Call me B

.

Okay so Collei's dream sequence was a fun little what-if scenario that didn't have any consequences on our timeline.

Even still, Hoyo should've given everyone new outfits to really sell the idea (and then sell those outfits as skins for maximum profit. But lord knows the devs are really reluctant to add new skins for some reason?).

Kaveh already dresses like a rich merchant so he's not the best example. But I would've loved to see Nilou's dancer outfit take on more desert/eremite motifs, like a red brocade or a scimitar by her hip. Nabu malikata but make her a combat goddess sort of thing.

But the switcharoo outfit I wanted to see most was Tighnari as the general Mahamatra. Would he attempt to up his intimidation factor with a mask or headdress? Would he hide his ears? Or would he choose to wear the corp of 30 uniform? Everyone knows Tighnari can be scary. But most people don't think that upon initially seeing him. Though I suppose in this AU, the sight of big pointy ears and fluffy tail bring about a very different set of emotions in the people of Sumeru.

Paimon tells Wanderer that she feels useless because even though she's always with the Traveler she can't do anything in moments of real danger and she recalls the time the Traveler was kidnapped by Dottore and how helpless she felt, which leads her to think about what would happen if the Traveler never came back and she had to face everything alone, ending up feeling like a burden and wishing she could be a friend who's actually useful.

Wanderer acknowledges her feelings and says that when doubt appears, the only options are to give up or change, and that the decision has to come from within because no one else can solve it for her. He puts the choice on her telling her to decide whether she wants to become stronger or learn more, and to take action so she'll have no regrets knowing that she at least tried.

"I'm not gonna try and encourage you. What I will say is this: When you start doubting yourself, you have two choices - give up, or change. You have to make the decision to move forward. Otherwise, no amount of consolation from other people is gonna help you. So ask yourself - what do you want? To get stronger? To learn more? Whatever it is, go do it. You won't have any regrets if you can at least say that you tried."

Wanderer is helping her face her doubts and the insecurity that makes her question her own worth. What matters isn't avoiding failure but reaching a point where the choice was made consciously, so nothing is left as a regret because the real risk is getting stuck.

PS. The fact that Alhaitham insists so much on her education is one of the most beautiful and low profile things in the story. It has been going on for around 3 years and he keeps sending her books, reminding her about exams and even applying her for the Driyosh giving her the tools to understand the world and hold her own. It says a lot about Alhaitham that he decided to invest time and effort into educating Paimon even if it brings him no direct benefit.

Cyno: Something’s off… I’m not sure what, though…

Alhaitham: In what fucking universe would I ever be the grand sage

idk it's a meme

From there it's not actually difficult to get the other soldiers onboard with covering up the fact that poor Ping took one for the team and got afflicted by the vagina curse, especially since it would have been all of them if they hadn't gotten the warning ahead of time. So they agree to help him cover it up, because obviously the army's not going to understand.

Mulan: Uh, what boobs? Huh? Where did these come from?

Mushu: *facepalms and thinks quickly* (speaks from the shadows) I AM THE SPIRIT OF THE LAKE! BEWARE MY CURSED WATERS FOR THEY WILL TURN MEN INTO WOMEN!

Mulan: Look-

Ling, Yao, and Chien Po: WE CAN EXPLAIN!!

[One convoluted, chaotic explanation later]

Shang: ...is this why you've all been insisting we don't camp anywhere that doesn't have a lake.

Shang: and then none of you actually swim in it.

Shang: and you all keep jumping at shadows.

Shang: wait a second Ping did this happen before or after you became insanely good at fighting?

Shang: did you get better at fighting after you became a woman.

Shang: are women better at fighting than us.

Mulan: ....uh. well. maybe? no one's ever tried to find out.

Yao: [thinking very fast] y'know Captain it's just so hard to find recruits these days.

Chien Po: Real shortage of men.

Ling: Lots of women, though.

Mulan: [catching on] Without marriage prospects.

Shang: You're right, men. The spirits must have done this in order to show us that we should be recruiting women as fighters.

Mushu [from the shadows, seeing an opportunity to do the funniest thing]: EXACTLY, LI SHANG. I HAVE TRANSFORMED PING INTO A WOMAN BECAUSE YOU HAVE TOO LONG OVERLOOKED THE TRUE WAY TO WIN THE WAR.

Mulan [seeing an opportunity to get all the stories straight]: O Great Spirit, is it reversible?

Mushu: WHY WOULD YOU WISH TO REJECT MY GIFT? I HAVE SEEN YOUR HEART, CHILD, AND HAVE ALREADY ALTERED THE MEMORIES OF EVERYONE WHO KNEW YOU BEFORE YOU LEFT FOR THE ARMY. YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THEIR DAUGHTER.

Li Shang: Welp, the spirits have spoken. Ping - wait is your name still Ping if you're a woman now?

Mulan: Uh. Actually, I was thinking of renaming myself. How do you feel about Mulan?

BONUS:

Mulan [climbing out of the eleventh lake the men have arranged for her to swim in]: Yeah no, it didn't work. Still got boobs. [tries to appear dejected].

Chien Po: If it makes you feel better, they're very nice boobs.

yknow what yeah I think that's just about how anyone would react in this situation. fair enough.

alright this isn't how just Anyone would behave in this situation but I'm humble enough to admit that there have been times in my life when I was doing badly enough that I'd probably also fumble it like this

It's rude. You're making someone take their time to read something you couldn't bother to write. You're telling them they were so unimportant you couldn't be bothered to actually take the time to say something yourself. And frankly, you're lying about it while you're at it.

1. The court holds Google responsible for statements made by its AI, considering them Google's statements (search engines have limited liability for results in their engine as they're the words of other sites/companies/people), meaning when their AI lies/hallucinates they're liable for the defamation/harm resulting from those statements.

2. Google's defense that customers are generally aware of the lack of reliability and are responsible for fact checking was dismissed. As the court pointed out, that would "significantly diminish" AI Search's stated purpose and it can't be distinguished from Google's business practices/statements as a search tool.

3. Studies have found about 91% of Google's everyday AI responses are accurate, leaving millions of searches per HOUR with potential liability for falsehoods. 56% of correct responses weren't supported by the sources the AI listed. Both of which mean Google is now liable for a LOT more AI "errors."

4. Google was held liable for 80% of court costs in this case and this precedent is expected to reverberate around the world. This is a massive shift from the 3rd-party search provider role Google has previously played and it comes right as they've tied ALL searches to their AI search.

1) Figured this out.