Friday 19 January 2024

Animal Crossing Blog: Jan 2024

The annual New Years party was great, as per every year on this island so far to be honest! The fireworks display is second to none. Tom really splashes out on the budget. I don't know where he gets his money from! Actually that's a lie, of course I do, we all do. His mortgage rates! Sigh. Anyway, the party is always very well organised and everyone dresses up.

There is always an annual announcement at 12:15am from Tom, and this one was more interesting than the previous years so far. He announced plans to move the museum, brick by brick, to the center of town. It was previously located in the north western corner of the island due to his initial idea of getting people to move around the island a bit more. However due to the islanders criticism of having to travel such a long way to get to it, more interest in the tourism boom to this island (due to us gaining a 4 star rating), and the expansion of the farm which was also located in the same area (which is a huge export money maker), Tom felt it was necessary to move the museum to the cliff located just above the town hall.

The other major announcement for our island was the inclusion of a new botanical garden, which was set to be located southwest of the town plaza and next to the campsite. This is due to rising tourism yet also for the lack of a social space other than the plaza itself. The botanical garden was to intrude into Lionals property, but Tom was to oversee his move to a new yet unknown area.

On top of all this, Tom announced a new stretch of the highway, to run in a straight line west of the plaza, in line with the eastern highway that already runs in a straight line heading east of the Plaza to shore. The whole project would mean both highways would effectively be dead straight from the south eastern shore to the south western shore, being connected to the plaza in the middle. Unfortunately this also meant intruding into a few gardens, but it was at this point that two rather inebriated Squirrels took over the mic and announced their official love for each other. This being Sally and Filbert. Filbert was supposed to be affected by the highway intrusion plans however Sally drunkenly announced he could just move into her huge island peninsular anyway.

Olivia and I, also very drunk, looked at each other and decided now would be a great opportunity to move next door to each other as well, so in a drunken stupor, we announced to do the same. This meant that in a few minutes Lional went from kinda moving to an unknown place to looking at moving to the land that was currently occupied by both Filbert and Olivia. Overall not a lot of deal breakers.

It's been over half a month now into the new year however things have been moving very fast. The museum was moved, the western highway built, Filbert moved into Sallys peninsula by the river, Olivia moved directly next door to me, and Lional moved into his new property and land space, gaining a slight extra bit of land than he did before. All the residents are extremely happy. In a bizarre move, everyone actually gained more land from the shifting around. The botanical garden is in its final stages of competition, and the farm has expanded on the mountain top. We also have a new wind turbine and solar panel installed by the museum to offset carbon emissions. Tom really knows how to plan a town. It's probably why he's such a tycoon. The major constructions were completed in such a short time so that it didn't really affect the tourism industry. We were also awarded the 5 star island status only a few days ago after an inspection of the new layout. The boost to the island revenue is going to be huge because of this!

Behind us you can see what used to be the locations of Filbert and Olivia's houses. Now this land belongs to Lional.
Filbert and Sally together. They are still deciding on their garden centerpiece.

Tuesday 5 December 2023

Animal Crossing Blog: End of 2023 update

I'm writing this because fate gave me a second chance with my beloved Olivia.

Once I came back from my fruitless journey to find my friends, I stayed the mayor of Melodune until the town was fully established. I got so used to landscaping and decorating that it became my professional calling. Basically I was overworking myself to forget about losing Olivia.

Around late 2019, Tom Nook told me of this Island in the South Pacific that he had recently purchased and was moving to, and was head hunting me for my landscaping expertise. When I decided to sign the deal, some of the original remaining Melodune residents including Blathers, Resetti, Mabel and Sable decided to relocate to the island as well. It was very heart warming to know a fair few of us would still be neighbors as we are one big family really. I did connect well with the locals that moved into Melodune after the original residents decided to move out, but a lot of them only stayed for a few months or years. Some stayed for the long-term though. Regardless I saw this opportunity as my time to leave too. I also knew in my heart that if Olivia ever did come back to Melodune she would be told of my new location, so I wasn't ever worried about that.
Once again I decided to sell all my assets in order to build up a new town hall and an impressive Museum so the new island would be debt free come moving day.
This was march 2020 by this point.
I was given the right to name the island. I decided upon the namesake of the resident parakeet, the 'Kakariki'. I even helped design the flag.

Once we all moved to the Island, I got straight to work on the landscaping. It needed a lot of work including re directing the river. I was done with the basics within the first year. After that all that was left to do was razing funds for decorations.

Occasionally campers would come and visit. And one such camper just so happened to be my Olivia last week! I was stunned when I entered the tent. I couldn't believe it. Olivia was right in front of me. Obviously I convinced her to stay. But I also wanted to know why she broke my heart nearly 11 years ago.

She explained that leaving Melodune around the time of the railroad construction was too much for her, likewise as it was with all the other residents. She missed me terribly but couldn't stand to lose to her own principles. She invested in Melodune for the quite life, and for a time things were fine, but the railroad and landscaping situation was anything but quite. She couldn't come back as she wanted the town to remain how she remembered it in her memories.
She decided to travel. And spent the last 11 or so years going from place to place without feeling attached to anywhere or anyone in particular. One day she was reading a magazine and saw an article about the worlds richest tycoons, with Tom Nook being in that list. In the article about Tom it mentioned the island of Kakariki where he resides now. There was even a blurb about myself as the island landscaper. Olivia was so blown away by this that she decided to pick up her things and head straight here.

I do forgive her and understand her reasons. I just wish she wrote to me occasionally. She treasured our relationship yet considered it something belonging of the past. Only over time did she come to realize she was just being stubborn. Her travelling around gave her new perspectives in life and changed her personality slightly. I've been with her a number of days now and she's a lot calmer than before. Not so snobbish like before, so yes I believe in her.
It didn't take even a day before we decided to be a couple again. It was an emotional reunion. She decided to move here permanently and really loves having her house and furniture out of storage. Because she is such a close neighbor I have joined our lands together with a shared fence line.
The happy couple

Sunday 30 August 2020

Review: Tenchi Muyo OVA 5 episode 3 (episode 27)

After nearly 30 years, this anime series has finally surpassed the number of episodes of an average TV series *slow clap*.
The animation looks sloppy. I know its better than OVA 4 at least, but after rewatching Code Geass this week, which aired in what, 2006?, this series looks marginally worse.
The plot is really unthought of. Its a no brainer to have had an episode show Sasami's transition into Tsunami, but we got none of it.
In fact the whole episode, and series thus far, seems to be an animatic or radio drama with light animation.
This episode didn't tell any storyline that wasn't covered in its 2 minute trailer. The household visit the spaceship island. Oh and Kajishima inserts a bunch of new characters. The end.

Wednesday 1 April 2020

FANFICTION: How To Erase 'Star Trek: Picard'

How To Erase 'Star Trek: Picard'.
by Alan Morton.

Captain: "Stardate blar blar blar, meaningless numbers.
Un route to Galfrean 4 with the Romulan ambassador Fhqwhgads, our Bridge finds itself compromised by the sudden strange presence of a man in a back suit. He has taken the liberty to somehow change the bridge to look like a funeral parlour, including ourselves to wear black attire, suitable for such occasions….."

Man: *floundering around* "Ohhhhh woah is I on such a monumentally tragic day!"
Captain: *look of horror at this black dressed figure. "What is the meaning of this? Who or what are you? What have you done with my ship?"
Man: *looks around* "You must be the captain, I presume?"
Captain: "Yes. Now change this, and us, back to how it was immediately".
Man: "Oh, well you don't look very much like a captain to me".
Number 1: "What is the meaning of this? Are you from the race known as the 'Q'?"
Q: "Very clever. Sharp. Intelligent. Now you should be the captain of this starship, wouldn't you agree, captain?"
Captain: "The Q? Right. Right. The federation has not had a run in with the entity known as the Q for a few decades now".
Q: "Oh quite the contrary mon ami. You lesser species are frequented by us more than you realise. Why, just now I have come from the funeral of Jean Luc Picard. So tragic. So very sad". *starts sobbing again*
Number 1: "Jean- Admiral Picard is dead?"
Q: "Oh why yes! The once famous captain of The Enterprise has passed on to the other side..." *Hand gestures into the air*
Ensign: "Captain? Sir?"
Q: "Well not one from this Enterprise, obviously, little girl. The one from 20 odd years ago. Oh, what jolly times we had. Such sweet memories".
Captain: "And, this is why you feel it appropriate to see how the current Enterprise and its crew is doing?"
Q: "In a way, yes. My trip down memory lane made me acutely interested in the most recent iteration to bear the name". *Changes the ship and crew back to normal with a snap of his fingers* "However this vessel is by no means as impressive or aesthetically pleasing. What's with all the grey?" *changes the bridge to look more colourful and less dark* "Now this is much better.."
Captain: "Is this all a game to you?"
Number 1: *playing along* "Oh I believe the ship holds up pretty well to your, expectations, Q". "This is after all the most advanced starship in the quadrant".
Q: "Oh really? I'll have you know there is no such thing! I watched with delight the downfall of your, Federation. It was all very, very, amusing to me really. Brought down by the Romulans, including a certain individual standing on this very Bridge, no less". *pans over to the Romulan ambassador*
Fhqwhgads: "Me?! This is absurd. Captain this is a mockery and an outrage on my people and the current state of affairs!".
Q: "Oh but it's true! You and your fleet were smarter, quicker, and outgunned the squabbling feeble Federation, sending them to their knees and their ultimate demise. It was such a sight to behold! Oh the joy it brought me! To be proven right that you humans are all nothing but a savage race was such sweet sorrow". *Becomes distant in thought*
Captain: *looks to Number 1 in confusion*
Q: "...of course after reviling in merriment for a few millennia, I got bored. Tired. I missed the fun and excitement of days gone by. Oh I thought long and hard, agonising over my loss and the constant feeling of nothingness, but eventually I decided to rectify the situation by changing the past. It was all I could do to feel whole, myself, again". *Stares into space*
Security chief: "Captain, permission to deal with our Intruder!" *takes out phaser*
Captain: "No!" *Looks to Q cautiously* "Changing the past? Does the Q Continuum even have such powers?"
Q: "You really don't know much about us do you? Yes, I realised your demise as a species started with an ill timed supernova in Romulan space. I simply went back and stabilised the star. Very simple. It allowed me to once again watch my flock of humans flounder around space, struggling once again to justify their fragile existence". *smug faced*
Number 1: "And? Are you satisfied with our progress?"
Q: "Oh, there is no question that you are a savage race, but I admit I do find you all very amusing. I think I will, pop in again sometime. I need to go continue my mourning and visit some more places that remind me of the recently deceased. Until next time. Ta Ta!". *Snaps fingers, and disappears*
Number 1: "Well, I'm glad that's over".
Security chief: "But sir, what about the state of the Bridge?"
Captain: "Q! I know you are still there! Change this mockery back to how it was immediately! Q!.... Q!".

Friday 13 March 2020

REVIEW: Tenchi Muyo Ryo Ohki OVA 5 episode 1 (episode 25)

Episode 1 (episode 25):

This was an okay episode. I get that the most immediate story to tell in this franchise is that of Kenshin and Reia, so they are finally starting to deal with the story of Reia's origins, how she met Kiyone, and what Kiyone did to figure out how to send Reia's son or daughter back to her world (Geminar).

Chibi-Tokimi was in this episode too, which was great. Its nice to have it established that she knows of Geminar, as that dimension is under her jurisdiction. Whats most intriguing though is a new character called Jovia, who is associated with Seinas gang. At some point Seina and his wives were 'playing' an RPG type fantasy game turned real in another dimension, also under Tokimi's jurisdiction. Jovia is from this world, and has actual magic, which somehow is compatible with the laws of physics in the Tenchi dimension, cause she was able to summon a sea dragon.

Tennyo is in this episode too, finally shown with her real hair colour, and not in disguise to look like her mother, as she was portrayed in OVA3. Its about time! Tennyo is in the Tenchi household to sort through her mothers notes on how to deal with sending Kenshin to Geminar. So far its taking her 5 years!

Also another nice touch was that now, officially, Seina's home on earth has been transferred to the Tenchi Household. Probably cause its tucked out the way from view from the rest of the village. Talking of which we get an excellent overview of the Tenchi house and surrounding mountains, and its location away from the village. Nice touch AIC. Much appreciated.

As much as everyone wants to see the original girls banter over Tenchi, we have these plot holes left to fill, and I would rather see them sorted out before moving on.