#and spending the rest on standard banner

[crymsc]

just got kaveh on the standard banner and screeched like a horny chainsmoker turtle

[channelinglament]

Sksjdjjkskskskskksk

I know I should be focusing more on reqs, but I had to take this off my mind skskksskks (btw I'm rn in the underground belobog part of story) (I kinda called it SAHSR as in self aware hsr)

☆•°Self-Aware Honkai Star Rail°•☆

Tw: no proofread, mentioned drowning(but it didn't happen), war, hate, religious themes, self awareness, kinda ooc, grammar mistakes because I am typing this at 12AM instead of sleeping, isolation

So, you know how in the beginning we play as Kafka? Yeah, I'm pretty sure she felt your presence. At first she was kinda weirded out, and was on guard. Who knows what you would do to her, while controlling her?

Oh look, you're helping her.. Hmm, maybe you aren't that bad after all. Still on guard, but thankful. With you she seems to fight more faster and is more efficient.

Same goes with Silver Wolf. They don't seem to mind your presence that much.

You even helped them to pick a trailblazer! But after picking them, you left Kafka and Silver Wolf. They didn't really mind it. They have been doing good without you, so it should be fine!

Meanwhile, the trailblazer is confused. First, they don't remember anything except their own name(or the name you gave them), then Kafka leaves and someone is watching over them. Oh how confusing and strange. But they caught early on that you're helping them. You're not an enemy.

During their "adventures" trailblazer starts thinking of you as a family. Kinda annoying since you control their body most the time (unless it's a cutscene) but you're cool nonetheless. They see you as a safespace.

Meanwhile March 7th and Dan Heng don't understand what is happening. Who is controlling them? Why after they met trailblazer? Why are you controlling them?

I think March would, just like the trailblazer, like you and find you annoying at the same time. Dan Heng would stay on guard (but also see you as safe space/nice person to hang with). Not as much on guard as when you first...met but still. It'll take him time to get off guard. The more time you spend with them, the more familiar they are with you, the more they like you.

Why annoyed, you may ask? Well, imagine you want to.. for example fight, but someone controls your movement and does it instead of you. Or goes the other way (aka exploring) instead of the path you've originally chosen.

They certainly would like when you make them stronger. No matter who is on your team, they'll like it (I mean, who wouldn't?)

But.. sometimes, even if they like you, they get tired of always being on the team. Thank you, yes, but they need to rest too. They mostly rest when you're offline, since..time kinda stops there. But when you're online? damnnn they walk and fight so much.. (I fr walk everywhere to find enemies to fight, so uhh, if you're like me, they would be tired and maybe annoyed at it)

I think some characters would even hate you. It doesn't apply to the main trio btw, they'll always like you. The reason some may hate you is that they have so much stuff to do, yet you choose them to walk around and fight all day. They're even supposed to be here! (For example, using Herta when fighting someone in Belobog)

If they could, they would scold you. But sadly game doesn't allow that.

It only appears in normal, self aware circumstances. Aka a normal self aware. Some like you, some hate you. You just kinda exist. (That one strange friend/sibling, y'know?)

But what if they would see you as a God? Something divine? Like in SAGAU?

Well, you're doomed, what can I say?

Everyone would want to be in your team. Oh, poor Gacha system.

They would hate it tbh. While in just self aware some would avoid you on purpose (aka busy characters), here? Where everyone sees you as a divine being? Oh dear..

Imagine several people trying to come through a single door, all at the same time? Yeahhh that's what happens. The standard and limited banner would literally fist fight while trying to get "home" to you. So don't be surprised if nobody comes home, at all.

But some may cooperate, and you may get more 5☆ or 4☆! Basically characters you wanted.

Those on your team would be proud! Mostly if the main trio are still there. Some would be envious of trailblazer. You're always with them, even if they're not on your team.(how could you?!)

Kafka and Silverwofl would be devastated. I'm pretty sure Silverwolf could possibly destroy the gacha system and come home. Only her (and maybe Kafka)

People in Belobog would hate the lore and everything game makes them do what they do. They're so happy they met you! You're here to save them! They don't want to fight you, so please don't be mad at them.

Honestly, if you were to get isekai'ed into hsr, I would recommend to the normal au.

The ones who hate you would just tell you off and never interact again, while your family/friends would hang out with you. Plus you could help a lot in Astral Express!

Maybe get Himeko and Mr.Yang some tea? Or help Pom Pom with whatever he needs?

If you get into the Worshipping Lunatics au..? I feel sorry for you.. You would never rest-

Whether you choose to stay at Astrak Express, or Herta's *I forgot the name* or whatever, they are all ready to wage war against each other. And if you decided to stay somewhere, that means you clearly favor them and their place more! Those who were chosen are happy/smug. While other try to improve their place/copy the place you've chosen to make you reconsider and stay with them.

The amount of gifts.. try to not drown okay?

They might even all agree to keep you in one place. Lock you in there and hope you won't be mad at them.

That's all for now

(Gotta work on reqs now or in the morning, they're still open btw)

[astrobolical]

What In “Hell” Is Bad - Limited L-Grade Banner “Guide”

Note: Now available on android as well! Unsure of any differences. I may go through and update this later with images from my phone rather than my iPad.

Looking for other guides? Check out my WHB Guide List!

Okay… not sure where to start with this one other than it’ll be nice and short. However, this is the first guide I’ve made that I hope I get to change quickly.

To start though; new L-Grade Devils to pull, and pretty, blood-covered versions of Leviathan and Beelzebub. I currently do not have them, however, so I will be unable to show their skill/ultimates at all. I’m not willing to pay for it, though, despite that I do spend money on this game… but yeah.

What’s this all about?

PrettyBusy has given us a brand new temporary banner to showcase their new devils and artifacts, basically. (With some added drama, but we’ll get to that.)

Get Leviathan (Bloodshed) or Beelzebub (Bloodshed) guaranteed within 220 pulls.

Use the new item “Solomon’s Seal” to pull (50 Rings for 1 Pull, 500 for 10 pulls)

DO NOT pull on the standard banners for these devils! Right now they’re only available on this one

The pity (220) is absurdly high, and I’ll get to why soon

You can also get two new artifacts from this new banner.

Wing-ripping Sword

“The wearer’s HP and ATK SPD increases by 20%. If equipped on Leviathan (Bloodshed), has a 30.00% chance of immediately killing the enemy with under 15% HP he hits with a normal attack.”

Cracked Sunglasses

“Upon an accurate hitting of a normal attack, recovers as much HP as 4.00% of HP of the wearer. If equipped on Beelzebub (Bloodshed), recovers 100% HP upon using skill.”

Both really good artifacts! Especially for the new devils. If you have the seals for it all.

What? What’s Solomon’s Seal?

This is the unfortunate part— and it wasn’t properly communicated from PrettyBusy. We knew the new currency was coming, but not the means to get it.

This is only purchasable with real money.

There is four purchasing options, and none of them seem overly well priced? Let’s go over that though. We get 50 Seals for the update (1 Pull).

Prices for Solomon’s Seal Packages:

241 Seals - $11.99 (4 Pulls)

717 Seals - $49.95 (14 Pulls)

1,312 Seals -$59.99 (26 Pulls)

2,200 Seals - $99.90 (44 Pulls)

Just looking at them, it’s like… okay? But thinking about the pity, and the 0.63% chance to draw an L-Grade from the temporary banner, it’s not great.

Assuming you don’t get lucky, and you go all the way to 220?

You would need to buy the $99.90 package around 5 times. Which is ~$500. Being real, you’ll usually get them before pity, but there’s four things to get through this banner if you want everything. That’s a lot of chance.

Why is this not good, though?

Because there is no free-to-play alternative.

These seals are only obtainable in the shop, as I said before. It’s not the first game to do this, and won’t be the last. It’s not the end of the world, either. But it’s not great or motivating to the ftp players or community. I’m not going to keep ragging on this, though.

If you have an issue with this, contact PrettyBusy POLITELY. Not with anger, or profanity. Be nice.

So… I can’t get them?

You can!

Just not now, unless they change how this works. When this banner is over (Nov 14, 2023) they’ll be added to the Standard Banner to pull like all the rest.

Oh! There is one more thing to add!

Story Prologues

On the bottom left of the banners you’ll find story prologues you can read to get an idea of why the boys are bloodied up. Just click the circular icon of the one you want to read!

[lynx-of-skies]

Something Happened in my Genshin Game (pt.2)

I HAVE A PART TWO UNFORTUNATELY-

Okay, so this is a bit less on the Sagau stuff- but I was just playing my game I JUST finished level capping my Xiao’s weapon. I check my primogems and stuff and looked at the banners when, ‘Oh! I have 1 standard banner wish lemme just go spend it to get more stardust!’ ONE WISH. ONE PULL. I SAW THE DANG WISH TURN GOLD. I WAS IN COMPLETE SHOCK WHEN I GOT FUCKING XIAOS SIGNATURE WEAPON. ON THE STANDARD BANNER. Like…WTF?! I DONT EVEN KNOW HOW MUCH PITY I WAS AT BUT IT WASNT 30 FROM THE LOOKS OF IT. So- *chuckles* so I spent the rest of my extra stardust for wishes I had like 5 or something, I pulled on Xiao’s banner just to gain pity, last single pull. 4*. It was the clock claymore….I HAD JUST FINISHED CAPPING MY FREMINET’S CLAYMORE- So I used the extra stardust again, pulled on the standard banner and got Barbara…..like- HOW?! ALL OF THIS IN JUST A FEW MINUTES?!

I don’t know if I’m cursed or not… like…is this a blessing or a curse? I don’t know- I can’t tell at this point..

Update! : I checked and I was at 10-11 pity- WTF-

[queer-in-a-cornfield]

Some of us on the discord were discussing what Dewey would be like as an adult yesterday, prompting this little fic (1325 words) based on my hc that Dewey would become a stage actor

Dewey walks down the busy streets of New York, humming some vocal warmups. While he appears as calm and collected as he ever does, his mind is racing a mile a minute.

Today was his Broadway debut, and he was equal parts excited and nervous. He’d done many a show in the past but those were different. This was BROADWAY, the gold standard of theatre. Sure, this wasn’t a principal role or anything, he was just replacing a departing ensemble member, but still! A Broadway debut is a Broadway debut. It’s a big day, and he’s freaking out a little.

He rounds the corner of the theatre and opens the stage door, making a pit stop to check in for the day and readjust his bag. He nearly drops his coffee but manages to set it down to adjust his grip before continuing on to his dressing room.

He swings the door open and finds that Rico and Alex, the castmates who share the room with him had already arrived.

“Hey, guys!” Dewey says as he walks over to his designated area. He pauses suddenly before he can put his things down. “What’s all this?”

Surrounding his mirror were a pair of blue balloons, some confetti, and a handwritten banner on top that read “Congrats on your debut!”

Rico speaks up, “It’s your first show tonight, Dewey! If that isn’t cause for celebration I don’t know what is.” Alex nods in agreement.

“Aw, thanks guys,” Dewey smiles, clearing away some of the confetti to put down his bag.

“So how’re you feeling? Ready to show the world what you’re made of?” Alex asks.

“Yeah, I’m really excited, I’ve been dreaming about this for years,” he says, pulling out his notes to review once he finishes warming up.

He spends the next few minutes stretching, uncharacteristically quiet, before sighing and asking, “Guys, you’ve both done this for a while, so… how did you get over the nerves? It still feels insane that I’m even here, and I’m really worried that something’ll go wrong and ruin my chances of continuing here.”

Rico sighs, “I’m not gonna lie, that fear just takes time to get over. But trust me, you’re gonna do great tonight, and soon enough you won’t be so anxious anymore.”

The trio sit in silence for a moment before Alex pipes up, “Didn’t you mention that one of your brothers had a history with anxiety? Maybe he’ll have some advice for you.”

Dewey nods, then grabs his phone from his pocket, pulls up Huey’s contact, and starts a video call.

“Hey Dewey, what’s up?” Huey’s voice picks up through the phone speakers.

“Hi, Hubert. Did you guys just land or something?” Dewey asks, noticing Huey’s surroundings.

“Yeah, we just landed, oh… fifteen minutes ago? We just got to baggage claim- sorry, one sec,” he says, turning to talk to someone off-screen.

Suddenly Uncle Scrooge appears on screen. “Dewey, lad! Can- can ya see me- how does this thing- curse me kilts, what did Ah just-“ Scrooge says as he confusedly fiddles with the phone.

“Uncle Scrooge, I’ll hold the phone for you,” Huey interjects as he grabs his phone back and centers them both on screen.

“So why’d you want to talk to me, Dew?” Huey asks.

Dewey pauses for a moment to gather his thoughts before explaining. But he pauses a moment too long because more faces suddenly attempt to crowd into the view of Huey’s phone camera, all trying to greet him at once. Dewey snickers a little watching Uncle Donald, the last one to get back from claiming their baggage, trying to squeeze into view with little success.

“Hey guys,” Dewey says. “I love you all, but if I could maybe just talk to Huey for a second? I’ll see you guys tonight.”

Reluctantly the rest of the group backs out of frame, leaving once again only Huey.

Sighing amusedly, Huey asks, “Okay, so what did you want me for, Dew?”

“Okay, so, like, I was wondering, basically, like-,” Dewey pauses for a second. “How do you handle your anxiety? Cause I’m kinda freaking out a little right now.”

Huey thinks for a moment. “Well, different things work for different people, but whenever my nerves are getting to me I usually like to take some deep breaths, or you could do the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise, ummm… yeah, I’d say those are my go-to's. I’d also say that drinking coffee wouldn’t help with nerves at all but I don’t think you’d listen to that one, so…”

Dewey laughs, “Thanks, Huey.”

“Of course, Dew. And also remember, we’re all gonna be there cheering for yo-,” Huey gets cut off by a nearby thud, which he turns to look at.

“Uncle Donald’s suitcase just broke,” Huey explains, walking over to help. “You’re gonna do great tonight and we can’t wait to see you after the show! Break a leg!” Huey signs off.

“Bye Huey, see you guys later,” Dewey replies, ending the call.

“Man, it’s still so weird to me that the richest duck in the world is your uncle,” Alex says.

“I don’t know if that’s more surprising or the fact that he doesn’t have a private plane to get here on,” Rico adds.

“Well, we do have a plane but the pilot can’t make it out here until next week. Aaaaand I’m realizing how much of a spoiled rich kid I sound like right now,” Dewey starts laughing again.

“Nah, if you want a really spoiled rich kid that would be more of a… what’s his name? That creep who got all his money from his grandmeemawmaw or whatever?” Alex retorts.

“Doofus Drake?” Rico supplies.

“Yes, him!”

“Oh, you guys don’t even know the half of it,” Dewey exclaims, getting back into his stretching.

——————————————————————-

Dewey opens up the stage door to exit the building. It was dark out now. He was one of the earlier cast members out of the doors, so there was a pretty good-sized crowd greeting him. As he worms his way through them, some congratulate him for making his Broadway debut, and one woman even asks for a picture, which catches him slightly off guard.

Eventually, he makes his way past the main crowd where he is finally greeted by his family, who all promptly give him a bear hug.

“Dewey!!! That was amazing!” Webby exclaims once they all pull away.

“I knew you’d do great,” Huey concurs, grinning.

“Theatre has never been my thing, so believe me when I say that that absolutely blew me away,” Louie adds.

“I’m so proud of ye, lad,” Scrooge says. “Ye’ve done well for yerself.”

Uncle Donald, at a loss for words, smiles and gives him another bear hug.

Della then pries Donald off of him to give him her own hug.

“You boys never cease to make me proud,” she says as she lets him go.

“Aw, you guys,” Dewey says, laughing a little. “You’re gonna get me emotional.”

“We’ve all been emotional since you came on stage, it’s your turn now,” Huey jokes.

Dewey laughs, “Okay, that’s fair.”

“Not to interrupt a nice family moment, but would you guys like a picture?” Rico says suddenly from behind Dewey, startling him.

“Oh my god, Rico! You can’t scare me like that!”

Dewey recollects himself and turns back to face his family.

“Guys, this is Rico, one of my castmates. Fam, Rico, Rico, fam. And yeah, I think we’d like a picture.”

An obscene amount of pictures later, everyone has their phones back with significantly less storage space than before.

“Thanks, Rico!” Dewey calls out as his castmate departs.

“See you tomorrow,” he yells back.

“Well,” Della says. “I think it’s time for some celebration! What time were those reservations for, Uncle Scrooge?”

“… In ten minutes.”

“Oh. Well, let’s get going then!” She exclaims, prompting the group to hurry off to this restaurant, dragging a confused but happy Dewey along with them.

[zefiki]

I needed to rest, relax. After all, work also requires strength. And I decided to spend the weekend at hsr.

I really wanted Aventurine and eventually knocked it out along with signa! It was really difficult, because at first Clara's E1 fell on his banner... But I could! Well, out of boredom, I decided to spin this wheel of fortune a little more, trying to take away a beautiful woman. As a result, her grandson came! He's so cute. In general, he was the first character that I liked and because of whom I so stubbornly gave twists to the standard banner. But now, he has come, I am happy and now I am waiting for either the Harmony Songbird or Topaz with the sweetest Accountant

[zwan99]

CN News: Path to Nowhere Devs' Future plans

All translated by Jiu Jiu subs (@ qwertdwlrma on Twitter):

1) Coquelic is returning

2) BFL DZ optimization

3) Surveillance Order Optimization

4) Preparation of New Content

1) Coquelic

They are finally able to say with certainty that Coquelic will be returning. They are already working on adjusting Coquelic's base art. Coquelic will have a rate-up banner in July. Rain Burst + Floral Unfurl will rerun at that same time.

After mid-June, Coquelic will rejoin the standard, routine, event, etc off-rate pool for CN.

In Global she was never removed.

Coquelic will also be receiving a 2* Attire, available for a limited time. It will be obtainable for free from the Supply Office.

As an apology for not commenting about the situation sooner, when the event reruns they will be giving out 10 pulls for free.

2) BFL

- A recommended lineup feature and increased Sunday attempts, so you can reference who to use and also more freely choose when you want to play.

When designing BFL, they wanted a place where Chiefs could prove their teams' strength and see the progress of their Sinners. However, long-term, the cyclical nature and high difficulty of it created too much pressure for players. In June, they will be changing BFL:

- Implement points and attempts retention within each season. If you beat a boss and earn enough points, you will be able to claim the rewards next week without needing to rechallenge it.

- New mode where you can get rewards for 160k (single boss)/500k (all three total) by simply spending attempts rather than it being based on score.

3) Surveillance Order

They received feedback that the SO cap was too high and could not be reached. They plan to make the following improvements in July when the next new SO releases:

- Players that purchase Advanced/In-Depth will receive additional Surveillance Emblems

- Lower the upper limit level of SO to lv 100. After this adjustment, players that purchase Advanced SO will be able to fully complete it.

4) New Content

In the recent questionnaire, they received a lot of feedback expectant about new content. Rest assured that the production team has been working and planning on that.

A completely new limited gamemode will be launching in August, and will be futher optimised based on peoples' feedback.

They are also working on new main story content.

[wander-wren]

as everyone is talking about bad media literacy i want to talk about a conversation my sister had with me about barbie. minor spoilers (first ~30 mins) ahead.

now, i still havent seen barbie (i get around to watching things very, very slowly, if at all), but i knew the basic gist almost immediately based on vague internet posts.

my sister is 15 and very into that kind of diet feminism that seems radical when you’re 15 and your worst oppression is your band teacher picking the guy drummer over you (which sucks, btw, esp bc she’s objectively better and more disciplined, but like, you know what i mean). i do my best to nudge her to more critical thinking and such, but i was a 15yo diet feminist once too, i know how it goes.

anyway, with those two bits of knowledge i figured she’d like barbie, get the messaging, all of that.

she texts me that night and says “ummm so i’m watching barbie and they’re hating on cellulite a lot. like it’s one of the major reasons she’s leaving barbieland and they have a banner that says goodbye cellulite at the goodbye party”

and i was like. baffled. bc i was under the impression that she knew how movies worked. i mean, we both poke fun at our OTHER sister who can never pay attention to a movie and always ends up making us pause it to explain plot points she missed, so surely she understands story structure, right? that the protagonist has to learn a lesson? it’s fucking BARBIE. i knew months ago commentary on beauty standards was probably going to play a big role. esp bc it’s greta gerwig but i don’t think my sister knows who she is.

so admittedly i was less nice than i could have been when i was like girl you do understand the movie is about barbie leaving her perfect girl world and having to come to terms with reality, right. and learning she doesn’t have to be perfect. like. i just needed to hear “barbie leaves barbieland and goes to the real world” to put that together.

and like. i haven’t seen the movie but what she described sounds REALLY over the top. a “goodbye cellulite” banner? very unserious. would not ping in my brain as The Message Of The Movie at all.

i am genuinely concerned that my sister was worried the barbie movie (2023) was going to be all about hating cellulite and upholding beauty standards. this kid is smart. she’s 100% open to and aligned with the movie’s messaging. what about when it comes to a piece of media she’s less open to? one that presents a stance she doesn’t agree with and then doesn’t spend the rest of the movie explicitly condemning it?

[the-bad-batch-baroness]

Banner art by @mwolf0epsilon

Name Etymology

As a young cadet, Gloss spent a lot of time in his own head. He loved to daydream. However, the daydreaming and introverted tendencies left him a little unawares. He had a tendency to wander off from the squad, and when it came to relaying orders in practicums, he'd always gloss over the most important details, leaving the squad in awkward and almost dangerous positions. As an adult, he's still spacey, but he's better at communicating.

Personality

Gloss is one of the middles of Phoenix Squad, and isn't in charge of anything, for good reason. He has the most laid back personality in the squad. In fact, he's so laid back that nothing ever rattles him. He spends most of his time in his own head thinking, holding entire conversations, and coming up with his next masterpiece. His spaciness gets him and the squad in trouble, but he is incredibly smart and can do intricate calculations in his head. He is also artistically talented and spends more time sketching than doing anything else.

Mood Boards:

Here

Alphabets:

SFW Alphabet

NSFW Alphabet

View his tags -> #oc: gloss

Physical Appearance

Gloss has the standard clone physique, and somehow stays fit without working out. He dyes his hair turquoise blue, and he keeps it the standard regulation length. Gloss does not have any facial hair, scarring, or piercings on his body, but he does have turquoise butterfly tattoos on either side of his neck that trail down to his spine, as well as the memorial tattoo on his chest for Chance.

Character Art:

Greyscale Bust

Sweating

Character Timeline

Early Cadet Years:

CT-3058, or Gloss, never cried once after he was decanted. Gloss was always a solitary clone, never really clicking with the idea of the "brotherhood". He preferred his own company. The squad had a difficult time adjusting to his chill personality, and Brett tried to throw him off his game more than once, but it never worked. Gloss spent all of his free time sketching and drawing in his notebook. As a cadet, Gloss wanted to be an ARF scout in the GAR.

Invasion of Kamino:

During the invasion of Kamino in 21 BBY, Gloss and the other members of Phoenix Squad followed Tungst to the outer rings of Tipoca City as part of the frontal assault. With limited resources and training as a seventh year, Gloss used whatever armor and blaster Tungst gave him. During the firefight, Chance left his position behind the barricade with Drip to render medical aid to a group of wounded clone cadets caught in a blast. Gloss noticed, but was too engaged with a battle droid to say anything. When the commotion arose between Brett and Tungst, Gloss turned to see another missile careening towards Chance. There was nothing he could do. Gloss pulled back behind the barricade after the dust settled and watched Chance die in Tungst's arms.

Aftermath of Chance's Death:

After Chance's death, the squad was never quite the same. Because of Gloss's personality, he didn't show much outward emotion towards Chance's death, which put off the rest of the squad. However, he was channeling emotions, just through his sketching. He became more withdrawn than usual and spent more time in his sketchbook than around his squad. After Drip attempted to end his own life over Chance's death, Gloss visited Drip in the medbay and gave him a sketch of him and Chance.

Order 66:

Order 66 was just another day for Phoenix Squad. Gloss received the news of the Jedi betraying the Republic from Tungst and their training continued without much interruption.

Destruction of Tipoca City:

Imperial Service:

Fanfiction

Icon Guide -> HERE

✍️🏻✅️♀️❤️☀️ Soup Assault

Updated: 5/11/2024

Navigation Page

*When I commissioned Eps to make the character banners, I sent her some stick figure references I made in Canva. For laughs and giggles, I've added it to the post.*

[daringneedles]

Blog – September 10, 2024

After what feels like an eternity of scorching hot, 30+ degree days (I’ve finally caught on to Celsius now, good immigrant that I am!), Vienna is finally enveloped in that fall feeling. Right now, a cool, wet breeze is drifting in through my open window, the constant droning of my fan is hushed, and the heat-scorched chestnut trees in Augarten are getting just as much relief as I am.

The summer was good, but very much. It always tends that way for me: I love summer, but I’m delicate and over-motivated in the hot months, which means I overextend myself. I still have an alarmingly sore Achilles from Vienna's month-long dance festival, and my social battery has been operating on a chronic low. 

I like how temperate climates impose a certain rhythm of life, with buzzy activity falling into rest, then hibernation. That’s what I’m longing for now: a break from the excesses of summer.

The story I tell myself about myself is that I’m an introverted, nocturnal, homebody creature. And there’s definitely a time when that was true, but as my partner likes to remind me, this hasn’t actually been an accurate reflection of me in some time. During the COVID winters when we were living on a fifth-floor walkup and Vienna’s gray skies stretched into infinity, yeah, I wasn’t leaving the house much. Four out of five invitations to go on a brisk winter walk, declined. My glory days of knitting activity: laid out of the sofa, dozens of TV-show episodes to consume, with next to no social obligations and an aching lower back.

But since the COVID lockdowns are now just a memory that we all seem very inclined to forcibly forget, I guess I should update my frameworks. Time is scarce in winter too, now, with roller skating and dance classes and queer writer’s circle and all the friends that I’ve made from these activities. Work has picked up significantly and I can no longer act as a student ignoring my homework till cram week. Whether I like it or not (okay, I actually do like it), I’m doing nearly as much in winter as in summer.

Still, here’s my shift in priorities: A repetitive strain injury (knitter’s elbow) + the inspiration of Bernadette Banner’s most recent embroidery video have shifted my cooler-months’ focus from knitting back to hand embroidery, which I had last seriously engaged in maybe eight years ago? I’m still in my manic phase about it. I’ve collected a shocking number of kits in a shockingly short period of time, I can’t stop telling everyone about it, and I’m in the process of envisioning a new life for myself in which embroidery is the center of my personality. Shall I drop everything going on in my life right now to move to the UK and spend three years studying technical hand embroidery at Hampton Court Palace? (It’s a strong maybe.) Standard order stuff for me when picking up a new hobby, really.

Here’s some progress pictures from my first Royal School of Needlework online course, “Next Steps: Jacobean Crewelwork”. It’s nearly done now, apart from some whipped and woven wheels that I find really tedious to make.

I’ve loved the kit and the whole process of working on it. The “Next Steps” courses are like the intermediate-ish level RSN classes, and I’m glad I didn’t start with the beginner Jacobean crewelwork class they offer; I’m sure it would have been similarly informative, but I much prefer the design of the intermediate level and it was not out of my skill range at all. Most of the stitches were new to me, but really fun to work and the videos were very clear and useful. I also love the design itself and the color scheme, in particular the deep greens and terracotta shades. I only wish that, given the cost of the course (GBP 120), you had unlimited access to the course content; they remove your access to the videos after a year. You can always ask for an extension, but I’d rather not have to beg for it, and I think I would enjoy returning to the videos again and again when working on other crewelwork patterns (also, I have a PDF of the design and idea I’ve had is to work it again in a year in a different color scheme to see how my embroidery skills have improved).

I already have my next RSN online course lined up, the Intro to Goldwork. I pounced on the kit as soon as it became available again, since they’ve been having supply issues for several months now and the kit has rarely been in stock.  This is a class where I’m definitely happy to start at the beginner level. A lot of people seem terrified by the complexity of goldwork, and I wonder just how challenging it will be. Since I’ve started up with embroidery again, goldwork has been the technique most fascinating to me (again, some influence of the Banner video here). 

(Not mine, of course! Image of the Intro to Goldwork design from https://www.rsnonlinecourses.com/)

I’ve also got an abstract beadwork kit from Imogen Melissa; I think I’ll work on this after I’ve finished up the crewelwork as a less precise, more free-flowing project before diving into the exacting world of goldwork.

(Not mine, again – example beadwork kit from @imogenmelissa_embroidery)

After that, I’ve got some other plans floating in my head: an embroidered Christmas wreath for my in-laws, a cute cross stitch project for some skater friends, many colorwork socks for me and my partner, and some sweater WIPs from last winter that I should really finish up before we’re at sub-zero temperatures...

I guess I won’t be hibernating this winter. But at least I won’t be sweating while doing nothing more than laying in bed.

Ciao for now,

Ona

[silvernyxchariot]

My Genshin Hot Takes

that shouldn't be hot takes, but the gacha community be the gacha community. Posting, because I'm a spiteful little guy.

"Never pull for a 4-star if you don't want the 5-star"/"That's pure financial suicide."/"NEVER pull on a weapon banner"

Pull for whomever or whatever the fuck you want. It is no consequence to me or anyone else, whether you spend YOUR primos or YOUR own money. Which brings me to my next point.

"Whales $$$$$ vs Free-to-play"

The only people who care about how much people spend on a gacha game are, from my observation, the teenagers who are jealous they can't spend money, the whales (drops hundreds or thousands on Genshin) with a superiority complex, or the free-to-plays who "humble brag."

We do not care. Start the domain or do it yourself.

"Standard characters are trash"/"QiQi is the worst."

You're mad you lost your 50/50 and you don't know how to build characters. That's your luck + your own fault.

"No! I won my 50/50 on a banner where I didn't want the 5 star! I was just building pity."

No one feels sorry for you. "Building pity" does not exist if you're not wishing on a banner where you don't want the 5 star. Wish on the banner WITH your desired 5 star.

"You can't play characters together that don't synergize 😡 that's just wrong."

Assuming you all remember that I am a KavehxAlhaitham shipper, you all know that I'm the biggest hater of this one. 🎶I hate the way that you talk. Hate the way that you walk.🎶/ref

This game is 99.99% casual. The only "endgame" content is Spiral Abyss and the new Imaginarium Theater. If you only care about Spiral and meta characters, then hang out with the meta slaves and build the meta. Just don't shove it down everyone's throat like it's the only way to play.

A character's kit (attack set, passives, cons) is forever, but you CAN change their weapons and artifacts however you'd like. I'M LOOKING AT YOU 🫵 TIKTOK with your Pyro Yao Yao, Chongyun mains, and Amber DPS's. Idgaf if it's a private server or an actual candid co-op, if a little Yao Yao is slapping 1M in damage or Amber finishing Abyss, Ain't No Way Y'all Have An Excuse In 2024.

"[Blank] is the best [insert category]."

I'd say this phrase is only really viable for the top DPS characters. So, this goes out to the rest of characters, if they have a list of replacements or substitutes that you can use, they can't be the best. Please refer to my point of "building characters however you want" in my point above. I know the artifact RNG is trash or not everyone has $$$$ to drop on Genshin, but do what you can with what you have. Your Fischl might be a better battery than your Raiden. It's a marathon. Not a sprint.

"Don't speed through the Archon Quests or else you'll get burnt out."

Or do. This one is dependent on the individual's attention span. I sped through mid-Liyue to the end of the Sumeru Archon quests to "catch up" with the story and felt fine about it.

The real burn out is just farming, not even just for artifacts, but character ascension materials, weapon materials, exp books, etc. This doesn't really apply to you AR60 players with backstock and abundance of resources, obviously. My only regret is not playing through the AQ fast enough to understand the plot of the limited events, Parade of Providence (i.e. the InterDarshan event) specifically, and Windblume 2023. So, I didn't play them and thus don't have the limited weapons associated.

Schrodinger's Sexuality

I actually really love this take from a HoyoLab comment. So, I'm sharing it with all of you.

"All playable characters have no cannon sexuality since all playable characters don't cannonically have any love interests so believing all pc are straight is also a headcannon :D if anything any "romantic" acts done to traveller means they have to be bi, since events are pretty much the same regardless of which traveller you choose. so everyone is nothing, everything and also sometimes something, all at the same time."

Tl;dr Sexualities for characters, coded or not coded, may be whatever you'd like.

[braveryinblue]

Of all people, her father should be the easiest to gift, and yet, she finds herself stumped until nearly the last minute. It wasn't as if she had forgotten and she was uncharacteristically scrambling to find something that might please him. No, quite the opposite.

           Should she host a large party of all his friends here at the academy, a large banner and feast? Or would he think that suspicious? She had been saving the biggest surprise celebration for when he turned the golden age of forty, but as history has it, he barely had a gray hair to commemorate his short-lived tale.

           Armor and new weapons he may like, but... he could surely get those himself, nothing to write home about. In her younger years, a crudely drawn, handmade card would have sufficed, but that would not be as acceptable these days...

           ...

           Finally, she approaches him box in hand. "Happy birthday," she thrusts it forward, "May today treat you well." Inside the box rested two things: one being the standard axe maintenance kit, the necessary a polishing cloth, whetstone, oil, a more obvious gift and failsafe. The other was encased a small separate box containing a steel circular pendant that he could carry with him, in his pocket, around his neck, wherever he pleased. The other, she waits for him to examine before explaining.

           "It's a device to tell time, Fódlan time and the smaller circle is Ostia time. A little piece to remind you of home. And to remind you to spend each day to its fullest. Ah.. um, while you're in your prime now of course," she chuckles awkwardly, glancing to the side. You'll understand later.

It's still weird,

knowing that she's real.

She's not just some figment of his imagination, some child born of a dream, of many dreams. She's here, attending Garreg Mach the same as he is,

and Hector knows Lilina to be his daughter.

He's heard of this. There have been those in the past who have frequented the academy two generations apart and yet one looking scarcely a day older than the other. He doesn't want to think on it overmuch. Part of him is curious to know what the future might hold -

but there's a nagging feeling in his gut that he's better off not asking too many questions. It's an instinct he cautiously heeds, for the time being.

It's still weird,

learning that the council eventually get their wish. One way or another, he gives them an heir. Good for them, he wryly supposes - though he can't help wondering, in the meantime, exactly what kind of mother he's meant to look for. That'd make his job here a lot easier, really. . .

but it's another one of those questions he feels he's better off not asking.

Wouldn't want to go breaking time or whatever.

(As though that hasn't already happened here in Fodlan... multiple times...)

It's a headache, is what it is, though he does not begrudge her the pain in the neck.

Another year down.

Hector hopes his friends appreciate that he's relatively easy to shop for. (Or so he thinks, anyhow.) The kit is appreciated, even if it's not unexpected as far as gifts go.

(That she brings him a gift at all... That, he is not sure he expected.)

He grins up at her from where he's sitting, hopes his appreciation comes through. He's curious, though. What's this second box...?

Oh.

"Woah." Wow. "This is..."

Eyes are fixed on the clock's ticking hands. Fodlan... And Ostia. Dear Ostia, home sweet home. Land of his people - those he desperately hopes to do right by.

"Thank you, Lilina."

Fingers clutch at the device just a smidge tighter, albeit nonetheless gingerly, for fear of breakage.

"I'll definitely cherish this."

A pause.

There's something to the mournful look about her he remembers just now, the demeanour she'd worn in that strange, too-lifelike dream. He can't place why, but he gets a similar impression here and now, if fleetingly. Hm.

He won't ask.

But... would this, instead, be a safer question to ask?

It should be all right, yeah?

"... When's your birthday, Lilina? ... I'm told I'm not very good at choosing gifts, you see, so I'll need ample time to prepare."

What kinds of things has his daughter grown up enjoying, caring for? What does she value? What does she fear? Are there foods she dislikes?

Come to think of it, there is much he'd yet like to ask, and much of it, he thinks, would be worth the potential consequences.

[thephantomcasebook]

i truly dislike Sara snow as well and if she is included in the show, there’s no chance I’ll like her. She’s just unlikeable to me, it’s not even girl boss because she doesn’t do anything remotely useful or impressive?? She’s just… annoying

I'm not corning myself into saying that I'll never like her no matter what.

But they're gonna have to work hard to convince me.

I didn't like Arya in the books nor in the show, but at least her chapters were interesting because of the people she meets. My favorite character in the book series was Beric Dondarrion and so I was really interested in those chapters in "A Storm of Swords" but once Arya left the "Brotherhood without Banners" I got really tired of her.

I know Martin likes his tom-boy girls ... but I'm not a big fan in fiction or real-life. I like women being women, feminine, beautiful, smart, vulnerable, and clever. A woman wielding a sword and being 'full of piss and vinegar' is a tired and played out trope in Fantasy.

So I was already positioned to be rather prejudice against Sara Snow ... but you're right, she really doesn't add anything other than giving Jace shit and bossing people around.

Also, and I know that there's a lot of crossover between Sansa Stans and the Greens. But I'm really tired of the Stark Supremacy in the fandom, where everyone just automatically expects the Starks to be "The Good Guys" when in reality - in the "Dance of Dragons" - the Northern Army commits a lot of war crimes and act like savages.

They kill Criston in a dishonorable way and then Rhaenyra gives them his head to put above her banner at the battle of Tumblestone ... which was the last mistake she ever made.

Yes, give Daeron - who just burned an entire town to ash for murdering his baby nephew - more bulletin board material. You just gang raped his mother and big sister? I know, now put the head of the man who helped raise him on your standard. I'm sure nothing bad is gonna fucking happen ... I'm sure that it's not gonna piss off the most dangerous man in the realm with the fastest Dragon in the world ...

Nah, it'll be fine, Stark fam.

I mean, I literally pumped my fist at the part of the book when Daeron massacred "The Winter Wolves" and all of the northern forces at the Battle of Tumblestone. And though, I do love the superstition of that bad things happen when Starks go south being born from how the Northern Army was cooked alive by Daeron and Tessarion. I was still so fucking sick of the Northmen at that point.

And I'll admit that most of that has to do with the normie segment of the fandom.

People who read the books know that the Starks are a bunch of big-time assholes for a long time till Ned takes over. That even post Dance of the Dragons the Starks are kinda terrible - especially toward Aegon III. And Cregan Stark spends a majority of his regency flinching at shadows, Daeron's ghost and lingering presence living rent free in his head for basically the rest of his life.

So, yeah, I'm already suffering from being prejudice against Sara Snow and the Starks just based on fatigue from the fandom and George's same old tropes.

But I'm not gonna vow to never like a character, they could surprise me.

[lunapaper]

Album Review: 'Viva Las Vengeance' - Panic! At The Disco

Brendon Urie is one petty little bitch. 

Years later, the Panic! At The Disco frontman is still hung up on his former bandmates, Dallon Weekes and Ryan Ross, letting the salt run free on the band’s latest record, Viva Las Vengeance. 

‘Local God,’ the album’s fourth track, is Brendon at his most ugly and bitter, delivering backhanded lines like ‘You'll live forever as a local God/It's even better than the thing you're not,’ as if he’s condescendingly patting Ryan and Dallon on the head whilst assuring them ‘It’s okay, guys! At least you still got Open Mic Night at that shitty dive bar by the highway! Oh, by the way, did you see me melting faces off at the Bellagio the other night?’ He also can’t help but rub it in how ‘It's 2021 and I'm almost famous,’ simultaneously downplaying his fame and thirsting for more. 

It’s quite ironic telling Ryan and Dallon that they had so many chances to become superstars when Brendon spends a significant chunk of Viva Las Vengeance looking back on his glory days in Vegas and complaining about the price of fame (the latter a common theme since the release of 2016’s Death of a Bachelor). 

On ‘Star-Spangled Banner,’ he recalls playing Liberace’s piano at a house party and getting a lip ring down at the mall with Katie and Brittany. ‘I thought that I had friends, I thought I even liked them/But now I'm thinkin' maybe not so much,’ he muses on the aptly-titled ‘Sad Clown, ‘I hit the spacebar, I cannot play guitar,’ popping happy pills while scrolling through hate tweets (or as the rest of us call it, ‘valid criticism’).  

But that’s about as much self-reflection as you’re gonna get on Viva Las Vengeance. This is such a strange record; so delusional and filled with such undeserved ego from Brendon, even outright defensive at times. The production value is cheesy and overblown, hell-bent on being as obnoxious as fucking possible. Each song sounds as repetitive as the last, with Brendon shamelessly ripping off his idols under the guise of homage. 

‘God Killed Rock and Roll’ is a blatant Queen rip-off even by Brendon’s standards. The Bohemian Rhapsody hype is over, can we just let it go already?? (The film wasn’t even good!) Although it’s just in time for the Elvis biopic hype, I guess, judging by Brendon’s goofy impression in the pre-chorus. 

‘Sugar Soaker’ is like the dinner theatre version of a Grease track, coated in a thick layer of chintzy pop grease. ‘All By Yourself’ obviously interpolates Eric Carmen’s 1975 classic, turning it into one of those emotionally manipulative underdog anthems as if Brendon really gives a shit whether you dyed your hair pink to piss off Mum and Dad or got your arse kicked at school by Chad and his gaggle of jocks. Brendon stopped being the underdog the moment he decided to turn Ryan Ross’ creative vision into a soulless pop factory, churning out total dogshit. 

‘Star-Spangled Banner,’ meanwhile, is quite possibly the worst song Panic! Has ever produced. It’s a two-for-one deal: A Queen and a Thin Lizzy rip-off! It sounds like the kind of shit Glee would’ve covered back in the day, probably in an episode about the Glee Club feeling like a bunch of freaks after nobody applauded their saccharine rendition of Lil Jon’s ‘Bend Ova’ during school assembly.  

And why does Brendon feel the need to belt every goddamn line on this record?? More often than not, he struggles to hit those high notes, which is just so painful to listen to. If Brendon keeps this up, he’s gonna have no voice left... 

Viva Las Vengeance also has the misfortune of featuring some of Brendon’s sleaziest lyrics yet. 

His makeup sex in the middle of a breakup is about as enticing as a kick to the nads. He calls his woman a ‘lil sugar soaker’ with ‘red tail lights in the back of her head,’ threatening to drive her till she’s dead. And I’m sure whatever’s left of Panic!’s fandom will have absolutely no problem with Brendon turning domestic abuse into a catchy pop track, encouraging Maggie to hit her boyfriend back... 

The nerve of Brendon to call Ryan and Dallon local gods. The Brobecks gave us the magnum opus that was Violent Things. Ryan spun pure gold out of lines like ‘Sugarcane in the easy morning/Weathervanes my one and lonely,’ one of the most devastatingly romantic couplets committed to a pop song in recent times. It also didn’t take six people to write... 

And how does Brendon manage to express his love? Courtesy of ‘Don’t Let the Lights Go Out’: ‘You’re the only one that can operate my heavy machinery.’   

Simply put, this album is fucking trash. It’s the audio equivalent of linoleum: Dull, sterile and incredibly tacky. Brendon manages to hit new lows I didn’t even think were possible after Death of a Bachelor and 2018’s Pray for the Wicked. Here, his ego is just out of fucking control, at his most theatre kid worst. I mean, why bother listening to Viva Las Vengeance when you can just listen to IDKHow’s ‘Choke’ instead? That’ll give you a pretty good idea of just how much of a self-absorbed piece of shit Brendon is... 

‘We are the new Dead Kennedys,’ he has the gall, the gumption, the sheer audacity to claim on ‘Star-Spangled Banner.’ Bitch, you’re barely Imagine Dragons at this point. You’re less relevant than MGK. You’re Adam Levine-lite, with the same level of skill when it comes to seduction.  

You wouldn’t even be in possession of the Panic! name in the first place if it weren’t for Ryan. You’re not better than somebody just because you’re richer and more famous. You’ve managed to burn every bridge with almost every bandmate at this point, yet you wonder why you’re so lonely and miserable at the top. You might be the voice of Panic!, but they were the talent. You live a sad and delusional existence, and you’ve successfully managed to destroy whatever goodwill you still had from however many Panic! fans remain with this record. Well done. As the kids like to say: Retire, bitch. 

Don’t bother listening to Viva Las Vengeance. Do something better with your time and go listen to IDKHow or The Young Veins instead.  

- Bianca B. 

[uboat53]

"So here we are in 2023. The malcontents are still digging in – the only difference now is that there is a smaller governing majority. Actually, there really is no GOP governing majority at all, and the world will learn that soon enough."

Source

Fair warning, SHORT RANT (TM) ahead.

Source

INTRODUCTION

You remember how I told you that you should read smart conservatives? The above comes from Charlie Dent, a former Republican Congressman who left Congress in 2018 and has been writing about politics ever since.

The reason I bring this up is that he makes an extremely good point here, one we should all consider. You see, I was going to write about how the GOP majority is extremely shaky, but he made me realize they don't actually have a majority at all.

TWO PARTIES

One thing that has become abundantly clear over the course of the last week is that there is not a Republican Party anymore, there are two parties that share a label and campaign infrastructure. One the one side are the Establishment or Ideological Republicans (I'll call them E's for short). These are the Republicans who are committed to the old style conservative orthodoxy of military spending, small domestic programs, and general social conservatism. In other words, the Reagan "three-legged stool". These Republicans don't like what the Democrats want the government to do, but they still want the government to do things. Just different things.

On the other side, though, are the MAGA Republicans (I'll call them M's for short). These are the Republicans who want to destroy the government. But let's be clear, it's not due to any libertarian-style belief that institutions limit the freedom of the individual, it's because they want to empower other institutions such as militia groups and fundamentalist churches to control people instead.

THE SPLIT

At this point there about 150 or so Republicans that I would call E's, the standard type, and there are about 20-30 that I would call M's (the rest are somewhere in between). The problem is that the combined party can only spare 4 votes in their majority, meaning that even a minority of each group can completely grind their efforts to a halt.

The Hastert Rule (any bill must be able to pass with only Republican votes or it will not be brought to a vote at all) was an effort to call a truce between the two sides, but it has become more and more of a hinderance to accomplishing anything at all as their combined number have fallen lower and lower. We saw this in action during the vote for House Speaker when a small handful of M's were able to grind the process to a halt for days in order to try to wring further concessions from the E faction that had already conceded to them a great deal.

WHERE WE GO FROM HERE

The important thing to realize is that this isn't a new phenomenon. As I've previously written, this is the continuation of a split that began in the 1950s and 60s with the Southern Strategy. What we're seeing now is simply an escalation of a battle for party control between a majority and a minority that believes it should be at the helm.

They have the problem, however, in that they share both a voting base and a fundraising base. If they were to split, how many of each would go to which side? I don't know the answer to that, but both E's and M's have been too afraid to find out.

The biggest problem, though, is that they are fighting over diminishing returns. This last year should have been a banner election for Republicans; they controlled redistricting in more states and ran in a very positive economy (for an opposition party), yet they barely took a majority in only one house of Congress. Their voters are older and are dying off while young people are largely rejecting their ideas.

Finally, there's an increasing distance between the two parties. It used to be that you could find Democrats who were politically to the right of a good number of Republicans and vice-versa, but that doesn't happen anymore. Even Joe Manchin is to the left of almost every Republican by a good margin and most Democrats we would otherwise call "moderate" have more in common with AOC than with even someone like Adam Kinzinger. The same is true on the Republican side, so there's not really much room for a "unity caucus" even if the E's of the Republican side wanted to try.

As I see it, we're in a situation where the Establishment and MAGA Republicans are stuck with each other because there's no way for either of them to ever take power by themselves. It's an ugly marriage between two groups that actually hate each other but are staying together because a divorce would ruin their careers.

I'll be honest, I have no idea how long they can continue putting up with each other before one or the other decides to finally just do it.

[kspp]

Beware of Rainbow Washing!

Pride Month just got over, and brands couldn’t get enough of it with the beautiful rainbow colours and scores of artistic creativity; starting from Burger King’s Pride Whopper with ‘top’ and ‘bottom’ buns and lusciously chopped vegetables to a variety of limited edition tie-dye rainbow prints and other rainbow-coloured garments. I, too, wanted to flaunt such merchandise as a proud ally and own it. However, it struck me, am I being rainbow washed?

But first, why is Pride Month celebrated throughout June? Pride Month is celebrated to commemorate the Stonewall Riots in USA, which began in the last week of June 1969 and paved the way for the Lesbian, Gay, and Transgender Communities’ fight for equal rights. The police raided the Stonewall Inn in New York’s Greenwich Village, a common gathering place for the young and old members of the LGBT community. These protests went on for five long days. On November 2nd, 1969, the idea of a march in response to the riots was proposed at the Eastern Regional Conference of Homophile Organizations in Philadelphia. On June 28th, 1970, a year after the Stonewall Riots, they marched through Christopher Street which became the epicentre of the riots and June 28th came to be known as the Liberation Day. The theme was ‘gay pride,’ and the slogan “Say it clear, say it loud. Gay is good, gay is proud” could be heard everywhere. Later, the month of June was officially recognized by Bill Clinton in 1999, followed by Barack Obama declaring June as the ‘LGBT Pride Month.’ it is the current President Joe Biden, who went a notch ahead and declared it as the ‘LGBTQ+ Pride Month’ to include everyone from the vast community. Many countries have followed suit and today June is celebrated as Pride Month globally with Kolkata’s 1999 Pride March being India’s first.

With a painful yet rich history to this celebration, brands have been seen to misuse it to their benefit. Rainbow washing, as the act is named, is where brands use Pride Month and take incidental advantage of the various colours it represents, by benefitting from the false inclusive marketing of its products. These companies are merely marketing this month for their own profits while in reality they may not believe in diversity or inclusion or worse still, indulge and support anti-LGBT practices. This is similar to Greenwashing (companies lying/falsely marketing their products to be sustainable and environmentally friendly by changing logos/banners etc. to shades of green, brown or yellow) or Pinkwashing (brands that misleadingly use the pink ribbon logo that symbolizes support for breast cancer charities). Not only is it wrong in the sense that it conveys a false message and outrightly lies to its customers, but also that it dilutes the underlying message and intention of Pride month.

Let’s examine the two examples given above. Burger King had to issue an apology for its widely criticized advertisement of the ‘Pride Whopper’ as it spoke about having two ‘tops’ and two ‘bottoms’ and hence completely misrepresented sex in the LGBT community. People called it an entirely tone-deaf campaign while marketing the ‘matching top buns.’ Bewakoof.com came out with a wide range of quirky rainbow-coloured products during the month. However, a deep dive into their history showed a grossly homophobic meme in 2015, which was taken down after an uproar by blogger Divya Roop. “Save the girl children or else 25 years later your son will come home and say Asha to mili nahi so Ashish le aya”. For a campaign meant to spread the message of ‘Save the Girl Child’, a homophobic route was taken. While the company had apologized for this marketing tactic, it gives an insight into the double standards. These brands latch on to this exclusive opportunity yearly and then forget about it for the rest of the 11 months. What we must ask is, do we really want to spend extra money on such ‘limited edition products?

Mansi Shanbag, a Lead Copywriter at WATConsult, very clearly says, “BRANDS ALWAYS WANT TO BREAK CLUTTER. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO PRIDE MONTH, THEY ARE ALL ABOUT SPAMMING. It is so very easy to stick a rainbow on your product, your logo, your name for a month and do absolutely nothing to actually contribute to the movement”. Companies should consult queering personalities and listen to their opinions before they can prove their allyship to the LGBT community.

Acko released an advertisement starring Neeraj Kabi in 2021 to promote its pride campaign. The ad showed him changing his social media profile picture to the colours of the pride and then proudly showing that off to his friends. His friends pat him on his back, assuming he had accepted his son’s sexual identity. This leaves him speechless as he tries to accept and digest this reality. “Post pride, Support pride, but more importantly, be ready to accept Pride” was Acko’s slogan. To ally with the community is not to merely flaunt its colours but also to readily accept and empathize with the soul of the idea. Are we ready to do that in the non-pride months?