And Fat.

Dragon Age. It's coming!

2008-07-25T04:08:36Z

Dragon Age is the new game Bioware is working on. According to the trailer and game play snippet, it will make you change your underwear from the sheer joy.

...Okay, maybe that is just me, but here are two videos for you to watch. Bring your undies!

Alcoholism, Drug abuse --in my role play?

2008-07-24T08:17:05Z

This little role play discussion and/or rant if you will, was directly inspired by and taken from a lovely snippet of conversation I shared with a friend of mine, the_dream_king.

It started with a very reasonable rant or observation on the glorified abuse of drug use which seems to be the nominal both in Dragon’s Mark Red Dragon Inn story lines, and from AOL (America Online for those of you not familiar) role playing characters and story lines.

It appears that drug abuse and addiction to drugs has been a reoccurring theme (up there with many others.) as well as alcoholism. As someone so very, very near the subject of alcoholism as well as someone who was witness to the falling apart of another human being to her addiction to crack—I am always faced with a mix of emotions when seeing them played out.

Most—not all—but most people who role play these story lines seem to do so with visible indicators in their writing that reveal they haven’t ever dealt with this sort of thing themselves personally, witnessed it, nor researched it. They are unaware of the complete and total devastation these harmful diseases can have on friends, families, relatives and relationships. It’s always either a ‘fun thing to do on the side,’ or some sort of plot point where the would-be hero gets addicted, his friends come to the rescue and then it’s happily ever after.

If only in a perfect world, right?

Now, on one hand (that’s my role playing hand) I understand the absolute drive as well as need for there to be a happy ending. Real life? Real life sucks, hard. There aren’t a lot of happy endings to real life stories. We seek to find the ease to all the bills and stresses of everyday in the sweet perfection of a pretend world, where Peter the elvendust addict gets saved and cleaned up, with his family all hugging and smiling around him.

But for once…For once…I’d really like someone to do their research. I’d really like someone to take the time to delve deep into the literature there is out there on these subjects and realize just how utterly awful drug addiction and alcoholism truly is, both to the addict and those around her. I want to see a nod in the direction of truth, a salute to those who break their hearts everyday, to the woman who have to struggle with trusting their hearts or their addicted husbands, the children who watch their fathers turn into different people and the families that shatter because of drunken words.

For once, I would like those who role play these things to take just five minutes and do a simple, single Google search. To read the stories of real people dealing with these things. Just five minutes—maybe ten if the story is exceptional or they get caught up.

I can’t really be offended by their choice of role play. It’s their characters, their story lines, and their rights to role play what they choose. So I won’t and honestly, I am not. I’m only asking, nay, praying, for a little bit of study on the subject.

And this entire rant/discussion/plea could cover so much on the rape, child abuse, abuse, prostitution and eating disorder story lines, too.

I watch characters flutter by on the glittery ride of addiction home free, with perfect teeth, healthy weight, free-of-scabs-skin, liver-complication-free story lines and can only wonder if it’s really that hard these days to Google for information. If the people behind these characters have ever had to deal with this sort of stuff and understand how almost belittling their SL’s can be to those who have survived. On both sides, yes, drug addict and recovering alcoholic.

All I’m asking is for a little quick research and reading, but I have the feeling that may even be too much to ask for some.

Thanks the_dream_king for the idea. I hope I didn't step on your toes. :3

Good night.

2008-07-24T03:21:58Z

Shawn was handing me things to put up on the shelves that used to hold the billion hamsters we once had. We've moved the two cages the three little ones shared down to the huge head board we have (we have one of those ancient water bed head boards that doubles pretty much as storage/shelves.)

That's when I noticed Wibbles laying on the bottom of the cage right near the tube to go up to the nest and wheel. I knew something was wrong right away because these little guys never lay on the bottom. They come down to run on the wheel, sleep IN the wheel, and occasionally will nap on the shelves, but NEVER directly on the bottom of the cage.

I told Shawn right away I thought something was wrong and opened the cage door. When I opened the cage door I did not get a single reaction. These guys are pretty jumpy, that's when I told Shawn I think he might have died...I was right as I reached in and pet him and he didn't move.

He was still warm.

I won't go into details--it was pretty obvious what had killed him once I lifted him up and out. Or at least, it wasn't as if he laid down and died.

We put him in a lil' box and buried him with the alarming amount of other lil' guys we've had to bury.

It's never easy with rodents, huh?

Night night, Wibbles. You were soft, so amazingly dumb and cute. Sleep well.

A challenge is a challenge is a challenge

2008-07-22T23:39:51Z

Today I dusted out my non stabby drow and played.

A while ago, Tara issues a challenge, which was placed on Eve's blog. I am still doing this as I go, but have been remiss in keeping track every night.

It is a very good challenge that I some times fail at. I believe that I could benefit from trying to practice this challenge every time I play and urge people to take a look at it and try and apply it to their own role play, AOL chat rooms, MUDS, mIRC, boards and what have you.

1. During the session how many new or unfamiliar to your character-characters did yours seek out or interact with? 7

2. During the session how many times did you have your character acknowledge someone that was attempting to engage you in play? I think...4 times. One for Poppy, one for Kyla, and two more for random acknowledgments. In all honesty, I think I spent more time trying to keep up acknowledging the room at large....Wow I realize how that sounds like bragging but srsly it isn't.

3. During the session how many times did you have your character react to what was going on around them. (i.e. jump at a bottle breaking)? I lost count after 20 for people entering, carrying things, snippets of conversation, leaving and what not.

4. During the session how much time did you spend playing as opposed to chatting OOC in the Lobby? Entire time playing.

5. During the session how many times did your character make reference to another you were not playing with? 3.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY wither!

2008-07-22T06:54:08Z

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

May your birthday, wither be a day filled with everything you've ever wanted, and the quiet moments, the laughter, the peace, the joy of friends, pets, and silliness you deserve.

And hot oiled strippers. Can't forget the strippers.

And whole contacts.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Nibbles. He say to joo: 'Allo Dahlinks.

2008-07-22T06:51:53Z

I'm the God Damn Batman.

2008-07-20T17:42:21Z

Batman: The Dark Knight was beyond amazing. I walked away emotionally tired and happy!

I have one problem. And it's not actually mind bending or entertainment ruining; but it is a pet peeve. The female lead. She was weak compared to all the other actors and, in my opinion, a poor choice for her role.

I'm not terribly upset by it, however, because those of you who have seen the movie--well, you know why. For the rest? I won't spoil it for you. :)

Amazing. Go see it!

Shh, god damn it!

2008-07-20T12:29:58Z

While I am some what casual as to who I play, I'd appreciate it if I were the one telling people who I am role playing, and not you.

Some times, I refrain from saying due to the fact random people do weird shit when they find out who the player is--such as role play with them when they've never given the character a look at, avoid when they were playing before hand, or outright ignore for no reason.

I am not trying to be sneaky when I refrain from telling people, either outright IM'ing them or letting obvious information slip OOCly (::eye::). I am trying to enjoy my game without the stigma of, "oh. That's Suliss'urn's player. The crazy hobag!" Got it?

So before you type: think.

I don't go flapping my gums about who you play, do the same! Damn! No cake for j00.

Fun with userbars.

2008-07-19T17:58:00Z

I'd seen them here and there all over the internet but didn't pay much attention to them until I realized what a great, compact way it was to have fun in a signature without going all freaking crazy with the huge ugly images. Also, I think, Alysia had some pretty sweet ones in her sig.

So I made some more today that I might use again in the future.

Here's the userbar generator I used!
http://userbarmaker.com/

What did you come up with? :D

Ye want a drink or ye want me t' 'old yer 'and?

2008-07-18T15:25:03Z

This is where I am with the Orlak the dwarf image. I could do more, but I am almost sick of looking at it. SO! Done for now. :s

Orlak progress

2008-07-18T07:26:54Z

Seriously. Why didn't I pick a less wrinkly face?

I have never drawn wrinkles before. I guess this means I am forcing myself to learn. Or screw up.

This one is going to be less easyhappygoodtimefun than Zyranth.

Uclever clone is unclever. Originality is dead, but long live stealing!

2008-07-17T20:15:54Z

Originality in character concept has long headed for the hills. It's very hard to be completely original when you are one of a million.

I have always believed that certain concepts, mannerisms, writing styles and the individual behind the character makes them unique. One thing that Rhydin is always lacking, outside of middle aged/elderly people, are overweight people. Or, dare I go so far as to say it? "Average" looking people with "average" boob, hip, and waist sizes.

Ya'll know me. I like to be odd, I decided a while ago that a handful of my characters were going to be "fat." And by "fat," I mean, you know--have a waist that wasn't going to collapse and divide by zero due to the weight of huge teets.

This originally started with Isolde, four (? My memory is bad) years ago and is a theme, despite being thought-sniped about her weight, I have enjoyed and wanted to play such a character again.

So I brought another character like this to the DM. An overweight nerdling who is having waaay, waaay too much fun in that realm right now. (Well, not at the moment. SL reasons. But anyway.) The concept at the time may not have been wholly original. Everyone's had a normal person get zapped in Rhydin at one point in time/has seen it. But to me, the way I played her, the unusual imperfections (Not saying everyone in Rhydin is perfect. But, come on people. Pretty freaking damn close.), overweight and geekery? It seemed pretty original. I hadn't seen anyone role play anything entirely like it yet.

Imagine my surprise when last night, as I was role playing another character, a clone of my character--right down to eerily similar profiles, walked right in.

In all my years of role playing, I had heard of the clone syndrome. Where someone has a popular character/character concept that really works for them and then suddenly overnight, there are clones of said character all over the place. Maybe they have different hair color, eye color, names, a few quirks here and there but the character concept is such a blatant rip off it makes the jaw drop.

Now--I know you can't copy right ideas, concepts. Hell, if you want to get right down to it, some of the characters I play (from marvel universe, bleach) aren't even mine to begin with. What right do I have to complain?

Not too much, but just enough to let you know: If you are going to steal original shit, for the love of god, have the sense to MAKE IT unique by making it yours. Silly clone was silly, because I might as well have been staring at my own character's profile. There was even an attempt at copying mannerisms in play. Which, by the way, failed. (Protip: Try role playing your character how YOU want to. Not how you see ME playing.)

I should be flattered. After all, imitation is supposed to mean you're good at something, right?

I'm not. I'm frustrated. Here we are in the land of imagination, and this person can't even be imaginative enough to at least take someone's character concept and make it their own. They have to take from everyone else, soul-sucking the things they've really liked about someone's hard work and thought, to spew it back out in some ridiculously obvious carbon copy. It's heartbreaking to watch, actually. I end up feeling bad for this person and worse for my character (should she ever have to meet and deal with the clone of herself.)

So yeah--unclever clone is unclever. Next time, try harder.

I should be sleeping. But, Orlak was havin' none o' that.

2008-07-17T08:04:02Z

The bar keep's name was Orlak. He’d been behind the bar of The Brazen Wench since it opened, or so the rumors had it. A wizened, grizzled, scar laden dwarf that stood upon a rickety wooden box-contraption with wheels that carried him with a push from one end of the knife marked bar to the other.

Orlak’s dull gray eyes didn’t flicker upward from his polishing of a wooden tankard with dubiously stained cloth when figures approached his bar for drinks. Orlak had long ago given up any enthusiasm in seeing whomever showed up, several scars along his stumped hands and across his face had taught him to pretend as if faces did not exist.

(Professor Voice) Good news, everyone!

2008-07-16T21:52:44Z

Raven has gone from 19 pounds of cat to 16 pounds of kitty.

She is missing even more fur now up to the back of her head. There are several burned holes/places in her skin that we have to clean and watch, but they didn't give her a lion cut, which I thought they might.

Since it never grew back originally, I suspect that our cat will forever be a shaved...cat. (Ahahahaha, you thought I was going to say the other, weren't you?)

Crappy cell phone pic of preparing for vet visit day before:

She's bringing shaved sexy back...back?

2008-07-16T11:29:33Z

We take Raven to the vet again today.

Pretty much for the same reason we took her the last time. She has these odd bumps--they grow, and when they grow from just a bump they end up looking just like little brains. Tightly coiled bundles of spirals and hoops that are her skin, and they begin to loosen and break as they grow larger. If we aren't careful when we pet her, they break apart. We know they're skin because when they break on their own, they bleed and scab.

When we brought her to the vet the last time, they took a sample of a lump on her butt and a sample of one of the 'brains' as I like to call it. The vet seemed completely nonchalant, and when they called us a week later to tell us things were fine--they still were.

So (back then) we brought her in, they shaved nearly her entire back and burned off what they could. She seemed like a different cat after that. More energetic and happy.

We're bringing her back because all the little ones they couldn't get before, have regrown. All the hair they shaved off hasn't grown back. At all. Not a single bit. She's been on a strict diet to lose weight for a year, and I don't think she's losing it.

I don't know about you, but if I were covered in bumps and scabs I'd be a might uncomfortable, and that's what we're worried about. We'd like to see her bump-less, but these things keep cropping up. Again, the Vet seems pretty casual about it, but the comfort of our cat, especially at this age, is most important.

It's a good thing Raven doesn't care what she looks like. I'm pretty sure there's going to be more shaving involved in her future.

TIEM 4 CRAZY PILLZ

2008-07-15T22:00:04Z

Today is one of those days where everything has piled up as I watch from the side lines and ponder if I am in a group for rp rejects too insane to be on AOL. (With a few excluded. :p)

Some of the stuff ya'll put in your out of character posts are awful private, and things I don't think I'd ever share publicly. And we all know how delicate I am about sharing. (Read: not.) You make me worry sometimes.

The bi weekly, anual, and semi daily installment of Mel's Brainfarts:

2008-07-13T23:59:52Z

Todays brain fart occurred on the way out from the movie theater. We'd just been released from Hell Boy II and while we were inside, it had rained. Coming down the line of cars in the parking lot I eyed our beautiful pepper red Saturn then turned to Shawn.

I said, "Now our shar looks ciny!" Actually no fooling really said it aloud, just like that. Then blinked. A lot.

I had meant to say, "Now our car looks shiny!"

Yeah, I don't know wtf either!

Some quick thoughts on my role play lately

2008-07-13T20:26:33Z

The good

When I am playing a name I don't openly advertise is "the player of Suliss'urn" the responses and interactivity are wonderful.

(Hopefully) have, through sheer stubborn will to work things out and want to, kept two very good friends that would otherwise have been lost to teh internet drama/arguements.

Massively long marathon role play session with Suliss'urn last night. Lots of challenges to keep up. Some I failed, some not so much.

The Bad

Week just rife with Drama. Laughably, this happened partly of my own fault and partly not. It has made me very mentally tired and back to wondering how people role play constantly, day in, day out, for years at a time with (what seems to be) no breaks.

Getting ignored by a player I don't even rightly know. That makes it officially two people I know of ignoring Suliss! Woot :D Part of me is very well aware of free form and that this person has the right to, just as I do. But the other human part of me wonders what I did and why won't they tell me so I can avoid doing whatever it is I did, again, and part of me is very Kenderish and driven out of curiosity. I can live without knowing, but I am curious!

Watching someone who complained the loudest about interactivity completely, totally, and utterly ignore certain characters obviously and blatantly attempted to role play with them. Isn't that the way? Those who complain the loudest are often the guiltiest of doing what they complain about. (Myself included. but I promise I am working on that!) For a moment, I was excited because it was a 'popular' complaining about issues and problems and bringing a lot of attention finally to many of us 'not popular' members and the problems we are having. But then I realized this person was just making sure they could elbow their way back into the spot light and keep it. :/

Thought sniping. Wide open, not-even-bothered-to-hide-it-or-try-to-in-an-action, plain old thought snipe. Not only once, but several times over and over again. At first, I thought maybe this was a new person to role play. Checking their profile revealed them to be anything but. Maybe I could have been forgiving if I had been younger, the circumstances different, or what have you--but after this week, I just left them a message as to the exact specifics of what I think of thought-sniping when I ignored them. Getting too old and tired to bother.

Yeah! The more things change, and the more people try the change them, the more they stay the same! Rock!

P.S. HELL BOY WAS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL CHEESEFEST WRAPPED UP IN HOT SEXY MAN CHEST ON A SLAB OF PRETTY.

Sideways

2008-07-12T19:01:16Z

Suliss' is in a movie.

2008-07-12T18:06:35Z

Guys, I just got the news. Suliss'urn starred in a bit role in a movie.

Here's a screen shot of the action:

P.S, can I put that screen shot in Suliss' profile on AOL?! With credit?

I like the fact that she's looking at Horam like he'd taste even better with some jack daniels bbq sauce.

Written and directed by virescentelf and Ada

She'd rather have a cat.

2008-07-11T23:08:11Z

Early evening Florida light streaming in through the dirt-stained glass of our kitchen's double doors. Since it's summer, Florida's early evening light generally tends to waddle from bright through clouds, or bright yellow sun though clouds. It's a particular shade of the sun too that you don't see in the morning or afternoon due to the angle of things, all the shadows are long except for those in the kitchen. Electric lights above chase them away.

My cat comes silently stalking from around the corner with her tail straight but for the very tip, which always quirks to the left or suggests the shape of a stretched out question mark.

If I am at the kitchen window she will wind around my legs and make a high pitched, short kitteney sort of meow at the window. If I am not, she will make the same sound and then tilt her head over a dainty shoulder then up, expectantly at me.

I pad over in my bare feet and scoop her up from the bare terrazzo floors, letting her front paws dangle over me left fore arm and letting her tail and butt be supported by my right.

She's tall enough to look out the window now and her pupils grow predator-huge. Her tail starts swishing back and forth, thumping over my stomach and hip as she stares at our back yard. Some times there are birds or squirrels and she'll lift a paw excitedly to the window and chatter her teeth to make little purrrt-mew-meh-mew-mew? noises at them. Some times, there's nothing in the back yard but she still watches it like it's the best thing evar.

She's warm and heavy in my arms. I always take the time to remember how pencil-thin and skinny she was when we got her from the shelter and compare it to how round, sleek, and solid she is in my hold now. She's incredibly smooth; I imagine this is what silk or satin might have been created and fashioned after and her fur is always spotless. I am probably messing up the seven hours of licking she does every day to get her fur to lay just so but at that moment I don't care and she doesn't appear to, either.

And then she purrs. It's not a loud purr like our other cat Raven, who sounds like she's swallowed a diesel engine with some wheezing. Flora's purr is deep in her chest and belly, more often felt than heard. You have to be very close or it has to be very quiet for you to hear it. She purrs and it travels up and down my arms, rumbles ticks lightly against my chest and that is when I wonder if this is what true peace feels like.

There are no expectations. There are no arguments. There are no judgments, she doesn't care if I'm lumpy, having a bad hair day, or forgot to brush my teeth after eating something heavily sprinkled with garlic. There are no misunderstandings, no heated words by mistake, no yelling, no expectations, no broken dreams, no self-hatred or regrets. She is not human, there fore, I have no faith to lose in her.

People often wonder why I don't have friends or wish to go out or wish to go through the rigmarole of finding them--I think it's because I'd much prefer my kitchen window and the rumble tick of a contented cat.

Firsts

2008-07-11T21:46:46Z

I am gone for two days to babysit Kim's dogs and come back to 48 pieces of mail that aren't spam omg.

I LOVE YOU GUYZ.

elf_fu @ 2008-07-10T20:12:00

2008-07-11T00:18:12Z

Incredibly disappointed.

That's all I have to say at this point in time.

So you want an uber guild, eh?

2008-07-10T12:34:31Z

In MMORPG’s, the guild is often a welcome addition to any game. Should you PVP, your guild generally has your back but that’s not the only plus in having an excellent guild! Here’s a chance to socialize with people like minded, often online when you are and generally available to group with, without the rigmarole of ‘you get what you LFG’ for as well as PUGS.

Running and maintaining a guild however can often suck the fun right out a game for guild leaders and officers. When they aren’t having fun the entire guild often picks up this emotion and echoes it back. Throughout my rather illustrious (read: geeky) career of MMORPG’s, being a guild leader and officer, there have been some really interesting opinions and things I have learned as to what I think makes or breaks a good guild and lucky for you, I’ve written them up and offered them here.

By no means am I saying that a guild has to be run this way. These are just a collection of my thoughts and opinions and I hope they help you!

DO NOT:

Mock your members openly in public places. And I’m not talking the fun mock you do in guild chat when they slip up and mistype or misspell. Calling your members stupid, their issues or anything they wish to privately share with you stupid is a great way to alienate guild members from you.

Allow your guild officers to do whatever they want because they’re officers. Nothing sends a clearer “You’re not important, we’re not really a group, you’re not as awesome as we are, poo on you” than this do as I say, not as I do behavior.

Allow your fellow guild leaders to do whatever they want because they’re guild leaders.

Allow yourself to do whatever you want because you created the guild and that somehow makes you moar speshul than everything else.

Forget to make some place some where for fellow guild members to meet and chatter that is outside the game. A message board, a web site, a chat room--anything to help bring a sense of community to your members is a plus.

Ignore what your members have to say, no matter how annoying and repetitive it is.

Believe most guilds are a democracy. Few are.

Have officer and guild leader drama spill publicly—be it in guild chat or boards. Present a united front whenever possible. If and when you lose an officer in a particularly nasty /guild leave, save face by staring down anything nasty they have to say by remaining calm and polite. Who do you think will come out looking like the better?

Snap, treat discourteously, or be rude intentionally to your guild members. Even if you think they deserve it. Your members are your guild’s life. You don’t HAVE to like them, but as an officer or guild leader you do have to work with them.

Be unavailable to members when online with your guild leader or officer character. When you signed up for this gig, you signed away your privacy in game for that officer/leader avatar/toon. Be prepared to be PM'ed and in-game mailed.

DO:

Keep your gripes about members, rants, issues to a private place far away from member’s eyes. I don’t begrudge guild leaders or officers the right to blow off steam. Make sure it remains private, however.

Expect and demand your guild officers to uphold and follow your guild’s rules and charter just like every other member must. If they break a rule, then they should be punished in the exact same manner you have deemed fit for a member.

Listen to your guild members, even when it’s the fiftieth time George the Wizard has complained to you about the epics purple unicorn hat that has been bugged for weeks that everyone knows about. George probably just needs an ear to listen to him, and guess what? As guild leader or officer you unofficially signed up to do this. If listening to people gripe and complain gets on your nerves you might want to consider rethinking your position—because you will be doing this for your entire tenure as guild leader/officer.

Be courteous, kind, and polite. Whether you know it or not, part of the job guild leader/officer is customer service. You signed up to be the ears and eyes for either the guild leader as officer, or the head/boss of a group of people. Therefore, not only are they all going to look at you as well as to you for examples being lead, they’re going to want to talk to you and bring their issues or problems to you. Officers will either be expected to bring such issues to the guild leader, while working to keep any ruffled feathers smooth. If you are a jerk to your members, the only message you’re getting through is that your guild doesn’t care and you might find yourself out of a few dozen members. Quickly.

Know the difference between being honest and just being crass and rude. Honesty is a hard pill to swallow, but you can still be bluntly, brutally honest with someone without calling them names, resorting to swearing, mocking or dragging their name through the mud. For example: “Well you can’t get that piece of epix gear because, quite frankly, you suck.” Or“Well, I think that you might not be able to get that piece of epix gear because you might be doing something wrong. Here’s what I think: …" See the difference?

Put your foot down and don’t be afraid to do so. There is no reason for any guild leader or officer to put up with really nasty crap for a long period of time. Despite all your best efforts of being polite and reasonable, some members or people just won’t get it. Don’t be afraid to cut these members loose. Deal with continuously problematic members without hesitation or fear, courteous does not mean you need to be a welcome mat. You can be a nice hard-ass and you will no doubt learn how to do so as a guild leader or officer.

Have as much fun as possible with your members and fellow officers, leaders. If you aren’t having fun in a game you’re paying to play—well—what are you doing playing it?

Try and keep your officer and fellow guild leader roster full. No one can run a guild by themselves, no matter what they say. Burn out happens, real life happens, computer trouble happens. Eventually the inevitable might come to pass, and if the guild only has one leader, where does that leave the guild?

Take breaks. When you find that you just want to throttle someone, find yourself yelling at the monitor or disliking the game that’s a good sign that you might want to take a break. It’s also a great way to avoid burn out which happens a lot in officer/leader positions. Tell your leader or fellow officers that you need some time away and go do other things to refuel and recharge.

There are no doubt hundreds of other little things you, as a member, officer, or leader can do to ensure a kick-ass guild experience, but these to me are the most important. Hope these have helped you in some way and happy gaming!

A Cupcake Approaches

2008-07-09T18:50:19Z

So the stock artist that I primarily use for Suliss' inspiration has uploaded several new things to her gallery. I have been remiss in checking it, and should have a while ago.

Quite a few months ago, maybe longer, slwatson challenged me to draw or paint Suliss not looking quite so fierce as usual.

I have been struggling, off and on this entire time with what I could possible do to meet that request.

Sadly, I wasn't able to, but the stock artist I use for reference did it for me.

Will I color it? Maybe. Her skin and her scars as well as her hair are just the most difficult things for me, evar.