#but also can i be honest. what a relief. they couldn't have done it justice. sorry

[utilitycaster]

I know the unpopular opinions meme finished ages ago, but id love to hear yours on Chetney, especially given the uthodurn arc. I suppose for more specific direction since thats quite a broad ask, what would you say is the fandom interpretation of Chetney’s character, and how does your opinion/interpretation of him differ and why?

Absolutely - and questions like this one are always welcome!

I was actually quite pleasantly surprised by the fandom response to Chetney this week, which was by and large positive. But with that in mind I think that honestly, it's hard to pin down a definitive fandom interpretation of Chetney's character! Some of this is probably the circles in which I engage and what people put in the main tag, but I think at this point people who felt he was comic relief or a shallow joke or "just couldn't get him!" have either quietly adjusted their expectations or have left the fandom, or have always been people only watching for one character and ignored him from the start.

So I think the thing that differs in my opinion, to be honest, is just that like....I've never reduced him to mere comic relief? Like, he's an extremely funny and ridiculous character, but he showed a great deal of emotional depth from early on; if you didn't pick that up from his rapid turnaround on Dorian it's pretty much impossible to miss in his quiet conversation in the Heartmoor or the way he takes FCG's also ridiculous backstory about Shithead completely in earnest. These two things, as I've mentioned many a time before, are not in conflict! I think Chetney definitely skews far more comedic than, say, Fjord; or obviously more so than other Bells Hells party members Imogen; but like, comedy, tragedy, and horror are all connected by the same tissue, separated only by timing, perspective, and expectation. We know Travis can do a ridiculous character with heavy plot beats as we've seen with Grog; we also know that sometimes the funniest jokes come from more serious characters (again, I think an underrated moment of hilarity in C2 was Caleb's early "you look like a nerd").

It's very narrow and not terribly smart to box characters into a tiny contained archetype with no room to spread out, and Travis is particularly good among the cast at creating characters who defy those boxes. Chetney is an old weirdo with a high voice who says truly preposterous things; he is also someone whose life took an unexpectedly sharp slide downward following an impulsive decision, and who then, improbably, found that what many would consider rock bottom was in fact one of the greatest things that ever happened to him. He's incredibly passionate about what he loves, and vocal about what he dislikes, and deceptively insightful, and has a strong sense of justice and a remarkably good sense of how far he can push people with his over-the-top bravado without wearing out his welcome. He's even (heavily implied to be) bisexual.

I also think, and here's where "oh shit we need to catch up on the entire campaign on the Bells Hells page on the wiki" is really benefiting me, people underestimate how quietly instrumental Chetney is in many of Bells Hells decisions. He was not just the person to clock Dusk, but also the person to broker the compromise; he served as one of the more levelheaded party members following the disastrous fight with Otohan; he's consistently been the one to ask Imogen to actually consider her relationship with her powers; he was the one who convinced Delilah that she needed them leading Delilah to give Laudna a moment; and it was ultimately his idea to fly the skyship into the key. As of this level, he literally is the brains of the operation, with a +3 INT modifier to Orym, Ashton, and Laudna's +1 (and Imogen's +0 and Fearne and FCG's -1's). He has an overblown public sense of pride, but is remarkably willing to set his ego aside when he is not the focus. And for all he loves being a werewolf, he also does take responsibility for the harm he has done without wallowing in guilt. (Not that exploring guilt isn't valid as well, but I think Chet's approach is an admirable trait).

To be honest I think anyone who's not on board with Chet is uncomfortable with those final notes. Either they're one of the stragglers still on their "but Grog had a 6 INT and despite having five entire years to get over this during which Travis has consistently played characters with at least a +2 to INT, I shall not change my perception" bullshit, or, more realistically, are uncomfortable with the fact that Chetney (and, on a meta level, Travis as a player) both without hesitation will take the lead when appropriate or needed, but also will step aside when the narrative is not about him with absolutely no ego or resentment. I think that last bit really throws people off, especially people of the 'if the show cannot be interpreted as secretly centering my blorbo at all times I'm going to go into my tantrum hole' persuasion.

[sumire-no-nikki]

Halfway Through August

Summer is in full swing and I am ready for it to be over. It has been a weird couple of weeks with the temperature dipping to 15C before soaring right back up to 30C. I feel the heat sap my energy. I move so sluggishly these days.

What has made the past couple of weeks bearable is great coffee. This month’s beans are from 19grams which I had tried before but I was still quite new to taking coffee seriously then and perhaps had not done it justice. So this time, equipped with a better grinder and coffee making skills, I found the beans quite a treat. Spring Bloom, the filter blend, is quite an understated flavour profile but very refreshing. I have brewed it via V60, Aeropress and a french press and I think I like it best as a cup of V60. Blends are quite a hit or miss for me but this one was alright. The single origin espresso beans though was incredible. Don Martin is a burst of cherry in my mouth. I'm really enjoying it. I also recently tried extracting my espresso over a frozen ball for the first time referred to as "compound chilling." It is a technique employed by World Barista competitor, Hugh Kelly a couple of years ago. And I know, I know! As if rdt, wdt, and a puck screen aren't enough complications, I have now added another superfluous step to my morning coffee. I know it's excessive but hear me out! It does have a significant impact on the espresso and far from being just a gimmick, there's a science to it. Apparently the sudden and drastic change in temperature locks the flavor compounds in the espresso, leaving the espresso sweeter than it would have been if extracted normally. I tested this myself and I can confirm that the result is a lot sweeter, almost milky. I couldn't exactly pinpoint it at first but after a couple of cups I think this is because it completely eradicates acidity. Ah, it is always fun discovering new ways to appreciate coffee!

In other news, I have been spending considerable time getting as much preparation work done. I have a list of goals this month that require some trial-and-error, some testing. I must admit that not a small part of the motivation behind the necessity of a "preparation stage" is hinging on my persistent perfectionism. I cannot stand to see the end product of my efforts to be “ugly,” whatever arbitrary standard that might be. And if I'm really being honest, if the result is less than perfect, then I struggle to really find the point in doing it at all. In my defence, this is because I am very much a "prevention is better than cure" type of person. If I can prevent issues, quirks, flaws, then why not optimise the process to produce the best possible end? I suppose it's a balancing act. I must make sure not to get caught up in my pursuit of efficiency that I fail to complete anything at all. But I should also lean on my planning expertise to ensure that I am encouraged and motivated by the path ahead. 

Whenever I am able to take breaks from work and individual projects, I spend my time organising. This week in particular, I went through my small vinyl collection and sifted out the records I don't regularly play. I had recently ordered a handful of new records and I needed to make room for them. So I plucked out around ten records and listened to all of them, keeping the music that still spoke to me and set aside the ones that no longer draw me in. The one in the photo is a stunning copy of girl in red's first album, a UO exclusive pressing. Side A is black on white and side B is white on black. It reminds me of a spider web somehow. I never really got around to listening to the music but I liked girl in red's first two EPs so I purchased it last year. I was actually fully ready to set it aside for selling but when I put it on I really enjoyed it. So, luckily for this record, it made its way back to the shelf. About eight records did not. I'll be taking those to my usual vinyl store sometime later this month. It is a relief to have my collection trimmed down. I'm the type of person who likes to throw things away. I suppose it’s kind of the opposite of hoarding. I like to feel that I am making the most out of my stuff. So if I'm not really using something anymore, even if the product is still mostly full or unused, I'm constantly tempted to just chuck it all out.

Now, I shall leave a song here that I enjoyed the past week to end today's entry. (Shall I make this a regular segment? It would be nice to look back and see which song caught my attention at a certain point in time.) I haven't been able to stop spinning this record (pictured above, in all of its orange glory). What a blessing YouTube recommendations are! I was suggested this live performance of Anna B Savage like two? three? months ago and now I've got a new favourite artist!

One last thing--I would be remiss if I don’t mention that I’m posting this on a completely new blog!! God, it’s such a relief, honestly. To have my own space again, to no longer feel like there are prying eyes on me--I am happy. So incredibly happy. It's always a hassle to get things set up the way I want it be and I've got to work on curating this new space but I am truly relieved. I can post whatever I want again without unsolicited opinions or intrusive questions from people who I've never even interacted with, or aren't brave enough to ask their questions directly. I'm following only old mutuals here that I really love seeing on my dashboard and I’m as invisible as I want to be. I can breathe again. That old blog was a fun experiment while it lasted but it only really confirmed something I've come to understand: people, on the whole, can really be terribly selfish, malicious and inconsiderate. There are lovely individuals out there of course and that's all the more reason to be as specific when deciding who to have around. And I don't need much at all, just sincere individuals. I don't want community. I want peace.

So, cheers to new beginnings!

Anyway, I’m off to put stuff on my face and then bedtime. The weekend plan is simple: read. I've been on a terrible reading slump for weeks and it's time to cure it. I'm going to read the Villains Duology by V.E. Schwab. Not my type of book but I do want to branch out and give it a chance. I found Addie LaRue to be okay so I hope I won't entirely hate this duology.

I look forward to my slow weekend.

Until next time.