#i tried to keep it concise

[emptysekai]

guide to ad-free youtube for mobile via. youtube revanced

since youtube vance is no longer maintained and youtube is cracking down on adblockers here is how to download youtube revanced which has the best options for customising youtube features; including removing youtube shorts popups, sponsorship segments in videos, hiding unused buttons, bringing back dislikes, and more! [official revanced github]

this guide is for android only. sorry apple users idk how to help you. your device doesn't have to be rooted. even if it is, you should still be able to follow this guide. if you have youtube vanced installed, revanced shouldn't clash, so you don't have to uninstall it if you don't want to.

installation guide:

1. download all 3:

i. microg (this will let you log into your youtube account) [apk mirror] (scroll past description, download the latest one)

ii. revanced manager apk [github] (select the latest release, scroll to the bottom in assets, install the .apk file)

iii. latest youtube apk [apk mirror]

2. open revanced manager

3. select in this order: "patcher" -> "select an application" -> "storage" (note: if your phone asks you to let the app have storage access, say yes)

[id. two screenshots of the revanced manager app. there are red markings drawn overtop, indicating areas to select mentioned in step 3. the three spots are circled by a red square, an arrow pointing towards it, and a circle with a marked number to indicate the order at the end of each arrow. id end.]

4. select the youtube apk you downloaded

5. select patches. you can tap "recommended" or "default" or turn on/off patches you want

6. once you have selected, select: "done" -> "patch"

7. wait as it intialises youtube revanced. when it's done select "install" (note: if your phone gives you a warning that the app is blocked, select: "more details" -> "install anyway")

8. if this worked, you should have youtube revanced installed, and you can log in like normal. if this didn't work, read the next part.

(under the read more are troubleshooting solutions + other alternative apps)

issue a) if the botom right now says "open"

1. select: 3 dots on the top right -> "export apk"

2. save it

3. open whatever file browsing app you use (most phones should have a default one that comes pre-installed called something like "files" or "my files". if you don't have one, you can go to the play store and search "files" and pick one. if you aren't sure, i use "files by google")

4. find the exported file and install it (it will be called something like "youtube-revanced-versionnumber.apk")

5. if this worked, you should have youtube revanced installed, and you can log in like normal. if this didn't work, you can read the next part.

issue b) can't build or install youtube revanced with no option to export

1. something may have gone wrong with the file installation at some point, so try a clean start. to do this, uninstall:

i. revanced manager

ii. youtube revanced

iii. microg

iv. (optional) disable/uninstall the default youtube app

2. follow guide from step 1 again, hopefully it works. if it's still not working, you can try other alternatives. i've listed some in the next part of this post

alternatives:

libretube, newpipe, songtube, vuetube, astron, puretuber

i haven't used any of these personally, but i haven't seen any problems with them. let me know if there are and i'll remove it from the list.

you can also use youtube through your web browser with adblock add-ons. i'm not sure whether youtube has affected their mobile site though. with the firefox app you can use ublock origins (for ads) + youtube high definition (for general quality fixes)

[snobgoblin]

erm I've actually been nervous to post my Arcana theories here but I really like this one if you'll fuck with me on this

I think that like, the way the characters use magic? is actually based on the Minor Arcana. let me explain

the suit cards, to my understanding, have an elemental association and an overarching thing they relate to in a reading. I'll list out the elemental association of each suit and the traits associated with it, to the best of my ability, drawing from multiple sources including the official Arcana tarot guide, and then when I'm done with that I'll explain how this correlates to the magic systems present in the game

Cups ☕️💧

this one is associated with water, and it relates to matters of the heart, emotions. as well as connections to other people, spirituality and adaptability

Swords 🗡🌬

is associated with air, and deals with internal dialogues, logic, and intuition. it also has associations with decision making and intelligence

Wands 🪄🔥

this one is associated with fire and emphasizes willpower, self reliance, and the ability to take direct action. there's a lot of strong emotions associated with this one, it's a passionate suit

Pentacles ⭐️🍃

is associated with earth and deals with the tangible things in one's life, physical things. it also represents hard work, stability, and practicality

NOW THAT IVE EXPLAINED THAT let me explain how this fits into the way characters will use magic

Asra 💧

i dont think *matters of the heart* represents anyone better than Asra, how about you 😉? not to mention his magic is described as feeling like rain, he communicates through water, he can MAKE water in the desert, in the gladiator battle they can control it too iirc, AND his personal gate is full of pools of water. their teachings also seem extremely emotion based in a way that's hard for me to explain, a very "believe it will happen and it will happen" kind of way to using magic (God I wish I could articulate this better but luckily the others will be easier to explain) all of this would mean they would be operating under the Cups magic system

Nadia 🌬

Intuition is her whole thing! of course she'd be the swords (also notable that Nadia is great with a sword) intelligence also screams Nadia, she knows 12 languages and when she first met the High Priestess all she wanted to do was figure out how the realm worked because it wasn't scientifically accurate to her. decision making is also fitting considering she is the Countess

Lucio 🔥

Lucio is actually a little bit bad at magic according to Asra, so I won't be relying on him entirely for this (you'll see) however, it should be noted that when Lucio summons Vlastomil, he does so by setting a fire and then cutting open the bottoms of his feet. this mirrors how Morga uses magic, like once she cuts open her palm to catch her own spear on fire, and there is no hesitation in the way Morga uses magic, like rushing into portals (not for recklessness, but because she's so sure of herself) and another time she breaks the Devil's chains via extremely precise spear throw, something Asra is impressed by. so! I think the wands suit fits just perfectly when we consider direct action and self reliance in reference to Morga, and I suppose by extension Lucio, if he practiced a bit more

Muriel 🍃

his magic is actually described as feeling earthy at at least three different points, and the way he casts magic is very interesting as well. runecasting, which is described in the game as Muriel throwing a rock and interpreting the meaning. which is a very physical, grounded way to use magic. not to mention the myrrh and protection charms he uses- those are also extremely tangible things, naturey things so I think it aligns perfectly with the Pentacles. I would even argue that Mazelinka falls under this magic system, since she uses plants to make her potions- which is also a tangible way to do magic- pulling from your environment and such

so yeah I just thought that was interesting 🤔

[takami-takami]

Oh you know exactly what I want😈

Keigo + Primal Play

Go wild with it! ❤️

☕️anon

When it comes to primal instincts, Keigo Takami is king.

For all the years of sexual repression he endured as he focused on work, of shoving down his desires like neatly folded clothes in an overpacked suitcase, he didn't anticipate a curveball such as yourself to go ahead and unlatch the lock.

It starts the moment he lays eyes on you. Pretty little thing, he thinks, so excited to shake his firm hand and introduce yourself to the number two.

His gaze drops to the flesh of your neck.

You're unmarked.

He can keep it locked a little longer, over the months and years you get to know each other, as you become intertwined in your perfect little romance of an origin story.

You let your guard down around him, he thinks one afternoon, with your feet propped lazily on his couch. He tries not to watch out of the corner of his dilated eyes, the way your legs absentmindedly kick back and forth. The vulnerable to prey pipeline in his mind isn't one he prefers to give any credence to; but frankly, it is quite loud. Pressure builds and builds, and a dog held back by its kennel will grow restless in the absence of an outlet for such instincts.

It drives him up the wall, the way you'd let him do anything to you. Thoughts plague his mind on repeat as he stares up at his ceiling in the middle of the night, twisting a single feather between his thumb and index finger. Do you even know what you're asking for? Oh, he thinks you do. When he presses you down against the bed with a kiss, your legs fall open, entirely subconsciously. When he grips you with his nails tight enough to leave marks, you choke out a moan.

It takes every ounce of his cognitive effort to tap into the rational part of his mind, the part that wants to give it to you slow and sweet.

Saccharine as you are, sweet is what you deserve. But Keigo can see it in your eyes, in the wide-eyed way you blink up at him when he's on top of you, the way you roll your head to expose your jugular: sweet isn't what you want.

The last of his resolve cracks when you lean in and whisper, "you can do whatever you want to me. I want you to."

From that moment on, he starts to allow himself those indulgences. If he wants to make hickies bloom in obscene places, he'll do it. With his eyes so lidded he can barely see, he obliges your request and clicks a collar around your neck. He twists and stares in the mirror at the crimson claw marks on his back after each nightly shower, feathers trembling with a giddy thrill.

Satisfied, finally.

This newfound game of cat and mouse keeps him perfectly stimulated, feeds his need for enrichment and satiates his instincts exactly as he needs it. When you ask him what he'd think about playing a less than innocent game of hide and seek, he swears he's died and gone to heaven.

You're just perfect.

His favorite little chewtoy.

[crimeronan]

been thinking about the rabies condition in writing lately, which is a GREAT post about stakes and characterization. basically exploring how if there's a 100% chance a character is doomed, then they can and will do extremely dangerous/damaging/contraindicated things for the slimmest hope of survival. which is one of my Favorite narrative devices

but while we're using health metaphors, i've been thinking about another somewhat complicated means of introducing character stakes, which i'm tentatively calling 'the autoimmune condition' for reasons that are. obvious

the premise itself is simple: the character has Something that they need to survive. they either can't live without this thing or they will lose something vital about themselves if they lose this thing. there is no replacement or alternative for the thing. what's most important are that the consequences for losing it are Extreme, rabies-condition-style

in the real life allegory, this is the immune system. which is great for being alive!

then the problem is introduced when this thing starts killing the character.

the character still needs it to live.

so: there is a 100% chance that you will die if you destroy the thing killing you. if you impair it through other means, there is a 100% chance of consequences, though the severity of those consequences is up to the author. (these are medication side effects in the real life allegory.)

if you do everything you're supposed to then you'll PROBABLY survive, but you're gonna have to play lifelong tug-of-war to balance everything, and you are often going to have to choose between two shitty options. bc there is no alternative.

this is a counterpart to the rabies condition in terms of stakes; with this condition, your character has to make complicated and difficult decisions about what they're sacrificing for their future. it's not the immediate life-and-death stakes of rabies, it's a slow decay instead.

what side effect consequences are they willing to take on?? and what are they NOT willing to take on?? where do their priorities lie in terms of symptom management?? what other solutions are they looking for?? what are they willing to sacrifice??

and perhaps most importantly: what exactly do they need to lose before they'll Accept the side effects / sacrifices that used to terrify them?? how high do the stakes need to be??

at what point is this character going to look back at the choices they've made up to this point, and realize that they no longer recognize themselves??

[blaiddraws]

[first] [previous] [next]

for those who missed it, there were Two updates yesterday!

transcription of the journal page under the cut

xx/xx/18xx

Entry 1

Lady Irida suggested I begin to keep a journal, to ease my anxieties about my memory. I have elected to take her up on the offer to let me use this one.

Hello. My name is.. something. My memory fails me, so I have been going by the name "Emmet" in the meantime. [illegible]

I came to Hisui three weeks earlier than the current date. The Pearl Clan and Lady Sneasler found me wandering the wilderness. I would have likely... not survived, otherwise. The first thing I remember is waking up in the Settlement. (l am told they suspect I came from the Rift. The notion seems absurd, but who am I to argue?)

The clan has graciously taken me in, despite my strangeness-- the incomprehensible words and phrases, the odd ways I move my body, my mannerisms are almost fundamentally different than the residents of this land. I know they feel a sense of unease around me.

And yet, despite everything, they have chosen to take me in, to accept me. I am truly grateful for their actions.

Sincerely, Pearl Clan's newest member.

[fortyfive-forty]

I was reading what u commented on the break point cancellation post and I found so interesting what u were saying in regards to Drive to Survive, but u stopped because it was long (which never bothers me with tags btw) so I wanted to ask u, if u can, to expand on why u think Break Point failed, I think we might agree but I wanted to know where u stand 🥰

lmfaoo yeah i went over the tag limit 😭

what i was saying was essentially that break point is just not a good representation of the sport.

i mentioned this before but genuinely the match recaps that natasha does in the kasatkina zabiiako vlogs (now what the vlog but it's still kasatkina zabiiako in my mind) are better than the shit they did in break point. it seems like they were edited by someone who's never watched tennis before in their life, there's no sense of rhythm or momentum...which like, i understand it's hard to condense usually 2+ hours of tennis into just a few moments, but what they were rolling out was just not at all representative of what watching tennis is like. it's not even just that watching live is more enjoyable, it's that the break point recaps were actively unhelpful in the context of their episodes. it was more informative for me to listen to the players/coaches/commentators etc. talk about the match than watching those highlights bc of how bad they are.

on top of this, there isn't a lot of like...tennis specific conversation? i'll admit i didn't watch all of break point, maybe 5 or 6 episodes across the two seasons (i think only one of those was from season two bc. gross), so maybe i just missed all of it, but most of the time when they talked about the actual tennis, it was super basic stuff that even someone with very little technical knowledge (i.e. me) already knew. which like, if i'm watching a docuseries ABOUT TENNIS, i'd love to, you know, hear a bit...about tennis? there were some bits that they did include, mostly about tennis mentality (the curse episode) but the rest of anything they mentioned was very player specific, which is not really helpful if you're an inexperienced fan and want to know more about the sport as a whole.

(compare this to drive to survive, which can be dramatic and gimmicky, but actually helped me TONS to understand some of the basics of how the sport works, so i wasn't just thrown in for the first race not knowing what a soft tire vs a hard tire is.)

another thing i think i mentioned drive to survive has going for it (which i think i did mention in the tags) is that aside from all of the drama and seriousness, there's also a lot of fun silly bts bits they include, so even if you're not into the format, there is still a motivation for fans to tune in to see their favorite drivers messing around. break point had...some of that...but not enough imo to make it worth gritting through, and again, it's tough because there are just so many players to cover that the likelihood or your favorite player being included is just not that high.

basically, break point doesn't appeal to any audience. i'm not even sure what it's target audience is. experienced tennis fans (or even tennis fans such as myself who aren't experienced but have at least WATCHED live tennis) find it poorly produced and uninteresting. unexperienced tennis fans have little or nothing to gain from watching it. there just seems to be zero purpose for it to actually exist besides a sort of faux-behind-the-scenes docuseries for the sake of saying they have one about tennis.

but the thing that frustrates me is i think there could be an audience for it! like, i love docuseries formats, especially in sports! but break point just seemed to be so poorly thought out. and look, if you can't appeal to all audiences, that's fine! but chose a target audience and actually try to cater to them. and i think that's where netflix notoriously goes wrong time and time again, is they're just very out of touch with what their audiences want, and then proceed to whine that no one is interested and cancel everything when their shitty poorly thought out products do poorly (or even when good products do well). but like i said, i think if more care was put into the product, if they paid more attention, asked more questions, they could actually develop a show that more people would want to watch. but i think the way break point was set up, it was just never going to succeed like that.

TL;DR: drive to survive appeals to multiple audiences, with difference experience levels, with a little bit of something for everybody depending on a fan's watching preference. break point appeals to..........................?

and netflix doesn't seem to realize that sports fans generally want. uh. sports. to be shown accurately in a docuseries about. uh. sports.

[sleepanonymous]

Hi! I love your posts, they're so detailed! Do you know when did the Vesslettes joined the performances? Were they added to perform backing vocals? :D

Hello and thank you 🖤🖤 I do know when they joined actually, and I didn't have to do any digging for it 😅😅 Apparently my brain decided that was necessary everyday information.

The Choir, or the Vesselettes as fans have dubbed the ladies, joined Sleep Token as touring members in 2019. They essentially replaced the Keyboardist as backing vocalists for Vessel. Their first live show was July 2, 2019. Sleep Token was the opener for Amaranth and Baby Metal at this show, so the only real footage I've ever found was in a full concert recording on YouTube here. Sleep Token only occupies the first 11 minutes, but another interesting fact is this was the first time the second IV appeared on stage with the band (and if you watch the video, he actually plays the keyboard instead of Vessel, best seen starting at 1:57).

Another interesting fact is that the Vesselettes used to perform with their signature hoods but no masks (which is most likely one of the reasons they revealed themselves as Espera earlier this year), as seen above.

Unfortunately, the ladies did not appear in every show afterward (only showing up at ArcTanGent and on October 4 in Manchester), and did not follow Sleep Token to America for the Beautiful Oblivion tour at the end of 2019, but I'm very glad they came back in early 2020.

[trainingdummyrabbit]

What do you think of aroace spectrum angela or like. any variant idk

REAL AND TRUE AND CORRECT. NOT TAKING ARGUMENTS AT THIS TIME <3

like. ok ive definitely spoken abt it offhand sometime before so im just going to use this opportunity to aimlessly ramble ok? ok. hyperfixation trap card.

like yeah theres the whole 'only having rep thats robots and aliens and etc' thing which is very much a fair and appropriate response, but also like. at a point you Do just kinda have to go 'Man Just Look At Her.'

i certainly couldnt say it as well as other folks, but... Man Just Look At Her. theres so many threads that are Literally Right There, its kinda hard Not to. id have to study again n cite my sources or whatever but also this is my house. ok.

like theres the obvious 'i see you as a friend' interaction with her and roland sometime mid-to-late ruina, which is. again. Its Right There. but its also the way she looks in lobcorp, and the instant she gets any agency she immediately veers in a completely different direction. (as a reclamation of self, as another small rebellion, as an exploration of how She would like to present herself and be seen)

its that interaction with xiao, her genuine confusion towards the concept of lovers, what they are, what makes it so different from any other sort of person. (as a jab towards her own isolation, the values she was made to uphold, her unfamiliarity towards cityfolk and the ways they carry themselves-- and that seeming contradiction of that affection vs. the way she was told cityfolk Work.)

angela, to me, feels like the type of character to simply Be. for lack of a better term. its a difficult concept to Describe in a way that makes sense, (despite me being, how do you say, In The Same Boat.) its something i could see her toss around out of curiosity, but honestly just... not really care for. she has things to do.

like... angela is just. a very cut and dry character, to put it in a way. she just kinda states things as they are, sometimes rather bluntly. its hard to elaborate because things simply Are. plain and simple, no need to fuss over it. and thats what this feels like itd be, yknow?

also iam just shrimply. forever an angela+roland qpr truther. tbh. like i dont know what the Hell those two have going on but you literally Cannot separate them. i hesitate to call it 'love,' because. well yes, but also no. but also kind of? but not quite. again, it just Is. they simply Are.

its one of those things that just feels Odd seeing her in any other context, in regards to romance or whatever. which is tied to a whole slew of other problems only tangentially related to the subject (shipping content bias, character simplification, and so on and so on,) but its just... man she would Not fucking say that. she would not Do that, she would not Act that way.

like i certainly believe it Is possible to have romantic interpretations with her, but its gonna be. Specific. with the way she carries herself, how she acts, and how she reacts to things. even with the romantic elements, itd still dip into aro experience territory, if you know what im saying. like whoever it is, this shit isnt going to fit into Roles and Archetypes, like how a lot of folks like to write ship content. for lack of a better descriptor, its gonna be Weird.

and thats honestly whats so frustrating about it! you Can have an interesting through-line and interpretation of that sort of thing, but a lot of the time whenever i (rarely) see it, its just... Typical Beauty Standards, Hot Secretary Lady, Scary Controlling Whatever the hell like... i hate t judge but cmon guys we can do so much better than that. ironically, wheres the Love? the respect for who she is, the curiosity on exploring that sort of thing with who she Is? guys come On...

which. grain of salt, because its not like i search out ship content, yknow. im not gonna speak like an authority for stumbling onto stuff sometimes. the fact that it isnt so popular and in-your-face is genuinely refreshing honestly, but. tangent.

anyway arospec angela agenda never sleeps and iam one of the strongest soldiers. the ace is Non Negotiable come back later with a warrant so i can Not Look At It. (<- this is a bit. (<- but im serious.)) thankyou. bows.

[ostewell]

saw a couple of these and wanted to make one.... :3

(remade the template ourselves bc we couldnt find a higher quality version, and we like to draw in larger spaces GLKJSHD)

(couldnt include many character descriptions in the alt text unfortunately - i only did so for alu (whose design is heavily hc'd) and my sona's hand.... if anyone wants/needs them lmk!!)

[raiiny-bay]

oc deep dive questionnaire - dhes edition

tagged by @sikoi (ty you for the tag!! <3)

-what common/uncommon fear do they have? tbh, there's not much that scares Dhes. when he was younger, he feared rejection, but that fear has lessened significantly as he's gotten older & become more comfortable with himself

-do they have any pet peeves? he's pretty particular about housekeeping, so his biggest pet peeves tend to be related to that. but he especially hates when Kelly leaves his shoes lying around instead of putting them away (bc Dhes *always* trips over them lol)

-what are 3 items you can find in their bedroom? CDs (lots of CDs), a tamagotchi (he brings it to work. it never stays alive long), & notes that he & Kel wrote back & forth to each other during class throughout their teen years

-what do they notice first in a person? whether or not they look directly at him/look him in the eyes

-on a scale of 1-10, how high is their pain tolerance? probably 8 or 9

-do they go into fight or flight mode when under pressure? fight - Dhestyn's a fighter through & through

-do they come from a big family/are they a family person? his family is pretty average, size-wise. his family dynamic is very eccentric, so whether or not he's a "family person" is kind of a complicated answer. he's not particularly close with anyone in his immediate family, but he does talk to them & visit them often

-what animal represents them best? a dog - generally, he's very friendly & loyal, but in the right circumstances, he does tend to bite

-what is a smell that they dislike? burning meat

-have they broken any bones? if so, how? several, mostly his fingers & wrists though. he's broken them in skateboarding accidents, during fights with other kids when he was in middle/high school, & by simply making poor decisions due to his reckless nature :-)

-how would a stranger likely describe them? i actually kind of explained this on his character page, but to sum it up people tend to see Dhes as either very charming or very unsavory

-are they a night owl or a morning bird? both! Dhes has a horrific sleep schedule. he'll regularly stay up until 1-2am & he wakes up at 5 o'clock every morning. though if he had to choose one, he prefers mornings

-what is a flavor they hate and a flavor they love? he really likes cinnamon. he's not a big fan of seafood.

-do they have any hobbies? yes! skateboarding, hacky sack, making playlists & listening to music, working out (weights/jogging), fashion (read: "fashion"), & ruining his hair, to name a few.

-boom, surprise birthday party! how do they react to surprises? Dhestyn always appreciates a nice surprise

-do they like to wear jewelry? if so, what is their favorite piece? yes, the man loves to accessorize. his favorite piece of "jewelry" is actually a necklace Kel gave to him when they were fifteen - it's a simple black cord with one of Kel's old guitar picks on it.

-do they have neat or messy handwriting? somewhere in the middle - it's legible, at least.

-what are two emotions they feel the most? love & anger

-do they have a favorite fabric? not particularly, no

-what kind of accent do they have? standard PNW accent when speaking English, though occasionally he'll have hints of a more Mexican-American accent, which he picked up from his mom's side of the family

tagging: @mobwhim, @lynzishell, @vicciouxs, @teddybearsims, & @salemssimblr (feel free to ignore ofc!)

[perlinnoisetexture]

[ID: a gijinka of spinarak from pokemon. she is a fat woman with pale skin and short green hair that has been tied up into small pigtails. her hair ties are black and shiny, resembling spinarak's eyes. she has a horn above her forehead and glossy red fangs by her mouth. she is wearing a dress with short sleeves with pattern resembling a frowny face on the stomach, yellow-striped arm and leg warmers, and plain black shoes. she holds her hands together up by her chest and has a gentle smile. end ID]

spinarak woman!

[presidentstalkeyes]

Some more OC beeswax I've had on the mind for a while, or half-OC in Dart's case. I know it's common to depict him either the same age as Raz or younger, sometimes making him the next-generation Intern to Adult Raz, but then I thought 'what if he was older?' And then I threw in an unrelated OC and things mentally blew up. :V (This also plays off my earlier headcanons about Dart's power set)

Razputin wasn't the first psychic to be inducted into the Psychonauts at such a young age - Dart beat him to the punch by nearly twenty years. An orphan permitted to become a full-fledged agent on Otto's personal recommendation, he simply wasn't ready and got overconfident during a mission, indirectly causing the execution of several hostages. Horrified, he deserted the agency, dropping off the grid, only resurfacing years later after studying under a sect of psychic monks in the Himalayas that sent him out on his own to meditate and strengthen his connection with the collective unsconscious.

His journey took him to the obscure Central African country of Makanisi (nestled somewhere between Angola, Zambia and the DR Congo), known for two things: once being privately-owned by a Grulovian businessman, and being the site of the world's largest Psitanium deposit outside North America. He took up residence in a cave, banking on the Psitanium enhancing his astral projection powers.

It was here he met Tandi Ngazu, a psychic teenager from the Makanisian capital of Zoltzberg. A martial arts prodigy, Tandi ran away from home after she lost a championship bout and lashed out with her psychic powers, injuring her competitor in front of a huge audience. Dart found her hiding out in the slums while on a rare excursion into town, and reminded of how he was found by Otto as a street urchin in Rotterdam, he agreed to shelter the girl and give her some advanced tutoring - though due to his own relative youth and the fact he was on his own quest for understanding, he was far from confident. He was always a cynical person, and struggled with the whole 'empathy' thing, which in a way made him uniquely suited for 'taming' the collective unconscious without allowing it to affect his own emotional state.

Eventually, after about five years, a civil war broke out in Makanisi. Against Dart's advice, Tandi emerged from her secluded training to aid the rebels - many of whom she personally knew - in their struggle against the corrupt colonial government. She used Dart's training in astral projection to leave her own body while wide awake and completely ignore pain, gather information from people's mindscapes, and channel background psychic residue into physical attacks while far outside her body. She avoided the same fate that befell Lucrecia by staying guarded against outside influence and maintaining her sense of self even when among the Collective Unconscious, a technique mastered by Dart and soon noticed by the Psychonauts who arrived in the country to secure the Psitanium. She ended up joining the agency after Makanisi secured its freedom, but was unable to convince Dart to return with her.

That was all another five years before canon - Tandi is now 26 and has recently graduated to a full-fledged agent, and there's talk of letting her instruct the kids at Whispering Rock in combining out-of-body projection with physical exercise, provided they can work on her patience. Dart is 32 and his whereabouts are currently unknown, though rumour has it he's been sighted around the Questionable Area?, poking around through caves.

[khaotunq]

Do you have aye akk headcannons that you haven't shared with the group yet? Also who do you think would propose just because I dreamed about that and you talked about marriage in your tags. So I am completely innocent

I HAVE NEVER BEEN ASKED ABOUT HEADCANONS I'M GOING TO THROW MYSELF INTO A VOLCANO

honestly, i don't know that i've got anything special up in the old bargain bucket. i was writing something silly the other day for my own entertainment with eclipse on for background noise and it did sort of slip in that -- and this is as close to controversial as it gets, i know; hold onto yer butts -- i don't think akk's neat? as in tidy. he's organised, sure, but i think his tendency to be a messy bitch extends beyond his personality.

this is a very, very tiny thing okay but go with me on this.

Edit, four hours later: ...apparently it's not a tiny thing. I have had to put a read more because now I've added pictures. Apparently I really do have thoughts.

I think I think of this as a headcanon because a lot of fandom portrayal has Akk as this ruthlessly neat Type A and Ayan as cheerfully messy... but I'm about to insist that this is not, in fact, headcanon: it's canon. I brought receipts.

(I'm kidding but pls nobody bother telling me I'm wrong <3 respectfully, i won't believe u <3)

So over the course of the show we see both Akk and Ayan's bedrooms, right? Prior to the show even beginning, these are rooms they've presumably inhabited for quite some time. There is a whole thing we could get into about their respective economical backgrounds and what the set dressing decor says in regards to that, but I'm not gonna. Not today, at least.

Aside from that and the fact that I have a running joke in my head that Ayan lives in a hotel room in his own home (there's another tangent here about the parallel of ayan not having "roots"/a true home/a "space" but I am trying not to write a dissertation here) - they're teenage boys, right?

However,

FIGS 1.1-1.4: Ayan's bedroom.

Ayan's bedroom has nothing in it. Other than his dead uncle, some Alien urn lamps and a whole lotta beige (potential tangent number 590384: characters and their typical/home surrounding's colouring -- Ayan in golds and brown tones; Kan and Thua surrounded in white; Akk and a whole bunch of blues until he goes home and we see his blues meet Ayan's golds, etc etc -- which i'm sure someone's already done).

Now, it's possible that this is because he and Patcharaporn have someone who comes in to do housework, but even if that were the case, you'd still expect some sort of reflection of it being a teenage boy who inhabits that room... but there's nothing. Yes, I'm aware that this is The Thai BL House, but set dressing isn't something that would be outside the realm of possibility entirely. The most you ever see of Ayan in his room is when he's getting all Conspiracy Cork Board and there are just piles of dictionaries on his desk, or when he's sitting around reading dystopic speculative fiction. A single dystopic speculative fiction book. There are no others.

Come on, Aye.

I could write essays about Ayan Sukkhaphisit and loneliness. Essays.

But this is not that day.

FIGS 2.1-2.4: Akk's dorm room.

Ignoring the fact that there are obvious differences due to Akk's being a dorm and Ayan's being a single room in a house, Akk's room is by contrast overflowing with Akk. Akk has crafted his dorm to reflect himself.

Or rather, to reflect the image he wants to portray, but there are little pieces of him everywhere.

(I'm sure there's meaning in the spoon print, I just don't know what it is yet. The spoon canvas, truly more than anything in Akk's room, Sends. Me.)

There are books everywhere - light sources (tangent 4012432: all of Akk's light sources are caged in some way), knick-knacks that speak to a character with far more to him than he presents to the world, a calendar that never changes from September 3rd.

I think Akk is neat out of necessity, out of maintaining his image; I think Ayan is neat out of never having anywhere to really have stuff. I think, if canon were to progress, we'd see Akk relax even further into his space because it's the only place he can be careless and Ayan begin to be unafraid to actually take up some space.

(Tangent 6535423420: all of Ayan's personality is on him, at all times - the necklace, the hoody: his home is himself. In many ways, while Ayan is a cocky little shit, he's potentially the more deeply insecure.)

(Tangent and class discussion topic 22871342: is Ayan's room being borderline sterile a way of showing that Ayan himself is exactly how he appears to everyone - in that, he has nothing to hide? Compare with Akk's ruthless self control and dogmatic need to be perceived as perfect contrasting with how unsterile his home is.)

(Tangent 900122156: The first time we see Ayan begin to truly inhabit a space is when he and Akk are placing photos of him and his mother in Akk's room)

I'm not getting started on Akk's bedroom at his parents' house because 1. it's a boat cabin, and 2. I have to go eat something, lmao. But, for posterity, I guess:

FIGS 3.1-3.3: Akk's bedroom.

I leave it to you guys to note the multiple and varied light sources (there's still a caged light!), light streaming in from several billion windows, the storage/units brimming with things on or in them, the same dang blue mug from his dorm, the bathroom door wide open to show the mirror and thus adding more light.

(Tangent 123019242222...: Akk standing at the stern/wheel in his bedroom as the above interaction begins and what it means about his need for control while Ayan's mere presence lures him away)

(Additional thought added an hour after I posted this because it was in my head when I started answering this and then it disappeared and then I was brushing my teeth and it's back for some reason so: I think there's part of Akk that actively revels in mess/chaos. Something about him being so externally orderly, something about Ayan throwing his world into chaos and that being what draws him to Ayan, something something something, going to finish brushing my teeth.)

[lucalicatteart]

Poll adventure (paventure? lol) Day 7: read the small story tidbit below the poll for more details, OR just vote based on initial impression

(✦ see past poll results + further information HERE (link) ✦)

The winning option of yesterday's poll was that the adventurer should go on a 5 day journey to find the Innkeeper's weird brother who studies animals, and show him the Suspicious Egg….

~

The next morning he wakes early, buzzing with renewed purpose, and also minor back pain from sleeping on old potato sacks.. After a meager breakfast of more free leftover scraps, the Innkeeper stops him before he leaves, giving him a few extra supplies for the long journey, as she can tell he doesn't have much. He packs up and sets out onto the road once again, crumpled sketchy map in hand...

He has a fairly uneventful journey for the first day - waving at the occasional other travelers as they pass, cleaning his boots in a nearby pond, stopping to eat some dumplings whilst watching the sunset, and finally setting up a small tent a short ways off the main path, resting with his cat by a dim campfire until they both fall asleep......

The second day, however, does not start as smoothly.. Only a few hours further down the road, he's met with a large barricade, guarded by a group of what seems like elven soldiers from one of the larger surrounding cities of the area. Practicing his confidence, he puts on his best "brave face" (which to others, appears more as some sort of pained wince, like he might have something in his eye), shakily striding right up to the authority figures he is definitely not afraid of.

"Halt, traveler! You cannot pass."

He sways slightly, struggling to keep his wobbly legs under control, "OH, y-yEAH, ssorry, I was-, hh, I was just walking, ~o-out for a stroooll~, haha, so I .. uh.. o-okay. That's.. okay. But, uh.. could, can.. euh.. C-can I ask why? like... why the, uh... blocking off.. of ... the um.. the-"

"Unfortunately, we are not at liberty to disclose any information on the nature of this current road closure. Our sole duty is to maintain security of the barrier."

"hhHeh, ye.. eAh, for sure, I-I get that.. Duty is.. really so... important in ... today's world.. gotta, um.. do the duties.. or, uh.. .. yeah, but.. so, uhhh... wh-Do you know.. maybe, uh... H-how long you'll, like... be here? guarding... and such...??"

"We'll be here as long as we need to be here."

"...O-okay.. but, like.. uh... any,,.... time estimate? hahahehhh?? like, uh.. a day, or... two, or um...??"

"This matter does not concern you, traveler. Move along."

"Aoh, yeahgh, I.. totally.. totally.. it, uh.. Well.. but it kind of does though,, right? B-because I do, in fact, actually have to go down that road at some p-point sssoo, um,... uh.. I-"

"I said move along."

The guard abruptly takes a step forward, causing The Adventurer to yelp as if he'd been hit, tripping over his own feet and scrambling off on hands and knees, lunging into bushes near the rocky roadside.. After exchanging a confused glance, the guards both shrug, resuming their stoic positions at the barrier.

The Adventurer watches from the uncomfortable safety of some berry brambles, surveying the area at a distance and desperately trying to work out how he can still get where he's trying to go. The map given to him by the Innkeeper is pretty straightforward, not showing alternate paths. Based on his primary map, he could maybe think of a few detours, but he's anxiously unfamiliar with the area... How should he proceed?

----

Additional Details - (I decided whenever he gets new items or goals or something, I'll list them at the end just to keep track)

items + to inventory (from the Innkeeper): 2 lunchboxes of vegetable dumplings, 2 canteens of water, a box of tea, one rope, 1 pouch of dried meat, 4 candles, a hand-drawn map

main goal: get to the abandoned castle ruins to see the rare animal specialist about the egg

[difty-dift]

Hmmmm actually 🤔

For new people who wanna know your ocs, how's a brief rundown of your lovely guyss?

Sure! and thanks for the ask!

First is K-1! First guy i finalized. He's based off of beefy orc designs (and yes his primary inspiration is Knack from Knack but shut up we're moving on). He's essentially a cyborg, a combination of goblin and human DNA (which is a simple way of explaining the orc like appearance) along with cybernetic enhancements and mysterious ancient technology (seen in his spikes and core). He was created government contracted bio laboratory with the goal of developing a unbeatable super soldier. And they succeeded! He's incredibly strong and dependable, and has never lost a single battle. But he's also easygoing so he knows not to take things too far. The most likely to walk through a entrance sideways

Next is Ing (no torso cause i just love this headshot so much)! He (and Cho) are also products of the same laboratory experiments, but to differing results than K-1. Ing is the combination of the elusive blood of a shadow dragon (the most rare, impervious, and violent species) and the DNA of various beasts needed to keep him alive in the early stages of his development (mainly tiger). Because of all the other elements diluting his draconic essence, the end result was a great lack of any desired traits (wings, protective scales, immense strength, etc.) Deemed a failure by the governement for his lacking potential, he spends his days at the facility at which he was born, helping the researchers and training to be stronger while his friends go off into battle. I made him cause the urge for a tiger oc overtook me, but i couldn't just make i tiger, i needed more. My first 'fursona' i suppose. He is more reserved and quiet than the others but he loves learning and isn't shy about his appearance (though intimacy does get to him sometimes~). Has the least noticeable yawns.

And now Chocoa! You know him, you all wanna fuck him, i get it, it's understandable. He's a bull/bear hybrid, and a chimera like Ing. I saw a artist's interpretation of the mix, thought "Seriously? ", and created him in a feverish stupor. Though the third oc, he was the first successful experiment and had many years of victories before K-1 came along. Developed in a separate facility than the others, he's a an arrogant, bullheaded, boorish, crass, and unpleasant guy, just a right asshole. And his lovely personality shines just as bright on the battlefield, earning him many wins and just as many injuries. There's not really much to him past that; loves to fight, loves to smash, he's a jerk, but can get real soft with enough time. Takes the longest showers.

Onwards to Beryl. He's a lynel, those vicious dudes from Breath of the Wild, yeah? But he was born with a mutation, so his horse half is a lion half instead. Which made him docile as a result. I saw art on twitter of a beartaur i believe and was stricken by a mighty need. And i remembered that lynels are like, so fucking cool. He spends his days mining for jewlel and ore, and trading with passerbys for rupees (which he also admires (cause shiny)). He doesn't really like company and finds being friendly with others awkward (especially cause he cant talk). Never wins a staring contest.

(and yeah just his torso doesn't really do him justice but i very bad at drawing animal legs so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)

And finally it's Mozi. He's a forest cryptid, mainly a moose dude. The idea for him sprung up randomly from chatting with a certain someone (⬆) and it stuck in me brain from how good it was. For 7 months. He was so hard to finalize for some reason oh my god. But I managed eventually and i freaking love him. He's just a silly moose guy, wandering the woods and napping. The slowest walker and the fastest sprinter. Though, no one has seen him do either...

And that's that! For now. My mind's always working on new angles and ideas after all. But let it be known i fucking adore all these dudes and seeing other people be like "whoa that's cool!" never fails to make me smile~

[kharonion]

Can you tell a bit more about Vikt's corpo career? I'm especially living for headcanons and everything else that you've come up with for him that diverges from ingame canon :D

aaa heck, you know I'm always down! 👏

Vikt started his career at Arasaka quite young, a consequence of being groomed into the life path throughout childhood. (Let it be known, however, that his parents didn't do this maliciously; they simply wanted their only son to be successful. Good hearts and intentions... but boy howdy, they picked the wrong place.) At sixteen, he flew out to the main training camp in Japan, and at eighteen, he had a solidified position in Night City's HQ.

And he worked there for decades... the whole while being transformed into a human weapon. Brainwashed, to the point where he'd forgotten the quaint life he'd lived before. The joke of him being "Arasaka's pet" isn't much of one—because that's what he is.

He started as security detail and did so for a handful of years, until eventually, he caught the attention of Jenkins, who thought Vikt would be the missing puzzle piece in counterintel. He was right; Vikt was a natural, able to do what needed to be done while remaining hardened and callous. Any- and everything asked of him, he did.

By 2077 (i.e. in-game canon), though, Vikt reached a point he was working himself beyond his limits. Exhausted, getting sloppy, increasingly reliant on cognitive boosters—and Jenkins immediately noticed. And he did something about it.

The 'hit on Abernathy' job is a ploy. Bait that Jenkins knows Vikt will take—because, after all, he is the "mindless pet" of the department. What better way to shave off the dead weight than to tangle him in a web of treason and espionage—by his own hand?

The plan was for Vikt to be executed on the spot, along with whoever he'd enlisted to help with the "job." But, obviously, that didn't happen.

And it left Vikt betrayed... and pissed.