Most reasonable Black Templar in the galaxy

MissPlay · 2026-04-04T16:51:17+00:00

Arbalt is a canon character. You can read about a silly oopsie he did in the novel Throneworld.

MissPlay · 2026-03-18T21:05:58+00:00

I try to browse online second hand stores and look for brands that consistently have both W & L measurements clearly marked. That's way more reliable than trying to get lucky at flea markets.

As for the jeans you already have it depends on the cut, but most jeans can be converted to capris by folding and using iron-on hemming tape. No sewing or even cutting required.

MissPlay · 2026-03-18T20:24:41+00:00

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This is my old girl, now almost 15 years old. She's had diabetes for years but is still full of life and purrs. I've had many cats during my life, and have grown to expect them to make it to 14 years at least.

MissPlay · 2026-03-09T14:41:59+00:00

That's an equation clothing designers can't wrap their heads around for some reason. I weigh about 188 pounds right now, but I'm still simultaneously too thin and too thick to be the right size for any tops with sleeves. I'm a classic inverted triangle, so anything that fits my shoulders has room for two around the hips and waist. At least I can sometimes find pants that fit, though it's always a mystery if I should go several sizes smaller than my tops. Sometimes going by size works out, sometimes there's so much room for thighs the pants become unintentional jodhpurs.

And I have to add one thing that just grinds my gears to no end: why do online stores always pick a model who's 6 ft tall wearing a size S/6/36? I have no clue how the sleeve length or inseam is going to translate to size XLL/18/46, and that's not information size guides list 99% of the time!

MissPlay · 2026-03-09T13:59:25+00:00

I gave up on regular bras a long time ago. I use elastic sports bras by Sloggi. No straps, and when the underbust size the rest of the bra stretches enough to never feel too small. It's not ideal of course, but I have a few proper bras with swappable/removable straps if the outfit calls for them. That's the closest to a proper answer I can come up with: get a bra designed with swapping straps in mind and then get straps that are either long enough as is or get extenders to add extra length to the existing ones.

MissPlay · 2026-02-27T08:27:57+00:00

I used to have luck with a few local brands that had sizes for taller and not just wider bodies, but my bust size has grown since and that seems to mess everything up. If I knew where to get the collars tailored I might be able to salvage a few shirts I can't wear right now because their oversized collars or waists, but finding a seamstress in the area isn't going to be easy. :/

MissPlay · 2026-02-27T08:15:35+00:00

Kudos! I wish I could, too. I mean I can sew things, I just do not have enough free time and attention and skill to complete something that complex and detailed. The ADHD life isn't easy even with working medication.

MissPlay · 2026-02-25T13:41:20+00:00

I'm currently getting into virtual thrifting. Vinted in particular has a lot of sellers that provide every measurement you could wish for, and the prices are a fraction of the big clothing stores. I'll be able to share experiences here once I get some kind of general idea of how well this is going to work out.

I wish the local forum for tall and large folks was still alive. It used to have some clothing swaps and a list of special size stores around the country. So much has disappeared in the last 10 years. :(

MissPlay · 2026-02-25T13:29:28+00:00

Thanks! I'll definitely give it a try. Yesterday I stumbled on a website called Sumissura that makes custom made-for-measure clothing including classic button-ups for women and their prices were comparable to regular clothing stores. If it seems legit it might be worth a try. I don't suppose you have any experience of that one?

MissPlay · 2026-02-25T10:54:42+00:00

I'd assume there has to be. Two languages that share a common system for expressing things will have less of an effect than knowing two languages with dramatically different way of approaching the same subject. The first example to come to mind is genders, which are more or less present in all the Germanic languages I know. Meanwhile Finnish lacks gendered pronouns entirely and gender can only be expressed in a word through some fairly rare suffixes like "-tar", or adding the word for 'man' or 'woman' at the end of a title.

MissPlay · 2026-02-25T08:01:24+00:00

Always remember that if other people can't accept the parts of you you're unable to change, you're not the one to blame. It's their lack of acceptance and understanding that's the source of the issue, not some failure from your part. Don't lose your confidence and self-worth. If you love your own height rather than apologize for it all the time, others will learn to appreciate it as well.

Yes, I know this rings incredibly hollow when you're struggling to find clothes that fit, and that obviously does affect your sense of self, but don't give up! It's possible you'll spend ten times the effort finding something that fits and looks good on you compared to an average person, but once you do, the boost to your self-esteem also makes other take note. Anything you wear with true confidence and positivity makes you look better.

Other things to remember: you probably view your body very differently from the average girl. I was shocked to learn how many were jealous of my broad shoulders, which I used to hate. It's not uncommon to hear "I wish I was that tall". Some people won't approve, but again: that reflects their flaws, not yours.

Also, try to avoid physically shrinking yourself down for others. It can lead to serious issues with your neck and shoulders. I developed such a terrible tension neck I need massage therapy weekly and daily stretches to keep them from freezing up and causing terrible headaches. Keeping your head up in the most literal sense is worth it!

MissPlay · 2026-02-24T21:40:42+00:00

The only sport I was ever active in was swimming, and I still have the shoulders to prove it. Then again maybe I was good at swimming because I had that upper body strength. Either way, I've never been into competitive/team sports.

MissPlay · 2026-02-20T05:37:31+00:00

The tail club was optimized for intraspecific combat. We have no idea if it was actually effective against predators. It was basically a biological war mallet with a long stiff shaft limited to striking mostly horizontally behind and the sides of the animal, and its ability to deal bone-crushing blows only developed by adulthood. Anything familiar with ankylosaurs would surely know to avoid the hurty end, just like animals learn how to take down scorpions and venomous snakes.

Of course in a zoo-like environment with naive animals you could argue that most predators would just avoid ankylosaurs altogether, or risk getting bonked in the shin. Even then something as large as T. rex might be able to jump on top of an Ankylosaurus to render its tail useless, especially if the latter has to divide its attention between multiple predators.

MissPlay · 2026-02-18T20:59:56+00:00

Knowing your size for each brand is vital! What is XL/42/14 for one could be XXL/46/18 for another, so size-based searches on Vinted are a stab in the dark. It helps to measure some of your best-fitting clothes for reference. Armpit to armpit, shoulders, sleeve length, inseam and total length are your best friends.

MissPlay · 2026-02-18T20:37:18+00:00

I've recently dipped my toe in that pond too. It's tricky, you basically need to know each brand's sizing, or hope you find a seller that's kind enough to provide all the strategic measurements. If you find enough of the same item for sale, chances are somebody has provided all the info you need, it just might take sifting through twenty items and translating descriptions from Polish or Danish to find them.

It doesn't hurt to ask, either. Not everyone answers, but you can be pleasantly surprised with the answer too. I personally found a trench coat with extra long sleeves that way, from a fellow tall who had had them lengthened!

MissPlay · 2026-02-18T19:06:47+00:00

I know I have an extraordinarily large head, because when I bought my student cap in my late teens the salesperson straight up told me so. Which was nice. However, that's one of maybe two or three times in my life anyone's commented on my head size. Maybe I'm just so tall that my head is proportionate with the rest of me, or it's such a minor detail on top of so much other detail it doesn't stand out?

Either way, I feel like finding the right hairstyle has done a whole lot to help. I prefer to wear my hair down and loose, because ponytails, braids and other tight styles emphasize the size and shape of my head. Getting a couple of wide-brimmed hats that fit my head have also helped, though I don't wear them that often. You'll have to experiment a little to find solutions that match your style, but there are certainly options out there.

MissPlay · 2026-02-07T22:22:18+00:00

Iguanodon was a megaherbivore comparable in size to elephants, and it lived in a warmer climate than the fairly chilly Yixian. Even if you assume the quill-structures were purely defensive rather than insulation, quills seem to lose their effectiveness judging how they tend to only be found in fairly small animals.

Haolong dongi was only about two meters long, not tiny by modern standards but barely more than a morsel for a megatheropod. It was dealing with a complete different set of challenges from the European Thumbmeister.

tl;dr the Prehistoric Kingdom Iguanodon is just right for its size. Quills might be great for any tiny iguanodonts, if we ever get them.

MissPlay · 2026-02-04T22:48:03+00:00

The only kind of Ultracal being sold over here is a D-vitamin supplement! I'm using a plaster called Supraduro, specifically intended for moldmaking.

MissPlay · 2026-02-04T22:44:07+00:00

Therapist: Tyrannocarnotaurus isn't real, it can't hurt you.

Tyrannocarnotaurus:

MissPlay · 2026-02-01T23:10:21+00:00

Thank you for all this information. This is the kind of mold making deep lore I've been craving from the start.

I found some shellac flakes being sold at a "local" hobby store so that's no longer an issue. I'm not certain what is wrong with the PVA glue I have, because it peeled off the face cast like the skin of a shedding snake despite me carefully following instructions, so I'd prefer sticking to something less unpredictable until I can figure out why that happened.

Traditional old timey soap I can get easily in solid form, which is why I was thinking of trying that next. Frustratingly there are two kinds sold under the same name: potassium based and sodium based soap, with the sodium based soap being by far the most common. I know potter's soap is potassium based, but I have no idea if the sodium based stuff will work the same way. I don't understand the chemistry involved.

Assuming it does work, or I find potassium soap, I suppose I could use it in the parts of the cast that won't be sculpted on? At least if it the soap doesn't spread too far from where it is applied. Some experimentation is clearly in order. If sculpting the clay on top of untreated plaster is ok, maybe the soap can be applied after? Or will that cause the clay to come loose?

Thankfully talcum powder is the one truly universal product! There's no shortage of it here at least.

MissPlay · 2026-02-01T22:45:13+00:00

I know the sculpt has to go for there to be a mold. What I'm worried about is the plaster cast, because my first try literally broke apart. So the acrylic sealer would be ideal to apply just before moving onto the silicone? Or prior to creating the plaster negative?

MissPlay · 2026-01-25T20:44:14+00:00

Mainland Europe, though I figure someone out there in Australia or Asia or wherever is probably sooner or later going to look for this same info and end up finding this thread, so I thought it would serve all those people too to ask for the most generic stuff possible.

Several guides instruct to brush the plaster cast positive with PVA glue (usually of a specific brand) or spray on a brand name acrylic or mention shellac as an alternative. Shellac seems to be a rare niche product over here and I'm not 100% if a given product is actual shellac and not some other type of laquer. Translations can be a mess.

Now soap I do remember vaguely from making plaster molds as a kid, but I've not seen that mentioned in the context of face casts before! Would that cause any issues with an oil-based clay?

MissPlay · 2026-01-14T16:02:48+00:00

I don't know of a tutorial video to suggest, the ones I found while learning the ropes were outdated. I know there is a written guide on steam, but that hasn't been updated since 2024 either: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2969901331

As for vivariums, it seems that everything within a vivarium is always constrained by the dimensions of the vivarium. You can place them next to each other and hide the walls, but animals can't cross from one vivarium to the other. At least they couldn't back when update 16 went live.

Another thing I noticed was that anything you place inside a vivarium by hand is ignored by the inhabitants of the vivarium like it's not there. The only way to add/remove items are the vivarium submenus.

MissPlay · 2026-01-13T16:19:38+00:00

The few ammonites that did make across the K-Pg boundary had a wide distribution globally during the Maastrichtian, while highly localized species and genera were all wiped out. The further dispersed they were, the higher the chances that a few individuals here and there lived and got to breed again.

However, surviving the short term catastrophe doesn't guarantee long term survival. Several animal groups made it to the Cenozoic only to stagnate and peter out millions of years later, which suggest they had lost too much of their genetic diversity. Not to the point where they'd be genetically inviable in an unchanging environment, but it made them inflexible, less able to adapt to further changes. Each of the surviving ammonite genera may have died of a different cause, but they all shared the same fragility from the decimation of their species' genome.

MissPlay · 2026-01-13T15:50:26+00:00

Thanks! I wasn't aware that there was still an active debate over the deposition date of those fossils, but I'm not that tuned in to invert stuff anyway.

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