guest Room

Mika: Even if yer told to give it everything you’ve got… What’s there t’do? Do we give him an extravagant funeral?

Shu: Grandfather’s request is clear and simple.

First, every member of the family will submit a “Supreme Funeral Plan”.

Grandfather will then choose the best funeral among them at his own discretion and prejudice. Then, we will carry out the living funeral of his choice.

That’s all that was said, so to speak.

Although very unscrupulous, it is similar to the work we often do, where we design outfits suitable for a project and have them selected.

Mika: Uh-huh, hence the Funeral Contest…?

Shu: Mhm. It’s a tournament to figure out a funeral about Grandfather, by Grandfather, for Grandfather.

It is very much like him to make everything into a festivity…

But I never thought he would turn his own funeral, meant to be carried out solemnly, into a fun event.

By the way, the one who proposes the funeral chosen by Grandfather, that is, the contest winner, will be handsomely rewarded.

According to him, it will be the largest sum yet.

I suppose since it will be his last bout of fun, he’s putting up a lavish feast for the remaining fortune.

Mika: Is it really alright t’be deciding who gets an inheritance through somethin’ so playful?

Shu: That’s exactly what exhibits Grandfather’s keen insight. Most of the inheritance has already been properly distributed among family members through the games in the past.

It’s hard to complain about it when it’s the result of a game.

Under the guise of foolery, Grandfather has distributed his vast fortune during the time he was still alive.

Fairly, evenly, and adequately.

Mika: Uh-huh… I can’t find the right expression to describe it, but what a great man.

Shu: He is a great man that even I respect, tentatively.

Anyways, I say that it’s a lavish feast this time around, but it is only a small amount when compared to the entire picture—It’s like a bonus.

Besides, it’s not like I’ll be bothered if I don’t get it, but… I’d like to get my hands on it for the sake of it.

I would be proud to say that I, considered to be the odd one out of my family, was the one who best understood Grandfather, who was also a non-conformist.

No, if anything, I, Itsuki Shu, am the most suitable successor to Grandfather.

I absolutely would love to receive Grandfather’s final gift.

Mika: I see. In that case, we’ll have to go all out. ‘Course, I’ll be doin’ the best I can do help. That bein’ said, it goes without sayin’, but I’ve never planned a funeral by myself before…

What should I be doin’? This isn’t the same as when we usually plan a performance, right?

Shu: No, I think it’ll be about the same way of thinking. Think of it this way; we are designing a performance for Grandfather’s funeral.

The performance’s leading role would be the deceased—Our Grandfather. The audience will be made up of those involved who wish to have a final moment with the leading role, in other words, the mourners.

The circumstances are quite very private, but… It resembles the composition of idols and the fans who flock to them, doesn’t it?

Mika: I see… ‘Course, since it’s a funeral, ya probably don’t wanna put off flashy smoke and bright spotlights, though.

Shu: I wonder. Grandfather does like to be flashy… The choice is ultimately his, so we must analyze his preferences.

Mika: I don’t know much ‘bout your Grandfather, though…

Shu: You’re right. We must begin by researching the organizer’s preferences.

I am not so used to doing this. I’ve always imposed my own tastes and world onto anyone else.

But you’ve done quite a lot of superficial work, so I assume you’re well-accustomed to this sort of thing.

At best, if you may, you can teach me what is the “typical way” of doing things.

Mika: Ah, okay, gotcha! So that’s why ya asked me fer my help, Oshi-san.

Shu: Of course, it’s also because I trust your technique and perception. Do not misunderstand, you are no longer a marionette—You are an artist, equal to me.

And as always we always do, the two of us will collaborate together to create the most supreme funeral.

Mika: Right. A funeral really does feel like an impossible task of sorts—There’s a limit to an art’s innovation, right?

Shu: That’s true. And there is a troubling circumstance involved this time as well.

Our family discussion turned into a dispute. That’s why it took so long for me to return back to you.

Mika: A troublin’ circumstance?

???: —Allow me to explain from here.

Mika: Nnaaah!? Huh, wha? Mado-nee—I mean, no, the Made-nee look-alike spoke!?

Shu: Allow me to introduce them. Although I myself still have yet to comprehend this.

The one speaking through this adorable doll here is—Some mysterious person who claims to be an illegitimate son of Grandfather.

Mika: Illegitimate son!?

Shu: I suppose from my viewpoint, that would make him my uncle… I do not know if it is his real name or not, but he calls himself “Raffaello”.

Raffaello: “Fufu. Nice to meet you, I’m Shu-kun’s uncle, Raffaello.”

Mika: Whaaaa…!?

[ ☆ ]

← prev | story directory | next →

[chaserainbows]

Week 7

(you won't believe who gets to come back)

there's always a returning challenge and NOW IS THE TIME

it's a stand up challenge in duos where the eliminated contestant on the winning team gets to return to the competition but the 3 worst teams will all be up for elimination and 2 contestants will be eliminated at the end of the episode

which basically means that this challenge is CHAOTIC AS HELL

since fearghas was disqualified due to an injury he doesn't get to come back in this challenge FEARGHAS WAS ROBBED so let's go over the duos

akari l chooses to team up with akari y for the akari solidarity and because the smartest choice here would be to team up with the bitch that hasn't missed once

lynn teams up with agni as fellow lipsync tournament winners legends respect legends

saundra teams up with may because they're choreo challenge sisters that alliance is being respected

iris teams up with diantha because she has to

and because fearghas isn't here and there's not enough eliminated contestants anabel and grusha will have to team up together which is a FUN pair isn't it

actually that makes me wonder what happens if they win does no one get to come back

SAUNDRA CRUSHES THIS CHALLENGE

make no mistake she may have been eliminated in a stand up challenge but she's a comedy legend when she doesn't have to do a goofy ass politician character

akari y agni and diantha are all making good cases for being very funny here while may and lynn continue to be not very good at thinking quickly in this type of challenge

anabel and grusha may seem like an absolutely cursed duo but they actually do a pretty good job together

the winners of this challenge are IRIS AND DIANTHA

IRIS IS BACK IN THE COMPETITION AND DIANTHA HAS 3 WINS

may scores high in this challenge because she may not be very funny on her own but her chemistry with saundra is really strong the choreo alliance is out of this world

the worst performers of this challenge are akari y and agni (which is insane because they actually did great) + grusha and anabel (who didn't bomb by any means but were at a natural disadvantage)

agni's considered the best of the 4 which means we have a bottom 3 of akari y grusha and anabel and it's the first time they actually have to worry about elimination

OKAY BUDGET

i have a feeling that grusha would crush this performance and anabel would definitely vibe to abba but don't count akari y out just yet because she's GOOD AT EVERYTHING

TEAM GRUSHABEL JOIN FORCES TO MAXIMIZE THEIR JOINT SLAY look at these icy bitches go

it's looking really bad for akari y because she got beaten not once but twice over the course of a single lipsync she does have the best track record but will it be enough to save her over 2 superior lipsyncs

YES APPARENTLY

anabel almost eliminated her but her performance throughout the season is just too good to ignore

and with that we say goodbye to the duo of haters but they will continue to spread hate across the world

meanwhile in untucked villaintha is ready to let akari y know that her domination era is OVER (but is it really)

and now that iris is back she's catching up on all the drama that she missed out on this season she saw diantha leading that villain poll and she will make sure her voice is heard

may's just chilling

with the grusha/anabel double elimination and iris' return we are now at top 5

akari y is STILL the leader of the pack despite her bottom placement with may and diantha close behind but may doesn't actually have any wins so it's a little complicated for her

iris' overall score is technically better than agni's but she only competed in 3 episodes while agni was around for 7 so it's not exactly a very balanced comparison

the fact that iris the first out got a win before may is so camp

[winvyre]

[Valerie's Story] Chapter 1: Omie (4/6)

Alrighty, lads, come the end of this portion we're going to enter the horror territory. Personally, I don't think it's too bad but if you're sensitive to that kind of thing, especially body horror, consider yourself warned.

------------

“Did you get it?” I ask.

“Yep! One of this year’s Omie’s Festival exclusive spinning top right here!” Kell opens his palm to show me. It’s got layers of different wood types all stained red so the color shows up in several different shades. It’s shaped like an acorn without a cupule. “Another one for Maurin’s collection!”

“How many does he have?”

“Like fifty or something.”

“Don’t lose it. You know how much he hates it when we play with them.”

We browse some of the other stalls. Fun shaped and scented candles and soaps, quilted blankets and aprons, flower arrangements, knitted winter accessories, toys, and all manner of other locally crafted goods line the road. It’s beautiful. But what we’re really looking for is Marlowe’s Marvels.

Every year Marlowe hides their cart somewhere new. It’s become a game to find it first. Marlowe brings items from all over the world. The type of stuff an isolated village in the Forest Region would never see. Clay wares from the Desert Region, special rocks from Mountain Region mines, a clock from a skilled smith in the Snow Region. And the most important thing: foreign candy. Spicy and fruity and so many other flavors that we can't get here. Like chocolate! I didn’t know you could make chocolate so many different ways!

I wince at a glint that hits me directly in the eye. Upon further inspection, I can see the bars of a bird cage in the alleyway between the flower shop and the tavern. It’s them! It’s Marlowe! I nudge Kell, tipping my head to indicate the direction of the cart. We have to be secretive or the other kids will get to it first. Then we wouldn’t get the prize.

We beeline for the alleyway being careful not to walk too fast and arouse suspicion. It’s so close! Just a few more steps and… we made it! But we’re not the first ones. Giles is accepting the reward chocolate from Marlowe, his father standing beside him. “No fair! He had an adult’s help!”

“Giles is four, Valerie.”

“I don’t care.” I grumble. The dragon in the birdcage squawks. “Hello, Trochilus.” Trochilus is what Marlowe calls a feathered drake. Its wings are like a sparrow's and too big for its body. Instead of spines down its back it has large feathers and other than its claws, forearm, and beak it's fluffy instead of scaly. They say it comes from the Mountain Region. A lot of dragons come from the Mountain Region. I want to visit it someday so I can see dragons bigger than the loftus lander we found in our attic last year.

“Good today and tomorrow, children.” Marlowe bows with a flourish. “Have you come to enjoy this year’s exotic selection?”

“What kind of chocolate do you have?” I ask at the same time that Kell says “Give me the spiciest thing you have.” which is funny because Kell has absolutely no spice tolerance.

“The Desert Region boasts its new spiciest creation: the Sandworm.” Marlowe reaches into a basket and pulls out a fat, gummy, worm-shaped candy. You can see the specks of spice through the translucent body. Kell trades it for a coin. “And for the chocolate-lover, a bitter brick from the Swamp Region? Or a creamy, melty ball from the Plains Region?”

“Both.” And they're wrapped and in my pocket.

We say goodbye to Marlowe and hurry over to where the gameball tournament will be held. There's a kid division and an adult division. Kell and I wait with the other kids. Our games will be first. We'll be randomly sorted into four teams. Two teams will face each other and then the other two will. The winners will play each other then the adult teams do the same. The only prize is bragging rights but it’s still fun!

We enter our names into the box. There are thirty six kids so we'll be in teams of nine. More wanted to play but the organizers had to cut it off lest there be too many players on the field to keep track of. It must be the warm weather. Years past struggle to get even six kids per team. The adults usually cap out.

I find Fran and Mom on the edge of the field with the rest of the spectators and hand Mom my vest and candy. Fran still won't look at me. Kell gives his Sandworm and spinning top, too. Mom sets them on the blanket and rises to her feet. “Teams will be announced soon. Let's go.” she smiles.

“You’re playing too?”

“Why not? It’ll be fun.”

First, names are pulled for team Acorn. Then Bark, Sap, which is mine, and last is Samara, which is Kell’s. The adults are teams Oak (Mom’s), Birch, Maple, and Elm.

By some other draw it’s decided that Bark and Samara will play first. Kell's team makes him play defense because apparently all teenagers are out for blood. It's almost sad watching him watch the ball, get excited that it's coming toward him, then a teammate swooping in to kick it away as he stands there with an incredibly betrayed look on his face. The one time he goes after the ball, an opposing player trips him and he nearly face plants in the grass; his hands stop his fall just in time. I want to kick them in the shins.

Graciela's on team Bark and she's dominating everyone else. I always knew she was freakishly strong but this is a whole other level of athletics. Naturally, she wins the match up. And no, I don't mean her team. I mean her. It's not even close. Really makes me question why she doesn’t participate in sports more often.

“I just prefer to do other things in my free time.” Graciela answers. She's not even sweating. What kind of magic is this? “Knitting is fun.”

Kell comes over to me, pouting with his hands tucked under his arms. Next it's Acorn versus Sap. My game. Based on what I saw from Kell's experience, I don't have high hopes. “Good luck.” he says in a jaded tone. I take pity on him and grab his scraped up hands, pouring my energy into him like an almost empty pitcher into a cup. Every time I perform this action, the next one is stronger. One day I'll be a waterfall but for now giving even this much of my pond to someone else makes me noticeably tired.

“You're gonna regret that on the field.” Kell warns.

“After watching you? I don’t think it matters.”

It doesn't. Not a lot, anyway. The Sap teenagers argue about who has to play goalie before assigning it to me. I only stop the ball twice (Mom's cheers are the loudest out of everyone's when that happens), the rest of the game it's on the far side of the field. Guess we're finalists now. They won't make it past Graciela and I think they know it. Someone even whispers “Why do they allow her to play in the kid's division? She should be with the adults.” To which someone else responds “Are you saying you can't handle it?” and the conversation ends.

In the finals, the other Sap team kid who was able to get to the team lots box before it was overrun gives up and picks at the dandelions by our goal, causing them to grow to the size of her shoe. We chat about her Scape magic for approximately thirty seconds (she just manifested and her parents’ panic takes the form of way too much reading material from the temple. Her family isn't very magically inclined.) before we're scored on. My team chides me initially but quickly realize there's not much I can do unless I don't mind taking a leather ball to the face. Is Graciela aiming for my head on purpose?

Bark wins. Obviously.

“Good effort!” Mom pats my head.

“Not really.”

“I'm sure you'll improve by next year.” She hands me my vest. I don't mention that Kell is eleven and he did even less than me.

While I'd love to be a good daughter and pay attention to Mom's game against team Elm, I find myself gravitating towards the village elders playing Nine Men's Morris, Chess, and Fox & Geese at the tables set up on the street near the field. It's hard to wrap my head around. Especially at the speed some of them are going. They make commentary on the game as they play. Old people have some kind of magic on their own.

“What do you reckon I should do? An old man asks me, referring to his Nine Men's Morris board. “Better be good, I'm betting money on this.”

My family plays this game all the time. Bernadette's undefeated. I study the board. “Move the marker on the far right to the top right corner and take his at… there.”

The man does so. “Good eye, lass.”

Mom taps me on the shoulder. “Go with Fran and Kell to get some lunch. I have to heal a broken leg.”

Francesca keeps her eyes on the ground as she asks “What do you want to eat?”

Kell has a few ideas. “Sea skewers! Roast corn on the cob! Beef gyros! Cheese curds! Poffertjes!”

“Custard tarts! Potato pie! Lokum!” I join in.

“You can't eat all of that at once!” Fran holds the coin pouch out of Kell's reach. “Pick one. You can choose something else for dinner.”

I settle on sea skewers and Kell chooses a beef gyro with every sauce. Sea skewers come in threes with fish cubes, shrimp, and crab meat. It’s so good! This is the only time of year we can get shellfish.  Fran doesn't have anything. “Are you gonna eat?”

“I'm not hungry.”

“Mom says-”

“Oh, piss off! You don't know anything!” She storms off.

“Should we go after her?” Kell licks his fingers.

“Probably not.” We find a place near the square to finish eating while we wait for the dances to start. People will assemble after the gameball tournament ends. The live band is already setting up. It’d be cool to learn how to play the flute.

Kell leaves to discard his trash and Mom comes back with Francesca and a glass of rosé, shooting me a look that says “leave her be.”

A voice hisses on the back of my neck, “The hoary will get you and rip off your ears,”

I yelp in surprise. “Kell, stop!”

“Bellona will surface to swallow your tears,”

“Kell, that’s scary!”

“Nobody’s seen her for one thousand years,

“But she lives in the veil and feasts on your fears!”

I hate that song. “Mo~m! Kell’s acting creepy!”

“Kell, stop antagonizing your sister.” she scolds, wiping my face with her thumb.

People gather at the edges of the square slowly. Music sounds out. Quietly at first, rising more as the crowd grows. Everyone's waiting for the song to hit its peak. When it does, people burst into the empty space, forming three distinct circles. We start by skipping, the outer and innermost circles rotating clockwise and the middle going counter. As the melody arrives at its chorus we join hands, bouncing inwards until the people in the center can't move then spreading out until we lose our grips. From there, everyone dances however they'd like until the bridge repeats at which point we do the circle thing again.

Sometimes people switch which circle they're in because the individual dance section migrated them. I go from the inner circle with Kell to the middle without him then back to the inner and finally find him again on the outside.

A figure scurrying through the trees catches my eye. It’s short and emits a dull white glow from a strange growth covering it. It disappears before I can focus on it. “Psst, Kell!”

“What?”

“I saw something weird behind the bakery. I think it went to the river.” We duck out of the circle and race to the woods. The figure stands in front of the water like a marionette without any strings. It's smaller than I thought, humanoid, and a white fungus of some kind seems to be taking over its body in real time, weighing the right side of its head down. Its skin is more grey than tan which reminds me of when the miller's youngest daughter drowned and her body was swept away by the current so when they recovered her she'd been dead for several days.

“Uh, Valerie, that's Giles.”

-----

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

[blockgamepirate]

The Purgatory event and the new Traffic/Life series happening at the same time is really making me think about my personal frustrations with mixing storytelling oriented roleplay and structured or rules oriented gameplay

I'm obviously not saying you can't mix those successfully, but for me at least there are some grey areas between the two where it just becomes extremely frustrating to me, to the point that I can't enjoy it and often get actually mad about it

(I know, I know, I should be more mature about it, whatever, I'm being mature by trying my best to shut up, at least in public)

Basically my problem is that if you're gonna mix these two types of playing, there's basically only two options I find satisfying:

1. keep the roleplay very light and non-serious while focusing on the structured gameplay (some fudging of the rules for the sake of roleplay is fine if it makes things more fun)

2. make the gameplay and the rules just the setting/starting off point and from there the roleplay and storytelling should always be the priority (obviously some occasional handwaving is fine but it should never be anything that seriously breaks character or gets in the way of what would be the most interesting direction for the story)

The problem is that between these two there's option 1.5, which is where both styles of play are equally mixed, and that's where the danger zone lies for me.

I think the best case scenario for me is when it's option 1 turning gradually into option 2. I'm sort of fine with that direction, because I just love roleplay and storytelling. What REALLY gets to me though, is when option 2 suddenly starts moving towards option 1.

The best example of this for me is the Last Life SMP finale, which I'm just still so mad about and no I have no chill, if I seem chill about it, it's because I'm censoring myself to be polite. They had the perfect set up for Scott and Pearl, the two survivers of the GGG, and Rendog and Martyn, the two survivers of the Shadows and also characters connected through a bond that crossed over from Third Life, to go head to head in a final battle, but crucially staying loyal to their teammates to the end. But nahhhhh clearly what we should do instead is just ignore all preceding character arcs and just do a basic ass four person battle royale round. And then unceremoniously kill the winner immediately after so they can't even do one last thing before they go.

(Sorry Last Life fans, I think that's like most people's favourite season, or that's the impression I have. I did say that I was holding back purely out of politeness. I actually have zero chill about this. I even had to delete some lines that were getting a bit too salty just now.)

But yeah, the reason why I had to stop watching Purgatory on day one was because I was getting that same feeling of frustration because it felt like they were going from peak dramatic roleplay to suddenly doing a random ass PVP tournament with random ass teams. I mean to be fair there is a story excuse for it because there's that eye entity or whatever that's making the players do this in-universe, but still, it was getting to me. I wasn't having a good time and I was getting mad so I decided I needed to quit and hear from others later whether it would even be worth watching for me.

Still not entirely sure if I like this arc, but I've calmed down enough to give it a shot

Just trying to analyse why I have these reservations. And yes I know it's personal preference and most people probably don't feel this way or at least not as intensely about it. I know a lot of people understandably enjoy the variety and that's fine. I'm just explaining my perspective.

I guess it really is mostly just about feeling jebaited as a fan of roleplay and storytelling.

[kacp6652]

Learning to play Poker

During November and December, I participated in tournament-style Poker games against peers from my school. The games were overseen by a teacher with a lot of experience playing poker. We met once every week and played for around 1-2 hours each time, depending on the amount of players. Everyone started with an equal amount of chips and the game ended when one player had all of the chips. A formula was then used to calculate points earned by each player, which were recorded in a spreadsheet to track the best-performing players across different games. No real money was involved.

The type of Poker we played was Texas Hold-em in which each player receives two cards that are a secret to every other player (this stage is the preflop). Later 3 community cards are revealed (the flop), followed by 2 more revealed individually at different points (the turn and the river). This creates 4 separate stages during which players can perform the action of their choice. A player can check (pass the action to the next player), place a bet, call someone's bet, raise someone's bet or fold their cards. The goal is to construct the best possible 5-card hand out of the 7 cards available to each player (2 individual and 5 community cards). However, if all players but one fold, the remaining player wins the pot without showing their cards, meaning that you do not always need the best hand to win.

In my opinion, Poker can teach a lot about statistics and random events. At first, it may seem like a game where the winner is decided completely by luck. Since every card that is dealt is completely random, the worst 2-card combination can sometimes win against the best simply by getting lucky. However, the key to playing Poker well is using all the information that is given to you throughout a game to figure out the best decision at every moment. You can roughly calculate your odds of winning and then decide how much money is worth risking, you can read your opponents' actions and behaviour to predict what cards they have or you can bluff and make them think you have something strong to make them fold. No matter how good you are you will sometimes lose because of bad luck, but if you're making better decisions than your opponents you will simply win more often than them.

In conclusion, playing Poker was an extremely fun and educational experience. Before starting I didn't know anything apart from the basic rules, so learning a bit about the fundamental concepts of Poker was really interesting. I will definitely continue playing and learning and I'd recommend it to anyone.

[bullfrogjoy]

Bullfrog Joy

March 22, 2023

Good Morning! It’s really spring now, but I’m not sure it feels like it. For some reason I am just cold. I do like the sunshine later in the day, and I know it will warm up. On my walk today I saw bluebells and mini daffodils. So cute! My regular daffodils are just about bloomed out. They’ll last a little longer for just a bit more early spring joy.

March Madness…it’s another sign of spring. Are you in? How do you choose your winners? I’m looking for a Cinderella team, but the one I picked got beat. Long Beach State. Their coach got fired and then they won their tournament. I’ll look for another one. Maybe Oakland?

I guess you could say my family is a little basketball crazy. We had two TV’s going last night, flipping between games. Our daughter took two days off work to watch games this week. We did not teach her to be a North Carolina fan, but somehow that has become her team. They won so her bracket is good so far.

Facebook told me that our son got tickets to see Illinois play yesterday afternoon. I didn’t even know he was a fan, but there was his picture at the game. He and his friend drove six hours to watch the game. Guess they were feeling the joy because Illinois won. I did notice he had on his White Sox shirt so he does still know which sport is the best!

Here’s my non-basketball joy story for the week, my friends. My brother left town for the winter, but before he left he made plans for some remodeling of his house here in Illinois. He asked if I would supervise and make some decisions if necessary. It really is a bit bigger job than I expected, but it is sort of fun to be in charge of spending someone else’s money! Someone had to choose what kind of flooring to put in his new bathroom and hallway. The carpenters suggested we go to the Warehouse Bargain store at the mall. WOW! Have you been there? So much stuff! And so many deals.

However, the real joy was when we discovered we had not bought enough flooring. Doesn’t sound like joy, does it? We had to go back to buy an entire box to get the three pieces we needed for the doorway we hadn’t measured. We walked in, told the guy what we wanted, and he said he thought he could hook us up. He pulled three pieces out of an open box and handed them to us, saying, “Have a nice day. It’s on us!” What a deal! And yes, my friends, that was JOY! We will go back to that store.

I do like basketball as much as the rest of the family, but I also found a really good book. It may be a tough choice this weekend. Basketball or The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese? The characters are amazing. The setting is 1900’s in India. An interesting tidbit, not particularly important to the plot is that the main character attends a church established by the apostle Thomas, after Jesus sent him to go to all nations, preach the gospel and baptize believers. I had to check on this. I don’t know that it is proven fact, but it is tradition that Thomas did go to India to preach the Word, and there are churches that claim to be founded by Thomas. There are three different story lines. At page 250 (there are 700) I am beginning to see how they might intertwine. So much to find out, so much to read, how can I watch basketball?

Life is good. Joy is out there my friends. Macomb outdoor Dairy Queen is open! It may be cold, but ice cream brings me joy! And….even better….It’s almost Easter when we celebrate the greatest joy of all. Find a church and celebrate Palm Sunday! Jesus is alive. Joy to you my friends. Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea. Joy to you and me.

[thetoxicgamer]

‘It must suck to hate me’: Leffen cements FGC legacy with second Evo title in as many games

Multi-time Evo champions are difficult to discover, but the number drops even more when looking for players who have won titles in many games. Leffen is the newest member of this select club, having won Guilty Gear Strive at Evo 2023 on August 6 with a crushing 3-0 win over NBNHMR. After over a decade of playing Super Smash Bros. Melee at the highest level, and winning Evo 2018 in what is currently the game’s final appearance at the event, Leffen has continued to branch out into different fighting games. https://twitter.com/EVO/status/1688361520676364288 Since picking up Strive at launch in 2021, he quickly rose to prominence as a top player—even managing to win Evo 2021 Online for Europe, though that isn’t counted as a direct Evo title. Winning Evo 2023 in Strive makes him a two-time Evo winner like Mang0 and Armada before him, but he was able to do it in a second game outside of Smash, something that no other Smash player has managed to do before—which also allowed for him to shut the haters, and Mang0, up. https://twitter.com/Light_S21/status/1688383194096177152 “It must really suck to hate me, it must be a really tough job,” Leffen said to Dot Esports. “I mean, with Mang0, it’s all fun and games because we’re good friends. I think he knows deep inside that him saying that kicked my motivation into an extra gear because I had already done so well.” After winning the Ludwig Ahgren Championship Series 5, Leffen noted that he didn’t have “a chip on my shoulder” like he would have had he not won a big event recently. So his mindset heading into the top six at Evo was a bit more relaxed until he woke up and saw all of the hate and doubt on social media. Because of his outspoken and occasionally aggressive nature, the Smash community has a very love-hate relationship with Leffen. That somewhat carried over to Strive, especially when he picked up a divisive character like Happy Chaos. But even though hundreds of people were calling for his defeat, he didn’t let it phase him and instead made him think “You know what? I think I really want to win this one too.” https://twitter.com/Light_S21/status/1688383194096177152 “Lud’s event was one of those tournaments where I came in as an underdog and every set was scrappy, like I had to clutch out almost all of those sets and lost a bunch in the beginning,” Leffen said. “After that, I thought “It is fine to win like that, it’s impressive” but in my mind, it’s way cooler to win as a favorite and a top seed. I want to win right through practice and knowing all of my matchups, not relying on playing good that specific day. I think the coolest win is when you win and it’s like, oh, of course, he won.” With that mentality shaping his perspective from early July, Leffen dedicated himself to focusing on Strive so he could give that tournament his best shot. Because, win or lose, approaching it like that meant he can “push himself the furthest” toward his goal of winning Evo in that way. https://twitter.com/edwin_budding/status/1688360125789081600 And win he did, dominating the top six through winner’s side and dropping just a single round along the way. It was a crushing performance from someone who knew they were favored and wanted to definitely show he is the best in the world. “When I got into grand finals and did that announcement and asked who was rooting for me or NBNHMR, everyone was rooting for him because he plays Nagoriyuki and is from America,” Leffen said. “I just thought to myself that I am going to make this such a boring set. I want to make them shut up. Like, this is America and I’m Swedish. I get it. I accept my role. But I wanted to make it clear. I didn’t want a scrappy set where I won because I had a set advantage. I wanted to make a statement.” https://twitter.com/TSM_Leffen/status/1688644695491227650 For anyone trying to belittle the win as “easy,” NBNHMR is a known decimator of Happy Chaos players and a top Strive competitor in his own right, which makes a win that dominant even more impressive. https://twitter.com/tradewarhj/status/1688360900363763712 So after winning a tournament with 2,474 entrants, a new record for Guilty Gear and topping Evo 2022’s biggest output despite being dwarfed by Street Fighter 6, Leffen is going to take a week off before deciding on his fighting game future. https://twitter.com/TSM_Leffen/status/1688360441784025088 Leffen has said on several occasions that he wasn’t going to be able to split his focus across Strive, Melee, and other games like SF6 so cutting at least one was an inevitability—and something that Tekken 7 Evo champ Arslan Ash also struggled with. He said he wants to continue competing in Melee and Strive, along with trying SF6 but is looking at it realistically. For now, he plans to continue playing SF6 to see if he can qualify for Capcom Cup, especially since he can compete online and not have to travel for it thanks to how the Capcom Pro Tour format, while “trying to find the best solution” for his competitive future. Read the full article

[spaceageloveblog]

Phone in my hand Still checking if you called I'm double-texting No, I've never been cool

Sit down to watch the Champions League final. Twitter open on my phone. All sorts of seemingly normal people I follow that are Man City fans posting about the game. All sorts of engagement. Would be fun to post online about sports and have people respond and start discussions. I post all sorts of what I think are interesting takes and get nothing. I only have 21 Twitter followers so that's probably part of the problem. I post what I think are interesting takes via comments under other people's soccer Tweets and get the occasional like. Except that one time I posted a banal comment about not liking the ruling that Rashford wasn't offside in the Manchester derby and got like 1000 likes.

And I'll burn that bridge when I get to it Yeah, I'm on fire

She asked me why I was a Manchester City fan once and I had to think about it. My reasons aren't great. I little over a decade ago when NBC Sports started showing the Premier League in the US, I wanted to pick a team. I was already a fan of the international tournaments every 2 years, i.e. the World Cup and the Euros. I was off and on interested in the Champions League. But the EPL on NBC looked so good on TV, I wanted to follow a team. I didn't want to pick the English version of the Yankees or Cowboys, so the big teams were off the list. Going too small would be stupid. So maybe just outside the big teams, but nothing captured my interest.

I felt pulled to Manchester because that felt comparable to where I grew up in Western PA/Northeast OH, but United was out due to the big club rule. Then I saw City competing for the title with them in the spring of 2012. Then I watched the final matchday of the season, saw Aguero score the winner in stoppage time and was hooked. Then I saw Noel Gallagher was a fan and I was more hooked. But I only watched them off and on for the next few years, going in and out of cord cutting. Then Pep came and we had cable, didn't follow the Centurion season that closely, but fell in love with the 2018-19 domestic treble team and was hooked even further. I'd say I've watched >90% of their games from the 2018/19 season onward.

It's all blue You know I feel it and I bet you do (And I bet you do) And that's on you If you wanna take off, baby, you do you

So Man City won the treble. They were amazing this year. Especially Mar/Apr/May when they were relentless in the league, forcing Arsenal to buckle under the pressure, and steamrolling everyone in the knockout stages of the Champions League, culminating in a dismantling of Real Madrid in the semis. They sort of muddled their way through the final few weeks, but that happens sometimes. They got the job done.

Overthinking (Overthinking) You know I'm really good and you're a miracle You're so misunderstood I get so lost in your mind (I'm so lost) Daddy, teach me this lesson a thousand times

Being an American fan of European sports is funny sometimes. On an object level I literally can't quite understand the critique of the fans of other clubs complaining about how this feels. I'm like, if you are a Man United fan or Liverpool fan this isn't supposed to feel good. Then I realize on a meta level it all makes sense. They are doing whatever they can to diminish what their rivals accomplish, perfectly normal.

It's also weird sometimes being a non-expert at the sport but following along the team for the entire season and watching entire games, seeing experts on TV and hearing experts on podcasts say things that are wrong and your realize everyone is full of it. Like the complaints about Pep overthinking it by starting Ake over Walker, when it was obvious for City fans who have been paying attention. And the takes that Lautora Martinez obviously messed up by going for goal rather than squaring it for Lukaku, when it wasn't that obvious.

It's all blue You know I feel it and I bet you do (And I bet you do) And that's on you If you wanna take off, baby, you do you

The celebrations have been great. The joy from Pep, the players, the fans...it's been fun to watch. Feels like it's been building for a few years, as City has been the best team in Europe for a while now, just couldn't get over this last hurdle. And for the fans, there's one less thing the red side of Manchester has over them. Pep looks different than he did 12 years ago in Barcelona, like he understands the magnitude of this accomplishment a little more now. And I hope Jack Grealish has gotten some sleep.

I put down your pain, but I'll pick it up again It's all blue That's why I fit in with you You know I feel it and I bet you do (And I bet you do) And it's all blue You know I feel it and I bet you do (And I bet you do)

I remember when the Steelers won their first Super Bowl of my lucid lifetime. I was first happy for Bettis, as it was a long time coming from him. Then I thought of Cowher, as it was a longer time coming for him. But ultimately it was more about me, I waited my whole life. That's who I was happiest for, myself.

Sat in my car 'til the song stopped playing See, I'm blue with or without you, baby Sat in my car 'til the song stopped playing See, I'm blue with or without you, baby

I keep scrolling Twitter and Reddit for more fan reactions, more expert reactions. I keep watching ESPN FC and keep listening to them say the same thing over and over about this team. At some point this will get old, but I feel compelled to keep soaking it in for now.

It's all blue You know I feel it and I bet you do And that's on you If you wanna take off, baby, you do you

Pep's contract is for 2 more seasons, so hopefully he stays for those at least. One more would make 10, so I'd love an additional year to make a full decade, but that's probably too optimistic. So another league title, another Champions League title, they could both happen. And who knows what happens next. They money would still be there, but you need the coach too. I watch the revolving door of coaches at the other biggest clubs in the world and realize City has been spoiled to have Pep for 7 seasons. Would be absurdly spoiled to get him for 9 or 10.

I put down your pain, but I'll pick it up again It's all blue That's why I fit in with you You know I feel it and I bet you do (And I bet you do) And it's all blue You know I feel it and I bet you do

We cut off cable again so unless I do something about that, we'll miss half (or more) of their league games next year. With ESPN+ and Paramount+ we'll see all of their Champions League and FA Cup and League Cup game. Peacock will get us half (or less) of their league games. Is that enough? We'll see. There's only so much you can do to arrange your life around following a soccer team 4000 miles away across an ocean. But it's been really fun so far.

I bet you do too

[mcytblrsexymen]

How the Sexyman Bracket Will Work

AKA, oh god, why did you people choose a 96-man seeded single-elimination bracket and what do we do about it?

So, as you all know, originally the plan was for a simple, 64-man bracket. However, we got a wild number of nominations, and after looking at the list ourselves, we didn't want to leave it off at 64 - there were some really interesting people just below the cutoff, and also this way we didn't have to heavily tiebreak, whereas with the 64-man tournament we would have needed to tiebreak for the bottom seed.

After some discussion, we determined that the field was too wide if we went all the way out to 128, and began discussing byes. It was determined we'd go out to 96. How a 96-man bracket works as is follows: the 64 lower-seed players are paired, and will face each other. Then, after the winners of those matches are determined, the top 32 players, who each have a bye, face the winners of the first round. After that, it is structured like a normal tournament. This means there will be two rounds of 64, and that the most popular sexymen will not compete in the first round. So keep an eye out!

This introduces some new advantages to how the bracket will work, as well as lets us pull in a few more of the weird and fun guys you all rallied behind, instead of just the big names! Plus, since this is not a power of 2 and therefore gives the highest seeds a bye, it means those little guys are guaranteed a somewhat closer matchup at the beginning - you don't have to worry your small streamer had to face Scar round one. We save that for round two.

Additionally, why are we doing seeded, as opposed to randomizing the matchups or choosing bespoke matchups? For one, we had easy seeds - the nomination rankings determined where we seeded each nominee. If we already had everyone ranked, may as well use it!

Additionally, we here believe that a seeded tournament leads to the most interesting sexyman matchups, as it is designed to make sure the most exciting matches, between the most evenly-matched players, will be last, as opposed to happening early and then allowing someone to cruise to an easy victory (or be robbed of their chances). It also prevents us from being able to attempt to make our personal favorite guys have an easier time of it, makes sure each side of the bracket is approximately evenly matched, and makes the underdog stories more spectacular when they happen, as those underdogs will have had to have competed in a real battle to win!

So there you have it: the reasoning for why we're using a slightly unusual tournament structure, and what to expect tomorrow when the actual bracket is released.

the TL;DR is: expect a bracket that looks like the below, but much prettier, because we have gotten some help making a more readable version of this!

[image ID: a 96-man bracket. /end ID]

[opultea]

Timaeus Isn’t the Only One

Windbloom with Genshin men ft. Cyno, Albedo

Drabbles - GN Reader (No Pronouns) - Fluff (slightest angst in Albedo’s but ends with fluff) - Romantic - SFW

Part 2 for Cyno

It seems that Timaeus isn’t the only one who's gained a love interest this Windbloom festival…

Cyno

Cyno had several agendas for his trip to Mondstadt. Of course his principal reason was Collei’s protection and accompaniment, though another not so secret motivation added to his decision. How could this reason be anything other than Genius Invokation TCG?

Not only did he have the opportunity to commission a custom card back from the famous Calx, but Cyno would also be able to spend his precious vacation hours playing against folks in Mondstadt’s heart of TCG; the Cat’s Tail.

As soon as Collei had gone off with her local friends to catch up and see the sights, Cyno set off to the Cat’s Tail, his deck in hand, hoping to find some worthy challengers in the renowned tavern. Upon entering, Cyno took no time to tarry, immediately challenging the first person he saw with a deck to a duel. The Mondstadtian man in question was naturally a little shocked to be issued such a sudden challenge, but accepted none the less.

It took all of three minutes for Cyno to beat him. After accumulating three more consecutive wins in the next ten minutes or so, Cyno’s table had gathered quite the crowd. The tavern was ablaze with excitement, many players afraid and in awe of the evident master before them.

It was around this time that you entered the Cat’s Tail, planning to catch up with Margret and maybe stretch your card game muscles with a few rounds of Genius Invokation. What you didn’t expect was a crowd of people surrounding one table, holding their breaths and intently watching a game as if it was a chess tournament.

“Hey Prince, Shuyun, what’s going on? Was there a special event today that I wasn’t aware of?”

Prince meowed in response, Shuyun translating,

“Not exactly, but it seems we have a new house champion. And an outlander, at that.”

“A house champion? Is he really that good?”

“He’s beaten some of our best players in mere minutes. I’d say he has earned such a title.”

You’re gaze swept over the crowd again, hoping to see the illustrious card player between the audience members. The crowd cheered, jumping around and indicating that another game had been won by the champion. As the audience parted slightly for the small celebration, you caught a glimpse of the winner, a man dressed in Sumerian clothing, with a stern face that presently held a small prideful smile.

You turned back to Prince when he nudged your arm with his soft head, watching as he pointed his paw and nudged his head toward the man.

“You know what? Maybe I will Prince,” you took a moment to pat his head, being mindful not to topple his tiny hat, before making your way to the crowded table.

“Would anyone else like a game?” The champion asked the crowd, face still flat, though his eyes shone with a subtle sense of fun.

“I’d love to,” you said, sitting down opposite.

“Excellent, let’s begin.”

The game was long and gruelling, with both sides losing two characters and using almost all their cards before the final round. The audience was impatiently watching, eyeing off each player's determined expression and holding their breaths as you played a final card, allowing you to destroy your opponent's last character with your own on only two health points.

The crowd cheered loudly surprised and excited to see someone beat the incredible stranger.

"You play with great precision and thought in your actions, I willingly accept my defeat."

"Thank you, but it was super close, I think that if my deck had been shuffled a little differently I wouldn't have won,"

"Do not underestimate your own skill. But we can test your theory in another game. I am Cyno, the adventurer."

You introduce yourself accordingly and shake hands to initiate another game. The two of you go back and forth in several more rounds of TCG, each losing and winning in equal ratios. You continue on for so long that the crowd eventually dissipates, you and Cyno the only ones left in the tavern.

Cyno used a final elemental skill, destroying your last character card and ending what was likely the hundredth round. You sighed in satisfaction, it had been a long time since you'd had this much fun playing cards with anyone before. Cyno seemed to share your sentiment, sitting still at the table and not bothering to pack away his deck.

"I would suggest playing another game, but I think the staff want us to leave so they can close," You laugh, slowly packing your dice into a little bag.

"Yes, it seems we are inconveniencing the staff. Although I will be back tomorrow. I hope you will come as well,"

"For sure, I've had so much fun playing against you Cyno. You're really amazing at this game, although I think I might be able to one-up you next time," You tease.

"Well, we will T-see-G." Cyno's usual stoicism did not shift with the uttering of the pun, though it did cause your own head to jerk in a chuckle.

"Pfft. I didn't take you as the kind to make jokes Cyno, but it seems to be a CARDinal part of your personality." You laugh, holding up a random card from your deck.

Cyno felt his subtle smile widen and his heart grow in kind. You laughed at his joke. You even returned it.

"Come have dinner with me."

Your head shot up at the sudden request, mind racing and mouth agape. Did... did this guy just ask you out?! Surely he was just making a request to spend time together platonically, right? You hardly knew each other after all, even though you had great chemistry and shared a lot of interests. Not to mention he was attractive, and his hair looked so silky. Okay now you were just complimenting him.

You know what? Whether Cyno was asking you on a date or just as a friend, you wouldn't mind.

"Sure, that sounds great," You smile.

Tighnari and Collei were beyond surprised when Cyno told them he went on a date the next day.

Albedo

You walked through the main square of Mondstadt, admiring the festive decor and lively atmosphere of the Windbloom season. Strolling past the fountain, you spotted Sucrose and Albedo conversing at the alchemy station. A smile lit up across your features, it has been a while since you’d spoken to the alchemists, especially with how busy they seemed to be recently. Your hopefully secret crush on Albedo also meant that you were always looking for a chance to talk, especially during the festival of love. Deciding to take the opportunity, you walked over to say hello.

“Sucrose, Albedo!” You called, turning the two toward you. “How are you?”

“Y/n, we’ve been well. I hope you can say the same?” Albedo smiled politely.

“Yes, I’ve been well enough. I feel like I’ve barely seen you guys though, have you been busy?”

“Yes, my position as Windbloom ambassador this year has certainly kept me very busy, not to mention this strange prophecy we’ve come across.” Sucrose explained, sounding a little out of breath, but satisfied with her work. “How has your Windbloom been? Is there anything I can do to help make it better?”

“My Windbloom has been just fine, thank you Sucrose. A little too regular, if anything. I hope that with all your work you’re still finding time to enjoy yourself. I would believe that as Windbloom ambassador, it’s most important that you are enjoying the festival. Otherwise, how can you help other people to enjoy it too?”

“An excellent postulate, I too believe that Sucrose’s own happiness will affect her ability to help others with theirs. After all, a gloomy person would not do much to sooth your own worries.” Albedo reasons.

“Th-thank you, both of you,” Blushing at both of your concern, Sucrose adjusts her glasses bashfully. “When you said your Windbloom has been ‘regular’, what do you think would make it more impactful? Perhaps there is something I can help you with after all?”

“It’s nothing you’d be able to change Sucrose, but thank you,” you sigh, glancing wistfully across the square at the smiling, bustling citizens. “I suppose a festival of love and friendship just makes the lonely feel a little more alone. But it’s nothing big. I’ve got my own work and things I need to do, as I know you both have, so I’ll leave you to it. It was nice to see you both!”

“Yes, and you as well,” Albedo responded, although both he and Sucrose had a crinkle of worry in their brow.

“Um, we’ll see you later Y/n, I promise!”

You bid the duo goodbye, smiling and slightly regretting saying anything about yourself. You didn’t mean to turn the conversation so somber, hopefully Sucrose and Albedo still kept their lively attitudes despite your sudden sob story.

Although you did truely feel the effect of the events surrounding you everywhere you went. Although the festive air was fun, the novelty ran out quickly for you when you didn’t have anyone to celebrate with. Your friends were busy with their romantic pursuits, and only chatted with you shortly to update you on their success. Of course you were happy for them, but it stung a little to know you didn’t have the same.

Seeing Albedo today hadn’t helped your hurt. Despite the friendly conversation, speaking to him so casually only served as a reminder of what you knew deep down would never be. Albedo was a serious and studious, he would never have time for something so trivial as romance.

You sighed as you entered your home, deciding not to keep throwing the hapless pity party and get some work done instead. You would just have to get over it, you huffed. It’s not like anything was changing anytime soon.

You sat down across the couch, slouching after completing your work, staring into space and trying not to let the sensation of loneliness creep back now that you weren’t up and about. A knock at the door brought you from your stupor, pushing the doubting thoughts back for a moment as you curiously approached the door. You certainly weren’t expecting any guests, but what you saw when you opened to door couldn’t have been expected.

Albedo stood outside your home with a gentle smile and a full bouquet of winding, snow-white flowers the likes of which you had never seen. Your mouth gaped open as you blinked, your chest light as you tried to hold back your imagination. Surely this couldn’t be what your heart desperately hoped it would be?

“Albedo, what are you doing here?”

“Why, I simply wanted to visit you. As well as take the opportunity to present you with my Windbloom. I hope you will accept it,”

Albedo carefully handed the vine-like flowers over to you, your arms cradling them as you admired the otherworldly blooms.

“Did- did you create these?” You asked, wonderment filling your voice and reflecting in your eyes.

“Yes, I believed it was only reasonable to present you with something unique. Something to reflect how I feel... for you.” Albedo's calm features never faltered, his eyes only dropping for a second in what you could only guess was a rare shyness.

“What- I mean why-,” you tried to breathe, not quite sure how to ask the question burning in your mind. You settled with a whisper, “Why are you giving these to me?”

“Is that not obvious? I apologise if I have not been as upfront as I would have preferred, but I did not want to cause you any grief in the case you didn’t reciprocate my feelings,” Albedo explained, voice softer than ever. “I find myself infatuated with you, Y/n. You occupy more of my thoughts than any other, and I feel myself drawn to you at all times. It was only earlier today when you commented on your lonesomeness that I realised it was worth my taking a chance to make both of us happier for it. So if you’ll allow me, would you accompany me to dinner tonight?”

You smiled wide, bashfully taking Albedo’s hand in your own as you stepped closer to him.

“I would love nothing more. Thank you, Albedo. You’ve no idea how much this means, how much I like you,”

“If it is anything like how I feel for you, I’d imagine you are quite spellbound at the moment,” the alchemist chuckled, taking your hand in his and caressing the skin.

It was only that morning that you found yourself tired of the Windbloom festival. Yet now, you wished it would never end.