#not having to stick to a very specific theme of items makes it go so fast

[animalcrossing-skye]

midnight beach drive

[cherrifire]

Please share your thoughts on the other 5 cutie marks, I'd love to hear!

Hi everypony! I got like 20 asks for the Dogwarts cutie mark lore so I'm here to speak my truth!

Before we start, I would like to write a quick reminder that a pony's cutie mark is not always their "special talent", but can also represent who they are, their personalities, and a possible destiny. Different cutie marks have different meanings and interpretations, but they're not just about representing what you're good at.

That being said, let's start with the cutie mark design I'm proudest of!

Ren's Cutie Mark

Ren's cutie mark is of a sunrise and looks pretty simple at first glance but there was a lot of thought that went into this one.

First of all, I bet you're wondering why a sunrise? Well, in the show, it is pretty typical for unicorns with great magical abilities to have one relating to space (examples being Twilight Sparkle, Sunset Shimmer, Starlight Glimmer, and Sunburst). And I figured since I wanted Ren to fall into a similar position of potentially becoming an alicorn, I gave him a cutie mark following the same trend. And I chose a sunrise to reflect the way Ren seems to glow when he enters a room. The way he carries himself is very warm and bright it just catches your eye in a similar way the sun would.

Also, Ren wears sunglasses. So a sun-themed cutie mark seemed appropriate.

Additionally, there are a couple of smaller details I want to point out too. Like the sun rays, if you look at them for a moment you'll see they're shaped like little crowns! I of course had to put a crown in thanks to how much Ren likes to play royalty, so I snuck it in there. And then the red spots underneath could both be interpreted as the sun reflected over water or blood. (But of course, this is a kid show AU so there wouldn't be any blood in Ren's destiny, just a fun reference to the red king and his whole thing about blood dyeing the snow red)

Martyn's Cutie Mark

I explained this one in an earlier ask but I thought I'd explain it again here for anyone who didn't see it!

Martyn's cutie mark is of a chopped log and a small stick.

This one is mostly a play on the name "Littlewood" but has other meanings too. As a character, Martyn tends to travel and explore quite a bit. In the Life Series specifically, he is usually the last one to find a permanent base and even then doesn't spend a lot of time in one place. Always on the move. Additionally, he's more of a wild card compared to other characters, always trying to be as unpredictable as possible.

The smaller detail here is the little swirl on top of the log is the same as the one on his Minecraft skin's shirt.

BigB's Cutie Mark

Cookies! Cookies! Cookies! BigB's cutie mark is of 3 cookies where one is trying to eat the others. There are also a few sprinkles there made to look like action lines.

We all know BigB loves cookies so of course I had to give him a cutie mark with cookies in it. For this one, I decided to follow the cutie mark trend of "symbol/item important to the pony duplicated 3 times" (examples being Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie) but I added a bit more creativity to it with the top on trying to eat the others to represent just how tasty they are 😋

Additionally, rather than the first cookie trying to eat the others, you could interpret it as opening its mouth to talk. Because BigB can not keep a secret to save his life! In Double Life when he started "secret soulmates" with Grian, he didn't last a day without opening his mouth. He told Ren about it immediately because he felt bad for keeping things from him.

Also worth quickly mentioning: People pointed out in my original post that they don't think BigB would be the element of honesty because of his behaviour in Secret Life. But that's just Secret Life. I think Secret Life to BigB was like that episode of My Little Pony where Discord makes the main 6 act the opposite of their true element. BigB was just going through a weird phase of telling very obvious lies because a book told him to.

Skizz's Cutie Mark

Skizz's cutie mark is of a lightning bolt from a couple storm clouds hitting the ground.

I think this is the cutie mark with the least thought put into it, unfortunately. There was still though just not as much as the others. The big thing I thought was fun was I made the lightning bolt shaped like an "S" to stand for Skizzleman. But other than that, this cutie mark sort of has the same meaning as Rainbow Dash's cutie mark. Quick like lightning, loud, bold, dangerous, and powerful.

Impulse's Cutie Mark

Impulse's cutie mark is of a lit-up lightbulb.

I absolutely crowded this cutie mark with the letter i. If you look closely, there are 6 of them. Impulse's design also has an i-shaped pattern on the belly if you look closely enough. But that's more of a fun easter egg and doesn't exactly reflect Impulse as a character.

There are a couple of reasons I chose a lightbulb for Impulse, the first and probably most obvious is that he's a redstone guy! He's a technical guy who likes to work smarter, not harder. So I figured the My Little Pony equivalent would be a light bulb/electricity. The second reason for the lightbulb is that it's usually used as a visual representation when characters have that "eureka!" moment in cartoons. When someone has a brilliant idea a little lightbulb turns on above their head. So since Impulse is the ideas guy, I figured a lightbulb would work for his cutie mark.

Etho's Cutie Mark

Etho's cutie mark is of a snowflake with a missing branch.

I promise there is more to this cutie mark than just "Canada is cold" even if that's part of the reason I wanted to give him a winter-themed cutie mark. While it is fun to make a nod to Etho being Canadian, I thought a winter-themed cutie mark would be fun to represent how he sometimes presents himself. Cold and a bit mysterious. I think deep down once you get to know him, those attributes melt away, but for people who have never met him, he may be intimidating that way.

I'll be honest, I don't watch a lot of Etho content, but I do have a few friends who identify as Etho girlies so I did my research. I was told in his Minecraft Let's Play World, that he has a snowflake build somewhere. I believe they said it was an iron golem farm? (Please correct me if I'm wrong) but I thought that was perfect for the cutie mark. And if you're wondering why there's a branch missing, it's because one of my friends said he was incapable of finishing builds sometimes so I thought that would be fun to include.

-=+=-

Alright. Rant over. To celebrate, here are a few pony doodles so I can put this post in my art tag.

[askagamedev]

Why is the Shadow Temple scary? Not "why did Nintendo make this scary for kids". What put the fear in us? Why'd it put us on edge so bad despite Ocarina of Time not having the usual limitations of a horror game? You're good at parsing psychology and I feel like it's not just the aesthetics of the temple. Maybe you have a definitive answer for what underrated, subtle design tricks were used to make that successful in that sort of game. I wanna hear it in detail from a senior developer.

It's the combination of small things that add up to make it feel creepy specifically. After looking back at the Shadow Temple in Ocarina of Time, there's several major elements that stick out to me that work together for the sense of disempowerment and fear.

First and foremost is the music. It's got this creepy chant going on in the background the entire time with low and high voices that sound like they are at odds with each other. The harpsichord part makes heavy use of half-steps, which sound naturally creepy. There's also a bunch of noises mixed in there which don't feel like part of the music. This can put the player on edge, because it can be difficult to parse the difference between noises generated by actual threats and ambient noises from the music.

Second, the gameplay itself feels unsettling because a huge percentage of it depends on the use of the Lens of Truth. The player's normal senses can't be trusted - the walls aren't always walls, the floor isn't always floor, and there are invisible threats like spikes. The use of the Lens of Truth also helps - it allows the player to fighting back against the invisible threats, but it also limits what the player can see (no peripheral vision), which reminds them that they aren't at full ability. Even the dungeon item - the hover boots require a leap of faith because Link can't control himself as well while using them (more on this theme of Link losing control of himself later). These gameplay elements add to the player hesitation and that sense of feeling unsure tickles the "creepy" sense.

Third, the art style is obviously creepy. The Shadow Temple lore says it is where the Sheikah tortured and put away their prisoners and dissidents. There are skulls, scythe blades, robed reapers, and other various death imagery everywhere. There are torture devices, spikes, and guillotines. There are rooms where the textures look like you're standing on the same kind of mass piled skulls like out of an enormous mass grave. There's even a creepy boat ride clearly meant to evoke the Charon/Underworld connection to Greek mythology.

Fourth, many of the enemies in the dungeon are disempowering - they take control away from the player which adds to the feeling of helplessness. The Gibdos (mummies) and ReDeads (zombies) can paralyze Link in place while they slowly move closer to hurt him. The Wallmasters (grabby hands) can drop from offscreen and grab Link and put him back at the start of the dungeon while the player has to watch while it all happens. Dead Hand, the miniboss, is a strong combination of both the creepy art (zombie-like appearance with bloodstains) and disempowering moveset (hidden via shadow and the bloody hands in the room will grab Link and hold him in place). The final boss, Bongo Bongo, also has giant hands that can grab and hold Link in place and hurt him while the player can only watch, and whose main body is also invisible without the Lens of Truth.

Each of these game elements individually usually isn't enough to make players feel a particular way. However, when taken in aggregate all of these different parts work together to form a cohesive experience. The death-themed architecture, the creepy music, the gameplay elements that require players not to trust their senses and to go beyond their comfort zone, and the enemies that disempower the player and force them to watch as Link is unable to act all form to make a very uneasy and creepy experience as designed. I'm sure there are other elements I missed in this analysis, but I'm also sure that any you spot will also fit nicely into these themes. Feel free to add any others you see in the comments!

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[forsaken-headcanons]

Just decided I'll drop some of my killer (mainly Kidd) headcanons cuz why not?

- C00lkidd was one of the survivors once, his dash ability could easily be him avoiding "being it", and brick.... He could probably throw like a ball to push killers back or something (or throw items to other survivors? idk)

- During one of the matches however, kidd and his dad were running away from killer, when 7n7 used his clone to get away, but kidd didn't notice it so he thought he was still running with him. 1x1x1x1 then got the clone, still blurry from Unstable Eye, and when approached by C00lkidd, she said that his dad was just very tired and will come back later (They then proceed to take C00lkidd with them and by being exposed to so much corrupt energy, kidd eventually got somewhat corrupt himself)

- Guest 666 is probably rather nice to C00lkidd, being almost in a sibling-like relationship

- 1x1x1x1 (specifically Betrayed) is like a parental figure to C00lkidd. Although not perfect, he still tries their best to make sure kidd's basic needs are met (it's canon they let C00lkidd play with their zombies sometimes)

- Jason is just straight up mute. He will prob leave creepy ass handwritten notes all over the place just cuz he doesn't really have time to sign (What?? Put down machete just to say something?! Blasphemous!!)

- John Doe, mainly based on what I read as canon iirc? Is just. There. He doesn't even talk to other killers, despite being more than capable to. He doesn't attack them at least ig, but C00lkidd is still horrified to hell and will start straight up sobbing if put anywhere near John.

- 3 of the killers so far (at least based on my designs/specific skins) all seem to have a theme going on. Their right eye being messed up, and you can see some of their ribs(or what looks like it) sticking out.

- M

007n7 really went to get the milk with that one.

Anyway, love these, I really really do. Keep cooking.

[blindbeta]

hi, this is like, a REALLY oddly specific question, but i wanted to ask. would it be seen as wrong if i were to have my character's guide dog be in some way magical?

for more context on the specific situation, my characters are in a world where basically nothing is without some level of magic to it. my character has a guide dog, but i felt like it didn't fit the theme to have just. a normal dog? because i wouldn't put a normal dog somewhere else. the dog isn't like, telepathic or able to fix her blindness, (ive made it VERY clear to myself that at no point will i do that) i was mostly thinking something like the dog having some sort of elemental component to it, which would be a pretty common power in this world.

I just wanted to make sure it fit in with the rest of the characters in its world, instead of sticking out as just kinda being shoved in with no worldbuilding around it. there wouldn't really be 'normal' animals normally, so it feels like underdeveloped worldbuilding if i don't.

I'm worried though, that this is going to be wrong in the way that it'd seem... glamorizing? that's not what i intend, but I don't want it to come off as something in that vein. if that makes sense.

i hope this is like. sensible to ask about and not wasting your time. thank you so much, and thank you in general for running this blog, i think it's a really great resource.

I think having a magical guide dog is fine. You aren’t using the magic to erase the handler’s disability, as you mentioned. As long as you are actively working on that, it seems fine to me.

As long as the animal can make a good guide, be trained from infancy, and can navigate well, it doesn’t matter if they are a magical creature.

I list some qualities a guide should have in this post if it helps.

@moth-time created an excellent addition to this post in the notes:

i reread the guide linked by OP and now I'm thinking some kind of earth elemental or otherwise particularly magically heavy/stocky dog could be neat, bc it provides more stability than a regular dog (so more like a miniature horse). it could have a rocky/armored back that is easier to lean on than slippy dog skin, for example. Much like irl certain dog breeds are favored as guide dogs bc of breed specs, a magical universe could favor "earth elemental dogs" for same reason

you could have some magical component of the dog be helpful to the guided person, though i am struggling to come up with a good one for a blind guide dog. But for example a fire elemental therapy dog that can regulate it's body to be toasty warm and offer deep pressure and temperature therapy would be neat. It doesn't negate or "fix" the disability, but it's a little different/more magical while still recognizable

BlindBeta’s thoughts:

So I love this. An earth type dog would add excellent stabilization, orientation, and be additionally good at avoiding obstacles such as uneven ground. They could be great for balance and probably deep pressure therapy as well. Maybe they are favored as guide dogs because they are dependable, while also good at selective disobedience to keep a blind person safe, such as refusing to cross the street when it is dangerous (due to quiet cars or such). I could also see water or air type dogs being good alert dogs, perhaps.

Also not sure how common this is, but on this page about seizure alert dogs from the epilepsy foundation, it says some dogs are trained to put their body between the handler and the floor to cushion falls. Air type dogs might good at this because they are probably softer and could gently cushion a falling person without them hitting the floor.

I also had an idea that wood types might be more flexible and good assistance dogs for older adults, wheelchair users, etc. Like dog breeds, they have certain qualities that make them good at assistance, such as being depended on to retrieve any number of items, pull door handles, etc.

This is fun. I would love to see ideas from anyone else.

[whathebeep]

Halloween at Camp

(basically just drabbles of how I think the camp/companions would celebrate). Tav/Astarion/Halsin centric romance wise

Halsin? Oh Halsin would make a grand feast for everyone. A lot of seasonal foods, kind of like a Thanksgiving meal but a little less focus on having very specific items and using things he spent the day (or past few) collecting/hunting. I imagine it's a tradition often celebrated in the grove so he was more than eager to celebrate it at camp. He would also, ofc, make sure to give the safe bones to Scratch and the OBC, perhaps even going out as a bear and getting more than a few salmon for OBC. He's more than eager for everyone to feast and eat their share when dinner time comes around. When everyone gathers for scary stories at the campfire, I imagine if Tav and/or Astarion get scared or creeped out they would scoot a little closer to him, perhaps hold his hand tight, or find great comfort overall if he puts his arms around them to keep them close.

Karlach would /love/ Halloween. She would dress up using whatever was laying around or she could get for dirt cheap in the city- I imagine she'd be fond of bedsheet ghosts and would have holes for her horns to stick out. She'd collect up some pumpkins or turnips for everyone to carve- and between her, Wyll, Gale, Shadowheart and Tav, they have more than a few pumpkins to put up around camp. I imagine Halsin also collects all the pumpkin seeds for roasting for a snack for later.

Wyll never really seemed like he got to dress up as a kid- son of nobility, Halloween was probably more a poor man's holiday when it came to dressing up. Through encouragement Karlach probably helps him dress up, even if it Is just some silly clown makeup or something small along those lines. He, however, along with Gale and Shadowheart, probably also read a lot, and knows more than his fair share of spooky stories for them to tell around the campfire late at night.

Lae'zel? Like a lot of things on the material plane she would be a little confused at this holiday tradition. Why would you waste time on indulging in scary things when the group faces more than enough scary things on the daily basis? Then again, I think Lae'zel sees the appeal of carving pumpkins, and would join in on that. She'd probably also enjoy the scary stories, even if she didn't initially join everyone around the fire at first.

Shadowheart is very fond of Halloween. I think she'd be the one who'd have a tarot deck and would have fun doing spreads for everyone. She probably doesn't dress up but she is all too eager to join everyone at the fire for stories. Has quite a good few monster stories that leave more than a few folks with chills.

Gale is the type to delight in reading spooky books during Halloween. He'd be the type to brew a good cup of tea, snuggle up in his tent for a majority of the day to read something like Frankenstein's Monster (the DBD equivalent obvi). Later in the day he would probably emerge to help Halsin cook, or even focus on making Halloween themed treats- hell he'd probably be the one to focus on making a nice pumpkin centric treat, like pumpkin bread or pie. He'd also have a good few creature feature stories to tell.

Astarion? Halloween has probably changed a lot since he was young, and I imagine Cazador would only let him and the other spawn out to focus on the plenty of drunkards out partying back to the residence. So Astarion doesn't seem too keen to join in on the festivities. Be probably spends a lot of time drinking wine, maybe with Gale, and reading a good book. Perhaps he joins Gale in reading a spooky book (or the same one, sitting close and comfy). I imagine Halsin has also collected a good variety of animal blood for Astarion to dine on come dinner time, but he, along with Tav, offer up their necks for him to comfortably dine on. He's a little hesitant to join everyone at the campfire for stories or having his tarot read, but after hearing the first story he reluctantly strolls over to join everyone, taking a seat between Halsin and Minsc.

Minsc? Oh Minsc's home probably has a similar tradition as Halsin, and he is more than eager to help in hunting. Though he spends the past few days hunting a specific boar and bringing it back to camp. He prepares it by hand, preparing a ton of meat to be dried as pemmican or jerky to last then for weeks to come. Jaheira more than likely lends a hand in this too, making sure to collect goodberries and other edible berries for the pemmican preparation. Jaheira probably keeps the tusks to make something out of at another date.

Jaheira more than likely just helps out around camp, though she also joins in on pumpkin carving. I imagine amongst her family back home she usually does so. Out of everyone she probably has the best, most practiced carving, and more than likely does a cat face, or perhaps takes inspiration from Scratch or OBC and carves them instead.

[admirange]

Mcl style contest outfit dump pt. 8

Aspiring detective

I think I had the easiest time with this one, just used my candy's basic clothes🫠 I'm happy with how it turned out, I think it fits the theme perfectly.

Got low ranking with it (no one beats the magical girls)

Heartbreak

Once again I had 0 inspiration what to do, so just did what I saw best.

Got well ranked with top 9%

Valkyrie

It's so obviously based on one of the new bank outfits. And of course those who bought it will win. I'm so tired. The outfit I made is pretty shit I'm not arguing on that one, but I didn't have motivation to really try.

Got really low ranking with it

Time to relax

I never found sitting at the beach or doing skincare relaxing so I left all of that cliché off, comfortable clothes, alone time, reading, drinking some delicious stuff.

Got really low ranking with it

Rouge

Searched dnd rouge outfits and did something similar. The angel wings are the new brainrot so I call it, the podium will have all black clothes and black angel wings (or demon, for that matter). Possibly the magic flying book and the cauldron too. The sparkles and butterflies are not even a question at this point, they can't get their hands off of them.

Got low ranking with it (I was so right about the podium)

Gemini

Well, astrology singns are pretty vague. I know it's an air sign and geminis have "two personalities" but those are just stereotypes, every person is different. Since it's an air sign I went with mainly white stuff. I searched gemini outfits but as I said, you can't put millions of people in the same style category. And I already said I don't like using fantasy clothes anymore so I very much sticked with the modern clothes. The magical girls will win anyway so I don't feel like doing outfits I don't even like.

Got really low ranking with it

Ruby

I wanted to do a classy look but I don't have much red stuff either so meh, it's just whatever. Kafka saved my ass in this with not one, but two shared items, thank you Kafka! Still couldn't do well with this but that's on me😬 the magic of the style contest started to wear off.

Got well ranked with top 25%

The fifth element

I never cared about the fifth element, not the movie nor the thing itself so I just found out it's the aether? "A special unknown substance that permeated the celestial sphere and was purer than any of the four terrestrial elements." Okay. I did a full on research and it's like, pure air of some sort? Obviously more than that but that's the easiest way to put it. That's what I was going for. Then it became this alien but also fantasy magic thing idk but that's kind of what it is, isn't it?

Got low ranking with it

Beauty and the beast

I don't have yellow stuff to do the beauty so more or less did the beast. I think it looks fine but I'm convinced it'll get really low ranking.

Got low ranking with it (called it)

Rain fairy

Fucking fairies. At least I have blue stuff so I could do something, it just doesn't look good. No fairy wings because. No, I'm not waiting for the shared items to drop😆 Ah it's my bad, I'm slowly losing my motivation. I never played to win, but the podium makes me not want to play at all.

Got low ranking with it

Cosplay

I tried so many cosplays so far but I had absolute 0 ideas for the theme. I spent an awful lot of time searching for characters. I searched most recognizable characters at last and Wednesday popped up, so I went with that.

Got low ranking with it

Decora

I put a lot of effort into this, but I don't think it turned out great. Having a colorful wardrobe is not my strongest quality lmfao

Got low ranking with it

Roaring twenties

The casino theme was somewhat similar so I already had a starting point. The necklaces are really specific and we don't have stuff like that. I think it fits the theme but it's pretty minimalistic so it won't get well ranked.

Got low ranking with it

Swan lake

I'M THE SWAN QUEEN YOU'RE THE ONE WHO NEVER LEFT THE CORPS. Ballet dress inspired but obviously more extra.

Got low ranking with it

Fear

Well I got back into lol and Fiddlesticks was my first thought, but obviously that's impossible to make. But the idea stays, the manifestation of fear itself.

Got low ranking with it

From this moment my personal life burst into flames and living is like a personalised hell, so I can't say anything about the outfits. I just half-assed every one of them.

Florist

Got really low ranking with it

Berserk

Got really low ranking with it

Tinker bell

Got really low ranking with it

Doberman energy

Got well ranked with top 25%

Pennywise

Got really low ranking with it

Your mood of the day

Got low ranking with it

Egyptian goddess

Got low ranking with it

Going on a quest

Got really low ranking with it

Netflix and...

Got low ranking with it

Sorcerer

Got really low ranking with it

Bohemian

Got low ranking with it

Match girl

Seriously no idea if this theme is supposed to be the little match girl? I took a look at the entries in voting and based on the white dress and makeup sparkling butterfly angel princesses with their suffering look that's what I guessed.

Got low ranking with it

Agatha

It's horrible bru didn't have any pink hair and the outfit itself is horrendeous as well

Got really low ranking with it

Arabian nights

Sadness

Got well ranked with top 23%

I don't think I ate with this

Got really low ranking with it

Thanks for reading and/or looking through my creations!

Really low ranking – more than 50%

Low ranking – between 30% and 50%

Well ranked – anywhere below 30%

[tozulope]

Get asks <3 (pick the ones you wanna answer)

👕 - 5, 9 and 19

📦 - 7, 12, and 14

🍽️ - 1, 7, and 16

🌤️ - 2, 4, and 6

🤝 - 5, 10, and 14

💓 - 1, 9, and 13

🎲 - 3, 7, and 14

(You fool. As if I'm not going to answer all of these. Thanks for fueling my normalness about Jackie <3 This is, obviously, long as hell so. Under the cut it goes!)

👕 5. What are your character's opinion on scars?

I don't feel any way about them, really. I'd prefer to have less of them on myself, but... Ultimately it doesn't matter.

👕 9. What does your character smell like?

What an odd question... Why do you care? (Jackalope smells of metal, disinfectant, and cleaning supplies, almost like a freshly cleaned operating room. It's not a strong scent by any means, but you'd definitely notice it if you stood an arm's length away from it or closer.)

👕 19. If your character had to get a tattoo what would it be?

If I had to? Perhaps a small, simple stylized bunny on one of my shoulders or wrists... I think I'd enjoy that. (Ideas shown below.)

📦 7. Does your character ever spend more than they have?

I don't need much and don't often spend money, so no. I generally have more than enough money to live comfortably, too, so that is far from a concern for me.

📦 12. Does your character personify objects?

No. (It does, actually, to some extent. It just won't admit it. It feels bad if things fall off of its desk beyond typical "I don't want my things breaking" and that is part of the reason it keeps its living space so tidy.)

📦 14. Is there an item your character is embarrassed they own or want?

You all already know what's in my room. Surely you could guess. (It's the Tozu figure and standee. It is 100% the Tozu figure and Tozu standee it has in its room.)

🍽️ 1. What flavor would your character say their personality is?

Bitter, day old black coffee.

🍽️ 7. Is there food that has made your character sick?

I once got food poisoning from an undercooked piece of chicken. It was godawful... Now I know to avoid cooking meat for myself. I wouldn't eat rabbit, as the mere idea of doing so makes me feel slightly nauseous.

🍽️ 16. Is there a food texture your character doesn't like?

I'm not often fond of the texture most meat has, especially that of lamb or beef. I can still stomach it occasionally, especially if it's the only option available to me, but I prefer fish or chicken, or just sticking to vegetables...

🌤️ 2. Has your character had a meaningful encounter with an animal?

My two pet rabbits are the only people I can stand in this godforsaken theme park. (They are possibly the one thing that keeps Jackalope somewhat sane. If this specifically refers to a wild animal, then no, I can't say it has.)

🌤️ 4. Is there a natural phenomenon that scares your character?

I'm not fond of blizzards or tornadoes. I despise the idea of several feet of snow and ice, or the idea of trees and cars being lifted from the ground by intense winds. (It also gets jumpy when there's thunder and lightning.)

🌤️ 6. Would your character enjoy sky gazing?

I haven't done it in a very, very long time but... I think it'd be nice.

🤝 5. Who would your character first seek if they needed medical help?

My medical caretakers. They are the ones responsible for keeping me healthy despite my many problems, so they are naturally the ones who would help me if such a situation arose.

🤝 10. Is there a habit your character has that they learned from someone else?

I... I can't quite recall, actually. (Yes. Its love for dumb reality TV and the way it fidgets with its hands when its bored, tapping their fingertips against nearby surfaces, are both things it has picked up from old friends it had.)

🤝 14. Who would your character say knows them best?

My rabbits, of course.

💓 1. What is a habit your character has that others might find cute?

I have no idea, really. Why would anyone find me cute? I'm not. (I don't know if this counts as a habit, exactly, but the fact it cares so much about its rabbits well-being would probably be endearing to anyone who... Has the capacity to find things Jackie does endearing?)

💓 9. Does your character have any allergies?

I get awfully stuffy when trees begin to flower in the springtime.

💓 13. How does your character relax?

Watching reality TV, spending time with my rabbits, reading, and doing embroidery are my preferred ways of unwinding. Herbal tea such as mint or chamomile also does wonders for me.

🎲 3. What is a talent your character wishes they had?

Part of me wishes I could play the flute... I wanted to learn it when I was younger, but never got the chance to. They sound lovely.

🎲 7. What is a talent that your character is proud of?

Learning to embroider was a pain in the ass, but I can do it quite well now. I... also take pride in my ability to tell stories.

🎲 14. What is your character’s opinion on cheating in games?

Only losers who are aware of their inferiority and don't care about the fun of those playing with them feel the need to cheat.

[lanawinterscigarettes]

that’s fair I don’t mind gender neutral smuttiness I don’t want to seem like some smut fem overlord is all that’s why I was trying to explain 🤣 yeah everyone has a hole they can put something in but not everyone has a love stick they can wave around but yeah obviously you write gn when you want to I don’t want you to feel pressured 😭 and yeah do you not say whipped out?? Like if someone pulled it out we’d say ‘he whipped out his *love stick* the other day outside the pub’ or something like that. Omg a yard sale?? Those are real?? I thought they were fictional like those yellow school buses. Idc ill take smut with rose any day screw school buses or whatever <33

Theme wise it looks fine but grammatically I don’t think fluff is a genre 😭it’s a subgenre at best and more a tag so the genre would be romance or action whereas the tag would be fluff like those ao3 tags but I get what you’re going for with the fluff/smut/angst rating I like it. As for the tea?? There’s builders tea which is just non specific really watery tea but the main ones I know are Yorkshire tea and PG tips and they’re brands 😭 i feel like Clara would just drink like, a standard pg tips or Yorkshire tea because they have it in the staff room or something she’s a simple girl and she’s also northern and doesn’t drink any of that posh earl grey sh*te that you have in the London tearooms (ew) according to the website pg tips and Yorkshire tearooms is black tea but then you just add milk only weirdos drinks it black, but people don’t say black tea they’d say ‘what tea do you want’ ‘pg tips’ or ‘Yorkshire tea’. Sorry this is so confusing 😭 brits and their tea!! Yorkshire tea would also be funny to add in there because Emmerdale is set in Yorkshire so it’s like an interdimensional Jenna reference LOL also EEEEE CLARA EXPERT?? That’s the best thing I’ve ever heard anyway I’m gonna go to bed it’s just before 8am 😃 BYE!! Sending hugs through the screen - ⭐️

You're all good, don't worry! I just like making sure you're comfortable with what I write and that I'm able to make my fics as close to the way you envison them as possible, that's why I typically write fem reader for your requests as a default 💞 and we do say "whipped out" over here but it's just a funny term to me in general idk why I just laugh at stupid things a lot

And yeah, yard sales are real! They happen more in areas that aren't very densely populated like smaller towns rather than the bigger cities. You can find some pretty good deals there too, the best way I can think to describe them is it's like thrifting except rather than going to a shop it's someone's yard and you're talking to the owner of the items directly so sometimes you might be able to negotiate on prices and stuff. Yellow school buses are also real btw, I live near a place that "houses" them when they're not in use (it's like a parking area but specifically for school buses)

Ah okay, so maybe I should put theme or trope instead of genre so it'll make more sense (or I'll just take it out altogether, since my masterlists have a key for which fics are fluff, angst or smut) thanks for helping me out! I thought something looked off about it but I couldn't figure out what it was exactly 🤧

I had no idea tea could be so complicated but then again sweet tea is usually all made the same way, you just get the packets of sweet tea and heat up your water before pouring it in a large pitcher and dunking in the teabags, then once it's made you add in all the sugar and put it in the fridge to get cold before pouring it over ice (here in bald eagle and apple pie land sweet tea isn't drunken by the cup like hot tea is, it's typically made a gallon or so at a time. I'd honestly compare sweet tea to lemonade since it's more of a spring/summer drink and because of the way it's made and consumed just so you know since obviously things are different over there in crumpet land where you are)

thanks for telling me though! again I know nothing about hot tea so I wasn't sure what to put in my fic and I didn't wanna get anything wrong, I'll probably go with Yorkshire tea since it ties into the jenna cinemic universe lol. and yes you are the resident clara expert, that's your official role in the tumblrverse 🥰

im sending you plenty of hugs back!! (sorry for the kinda late response, I was EXHAUSTED after the yard sale that happened yesterday but it was so much fun I got a lot of free stuff hehe) hope you're doing well in crumpet land 🫶

[lineandspace123]

5 Essential Factors to Consider When Buying Curtains or Blinds

Have You Ever Thought of the Role Which Curtains and Blinds Are Capable of Assuming in Your Room? Curtains and blinds are more than just items with which to close your windows— they can fully change the design and feel of how the room looks. Imagine sticking a heavy curtain in a very modern room: would it go? No. Or imagine a short curtain for a big door: strange, right? Now imagine applying the bright-coloured curtain with full patterns to an otherwise simple room that has light-coloured walls and furniture. That will be totally out of context.

Choosing the correct curtains or blinds is not only an aesthetic choice. It should complement your room and also be of some kind of service to you. Below are five must-remember things when buying curtains or blinds, to help you find the perfect ones for the place.

1. Purpose

This is one question you must ask yourself before choosing what kind of curtains or blinds you want. Do you want to block sunlight off from a room, or maybe you just need some privacy or a great decoration in the space? For instance, in the bedroom, one can use black-out curtains to nearly blackout the room while in the living room, sheer curtains help brighten up the space from direct sun rays. To find the right option, first of all, one has to identify his/her specific purpose and find the best curtain dealers. The best blinds and curtains suppliers in Qatar, in fact, really offer wide selections to meet your needs. They provide a variety of selection options when considering your preferences, budget, and purpose.

2. Material

The type of material you are using will have a significant influence on the durability, appearance, and maintenance of your curtains or blinds. Lightweight materials such as cotton or linen are used for a casual, airy look while heavy materials such as velvet or polyester are utilized to create an upscale feel. Materials such as wood, aluminium, or fabric blinds can fit in different styles. Consider always the climate and level of maintenance needed when you select the material.

3. Style

The style of your curtains and blinds should complement the overall appearance of your room. Use colours, patterns, or textures that complement your furniture, wall colours, and decor theme. Neutral shades create a soothing, classic look, while bold colours or prints add a pop of personality. For modern houses, minimalist designs are best; traditional spaces do better with intricate patterns or softer shades.

4. Measurements

Getting the right size is important to give a classy look. You should measure your windows carefully to ensure that your curtains or blinds fit perfectly. You can choose to have them cover the window fully or have them extend down to the floor for a dramatic effect. Proper measurements not only improve the looks but also make sure that the functionality is correct, such as effective light blocking or insulation.

5. Maintenance and Budget

Think about how much time you would spend cleaning your curtains or blinds, as well as money spent. Some materials need to be washed or dry cleaned frequently, while others are dusted periodically. Acquire a budget that will result in quality and affordability, so you get a product that will last long and align with your requirements.

Sum Up 

Conclusion

Not all curtains and blinds will complement the room. Even the fabric or material and type of pattern as well as how long or short they will fit in a certain room might cause a major disturbance. That's why it may be true, that even though the material and design are preferred choices, budget still dictates most times. So the importance is planning everything that comes inside beforehand. Considering the purpose, material, style, measurements, and cost involved beforehand will ensure that the curtains or blinds you choose not only look great but fulfil their purpose perfectly.

It is great to consult the Best interior designers and subcontractors in Qatar just to make sure that the one chosen suits the space, style, and budget. So take your time, evaluate your needs, and make an informed choice for the perfect finishing touch for your space.

[sic-fayl]

Guild Member Next Door (kinda) translation - Part 6+7

Click here for the previous part - or click here for Part 1!

(They're both short, so you get them at once lmao.) Disclaimer, as always: This is based on an MTL translation, I do not know Korean myself, I am trying more to stick with the impressions/vibes of a sentence instead of a strict word-for-word meaning - and most importantly, this is only for fun. So I hope you have fun reading!

“Ugh….”

Yeo-woon woke up to the sound of an incoming text, so he blearily reached for his phone. Once he saw what it said, he shot up, eyes wide open and any thought of sleep wiped from his brain.

[Mobile notification client]

Hello, Yeo-woon Lee,

This is the ATB Recruiting Service.

Congratulations on passing the document stage.

The interview schedule has been e-mailed to you.

“...‘In it, you will find the time and date of your interview, so please check it to make sure everything is in order.’”

He had submitted his documents to this job posting just a week ago, but the message assured him they had been accepted.

“What!”

Suddenly, he felt more awake than ever. He would’ve never thought this job could work out. He’d sent that application just in case, but now they wanted to interview him and somehow, he felt more scared than excited about it…

There’s countless ways for a person to fail an interview, so did it even matter that he passed the document stage? But getting better at interviews required practice, so it would be good to go, no matter the outcome. He’d only had one interview so far in his life and that had been for a part-time job at some PC cafe.

His heart felt like it was trying to beat out of his chest.

‘What should I wear to the interview? A formal suit would be best, but do I even have one at my place?’

Yeo-woon scrambled for the closet doors, to see whether he would have to make the long trip to his parents’ house.

“…Ah, thank goodness.”

Fortunately, the clothes in question were clear to see the moment he opened the closet, tidily hung up after their last trip to the dry cleaners, even encased in a protective plastic bag that was keeping them in perfect condition.

.***.

The interview’s location wasn’t that far away, but it still took three commutes via subway. All in all, 45 minutes. Even though he had to switch trains at a very popular station, he still got lucky, since it was the late afternoon and so there were few people on the subway.

‘Ahh, what if this actually works out?’

His head hurt just thinking about the daily subway commute in the morning…

‘What if I get accepted in another location altogether? I do need to re-sign my apartment’s lease soon, since it’s about to end. Should I just move somewhere else, instead of extending the lease?’

Yeo-woon stared down at his phone screen, while he daydreamed like this in his head. He responded with some emojis to a chat message from a friend, looked at some news articles and finally went on Illusion’s official website. There was a new announcement, posted just 30 minutes ago and detailing the next update, both with patch notes and information about the upcoming events.

Title: April 9th Update Notice

Author: GM Lemon

Hello, adventurers! GM Lemon here.

This is the advance information on the update we have scheduled for April 9th. There will be new events for our adventurers and even some new episodes for specific character jobs to look forward to!

[Events]

*An Experience Boost Buff will be active for 1 hour, once you log into the game after the update.

*The ‘Spring is everywhere with you! [Springfield]’ Couple Event will be added for a limited time.

*‘March’s White Day Royal Draw (Cash)’ will be removed from the Fashion Shop. (Buffs and items received from the draw will not be affected by this.)

*The story and job advancement quests for the 4th job (Valkyrie) of the Explorer class will be added.

*Outfits for the theme ‘May Bride/Groom’ will be added to the Fashion Shop.

[Bug fixes]

*Fixed the visual error of the Hero job’s ‘Shadow Dot’ bouncing around.

*Adjusted the range on the Valkyrie job’s ‘Pull’ skill.

*Fixed an issue where in Aquarium maps 1-4 the environment’s Movement Debuff applied to a character could be removed by riding the new mount ‘Black Tiger’.

*Fixed an issue where the Auction House’s Sales tab would stutter under specific circumstances.

All servers will go into maintenance, to apply updates and for the purpose of server-stabilisation, from 10 AM to 12 PM on April 9th. Please remember to log out before maintenance starts, to avoid any potential loss to your invaluable account information and progress!

Good luck and travel far, adventurers!

(Comments have been disabled for this post)

Yeo-woon skimmed over the notes, realizing there were some new events about to be added and bugs they were about to correct.

‘No clue what those bugs are, but they should’ve been fixed ages ago! The event is brand new, so it’s gotta be great. It’ll be really fun! I can’t wait to play it.’

Those were Yeo-woon’s vague thoughts, before he closed back out of that webpage. There had been an event preview attached to the post, but he wanted to wait until he could play it all himself. It would feel more immersive that way.

“Did I get here too early?”

He had overestimated his chances of getting lost along the way, so now he was at the location way too early. He still had to wait one and a half hours until his interview would start, but he had no clue where to go until then.

So he tried to find a nice cafe to relax in for a while, but the first one he entered had no tables left for him. Following the map app on his phone to the next closest cafe, Yeo-woon crossed a street and ended up in a more residential area.

‘Is there really a cafe around here?’

The buildings all looked expensive and fancy, so he wouldn’t have expected a normal cafe to be around here. He checked and re-checked his map, just to make sure he wasn’t in the wrong place, because the atmosphere here was very different to the crowded industrial district on the other side of the street.

‘Is this restaurant hidden within a building? There’s so few pictures and they only show the inside… So maybe it really is hidden.’

“…”

‘I think I’m lost. My map isn’t updating anymore either… It has to be close by, but there’s no place around here that looks like a cafe…’

“Ah, my internet…”

Yeo-woon repeatedly tapped on the compass function on his map, hoping to update where exactly he was, but it seemed the map app had given up on him entirely now. He tried turning his mobile data off and back on again, but there was no change and a quick check told him there was no local Wi-Fi he could connect to either… That’s when he noticed a man squatting on the asphalt, some paces ahead of him.

‘Okay, let’s just ask for directions.’

He was probably someone that lived around these parts and would know where to find the cafe. Yeo-woon carefully approached the man, ready to crouch down so they could talk eye-to-eye, when he suddenly heard a camera’s shutter.

“...?”

Click, click, click, click, click, click!

Yeo-woon’s steps slowed as he heard the noise again and again, like the man was taking a neverending string of photos. Once he got even closer, Yeo-woon saw the man was holding a cell phone the size of his own palm, and the subject he was photographing so zealously was a kitten, small enough that it was the same height as the phone dangling in front of it. The tiny black thing was enthusiastically eating something, its whole head nearly disappearing in a bowl that was probably more used to housing side dishes than cat food. When the cat heard the shutter go off, it raised its head and looked right at the man, who covered his mouth and muttered something under his breath.

‘Looks like he’s busy feeding that cat. Is it okay for me to interrupt? Or should I try to find a different person to ask?’

As he thought through his options, Yeo-woon looked up and down the street, but there was no other living creatures around, other than himself, that man and his kitten.

‘I can’t keep going like this…’

He still had a little more than an hour left and his legs were starting to hurt from searching for a cafe and he still needed to walk back to his interview afterwards. So, Yeo-woon quietly approached the man, who had his back turned to him, and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Ahhh! What is-?! Why?!”

“….”

The man got way more spooked than Yeo-woon had expected him to, flinching hard and even falling on his butt. A part of Yeo-woon wanted to apologize right away, but after hearing a scream that loud, he was rendered speechless. With a reaction like this, people would think he’d tried to burn the man alive, not tapped his shoulder to ask him a question.

“Who are you?!”

The man fiercely glared at him, his expression radiating more distrust than Yeo-woon would have thought possible to convey, with just a person’s face.

Outside of that and his obvious shock, the man carried an air of tiredness and defensiveness, wearing black piercings in both of his ears. Even with a quick glance, Yeo-woon could tell there must be more than three on each side. And his forehead, clearly visible thanks to the hat that was holding back his hair, wrinkled more and more heavily, the more time passed.

‘Ah, that’s… scary.’

Yeo-woon gulped heavily, his own flawed prejudice telling him this had been a very bad mistake.

‘I think I might be screwed. Ahh I really picked the worst person…’

“It’s nothing.”

Yeo-woon gave an awkward smile and took a step away from this person on pure instinct.

‘I haven’t felt this way since college, when that group of high schoolers on motorcycles were trying to rob me…’

As a highschooler, he’d been really scared of elementary school kids, and in college, he became really scared of middle schoolers, but by now it had progressed and he was just scared of every young person that might not have a future.

Of course, this man wasn’t really the same as those high school robbers, but the way he glared at Yeo-woon still made him want to run for the hills.

“No, maybe there is something… That was a really loud scream, are you okay?”

“…”

“Uh, sorry for the surprise, sir.”

‘It’s not like I… hit him or anything. …Did I? I… just tapped his shoulder, right?’

By this point, the cat had fled the alley, knocking over the bowl in its mad dash to get away. The man stared after it and sighed, then he got up from his squat dusting off his legs. Yeo-woon hadn’t noticed before, because they were both squatted down, but the man was taller than him, which made him seem even more intimidating.

‘I didn’t mean to cause this. And I just lightly tapped him with my finger, didn’t I? That’s not like hitting someone, is it…?’

“I just wanted to ask where I need to go.”

“Map?”

Yeo-woon nodded and held out his phone that was still showing the map app and the cafe he had tried to reach. The man stared down at the screen with sharp eyes and then his eyebrows subtly rose.

“You’re going there?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“What? To get a coffee…”

‘Why does someone normally go to a cafe? Do you go to cafes to enjoy a nice bath?’

It was the sort of question a person could only ask, if they didn’t think about what they were saying. The man’s lips twitched a little, but he pushed them right back into their previous frown and then just turned his whole head away.

“…It’s not in this alley. This way.”

He took the bowl with the cat food, which still held a good amount of food in spite of how it got knocked over, and placed it closer to the corner of the alley. Then he lead the way out of it, without even a backwards glance. Yeo-woon felt like the awkwardness of this whole situation might kill him. Were all the people in this neighbourhood this rude, or did he find the one person who refused to be social?

‘Please just say something.’

Yeo-woon grumbled in his mind. But the man didn’t even look his way, too busy staring at his own phone, before he muttered a low:

“This game…”

They walked straight ahead, then turned left two blocks further down. The brightly labeled ‘Cafe Earth’ came into view, right at the entrance of the street. When Yeo-woon turned back to thank the man for his help, he could only watch him speed off towards a different building, further away. He had nearly reached its door already, so he must’ve left Yeo-woon behind as soon as the cafe became visible.

‘Ah. Dude, you really have zero social skill.’

With that complaint out of the way, Yeo-woon finally got to enter the cafe. In the end, the coffee’s taste was fairly average and the same went for the atmosphere. There was a decent variety, but the most surprising part was that all the seats were full.

‘Wonder how they do this. Is it thanks to some secret sales technique?’

Over the next 30 minutes, Yeo-woon mindlessly doodled on some paper as he mentally reviewed the potential interview questions and what answers he should give. When he came back to reality, he stared in surprise at the paper. Without noticing it, he’d drawn a glaring, defensive-looking man onto it.

“…”

‘What… Why did I draw this?’

After looking the drawing over for a bit, Yeo-woon used his pen to poke the small dot under the drawing’s left eye. Then, he flipped the paper over.

(Next Part(s))

[vhasterra-the-garden-of-twilight]

D&D 5e Character Creation: A Quick Guide

credit: Books Over Coffee | Books & Blogging on pinterest

Exactly as it says on the tin! I won't be going over specific features and what they do, just helping you make a base to build your character off of. Any and all questions are appreciated, if you're stuck or just want some clarification, just send me an ask and I'll do my best to answer!

Start with a Background. If you're new to character creation and have difficulty coming up with any ideas, write down 1 word--specifically an adjective, profession or item. This is your foundation and what you'll build your character around. Once you have that, you can choose a background (yes, its part of the mechanics, I've had players mix up "backstory" and "background") I will join this process with you! My word will be "flower" this implies my character is somewhat frilly, delicate and/or beautiful, or maybe they're none of those and just like flowers. They Feylost background is personally my favorite! It's a very whimsical background from the Wild Beyond the Witchlight (adventure), but other backgrounds like Folk Hero, Sage and Outlander fit the theme as well. In this case, I'll just stick with Feylost.

Decide on your Class. Because your class will determine which ability scores to focus on. Here are a few classes and the abilities they prefer: Wizard -> Intelligence, Bard -> Charisma, Fighter -> Strength/Dexterity. Having a decent score for your main ability makes it easier to use your features and increases the effectivity of your spells. There are a few classes that allow me to work with the word "flower"; it could mean that my character likes to socialize and give flowers, so a Bard might work, or it could be my character can conjure flowers and nature, so a Druid might work as well. I think I'm leaning towards Druid in this case, so we'll go with that. This class' preferred ability is Wisdom, so I'll keep that in mind for later.

Choose your Lineage/Race. Certain lineages provide bonuses to certain ability scores, sometimes giving you features that compliments your character's theme, you can use this as a way to bring up low abilities or beef up your higher ones, whatever works! There are plenty of races out there, each with their own subraces and versions across different sources. Make sure you check in with your DM to make sure which ones are allowed. Let's assume in this case we're only allowed to use the races from the 2014 Player's Handbook. I like looking at the written lore of each race on the top of their page, any descriptions if they're included as well, since I almost always choose based off their vibe. Right now, Humans, Half-Elves and Elves all look like nice choices! I'm feeling a little basic, so I'll pick Elf and go with the Wood Elf subrace for its bonus to Wisdom and I like their ability to blend in with nature--so far, fitting our theme!

Continue to flesh them out from there! Or you can jump into character creation and figure out their story on the fly, whichever you're more comfortable with. At least now, we already have a solid concept of what our character will be and what they will do. I ended up with a Wood Elf Druid, with the Feylost background. I like to think they love making flower tea and flower cookies (rose and chamomile flavored), they forage for hours on end, it's like their only daily routine. What character did you make?

[an-aussie-button-masher]

The Evolution of VIDEO GAME: THE MOVIE

   What’s the first thing you think when you see that a video game is being adapted into a big feature film? That it’ll be awful? That it’ll just be a cash-grab, completely unlike the actual game it’s based on? That’s the usual reaction - but why? Video games have been getting adapted to film for thirty years now, but for the vast majority of that time, they’ve been immediately dismissed as poor-quality low-budget flicks that completely ignore everything about the game being adapted, and usually this assumption isn’t wrong. Movies and games have been getting closer and closer together in the overall pop-culture bubble, with more games getting grand cinematic stories and movies drawing more inspiration from games (arguably the most unique form of storytelling media). So, what goes so wrong when the two of them actually get put together? I’ve decided to try and figure that out. Grab some popcorn and join me in taking a look at the evolution of the video-game movie adaptation, and let’s work out why they’re only recently getting any good.

   1990-2010: Skipping the Tutorial    It’s only fitting that the very first proper video game film is based on one of the games that started it all: Super Mario Bros., and with it, a film that would set the tone for video game movies for the following thirty years. Back then, game movies were always live-action and often very disconnected from the source material. Early games had a tendency to skip having a particularly detailed plot, so directors of any adaptation had to make a lot of it up, which led to them effectively ignoring most details about the game entirely. If it weren’t for the film’s title, you could easily forget the Super Mario Bros. movie was actually based on anything due to how completely different almost every detail was. Early CGI tech was unable to decently recreate a lot of things you’d see in video games, so they end up being practically unrecognisable in the adaptation.   Thanks to these early attempts, video game movies instantly gained a poor reputation, with fans immediately writing off any future adaptations as awful - it’s only in recent years that this view is starting to fade away.

   2010-2020: Figuring Out the Controls    With direct adaptations having such a bad reputation, filmmakers in the 2010’s decided to take a new approach: making movies about video games as a general medium, rather than movies about specific games. Here’s where we got films like Wreck-It Ralph and Ready Player One, with the film being centred around a fictional video game as a way to explore themes present across the entire genre, as well as general pop-culture references. Without a pre-existing game to adapt, the creators were free to make up whatever they wanted about their fictional game with no concerns about being accurate to any source material.   Thanks to incredible advancements in animation technology and CGI, these movies included plenty of stunning graphics - finally, even the most bizarre video game creatures and items could be faithfully brought to the big screen. 3-D animated films were on the rise too, being the perfect medium to translate heavily stylised games to film. Meanwhile, direct adaptations were still being made - by sticking to “plot-light” games like Angry Birds or Pokémon, it was easier to simply make up an entirely original story set within the games’ universe, with…mixed results. Game movies still had a long way to go, but it was in this decade that the most important steps started to be taken.

   2020-Present: Getting Gud    After stepping away from the direct game adaptations for a few years, directors are starting to try their hand at them again in the last few years - and suddenly, they’re actually pretty good! It took almost thirty years, but finally it seems like the video game movie curse is beginning to wear off. Why is this, you ask? Compare the 2023 Super Mario Bros. Movie with its 1993 predecessor, and you’ll quickly figure it out: it’s all about sticking to the source material. The old Mario movie was basically an in-name-only adaptation, with completely redesigned characters and renamed locations, while the latest version looks practically identical to the modern Mario games, reusing the exact same sound effects and character designs, bringing everything that fans loved about the games straight to the big screen. How did that take three decades to figure out? Fans tend to enjoy these video games for a reason; why would they like a movie that changes everything about them?   Take a look at The Last of Us, an excellent example of the bigger focus on storytelling in games, recently adapted into a live-action streaming series. Anyone familiar with the game will recognise that the series frequently uses the same dialogue from the game, word-for-word, and faithfully re-tells the same beloved story without any unnecessary changes thanks to more direct cooperation between the game developers and adaptation directors - of course it's going to be more popular than something that takes The Last of Us and changes it all up!

   It’s been a rocky three decades for video game movie adaptations, hasn’t it? It seemed to take way too long for directors and writers to realise that, when adapting a beloved game to cinema, it’s important to actually understand why the game was so beloved and make use of those aspects. I believe it's thanks to games in general being taken more seriously as a storytelling medium - it’s one of the most diverse and unique forms of entertainment in the world, yet nobody outside of the actual game-creating industry seemed to think so until recently. Fortunately, with more effort being put into creating adaptations that fans will actually enjoy, maybe the belief that all video game adaptations are awful will start to fade away! Only time (and that Borderlands movie that’s been in development hell for years) will tell…    I hope you enjoyed my take on the evolution of the video game adaptation! Feedback, reblogs and likes are much appreciated!    Thanks for reading!

[fadebolt]

This is a bit of a unique poll. It's about rooms that technically don't exit yet, and as such, we lack a lot of the pieces of information that we have about all the other rooms that have appears on this blog (like creature spawns, items, placement within the region, geometry, or even what their full versions look like). What we got are just the aesthetics and couple of minor details. I can't give numbered ratings just off of that, but I can at least order them based on first impressions, from worst to best.

So let's do that.

Least favorite is of course, room 4 (the milk one). There's no other way of putting it, this thing looks very unoriginal, and frankly, bad. I imagine the visuals of the white liquid will change, because it looks very unfinished, and it certainly doesn't help that it obscures the terrain/layout completely, leaving over 1 third of the image in a flat white color… in a game that prides itself on having crazy detail within its pixel art rooms.

The one that then follows is room 1 (the desert one). It has pretty similar issues, with its liquid looking unfinished as hell, however, the rest of what we see is actually fine. The gameplay doesn't seem special in any way, but there is a unique aesthetic and color palette, and it looks… fine. That's about it.

Then we have room 3 (the blue one), the last of the rooms that I'd consider to be somewhat unfinished visually. The layout of this one in particular room is interesting, seeming like somewhat of a wall of sorts, that leads you to a weird tall cave-y section to the left. There are definitely some interesting ideas going on here, a lot of it is just off-screen, and the background is… yeah, more flat colors that make this room seem horribly out of place in Rain World. But out of the bottom 3 rooms, this does absolutely has the most potential, and I have a feeling it'll be amazing when we actually get to see the real thing, and not just a small section with an unfinished background.

The next few are bit trickier to order, but I'll reluctantly put 5 (the magenta one) here, mainly because while the color scheme is really good looking, it feels rather strange on an area that's seemingly above the clouds. It'll probably make sense when the DLC actually comes out, but for now, I'll just say that this would work much better for an area that isn't very high up, and has much more artificial lighting. It has food (specifically a Downpour one that was very underutilized), and some seemingly ok platforming, though this does very much strike me as one of those obnoxious Vulture rooms, if you know what I mean.

Carrying on with the theme of botomless pits, we have room 6 (the one with fans). There's very little that's bad about this one, but I don't see a lot that would be interesting either. It kind of has its own feel and aesthetic, it fits into the world just fine, and the gameplay looks okay, but it doesn't have any extra oomph to it. Don't really have any other inputs on this one, it just looks fine.

Then there's room 7 (the green one) which has by far my favorite aesthetic and color scheme. This sort of lime color is not very common in Rain World (you can only really see it near the Glow Weed spots in Submerged Superstructure), but it is real pretty. It does seem kind of uncharacteristically bright and vibrant for this game, sure (especially cus it doesn't look like it's an iterator interor or under direct sunlight), but not excessively so. I can absolutely buy this being a part of the world, and its layout and gameplay seem alright too, from the looks of things.

And for the final one, we have room 2 (the fog one). I feel like this is the only room here that has both a very clear and distinct idea for its gameplay, as well as its visuals, and it sticks to it near perfectly. Even if you disregard the colors, and just look at the general layout, this is still a room that very clearly belongs to a new region that we don't have yet, and I can see this room becoming one that people will easily remember. It's a neat idea for a room design, I very much dig it.

Now, the vote results are… interesting, to say the least. I imagine most of the votes were based around the color palettes and general concepts people like, cus in that way, 5 does indeed stand out, though 1 being left behind is quite funny. I don't have much else to add here, as it is kind of hard to do analyses on screenshots like this. But it was fun to try, and I hope I did a good enough job. I know I did trash on a lot of the rooms, but don't take that the wrong way - I still very much love all of 'em (yes, even the fourth one), and I trust that these regions that they're teasing will all be great (RW does have a great track record when it comes to regions, after all). I just had to figure out a way to order them, and obviously, I will focus more on the negatives with the lower placed ones, cus that's just how these things go xd

A lil additional poll after the news

Spoilers for the new annoucment, so if u hadnt seen the news yet beware

Im not adding them to the poll, cause they can change with release

i wonder if they release the dlc faster then the poll will end, but even if i might come back to poll through the new rooms

[myhoneststudyblr]

my masterpost | my studygram | ask me anything

[click images for high quality]

[transcript under the cut]

Other advice posts that may be of interest:

How To Study When You Really Don’t Want To

Active Revision Techniques

How to Revise BIG Subjects

Common Study Mistakes

What is the OSCAR Revision Model?

The OCSAR Model is designed to help you tackle questions that need interpretation, discussion and analysis. This tactic is designed to improve your subject understanding and ability to apply what you learn to new contexts.

Organisation – study past papers and sort notes appropriately

Selection – choose which topics to revise and which to leave

Creativity – use colour, sound and space to aid memory

Association – make direct and indirect links to aid memory

Repetition – review content actively to fight forgetting

ORGANISATION

Our brains thrive on being organised, and revising from disorganised notes is frustrating and ineffective. Sort, order and review your notes from each class. Cross-ref with syllabuses and course specifications. Study past papers (if available) to look for patterns in questions and topics.

Here are some organisation tips:

Create folders for different themes and sub-divide them into different topics

Use colour coding for themes and topics to show information that relates to more than one area

Put a summary flowchart, diagram, or mind map at the front of your folder

List anything which also applies to another theme or topic at the front of the folder

SELECTION

It is basically impossible to revise all of the course content. Be selective about how you spend your time and don’t try to revise everything. Although choosing which topics to revise can be stressful, it is best to make informed choices and just stick with them.

How to select:

listen carefully to what your lecturers say, and what they emphasise

revisit handbooks, notes and exam guides to identify what might be included in an exam 

use information that applies to more than one theme or topic to revise multiple areas together

use past paper to identify what topics could be included in an exam

The Five-For-Three Rule

Revise a few more topics than you need: This rule says you should revise five topics if you need to answer questions on three in your exams. You'll have a higher chance that you'll pick the chosen exam topics than if you only revise 3.

CREATIVITY

Revising creatively helps you understand and remember information because you'll use more of your brain and your extra revision activities will reinforce your revision.

Ideas for revising creatively:

images, photos and doodles

rhythm, music and rhyme

different text to emphasise important info

acronyms, mnemonics and jokes

space and movement while revising

patterns, diagrams and arrows

ASSOCIATION

Association helps our brains create a 'story' to remember things. It involves direct or indirect links between themes, topics, ideas, theories, models, your world and other resources. You can associate information with your own experiences or things you observe in others.

Create a 'Memory Palace'

This can be done either by using your own home or by drawing a building

You associate:

a theme with a building

a topic with a room

information about that topic with items in the room

Practical Experience

Associate information with your experiences

Apply your experience to the literature you study and your knowledge and understanding of the course as a whole. Have you ever seen something you've learnt in theory occur in real life - to you or in the wider world?

REPETITION

We all know that the best way to truly learn something is the review the material actively and repeatedly. Cramming will likely only keep the information in your mind for a short period of time. That is why spaced revision is so important.

By introducing time intervals between study sessions, you can remember more – even if you spend fewer actual hours studying. This is because the brain needs time in between study sessions involving higher mental functions (such as analysis and synthesis) to solidify new neural connections.  

You can think of learning as being kind of like building a brick wall:

If you stack the bricks up too quickly without letting the mortar between each layer solidify, you’re not going to end up with a very good wall. Spacing out your learning allows that “mental mortar” time to dry.

Active Revision Techniques 

Use these techniques to to avoid passive revision:

Mindmaps and diagrams

Flashcards

Study groups

Past papers and creating your own questions

Essay plans

Recording your notes

[quibbs126]

Here’s some more AI generated cookies, both of the witch theme, this is Elderberry Cookie and Candy Drop Cookie

I actually drew Elderberry like a week and a half ago, but I didn’t post her since I had been on a roll with these ai Cookies and thought I would draw more (plus I had a whole bunch lined up to draw after) but then I hadn’t continued, so she’s just been sitting in my photos for a good while now. Had to dig through my photos to find her. Candy Drop I drew today, so that I could actually release these two drawings

Elderberry’s name was easy to come up with, given the colors, but Candy Drop’s was a struggle. See, to me they don’t really look like any specific type of candy, so I wanted to give them a more general name of a more pastel type of candy. Unfortunately I was struggling to find one. There was Saltwater Taffy, but Candy Drop didn’t look very…saltwater taffy-like, so I decided against it, and I just flubbed it and went with Candy Drop. The “Drop” part could just refer to the fact that they pick up dropped items

I remember Elderberry’s design giving me trouble, particularly with the cape and hair. For the hair I was going to give her something up top, but I couldn’t fit it in with her circlet, so she’s just bald up there. But the purple behind the cape is supposed to be a ponytail. Originally I was going to make it part of the cape, but then I decided to make it something else. But unfortunately it’s still the same color as the underside of the cape, so I think it looks confusing. She’s supposed to be tall, but I’m not sure I converted that

Candy Drop by comparison was much easier, since I already had the basic ideas down, like the thing in the back being a giant candy they carry. The staff was added kind of late though, since I wasn’t sure what to do with the blue

But yeah, onto them. So like Grape Strudel before, these guys live in a witch’s house, the same one as Grape Strudel. I don’t have much for Elderberry, other than she’s quiet and very tall, and also she probably stabs things with that stick. Candy Drop I have more for thought. They’re a scavenger by nature, and they just pick up discarded items they find around the house and keep them. This is why their clothes tend to be a bit mismatched, as they like just carrying their stuff around. Don’t leave your stuff lying around, or else they’ll think you left it and consider fair game

But yeah, that’s these two