Category: Junior Literary

If the little red fingerprint looks familiar, it’s the logo for NetEase. They are the same developer for Marvel Rivals. 

To preface this, back in 2023 I was absolutely in LOVE Identity V. Every day I would play for hours on end and delved into the lore of my favorite characters within the game along with the main stories within the game. I used to read and make up my own analysis of characters. I could summarize character lore even now because I still enjoy it. The characters weren’t the only thing that had me attached to this mobile game. There were other players to engage with, and I had many online friend groups because of this game. A huge chunk of my money went to this game for merchandise and in-game currency. Earlier this year, I ended up selling my account that I spent close to one thousand on for two hundred dollars. Money’s money, but a little more would’ve been nice.

BASE GAME (basics)

Whenever thinking of the mechanics for this game, think of Dead by Daylight. Five ciphers need to be decoded to activate gates. Then you need to open the gate by decoding it. There are four survivors and one hunter, and the game happens on a randomized map. Instead of hyper realistic graphics and humanoid models which would be in DBD, you have Coraline looking dolls as survivors and a hunter who may either look human with slight abnormalities or something that barely resembles one. Even with non-human models for hunters, it isn’t scary because of the janky graphics. The survivor’s and hunter’s abilities differ from the ones you’d encounter in Dead By Daylight. There is a survivor who can destroy the chairs (hooks in DBD terms), a survivor who can disable your abilities as hunter, a survivor that can stun you for prolonged periods of time with a rocket, and way more. Hunters have abilities of the same level, if not better skillsets. There is a hunter that you cannot look at as a survivor, or you will get hit and placed on a rocket chair at five ciphers. Then your team is pinging “you’re on your own!” (basically telling you that you suck and need to delete the game). There is a hunter that can make duplicates of herself, and the clone can phase through obstacles while also being able to hit you. There is a hunter that launches cats at you, and she can either stun you or disable your abilities (this is an actual in-game mechanic I’m not joking).

 

There are skins for both factions. Now it’s all a fashion show for who has the better skin rather than eerie concepts prevalent in Identity V’s early days. To even get skins you have to do a gacha (gambling).  You either save a lot on in-game currency you get for free over long periods of time or get your debit card out and spend one hundred and get five duplicates of the same skin. You can also get skins within the in-game shop, but you would have to get that debit card ready as majority of them require it. I’ll give them credit where credit is due since a lot of skins are beautifully designed. Some of the designs gave me inspiration for my writings and artwork. The base character designs themselves are amazing as there is a lot of research done into the character’s background to render it cohesive with the time period (nineteenth century).

 

 

Where the issues arise

Now this is where my main issues of the game start. Within the game there are currently only THREE characters that are darker complexed out of at EIGTHY ONE playable characters. That’s way less than one percent people of color featured within the game. There are other characters that come from countries where citizens are generally tanned or darker but share complexions of those with fair skin. For example, there is a character who is from Nepal (an Asian country in-between China and India), but you cannot tell him apart from the European characters. Yes, there are more poc (people of color) characters within the game. Though, they are either mentioned in passing or served as stepping stools for the playable characters in their lore. All of the time they are side characters you never see. In some controversial skins in-game, there is straight up cultural appropriation.

 

In other skins and illustrations made by developers themselves, the only three poc featured in the game are whitewashed. The three characters shown, Ganji, Patricia, and William, birthday portraits compared to official artwork. Both are made by the same company by the way.

There also has been Generative Artificial Intelligence usage within the game and promotions of the game that started this year. It was first spotted in a promotion in their annual Call of Abyss tournament (Yes, the game has tournament aspects and esports teams that participate. There are opportunities to win cash prizes). NetEase also started to fire official artists for the game and replaced them with AI.

 

All in all, this game is bad like an open pizza box that’s a week old. I advise not to support this game or the developers because of the actions I stated prior. What are your thoughts on this? I’d love to hear your opinion ꉂ(˵˃ ᗜ ˂˵)

What would you do if your child thought they were a monster? How do you explain emotions, feelings, things that are bound to happen: pain, love, loss, life, to one so young? You don’t. Or you do and hope they turn out alright. There is no proven way to grow up. Pain is necessary. Love is subjective. Children are incredibly programmable. 

I think about the things I was taught when I was young and wonder how many of my beliefs were chosen by me, and how many were simply handed to me before I knew I could question them.

I believe I am responsible for everything in my life. That is a belief I have chosen in recent years (and am still working on). Not necessarily because I caused everything, but because if I take responsibility for what has happened for me, there is no one left to blame. I am not a victim of anything. It works for me.

Everything is as it should be. Even the things I don’t like. Even the things I disagree with. There doesn’t have to be a “should.” Everything is subject to change, and that’s okay. If I want to change anything at all, I have to change something within myself.

Maybe that is why I try to avoid spending too much of my energy obsessing over all the ‘wrong’ that can exist. I do not believe any good would come out of me dropping everything to hyper-fixate on problems I cannot immediately solve. I also want to reach a point where I can observe what I consider wrong in this world without feeling the need to fight against its existence. Just things to notice, accept if I can, and let go of.

I want everything to flow smoothly.

But do I?

Occasionally I imagine a life where nothing is ‘wrong’ and it sounds unbearably uneventful. Maybe that’s a limiting thought. Fun, dramatic, beautiful things can happen without disasters. A life can be eventful without being painful. But sometimes it sounds like a nice break.

Speaking of breaks, there is escapism.

I wish I could drown everything out. I don’t fully know why. Some part of me does, probably, but I don’t want to deal with that any time soon. Denial. I don’t know how long I’ve been doing this.

I have spent so much time trying to understand whether I want to be here, whether I want to stay happy, whether I want anything at all.

I want to be content. Whole. Alive. I sometimes mistake detachment for peace. And sometimes it is. But I think there is something in me that wants success, certainty, more life. I realize those are normal human desires. But at the same time there is a part of me that would just love to not feel anything. Not want anything. Not even numbness. Just free. But maybe that’s why I am here. To learn and accept.

I can’t make sense of a lot of my thoughts most of the time. Or I just don’t want to. I’m trying to improve that. Trying to grab them more often and solidify them in front of me so I can look at what’s actually going on inside of me and deal with it rather than keep pushing it around and away.

I’m just trying to figure myself out and not only have little glimpses of realization only to overthink it all and drift back to inceptions. I need to remind myself that it is okay to stay adrift for a while though, as long as I eventually find some grounding path. 

I don’t have a coherent idea of what I’m doing with my life yet, but I’m still here, still questioning, still choosing to keep going, and even if I don’t figure it all out it will still be worth it. I choose to believe so.

I don’t know why this is what my thoughts spilled into but I’m glad I got this out of me. Thank you.

Video games, a modern equivalent to reading in the 17th century for kids and adults. The way you can get lost in the story to the point you feel as if you were the character. Like you are in the world. The feeling of being someone or something you’re not really gives the reader, and the players, the ability to imagine everything. The main difference is that when you read a book, you read about the characters. Whereas with a game, you are the characters. More or less. But that’s not the point of this,is it. The real meat of the matter is how the game is created. How it’s made to make you feel about the world around you. Where books can only describe your surroundings, video games actually show you what you should be seeing, and on top of this, the environment itself might tell its own story. So join my insane ramblings on what makes video games good and appealing.

To start this introduction off, I will just say this for all those people who are like “I only play video games that have good graphics.” or the people who i have suggested games to and they tell me, “this looks awful, and it’s so low polly.” Just because a game looks poor in resolution or graphics, doesn’t mean that the game is bad. It’s called game design. Anyone with half a brain knows what minecraft is and is aware that the entire game is made of pixels. And yet, it’s still one of the most popular games in the world, with 212 million people playing monthly. Personally, I don’t care if one blade of grass took twelve days to render, and you put the newest physics engine into it so it would have dynamic wind physics. If the game sucks, I’m not gonna play it. But that’s going a little off topic. There are three, count them out. Three main aspects to game design that, in my extensive yet still expanding knowledge of games, makes a good quality game. Art design, story, and music. These three will be the subject of future discussion. And you’ll probably ask about how the game functions, or the game play loop. I’ll get there eventually, but for right now, we’re going to focus on the more artistic aspects of game design. But don’t think I’m simply brushing off bad game play because that also makes a game terrible. I’m looking at you Marathon. But these parts will be featured in later discussion.

Hello everypony. I’m going to come up with a clever greeting soon enough, but for now we’re just getting words out. My blog is going to be a place that I HOPE feels like a conversation during a family gathering with your cool aunt. I want to talk about EVERYTHING here. I never want you to be afraid to tell me that my blog needs work or that it just sucks. I’m always open to criticism. The main topics I know I’ll talk about at least once are listed below. 

1. Marvel
2. DC
3. Religion
4. My friends 
5. School 
6. Life hacks 
7. Organization tips (it’s kind of ma thing) 
8. Many more!

First impressions are very important, and this is mine. I hate when I meet someone and all they do is talk about themself, so why would I make MY first impression something I hate? Instead, I’ll describe how I hope you’ll interpret my blogs, my ideal reader, and a surprise topic. Wait. Those are kind of all about me. Yikes. I tried, people, I tried. Anyways! I hope my blog will feel like a one-on-one conversation with a friend. I never want someone to feel discriminated against or offended by anything I put here. Despite the fact I’m basically talking to myself here, I want you to feel like this is somewhere you can open up. 

Without further ado…my ideal reader! My ideal reader would be a teenager for sure. Someone who doesn’t judge people before knowing them. A TEA DRINKER. An enjoyer of cinema and books. A person who was born in the summer. Wait. That was oddly specific? Because I just snuck my about me in on you!! It felt too vain to say, “I’m Bailey now read all about ME!” So, you read about me unknowingly. Boom. Obviously, I’m not my own ideal reader. My ideal reader is anyone who wants to read this 

Next topic! 

I know I may look boring, but I’ve got taste, people. Might I introduce you to my favorite thing? MY LITTLE PONY. Peak cinema. I grew up with My Little Pony. It’s hard to beat. I like to think I’m the most like Twilight and Pinkie pie, but of course that isn’t up to me. 

 I’ve had many people come up to me in the past and tell me that I’m too for My Little Pony. I think that’s silly. You should always do what makes YOU happy. 

I think this concludes my first blog. Thanks for hanging with me. Love you, bye!!! 

Has anyone else watched “House of the Dragon,” or is it just me? The first season, from the visual shots to the casting, was pure perfection to me. Then again, my entertainment taste has been regarded as questionable. But, as the new seasons have begun coming out, people who have been fans of the books since they first came out have become irritated by the decrease in book accuracy. The story goes that the decline in quality started long before the author of the books, George R. R. Martin stepped back from the show. According to various sources, the director of the adaptation, Ryan Condal, strayed from the book before the show even aired, causing disagreements between the creator of the books and the maker of the show.

Me personally, I’m one of the fans that are annoyed by the wandering plot, especially with season three now airing a new episode every week. As someone who has read the books, I understand that not everything can be book-accurate, especially when it comes to fantasy books being put on the big screen. The dragons aren’t going to be as large as I read they were, I know that, but at the very least, the costumes can be somewhat precise for the story’s royal family. Rhaenyra had lavish taste, guys, take notes—she was a teenager who had the best seamstresses in the realm, of course, she shouldn’t be dressed in ill-fitting, basic dresses. The problem is, it goes so much further than costumes simply not being exact—it’s entire plot lines being rewritten in ways that likely will not tie the ending together as the book did.

What is the point of adding random side storylines that add absolutely nothing to the overall plot? You tell me. The show is starting to seem more like a fanfiction of the book, rather than a conversion of the book itself. And believe me, if you start viewing it that way, it will make your mood improve. But, for me, it’s gotten to the point where I no longer find interest in watching the show. I haven’t watched a single episode from season three, nor have I even finished season two. If there’s anything in the episode worth watching, it’ll be posted on tiktok with just the right amount of seconds to make me watch. And any controversial and overall ‘weird’ scenes in the episode? People will talk about that, too.

There could have been so many better ways to adapt the book into an actually enjoyable show, but it is simply far too late to save what was made of it. Until things start becoming accurate, book fans will be outraged by what the show has become. “House of the Dragon” is burned into the internet, and likely will not be getting a revision to appease viewers anytime soon.

 

 

Have you ever walked into a room and a smell hit your nose that wasn’t quite right? It may have been dirty laundry, the toilet, the bathroom, or the owner of the room. No matter what the smell is- it most likely came from odor-causing microbes. A microbe is a microorganism, most likely bacterium causing fermentation or disease.

 

Bad smells come from fungi, bacteria, streptomyces, and other nasty microbes. Microbes feed on organic residues like skin cells, sweat, food particles, and more. They also thrive in moist, warm places like fabrics (mainly polyester), food storage areas, and humid basements. They can spread because of direct contact, like a smelly microbe touching wet surfaces like foams, plastics, or rubber. Microbes tend to break down organic matter and release compounds such as, amines, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur-containing thioalcohols, and short chain fatty acids.

 

Every microbe carries a different scent. Molds and fungi often produce a musty, mildew like odor in damp and humid areas. Gram-negative anaerobes result in bad breath. Candida bacteria obtain a yeasty smell, and honestly who wants to smell like a bakery worker. Staphylococcus Lugdunensis creates an earthy hay-like smell.  Streptomyces produces an organic compound called geosmin which gives soil its earthy smell. Staphylococcus Hominis is known for producing a pungent smell caused by the breaking down of sweat components. NO ONE WANTS TO SMELL LIKE THIS OR SMELL THIS!!!

 

There are many ways to prevent microbes from spreading. Control moist surfaces. This means fixing leaks, keeping surfaces dry, and avoiding placing wet items in humid areas. Improve ventilation. Let your air circulate to reduce humidity and trap those nasty smells. Disinfect using EPA approved disinfectants on frequently used items and surfaces. Wash your hands regularly. Use hand sanitizer if soap is not available. Keep perishable food items in the refrigerator within two hours of buying (one hour if room temperature is over ninety degrees). Wash your clothes in hot water because it kills bacteria and fungi on clothes. Dry clothes completely to avoid the buildup of mold and mildew. Clean all spills immediately. Replace your kitchen sponges weekly even if they look clean, they harbor bacteria. Use paper towels or sanitization wipes instead of sponges on countertops (they are disposable). Using air purifiers with HEPA filters helps reduce airborne microbes. Clean and disinfect shared tools. Inform your household members so they can take the necessary steps to prevent the smelly microbes.

 

I don’t really like writing. It takes forever to come up with an idea, and when I do come up with something I have no clue how to execute it without sounding like a 12 year olds first post after discovering tumblr. I don’t understand poetry and I hate flash fictions, if I write something while I’m sad or angry I feel like I just sound edgy. My loves always lied with performance arts, but I HATE performing. I get shaky and nervous and my voice cracks or goes ridiculously high out my usual range and its humiliating. I do draw but I never show others, especially now that I’m at a school where every other person is a visual arts student.

Now, you may be wondering, (motioning your words as a sock puppet) “why are you at an arts school if you hate all the forms of art and why are you a literary student if you don’t like to write” well that is a great question! I don’t know. I know I can write, that’s how I got in in the first place, but I’ve been stuck on what I’m gonna do when I inevitably realize I’m not cut out for this, I mean the last serious piece I wrote before my portfolio was when I was 14. I considered switching disciplines, maybe I’d be better in theatre, but then comes back the point of my performance anxiety, so I was feeling stuck for a few days when that hit me.

Its been on my mind since I got here but I think I finally figured out my issue. Its not that I hate writing or I’m scared of performing, Its that I’m immediately setting certain expectations for myself for stuff that I have barely any experience in and I’m being my own critic and I’m biased against myself. I know some of my ideas for stories aren’t that bad, my acting could use some work but thats normal, because I’ve never been an actor before, but when I’m looking at it from an outside lens and comparing it to established writers or actors relatively it looks.. Pretty bad in all honesty. But thats okay!!!! 

Its taken myself and embarrassing amount of time to realize I’m judging myself harsher and quicker before anyone else could, and I think a lot of people do that and don’t realize. You’re not gonna be the best at something (unless your me because I’m the best at everything) but you should still be proud of the work you do put effort into. For example, this blog post!! I’ve had no clue what I was gonna write, because I thought all the ideas I had were kinda meaningless or stupid. Thats actually how I’ve been thinking of most of my literary assignments (pls don’t do this I’m gonna end up in procrastination purgatory soon) but now that I actually sat down and wrote it, I like this a lot. So to whoever’s reading this, do whatever you’ve been putting off because you have no ideas for it !!! you will regret it if you don’t take it from me.