Contrails: Sep '26, Week 4

I took some time earlier today to organize my files and work on a render for fun, so I'm writing this later than usual! 🌙

🎮 Gaming 🎮

Haus

My partner and I spent quite a bit of time earlier in the week making a cool house in a friend's Valheim server. ✨ Well, to be exact, I stormed in and asked for the opportunity to redesign his house. 🤣 We were waiting for some friends to catch up in my partner's server anyway, so it was a refreshing change to make a house for fun and not focus on practicality and efficiency. 🤔 This house is probably prone to collapsing if any of the support beams were taken out by raid enemies though, so I'll probably drop in once in a while to help repair and reinforce it.

I also learned about Mysterious Rocks this week, and ran off on an adventure to look for them. After running around for what felt like at least 30 minutes, and with some "server help", I got my hands on 2 to bring home!

They're so cute! 🤣🤣🤣

We eventually progressed our server with friends who still played regularly, and I finally got to challenge things I couldn't beat in the past and know very little about. 💀 I feel a little lost because of the amount of new materials, but I suppose I'll figure it out along the way! 🤔

While Valheim took up most of my game time this week, I spent some time running through the FFXIV Aloalo variant dungeon with some friends one evening. I lamented that I've been getting cold feet with regards to changing main to Gunbreaker because I just couldn't vibe with the job's aesthetics. I'm hoping that Evolve Mode in Evercold would make the job more appealing gameplay-wise, but I suppose it's still on me to commit to the new role. 🙃 I'll try my best... Maybe all I need is to do a raid with our static's main tank for me to ease into the image? 🤔 Maybe I just need to change my character's glamour, like my friend suggested? 🤔

Rounding off the week, I tried to make progress with earning enough CR in Forza Horizon 6 for the McLaren F1 GT. I'm still short by about 600k, but I think I should be able to earn enough by this week if I include the Festival Playlist rewards for the last week of the British Automotive season. 🤔 I just hope that I chance upon the car at the aftermarket before the season ends... 🥺

Exhaust goes boom. ✨

🌙 Work 🌙

I spent pretty much the whole week focused on the medley karaoke, which is finally published for posterity! 🎉

https://youtu.be/FHi-1piaOT4

✨🎵✨🎵✨🎵✨

I'm surprised at the number of people who like Sprechchor too! 💜

Frankly, Roselia's songs often don't hit the mark for me. But those that do tend to stick with me for a long time. 💜 Ranking the songs that I sang in the medley by how much I enjoy listening to them, from most to least:

1. Hidamari Rhodonite

2. Neo-Aspect

3. Sprechchor

4. Determination Symphony

5. LOUDER

6. ONENESS

7. BLACK SHOUT

8. FIRE BIRD (is in this list because my partner likes this song)

But strangely, if I ranked them by how much I enjoyed singing them, from most to least:

1. ONENESS

2. Determination Symphony

3. Hidamari Rhodonite

4. Neo-Aspect

5. LOUDER

6. Sprechchor

7. FIRE BIRD

8. BLACK SHOUT

Maybe ONENESS got bumped up because it is in a key I like to sing in. 🤔

The main reason why BLACK SHOUT is in this list is because the first time I heard the song was when Roselia (I think specifically Aiba Aina) was invited to Anime Festival Asia many years ago for a side/ day stage feature. I can't remember the year, but it was within the first few years of BanG Dream!'s run. I still remember the hand signs she did at the intro and choruses during her performance, and I tried do a reference to that in the medley. 🥹 (You can search YouTube for a live performance of BLACK SHOUT and you would see it!)

Considering how much internal turmoil I've been through since the last one (2D Idol Medley), I'm glad that I can confidently say that I have no regrets making this one! 💖 I made this completely for myself, and I feel a sense of accomplishment for overcoming the challenges and creating something memorable in the end! 💖 Now I don't have to keep wondering if I should cover another Roselia song, since I've done all the potential ones in one shot! ✨🤣

It was also satisfying making some improvements based on feedback I received with regards to my Live2D model settings. I now have more nuanced/ intermediate expressions, though constantly beaming Mimi was cute too. 🤣💜

At one point, I thought, "Would viewers be unhappy that I sang Hidamari Rhodonite and Neo-Aspect again?" But who cares? What's the point of this list of favorites if my all time favorites aren't inside? 🥹💜

⭐️ Extra ⭐️

This is what I was working on this morning! Now I have my animated magic circle as an item toggle! It works without the bloom vfx too, just not as glowy. ✨ Would I ever use this? Maybe not, but isn't it cool? 🤣 I wonder when would be the next time I find the opportunity to use my Live2D model... Next year's medley?! 🙃 No guarantees that I'll do another one though. We'll see. 🤔

I feel like eating almond jelly... Also, I miss Windrose...

P.S.: This week was also the first time I had to skip on family lunch because of an intensely heavy downpour that made it near impossible to leave my house. 🥺 I was sad, but I still got to see my family when I dropped by after the rain subsided to pick up my share of lunch to have for dinner instead. Was happy in the end. :)

P.P.S.: It was due to the heavy downpour that I had time to complete and publish the medley. 🤔 I'm not sure which timeline I would have preferred.

~💜~

Hopes for this week

♪ Reset my ears before getting back to editing vocals... I've been listening to this set for 3 whole weeks... pretty much every day...

☆ Try not to gain weight (lol)

☆ Still dizzy, but hopefully I'll feel better? I'm not sure why the dizzy spells always come after feeling pressure in my face/ nose, and then a headache follows...

☆ Play Valheim

☆ Play Forza -- McLaren F1 GT MAYBE?!? 🥺 ☆ Play The Sims 4 if I don't feel so good...

☆ Be with myself in Spirit City (doing that right now :D)

Thank you for reading! 🌙🐰