#val's continuum

[skiesofdeception]

A wild Calleigh appears!

Quick sketch for Val. c: YOU KNOW WHY I DID IT.

Kinda messed up the anatomy, I should have tested this pose in SAI rather than on paper. XD;; I actually had this pose originally reserved for a different character... maybe I should draw her and a Celveryia!Calleigh striking the pose later? Like a couple'a divas.

[semper-ebrium]

30 Days of Character Development - 30.0

Oh shit, last one! 8D

[Pictures of Sofia]

30.) And finally: Write a letter to your character, from yourself.

My dearest Sofia Mila Ivanova "Pikachu" Sinclair,

First off, I would like to apologize for calling you Pikachu. Your ability to use electricity as a weapon should not give you that nickname. You don't even know who Pikachu is. Now everyone is going to call you Pikachu.

While I'm at it, I'm sorry if I keep making fun of you for being alone. I thought-up a body pillow with an image of a half-exposed anime bishounen character on your bed to make up for my hurtful jokes. 

Enjoy it!

Your ever-loving creator,

-- Val

[semper-ebrium]

30 Days of Character Development - 29.0

[Pictures of Sofia]

29.) How does your character smell? Do they wear perfume or cologne?

Depends. Normally she smells like whatever scent of lotion she wears, which is either flowery or woody. But if she forgets to shower before bed, she smells like lotion and sweat XD.

When super-focused on a case, she's even more of a recluse than usual, locking herself in her apartment and not showering and barely eating for days. According to Calleigh, Sofia smells like "couch, tea, and moth balls. Plus or minus Chinese food" whenever she's being so absorbed by a case. It's not terrible, but it's definitely noticeable and off-putting to those with sensitive noses. But she's back to smelling fresh after a shower, where she scrubs the hell out of her self with a loofah XD

She doesn't wear perfume, saying it feels weird on her skin. But she uses those Febreze fabric refreshers on her clothes and everyone teases her about it. 

[semper-ebrium]

30 Days of Character Development - 28.0

Because I'm so bored and should be drawing... xP

[Pictures of Sofia]

28.) If your character’s life was a genre, what would it be?

Same genre as the story? XD

It would be a serial drama. Like a TV series or in this case, a video game. Basically the genres would be:

Drama

Thriller

Espionage

Action-Adventure

Urban Fantasy/Supernatural

Superhero 

With a bit of philosophical statements and humor mixed in to make the story more meaningful and memorable *shrug*

[semper-ebrium]

30 Days of Character Development - 27.0

[Pictures of Sofia]

27.) Pick two songs that describe your character at two different points of their life, and explain why you chose them.

Hmm, can't really think of anything at the top of my head right now. I don't exactly have a song with lyrics on it that would fit her either, she's more of the instrumental/classical girl anyway.

But I think this one would fit perfectly when she finally got over her doubts about serving in the Echelon and found her drive to fight and changed her mind about quitting : Secret Agent Girl by David Russo from the CW Nikita soundtrack.  She is a lot like original and the remade Nikita in that she's both graceful and lethal but has a heart. Also the stories they are in are both advertised as action-heavy but it actually relies on "well-crafted" dialogue and "complex" plot-structures. I put quotation marks because I'm only aiming for it, can't be too sure if it's going to end up like I want it to be. *shrug*

Another would be Why Do We Fall? by the amazing Hans Zimmer, from The Dark Knight Rises soundtrack. I plan on the protagonists being so badly defeated by the villains near the end of the story that they all got separated, and their bonds of friendship severely broken. Since Sofia is the player's avatar in the game, it's up to her to get everyone back together for one final bout with the villains. But to do that, she must overcome her flaws, her fears, and basically "climb out the pit" that she figuratively got stuck in and come back stronger than ever.

[semper-ebrium]

30 Days of Character Development - 26.0

[Blargh Sofie Picturesss]

26.) Second day of favorites! Favorite comfort food, favorite vice, favorite outfit, favorite hot drink, favorite time of year, and favorite holiday. 

A whole box of butter pecan or chocolate ice cream, but she prefers to eat chicken congee or chicken pot pies when stressed out.  What can I say, she loves cock. *shot*

She developed a habit of drinking as the story progresses, but nothing too bad that she would be wasted all the time. It affects her mental performance and makes her stranger and snarkier, but it's not on the "Getting shivers. Must drink" level. While not exactly a vice, she loves taking advantage of her deductive skills to play games of skill like Online Mahjong and Online Poker. Or Online Scrabble XD. 

Doesn't exactly have one, she has a limited wardrobe consisting of mostly coats, leggings, and boots. Calleigh or Anya buys her clothes for her since she lacks fashion taste. If she shops on her own, she'll just get the boring-looking clothes on sale. 

She loves tea, like Oolong and Darjeeling. Hates coffee. One time she ran out of tea and thought it wouldn't hurt to try coffee. She was cranky as hell until she crashed and slept on the floor XD

None. She's not that fun of a person to celebrate holidays unless her friends dragged her into it. To her holidays are just a day, and celebrating is a waste of time. 

None. I guess if she had to pick it would be Christmas because she gets free stuff, and she loves snow. Valentines Day too, because she gets free chocolate. Sofie loves chocolate. 

[semper-ebrium]

30 Days of Character Development - 25.0

[Meh]

25.) Describe your character’s hands. Are they small, long, calloused, smooth, stubby?

It's larger than the average female hand. She can grip a basketball with no problem. But then she's also bigger than the average woman, standing at 5'10" (might change to 5"11", dunno yet) so her hands would normally be larger. 

As for shape, she has a pointed type of hand. With very long, slender fingers. Her ring fingers are a bit crooked, and her knuckles are bony and protrude more than a normal person's. She has callouses on her palm and the under the knuckle area and under the joints of her fingers that she got from gripping on things too much. But the back of her hand and the rest of her palm is smooth with the help of lotion. Her nails could use some manicuring though. 

[semper-ebrium]

Continuum Synopsis

I thought I'd practice what I preach and post my story's synopsis to give people an idea on what the hell it's about XD. Keep in mind that this is a work in progress, so changes are bound to happen. I'm not 100% satisfied with the current premise since I'm aiming for something a little more unique. As much of a challenge that may be to come up with, but hey, challenge accepted B). Also I'm fickle.

So with this, I present to you a side of me that dreams too damn high. More lulz to amuse yourself with under the cut

***

Synopsis:

Click the link

What features does your fiction have that makes it stand out?

Nothing ground-breaking, however it would attempt to combine the strengths of Japanese and Western video games in gameplay and story-telling. The story would have psychological suspense, light-hearted and dry sense-of-humor, realistic drama and combat tactics found in most Western games combined with the cinematic cutscenes, breathtaking scenery designs, and anime-inspired superpowers found in Japanese games.  In short, imagine Devil May Cry styled combat with a Mass Effect storyline (save for the ass-pull of an ending that everyone hated XD)

While not uncommon, the protagonists and antagonists in the story are both portrayed in an equal light, to show that there are sympathetic people on both sides of every war.  Anti-heroes and anti-villains are very common in this story. Another is how the major antagonists’ actions drive the plot, pushing the suspense and the protagonists to their limits in an attempt to break them psychologically (since the protagonists are capable combatants, breaking their wills, minds, and resources would be a good tactic for the villains).

Also, I want it to make philosophical statements that would hopefully make it a memorable story with memorable characters.

What kind of story are we jumping in to?

A combination of sci-fi and fantasy, with story themes from recent superhero movies such as The Avengers and The Dark Knight trilogy. The story’s genre would be suspense, mystery, and drama with the occasional "snarky" humor thrown in. The story would promise detailed worlds to immerse the player in. Continuum’s story tone would be in the middle-ground/realistic part of the scale, so it would show idealistic and cynical perspectives that would conflict with the characters’ psyche. Philosophical themes go hand in hand with the psychological.  It focuses on the development of a group of characters as they all struggle together, rather than focusing on one main protagonist.

Themes:

Is it wrong to commit evil for a greater good?/Do the ends justify the means?/Is it wrong to take a life, even to save others?

Power (including magic) does not make a person good or evil, it is what a person chooses to do with it that defines them; secrets on the other hand, will always be destructive, especially when they exist between friends and family.

The conflict between the emotional sides of our personalities and the rational sides, and the importance of achieving a workable balance between both in order to find happiness.

No philosophy or vision of greatness, however well-intentioned, long survives contact with human flaws.

Can one remain a hero even as the world crumbles around them? 

Isolating yourself from other people won't stop you from being hurt. It's better to love and be hurt than to not love at all. (Especially true for the three main characters, who are all emotionally distant in different ways)

What market is it designed for?

Video game fans who are interested in anime and strong narrative. Not aimed for casual gamers. Hopefully the balanced portrayal of male and female characters and neither being overly sexualized would get more attention and appreciation from female audiences. We need more sisters in games!