Travel Weekend

So, as the title says, I’m traveling this weekend. It’s not been as smooth as I would have liked. My original set of flights was cancelled because of the weather issues in Chicago. That flight would’ve left early today (Friday), but the earliest flights after that to my destination (which I’m not saying) was early afternoon. My original flight would have gotten me in around 2 pm, but now I’m getting there around 9:30 pm, fun right?

Anyway, I’m sure you’re asking, why are you traveling this weekend, Matt? I’ve got an annual church association around this time yearly and I’m the technological person for it. I make sure our teacher’s camera and mic for Zoom are set up and to fix anything if the Zoom facilitator finds any issues. The Association meets for most of Saturday, and I’ve got an early flight back Sunday morning because I got work on Monday.

Speaking of work, it’s been mostly the same except I’m also doing the main work of the person who left. It’s not been much because most of the facilities are closed, but the first people are coming back to time and finding things that need to be done. The Director of my department sent me somethings to do if I had time that the job can do, and I did them as quickly as I could.

Does it interfere with my current position? Hm, only a little as there are times when not much is happening, even now. My work is mostly dependent on what other people give to us from two different directions. There are small things that we can do in that down time, but I’ve been finding my own things to do when there’s nothing to do. Not that my supervisor has been very interested in the excel spreadsheets I’ve been making to keep track of some data. But, whatever.

So, coming back to this post on Sunday, there are some updates. My Association went fine. There were some audio issues, but most of them were with the local system at the hotel we were at. I helped as best I could, and I caught up with some friends from the association.

Then, at the dinner that the teacher put on for those of us who were helping during the association, guess what I got? Another notification that my flights were canceled again. I was going through Dallas and once again weather caused issues. Instead of waiting I looked and found a route that mirrored the way I got there in the first place as I knew that wouldn’t cause issues. It was only a few hours later, but I wasn’t much planning to much today, so it’s fine. I’m on my first flight and it’ll probably be a hour or from now when it lands. (Later, my connecting flight spent almost as much time on the ground as in the air due to a panel not getting closed before leaving the gate. Fun right?)

For changes in what I’m listening to, hm, I finished Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter vol 4 and am now listening to Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear vol 1 by Kumanano. It’s a game isekai where after an update, rich shut-in 15 year-old Yuna, logs in and a God sends her to a new world. The biggest issue? It’s with a bear onesie that is the only thing that gives her supernatural power. She’s not thrilled with it, but otherwise she wouldn’t be able to be an adventurer. It’s an amusing story and there are two volumes available on Audible.

I did try and listen to Peddler in Another World by Hiiro Shimotsuki and Berenice Vourdon, but I ran into an issue. I’m not a huge fan of the narrator. I don’t know if it’s the cadence of his voice or how slowly he reads. I may come back and try to listen to it on 1.2 speed to see if that helps, but we’ll see. It’s a novel series on a guy who can travel between two worlds through a door in his grandmother’s house that he recently inherited. She left him magic to transfer one world’s currency to another and so he decides to become a peddler to make money in the new world using products from his world. I’ve read the manga and I liked it, but I’ll try the audiobook later.

I also finished Incandescence and decided since I hadn’t listened to Modern Villainess: It’s Not Easy Building a Corporate Empire Before the Crash by Tofuro Futsukaichi recently, I would. It’s another reincarnated villainess light novel. A Japanese corporate slave (not literally, but she did work herself to death) is reincarnated a villainess in a game that she had been playing. It’s set in slightly different Japan in the recent past. Her family was set to fall to ruin and have her as the scapegoat as the protagonist gets her fiancée. Runa gets her memories very young and decides to use her knowledge and societal position to save herself and as much of the economy that she can. It’s interesting and six volumes are available in the US. I’ve only read through volume 3, but it’s interesting as they actually deal with 9/11 in it. As someone who remembers where I was when that happened, it caught my interest. This is another one I’ve just got in my text to speech reader, not on Audible.

I also moved onto volume seventeen of Death March in a Parallel World Rapsody. The biggest difference for where the story is currently is that he’s not rushing around trying to get money from nobles so they don’t try and get an item he wants from an auction. The item isn’t in the auction at all and it was only mentioned as a side note once or twice as something the MC wants. There are other differences, but that’s the main one.

Moving on the quest, First is Against the Dying of the Light by sakurademonalchemist. It’s a Harry Potter and Fate/Stay Night crossover with a Fem. Harry (Phoebe). I’ve talked about it before here. It’s interesting, but as with most of this author’s works, it’s incomplete with 10 chaps.

Second is, Age of Dragons by sakurademonalchemist. It’s a How to Train Your Dragon and The Hobbit crossover. Somehow, Hiccup, his clan and the dragons end up on Middle Earth before The Hobbit. They’re separated, but Hiccup goes to Thorin (as the Vikings speak a language similar to Dwarfish) and then goes out to find his friends. It’s sadly only 2 chapters as it has an interesting start.

Third is, Age of Titans by Kairomaru. It’s an Attack on Titan fic, where the past is slightly different. I will admit to not having read/watched much of AoT, so don’t have much to work from. In this however, Eren is more important than he seems and Annie has been looking for his bloodline. She awakens his titan and gets started on his harem during traning. It’s interesting, has 16 chapters (available on FF, there’s more on their patreon) and is still updating!

Then there’s a fic that’s the second in a set, so I read them in order. First is, Personify: Into the Mind by NoSignalBlueScreen. It’s a Danny Phantom fic. I don’t think I’ve talked about Danny Phantom, so for those who don’t know… Danny Fenton is the teenage son of ghost hunters. One day, his parents built a portal to the Ghost Zone, but it didn’t work. Danny went into it with only his friends nearby and pressed a switch that turned it on. The ghost zone hit him and when he woke up, he had ghost powers. Ghosts were coming through and he decided to defeat them, but is hunted by both his parents and others. It’s completed with 3 seasons and it’s fairy interesting for an oldish cartoon.

In the fic, Danny’s class goes into his mind using a machine to see what secrets he’s keeping lead by the English teacher Mr. Lancer. They get more than they expected and everything he’d been hiding was shared. Not just with his class, but everyone.

Second is the actual next fic, Agent Omega by NoSignalBlueScreen. In it, one of the human villain organizations that Danny goes against, The Men In White, capture him after the events of the first fic. They’ve been told to not hunt him anymore as he’s still human, but they don’t like that. It’s not a happy fic, but interesting none the less and completed as well.

Following that is Agent Potter by White Angel of Auralon. It’s a Harry Potter and James Bond crossover. Sirius becomes a MI6 agent instead of going to Azkaban. Harry is picked up by him after his first year. This leads to him wanting to become an MI6 agent while going to Hogwarts. This changes things. It’s a fun fic, but unfortunately incomplete and hasn’t updated since 2014.

Then is, Ai Youkai by brown phantom. This is a Naruto fic where Naruto manages to defeat Sasuke at the Valley of the End. And as is the trope, he’s going to be banished. However, more people come along and there’s a surprise. His mother, Kushina wasn’t human and was kidnapped by her people when she was thought to have died. This is the story of those who left and those who stayed behind. [* Warning, rated M for a reason*] Incomplete with 48 chapters, but still updating irregularly.

After that is Alea Lacta Est by ack1308. It’s a Worm fic where Taylor and Diana get different power sets (somewhat swapped, but changed). Taylor also triggers early and uses her powers to get a warning about the locker. Taylor and Diana meet and decide to make their own team, and change the face of Brockton Bay’s cape scene. An interesting fic, still updating, but irregularly.

Next is All Was Not Well by White Angel of Auralon. This is a Harry Potter goes back in time to fix things with a twist. Harry sees that the pureblood faction is gaining power soon after the final battle and decides to go back in time to save his parents and fix the wizarding world. He poses as the lost son of the his grandfather’s younger brother. It’s only six chapters, but worth a read.

Alpha Queen by sakurademonalchemist follows. It’s a Harry Potter and Elfen Lied crossover. I’ve talked about it before here. It’s an interesting fic, but once again incomplete with 8 chapters.

Following that is what I call the Alpha verse series by Miz636, which is what I have the stories under in my list. First is Becoming Alpha by Miz636. It’s a Slytherin Harry fic, I’ve talked about here. Second is Return of an Alpha by Miz636. It follows the 4^th & 5^th years of Slytherin Harry. The events might seem similar, but there are major changes. Third is Clash of an Alpha by Miz636. This one has the 6^th & 7^th years of Slytherin Harry and the gang. Just because things change, doesn’t mean things don’t stay the same. Finally, there’s Life of a Conquering Alpha by Miz636. This tells the story of Slytherin Harry and his friends after school. These are one of my favorite fics and are definitely worth a read!

Next to last is Alternate Beginnings by ack1308. This is a Worm fic based on The Breakfast Club. After the scene in the bathroom with the soda, Taylor beats up Madison and both of them are sent to Saturday detention. Joining them are Aisha, an E88 member and an ABB member. Que Breakfast Club antics. It’s fun and even completed!

Last is Amor Enim Vult by BleedingBlade. This is a Youjo Senki fic where Tanya decided to get the war to end peacefully and does! She also is trying her best to make sure conflicts are stopped all around the world. However, Being X still has a few more cards left to play. Its chapters start off with one chapter in the ‘present’ and the next set in the ‘past’ until the first part is completed. It’s a Tanya/Visha fic. It also sadly hasn’t been updated recently, though the author has worked on several other fics. It still has 112 chapters and an Annexe explaining things as the last chapter.

I’m reading some more of the manga for anime airing this season, but haven’t gotten far in them so I’ll talk about them at a later time. I’ll finish up the manga club talk though. The first last two series we were assigned was Solo Leveling. It’s set in an future in Korea where portals opened to dungeons and people began to get powers and become Hunters. The MC, Sung Jin-Woo, is the weakest hunter at Class E (you can’t train to get stronger) and can’t even defeat a low level monster without some work. He has to keep at it because his father disappeared and his mom has ‘sleeping sickness’. One day he goes to a dungeon with a party and it becomes a double dungeon. Many of them die and he’s left to die by himself, then a blue box offers him the chance to become a ‘Player’. He survives and learns he can level up, but he has to follow the rules of the blue boxes to survive. It’s interesting and has 2 anime seasons and completed light novels and manwa (but they’re not all available in the US yet).

The last manga that was chosen for the manga club was Gatchiakuta. It’s a revenge story about Rudo. He lives in the slum of his town and raids the trash of the rich to fix things up for people around him. He’s looked down on because his parents were murders (or so they say) and he lives with his mentor. He even has a girl he likes that he gave a repaired plush to. Then his mentor is killed and he’s accused. He’s sent over the abyss where the trash is dumped. Even the girl who he likes abandons him and discards his plush. He vows revenge as he’s sent into the abyss. He wakes up and learns that the abyss is really the ground of the planet and he has powers to awaken the potential of objects and use them to fight. He works on getting back up there and getting revenge on those who discarded him. Haven’t read much of this, but it’s on my list as the anime has started coming out this season.

Finally, at the association a friend of mine had gone to Japan recently and they got me a defense shrine charm (not that they knew which one it was) and they traded me the Japanese Furfrou (the Kabuki Trim) on PoGo! Maybe next time we meet up, I’ll be able to get Sensu Style Oricorio! As always, May Your Hear Be Your Guiding Key (I did wear it on Friday and an airport store employee said they liked it!)

Happy Independence Day!

Hello readers and Happy Independence Day. First things first, I’m sure you’re wondering, how did things go with your supervisor, Matt? Honestly, it went better than I thought. When I asked for a meeting with him, I didn’t just go into the issue. I brought up the Spanish learning CDs and he had some suggestions. I then asked if there was anything we could do to make things easier for him because he had seemed stressed recently and I specifically mentioned something from last Wednesday.

He said that things would be slowing down for something he had been working on, but he did mention one or two things we could do if he was busy to make things less stressful. He also apologized for Wednesday and asked me to tell him if he starts acting like that again so he can work on it. I didn’t have a chance to see if this would happen over the week, but it in general was a less stressful week, though it was busy.

Something did happen yesterday that I’ll need to see what the fallout for it is. The lady who got the position over me called out yesterday and then quit because she has to focus on taking care of her mother. My supervisor’s supervisor will be out all of next week, so my supervisor or I will be doing her work. I hope the lady’s mother will be okay, but I don’t know what’s going to happen to that position. I don’t know if I was second choice or lower and as it wasn’t more than a few months ago, my interview should still be good. Basically, I don’t know if they’ll offer me the job, but I don’t see a good reason why they shouldn’t honestly. Maybe have me stay in my position for the summer as I am needed where I am, but have me take that position in the new fiscal year. We’ll see what happens, but unless my section’s director decides to say something, I won’t know at least until Monday after next when super’s super comes back.

On to what I’m listening to, I’ve finished vol 10 of Reincarnated as a Sword and on Audible and am now listening to Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter vol 4. It’s about Iris Armelia who is a reincarnation. However, it’s the newish trope where she’s the villainess of a game she was playing. She wakes up during her denouncement and manages to get out of it mostly unscathed. Instead of sending her to a covenant, her father, the duke, makes her acting governor of their territory. She plans to make it the best place she can, but things from the capital keep trying to take her and her family down. She has to deal with things as they come and why does it seem like the girl who took her fiancée is behind most of it? It’s really good and all 8 volumes are on Audible (though it seems that volumes 6-8 are Iris’s mother’s story).

The only other change is that, as I said, I finished Black Sky. I decided to keep with Katekyo Hitman Reborn and am relistening to Sky Bunny by sakurademonalchemist. I’ve talked about it before here. It’s a fun KHR and Yu-Gi-Oh! Crossover where Fem Tsuna is Kaiba’s assistant. I’m actually almost finished and I’ll move onto Incandescence by the same author. It was posted in 2020, again when I wasn’t posting. It’s another KHR and Yu-Gi-Oh! Crossover, but Tsuna is Kaiba this time. Tsuna is sent back to his younger self again to relieve his life after an accident. He changes things, but ends up in an orphanage and becomes Kaiba. It’s interesting with a fem Yugi as the love interest. It’s unfinished, shocker I know, but still has 20 chaps.

As I move on the current status of the quest, I’ll be posting less this time. First is, Abraxas by Brennus. It’s a Harry Potter fic, but it gets dark, especially the closer you get to the end. Harry merges with the horcrux in his scar and this changes things drastically. Harry and Ginny get together and some aren’t happy about that. [*A warning though, there is some underage sex and religion is not represented in a nice way*]

Second is, Accidental Rewrite by sakurademonalchemist. It’s a My Hero Academia fic where Izuku gets sent back in time. He, his girlfriend (fem Shoto) and Eri (who initiated the rewind) get to change things for the better. Sadly, it’s only 7 chapters (and hasn’t been updated since 2019), but it’s still interesting.

Third is, Accidentally Undercover by Talons-and-Scales111. It’s another MHA fic, but it turns out things aren’t what they seem. Izuku and Ochaco are hit with a quirk that restores memories, but while it shouldn’t do anything, they seem to be remembering a different past then they thought they knew. It seems as if they came to UA to be undercover, but how and why? These questions are not completely answered as the fic is incomplete. However, it’s an interesting premise.

Then is Adrian Romanov by sakurademonalchemist. I’ve mentioned it before here. It’s a MCU and Harry Potter crossover where Natasha raises Harry. It’s from 2014 and hasn’t been updated since then.

Next is two stories as the next one on the list is a sequel. First is, Follow the Phoenix by Rachelme177. It’s a Harry Potter story where Albus makes better decisions for Harry after book 5 and decides to make him part of his family. Harry and Ginny get together fairly early on in this book 6 retelling.

Second is, Advance the Phoenix by Rachelme177. It’s Harry’s 7^th year and he managed to change people’s fate from canon book 6. How will he defeat Voldemort? It’s great, but sadly one chapter off from being finished. The author mentioned the next chapter would be the last in 2014 and hasn’t posted on it since.

After that is, Adventures of Shirou Emiya by ShirouKuroEmiya. It’s a Fate series and Harry Potter crossover. This was rewritten since the original I read (and the writer has become a better writer). Harry is Shirou’s reincarnation and what the Potter’s did to save him, awoke Shirou’s memories. Watch as Hogwarts is changed and Shiro’s not the only one around from the Fate universe. It’s okay, but only has 8 chapters currently.

Following that is, After the Battle by Epeefencer. [*Warning of underage drinking and sex*]. After the final battle, Harry and Ginny get drunk and have sex. Molly walks in on them and is not happy. It’s a story of happiness and forgiveness and it’s finished! It’s 22 chapters of love and angst.

After the Chamber – Lords and Ladies by SeerKing comes next. It’s a Harry Potter fanfic, but things change after the Chamber of Secrets. Harry has accidentally activated old laws by defeating Voldemort three times and has become Lord Slytherin and has to marry three girls, one for each of the families, Slytherin, Peverell and Potter. It’s obvious from the way the story was going that it’s going to be Daphne, Ginny and Hermione, but there are only 11 chapters and it’s on hiatus. Luckly, Seerking posted again on another fic on Wednesday so he’s still around!

Finally is, Aftermath by ack1308. It’s a Worm fic, but things change drastically from the beginning. Taylor dies in the locker and people are looking for someone to blame. However, things are not completely as they seem and she might not be as gone as they think. It’s interesting and complete!

Manga and anime wise, I’m mostly focusing on new ones that are coming out and finishing previous season series. I’ve read a good bit of The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity in prep for the anime coming out tomorrow. It’s a awesome story about a tall blond guy in a delinquent high school and a small girl from the girl’s elite high school next door falling in love and their relationship and how it affects those around them. It’s made me cry happy tears and I’m looking forward to the anime.

I’ve also reread the manga (and caught up) to Secrets of the Silent Witch. I know it has light novels, but I haven’t gotten around it them. It’s another interesting anime coming out this season. It has a young girl who’s become one of the most powerful people in the country, but she doesn’t like interacting with people and learned how to do spells silently. She’s sent to make sure the 2^nd prince isn’t killed, but she may find out more about herself and other’s along the way!

The last one I’ll talk about now is The Apothecary Diaries. The final episode of the 2^nd season came out today and it was just what I wanted for it. I’ve read the manga (though it’s not yet to where the anime ends) and the light novel through vol 4, which is where the anime ended. It’s a great story about a teenage girl who was trained as an apothecary by her father in old time China. She’s kidnapped and sold to the inner palace where the emperor’s harem lives. She’s just a laundry girl, but she manages to save a princess with her advice. This is the story of the mysteries and patents she has to deal with, along with a eunuch who may not be what he appears to be. It’s good and has 14 light novel volumes available here in the US.

I just realized I didn’t talk about the next manga from the Manga Club I was in last time. We went a few months without new ones, but that was when most of the ones that were dropped were. First of the new two was Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. It’s a great manga and anime (that came out last year). It’s an interesting take on a story as the MC, Frieren the elf and her party have already defeated the demon king before the story starts. Then, 50 years later when they have a reunion, Himmel the Hero dies. She realizes she hadn’t gotten to know him well and decides to get to know humans better. She eventually decides to retrace the parties steps to remember and get to ‘heaven’ in the demon king’s castle. There are a lot of flashbacks, but there is a lot of focus on the present and her current party. There’s even some time travel in it and honestly seems like more will come at some point. The manga’s on hiatus and a second season hasn’t been announced, but I’m looking forward to it.

The second one is, Jujitsu Kaisen. I’ll be completely honest with you that I haven’t read much of this. Based on my manga tracker, I got to chapter 60 of a finished 271 and I’ve never watched the anime. Yuuji, a high schooler, ends up possessed by an ancient curse Sukuna. He contains it, but it’s only a part of the curse. He ends up at a high school where he’s to learn how to fight curses. It’s not that I’m uninterested, I just haven’t gotten around to it. Last set of manga from the club next time.

Game wise, last weekend was PoGo’s ninth anniversary and I played. I got most of the special mons and the ones I didn’t have, but I didn’t get many shinnies as I was having phone problems for the first few hours and had other things to do for other parts. So for everyone out there reading, May Your Heart be Your Guiding Key!