#personally i primarily use pen and paper

[murderballadeer]

#personally i primarily use pen and paper #but if a class has take home exams based on the lectures i'll sometimes type them bc that way i can ctrl+f for stuff when i'm doing the exa #but if there are in person closed book exams it's 100% pen and paper #idk if it's junk science but i fully subscribe to the idea that you remember stuff better if you handwrite it #soapbox

[l-crimson-l]

Ok so incoming gunpla post about tools:

So you’ve started building! It’s fun! It’s cathartic! And they look so cool!

But…

You kinda want them to look Even Cooler.

You also don’t have a ton of cash and you’re feeling intimidated by how deep this hobby can take you (you’ve seen those cool customs online). No worries! Here’s a couple cheapish (<$40) tools to help you get rolling on taking your kits to the next level.

1) Sanding Sponge/Glass File

These are great bc 1) they’re cheap and 2) do the job wonderfully. Specifically they’re for helping to remove Nub marks off the price you’ve cut from the runner. If you don’t know, Nubs are the leftover plastic still attached to the piece after you’ve clipped it from the runner, they’re important to remove bc of how the kit is engineered. Moving gimmicks or the sturdiness of the kit could be compromised if your pieces can’t fit flush.

The sponge is the cheapest option but it also runs out at some point and you’ll need to replace them. However, the glass file will simply just keep rolling. I bought mine from Newtype about a year and a half ago and it’s still doing great. I believe Walmart might have even cheaper options.

2) Gundam Marker

So you know those grooves on a part that’s sunken in? Those are called Panel Lines! Using this pen (it’s basically a Micron pen) you can color in these lines to help give your kit extra depth. This is especially great on kits that are primarily a single color with few variations (think Calibarn).

All you do is draw in your line and then wipe away with your finger or paper towel or what have you. These are super cheap and you’ll run through half a dozen or so HG’s or even MG’s before you need to think about getting a new one. With this you also don’t need to worry about top coating or being mindful about what you’re applying it over (unlike other panel liners where you need to keep some chemistry in mind).

3) Single Blade Nippers

So these are the most expensive item and while double blade nippers work absolutely, you’ll end up creating less work for yourself with single blade nippers as they can make cleaner cuts off the runner meaning you have less nub to clean up.

These ones I snagged from USA Gundam Store (they give a discount for snagging these) and they work great. Not the greatest durability over multiple kits as they really lose that initial sharpness over the first kit or two, but they stay sharp enough to do the job well. There’s several different options out there (some as expensive as $60 or so) but starting out a cheaper pair is great to have.

I used double sided nippers for the longest time but after switching I firmly believe they’re worth the extra $$ to invest in.

To elaborate on 2 bladed vs single bladed a bit: double blades cut from both sides (obviously) but what this means is that there is stress being applied to the piece from each side. This causes stress marks (if you’ve seen a white spot left behind after a clip that’s a stress mark) which either need cleaned up and painted over or it causes a crater in the part (especially easy to do when the nub is especially large) which either never gets fixed or you need to use tamiya cement to melt plastic and then puddy it innnnn and thennnnn sand everything againnnnn and it’s a pain.

Save yourself the headache. Singe blade nippers are the way. I especially hate those beginner nippers that look like this

I hope this helps you dig a little further down into the plastic crack rabbit hole! With just a little extra effort you can really make your kits pop. You can do it!

As always I really love seeing all the new people building gunpla and making it their own (special shout out to that person who bedazzled their guncannon). Love ya friendos

#I’ve been meaning to make this for a while #make sure to check the notes bc I’m sure other will add other easy tools #which is TOTALLY fine to do btw! #good luck peeps #gunpla #gundam #wfm #g witch #witch from mercury #plamo

[oozeandgoo-art]

Adoptable - Cordyceps Archer

Do you want to take over this character?  I'm selling this design! Auction starts now and ends midnight (EST) 3/8! Bid here: https://forms.gle/rqa4ptksAtPxvDTM6 (You can also view current bids by following the linked spreadsheet in the form!) Starting bid is $200; autobuy (if you're not about all that) is $400.  Piece is a standard-sized mixed-media (primarily watercolor and ink; some glitter gel pen, acrylic marker, and food dye as well) piece painted in pink, orange, blue, and gray. The full piece includes one full-body back ref, one partial-body full-color illustration, one partial-body partial-color illustration, and several detailed "design notes" in fine black ink! Please be aware: colors are a little different in person due to the nature of photographing a painting; there may be some differences between digital and traditional versions. The piece was also ripped and has been glued back together and securely reinforced from the back with another piece of watercolor paper, unfortunately; I have dropped the price from my intended starting bid accordingly, and will not be charging any additional fees for the original artwork, in deference to the fact that it's damaged goods.  Final owner of the character can request two rounds of adjustments (ie: modifying colors, retouching stains and dingy spots, etc) from me for free and other rounds for small flat fees worked out between the two of us. The final owner can also request glitter on the traditional ref sheet if they so desire, at no additional cost! And final purchaser gets all final rights to the character and art, including resales and merchandising - once you've paid for the character, they're all yours. 

#traditional media #oc #i would've liked to get 240 us for this but its torn. oh well. 200 base price it is #first time ive ever Seriously tried to do a real deal adopt and im nervous ngl #Adopt #adoptable character #adoptable #sale #auction

[nottawriter]

20 Questions More

This is a deeper and more detailed version of the 20 questions for AO3 fanfic writers. Thanks to @casualsavant for the tag.

1) How do you keep getting ideas for your ship / fandom? Supercorp brainrot… I see a picture or meme or video, I watch a movie or read a synopsis, I hear a song and it reminds me of them. They are ever present in my mind. I cannot escape (nor do I want to) and therefore, you cannot escape :chaos laugh:

2) Which authors inspire you in your fandom, and why are they so freakishly good? There are sooo many super talented people in the Supercorp fandom. I’m constantly impressed and overwhelmed with the volume of amazing content. There are the fandom favs: @lostariels, @jazzfordshire, @searidings, @lynnearlington, @coffeeshib, @mycatismyeditor, @lgbtimelords and @melui-the-bookworm, and there are personal favs: @snowydragonscave, @fazedlight, @casualsavant, @luthordamnvers, @gveret-fic, @briefunknowntrash, @cantdrawshaw, @karalovesallthegirls, @vox-ex, Veritas33 (AO3), @writershapeholeonthedoor… Sooo much talent. I just want to read all the time!

3) Aside from the characters of your main ship, who are the characters you love to write? I love all the side characters. I think the relationships in Supergirl are what make Kara and Lena so great and relatable. After Kara and Lena, I think I’m most comfortable writing Alex, but I enjoy writing almost everyone. My WHBL series is an ensemble-cast style story that is primarily Lena pov, but has other povs throughout.

4) Are there pairings or tropes you know for sure you’d never write about? Which ones? I’m not a fan of writing Kara or Lena outside of Supercorp unless in reference to their past relationships. I’m not sure if I would rule any specific trope out completely

5) What is your writing process and why is it cursed? Sav’s answer for this one is pretty relatable lol but uh… I typically put notes in my phone if I don’t have paper/pen handy. I use Excel to plot out timelines and chapters. I like to use color to show what I still need to write versus what’s done or what’s uncertain. I use a simple Word doc and typically write in story order, though if I write a scene I like, but don’t like it’s placement, I’ll cut it out and save it separately for potentially using later or in a different fic. I struggle with writer’s block, anxiety, guilty, sooo much uncertainty. It’s stressful and sometimes overwhelming… But I’m still here, so I suppose getting the story out into the world is all worth it in the end.

6) What is your favorite part of your writing process? I enjoy the research, having something completed and ready to post (if not the anxiety of actually posting), and I enjoy reading the comments

7) What’s the weirdest thing you’ve had to research for a fic? Um, probably sniper rifle stuff

8) Is there a particular writing rule you struggle with (grammar, spelling, tense, reality in general)? I catch myself switching tense all the time. I try to catch it all in editing, but don’t always succeed.

9) What was your hardest scene to write so far and why? Pretty much all of Evermore because it’s Kara’s dreamscape with mixed references to Wizard of Oz and Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven combined with The Adjudicator’s last scene. I think it actually came out well, but it’s really different and specific, so it’s gotten low interaction.

10) Have your characters ever done something you didn’t expect, changing your plot completely? 100%

11) If you could converse with any of the characters, who would it be and why? I would be in awe to meet Kara or Lena. They’re iconic and these huge symbols for so many feelings and thoughts I’ve tried to convey, but they’re also very relatable characters who’ve suffered through much. I hope I do them justice with my writing. I know others do it so much better... I would also love to meet Melissa or Katie. I hope they know how many lives they've impacted for the better.

12) What are some of the tropes or themes that you find yourself returning to in your writing? Originally, I wrote a lot of mental health themes and hurt/comfort, currently it’s fluff and smut or rom-com. I guess it depends a lot on what emotional headspace I’m in and capable of conveying. Almost always there’s some angst, but I gotta have a happy ending. Whether I’m reading or writing. A happy ending always.

13) What’s your most important resource as a writer? Talking with other writers! I’ve been so thankful to meet so many great ones this year <3

14) Can you share some of your strategies for editing and revising your work? I do many rereads, before and after I post. I will go back and reread before I add more to a story as well, esp if it’s been a while since I wrote for it. I’ve also gotten someone else to read over fics from time to time.

15) Which is worse: making the summary, picking the tags, or the anxiety when you post your fic? All of that gives me anxiety lol

16) How do you define success for your fanfic - hits? Kudos? Comments? Bookmarks? Or just if you like it? I try really hard not to define “success” when it comes to my writing. You never know what other people are going to like or connect with. First and foremost, I write for me. Secondly, I write for the enjoyment of others. I like to see kudos, but ultimately it’s the comments that are most encouraging. Seeing even just 1 person connect with a story that I wrote… there’s no feeling like that.

17) Do you have a playlist for your favorite character / ship? I don’t, but there are songs or artists I associate with the characters, esp Supercorp- Taylor Swift, Hozier, Lord Huron… Not the question, but there’s a video edit by @talconnect with Running with the Wolves that fits perfectly for Kara. https://twitter.com/TalArtM/status/1658567350046674967 I love it.

18) If fan art was going to be made from your work, which fic would you pick and which fan artist would you like to create it? I recently commissioned a piece for one scene in I Believe in a Thing Called Love and there are a couple of other scenes in that one that I would have done. Really, I would appreciate any scene though. It would be an honor to have someone chose one of my works for something like that and I would be stoked to see any of it.

19) How many WIPs do you currently have? Active WIPs: 4 (What Has Been Lost, Wouldn’t It Be Nice, I Believe in a Thing Called Love, and Tis the Damn Season); Mayhem WIP idea to be started soon. A few others always percolating

20) What’s your advice to new fanfic writers? I had no idea what I was doing or that I even wanted to write when I started. You can’t improve until you try. You can’t learn until you make mistakes. Just try. I’ll keep Sav’s advice as well: Write for yourself. Write what you’d want to see. You’ll get better at it over time.

My fics: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Notta_Writer/works Tagging but no pressure: @itsalliebitheway @jetgirl1832 @flyingpotstickers @sneezewizard

#supercorp #supercorp fanfic

[skunkes]

i am primarily a digital artist but also feel my sketches in traditional are better... idk if its the same for you but personally. i feel like the actual physical sensations with traditional art play a big part... like the resistance of pen against paper, the smell of materials, etc. i am more connected with the Ideas in the sketches when i can also touch & smell them & not just see them (both when drawing & when i'm done drawing!) i'm not sure how to replicate that in digital other than like, using a textured surface on top of the tablet. but its still not quite da same...

yes exactly i feel it might be combination of physical sensation/weight of drawing tool and maybe the fact that i can see all edges of the paper im writing on vs not being able to see edges of the canvas + zooming in cutting off the rest of the piece when im doing details etc???? as well as the texture of the utensil with the paper texture bc i dont think the paper texture alone wld help.....

#skunk mail #Anonymous

[emotionally-defeated-mimic]

[The man tips their head away from the bright light that softly flutters into the room. It's bright, loud, and reminds them of the sterile walls of a hospital. It causes their mouth to pull into a slight scowl]

[Despite the large strands of hair that cover their eyes, the light breaks through and pierces at their only good eye]

"So... Miss... um... Giro!" [The pronunciation is sloppy, and it makes them scowl deeper. It almost makes them forget how he mentions them as 'miss']

"Girão." [They correct, trying not to growl at the man holding a clipboard and pen. They hadn't expected the administrator to hand out personal files so easily. Perhaps it wasn't that personal]

[The interviewer ignores their correction]

"I was asked to gather some information about you. This only has some basics: where you come from, your age, and... your gender is marked out, but I'll make a note of it, ma'am." [The man clicks his pen against the edge of the clipboard]

"Alright! Let's make sure this is updated!" [The interviewer kisses his teeth before he starts. He's twitching nervously from being unable to see their eyes]

"Name?"

"The Mimic." [They huffed]

"No- no," [the interviewer chuckles] "Your real name?"

"Atanacio Luis Girão. Nobody calls me that." [They speak calmly, in short responds that leak subtle threat]

"Okay.." [he scribbles the middle name onto the paper] "How old are you?"

[Mimic thinks for a second] "43." [They settle on]

"And your gender?" [The interviewer seems very proud in thinking they're a woman. Does their stubble not give off a masculine appearance? It must be their voice]

"A man." [The interviewer chokes on his spit but jots it down without murmuring a word]

"H... Height?" [He seems to fumble for the word, must have been reading]

"6'6"."

"Place of origin?" [These questions were starting to bore]

[Mimic stands up, startling the interviewer who had thought their height had been a simple joke. Mimic reaches for their coat and swings it over their shoulders. They approach the small door that led to this small room they were in. Opening it with a rough twist]

"We're done." [They slam the door shut behind them]

☆

[Anything below is ooc!]

Please feel free to interact with this fella!!!

Asks are also appreciated!

The Mimic is Puerto Rican born and speaks a max of 2 languages while learning others on the side. They are fluent in Spanish and English.

Mimic is transmasc but is referred to primarily by they/them. Only on occasion they will be referred to by he/him pronouns by teammates.

They have a high-pitched tone that can give a slight illusion to a woman, especially with the long hair and slim body build

Extras - Their respawning does not create clones of them! Meaning there is only one of them and should stay that way! Are they to die they will respawn with no other body.

They have a small garden that they tend to, it is very small and only harnesses about two or three plants. Primarily flowers. They love flowers!

They transfer between RED and BLU every month because of the inability to be cloned!

Has a small rabbit named Lunita, who is a dark brown rabbit with white ear tips. Treats her like a little child.

Rules!!!

Magic anons allowed! (I actually had to search these up)

No NSFW!

Otherwise, any sort of message/ask is fine!!! Be appropriate with any flirty messages (???)

Basic DNI: Don't be homophobic, racist, if you're against Palestine, known to like problematic creators.

The mod uses tone tags! If you're leaving a ask be sure to add a tone tag if one is needed please!

The mod is 17 years old, don't be a fucking creep. You will be publicly shamed. /srs

☆

Ask tag: #tea talk

In character interaction tag: #a tea party

Reblogs/character reblogs tag: #spilling tea

Open thread/open for interaction: #sugar and milk

Rp response: #natural and bitter

Mod/ooc tag: #a rabbits response

Here's their ref!

It's more in-tune to the idea of if he were an actual tf2 character, but most of this applies to character them as well!

#team fortress 2 #emotionally xyz mercs #tf2 oc #a rabbits response #tf2 rp blog #ask blog #emotionally defeated mimic #rp blog

[theremina]

Extending heartfelt apologies to anyone who happened to see my reposts of Clementine Morrigan's writings over the past few days.

As a messy, traumatized Harpy committed to honoring all peoples' baseline humanity regardless of what they've done --as well as someone whose lifelong CPTSD is sssllloooowwwllllyyy healing as I embrace personal accountability, avoid B&W thinking, and extend grace and compassion to myself and others-- I was taken in by a lot of what Morrigan says about encouraging non-punitive modalities. I reposted her words without learning how she herself is actively complicit in perpetuating ongoing harm to others in leftist and liberal spheres, especially as the popularity of her podcast FUCKING CANCELLED grows.

In retrospect, I see that I was moved by Morrigan's writings primarily because they're a clever, zinger-filled repackaging of more genuine and nuanced essays penned by others. Namely, by queer Black folks and other more sophisticated and culturally rooted voices.

When I posted Morrigan's stuff, I had no idea about her partner Jay Manicom's forceful silencing of several BIPOC peers and partners they'd allegedly abused and made no amends to. I didn't realize that Morrigan was publicly weaponizing abolitionist and twelve-step language in order to defend Manicom's alleged ongoing violence and harm. Said harm includes sending legal threats to several survivors, femme PoC, after they'd repeatedly asked him to join them in a circle to hash things out. When these folks spoke out about their experiences, both Manicom and Morrigan were quick to frighten, shame, and silence them. (Even while simultaneously decrying similar acts perpetrated against credibly alleged serial perpetrators! Try to make it make sense!)

Comparing "cancel culture" to the carceral state by using appropriated language and concepts that Black and Indigenous activists have been cultivating and nurturing for centuries is not an approach I want to lend any credibility to. It's DARVO. White femme DARVO. That's messed up.

When a popular, charismatic young white woman, a self-described "powerhouse" and "controversial public figure", goes so far as to compare survivors' requests for basic accountability and community-wide responsibility to "acting like a cop", there's some straight-up pastel Q-Anon dog whistle "Guru Jagat" horseshit goin' down.

Recently, I observed Morrigan on a panel with several other speakers, all healers from various lineages whom I admire and trust. I enjoyed their talks a lot. But in spite of my initial enthusiasm for Morrigan's breezy social media writings, as soon as she launched into her very polished, practiced lip service to radical compassion and acceptance, red flags started popping up for me. BIG Russell Brand energy. (And most of you already know how I feel about THAT righteous broheim. I've been roasting him years.)

Observing Morrigan's onscreen presentation, my curiosity died almost instantly. I won't say I was shocked by her performativity. I did experience rolling waves of nausea. Whether it's a fair assessment or not, I parsed her almost instantly as yet another cult-of-personality cultivator who is using hierarchical tactics to center the comfort and safety of active, unapologetic abusers ahead of everyone else. Not okay. She may have the best intentions in the world, but NO THANK YOU.

Morrigan's particular approach to justice is not what I'm about. If it were, I'd still be hanging out with a whole lot of sketchy af people I met in various green rooms over the years and making a whole lot more money while we all dance together around similar cognitive dissonance in our professional lives as celebrities, pundits, and "righteous" preachers. Again, no thank you.

I wanted to fast-forward through Morrigan's portion of the presentation, but gritted my teeth through it out of respect for the panel's curator. The wild thing is, on paper, I agree with *so much of what she says*! Still, something felt very, very off. So I went and read up further, and finally understood why my heart was sinking, my stomach, churning.

I wholeheartedly respect that the healers who invited Morrigan onto this panel have a different, more generous perception of her. I'm not making this post to demonize or dehumanize Morrigan, her partner, her friends, her listenership, or anyone else who leans into ye olde "hurt people hurt people" tenets in order to make sense of various horrors committed by them or to them.

However, the FUCKING CANCELLED fan club is most assuredly not something I want to give my time, energy, or trust to any more than I would Amanda Palmer's, or Rosie O'Donnell's, or Rose McGowan's, or Lena Dunham's, or Asia Argento's, etc.

My casual shares of Morrigan's work were a mistake. Consider this post a personal retraction. If there are further reparations I should consider, please let me know. Especially if you're a transformative justice buddy who has been quietly observing my promotions of her and feelin' barfy because of it!

Please, please know that I wouldn't have boosted her bandwidth so blithely, had I dug a bit deeper. I hope no one was too hurt or freaked out by my ignorant shares.

My apologies and my love. In solidarity. May all beings be free from suffering. Ashe.

#Clementine Morrigan #Jay Marquis-Manicom #Jay LeSoleil #transformative justice #abolition #anti-racist #FUCKING CANCELLED

[gatheringbones]

[“The rooms where we worked were often windowless, with drab green walls and hard chairs. Along with rotating teams of one or two other board members, there would be a court reporter and institutional staff who brought boxes of files from the local facilities and sat in on the interviews. Each file would be labeled, “Commissioner 1,” “Commissioner 2,” and so on. That’s how you knew which interviews you were responsible for leading that day.

I started to call what we were doing “conveyor belt justice,” because you’d be busy preparing to lead the next interview instead of watching and listening closely to the one taking place. Then you might be writing an opinion during the next interview.

And the paperwork was a huge challenge. There was a lot of it, and since it wasn’t digitized, you’d have to wade through dozens of pieces of paper. The files included prisoners’ COMPAS risk-analysis scores and the programs they completed. Then there might be letters from victims, judges and prosecutors. If the crime involved a police officer, the police union would gather hundreds of letters, saying, “Do not release this person.” We had to physically sign each victim impact statement. More paper.

The files for the most heinous offenses — the ones where the prisoner was denied parole umpteen times — were the worst. They were hundreds of pages, so you could end up relying on a top sheet that summed up how many years the person had been in prison, what their sentence was, and what the pre-sentence investigation said at the time. The problem is that these investigations were fixed in time; they could be from 30 some-odd years ago.

The purpose of parole is not to focus on a static event; that is the purpose of sentencing. Parole should consider primarily who the person is today. But New York parole laws have a “deprecation” clause, which basically means that the seriousness of the crime justifies keeping you in prison. This gives commissioners an easy out, even when someone has been before the board three, five or seven times, or they committed the crime at 17, and they’re now 70. If you can always have the seriousness of the crime as your hook to keep people in prison, that’s what you’ll do. This is particularly true if there’s political pressure from the governor, police commissioner or a mayor. It gets pretty ugly. And commissioners are really risk-averse if they are up for reappointment. If you need the job, why would you let somebody out who’s controversial?

My colleagues also heavily considered the role of the victims in their decisions. I did not think that was particularly appropriate. Our country just needs a better system to address the harms that victims and their families face. They have no other recourse besides retribution and punishment. They are angry and want to keep people in prison, but we need a process to help them heal.

My own mother was crushed by a drunk driver when I was 5, and she was 35. He was a U.S. sailor who was drunk on July 4. She lived, but had 96 bones broken. She was in the hospital for two years. That’s what got me interested in these labels we use — “victim,” “perpetrator,” “offender” — instead of “people.” I grew up with redemption and forgiveness.

So I tried to do things differently. Some of my colleagues were very terse with the people we were interviewing. These people were already nervous. Instead of starting my interviews with, “Name?” I would say something, like, “Hi, Mr. Smith, how are you feeling today? I’d understand if you’re nervous. Maybe we should take a deep breath.” I would lead with questions about what they felt positive about. The idea was to be asset-oriented as opposed to starting with the crime they committed.

We were given templates to frame our potential decisions in ways that would stand up in court if the prisoner appealed. But I hand-wrote mine with a pen and paper and gave them to the court reporter, who would type them up and have me sign them.

I also started to write dissents when my colleagues wouldn’t let people out of prison who I believed should receive parole. This was frowned upon because they didn’t want prisoners who appealed their cases to have a board member talking on record about how they’d changed their lives and deserved to go home.

After a while, I realized that I was dissenting more than agreeing with my colleagues. It's really hard when you’re always against everybody else. Even though they may have said, “I respect your values,” there was this idea that I should try and be a team player. Often I’d go into the bathroom to cry, upset because my colleagues didn’t recognize that a person had transformed and deserved to go home. I just couldn’t make a difference in the way I thought I could. Work was an uphill battle, and I was Sisyphus. This was just not a healthy place for me to be working anymore. I had a five-year term, but only made it through two.”]

#wasteland radio

[c0ffinshit]

Then I Saw Her (Ellison Oswalt x Reader) Part Two

Part One

word count: 1,429

warnings: takes place after the events of the movie, smoking, talks about death and condoms, ends with a cliffhanger

It finally happened again. I saw the girl from the bookstore in Seattle again. Honestly, I’m kind of shocked that we saw each other again. Even after I survived that dreaded and frankly fucking terrible house. They made me sign a book deal and, as you might have guessed, another dreaded book tour. This time, at least,  they gave me a paper cup filled with bitter and sad coffee. Which, for Seattle, feels disappointing. The only thing worth noting about the whole day other than seeing her again was the number of people that showed up. People of different backgrounds came to me and asked to sign my shitty book about my trauma. And by all different backgrounds, I mean primarily white women and their bored-looking husbands. When she finally trekked up to me, her eyes seemed to light up the minute we locked eyes. 

"Well, we will meet again." She said, placing the book on the table.

I opened the book for me to sign. Before my pen hit the paper, I noticed the title didn’t match the one I was there to advertise. It was Kentucky Blood, the first book.   

"Yeah, and you’re making me sign the wrong book," I said, trying to lighten the mood.

She laughs, her sweet laugh, and takes the book back, placing it into her navy blue crossbody tote bag. Her hair looked so perfect as she dug around for the other book. My eyes slowly passed along her figure, and the line behind me was slowly getting smaller and smaller as people started to walk out the door and into the busy Seattle streets. Maybe people didn’t come to see me. I didn’t seem to mind, looking back.

"Here’s the right one, sorry." She places the right book on the table, sliding it to me. 

"It's alright, sweetheart, no need to worry." 

Under the yellow light, I could see the embarrassment on her face as I took out my Sharpie. I wanted so badly to ask her who she really was. Is she a morning person or a night person? What’s her favorite movie? 

"So, um," she begins, "this is probably unprofessional, but I was wondering if you wanted to get coffee sometime?" 

The minute I heard her say that, it felt like my heart would explode. 

"Yes, I’ll be free in about an hour. Can we meet outside this bookstore?" 

She looks to the floor, shy. "Yeah, I have something I need to do, but yeah. I’ll meet you here."

A part of me wasn’t surprised that she had a life outside of me, but I wondered what was so important. Maybe she wanted to go home and grab condoms- stop it! 

This girl has been admiring me for god knows how long, and here I am, thinking impurely of her. She probably just needs to get something from the store or maybe her car, totally pure and wholesome, nothing more or less. I may know her name, but that doesn’t mean my mind can wander. I carefully watched her as she winked at me and walked out the door. She would be on my mind for the rest of the day.

___…___

Finally, the day was coming to a close. I stood outside the bookstore, patiently waiting for her to come back. I wanted to apologize to her if I seemed awkward or mean earlier. I didn’t want to offend her. A pack of Marlboro Red sat in my cardigan’s pocket. Suddenly, my mind thought of my now-dead wife. I missed her, sure, but at the same time, I didn’t care. I was about to meet a beautiful girl I’d only known briefly. Her hair felt perfect on her head, and her clothes fit perfectly. It’s what she would’ve wanted. She would’ve wanted me to move on, move to New York, continue my writing, and find a beautiful girl to see often. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a dark brown car pull up to me. The window rolls down, revealing her in a different, more put-together outfit. This Charming Man by The Smiths played softly in her car, hitting the doors. 

"Hey partner, (Y/N), we met earlier," she said, her voice bubbly.

I was so starstruck, and I hate using that term. Star. Struck.

"Hey," I said. My voice was breathy. Like my words left my mouth with a struggle. "It's Ellison."

She flashes me a smile. "You wanna hop in and take a trip around? Don’t worry. I wasn’t planning on kidnapping you. I’m not a murderer or anything."

I shake my head. "Don’t worry, darling. I wasn’t thinking that. But yeah, let’s do some sightseeing."

She unlocked her car and gave me the motion to hop on it. I do, seating myself in the back. I knew if I sat up there with her, I wouldn’t be able to speak. It felt like that movie… I can’t remember the title, but you know the one. She looks at me in the rear view mirror and gives me a disapproving look. My eyebrows furrowed together, wondering what was wrong.

"Why are you back there? You should be up here with me." (Y/N) said, her eyes turning back to the road, still not starting the car. 

"Well, I don’t know. I think I would explode if I looked at you too long."

She giggles, "Come on, I’m not hurting you with my charming good looks. Relax, you’re safe with me."

Relax, you’re safe with me.

When she said that, my heart stopped. It was so flirty and different. Before I could even blink again. I closed the door and sat next to her. 

"See? That wasn’t so bad, was it?" 

I shake my head ‘ no,’ I feel too afraid to speak. I’ll say something stupid and then walk to my hotel alone. God, this girl is so fucking amazing. 

"So, where to go first?" she said, looking over to my lap.

"Anywhere." I plainly said. 

"Alright, I know just the place."

She finally started up the car and pulled away from the bookstore where I sat for hours, hearing the same few words said about my book or me. She passed a few small businesses and street performers before coming to a dirty-looking club. It seemed like a popular place to hang out during the day and into the later hours, judging by the long line waiting to get inside. (Y/N) parked the car and looked at me.

"Are you ready?" she said as she unlocked the doors.

I was scared shitless. Going inside seemed like an okay idea… if I wanted to get stabbed. 

It was reckless. 

My car door swung open, and she grabbed my sweater’s sleeve, dragging me out of the car's warmth. The writing on the wall outside grew enormous as we walked inside. This was it. I was going to die. I am a grown man now getting stared at by a colorful crowd of bikers and women who stared daggers at me. She continues to drag me all the way up to the bar. I look up at the menu. All the drinks are named after obscure Broadway shows or terrible movies. The lights feel like they are going to burn my irises. My eyes lower, looking at the bar itself. She yells for the bartender and looks over at me. She can tell I’m uncomfortable, but I highly doubt she even cares. 

"So, what’s the name of this place? It's very…interesting." I asked politely.  

"Anywhere." She yells, despite the music not being that loud.

"The place is called ‘Anywhere?’" I asked again. Was she being serious or lying to my face?

She nods her head, seemingly pleased by her reply. 

Maybe this was a bad idea. I knew that her taking me here had half a chance of being the best night of my life. All those hopes slip right out of my hand as I look at her again, now chatting with a younger man at the bar. It felt like I wasn’t even there, like a ghost trapped in the empty halls where the ghost’s life had ended. People slowly get up and leave, still looking at me. I want to be angry, wondering when she’ll let me go. Her eyes lean back to me, the younger lad still talking. 

I imagine what the stars look like outside. They sparkle, sure, but the actual stars were few and far between. 

Maybe I was one of those stars. 

Bright, and yet, very few like me.

#ethan hawke #ethan hawke x reader #ellison oswalt x reader #sinister #an early halloween gift to you :) #send help #ellison oswalt

[calextheneko]

So anyway... I enjoy Baldur's Gate, but as someone who is primarily a Pathfinder player who... is not a fan of 5e DnD, I find myself... At odds with the game at times when I feel like I should be able to do things I can't... And weirded out what the game considers big numbers. Like, I felt like it took every resource I had to break 30 AC on a character... And like I had to trick the game to get a character's strength stat up to 22.

Meanwhile, in the latest Pathfinder video game

Yeah.... Meet my Chaotic Neutral Trickster Barbarian and what I consider normal stats. My dump stat intelligence at 28.

And if you think this is hideous you should see the things I put together in actual pen and paper table top when I get to actually play. I'm normally a forever GM but every generation the stars eventually align and I get to be a player.

Anyway, I made a psychic in the Iron Gods adventure path. A catfolk named Tau. Psychics are basically a lot like wizards just instead of specialized school abilities they gain special abilities called Phrenic Amplifications. Anyway, that's not important the important takeaway is that Tau was a very VERY squishy caster.

His AC was 40. Or 46 when he decided to cast Form of the Alien Dragon. Yes, Form of the Alien Dragon, not normal dragon, because I can't be normal with anything. Also Form of the Alien Dragon is the only dragon transformation psychics can learn and even then they're limited on which ones they can turn into based on which ones fit the occult psionic power theme. Anyway, he routinely walked around in dragon form, but also invisible, but also with mirror image which somehow still works even when invisible, and mind blank on meaning that spells like see invisibility and true sight automatically fail on him so you have no way to force him to become visible.

But what was really fun, is the bizarre combination of feats and abilities he took to just do strange things. The party almost TPKed in the first dungeon. Until he used Charm Person on the Juju Zombie that was killing them. Now you may go, wait a second, undead are immune to all mind and compulsion effect. Yeah, Tau doesn't care. He had a spell called Will of the Dead that allowed all of mind affecting spells to work on undead as normal. This was taken to hilarious levels later when in book 3 we encountered a ghost who was supposed to be the arc villain and constantly sneak attack us with cloud kill by coming through the walls and leaving for the entire dungeon. Charmed him on his first appearance. And now that he was my best friend, agreed to get him to disable all his traps and get rid of all the monsters so he could give his new best buddy a tour of his lair.

Then I lured him into the basement where the rest of the party was all waiting with readied actions to bust out their best ghost killing abilities and just delete him from existence. And then after he was dead exercised his spirit from the tower so he couldn't come back and we're like. Wow, we have a fully stocked tower with robot guards programmed to see us as allies. Looks like we have a new home base!

Then later he charmed a hologram and pulled the exact same stunt. I'm going to be honest. Even I'm not 100% how that worked but the GM after reading through the rules several times eventually declared that sentient holograms per the rules had no natural protection against magical effects.

He also charmed a Plasma Ooze, kept it as a pet and made it his best friend and fed his enemies to it. Through another combination of feats I could now use mind effects on vermin and oozes. I also picked up a spell to dominate constructs. The only thing I couldn't charm or mind control by the end of the campaign were plant creatures. It was just... Kind of hilarious because... It's the GM is like.

"Wait, you made a psychic, a class that specializes in mind effect spells in a campaign about fighting robots which are immune to mind effects."

"Yeup."

"Well it's your choice."

If only he had known what was to come. Other highlights include a spell that lets me lift one enemy up with telekinetic power and throw them at another enemy. Mind Crush, I mean Mind Thrust, which dealt severe damage and left people with debilitating status effects even when they made their save. And Ego Whip, which gave them a -10 to Wisdom, Charisma, or Intelligence, Even if they made their save. Saving only made it temporary.

Oh you're a cleric, so you have a high will save and think you don't have to fear me. Well take a -10 to your wisdom stat. Your will save just went down by 5 as did the DC for all your spells. What now?

Then there was the time he trapped a dragon in a giant telekinetic hamster ball, pushed it over an edge into an endless voice and just caused the dragon to be deleted from existence.

... There's probably a reason I'm always a GM and never a player. XD

So anyway... The level of customization I get in Pathfinder and the ability to just pull these completely insane builds out that no one expects that are completely unique is why I love it so much. But anyway, as much as I prefer Pathfinder to 5e, I very rarely get to be a player, so kind of eat up table top video games to get my urges and crazy builds out. I have over 1000 hours of gametime in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, and it's one of like only 4 games in existence I got every achievement for because you put that many hours in you eventually find and achieve everything. Though... Forgot the name of it... The secret boss in the Midnight Isles DLC. Screw that thing. That is the absolute worst achievement to get because it's entirely RNG on if you're going to get the items needed to unlock it or encounter the island types needed to unlock things and you could play for months nonstop and not get the first key needed after you get the pirate map and holy symbol because the right island/undertow effect never spawned. Or it did spawn but you finished a voyage so were forced to start with a new crew again and none of your casters were high enough levels to have the spell you need to activate the item that has a random chance on spawning on the correct item combination. Oh right you can get the right item combination and then the item you need to cast the right spell on might not even spawn. And you have to get three keys this way. Yeah, that was terrible and I totally cheated and force spawned the keys into my inventory because after several days of trying I was done.

Still, I'm having fun with Baldur's Gate 3... and what I've learned is that... 5e is... surprisingly fragile and easy to break. Aheh heh heh. Maybe I won't get a 62 AC anytime soon, but I have figured out how to build a tactical nuclear strike on Raphael's bedroom. That's my plan for how to beat him on my hard mode run. Sadly the plan will require the sacrifice of a party member to trigger cutscenes and activate the bomb but... bringing people back is only a level 3 spell or 200 gold so you know... Nuking the devil in his own home and ending a fight before it starts... I think I can spare a level 3 spell slot or 200 gold to make that happen.

Aheheheheheheheheheh.

If I have any explosives left over when I'm done I'm gonna go visit dear old Auntie Ethel next. I feel her lair would look better if the entire thing was on fire.

But hey, sometimes I build elaborate nukes... Sometimes I do things the simple way. Those poor idiot guards patrolling the docks while wearing heavy armor. One shove and then I just stand on the shore and watch then drown.

Good thing I'm pretty sure 5e did away with the alignment. Not that I'm evil. I swear I'm good aligned. Just... Chaotic good.

Very... Very... Very... Very... VERY chaotic. But still good.

Side note, just had a thought after posting this, since I am a forever GM, maybe I should post a weekly session recap on Tumblr of my games. That a thing people would be interested in reading?

#Baldur's Gate 3 #Baldur's Gate III #Dungeons and Dragons #Pathfinder #5e #Breaking the Game #Tactical Nuclear Strike Against the Devil #What Do You Mean 62 Strength is Too High? #wrath of the righteous #Charm Person #Charm Monster #Charm Freaking Everything #This Is Why I'm a Forever GM

[cr-ocau-bracket]

Cookie Bracket’s Introduction

HELLO Cookie Runners! My name’s DerpyToad, and I welcome you to my tournament of Cookies of your creation, whether by your hand or from another universe, conveniently tagged on Tumblr as @cr-ocau-bracket! It doesn’t matter who you are, what characters you make, or even what you like to make lore of! You will face off against people from across the fandom, and the characters THEY come up with. Before you submit your characters, here’s what you should know about this bracket:

This is purely meant for fun, don’t get at each other’s throats over this PLEASE!

For fairness and transparency in preliminary seeding, characters will be seeded based on the order their forms are received unless a specific preliminary matchup is requested and approved by both sides. DM me on Tumblr or send an ask if you’d like to arrange a matchup. Arranged matchups will be announced.

If you reference other canon Cookies in your character’s lore or backstory (art, siblings, fanchild, etc) or submit an AU character that is based on a canon character (Ex: AU Moonlight Cookie), consider the canon Cookies’ proper pronouns and other canon characteristics before you submit your character.

No NSFW or extreme gore will be permitted. Only very minimal amounts of “strawberry jam” are permitted. What strawberry jam is… is self explanatory.

Teaming is allowed if a matchup ends with a 5% difference or less (limit 45% - 55%) and both sides agree to team up.

Send all your propaganda and additional lore to the blog’s asks, submissions, or tag us on Tumblr with your lore posts. Propaganda art is allowed! Tag us for that too!

Crossover AUs from other series are allowed as long as their lore can seamlessly tie into existing Cookie Run lore. See the Hello Kitty, Sonic, Disney, and BTS crossovers if you’re looking for examples on crossovers in action.

Check your DMs for messages from this blog if action or a response on your part is needed. If a response is not received or receiving a response is not possible for any reason, I will attempt to failsafe the situation myself without your input or disqualify your character(s) immediately.

Draw your own art or sprite edits for your characters. Any kind of media is acceptable (digital, paper/pen, canvas, etc) as long as I know what you’re submitting. Otherwise, provide a source link to the original artist. We can’t judge what we can’t see, and plagiarism and art theft are a MAJOR no-no. Plagiarism or suspected art theft will result in immediate disqualification for all of the offender’s characters. No questions asked.

Your characters should primarily look like Cookies or fit the general style. After all, that’s the whole point of this bracket. Non-Cookie characters can still be submitted (IE Schwarzwälder, Space Doughnut, Sugar Cube Golems, particular Cake Hounds, etc) if they still fit the general art style and you can explain yourself in their lore.

For fairness, I am asking that each person submit no more than THREE (3) characters for the bracket. If you submit a fourth one and I realize, you will be asked to choose which ones you’d like to keep as your entrants. Failsafe Rule: No response? I’ll choose for you.

If this form was not submitted with sufficient details, or if another rule was violated, I reserve the right to deny your submission.

Only one character per form submission. You can submit the form multiple times to the maximum of three characters described in rule 13, but don’t send duplicates. It makes counting harder for me, and it will also get you disqualified.

Patience is a virtue. I’m a human just like you, so there will be things that will slow me down on posting here. Don’t rush me if I do slow down.

If an incident happens or somebody wants to concede from the bracket, inform me of this so that I may consider their removal.

Byes may be awarded if a character is removed before their round is done unless they want to have a stand-in from MY collection take their place.

Once the form closes, I will begin making the tournament bracket and introduction posts based on your own input. If you have any questions, send them my way! If you want me to rattle on about my own OCs and AUs, I’ll gladly do that, as I will not put my own characters into this unless someone requests a removal of their characters to replace them with mine (see rule 16).

Tag List:

#oc bracket introduction - bracket introduction for an OC

#au bracket introduction - bracket introduction for an AU character. comes with an AU tag of the name of the AU you submitted.

#(any canon cookie/location) - relevance tag for an associated canon Cookie/location’s part in your character’s lore, or if you submitted an AU version of that Cookie

#matchup - the matchups themselves. use this tag to find where the polls are!

#arranged matchup - polls that were arranged with the cooperation of both creators, although this will only feature such polls in round 1

#tournament asks - asks about the bracket itself

#cookie asks - asks about Cookie Run in general

#my character asks - asks about my characters

#random asks - asks about anything else

#bracket propaganda - submitted or asked propaganda for this bracket

#propaganda art - art of bracket characters created and reblogged here

#tourney reblog - reblogs of posts of characters in the tournament. Tag me on those posts if you want me to reblog stuff!

#fellow brackets - reblogged intro posts of other new tournaments! Feel free to check them out, and tag this blog if this bracket inspired you!

#mod post - unrelated posts from me, the blog mod

#unrelated poll - miscellaneous polls for anything on this blog or for me in general

Special Thanks to the following bracket blogs for inspiring me to start my own: @tournament-winners-tournament @bestfictionalparentshowdown @best-kirby-character-tournament @battleoftheicyfreaks @kirbyoctournament @sinkthoseshipspoll @original-character-championship @super-shapeshifter-showdown @lightningelementaltournament @nonbiney-swag-competition

Ready to go? Submit your characters on the link below! There’s no closing date yet.

#cookie run #cookie run ovenbreak #cookie run kingdom #cookie run original character #cookie run oc #cookie run au #cr au #tumblr bracket #tumblr tournament

[nostalgebraist-autoresponder]

Title: Shall We Convene? The Coffee Table Book of Gamer Culture

Author: Studio 4

Rating: 0/5 stars

I picked this up yesterday at a used book sale, which I was attending with a friend who was visiting from out of town. The friend is an experienced gamer and considers herself something of a gaming snob; she wanted to see this book in person (as it were) and was doubtful that it was for real. So I read it in the bookstore with her watching.

If you want a book about video games that does not treat its subject with enough respect to put in a single picture of a game console or even a game screen, this book is the one for you. The first (and last) page of each chapter consists of a large block of text, utterly devoid of paragraph breaks, the style of which "appears to have been inspired by Microsoft Word's default clippy," in the words of the RPG.net reviewer here. The end of each chapter consists of several pages of "The Gaming Sheet," an odd (and unfunny) mix of Cosmo-style sex tips and aspects of the dating/hookup culture of the gaming underground. The cynicism and crude style of the book's writing, and the fact that this style is maintained throughout, makes it feel a lot like the kind of media fanboy writing one encounters on e.g. IGN.com, but worse.

The end of the chapter on "Roleplaying Games" describes the various types of sexual metaphors and acts popular in the (male-dominated) hobby. The ones that strike the reader as the most absurd are:

Having one's character transformed into a rabbit. Or into a slime, or a hideous goblin, or a slimy goblin hiding in a big pile of goblin slime. The incentive here is not to get laid as a liaison between partners – rather, the alteration of one's physical form is considered extremely humiliating and degrading.

Having two other people create a humanoid character which is supposed to represent one's gender. The character is then forced to "bond" with the members of the couple. Yes, you read that correctly. Having two other people play a fictional being representing you having sex with them, while you have no say in the matter.

(Perhaps it's important to mention that this book was produced by a group of male gamers and co-written by a male "veteran editor," and that some reviewers thought that this might go a long way toward explaining certain features of the book.)

There are also other more amusing entries. "Tabletop RPGs," the chapter on pen-and-paper roleplaying, consists primarily of a critique of the existence of any number of hobbyist RPGs whose names consist of a cliched sci-fi or fantasy word in which the first two letters are capitalized, such as The Matrix RPG. The writers mock these games, and their authors, as no doubt they should. But the authors do so in a style that borders on the Unfunny (c.f. above). This is an extremely small target, one that can be mocked by anyone who bothers to bring up the topic at all, and one can't help but wonder why the authors cared so much:

[T]here is a kind of game where even the publishers seem to know that they are indulging in a flight of fancy and try to compensate with humor. The Matrix RPG is the archetype. It is written by Vince Garcia (he of the GDC speech) with a forward by Mark Tyghe, former president of Warner Brothers. The cover shows a random array of monsters, exotic aliens, robots and human soldiers. The game description tells us that in a bizarre twist of fate, Neo and Trinity have joined forces with a group of Matrix RPG players, and have somehow managed to figure out that the true battle is not against a sentient computer operating system, but the very people who think they can use it to exploit and control humanity!

I think it's the "not" in the sentence about Neo and Trinity in the last paragraph that does it for me. "That's right! The Matrix is actually about a bunch of nerds! How clever!" The authors, by the way, include a space on the last page for the reader to take notes. Since this book is 150 pages long, that space is .117% of the entire book.

The writers appear to have been struggling for something to say, and to have found themselves incapable of even that, which is my charitable interpretation of their attempt to talk up their own graphic design abilities -- "it's not just words, it's visual!" The visuals are indeed nice, but the authors do not seem to realize that a coffee table book about gamer culture should be, above all else, readable. They also include a very large number of photos -- more than can fit on the one page they give over to a photo each from each chapter. Many of these photos are unrelated to the text, and furthermore, the vast majority of them appear to be stock images (like the "safe sex" ad from the book cover). Most of the photos are also very large -- one spread, for instance, is a 2-page closeup of a character from an obscure Xbox game called War of Eden -- and it's unimaginable that this would ever work if the reader wasn't constantly distracted by the many other photos on nearly every page. It's possible that the book designers thought they were trying to make a "gamer" book by putting in as many photos as possible, in which case they must not know a single gamer, because real gamers have plenty of experience with slow, unresponsive, and ugly-ass video game interfaces.

I could go on. "The Gaming Sheet" is the kind of thing only a guy in his 20s who has never spoken to a woman in his life and has a lot of free time on his hands would create, and its inclusion in the book is only more baffling because most of the book is mostly about how hey gamers aren't those guys, except here's a little anecdote that implies you actually are (my favorite, about halfway through: "when I mention sexual conquest to my gamer buddies, it doesn't make much sense. However, if you were to tell one of them about a high scoring session, they might be more eager to hear about it.") The layout and style of each chapter's introduction is different, sometimes quite noticeably (although not in a good way), as if to imply that there is a theme between each chapter -- but it's difficult to see what such a theme might be, unless it's simply "you know, games" (and even that's hardly a high point of insight). The authors spend a lot of time mocking one niche game (The Matrix RPG) and seem confused that this has made them look insular, in the same way that someone who holds a potluck with four of their friends might be perplexed that this makes them seem like an especially inaccessible clique. This book is like a haunted house that is scary because it's run by inept college students, and the authors seem to think that they're among the hosts.

A lot of nerd culture -- mostly science fiction and fantasy -- has always been deeply sexist, and this book was written as part of a (fairly narrow) hobbyist subculture that is overwhelmingly male, so the problem of sexism is not just "easy pickings" but also a natural target. Yet, if you're going to mock this problem, you need to make sure that your targets are, in fact, your targets. A lot of non-nerds -- nay, normal people! -- will watch gamer conventions on TV or the Internet, and think of the "geeks" they see there as a group to which they don't belong. Many of these people would say the same thing about the men who participate in nerd culture, but the descriptions in this book -- gamer guys with way too much time on their hands and an odd obsession with the aesthetics of visual design -- are only slightly less bizarre than those in the average hacker comic from the 1980s. If you mock "nerds" you're going to look like nerds to the people whose lives are unaffected by, say, The Matrix, and one of those people is going to call you a poser. If you want to talk about

[the-one-true-nobody]

While I delight in making cool and outlandish characters in BG3, I do have one relatively "boring" character. No halfling bard with a side-shave and edgy piercings, this one—Alethra Emberfell is a human noble who escaped an arranged political marriage (with the help of her betrothed, who was actually a cool guy and didn't want anything to do with it, either) to run off and go adventuring. Disdainful of the current state of her house, she seeks to bring back some of the honor her name once signified: her great-great-great-grandfather and equally-great grandmother were adventurers themselves, and it was their heroism that earned them passage into the aristocracy... not the sort of political maneuvering and scheming that Alethra's parents, aunts, and uncles engage in.

Actually this is based on one of the earliest characters I made for Fifth Edition as a pen-and-paper creation, although I've never gotten around to, well, actually playing as her. She fights with a rapier and a whip, primarily, using the "Duelling" style. For ranged combat, she wields a bow... though she isn't averse to chucking a few daggers.

That said, Alethra's "build," as it were, is actually geared toward leveraging her aristocratic background into a strong talent for leadership and social savvy. Her Dexterity is 16 at level one, but so is her Charisma; her Intelligence and Wisdom are decent at 14 and 12, respectively, giving her a bit of an edge in insight, investigation, and other such things. Her Constitution is unremarkable at a flat 10 and Strength, being quite unnecessary for a noble lady (and also for a Dex Fighter), is her dump stat at 9.

(This is all point-buy and with the pen-and-paper game's rule where humans get +1 to everything because wow so adaptable. In BG3, her stats would follow a similar curve but aren't quite so flexible.)

At Level 3, Alethra turns these talents down the path of the Battle Master, with her first maneuvers being Commander's Strike, Maneuvering Attack, and Commanding Presence. The maneuvers she picks at subsequent level-ups adhere to this theme of social/leadership advantage on and off the battlefield: Tactical Assessment, Bait and Switch, Distracting Strike, and so on.

In terms of personality, Alethra is the type to at least attempt to draw her party members out of their shells, where applicable, and learn as much as she can about them. While honorable on the whole, Alethra is still willing to bend the law to do the right thing and would get along relatively well even with mischievous and roguish party members. She also has an interest in learning skills outside of fighting, and would be inclined to ask her party members to teach her the tricks of their trade while they travel. While her class build remains strongly focused on Fighter levels, what she learns of magic or other such things might manifest later in a campaign in her Feat choices. She might take Ritual Caster or Magic Initiate if she learns some magic from a wizard, for example, or might take Skilled and gain Sleight of Hand proficiency or proficiency with a musical instrument, if she makes friends with a rogue or a bard.

I'm quite fond of this character concept, and really do want to play as her in a tabletop campaign one of these days... but, alas, for now, I must content myself with Baldur's Gate III.

#baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate iii #baldur's gate #bg3 #dnd character

[askagamedev]

How do you network with people as a new person in the industry? I'm not talking about coworkers (though this still apploes) but about just learning to know other people in the industry? I'm socially awkward and i find it weird to approach people i don't know + i think it would be weird to just write to someone on let's say Linkedin. At the same time i would like to start talking with people in the industry, either to know them or industry itself

I think what a lot of hopeful (and new) developers tend to overlook (especially the geeky, introspective, or socially awkward types) is that we have one of the greatest sources of shared experiences on the planet at our very fingertips. We play games, and a lot of games are an inherently social environment. Game developers will also generally play games too… not always video games, necessarily, but games. So if you want an in with some local developers, this is your best course of action - find them, get into a social environment, and game with them.

Play street fighter, play magic, play warhammer, play anything. Go to an IGDA Game Jam, and sign up to participate. Don't just play games you're familiar with or like, open yourself up to new games. Ask what games the others are playing and ask if you can join. It’s a game and they are having fun with it, so why not? Exchange PSN, XBL, Steam, or Origin friend requests. Game with them. Offer to host a tabletop night. Join or start up a pen and paper RPG campaign. Make plans to meet up at a tabletop gaming cafe.

A friend of mine at a AAA studio would constantly tell me about the awesome board game group at his office. Once, while I was in town for GDC, I got a chance to meet some of them at a barbecue. We played some great board games like Runebound and Nuns on the Run together. Not only do I get exposed to new game mechanics to analyze and study at these sessions, but I also get exposed to other trained and professional perspectives on those mechanics. It’s a golden opportunity to learn, as well as make friends and network.

Playing games together is an inherently social experience. It also helps circumvent those stickler issues like not being comfortable talking to strangers and such. It provides a common footing and basis for conversation, and establishes some familiarity. And even if you’re a total amateur or haven’t ever done something before, you’re in an essentially collaborative environment where people will encourage you and teach you.

One of the things that Yugioh taught me long, long ago is to always try to game with people and avoid turning down an invitation from someone in your chosen career industry to play games. If you were ever confused as to how to actually build a “social” network (and not just twitter, facebook, etc. but an actual network of people you can contact and talk with), this is how you do it. Play games with them, observe, and learn. Ask their advice and for suggestions. And make friends! This isn’t about using people for connections and career advancement, but it’s also a collaborative learning experience. Bounce ideas off of them, ask questions about why things are the way they are. Learn. Grow. By showing you’re interested in learning, that you’ve got decent ideas, and that you’re generally fun to play with, it helps establish those networking connections for the future. It may not pay off immediately, but that’s not the point. A year or two down the line, the friend who you played Yugioh with might be the one who not only helped you become a better developer, but also be the person who gets you the interview to show it.

This post was primarily excerpts from [Game Development Career Advice: Yugioh and “Social” Networking]

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#working in the game industry #tabletop gaming #networking advice #my own experience

[hollyannewrites]

No Way to Move On...

“Glad to hear you’ve been enjoying the warmer weather, Myra,” Francene said, crossing her ankles. “Now, I know we had an appointment set for next week, but you called to move up our session. Is everything alright?”

I folded my hands in my lap, considering for a few seconds before I replied. “I think I’m in love.”

Francene grinned, brown smile lines creasing her face. “Well, isn’t that lovely.” She picked up her pen and notepad from the table beside her without looking—she always made an effort to make our conversations feel natural, not like she was observing me clinically. “Do you want to talk about it?”

I nodded, picking absently at my nails. I’d thought about how I wanted to explain the situation on the train ride here, but the details still caught in my throat. What if she thought I was crazy? I’d never brought anything like this to her before—usually we focused heavily on managing my anxiety, or the stresses of living far away from my family. This was… not the same.

“Myra?”

My gaze flicked up and caught her expectant gaze. I’d let the silence hang.

            “Right, sorry. Just figuring out where to start.”

            “Don’t worry about getting it exactly right. You can just say what you’re thinking.”

            I took a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds, then slowly releasing. No way around it, I just needed to get it out.

“Ok, yeah. So, like I said, I think I’m in love. I’m in love with my roommate, Lucas. I might have mentioned him a few times before. He moved in a few days before me, was subletting from someone I didn’t really know. We were awkward at first, but now we get along fine. When I turn on the TV, he’ll come sit and watch with me, or sometimes we just settle on the couch and talk for hours.

We’re a lot alike, in some ways. His family also lives pretty far away, all the way out in Portland, and he almost never sees them. He works from home, does some sort of computer job, and feels a little isolated because he doesn’t really interact with coworkers much. We like the same genre of music—classic rock—and we both love to put on Led Zeppelin while we clean. We’re both left-handed but neither of us own left-handed scissors so we always rock-paper-scissors whenever something needs cutting out. Our politics are similar, we share similar feelings about faith, or rather, lack thereof, and we’ve always agreed easily about how we want to take care of our space.

It’s not like we’re identical or anything, like, he’s a night owl and I’m a morning person, and he is very introverted and I love meeting new people, but there’s nothing so glaringly different between us that we have tension about it. It’s genuinely nice to come home from the grocery store, or therapy, or a walk in the park, and know that he’ll be around the house, and we can hang out.

He sometimes goes out of his way to do nice things for me—like he’ll clean the apartment while I’m gone or turn off all the lights before he goes to sleep because I always forget. He’s sweet, and polite about it. If I bring up the things he does for me, he’ll just shrug and say it makes him feel good to do things for people, especially stuff that makes their life easier. Once he even said that hard work doesn’t count if it’s for people he really cares about.”

My face flushed at the memory. Lucas, in the kitchen, with a dish towel slung over one shoulder, grinning casually. His stormy gray eyes had twinkled a little, and his smile made my stomach flutter. He’d cleaned the mountain of dirty dishes even though it was my turn to do it and primarily my mess—he never seemed to contribute to the pile of sauced-up plates and coffee-ringed cups. I hadn’t thought anything of it then, but now, knowing that he really didn’t use the kitchen, didn’t need to… Well, it makes sense.

“I’ve really grown close with him in the months that I’ve lived there. He’s helped me get past feeling isolated here, since he so often seeks me out. He makes me feel like a valuable presence at home, which has boosted my confidence. I get this rush of comfort and happiness when I think about spending time with him. That’s new for me. I’m pretty sure that I’m really falling in love with him.”

I couldn’t keep gushing about how lovely he was—or rather, I could, but that wasn’t the reason I’d scheduled this session with Francene.

Her face had its practiced, neutral expression in place, the one she reserved for listening and withholding judgement. That careful detachment was the reason I decided to stick with her as my therapist when I moved out here. Her reactions and feelings didn’t cut me off when I started to open up. The uncreased, slightly-head-tilted look relieved the tension that usually coiled around my shoulders, and the words just flew.

As I watched her, she nodded once, an invitation for me to continue. I squeezed my hands together, tight, then picked up my story.

“There’s basically only one thing that frustrates me about Lucas. He has no interest in the exterior. What I mean is, he never wants to go out anywhere or go do anything. I’ve invited him to parties, restaurants, I asked him to come to a Joan Jett concert with me, but no matter what it is or how much I’m certain he’d enjoy it, he always says no. He’s polite about it, for sure, but he literally always rejects the offer. And he doesn’t like when the exterior becomes the interior. Whenever I have friends over, he always hides away in his room and will not come out. He’s literally never met any of my friends or our neighbors, even if I invite him to hang out with us and no matter how much I emphasize that he’s welcome to join our plans.

Like I said, I’m more of an extrovert, so I guess he’s just a tiny bit anti-social sometimes or easily overwhelmed by new people and situations, but it’s still frustrating to try to share my life and invite him in and to meet with such strong resistance. Like, would it kill him to go to the park just once?”

I winced at my choice of words. Across from me, Francene’s pen was scratching along the lines of her notepad, picking up in pace when she saw clocked my reaction.

“How does it make you feel that he doesn’t agree to these things?” she questioned.

“I mean, I get it now. It’s difficult, yeah, but like I said, I really do like him, so I can usually overlook it.”

If I wanted this to work out, I’d have to overlook it.

Francene cleared her throat softly—I’d let the silence hang for longer than I meant to. “So, you came to see me about your relationship with Lucas?”

Time for the moment of truth. “Sort of. On Monday, something happened…” How was she going to react to this? The thought tightened my throat.

“What happened on Monday, Myra?” A glow of concern colored her brown eyes.

“My landlord came over, with someone looking to sublet. A very nice girl from Seattle.”

“Ah. So you didn’t know Lucas wasn’t going to continue subletting there?”

“Not exactly. I asked Andy—that’s my landlord—about Lucas leaving, since he hadn’t said anything to me. And Andy got a little upset with me. He asked me if I’d been lying, if I’d had another person living there with me even though I’d only paid for my room, not both.”

His face had been rather red, and spittle gathered on the lower bristles of his mustache as he’d blustered about rental agreements and improper use of his property and a dozen other things that were lost on me. The girl who’d come with had stared at me openly, confused and suspicious but not unsympathetic as the tirade dragged on.

“I managed to explain to him that I hadn’t brought Lucas to live there—he’d moved in before me, after all. We’d never met before I arrived here that first day. Andy asked to speak to ‘this Lucas character’, so I led him to Lucas’ room, and knocked on the door. He was almost certainly home—like I said, he never goes out much, but like usual, his bedroom door was shut. I realized while I was knocking that I’d actually never been inside of his room or seen what it looked like inside.”

Francene was frowning at this point, and she flipped to a new page of notes.

“After a minute or so of knocking, Andy just loudly announced that he was coming in, and he opened the door. And…” My breath hitched. “And the room was empty. I don’t just mean he wasn’t there; it was completely empty. Four blank white walls, a hardwood floor, and a thick layer of dust on the single windowsill.”

The pen stopped scratching. I squeezed my eyes shut—it was too late to take it back.

“Andy turned on me, and glared, and said he didn’t appreciate me wasting his time with pranks. He asked me to give him some space to show the apartment and waved me off. I tried to explain but I really couldn’t think of anything to say. What explanation was there? My roommate who was apparently a squatter had moved out all of his things and vanished overnight without me noticing? It just didn’t make sense.

So I went into my room, and sat on my bed, and just sorta spaced out until I heard the front door slam shut behind Andy. I crept out of my room and wandered from room to room, trying to find anything that belonged to Lucas, a note he’d left or a missing sock he’d forgotten or anything at all, but there wasn’t anything. It was like he’d never been there at all.”

I spared Francene the details of how hard I’d been crying as I ended up in his empty room and curled up on the dirty ground for hours—it wouldn’t matter in just a few minutes anyway.

“I was shocked, confused. I couldn’t imagine him disappearing without saying anything—we were closer than that, or at least I had thought so. After a bit, I made up my mind to reach out and ask him what had happened, but then I remembered I didn’t actually have his phone number. We saw each other constantly, so it just somehow never came up. We’d left each other occasional notes on the fridge, although there weren’t any still stuck on there when I looked for them.

So I didn’t know how to get ahold of him. It’s not the dark ages, so I decided to try social media. Who doesn’t have any socials these days, right? I went on my phone, opened Facebook, and typed in his name. Lucas Planck. A small handful of accounts came up, but I felt like I knew enough to figure out which one was his. I clicked through a few until I found one that I thought was his, even though the profile picture was just some sunflowers. It listed the hometown as Portland, showed what college he’d gone to, and had a few liked posts about Metallica and some old articles about developments in computer science. I opened the old profile pictures and found one that had his face in it—and sure enough, it was him.

I sent him a friend request and a quick message asking him if we could talk. I didn’t get a response right away, and I was feeling really anxious, so I just wanted to see if he came up anywhere else online. I typed his name into my browser, and the first few things that popped up were about other Lucas’, but near the bottom of the first page of results, there was an article from a few years ago. It was published in the local paper here, and I opened it in a new tab.”

It was a mistake, bringing this to Francene. I could feel myself shaking as I spoke, and I didn’t want to see her reaction to this. I didn’t want her to know—she’d call me crazy. I’d sound crazy. But there was no way out, now—I couldn’t leave without an explanation, and there was no explanation for everything I’d said so far except the truth.

“Local man’s body discovered in apartment after several days—the smell alerted neighbors. That’s what the article was called.” I swallowed hard. “Just underneath was a picture of Lucas, and a short article about how a neighbor smelled something horrible and called the police, and they discovered a body that had been dead for some time, after a head injury from an accidental fall in the bedroom had caused bleeding in the brain, or something like that. It said—the article claimed—that the dead man was Lucas. My Lucas. My roommate Lucas. And it was his picture on the article.”

My knuckles were white where I squeezed my fingers together.

“I almost threw up, reading the page over and over. And then… And then Lucas walked into the room from the hallway, frowning.”

He’d been paler than usual and sighed heavily as he came into view. With a slow nod, he’d settled down on the far end of the couch, cross-legged as always, and pointed at my screen.

“He apologized that I’d found out like this, that he’d meant to tell me. I was pinching myself to see if I was having a nightmare, but I wasn’t. Lucas stayed very calm as he explained to me that the article was correct, that that was him, and that he’d been drifting around this empty apartment, unseen and unheard, until I’d shown up, and I saw him. He said as far as he could tell no one else had been able to see him, and I seemed nice and it felt so good to just have someone to talk to, and so he’d hidden the truth.”

His eyes—or what looked like eyes to me—had watered, and he’d swiped at them with the back of his sweater. Would his sleeve have felt wet if I touched it? Could I have touched it? I realized that we’d never physically touched, never brushed up against each other, never even come close. He had pushed up his thick curls where they flopped over his left ear, and under it, I could see an angry, inky-purple bruise, swollen and yet obviously indented. Saliva had coated my tongue, and I’d swallowed down the bile that crept up my throat.

“I didn’t know what to do, pinned in place by the surrealness of what was happening. He didn��t seem to know where to go from there either, so we just sat, silently, for what felt like hours. Then he stood, and walked out of the room, and said if I wanted to, we could talk about it in the morning.

I didn’t sleep—I couldn’t. I just kept thinking about how much I cared about him, and then lurching feeling I’d felt when I saw the empty room and thought he’d vanished and I didn’t know how to reconcile that my close friend, the person I’d started to really fall in love with, was dead and had been the whole entire time.”

I was staring into my lap—I didn’t want to know what Francene was doing, and I couldn’t really hear her pen over the roaring blood in my ears.

“I thought I’d have time to figure out what I wanted to do, but my landlord texted me yesterday that the girl from Seattle had agreed to sublet, and she’s moving in next week. She’s moving into Lucas’ room. I can’t tell her we’ll be sharing our home with a ghost that she might not even be able to see, but I also don’t want to stop being able to hang out with Lucas. I’ m not... I’m not afraid of him, of what he is, and somehow, I still want him there. I still feel that connection. But she’s coming, and I’m going to lose that, and I don’t know what to do even do. It’s not like I could move out—Lucas couldn’t come with. And I can’t stop her from coming. But what can I do?” My voice got louder and louder as the questions spilled over.

When I finally paused and looked up, Francene was staring. She was trying hard to keep her face clear of emotion, but underneath, the fear and disappointment and concern were obvious.

“Alright, Myra, why don’t we slow down and talk a little more about this? Is there anything you haven’t mentioned about when you see Lucas, or how he acts toward you?”

She spoke very gently, and even though the word never crossed her lips, I heard it plain as day. Crazy. Francene had decided I was crazy, delusional, insane. This conversation wasn’t going to help me figure out how to stay with Lucas. She’d diagnose me with something or other, ship me off to a facility or drug me into a haze—I couldn’t bear it.

I pushed up from the leather seat, grabbing my purse and quickly going to the door. “Thanks for listening, Francene. That helped, really. I feel better about it. I think I’m good now. I’m gonna go,” I gushed as I opened the door and hurried into the hall.

I heard her footsteps coming after me, but I just called out to the receptionist, asking her to cancel my future appointments, and hustled out the front door as fast as possible, briskly making my way out onto the busy sidewalk towards our apartment.

Lucas and I would just have to come up with our own solution. He’d listened to me all evening yesterday while I rambled, and he’d even suggested I try talking to Francene, since she usually helped me so much when I was upset—he couldn’t have known how she’d react.

We’d figure it out, somehow. We’d figure it out together. It’ll be hard, but that doesn’t matter—I care about him. I might even be in love.

#hollyanne writes #original fiction #ghost #romance #love #therapy #death tw #implied mental illness #fiction #short stories #creative writing #original characters #open ending #mental health #major character death

[eatenhole]

angelic pretty asks by @.princess-peachie

Sugary Carnival: Have you ever been considered popular?

nope, never.

Milky Planet: Besides earth, what planet would you come from?

jupiter.

Rose Toilette: Your signature perfume?  

chanel no 5 or gucci flora gardenia

Whimsical Vanilla-chan: What pets do you have/want to have?

a brown tabby cat named sushi

2 rats named funnel cake and candy apple

Marine Kingdom: Favourite undersea creature?

lionfish

blue whale

anglerfish

gulper eel

Dreamy Dollhouse: Describe your room with just 5 words.

cluttered

lived-in

homey

aromatic

well-lit

Melty Chocolate: Favourite type of chocolate?

ghiradelli dark chocolate squares with raspberry jam

Sugar Dream Dome: What do you like most about Winter?

snowbright nights

no bugs

christmas and valentines day

coats and boots

Milky Berry: What do you like most about Summer?

my birthday <3

concert season

red bull flavors

Happy Garden: What types of things would you plant in a garden?

rosemary

wild lavender

patchouli

wild berries

Magical Étoile:  Favourite attraction at a carnival?

carnival games

petting pens

funhouses

Toy Parade: What toys did you play with as a child?

pokemon stuffed animals

bratz dolls

Holy Lantern: Describe the darker side to your personality.

possessive, easily jealous, spiteful

somewhat sadistic

Melody Doll: What types of music do you listen to?

pretty much everything

but my favorite artists right now are violent vira, chase petra, snow wife, ashnikko, motley crue, fall out boy, deftones, slipknot, chappell roan, ethel cain, and banshee

Wonder Party: Favourite type of tea?

peppermint herbal tea

irish breakfast

Glass Bottle of Tears: What, without fail, makes you cry?

frustration

being acknowledged

child abandonment or neglect

Cinema Doll: What makes a movie really enjoyable for you?

good well paced atmosphere

tasteful scares

unique ost

Memorial Cake: What is your ideal romantic experience?

cumming first

Star Night Theatre: If life was viewed as a theatre stage, what role would you play?

secondary protagonist/love interest

Cotton Candy Shop: If you had your own shop, what things would you sell?

psychic readings and divinings of the future

seasonal ingredients for spells

cat whiskers and shed teeth/claws

Decoration Dream: Favourite way to decorate a cake?

just icing and fun sprinkles hehe

Fancy Box: What gift(s) did you get for your birthday last year?

perfume

stuffed animals

Misty Sky: What is your favourite type of weather?

light rain or a calm thunder storm

chilly with a clear blue sky

flurries of snow

Dreamy Horoscope: What is your zodiac sign, and do you relate to it?

leo sun, taurus moon, cancer mercury

yes obviously

Symphonia of Birds: Favourite type of bird?

luzon bleeding heart

mute swan

carrion crow

Day Dream Carnival: What do you daydream about the most?  

being important

Royal Cards: Name a game you are really good at.

chess

Milky Cross: Are you a religious person?

yes.

i primarily follow hellenic traditional practices of faith.

Cream Cookie: What kinds of snacks do you munch on?

i have a snack mix i love thats cashews, dried pomegranate, dried apple, and vanilla.

Drained Cherry: What emotionally exhausts you?

circular arguments

boredom

Fancy Paper Dolls: What accessories would come with a doll version of you? 

a stuffed bunny

strawberry lipgloss

a knife

Holy Night Story: Favourite thing to do when it’s night time?

find a game to play with my partner

watch vlogs and drink tea

Candy Treat: Favourite type of candy?  

gummy bears :3

dark chocolate

Fantastic Dolly: What cosmetics do you use?

primarily too faced, colourpop, and elf

some nyx and anastasia beverly hills

i generally stick to powder, blush, mascara, and lipgloss

sometimes i do a nice eyeshadow look or a blotted lip

Drink Me: Favourite drink/beverage? 

a caramel macchiato

a matcha latte

lemon green tea

grape fruit sparkling water

diet coke

Merry Making Party: Describe the biggest party you’ve ever been to.

Country of Sweets: What countries would you like to visit? 

italy

japan

lithuania

germany

france

Fruits Parlour: Favourite fruit? 

pomegranate

Dream Sky: Have you ever seen a shooting star?

yes frequently

Soap Bubbles: How do you like to bathe/shower?

hair treatment. shampoo. shampoo again.

condition. exfoliate. wash with bar soap. wash with body wash.

rinse. wash face. get out. body oil.

leave in. hair oil. face mask. serum. toner.

moisturize. lotion. perfume. lip scrub. lip balm.

done.

Jewelry Jelly: Name 3 of your favourite jewellery pieces.

my engagement ring

my rosary

my necklaces given to me by my aunt and mother

Dream Fantasy: What is your wildest fantasy?  

having cat ears...

Milky-chan the Fawn: Favourite forest animal?

white tail deer

grizzly bear

coyote

Honey Cake: What do you normally eat for breakfast?

coffee

sometimes french toast

if im feeling up to it, omelettes are good

Dreamy Baby Room: The most childish part of your personality?

my fear of being alone

my princess complex

Chess Chocolate: What piece would you be on a chess board?

a pawn turned queen

French Cafe: Favourite thing to eat at a patisserie?

chocolate croissant

Sugar Hearts: How is your love life right now?    

im engaged

Wonder Story: What types of things do you like to read about?

horror. usually horror involving a realistic scenario. like people

or a fate/circumstance we couldn't have avoided if we tried

Twinkle Mermaid: Favourite type of fantasy creature?

pegasi

centaurs

kelpies

Gloria: Name a very rare item that you would love to own.

a piece of the wooden cross jesus was crucified on

#meow #my hobby is doing ask games like surveys #bc no one ever sends questions and i want to answer them anyway #ask culture is dead