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glowettee · 4 months ago

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Hi Mindy!!! I hope you’re doing well, and I just wanted to say that I love your posts. Really well written and thought out!

I just wanted to ask.. can you create a guide for preparing to a completely new school which isn’t, like basic? Not in a mean way, but lots of the advice on the internet is generic.

For any extra info, I’ll be joining in the second semester, so there’s plenty of time to make long term changes. It’s also a private school, but I don’t know if that will make a difference.

Thank you in advance 💖 love you!

hi sweetness! @prettieinpink thank you for your adorable ask 🌸 i'm so happy to see this from you!!!!! i'd love to help you from personal experience, and things i documented being in private school. please make sure you look at the 10 secrets because they're super helpful and things i've personally used. i'm going to pour my heart into this comprehensive guide for you. transitioning to a new private school mid-year can feel overwhelming, but i've got you covered with everything you need to know! love youu <333

the ultimate guide to conquering your new private school journey: a glowettee exclusive

by mindy ♡ @glowettee

pre-arrival preparation (1-2 months before)

academic groundwork:

request detailed course syllabi from your future teachers

create a comprehensive academic portfolio of your previous work

research the school's grading system and academic expectations

familiarize yourself with any specialized learning platforms

set up digital organization systems (i use notion + google calendar + xTiles)

purchase textbooks early and start preliminary reading

research the school's academic support resources

understand the homework and assignment submission policies

social preparation:

create a private social media presence specifically for school

research student organizations and clubs that accept mid-year members

join class-specific group chats or discussion boards

study the school's social media presence to understand culture

prepare conversation starters based on school activities

research any school traditions or special events

understand the social hierarchy (yes, private schools have these!)

identify potential mentor opportunities or buddy systems

practical essentials:

develop a morning routine that starts 30 minutes earlier than needed

create a capsule wardrobe that aligns with dress code

invest in high-quality school supplies that last

organize your study space at home

set up a dedicated homework station

create emergency supply kits for your locker and bag

establish a meal prep system for lunch and snacks

plan transportation routes and backup options

digital organization:

set up a comprehensive notion dashboard (i'll share my template soon!)

create specific folders for each subject in google drive

download all necessary academic apps

set up a digital calendar with color coding

create assignment tracking spreadsheets

establish a backup system for important documents

organize email folders for school communication

set up notification systems for important deadlines

mental and emotional preparation:

start journaling about your goals and fears

establish healthy boundaries for social interactions

create a stress management toolkit

develop positive self-talk mantras

plan regular self-care activities

identify potential support systems

create a growth mindset framework

establish regular check-in times with parents/guardians

first week survival guide:

day one essentials:

arrive 30 minutes early

bring extra supplies

wear something comfortable but polished

pack emergency essentials

keep your schedule easily accessible

bring a small notebook for important information

have your introduction speech ready

prepare questions for teachers and peers

social navigation:

observe before participating

sit in different locations to meet various groups

join lunch conversations naturally

show interest in others' experiences

take notes on names and interests

identify potential study partners

respect existing social dynamics

be authentically yourself while observing school culture

long-term success strategies:

academic excellence:

create weekly study schedules

establish relationships with teachers early

join or create study groups

maintain detailed notes from day one

schedule regular review sessions

utilize teacher office hours

keep a detailed assignment tracker

create subject-specific study guides

social integration:

participate in school events

volunteer for school activities

join at least one club or team

attend school sports events

participate in school traditions

create study groups

organize small social gatherings

maintain connections with existing friends

personal growth:

set monthly academic and social goals

maintain a gratitude journal

create a personal development plan

establish healthy stress management techniques

develop time management skills

build positive relationships with staff

create a balance between academics and social life

regularly evaluate and adjust your strategies

pro tips from my experience:

keep a spare set of supplies in your locker

create a school-specific emergency kit

maintain a digital photo of your schedule

establish a homework routine from day one

create a support network outside of school

document your journey through photos or journals

maintain open communication with teachers

celebrate small victories and progress

10 secret tips that transformed my private school journey ♡

the bathroom rule always scout out the least-used bathrooms in your first week, but don't just look for any quiet bathroom - look for one that's strategically located between your most stressful classes. trust me on this - i found my favorite quiet bathroom on the third floor of the science building, and it became my secret sanctuary for quick meditation breaks, makeup touch-ups, or just moments of peace between classes. the lighting there was immaculate for those confidence-boosting mirror talks, and it was far enough from the main hallways that you could actually hear yourself think. i even started keeping a small essential oil roller in my bag to make these mini-breaks feel more spa-like. this space became my personal reset button during hectic days, especially during exam seasons or when social dynamics felt overwhelming.

teacher connection hack bring a small notebook specifically for writing down personal details teachers mention (their favorite books, coffee preferences, hobbies, their children's names, or even their pets). this isn't about being a teacher's pet - it's about building genuine human connections. i started bringing my teacher's favorite starbucks drink on presentation days, remembering to ask about their weekend plans they mentioned, or sharing articles related to their interests. not only did it make their day, but it also showed i paid attention to details. these small gestures created authentic relationships that made a huge difference during finals week, college recommendation season, and even when i needed extensions during tough times. remember, teachers are people first, and when they see you acknowledging their humanity, they're more likely to understand yours.

social currency secret keep a small emergency kit with hair ties, bobby pins, bandaids, mints, tampons/pads, tide-to-go pens, pain relievers (if allowed), small sewing kit, clear nail polish for tights runs, double-sided tape, and even a phone charger in your locker. nothing creates instant friendships like being the person everyone knows they can count on for emergency supplies. i actually met my best friend because i had a spare hair tie when she desperately needed one before her presentation, and that simple moment turned into a three-hour conversation after school. this kit isn't just about having supplies - it's about being the person who thinks ahead and cares enough to help others. i started keeping track of what people borrowed most often and would stock up accordingly. it's like having your own little convenience store of kindness.

the popularity paradox here's something no one tells you - in private schools, being overly eager to be popular actually makes you less popular. the social hierarchy in private schools is often more subtle and complex than in public schools. i learned to focus on being genuinely interested in others instead of trying to fit in, asking thoughtful questions about their interests, and remembering small details about their lives. surprisingly, the moment i stopped trying to be part of the "it" crowd was when people started naturally gravitating towards me. i focused on developing my own interests and passions, which made me more interesting to others. the key is to be confidently authentic rather than strategically social. this approach not only helped me build real friendships but also protected me from the exhausting game of trying to maintain a carefully crafted social image.

the uniform advantage even with strict uniform rules, there are always creative ways to stand out while staying within the guidelines. i invested in high-quality accessories that complied with dress code but made my uniform look more polished - pearl earrings, delicate necklaces, classic watches, and subtle hair accessories. these small details helped me feel more put together and confident. but it's not just about the accessories - it's about how you wear the uniform itself. i learned that having my shirts professionally pressed, skirts properly hemmed, and shoes well-maintained made a huge difference in how put-together i looked. i also kept a small steamer in my locker for emergency touch-ups. this attention to detail showed respect for the school's traditions while allowing my personal style to shine through in acceptable ways.

the lunch table strategy don't commit to one lunch table for at least two weeks, and be strategic about your rotation schedule. i created a subtle system where i would sit with different groups each day, making mental notes about the dynamics, interests, and personalities at each table. i rotated between different groups, which helped me understand the social dynamics better and prevented me from being boxed into one clique too early. pay attention to how each group interacts - some tables are for studying, others for gossip, and some for genuine conversations. i kept a small note in my phone about each group's interests so i could contribute meaningfully to conversations. this strategy gave me the freedom to form genuine connections across different social circles and ultimately helped me choose where i truly felt comfortable. by the third week, i had a clear understanding of where i naturally fit in, rather than where i thought i should be.

the academic alliance create study guides and share them with classmates before they ask, but make it systematic and sustainable. i started a google drive folder with my notes and study guides, organized by subject and topic, with clear summaries and practice questions. it naturally evolved into a collaborative study group where everyone contributed their strengths. i became known as someone who not only shared resources but also helped others understand how to create their own study materials. this approach created a reciprocal learning environment where everyone felt comfortable asking for and offering help. i even created templates for different types of assignments that we could all use, which saved everyone time and helped maintain consistent quality in our work.

the extracurricular edge join at least one unexpected club that's not typically "popular," but don't just join - become actively involved in ways that showcase your unique talents. i joined the astronomy club despite it being small, and instead of just attending meetings, i started organizing stargazing events and creating instagram-worthy posts about our activities. this not only helped grow the club but also showed others that you can make any activity exciting if you're passionate about it. the unexpected benefit was meeting people who shared my genuine interests rather than just social aspirations. these authentic connections often lead to the most meaningful friendships and impressive college application stories.

the social media strategy create a finsta (private instagram) specifically for close school friends, but treat it as a carefully curated space rather than just another social media account. wait at least a month before adding anyone - this gives you time to understand the social dynamics and ensure you're connecting with the right people. i used my finsta to share study tips, funny school moments, and support for others' achievements. it became a safe space for sharing real moments with trusted friends, away from the pressure of maintaining a perfect image on main accounts. i also used it to organize study groups and share helpful resources, making it both social and practical.

the legacy link learn about your school's history and traditions from older students, but go beyond just knowing the basics. i spent time talking to seniors, alumni, and even teachers about the school's evolution over the years. understanding why certain traditions started, knowing the stories behind school legends, and learning about notable alumni helped me feel more connected to the school community. i created a digital notebook of these stories, which became a valuable resource for other new students. this knowledge made me feel like part of something bigger than just my current school year and helped me appreciate the school's culture on a deeper level.

personal advice from my heart to yours:

sweetness, i want you to know that the first few months at a new private school can feel like you're learning a new language - everyone seems to know the words and customs except you. i remember feeling so out of place during my first semester, constantly second-guessing myself and wondering if i was "doing it right." that feeling of being an outsider would hit me hardest during school traditions or inside jokes that everyone else seemed to understand instinctively. i spent countless nights journaling about feeling like i was watching my school life through a window, wondering when i would finally feel like i belonged. but here's what i learned: that feeling of being an outsider is actually your superpower. you have fresh eyes to see things differently, and that perspective is valuable. you notice things that others have become blind to, and you bring new energy to old traditions. your unique viewpoint can actually help breathe new life into established social circles and activities.

the most important thing i wish someone had told me is that it's okay to take your time finding your place. private schools often have students who've been together since kindergarten, and it can feel impossible to break into those established circles. but here's the truth - while everyone else is trying to maintain their image and social position, you have the freedom to be authentically yourself from day one. you don't have to carry the weight of years of expectations or predetermined roles. focus on building genuine connections rather than strategic ones. keep your grades up, but don't let academic pressure steal your joy. document your journey - take photos, keep a journal, save little mementos. these will become precious reminders of your growth. remember that every single person who seems perfectly adjusted now once stood exactly where you are, feeling exactly what you're feeling. and most importantly, remember that the version of you that walks into that school on day one isn't the same version that will emerge at the end of the year - and that's exactly how it should be. you're not just adapting to a new school; you're growing into a newer, stronger version of yourself. embrace this transformation with open arms.

sending you the warmest hugs and all my support! feel free to message me anytime for more specific advice or just to chat about your journey 🤍

mindy x

p.s. would you loves be interested in detailed posts about my notion templates and organization systems? let me know in the reblogs/replies!

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demilypyro · 2 years ago

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At what point in time did you see a giant hammer and go “yeah, that’s my main.”

Monster Hunter: World is a 2018 action role-playing game developed and published by Capcom. The fifth mainline installment in the Monster Hunter series, it was released worldwide for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in January 2018, with a Windows version following in August 2018. In the game, the player takes the role of a Hunter, tasked to hunt down and either kill or trap monsters that roam in one of several environmental spaces. If successful, the player is rewarded through loot consisting of parts from the monster and other elements that are used to craft weapons and armor, amongst other equipment. The game's core loop has the player crafting appropriate gear to be able to hunt down more difficult monsters, which in turn provide parts that lead to more powerful gear. Players may hunt alone or in a group of up to four players via the game's online multiplayer.

Announced at E3 2017, Monster Hunter: World adopts the series' standard formulas from its older home console roots and recent handheld games to take advantage of the higher processing power provided by modern consoles and computers. Changes made in Monster Hunter: World include creating environmental spaces that are fully connected and removing the "zones" that were necessary for the PlayStation 2 and handheld games, more advanced monster artificial intelligence and physics, a more persistent cooperative multiplayer experience, and a refinement of the game's tutorials and user interface to help with bringing new players into the series. These changes led Capcom to plan for the game's simultaneous release worldwide, since Monster Hunter as a series has generally languished outside of Japan partially due to disparate release schedules. Capcom also opted to support online play between these different geographic regions for similar reasons. The delay for the Windows release was attributed to Capcom seeking to make sure its first foray into the Windows market was optimized for players on computers. By April 2020, updates to the game were synchronized among all platforms.

Monster Hunter: World received critical acclaim upon release, with critics praising how Capcom was able to make the game more accessible to new players and to Western markets, without detracting from the series' core gameplay elements and enjoyable difficulty, and fully taking advantage of the computational capacity of modern consoles to create living ecosystems, with some even calling it the best in the franchise. Monster Hunter: World is the single highest-selling game in Capcom's history, with over 21 million copies shipped by July 2022. A DLC expansion pack, subtitled Iceborne, was released for home consoles in September 2019 and for Windows in January 2020, and reached 10 million sales by December 2022. The next mainline installment, Monster Hunter Rise, was co-developed alongside World and announced for a worldwide release on Nintendo Switch in March 2021, with a Windows version released the following year.

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yumeka-sxf · 4 months ago

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Hii!! How reliable is the "new chapter in 2 days!" On shonen jump?

I just got into the sxf fandom so after binging the anime- and then all the manga in under a week i have been eagerly awaiting an update, but I heard that there have been long gaps between chapters before? so I dont wanna get my hopes up too high...

Hi there, welcome to the fandom 😃

The schedule for the new chapter is every other week on Monday, 12am JST, but it is flexible depending on Endo's schedule. If he's busy, sick, etc, it sometimes skips a week. If this happens, it won't just go to the next week, but will stay within the planned schedule. For example, if for some reason the release this week is cancelled, then the next new chapter will be on February 3rd, not January 27th.

With that said, to answer your question, as far as the main English manga platforms like Shonen Jump/Viz and Manga Plus, I'd say they're pretty accurate. But sometimes things can change from one chapter release date to the next. Like, after we get this week's new chapter, the manga platforms may say "next chapter on February 3rd." But if something happens in the days before then, they could update it to say "next chapter on February 17th." Sometimes they know about the delay a week or so in advance, but other times they might not know until a day or two before. I don't think they make these date change announcements anywhere other than on the site itself, so you'd have to keep checking back to get the most updated date.

As a side note, the Japanese chapter releases print the next chapter date on the last page, like in the below snippet from chapter 109. But again, the date is subject to change. Occasionally Endo will know in advance if he's going to skip a release week, but not always.

I've only been in the SxF fandom for a little over two years, but I'd say chapters don't get delayed that often. November to December 2024 was an outlier since Endo was having health issues. But overall, chapter delays happen only a handful of times a year.

Hope this helps!

#spy x family #sxf #spy family #spyxfamily #sxf manga

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justinspoliticalcorner · 23 days ago

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Rachel Leingang at The Guardian:

Donald Trump on Friday said his administration is implementing a move that will allow far more firings of federal employees and will make significantly more roles into politically appointed positions beholden to the president. The office of personnel management (OPM) on Friday published a new rule that invokes “Schedule F”, a prior attempt to reclassify wide swaths of federal workers not as civic service roles with protections regardless of who’s in power – but as political appointees who can be hired or fired based on their allegiances to the president. “If these government workers refuse to advance the policy interests of the President, or are engaging in corrupt behavior, they should no longer have a job,” Trump wrote on Friday on his Truth Social platform. “This is common sense, and will allow the federal government to finally be ‘run like a business.’” [...] Most federal government employees serve in roles that are not politically appointed. About 4,000 employees are in roles appointed based on who is in power. Friday’s move would expand that by about 50,000 people, prior estimates have shown.

The Trump Regime’s plans to reclassify several thousands workers’ worth of federal civil service workers to Schedule F, meaning that they become political appointees. In short, if a worker has no allegiance to MAGA, then they could be liable to be forced out without recourse.

#Trump Regime #Trump Administration II #Schedule F #OPM #Office Of Personnel Management #Civil Service #Project 2025

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daily-nikki · 15 days ago

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Version 1.5 [Bubble Season] Update Notice - April 28th

From the Official Infinity Nikki Website.

April 28: Version 1.5 Update Notice

Dear Stylists,

Infinity Nikki will undergo a version update from 10:50 to 20:00 on April 28, 2025 (UTC-7). During this period, the game will be inaccessible. Please plan ahead to avoid any unnecessary losses. The maintenance schedule may be adjusted based on actual conditions. Please plan your game time in advance.

After the server maintenance, a mandatory client update will be required. Players using older client versions will be unable to access the game once maintenance concludes. For detailed instructions on updating your client, please refer to the upcoming announcement: Version 1.5 Game Client Mandatory Update Guide. Those who complete the upgrade will be able to claim 65 pulls upon logging in and obtain more 4,200 Diamonds through the events!

Details of this update can be found below. We appreciate your understanding and support!

※The limited-time Resonance events "Into the Illusion," "Dancing Shepherdess," and "Magical Scribbles" will end at 10:49:59 on April 28 (UTC-7).

※The events "Shine! Party King!," "The Party's On," "Dream or Illusion?," "Carnival in Frames," "Fields of Vernal Bloom," "Alison's Travel Shop," "Whirl of Melodies," "Wishing Rhapsody," and "Wishing Dance Moment" will end at 10:49:59 on April 28 (UTC-7).

※The "Whim House" shop will close at 10:49:59 on April 28 (UTC-7). The following outfits will also be made unavailable at 10:49:59 on April 28 (UTC-7): [The Queen's Move] in "Whim House," [All-Night Party] and [Sweet Diagnosis] in "Clothing."

★ Maintenance Duration ★

April 28, 10:50-20:00 (UTC-7)

★ Compensation ★

Diamond*500, Resonite Crystal*1

*Available only to stylists who log in and unlock the inbox feature before 08:59 on May 6, 2025 (UTC-7).

★ New Content ★

■ New Area "Sea of Stars"

The new area "Sea of Stars" unlocks after server launch on April 28. The Sea of Stars is a new permanent feature that links various worlds. Here, everyone can interact and socialize with others, and gather unique resources to purchase and craft new outfits. A world of thrilling features awaits, ready to be explored and discovered!

● The event "Starlit Moments" is permanently available.

Complete daily tasks in "Starlit Moments" in the Sea of Stars to earn Ethereal Stars. Use them to acquire the "Sea of Stars" Miracle Outfit in the Heart of Infinity.

In addition, Starlit Crystals can also be obtained, which can be exchanged for rewards such as co-op items, co-op actions, and clothing pieces in Starlit Shop. On top of that, Ethereal Stars and Starlit Crystals can also be obtained while exploring the Sea of Stars.

● The "Cloudsea Realm" levels are permanently available.

Explore the "Cloudsea Realm" levels solo or team up with others in co-op mode.

● The "Challenge Portal" levels are permanently available.

On the Dream Star Isles, there is a Challenge Portal that allows access to the Dimensional Rift's challenges, including the Cloudsea Realm levels, and the Thing in the Mist boss.

● The "Animal Playtime" gameplay feature is permanently available.

Enter the zone to randomly turn into a small animal from Miraland. Nikki can control the animal form and interact with friends who've also transformed.

● "Bubble Dreamland" is permanently available.

On the opposite side of the Dream Star Isles, there's a platform shaped like a conch. Smash the button by plunging down to create colorful bubbles and be carried away into a dreamy world.

■ New Area: Serenity Island

The new area "Serenity Island" unlocks after server launch on April 28. Embark on a fantastic adventure where ancient tales whisper through the breeze, mysterious visitors share hidden lore, and the secrets of unshakable serenity await discovery. The rewards include Resonite Crystals, Diamonds, and more!

● The exclusive quest [Somewhere Beyond the Rainbow Waters] is permanently available on Serenity Island.

Complete the new Exclusive Quest and earn rewards like Diamonds, Resonite Crystals, and growth materials.

● World & Random Quest Series "A Moment in Serenity" is permanently available.

Go to Serenity Island and complete the World Quests in "Colorful Happenings" and Random Quests in "Innocent Encounters" to earn generous rewards, including Diamonds and growth materials.

● The "Treasure Pouch" store is permanently available.

Collect Whim Bubbles and Serenity Dewdrops to exchange with Pouchy for Diamonds, dyeing materials, and more.

● The event "Bubble Hopper" is permanently available.

Leap onto bubbles in the order they appear in Bubble Hopper. Reach the finish line before time runs out to claim Diamond rewards.

● The event "Breezy Bubbleboat" is permanently available.

Complete the Random Quest "Set off on an adventure riding the bubbles!" to unlock. Play the game to get Diamond rewards.

● The event "Swish & Stitch Soiree" is permanently available.

Show off your style and connect with fellow fashionistas. Special themes will be featured every night from 20:00 - 22:00 (Server Time). Participate to get version-exclusive rewards including Diamonds as well as permanent rewards such as dye materials, Patterns, and more.

● The event "New Styles! New Inspirations!" is permanently available.

Embark on a series of Random Quests to unlock styling challenges. Complete quests to obtain Diamonds, Patterns, growth materials, and more.

● There are 7 new Curio Domains in Serenity Island, complete the challenges to obtain Whim Bubbles.

■ [Bubble Season] Limited-time Events

● The limited-time event "Chase the Bubbles!" unlocks.

Available from April 28 after server launch to June 4 at 12:49 (UTC-7); arrive on Serenity Island to unlock. Collect Whim Bubbles across Serenity Island to earn generous rewards including Diamonds, growth materials, and limited stylist card,

● The limited-time event "Rainbow Album" unlocks.

Available from April 28 after server launch to June 4 at 12:49 (UTC-7); arrive on Serenity Island to unlock. Take 10 photos loaded with memories to fill the album "Rainbow Album." Fill the album to claim Diamonds, and more.

● The limited-time event "Where Are the Gifties?" unlocks.

Available from April 28 after server launch to June 4 at 12:49 (UTC-7); arrive on Serenity Island to unlock. Help track down the stray Gifties and ensure their safe return to Gifty Island to earn Diamonds, growth materials, and more.

● The limited-time event "Floating Bubbles" unlocks.

Available from April 28 after server launch to June 4 at 12:49 (UTC-7); arrive on Serenity Island to unlock. Complete these tasks to earn "Bubble Trace." Once you collect the required amount of "Bubble Trace," you can exchange for the 4-star outfit Honey Hunt, [Sketch: Honey Hunt], Diamonds, growth materials, and more.

● The limited-time check-in event "Bubbly Gifts" unlocks.

From April 28 after server launch to May 20 at 18:59 (UTC-7), log in for a total of 7 days to claim [Revelation Crystal]*10.

■ Limited-Time Resonance Event "Eternal Snow" Starts

From April 28 after server launch to June 4 at 12:49 (UTC-7), head over to Resonance and obtain the new 5-star outfit [Snowy Ballad] and 4-star outfit [Rosy Reverie].

>> Complete the 5-star outfit [Snowy Ballad] to unlock the following ability:

[Default: Water Walking]: After using the ability, Nikki will be able to walk across frozen waters. As she steps forward, fish leap and dance beneath her hem in graceful rhythm. While in [Companion Journey], Nikki can walk hand-in-hand with a companion across even greater stretches of ice.

>>Complete the 4-star outfit [Rosy Reverie] to unlock the following ability:

[Mirror Mirror: Whimsicality]: After using the ability, Nikki can pose in front of the mirror. Plus, activating Momo's Camera summons vibrant flowers to bloom around the lens.

>> Resonance Milestone Rewards

New Resonance Reward: Upon reaching 160 Resonance attempts in "Eternal Snow," the decoration [Eternal Snowdew] can be claimed. Place it in open spaces for photo shooting or as decoration.

■ Limited-Time Resonance Event "Unfading Heart" Starts

From April 28 after server launch to June 4 at 12:49 (UTC-7), head over to Resonance and obtain the new 5-star outfit [Crimson Feather] and 4-star outfit [Celestial Whispers].

>> Complete the 5-star outfit [Crimson Feather] to unlock the following ability:

[Default: Winged Hover]: After using the ability, Nikki will enter the Winged Hover state, allowing her to fly through the air. In [Companion Journey], Nikki embraces the companion to fly a greater distance. Additionally, the Crimson Feather outfit grants the Everflame Nirvana ability, allowing Nikki to switch between Ash Form and Original Form. The Ash Form will change the outfit appearance.

>> Complete the 4-star outfit [Celestial Whispers] to unlock the following ability:

[Sleepwalker: Whimsicality]: Nikki drifts into a sweet dream. Mischievous moon and stars gently nudge her slumber. And even if she stirs awake, there's no need to worry—reality is just as sweet as her dreams.

>> Resonance Milestone Rewards

New Resonance Reward: Upon reaching 160 Resonance attempts in "Unfading Heart," the [Ocean's Radiance Gift Box] can be claimed, which contains the dance moves [Feather Harmony], [Thorny Path], and [Everflame Gift], together with a dance item [Everlasting Hope]. Using the item allows you to dance gracefully in the open world. The dance moves [Feather Harmony], [Thorny Path], and [Everflame Gift] can be used in Momo's Camera.

■ DIY Workshop Now Available

After server launch on April 28, the DIY Workshop will be available. Explore features like Dyeing, Pattern creation, and special effect color change on select outfits.

● Outfit Dyeing: Unlock Palettes to dye your favorite outfits into splendid colors. Dyeable items in Version 1.5 include 5-star and 4-star outfits from past limited-time Resonance events, select Ability Outfits unlocked via the Heart of Infinity, and some new outfits added in Version 1.5.

● Pattern Creation: Patterns can be applied to certain pieces and be obtained via permanent gameplay features on Serenity Island and Random Quests in the open world.

● Special Effect Color Change: This feature will be unlocked for select outfits after 3 Evolutions, allowing the colors of an outfit's original special effects to be adjusted.

● The schemes designed in DIY Workshop can be shared and those of your friends can also be imported.

Future updates will expand dyeable outfits, pieces, Patterns, and special effects.

■ The "Deep Breakthrough" double rewards limited-time event unlocks.

From May 5 at 4:00 to May 26 at 3:59 (Server Time), stylists who have completed the World Quest [New Guidance: Realm of Escalation] and Chapter 7 main quest [Secret of the Grand Tree] will be able to access the "Deep Breakthrough" double rewards limited-time event. During event, challenge Realm of Breakthrough to earn double rewards. There is 1 chance for double rewards weekly. Unused attempts do not stack and will reset every Monday at 04:00:00 (server time).

■ The event "Welcome to the Lens Lab" unlocks.

After server launch on April 28, "Leila's Lens Lab" will be permanently open. Go to Great Wishtree Square to purchase more poses.

■ The event "Rainbow and Pattern" unlocks.

From April 28 after server launch to June 4 at 12:49 (UTC-7), complete the dyeing quest to receive a wonderful gift of Rainbow and Pattern.

■ The event "Adventure Together" unlocks.

From April 28 after server launch to June 4 at 12:49 (UTC-7), share invite code to team up with friends in exploring Miraland. Complete event tasks together to claim Diamond rewards.

■ The event "Reignite Your Whim" unlocks.

Participation Prerequisites:

1) Unlock the [Events] feature.

2) Have the [Resonance] feature unlocked before your last logout.

3) Be inactive for at least 14 days since your last login.

4) Wait 42 days (excluding the activation day) since your last participation in the "Reignite Your Whim" event. During the 14-day period after activating the event, the following will be accessible:

● "Cordial Reunion" Return Rewards

● "Starlit Reunion" Cumulative Login Rewards

Earn Diamonds, Energy Crystals, Shiny Bubbles, and other rewards by logging in consecutively during the event.

● "Journey Anew" Recommendations

Explore Pear-Pal's curated hot picks during the event! Get first-hand updates on trending in-game content.

● "Weaving New Visions" Return Mission Rewards

Complete daily tasks to collect Vision Puzzles. Unlock Diamonds, Resonite Crystals, Energy Crystals, and more by reaching specific thresholds.

● "Welcome Back Boost" Bonus Double Drops

During the event, receive 10 double-drop chances in Realm of Eureka and double rewards for up to 400 Vital Energy in Realm of Escalation. If the "Welcome Back Boost" overlaps with an active double-drop event, the current event's double-drop chances will be prioritized for consumption.

■ [Store] Various Items Available

● "Store: Heartfelt Gifts" Limited-Time Rerun

From April 28 after server launch to June 4 at 12:49 (UTC-7), Heartfelt Gifts returns with free outfits. Those who missed the 3 [Heartfelt Gifts] events now have the chance to claim the outfits. During the event, 1 free outfit can be claimed daily, totaling 9 outfits plus 1 Momo's Cloak! All the 4-star outfits can be claimed twice.

● The limited-time event "Shake Up Bubble Jar!" unlocks.

From April 28 after server launch to June 4 at 12:49 (UTC-7), completing eligible in-game purchases will accumulate "Bubble Energy." As your "Bubble Energy" reaches specific milestones, you'll unlock tiered rewards. The total rewards amount to 880 Diamonds and the 3-star outfit [Bubble's Hometown].

How to accumulate "Bubble Energy:"

1) Purchase [Monthly Gifts] Privilege or [Weekly Gains] Privilege; purchase [Distant Anthem] Privilege or [Miracle Epic] Privilege.

2) Purchase in-game packs and items in Bubble Market (excluding those that can be bought with Stellarites or Diamonds).

3) Purchase Stellarites (Only real-money purchases of Stellarites are counted. Ordinary spending of Stellarites or Diamonds will not be tracked).

● New Arrivals in "Bubble Market"

from April 28 after server launch until June 4 at 12:49 (UTC-7), go to "Store: Bubble Market" for exclusive offers:

>>[Bubbly Adventure]

Purchase [Iridescent Bubblet] to release dreamy bubbles and [Glimmer Bubble Lotion] for a radiant, bubbly glamor. Spray the bubbles on Adventurer's Bubbleblooms, Bubble Dreamland and Bubble Popper for a special, bubbly glow!

>>[Soothing Bubbles]

Purchase [Bubble's Whisper] to get: [Hair: Foamy Shampoo], [Pose: Bubble Voice], [Decoration: Bubbly Bath] and [Momo's Cloak: Post-bath Moment].

>>[Snuggly Embrace]

Get [Decoration: Bunny Beanbag] for just 380 Diamonds! Let Nikki loosen up in its cozy embrace.

>>[Unbound Pass: Tandem]

The new Whim Vehicle [Unbound Pass: Tandem] is available for a limited time! Spend only 180 Stellarites to get [Whim Pedals: Tandem] and enjoy a ride with your friend.

● New Arrivals in [Store: Clothing]

From April 28 after server launch to June 4 at 12:49 (UTC-7), the following outfits will be available for a limited time in "Store: Clothing:" Graceful Elegance, Midnight Vogue and Heartfelt Melody!

● Featured Packs Update

From April 28 after server launch to June 4 at 12:49 (UTC-7), go to "Store: Featured" for exclusive offers:

>>The "Serenity Resonance Packs" are available, featuring [Revelation Crystals] and [Blings].

>>The "Chromatic Prism" pack series is permanently available, alongside the weekly-updated "Time-lit Luminous Pack" and "Time-lit Rainbow Pack," as well as the weekly-updated free pack "Rainbow Gift," featuring dyeing materials.

>>The Bubble-Season-exclusive "Prismatic Plenitude" pack series is available, featuring Revelation Crystals and dyeing materials.

■ Mira Journey: New Phase

From April 28 after server launch to June 4 at 12:49 (UTC-7), when [Mira Journey] begins, [Journey Overture] will automatically unlock. Complete [Journey Tasks] to earn Journey EXP, level up, and receive rewards like Resonite Crystals and Energy Crystals.

● By purchasing and unlocking [Distant Anthem], [Diamond]*680 will be given instantly, with an additional [Diamond]*680, Revelation Crystals, and [Momo's Cloak: Chivalry] available through leveling up.

● By purchasing and unlocking [Miracle Epic], all current [Distant Anthem] level rewards will be unlocked plus a 10-level boost. Additionally, rewards like Stellarites, an Avatar Frame, and Energy Crystals will also be given.

■ Update: Mira Crown Pinnacle Contest.

Event Duration: April 28 (After Server Launch) - May 20, 18:59 (UTC-7)

Effects: +15% to [Summer] pieces, +15% to [Ballroom] pieces.

★ Optimizations ★

■ Tutorials

Added the quest "A Journey Born from the End," and optimized the overall experience of the beginner tutorials.

After server launch on April 28, you'll need to first play through the "A Journey Born from the End" quest. Please note that certain system features will be made unavailable temporarily during this story segment. When the quest reaches certain points:

※ Stylists who unlocked the in-game Store before the update will be able to board the Unbound Boat to return to Miraland.

※ Stylists who haven't unlocked the Store yet must complete the Land with No Name quest first.

■ Social System Upgraded

After server launch on April 28, the social system will be overhauled. Head to the Sea of Stars to experience social gameplay, or invite friends to join your world in Miraland for co-op adventures.

● Introduced the "Ring the Starbell" feature where varying ring durations transmit different signals to the world, each eliciting specific responses.

● Introduced the "Illuminate" feature where strangers in the Sea of Stars initially appear as Starlit Shadows. Approach them to send an Illuminate request; once lit, the other stylist's true form will be revealed, enabling further interactions.

● Introduced the "Actions" feature where Feature Collection can be accessed on the Main Interface or another stylist's Interaction Panel to easily perform actions or communicate. Selected poses are now available as actions and more will be added in future updates.

● Enhanced social interactions where you can interact with friends or illuminated players through activities like hand-holding, chatting, and group photos.

● Introduced the co-op invite feature where you can interact with Starlit Projections in the open world to open the co-op invite interface, allowing you to summon other stylists to your world for joint activities.

● Introduced the co-op chat system where you can chat with friends in real-time. Stickers can now be shared in the updated chat system which can be accessed directly from the main menu.

● Upgraded the "Friends" system where you can add custom notes to friends, mark them as Favorites, and send co-op invites directly through the system.

■ Appearance Customizations for Abilities

After server launch on April 28, all abilities will support customization for ability items when the quest [Sea of Stars Revelation: The Secret of Ability Outfits] is completed. Once a full Ability Outfit is collected and its ability unlocked, go to [Wardrobe: Ability Setup] to freely mix and match the ability's visual appearance.

■ [Glow Up] System Upgrade

To enhance the Glow Up feature, the development team has updated the Glow Up System.

● New Color Rewards: There'll be new color variants for glowed up 5-star outfits/separate pieces and 4-star outfits/separate pieces. While glowing up won't unlock new colors for 3-star outfits/separate pieces, it unlocks new Palettes for them. More unique dyeable colors can be accessed for 3-star outfits/separate pieces in the dyeing feature by consuming dyeing materials.

● New color variants for select glowed up 5-star/4-star outfits and Palettes for glowed up 3-star outfits are available during Version 1.5. More outfits and pieces will gain Glow Up rewards in future versions.

■ Art Upgrades for Certain Outfits

● The [Froggy Fashion] Outfit

The outfit has been upgraded to the new [Croaker Chorus: Whimsicality] ability, allowing Nikki to summon four Croakers for a performance.

The upgraded ability and rerun Resonance event [Croaker's Whisper] will be available during the 4-star Resonance period of Version 1.5.

Previous Resonance progress will carry over into the rerun, allowing those who have collected the full outfit to unlock the ability straight away.

● The [Crystal Poems] Outfit

The "Crystal Poems" outfit now features a special Purification animation: Nikki will wield her wand to cast Purifying Orbs, accompanied by a shimmering snowfall effect around the wand.

The Purification animation and special effect will be implemented in Version 1.5.

The [Crystal Poems] outfit is available in the permanent Resonance event [Distant Sea].

● The [Flutter Storm] Outfit

New Resonance Milestone Reward at 160 attempts: [Ocean's Radiance Gift Box], which contains the dance move [Fluttering Dance] and item [Fluttering Dream]. Using the item allows you to dance gracefully in the open world. The dance move [Fluttering Dance] can be used in Momo's Camera.

The Resonance Milestone Reward and the rerun Resonance event [Butterfly Dream] will be available during the star Resonance period of Version 1.6.

Previous Resonance progress will carry over into the rerun, allowing those who have reached 160 Resonance attempts to claim the rewards in [Deep Echoes] straight away.

● The [Blooming Dreams] Outfit

New Resonance Milestone Rewards at 160 attempts: [Decoration: Floral Rain].

The Resonance Milestone Rewards and the rerun Resonance event [Blooming Fantasy] will be available during the star Resonance period of Version 1.7.

Previous Resonance progress will carry over into the rerun, allowing those who have reached 160 Resonance attempts to claim the rewards in [Deep Echoes] straight away.

● More Outfit Optimizations

Outfits available in the permanent Resonance events like "Breezy Tea Time," "Shark Mirage," and "Forest's Fluttering" also receive polished ability animations. Upon acquisition, their ability items—a bug-catching net, fishing rod, and cleaning brush—can now be swapped for exclusive new designs during use.

■ New Trials in Realm of Eureka

Added "Beauty Lab Trial" and "Queen Philomia's Palace Ruins Trial] to Realm of Eureka. Venture into these trials to obtain new 5-star Eurekas:

● "Beauty Lab Trial" drops: Roseheart (Attributes: Sweet/Elegant), Flitterfin, (Attributes: Fresh/Sexy).

● "Queen Philomia's Palace Ruins Trial] drops: Swaying Lotus (Attributes: Fresh/Cool), Wild Blaze (Attributes: Cool/Sexy).

● New Whim Fragrances

● Added "Pristine Dewdrop" and "Soothing Spring" Whim Fragrances. Hunt for their Sketches in the new event map "Serenity Island":

● Pristine Dewdrop: Hit the Purification button in sync with the rhythm to light up Dewdrop Garlands. Light up two or three Dewdrop Garlands to fire 2 Purifying Orbs; light up four Dewdrop Garlands to enable Purifying Orbs to penetrate.

● Soothing Spring: Hold the Purification button to charge, then release to launch an Attached Purifying Orb that adheres to targets. Attached Purifying Orbs explode after a set duration, dealing AoE Purification damage. During their lifespan, hold the Purification key again to charge and trigger an instant AoE burst.

■ Graphics and Performance Optimizations

● Enhanced the DLSS feature on PC, now supporting the new Nvidia DLSS 4 super-resolution model and Reflex low-latency technology. An Nvidia RTX graphics card that supports the feature is required.

● The resolution settings in the PC client now correctly display all resolutions supported by your monitor.

● Temporal Anti-Aliasing (TAA) and Temporal Super Resolution (TSR) now include adjustable quality presets.

● Upgraded image sharpness, rendering precision, and smoothness across all mobile devices. Players on both high and low-performance devices will enjoy crisper, more detailed visuals.

● Added a device load indicator to the graphics settings, showing real-time performance impact based on your current configuration.

● Improved positioning and scaling of all main menu UI components across various screen resolutions.

● 45 FPS and 60 FPS options are now available for certain mobile devices.

■ Camera Optimizations

● Added free movement controls in Momo's Camera during photo shooting, allowing Nikki to move freely while posing.

● Added photo editing tools in Momo's Album, allowing custom text and stickers to be attached to your snapshots.

● PC and PS5 now support vertical photo mode, streamlining the capture of portrait-oriented compositions. Photos can now be rotated and viewed in the Momo's Album.

● Photo presets can be saved in Momo's Camera. Generate shareable codes to save your favorite camera settings or apply others' presets.

● Momo's Camera now supports multiplayer photography. Players can send photo requests to other stylists in their current online session or those previously illuminated. In multiplayer mode, participants may adjust their positions freely while documenting collaborative exploration.

■ Achievement Optimizations

● Added achievement support for the Epic Games Store version of Infinity Nikki. Achievements and unlock conditions are identical to the Steam and PS5 versions.

● Adjusted the unlock requirements for achievements/trophies "I Swear, This Is the Last Time" and "Heart Full of Wonders." These can now be unlocked more quickly.

● The original unlock conditions for "I Swear, This Is the Last Time" and "A Heart Full of Wonders" have been added to the "Courses" section.

■ Operation Optimization

● Added default shortcut keys for social and other systems. Existing custom key bindings that conflict with new defaults will be reset to system defaults. Affected stylists can reconfigure keys in [Settings - Controls] after server launch.

● Added X-axis/Y-axis inversion for camera controls in [Settings] when playing with a keyboard/mouse or controller.

● Optimized the open world interface where the ability switching and outfit switching functions are merged, and a sidebar is added to consolidate multiple features for smoother navigation.

● Improved web page navigation (e.g., news/announcements) on PC when using a controller: The mouse now appears automatically for easier browsing.

● Added combo key remapping support in keyboard settings for PC keyboard/mouse mode.

● Enhanced controller readability for the "Lore Compendium." Optimized how certain lore items dynamically update based on quest progress.

● Improved the customization experience for Custom Avatar and Card in the Pear-Pal: Profile interface.

● Streamlined the Collections interface when using a controller, particularly for selecting areas.

■ Other Improvements

● Optimized the buying process for select Featured Packs and Weekly Gains. Players can now purchase multiple quantities of the same item in bulk.

● Added the "Whim Calendar" interface, where players can conveniently track progress for daily/weekly tasks, event modules (e.g., Daily Wishes, Starlit Moments, Realm Challenges, Mira Crown), and more.

● Added "Immersive Mode", which can be toggled in the main interface's Feature Collection. This mode hides most system-level UI elements for a distraction-free open world.

● Added the "Color Lookbook" interface, allowing players to view, create, and share styling for inspiration.

● Tweaked certain "Curio Domain" levels in Florawish and Memorial Mountains to improve tutorial clarity and guidance.

● Adjusted the behavior of Whiminks when they are groomed with the "Art of Tailoring" outfit's ability. A Whimink will revert to its original form if the Whimstar is not successfully collected, requiring players to clean it again.

● Added tags to indicate whether quests are solo or co-op compatible.

● Improved the interface for viewing tracking markers when quest targets are located on other maps.

● Enhanced decorative effects on animals after grooming them with the "Art of Tailoring" outfit's ability.

● Optimized the auto-tracking system's prioritization for quest objectives.

● Improved animations and visual effects for entries in the "Creature Compendium."

★ Bug Fixes ★

● Fixed an issue where photos in Momo's Album could be sorted abnormally.

● Fixed an issue where character models flickered abnormally under certain conditions.

● Fixed an issue where ground rendering was abnormal on specific device models.

● Fixed an issue where materials of certain outfits turned abnormally dark in indoor environments on specific device models.

● Fixed an issue where the game could crash during shader compilation on startup for certain mobile device models.

● Fixed an issue where switching to other apps during game startup could cause the process to freeze on certain mobile device models.

● Fixed an issue where some pieces of the "Dance Till Dawn" outfit displayed abnormally on certain mobile device models.

● Fixed an issue where the account login pop-up could display abnormally on certain mobile device models, preventing account switching.

● Fixed an issue where the clothing glow effect was rendered abnormally on certain mobile device models.

● Fixed an issue where visual abnormalities could occur after evolving the "Fairytale Swan" outfit.

● Fixed inconsistent lighting in certain areas of the [Queen Philomia's Palace Ruins] level.

● Fixed clipping that could occur when wearing both the "Work-Life Balance" and "Powder Blue" outfits together.

● Fixed abnormal lighting effects in some caves within the Wishing Woods area.

● Fixed an issue where some trees in the Wishing Woods area appeared abnormally.

● Fixed an issue where adjusting camera distance after triggering the [Spectral Mist] outfit's special effect on mobile could feel unresponsive.

● Fixed an issue where some trees inside the "Wish Pass Office" cavern displayed abnormally.

● Fixed multiple issues that could cause crashes on AMD GPUs during gameplay.

● Fixed an issue where the "Run, Pear-Pal" mini-game could become unplayable.

● Fixed an issue where Momo's tail could display abnormally.

● Fixed an issue where Nikki's makeup could disappear in animations when using the "Timeless Melody" outfit's special ability.

● Fixed an issue where equipping the "Light of Dawn" Whim Fragrance in the "Palace Ruins Cavern" could prevent purification of certain Dews of Inspiration.

● Fixed display issues with certain hairstyles when wearing the "Strange Studies" or "Sweet Obsidian" outfits.

● Fixed an issue where using the "Art of Tailoring" outfit's ability to groom animals could cause abnormal movement under certain conditions.

● Fixed an issue where NPC Raggy's appearance could display abnormally under certain conditions.

● Fixed an issue where texture quality settings did not match actual in-game visuals under certain conditions.

● Fixed an issue where the tracking marker for the "Target! Wish Inspection Center!" quest displayed abnormally under certain conditions.

● Fixed an issue where frame rate settings in the options menu could reset abnormally after restarting the game under certain conditions.

● Fixed an issue where dress physics could behave abnormally during falls while wearing certain outfits under certain conditions.

● Fixed an issue where the character could be teleported again unintentionally after teleporting under certain conditions.

● Fixed an issue where controllers used as audio output devices could vibrate abnormally under certain conditions.

● Fixed an issue where water surfaces could flicker abnormally under certain conditions.

● Fixed clipping that could occur with the [Spinning Mood] bottom under certain conditions.

● Fixed an issue where filter results in the Lore Compendium could display abnormally under certain conditions.

● Fixed water rendering issues in the "Realm of Nourishment" under certain conditions.

● Fixed an issue where breaking the crate at the "Stonecrown Cavern" entrance could prevent the door from opening under certain conditions.

● Fixed animation issues with some NPCs' movements under certain conditions.

● Fixed clipping that could occur when wearing [Hair Accessory: Angry Nikki] under certain conditions.

● Fixed a crash that could occur when selecting the "Other Device" option during login under certain conditions.

● Fixed model issues with the tips of [Hair: Caressing Breeze] under certain conditions.

● Fixed a crash that could occur during a cutscene in the "When the Fireworks Bloom" Exclusive Quest under certain conditions.

● Fixed abnormal reflections on some water surfaces in the Firework Isles under certain conditions.

● Fixed rendering issues with the Ms. Glove's piano in the Queen's Palace High Ruins Tower under certain conditions.

● Fixed display issues with the table summoned by the "Dream Banquet" outfit's ability in photo mode under certain conditions.

● Fixed an issue where some UI elements displayed abnormally after adjusting resolution settings on mobile under certain conditions.

● Fixed an issue where parts of the terrain could lack models under certain conditions.

● Fixed abrupt NPC animation transitions after completing dialogues under certain conditions.

● Fixed an issue where vehicles in certain scenes might not be disposed of properly under certain conditions.

● Fixed display issues with some of Nikki's hairstyles in the Sanctum of the Observant under certain conditions.

● Fixed an issue where some character animations displayed abnormally under certain conditions.

● Fixed an issue where quest navigation could fail under certain conditions.

● Fixed display issues when zooming the map under certain conditions.

● Fixed a crash that could occur when switching the game to the background on mobile under certain conditions.

● Fixed an issue where footsteps could desynchronize from character movement under certain conditions.

#infinity nikki #nikkiverse #infinikki #nikki #nikki games #nikki series #infinity nikki version 1.5 update #nikki 1.5 #nikki version update

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currentfications · 2 years ago

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Ocean Eyes | Part 1

Pairing: Bada Lee x Producer!Reader

Synopsis: You’re the newest member to Jam Republic Agency’s South Korean branch, starting next week as a music producer. You’ve arrived a few weeks in advance to settle into the area, and was advised by the agency to stop by JustJerk to greet another fellow member, famous choreographer Bada Lee.

Warnings: Swearing

AN: Recently relocated to this blog, hope you enjoy the read!

Previous | Next

Standing in front of the building, you take a deep breath and hope that the heart throb dancer you’ve seen on the dance show is as down to earth as Latrice have previously mentioned. Knowing that they are still filming the final few episodes of Street Women Fighter 2 and the possibility that the team’s schedule is jam packed, you crossed your fingers that you’ve arrived at a good time for a quick hello.

Walking into the reception area, you were greeted by the receptionist and stated your reasons of visit, along with a few administrative details. Once that is completed, you waited in front of the elevator, quickly checking your outfit. You’re wearing a turtleneck and an oversized coat, skirts with an opaque black tights underneath. Almost every inch of your skin was covered, a lesson you’ve learned during your visit to Akanen in Japan - people tend to stare a lot when you have this amount of tattoos, little artwork you’ve collected like stickers all over your body. Then there’s the intimidation factor, where people tend to find you inapprochable; you’ve decided to cover up a little for your first meet up with your agency member.

You noticed a loose shoelace right before the elevator arrived and squat down to lace up your platform boots - a signature piece on you that you never leave home without, a relic you take from your past life in Australia. The elevator dinged and you straightened yourself up to walk in.

The metal doors opened up to seven girls already inside, presumably coming up from the parking lot. Your eyes widen as you recognised the members of BEBE looking back at you, pausing their chatter to give you a polite nod. Initially planning on greeting the group leader in their studio, the sudden encounter took you by surprise. You entered the elevator with the girls and returned the greeting, only to promptly turn around to press on a random floor button. The doors closed and a moment of awkward silence filled the room.

When the elevator next opened up you excused yourself from the situation, “Have a great day lovely ladies,” came out of your mouth as you contemplated between ‘great day’ and ‘lovely day’, you marched down the corridor as the metal door slams behind you, trying to maintain your composure. As soon as the elevator moved on to the other floors you squatted down near the corridor, trying to bury your face from the encounter. You pulled out your phone to text the other Jam Republic dancer for a rant.

Y/N: LATRICE I COULDNT DO ITTTTT

Latrice: Wdym are u still standing in front of the building?

Latrice: Just walk in already u cowardly bitch 🥱

Y/N: I DID

Y/N: b-but they were just in the elevator and it was so cramped and so awkward and I freaked out 😭😭

Latrice: Ma’am are u telling me u were silent the whole elevator ride and followed them to the studio like a creep??

Y/N: What no I’m not an idiot wtf

Y/N: I went to a random floor instead

Latrice: Oh god you dumb cunt, I told u she’s really nice didn I?

Y/N: … yes :(

Y/N: … but they’re like really cute

Y/N: … and I was in an elevator with ALL 7 OF THEM

Y/N: Your honour it’s not my fault that I have problem talking to hot girls in an enclosed space

Latrice: boo, u whore

Y/N: Yes now come pick me up I know you and Kirsten are still in the area

On the other side of the elevator, the group exchanged a look and all started giggling. Your all black attire and looking statue, though did not help to make you any less intimidating, made quite an impression on the dancers. “Who’s that?” Sowoen was the first to break through the giggles. “I think I might’ve had a crush.” The youngest of the group twirled her hair between her fingers.

“Oh wow what about me?” The leader of the group interjected, her supple lips pouty, feigning a look of heartbreak.

Lusher lightly smacked their leader’s shoulder, “No but Sowoen is right, ‘lovely ladies?’ Damn that was smooth.” Tatter nodded and hummed along in agreement.

“Y’all see another tall hot dancer and have forgotten all about me, I see how it is.” Bada complaint and continued to fake-sulk. When the elevator opened up at their floor, your cotton candy perfume dissipated and the tall dancer found herself missing the sweet scent in the air.

Tatter side eyed her leader, “Emphasis on hot dancer, so you agree with our sentiment too huh-” her sentence was cut short by Bada poking her sides. “Attention ladies and gentlemen, Bada Lee has her eye on someone. I repeat, Ms. Lee is checking out someb-” the blonde was again attacked mercilessly by the taller girl.

“Excuse me I think I called first dib?” The youngest of the group protested. “I had eyes on mother first and I’ll fight.”

The group turned to her and all chimed in with disagreement, “Baby girl have you seen her? She’s gonna break your heart. I’ll have her instead.” The fox-eyed dancer added. The team laughed in unison as they got ready for the Performance Battle, putting aside their curiosity for the stranger.

#bada lee #bada lee x reader #swf2 x reader #swf2 #bada x reader #fanfic

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schedulingsolutions · 2 years ago

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#ERP Planner #ERP production planning & Scheduling #ERP system software #enterprise planning system #advanced planning and scheduling software #Advanced Planning and Scheduling Platform #enterprise planning software #advanced production scheduling #planning and scheduling #capacity planner #planning & scheduling software #master scheduler #production planning system #aps software #production scheduling software #block scheduling #lean scheduling #manufacturing planning Florida #Youtube

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questforgalas · 2 years ago

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Thank you for coming back

Notes: So once again, @zaana's incredible art lived rent free in my head until I put it down on paper. So here's a delightful AU where Crosshair doesn't get sent to Tantiss because guess who gets to him first? Chose to do a rescue from Barton IV because Cross is in his imperial armor in the art, and I thought "Hey, let's maybe give him a break and not make him go through torture before he's rescued?" Neat idea, right? Let's tell Jen and Brad

WC: 3K (lol this was going to be a drabble)

Characters: The Bad Batch (all of them!)

Tags: Wrecker POV (he deserves all the Crosshair reunion energy), angst at the end (Crosshair is going through it ok), hurt/comfort, giant family group hug, Crosshair and Wrecker cry, Hunter is emotional, canon typical violence, implied mistreatment by the Empire (did I mention Crosshair is going through it?), family reunion, all the family fluff I could fit into 3k words

Tay's Masterlist

Read on AO3

The sound of blaster fire was becoming permanent in Wrecker’s ears. Hunkered down behind a duracrete barrier, he kept his DC-17 trained on the Imps attempting to advance on his position, blaster bolts streaming past his head.

“Seriously, who trained these guys to shoot,” he thought to himself, needing to only dodge a few bolts from the barrage while his targets fell with each pull of his trigger.

The landing platform at the depot on Barton IV was looking more like a true battlefield and less like a remote outpost with every passing minute. Two T-4 shuttles lay in smoking ruins - the first thanks to Hunter’s skill on the Marauder’s rear gun and the second thanks to an excellent detonator throw by Wrecker - and stormtrooper bodies lay scattered across the duracrete ground. So far, Wrecker and Hunter were executing their part of the plan perfectly, but when it came to creating distractions, there wasn’t much guess work as to Wrecker’s success rate.

The Batch’s intel told them that the depot, located on a desolate, frozen planet that rivaled Hoth’s icy temperatures, normally operated as a blip on the Empire’s priority list. In fact, blip might have been giving it too much credit. The small clone trooper squad that was assigned to protection detail put in requests for equipment, supplies, and reinforcements throughout their year of service, and every request fell on deaf imperial ears. Gathered from the information Tech found during his hacking, Commander Mayday of the squad put in a request for reinforcements 40 rotations ago, citing that only five members of his squad remained alive at the time the request went in, but Tech couldn’t find any log of a response anywhere in the records. Complete silence from the Empire.

Until 4 rotations ago. The call went out for a platoon of stormtroopers to ready for deployment to Barton IV with orders to transport cargo of high importance to the Empire from the depot to the military base on Coruscant. Prior to the platoon’s arrival, a small squad of clone troopers was sent to scout and ready the depot for the cargo transfer. The squad consisted of two standard troopers and one specialized. One prickly, stubborn, unyielding specialized trooper who Wrecker couldn’t wait to see again.

When Tech caught chatter that a clone trooper shot a commanding imperial officer in broad daylight in front of an imperial depot, he initially intended to send the intel directly to Captain Rex, informing him of another defecting clone who would be in need of assistance, but after he scanned the information log, he didn’t register his datapad falling from his hands, thudding on the floor, only able to to focus on activating the comm on his vambrace, urging Hunter to get to the Marauder as quickly as possible. Because there in front of him, written across the Marauder’s main computer, was CT-9904: Defector. Charged with the murder of Lieutenant Nolan. In custody on Barton IV. Scheduled for armed transfer in two rotations.

The discussion was short - Hunter the only one remaining cautious until Tech confirmed the lack of security at the depot, even with the stormtrooper platoon coming in - and the Batch set their course to Barton IV less than two hours after the message was intercepted. The plan was easy, one the Batch could nearly execute in their sleep, even with their newer blonde addition. Create a distraction to draw the majority of security out into the open which Hunter and Wrecker would engage while Omega provided cover from the Marauder. Meanwhile, Tech and Echo skirt along the edge of the chaos, slip into the depot undetected, locate Crosshair’s location, and extract him while neutralizing any remaining threats if necessary.

Plans 5, 4, and 21. The Batch specialty.

“Wrecker, incoming! Northwest!” Hunter’s smokey voice called over the commotion.

The far gate of the depot opened, ten stormtroopers running out to join the fight. “Yeah, I see ‘em, Sarge,” Wrecker confirmed. “They look excited to see us.”

Hunter took cover behind his barrier, and turned his head in Wrecker’s direction.

“How about you give our hosts a warm greeting?” Hunter suggested, cocking his head to the side. Wrecker could feel the smug smirk under that helmet.

“Gladly,” Wrecker responded gleefully.

Reaching into the pack on his back, he grabbed two thermal detonators, clicked them live, and chucked. They arced into the air, curving in opposite directions, landing right in the middle of the oncoming troopers, and Wrecker watched as all ten stormtroopers disappeared into a beautiful burst of orange, red, and black.

“Direct hit,” Wrecker yelled, pumping his DC-17 in triumph.

Across the way, Hunter gave a quick thumbs up and popped his head above his barrier. Wrecker did the same, confirming that the landing platform was clear of imps for the moment, but they knew more troopers would arrive soon. They’d only taken out about 30 of them so far.

“Agh, where are they,” Hunter wondered, helmet trained on the door they expected to see their brothers emerge from.

“Give ‘em a few more minutes, Sarge. I doubt the Empire just left Crosshair in a set of binders on a crate.”

“They’re dumb enough to,” Hunter said. A soft chuckle came through his modulator, “Wonder how long he’d humor them until he took them all out with his hands still bound.”

“Knowing Crosshair? They wouldn’t even get the binders on him,” Wrecker laughed.

Hunter went quiet, helmet still pointed at the door. Then his shoulders fell like he was bowing to a weight Wrecker couldn’t see. “We’ll have to be patient. He’s…” Hunter paused. “He’s probably not the Crosshair we remember. There are going to be some … invisible wounds.”

Wrecker released his own shuttered breath. He looked down at the ground for a moment, and then looked back up to find Hunter looking back at him. “Doesn’t matter how long it takes. We’ll help patch those up too.”

Hunter remained still for a breath and then nodded.

The silence was interrupted by a chime on Hunter’s comm. “What’ve you got, Omega?” he asked as he activated the connection.

“I’m picking up multiple heat signatures heading our way. Looks like our little break is over,” Omega’s voice chirped over the comm.

“Copy that,” Hunter responded.

Wrecker brought his own comm up to his mouth. “What’s your count, kid?” he asked playfully.

“I’m at 4,” Omega answered, a smug tone floating through.

“Only 4? You’re falling behind. I’m at 18,” Wrecker said.

“I don’t think the thermal detonators should count,” Hunter interjected.

“What?! Did you see how perfectly those landed? Probably my best yet! Not even Tech could pull that off.”

“It’s hardly fair when I’m all the way back here on the Marauder!” Omega argued.

“Excuses excuses, kid,” Wrecker teased. Their debate came to a quick halt when the remaining hangar doors of the depot opened, revealing the last wave of the platoon. “Alright, break time’s over. Shoot good, kid.”

The platform became engulfed in battle once again. Blaster bolts peppered the air. Thermal detonators flew. Line after line of stormtroopers tried to take the advantage on the two ground soldiers and their coverage, but Hunter, Wrecker, and Omega held them back with ease. Wrecker heard General Skywalker speaking to Hunter about something called meditation once - a staple Jedi practice of centering one’s mind and connecting with the force through quiet sitting - and while Wrecker wasn’t sure this would meet the Jedi standard, he imagined this was the closest to meditation he would ever come. Surrounded by the sounds of battle. Adrenaline pumping in his veins. He’d hit a point of focus that drowned everything else out, his mission the only thought in his mind. And he was dam good at it, too.

His DC-17 sang, and he let out a jovial laugh as he took down another line of troopers. As he focused on the enemies in front of him, the squad’s comm channel chimed in his helmet, and the only thing in the galaxy that could divert his attention from the battle in front of him called through the speakers.

“Hunter. Wrecker. We’ve got him. We’re approaching the exit. What’s the status of the platform?” Echo’s voice came through.

For a second, Wrecker and Hunter turned towards each other, both chests rising rapidly with fast breaths not caused by the battle in front of them, and Wrecker knew if he could see Hunter’s eyes, they’d reflect the same bottomless relief he was feeling.

Wrecker forced himself back to the present and provided cover fire while Hunter responded.

“You’re clear to exit. A few imps left but nothing we can’t handle. Wrecker and I will provide cover fire while you cross the platform. Go directly to the Marauder,” Hunter ordered.

Wrecker’s breath caught in his throat when a low, raspy voice could be heard in the background. “No, we thought we’d take a hike in the mountains.”

A hitched breath came through, and in his peripheral, Wrecker noticed Hunter lean his helmet back against the duracrete barrier, shoulders shaking.

“I never thought I’d miss his attitude,” Omega piped in.

That broke the tension building in Wrecker’s head, and a laugh barreled out from his chest. Brain clear and ready to act again, he focused on the remaining stormtroopers trying to hold their ground.

“Omega, get the engines running. We’re getting off this hunk of ice as soon as we’re all onboard,” Hunter finished relaying the orders.

“One more thing,” Tech’s voice came through this time. “I did the scan. The inhibitor chip has indeed been removed, but only after the encounter on Bracca. Crosshair did remove it voluntarily unbeknownst to the Empire.”

“Tech kind of refused to leave the holding cells until he was able to confirm it all. Hacked records and everything here on the depot. That’s what took us so long,” Echo supplied.

“Thank the Maker for Tech, and his stubborn need for knowledge,” Hunter mumbled. He went back on the comm, “Glad to hear it. Now get out here.”

Hunter turned to Wrecker. “Let’s take out as many as we can before they get here. Once they emerge, you lay down cover fire, and I’ll take overwatch.”

“Copy that,” Wrecker replied, and they went to work.

Time that had been passing at light speed slowed to the flow of Mustafar lava. Only ten stormtroopers remained posted across the platform, and Wrecker was determined to clear as many as he could before his brothers emerged.

Another minute passed. Another. Then another. Time was taunting him.

A whoosh floated over the blasterfire. The blasted door to the depot finally opened, and there in the doorway were three bent over figures - two supporting the weight of the third in between them - hobbling onto the landing deck. Wrecker allowed himself one glance hoping it would calm his running mind. Echo took most of the middle figure’s weight, flesh arm wrapped around their waist and scomp arm securing the arm wrapped across Echo’s back dangling over his shoulder, while Tech kept one arm around the figure’s waist and kept his blaster at the ready in the other.

As Wrecker glanced at them, it wasn’t the figure’s distinct all black armor - the armor of the imperial special forces - that identified him to Wrecker. No, it was the tattoo around their right eye. The tattoo Wrecker sat and watched as Tech gave it to them when they were still just cadets. The tattoo that represented their pride in their skill. The tattoo that told everyone exactly which batch he belonged to, front and center for all to see. The crosshair.

Flanking from behind, Tech easily took down three stormtroopers before they made their way down the stairs. The remaining seven stormtroopers barked out orders to fall back, trying to regroup due to the new arrivals, and Wrecker used their confusion to his advantage, taking out another three in one go. Realizing they were outnumbered and outmatched, the remaining four stormtroopers fell back to the hangar, shooting wildly at any target they could see.

Slower than Wrecker would like, his three brothers made their way to his and Hunter’s position across the platform. As soon as they crossed the threshold of their barriers, Hunter stood from his coverage, falling in step to provide cover directly at their backs.

“Alright, Wrecker. Let’s keep these guys pinned as we head to the ship,” Hunter said.

Jumping into position, Wrecker kept a steady pace back to the Marauder without breaking his fire on the remaining stormtroopers. Hunter hit one more as they walked, and Wrecker had his finger on the trigger to take down another when a streak of pink flew over his head and directly into the helmet of his target.

He glanced over his shoulder.

“Final count: 12,” Omega beamed down at him from the top of the ramp into the Marauder.

“Aha! Nice shot, kid! Now let’s get out of here,” Wrecker said, barreling up the ramp into the ship.

The ramp closed up as the ship made its way into the air, and the energy within immediately went still. Tech sat in the cockpit, taking over the controls from Omega once on board, but Hunter, Wrecker, Echo, Omega, and Crosshair remained in the hold.

Crosshair sat in the chair in front of the computer, slumped over, one hand on the armrest propping him while an elbow rested on a knee like that was all the energy he could muster. He was breathing heavy, chest rising and falling as if he’d just finished a training sprint back on Kamino. Wrecker quickly gave his body a once over. Crosshair had always been lithe, by far the smallest body mass of the Bad Batch, but there had been muscle underneath those long limbs that gave any regular clone trooper a run for his money. Now, Wrecker clocked only bones showing underneath the exposed areas his armor didn’t cover, and his cheekbones were sharp above the hollowness of his cheeks. Purple blotched under his eyes, and it was impossible not to notice the deep scar that covered the right side on the back of his head. The scar he received when he took the full heat of a Venator ion engine.

The same engine he tried to trap his brothers in.

“Thank you…for coming for me. I…I wouldn’t have blamed you if you didn’t,” Crosshair drawled, head bent down. Whether he was unable to lift it from lack of strength or not being able to face the current scene, Wrecker wasn’t sure. His own heart was thudding in his chest, threatening to burst out. He called on every ounce of discipline and self-restraint he learned in his years as a soldier and remained rooted in place, holding his breath. The rest of the Batch stood as still as statues, four sets of eyes on their silver-haired brother.

“You can drop me off at the closest port. You can pick. Doesn’t matter to me,” Crosshair said to the floor. Still, no one else spoke. He raised his head, glancing at each of them. His gaze settled on Hunter. “I…I’d understand if that’s what you want to do. It’s what you should do.”

The five of them felt the Marauder lurch into hyperspace, but still, Echo, Omega, Hunter, and Wrecker didn’t budge. Footsteps approached from the cockpit, and soon, Tech joined them, choosing to sit in the chair across from Crosshair. The silence grew, and Wrecked noticed the crease between the sniper’s eyebrows deepen while his eyes darted around the group.

“Well, aren’t any of you going to say something?” Crosshair asked, frustration creeping into his voice. He glanced around one more time, and finally stood up from the chair, a growl coming from his throat, back hunched like he was ready to pounce, and his gaze locked on Hunter, a finger pointed at the sergeant. “Listen, I didn’t ask you to come get me. I was ready to die on that platform after I shot the lieutenant, and I was ready to die in whatever maker-forsaken place they were going to send me. You hear me? I didn’t ask for this.” He gestured around the room, around the Batch.

“So don’t make me a burden you don’t want. Drop me anywhere. Leave me. It’s what I deserve - oof!”

Wrecker couldn’t take it anymore, and as he watched Crosshair teeter on the precipice of self-destruction, he took two strides towards his brother, and engulfed him in his arms.

Crosshair stiffened, his arms frozen mid-gesture to the side. Wrecker stood there, arms firmly wrapped around Crosshair’s back and shoulders, head dipping to rest on top of Crosshair’s head, and he waited. Eventually, Crosshair’s arms fell to his sides, but his body remained stiff like he wasn’t actually registering what was happening. Then, after a few breaths, his arms slowly rose, one wrapping under Wrecker’s arm and the other circling over his shoulder.

“Why did you come for me?” Wrecker heard muffled into his chestplate.

“We don’t leave our own behind,” Wrecker answered simply.

Wrecker felt the shaking first, then he heard the soft sobs. Tightening his arms, he held his once-lost brother as if challenging the galaxy to try and separate them again. When he felt Crosshair crumble into his chest, he released the grip he’d been holding on his own emotions, and the tears flowed freely. Tears of sorrow for what Crosshair endured. Tears of rage at the Empire. Tears of sweet relief at his family being whole again.

Wrecker felt a pair of arms sneak between his waist and Crosshair’s chest, and when he looked up, he saw Hunter wrapped around Crosshair’s back, arms crushing the sniper into the sergeant’s chest. “We’ve got you, Cross,” Hunter murmured.

One-by-one, Tech, Echo, and Omega joined in, the last squeezing herself into the middle, wrapping her arms around Crosshair’s leg, and even when the sobs quieted, they remained that way. There was a lot to talk about. A long road of trust to regain. They were about to navigate rough terrain. And the past will resurface, in old wounds, physical and not. But none of that mattered right now. In the middle of their home, a family reunited. Unsure what the future would bring them, but ready to face it all together.

#tay writes the bad batch #tay writes #divider by samspenandsword #the bad batch #star wars #hunter #wrecker #crosshair #tech #omega #echo #tbb wrecker #tbb hunter #tbb omega #tbb echo #tbb tech #tbb crosshair

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handeaux · 13 days ago

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That Night The Cincinnati Zoo Became Venice And A Famed Artist Became A Lifeguard

It is largely forgotten now that the Cincinnati Zoo was originally organized as a for-profit enterprise. The stockholders soon realized that they needed to bring in more paying customers than exotic fauna could entice, and therefore musical concerts, summer dances, beer gardens and other non-zoological affairs soon peppered the Zoo schedule.

As the summer of 1880 wore on, Zoo visitors marveled at the construction underway around the central lagoon. Word got out that the Zoo had planned an extravaganza to exceed any of its previous entertainments and that the city’s finest artists had been recruited to bring this spectacular performance to life. Those artists were Henry Farny and Matt Morgan.

Farny, born in France, sketched for the local newspapers and executed a few theatrical posters before his excursions into the still very Wild West cemented his legacy as a premier painter of Native American life and culture.

Morgan, a Britisher, was lured to the United States by Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Weekly who needed a pen as talented and acerbic as that of Thomas Nast at the competing Harper’s Weekly. For much of the 1880s, Morgan was a leading artist at Cincinnati’s Strobridge Lithographing Company. He also staged “tableaux vivants” or “living pictures” at the Vine Street theaters, featuring nearly nude women posing in scenery reminiscent of classical paintings.

The Zoo seems to have entrusted Morgan and Farny with a substantial budget for their major production, to be titled “Visions of Venice.” The sets featured 40-foot replicas of the columns of San Marco and San Todaro, realistic façades of the Doge’s Palace, the Library of St. Mark, the Arsenal and other Venetian landmarks. The highlight of the presentation was to be a recreation of the traditional Sposalizio del Mare, the “Marriage of the Sea” ceremony, in which the Doge tosses a golden ring onto the waves to symbolize the entwined fates of the “Floating City” and the Adriatic Sea. The two artists succeeded in impressing the Cincinnati newspapers who attended the premiere. The Enquirer [24 August 1880] waxed rhapsodic:

“So much has been written in advance regarding this pageant, that but little other than the fact that the intentions of its design have been nearly realized remains to be told. The spectator is supposed to be seated on the place of St. Mark and all around him are the islands and canals of the Gem of the Adriatic. The effect is wonderfully realistic, and, to quote the words of one who lived long in the city of the Doges, ‘more beautiful by far than the original.’”

On opening night, the audience included many of Cincinnati’s leading citizens and their families. The Cincinnati Gazette [25 August 1880] identified Zoo founder Andrew Erkenbrecher, fur merchant A.E. Burkhardt, the McAlpin dry goods family, Times-Star publisher Charles Taft and others.

The evening began around 9:00 p.m. with a number of gayly decorated gondolas gliding into the Zoo’s lagoon, sporting colored lanterns at prow and stern, and carrying faux Venetians clad in elaborate Renaissance costumes. A serenade thrilled the crowd, though the Gazette confessed it was not exactly authentic in nature:

“In the middle, too, stood a minstrel, who sang to the accompaniment of a guitar. The moon was just rising over the roof of the Doge’s palace on the left and, as though apostrophizing it on the scene, he sang his song, ‘Wie Schoen Bist Du!’ – How beautiful art thou! The singer was Conrad Mueller, a German actor, and his Italian was very German; but his voice rang out high and clear and the effect was very beautiful.”

It was about this moment that the tableau was disrupted by a most amusing, if unscheduled, performance by the Venetian band. The Cincinnati Gazette recorded the ensuing debacle with undisguised relish:

“A fine orchestra had been engaged for the occasion and perched upon a platform built at the edge of the treacherous sea. While the musicians were waiting for the approach of a stately gondola the platform listed toward the water. A fat tuba player slipped over the side and fell into the Adriatic with a frightful splash. The ’cello player, who was related to him by marriage, plunged in to rescue him. This created a rush to the other side of the platform and, the whole thing giving way, the entire band was precipitated into the sea, instruments and all. The big fiddler jumped upon his fiddle and rode away to shore as majestically as though sealed in a pinnace. Not so easily did the others escape.”

The Cincinnati Commercial [24 August 1880] concurred that the impromptu orchestral bath was as entertaining as any of the intentional scenes arranged for the audience’s enjoyment:

“Fiddles and bows, horns and violincellos went flying through the air, and then gently floating on the receiving waves they danced there, but they made no music. That was furnished by the musicians sans instruments. They cried aloud and with a strong voice, ‘Save me, save me, I can not swim.’ It was Mr. Farny, who must be a most comfortable object for a drowning man to contemplate, who rescued these trusty musicians from their untimely fate.”

While Farny, the celebrated artist, was performing in his new and improvisatory role as a lifeguard, someone – this being Cincinnati, the City That Sings – managed to round up a completely new and completely dry orchestra and the ceremonial pageant resumed with only a slight delay.

The next event of the evening was billed as a jousting contest. The jousters were mounted on little platforms secured to the front of the gondolas. The young men of Cincinnati, although intimately familiar with horses, had little acquaintance with jousting outside Scott’s Waverly novels and put on a decidedly lackluster demonstration. According to the Enquirer:

“The first pair were very tame and afforded little sport. After they had ‘monkeyed’ around awhile and punched at each other much after the style of a washerwoman punching clothes in a boiler with a clothes-stick, they were allowed to retire, and a fresh pair took their places.”

Eventually, a proper joust was conducted, the Doge tossed a matrimonial ring into the Zoo lagoon, the Queen of Love and Beauty (a Main Street debutante) bestowed crowns upon a couple of ersatz knights, and the evening closed with a choral ensemble. Perhaps to encourage positive reviews, the Zoo restaurant picked up the tab for all the journalists in attendance that evening. “Visions of Venice” enjoyed a popular run over several weeks until the weather chilled.

#cincinnati zoo #visions of venice #henry farny #matt morgan

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matoroblogs · 2 years ago

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LEGO Almost Went Bankrupt. These Heroes Saved Our Bricks.

How a brain tumor inspired Bionicle, one of the most popular toys of a generation.

BY DAVID LUMB PUBLISHED: JUN 21, 2020

The Platinum Avohkii mask, a rare one- of-a-kind piece made of solid platinum purchased by Andre Hurley, who has The Bionicle Archives collection

Courtesy Andre Hurley/The Bionicle Archives

In 2003, LEGO seemed to be riding high after shrewd licensing deals brought Star Wars and Harry Potter sets to the masses. But unbeknownst to many—even those inside the company—sales were plummeting, and there were only guesses as to why.

Some blamed poor strategic choices in the 1990s—Legoland theme parks, forays into digital products—for LEGO’s hemorrhaging. All that misguided development time slashed profitability, and even Star Wars and Harry Potter sales shriveled between movie releases. It’s hard to conceive of now, but at the turn of the millennium, beloved LEGO might have been headed toward a pitiful end.

During this fallow period, one product line stood apart with startling, consistent success: Bionicle, a series of buildable action figures backed by rich worldbuilding and cross-platform promotion. Inspired by co-creator Christian Faber’s battle with a tumor at the base of his brain, the toy warriors of Bionicle wouldn’t just conquer their fictional enemies. They’d pioneer innovations that would transform LEGO and rescue the company from possible doom.

Courtesy Andre Hurley/The Bionicle Archives

Today, Christian Faber looks a bit like a Danish Paul McCartney. His youthful smile pairs well with his genial nature, which one might mistake for meekness until he starts talking about his creative projects. The 54-year-old embodies the unchecked enthusiasm you’d expect from a 28-year veteran of LEGO projects. If Faber’s long-time illness dimmed his appetite for play, you wouldn’t know it.

In 1986, Faber began working for Advance, a Copenhagen- based marketing firm that partners with LEGO. But shortly after his career began, Faber’s vision began to falter. A doctor found a benign tumor inside Faber’s pituitary gland that was impeding his sight, a condition called prolactinoma. Doctors said the tumor was maybe in the least accessible spot in the body for surgery, so they prescribed Faber daily medication to keep the tumor from growing. Among the drugs’ side effects, however, were severe nausea and dehydration, effectively sidelining Faber from social activities.

Courtesy Christian Faber

“It was the strangest mix of feelings,” Faber says. “I was happy at the job, but faced the physical and mental strain of the medicine and a long-term illness.”

Faber’s side effects attacked him hardest in the mornings, so he found most of his energy for work at night. Early in his career, Faber designed brochures for LEGO toy lines. Exposure to the different products, including the undersea-based Aquazone and the sophisticated Technic series, gave him experience with LEGO’s standards and practices—a moving target in the mid- 90s, when the rise of computers and video games pressured LEGO to move from their traditional years-long R&D cycle toward what Faber calls ‘craze products,’ toys tuned to current market tastes with a planned one-year shelf life.

The craze-products movement was rife with experimentation for LEGO, and it materialized soon after a medical breakthrough for Faber. After 10 years of daily medication, Faber’s physicians moved him on to a new treatment which, in Faber’s own words, gave him his life back. The new treatment was a regular injection scheduled just once every two weeks, allowing Faber to engage with the world relatively free from side effects. He could chase higher ambitions than brochures, and he had an idea for a new kind of LEGO toy: a sort of Bionicle precursor called Cybots.

Courtesy The LEGO Group

“I was sitting with LEGO Technic and thought I would love to build a character instead of a car,” Faber says. “I thought of this biological thing: The human body is built from small parts into a functional body just like a model. What if you got a box full of spare parts and built a living thing?”

With his assistant graphic designer Jan Kjær, Faber pitched Cybots, a line of humanoid action figures with attachable limbs and ball-and-socket joints. LEGO didn’t furbish Cybots, but they would implement Faber’s concepts in craze products like Throwbots in 1999 and RoboRiders in 2000. By 2001, LEGO was testing a line called Bone Heads of Voodoo Island—masked robots with heads that could shoot off their bodies like Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots. Most of Bionicle’s look had been seeded: masks, buildable bodies, articulate limbs.

Courtesy Andre Hurley/The Bionicle Archives

Bone Heads of Voodoo Island was a bust—focus groups demonstrated kids didn’t respond well to detachable heads—so that same year, LEGO pivoted to focus on Bionicle. The plan was to take a more holistic design approach with these new toys than with craze products, but LEGO extended that comprehensiveness to the worldbuilding around the toys, too, a new strategy for the company. Faber and LEGO design manager Martin Riber Andersen were joined by former BBC film and TV executive Bob Thompson and writer Alastair Swinnerton to refine the Voodoo Island concept and pitch a new story. Faber, fresh from working on Star Wars LEGO sets, imagined something massive.

“After being on Star Wars, I was thinking that the only thing to do from here is our own stuff, but it should be as big as Star Wars,” Faber says. “It should be a big, full universe.”

For the storyline, Faber drew on his experience with prolactinoma. To him, his every-other-week injections seemed like sending in a new wave of protectors to battle his tumor with every dose. Faber imagined this group of disease-fighters arriving on an unknown beach with no memory. The story of these warriors would be called Bionicle, a portmanteau of ‘biological chronicle.’

Courtesy The LEGO Group/Christian Faber

“We took an episodic story line but chose not to play it out in any single medium,” Thompson told Kidscreen in 2003. “We would take that story and scatter it like a paper trail through different types of media.”

Bionicle’s in-world story evolved through comics and chapter books, written in large part by Greg Farshtey of LEGO’s promotional periodical LEGO MANIA Magazine (also known as LEGO Club Magazine, but now called LEGO Life Magazine). Farshtey followed Bionicle’s story bible from the original team, but as he began accounting for character changes correlating with new toy sets, he added his own takes. By the end of Bionicle’s run in 2010, he had interwoven the story with three feature films and shepherded the comic series that, at its peak, reached almost 2 million readers per month, making it the most widely circulated monthly comic on the planet.

Courtesy Andre Hurley/The Bionicle Archives

By all accounts, Bionicle was the hit LEGO needed. In 2001, its first year on the market, the line brought in over $160 million in sales, it was declared “Most Innovative Toy of the Year” by the Toy Association.

"Flat sales and profit decline made LEGO believe the brick was passé and it needed to move to digital and virtual toys to remain relevant,” David Robertson, author of LEGO history book Brick by Brick, told Popular Mechanics. “But as Bionicle became a success, LEGO learned the difference between sufficient and necessary. It wasn't sufficient to just offer customers another box of bricks, but it was necessary. If a LEGO toy didn't have interlocking plastic pieces, consumers didn't want it. But to succeed and grow, it was necessary to embed a story in that box of pieces and tell that story through comics, books, video games, movies, and events at the LEGO Stores."

Courtesy The LEGO Group

In other words, Bionicle had all the ingredients of a fun LEGO toy, but Faber’s inspiration was key to making it a smash. “[My condition] had a direct effect on my career, and especially on the creation of Bionicle,” he says, ticking off the allegories. “A biological robot attacked by ‘illness,’ waiting for the right ‘medicine’ to arrive. Even the canisters the Toa warriors arrived in resembled the medicine capsules I had to eat every day.”

Bionicle hit its stride just as LEGO’s financials were bottoming out. While LEGO flirted with bankruptcy in 2003, Bionicle accounted for 25 percent of the company’s total revenue and 100 percent of its profits. As LEGO slashed its workforce, reduced the number of pieces it produced, and increased its range of licensing deals, Bionicle continued to diversify. Partnerships spawned. There were Bionicle-branded Nike shoes, McDonald’s Happy Meal toys, even Colgate toothbrushes. The cross-promotion paid off: By the end of Bionicle’s initial run in 2010, it sold over 190 million toys.

All the newness shook up LEGO’s tried-and-true project structure. Bionicle’s multifaceted development process blended design, marketing and engineering teams to hash out new sets, ingest market feedback, receive directives from LEGO executives, and issue their own directives to subsequent narrative and design teams. Under the new dynamic structure, development time for a new toy line at LEGO accelerated from three years to less than one. The rapidity created an exciting energy.

“We broke a lot of new ground experimenting and pushing boundaries,” Bionicle co-founder and design manager Martin Riber Andersen says. “One of the key ethos of the core team was this is a shared collaboration: We stand together. We all believed it was so in contrast to ‘the normal LEGO company’ that we might as well direct our energy to the team instead of our individual career objectives.”

Courtesy The LEGO Group

Courtesy The LEGO Group/Christian Faber

From 2003 to 2005, Bionicle was the reported top-performing LEGO toy line, but after that, sales dipped below expectations. The decline continued to 2009, when LEGO handed down word it was time to end Bionicle. The creators wrapped up the narrative in 2010, but it was hard to let go. Farshtey wrote Bionicle stories on the now-defunct BIONICLEStory.com until 2011, fans dissected the line’s mythology on BZPower forums, and custom Bionicles continued to appear. In 2016, Faber wrote to series fans: “The stories we hear and the stories we tell shape who we are and what we do ... through almost 30 years [of my career in storytelling], no story has proved this stronger than Bionicle. The fans were, are, and will be the true heroes of this ... great adventure.”

These days, you still see Bionicle at toy conventions, and the r/bioniclelego subreddit is alive and well. In fact, the front page of Reddit was graced in November 2019 with an essential, timeless question: “What is the appropriate amount of time to wait before showing your new significant other your Bionicle collection?”

The toys’ invigorating combination of articulate LEGO figures and intricate, multimedia story resonated with the LEGO company as well as fans. The brickmakers use the business strategy they honed on Bionicle with lines like Ninjago today, to great success.

"It's hard to overstate how important the Bionicle line was for LEGO,” Brick by Brick author Robertson notes. “Without the sales and profits of Bionicle in 2003 and 2004, the company would not have survived. Bionicle taught LEGO that success depended on the ability to hook kids on characters and story, and LEGO was smart enough to spread those practices throughout the company."

Courtesy Andre Hurley/The Bionicle Archives

After Bionicle, Swinnerton moved on to write children’s books and TV scripts, Andersen took on a senior position

at a European consulting agency, and Thompson founded a media production and consultancy firm. Farshtey, meanwhile, still edits LEGO’s free fan magazine. All cite Bionicle as high points in their careers.

“We should all be proud of what we achieved individually,” Thompson says. “But in my view, more important is what we did collaboratively. After all, LEGO fans are still talking about what we did with Bionicle—after two decades.”

Faber moved on from his design job at Advance in 2014 after 28 years working on LEGO. His medical journey continues to inspire his creative work, including a post-apocalyptic world he’s designing filled with adventure, danger, and a pro- environmental bent. Looking back, Faber sees the impact his illness and treatment had on the stories and projects he’s touched. Almost 20 years after co-creating the action figures that sustained LEGO through one of the darkest times in its history, talking about Bionicle still makes him reflective.

“Biology is a balance more than a battle between good and bad,” he says. “Ever since Bionicle, balance has been my goal in the stories and pictures I create.”

Courtesy The LEGO Group/Christian Faber

article graphics faber bs01

#sunday paper #bionicle #2020 #article #faber

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