#there is so much good shit(TM) about the CC

[felassan]

Dragon Age: The Veilguard - known Character Creation info Part 2

[LINK TO PART 1] <- since I hit the character limit in that post I had to make a Part 2 ^^;

This post is just another dump collection of info and snippets that came out about CC (& some related topics). if you’ve been following the news or reading posts here, it’s not new info or anything, I just put it together in one place here for convenience. ( ˶´ ᵕ `˶ )

if you notice anything missing, pls lmk. there’s a bit of repetition of info in places as prev posts (including Part 1) on the topic overlapped.

---

Although non-natural hair colors like blue and purple are available for Rook in the CC, all NPCs in the game have natural hair colors [source]

A user asked if there are instances wherein Rook will be referred to by their last name. “Yes, there are places where we refer to Rook by their last name. It’s very contextual - we don’t want to awkwardly insert a reference in where it doesn’t make sense - but it does happen, though it is going to be more common with some backgrounds than others.” [source: the official BioWare Discord]

You can have body tattoos [source: the official BioWare Discord]

A user stated “There are no restrictions on lineage/faction/class combinations other than dwarves cannot be mages”. Corinne added “Correct." [source: the official BioWare Discord]

Q. “Will the gender identity of a trans/non-binary Rook be acknowledged in game by other characters? (beyond just pronouns I mean)”. A. “There are moments when you can disclose and discuss, however, disclosure remains the right of the individual so you have to make that choice for yourself. [source: the official BioWare Discord]

Q. “Will we get the option to give our Rook more fantastical hair colors, like purple, blue, pink?”. A. “Yes” [source: the official BioWare Discord]

Q. “How about heterochromatic eyes?” A. “Yes” [source: the official BioWare Discord]

Q. ’‘Will I be able to make a short qunari and a tall dwarf or are there limits to that? Do the qunari have to be buff?“ A. ’'There are limitations, of course… but yes, you can make a Dwarf that is tall or a Qunari that is short, relative to their lineage. We stan the skinny Qunari” [source: the official BioWare Discord]

the armors mesh and mold to every body [source: the official BioWare Discord]

In CC you can customize things like shoulder width, chest size, glute size, hip width, how bloodshot your eyes are, nose crookedness, and more [source: the Game Informer cover story article, DA:TV spoiler warning for link]

There are hundreds of sliders for body proportions [source: the Game Informer cover story article, DA:TV spoiler warning for link]

CC detail: “Features like skin hue, tone, melanin” [source: the Game Informer cover story article, DA:TV spoiler warning for link]

There is nudity in DA:TV, “which I learned firsthand while customizing my Rook” in CC [source: the Game Informer cover story article, DA:TV spoiler warning for link]

Rook’s backstory also affects “reputation standing”, along with the other previously-known things like in-game dialogue etc [source: the Game Informer cover story article, DA:TV spoiler warning for link]

The 4 voices we can choose for Rook each have a pitch shifter in CC [source: the Game Informer cover story article, DA:TV spoiler warning for link]

The devs used the DA:TV CC to make each in-world NPC, except for specific characters like companions [source: the Game Informer cover story article, DA:TV spoiler warning for link]

If you play as e.g. a qunari Rook, the camera adjusts to ensure larger characters like them loom over those below. The camera also adjusts appropriately for dwarves to demonstrate their smaller stature [source: the Game Informer cover story article, DA:TV spoiler warning for link]

If you are playing, e.g., a qunari, and you encounter elfy stuff, you might be missing unique dialogue options and an elf Rook would have more to say at that point [source: the Game Informer cover story article, DA:TV spoiler warning for link]

Twitter user: “Please please please let me make a feminine shaped body with no chest, begging for non-binary to be something I can present not just a pronoun slap”. Saira: “this will be entirely possible with the body sliders!” [source]

“Last names are based on your faction. You can customize your first name, however.” [source: the official BioWare Discord]

“In-world - Rook is a nickname you’re given before the events of the game, and it’s what everyone refers to you as. It allows for other characters to refer to you in dialogue without awkwardly having to write around not having a defined title, while still allowing for name customization.” Also, in the game, it is explained why we got the nickname Rook in the past. [source: the official BioWare Discord]

“There are specific lines and dialogue options for different lineages, as well as different backgrounds, and classes, including at least a handful that are unique to lineage/background combinations. No specifics but we wanted to make sure the game felt reactive to the choices you made in creating your Rook.” [source: the official BioWare Discord]

A user asked whether elven Rook is Dalish or City. Answer: “It’ll depend on your background. As mentioned previously, certain lineages will have variations of that background that go into more detail where appropriate.” [source: the official BioWare Discord]

“Without getting into spoiler territory - Rook’s a hero because they chose to be, not because they were chosen. Your choice of background fills in some of the details - and you get opportunities to define it further - but some things we leave up to you to fill in.” [source: the official BioWare Discord]

Twitter user: “Is Rook a nickname or their actual name?” Michael Gamble: “Nickname. The thing that people call you on the game.” [source]

“Oh just wait. The hair tech is phenomenal in this. Even I was thinking "aye is this a Bioware game!?” lol.“ [source]

“One thing I’m particularly happy about and can’t get over is how much better the hair rendering is. It might be a small thing to some but it looks incredible. It’s in another stratosphere compared to DAI.” [source]

“Everyone in the previews was gushing about how robust the CC is in Veilguard so there might be a decent chance to make some wild Qunari designs.” [source]

The 9 specs Rook can be (3 for each class) are:

Warrior - Champion, Reaper, Slayer Rogue - Duelist, Saboteur, Veil Ranger Mage - Death Caller, Evoker, Spellblade [more info here]

Update with new/further info up until June 27th:

Each spec is tied to a faction [source]. the faction each spec is tied to is as follows:

Mage: Death Caller - Mourn Watch Evoker - Shadow Dragons Spellblade - Antivan Crows Rogue: Duelist - Antivan Crows Veil Ranger - Veil Jumper Saboteur - Lords of Fortune Warrior: Champion - Grey Wardens Reaper - Mourn Watch Slayer - Lords of Fortune [source]

Magic “remains elusive” to dwarven Rooks [source]

“Lemmy from Motorhead” beards [source]

A user asked if they could see pics of the CC. Corinne: “If only I could. But hold tight, you’ll all be sharing your lovely creations with me soon enough 💜” [source]

A user asked “Please tell me we finally get black clothing and/or armor?” Corinne: “There are many gorgeous fits. Just you wait 😉” [source]

User: “Fingers crossed we can play as Qunari again!” Corinne: “You can and they are ✨💅” [source]

"SO many options and beautiful hair choices and very intricate skin details" [source]

"It really felt like they were trying to be very careful in making sure they had good representation with hair textures and not gender locking anything, it was all about choice. The devs put lot of care and thought into it" [source]

In CC we will be able to customize qunari Rook’s horn type and material [source]

There are “hundreds of options” in CC [source]

Selecting Rook’s faction is the penultimate step in CC [source]

The Lords of Fortune are pirated-themed [source]

Each faction has unique casual wear worn in specific cutscenes when the character isn’t wearing armor [source]

Each faction has 3 unique traits, e.g. for Lords of Fortune, they gain additional reputation with this particular faction, have increased damage versus mercenaries, and perform takedowns on enemies with slightly less effort [source]

“Faction selection, which ties into your character’s backstory, determines who your Rook was before, how they met Varric, why they travel with Varric instead of their faction, and more” [source]

Rook’s appearance can be changed using the Mirror of Transformation in the Lighthouse, but not their class, lineage and "identity" [source]

The unique faction-based casual wears are "very pretty” ^^ [source]

CC has sliders for width and height on pretty much every body part [source]

BioWare said “they worked with Black consultants to ensure they got hairstyles and textures right and authentic for masculine and feminine options” [source]

CC is expansive, robust, rich; BioWare’s best yet. At its heart is inclusivity [source]

BioWare used it to create most of the NPCs in the game, main chars like companions aside [source]

When browsing through the presets, the game allows for more detailed looks at each [source]

Pronoun choice is separate to gender identity choice [source]

Different body types available [source]

Before exiting CC Rook can be viewed in 4 different lighting scenes at any time, “including The Veilguard’s keynote purple hue, a bright and sunny tropical day, and a gothic night”. The team worked hard to quash the issues caused by the green lighting in DA:I’s CC [source]

Head and body presets can be selected individually and customized [source]

40 different complexions including smooth, rugged, youthful, freckled [source]

Skin hues range from cool to neutral to warm [source]

Undertones to these skin tones [source]

Melanin slider [source]

BioWare engaged consultation to represent people authentically

Vitiligo slider (intensity and amount adjustable) [source]

Sliders for forehead, brow, cheeks, jaw, chin, larynx and scalp [source]

Selectable undergarments, with nudity [source]

The “Body Morpher” involves “select[ing] three presets for each corner of a triangle and then mov[ing] a cursor within it to morph your body or head into a mix of these presets” [source]

Adjust height, shoulder width, chest size, glute and bulge size, hip width, how bloodshot your eyes are, how visible cataracts are, the sclera color, how crooked your nose is, how big its bridge is, the size of nostrils and the nose tip [source]

Many sliders for things like mouth and ears [source]

On ears: you can adjust asymmetry, depth, rotation, earlobe size [source]

For ears you can have cauliflower ear [source]

The makeup blends modern stylings with the fantasy of DA. It has more than 30 options including eyeliner intensity, color, glitter, eye shadow, lips, and blush [source]

Tattoos are a thing. Add them to Rook’s face, body, arms, legs. Their intensity is adjustable [source]

Tattoos are customizable [source]

Scar options [source]

Paint options [source]

“Tattoos, scars, and paint are very culturally relevant to some lineages, BioWare tells me, with unique tattoos for elves, for example” [source]

Hair options: a ton. Hair can be non-traditional colors. Hair is gorgeous. Frostbite uses the Strand system to render “each style fully with physics” [source]

Select qunari Rook’s horn type and material - more than 40 options available [source]

4 voices. English masculine, English feminine, American masculine, American feminine. Each has a pitch slider [source]

[dtkqer]

wait why ranboo (idk much abt him)

ESSAY WARNING AHEAD do not fucking repost this shit anywhere holy fuck i will kill you!!!!!!! respect my boundaries :((

ok my thought process was somewhere along the lines of

rboo (kid wanting to blow up as a mcyter during summer 2020) getting attention through making fan content of dream smp (also trying to write themself into the lore) -> dream (kid who blew up as an mcyter before the pandemic hit, getting even more insane numbers) sees himself in rboo, adds him to the dream smp

-> path 1: parasocial stan delusion - ran is both viewer and cc, relatable to viewers in a down to earth way while gaining an insane amount of success very very fast -> heightened scrutiny to not fuck things up because his audience is full of normal people who care about social justice on paper (part of dreams influence in having a gender and race diverse (somewhat) audience) -> growing importance of boundaries (tm) -> fandom becomes insanely blue haired liberal and jumps on every mistake, demanding quick and GOOD apologies for both inane and serious shit -> fandom becomes volatile and creates disproportionate responses to everything -> they (rboo) become spineless -> this attitude and spinelessness leaks over to the whole of mcyt since most of dsmp shared an audience at that point -> feedback loop we see today (sidebar: growing media illiteracy combined with volatile reactions extend to lore shit on all ends and was absolutely compounded by their joining -> "sanctity" of the lore -> michael -> dsmp audiences split over the parasocial belief that character = content creator's thoughts beliefs and actions in real life instead of. acting)

-> path 2: control and queerness - branch off from blue haired liberal -> viewers have good intentions in wanting more rep in the cc space (queer and women, not so much race) -> marginalized communities cant afford to make mistakes as much as white men in the space -> disproportionate amount of criticism for both white men and marginalized ccs -> viewers attempting to take control of ccs due to ran blurring the line between viewer and cc during lockdown/most viewers' formative social years being taken from them -> not much education about queerness in the first place -> queerbaiting discourse and queer being a symbol of goodness -> people seemed to want dream to be straight and evil and ran to be gay/queer and good -> double standards when dream and ran come out because of dream's perceived power, status, and past growing up in conservative florida he had already been addressing, but ran gets a warm welcome because of bending to the audience more than dream has and past not holding as many mistakes meaning they could claim queer as an identity -> selective biphobia because if dream is queer hes a bad queer so everything he does is evil

-> return to main thread - brighton bastards formed, beeduo date and break up, everyone becomes bitter boots after lockdown ends and dream abandons his adopted bastard child he came to love that george originally gave birth to -> october and drexodus -> quackity resentment somewhere in there behind the scenes, dtkq breakup -> former audience split over lore comes back into -> qsmp shit -> dream and by extension dteam/munchy is evil except badboyhalo who supports dream but is still on qsmp because hes a lore andy -> schisms from the past continue to grow, new schism of q's side vs dream's side appears (secret third challenger of brighton floptopia) -> people air out their dirty laundry and snide comments -> november and december -> relative peace -> march-> karl gets hit by a car -> present day -> dnf sextape

i may be wrong for quite a bit of this but this is how i saw it . again this is a tumblr exclusive if you repost this anywhere even iwth my url cropped i will fucking kill you.

[c-e-d-dreamer]

The fandom is so lucky to have you! We appreciate having you here and all that you contribute to it ❤️❤️

1. What brought you into the fandom?

2. What character(s) do you feel the most connected to and why?

3. Out of all of SJM’s books, which one means the most to you and why?

4. Out of all of the SJM couples (fanon, canon, endgame, etc) which one means the most to you and why?

Keep doing you ❤️

Oooooo! How fun! I am all for some positivity in this fandom and this is so so sweet 🥰

1. What brought you into the fandom?

So I read the ACOTAR series in spring of 2021 after they went viral on TikTok post-ACOSF (yes, I'm one of those people who read it because of TikTok, please don't judge me) and then I made the mistake that summer of trying to engage with the TikTok fandom.... Dark times.... But thankfully, I still had this Tumblr from my previous fandom days, so I came here for more Nessian content and instead found the beautiful Tumblr Nessian Community (tm). I saw there was a Nessian Appreciation Week in September and decided to dip my toe back into fic writing, and now here I am... Still writing fic but for Nessian Appreciation Week 2024

2. What character(s) do you feel the most connected to and why?

Definitely Nesta, my beloved and my wife! It's funny, when I finally got my best friend to start the series, she knew Nesta was my fave going in, and she didn't even make it that far before I got a text from her saying "oh, I get it now. Nesta is you." Like damn read me to filth I guess 😂 yes, I too have Daddy Issues and refuse to talk about my feelings. But I also relate and love Nesta's love for her sisters! Despite the way this fandom tries to say she doesn't or doesn't love them equally or whatever other BS they're always spouting. Like Nesta would commit a murder for Elain and/or Feyre with 0 hesitation, and honestly? I would for my siblings too.

3. Out of all of SJM's books, which one means the most to you and why?

Hmmm.... Tough question. I've only read the ACOTAR series (I DNFed CC, sorry). I guess I'd have to say ACOSF? I will say as much as I shit on that book and the questionable/terrible choices SJM made as a writer in that book, there is a lot of good that I love. I love that we got to see the other side of the coin, to really understand and experience what Nesta was going through, and seeing that on page really did mean a lot to me. I just wish we got more than the two dimensional mess we got from the other POV. Wish we got more actual romance and more actual healing. But alas....

4. Out of all of the SJM couples (fanon, canon, endgame, etc) which one means the most to you and why?

I mean I have to say Nessian, my beloveds. They got me back into writing fics after I hadn't written one since like 2015. But even more than that, without Nessian, I never would have met the lovely people on this app that I get to call genuine friends now. I love our small little corner of the fandom where we try our hardest to mind our business and make Cassian suffer but also hit it aka make him better

[pinkydude]

Evolution of Valentin (so far)

dates are irls dates of when I made changes to him GEHUZHU

Though it would be cool to have a little timeline of the changes my boy went through so far AEEHGH IT MADE ME EMO also I like to think my screenshot game got better so thats good

and this post will also be a cute lil memory in another 6months aaaah

I don’t think I ever posted my first ever V, he wasn’t even Valentin at this point, just V, first run discovering the game, doing only the main quest (and some side quests but not much) 

I actually dropped the blue haired V in the middle of the game I think, and started fresh with Who we know now as Valentin 

When the first trailers dropped and saw Jackie I was all about that boy (So you can imagine HOW FUCKED I WAS WHEN I SAW WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM LMAO) then when we talked with Arty about romances I learned that Kerry was gay so I was looking foreward to it (because he looked hot in the trailer and Gay Romance TM right) so I did his quests (otherwise I would’ve missed him completly I think HFHF)

And then I went with The Sun ending! Was Cool, but wasn’t satisfied with Kerry’s romance at all, the character is cool but I didn’t vibed with that kind of Romance hfh I REMEMBER actually trying to romance River and felt deadass embarassed when he turned me down 

THEN- My favorite part of every beloved games -REPLAY TIME! This time doing Every quests and Every content, I 100% my second playthrought and thats when I fell in love with Mitch (I already talked about all that in another post so I wont do that it uhgzeiuHIUGEHUIZ)

OK SO Val always had that weird beard / stuble going on, but since it’s glitched it never showed in photomode, and that was the only way to see our V before modding right, so when AMM dropped and I swapped my boy I got UHGEZUH SHOOK by his face like- THATS NOT MY BOY WHO THAT

Thats when I remade him a little bit, I think I changed his ears too? Not sure, can’t remember, he kept his same lil face but shaved basically

Cam showed me some cool kiroshi mod so I went and put that on my boy, then I gave him his throat scars and his Bleached Hair that he was supposed to have all along but since I’m dumb I didn’t saw there was a better option in CC UHGEZHU Do not percieve That

THEN I GAVE HIM HIS NEW CANON OUTFIT AND THATS WHERE WE AT BOOOISS OOOOOHHHH I love him A Lot 

AND THATS Just In Game, there is a lot of OC building and shit going on too that I don’t really share here because I’m not confident at all about my ideas and my writing stuff so HONK thinking about doing an OC page tho so maybe I’ll start putting stuff in there 

beloved baby- first time I’m this invested in a game, OC and shippp

and in a community

[limelocked]

alrigte so heres my critical take

i dont mind tommy dying and being brought back to life, even him being brought back to life soon after, what i do mind is all the character who were dealing with grief will have that arc of their slammed on the breaks the moment it gets out tommy is dead

and this type of arc isnt something u can just do again once somebody else or even tommy dies for real this time

what i really think would have been better if they wanted dream killing tommy and then brining him back (and i do think it woudlnt make much sense for dream to leave him dead too long the fucker is lonely and would probably be at least bit anxious to find out if he can bring tommy or if he just killed his last attachemt for good) they could have made it so dream killed tommy and then revived him without sam knowing

we would have the confirmation of revivial and tommyTrauma(TM) but the grief arc would still be in the chamber for the rest of the server

it just irritates me how much importantce is placed on tommy

even characters who never intearced with him went ahead and contepladed his death (looking at u foolish)

it feels like the world spins around him and everybody has to addapt and write around him if they wanna get involved in the lore

like i... i really dont wann criticize cc's but it feels lime cc!tommy is just incapable of having his character not be a center of a scene you know?

you know all those bug scenes like the festival/election/16th war there is always a crowd of ppl who are there to witness it but dont get much more than a word in edgewise and thats not bad on its own, big events just kidna be like that there are limited about of spotlights i just wish ppl would rotate in and out of them more you know? but its always tommy and tubbo, dream, and sometimes techno who take center stage in these

yeah i agree to most of this, its really not something that can happen again and my biggest criticism even if it makes sense Narratively for tommy to be revived so soon it was kinda jarring as a viewer to deal between the oh shit hes dead to suddenly no hes not (i also think its really funny that phil and techno just refused to believe that tommy was dead because they’re genre savvy and if you havent seen a corpse then theyre fine)

i really hope they do that tho, have tommy revived without other people in canon knowing for a while just so they can go on with their arcs, i just also hope that they actually continue their arcs earnestly even tho they have that meta knowledge that tommy is alive

and yeah that last bit i do agree a lot with even tho yeah i also dont want to criticize CCs too much, i wish the spotlight would move around to someone else BUT i do wanna make note that i will excuse foolishs reaction because man is a totem of undying and this is the first canon death hes been on the server to experience so i can understand him being effected even if he didnt know tommy, just cuz its like, its a Death Death

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #404

“death doesn’t answer when i cried for help”

The person you had the strongest feelings for dies, do you care? I'd be fucking devastated. It wouldn't feel real. Is there something you’re happy about at the moment? A few things. I'm still on that high of my APAP mask working, like I'm actually getting some fucking quality sleep, and I think I'm noticing the effects of my TMS therapy finally, too. My PTSD has most notably been much more bearable, and my interests are beginning to spread again. Do you want someone dead? No. Do you ever wonder what your ex is up to? I mean yeah, I think that's pretty normal, even for someone without my issues. Have you ever fed or taken care of a stray animal? Oh, many times. What is something you tend to worry about? My health and future. What is something you do that is unhealthy? Sit at the computer for way too long. I'm absolutely certain my vision is as poor as it is partially because of me endlessly staring at screens. What is something you do that is good for you? I'm not afraid to prioritize my mental health. What last caused you to force a smile? I was watching a Mark video for the first time in a while and was just reminded of how much I love and appreciate that moron. What was the last video game you played? Was it fun? Because you said "video" game, I guess I'll exclude computer ones, in which case I'm pretty sure it was Silent Hill 2. Given it's one of my all-time favorite games, of course I think it's fun. It's one hell of an emotional ride. What is something not many people know about you? The fact I was a dancer for many years would probably surprise people once they have a good idea of me and what I like. What word describes your basic style? Lazy, honestly. I dress for comfort, and given that's usually just pj pants and a tank top... yeah, I don't put much effort into my clothing when I'm going most places. Have you ever been told you were going to Hell? She kinda beat around the bush, but yes. Have you ever wanted to kill yourself? On more than one occasion. If yes, what convinced you not to go through with it? Well, I did OD once, but on the other occasions, it was the fear of the unknown that deterred me. Have you ever rejected a guy, only to have him push the issue by asking “why?” and insisting that you just need to get to know him better? Omg no, thank god. I would NOT handle that well. Is there something that you believe everyone should do and you can’t believe that some people don’t do it (e.g., recycle or go to the dentist regularly)? I didn't know 'til a survey question asked it that there are people who don't brush their tongue when brushing their teeth. Like holy shit dude, there are SO many germs on your tongue, clean that shit. Regarding the last good choice (healthy choice, kind choice, selfless choice, etc.) you made, what was your real motivation behind it? Ummmm the nearest that comes to mind is I guess taking my meds? I mean I do that every single day, but it's still a healthy choice for me. The motivation was because I am very serious about doing what I can for my mental wellbeing. What is something that you have had to practice at to get the hang of it? If you can’t think of anything, that’s okay, what’s something you are currently practicing at and trying to master? I really can't think of something for the first half of the question, but I can tell you that right now I'm attempting to force a routine of applying a therapy technique called "opposite action" into my daily life, where you, well, do the exact opposite of what your depression tells you to not do. It is WAY harder than it sounds, but I'm doing it with reading 30 minutes a day! Have you ever gone to the store to buy something, like a video game, when it came out at midnight? Not to my recollection, no. Regarding the last novel you read, was there a romance included? If so, was it central to the plot? The last novel I finished, yes. It wasn't central to the plot. Have you ever done relaxation meditations or listened to relaxation guides or positive-thinking/healing recordings? No, except in therapy when different therapists wanted me to experiment with it during a session. They just don't work for me. Do you have any interests that are also often shared by children? Yeah. Those are the one I'm especially self-conscious about. there something that could be a solitary activity but you really only like to do it with other people (e.g., watching movies, playing video games, etc.)? Watching movies or TV. Are you satisfied with the interior design or decoration in your home? Or do you think it needs a total home makeover? A makeover would be nice... Is there something that you’d like to own but you can’t find it anywhere? If not, can you a remember a time when you wanted something? Did you ever end up finding it or did you eventually stop wanting it? OKAY SO I actually have seen this custom-made once long after deciding I wanted it, but it was RIDICULOUSLY expensive. There's a location in the Silent Hill games called Heaven's Night, and I'd love love LOVE to commission someone to duplicate the neon pink sign of it to hang in my room. Hopefully one day I could still do it. Who makes you smile the most? Probably my cat, honestly. What piercings do you want/have? I've talked about the piercings I have, but I'll talk about those I want. My #1 is absolutely collarbone dermals, but as I've explained a billion times, I want to lose weight so the bones are more prominent for the sake of contrast; you can't really see my collarbones now, so I just think it'd look pretty dumb and random to just have random piercings somewhere around there with no dimension. I also want way more in my ears, dermals in my back dimples also once I've lost weight, my right nostril for the dozenth time (but this time I'll wear a hoop), and while I'd absolutely adore an undereye microdermal as well, it'd be pointless with glasses. :/ What's your favorite website? KM is my pride and joy and really feels like my online home, so despite using sites like YouTube more, that 'ole RP site has to be my fave. Do you own a fish tank with fish? No. I had fish bowls (AWFUL idea) as a kid, but never tanks Do you like the movie 300? Never seen it. Do you pop your knuckles? NOOOOOOOOOOO. I absolutely hate the sound. It makes me cringe and shiver. Do you have Photoshop? Yes. It comes in the Adobe CC photography bundle I have. Do you use tinypic or photobucket? I used Photobucket back in the day. Now I just upload to imgur. What’s your favourite song from the 1980s? You're talking to someone who adores classic rock/metal, haha. How about the 1990s? There are way too many songs to choose from. Have you won anything recently? No. How often do you make Excel tables? What for? Never. What was the last baby animal you saw in the wild? There was a poor fawn as roadkill on the highway recently. :/ Are you always available or online? Preeeetty much. Do you have dietary restrictions? Or do you just eat what you like? I can eat whatever. Do you prefer gold, silver or steel jewelry? Or no jewelry at all? Steel. I'm allergic to silver, and I think steel is more subtle than gold. Have you been binge-watching any shows lately? If so, what? No. If you dye your hair, do you do it yourself or go to a salon? I do it at a salon. If you have any, do you like your in-laws? I don’t have any. Would it bother you, if your partner had cut contact with their parents? If they had a good reason, no. Have you ever wondered whether you were adopted? As a kid I did because I thought Mom was meaner to me than my siblings, lol. What’s the best physical feeling in the entire universe? ........... This question is a setup lmfao. Have you ever grown a berry bush? No. Have you done something new to your hair recently? No. It's been the same for quite a while. I wanna dye it badly. Do you have bad anxiety? If so, do you take any kind of medication for it? I'm diagnosed with generalized and social anxiety, so yeah. I take Klonopin once and day and Ativan as needed for attacks. One thing you’ve experienced that you thought you never would have? HA, the first thing to come to mind was being noticed by Mark by making a viral (in the community, anyway) gif of he and his doggy. I shit you not, I couldn't sleep for three days lmfao. What was the last thing someone said to you that kept repeating over & over in your head? That I gained fucking seven pounds in two months at my last doctor appointment. I wanted to scream. How often do you have late nights out? Never. I'm a homebody. If you could, would you work from home? Do you think that would make you more or less productive? No. It would absolutely make me less productive. If you had the ability to change the weather, what would you change it to right now? Cool with a nice breeze, mostly clear skies, crisp air... That'd be nice right now. Is there something that you really need to do, but can’t seem to get motivated to do it? I say it all the time: finish decorating my room. It's funny, because I KNOW I'll feel more at home and cozy with my bedroom more personalized. Most disturbing movie you have ever seen? Paranormal Entity. The ending was... a lot. Has a life goal or dream ever come true for you yet? If yes, what is it? If no, do you think you’ll achieve it? Not that I can think of. .-. I hope I can achieve some... Have you ever had food poisoning? No, thank God. What are you listening to? "The Man Who Made a Monster" by Dance With the Dead. Do you think there will be a WWIII? I find it inevitable at some point down humanity's future. People are too hateful for it not to eventually. Has anyone ever asked you if you were emo? Yeah. Has someone ever liked you that you never thought would? Maybe? Idk. In all honesty, can a person be too nice? Yes, in some instances. Has one of your friend’s boyfriends ever tried to cheat on them with you? Yes, when I was around 12. And I let it happen. It's one of my biggest regrets. Is mental abuse really as bad as physical abuse? Of course it is. Emotional abuse can cut just as deep as some physical blows, or even deeper. Do you shop at Sephora for make-up? No. Zelda: Twilight Princess or Ocarina of Time? I'm actually not into TLoZ. Do you own a rosary? I did as a kid growing up in a Catholic Sunday school. If you were homeless, how would you cope? If I had no loved ones in my life and no sign of things getting better, I'm honestly preeetty sure I'd end my life.

[elfyourmother]

@shadow-hikari

I used to work for a big bank doing customer service for their credit cards so most of this was Bootstraps(tm) combined with my insider knowledge and also doing my homework

All the bad shit on my file was from upwards of a decade ago so I basically was starting from scratch. Nothing bad on my report but nothing good either. Nothing at all period. I knew I wanted to start over with a secured credit card and after doing a lot of research I applied for the Discover IT chrome secured card with a $300 deposit, which was my limit. I made small purchase every month and put my Netflix bill and Sephora Play! subscription box on it and paid in full (PIF) either manually or thru autopay. After they reported to the credit bureaus and I got a FICO score of 650 or so, I kept it nice and easy. Small purchases, PIF. Kept my utilization (how much I spent vs total limit) very low. Score kept creeping up. After a few months when I hit low 700s I applied for a regular non-secured card (Capital One QuicksilverOne) and got it, albeit with a tiny limit. But I used the same principles as with the Discover. Kept utilization low, put a small recurring bill on it (this time, Hulu), PIF every month.

The nice thing about Discover is that as long as you keep paying on time and show responsible use of the card, they graduate you to the unsecured version of the IT Chrome after about 9-12 months. I “graduated” at 9 months and they bumped me up to $1500 limit and returned my security deposit. 1 1/2 years later I have a wallet full of rewards cards with significantly higher limits including a couple of semi-premium travel cards, Chase is throwing mortgage preapprovals at me when I’m not even in the market for property, and my credit union is practically begging me to get an auto loan from them. That humble $300 Discover secured card has grown into the best rewards card Discover offers (I was able to upgrade the regular chrome to the regular IT) and is responsible for all of this, all with my hard work and discipline.

A lot of ppl are afraid especially if they’ve gotten in trouble in the past with them but it’s honestly the “quickest” way to start. I like secured cards for this especially because they have such tiny limits that you have to try really fuckin hard to fuck up. It’s like a training wheels card to help you (re)build a sense of discipline. I have color coded calendars and spreadsheets for my CCs.

Stay away from predatory subprime lenders like CreditOne. They charge insane fees and prey on desperate ppl. Discover is fucking amazing and imo has the best secured card on the market (it’s the only one I’ve ever seen with any kind of rewards program) as well as amazing non-outsourced customer service but IT Chrome is not the easiest secured card to qualify for. If you can’t get that then Capital One has one. Best yet if your bro can qualify for a credit union membership (and it’s easier than you may think), they tend to have secured ones available also.

A word about CreditKarma, NerdWallet, etc. I use them but I caution people. First of all any time something is”free”, that means you’re the one for sale. In this case, these sites make money off referral links for the credit card application links they throw at you (their “approval odds” are similarly tainted bc of this). Secondly the “FICO” score they give you a something credit card hobbyists call a Fake-O score; it’s something called VantageScore 3.0 which virtually no lenders use to determine eligibility for credit. FICO 8 is what lenders use. VS are generally inflated by comparison BUT if you take them with a grain of salt they can give you a decent ballpark estimate of whether or not your score is on the right track. That’s how I use those apps.

I will say though that depending on where you live there may be non-profits or gov’t agencies that do free financial counseling if he wants help specific to his situation. In NYC the Dept of Consumer Affairs runs Finanical Empowerment Centers in conjunction with local non-profits to offer free one on one counseling.

Biggest advice: be patient. It won’t happen overnight. Plant the seeds and watch them grow.

[vicsep7250]

@ren-amamiyaa and their (he/she?) Golden Heist, Thief Nanako and Cryptid Chaser aus flooded my brain and now Im making this post bc I cant fit all of this in asks!!!

All right, so, idea. Cryptid Chasers, Thief Nanako and Golden Heist are all connected righr???

CC acts as a prequel, TN becomes the inbetween starring Nanako and Akechi, and GH stars a broken and older IT and slightly jaded PT.

So far CC has Yosuke and Naoto forming the brotp that fanon wanted through silly Saturday Night Ghost Chasers Shenanigans, Akiren is bein' a lil shit at midnight bc he needs an outlet and exercise to Phantom Thief. While this goes on, Akechi's ghost/spirit/rement/heart/whatever pulls pranks and shenans along with Joker (hiwever that happens).

As the Cryptid Chasers keep going out of their way to confront Joker about Arsene (bc even he likes to mess around) the other IT in Inaba start to try and stop them from disrupting the peace (read : harassing a known criminal) and this somehow leads to a falling out. Mayhaps Naoto and Yosuke break a few laws and Chie busts them, Kanji wants to know why theyre stalking his student/protege, and Yukiko just wants to keep the rumors about the inn in check bc jfc Yosuke STOP SCREECHING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT IN THE LOBBY THERE IS NO GHOST ON THE TV!

Maybe eventually they call it quits or dont bc Naoto dug this hole too deep to climb out themself and Yosuke is having the time of his life since Partner isnt around and hasn't come back to visit yet (Not sayin' souyo is canon and there but-). And the Cryptid Chasers arc probably ends here with there being some animosity towards their shenanigans , but the IT are all still friends.

Now fast forward to like, uhhh (*flings dart at wall of calendars*) 2014 during winter and Akiren's cryptid acts are now fully accepted and maybe exposed, who knows. Nanako is like 10 ~ 12 (P5 is maybe three/five years post P4 I believe) and is just going through the motions of public education. I.E. go to class, do work, get good grades. Dojima is still the same as he was before Yu came but is at least doing better at being a dad, not much but better. Yosuke and Ted aren't around as much bc Junes, Chie is transferred to Tokyo, Yukiko is busy managing the Inn, and Kanji is busy with work (as a teacher and crafts business owner). Rise unfortunately cant come visit and Big Bro now visits every other year.

Nanako starts to look back and wonder how things started to fall apart amongst the group and recalls that "delinquent" who came back at the same time the Cryptid^tm showed up and ruined the group. So now she starts to remember the good times when Big Bro came by and starts to notice some blanks around winter... Why was she in the hospital when she got kidnapled? Why does she remember these weird flashes of Big Bro and his friends and some monster?? And how come she tried to ask them anything about it they brushed her off each time???

The TV in her room flashes and soon she starts hearing things. She starts to move closer to the tv, as if she was in some sort of trance, as the sounds start to become voices to her. When she's directly infront of the screen she sees something... someone on it...

Nanako doesnt show up for breakast, or to school, and nobody seems to have seen her.

A full year passes on after that day. It starts off with a big search party of the IT and Social Links for the first two months, then after ankther three something stange happens... are people forgetting that Nanako existed or something? Everybody's starting to act like completely different peoplw than who they are too, some even end up hospitalozed due to severe headaches and such, and start claiming that Nanako was never around when she vanished or that she left Inaba or was already deamed dead or missing. This rings alarms in the IT's mimds as they search for answers, eventually all fully reuniting for the first time in years/months.

Naoto and Yosuke blame themselves bc they piece together her disappearance with the Cryptid + Ghost case and immediately get scolded for trying to pin their stupid kids game on a missing person's case - especially now with Nanako missing and possibly in danger again! Afterwards the IT are a bit on edge and a bit broken with the whole thing. Meanwhile Akechi can hear the tale ends of "missing person" and "literal disappearnace" and starts looking into this weird limbo metaverse he's in bc some shit is kinda fucked in here now for some reason. They're pretty much only together as a team to rescue Nanako.

GH in the PTs POV starts when Akiren invites the group to the Amagi Inn thanks to licrative money grin- I mean training. He comes clean into having seen something weird on the tv one late night and wants to let the gang know.

Midnight rolls around and Akechi shows up on the screen and the Thieves losing their shit is an understatement - numerous noise complaints were filed that night. Anyways Akechi decides to just play the role of "hey moron, some shits fucked come help fix it" and ends up informing them of a missing girl and this weird TV Mementos world he is in.

I would like to note that Akechi is not at all bitter or confused at everyone's circumstances in life, no of course not Joker stop crying I know its been a while but shutup theres a kid in trouble rn and youre the only ones who can possibly help her.

When the PT figure out a plan to reach this other world Goro is in (Arsene : THOUARTTHEESTICKYOURHANDINTHETVDOITDOITDOITDOIT) the IT eventually come to the very sad conclusion that Nanako moght be in the TV world and that opens a whole can of worms and burnable bridges to cross.

While in the TV world, I'd like to imagine that due to Akechi having been there for a good while it has been shaped to reflect his heart and be the new overall theme of that world. It all still looks like Inaba, but it all holds themes to Akechi and his no good terrible life. However due to Nanako having been in that world as a kid, and now for an uncertain amount of time, the world now holds motifs to the Heaven area from P4, but it's all sorta ruined and kinda darker.

When both teams get together and enter the weird Tele-Mentos world (IT in a Junes storage and PT at either Ren's pad [bc he moved out obvi] (OR bith teams enter from seperate TVs at the Inn so SHENANS!)) Yu and the IT go through Akechi's influenced world/TV Palace, finding out about his tragic backstory and involvement with the PT, but anything that can and could reveal their true identities is blurred and staticy or missing bc Akechi aint gonna snitch out who ruined his sperm donors life (also I guess saved the world too yeah). While going through the Palace the Team starts to think that finding Goro will just be an "if it happens" sort of deal bc he's been missing for years already, what if we just leave him here bc M U R D E R E R.

Cue a sudden appearance by someone in some sort of fallen angel garb who starts whipping out a full on Metal Gear Villain monologue about how hypocritical the IT are when they find the truth about Akechi's life and disappearance - they claimed to want to live in a world where no one hides in the fig, was that all a lie? Are they going back on their word, and hiding behind a shriud of lies and falsehoods once more? "You've gone and lied and hidden the truth already, what's to say you won't continue?"

Meanwhile Akiren and the Thieves enter at the very top of the Heaven TV Set and have to climb all the way down. As they do so they start seeing little murals or epitaphs about memories and people in this girls life. They see all of these memories of a happy girl who had such a loving family - both found and by blood. As they go further and further down the ruins start to look like an actual Heaven, and the scenary becomes more bright and colorful. Eventually they might run into Crow in his Black Mask clothes and give the bastard a slug on the arm and a group hug or two, bc man he doesn't deserve to suffer anymore like this.

Now that the Phantom Thieves have been reunited (Akechi : I can't leave this world The PT : FUCK, MORE PLOT) they end up thinking up ways to get Akechi out until this weird angel priest looking dude shows up and starts babling about how they are criminals and how they've done more bad than good and blah blah blah. Everyone is just all "We're the good guys, we do the right thing even if its morally grey/ambiguous!" and oh look! Another crazed maniac wants to kill us for our "injustice" *Crow has the decency to look away and not say anything* annnnnnd Heaven is locked off. Perfect.

Now maybe the Phantom Thieves and Investigation Team run into each other somewhere in Akechi's Palace and "You have Personas?!?!" "The hell is a Palace?" "YOU'RE THE CRYPTID OF INABA!!?!?" "And Im the 'Ghost' that follows him." "Wait you followed me as a ghost?" "WAIT WHY ARE THERE TWO AKECHIS??!??!!"

Oh yeah, Shadows... Akechi is still kinda in denial about the whole friends and justice thing...

And now the Dark Priest is back great ("Good name Skull" "Well I've got my moments right?").

Annnnnnnd now I have no idea what happens next and Im all burned out but AAAAAAAAA this entire AU crossover thing is so GOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!!

[serabiet]

Hi! I have a couple of questions re: Strange County. I was was wondering if you have any film recs that have a similar vibe to your story? Also, do you use/make moodboards? I've read through a bunch of your posts but I don't think I saw anywhere that you have a pinterest?

Hello! I don’t use pinterest, I have a very strong, permanent aversion to the site, and dislike how when trying to find cc (or anything) it’s taken over most of the google results instead of the original sites the stuff is actually located on. It’s like one of those sims forums you can’t download anything from without becoming a member, except more invasive and bigger scale. That isn’t to say the dislike applies to people who do use pinterest, with an account it’s probably making searches easier :D

For the films: interesting question! I don’t know about similar vibe, but I wrote down a list I tried to narrow down to desert/gothic horror movies that I’ve sucked inspiration from, either intentionally or automatically. Warning: I like to talk about movies.

Dust Devil (1992): I just recently rewatched it and realized how big an influence this one actually has been. Like, all the way down to dialogue. Cinematographically gorgeous movie set in Namibia and South Africa in the early 90s with all that entails, it’s laid heavy with symbolism, and ticks every genre box of desert, gothic, horror, and romance. The lead couple are both white, which you know, uhh okay, but the movie is fascinating nevertheless, and Sgt Mukurob’s story running parallel is brought out as equally as important. The long version I recommend over the 108 minutes cut one is available on yt, at least at the moment.

Once Upon a Time in the West (1968): One of my favorite movies, ever. Like all Leone westerns, it’s absolutely beautiful but this one he considered his goodbye to the genre so it tells a story of the end of an age: simplified, men’s way of running the world isn’t sustainable, women come along and build on the ruins a new order that is. Fun fact: I wrote a kickass analysis of it at school when I was 18. Influence it’s had on Strange County? Everything :D but I especially draw from the visuals, Ennio Morricone’s soundtrack, and the inherent sadness and hopefulness (death and rebirth) that are a part of transitioning to a new era.

Come to think of it, Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) uses that same base for its story, just updated to this century and dressed differently, which is probably a big reason I love that movie so much as well. Huh. I think a lot of my other favorites do, too. Well, to be fair and less pretentious every story is about transformation, so no shit Inka.

All the other Leone westerns kind of go on a list of recommendations. Eastwood might be a dick of a grandpa but he sure was pretty at the time. And all the movies are prettier than him. I mean look at the colors and the desert.

Isolation is thematically a big thing for me in everything I do, so good examples of movies here featuring that: the Shining (1980) is an eternal fave, I can’t help it, Alien (1979) is one, Aliens (1986) is too with the added spin of motherhood as a driving force, plus they’re GORGEOUS, but they’re less of a direct source of inspiration with SC. More like silently informing everything because I’ve taken them into my heart and spine so fully.

I’m having a hard time trying to think of a more traditional (read: everyone has tuberculosis and every other person is a ghost type of hella victorian even if it’s contemporary) gothic horror that’d stuck with me enough to fit on the list. I like Guillermo del Toro’s movies well enough, but they’re not that big for me personally. The Orphanage (2007) made a big, lasting, impression at the time, but I haven’t really returned to it since like other favorites mentioned above. Oh! The Candyman (1992) works in this category and I love it! I tend to watch everything in the genre I can get my hands on, but not that many really FULLY satisfy the thirst. Which is probably why I’m so desperately trying to write in that vein. Make your own etc.

So that’s something! A long waffle of a something, hopefully including things for you to look into :) Most of the movies I listed are old and well-known, so you might have seen them before, but I’d say they’re worth a re-watch even then.

Also if anyone has recommendations or just wants to talk about this stuff, I’m open to it! Big chance is I’ve at the least heard about the movie/show if it has anything to do with gothic horror, but any selling points might get me to check it out if I haven’t yet. And if I have, I very likely have an OpinionTM :D

[lesbiandanieljacobi]

I truthfully am not so crazy about really any of the canon couples in the arrowverse? Oliver and Felicity are just... bad, Roy and Thea were just like, "okay that's a thing that happened," for me, Oliver and Laurel were doomed from the start bc of their portrayals, Caitlin and Ronnie didn't have enough time together for me to become attached and the two guys after that were just unnecessary, Iris and Eddie were Perfect (TM), Nate and Amaya are forced and uninteresting, any pairing with Felicity

Is really just “ugh” for me, Ray and Kendra could’ve been cute but instead they were “meh,” Kendra and Carter was weird and uncomfortable, Kara and James could’ve been good but they sacked him for That Guy and I’m not even touching that pile of steaming dog shit with a twenty foot pole, Cisco and Cindy look like they have potential but lbr it’s probably gonna be disappointing, Sanvers is love, Wally and Jesse came out of nowhere and I have no particularly strong feelings about it, Joe and Cecile look okay, Sara and Nyssa were Complicated But Cool, Sara and Len had great chemistry and I 100% believe the actors set that ship sailing on their own and don’t give the writers credit for it plus they killed Len so screw them, and I want to like Barry and Iris together bc I love them in the comics and they’re honestly really cute together but the way they did things on the show stops me, like the fact that they were pretty much raised together like siblings which squicks me out a lot, she clearly chose Eddie over him and I’m not convinced she wouldn’t do it again if Eddie were still alive, and that they started the show with him in love with her right off the bat reeks of lazy writing and an unwillingness to actually develop stuff.

Look I agree with you on some of this but not all. I personally wasn’t fond of CC really at all - although I do agree that came from the actors more than the writers at its inception. And I, dear Nonny, will defend WestAllen until my dying day. I love them. I love them with all my heart and soul. I think that it’s a part of life that all people learn and change and develop and part of that is learning who you love and what you want. I love that Barry was to scared to tell Iris, that he wanted her to be happy even if he was jealous it wasn’t him, I loved that she had her turn to feel that way later. I loved her gradual realization she’d been in love with him for years. I fucking love WestAllen. And if you have an issue with them?

Meet me in the fucking pit, Nonny.