Ask the Staff!

[Schuyler]

Whew, it's been ages since I last posted here. o.o Gonna go through some older questions when I'm back on my desktop, but let's start with these for now.

To any staff:
What was it like applying for staff? Did you actually think you were going to get staff? What was it like when you got in?

I was really excited and really nervous at the same time when I saw the announcement that applications were open. I just tried to fill out the form honestly and be myself. I'd been an active member for a while and had been waiting for an opening because I did think I might get picked and would enjoy the job (probably wouldn't have bothered applying if I didn't think there was any point), but getting the message from Tess was still a huge shock! The whole thing felt completely surreal for a long time, even after I'd more or less settled into the role, and I still kind of get goosebumps years later thinking about being where I'd hoped to be ever since I originally fell in love with the site. ^^

To anyone who knows:
How do you get the names for the random name generator?

The userbase came up with them! Shortly before the feature was implemented, everyone was able to submit suggestions for names to add. :) You can check out the thread here if you're curious for more info.

To anyone I'm really curious to see custum pets and / or items could you show me some ^^ (sorry if this is asked before) (I seen someone got a rock pet from the pound at some point?) XD

Here's my boy!

[myth;]

@staff if someone with a custom pet gets banned and their pets get sent to the pound, what happens to their custom? I dreamt that there was a custom in the pound for some and it made me curious. XD

[Celozon]

To: Anyone

Do you like Owl City?

To: Anyone

What pets do you have? What are their names? What are they like? (XD)

I don't really pay attention to specific artists/bands, but I know I have several by Owl City that I like ^^

I don't have any pets, though I'd really love to get a blue-tounged skink when I'm in a more stable situation. My parents have a couple dogs, cocker spaniel-poodle mixes, ie. they don't shed. They are Skip and Zuzu, they are really affectionate, perfectly happy to cuddle up with you (and small enough you can carry them around and get hugs). They are getting along in years and not quite into roughhousing anymore, but they'll still get excited and run around (especially at dinner time)

To any staff:
What was it like applying for staff? Did you actually think you were going to get staff? What was it like when you got in?

Nerve-wracking tbh. I get absurdly anxious about things. Honestly wasn't sure I'd get picked? But its something I really wanted and had to try. Getting in was, scary, but also amazing. Mostly just disbelief really. If someone is thinking about applying, I say go for it, try. Even if you don't think you'll get it, if you can do the job and you /want/ to do the job, its worth trying.

@staff if someone with a custom pet gets banned and their pets get sent to the pound, what happens to their custom? I dreamt that there was a custom in the pound for some and it made me curious. XD

It wouldn't get sent to the pound, I don't recall if its happened before, but I'd assume the pet may just go to another staff member or deleted, depending if the account is actually deleted it may just sit on an empty account. It just wouldn't go to the pound cause it would cause too many issues with people wanting it/trying to trade for it/bothering whoever got it. And additionally cause a lot of staff customs are based off of something personal, or a person's OC, and it just wouldn't be appropriate for a user to get that unless it was gifted to them by the owner ^^

[Lacuna]

To any staff:
What was it like applying for staff? Did you actually think you were going to get staff? What was it like when you got in?

I was originally hired as a roleplay moderator. I applied because wanted to be able to help out, I at the time was studying to be a teacher and it seemed like a good place to be able to work with kids and teens. The first time I applied I was not chosen; I think I might not have had enough experience/time on the site. The second time I applied I was shocked to be hired. I didn't know anyone who was staff already, and the applications were still public then; reading through I thought there were better candidates. However, I was super glad for the opportunity and I've enjoyed being able to help out since! Actually, it's been almost 5 years.

To: Anyone
What pets do you have? What are their names? What are they like? (XD)

Josie is a 6 and a half year old chubby shorthair tabby cat who is incredibly sweet and cuddly. She loves belly rubs and doesn't even try to scratch people when they squeeze her. She can be wary of new people, but when she warms up to you your lap will never be empty again. She loves to hide under the blankets and lick people affectionately.

Luna is a 5 year old tiny (5 pounds!) cream colored British shorthair Scottish fold cat. Her hair isn't very long but it's thick and she sheds a lot. She almost always looks grumpy but is also super adorable because she has big round eyes! She is incredibly wary of all people if she doesn't feel safe, and never likes to be picked up. However, when she is in her comfort zone up high or in a cat house she is very affectionate, loves chin scratches, and purrs like a machine.

anyone:
what's your favorite holiday tradition?

My best friend and I still keep our New Year's tradition despite living across the country from each other for about eight years now, because we're always both in our hometown to visit our families. We play board games, eat pita bread pizzas (though this is only like the past four years) and shrimp, and always miss actual midnight because we get distracted. Then we have a sleepover like we always did as teenagers. I've only ever actually spent one New Year's with my wife, lol.

to anyone!:
hmm, what are some lyrics from a song that inspire/motivate/mean a lot to you? just curious ^^
thank you!

Hm, this is hard for me because, while I love music, it's not as big a part of my life as I know it is for some people. What comes to mind is from Supercut by Lorde: "So I fall / Into continents and cars / All the stages and the stars / I turn all of it / To just a supercut." The stages and stars line was what jumped out to me first, because I'm a performance poet who has a whole book dedicated to moon and star metaphors lol. But when I thought about it as a whole it really just evokes a feeling of sonder and how we remake and repackage our experiences into little stories we can tell because we don't have the time to give all of ourselves to other people. I also just really love this song in general and relate it to my life in other ways. If I was to get a tattoo of someone else's words it would probably come from this.

The entirety of i believe by Christina Perri. Only song that really legitimately makes me cry. "I believe if I knew where I was going I’d lose my way" / "This is not the end of me, this is the beginning"

Also, Blue October is my favorite band and a lot of their lyrics are just so poignant to me as someone living with mental illness!

To anyone I'm really curious to see custum pets and / or items could you show me some ^^ (sorry if this is asked before) (I seen someone got a rock pet from the pound at some point?) XD

The items are custom too!

To: anyone/everyone
Do you have any hoards with special personal meaning to you? If so, what are they, and, if you feel comfortable sharing, what makes them special to you? :0

-

This hoard represents my anniversary with my wife. Green for her, purple for me, 826 for August 26th. Ten years strong!
- I disbanded or condensed a lot of hoards I started early on in my time on CS, but this one will always remain for it's cute gay pun!

[cocovater]

To any staff:
What did CS looked like back when it just started? Has it changed?

[sinpai]

to any staff;
How many user names do you remember having over your entire time here? Or have you just kept yours since you started?

[Saikiyo]

to Saikiyo: two things!
1. how did you ever get/come up with your username?
2. what ever got you into art? your great at it<3

I just saw this now, I hope it's not to late to answer ;w;

1: My name has a bit of a story to it... I got it when I was about 9 and a misread the name of a character in a manga, slapped it onto my first OC and then years later had to come up with a username for CS which was the first time I had linked the name to myself. I still have a variant of Saikiyo the character, though she's under a different name now.

2: Thank you ^^ I just always kind of just liked it. Ever since I was a very small child I liked to draw and my parents supported me so I kept at it. Plus, I think the way my brain is wired I just have to draw otherwise I'll get art withdrawal, lol.

to any staff;
How many user names do you remember having over your entire time here? Or have you just kept yours since you started?

I've always had the same name, though it used to have a lowercase 's'

[JK341]

To any artist:

What pets or items would you consider to be your best design that was inspired by something you read in the pet and item suggestion threads? (I hope that it's ok to ask something like that)

[Dama]

to anyone!:

hmm, what are some lyrics from a song that inspire/motivate/mean a lot to you? just curious ^^
thank you!

Ahh I have SO many but I'm gonna leave it super short so I don't end up writing an essay on it (believe me, I could). Just gonna pluck the ones at the top of my head. Some of them are inspiring and others I think are just songwriting masterpieces.

Pretty much every line of Saturn by Sleeping At Last is just, ugh. I love it. The whole song is just beautiful. Whenever I do revamps of my Spotify playlists, Saturn will absolutely be there every single time. It's also been somewhere on my profile a few times now. I am particularly fond of the lyric: "how rare and beautiful it is to even exist". It's a nice reminder sometimes.

More recently, The Cure by Little Mix has been a go-to song for bad days. 2018 was not a great year for me, so the song really helped towards the end of it when things started improving. The lyrics are really motivational and have been on my profile a couple of times too lol. Particularly love: "I made my peace with all of the sorrow and now I'm living for tomorrow".

Andddd a few other lyrics I'm particularly fond of:

"I don't know what to say; but I'm going to want you till the stars evaporate" - Starlight - Starset

''And if you must die, sweetheart, die knowing your life was my lifes best part" - You - Keaton Henson

"It's okay if you can't catch your breath - you can take the oxygen straight out of my chest" - Two - Sleeping At Last

To anyone~
If you could be a movie/TV Show/Videogame character, who would you be and why?

Oo maybe Cole or Delsin from the inFAMOUS series, purely because that world is pretty cool. Really good games too, but I'm not hugely fond of their characters all that much? Maybe Tomb Raider since Lara Croft is just simply badass. Or Spyro, because who doesn't want to be a dragon?

To anyone willing to answer:

Have you ever had any interesting scar stories? I recently had to get a gastrostomy button and whenever it comes out I'll be left with a scar over my stomach, so I'm a bit curious.

I have a few scars but, unfortunately, none of them are all that interesting. My most prominent one is a small white-ish scar on my wrist from when I burnt myself getting something out of the oven. Pretty boring tbh.

To: Anyone

Do you like Owl City?

Yes! I think Vanilla Twilight is my favourite song by him :]

To any staff:
What was it like applying for staff? Did you actually think you were going to get staff? What was it like when you got in?

Nerve-wrecking. I spent a very long time on my application, if I remember rightly haha. I almost didn’t even submit it, since I kinda had this mindset that it was so unlikely that I’d get it. Just goes to show that you never know unless you try! I also found out the news a day before my birthday, so that was pretty amazing ^^

to any staff;
How many user names do you remember having over your entire time here? Or have you just kept yours since you started?

I had a few! I specifically remember my first username being ’Zephyrah’. Don’t know why. I also remember being ‘Kabe’ for a little while; around the same time that Okami had been re-released (Kabe is my favourite of the Gods from that game).

[Vampiric]

To any staff:
What did CS looked like back when it just started? Has it changed?

It has changed a lot. Most of the memories of such a time are in this thread.

to any staff;
How many user names do you remember having over your entire time here? Or have you just kept yours since you started?

Never changed even once.