#for reference my local news station is p good about that sort of thing

[azraeldigabriel]

Finding out that Demi Lovato is an enby and that my local news station is actually using their correct pronouns was not what I expected today, but nice nonetheless

#for reference my local news station is p good about that sort of thing #but we are Midwestern #and people don’t take kindly to that here

[leftenant-sinani]

Unreal x X-COM x My Sci-fi Universe Crossover

So, I was listening to Unreal Tournament music, and I got an idea... what if Unreal universe was mixed with the X-COM one? It would kinda fit because they both are kinda neo-futuristic, Unreal certainly a bit more. Also it will not only be mix of these two, but there will be a lot of things from my own Sci-Fi universe. Since I want to write whole bloody list of my shit about this, this is going to be a very, very, VERY long post, if you have the patience and interest, please click ‘Keep reading’.

Also warning, there will be a lot of repeating of words, because I am small-brainer who cannot think of other words. (And there will be surely some mistakes, although I am trying my best to avoid them)

Games Introduction :

For those who don’t know what these games are about, I’ll give you quick insight of what is what. (Not really quick, because I tend to write long-ass paragraphs)

Unreal :

Unreal (also often known as Unreal Tournament) is a First Person Shooter game made originally in 1998. The story wasn’t really what this series was about, it was all about quickly paced shooting and often about skill flex. Unreal is divided into two types : Unreal and Unreal Tournament. Unreal was the start of it all which included very long single player campaign (+ it’s expansion ‘Return to Na Pali’) which was set on planet known as Na Pali. The Na Pali was full of strange alien species which you had to fight in order to get through levels. While I adore it, I never really finished it. There were two Unreals, Unreal and Unreal II : The Awakening. However, Unreal Tournament was far more known when it comes to Unreal or basically whole FPS community back then. Unreal Tournament was less campaign and far more arena shooting. For me, it was one of my first games I’ve ever played and I still play to this very day. It had also very unique environments. From urban areas and buildings, through medieval-style maps to space stations or bases on asteroid, and that is only Unreal Tournament 99 (Which will be main source of Unreal universe in my crossover), Unreal Tournament 2004 had even far more interesting diversity of environment. There were 5 UTs in total, UT99, UT2003, UT2004, UT3 and UT (often refered to as UT4). There were also two console-exclusive games known as Unreal Championship and Unreal Championship 2, but I don’t know much about them.

X-COM :

X-COM (or just XCOM) is mostly squad-based Strategy (but not only, there were some exceptions which we will get to later) game that has been here since 1994. While the original games aren’t much known today, the modern ones were the reason why is it so popular (at least in my opinion). The plot is mostly very simple, the Earth is under attack of the aliens and you, as the Commander of X-COM AKA eXtra-terrestrial COMbat unit, are meant to repel the invasion and save the humanity (and that is not always the case either). First game was a bit of an oddity, because it is only known as X-COM : UFO Defense in America, all over the world however, it was known as UFO : Enemy Unknown, but then it kept the name X-COM for the rest of series. The gameplay was made of two phases. First phase was strategical type where you had to take care of your base, research, engineering, in some games you even had to take care of aircraft to intercept air attacks (mostly it was UFO) and most importantly, that’s where you were getting the missions. The second phase is made of the already mentioned squad-based strategy gameplay, and that’s where the main fun of the series was. There was a lot of games actually, I’ll try to explain in few words each game + include when they were released. UFO : Enemy Unknown / X-COM : UFO Defense (1994, alien invasion from space) - X-COM : Terror from the Deep (1995, alien invasion but from ocean this time) - X-COM : Apocalypse (1997, alien invasion which was created biologically on Earth or something) -  X-COM : Interceptor (1998, alien invasion from space, but you only fight with aircraft instead of infantry) - X-COM : First Alien Invasion (1999, some kind of email game or something (like wtf is that)) - X-COM : Enforcer (2001, Third Person Shooter this time) - X-COM : Genesis and X-COM : Alliance (Both were unreleased, Alliance was some sort of Squad-Based First Person Shooter and Genesis was the your standard X-COM game) - XCOM : Enemy Unknown (2012, standard X-COM game, first modern one) - XCOM : Enemy Within (2013, expansion for Enemy Unknown, according to the wiki, EW isn’t canon, don’t where the truth lies though) - The Bureau : XCOM Declassified (2013, Third Person Shooter, didn’t play, but from what I’ve heard, it’s pretty mediocre besides the story) - XCOM 2 (2016, standard X-COM game, most known game from the series, also a direct sequel to the Enemy Unknown) - XCOM 2 : War of the Chosen (2017, expansion for the XCOM 2, my personal favorite and also the primary source of X-COM story elements in my crossover) - and last but not least, XCOM : Chimera Squad (2020, standard X-COM game, but you only fight for one big city as Peacekeeping Force againsts three criminal factions).

Whew, that’s for the introduction. Let’s head for the meat of this thing.

Background & Story :

I want to put a little note here before I’ll continue. Unreal has it’s own story, and while I will mix it with X-COM elements, there will be a lot of my own headcanon things, so basically, Unreal x X-COM in my sci-fi universe. Here’s a timeline if you want to know a bit about Unreal story https://unreal.fandom.com/wiki/Timeline (Although we won’t be really going alongside it, so :P). So let’s get started, eh?

Background :

It is year 2293, Milky Way galaxy is under the control of humanity which is divided into two great factions; Sol Alliance (SA) and Milky Way Union (MWU). Sol Alliance is the root of the whole civilization that is scattered across the whole galaxy. They are most advanced when it comes to economy and military when it comes to both Ground Force and Navy, however, they are quite power-hungry and xenophobic which makes them hated by alien minorities, even though it is common knowledge that a lot of alien civilizations destroyed themselves in countless wars and humans had no feat in this, and if not for Sol Alliance in the first place, there would be almost no alien civilization at all (except two, but we’ll get to that later), despite this fact, Sol Alliance treats aliens like low layer of society, and that’s why they are hated so much by aliens and also by a fair amount of humans. It’s also the reason why Mliky Way Union was created in the first place... to get rid of Sol Alliance oppression againsts not only aliens but also their national socialist ideologies.

The Milky Way Union has its own sector in the galaxy, and while they and Sol Alliance are not currently in war (not at least openly), they still hunger for conquering those “Alliance swines”. They are made mostly of humans of course, but there is also a fair number of alien species confirmed among them. MWU isn’t doing really as great as Sol Alliance when it comes to economy and their armies are mostly made out of mercenaries, however, they are the peak of industrial effectivity and mineral-processing industry in the whole galaxy. Their ideology is mostly communistic and they can be quite fanatic about it. (Yes, it’s kind of based on Soviet Union).

The galaxy has been divided into four sectors :

Sector Minotaur, South-Eastern part of Milky Way. It is primary sector of Sol Alliance, that means that’s where our beloved (to some) Earth is, it has been centre of Alliance commmunity for dozens if not hundred of years by now. Roughly 45% of planets are habitable, which is the most when compared to the other sectors.

Sector Hydra, North-Eastern part of Milky Way. This sector belongs to no government nor either of the two great factions, it is mostly a place for the scum of the society. Rogue soldiers, prisoners, mercenaries, pirates, slavers, even some bits of aliens here and there. There are planets in this sector which are also serving as colonies for immigrants from either MWU or SA, however, this sector is not really the choice for ideal life, as there is extremely minimal amount of planets which can be lived on without any major difficulties (the ones that are, are mostly habitats for Rogue Militaries) + pirates and slavers are sometimes raiding colonies. There are also signs of dog fights between certain criminal factions in some places of this sector.

Sector Medusa, North-Western part of Milky Way. Primary sector of Milky Way Union. A good amount of planets in this sector are mineral-rich and are optimal for life. There is a lot of history about this sector, since it used to be a place of many alien civilizations many centuries ago before they devastated each other. There are planets that have a lot of antique sites which are a big enticement for people from both MWU and SA that are interested in alien history or archaeology. Years ago, there people who claimed that there are even ancient alien technologies on few planets which could be used as weapons, power generators or there could be perhaps other uses of it, local alien citizens are rejecting such claims though, as they are sure that their predecessors destroyed everything that could be of use to make sure that their enemies wouldn’t have the upper hand. Most of the found items were either only trinkets or salvaged parts of something that might’ve been weapon or something similar, but wasn’t really usable anymore.

Sector Phoenix, South-Western part of Milky Way. Our centre of the whole story and also a place of our known planet Na Pali. The main planet of this sector is called ‘New Earth’, and ironically, was a point of many wars between the locals just like our home planet. Sector Phoenix is infamous to be place of our two already mentioned alien races and not only that. The two alien races are in fact only the tip of the iceberg, as it goes much, much deeper than that. First off, it is occupied by humans too, but there’s only about 40% compared to the aliens and they are divided into civilians and fighters as the sector is known to be one big warzone. Although there are places here and there that are peaceful, not even urbanized areas like cities or certain buildings are safe from fighting between locals. Sector Phoenix is ruled by New Earth Government (NEG) and local giant corporation known as Liandri AKA Liandri Mining Corporation. The sector also used to be the centre of mining for the galaxy, that didn’t last for a very long time however, as Sector Medusa was far more profitable. Despite the fact the local resource called ‘Tarydium’ was exclusive mineral and it’s use is universal, the great factions found their own exclusive minerals which they found to outmatch this so-called Tarydium. The reason why Sector Phoenix is being often refered to as warzone is the fact that not only the wars between humans and aliens or aliens and second aliens, but also because Liandri Mining Corporation implemented the idea of creating a blood sport only known as ‘Tournament’. The Tournament was a deathmatch between local teams; Almost all of the teams were only humans, and there were even two alien ones and one made purely out of robots. Many teams failed and were massacred, and those which survived eventually fell apart after the end of first Tournament. The combatants which were in the Tournament were everything but common people, there were ex-soldiers, commandos, specialists, genetically enhanced warriors, mercenaries, even robots and aliens.

Story :

After the end of first Tournament, the Liandri Corporation made a big load of money which was shared with New Earth Government to keep the flow of human cilivization. Now, after four months since the end of first Tournament, a civil war started between local factions (which will be introduced later). The conflict included humans, human-made robots and both alien races. All the zones that were used for fighting before and in Tournament were once again used as areas for this massive firefight. The reason for the civil war was following; “Due to the Na Pali being invaded by humans, which is planet that rightfully belongs to the Skaarj race (we’ll get to the races too, do not worry), they broke the peace treaty that was signed at the end of Skaarj-Human war.” Things were worse than they looked though, and it was found out that the second alien race known as ADVENT attacked Skaarj base close to their world. It’s an all out war...

Races & Factions :

This will be a long one. Note that few things won’t be corresponding with the lore of both games.

Races :

In this part, I will only talk about alien races. There are two big ones, and one minor. The big ones are races which are made out of more species, just so you know. I will use some texts from wiki, because I am lazy xP.

Skaarj :

Skaarj of the Skaarj Empire from planet Skrath. They are tall, powerful imperial reptilian race. They are born from eggs of the queen as ‘Pupae’ (the little disgusting thing in the middle), which will eventually mutate into 7-9′ tall monster you see in the picture. There are two types of Skaarj fighters. First is Warrior (the one on the green and blue ones), they are extremely agile and have strength of at least three men. Some of them have cybernetic implants, and many have blades, called Raziks, strapped or surgically affixed to their wrists; these weapons may also fire energy charges from between the blades. Then there is second variant of Skaarj fighter; Skaarj Trooper (You can see him behind the blue Skaarj Warrior). They are artificially made and are meant to be the support line as they use firearms made either by Skaarj or Humans, it doesn’t matter to them. There is a lot of variants of both types, all of them and more info about Skaarj can be found here https://unreal.fandom.com/wiki/Skaarj. Besides that Skaarj are also highly tribal race and divided into clans. Each clan of Skaarj is headed by a Queen (which has a central role in their society) and a Warlord (who leads the Skaarj in combat situations (Can be also seen on the picture, it is the tall one in the middle)). While Skaarj hate humans and tried fighting them three times, they were always defeated despite their efforts, so they eventually signed a peace treaty with them, the peace lasted for 90 years until now. When it comes to the ADVENT, their relationship with them is rather neutral, but there were signs of aggression between both.

As Skaarj are imperialistic race who enslave other races for either labor or fighting, there a few races which are under them.

1. Krall

They are a brown, lizard-like species with large spikes that are more primitive and feral than humans. Their home planet is unknown. Species originally It is a testament to their fighting skills that the Skaarj use them as warriors rather than slaves. The Krall social structure is too fragmented for them to become a major force on a large scale, but as individual fighters, they are truly formidable.

2. Brutes

Large but slow creatures who are part of Skaarj defense line just like Krall. Besides that, not much is known about them. Their origin, home planet nor how their race is truly called is known. They could be possibly artificially created creatures by Skaarj, but who knows really.

3. Nali

The Nali are a primitive race native to the planet Na Pali, as well as its former rulers. The Nali are deeply religious and spiritual and can often be found in heavy prayer. Sometimes their prayers are answered with the ability to teleport (however their ability is limited) or to open solid walls. They also are extremely timid, afraid of anyone who might attempt to harm their benevolent race. Many Nali have been enslaved by the Skaarj to work in the Rrajigar Mine to mine for Tarydium. As their religion forbids the use of violence the Nali could not resist being under Skaarj rule and were left to pray for their freedom. The Skaarj forbids the Nali to leave Rrajigar Mines, so the Nali were also placed under constant guard to prevent them from merely teleporting away to a safe haven.

ADVENT :

While ADVENT is coalition rather than race on it’s own, it’s made out of a fair amount of alien species and many humans and even Skaarj call ADVENT a race (despite the fact it’s not really true). They are being lead by psionically gifted creatures known as ‘Ethereals’ and are often being refered to as ‘Elders’.

Unlike Skaarj, ADVENT has no hatred towards humans and is looking rather for relationship and trading with them and since NEG is having enough problems with Skaarj already, they couldn’t say no to trading with each other. ADVENT even allowed human colonies in their territory, which was suspiciously great generosity from them, but it was better than open war with them.

And unlike Skaarj, they have been here only for few dozens of years and not much is known about them. Their true goals in Sector Phoenix are also unknown. There are sources of knowledge about them like databases, public studies and scientists’ logs... but also rumors and claims.

As mentioned before, ADVENT is made out of fair amount of aliens which were either created or enslaved just like the ones under Skaarj.

1. Genetically Engineered Humans

They are often refered to as ADVENT Troopers. According to the official statements, they are volunteers who willingly chose to serve the ADVENT, if it’s true or not is not known however. They make the backbone of ADVENT army. There are also different variants of Troopers, there is Officer, Shieldbearer, Priest, Stun Lancer, Purifier and General.

2. Sectoids

These originally used to be smaller typical ‘gray aliens’, in recent years however, they somehow grew and resemble humans far more. Physically, they are probably on the same measure as humans when it comes to height and strength, the only advantage they have over ordinary humans is the fact that they have the psionic gift which allows them to mind control lesser-willed beings including humans.

3. Vipers

Vipers are another species enthralled by the Elders. Despite their resemblance to terrestrial snakes, the Viper is actually a wholly extraterrestrial species unmodified by human DNA. Spitting poison and binding their victims make this alien dangerous just as any other alien on this list.

4. Mutons

A frontline unit of the ADVENT army. Standing over 6′6″, this humanoid creature is physically powerful and aggressive, but mentally weak. They appear to be the least intelligent, however, studies showed that their memory is imprinted with high amount of knowledge in combat tactics and weaponry.

5. Archon

According to the knowledge shared by scientists that are working in the ADVENT territory, this particular specimen is both mechanical and organic.  They have received extensive mechanical implants, including ones that replace the internal organs. Due to its modifications, there is no distinguishing line between mechanical and biological to describe this creature. The visual design of the Archon is based on the Egyptian gods, featuring ornate gold armor, a wreath-like design for its levitation jets and a muscular physique.

6. Chryssalid

Not much is known about these nasty creatures. The only knowledge we have is that they use to walk in packs, tend to burrow into the ground and their poison on the claws of theirs can affect any organic being as it is their only way of reproduction. Organics that are killed by a Chryssalid attack or die by the poison will become a cocoon; If the cocoon is not destroyed during the gestation period, up to three new Chryssalids will emerge from the cocoon. One of the scientist that studied them claims that their previous version’s way of reproduction used to be far scarier and nastier than now.

7. Berserker

The Berserker appears to be a larger, more heavily armored Muton. As a melee-only attacker, the Berserker relies on its superior health, defense and higher movement rate in order to close the distance between itself and its enemies; the Berserker also benefits from higher will than a basic Muton.

8. Chosen

Last but not least, we have three aliens of their own kind. People call them ‘The Chosen’. Since they all have humanish look, there are claims that these could be either created or remade humans. According to the knowledge gathered from the databases, they could be around 8′ tall if not more and are considered Elders’ ‘children’, which leads to a fact they are also considered siblings. The one with the hood is Hunter, an unmatched sniper according to the claims, it’s being said that he has a bit of jester-y behavior. The elder-looking one is Warlock, the most psionically gifted out of those three. He is, according to the rumors, ‘a bit crazy’, in what sense though, is not known. And last one is Assassin, one of the best swordsmen ever alive in ADVENT lines. She is told to be the most ‘normal’ when it comes to behavior unlike her siblings. According to logs, they also should have names, but they are not publicly known unfortunately.

There could be more alien species on both sides, but if there are, they are not known yet.

Necris :

Alien race which looks awfully close to humans, the only difference is the gray pale skin and completely white eyes without pupils (although there was a case with pupils spotted once in the Tournament), whether they human look is their true form or not is unknown. Their society is known as Phayder which declared guerrilla war againsts New Earth before. According to the claims, Necris are an alien race that was, "until now, rarely seen." Their thirst for fighting is given by very odd belief, The Necris, and thereby the Phayder, believe that they are bringing "salvation" to the universe, by giving others "purpose" through death.   They consider life to be a weakness and are grateful to the Nanoblack and the Necris Process for their present state of being.

Factions :

The civil war divided the sector into four factions :

Order of the Thunder

Commonly refered to as Order is the faction made purely out of humans fighting for the humanity and of course NEG. Their common enemy are Skaarj, but if provoked, they will fight ADVENT or even their own if there is need for it. They are well-armed, disciplined and will be protagonists of main story (Yes, I am thinking of making stories from this shit and yes, Chosen will be part of them, just so you Chosen lovers will be happy). There is also a fair amount of Tournament survivors confirmed to be among them.

Coalition

ADVENT’s faction. Same as Order, they want to fight the Skaarj as they believe that they could surely get something out of it too. However, they might get into conflict with Order too if they will not be careful enough as Order is zealous in their cause. They hope that such thing won’t happen, as they still see humans as good trade partners.

Raziks

Skaarj faction. They are willing to fight humanity once again and believe that this time, they will finally win and claim humanity as their slaves as they did it with already mentioned races under them. Since ADVENT attacked their base, they will be divided into two fronts, more Warriors will be deployed againsts Coalition and more Troopers againsts Order.

Mercs

“Sure we’ll fight... as long as the payment’s good.” Motto of every member of Mercs. Mercs are neutral faction and will fight for whoever will pay them high enough to do so. The faction is made out of humans, robots and aliens. Some of them are fighting only for money. Some for money and fun. Some for money and glory. There will be money in every case though, as it is with every mercenary. Most of the time, they were working for Liandri Corporation, there is even an evidence that some fought in the Tournament. They have their own armies, bases and even infrastructure which makes them rather a Private Military Company rather than just Mercenaries, it is obvious that Liandri pays them rather well.

That’s it for today, I originally wanted to add something more, but I can always add that later. I was working on this whole day, so I hope you’ll enjoy this ‘small’ piece from me after a long time. I have also in plan to add Arsenal eventually, which is the content I wanted to originally add, however... I am tired now. I’ll take another half-year long pause from writing. :P (just kidding lol)

#CrossOver #xcom #xcom 2 #xcom 2 war of the chosen #chosen #aliens #unreal #unreal tournament #sci-fi #lore #skaarj

[asterlizard]

UK trip summer 2019

(Argh! I’m sorry for the delay! I meant to finish this back in June, but I haven’t had much time to finally get around to it)

I haven’t been to the UK in 3 years, and while the feelings were admittedly mixed, because it involved a lot of cleaning up and donations of my grandparents’ items, I did get to have a bit of fun and do some new things on this trip.

Our flight would leave in the middle of the day, but we still had to wake up early so that we could arrive at the airport, do airport security, and get to our boarding gate in plenty of time.

This started off by waking up at around 7:00 in order to meet a Lyft driver (for a first time rideshare, Uber failed to find someone for us) who would take us to a bus stop, which would take us directly to the airport.

As we were arriving at SFO, I could have sworn I saw some beehives in a patch of grass between the weaving roads. However, researching it doesn’t seem to bring up anything. Hmm...

I was looking forward to eating pizza at the selection of restaurants before the security checkout, but unfortunately it was closed, and all of the other restaurants seemed to have been replaced. So the only thing that appealed to me then was Chinese food. It was pretty tasty though.

The entertainment on the flight was a little different than what I’m used to (then again I haven’t flown in a few years). They had more limited music options, and the only decade available was the 80s. I could also zoom in anywhere on the map, which is a horrible distraction for someone like me :P Also, the food was pretty tasty, especially the mango sorbet, which was the definite winner for me :P

Cool view of Alcatraz just before we flew past it

I witnessed an airplane halo, also known as a ‘glory’!

Since we travelled light, we didn’t have to wait to collect our luggage afterwards. We also breezed through the passport check, since we’re British citizens.

I like this mirror effect, but the distortion made it extra cool

At this point, it was 7 in the morning, and we had to meet up with a family friend who lives in London, where we would stay at overnight before progressing to our destination. Along the way I saw some students using the Tube to get to school (it was a school day after all). This was kinda interesting as someone who grew up in America and never had to wear a school uniform.

We actually had to meet our friend by walking from the nearest Tube station to her house (which is fine, I don’t mind walking! Especially after a 9 hour flight). Not long after we met up, she showed me this little fox sleeping outside her window (I don’t think I’ve ever seen one in person before!) It likes to do this when the sun is out. Unfortunately for it, it was sleeping next to a couple of squawking magpies.

We then went on a short walk along the canal. There we saw a swan family and a coot family (and babies!!)

We would then head over to the British Museum. Our friend told us in advance that it would be hosting a manga exhibit, and we arrived the day after it debuted. Just before heading over, she brings up that the Rosetta Stone was also there. I didn’t anticipate this, because I thought it was held in a different museum. So I was getting more excited to see the Rosetta Stone over seeing the manga exhibit xD (I joked that I was about to meet my ‘rock star’)

It was about ￡20 to enter the exhibit, so only I went, while our friend and mum explored the rest of the museum. The exhibit started off with a ‘trip down the rabbit hole’, in reference to perhaps the most influential British work in Japanese media, Alice in Wonderland, and its appearances in manga over the years.

Then it showed the history of manga, manga influences, a brief manga how-to, and genres of manga. I saw some familiar works, like Astro Boy, DragonBall, Sailor Moon, a work from the creator of Akira, One Piece, Golden Kamui, Saint Young Men, etc. I also saw some works that I've never encountered that I'm interested in (a rugby manga, a wheelchair rugby manga coming soon, a murder mystery manga at the British museum, a manga about a saxophonist)

There were also some video exhibits, whether it's clips from anime next to their respective manga, creators/staff talking about their creative process, artists drawing their manga, or a series of clips from Ghibli films, but you weren't allowed to take pics of these.

At one point, I even saw an Attack on Titan cosplayer! (ready to take down the giant inflatable titan head I presume)

It’s difficult to read, but this is Morohoshi Daijiro, and it says that Hayao Miyazaki was strongly influenced by him. I’ll have to look at his stuff sometime.

I probably spent about two hours in there, longer than I expected. Admittedly I was tired, and my legs were getting sore, and a little over half an hour before I was done I needed a loo. I was feeling all sorts of physically gross at this point, and I had no idea how much of the exhibit I was actually absorbing even though I tried.

Before the end of the exhibit, I waited in line to get a photo taken, so the machine would add a comic-like gradient to it and insert it into a comic panel. Once I was done, I made a beeline to the nearest loo (for a split moment I panicked that they would be the ‘pay-to-use’ loos, and I didn’t have any money on me, as all of my stuff was with mum, thankfully it wasn’t).

After meeting back with mum and our friend, we headed back to our friend’s home, as I was feeling too exhausted to do anything else.

By the way, I did get to see the Rosetta Stone, but I would need to see it again when I’m not jet-lagged and there’s less people. By the way, I also learned that the figures on the pediment over the British Museum were created by my ancestor, so... y’know, there’s another reason to revisit the place.

I finally went to bed after some dinner, dessert, and a refreshing shower. I had been awake for about 32 hours!

The next day, mum and I stocked up on food (most of which I missed after a long time of not eating them. I still wish I could eat them more often!) and travelled by train to our destination.

The train also was different than what I’m used to. The livery is different, and instead of there being a ticket(?) on the top of an occupied seat, there was a red/green light above the window that indicated whether the seat was occupied or not.

At some point our passenger neighbours were cracking up and couldn’t stop laughing, which was contagious enough for me and a few other strangers to laugh. It was a great moment. When we arrived, we met up with my aunt, uncle, and cousin, and we had fish and chips and a good chat.

The day after we arrived, we already got started with clearing my grandparents’ house. At this point, I already made peace with the fact that we would need to sell the place (nobody in the family wanted it, plus it needed a lot of work done to it, which would have been pretty costly). Unfortunately, because they had a lot of things, we had to be a bit ruthless with what we had to get rid of, because we certainly couldn’t keep it all. I also let go of a few things I grew up with that I was willing to part with and donate. Still there were several items we were able to keep and bring home with us. Thankfully mum’s friends also would try and keep other things for us. It was still a bit of a heartbreaking process though.

I also finally (after a long time) had a 99! It feels good to walk into an ice cream shop and order one, and they'll know what you're talking about :P

Speaking of food, according to my friend, it’s apparently a crime that I haven’t been to a Gregg’s yet, so I tried some of their food, which were delicious! Unfortunately, they didn’t have an iced split, which my friend has, and is apparently really good. (I love international chats, because my friend can say something like 'try a 99 with monkey blood', and it will make no sense to non-Brits) Even the berries are tastier here! idk if it’s because we’re closer to berry farms, but they’re sweeter and juicier than the ones I get back in America.

Speaking of which, the shops in town are different than what I remember. Only a few places I visit regularly remained.

I also got to see a circus for the first time. Although the acts were amazing, my favourite part of the show, believe it or not, were the clown segments. They consisted of a father and 10-year son duo, and the antics were amusing (the duo trying to run and hug each other but missing and in the end hug ‘around’ each other instead, the father getting an audience member to throw a potato onto a carving fork held in his mouth and epically missing, the father getting some audience members to ride an invisible motorbike with him, etc) Unfortunately the show did have some strobe lights and animal segments (even if they weren’t hurting them, I still don’t see the appeal of watching wild animals doing unnatural things :/ )

One of the things that hadn’t changed was our local cobbler still being in business. Even before the trip, mum wanted to pay him a visit so that he could repair her shoes. He's one of the last relics of the old town, he's 78, and has worked for 57 years including 7 years as an apprentice. He was even one of mum’s first memories from when she was small! There’s something charming about a town shoe shop having several piles of stuff, topped with a huge pile of shoes and the smell of glue and shoe polish while a shoe repair motor runs in the background :)

The local bookshop owner also had a charming shop, with piles of books everywhere. And yes, it’s so small and narrow, only one person at a time can visit. We visited his place a few times to donate most of my grandparents’ books, as well as old items like maps and photographs. We can breathe a sigh of relief that they will be protected and given a new home.

Went for a 2.5 hour walk, first along the beach, then through a newer and more secluded area of town that I’ve never visited before (I ALMOST saw a robin, I’ve only seen the American robin in person)

At one point after shopping, I was holding a leek in my hand, and a lady passing by quipped to me, “I know we’re Welsh, but that’s a bit excessive” :P

Also, idk what made me think of it, but I imagined, instead of dog shows, there would be snail shows. It would last for hours, walking the snail would last for 10 minutes instead of 10 seconds, and the awards would be something like: 'Largest Snail', 'Fastest Snail', 'Hungriest Snail', 'Perkiest Snail', 'Longest Antennae'...

>:U

(I took quite a few panorama shots during this trip)

Unfortunately, a pathway I like to take was closed off

We visited some friends of ours, and some friends of ours visited us. My family and I also did a little burial ceremony for my grandparents (originally mum wanted to buy sweet pea flowers, as they were my grandmother’s favourite. I then ask if my grandfather had a favourite flower. Mum didn’t really know, but she did remember he would always buy my grandmother a rose because he loved her so much. So we bought a red rose as well (afterwards I learned from a friend that sweet pea flowers are a symbol of protection and goodbyes, which is INCREDIBLY SWEET BUT SAD 😭))

The next day we had miserable weather due to Storm Miguel. It was surprisingly the only bad day we had weather-wise. And yet, for some reason mum and I decided to eat out at an Indian restaurant (the food was pretty tasty)

During most of the trip, my family have been fervently trying to research who the people in my grandparents’ paintings were and how they were connected to my family. The only thing I got out of it so far is that my family might be more Scottish that I thought!

Went shopping in Carmarthen (and crossed a bridge next to some sheep, close enough to hear them), but I had to make a train that arrived half an hour after I woke up! Ate at Pizza Express (the food was tasty, but the strawberry still lemonade was PERFECT) Unfortunately we had to cut our shopping time short, because our earliest trains to catch were at around 14:30 and 17:30, and we would rather get back home as soon as possible. We were able to get most of what we wanted though.

One day while I was hanging out with my younger cousin (we chatted a lot during the trip, he does Irish dancing, and he taught me the difference between the different dances), he introduced a couple of fun games that the family got to play: Camping, and Spoons

Camping: Preferably played with 3 or more people It's a rotation game in which the rest of the group has to figure out what the leader's pattern is Starting with the leader, each person says 'I'm gonna go camping, and I'm gonna bring...' and then a noun. When the leader says their phrase and noun, they have an unspoken pattern they decided to follow, whether it's a bit of subtle body language they make while saying it, or if it has to do with the nouns themselves. The next person then says the phrase and a noun in hopes that they will follow the pattern. If they do, the leader will respond to their phrase, 'you can come', otherwise 'you can't come'. After the pattern is revealed, the next person becomes the leader, and the cycle continues. Players are allowed to guess the pattern depending on how many people got it (eg: you are allowed to ask for hints if stumped, and if everybody gets it, the pattern can be revealed) In hard mode, if your attempt is part of the pattern, regardless of whether you know the pattern or not, you have to sit out the rest of the game. (examples of patterns: saying whatever while having both feet on the floor and hands on lap, dog breeds, alphabetical succession between players (eg: 'hedgehog', 'iodine', 'Jamaica'...), the nouns have to begin with the same letter as your eye colour (lol I never got this one because I don't regularly make eye contact with people), the noun has to begin with the same letter as the cardinal direction you're facing, the noun has to begin with the same letter as the colour shirt the player after you is wearing)

Spoons: Preferably played with 3-13 people It's a game of speed, similar to musical chairs There are n-1 spoons in the middle of the table for n number of players and n number of ranks One player becomes the leader, in which they shuffle the cards and deal four per player. When the leader says 'go', every player including the leader removes a card and places it for the person to their left to grab, while each player must always end up with four cards per 'go' (when saying 'go', the key is that there shouldn't be much time for thinking, the game must move quickly, but there should be about a second or two to organize your cards if needs be, so roughly every 3-5 seconds per 'go') If a player has four of one rank, they must grab a spoon, and all of the other players must grab a remaining spoon as quickly as possible, in the hopes that they won't be the last player without a spoon A player that ends up without a spoon loses a life, and after three lives are up, they're out of the game. With this, a spoon and a group of four of a rank also sit out of the game When it's down to two players, one of the players sitting out must shuffle the remaining deck, so that the two remaining players don't know what kind of deck to expect, and say 'go'

Went for a lovely walk near the beach

Tiny friends!

Ah yes, this bed of rocks looks comfortable to sit on...

I also got to finally try a 99 with monkey blood, though the syrup isn’t called monkey blood where I’m from apparently. Mum and I also tried to feed the sparrows, but larger birds were lurking and wanted to sabotage the efforts.

After some final decisions on what to bring and what to keep, mum and I left the house for what might have been the last time. We will miss it though. I did take some videos of the place not long before we arrived, as a kind of snapshot of the place, not only for memory, but for a potential reference in one of my stories.

At the airport, I got a pat down for the first time in my life because I had worn the wrong trousers that had more metallic fixings on them >:[

During the flight, I chose a better selection of films on the plane:

旅猫リポート: Cute but kinda sad film about the life of the man who adopted a cat and why he has to give it away to someone he can trust.

Christopher Robin: Very charming film, and the British wildlife scenery was depicted beautifully

Wonder Woman: Well-written film

(I’m curious to know where this is near London)

Overall, this trip was different than what I’m used to, not just because it was less of a family visit, but rather a lot of aspects of what I’m used to have changed a lot over the years. I’m hoping, even if I never live in that house anymore, that I can still pay the town a visit somehow in the future, as it’s still a dear place to me that I had grown up with all my life.

#my posts #my photos #sorry this post is a little more disorganized than before #1) it's been a while since I wrote a travel post #2) tumblr kept undoing my progress several times which was aggravating #I might do a part 2 post with photos from my proper camera #the photos in this post are all from my mobile

[onefellsw00p]

wasn’t tagged but felt like doing this

i saw @harryinmexico do this and i did it because i can and no one can stop me.

1. nickname: usually Em or sometimes Emmie.

2. gender: woman!

3. zodiac: taurus

4. height: 5’6

5. age: 16

6. time: 11:11 pm (i wished for a good time at the harry concert)

7. favorite bands/ solo artists: harry styles, cave town, p!atd, saint motel, lady gaga, glass animals (but i listen to a lot of tunes from my childhood, like early 2000s)

8. song stuck in my head: dan deacon, when i was done dying

9. last movie i saw: last NEW movie i watched was Incredibles 2, but the last movie i watched was the Prince of Egypt

10. last thing i googled: “how to eat in minecraft”

11. other blogs: i have one for animal crossing stuff, one for fashion, and one for recipes and food

12. do i get asks: nope. absolutely not. i’ve gotten 7 in the 5 years i’ve been on tumblr

13. why i chose my username: it used to be planet-kid, which is a reference to a kickthepj youtube video. i don’t really watch him anymore and i wanted to change my “branding” so i thought of an interesting sounding name and changed all my social medias to it

14. following #: 1147. i don’t like half of them and i REALLY need to go through them all

15. average amount of sleep: on breaks, 6-8. during school, 3-4

16. lucky number: 8 or 81

17. what am i wearing: a ribbed black short romper type thing

18. dream job: some kind of artist or animator. it’s the one thing i’m sort of passionate about

19. dream trip: road trip with my big cousin and my best friends. new york city hotel from home alone 2.

20: favorite food: chips and salsa. but really anything spicy. i survive on panda express and my local mexican restaurant.

21. play any instruments: nope, except the recorder

22. favorite song: perfect illusion by gaga, or fanfare by the magic city hippies

23. played any sports: as a kid i played softball, soccer, and basketball. basketball was my favorite and i play every now and then

24. hair color: just dark brown

25. eye color: greeny blue

26. language i speak/am learning: i’m only fluent in english, but i’m learning german and ASL.

27. random fact: bitch i only have 9 toes

28: describe myself as an aesthetic/ things: that feeling you get when you miss a step except all the time. BRATZ movie dvd found in a gas station bathroom. always wears seatbelt. high schooler who is broke so only wears t shirts that she bought from hot topic in the 7th grade. bad poetry. dr. pepper always. queer eye. i just exist with the only purpose being to be sort of nice

#sorry about this! i was bored so im throwing this into the planet! #about me

[disaffectednotes]

Corona & culture / cultural studies - Scattergun virus thoughts

Putting some scattered thoughts down, largely inspired by a steady diet of high-fibre podcasts in recent weeks. These notes are fragments, really, and hardly add up to more than passing thoughts, given the unfolding situation and the partiality of any knowledge right now. I’ve noticed in myself the will to “master” the situation by consuming as much information as possible – even as I know this will inevitably fail. Perhaps the following can be read in the same spirit of failed mastery, or to sublimate the anxious energy that’s all around...

“We’re all in this together.” The virus as the “great equaliser.” Such appeals to the common good and common ground have been… common. War mobilisation rhetoric is also doing the same work of unifying the disparate population. At the same time, disgruntled jokes are made about celebrities and royals getting tests when frontline medical staff cannot. It’s also clear that this virus will rip through some communities more than others, as reporting this weekend about effects in black communities in the US has made clear. Arundhati Roy also made this clear too in her excellent piece for the FT this weekend. India is only just at the start of this. The economic crisis has reached many poorer countries before the virus itself hits.

On the cultural level, some of this mobilisation of fellow-feeling and resentment has been played out through celebrity culture (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/30/arts/virus-celebrities.html). There will be people on this list more expert in celebrity culture than me (paging Celebrity Studies scholars), but commentary is engaging in the cyclical argument about how this will be the end of celebrities. As if seeing in 1080p the smooth interiors behind celebrities cocooning at home will rupture the culture industry and the star system. And yet, the hatred is real. “The film Parasite, in which a poor South Korean family cleverly cons its way into the home of a rich one, has been converted into a well-worn social-media retort whenever celebrities offer glimpses inside their own manses; the reference succeeds partly because so many superrich people have such blandly similar minimalist homes.”

More abstractly – how do the universal and the particular interact in this moment? We seem to have the interaction of universalism in the sense of appeals to and mobilisations of public health (with its birth as a discipline in Soviet healthcare, no less) and the particularity of suffering.

Closer to the question of Cultural Studies as an intellectual formation: what reconfiguration of economy, culture, society etc might follow from this. After the financial crisis a decade ago, there was, no doubt, a new opening onto political economy in cultural studies. As Randy Martin put it in 2015, “the very architecture by which knowledge of the social has been made legible – the grand trinity that partitions economy, polity and culture – has come undone, and from these ruins issue all manner of challenge and possibility.” Of course, this pandemic event adds another dimension to the broken trinity – or, put differently, where do quasi-natural factors like novel viruses fit in the trinity? Chuang and Rob Wallace suggest the historic spread of pandemics cannot be untied from urban development, intensive agriculture and capitalist markets. If there’s no unsullied “nature” outside global capitalism, this also suggests the open question of whether this is an exogenous or endogenous shock to an interlocked world system.

Another plank of this concerns the status of the “economy” as an object, and what its abstract claim is on politics (in our really-existing world of market-dependence, obviously). E.g. the increasing attempts to weigh up the economic cost of lockdowns vs care of population. Already as part of a wide-spread legitimacy crisis post-2007-8, there was a growing sense, I think, that people did not see their lives reflected in GDP figures (see Will Davies on this). Sure, the numbers are going up, people seemed to say en masse, but I’m not seeing that in my life. Wellbeing budgets (e.g. NZ and UK) were one attempt to deliver a fix for this gap between lived experience and economic indicators.

What is being asked for here is an unprecedented global demobilisation and isolation, almost concurrently. There’s anxiety about this. It’s unknown territory. Above all, those clamouring for a return to the Service of Goods right now seem to be desperately ensnared by the oikodicy that Joseph Vogl talks about. “A theodicy of the economic universe: the inner consistency of an economic doctrine that—rightly or wrongly, for good or ill—views contradictions, adverse effects, and breakdowns in the system as eminently compatible with its sound institutional arrangement.” Nothing needs to change; just get the people back to their stations and everything can carry on. The hangover from this governmental largesse will surely come in the form of austerity lashings for many.

On the conjuncture in which this virus appeared – it seems important to remember the crisis of legitimacy that has been underway (at least) since the last financial crisis. This has had several effects, I think, on trust in politicians and trust in experts. Lockdowns have played out in rather draconian ways, I think, because flows of trust between citizenry and state are at low levels. (Equally in those countries that English-language media are lumping together as “Asian” or “East Asian”.) The US and the UK have fumbled their management terribly, and lost a lot of time to quell the virus in the process. Aside from the obvious political disaffection and so on surrounding elected officials, there was already an epistemological crisis surrounding the “expert” and expertise, the media and information sources — and now? It seems to be going in two directions. In some ways, epidemiologists and other public health actors seem to be trusted; in part, they seem to be figures of faith for acting in the best interests of the public / society / everyone. Goodwill seems to be carrying their message through, helped by endless news reports of deaths. And yet conspiracy theories continue to be rife – 40% of US Republicans believe the virus is a Chinese concoction from a lab; on the weekend, we’ve seen 5g mobile towers burned in the UK in some sort of anti-tech connection with China. It will also be interesting to watch the anti-vaxxer groups in the wake of this, themselves one of the chief symptoms of a rear-guard response to the epistemological crisis around science.

At the level of everyday life, it will be interesting to experience the new tempos and rhythms of everyday life that will come out the other side of this. Obviously, people are right now being enlisted in a series of new habits around social distance, but time is also being enlisted too. We check the news to see updates on the length of lockdowns, the next meetings, the rise over the past 24hours. Morbid scoreboards measure out days and deaths, for our fascination and horror. We hear that lockdowns will come ago. Six weeks, two weeks, maybe six months, up to two years, maybe five years. Yet the future as a space of projection feels utterly blank. Who can plan anything, other than as a coping mechanism with an asterisk of a disclaimer (to be confirmed)? Epidemiological metaphors, otherwise describing dynamics visualised on graphs, have slid into the language with almost universal recognition. Flatten the curve (even in German they say this, auf Englisch). Now people speak casually about “the hammer and the dance.”

Another cultural question of everyday life – what will survive of neighbourhood businesses, given the economic ruin that is already evident in unemployment statistics and massive companies going on rent strike. In Berlin, neighbourhood places like cinemas, bars, restaurants and cafes, unable to open for weeks, have taken to asking people to support them by buying vouchers and merchandise online. Cancelled gigs and events ask people who can afford to ignore refund, so that music venues and theatres and promoters and artists can come out the other side. I’m sure similar things are happening elsewhere. But there’s a chance this could alter the face of local communities (in places already changed by gentrification, no doubt, and other processes).

Equally – what will cultural policy and support for cultural industries and artists look like? Responses already seem divergent. Germany has trumpeted a huge package of money for operators at all sizes (https://news.artnet.com/art-world/berlin-senate-bailout-process-1820982 & https://news.artnet.com/art-world/german-bailout-50-billion-1815396). In Berlin, bookshops are essential services and remain open. In Australia, the other case I know something about, anxiety was rising before the lockdown that this could decimate those artists already struggling with high costs of living and piecemeal work (https://www.themonthly.com.au/blog/anwen-crawford/2020/19/2020/1584580982/coronavirus-cancelling-culture). I don’t know that any systematic response has emerged to this situation from the Australian government(s). Meanwhile, Jerry Saltz suggests the art world could look different after this – https://www.vulture.com/_pages/ck8ivxorc0000yeyerntsmxxj.html. By that we can also include the mass sackings of culture workers with barely any hope of reinstatement anytime soon – https://hyperallergic.com/551571/moma-educator-contracts/

I wonder if there might be a new “paranoid style” in culture and everyday life. What does life look like after we have been so thoroughly inculcated into logics of the other (and self) as virus vectors? It seems hard to imagine that sociability will not be affected by this sustained mentality. I imagine there could be an ecstatic return of sociability? Matched with paranoid moments? Prevailing at different points? Except, I think we already being prepared for a staged return to normal social mixing. So the ecstatic moment may not come. People wonder out loud too about parallel epidemics of loneliness and mental health from weeks of limited social contacts.

In cultural production, it will be interesting to see how this paranoid style might play out in formal and generic novelties, rather than simply the pandemic *content* that will be pushed through the Netflix pipe. The “bottle episode” format might become even more of a mainstay. And the lockdown nostalgia genre (like the “blitz spirit”) is probably already in the making. Will “flatten the curve” become “keep calm and carry on” kitsch?

It’s interesting to watch what Adam Tooze called a clumsy rewiring of globalisation – where Zoom comes to the fore as platform, where relations to flying around the world become more fraught and second-guessed. This ad hoc reconstitution of institutional and individual practices is obviously apparent at universities. It will be fascinating to see what the afterlife of this moment will be in the sector. Again, like the ecstasy of reunion with friends (and strangers), will the metaphysics of presence reassert itself as a thousand and one postponed conferences are launched onto the market for papers and academic attention? Or will the convenient and environmentally sustainable virtual conference finally become more acceptable? For those at a distance from the conference centres of the northern hemisphere, there’s been a certain obliviousness among, e.g., European academics about the many costs involved in travelling from, e.g., Australia for a conference. The Fridays for Future movement and others had already instilled greater awareness about this; so perhaps this accelerated acquaintance with these technologies will make the option viable. I’ve been part of several online reading groups already in the past fortnight, and their decentralisation has been inspiring. For example, one group hosted in Ireland had its largest number of participants in India and Israel. Obviously cultural, symbolic and financial capital will continue to accrue among the big-name academic cities and campuses, but these initiatives have opened onto new constellations of community, discussion and collective endeavour.

What are the subjective effects of all this? Some psychoanalysts co-wrote a letter a couple of weeks ago about their patients with some striking insights.

“And yet, against the predominant narrative of trauma and the dangers of isolation, we find many patients who are doing fine or even doing better, who like externalized chaos, or whose melancholia is abated by the nearness of death and reproach; those who are used to doing their own thing and who find their anxiety and sadness contained and cohered by the pervasive force of a virus that shuts all down. We hear those who have longed for everything to be cancelled, for life as we know it to be paused, hushed and stopped, even to the point of daring to express their own desire to, in fantasy, be one of the affected, which is to say, infected. Many admit that they are feeling strangely fine—no more FOMO—and even a few are looking forward to enjoying the spiteful reality that the virus effects all, rich and poor. Beyond this, there might seem very little worth saying. Some now don’t talk at all in session, while indicating that they are talking all the time, like the run on social media. Symptoms, despite so many breaks in the fabric of reality, persist, sometimes blindly and deafeningly so; it feels crushing. The continued contact can be important, but perhaps only for that—to know the analyst is still there.”

Other things to say… but I’m running out of steam and you’re probably running out of patience… so now in the form of suggestive promissory notes for further thoughts…

These ideas all came from listening to Adam Tooze talk about the current crisis and how it compares to 2008: Incoherent American power — soft power and culture yet literal bankruptcy of American social model, meanwhile Fed is efficiently fighting spotfires and Trump is a clown show; running 2008 playbook but at high speed; public balance sheet taking over from private again; fiscal conservatism as cross to nail progressive politics to cross for years; expansionary fiscal policy nationally vs contractions and austerity locally; emerging markets pressure (South Africa — immunosuppressed HIV population + downgrade of currency); timing of crisis with oil shock and uncertain global supply chains; car-making is dead right now; VW is worried about liquidity; what might bailout conditions be?; German governments talking about mass buying VW electric cars to ensure work when factories can reopen, while aiding in VW’s need to increase electric sales.

Media companies — some experiencing a massive boost in visitors right now, but with drop off in advertising. Who wants to sell stuff next to death charts? Who is in mood for big spending? Media outlets cutting staff or closing.

Mutual aid groups and solidarity networks have sprung up informally – and been mirrored formally by state calls for volunteers. This puts me in mind of the anarchist / horizontalist moment of Occupy a decade ago. Then, since, the return to state by activists for Corbyn and Sanders. What now?

Also, what do social movements do to respond to what will be inevitably be an uneven roll out of crisis response? Plus, the draconian enrolment of police and military, with powers for six months to two years? How do groups organise against that? What are the forms of creative protest in times of physical distance? Cementing affected and affective communities somehow – maybe seeding these online to go “live” when restrictions are lifted. Thinking also about ACT UP and other social movements – e.g. How to Survive A Plague. Those movements, internationally, put their bodies on the line, staged die ins during AIDS-HIV crisis. Militant disobedience might be demanded to get better crisis response. (Sidebar: Fauci and Birx, both experts on HIV and AIDS; Fauci was targeted by ACT UP but was sympathetic.) Some small protests in Berlin on the streets in recent weeks, using social distancing. Calling on politicians and population not to forget refugees at EU’s borders. Others occupying empty apartments (& Airbnb) to call for homeless relief. Also, what could cultural protest look like right now? (https://hyperallergic.com/550091/illuminator-covid-19/).

What might the crisis do for an ethics of care – and awareness of social reproduction too. Some public health thinkers have talked about “social immunity,” particularly in the US. And the flipside seems to be the social contagion that Chuang invoke. (No doubt here all the biopolitical debates come up again, e.g. Esposito on immunity)

And there’s been interesting work on geographies of movement and exclusion. Various visualisations of how the virus moves around the world and what this illustrates about travel, business, leisure etc today. But also the unevenly distributed luxury of working from home – the NY Times piece about poorer workers in NY moving around the city much more than the knowledge workers who could “shelter in place”. Five bus drivers have died in the UK. Meanwhile, in Germany, the former socialist eastern part of the country has far fewer cases. This once again underlines a deeply sensed feeling of stasis – both a distance from the cosmopolitan cultural power of an EU-level project but also the literal (comparative) lack of infrastructure for things such as fast-speed rail links between cities from eastern German states into western states and beyond into other parts of Europe.

No doubt these reflections are parochial and limited, drawn from what has most captured my attention – selfishly – in a truly global crisis, and one with many months to run….

For rolling lists of good discussions on these topics:

https://the-syllabus.com/coronavirus-readings/

https://yourpart.eu/p/QuarantineSchool_COVID19

#covid_19 #covid-19 #coronavirus #corona

[sage-nebula]

Choi family post-canon headcanons

For the purposes of this post, “post-canon” refers to everything after the Secret Endings of Original Story. Another Story has absolutely no bearing here, neither do the other routes. Additionally, my MC was always MC 4, so in the event that she is mentioned, please keep that in mind as well, thanks. :)

As mentioned in another post of mine, both Choi twins end up attending therapy after the Secret Endings. Saeran is the first to go, after he takes some time to get acclimated to living in society / away from Mint Eye (and fully detoxes the drug he was addicted to for so long). Saeyoung attends some of these sessions with him, with his permission; the presence of a therapist helps them work through some lingering issues between them, as well as gives both of them the time and opportunity to find ways to work through their shared trauma of their childhood together. (Plus, it helps Saeyoung continue to help Saeran at home.) Additionally, however, Saeyoung also attends some individual sessions, so that he can get help working through some of his unique traumas, as well as his chronic severe depression. Both boys attend therapy for years, and it helps a great deal.

Saeran never attended school of any kind due to the abuse and torture he endured for pretty much his entire life. As a result, not only does he not have any degrees, but his knowledge is very spotty. He knows how to hack thanks to Rika making him learn, and obviously he can talk, read, and write . . . but that’s about it. Because of this, once Saeran has had some time to get acclimated and heal a bit, Saeyoung begins teaching him what he needs to know in order to get a high school equivalency degree. Again, Saeran has a good grasp of computers and mathematics, but Saeyoung teaches him history, geography, various sciences, some literature, some languages (particularly English, since that would be a useful one to know), et cetera. Saeran completes a high school equivalency correspondence course thanks to Saeyoung’s dedicated and patient teaching, and not only is Saeyoung quite proud of him, but for the first time in his life, Saeran feels as though he’s accomplished something real.

On that note, he probably got it under an alias. This might be where the name “Ray” comes into play in Original Story, because remember, the Saeran of Original Story / Secret Endings does not have DID / multiple identities. Getting a degree with the name Choi Saeran might be dangerous, if their father is still keeping an eye out for them, so he might get it under the name Choi Ray instead. To be fair, Saeyoung’s degrees probably have the name Choi Luciel on them, so it isn’t that farfetched. If nothing else, Saeyoung has demonstrated marked hypervigilance, so I could see him prodding Saeran to use an alias just in case. Better safe than sorry, and all that.

Also, this doesn’t have anything to do with the degree, but Saeyoung also teaches Saeran how to drive. He’s a bit nervous at first, letting Saeran drive one of his baby cars as practice, but he’s right there in the passenger seat and can quickly grab the wheel if anything goes wrong. Saeran does end up getting his license, but in all honesty he doesn’t like driving very much. It’s more knowledge for emergencies rather than anything else, and everyone in the family is happy with this arrangement.

Schooling doesn’t have to end there, though. By this point Saeran has been free for a couple years, so Saeyoung suggests that, since Saeran has a high school degree now, he should try university. Saeran doesn’t know what he wants to pursue in university, but Saeyoung assures him that this is fine. He can take a lot of different courses to see what he likes. Saeran is hesitant, but ultimately he agrees.

He attends a small university, where the classes are smaller and more personalized, rather than being giant lecture halls. MC, who due to her own circumstances had also never been to university, enrolls as well and signs up for all the same gen ed courses he’s in. She says that she does need the classes anyway, they’re general education requirements, and she wants to do this for herself, but Saeran gets the feeling that she’s really doing it because she wants to be there to give him support, so that he has at least one person in the class that he knows and is comfortable with. MC won’t admit it, and neither will Saeyoung, but he’s not wrong.

That said, MC goes to university so that she can get into graphic and digital design. It’s something that’s always been interested in, and not only does she want to learn more about computers (Saeran is teaching her some hacking on the side, since she wants to be helpful in the event of another crisis, and Saeyoung heavily looks down on hacking and grows upset when he remembers the things he used to do, so MC doesn’t want to trouble him by asking him to show her), but she wants to be able to create art and marketing materials for Saeyoung’s toy shop. So eventually she does have to take some classes separately from Saeran, but at first they’re in all the same ones, and they often pass each other notes during class / help each other out with homework and the like.

Saeran tests the waters with many different potential majors, trying out all sorts of things, and not hesitating to drop classes if they end up not impressing him. It takes him a bit longer than usual to graduate because of this (he graduates after MC, even though they entered at the same time), but eventually he ends up enrolling in a culinary course, and he really likes it. He pursues more culinary classes and ends up majoring in the school’s culinary program, with Saeyoung and MC both happily taste testing his assignments for him at home. Cooking calms him, it rewards him with delicious food at the end of it, and it also makes others happy with him. In his mind, it’s perfect.

When Saeran graduates, Saeyoung makes sure everyone from the RFA (which includes Vanderwood by this point) is there to cheer for him. And they are---they do. Everyone cheers for him, so that when Saeran gets his diploma, he looks out into the crowd and sees that he has a whole family there cheering for him, but none louder than his brother. Saeyoung is on his feet as he applauds---he even jumps once or twice, and he definitely shouts, “Yeah, that’s my brother!!” when Saeran gets his diploma. Saeran is a little embarrassed by this, especially since Saeyoung definitely has some overjoyed / happy tears in his eyes, but he can’t deny that it makes him feel loved and truly supported, too. Afterward there’s a huge party, and though Saeran offers to cook, everyone says no, they’re going out to eat, they can’t make him cook for his own celebratory dinner, that would be so rude!!

Saeyoung, as he states in Secret Ending 2, quits hacking after Saeran is rescued. He no longer works for the agency, he no longer does any freelance hacking jobs. However, he also didn’t do anything else during the first couple years, because he wanted to help Saeran get his high school equivalency degree, wanted to make sure Saeran got into a good university, et cetera. And this is fine; Saeyoung had tons of money saved up, as he tells Vanderwood. He doesn’t need to work right away. However, once Saeran enters university, Saeyoung starts work on opening up his own toy shop. It takes about a year (opening a new business is hard; there is so much work that goes into it, and plus, he has to make all the toys!), but he succeeds. It’s a small little shop, and unlike his dream, it isn’t built like an actual bunker (i.e., customers can get in without saying a passcode in Arabic :P). But it’s his, and it’s something he’s always dreamed of doing, and MC helps him run it (+ creates all of the graphic design that goes into promoting it). It’s a dream come true for him.

Saeran, meanwhile, has his culinary degree . . . but the restaurant business is highkey stressful, and not exactly the best for someone with his background. Saeyoung is still rich, so Saeran doesn’t really have to get a job, but he still does want to help out . . . and so what Saeran does is he opens up his own mini business, selling cakes, pastries, and other baked goods. It’s not a bakery / store, like Saeyoung’s, but once per week Saeran will make a bunch of different desserts, and take them down to the local market to sell them to whoever is interested. Sometimes he also takes orders from people who, say, want a cake for an event. He doesn’t make a ton of money this way, but he makes some, and he becomes pretty popular in their little section of the neighborhood. Also, again, Saeyoung and MC taste test for him, so honestly it’s a win-win for everyone involved.

Speaking of Saeyoung and MC, yes, they do get married. Saeyoung proposes on a moonlit night, out beneath the stars, and rather than a traditional engagement ring, he gives her a solar system gemstone bracelet, where the different gemstones were selected and arranged to look like each planet of the solar system (with added stones for the Earth’s moon, the stars, et cetera). They of course can’t get married at an actual space station, but MC arranges for the next best thing, which is a marriage at the local planetarium. The entire room is decked out to make it look like they’re standing in the middle of a nebula, with stars cascading over the walls and ceiling, a few planets visible up above (including Earth, because come on, let them dream). Saeran is Saeyoung’s best man, and Vanderwood, Zen, and Yoosung are other groomsmen. MC is an orphan without a family, so Jumin is the one who walks her down the aisle, since he’s the head of the RFA now. Jaehee is, of course, her maid of honor. Elizabeth 3rd is a bridesmaid.

Back when they first told everyone about the wedding, Saeyoung announced---without asking---that Vanderwood was going to be his maid of honor. Vanderwood was indignant for multiple reasons (Saeyoung never asked, and doesn’t he mean best man?), but nonetheless was indignant all over again when, later, Saeyoung mentioned off-handedly that Saeran was going to be his best man, of course. When Vanderwood demanded an explanation, Saeyoung explained that he has a best man, obviously, he can’t have a maid of honor. Obviously Vanderwood was going to be MC’s maid of honor instead. (“Yo,” MC said, waving.) Vanderwood didn’t know why he even bothered asking.

They do have actual wedding rings, but MC continues to wear her solar system engagement bracelet even after they’re married. It’s gorgeous, after all. She wears it every day, and Saeyoung is thrilled.

Saeran, understandably, really isn’t interested in dating for a long time (if potentially ever). It’s incredibly difficult for him to trust others. It’s hard enough for him to open up to his own brother (and sister-in-law), as well as the RFA; letting someone else in, when he’s already terrified of being used and/or abandoned again, feels impossible, particularly since . . . well, Rika was always smiling, she always seemed to care for him. Even if someone else seems nice, who’s to say they aren’t lying to him the same way? How can he trust that they’re not? So he stays away from dating, instead taking solace in the company of his two siblings (+ Vanderwood), as well as the RFA chat rooms.

That said, he does discover dating sim games, and he gets super hardcore into them. Dating sims are safe because the characters are all virtual; even if he gets a Bad End, it’s not real, and so there’s no threat. Additionally, he can make the characters really love him, and he gets super attached to them, going so far as to get merch of his favorites. In particular, he gets super into one that he plays on his phone and works in real time, to the point where Saeyoung and MC have to keep reminding him to eat / get a decent night’s sleep, since he has difficulties doing that while so into the game. It’s a bit of an issue, but he’s happy, and that’s what matters most.

Speaking of games, early into his recovery Saeyoung introduces Saeran to Backpack Monsters, since it’s a game that’s easy to play, easy to spend a lot of time on, and (bonus) there are always two versions each generation, so if Saeran likes them, they can play together and help each other complete the Backudex. At first, Saeran plays them quietly; he goes through X, Y, OmegaRuby, and AlphaSapphire on the 3DS that Saeyoung purchases for him, seemingly enjoying them but not commenting overmuch on them. When Sun and Moon are announced, however, Saeran is the one who brings them up, and he does so by saying, “We’ll have to each get one so that we can trade with each other.” Saeyoung is so thrilled that he spontaneously hugs Saeran. (He also gets Moon Version. Saeran goes for Sun.)

Oh, speaking of---as funny as jokes are that Saeran continues to be very >:( toward his brother forever, and while he is definitely still quite prickly at first, therapy and constant love and support do a lot to help him heal. Over the first few years spontaneous hugs like that are still a risk (and Saeyoung does realize immediately what he did and backs off, though Saeran assures him it’s fine), but as he heals and recovers he comes to crave that physical contact, and sometimes will ask for hugs himself (which Saeyoung always readily and happily gives him, as does MC). The idea that Saeran would always be irritated by or annoyed by Saeyoung is one that does not sit well with me, and thus is one I reject.

Moving on, Saeran also does get really into gardening. MC helps him find some small flowers (and cacti!) to take care of while they’re out shopping together one day, and Saeran also picks up books on flowers and flower languages. He doesn’t want to pursue a career in gardening or anything, but it’s a relaxing hobby and he likes to see his flowers grow. He also likes learning about the various flower languages, making arrangements, et cetera.

Despite his vast knowledge, flowers are one area in which Saeyoung actually doesn’t know a lot about. Flowers have never really been his thing. However, he wants to show interest in Saeran’s hobbies, and he also wants to give Saeran an opportunity to teach him things just like he taught Saeran, and so he asks questions about them and listens with rapt attention as Saeran tells him about the different flowers. Saeran gets the idea that Saeyoung is just indulging him (and he’s not wholly wrong), but he really, really appreciates the effort.

MC and Saeran also find an abandoned puppy while out shopping one day, early into Saeran’s recovery, and they end up bringing said puppy home (Saeran was hesitant, but MC assured him that Saeyoung would be fine with it). The puppy ends up becoming a family dog, but Saeran especially bonds with him, and is the one who gives him his name: Baskin.

Though that said, at first, Saeyoung and MC tell everyone in the RFA that they’re naming the puppy Elliot the 3rd. Jumin is pissed until they reveal they’re joking. (“he’s elliot the 4th lol,” Saeyoung says.) That’s when Saeran grows tired of the shenanigans and announces that the dog’s name is Baskin.

And THAT said, when Saeyoung and MC have their first child (children? twins? triplets??), they do say they’re naming their daughter Elizabeth the 4th. Jumin is actually touched by this (and Jaehee is horrified) until that’s revealed to be a joke as well.

#mystic messenger #saeyoung choi #choi saeyoung #saeran choi #choi saeran #choi twins #mm MC #mcseven #this is enough for now i think #in an earlier post i had the dog named ben but that's too subtle #let saeran name the dog baskin #anyway i just want them to be happy #please just let them be happy and healthy #it's all i want honestly #it's the most important mysmes thing to me #mystic messenger headcanons #mm headcanons

[biofunmy]

Billy Bush Is Ready for a Return to TV. Will Viewers Welcome Him Back?

BURBANK, Calif. — The television producer Lisa Gregorisch-Dempsey is known for her terrifying candor. The nameplate on her desk at Telepictures, where she has run the celebrity news show “Extra” for 19 years, sums up her style: “I’ll be nicer if you’ll be smarter.” But even her longtime lieutenants were a bit startled by the way she laid it on the line for Billy Bush when she interviewed him for a job last year.

“I looked him in the eye and said, ‘I don’t know if you have enough humility for people to welcome you back,’” Ms. Gregorisch-Dempsey recalled. “America loves a comeback story. But we have to like you for America to like you.”

Ms. Gregorisch-Dempsey was overhauling “Extra” at the time and needed a new anchor. She had given Mr. Bush his TV start in 2001, when he briefly worked as an “Extra” freelancer. But he had been out of television work since fall 2016, when a leaked audio recording from “Access Hollywood” showed him laughing as Donald J. Trump bragged about grabbing women “by the pussy.”

Mr. Bush was widely criticized for his role in the misogynistic off-camera conversation, which had taken place in 2005. He swiftly lost the plum job he had landed earlier in 2016 as a 9 a.m. host of NBC’s “Today” show.

After three meetings with Ms. Gregorisch-Dempsey, Mr. Bush finally managed to win her over and get the anchor job. He told her about turning to his pastor after initially numbing himself with alcohol and how he had completed an intense self-analysis program in which participants identify negative patterns, with a focus on early-childhood conditioning.

“I’ve changed, and I’ve healed,” he said in an interview.

Now comes the test. As announced in May, Mr. Bush, the nephew of one president and the cousin of another, will re-emerge as the host and managing editor of the rebooted “Extra” on Sept. 9. The 30-minute program, now called “ExtraExtra,” will run on local stations in the early evening, with Mr. Bush based in Los Angeles and correspondents weighing in from New York, Nashville and Las Vegas.

It’s more than a high-profile comeback attempt, one of the biggest of the Time’s Up age, for Mr. Bush. Ms. Gregorisch-Dempsey, who spent the early part of her career leading news operations at stations in cities like New York and Dallas, has also put her professional reputation on the line by giving Mr. Bush, 47, another chance.

But if anyone can keep his ego from swelling, it is Ms. Gregorisch-Dempsey. During rehearsals in July, Mr. Bush had asked a delicate question: Should he start his first “ExtraExtra” episode by addressing the Trump tape?

“I think at the end of the show,” she said. “And you talk about how grateful you are for this chance — one, let’s not forget, given to you by a woman.”

Mr. Bush, whose father is the banker Jonathan Bush, a younger brother of George H.W. Bush, is returning to the media fray just in time for the heat of the 2020 presidential campaign. Imagine the ratings-grabbing spectacle: Mr. Bush interviewing President Trump. During the last presidential election cycle, Mr. Trump and Hillary Clinton gave relatively frequent interviews to celebrity news shows.

But are viewers and image-conscious celebrities (and their gatekeeper publicists) ready to welcome Mr. Bush back?

It depends on whom you ask.

Theresa Coffino, an executive producer of the show, said she had polled publicists and stars and found that “Billy still has so much equity left in this town.” She continued, “Every single person said, ‘That guy got a raw deal. The man who actually made those comments on the tape goes to the White House and Billy loses his career? Not right.’”

The actress Kate Walsh, known for “Grey’s Anatomy” and the Netflix drama “13 Reasons Why,” said by telephone that she “absolutely” supported Mr. Bush’s comeback, adding, “Life isn’t fair. But he took a great challenge and turned it into an opportunity for massive personal growth.”

Mr. Bush has repeatedly apologized and declared himself culpable for goading on Mr. Trump. “I definitely added to the conversation,” he said in a 2017 “Good Morning America” interview. “I look back, and I wish I had stopped it. But I didn’t have the strength of character at the time.”

Henry Schafer, executive vice president for the Q Scores Company, which measures the popularity of celebrities and brands, said Mr. Bush remains a polarizing figure.

A poll conducted by Q Scores just before the “Access Hollywood” tape was leaked showed that 13 percent of the respondents who recognized his name ranked Mr. Bush as a favorite and 25 percent viewed him negatively — typical for his category of television personality. Mr. Bush’s favorable rating fell to 4 percent in 2017 and his negative shot up to 47 percent. A 2018 poll showed no improvement, Mr. Schafer said, and the company stopped tracking him after that.

Celebrity news shows — gushy, glossy, gossipy — have been a local-station staple since “Entertainment Tonight” arrived in 1981. But they are losing viewers and relevance at a time when cord cutting is on the rise and social media allows everyone to feel like an insider, reading Dwayne Johnson’s Twitter feed or Beyoncé’s Instagram. The rough-and-tumble TMZ.com and its broadcast sibling, “TMZ on TV,” which made its debut in 2007, have also upended the genre, making other tabloid shows feel formulaic and P.R.-driven.

“ExtraExtra” will run on stations owned by Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Corporation in many major markets. “Extra” had run on NBC stations in most large markets.

“We were offered ‘Extra’ in the past, and I really wasn’t interested, because the format felt a bit dated,” said Jack Abernethy, chief executive of Fox Television Stations. “But Lisa has revamped and freshened the format in a way that makes it more of a Fox show. Less of the press-release-based stuff.”

During a two-hour visit to the “ExtraExtra” set, it was clear that Ms. Gregorisch-Dempsey and Mr. Bush enjoy jousting with each other. They told a story about how, at a recent gathering of station executives in Las Vegas, she had started a discussion about the revamped show by saying, “The p-word is ruining this genre.”

Mr. Bush was caught off guard. “Really? You’re going there right away?” he recalled sputtering.

“I’m talking about the prompter,” she shot back. “When a news show has become so scripted that you have to script the hosts’ ad-libs, that’s a problem.”

As anchor, Mr. Bush will spend little of his time reading copy from a teleprompter. Instead, “ExtraExtra” will devote about 30 percent of each episode to how-the-sausage-gets-made footage.

“This is watching a working journalist — a rarity in this genre — whose contacts in Hollywood are second to none,” Ms. Gregorisch-Dempsey said. “Watching Billy call stars directly. Watching him racing against deadline. Watching him greet the Real Housewife who unbelievably arrives for an on-set interview with a 10-person entourage.”

The parts showing Mr. Bush behind the scenes will be in black and white. Adding to the tension will be a blue digital clock counting down to deadline; “ExtraExtra” reporters and editors have until 1 p.m. to “make the bird,” as Ms. Gregorisch-Dempsey calls the satellite system that beams footage to stations.

A futuristic set includes a color-changing platform that Ms. Gregorisch-Dempsey described as “a ring of fire, for my fireball,” referring to Mr. Bush.

Ms. Gregorisch-Dempsey gave Mr. Bush his break in television in 2001, when his cousin, George W. Bush, had just become president. “I sort of yelled, ‘Find me a Bush!’ to my producers, thinking they would come back with one of Jeb’s cute sons, and instead I got Billy, who had been doing radio,” she said, winking at Mr. Bush.

“Extra” used him as a freelance correspondent. He hated that the show would incessantly mention his connection to the president. “It was an immediate falling out,” Mr. Bush said.

Mr. Bush anchored the rival “Access Hollywood” from 2004 to 2016 before joining “Today,” where he quickly made a name for himself by landing a contentious interview with the Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte.

Mr. Bush still holds some resentment about his time at NBC, where, he said, other “Today” hosts sought to undercut him during his five months on the show.

“You are left with stuff, no matter how much work you do on yourself,” he said.

After a pause, he continued: “I wasn’t going to feed Lisa some bull about being reborn and how it’s so amazing. But I could promise her one thing. I will absolutely be better at my job than I ever was.”

Why?

“Because I have empathy,” he said. “I do not like the tearing down of people and this lack of forgiveness and the shaming. I think the people I interview will appreciate that.”

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