#t1: did anything hit you ? does something hurt ?

[aresenics]

the building shakes as the kings of sicily depart from one another, diego making path to the french monarch & vero slithering off to partake in his own interests. within seconds shards of glass are grazing his cheek, not close enough to break skin but enough to make him hiss & drop to the ground at the burn of it, compressed air hitting the room like a tidal wave. pieces of metal are flung everywhere & wooden chairs are splintered among the crowd. steady eyes are concentrated on finding the culprit when bodies begin dropping, two right in his line of sight & that’s his opportunity to recognize what he’s in the middle of. another attack. quickly, he's standing up to search for his family, jaw clenched with the wrath that bubbles at the pit of his stomach. the sound of luca's voice lures his gaze directly on him & he's moving to cup the back of his head, free hand a firm palm against his chest. a simple & subtle act of affection. " te golpeó algo ? algo duele ? " the release of some tension. that his child seems to be physically okay. " always, " he replies, lightening the mood with arrogant rise despite the anger that twitches at his eyebrow. " your siblings ? your father ? have you seen anyone ? " a breath. he has to remember to slow down. make certain that nothing is wrong with luca before he can look for anyone else.

@aresenics - vero

Seeing just how worried his father was, he couldn't help but feel the chills run down his back as he thought about the possibility of his family being in danger and him being unable to do anything. So, when he saw Vero, a breath of relief rolled over him and he jogged forward. "Vero," he said with a small smile, mainly one of relief, "you're okay, right?"

[linabirb]

1, 2, 3, 5, and 18 for Dazai, Makima, Reo, Bachira and Yuno. :D Ooh, you're into Kakegurui too! :DD The same questions for Kirari and Yumeko.

hi aurora!! ty for asking! (sorry for a late reply, i was busy ><)

"Why do you like or dislike this character?"

dazai:

LITERALLY JUST THISCHJSJKSKSKD he's everywhere. every single time there's an anime guy with fluffy brown hair and brown eyes you just KNOW someone in the comments is gonna be like "omg he looks like dazai" no he doesn't.

also.. idk i just got tired of him. i did think he's funny when i first got into bsd (i was 13-14 so you didn't have to do much for me to think you're funny) but now everything about his behavior is so. ugh. it's like okay!! you're a walking red flag!! not in a fun way!!

i still think he's a well-written character though. just not my type.

makima: i can just say that i'm into dominant women honestly her design is so cool!! i have her plushie right next to me rn. she's staring into my soul. she's a really cool and well-written character and i don't know, there's just something about her that still makes you (me.) trust her even though you know she's the villain here. also i really love characters who do horrible, horrible things but they believe that there is no other way and they believe they're doing the right thing. something about her is also weirdly comforting to me but we're not gonna unpack that right now that moment in the manga when she said that denji can just rely on her and he doesn't have to do anything. that felt personal to me. also the fact that in the end she just needed a hug and needed someone to love her.. idk, it's probably cheesy, but i found it heartbreaking.

reo: HE'S JUST LIKE ME FR!!! it's pretty much impossible for me to talk about reo without oversharing stuff so i'm just gonna say that. well. i know what it's like to be a sheltered kid who doesn't even know what they want from life but when they finally start to realize what they probably want, they get hit with that "nah don't do that" and also his relationship with nagi is so... HHHHHHH been there. done that. know what it's like. i was literally going "BABY NO. NO DON'T DO THAT IT'S ONLY GONNA HURT YOU MORE" even though i do like this ship djdksks. anyway yeah his character is very realistic, it was so painful for me to read the part where nagi was like "nvm i need you actually" and he said that exactly when reo started to move on...

bachira: i actually didn't like him that much at first because i'm usually not a fan of characters who.. like. have this "weird and goofy" kind of personality, i just find them kinda exhausting, but bachira's character actually turned out to be much deeper than i expected and i find him very relatable as well. also most of the time he felt like the most normal character to me HSJSJKAKDK

yuno: SHE IS SO. *falls on the floor and starts sobbing* i'm not usually a fan of characters who are like.. very fun and cheerful on the outside, but they're actually suffering (and i have. so many ocs like that. ironic, isn't it) because most of the time it's either written kinda poorly, doesn't feel relatable, or the fandom just boils their character down to that one trait, but yuno's character felt very refreshing to me, because her t1 personality already felt kinda fake and even es mentioned that she doesn't have to pretend around them and when yuno really does stop pretending, like. it's so cool because at the same time she changed a lot, but you know that she actually hasn't changed at all and she's always been like that. there always were signs that yuno is actually colder (haha get it) than she acts so it isn't surprising for her to act this way in t2 and it doesn't feel too drastic. also her wanting to be seen as an adult and wanting people to stop coming up with sympathetic motives for her is so.. it's so good.

kirari: hmmm i actually don't really have a strong opinion about her! she's cool! but i like her design a lot! her hairstyle, her eyes, her iconic lipstick, she's so pretty!

yumeko: YUMEKO JABAMI THE WOMAN THAT YOU AREEEEE... the crush i had on this girl when i was younger was so. shsdjasksksk. i know i just said i don't really like "weird" characters but yumeko is so unhinged, it's so fun to watch! i really like kakegurui exactly because of how it just. lets women do wild things and be in the center of attention and all. i like how at the same time it's hinted that her character is much deeper than it seems, but also she just REALLY likes gambling!

"Favorite canon thing about this character?"

dazai: probably not really a "canon" thing but i think his bsd wan design is cute :3

makima: SHE'S SUCH A GOOD MANIPULATOR IT DRIVES ME INSANE /pos

reo: i'll just put this here.

bachira: HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS MOM IS SO. 🥹🥹🥹🥺🥺🥺🥺

yuno: her answers to the interrogation questions are always so funny like you just know the girl is gonna deliver. "can you speak other languages?" "i can't speak english!" <- written in english. "can you tell us about your family-" "I ALREADY TOLD YOU I DON'T HAVE A FATHER"

kirari: that one scene with her and sayaka falling from that tower has changed me as a person forever

yumeko: she takes gambling so seriously, it's both cute and terrifying jdkdksks her relationship with midari is so funny 😭😭

"Least favorite canon thing about this character?"

dazai: his. uh. his personality in general jskslals SORRY IF HE WAS REAL I WOULD'VE PUNCHED HIM IN THE FACE ALREADY

makima: hmm don't think i have one

reo: it's like. at the same time it's basically my fav canon thing but sometimes i'm like "dude. please let nagi go. i promise you're gonna be fine. he's gonna be fine. guys. guys please"

bachira: don't really have one! good for you king

yuno: m-maybe the abortion reveal was too early?.. it's like, at the same time it fits her character, but i really feel like it was a bit rushed. (well if it really is true and it doesn't turn out that her murder actually was different) also GIRL WHO SAYS "uhh yeah that's probably murder". PROBABLY???

kirari: at the same time i like her "way too powerful student council president" status, but sometimes it feels like. too extra for me jdkdlsls

yumeko: sometimes i forget that her main motivation is to play a game with kirari, but then i remember and kinda.. get disappointed.. like girl what about simply having fun and vibing. her character does NOT need a goal!! she's perfect WITHOUT any motivation!!

"What's the first song that comes to mind when you think about them?"

my brain goes empty when it comes to music I'M SORRYDJDKSDLDL

"How about a relationship they have in canon with another character that you admire?"

dazai: not really "admire", but i think his dynamic with atsushi is cute.

makima: .. i don't remember her interacting with anyone except denji and some other characters HSJSKSLSL

reo: .. again DOES HE EVEN HAVE ANY IMPORTANT DYNAMICS WITH OTHER CHARACTERS. NOT COUNTING NAGI.

bachira: his relationship with nagi and isagi is neat :)

yuno: her relationship with kazui.. much to think about..

kirari: her relationship with sayaka! i don't ship them but i think their dynamic is really interesting.

yumeko: i'm going to say something controversial but. i think her dynamic with suzui is actually kinda cute?? again i don't ship them but it's. it's wholesome :)

[bespectacled-panda]

after seeing dumpywoof’s post I was inspired to do a tier list of my own!!! and boy howdy do I have some hot takes of the century it turns out,,,

the seasons are more or less organized in descending order within the same row as well (e.g. MC 4 > MC 5). also, shamefully copying dumpywoof & putting a detailed & overly verbose explanation for each season:

S Tier

Terraria 3: For me, absolutely nothing compares to Terraria 3. No other season combines such perfect participant dynamics with such heart-wrenching drama—not to mention the existence of Team New Kids who make me cry on a daily basis, or the incredible fake twist ending. It would be a sin to put this season anywhere but alone at the very top. Also props for being the only (1 of 2) post-show that actually includes all of the cast.

 A Tier

Minecraft 4: This is the best season for shenanigans alone, hands-down. It’s largely just the participants shooting the shit together, especially in the latter half of the season when it gets down to just the four of them. & I have a huge soft spot for men being wholesomely foolish together I suppose, so here it goes fhdhfhd.

Minecraft 5: To be honest, I have not seen this season since it released, which is a crime, I know, I’m sorry :orb: But I remember it being very very good, & I cannot imagine my taste will have changed that dramatically in just a few years, so. in truth, this one might be actually better than MC 4, but as I have not seen it in many years I can’t say that for certain. Either way, though, it’s definitely one of the best seasons out there.

MineZ 1: To me, MineZ 1 is the reverse of MC 4: low on shenanigans & high on drama. It’s pre-Todd era, but the editing in this one is honestly Todd-level, I would say. It’s so incredibly tense, especially the scene with McJones & PBG trying to escape the caves, and I feel like the sheer stress of it all brought out a new side of a lot of the participants, most notably Dean—who sounded genuinely agonized at times. A very very quality season all around, IMO.

Terraria 2: This season probably objectively deserves to be B tier, but I am it giving A tier for personal bias. I just,,, love the dynamics okay. Jeff & McJones especially made for a killer duo. It was a rare instance of McJones being the funny man himself rather than being the straight man to someone else’s funny man; he was super uncharacteristically goofy & almost borderline flirtatious at times, it really made for some good moments fhdhfjd. Plus then you got McJones solo commentary at the end which I greatly enjoyed. Just,, a very enjoyable season, very mid-HC era, very light & easy to watch, all that good stuff.

Diablo II: Man,,,,this absolutely 100% does not deserve A tier, I know, I’m sorry, but I just can’t bring myself to put it lower. I have A tier love for it :orb: Admittedly, the game is horrendously ugly and confusing to watch, but the shenanigans + the cast dynamics win me over in the end. Paul especially was great in this, & I hope he makes a return someday. Loving fathers Paul & Jirard with their sorceress son McJones making their way through the end-game just cannot be beaten. (Anti-shoutouts to Ross though, I don’t know anything about him, I am sure he is a lovely man, but GOD. WHY DID HE KEEP RUNNING OFF ON HIS OWN & GETTING LOST BUT THEN FORCEFULLY REFUSING HELP,,, ROSS YOU ARE THE WORST DHDHFJDJD)

 B Tier

Minecraft 7: Boy,,, this is going to be a controversial take fhhfjdjf. I just don’t know how to explain it, but something about MC7 felt,,,, Very off. I don’t know what it was, just something about the season seemed very,,, almost like you could tell things were falling apart behind the scenes, & they were trying to pull it back together but weren’t quite succeeding. It’s not a bad season in any regards, of course, I just,, don’t enjoy it nearly as much as a lot of others,, it’s missing that crucial spark of life in my opinion,, also Dean leaving to go to work was kind of strange,, I get it, it’s probably difficult to work around his real-life job,, but it felt strange,, he got like temporary immunity. Nothing like that had ever happened before I don’t think. And also they never even explained why Dean wasn’t there for like three episodes fjdjfjhd,,

Minecraft 3: God I feel like I just keep digging myself into a deeper & deeper hole here fhsjfjd,,, but man, I did like MC3 to be honest. It wasn’t the best season, it kind of went nowhere, but I liked the cast & there was a lot of good funnymoments. Smooth & Shane were very good guests who I feel like really rounded out the season, & Jontron did not come off as terribly overbearing as I believe that he has in other seasons. Overall, pretty decent, I’d say.

 C Tier

Minecraft 2: MC 2 & MC 3 are very similar, but I think MC 2 is slightly worse, both in terms of entertainment & cast. NCS & Kyrak did not hit like Smooth & Shane did,,, and I feel like just everything that happened in this one was fairly forgettable. I was torn as to whether this should be a B or a C, but I put it here in the end just to drive home that I really don’t like it as much as MC 3, I don’t believe.

Minecraft 6: Oh lord, this is a nuclear take fhdjfjd. Again, this isn’t a bad season at all, it has its good moments, especially Chad & Dodger, they are angels & I love them & want them back. But boy,,, just. Many things went wrong here. None of the twists panned out like,, at all, which I know isn’t necessarily anyone’s fault, the concept of this twist & of twists in general is very good. But it fell so flat here, especially with the revival. There was,, no debate at all about what to do. They hyped it up like they had this big decision to make, but then nobody made any effort to dramatize it at all. It was basically just Dean deciding by himself and everyone just sitting back & letting him. For the record, I have no qualms with the fact that Dodger was revived, I fully agree that she deserved it over McJones, but it was not played well at all IMO,,,      I do have to admit, though, with a fair amount of sheepishness, that the thing that most sullies this season for me is McJones’s death. Just,,, his horrible, so so avoidable, insanely early death, coupled with his retirement shortly thereafter & him becoming so jaded with hc that he expressed borderline hostility & hatred towards it just,,, hurts. I kinda don’t wanna see the events of MC 6 now knowing the aftermath. I understand fully that this particular point is not something most people care about to say the least dhfhdjd, but,,, in all honesty, I really don���t have any desire to rewatch this one, as objectively good as it might be. It was a win but it felt like a loss, if that makes sense. Also the post-show lacked all three people I actually wanted to hear from fhdjfjd neither the two people who could’ve been revived nor the actual person who did the reviving were there to share their insight & perspectives on it :pensive: 

 D Tier

Starbound: man,,, starbound. This is a very mixed bag for me. On one hand, I disagree with people who say that it was boring or that nothing happened, I found it very tense, Todd’s editing had me on edge throughout every episode. But on the other hand,,, man. Very few memorable moments, what even happened in this one,, also I feel like the game mechanics/plot weren’t explained very well, I feel like I remember being vaguely confused all the time as to what was happening. Probably will not ever rewatch either.

 Have Not Seen

DayZ: I will not ever be watching this season both because I do not know anything about DayZ & because from what I’ve heard it was an absolute disaster, I’m just not interested in getting involved in that fhdhfjdk

Terraria 1: There’s not really a reason I haven’t watched this one. Just,, I haven’t made my way down to the earliest seasons yet. Although as mentioned before, I have seen a few clips of this season, & Jontron seems to be pretty obnoxious in this one, so I don’t how much I’ll enjoy the parts with him in it, but I definitely do want to watch it someday.

Minecraft 1: The same as Terraria 1, I just happen to not have seen this one by chance. But unlike T1, I am much more looking forward to actually watching it, it seems really good, I want to experience that legendary very first season at last dhdhfjd

MineZ 2: Man,,, many things about the behind-the-scenes of this season make me sort of uncomfortable honestly. Just,,, the visceral second-hand shame & embarrassment of someone in the hc fandom being so rude & bothersome to the cast,, somehow it makes me feel personally responsible even though I didn’t do anything fhdjfj,,, Also,, once again continuing with the trend of me being saddened by McJones expressing dislike for seasons fhdjfjd,, I do recall him saying, regarding this season, something like “I think it would’ve been better if we just never did this,” which,,, ow. That doesn’t make me particularly enthused to watch it fhdjfjd. I probably will end up watching this season someday to be honest, but I’m not looking forward to feeling the cast’s frustration & unhappiness with the situation,, (EDIT: I want to be clear that there is no actual drama surrounding minez 2!!! it is a perfectly fine season, there is nothing wrong with it, it just happens that I personally am bothered by the fact that there was a lot of like,,, frustration coming from the participants regarding the player who was stalking them. this in no way means that minez 2 is an objectively bad or problematic season!! if minez 2 is your favorite season I completely respect you, there is nothing wrong with that!! there is a lot to like about the season as a whole!!! I just personally care too much about mcjones having a bad time in seasons bc it’s what ultimately led to his retirement, & that makes me sad fjdhfjdjd. but it has come to my attention that my wording made it sound like there was drama about minez 2, which there never actually was, I am very very sorry for my unintentional yet poor choice of words.)

[chimtaesty]

desperate pt.3

paring: Jungkook (feat. BTS) x Reader | 1,8k words

warnings: swearing

plot: Y/N is the daughter of Hades the god of the underworld and the dead and goes to the school for demigods. As she is the only demigod related to Hades and the underworld and was actually raised in the more ungodly environment called the underworld and not the human world like normal demigods she is kind of special. She is a loner and doesn’t associate with other gods nor humans as she is the princess of the underworld. But a strange accident including the demons of the underworld collecting the wrong soul forces Jungkook, the son of Zeus, to ask Y/N for help.

A/N: Hi! I've been gone for some days again but I've finished this and am posting this at 1 am. I'll post something later again :) I hope you like it.

masterlist | part1 part2 part3

"Y/N, you should get going. The workers are waiting for you. Take Calix with you!” You smiled and grasped the first two boys you could to drag them to the kitchen. You closed the door and stared at the floor. “So, the underworld isn't that bad? I think being threatened twice and being almost killed once is quite bad” Jungkook spat.

Adalgise - prisoner

You cringed but grasped yourself quite quickly again. “Don't you dare be angry at me sweetheart! If you didn't summon a demon who obviously just did his job and get your friends soul switched up no one of you bitches would be down here because you don't belong here” you spat tapping your finger into his chest. You were at the verge of snapping his neck in two “Y/N, calm down please. Your E-eys” Hoseok hesitated to point at his eyes to signal you. It could happen that your eyes switch when you’re angry but you were able to control your power now. Up to the age of 13 you blew stuff up randomly. “You’re lucky i’m not tearing you apart right here” you spat harshly at him. His eyes were widened to the maximum extend.

You lifted your head calming your nerves fast. “Okay, we are going down right away” you announced breathing in deeply again. You had to get this soul and get the fuck up into the human world again fast. You didn't want them to be down here for too long, this place could be unpleasant if you don't know with what you're dealing.

“But this is going smoothly right?” Namjoon laughed nervously. You nodded and rubbed your eyes “I hope so” you murmured more to yourself in the hope of everything going smoothly. “Just don't piss someone off down there” you murmured into their direction

“Let's go” you stepped out of the kitchen heading straight to the staircase which leaded into the workplaces of the underworld. No one other than you and your dad who lived on this side of the door could enter and no one of the workers were able to enter into your home. You laid your hand onto the door and with some smoke and a loud snap the door opened itself and you were met with a dark ambience, a boat and Louis who was there to transport whatever had to be transported to the workers.

You stepped down the small staircase and waved to Louis. He waved back with a smile on his face. Louis was a nice guys but unfortunately he wasn't the nicest delivery man so he was punished to be the delivery man in hell. Irony much?

A light tug on your left sleeve made your head snap back. Taehyung stood there with a worried look on his face, he had sea sickness so it seemed. You smiled at him stroking over his hand and nodding reassuring. “It's alright” you tried to calm him down. You stepped onto the boat and started to hop and bend to the sides showing them that the boat wasn't able to flip over. They joined more confident and reassured now that the possibility of being hurt was a lot less.

“Soul departure, please” you gave Louis a smile and handed over a small skull which he would add to his collection.

We started moving and floated over the countless objects floating in the heating evening sun, the river of regret and forgiveness. This is the river where objects of the souls or workers here were stranded at. “How have you been Y/N?” Louis tried to start a conversation with you obviously letting out the six men next to him mostly because he wasn't the type to talk to strangers at all. He smiled at you trying to seem bright and guiltless but you knew better. His negotiation was your first to be pleaded guilty. He was part of the mafia in America delivering drugs and guns receiving payment frequently. But after he hasn't been paid for a month he killed his best friend, who was involved with the mafia as well, cut him into pieces and sent it to his chef. Even if he seems nice and friendly he is a tainted disgusting soul.

“I am alright, how are you” you asked back trying to make it less awkward. He nodded and the boys sat there completely quiet. You gave them a pleading look saying something like ‘please for the love of god, help me” you hated having to talk to Louis since he made everything you talked about so awkward.

“Have you thought about the date?” he asked know the silence and you looked him angrily “One more time and I'll throw you down this river without hesitating do you understand me? I denied once and I won't a second time, don't make me angry” you hissed at him letting some smoke emerge from your mouth and eyes scaring him enough to look the other way.

“We are here” Louis rung out an you didn't even gift him a look as you stepped out of the boat all high and mighty because over all you were the princess here.

You started walking down the road to the high building. it was so tall that It shot through the bright orange sky and slightly danced in the strong wind. You reached the small lake in front of the soul-departure-station which prevented unpleasant visitors to get into the building. The green water was poisonous and even bubbled up a little.

“How are we getting over there?” someone whispered and you raised a arm to silence the person. You emerged some dark smoke and tested it out. The smoke stairs were save so you formed some more to reach over the lake “Are you insane? What if it does only work for you?” Jungkook gave you a nasty look and stood there like a small wronged girl. “Oh god, just follow me you pussy” you being pissed was a understatement. First this fatuous boy flirts with you knowing he doesn't even have a glimpse of a chance and now this boy gets on your nerves by acting like a little bitch. You waved aggressively wanting him to step on the stairs as well.

“No” he snarled back. The others didn't even make a move to disagree and you almost exploded. The whole underworld is on a fucking break just for their stupid friends soul and he decided to act like he owns this place. You just sighed and packed them into a smoke box. Slowly the black smoke emerged from your hands and you packed them into it taking their vision. Yelps and screams were heard and you smiled to yourself. These boys had it coming.

You moved the box to the other shore letting the smoke leave them. They were breathless and in shock trying to calm themselves down. You walked over the small smoke stairs and smiled at them with a evil grin “The next time I'll drag you through the lake” you growled into their direction poking jungkook's chest in the process. The time was running away because the underworld won't stand still forever and they are being little bitches. You couldn't have that right now.

You stopped in front of the door turning around “To get this straight, you don't talk unless I tell you to. I don't want you to fight with anyone. Don't touch anything, not even when you knock something over. And the most important thing is, do not leave my side. If you break any of these three rules I'll guarantee for one thing and that will be your death” you stated making them nod furiously.

The door opened and you walked inside with the boys by your side. The smell of death and sweat mixed with alcohol and bad air hit you nose, but you quickly gave yourself a smoke mask which filtered the air quite well. No suffering today. The boys behind you coughed hardly making you roll your eyes and give them one too “This is to help you breath, you morons” you barked back at them. It was loud and the faint sounds of screaming souls could be heard. The workers were conversing loudly behind the machines. “The princess” a voice made all the people in front of you look at you with wide eyes. They threw themselves down on the floor and bowed deeply. You nodded and thanked them “I'm sorry for the inconvenience of having you to extend the period of no work but I need a swapped up soul” you vocalised your reason.

“I can help you, my highness” a smaller dark skinned man raised his arm straightening himself up but still looking at the floor “You can look at me, I won't rip your eyes out. Thank you for your volunteerism. This is a great way into the right direction” you smiled at him slightly. He raised his head and looked you into the eyes, his breath hitched and his face pointed out fear.

You walked over to the man giving the boys a raised hand to stay where they are. You reached out your hand for him to take and help him up and he hesitantly took it bowing to you. “These are my friends, they are a very important thing today so thank you for helping us” you smiled and pointed for him to join the boys to where they were standing.

“Please stand up again, you all don't have to bow for so long, thank you very much” you smiled and bowed to them. You didn't care for the fact that you weren't as scary as your father. You didn't want to frighten them, you wanted them to respect you. As long as they are respectful to you you're being nice to them, it's a take and give for you.

“Let's go” you called out for the helpful man and he started walking. You were led into a elevator. Being eight people you were pressed to the boys because the man didn't dare to touch you “What is your name?” you questioned into the silence earning a frightened look and a hesitant answer “D-Doyoung” he responded to you quietly. The boys were silent and just looked at you being shook. “Thank you Doyoung, for helping us finding our friend.” he nodded and grinned secretly “It's a pleasure, your highness” you nodded and patted his shoulder. His face was priceless and you had to giggle to yourself.

The elevator gave a worrying sound and got stuck. You looked to Doyoung in confusion just to get the same look back. A black light blinked at the top of the elevator four times. This could only mean one thing “Adalgise” you murmured silently at the same time as Doyoung. You sighed and growled frustrated. “Not today, I thought she won't find out I'm here” you spat out. Your eyes went black and you were pure furry “Let's kill a bitch, shall we?”

[spellyjane]

Ironman Cozumel - a day of “nearlies”

It is always good to wait for a few days after an Ironman to write up a race report. I never quite trust my sanity until I have processed the race day caffeine, eaten solid food, had a good sleep and dealt with my post race laundry.  

I had originally signed up for Ironman Cozumel as redemption for my frustrating 1st Ironman in Arizona last year. But it just felt too far away and I decided to squeeze in 2 more Ironman and 3 more 70.3 races as well. Yeah, nuts. So I arrived in Cozumel feeling a little wary. I  was carrying great fitness but I was feeling mentally DONE with all the intensity. The pain of that Kona course was still fresh enough in my mind to make me even wonder if I really wanted to do it again. I wondered how much I could make myself hurt for a Kona slot or a PR or a podium.

I fell in with a fun bunch of Colorado based athletes at my hotel and was really thankful for their company, it was great to share the race weekend with them. I will be keen to catch up when our family relocates to Denver in January.

Did you read my Kona race report? Remember that nasty Aunt Flo who decided to turn up the day before the race? Well can you believe she did it again? Seriously, this needs some investigating, this has happened (unscheduled) the day before 3 races this year. It is not a disaster but it does add a little more anxiety and more time consuming pit stops. Anyway, moving on.

The course layout at Cozumel makes for a busy race morning. Swim start, T1 and T2 are all in different locations. I got myself to the swim start with enough time to squeeze my way up to the fast kids corral, take a few deep breaths, throw down the 1st of 11 Gu packets and go!

I loved that swim. I got onto the pier and dived, yay, I can't remember the last time I was allowed to dive into a swim start. I took off hard. I was wary of being complacent in the current assisted conditions. I settled in, I did get tangled up with other swimmers a couple of times but for the most part just put my head down and worked hard. I was a little bummed that the course was short. I measured it to be 3463m, 350m short! That combined with the current and my more than usual aggressive intensity gave me a ridiculous 13 min PR at 53:21.

I tore through T1 with no complications, glad I chose to clip my shoes on my bike so I could put some speed into my run.

I was out on the bike course in under and hour and I was excited! I thought, right, let's not waste that massive swim PR, let's turn this into a race PR. The swim had not left me feeling as fatigued as usual and I was right on top of my target watts right from the start. (I had struggled with this in my last 2 IMs.) I had ridden 1 loop of the 3 loop course on a rental scooter before the race so knew what to expect. The smooth, flat, straight roads were a TT queen’s dream! (Yeah, I am calling myself a TT queen.) The wind was not as dramatic as I was expecting and even when it was, I just reminded myself that everyone was feeling the same and I just stayed tucked in aero and held my watts. I must say, it was all going quite well, I was right on target for a 5:15 bike, I had made the left hand turn and was about 15km from the bike finish and was crunching numbers in my head and thinking come on girl, you could totally go sub 10 hours when I heard that dreaded “pop - phshhhhh!” Oh dang, back wheel puncture, I shifted into my small ring, jumped off and started getting the puncture sorted. I had pulled out my old tube and was reaching for my new tube when the Ironman bike mechanic arrived, we worked together to get the job done quicker. When we discovered the 3-4mm tear in the tyre we both groaned. Oh crikey, I did not have anything to seal the hole! The mechanic grabbed my old tube, hacked a piece off and shoved it between the new tube and the tear and began inflating the tyre. I wonder if I would have thought of that? Even if I did, I would have struggled to cut a piece with no scissors. He pumped it up to 80psi and I could see the old tube starting to show through the tear and I nearly died, eek! “Stop!” I panicked, but he said, “no, a little more.” He got to 90psi and seemed satisfied. We got my wheel back on and I grabbed his hand and with a squeeze, gushed my most heart felt “Gracias!”

I took off, feeling relieved and terrified. My race was not over and even with a 5 min stop, I was still on target for a very reasonable bike split. However, with just 2 thin pieces of latex between the road and my inner tube, I was terrified that I would not make it to the finish without another puncture.

Well, it worked, I made it to the bike catcher and passed my bike (and a shit ton of anxiety,) right over to him at a time of 5:18:47,  with my watts and IF right on point.

T2 was uncomplicated and I was on my way. I had set myself up for a sub 10hr if I could pull off a good run. Even at that stage I still was not sure what my body was going to let me do. I have struggled with dodgy guts in a couple of Ironman runs and I was not sure if this was going to hit me again, I was feeling as good as I have ever felt as I took off so I just focused on keeping tidy, holding good form and pace.

The 3 loop, out and back course was pretty flat, had some shade and a noticeable tail wind coming back into town each time. So, 7km out and 7km back 3 times. Easy peasy. (Haha, the silly things I say to myself in races.) Sebastian Keinle passed me on his last loop as I was hitting the 4km point, he looked like he was doing it easy and so was I at that point, he must have passed me thinking “Whoa, that age grouper is looking so tidy, I hope I can run like that when I am her her age!” So you can imagine he was super keen to pose for a selfie when he saw me at the award ceremony!

There were only a few other girls out on the course at that point and I began to wonder who they were and what my position was. I had stalked my age group competition prior to the race and will be honest, I was not expecting anyone to be ahead of me given the race I had had so far. So when a spectator friend told me,I was in 3rd place as I hit the 2nd loop I was really bummed. I wondered who they could be, every one I saw on the out and back looked either younger or pro and no one seemed to be looking particularly uncomfortable. I worked really hard to push those thoughts out and told myself that I was having a killer race. I reminded myself that I could only control my own performance and that I was doing a good job of it right now. That being said, I began to slow down a little, I was getting tired. I stopped for the loo just before the 21k turn around. I made that turn and could see the 10hr race slipping away, it was a tough loop that one. I was looking at every girl on the other side of the road and thinking that they looked amazing and that I did not look like I was holding it together etc, my mind was being really mean to me. My new Colorado friends cheered me on as I made the turn for the last loop. I remembered all the races where I have picked up places in the closing stages. I kept that front and centre and just kept trying to look the part. As I made my last turn at the 35km point I started to see girls who I had thought were ahead of me still on the out leg and I realised that I had been really hard on myself. I did not over take anyone in in my AG but I was on target for a respectable run and a big IM PR so I pushed on refusing to slow down and made that final turn onto the carpet. I lept over the finish line with a not terrible 3:46:25 marathon and an awesome 10:04:32 a 10 min PR.

I found the gal who came 2nd in the post race area, I recognised her from the course, I thought she was a pro! Neither her nor the smoking fast gal who won were on the pre race athlete list I had stalked, I guess they signed up late - serves me right!  Anyway we exchanged a few words about the race before she apologised, turned away and puked. Oh and here those doubts flood back to me even now, why wasn't I puking? Did I not try hard enough? I was gaining on her and as it turns out I ran a faster run split than her. I also beat her on the swim too. She went under 10 hours and I did not. Yes I have lamented that flat big time and more and more so since she was able to claim the 2nd of the 2 Kona slots up for grabs. Ok, enough of that, it is what it is. I did the best I could all dang day, I know I did.

I am planning my 2018 race season, still hoping for the perfect race and I hope I can snag another Kona slot in the process.

I look forward to working with my most excellent coach Rick Schopp at INTENT, training at a mile high and starting a new chapter in Colorado with my family in 2018.

Huge thank you to Simon and my kiddos, your support and love through all of the training and racing is wonderful!

See you out on the course next year, I will be the one grinning like an idiot because I am doing something I love!

[utopia-game]

INTERVIEW: Sadira sits down with FFW

Hello Utopians, I am sitting on my stoop watching the rain outside when FFW, leader of Merciless, came to sit beside me and have a talk. (S) Morning, FFW. Been keeping busy during this Covid19 crap? (F) Been a little slow to be honest. Some of us being front liners mean we have less time dedicated to the game. (S) I personally thank all of you essential workers for putting up with us slackers. Let’s start with some basic stuff. How long have you been playing Utopia? (F) I’ve played on and off from age 7. So many many years I guess. This is probably the longest I’ve played utopia consecutively since age 72. It’s great to see how the game changed over the years and how much simpler the mechanics are today (S) Do you feel it is too simple? (F) Personally, I don’t feel it’s too simple. Some mechanic changes actually force the strategies which were once stale to evolve again so there is still complication in today’s simplicity. (S) How did you get into Utopia? (F) From a neopets ad. I was a kid back then and I saw ok maybe I press this and see where it goes. (S) Are you serious?? (F) Absolutely (S) That is too precious. Do you play other games? What games? (F) I play DotA2, elsword, maplestory from time to time, Warcraft 3, Starcraft 2 and Hearthstone (S) Does your significant other hate that you play utopia? Have you tried to get them into playing? (F) Well at the moment I’m a proud bachelor so I can’t answer that question (S) Can always find love thru Utopia. Would you like to give a shout out to any past kds you have played for? (F) Probably Bodega of Lotus since it was the only kd that I would remember for life (S) I remember that kd. Who do you feel you learned the most about this game from? (F) It’s probably the fact that there’s no eternal friends or enemies only mutual benefits (S) That is an interesting statement, would you like to elaborate? (F) There are players I’ve sworn never to trust in my life but definitely some have come to my aid when interests are aligned. Can’t really go into too much details or I’d be openly flaming them haha (S) Would you say you play this game strictly for the competition and challenges? (F) I wouldn’t. I just play it with people I get along with since it’s something I do with my spare time (S) How long have you played in Merciless? (F) I was part of the founding crew in age 75 which didn’t go too well so we reformed in 79. I guess all the ages we’re around for. (S) Has the kd always been called Merciless? (F) Yes absolutely (S) Any back story to how it got its name? (F) In age 75 we didn’t know what to call ourselves since we never decided on it. So we put it to a kd vote at the time. I decided we should be no mercy based on the song from the living tombstone. Zhogun another part of founding council said why not merciless. So we put it to a kd vote and merciless won. The name was really liked by the crew at the time since everyone just wanted to fsu (S) It is a catchy name. How would you describe your kd and your kdmates? (F) Well if you watch DC’s legends of tomorrow, I think that’s an apt description. A band of misfits that did really well. (S) Your kd is pretty successful age to age, to what do you attribute its success to? (F) Mainly everyone’s commitment to continue trying new things and find ways to improve. I mean we played human warrior when everyone was hyping dwarf tact. That took a lot of faith and belief to try. (S) Do you like to test combo's that the majority of kds don't try? (F) Absolutely I think there’s really no bad combinations. Just how you execute your strengths is what differentiates a winner from a loser (S) Does your kd have a particular goal in mind each age? (F) Yes we do. We normally set it from the start of the age and keep to it. We don’t always achieve it but it helps post age reflection (S) Do you have any suggestions to potentially new players or existing players that might find themselves lost? (F) If you find yourselves lost. Ask yourself what do you want to do in this game. I know it’s hard to part with kdmates that have been with you for ages but if your goals are not aligned it’s time for some changes. Don’t fear the unknown, try it and embrace it. If you’re a new player don’t be afraid to ask stupid questions. That’s the only way you can grow. For veterans don’t downplay stupid questions either maybe it’s something you never thought of otherwise and keep an open mind (S) If you could go back in time and give the "newb" you one piece of advice, what would it be? (F) Stop wasting time trying to convince people who never will listen. Making your own kd is far easier (S) Describe any funny or peculiar incidents that made you either laugh until your sides hurt or had you wanting to throw your computer/phone out the window. (F) We have a nasty habit of people being quick shot with dragons. Many will accidentally send dragon for various reasons and it drives me insane. We also had a dragon situation once with Void where we were bored so we robbed Tetre of a full dragon gc and sent it to Void for kicks and laughs. Unfortunately, our stew at the time Taco was on a side chat to negotiate war with Void so he flipped out and rage quit haha (S) If you could sit down and have a drink with DavidC, what would you be drinking and what suggestions would you like to mention? (F) Pepsi since that's the only **** I drink at a bar. I would encourage him to look at bottom feeding protection a bit more since it's currently the most broken thing in Utopia. People are abusing bottom feeding protections to annoy people at the top with robs and trads on smaller provs in larger kds. For instance, SWEA robbed us all age last age and we couldn't do anything to them because of bottom feeding mechanics until they came into range and we sent a full wave of learns to spite them which we all agreed alright CF we're even (S) Didn't a long time ago, kd size didn’t matter, only province. (F) that was equally broken since it was disproportionate and encouraged bullying too much (S) So what do you think is the solution? (F) mmm i have my ideas but might be a little challenging to code. Perhaps introduce a zero protection when meter points are higher for aggressors so a smaller kd cannot intentionally annoy a bigger kd without consequences, else it kind of defeats the accomplishments of kds who strive to be the strongest since strength comes from size due to war win mechanics (S) Hmm..maybe its also a bit of ethics and respect. Only a handful of kds tend to use that to their advantage. (F) for ages if you land top5, its a massive target on your back saying please hit my lower rung provs for free or rob me to your content (S) I could argue that kds that land in the top 5 got there pushing their way thru smaller kds. (F) absolutely true as well since war wins are built on beating a weaker opponent for every top 5 kd there's 20 kds buried to build it (S) So you don't feel like a kd that 'taxes' smaller kds should be touched for their resources? (F) I have no sympathy for kingdoms who chose of their own volition to stay tiny to beat on other less skilled kingdoms.I am not talking about tiny kds. Im talking maybe T15. (S) T1 goes down the line, taking acres one kd at a time to get that crown. You don't think a kd that has had its land taken by that kd should not be allowed to rob resources off them? (F) Those kingdoms aren't entirely helpless either. They could fight back with ops or hit back (S) I am just playing the Devil's Advocate here for the moment, you say smaller kds annoy bigger kds. I say bigger kds annoy smaller kds with waves that they know the other kd isnt going to retaliate. But we digress, let’s get back to these all important questions. Maybe you can get this bonus question right: What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow? (F) Honestly, i have no idea? 300 miles an hour? (S) -=tosses him off the bridge=- Wrong! (F) eh worth a shot (S) Anything you would like to add or any shout outs to any players? (F) Shout-outs for sure. Topsy, Dowla, ahtoad, Mansoor, Evil Queen, MasterOfOrion, you guys make utopia fun and interesting, since some of you are on break hope to see you soon! (S) Thanks for sitting with me and chatting. Let’s go get some Pepsi and watch some submarine races now. (F) Thank you and drink time! since its morning I shall drink green tea

[maischwartz566]

Race Report – 2017 Rev3 Williamsburg Olympic

Rev3 Williamsburg was incredible.  Absolutely incredible.  Rev3 puts on wonderful races, and I cannot think of a single thing I would change about this day.

This was my second year for this Rev3 Williamsburg Olympic course.  (I did the race in 2015 as well, when it was taken over by Challenge, but the course was very different and really can’t be compared.)  So of course, I had goals.  Well, one goal.  Do better than last year.

I knew this was going to be a challenge though.  Last year’s race was incredibly fast partly due to some extreme currents in the water, so I figured this year’s swim would be slower.  Also, just in general, it’s July.  If the day ended up being extremely hot, all bets were off.  But I still had goals.  Last year, I raced an amazing 3:33:33 (best race time ever), so my goal was something around or under 3:30.

The great thing about this race is that it’s a big race with that big race feel, but because it’s only about 2.5 hours away, it also feels very local.  I knew so many people racing this weekend, people both from Mid-Maryland Tri Club and the Coeur team.  It’s always fun to see friendly faces on the course.  This year, they also added a sprint on Saturday (as well as a kids race) which made for extra cheering fun.

Saturday morning, I got up bright and early (well, it wasn’t bright yet) and headed out to cheer on the sprint race.  We got there in time for the swim start, and watched the swimmers enter and then finish.  I’m definitely glad I got to watch.  Not only was it awesome to cheer on friends and strangers, but it also gave me a look into what I was facing the next day.  The water was clearly incredibly shallow, as people were able to stand fairly far out (of course, that’s not the best race plan, as you expend way too much energy walking through water).  Once the swimmers were close to the shore and stood up, it was clear the mud was ridiculous.  The water was also incredibly dirty, and by the time the last swimmers got out, it looked like they were swimming in chocolate milk.  Yum.  So we stayed and cheered and celebrated with our friends as they finished, and it was awesome.

Race morning, I followed my normal plan of getting to the race site stupid early.  I like to get there as transition opens.  Do I need to be there that early?  Nope.  Setting up transition takes maybe 10 minutes if I’m not moving particularly fast.  But I like to be there and get mentally ready and also hang out with people.  When people register for this race and list their tri club affiliation, if enough people from the club register, they rack you together, so you are near people you know.  This is also nice because you can assume your teammates are friendly and won’t just throw their stuff down on your transition spot.

Finally, it was time for race start.  We watched the 70.3 racers start, then it was our turn.  There were two men’s waves and two women’s waves.  I was in the first wave of women.  I walked into the water with a friend and sort of slipped as the concrete dropped off.  But since I was in the water, it wasn’t a big deal.  Also, the water was warm. Disgustingly warm.  The official temperature was over 85 degrees.  So gross.  It definitely felt like bath water.  And unfortunately, while there was a current, it was nothing like the previous year.

The horn blew and I was off.  I was generally pleased with how this swim went.  Occasionally, I found myself in packs, but didn’t struggle too much to get around them.  I also did a really good job sighting and felt like I swam a pretty straight path.  The water was super warm though, and I definitely felt myself getting hot.  And though I did my best to try to not get the water in my mouth, I definitely could feel the grit between my teeth.  Disgusting.  Also, my foot was starting to sting.  That wasn’t a good sign.

The water was so shallow that I understood why people were walking.  I wasn’t to the final turn and my hands were hitting the ground – and I don’t have long arms!  So I did my best to keep moving forward without walking and risking sinking in the mud, and finally, I was out.  And I was dirty.  My poor beautiful Coeur kit.  I hope it recovers.

Swim: 29:41 (2016: 25:47)

I glanced at my watch on the run in and knew that I was slower than last year, but thought I could pick up time on the bike.  Of course, now my foot hurt.  When I got to my bike, I paused and took a look at my foot. There was a chunk missing from the ball of my foot about a centimeter long.  That’s good.  But it wasn’t bleeding profus

ely, and since I knew it couldn’t be stitched, I just rinsed it out with water from the bottle I always bring to transition for rinsing my feet, and put my socks on and hoped for the best.

T1: 3:04 (2016: 3:03 – clearly I’m getting better, since this year I stopped to check my foot and wasn’t really slower.)

On to the bike.  This is a fast and flat course.  I was trying to do race math and figure out just how fast I could get off the bike and how much time I could leave myself for the run.  I’m not great at math on a good day, so trying to do race math while biking… well, it keeps me occupied.  This course is a bit long – 27.2 miles on the bike.  I hadn’t actually looked at my splits from last year, since I knew the swim wouldn’t be comparable, so I didn’t have a set goal, but figured something under 1:40 would be good.  My foot definitely hurt when I first started pedaling, but it sort of settled into a low ache, and I could mostly ignore it.

I do most of my training on hills, so I’m not really sure what a good flat course pace would be for me, so I just pushed.  I was aiming for around 17mph or more.  My plan was really to kill myself on the bike because I’m not a great runner, so this is where I can find the most improvement.

The course itself was awesome.  Some of the roads were smoother than others, which makes for an interesting ride.  For the most part, the other racers were friendly – most people calling out as they passed and encouraging each other, calling out friendly words, etc.  This wasn’t a closed course (bike courses rarely are), and for the most part, cars were friendly, though there were definitely a few buzzing racers.  I found out later that one cyclist even got hit, though I heard he or she was going to be okay.

I have my watch set to alert me at 5 mile intervals, and I kept ticking off the miles ahead of my goal pace, so I started to really think a PR was possible.  I wanted to leave myself at least 1:20 on the run if not 1:30.

One thing I noticed on the bike was that my heart rate was pretty steady and I wasn’t pushing into too high of a zone.  This tells me that I have room for improvement in my legs – and this is an awesome thing to discover.  I know that when it comes to running, I might have a little bit of improvement left, but I’m near that sweet spot where my HR and my pace are pretty maxed, considering my HR issues.  But on the bike, there’s room for so much more.

Bike: 1:34:16, 17.31mph (2016: 1:37:59, so I didn’t pick up as much time as I wanted, but still pretty darn good.)

In to T2 to check out my foot.  It wasn’t too painful, and I hoped my sock wasn’t just completely bloody.  Shoes off and my sock just had a little bit of blood showing.  Of course, it’s important to note that I was wearing hot pink socks, so as I realized later, it might not show much at all.  I didn’t take off my sock to check out my awesome wound though and just kept going.

T2: 1:52 (2016: 3:41.  Clearly I got lost or something)

Time to run!  My first steps while running were not awesome.  The wound on my foot had been in my nice flat bike shoes and not forced to bend at all.  Now, it hand to bend with every step.  It didn’t feel great, but I hoped it would fade.

My goal was just to hold a sub-13 pace and try to move as fast as I could while the day was still cool.  My first mile was comfortably 12:43, so I hoped things would hold.  This course is an out and back on a paved trail, and I love that sort of course when I know people racing because it’s awesome to get to see my friends and also to cheer for strangers.  I started leapfrogging with a couple of people and it was fun to chat with people.

I managed to keep my heart rate down while still managing to really power walk the walk intervals.  I think that’s one huge reason my pace has improved so much – I’m really pushing my walk intervals.  I also kept dumping water on me and packing my top with ice.  It wasn’t terribly hot, but that sun does beat down on you.

I hit the halfway point and knew that things were looking great for a PR.  As I ticked off the miles, I mentally calculated how much time I had left, and at one point, I had around a mile left and 20 minutes to do it in, and that was a great feeling.

Run: 1:17:38, 12:32 pace (2016: 1:23:02)

BOOM!

Total time: 3:26:32, a PR of 7:01

I was SO so so pleased with my finish.  I felt awesome and even with the slower swim, I still nailed it.

After the race, I walked over to medical to have them take a look at my foot, just to see.  My foot didn’t hurt, but I wanted to make sure that it wasn’t going to fall off or anything.  I took off my sock and they irrigated the wound, poked at it a bit, and put some ointment and a bandage on it and told me I would probably live.  Thankfully, my tetanus shot is up to date.  While I was sitting there with my sock in my hand, I mindlessly squeezed the water out of it (from all the water I poured on myself) and well.. it wasn’t just water.  So apparently that pink sock doesn’t show blood.  Good to know.  So gross.  Stacey was lovely and waited for me at the finish and got to witness this all first hand.  I have such great teammates!

Foot inspected, we headed to watch other racers and eat some delicious BBQ.  I also met Mariah from InsideTracker who is as lovely as she seems online.  It’s always awesome to put a face to a name.

This race remains one of my favorites.  I had the best time and I really can’t think of a single thing that I would recommend the race change.  (Except maybe clean up the water somehow.)  I’m not sure what races I’m doing next year, but this one will absolutely be on the list.  I definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a great July race.  And there’s all sorts of touristy things for your family to do as well.

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