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sahmandbean · 2 years ago

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Inherited Manor Challenge 2023 - a Sims 4 Gameplay and Build challenge for anyone who loves games like Homescapes and Lily's Garden

TW: fire, murder

Lucky Montresim took his name a little too literally on a recent Batuu vacation and found himself in serious gambling debt. In an effort to pay off the debts quickly and avoid being taken by a bounty hunter, he decided to list the family manor. The housing market took a downturn and the house didn’t sell. Driven insane by the stress of looking over his shoulder every minute and now the failed sale of his home, he turned his rage towards his neighbors and invited them over for one last dinner party. Surely their antics had resulted in the property values tanking and left him in this mess! Poor quality Pufferfish Nigiri was only the first course of punishment for the failed home sale: his “friends” found themselves locked in various rooms, lit up by fireworks, electrocuted, and even the subject of voodoo. Lucky burned as much of the evidence as possible, but it seems he either left or was taken before the manor burned completely. Once the news hit the family, they drew straws and decided you were the one who had to deal with the mess. You’ve always been the black sheep of the family, so while you are pretty sure the draw was rigged, you’re not mad about this fresh start. You have $1000, the photos from the real estate listing, and a heck of a lot of ghosts to deal with.

Content order: Maps Gameplay Rooms Links I will make a separate post with FAQs because otherwise this will be entirely too long.

MAPS

GAMEPLAY

If you have all of the required packs, I recommend using the save file for the full experience:

Cottage Living

Island Living

Get Together

Laundry Day

Get to Work

Discover University

Tiny Living

Parenthood

City Living

Cats and Dogs

Seasons

If any of these packs are not in your game, it will affect the save file. There is also a gallery download available which has been adjusted accordingly; burned items have been removed, etc.

Start as a single Young Adult sim. Gender, lifespan, aging, neighborhood stories, season length, and weather effects can be set to whatever you want to play with. There is no time limit.

If playing with the save file:

Load the game from the Load Game menu, not Resume

Select the lot and move in a new household

Create or place your Sim in CAS

If playing with the gallery download:

Select the save file you want to play in, whether new or existing

Place the lot ‘Inherited manor 2023’ on a 64x64 lot. I used the mainland lot in Windenberg.

Once the lot is ready:

Create or locate your Sim

Use ‘freerealestate on’ to move onto the lot

Use ‘testingcheats on’ and ‘money 1000’ to set your starting funds.

The main objective is to restore the manor one room at a time by cleaning, fixing, and refurnishing each room to reach the target Simoleon amount. Some rooms contain ghosts, some are more damaged than others, some require specific items (read as at least, not at most), and all those things are listed below and available in the ‘Listing Photos’ your Sim has access to to help with the challenge. These listing photos are below with each room requirement.

The listing photos are merely suggestions: you can redecorate however you like, so long as the requirements are met! And once the challenge is complete of course you can do whatever you like with the lot.

Lot traits and challenges are allowed.

No selling landscaping or furniture from finished rooms to make a quick buck!

You can earn money any way in the game, but no cheats for money! Get a job, kidnap the neighbors, even marry Father Winter, but once the game has started you shouldn’t be opening the cheat bar for money anymore (aside from the ghosts).

Mods are permitted but if you want to keep the bragging rights of completing the challenge, please keep them in the spirit of the challenge: no hundred thousand dollar child support payments, living on multiple lots, etc.

Marriage, kids, etc are all allowed BUT spouses and kids must live on the lot with you until Young Adulthood.

When you reach the Living Room, you will also have to start a graveyard. This is the only time you’re allowed to sell some landscaping; if you need to rearrange or make space for the headstones.

When you finish a room with an urn, place it in the graveyard. You may either release the ghost and receive a gift from the afterlife ($1000 through the rosebud cheat) OR add the ghost to your family to put them to work. You may not simply leave the ghost wandering as you found it. The poor souls have been through enough: give them rest or a family.

If playing with the gallery download, you can add a ghost to your family by doing the following:

Open your cheat bar and type ‘testingcheats on’ and ‘cas.fulleditmode’

Shift-click your Sim and select “modify in CAS”

Use the “add Sim from gallery” option to add the ghost to the family

You can find all of the manor ghosts in the gallery under “[ghost name] IMC2023”. For example, when you complete the laundry room, you can add Eliza Pancakes by finding “Eliza Pancakes IMC2023” on the gallery. They have been calibrated to not affect household funds, but if that bugs out (I know, this game? Have issues?) either work it into your story or use ‘money xxxx’ to set your funds to what they were before adding the ghost.

You may revive and/or marry the ghosts, but not with cheats.

Bills will be about $16-18k/wk assuming you don’t have any lot or character traits to modify it (those are allowed). If the repo man takes anything from a room you have already finished, you must replace it before you continue.

If an item breaks in a room you have already completed, you must repair or replace it before continuing.

To check the value of the Room, go into build mode and select the Room. Some Rooms are made of multiple rooms: for example, the carriage house is three rooms on the main floor and one room on the second. Add all the individual rooms together to get the total for the Room by selecting each space, selecting “save room” (no need to actually save it of course), and adding the totals and checking them against the Target Amount listed below. This price will include walls and windows, so it’s less than you think. No need to grab top notch appliances for the Carriage House just to hit the goal!

Gallery players: because you do not have the smoke and fire damage, you must keep the ‘Filthy’ lot trait enabled until the last room is completed (assuming you have City Living). You can also enable and keep Gremlins if you want to replicate the ghostly chaos other players are experiencing, or add some ghosts of your own, or take the advantage.

Optional gameplay if this isn’t enough of a challenge:

Double the Simoleon requirement for each room. As it stands you pretty much just need to replace everything to reach the goal but if you want to be forced to decorate more, double the amount you need to hit before you can move on.

Enable all your lot challenges and remove one at a time at random as you complete rooms. You may choose to NOT remove the randomly selected lot trait (ie, keep Off the Grid if the bills are too much already) BUT you must complete another room before rolling again. One room, one roll, take it or leave it. Gallery players must keep ‘Filthy’ until the end.

Change the lot type to Haunted House.

Revive Paolo Rocca and Jade Rosa and return them to the Partihaus household.

In the end, I want you to enjoy this challenge. If it becomes too frustrating to play, take a deep breath, gift yourself a little cash, and keep redecorating and saving those ghosts!

Huge special thanks to my amazing playtesters: Alasmina daleksndemons Jellyfluff131 katie.dickman otherlaine

ROOMS

1: Carriage House Target amount: $10,000 Ghost: none Must include: full kitchen, bath, and bedroom with dresser/wardrobe

2: Entry Hall (three levels, but the second level doesn’t register as a separate room in build mode because reasons) Target amount: $25,000 Ghost: none Must include: one skill or activity item, one art piece $2,000+, two matching art pieces over the door (where the knights are)

3: Living Room Target amount: $15,000 Ghost: Ulrike Faust Must include: seating for five, fireplace, one skill or activity item

4: Laundry Room Target amount: $10,000 Ghost: Eliza Pancakes Must include: full bath and laundry. If no Laundry Day, plus one skill item

5: Kitchen Target amount: $17,000 Ghost: Gunther Munch Must include: full kitchen, plus one skill or activity item

6: Dining Room Target amount: $15,000 Ghost: Julia Wright Must include: seating for 8, fireplace, three pieces of art

7: Game Room Target amount: $20,000 Ghost: none Must include: three games or activities, one skill item, seating for three aside from any game tables

8: Library (two levels) Target amount: $23,000 Ghost: Reuben Vu Must include: desk, four bookshelves, fully stocked fish tank (or three fishbowls if you don’t have cats and dogs)

9: Conservatory (two levels: includes small balconies) Target amount: $20,000 Ghost: none Must include: two planters, fountain, seating for five, chess table, eight plants

10: Ballroom (two levels) Target amount: $46,000 Ghost: Paolo Rocca Must include: piano, guitar, bar, mic, seating for eight; dance floor and DJ booth or the Landlord Whisperer if you don’t have Get Together.

11: Pink Bedroom Target amount: $13,000 Ghost: Bob Pancakes Must include: sleeping space for two, desk/table, dresser, two skill or activity items

12: Blue Bedroom Target amount: $10,000 Ghost: none Must include: sleeping space for one, dresser, two skill or activity items

13: Family Bath Target amount: $7,000 Ghost: Jade Rosa Must include: full bath, two sinks

14: Main Bedroom Target amount: $30,000 Ghost: Penny Pizzazz Must include: full size bed, seating for two, full bath, two dressers, one skill or activity item

15: Gym Target amount: $15,000 Ghost: Summer Holiday Must include: treadmill, weight machine, punching bag, stereo, large mirror

16: Orange Apartment Target amount: $20,000 Ghost: Rosemary Briscoe Must include: full kitchen, full bath, sleeping space for two sims, dresser, fireplace, seating for five, desk

17: Green Apartment Target amount: $15,000 Ghost: none Must include: sleeping space for two, full kitchen and bath, dresser, desk, two pieces of art

18: Yellow Apartment Target amount: $30,000 Ghost: none Must include: sleeping space for two, full bath, full kitchen, dining for four, bar, additional seating for two, one additional skill or activity item

19: Back Deck, halls, and small bathroom Target amount: $30,000 Ghost: Johnny Zest Must include: half bath, grill, three planters, DJ booth or stereo, bar, seating for 12

LINKS

To place the save file, use this link and download the file.

Go to Documents > Electronic Arts > Sims 4 > Saves. BEFORE SAVING MAKE SURE THE FILE NAME DOES NOT MATCH ANY EXISTING FILES. You can now load this save when you open your game just like any other saved game you have created. This is not available for console players and I am also very sad about it.

To download from the gallery:

Lot title: Inherited Manor 2023 Ghosts: [ghost name] IMC2023 Gallery ID: sahmandbean Gallery hashtag: IMC2023

This is a link to the FAQs post here on Tumblr

This is a link to the Reddit post

This is a link to a video guide to help you get started, if you're interested

This is a link to the official Inherited Manor Challenge Discord Server

#sims4 #sims 4 #sims 4 challenge #sims4challenge #ts4 simblr #ts4 #the sims 4

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some-dr-writings · 4 years ago

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Kokichi, Rantaro and Shuichi x SHSL Gambler Reader

Kokichi Oma:

· “Hey, HEY! Come play with me!” “Hmm? I didn’t know Hope’s Peak allowed children to join. Sure little boy, we can play a game. What will it be today? Cards? Chips?”

· The pair of you were quite the intimidating pair. There was this palpable smugness about you that you loved teasing others with. Embarrassing or frustrating others is a great tactic to distract them after all. You were an opportunist taking advantage of every last moment, any weakness for yourself. All this and more immediately drew Kokichi’s attention, and so, he knew he had to get your attention, which was easy, all he had to do was ask to play with you. But… “Hey! Take this seriously!” “… I don’t see why though. You have nothing to offer me. And don’t say you’ll bet your juice box, I’d never take candy from a baby, well… in a literal sense at least.” You chuckled recalling your countless, effortlessly won victories. Kokichi could already tell you were going to be fun to be with. You were on par with him when it came to misleading others and that thirst for merriment. “A date.” “Oh?” “Nishishi, if I win, you go on a date with me, and if you win I’ll do whatever you want for a day.” “Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, I don’t know…” Your poker face was that charmingly smug smile, an expression he was already growing tired of, he wanted to see more of you.

· Both of you loving fun in all it’s forms were practically magnetized to one another, knowing the other was restless and would inevitably start some trick or game that’d liven up the world.

· No matter how many times Kokichi tried, it seemed he could never beat you in any card-based game, even ‘go fish’ all of which only strengthened his resolve to win. Quickly you stopped making bets, the challenge against your boyfriend, one of the few who seemed to stand a chance against you was enough.

· ‘little boy’, you couldn’t help but smile seeing how Kokichi always reveled in that nickname you gave him, playing up his childish antics because of it. You were likely the only person outside of D.I.C.E. who found his antics endearing.

· Often times the pair of you would get into lying competitions trying to see who could make the most believable lie and actually convince the other of it. It was perfect practice.

· A pair of fun seeking liars like yourselves, it was as if you were destined for one another.

Rantaro Amami:

· Protecting you was Rantaro’s main goal in life aside from finding his sisters. You, the Super High School Level Gambler had gotten your title not through being lucky or even good at bluffing for these games. No, you were the Super High School Level Gambler because you would bet ANYTHING in ANY game. Didn’t matter what it was, you lived for the thrill of taking chances, not knowing what the outcome would be. This… got you into so much trouble, especially when you played with those who figured out they could take advantage of this and get you to do things like do their chores for a month or act as their personal maid. You even almost lost your entire life savings once. At least things were never boring with you.

· At times your boldness did come in handy though. You always insisted on joining Rantaro in his travels, saying he was too relaxed. You never let anything get in your way, often making bets and in exchange for you winning, gaining passage in some unallowed area, which surprisingly worked a good chunk of the time. You never took bullshit from anyone and would destroy the reputation for any who dared to cheat, saying that ruined the sanctity and basis for playing such risky games in the first place. That boldness seeped into most aspects of you actually, it was as if you had no fear… or maybe you just never thought things through. “It’s called a calculated risk!” “Uh, Honey… Just be careful.” “I already am, but the games are no fun if we don’t go all out!” Rantaro thought that being underaged, sneaking into a casino so you could gamble for some more money was rather risky in and of itself, but this was rather calm for you.

· You were semi responsible however, refusing any gifts of money from Rantaro, saying you’d feel guilty for placing that on the line. You only ever bet yourself and your property, only exclusion was any gifts from others. You also never kept any rewards, “I don’t care about that, I just want to play! But people are more likely to play if there’s something on the line. They chose to bet me items, I never ask for anything in return for my bet.” You always gave your rewards away in fact, acting as a philanthropist, after meeting Rantaro, the majority of those going into searching for his sisters. Items, money, services, didn’t matter, you gave it all away to charities, hospitals, even friends if not your boyfriend. You even specifically went gambling for their sake, overhear someone was short a little money at lunch? A few days later you give them a thousand dollars. Many would think you simply were searching for excuses to play, but Rantaro knew better, sure you like the game, but when it was for a friend you always tried your best, putting everything on the line to keep playing just to help them.

· You were reckless but so kind. At times it was a bit much to rein you in and keep you from losing everything, but he adored you, a selfless individual who knew how to stand up for themselves, he could maybe even learn a thing or two from you. You were his irreplaceable partner, and he loved you, just wanting to make sure you didn’t completely screw yourself over.

Shuichi Saihara:

· Honesty, that was the most important thing in your relationship with one another. The moment after Shuichi first asked you out, you told him your secret. You were a cheater. Life was very rough for you, running away from a bad home and not wanting to go to an orphanage or worse be sent back, you ended up living with a guy who you helped cheat at games, which quickly turned to you going out on your own. You were a criminal, and you thought Shuichi deserved to know that before getting involved with you. This really touched him.

· Even if you wanted to stop cheating, you had to keep going for the sake of attending Hope’s Peak and not getting kicked out for not improving. It was difficult at times to keep up the act, especially with Kokichi snooping around but Shuichi tried his best to protect you. Yes, what you were doing was illegal, but you didn’t want this, and… he wanted for you to have a chance at a better life beyond the lies and sleight of hand trickery you pulled, and what better place to find that than Hope’s Peak.

· Shuichi tried helping you find other occupations that could use your… specific skill set. In the end, you became an assistant to Shuichi, a legal assistant. You could read people, instantly spot their ticks, snuff out their lies with your own lies. Having gotten fake documents so you could live on your own at much too young of an age, you knew how and where people could forge such sheets. Any area Shuichi may struggle in or knowledge of how criminals may go about things, you were there to lead him in the right direction. Knowing how to avoid the law, you knew it rather well and acted as a good pretend lawyer, pointing out how a lawyer would look at the evidence and point out if the criminal would escape consequences or not, even with Shuichi’s investigation. You even taught Shuichi how to fake confidence in himself which helped him to gain real confidence.

· Even after years you still relied on one another, supporting the other as best you could. You still went gambling on occasion to keep face as the ex-Super High School Level Gambler, but you only won sometimes. If you did get anything you showered Shuichi in gifts, loving how flustered he got. You were eternally grateful for all he had done for you and you were determined to make his life as great as you could in return for giving you the safe stability you never could find before.

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asaltyrat · 4 years ago

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Tears, Dogfood and Atonement - The Resurgence of the Roguelike

Rogue was created in 1980, over forty years ago by a pair of programming deities: Michael Toy and Glenn Wichman. Later the game was expanded and contributed by another enterprising young man by the name of Ken Arnold.

The game looked simple, ascii graphics where hash-tags showed hallways and little @'s and *'s showed items and monsters and terrible creatures that would tear you limb from limb. Rogue was unique in a sense that it was a randomized, no save, permanent death game where every session was different and stats and items were wiped the next time you played.

Then came other games through that weird and wild world of early game design where no one really knew how to make a game. New games had saves, goals, set defined abilities. You knew what you were getting into. The concept of games being unpredictable was almost unheard of, everyone liked their rules.

We went into the great gaming crash, it resurged into a new era I like to call "The Wild West" of gaming with the new generation consoles and on, The Genesis, Famicom, and later the N64 and Playstation. Games were still a bit in their growing pains stages as people were still finding their footing with new coding languages, better graphics, engines, and the ability to tell a story.

Adobe Flash became the new untested grounds for new designers and programmers due to it's accessibility and, with the help of now legendary sites like Albino Black Sheep and Newgrounds, we got hours and hours of entertainment from a little tool built for the PC.

Edmund "BlueBaby" McMillen had a very specific taste in game design and art direction. Gore, Viscera, and the body became ways to tell stories that will turn your stomach. Previously he released Tri-Achnid, Carious Weltling and HOST. There was a specific design he went for. Rotting, Decayed, Bloody. Bones and wounds and stitches and things that should not be but are. I was utterly fascinated by the weird and gross designs and interconnected world he built. The games described an ecosystem on some far-off world where everything was, frankly, gross.

Then came 2011 with Binding of Isaac. It followed a fanatical modern retelling of the original biblical story where Isaac, a young child of a nondescript age faces the danger of his over-zealous mother being ordered by god to kill him in order to purge him of his sins. Fearing for his life, he threw himself down into the basement where the game begins. The entire concept is rife with dark humor and that weird, wet, sick design that Edmond had been polishing for the past few years. Disfigured corpses, body horror, parasites, poop. All rolled up into one giant mess of this newly defined genre of "Roguelike" gaming in a seemingly almost untouchable package.

The game is jarring, from a story that hints at growing up in a abusive home with a mother who refuses to take blame and a oppressive atmosphere of redemption and blasphemy. The art style depicts fleshy inner chambers of a body, suffocation, vomit. You take risks, you pull the lever, the gamble is made. It takes an enormous amount of skill to beat the game, or a insane amount of luck to break it over your knee.

If you explained the game to someone developing for the N64 or something in that era, you'd be laughed out of the room. It isn't balanced, the game is too controversial, it hits on subjects that would make people turn heads and put it back in the hands of whatever distributer you bought it from. But the early 2010's and on were a different kind of weird frontier. High end gaming was now something people can touch. The talent pool is gigantic, the cost of production is down, and it brings back new freedom into the artform.

Binding of Isaac started a firestorm for the roguelike genre, Edmond had now inspired developers to produce games that hope to capture the same sort of 'push button, receive bacon' gameplay that Binding of Isaac had. You die, you start over, you try again, die again, maybe you'll make it to the boss this time. It's a form of gambling that is entirely risk free for the player.

Noita, Dungeon of the Endless, Rogue Legacy, Spelunky. All fantastic games in this new fantastic world of 'Can I do it this time?'. All inspired by just a few ascii graphics on an ancient machine that could barely do math, now rebirthed by a little boy in a basement filled with feces.

Stay Salty~

#binding of isaac #Article #Writing #Roguelike #Posts

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idontcare4030 · 4 years ago

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Hunter!Nico Au

the background of Supernatural basically matches the Rickrordanverse. Rick has the background of if you believe it, it's true while supernatural has the background of Everything Is Real even if it's not if you believe enough and it will be. I believe that this could be interpreted as they all happened in the same verse.

When Nico was first joining The hunting business he was simply doing jobs for his dad and as I said before during the "fighting analysis," he slowly started finding jobs for himself. This one can be simplified to, he became a hunter. He quickly became a very famous Hunter both for his young age, he wouldn't be that much older than 12 at this time, and that he has no problem hunting down monsters. While he wasn't the best at killing them at first, he quickly became very good at it. He became a source, kind of like Bobby was, where hunters would contact him about questions or getting resources.

He got the ability over time to hide objects in the shadows so if a person came to him asking for a weapon to kill such and such he would simply grab something out of the shadows and give it to them, of course he would go into a different room first so that no one knew that he was literally getting them out of thin air, but he was getting the weapons from a storage that only he and his sister could access. the knowledge from his own little library of information, books, and lots of experience made it so that people would often call him, ask him a question about a case that they are in (sometimes in the middle of a fight) and he would respond without questioning give them an answer and any advice he had before hanging up on them and going back to what he was doing.

This made it so that not only does he have more connections than a person can dream, but he also is very powerful in many circles that he shouldn't even be a part of. An example of this is how well he is at finding old cursed objects, especially ones that were lost for a long time. Because of this and the fact that after he would kill monsters that we're living a double life he would make it so that all the properties, money, and items would belong to him he would Have a very large, very confusing, and very unnecessary collection of many many things.

In his later years (AKA whenever he actually settled down and stop doing all this) he would give some property, some money, Etc to half-bloods who are trying to live a normal life. He wouldn't lie to them he would tell exactly what happened on the property or what happened to the objects but normally it would be enough for them to start a life. At this time though he would normally just let the objects sit and collect dust. he rents out a few of the properties and houses to people who need a place to stay for very low rent and he does use some of the places.

One of the places that he uses is a very cluttered old house that he refers to as simply the cursed place. This place is very full of cursed items and he uses it to contain all of them, he has a Enchanted table of sorts that he uses to bring in cursed objects and take them away from Everyday People therefore stopping problems before they start. He doesn't often stay there but it's full of possessed objects as well so he has plenty of reasons to be the one to keep all of them. Whenever a person wants a cursed object or a possessed object they have to fully explain why and what they're going to do with it to Nico before he even considers giving them the Items. A lot of the time people would come in and be very confused by the extremely cluttered house and would be asked questions in the living room before they go to the specific place where the object is. Here he gives directions such as don't touch it with bare skin, don't be left alone with it etcetera. But if you don't return the item when you say you will without a proper reason he will hunt you down and forcibly take it from you though everyone knows not to disobey his rules after what's happened to the last ones.

Because of this he gets calls in the middle of meetings or when he's talking with people that sound frantic to people in the room with him but Nico is very passive and calm during the whole thing because he's used to it by now. As they start to spend more time with him they become more wary of this and end up asking him straight forward what all this means and why he keeps getting these calls to which he explains without even hesitating the whole situation. I forgot to state that "they" are the 7 +

Whenever it comes to connections this makes it so no matter where they are or what mission they are doing Nico and the 7 plus very likely to run into one of his friends who call him a different name every single time which has started to become a betting game between the 7 plus to see who can and guess what the next name is going to be.

No Hunters at all know that Nico is a Half-Blood or that half-bloods even exist, this means that they often get in confusing situations when they're hunting with Nico. Well they expect that he isn't fully human they have no clue that he is truly that powerful and he could tell what their intentions were the second he gave them a drink the first time you met them and accidentally grazed their hands. By this I mean he learned to take a peek into their past to see how they got into haunting since it is most often a death or a family business as this happens he also looks to see how they have responded to the grief if they were were the type that got into it by losing a loved one to monsters. Surprisingly this can tell a lot about a person's reasoning behind what they do. If he has more time, if he's shaking their hands there's more time than if he accidentally grazes the person's hand he will look into past cases to see more about the person. At first he felt bad doing this but over time he learned how important it was to know a person's true intentions before agreeing to work with them

This is one of the many many many reasons he doesn't like touching people because there is a chance that he will accidentally look into they're past and he doesn't feel comfortable doing that unless necessary.

As he met more people he gained more and more information that he shouldn't know at such a young age such as how to dismantle a gun how to clean one and how to tell the difference between them using bullet holes. He also gained a lot of knowledge on how to be on the Run though he who has been too smart to make it traceable so as he is 15 it's only just being placed together that there is a possibility that these cases are attached, it takes 4 plus years to say for certain that they are connected and they never find the true culprit both this very very large serial killer. He does learn and embrace the not so legal ways of making money that Hunters are famed for being perfect at. He does take a different route then credit card theft though. For the most part the most illegal part of how he makes money is that hes way under the legal age for getting jobs, let alone at places like casinos which is where he mainly worked. His shadow traveling made it so he was a master at sleight of hand making it so he was a never losing card player though he barely had to cheat as he was simply very good at the card games themselves anyway. He learned very quickly how to find tells and how to use the fact that he was in fact a tiny to his advantage by making it so he was underestimated by people in the casino. He was also very good at picking out the people who are the most addicted to gambling but the ones that are also very high up in scales so they would have enough money to lose and they always lost. It was not the most legal Casino which is how he ended up getting a job there simply because there was so much crime going on already what was a little bit more and he was also a very promising worker considering that he already knew exactly how to play the most famous games that they had there.

He was very often treated as a Cryptid even by hunters and as a person that you only contact under very dire circumstances and its said he will keep up his end of the bargain as long as you keep up yours and if you don't then things will go bad very quickly. But whenever he started going back to school things became a little weirder. When he first started going back to the school that he might as well have been kidnapped from, people were excited to see him but could tell that he change. Before and he had left him and his sister basically ran the entire School. It wasn't as much of a dictatorship and more like a they have the power here you do what they say and follow their rules. Their rules were more along the lines of if we see you bullying someone else then you will disappear and if you are pushing someone that is too weak to fight back then Nico will fight you. It was never really questioned that much after the first couple weeks of it since it wasn't a very sudden thing. As all this went down it wasn't surprising that they were shown the most respected people in all of the school. This was at a point where the principal who had been slowly getting worse and worse to the students over time suddenly disappeared they didn't question it and simply turned towards the siblings. By the time Nico started going to school again the school had gone downhill without any of the enforcers there. Almost immediately when he returned those who had been there the same time as he did started to immediately get back into what they were doing before but not that many of those people were left after so many years. As he slowly forced people back into the way they were before they had to readjust to him, this time they stop treating him as a normal person and treated him as if he was a Cryptid, just not in the same way as the hunters. Their way was leaving small objects, getting out of his way when he walked around campus, and coming to make “deals” with him. The deals were often simple things such as tell me what blah blah blah is saying behind my back and in return they would give him small valuable items such as jewelry or other items that are valuable in different ways such as vintage books and important items on a Sentimental level. The more expensive ones would be the ones where he specifically had to jump in instead of Simply listening into some things going on. This could be talking to a specific person or standing up against a person who was being rude to the buyer. These things would often be paid for in more expensive items or more important stuff then the smaller jobs. There is only one case of a person giving him fake items, and let's just say there is a reason no one even tries to do that anymore. If he understands where you're coming from, respects it, but is unable to do it he will return the thing you paid him with and speak (which is a very rare thing from him) and explain the situation. He lives in the same dorm he did back then but now there is a mailbox nailed into his door that he empties out every day to find small objects like I said before. These can be scraps of cloth, bones, jewelry, food, money, or any such items. When Will transfers to this school he is immediately caught off guard by how Nico was treated but as he explained to him what goes on to be treated this way, will understands. If he sees bullying he responds the same way he did as a child and the person either will not be seen, will not be seen for a short amount of time before returning, or he will simply fight them then and there and they always lose. To school over time becomes a kind of sanctuary for Half-Blood kids as he makes it sure that the teachers are very trauma-informed and know how to treat kids with ADHD Etc. He also makes it so that it's very obvious to tell what is an accident and what was on purpose considering how even the teachers know what's going on with Nico and his Cryptidness. I know that this seems like a long shot, the school part of this au-ish thing, but I think it's a very interesting thing to imagine And a not very common a way you can make a character be treated and still stay in character.

Thats all thank you for reading!

#nico di angelo #au

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kittenfemme27 · 4 years ago

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Genshin Impact

Breath of the Wild was a game I wanted to love. I love the Zelda games, always have, and I eat up open world games like candy. Yet, BoTW has sat on my digital shelf collecting digital dust for ages. Why is that? Well, to put it simply, I don't want to play as Link. BoTW has a beautiful world, rich combat and game play puzzles, tons to see and do and experience, it's a sandbox for the ages. But it's hampered so heavily for me by the fact that I have to play this very boring and to be honest kind of forgettable boy named Link during the game play. That may sound petty, but if I'm in an open world game I want to fully immerse myself into that and video games are where we all go to escape anyway. If I wanted to be misgendered, I'd simply forget to shave and go outside.

I don't mind playing other Zelda games because in those, Link is a self contained character in the world and they're relatively short and self contained games. But BoTW is a sandbox. And for a large majority of it, you're not going to be doing the story or being addressed as link. The size of the world and the sheer amount of hours you're going to put into it mean that for almost all intents and purposes, Link isn't Link, he's a faceless avatar that you're supposed to put yourself into. The game offers so much freedom in so many avenues and yet, in your choice of how to explore the world as someone you'd actually like to be, you're not allowed. You have to be a skinny blonde twink.

So, in late 2019, in comes a trailer for Genshin Impact. It's making its rounds on the Internet as a "PC Free to Play Gacha Breath of the Wild Clone" which, while a mouthful, was something I initially wrote off. Didn't see a point in checking it out, as I really don't like Gacha games very much. But in late September 2020, MiHoYo the developers released the public 1.0 build of the game to everyone. Multi-platform, too. iOS/Android, PC, PS4, and even a switch release down the line. And maybe its the pandemic, or maybe the Internet was simply too lured in by the cute anime girls, but it took the many by storm. It took me personally over 12+ hours to download the 11 gigs of the game because the servers were so swamped with people.

Now I do want to be clear: Genshin Impact borrows many things from BoTW, but it isn't a clone. It's not a sandbox in the same way BoTW is and aside from some general game play things such as gliders, stamina/wall climbing system, and general aesthetic, the games are massively different. Still, though, playing it has highlighted to me why I never felt quite right playing BoTW, and its that lack of freedom. That lack of ability to play the game on my own terms and explore the beautiful handcrafted world the way I want to.

Despite appearances, Genshin Impact is a lot more like a single player MMO than it is anything else. Requiring tons of farming and grinding to create high level powerful characters in a world that gets increasingly more powerful and hostile as you do. The core game play loop of Genshin Impact is pretty phenomenal, essentially giving you a massive world to explore with literally thousands upon thousands of chests and rewards to find. Either by clearing out enemies, doing random in world puzzles, or even just sitting around. Being inside of and exploring the world of Teyvat is as rewarding as it is beautiful. The art and animation design of the game are stellar and do a lot to make you forget how much time has passed since you booted up the game in the first place. There's tons of different lore books to find, NPC's to talk to, quests to complete, the world is chock-full of lore and world building even down to simple weapon and material descriptions. Teyvat is a wonderful place to be and the developers MiHoYo deserve a pat on the back for how good the world of Genshin Impact is. The other side of game play is a simple system of Character Progression where you farm materials to make your characters/weapons/abilities better so that you can farm even more materials from harder enemies, much like an MMO, and you also acquire gear called Artifacts with randomly rolled stats much like an ARPG. In that regard, Genshin Impact is highly addictive. There are a myriad of weapons, talents, artifacts, and characters all to level up and build up over the course of your play, and every character can be made viable very very easily. The game also lets you keep a party of 4 characters that you can swap between at any point, as well as each character being attuned to a specific Elemental Type that reacts to other Elements. This causes the end-game to be centered around doing some of the hardest dungeons the game has to offer by theory crafting incredibly powerful teams that work off of each other and cause Elemental Reactions in enemies. It’s some of the most fun i’ve had in a game in ages.

All of that is fantastic but unfortunately its all also held back by one simple, huge problem: Original Resin. The game uses a currency called Original Resin that you use to challenge the harder content in the game. Dungeons, World Bosses, Elite Weekly Bosses, you name it and if its end-game content, it likely costs Resin. And not in insignificant amounts either. Dungeons are 20, Bosses are 40, and Weekly Bosses are 60. So, how do you obtain this material? Time. You start with, and are capped, at 120(Later 160 in patch 1.1). 1 resin takes 8 minutes to get back. If you spend it all, it takes 16 hours to get back. Given the rates you spend it, you can go from 120 to 0 in roughly 10-15 minutes. With no way to increase the resin cap, and the incredibly slow acquisition rate, that frequently means you only have about that much playtime a day of the game in the endgame. And that's, needless to say, incredibly frustrating. Thankfully its not an entire stamina system that means you can't play the game at all when you're out of resin, but it does mean that character progression itself is gated as all upgrade/progression materials are locked behind these dungeons and bosses that you must use Original Resin to face. Effecitvely, this means single characters will become weeks and weeks of work, with weapons and artifacts being only slightly less time consuming. I can only hope MiHoYo is looking to change this system in a way that isn't just increasing the cap as the feedback they've received has been very negative regarding it, but only time will tell.

Unfortunately, this isn't the games only problem with its players either. The game is a Gacha, there is no getting around that, but despite the fact that pretty much any character can become massively overpowered and viable in the endgame, people are going to want the rarest characters that exist. This is by design and unfortunately is more or less a glorified gambling system. And while the game is quite nice with its premium currency and how often it gives it, what isn't nice is that the rarest “5-star”characters cost a minimum of 200$ to get through money. With no guarantee you're getting the one you want.

Worse still, outside of a guaranteed 5-star drop at 90 rolls on the gacha wheel, the chance for a 5-star weapon or character is 0.6%. Not even a whole rounded up 1%. This is frankly ridiculous, as is the cost of real money to premium currency. For reference, most other popular Gacha’s doing well offer their rarest characters at anywhere between a 1-6% rate. In general, gacha's aren't known to be kind in their rates. That’s the point, they want you to gamble with real money. Genshin Impact, however, is so unkind and unfair that even other regular players of gacha gamers are very, very vocally upset. If it wasn't for the game play loop and the world, I'm not sure this would fly. And its certainly not flying in the west with the crowd that doesn't play Gacha's nearly as much. Neither is the resin system, as gamers in the west typically want to play for hours and hours at a time.

I’d be remiss if i didn’t bring up the story in Genshin Impact, as it’s genuinely fantastic. As previously stated, the world has a metric tonne of hidden lore in books, weapon/item/artifact descriptions, character stories you unlock as you use a playable character, etc. But the main story you can currently play from start to finish in the 1.0 release is the prologue.

This prologue stars very simply: Your character, the “Traveler” is an alien from another world. Not much is known about them so far, other than that the Traveler and their sibling were people with the ability to hop between worlds at will. In the opening moments of the game this power, along with your sibling, are stolen from you by an unnamed assailant. Thus trapping you in Teyvat and leaving you to begin a journey to find the Seven Gods of Teyvat, simply known as “The Seven” and seek their power and wisdom to find your sibling and potentially leave. This journey is how you meet Venti, one of the Seven in disguise as a simple human bard, and his best friend Dvalin. The events that follow have you help this strange bard, as well as the people of Mondstat, defeat the dragon Dvalin. Previously, he protected the lands of Mondstat for hundreds of years. However, as you meet both Dvalin and Venti, he has had his mind corrupted and been lied to by an order of evil mages known as the Abyss Order, and its caused him to go on the offensive against Mondstat and her people.

It's a fair bit emotional, humorous at times thanks to Venti, and overall very engaging. Mondstat is a city built on freedom, to the point that its own god Barbatos(Venti) refuses to rule over it and allows himself to be the weakest of the seven gods, as that would take away some of the cities freedom. Within this prologue, there is a huge focus on Mondstat being a city of Freedom, the prologue quite literally ends with Venti telling Dvalin after you have saved him from the corruption that even though he is "meant" to be the protector of Mondstat, he hopes Dvalin chooses whatever life he wants, even if that's not Mondstats protector, and that Venti simply wants him to be happy. Venti's own personal story quest goes further in depth about the foundation of Mondstat and its origins as a rebel city founded after the citizens overthrew the oppressive rule of an awful tyrant God and killed him. In a very pretty hand drawn "cathedral window" style cutscene, you get to see the end of this war and why Barbatos chose the form he currently inhabits and took up being a bard, which was to honor a dead friend from this very same war. This explains why Mondstat and Barbatos value its freedom so highly. I cried at this moment both times I played it.

For a free game, the storytelling here is off the charts. As i said before, Venti and many other characters have personal stories that both introduce you to a trial version of the playable character, thus letting you see how they work and play, and also giving you either more info on the world or an introduction to the character in question, or both. They're fantastic little stories and are up there with the main story in quality. One of my favorite parts of the game and something that will only be expanded with time. Each one takes you on a journey of discovery or even simple fun with a character and it all feels very personal and touching, as all of the main stories and character quests are very well voice acted.

The prologue being so focused on freedom makes it all the more awkward, then, that MiHoYo is a game developer based out of China, and as such has to follow China's censorship rules. Taiwan and Hong Kong both are censored in-game chat and if you're reported for saying them, you'll be banned for daring to speak the words. These aren't the only censorship decisions in the game, but they're by far the ones that struck me the most. I understand that the company is based out of China and thus has to follow the censorship rules, as they are the actual law of the land and they could be fined or even shut down if they refused. But the disconnect of knowing there are actual human rights atrocities being committed in China with the Uygher Genocide and Re-Education camps, the human rights violations in Hong Kong, the breakdown of democracy and the treatment of Taiwan, while this game that comes out of China boasts on and on about Freedom and the Human right to self actualize and choose their future is... troubling. It's one that I don't really know how to reconcile, if it can be reconciled at all. I'd like to believe that the developers really believe in their own story and secretly oppose those sorts of atrocities. But at the same time, banning players who mention Hong Kong or Taiwan isn't in the law. That’s a decision MiHoYo is making. Right now, China doesn’t have the freedom that Venti and Mondstat and Genshin Impact try to instill in you so hard as important and a human right. And knowing that and knowing the censorship is in the game make it very difficult to get a read on what the game actually wants you to feel.

Overall,i think Genshin Impact is a fantastic game. Its updates plan to bring in not only more story, as there are meant to be 7 Acts and currently the game features the Prologue and half of Act 1, but in those acts it plans to explain the playable areas and bring in new Events, Characters, Weapons, etc. And that makes me excited for the future of Genshin Impact! It’s a beautiful game of genuinely Triple AAA quality completely for free. But. Its also a Gacha game and by far one of the least rewarding Gachas you could play right now. Maybe that will change with time. I certainly hope it does. But it feels hard to recommend something that, once you beat it, disrespects your time so much and so badly. I hope Genshin Impact has a bright future, I really do, and I’m definitely going to continue playing it. But right now, I can’t say for certain that I feel confident in the developers to make it the game it clearly wants to be if it wasn’t shackled down by its Gacha.

#Genshin Impact #Review #Played on: PC #Played on: iOS

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butlerofthecount · 5 years ago

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Tagged by (Kind of?): @ducktales-wco-oo and @gamblealife

Tagging: @tuesdayscanons, @ketchupblood, @airborne-disaster, @listofevilinventions, @darkwiing, @pick-and-shovel-laborer, and whoever else wants to!

Regular - Dextrius | Bold - Goosewing | Italics - Dexter

Dextrius

Goosewing

Dexter

layer one : the outside

Name - Count (Dextrious) Duckula, Ludwig Von Goosewing, Count (Dexter) Duckula Eye colour - Crimson, Puke Green-Yellow, Obsidian Hair style / colour - Black with purple streaks; fashioned with a fire motif in mind (Might as well have himself look hot, right?), Short and messy white, Medium-short raven hair that is nicely parted at the middle, yet some of the strands are uneven compared to other strands. Height - 4′7″, 4′8 1/2″, 4′7″ Clothing style - A stylized formal suit with some jewelry to complete the look. Flames are also visible on his cloak, though they aren’t real, just a part of the design. He prefers a classy bright violet and is proud of it. | Some undergarments like an undershirt and boxers with a heart pattern on them, pants, a vest, scarlet bow tie, spats on loafers, and a deerskin coat and hat to complete his attire. | A simple black suit jacket over a button up shirt with a red bow tie and a lavender cloak that reaches the floor. Best physical feature - Beak, arms, and chest. His small fangs can be seen as attractive, but also misleading for some of his more vampire traits, like how his arms may seem wimpy but have more to them than just their looks. What doesn’t disappoint is his chest however, as he does try to stay fit for his own satisfaction. | Chest and abdomen, as he is probably the most vulnerable there. Tries to stay clean and soft for the ladies. | Eyes, beak, and hands, for how gentle and smooth they feel, especially the last two.

layer two : the inside

Fears - Looking bad in front of a crowd, not being able to fulfill his dream of being a star, losing anything that he has gained at this point, Being alone, dying, and holy men and their items. | Not honoring his family lineage, going against his parent’s wishes, physically unpleasing people (to look at), old age, his insecurities, and being embarrassed. | Meat, Flesh, Blood, anything related to animals and their insides, terrible people, being used or abused by others, giant vegetable monsters, death in general, pain, confrontations with those much larger or heavier than him, and true vampries. Guilty pleasure - Playing video games, interacting with the villagers in casual chats, much to Igor’s dismay, going out partying and clubbing (He’s been through some things), and exercising. | Having conversations with his imaginary partner, Heinrich, using technology to date and mingle with others, Tries to attend the Vampire Hunter’s convention but usually gets denied, and his drinking problems. | Gambling and playing cards, trying to pretty up his hair and attire, keeping his feathers well plumed, and writing songs. Biggest pet peeve - Being given orders or bossed around | Being seen as a laughingstock or a lolcow. | Not being taken as seriously as he wants to be, despite his appearance. Ambitions for the future - Wants to be the most well recognized person in the world, no, in reality. He seeks the best, as he only deserves the best. | To avenge his parents’ death and rid the world of all vampires, while also continuing his bloodline. | To live his life the way he wants to, not how Igor desires.

layer three : thoughts

First thoughts upon waking up: - “So what’s the plan for today? Making a ruckus, plastering my luxurious face in several cities? Ah, I’ll think of something, I always do!” | “Eh heh, I hope dat my bed doesn’t need repairing again.” | “Ah! I better turn off the alarm clock before Nanny arrives!” What you think about most: - “What can I do to make myself the best, the most fantastic, the one that never winces from danger?” | “Duckula, you fiend, I will get you, and when I do, your end will be assured!!” | “Hm... I’m not sure what I think about most. Is it broccoli sandwiches? Or looking good? Hrm...” What you think about before bed: - “Ah, another plan foiled yet again. Oh well, better try again tomorrow!” | “I wonder what I might find in my dreams? Hopefully I’ll get an idea from dere...” | “Hopefully no one tries to make a rustle while I’m asleep. Don’t need to lose any more sleep than I already have.”

I wonder if: - “I wonder if anyone... really likes me for who I am?” | “I wonder if what I am doing is going to end the terror?” | “I wonder if there will be a day when Igor gives up his griping?”

What your best quality is: - Charismatic! | Honor! | Kindness!

layer four : what’s better ?

Single or group dates - Group | Group | Single To be loved or respected - Loved | Respected | Respected Beauty or brains - Beauty (But he’s no slouch on brains) | Brains (But he wants beautiful partners) | Both (As he respects someone for who they are.) Dogs or cats - Dogs (Doesn’t mind Towser at all.) | Dogs (Cats just don’t like him and his way of life.) | Cats (He loves to pet them and they love to rest on his lap.)

layer five : do you…

Lie - For certain | Only when forced to or to further his plans | Tries not to but has Believe in yourself - Without a doubt! Well, maybe one | Confidence drives his soul | Sometimes. Believe in love - Craves it! | Surely! | Yes. Want someone - They all do, just for their own reasons. Dexter’s the least yearning of one.

layer six : ever been …

Been on stage: - So many times | Once or twice | A couple of times Done drugs: - It’s safe to say yes, he’s done some, but it’s not like they’ve really affected him (Thanks to his supernatural tolerance) | No, besides alcohol and tobacco | He hasn’t really yet, but if he did, he’d have less tolerance compared to Dextrius Changed who you were to fit in: - He’s tried to adapt but for all of his attempts, he just can’t change who he really is. | He’s not willing to really change for others as he likes who he is and doesn’t feel like changing until his goals are complete. | Whether it’s to his life as a marshall or as a space bounty hunter, Dexter changes to try and make something different of himself from the rest of his bloodline. To be better than them.

layer seven : favorites

layer eight : age

Day your next birthday will be - October 23rd | April 8th | October 23rd How old will you be -, 35 or 879 | 67 | 45 or 889 Age you lost your virginity - For all of the silly stuff he’s done while at parties, he hasn’t lost it yet. He doesn’t know why, but it might have something to do with his fangs and him being a vampire... Or just unsatisfying to have “fun” with. | Oh, for sure nope. He’s been trying to for a good while. | Not yet, but isn’t pushing to get that changed either. Does age matter - Not really for Dextrius (He’s no pedo though) | Somewhat for Ludwig | And most definitely for Dexter

layer nine : in a person

Best personality - Supportive | Tolerant | Funny and Quirky Best eye colour - Really doesn’t matter | Sapphire Blue | Not really on that Best hair colour - Radical or Unusual Hair Color | Natural Hair | Not really adamant on a specific color or type Best thing to do with a partner - Have them adore and fawn over him, tend to his desires, snuggle with as he plants some kisses... not the deadly kind | To converse and put up with his shenanigans, perhaps even go out on romantic occasions if he can | Actually uncertain of what he wants

layer ten : finish the sentence

“I love - me and everything about my self... except for the insecurities. Those I can do without.” | “I love dat I know have de chance to bring honor to my family name and dis time, I will do it right!!” | “I love who I am, and the good people that I protect. And Nanny and Igor too. I can never forget them!!” “I feel - ...like I’m doing something wrong sometimes. Like I have to be different, and adapt to make people like me.” | “I feel as if dis device is not doing what I want it to do. Hrm... Stupid contraption!! Heh, why do dese dings always go haywire?” | “I feel like there may be something in my clothes... Is that you, Spurs? Ah, nope. Just a rat.” “I hide - my issues that I don’t want peeps to see. If they did see it, then they wouldn’t like me for sure. I know it.” | “I hide my wampire weapons for any visitors. Wouldn’t want to get another accident on my conscious, heh heh.” | “I hide whenever I get scared. It just seems like the best course of action sometimes, but when no one else will rise up, I’ll just have to. For everyone else.” “I miss - earlier times. Back then I could have done so much different to get what I want.” | “I miss my parents. They were very loving and caring, and seemed like great people.” | “I miss my time for the daily lunch broccoli sandwich. Hmph, looks like I have to make it myself...” “I wish - that I could be famous. Whether it’s by the country, the world, or even the universe. I just wish people would see me, and all that I have to offer.” | “I wish I could find a way to stop all of de wampires. Dat way, I can carry on with finding someone for me.” | “I wish my ammo wouldn’t keep getting clogged or misfiring. I need to shoot when I want to shoot!”

#(I think this is the last time I do this for three muses.)#(I have one more on another blog but that will be only for two characters. Two drastically different characters.)#(But this was fun to see more into all three of these boys.)#(It should help separate Dextrius from Dexter and give some more insight on Goosewing.)#Out of Ghoulish and Evil Schemes (ooc)#A Red Hot Return (Reboot Count Duckula)#Upholding the Wampire Hunter Legacy! (Doctor Ludwig Von Goosewing)#He's More Than a Mister; He's a Count! (Count Dexter Duckula)#Wondering out loud (Headcannons and Continuity thoughts)#Things that keep us calm. (memes!)

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magicalgirlfumiko · 5 years ago

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2. An early OC I remember making

I am a loser nerd that has been on the RP scene since 2006 in various means. It really wasn’t until 2009 that I can say that I established a strong world setting and character feel. So I’ll just post two of my main characters from a science fantasy thing I should be writing on as a book but I don’t feel like it:

"We all have to endure crap. No matter the form it takes, no matter what species you may be, hardships come with the territory."

"When it all comes down to it, I'm just a brat who, having spent most of her life doing for others, just wants to live her own life and make her own choices and mistakes. WHO JUST WANTS TO HAVE FUN!"

"There are times I feel if I were to vocalize what really went through my head at times people would look at me much differently. With either awe or disgust or a combination of both. Heh."

"The biggest thing I've ever wanted out of life is to become a strong, ever-evolving person who is more than capable of following her curiosity, exploring and meeting head on whatever comes her way. I definitely have the fire inside of me to do so, but until recently...what I realize what I lacked most is a specific focus for all that energy."

GENERAL CHARACTER STATISTICS

Character Name: Skie JungbluthName Meaning: Simply from the English word sky, which was taken from the old Norse word for “cloud.”Alias: NoneGender: FemaleClan: AetherAge: 24B-Day: March 21Zodiac Sign: AriesPlace of Birth: Eternium, Zeledin

Current Residence: The airship, Ethereal (she did not wish to name it that. Skie lost a bet with her boyfriend Mel. It marks the only time she has ever lost one). Skie is almost always on her custom airship which serves as her main home since her 'assignments' take her all over the known world. As a result, most of Skie's work takes place on her ship.

Occupation: Smuggler, Aryeh's mentor. Professional Gambler.

School/Grade: Finished College

Family: Joshua Jungbluth (Father), Lassilsa Jungbluth (Mother), Bill Jungbluth (Brother)

Gemstone: Diamond

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Height: 167.64 cm

Hair: She has brown hair. Her curls help to soften her square face shape, while the long side-swept bangs bring the focus to those piercing yellow eyes. Skie keeps her hair shoulder length or just a little below. Before she became a smuggler, she often wore her hair long and flowing just like her mother but has shortened it to be look less like a kid in her mind's eye.

Eyes: Yellow and catlike. The reason for this is because of her usage of arcane magic. Unlike Rane, who used external energy from others, Skie is attempting the same kind of mysteries but at the cost to her own body.

Distinguishing Marks: None

General Appearance: Skie’s eyes are usually sharp, alert and often almond shaped. She typically flushes when she feels excited. When Skie hears good news, red color will flood her face. Angry: You can always tell when she is truly angry because she will turn quite red. She also flushes when she is embarrassed or when she over exerts herself such as when exercising. She is handsome and she knows it. Skie is powerfully built but still has a womanly body.

General Clothing: Skie likes to dress classy but comfortably. Her normal wears are a white button shirt, a brown waist length jacket, black slacks, and sometimes a tie. In colder weather, she wears her father’s old brown leather trench coat which is held shut by short leather tabs.

Strengths: Skie is very adept with Aether magic. This is the power from WITHIN. It is based upon the soul, the powers that are deep within the essence of who you are. The lesser known of the styles, Aether powers are often channeled through emotions and desires.

As a swordsman, Skie's abilities are lackluster; however, those around her have noted that her fighting style, however unrefined, is heavy hitting and vicious. As it turns out, Skie's style and progress mirror that of her father.

Weaknesses: The weakness of her magical style is that it comes completely from her own body, so if she is injured or drugged or unconscious, those powers can be interrupted. It is also based upon strong desires, so her emotions must be in tune with what she wants. One of the fundamental issues with her is that she literally has a well of power inside herself. She has to constantly use magic to prevent too much from building up inside her at once.

Skie is prone to have headaches, particularly migraines, and depression because of these powers.

More: Weight: 51 kg, Breast: 81 cm, Waist: 53 cm, Hips: 84 cm

MENTAL CHARACTERISTICS

Allies: Mel and Aryeh. Skie is a good friend, she always looks out for her friends with caring and generosity and will protect them should the need arise and encourage them with her natural optimism.

Enemies: Medus and the Yellow Brother's are her main rivals, but Rane is the bigger danger.

Current Goal/Purpose: She is sent out to find Medus by her brother. He has promised her a lot of money to do so.

Aspirations: She wants to succeed where others have failed. Skie wants to explore the world, change it to fit her whims and do her best at life.

Hobbies: Skie likes activities that involve mobility and less concentration like war games, fast sports, motor racing, gambling, and vibrant music. However, she also likes to grill and come up with meals.

Likes: Action, Coming in first, Challenges, Championing Causes, and Spontaneity

Dislikes: Waiting Around, Admitting Failure, No opposition, Tyranny, other people’s advice

Talents: She’s skilled at games of chance. Skie is also skilled with fixing up and redesigning airships.

Inabilities: Selfish and quick-tempered, Impulsive and impatient, Foolhardy and daredevil, if confronted, Skie can turn to be quite childish; she will fight back with her aggressive nature.

Fears: Feeling that her identity is threatened. Self-preservation is a primal instinct and goal for her.

General Personality: Skie loves to explore new ground. She reminds her friends that every moment is new and that life is about experimentation and discovery. It is through experiences that we develop and mature. We are here to advance our soul growth. We are not here to find a static, comfortable situation. We are here to go for the gold and to answer the call of our soul. We are engaged in an on-going process to release our resistance and to transmute all forms of fear into courage and compassion.

Skie is a courageous leader with a genuine concern for those she commands. Being a responsible lady, it is rare that she will use her subordinates to obtain her own objectives as a leader, but occasionally it does happen. She does not make a very good follower because she is too "taking charge".

Skie may be unwilling to obey or submit to directions for which she can see no reason, or with which she disagrees. She is much concerned with self, both positively and negatively - self-reliant but also self centered (sometimes) and concerned with her own personal advancement and physical satisfaction. Her immense energy makes her aggressive and restless, argumentative occasionally, headstrong, quick tempered, easily offended and capable of holding grudges if she feels affronted.

Skie is intellectual and objective, but can be in rare situations bigoted and extremist in politics. She is a champion of lost causes and last-ditch resistance.

Inner Personality: Skie is quick-witted but sometimes foolhardy and over-optimistic, lacking thoroughness and the ability to evaluate difficulties regarding the undertakings into which she often rushes impulsively. The great need of Skie is to exercise an iron self-control, to discipline the qualities and tendencies of her character to the advantage, not the detriment, of the society in which she moves.

Fondest Memory: Winning all the money out of the casinos that are present in Eternium.

Biggest Regret: None so far, she has lived a pretty good life so far and rarely decides to focus on the past.

Secret: She also loves the color pink.

SPECIALTY CHARACTERISTICS

Special Items: The Ivory Cross that Skie wears. It is the symbol used on Chenoan flags. This is used to show her support of the Chenoan cause against Rane.

Magic: Aether Lightning, Skie’s only usable combat spell as an arcane magus. Raw Aether magic arcs from her hands as lightning allowing limited ranged combat capabilities.

HISTORIC BACKGROUND

General History: Skie's upbringing was fairly typical for an upper middle class family in post-war Zeledin. After the Zeledin War, her father stayed out of the limelight. While Joshua was one of the founders of the Category following Rane's disappearance, he never sought a lot of personal wealth. He believed that it was better for his children to grow up modestly. When she was younger, it never crossed her mind that she’s the daughter of Joshua Jungbluth. Most of her childhood she moved around a lot since Lassilsa didn’t want to stay in the former capital of her queen. Skie and her brother didn’t get along even from this early age.

Lassilsa was her main teacher, since Joshua himself never mastered any magical abilities. Like her father, Skie’s genes were “overspecialized” with a connection to Aether. Thus, with her magical prowess in aether magic allowed her to attend the Eternium Military Academy. At age 22, she graduated with Study in Arcane magic. It was attending the school that she became close friends with Mel Rogero. They have been dating ever since.

Shortly after her graduation, Skie enlisted into the Category's AeroCorps, in Zeldin's capital city of Eternium. She wished to distance herself from the legacy of her father while enlisted, so she was made a junior officer on the CAC Drake. It was an unremarkable time for her on the airship. Her time in the military was very short. She was kicked out for being too hot headed.

At age 24, Skie left the AeroCorps and enlisted herself to be an aging bounty hunter. He gave her a new task; being a pilot and mentor figure. Her new role was to train Ary Fairwater in Arcane studies, which puzzled her. She dislikes being a teacher and doesn’t want a teen getting in her way. To this day she continues to indirectly train Ary. Though, it seems that it is Mel that does a lot of the mentoring.

Skie was recently hired by her brother to force Medus Tenpenny into the Category's Elite Unit. In response, Mel Rogero was hired to be her bodyguard by Lassie. Skie is more than aware that The Category might have plans to make Medus their trump card when they finally intervene on the war between Chenoa and Rane's forces.

Why not? One's gotta feel confident in a uniform."

"Because Skie is amazing. She has been putting in so much hard work and it payed off big time. It doesn't matter if she's not considered a "real" magus by Category standards. She is amazing as her own kinda woman."

"Once, I had a fortune told to me and usually I never take them into thought...This one I did. It said,"Greet your friends with open arms and happiness will come to you." I seriously sat there, frozen while reading it. I took it as, I should stop being so distant and accept my friends...Bring them back into my life, even if I'm not with them. I hope I can though."

"Don't you hate when you really want to say something,but don't know what?"

GENERAL CHARACTER STATISTICS

Character Name: Mel RogeroName Meaning: Mel is a pet name of Maethelwine, which means “Meeting Friend.”Alias: NoneGender: Male

Age: 25B-Day: 2/26Zodiac Sign: PiscesPlace of Birth:ChenoaCurrent Residence: Skie’s AirshipOccupation: Skie’s Body Guard. Seat of Water, Unit ZeroSchool/Grade: Finished High SchoolFamily: MJ Rogero (Sister). Other relatives not mentioned.Gemstone: Moonstone

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Height: 180 cm (5’11”)

Hair: Mel wears his black hair (almost violet) really long, which is considered the sign of an unmarried warrior in the Moon Clan. It is kept braided by white wraps.

Eyes: Blue

Distinguishing Marks: He wears one beaded earring in his left ear.

General Appearance: Mel is a gentlemen and not sloppy in his overall appearance.

General Clothing: Mel loves the color black and wears a military inspired tunic and trousers. When not in combat, he wears a purple cape to add to the ensemble, the sign of his family. This has more to do with tradition than anything else. Since Mel is the only male son in his family, it suggests that he’ll inherit the title of his father someday. It also keeps him warm in the colder regions of Mirabella.

Strengths: Some think of him as weak because, like water, he takes the path of least resistance. But by flowing on, resisting nothing, Mel overcomes all and his freedom from self (his greatest secret strength) provides him with limitless access to imagination (his second greatest secret strength). His emotions are known to guide his heart and his mind. Mel possesses a great trait that allows him to come in contact with a variety of emotions and not pass judgment on an individual.

Weaknesses: Mel does not have many combatant spells, since he put most of his focus on using overclock and natural smarts. Mel is also very meek, while this could also be considered a merit; Mel cannot take the life of an enemy, for he is a very religious follower of the Moon Goddess.

MENTAL CHARACTERISTICS

Allies: The Category

Enemies: None.

Current Goal/Purpose: Mel is Skie’s bodyguard and boyfriend. He is a man who enjoys helping and serving others. Mel is very observant and examines each person and situation closely. He is a dreamer, which allows him to relate intimately to Skie. Mel gives to her, a certain peace and security. He always tries to avoid all possible arguments with her.

According to Ivy Veyado, Mel makes Skie more docile and convenient. He shields her against her enemies and is able to pacify her fears and give her the emotional security she needs. Mel often possesses the fiery command and gentle nature which makes a perfect blend to keep her satisfied and affectionate.

Aspirations: To help everyone he meets to the best of his ability.

Hobbies: Mel finds infinite pleasure in the simple things, like the smile of a stranger, the touch of a child, or the tweet of a bird as it feathers its nest. Mel likes telling stories, painting, cooking, watching good cinema, and collects clothes from foreign nations.

Likes: Solitude to dream in, mystery in all its guises, anything discarded to stay discarded, the ridiculous, likes to get 'lost'

Dislikes: The obvious, being criticized, feeling all at sea about something, know-it-alls, and pedantry.

Talents: Healing magics, cooking, making tea, etc.

Inabilities: Escapist and idealistic, secretive and vague. Can sometimes be bossed around by Skie.

Fears: Upheavals are abhorrent to Mel, and stay with him for days but, it is not always understood, that he absorbs all kinds of atmospheres like a sponge and, just as the power of the sea takes time to settle after a storm, so Mel needs to be allowed time and space alone, to recover his inner calm.

General Personality: Mel possesses a gentle, patient, malleable nature. He has many generous qualities and is friendly, He is good natured, kind and compassionate, sensitive to the feelings of those around him, and responds with the utmost sympathy and tact to any suffering he encounters. Mel is deservedly popular with all kinds of people, partly because his easygoing, affectionate, submissive nature offers no threat or challenge to stronger and more exuberant characters.

He accepts the people around him and the circumstances in which he finds himself rather than trying to adapt them. Mel patiently waits for problems to sort themselves out rather than take the initiative in solving them. He is more readily concerned with the problems of Skie than with his own.

His nature tends to be too otherworldly for the practical purposes of living in this world as it is. He sometimes exists emotionally rather than rationally, instinctively more than intellectually. Mel longs to be recognized as greatly creative. Any rebellion he makes against convention is personal; however, as he often times does not have the energy or motivation to battle against the Establishment.

Inner Personality: Mel has an intuitive and psychic ability more than any other character in the series. He trusts his gut feelings and if he does not, he quickly learns to because he realizes that his hunches are usually correct.

Mel’s downfall is his sensitivity and his inability to reject another person. He does not like rejection and se tries to treat others the way they want to be treated so he will rarely say no to a person for fear of hurting their feelings.

He will help another person with their problems and like to do so because making others feel good in turn makes him feel good.

His inner conflict is extremes of temperament and conflicting emotions. He wants to learn to use his powers and his imagination in a positive, productive way.

Fondest Memory: He has many. But in reality, his fondest memories always involve spending time with Skie and making sure that she is always smiling.

Biggest Regret: He has a tendency to act like a “savior” and these are a number of times in which he was not able to help everyone that he deems needed his help.

Secret: Mel loves Skie with all his heart and secretly wishes to marry her someday. She is one of the few people who have faith in his dreams. His qualities create an excitement within her and she respects Mel whole-heartedly. To him, Skie has enough fire to spark his desires and lead him to great accomplishments, and give him the faith he needs to stand for dreams and wishes. She has always fiercely defends him in the past against those who judge him inaccurately due to his dreamy nature. She brings excitement and vigor to his life and teaches him to be a bit more practical.

SPECIALTY CHARACTERISTICS

Special Items: The Purple cloak that he is often seen wearing. It is a sign that he is from a long family of knights that work for the crown family of Chenoa. While this is more of a honorary role in the present, he is still proud of his background.

Weapons: A blade for back-up. Mel is a technical pacifist; meaning he is willing to beat people up as much as he wants. He may even get a few fatalities through. However, once it comes down to a choice between killing and not an opponent, Mel will not kill. He uses his sword in non-lethal ways to defeat his foes and to defend Skie.

Whip of the Rip Tide: A whip forged from the strongest batch of ather ever found thus far, it is a Class A weapon that is capable of causing major flooding and water spouts. It is a highly dangerous weapon that only Mel can wield with proper effect. It can also be used as a normal whip or lasso.

Magic: Mel’s magic is focused on using Overclock as his main area of study. In this case, he can separate the processes of his brain and excels at multitasking on things like paperwork and cooking. This is how he is able to use his sword effectively.

Mel does have access to using the powers of Dark Flames, which are a purple flames that extend from his palms and quickly engulfs foes in a cold binding chain. Mel’s other magic includes portal openings and displacements of weapons.

The common belief is that no one can best Mel in non-lethal combat.

HISTORIC BACKGROUND

General History: Mel is the youngest child in his family. His mother went out of her way to spoil him and make sure he excelled at something other than the normal soldiery activities of the Rogero family. Though, in the end he still chose the mantle of being a knight.

Being a member of Chenoa’s court, he had access to many of the best schools in the nation. There Mel learned all the trades to be a Knight in the royal court. However, he soon decided that he’d be better off working within the Category, since Chenoa didn’t have all the fun of the modern world like Zeldin did.

After finishing up his basic schooling, he went on to the Military Academy. During his time off, Mel would wander around the city day dreaming. It was on one of these walks that he first met Skie following one of her storming off from her barracks. She was a very different girl from the ones in Chenoa. One could almost say that she was exotic to him. .

Mel would then become an acquaintance of Lassi, Skie’s mother. Lassi’s goal was to attempt to get them to become a couple. Her greatest fear is that Skie will die a soldier. When Skie left the military, Lassi requested that her daughter be barred from Unit Zero. Skie was then recommended to become a mentor, a job not suited for her fiery spirit. Knowing that her daughter might try to run off and doing something foolish, Lassi has hired Mel to be her bodyguard. Mel was more than happy to take the assignment. While still very shy to Skie, they have known each other for a long enough time that he feels that he can get closer to her this way.

#meme #ooc #thx-memorabilia

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rydain · 7 years ago

Text

Author's Notes from a Modern Brutale

The Sexy Brutale is a melange of early 20th century opulence, cultural references from the classic to the contemporary and memetic, and technology both common and cutting edge. The nature of the game leaves room to interpret which of the above are indicative of time frame versus anachronistic appeal, game mechanics, or outright fantasy.

When thinking to write my take on a back story, I latched onto a sense of Fuzzy Modern Era because of the abovementioned tech and Reasons. I wanted to imagine Trinity living independently, Redd out and happy with Greyson, Tequila likewise with Willow, and big brother Clay infinitely more bothered by Greyson's former profession than his gender - and Lafcadio officiating a lovely garden wedding for any couple desiring one. I also wanted to imagine that nobody is being murdered by delightfully cruel staff, but that's as spoilertastic as this article will get. Which is to say it won't, as it's also general commentary on how I combine throwback glamour with a present day setting.

A manor and casino like the Brutale, run by a magnificent bastard like Lucas, is defined by timeless charm and social and artistic activity. Lush vintage decor. Live music, theater, acts of magical escapism. Gambling with personable and entertaining croupiers. Rare books, art, artifacts, recordings. Fine craftsmanship in traditions worth preserving - the more obscure, the better. Throwing lavish parties to surprise and delight friends and associates and assorted miscreants, and to throw them all together to see what sort of shenanigans ensue. All of the above can be developed within some arbitrary era implied by the style of prose and dialogue and any referenced social norms.

Cultural and media references are chosen to bring fresh variety into the sense of enduring glamour. I name drop or pointedly hint at what has stood the test of time in terms of interest or amusement or importance, and I don't try to guess at what will. Rather, I give an impression of recent works that either suit the aesthetic or feel apt to broaden the sense of what does. For instance, music selections run in the veins of classical piano, speakeasy jazz, and the Great American Songbook. Contemporary styles, like various flavors of electronica, are described by overall effect meant to fit in with a mix of the above.

This leaves us with the Grinmaw in the tank - technology irrevocably affecting contemporary lifestyles. The near ubiquity of pocket computing, with all the utility and connectivity and distraction it facilitates. The necessity to acknowledge its existence without stuffing up all that aforementioned glamour with selfie sticks and glaring buzzwords - to modernize standard patterns of communication and recreation instead of having readers wonder where all the phones went. In other words, a right pain in my arse to soft focus the specifics of tech while giving enough idea of embracing it.

As with the Brutale itself, the characters' stories revolve around personal interaction, professional activity, and interests unobtrusively enhanced by the likes of phones and tablets and online media. I consider this in terms of long established workflow that nowadays happens to involve worldwide connection. Characters read books and articles, follow news and sports and fashion, listen to music and shows, collect style inspiration, send photos and messages and items of interest, save snapshots and impromptu recordings as mementos, check mail and call home, keep up with social circles - much as they would in a distant past, though with far greater scope and speed and efficiency. Of course they're also free to order merchandise or play games or throw in on some discussion, which can still be kept in general terms of interest. I can't possibly care less about the particulars of characters' social networks or chatting services, who is more apt to buy music versus stream it versus Greyson it, preferred sources for shopping or reviews or information searches or toilet humor, which card collecting time sink Clay got himself into after sufficient boredom with crosswords. I do care about how that pocket connectivity relates to the more interesting aspects of plot and personality, and how to describe that all in terms that judiciously expand the concept of a timeless atmosphere.

This ties into considerations of keeping archetypes relevant instead of glaringly anachronistic. Greyson is very much a classic British gentleman thief, and his penchant for treasure hunts reminiscent of the Bright Young Things of 1920s London. He can still rock a similar flamboyance and focus his work on finely machined locks requiring an expert's touch, albeit with some snark at the ease of popping the electronic variety. Willow's voodoo work is all about personal connections, handcrafted charms, and business relationships local to her French Quarter home. Lucas loves to wine, dine, entertain, and travel, and to show off his money with ornate bespoke luxury, which naturally leads him to be on good terms with a master clocksmith. Tequila's professional emphasis is on performance with live accompaniment and no frills beyond her attire, and her aesthetic evocative of Hollywood's golden age.

A contemporary Brutale does lose the romance of a distant bombastic past, of legends made even larger than life by the passage of time, of looking back at diaries and sepia photographs to the crackle of a gramophone. (Which is why I'm thrilled that Nikkusama astutely captures said romance - quite literally - in her Greyson/Redd series.) It just happens to be how my brain works and was made to work well enough for scratching my itch.

#the sexy brutale #as the chips fall #writing #meta

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