radio414

This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it -- the Lord is his name: “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” -Jeremiah 33:2-3 (NIV) It was Gabriela who first came close to breaking that entrancing spell they both shared, though Melissa didn’t mind. There was no conflict, no reason to snap back to reality when it really wasn’t necessary. The first half of it was just Gabriela’s assent anyway, and while Melissa noticed her date’s drop off near the end of that particular segment, she was able to put it away, hiding it away in her mind. The second half was all a question, and it was one that Melissa actually knew the answer to, too. So in addition to being able to answer right away, Melissa also allowed herself a hint of confidence, even if she still stumbled a bit through her delivery. “It’s, ah, I think I mentioned this maybe on Wednesday -- it’s okay if you forgot -- but, um, I only really know Hiraku by how people talk about him. He’s…” She hit her first stumble. Despite having had Hiraku’s reputation ingrained into herself through word of mouth throughout the entirety of her freshman year, her one physical interaction with him had been a positive one. She didn’t want to lie to Gabriela -- she didn’t want to lie to anyone, of course -- and poorly represent someone. But public opinion mattered too, right? What if she was in the wrong? “People tell me he’s not the nicest person,” Melissa said, landing right in the middle. “He’s certainly made a name for himself on the duel team, though. He’s pretty high on the roster. “The other one, um, Yushiro Midori? I think I pronounced that correctly. I don’t know much else about him. I’m sorry. I know he’s new to the team, so it’s alright that you haven’t met him. It’d be alright no matter what, but, um, you know what I mean, right?” Melissa was on the home stretch now. She paused a moment to allow Gabriela to catch up, or at least make sure she was nodding along before she revealed the last of her grapevine knowledge. “So, on move-in day, there was that big festival, right? Hiraku and Yushiro got into a duel that ended in a draw, and Ashley Rendleman -- she’s the student council president -- decided this would be the place for a grudge match. “Um, yeah. Sorry if that was a lot, um, this is only stuff I heard.” Now that she had said it all out loud, Melissa actually felt a little excited for the duel, and she couldn’t place exactly why. Maybe now that she was in a dueling club, no matter the differences between competitive and entertainment dueling? Was Gabriela’s enthusiasm rubbing off on her? It was something to ponder as the duel’s scheduled time ticked ever closer.

I don't think I'd want to rule any particular country in real life, to be honest. I just feel like that much responsibility and pressure, that Sword of Damocles, combined with my admittedly okay at best understanding of international politics would lead to disaster. Could I be part of a figurehead monarchy, perhaps? Being a figurehead, I imagine, would allow me to focus more on my own interests regardless of the monetary or influence cost. There's still be that addendum, of course, that I'm still looked up to by a country's worth of people and likely in the public eye in the rest of my life, though, and I'm not sure I'd be able to handle that part of the deal. Hm. I dunno, maybe Sweden? Sweden's monarch gets to hand out the Nobel Prizes. That'd be neat, I think.

remember me when ur famous Still in an Electro-Swing mood, here's this: inb4 not as good as Ram Jam 5/10

I don't think I have any, like, definite favorites, to be honest. Not because I don't think history is important, but because I lost the appetite to completely immerse myself in an individual's history after doing a project on Salvador Dalí and surrealism back in high school (as an aside, shoutouts to Giorgio de Chirico and Luis Buñuel). I remember voraciously reading age-appropriate biographies on Benjamin Franklin as a kid, though I don't know if that counts anymore. What I can give instead, though, are some anechdotes of some figures who had an energy I can get behind. Julie d'Aubigny, a French opera singer who, after finding out a girl she was in a relationship with had been put away in a convent, joined that convent, dug up a dead nun's body to replace her lover's with, then set the convent on fire to cover their escape. Among other things. Lepa Radić, a freedom fighter who, when given a chance to name her co-conspirators in exchange for her life, said, "You'll know them when they come to avenge me." Hachikō, the dog who kept waiting for his owner nine years after the owner's death. Again, I don't know if any of these are favorites favorites, but it's a start.

Anyway:

I don't know what it is about ambient-adjacent electronic producers and names one might feel uncomfortable mentioning to strangers but I guess that's just a thing.

(taking a page from CuriousCat's new twitter update replacing questions with emoji): ??

you asked for fate-related suggestions and i don't know anything about fate so... Can you describe aspects of Fate (story, gatcha mechanics, honestly whatever you want) using the Up-Goer Five text editor? Basically you're only allowed to use the thousand (or "ten hundred" as the site calls it) most common words in the English language.

Hot Take: I know Running in the 90's is, like, memes (and I understand why it is, too) but I've never found it to be more than a middle-of-the-road (pun intended) eurobeat song. This mix is better than the original, though. Anyway, I'm still burned out on recommending more eurobeat, so completely unrelated:

It really was amazing what a group of high-schoolers (and maybe some faculty? Melissa didn’t really know who all was on the Kickoff Planning Committee) could do when they were properly motivated. Melissa had heard stories from the year before but even then there was something breathtaking about being there in person. It almost made one forget everyone- Nope! She could feel herself getting dizzy and quickly put a stop to it. Not tonight, or, at least, not now. There was wonder in Gabriela’s eyes (even she couldn’t hide a “Whoa”) and Melissa wasn’t about to take it away from her. She wasn’t quite sure where to go next, though. Her mental picture of her plan was starting to fade, and only general details really remained. Was that where the ominous feeling -- that something-will-go-wrong feeling -- was coming from? Maybe, but “Entertain Gabriela. Keep her happy” was still a pretty solid overall goal. Plus, now that she knew Gabriela a bit better, it was hopefully easier than ever. The first item on the Kickoff agenda was the duel, right? Some sort of grudge match between members of the duel team? Maybe Gabriela wanted to- Gabriela was already on it, interrupting (and confirming) Melissa’s thought process with “We should find a good place to watch. I must show support to those beneath me, yes?” She didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, she took Melissa by the hand and lead her up the stairs to a pair of balcony seats neatly overlooking the soon-to-be duel arena. In fact, one could see quite a lot from where they were. That also meant that quite a lot of people could see her, but she- she almost didn’t care. The fact that Gabriela seemed to care as much about Melissa’s happiness as Melissa did Gabriela’s certainly helped. “Ah, but you aren't all that interested in the duel team are you? I did not mean to force my desires upon you,” Gabriela said. “After all, I may be of royalty but tonight I am also your companion.” “No! No,” Melissa said. “No, this is good. This is good.” She smiled, hoping that communicated a little extra emphasis, a little extra sincerity in her words. “I do- I probably need to meet up with some other friends at some point, just to say hi -- I think you’ve met some of them too, so it shouldn’t be too awkward, I hope. Um, but we can stay here for now. There’s a whole night ahead of us to do all that other stuff.” There was another reason she rathered they didn’t move. Melissa didn’t say it, though. If she said it, it had a chance of spoiling the moment, and it was such a good moment. They were still holding hands. “Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” -Mark 10:9 (NIV)

Oooooh secrets how exciting.

“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” -Galatians 5:19-23 (NIV) “You look so pretty,” Gabriela said. “T-that is you, um, you look fitting to escort one such as I to… a thing… such as this!” Melissa curtsied. It was a full curtsy this time, not one of those weird half curtsies she’d done before when meeting up with Gabriela. “Thank you, your majesty,” she said. She also let herself take in Gabriela’s appearance. It was exactly as she had remembered it, which was good. That had been the plan, after all. “You look as regal as ever,” Melissa said, paying back the compliment. Then, of course, came the more important matters. “Where are we going?” Gabriela said, and, thankfully, that was part of the plan too. “I made reservations at this restaurant called The Warehouse,” Melissa said. “I, um, I know the name is a little un-royal, and it’s not as formal as Le Chef Vagabond or something like that, but, um, it’s good food and it’s not too expensive and I thought you might like it. How does that sound?” Warehouse? Le Chef Vagabond? Gabriela hadn’t heard of either place. Thinking back on it perhaps she should have looked into things just a tiny bit. Every attempt to do so was met with panic and fretting and she had ended up just leaving it all to fate. “That is quite alright,” Gabriela said, nodding along. “After all, I did ask you to plan everything. This way I can, ah, better learn the culture of this place. The Warehouse it is!” “Great!” Melissa said. “First thing’s first, though.” She held up a pair of flower bracelets. “Speaking of culture, I don’t know if you do this in Romvania, but when dance dates meet up they exchange these little flower arrangements. See, they’re bracelets. So we- I guess traditionally we’re supposed to put them on each other.” Melissa handed a white carnation over to Gabriela, beckoning for her to take it. “Yeah, so you just put it on my left wrist and I’ll do the same with this one to yours.” Gabriela stared at it blankly for a moment before nodding and taking it. She waited for Melissa to raise her arm and then brought the bracelet to it. Or rather, that was what she was attempting to do. In reality, she couldn’t stop her hand from shaking as she tried to put the thing on the girl’s wrist. “Ah, haha,” Gabriela nervously laughed. “I, that is, er, I do not usually do such things. You see… yes, that’s right, my servants usually do things such as this. Not the other way around. What a strange custom.” She finished this with another nervous laugh before finally getting the cursed accessory on. It fit just as Melissa had hoped it would, and even in the late summer sun, the flower showed very few signs of wilting. She gazed at it for another moment, then took the mauve carnation and slid it right onto Gabriela’s wrist slowly, but without hesitation. “I’m sure you know this, um, your majesty, but purple like this has been a symbol for royalty for a very long time. Even- especially in flowers. That’s why I picked this one out for you. I really do hope you like it.” All that was left was to make sure it fit as well as hers had. She shook her wrist a little. “Just, sorry, could you go like this? I kind of had to guess at your wrist when I bought these so if it’s too loose or too tight…” Gabriela gave a smile -- a genuine one as far as Melissa could tell. “I am sure it’s perfect,” she said much more softly than one learned to expect from her. Even so, she did as Melissa asked. “Yes, everything is fine… Ahem, good work, you’ve done a fine job today!” she said and slipped right back into her more “normal” state. It was that praise that made the entire ordeal at the florist’s worth it. Yes, she had done well! Melissa was only experiencing that latent stress that came from the sheer anticipation of a busy night and Gabriela’s comment made it that much lighter. Dinner was the next step in Melissa’s master plan. She made another gesture, an invitation to accompany her. “Shall we?” she said, and off they went. The walk to The Warehouse was very similar to Melissa’s walk to Gabriela’s dorm, though of course there was the obvious difference that Gabriela was there this time, and because they didn’t quite know each other that well, that difference alone made the walk filled with small talk. This was an element Melissa was less prepared for; she knew what people said in small talk, and she knew a few icebreaker questions, but she also knew she hated answering icebreaker questions and Gabriela probably would too (because who really liked icebreakers?). So instead, Melissa endured the awkward silence until she could think of something interesting to say. Or so she thought. But as they passed Maiden Hall, Melissa couldn’t help but break it. “That’s where we’re headed after dinner, by the way,” she said. It also came with a question that, the more she thought about it, the more she wondered about the answer. It was pithy, but… “How have you been liking campus anyway?” Melissa said. “Um, I know it’s probably different from what you’re used to, but I- I don’t know, I think there’s a lot to like here.” “It’s…” Gabriela had been about to blurt out ‘amazing’. Because, truly, it was. She hadn’t ever been to a place like this before. But that wouldn’t be in line with what she was trying to build, right? So it was with some doubt that she cleared her throat and started again. “It’s fine, yes, rather common I suppose. But it has enough to be passable. And of course, you’re here, as well.” Why did she say that? It just slipped out. Certainly, she was grateful for a friend but… “Otherwise today would have been more dull, you see.” Gabriella continued, trying to dig herself out of the potentially awkward hole. “Oh,” Melissa said. It was the kind of “oh” that had a lot of sub-meanings hidden inside it, like the disappointed “Oh, I’m sorry you don’t think Blue Yonder is as magical as I do” or the more accepting “Oh, I’m glad you don’t think I’m dull.” Whichever it was, Gabriela's response slammed the door shut on that particular line of inquiry. But, as the saying went, when God closes a door, he opens a window, and it turned out the building on campus closest to The Warehouse, the last building they had to pass was the one the Duel Team had had its first meeting. Melissa pointed out that one out too. “How was that meeting, by the way?” she said. “I never-” She almost said “I never was really interested in that sort of thing,” but then she remembered what club she had attended Wednesday afternoon. So the cutoff stayed, but then, so did the question preceding it. “I suppose it went fine for what it was,” Gabriela said. “Rather boring, though. I do not understand why there has to be so much talking about something so simple… And then there was that woman. Elizabeth I think? I don’t know what she was doing there. Apparently, she wasn’t even part of the team… Do you know her? Is she the captain’s girlfriend or some such thing?” Elizabeth. It was a common enough name, but Melissa’s mind still went to the one she’d actually seen enter the building. That Elizabeth. “I do know her- or I’ve met her, at least,” Melissa said. “She’s nice. I don’t think, um- I think Hitomu has a different girlfriend, though. Or had. I don’t know too much about that sort of thing; I just pick things up listening to other people.” Was she supposed to talk more? Melissa wasn’t sure, but Gabriela’s opinion seemed more than a little negative and she felt obligated to correct that. “She was on the duel team last year but left after -- you wouldn’t have heard this, I don’t think, um -- her brother died, and she took it pretty bad. So that’s- uh, Hitomu probably asked her to show up or something.” Gabriela paused for a moment upon hearing that. “Ah,” she said. “Well… I-I suppose that is understandable then.” And just like that, that conversation window shut as well. But this time it was fine. The Warehouse was right there, and the change of scenery was certainly welcome. The Warehouse was actually nothing like its namesake. It was on the smaller side as far as restaurants went, though it did have a backyard patio with additional space for those who were feeling a little extra adventurous. The lighting was dim, and the predominant color of the place was a deep crimson, but that was to be expected. Melissa almost wondered if there was a correlation between a restaurant’s darkness and its formalness (Was Le Chef Vagabond just pitch black? She’d never actually been…). The staff at the front podium greeted them both warmly and Melissa reminded them of her reservation. “Reservation under Ashforth?” she said. It turned out she needn’t have bothered. While there was a lively enough early dinner rush going on, there were still a decent amount of unoccupied tables and Melissa and Gabriela were ushered to their patio table almost immediately. “Your server will be right with you two.” And just like that, they were alone again. “I actually, uh, I was also at a Duel Monsters-related club meeting Wednesday afternoon,” Melissa said, a little bit hoping that Gabriela would pick up on the continuity of the conversation despite the intervening pause. “Um, there’s- my roommate, actually, she’s an idol and I guess a couple other people on campus want to be entertainers so they managed to get a club started around entertainment dueling. And I thought at the time that, uh, well, someone convinced me to show up. He’s kind of shy like me, so I thought… “No, I’m rambling, sorry. But I did want to ask you because you seem like an outgoing person, um, your majesty, what is public life like? Do you just- is it just an extrovert thing I’ll never understand or…?” Gabriela couldn’t stop looking around as they walked through the restaurant. So this was what it looked like? She was so lost in her wonderment she actually forgot to put on an act until they sat down. She opened her mouth to respond to the person who led them here but stopped. It would be far too embarrassing to talk like that to this stranger… Melissa, unintentionally and unknowingly saving Gabriela from complete awkwardness, began to ramble about her own duel club adventures. She had heard of the Entertainment Dueling and, truly, she found it interesting. But it didn’t really fit what she was going for. She wanted Melissa to tell her more about it but, as soon as the other girl was getting engrossed in it, she switched subjects. To Gabby’s least favorite subject. Herself. “Ah, I see, the little lamb has come to get advice from myself,” Gabriela said with a gentle chuckle. “Well, you see, it’s rather exciting. There’s never a shortage of things to see or do for people will bring them to you. Or at least that is how it was for me back home.” She knew she was speaking vaguely but she didn’t know how else to answer. The waiter stopped by. “Hi, my name is Benjamin, I’ll be your server this evening,” he said in a peppy voice, with a smile one could assume he was told to keep on at all times. “Is there a drink besides water I can get either of you?” “Water’s fine for me, thank you,” Melissa said almost immediately. Gabriela had clammed up entirely as the waiter approached. She didn’t look directly nodded and, at the question, she just shook her head. “Water for both of you. Aaaaall right.” As soon as Benjamin was gone, the conversation went right back. “Right, I get that,” Melissa said, leaning in a little bit and scootching her chair forward. “But, like, I don’t know how else to phrase this, but all that excitement, am I really supposed to ‘take it all in?’ Is that really the secret?” Oh no. Gabby knew what was going on. She was being asked for actual advice. Potentially important advice. How was she supposed to respond? She had no experience to fall back on. “Aha, um. Well you see…” The girl waffled about for a bit, glancing down at the tablecloth as though the answer would be spelled out in front of her. “Well, you know, I was… raised for such things. It became second nature after a while. Yes, that’s it!” She glanced up, excited she had thought of a plausible answer. “It’s just something you get used to.” Melissa didn’t know what she wanted to hear, but that certainly wasn’t it. But she let that specific topic drop all the same. It was clear that Gabriela was uncomfortable with the grilling and this was supposed to be a nice pre-dance dinner, not an interrogation. “Alright,” she said. “Thank you.” And she really did mean it. Just because it was a frustrating answer didn’t mean it wasn’t worth something. She opened up her menu and started browsing its pages. “They make so much different food here,” Melissa said. “I’m sure if you look you’ll be able to find something Romvanian-adjacent at least. But it’s all good, I promise. “If you want to keep talking, though -- and I definitely understand if you need to go through this, uh, this tome of a menu -- is there a question you’d like to ask me?” Gabby tried to see if the advice she gave stuck. If Melissa thought it was wise. But she couldn’t really tell. Especially when Melissa went right to the menu after. Gabriela glanced at the menu and realized she didn’t have any idea what kind of food she intended Romvania to have. She really should write it down sometime, she thought. When Melissa opened up to questions Gabriela smiled up at her. “Why of course. I’m here to learn things after all! One must always know everything about those under you.” She placed her elbows on the table and cradled her head in her hands as she looked at Melissa. What should she ask? She hadn’t really had anyone close enough to ask about personal things so she wasn’t entirely sure where to begin. “One as kind as you must have many whom call you friend,” she began. Admittedly, she was partially fishing to see how much competition in that department she had. “Are… are they not jealous you have chosen to spend today with me, who is, even if an incredible one, still a stranger?” It was Melissa’s turn to freeze up, to the point that it was almost difficult for her to parse Gabriela’s question. And yet, she should have expected something like this, right? She’d opened herself up to questions, after all. Melissa fidgeted with her silverware to stall for time. “I don’t really have friends,” she almost said. She almost said. But she remembered Hoshiko. And Jun. She’d probably get along with Elizabeth too once Melissa stopped running into each other at the worst possible moments. Even Connor had been nice until he hadn’t been. And Father Gregory, did he count? So that statement would have been a lie. Instead, Melissa said, “I- I have a couple friends, just a few, but I like them all. Um, that includes you, by the way. We’ve met enough. We’ve acquainted. I don’t think you’re a stranger. But, um, actually, I don’t know what they’re doing for Kickoff. They didn’t ask me about anything if that’s what you were asking.” A wild Benjamin appeared with a glass of water in each hand. “Aaaaall right, there you two go. Now, what can I get you two to eat this evening?” Gabriela was blushing. They were friends. They were actual friends. No denying that now. It was said. The words were said as clear as day. The delight at this statement made her eyes light up and she very nearly forgot the rest of the answer. She didn’t have a chance to respond as the waiter showed up. In a panic, Gabby picked up the menu and started looking through it without actually being able to read it. “Uh. Umm. Uhh… Er… yougofirst,” she blurted at Melissa. Melissa looked up at Benjamin, half because, well, that’s what you’re supposed to do when you’re ordering (right?) and half because she’d noticed Gabriela’s blush and felt like giving her some space was probably the best course of action. “I’ll have the, uh…” her eyes immediately went back down to her menu, searching for the right item. “I’ll have the fish? With the side salad, and, uh, yeah.” “Excellent,” Benjamin said. He turned to Gabriela. “And for you?” Gabriela, half-panicked, continued to scan the menu over and over until her eyes noticed something she recognized and, more importantly, something that reminded her of the good times at home. “Er… Chicken dumpling soup,” she said. The waiter hesitated. “Is that all? Just the side?” “Yes, of course, that’s all,” Gabriela said, doubling down. “I don’t need anything else.” “Aaaaall right!” Benjamin said. “I’ll go put those in right now. Next time you both see me, I’ll have your soup and your fish and your salad.” And he was gone again. “Are you-” Melissa started, but stopped herself from saying anything more, seemingly either conflicted or concerned or both. But instead, she said, “Is that a traditional Romvanian dish? Chicken Dumpling Soup? Or is that from somewhere else?” “Ah, um, no,” Gabriela said. Truth be told it was simply the dish that her mother would make when they had money to eat decently well. It was something of a comfort for her. “I merely… thought it sounded pleasant is all.” “Oh,” Melissa said. “What is Romvanian food like then? I remember you said something like sugar being poisonous so it can’t be all that sweet, but that’s just one type of taste, right? So what’s it taste like?” Right, she had said that, hadn’t she? Glad that Melissa had reminded her, the girl nodded. “Yes, sugar is… bad. But, um, there’s other things that can make stuff sweet there! Yes, like, um…” she glanced away, clearly thinking, before coming up with “Like honey! Rivers of honey!” Wait, no, that was dumb. “Not literally of course, haha, but you understand my meaning I’m sure.” Honey. The word clicked with Melissa for a number of reasons. The first was, well, that was the exact other sweetener she’d brought Elizabeth at the exact time Gabriela had mentioned Romvanian sugar’s particular qualities. But it also brought to mind a particular phrase: “Land of milk and honey.” That was God’s promise. She wondered… No, it wasn’t important. Benjamin came back quicker than expected. “Aaaaall right! Here’s your fish, and heeere’s your soup! Is there anything else I can get either of you?” Melissa smiled. “No, thank you, everything looks lovely,” she said. Then, as Benjamin left (with one final “Aaaaall right!” on his way out) she said to Gabriela, “Do you mind if we said grace real quick?” She bowed her head: Lord, thank you for this meal and the hands that prepared it. Thank you for friends and dances and please bring peace and happiness to everyone tonight whether this be their first Kickoff or their last. Guide us on, Lord, so that we may know the everlasting truth of your love, Amen “You’re welcome to some of, uh, some of this if that soup isn’t enough for you. I’m sure there will be snacks and things at the dance, too.” A thought wormed its way into Melissa mind. “I assume Romvanian Princess School taught dance, right?” she said. “There’s bound to be one or two slow dances tonight.” At the offer of the food, Gabriela shook her head. Sure, it was much less than she expected, but it felt wrong to take food from another. The question about the dance, though, froze her in place. She stared at Melissa without answering for a bit. She knew this was coming. She knew. Yet it hadn’t really stuck in her mind until now. “A-ah. Well. O-of course… n-no, er.” Gabriela stirred her soup as she tried to get her words back on track. “That is… we don’t have dancing in the same way as you do. Of course, there’s certain, ah, Romvanian dances. It’s a lot like here I’m sure, but with some differences. Er… perhaps it best you show me this land’s dances o-once the time comes.” “Sure!” Melissa said as she started cutting up her meal. “It’s no problem. You, ah, the one thing to keep in mind -- I’ll tell you this right now -- is there’s a temptation to get really close to your partner. There’s, ah, because one person’s hands are at the hips and the other’s are at the shoulders.” She gestured to her own hips and shoulders to demonstrate. “You don’t- people tend to get antsy if you get too close to them. I’ll get antsy.” She laughed. “We Catholics call it the ‘Leave room for Jesus’ rule.” There was a hint of something on Gabriela’s face at what Melissa had said. Perhaps disappointment? Whatever it was it didn’t last long as Melissa soon reminded her about the food in front of her. “How is your soup?” she said. “You said it wasn’t Romvanian so if you’re not used- if you don’t want it we- you could probably order something else.” Gabby had only taken a few bites but even that sent a warmth through her body. It was still unusual to her thinking about how easy it was to get food like this. It made her appreciate it even more. “No, no not necessary!” Gabriela said in a hurry. “It’s… rather good.” Then, under her breath, “Really good…” She glanced up at Melissa and followed up. “Ah, yes, is yours acceptable? I hope they provided you with something to your liking.” Melissa took a few bites, smiled, and nodded. The silence was different this time, as each girl ate their respective meal. The previous ones had been awkward, the dead air only serving as ellipses in the conversation. This one, though, this one was a full stop, a nice comfortable end as Gabriela and Melissa just appreciated each other’s presence. And just like that, it was time for the dance. As soon as the tip had been added and the receipt had been signed, they were out the door and back on campus headed towards Maiden Hall. Just before they went in, though, Melissa paused to ready herself. As much as she hyped it up in her own head, as much as she put it on a pedestal as the crowd to end all crowds, it still had its more predictable moments, right? The first thing on the agenda was the duel, right? That was manageable; she’d already been to, what, two duels already this school year alone? And she knew how to dance and she was fully prepared to teach Gabriela and tolerate her missteps as she learned how to dance. And yet… The fear was still there, and instead of diminishing with every passing thing done right, it seemed to increase. Something was going to go wrong. She could feel it in her bones. In her soul. And while she did have those contingencies she’d set in place, that same fear made her wonder if any of them were going to matter. Melissa took a few extra deep breaths, just for that. But she also knew she couldn’t keep Gabriela waiting, and went in after her, hoping she continued to not disappoint.

I can't believe I forgot to link the original

This is the song I had playing in the Skies flower shop. If people got the joke (the album is called Floral Shoppe) nobody said anything.

I think I'm interested. Like, I have an idea in mind for who I'd play, but it's still just that: an idea.

going back to neil for a moment because cow reminded me

Joke Answer Serious Answer I haven't actually played a main series Pokemon game since HeartGold, and I don't have a Switch so I probably won't be able to play this one, but that doesn't mean I can't have opinions! Like the starters, Sobble and Scorbunny look cute, though I can't remember the Grass-type one's name off the top of my head so I guess that's a minus for team grass (sorry Bulbasaur). As for the other Pokemon revealed so far, Wooloo's an obvious standout and I did get a laugh out of Weezing's giant top hats similar to what happened when I saw Aloan Exeggutor for the first time (or this subreddit). I can't think of a Pokemon I actually dislike, though, in any generation, so maybe I'm not the one to go to for hot takes in that department. With regards to the National Dex discussion, I can't say that I ever had the dream of "Catching 'Em All" but I can sympathize with those who did or said they did to gain fake internet points. And using the opportunity to take a closer critical eye at past mechanics can be a good tool for people in game design or even idly interested in it (Animator Daniel Floyd noticed a spike in viewership for his video on Pokemon's evolving battle animation (why do I keep linking to 25+ minute videos when I know people aren't going to watch them? It's a mystery to us all)). But, like, a boycott's not going to work and people trying to make their voices heard on the internet is inevitably ugly and that's all I really have to say on that. What else? Camping? Neat! I did enjoy the moments in Pokemon that aren't battles so that hopefully will be another extension on that concept. Cooking looks like it's another minigame that'll probably turn out okay, though the promise of 100+ recipes makes me wonder how different the curries with actually be. And Team Yell is hilarious in the best possible way. I dunno. It all looks neat. If you want more specific hot takes, I'll probably need something more specific to go off of.

Saw this guy in concert last week and his newest album just dropped so that's been a good time.

Put your outdoor work in order and get your fields ready; after that, build your house. -Proverbs 24:27 (NIV) Melissa didn’t really do anything else in the lead-up to Kickoff, which was both a good thing and a bad thing. It was good because hey, maybe she was actually ready unless of course she’d skipped something on her mental checklist and in reality was severely underprepared for the night and even if that probably wasn’t the case there was always the slim chance that it was, and it was bad because the intervening hours seemed to whiz by. There was no time to appreciate simply doing nothing; as soon as Melissa tried, it was time to start doing things again. Getting ready was less of an ordeal than she’d expected. Her dress and shoes fit like she remembered, makeup was easy enough, she’d managed to tame her shower hair into something presentable, and best of all, the two corsage bracelets hadn’t wilted at all -- the mauve and white carnations were still as beautiful (more so in the former’s case) as they’d been in the shop. So far, everything was going according to plan. Melissa looked at herself in the mirror as a final check. Yes, she’d done nicely. Her dress was a nice light blue -- almost sky blue or teal if she remembered her colors correctly -- though it wasn’t a solid color throughout. In fact, it tended to get even lighter as one’s gaze approached the fringes, especially near the bottom of the skirt -- right around her ankles -- where it approximated a bluish off-white before being met with her navy flats. Accessories-wise, Melissa had kept it simple, a turquoise handbag for her phone and wallet and not much else (oh for a dress with pockets!). She’d done her hair (as well as she could manage) into curly just-past-shoulder-length waves which framed her face well, and she’d been able to at least obscure the blemishes there as well. She held up the bracelet she planned to wear once Gabriela and she met to the mirror, comparing it to her dress. The carnation looked like a patch of seafoam or a fluffy cloud set against a wondrously clear sky. Melissa smiled. Even in her distress, she’d managed to make a good decision. The only thing left was to let Gabriela know she was on her way and head out. The walk across campus was almost indescribable. Was this was not having worries was like? Because while Melissa still had those perpetual worries, they seemed suppressed. Diminished, even. All her preparedness rushed in to fill that gap where they’d been, and the result had been a pleasant contented mood Melissa wasn’t sure she could remember when she’d experienced last. She could remember being happy, of course, but like this? The mood carried her to Gabriela’s dormitory, and her ensuing text was a simple four words: From: Melissa To: Gabriela Hey, I’m right outside.