Updates

This month, despite being quiet in the way of events, had us welcoming many new members and a few returning members to the server. We are gearing up for August's writing month, and are very excited to get started!

This has also been a month of change, as a bunch of new chats have been added to the server, most notably, those for our interests, such as food, fashion, and sports, to name a few.

Books in our community updated this month:

Dancing With Disaster - UAStorytellers

What Makes A Hero - JunieWeathers

The Class That Cried Werewolf - B3r1itz

All That I Am - sun_jin

Art Showcase

The wonderful artists in our community never fail to impress. Whether it's canon characters, their own OCs, or fan art for others, they always put their all into their work, and it's nothing short of amazing!

The first set of pieces are collages made by riceygirl101 for their OC Iris from their story The Art Hero, and her parents Julia and Alain from the spinoff story, The Story of Us. Here is what Ricey had to say about these collages:

"Here are some style boards for my OCs Julia, Alain, and Iris! I had so much fun making these and choosing their different styles and fashion tastes, hopefully gonna make more sometime. You can find Julia and Alain's book "The Story of Us" and Iris' book "The Art Hero" on my profile riceygirl101!"

The next piece is one made by this year's Sports Festival winner, QuaccSmaccSnacc! This is an action shot of her winning OC, Kutsuki, with his quirk in motion! Here is what she had to say about this piece:

"I had so much fun during the Sports Festival this year, and was so excited that Kutsuki won! So as a little celebration, I drew this action shot for him! I loved getting to showcase his quirk visually for the first time."

And the final piece is from aBitGrim as a celebration of their OC Rose's birthday! Not only that, but this features their hero-sona: Memphis! This is such a wholesome and fun piece! Here is what Grim had to say about their picture:

"Happy birthday Rose!! She's been a beloved character for years now, and I owe her the world because she, in a way, introduced me to all the amazing people at the Storytellers. Getting to bond over characters brought me to some of my closest friends, and I want to take this day every year to celebrate the character that brought me here!"

Character Spotlight

The Storytellers have spoken, and the OC of the month is...QuaccSmaccSnacc's Hoshi!

Name: Emi Hoshi (Hero Name: Star Power)

Pronouns: she/her

Birthday: July 13

Quirk: Supernova- This gives Emi the ability to build up pressure/energy within herself, sourcing from her center of mass. When released, this energy will cause a massive explosion similar to a supernova, including a bright flash of light and shock waves.

Class/Occupation: Hero Course, Class 1-A

Life Goals: To become a pro hero that saves lives, but above that just to give all that she can to help others, no matter the cost. She also hopes to be able to give back to her parents and friends for all they've done for her.

Here is what the author had to say about her character:

"To start, I made Akari, and then I believe Kamiya, so I was like, 'ok now I have two really edgy characters, I need to balance out the angst with someone upbeat.' So that was what originally inspired me I guess to really go in with making Emi super bright and bubbly. Other than that, I based her personality partly on a close childhood friend. Her outgoing, bubbly, social butterfly, silly goofy, can-make-anyone-laugh personality all went towards Emi."

Questions for Andi from the community:

sd1229 asks: What aspects of yourself do you see in Hoshi?

Andi: I think Hoshi has a lot of underlying guilt that she struggles with over her quirk, which kind of translates to how I struggle feeling guilty and like a burden a lot. But on a lighter note haha, her sense of humor is also kind of similar to me, and I try to think of things I would actually say or jokes I would actually make to have her come off more real.

FoxyPuff asks: How has Hoshi evolved from when you had the idea of her until now?

Andi: Actually, I think Hoshi has been one of my most consistent characters. Her personality has always been to be the bright, silly one, as she was originally created to contrast the edgy characters I started with cough Akari cough Kamiya. Her background/lore and significance in the story however has evolved a lot, since originally I had no idea what her deal was haha. Which unfortunately I can't get too much into, but I'm quite happy with the trauma— I mean story— that I've given her! It's really brought depth to her character.

sd1229 asks: What is the hardest part about writing her? Funnest part of writing her?

Andi: The hardest part would probably be the little complexities in the things that drive her decisions, like how she's very outgoing and adventurous, and prone to being reckless, but at the same time might be fighting within herself to hold back, or feeling bad if things go wrong.

The funnest part I'd say is getting to write a silly character who doesn't take anything too serious—it's fun trying to incorporate jokes and funny moments! Plus, seeing as she's not shy, it's really easy to come up with any friendly, upbeat thing for her to say.

Questions for Hoshi from the community:

UA Storytellers (UAS): Hi there, Hoshi! Thank you for coming in today!

Hoshi: Hi hi! Thanks for having me, I'm excited to be here!

UAS: Congratulations on winning OC of the month! The members of the server have a lot of questions for you, so let's get right into it!

JunieWeathers asks: What is your favorite food?

Hoshi: Would it be cliché to say ramen? I don't know, it's just like the perfect comfort food to me. I also really like mochi though, there's so much you can do with it, I don't think I'll ever get sick of it!

FoxyPuff asks: Are you into energy drinks at all? And if so, do they mess with your quirk?

Hoshi: Haha oh boy, energy drinks! I might be into them, if I weren't kinda chock-full on energy already. And plus, yeah haha they do kind of make my quirk harder to manage! I've tried a few before but well...I was basically bouncing off the walls! ...And through the walls...so I decided it's best to avoid them!

sd1229 asks: Do you have a crush on anyone?

Hoshi: *chokes* Crush? *clears throat* I mean, one time I fell on Yoshida's backpack and crushed his chips, does that count? He made me buy him more...

JunieWeathers asks: How did you get into collecting baseball caps?

Hoshi: Ooh! Well I've always just kind of liked them; they look cool and keep my hair in place. Plus they come in all kinds of fun colors so I was like...why not all of them? One for every occasion haha!

JunieWeathers asks: Do you have a favorite baseball cap? If so, what is it?

Hoshi: Oh easy! When I was a kid, and we first moved to Musutafu, my parents took me on a mini vacation to try to take my mind off things, and in one of the shops they bought me this bad boy! *points at head* It was my first to kick off the collection, and probably the one I wear the most. Don't question how it still fits me.

FoxyPuff asks: What is your favorite thing about the heroics course?

Hoshi: Oooh hmm...there's a lot to like! Hanging out with my friends everyday, getting to help people when we go on missions, training to hone my quirk...okay that's probably everyone else's favorite for me...but my favorite I guess is finally being able to work towards becoming a real Pro, so I can help even more people some day! It's fulfilling, you know?

JunieWeathers asks: What inspired you to become a hero?

Hoshi: What inspired me to become a hero...I guess just um, like, having that desire to protect people? Okay well, most people know my quirk is uh— causes a lot of trouble sometimes haha, and so sometimes I just feel like I need to make things right by becoming a Pro Hero; to actually use my quirk for good. So that's kind of what initially made me realize I wanted to be a hero.

sd1229 asks: Are we allowed to know your hero name? If so, what is it?

Hoshi: Oh sure! It's Star Power! 'Cause ya know, my quirk is Supernova and all, so, Star? Star Power? Yeah. I don't think I'm really good at coming up with Hero names, but it's been growing on me.

JunieWeathers asks: What kind of hero do you want to become?

Hoshi: The save-y kind. *salutes* Haha but actually, I want to be the kind of hero that will help people no matter the cost! One people can look to and feel safe knowing they can count on me, and that there's no sacrifice I won't make to save them! Or something.

sd1229 asks: If you weren't going to become a Pro Hero, what would you want to do career wise?

Hoshi: Huh...actually I've never really thought about that; I think I've pretty much always had it in my mind that I was gonna be a hero, ever since I was a kid. But if I had to think of something, uhhh...oh, I guess it would have to be some other position where I could help in a similar way, like as a police officer or firefighter! I might be kind of small for that though haha.

UAS: That would be really cool! But we're glad that you're here protecting the community. Thank you so much for being here today, and have a great one!

Member Interests

A Summer Filled with the Beautiful Game

What's up everyone? TocoLoco004 here! I hope ya'll are having a fantastic summer so far! I know I have, as I am one of the many soccer fans all over the world who have been spoiled this summer! We had not one, but two major tournaments to watch! The Copa America, hosted by the United States, and the Euros, hosted by Germany. Please travel with me to each country as I talk about each tournament, focusing on the vibes and drama each one provided!

Just a head up, I will be using soccer and football interchangeably, to try to be more inclusive as this beautiful sport is enjoyed globally. And I will be using terms that may or may not be familiar to those who do not watch soccer, some which will have asterisks. I will define them at the bottom of this article.

Tournament Layout

For those unfamiliar with soccer tournament layouts, here's a quick explanation! Every team is placed into a group, each group having four teams. Each team in the group plays each other once. If a team wins, they get three points. If they tie, each team gets one point. If a team loses, they get zero points. After all the games are played, the two teams that have the most points advance to the knockout stages. If any teams are tied in points, whoever scored more goals advances.

The games in knockout stages now sudden death and they have to win to make it to the final. If the game ends up tied after 90 minutes, extra time will be played, then penalties will decide it all.

The 2024 Euros

The Euros this year started Friday, June 14th and ended Sunday, July 14th. Going into the tourney, the football community was buzzing with excitement, everyone naming their favorites to win.

France, the runner up of the 2022 World Cup, was one the favorites to win it. Their team is filled with superstars, such as Kylian Mbappe and veterans like Antonie Griezman. The Euros is one of the few trophies Mbappe has not won yet so we're expecting him to step up to solidify his status was one of the GOATs* to ever step on the pitch*.

Another team many saw destined for greatness is England. This team was just as filled with talent like France, with La Liga Player of the Season Jude Bellingham and Premier League Player of the Season, Phil Foden. Many England fans are still hurting from their Euro 2020 loss in the final to Italy and hope that their coach, Gareth Southgate can 'redeem' himself and get them a win.

And of course, we cannot forget about the hosts, Germany. Despite their shaky form the last two years, they realized they are hosting one of the biggest tournaments in the world, and have locked in, winning all their preparation matches. One of the greatest midfielders in the modern game, Toni Kroos, is retiring from football after this tournament and many are hoping he can go out lifting one more trophy.

In the background, there were many whispers of Spain finally finding their winning ways. Many say that youngsters Nico Williams and the sixteen year old Lamine Yamal playing in the wings will bring that intensity and creativity they have been searching for in the last few years.

Me? I had no particular favorites for this tournament. I was hoping an underdog team like Italy or Switzerland somehow found their way to pull a majority upset and steal it away from one of the favorites. But most importantly, I was ready to watch some quality football. And let me tell you, I was not disappointed.

During the Tournament

First off, I loved seeing the scenes before the games. Fans from all over Europe traveled to support their countries. So many of them arrived that when they marched to the stadium together, streets had to be closed down. I loved the passion they brought with them, chanting and singing for their country. And when I say every single seat was filled, I am being so serious. You would think every game was a final with the energy and presence of the fans. Even through the screen, that energy was contagious, as I found myself cheering through the screen, despite being neutral and on the other side of the world.

Another one of my favorites things I saw was the interactions between the fans of different countries. One of my favorite interactions by far was when Albanian fans went up to Italian fans before their game and would break raw pasta in front of them. The Italians, in good fun, would get on their knees and pretend to be distraught, begging them not to as the Albanians proceeded to do so. Then they would get up, share a hug and laugh as they shared a drink together. Unfortunately for the Albanians however, Italy ended up winning 2-1.

The Euros in my opinion was very fun to watch because most teams in this tournament have a chance to win against any opponent. Sure, many if not most of the smaller teams may park the bus* and wait for a counter to watch their opponent off guard. It may lead to a boring and ugly football match, but they play their strengths and do what needs to be done in order to win. This made many of the 'stronger' teams have to fight, be creative and earn each win instead of just bulldozing their way to the next stage. This made teams such as Slovenia, Czechia and Slovakia major pests to get a win, often earning themselves a well deserved tie instead of the loss everyone expected them to get. We saw teams like Georgia pull upsets, defeating Portugal and earning their ticket to the knockoff stages.

One thing I did not expect however, was the amount of own goals* this freaking tournament gave us. There were a total of ten own goals this tourney, more than any player scored! Another thing I realized after the fact is that there was a six way tie for top goalscorer this tournament, with six different players scoring three goals! The players were Cody Gakpo (Netherlands), Harry Kane (England), Georges Mikautadze (Georgia), Jamal Musiala (Germany), Dani Olmo (Spain) and Ivan Schranz (Slovakia).

Let's talk about the most important game of the tournament: the final. The final consisted of Spain and England. Hours before the game, one of my friends texted me if I wanted to bet against him. He was confident England would bring it home. But I didn't have as much faith in the English squad as he did, so I gladly accepted. Things definitely got more interesting.

This game was crazy to say the least, with stars on both sides ready to fight for the win. Spain took the lead in the beginning of the second half, catching England off guard and the youngster Nico Williams stepping up and scoring the goal. Many thought the game was over, as time continued to pass and England appeared to have no response. However, it was a player on the bench that came to England's rescue! Cole "Cold" Palmer appears onto the pitch and scores a beautiful outside the box finish. It's tied 1-1, and England are back in it! The intensity seems to be slowing down, as England seems to be getting ready to buckle in and wait to go to extra time and ideally pens. But Spain has other plans. With a beautifully timed pass into the box, off the bench Spanish player Mikel Oyarzabal finds the back of the net, scoring the winning goal for his country, and breaking the hearts of England fans everywhere.

And winning me my money :)

What a final. What a tournament.

Final Thoughts

Overall this tournament was a ton of fun to watch! There were many upsets throughout the group stages and many teams did not expect advantage in the group stage. One team I would love to give a shoutout to is Switzerland. Going into the tournament, I wasn't very excited about them, their performance at the world cup was very disappointing. But somehow, some way, they managed to turn everything around and play such attractive football. I was so disappointed when England somehow managed to beat them.

It was beautiful to see Spain come and beat every opponent with class and elegance, always comfortably winning the games they are supposed to. Germany also came in, hungry to win and always winning by two, three goals and performing their best every single game. But you know who didn't perform well every single game? England and France. Despite having so much talent on their teams, they just couldn't harness it and use it efficiently. England struggled early on in the tournament to find their starting eleven and sure they found a solid lineup in the final, but their play was never convincing for the full 90 or 120 minutes. The only way they won and advanced to the final was thanks to brilliant individual play. Rarely was it team play. And France? FRANCE COULD NOT SCORE A GOAL IN OPEN PLAY UNTIL THE KNOCKOFF STAGES! EVERY GOAL THEY SCORED WAS AN OWN GOAL OR A PENALTY. Don't get me wrong, both of these teams are very, very good and can play at a high level. But it's disappointing to not see them play the quality football we all know they can play.

Thank you Germany, for being amazing hosts and giving us an amazing place to watch so many amazing soccer games. Thank you to the fans that traveled there and created lit atmospheres to motivate your teams and for us fans watching from home. Congratulations to Spain for a well earned win. I cannot wait to see Europe's best perform at the 2026 World Cup.

Let us go to the Americas, shall we?

The 2024 Copa America

The Copa America is usually hosted in a South American country so when I found out it was gonna be in the states, I was beyond excited! It is an honor to host such a tournament, especially with big teams such as Argentina and Brazil. Compared to the Euros, it is a lot smaller in scale but hope it provides the same level of entertainment and drama the Euros did. This year the Copa America started June 20th and ended July 14th (yes, the finals were on the same day >:) ).

Argentina, current World Cup winners and Copa America champions, were the biggest favorites to win it all. There are so many stars on their team, such as Julian Alvarez, Lautaro Martinez, Mac Allister, Rodrigo De Paul, Angel Di María, and who can forget the GOAT, Lionel Messi. Their team is good, and there is no doubt they will show up to win it all again.

Brazil, of course, was one of the favorites to win, arguably being the most successful country in producing quality soccer players. Their team is filled with players such as Vini Jr, who just won La Liga and Champions League with Real Madrid. But there was lots of excitement in the air for eighteen year old Endrick, who just completed his signing to join Vini Jr at Real Madrid. Despite lots of excitement around this team, there was also a lot of doubt. Compared to past teams, this team appeared to be weaker and lacking chemistry, specifically the fullbacks. Doubt grew as Ronaldinho, one of the best players to ever live, came out and criticized this Brazil team, stating he wasn't going to watch a match. He eventually took back what he said, but the fact he said it in the first place is sus...

Ever since Marcelo Bielsa took over as Uruguay's coach, they have been looking great. Sure, they may not have as many stars compared to Brazil or Argentina, but they have big names like Frederico Valverde and Ronald Araujo ready to do their part. They were my favorites to create an upset and win the tourney.

I got into a heated discussion with the same friend I mentioned earlier about Brazil. I argued that Brazil lost, and that Uruguay would go farther in the tournament than Brazil. We made a bet and shook on it.

Spoiler alert: I got my money >:)

And of course, we have to talk about Colombia. Going into the tournament, they have been undefeated for about 20 games. Somehow, their coach was able to relieve James Rodriguez's career, creating dozens of chances for his team. Everyone wondered if he could recreate his performance from the 2014 World Cup, and we were not disappointed.

A dark horse* many people were discussing was the United States of America. For the first time ever, the majority, if not their entire starting lineup plays overseas in Europe. That's huge for this country, who now finds itself with a team oozing with talent. But talent doesn't mean anything if they are unable to harness it correctly and that's the question everyone wants an answer to, especially since the US is one of the co-hosts for the 2026 World Cup.

And as a México fan, all I will say is this: my brain knew we were bad going into this tournament. I knew there was a higher chance of getting grouped* than advancing, but I still believed. In my heart, I believed that somehow, someway we would pull the wins out of our ass and have a decent performance at this tournament!

Spoiler alert: my brain was right :(

During the Tournament

If you're on TikTok, I'm sure you've seen the memes comparing the Euros and the Copa America. The Euros are very tactical and strategic, which may lead to a boring game, but we know lots of thought is put into it. The Copa America? It's a street fight >:) Of course we exaggerate but it's no secret that the Copa America is more physical play than the Euros. I don't know about others, but I enjoy watching the scrappy play! While it isn't as pretty to watch like Spain, it's still very entertaining. To make matters worse, the referees in this tournament made many very questionable decisions. I know many people threw out the "c" word* and while I neither agree or disagree with these claims, all I will say is that it is obvious what the board is motivated by.

One example of what I mean is the different atmosphere the Copa America had versus the Euros. There were a lot of empty seats for certain group stage games. In the Euros, every single game, no matter who played, was packed and sold out. The fans were screaming , cheering, and having a grand old time. Some Copa America games were quiet and it was sad to see. But I don't blame the fans. I saw lots of complaints online about the game ticket prices! Some of the pricing was ridiculous! $800 for two tickets? It's no wonder many people didn't attend games! It's sad and disappointing to see money get in the way of enjoying soccer.

Fast forward to the final, it was no surprise Argentina made it. As I mentioned before, on paper, they are the best team in the tournament and have done what they needed to make it here. Their opponents, Colombia, won the hearts of many fans in their journey through this tourney, playing such fun and creative football, I wasn't even mad Uruguay lost to them. They have played amazing all tournament and they also managed to win me over. I was rooting for them in the final. Now, before I describe the game, of course I need to mention the chaos that ensued before the game.

The final was taking place in Florida at Hard Rock Stadium. Hundreds, if not thousands of fans were surrounding the stadium, hoping to get in. But suddenly, someone decided to rush in. Soon, lots of people followed and hundreds of people without tickets charged the stadium, chaos breaking out. Security had to get law enforcement involved and they ultimately had to lock the gates to stop the flow of people. Tons of fans who paid hundreds, if not thousands of dollars for this game were locked out of the stadium, missing out on a once in a lifetime event. Many people were quick to criticize the US, stating they were not prepared to host such a big event with passionate fans. While there may be some truth to that, the hosts can't be completely to blame. People are given the benefit of the doubt, assuming that people would be respectful, follow the rules and I don't know, not try to storm into the stadium? There are videos of people trying to get into the stadium through the vents! It was ridiculous! The fans who broke in also have to be held accountable, which it appears they may be as throughout the whole game, police and security were asking for tickets, taking away people who didn't, as they should. Because of them, the game was delayed about an hour, shortening Shakira's halftime performance, which is crazy in itself because soccer games NEVER have halftime shows. People were hurt. People were traumatized. I know many people, myself included, say "football is life", but this isn't what we mean. Please, be respectful. Be responsible. Be safe.

Despite all that occurred before and during the game, the atmosphere looked pretty lit. People were singing, dancing, and having a great time, excited to see an amazing matchup. And boy, what a game. Colombia arrived ready to play and showed no fear, dominating possession of the ball and going for the win. They had lots of chances to score but just couldn't put the ball behind the net. For a while, it seemed like Argentina didn't have an answer to Colombia's play style, until they began to build momentum. They had a few close chances in the first half, but it wasn't until the second Argentina began to turn things around. But Colombia managed to keep it competitive, making substitutions to try to get the game winning goal.

But alas, time was up. The score was 0-0. The game is going into Extra Time.

As soon as the whistle signaled the restart, Argentina took over. They were hungry for the win. They attacked and attacked, looking for a weakness. Colombia tried to defend, their subs desperately trying to find a goal. But they couldn't do it. Lautaro Martinez also came off the bench for Argentina, and scored the goal that would win the Copa America for Argentina.

What a drama filled final.

Final Thoughts

For me personally, it was frustrating to watch Argentina throughout the tournament. For one, they faced lots of easy teams this tournament, allowing them to ease through the tournament. And during their games, the team appeared to go with only 60%-70% effort. Maybe it shows how good they are, but I would love to see them go 100% every single game. If not to show off your talent, to at least entertain your fans! But they are a very good and talented team, and I cannot wait to see what they do for the 2026 World Cup. Congratulations on winning another Copa America!

Special shoutout to Canada! This is their first time competing in a Copa America and they managed to make it all the way to the semi final with a coach they've only had for about a month before the tournament! This Canadian team has the potential to truly do something special.

Venezuela showed up to play! No one expected to play as well as they did, only losing to Canada in a penalty shootout. They were another team that stole the hearts of many fans for the passion, determination and quality of football they demonstrated to us. Bravo.

Thank you to the United States for hosting a drama-filled tournament. I hope they learned lots, and that they manage to fix any mistakes made for the upcoming 2026 World Cup.

It was an amazing last month, being able to wake up and watch three to four games a day was great. With the tournaments over, I don't what to do with my life anymore :(

I guess now I have no excuse but to FINALLY update A Delicate Art (it's a joke, I am so sorry)!

Thank you so much for reading and for allowing me to talk about my passion for football. I hope you all have an amazing day and sending the best vibes to you all!

Glossary:

GOAT → Greatest of All Time

Pitch → A soccer field

Park the Bus → A soccer strategy where the entire team sits back by their goal and defend the entire game, relying on counter attacks to score

Dark Horse → A team that is considered an underdog and has a high chance of winning

Grouped → A team getting knocked out of the group stage

"C word" → Corruption

Ask the Pro Hero

Our Pro Heroes of the server; aBitGrim , FoxyPuff, and tocoloco004; would like to open up the space to ask them questions. If you have a question for them, feel free to ask and they will provide their best answers!

Q: What's been your favorite summer activity this year?

Grim: I only got to do it once, but I love going to drive-ins! I'm the type of person who likes to yap in movies, so getting to do that without bothering others and wearing comfortable clothes makes going to the movies that much better!

Foxy: I love going to the beach every year with my extended family and getting to see everyone. This year, I was able to teach my nieces and nephews how to play Super Smash Brothers, and so I have been officially given the status of "the cool aunt" ;)

Toco: watching a ton of soccer! I've watched the Euros & Copa America on tv and managed to attend two pro soccer games this season !

Q: What's your favorite snack for the summer?

Grim: strawberries!

Foxy: This year, I've really been loving chocolate toffees. I know it's not exactly a "summer" treat, but I can't help snacking on it. As for traditionally summer things, there's been a really good peach crop this year, and have been absolutely living for it!

Toco: oh I love me some watermelon or mango with Tajín

Q: When do your creative ideas come most easily?

Grim: I'm not sure why, but if I watch a new movie or a show episode that scratches my brain a certain way, I'll start thinking of tons of writing or drawing ideas! I usually pace around when working these ideas out, and it's when I feel the most creative

Foxy: Definitely late at night. I keep the notes app open on my phone to write ideas down as they come to me.

Toco: I get majority of them when I'm at work 🥲 which sucks cuz then I can't write them down and tend to forget. But I also get super inspired and motivated after watching a really good anime, show or movie! Same goes with a good book!

Q: You can only pick 3 channels in this server to use forever- which are you choosing?

Grim: probably the artwork-showcase because I feel nothing but love and support whenever I post there, the oc-central because I always get excited when I see something new there, and the admin-chat because I love talking with my wonderful pro heroes and I wouldn't be able to do anything on the server without them!

Foxy: I would use oc-central, general-chat, and art-rants to keep a piece of all the aspects of the server, especially because I feel like those are the ones I use the most.

Toco: hmmm... this is a tough one. OC Central forsure tho! Artwork showcase is another! Despite not being much of an artist, I love seeing what the artists on the channel create! I was gonna say admin-chat but then I would copying Grim 😂 so just to be different let's say general chat cuz I love the conversations we have there!

Q: If you could change the price of one thing to a penny permanently, what would it be?

Grim: the first to come to mind was medical bills and media, but if we mean one specific thing I'll probably have to say gasoline

Foxy: Housing for sure. I just think it should be more accessible, and the market is crazy these days. That, and I don't think anyone should have to go without a roof over their heads.

Toco: health insurance & medical bill by far. In my country, the healthy care system is MESSY and I hate people end up going to debt getting the medicine, treatment or surgery they need to literally live

Q: If you had to lose 1 of 5 senses forever, which would you choose?

Grim: definitely taste. It would suck, but I love art and music too much to lose those senses.

Foxy: Unfortunately, I have to say my hearing, because I think I'm losing it anyway lol. I usually have to read people's lips to figure out what they're saying, so it wouldn't be a huge change, plus it would give me an excuse to finally learn sign language. Not to mention, I have echoic memory and hallucinate hearing my favorite music anyway, so it's not like I'd have to give that up lol

Toco: smell. My nose already does a bad job already so it shouldn't be too much of a difference I think 😅

Q: If you could have one power that can be used in everyday life, what would it be?

Grim: teleportation or telekinesis would be cool, but I'd love to be able to make plants grow because then I could make a bunch of vegetation and help others out!

Foxy: I would choose flying! I know teleportation may seem like a handier power, but I love the feeling of being weightless in an airplane, and I would really love to see the world from high up. Besides, walking is so overrated.

Toco: I would love to fly so I can avoid being in traffic 😈

Book Recommendations

Our community is full of creative perspectives, whether it be writing, art, or reading! Lots of our members are avid readers who would like to share their recommendations with you.

Wattpad books:

Misfit Theater Company by SarahPerlmutter

"This book is so wholesome and adorable! I love re-reading this one because it brings me such nostalgia for my high school days. The romance is sweet and the friendships I feel are very authentic between the group. I honestly can't stop smiling when I read this book"

~FoxyPuff

Luck of the Draw by Juni_Penguin_

"it's just really great guys. Awesome take on quirks and how they can be detrimental! Gorgeous cover as usual, awesome character writing, and Sachi is so me"

~_thebutterflyeffect

Off-Site Books:

Loveless (physical) by Alice Oseman

"A beautiful queer story, it follows a college girl named Georgia as she begins her journey towards discovering herself. Through trial and error, Georgia learns she is aromantic asexual, and spends the book learning what that means, as well as learning that friendships can be just as, if not more, lasting and powerful than a romantic relationship."

~ StupidHufflepuff

2024 Sports Festival Results

In the month of June, the UA Storytellers hosted our fourth annual Sports Festival! Here is how the final bracket stacked up:

The competitors were: kyrpto's Miyako Ito and Yumi Ishigawa, QuaccSmaccSnacc's Shikha Hayashi and Kenshin Kutsuki, aBitGrim's Suki "Snake" Zuka and Mordecai "Rocket" Rockefeller, GamingIsFictionLife's Nori, and B3r1itz's Tatsuya Akiba! Here is a summary of our closing ceremony that took place on the server:

In third place is Miyako Ito! Her energetic quirk was fun to write, especially as she thought quick on her feet with many unique utilizations of her power and attacks!

In second place is Suki "Snake" Zuka who committed to do whatever it takes to secure a placement on the podium! As is tradition with the Storytellers, Snake used one of her attacks to bite her opponent, winning the new Cannibal Award!

And in first place is Kenshin Kutsuki! His quirk was well-rounded to take impacts and protect him, as well as attacking and throwing others around! He is incredibly deserving of this first place podium! Congrats Kutsuki!

Now, Kutsuki's author, QuaccSmaccSnacc, has been interviewed about her experience with the Sports Festival and her strategy for Kutsuki:

FoxyPuff: Congratulations on your win in the 2024 Sports Festival! Now, last year you submitted Hoshi, but this year, you chose to submit Kutsuki and Hayashi. It's no doubt that you have a large cast of awesome OCs. Any particular reason for choosing these two over the others?

Andi (QuaccSmaccSnacc): Thank you! Well, it's true I have a pretty big cast, (as I'm working towards a whole class) but of course there's an inner, more main-character group, which includes Hayashi, Kutsuki, and Hoshi! So choosing from that group helps me narrow it down to start. I do have my main main character Akari, and Kamiya who's also important, but they're canonically kind of OP on purpose, so I'm reluctant to use them for the Sports Festival. Basically it would kill me to have to lower their stats, and losing is almost out of character for them haha. Plus I like keeping them a little more secretive. So that aside, I went with Kutsuki and Hayashi because I thought they would have the most interesting quirks to write, since they're so unique and allow for a variety of fun fighting techniques!

FP: Well, it was very interesting to read about them too. So speaking of fighting techniques, how would you describe Kutsuki's fighting style, and how did you strategize to use it to your advantage?

QSS: Let's see... Kutsuki's fighting style is interesting because he has a really good offense and defense thanks to being able to both hit and block with his mushrooms, as well as being capable of close and long range. Though his go-to is definitely launching his opponent with a surprise mushroom from below because, well, good luck surviving the fall! As far as my strategy, honestly there wasn't much to it considering we're at the mercy of Dice Maiden, but I knew Kutsuki would be a safe bet with his well-rounded stats, his highest being agility and defense!

FP: For better or for worse, we've all been at the mercy of the Maiden, haha. Now expanding on your discussion of Kutsuki's stats, can you walk us through all of his stats and why you chose the values you did?

QSS: Of course! For context, the stats are from one to five, five being perfect. With that in mind, I'll start with strength, which I gave him a three for. Kutsuki's a strong guy, but not exceptionally, and seeing as his quirk isn't strength related, I figured just a bit above average would be appropriate. For speed, I also went with three, for pretty much the same reasons. As for agility, I gave him a four, seeing as there's a lot of overall coordination that goes into using his quirk- timing, balance (if he's launching himself), aim, speed, etc, so I figured he'd be pretty good with it. For intelligence, I went with another middle-of-the-road three, again because he's a smart guy, but not insanely. Finally, for defense a four, because his mushrooms have a lot of potential for blocking attacks, or even bouncing projectiles back at his opponents. But of course there's always the possibility of something cutting through them, a hit landing around the mushroom, or even the mushroom not being produced in time, so not perfect.

FP: Even without a perfect stat, Kutsuki was able to deliver devastating blows and protect himself against some heavy hitters. What would you say was your favorite move he did?

QSS: Ooh my favorite move would have to be when he launches his opponent via mushroom, successfully sending them tumbling. It's admittedly just so satisfying!

FP: I remember when he did that to Rocket in the match that secured him a place in the finals! What would you say was Kutsuki's most epic moment in the whole Sports Festival? Be it a unique move, luck with the Maiden, etc.

QSS: Yes! That moment is definitely up there, especially considering that match played out almost exclusively rolling single digits. It was not looking good for either side at first haha. Thankfully things switched up in the end, and he was able to go out with a bang as you mentioned, sending Rocket flying, and carry that energy over to the final match. Other than that though, I'd also say the winning move of the entire Sports Festival, when he launches himself into the air with a mushroom, and punches his opponent clear out of bounds! It was the perfect move to end on. The ending of both those matches were definitely epic!

FP: Safe to say, Kutsuki was a strong contender and deserved his win! Thank you so much for talking with me, Andi. Is there anything else you'd like to say to the other participants or anyone reading this?

QSS: Of course, anytime! Thanks for interviewing me, this was fun! I would just say, thanks to everyone and their cool OCs for making this year's SF so fun! Everyone is always such a good sport, and it's fun seeing people's OCs in action. And of course thanks to the admins for setting all this up and running the matches so flawlessly! Overall, I look forward to getting to continue to develop and show my OCs, and learning about everyone else's! And their many interactions to come, such as in the coming-soon beach crossover, wink wink!

Here is a beautiful podium picture from Andi herself, showcasing the top three competitors!

In addition to this, we would like to shout out one OC in particular who really captured the audience's heart, despite not making it to the finals. That's right, the Fan Favorite Award goes to Tatsuya Akiba!

That's all for this year's Sports Festival, and we can't wait to see what next year has in store!

Future Events

August will be Writing Month for our server! The event will be hosted by Toco and Foxy who are planning many activities and lessons about writing that should encourage our members to get some work done!

Review Book

If you are interested in having your book reviewed by the members of the server, check out our review book for sample reviews and submit a form for your own story!

Farewell

We hope you have a wonderful month! And remember to always go PLUS ULTRA!