Gaming Log: Genshin Impact

Explaining Myself Again,
as if Anyone Cares

Reminder of what I said on the last page: these are undated musings in chronological order spanning the month of January. Got it? Okay... go!

I may regret this but in the meantime at least I'll have fun

Getting back into Genshin because I remembered how fun it was a couple months back. It took a little while to remember how to play, but I can feel myself getting sucked back in already. I love exploring. I love adventures...!

Plus, a leak says Nahida's coming back for 4.4!!! I've been waiting for and wondering about her return and ahhh i'm so looking forward to it! Fingers crossed I can save up enough to bring her home.

If Nobody else Got me I know Thoma (Genshin Impact) Got Me

Inazuma AQ is such a slog... I don't care about this dumb war and I have no idea what the shogun means when she talks about "eternity." It's so vague, it seems totally nonsensical to me. On the bright side, I love the aesthetics of this region, and the music, and even though there are too many enemies, I like the enemies themselves. The samurai are fun and easy to beat up! And of course this is where we meet my beloved Thoma ♥♥♥♥ I was going to say it's his homeland, but it's really not.. heh... His new home, I guess! Anything associated with Thoma gains +3,000 Love Points from me.

Women.

Why did I get a crush on Signora two seconds before she died. The final cut scene with her and Raiden Shogun made me like both of them, actually. I just love callous and stoic women... Signora was so sarcastic and self-assured, it was great!!!

It's a shame that they wear the worst outfits ever. I can't take them seriously when their tits are spilling everywhere, and whether it's 2- or 3D, I'm so turned off by feminine looks. I'm sure they were given those stupid outfits to "balance out" their strength and status. They are two of the most powerful women in this world, but they still need to be sexually available to any man looking. It's honestly quite disgusting! For shame, Mihoyo.

If it was audio only though, my imagination would default to them being fully clothed, and I would have major hots for them both. Sigh! Unfortunately, not everyone can be Makima... What does it say about me that I'll go crazy for a fictional woman as long as she's bare-faced and wearing real pants, no matter how poorly written her story is? Makima also has a big coat, though. I cant be held accountable for anything I say or do in regards to a person in a big coat...

Yoom Incoming!

Finally finally finally figured out what I want to do with the OC I made to pair with Thoma!

So, since Thoma is interested in yokai and seems to really want to meet or even befriend one, I thought it'd be cute if my OC could help him realise that dream. Rather than being a fellow yokai afficianado... she is a spirit herself!!! Specifically, she is a Makuragaeshi, a mischief making spirit. They flip people's pillows over while they're sleeping, like you wake up with the pillow under your feet instead of your head. They can also sit on your chest and crush you to death like sleep paralysis demons. My OC wants attention from humans to convince herself she still exists, and this is the best way she knows how.

Of course, when she does this to Thoma he's like wow! epic! and feels no fear whatsoever. They stay up all night talking and become friends. He even gives her a name, Yo-tan (as in yokai, creative I know) because she died before being named by her parents— or rather they killed her without naming her, then buried her under the floorboards in an unmarked grave. Yeah. That's her tragic backstory.

Anyways. Yo-tan visits Thoma every night and they talk until sunrise, at which point she disappears. She can only exist in dark places. Also she is really filthy, like covered in dirt and dust. She has that creepy unkept ghost girl hair that is way too long for a normal person, and it looks like it's never been cut or combed. Thoma doesn't strike me as a neat freak, but he does like to clean, so he jokes about wishing he could give her a bath. But unfortunately she's just a spirit, and his soap probably cant wash away dirt that exists on another plane of existence.....

I guess some of her dirt exists in the human world, too, though. In the morning Thoma finds her muddy footprints all over the house, and that's how he knows that she's real and it's not just a dream. Sometimes it's hard to tell, because even though they stay up ALL NIGHT, in the morning he always feels rested? So it's sort of ambiguously not-a-dream. Regardless, Thoma cleans them up as effeciently as he can. Other people in the house already complain or strange noises in the night, and an uneasy atmosphere as if they're being watched... If they were to find mysterious footprints, it'd only make the ghost rumours worse.

To advance the story, something will happen that threatens to separate Thoma from Yo-tan. I don't know what it will be, but it's something that makes her wish she was alive and human again so that they could stay together. She's been kicking around as an unhappy ghost for like 500 years, so when the gods hear her prayers full of determination, they grant her a vision!!!

And the next morning she doesnt even realise she has one at first, or that she's been revived and become human. Shes just walking around the Yashiro estate when suddenly the maids are screaming (shes so filthy she looks like a beast) and the guards are coming to fight off the intruder and shes just like... huh? what's going on? It takes her a while to realise, "oh, they can see me..."

Thoma appears right on time to defend her. He comes up with something only slightly untrue to explain her presence. Something about her being a friend of his, she stayed the night, she's sick and he's helping her to get back on her feet... Everyone's like well, yeah, that does sound like something Thoma would do. And bcus he's of higher rank in the comission, they defer to him without voicing their confusion, opposition, or concern.

Thoma takes her straight to the bath like FINALLY i can get this girl CLEAN!!!! Her hair is an absolute nasty matted mess. He touches it gently but it still hurts— she's sensitive to corporeal sensations. He's like ahhh sorry, I'll be careful but there's so much hair. It's gonna take a while. Maybe we can do it in sections? Maybe Ayaka can give us some tips, and—

"Thoma." She tips her head back to look up at him. Her head thumps softly into his chest. "I want you to cut it off."

She explains that this is hair that grew while she was dead. It's full of dirt and dust from all those places that didn't want her. She has no attachment to her hair... it's only a reminder of the "life" that she didn't live. It only grew so long because there was no one to cut it for her...

"So, please, would you cut it now? I... want to have short hair like Thoma."

AND HOW COULD HE SAY NO TO THAT??? He gives her a big chop!!!!!! Of course, hes not a professional, I doubt he even has experience cutting his own hair, so he warns her that it's gonna look a little weird. And it does lol im gonna give her a bizarre anime hairstyle with choppy bangs and long, wild pieces coming down the sides. But even though it's weird she immediately loves it and refuses all offers to get it cut again. Shes like perfect! Now I want to grow it out again! This time it will be full of memories with Thoma!!!!

She looks rather joyful here but I'm not sure about that characterisation. I think I was just so excited to enjoy drawing again that my happiness rubbed off on her.

Together they bury the cut-off hair with a proper funeral and a grave and everything. It's symbolic of the burial she never got. Then she asks Thoma to give her a real name too, and together they pick Taiyo, which means sunshine. Im gonna write it with the characters for "peace" and "bravery" so altogether it represents the resilience that carried her through the dark night of death, a virtue she can bring with her into a more peaceful life in the sunlight. She's more than earned her right to exist in the daytime. And he can still call her Yo-tan as a nickname!

And this is all very cute and lovey and Thoma takes exceptionally good care of her, teaching her to read and count and do light chores and whatnot... but she still has an unnerving air about her, as if she hasn't shaken off her undead aura. Ayaka wants to like her but she's just too weird, so she only manages to pity her instead. Ayato hates her immediately and torments her for his own gratification.

Both express their feelings about Taiyo but neither demand Thoma get rid of her. As his friends, they respect his wishes and trust his judgement. They know that he's above all else loyal to the Kamisato Clan, and if Taiyo was a liability he would dispose of her. Taiyo also knows this, so she stays quiet about Ayato abusing her. Who knows what would happen if Thoma found out about that... it would put him in a conflicting position for sure.

With time and dedication, I'll develop the story more, clarify the themes and character dynamics.... There are superstitions associated with the Makuragaeshi, like if you sleep with your head pointing in a certain direction then you're more or less likely to encounter one. What if Thoma was going through these superstitions one by one, trying to boost his chances of meeting a yokai overnight??? And whatever nonsense Thoma is up to attracts Yo-tan's spooky sensibilities and she comes to flip his pillow.

Or... what if he does all that and it still doesn't work! In that case, maybe they meet while he's travelling, like Thoma's business takes him to some shady location and he has to sleep in a place that's rumoured to be haunted. Everyone else is afraid, but he's super excited and hopeful, not realising he's walked right into his new best friend's territory.

Like this, the pivotal separation would be Thoma leaving Yo-tan's haunted house and going so far away that she can't follow. I imagine that she would be trapped relatively close to the place where she died, and she can't exist in the daylight, either. It's just not going to work if she's not human!

And about that... she is "revived" and given new life, but I'm not sure how the mechanics work. She still has the presence of a malevolent spirit, so she may be corporeal but she is not fully alive. I think her body comes from her Vision, too, as if she's made of magic. For that reason she's probably really fragile, physically, and sensitive to the energies in her environment.

What kind of Vision is it, anyway? I'm not sure. I thought Hydro would be good because it represents "justice", indicating that her new life rebalances the unfairness of her original, untimely death and prolonged suffering in the afterlife. Electro would also work, symbolising her new life as a reward for her persistence even in death, proof of the value of "eternity". And I'm not sure how I could tie it back to "contracts," but Geo might suit her since she literally lived in mud for 500 years.

Either way, I've been having so much fun coming up with her story and character design. So far I've only decided on her hairstyle— her clothes and colour palette are still up in the air. I will make her complimentary to Thoma, though, for sure! I may not be able to resist making yet another yellow self-insert... it would match her name if she wore sunshiney yellow! Ahh...! It's just awesome... I love Taiyo ♥!!!

She's green!!!!!

Collei is so cute. I like her scarf a lot! I suck at Spiral Abyss but pushed myself through because I wanted her so bad. It's nice to have a new addition to the team! Wahh, the thrill of a new character is unmatched~

Incoherent music rambling

Sleeping to the Inazuma soundtracks...♥ I want to go on long walks with Thoma.

Someone on YouTube said that the songs sound like Joe Hisaishi tracks, which seems like an apt comparison. I'm not sure, though. I mostly listen to his western sounding scores from Kiki and Howl, rather than what surely must be traditional Japanese music made for Spirited Away. But it's been so long since I've seen the film or heard any songs other than the iconic "One Summer's Day" that I couldn't tell you. The aforementioned track doesnt sound even 10% as traditional as the average Inazuma OST...

I'm just confusing myself, lol. Maybe Totoro is the one that has tradtional music? Man, what is that song that plays when they all sit up in that big tree? Song of the Wind...????? I can hear it in my head because I used to loop it all the time in middle school, but the title escapes me.

Thank you Nahida character designers, Nahida character writers, Nahida voice actresses, Nahida animators, Nahida appreciators and bankrollers,

Love love love the Sumeru Archon Quest!!!! The atmosphere is great, I love the character drama... Kinda crazy but I played for eight hours straight. I even dragged my bed over to my desk so I could lay down and keep playing. Felt like an absolute madman but it was comfy and worth it.

Nahida is my favourite of all time, and now that I'm finally seeing her in game I can fully appreciate everything I came to love through hearsay (i.e. Genshin friend, wiki, fanworks...) I feel like they made her just for me!!!

Update: a while after this, I tried explaining to a friend what I love about Nahida and what she means to me. Here's my sperg, copy/pasted:

I guess the most succinct explanation of her character would be "extreme impostor syndrome." Nahida is born at the same time that the previous Goddess of Wisdom dies, and her followers are immediately disappointed that she's not as powerful or as wise as her predecessor. They imprison her in complete isolation while continuing to worship the old goddess and even trying to artificially construct another god to replace her.

Obviously... this makes Nahida feel very insecure. Factually, she sees the gap between herself and the more powerful leader she cant replace. She dedicates herself to learning all that she can to become as useful as possible. Even in total isolation, she manages to connect with people through their dreams, and she's also able to briefly possess people to help them through crises. Like she channels her weird god powers through their human body to stop a house from collapsing, stuff like that. But nobody knows it's her doing it. Her involvement in anyone's daily affairs is boiled down to urban legend, then ridiculed by those who prefer the goddess who came before her.

Of the thousands of people in the nation, Nahida has like a dozen followers, max. If this was Twitter she'd be ratio'd to death lol. But despite being imprisoned, isolated, and almost entirely forgotten, she only blames herself for "not being good enough" and keeps trying to have meaningful contact with the outside world. So I guess what I appreciate is her resilience, as someone who has also led a solitary life. And I like her humility— she embodies the Socratic principle that true wisdom is knowing that you do not know. As a result, she straddles a line between rational self-criticsm and trauma-induced self-hatred that I cant say I've seen anywhere else. That's one of my own major cognitive dissonances that I'd one day like to resolve— if it can be resolved! I wonder sometimes if it's just the human condition to realise we are not where we want to be and beat ourselves up for it.

The last thing is that because she's the Goddess of Wisdom, it follows that Nahida would be a little philosopher lol. For story reasons I don't care to explain, it's revealed that she often meditates on existential questions about the flow of time, the nature of reality, the way an individual's unique perspective influences their perception of the world... stuff like that. And I mean that's life for those of us who have nothing better to do, haha. I also like to sit and wonder about stuff like that, and I think that's the greatest thing you can get from a lonesome, boring life: plenty of time for introspection. I get immediately attached to characters who show any signs of philosophising, so this was icing on the Nahida cake.

Also she makes a poop joke.

The English voices are so terrible, I couldn't find the Japanese dub after 30 seconds of searching so you'll just have to deal.

Polumnia Omnia

Scaramouches boss music was amazing! I wish I had been able to enjoy it more, since instead I slent the majority of the fight going "what the fuck? What the fuck! What?!" Lol. I'm so glad I learned you can lower the boss fight difficulties when Raiden kept beating my ass. I'm going to play Genshin with a handicap for as long as possible. I suck at games and enjoy them best when they're very, very easy!

Anyways, I got my first taste of Nahida combat in that fight. It was so awesome running around as her! Ahhh, I'm so excited to have her for realsies. I have no idea how to use her, though, and she died pretty quickly... I was so sad! I'll have to practice a lot when the time comes, and slowly get acclimated to her play style.

More about music: this time coherent!

Grrrr Sumeru battle music stuck in my head. I'll be walking around, doing chores or writing something or whatever, and then suddenly those desert bandits are on my ass. They are really good compositions, though, I can't complain! In general, I love the Genshin OST and I appreciate its ability to set the mood and bring an emotional quality to the story. I didn't care at all for Liyue's AQ, Shenhe's stupid outfit makes me uncomfortable, and I think the sea monster thing was pretty dumb... but I'll admit it. I cried during those big battle and tragic backstory cut scenes. When I ask myself why, I know it must have been the music. It's so well composed that it got me invested in stories I didn't give a hoot about! ... I'm also easily moved to tears. That probably also factors in.

My emotional volatility aside, I'm glad that high budget games like this get high budget soundtracks, too. Mihoyo did not skimp, and my life is all the better for it! I want to get all the albums for myself soon so I can pick out my favourite tracks and make my own playlists, too.

Game8co more emotionally supportive than Thoma, tbh

My main browser window has been completely overtaken with game8co tabs. I prune out hyper specific game guides, like for quests and stuff, but I leave the build recommendations and farming routes open. I need so many materials for when Nahida arrives... I want to collect them at a pace that's fun for me!

"""Poetry"""

I love love love Hu Tao but if I have to hear her retarded voice lines about "Hilichurl-oniisama" one more time I'm going to scream. That would be my only complaint about Hu Tao, honestly. She's easily one of my favourite Genshin characters of all time just from her design alone. I don't know much about her personality yet, (haven't actually seen her in game, except very briefly during that poetry event with Venti, which I did not play) but from what I can gather she's a fucking freak who says cryptic things, and behaves selfishly for her business' profit as well as her personal amusement. Or something. If she's boring, I'll just add in my own headcanons until she's interesting again!

I have a problem.

Eat, sleep, Genshin. That's the routine I've gotten into and as much fun as I have with this game, I know it is not healthy. Certainly, it's not productive. But if all I can do right now is rest and have fun... then I'd rather accept my limitations and enjoy this leisurely life for what it is. I can be dissatisfied... I can want to do better, to do more... Wanting is a beautiful thing. Dreaming and striving are beautiful, too. So is relaxing into the present. And at present, I do little else but play an exploitative video game.

It's the perfect scam for isolated, understimulated, privileged people like me. I hope that recognising this— among other things— will protect me from falling into a gambling addiction as well. I cannot afford to spend money on Genshin Impact. It's in neither my monetary nor my ethical budget.

Add me to the Itto Fanlist

Doing standard banner 10 pulls and Thoma came home to me again. I wonder if he was feeling a little jealous and possessive because I was just thinking about how much I like Itto. I just played his story quest and really enjoyed his idiocy— I think he is my favourite Claymore character right now. I like Dehya because she was awesome in the Sumeru AQ and I love dark skinned anime girls... but she's dressed so poorly I don't think I could stomach playing as her. I have too many Pyro units anyways. Itto would be a better asset for sure.

Do I like Itto enough to make yet another Genshin Oc??? I wonder...

Paimon x Itto Genshin OTP

Update: Nope. No need. I'm playing the "trapped in a cave" story quest and I cannot BELIEVE how much he and Paimon are flirting. They tease each other a lot but also worry when one of them falls ill or needs help. Itto's nickname for her is not mean at all, it's just adorable and I love how infantilising it is. The way his voice softens when he's watching over her and he doesn't realise the Traveller is eavesdropping... UGH!!!

Seriously, they're compatible. Itto loves kids and Paimon is very babyish. Paimon loves to explain or reiterate things, and Itto is dumb enough to benefit from that. They both like to eat and explore and hang out with friends. I want Paimon to sit in the palm of his giant oni hand like a throne. Traveller can offload her onto babysitter Itto (probably to go hang out with her own husbando!) so they'll be alone together. Then they can go treasure hunting and kiss under a lavender melon tree. I'm planning the wedding and youre all invited.

If it wasn't obvious, I actually like Paimon and think she's cute. Yeah she's annoying and I skip most of her dialogue— I skip most dialogue in this game!— but I enjoy her stupid design and sense of humour more than enough to make up for it. It helps that I have the JP dub on. The baby voices are nowhere near as grating as they are in a language I actually understand.

(faints)

Whenever I die and go to a Liyue Statue of Seven to revive, I pretend it's Hu Tao running to Zhongli for help after getting her ass kicked. I like Zhongli.... Next year, when his banner comes back, I'll try to get him.

Stupid Sexy Lawyer

by bunsketches

Yanfei is so adorable. I love to hate her. If she's a highly respected lawyer, why is she dressed as a court jester? Who shows their bare midriff in court? It's so stupid and I love it. I really like her voice, too, she sounds like an Uchi villager— my favourite personality type in Animal Crossing.

Women (continued)

Not pulling for Raiden even though I like her voice and play style because she has no pants on and I just can't take it. I'd rather have Nahida anyway. I really hope we get her banner confirmed soon... I want her so bad!!!

I keep trying to imagine redesigns for Genshin girls with more respectable outfits that keep the cool details from what they already have. For example, I loveeeeee Raiden/Ei's sleeves, they look so cool when she puts her arms up and the fabric billows down. No way would I get rid of that, or even her cute morning glory shoes and hairpiece. We could even keep the stupid "loose kimono top" cold shoulder, if only we gave her a black halter top to contain her breasts. And then I want to give her pants or some kind... or a long, full-bodied/pleated skirt that moves elegantly. Just some way to cover up her legs and make her look more refined.

This isn't Raiden, but I was looking for fem Zhongli pics (don't ask) and happened upon these genderbends. Ganyu looks so good here. I would love to play as a character dressed like that... i love how Hu Tao is virtually unchanged. We all know she's already perfect.

by cacao120olo

The male to female redesigns are hot garbage though. I guess Childe looks cute in booty shorts, and it suits his unconventionally friendly, rough-and-tumble nature, but why not keep the long pants??? (Misogyny is why.) Xiao looks kind of okay, actually, but that might only be because we can't see the ergreiously high skirt slit from this angle. I won't say anything about Zhongli or the useless garter clips because it's all too stupid for words.

In my mind, Zhongli is canonically female anyway. He makes a bunch of godlike creatures— idk if he birthed them the way we think of birth, but either way creation (and especially creating life) is a female trait. Don't argue. Just take off his suit and there are boobs under there. In fact, all of my male faves are women because I said so.

Outside...?

I want to go on adventures in real life. I'm being so serious when I say my favourite part of Genshin is walking around and picking flowers and fruits. That's something I can actually do in real life!!! Well, I wouldn't pick anything from someone else's garden, but at least I could go around and look. It's just seeing the flowers and fruit and birds and bugs that's so enthralling... I want more of that in my life.

Right now there is no greenery to speak of, but winter won't last forever. And even now the bare trees make striking silhouettes against the grey skies... The outside world is beautiful. I'm too tired and too scared to make it out there just yet, but ironically this video game makes me want to go.

More Complaining, now with a Twist

Power washing web event...????? I don't get it, but it's actually kind of fun. I find myself wanting to play it and do more in the event even when I've run out of stamina for the day. The art of Lumine on the side is sooooo cute, too. That's the kind of art/animation I'd love to make someday. I just need practice!

Speaking of Lumine... her design— like a lot of other female characters— really annoys me! Her cleavage is nonsensical, since she's obviously not wearing a bra that would give her breasts that pushup/squish shape. The giant arrow pointing to her crotch... complete nonsense. And personally I just dislike the lacing on the back of her dress. It's ugly!

I often wish I'd chosen the male player character instead, just because his design is so much more appealing. As usual, I could just pretend he's a girl and reap the rewards. But when I started playing the game, I just chose Lumine automatically. I'm blessed to have grown up during an era where video games were beginning to be developed for and marketed towards girls, but at the same time the novelty is not lost on me. I want to play as a girl because god damn, if you are giving me the option i'm not going to waste it! Same as dark skin character customisation, or same sex marriage. It's even more wasteful to skip out on those victories, being so newly won.

So I understand why I chose Lumine... but that doesn't stop me from regretting my choice. And every time I feel myself getting annoyed about her looks, it brings my mood down. I'd like to acknowledge my dissatisfaction, because pretending to be fine is counter productive, but I don't want to stew in discontent, either. That's why I am looking for things to appreciate about her too— ways to appreciate anything that is not immediately appealing. I'm already fond of beautiful descriptions of disgusting things, like the seasickness scene in Murakami's Coin Locker Babies. Why not apply that to the real world, too? Phyllis Stein wrote an article about this called The Appreciation Game and I've been thinking about it ever since...

So here are some things i like about Lumine:

Dragonball Fusion Type Shit

I don't know why people do it, but I'm so glad that people draw Klee and Nahida together, and even Nahida dressed up in Klee's outfits. Like it's just so perfect— a blend of my favourites!!! I love Klee-flavoured Nahida... That's me. That's my kin.

It's all so painfully real. Lol.

Thoma is so so so so cute. I pushed myself through annoying Inazuma world quests to get those mushrooms for his ascension, and now I can FINALLY play as him! I love watching him run around. I like hearing him celebrate when opening chests. I even like his climbing noises, lol— much better than the pornified sfx the female voice actors have to make.

On one hand, I know that grunts of effort or noises of pain are not inherently sexual. That's my first thought because I am suffering in a warped, woman-hating world where we are nothing but erotic objects on display for the creatures we call "men." Removed from a misogynist society, I wouldn't have this problem. Such every day noises should be just that: everyday. Normal and natural.

But on the other hand, Mihoyo very purposely sexualises its female characters, and does so with a persistence that tarnishes every aspect of the game. The fact that nearly all the girls wear lingerie as their main outfit should speak for itself. The girls who are allowed the privilege of a longer skirt pay the price of having it fly up to expose their underwear. Cutscenes are plagued by gratuitous T&A. And I won't even start talking about the quality of writing or diversity in personality...

So in this case the grunts, groans, whines, yelps, and so on are intentionally pornographic, and by extention exploitative. My discomfort is actually quite natural. What would be unnatural is pretending these are the "everyday noises" that I wish they were, and that they could only be in a game that respected women as people. Genshin will never be that.

Whenever I'm tempted to spend money on it, I remember how antithetical their values and business model are to my own. It's bad enough that I give them my time, energy, and enjoyment! I just... really love exploring. And as uncomfortable as a many of the character designs make me, there are a handful of girls I adore and (would) love to play as, plus a whole bunch of guys. And I gotta say, I like Collei's breathless いっしょ when she climbs. Whenever I hear it, I want to root for her as she makes it to the top!

Hu Tao can still kill it

Genshin friend said the Pyro cube boss is cancer and yeah it takes forever with limited hydro dps but it's not as bad as I expected it to be. I'm glad for the chance to use Barbara again. She's actually quite cute, I love her dress and idle/idol dancing animation...

Straight up complaining. No twist.

Left drift/false input on my L-stick is driving me insane. I bought a PowerA brand Switch controller shaped like the Gamecube controllers of yore, and it's pretty much exactly what I want and need. It's lighter than the real thing, feels much more springlike and full of air than I remember, but I'm a weakling so I don't mind it.

The only problem is the god damn L stick.... I don't touch it at all, and it inputs left. When it recenters after going up or down, it inputs left. This makes scrolling through menus and adjusting sliders three times as difficult, and precision work is basically impossible.

What sucks is that the issue appeared so early into my usage and has only gotten worse with time. Back in April, I made it through maybe 15 or 20 hours of Sakuna before I noticed something amiss. The only thing that helps is banging the controller on something hard to displace the dust or crumb or eyelash or whatever it is that fell under the L-stick on the left side. I do not like doing this because it's loud and makes me feel like a chimp, but it really is the only solution... and even then it doesnt always help!

Sadly this is a known issue with this faux Gamecube model. Because they all come from the same Asian slave factory, it doesnt matter which brand you choose— everyone cites the same complaint. It's such a mess. I can see the design flaw with my naked, uniformed eye, too. When the stick is rotated in any direction, it creates a small gap between the ball and the socket— just enough space for dust or a crumb or an eyelash to fall in. I'm afraid if I take it apart, I'll only make it worse.

If I get really fed up, then I'll get another controller. I guess I could shell out for a genuine Gamecube one and get an adapter for my PC. Mainly, though, I like the ergonomic buttons more than the nostalgia factor. I love how the buttons and sticks are different sizes— it's intuitive and easy to use. There must be other controllers that do it as well as the Gamecube did! Only a matter of finding one I both like and can afford.

For now, I'll grin and bear the annoyance. I'm very lucky that this is what I consider crazymaking when I could have been one of the slaves on the assembly line. Thank you God for birthing me into a life of privilege. I'm truly blessed to devote so much of my life to leisure. With time I will get my shit together enough to give back to those less fortunate.

Getting Closer Every day to the Ultimate Husbando Build

Gathered enough ore to make a Kitain Cross Spear for Thoma! Yay!!! He looks great holding it, too— the little electro symbol suits him. It's not his element, but it is the symbol of the nation that has his loyalty. Symbolically, it reminds me of his adaptability, and the strength and confidence he's gained while making a life for himself in Inazuma.

I will level up the spear and make him super strong!!! Stat wise, I think his attack is even higher than Hu Tao's. They're both beat out by Fischl, who I pulled a bunch of times and got all the way to C4. I'm glad to have her— she's a good unit! I wish she had a proper skirt on but it is what it is. Yeah... a black tulle skirt would've been just right... Sigh! Oh well, as my roster of characters grows, I'll be able to play only with ones whose designs appeal to me.

Breaking! Paimon/Itto OTP Sidelined for Insect Enthusiasm

I love the Beetle Battle event!!!! I didn't actually pay attention to the Paimon/Itto interactions, but I like the idea of them getting way too invested in their Onikabuto chuuni larp. They're playing pretend! It's so cute and fun!!!!

What I really like is the actual battle minigame. I had fighting coming up with different strategies for different enemies. It was tons of fun and I'd love to play a similar event again in the future.

I loved Klee's recent puzzle event, too. That one caught me totally by surprise— I logged in one day and followed Paimon's random tip to go to Mondstat without even realising what was going on. Imagine my elation when my second favourite girl shows up to play a boardgame with me!!!! Oh man, I love Klee. I cant wait to have her, too! She'll probably show up in the summertime... I'll be patient!

I hope there will be lots more fun minigames to play! I'm looking forward to it!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO NAHIDA FANS EVERYWHERE!

NAHIDA BANNER CONFIRMED YES YES YES ONLY TEN MORE DAYS AAAAA!!!!! I have enough for 80 pulls right how? I will try to get ten more so I can hit pity! But hopefully she'll just come home to me. I'm so excited to see what will happen!

Actual Worst Part of Half-Naked Female Character Design: THEY'RE COLD.

Welcoming Mika to my character roster! He's cute, I like his outfit. He's perfectly dressed for exploring Dragonspine, so I built him up just enough to run around as him and then switch back to Hu Tao for combat.

I realised how much my gaming experience is enhanced when my characters match the setting. Like so far, all my Sumeru exploration was done with Collei on screen. Her colours blend nicely with her surroundings, and of course being a Dendro archer means she's perfect for a majority of the puzzles there, too. But I don't like seeing her on the icy mountainscape of Dragonspine... isn't she cold? Doesnt she wanna go home? It's just not right!

It's much more fun being Mika. I'm using a guide to help me collect all the Crimson Shards and level up the Frostbearing Tree... I want that cute white wing glider design! I think it will suit him and the Traveller, and perhaps some other characters who wear white.

I'm also slowly but surely levelling up my Liyue reputation for their regional wings. I think the yellow feathers will look great on Thoma, and on Hu Tao, too. I'm saving the bulk of my Sumeru exploration for Nahida, so it's like she'll be working hard to get those green wings for herself!

Button Mash Queen

I really like Hu Tao's play style because I go full berserker tank and just mash buttons until everything is dead. Minimal strategy, maximum fervour. It's very easy! And forgiving, I think. I dont like to dodge... Dodging is boring!

This makes me worried about how I'll adjust to other teams and playing styles. I'm looking forward to Nahida, but apparently she is rather weak and susceptible to big hits. I will have to adjust accordingly for her strengths and weaknesses as my main DPS

He's so cute...

Thoma makes me happy. I look at his little pixel face and smile. I get so giddy seeing him eat dango, like yes please enjoy your sweet treat on-the-go, Thoma!!! Absolutely 100% he is my favourite Genshin guy... It will be so awesome to have him on a team together with Nahida. My best boy and best girl together, and meta approves!!! I wonder who else I'll have on the team? Xingqiu for sure, and I guess Fishcl again? Or maybe Collei? Barbara? Hmmm... We'll see!