bjarkanart

[bjarkanart]

#I just want to see Imogen happy

[bjarkanart]

Hiiiii just dropping in to express how much I love your art, in particular your Imodna pieces. Please never stop loving them as much as you do!! The way you capture them both is just amazing and I always look forward to seeing your posts pop up with new pieces! 💜🖤

Aww, thank you so much! I'm glad you like what I do and I hope I'll be able to come up with something for Imodna soon. I miss drawing them and they're certainly not leaving my brain anytime soon, that's for sure! I'm glad there are some people who look forward to my stuff and I hope I won't disappoint. Thanks again! 💜🖤

[bjarkanart]

This is probably going to disappoint some people but I can't seem to draw full on monster characters, so I took some liberties even after seeing the Predathogen mini cause I still wanted to draw her and pretty happy with the result!

I also made a black and white version if anyone's curious!

[bjarkanart]

Spoilers for Critical Role Campaign 3 episode 119.

Gather around, it's Laudna time. The only way to love something or someone is to embrace all of their quirks, good and bad ones. I get real in this, because it was needed.

Imagine seeing no worth in yourself for thirty years. Imagine that for once you are seen by some grand entity in your right to exist.

Imagine asking nicely to someone for the object gifted by that entity and being given the thing. You're happy and that's a bonus. But you're also healing and seeing your worth. You see a future with the one you love despite the hopelessness around you.

And then you go fight a godeater. You have to fight for your love one's life and identity and all seems lost. You can't reach her with your words, you can't reach her with your voice. Nothing will do.

You have the one thing that can maybe help her. That mask. You put it on, you are so sure that it can help.

And it's fake. It doesn't work at the worst of times. Not because it wasn't meant to. But because you were lied to. You asked nicely, honestly, kinda doubting you deserve anything at all but still trying to ask for something for yourself for once, asking instead of stealing. For a thing you knew could have helped you and your loved one.

And it doesn't work. During a battle against a godeater, a moment of trust stabs you in the back, and this time is not your doing.

Imagine what that can feel like. To trust someone to then realize they are probably aiming to harm the person you care about after lying to you and basically leaving you powerless to stop it.

You have lied to people and hurt them behind their back before. You were wrong and you paid for it. And you start to begin anew from there.

Then, after that, you ask openly for something. And don't get it.

And instead of physically hurting the person that lied to you like you have done in the past, you just take the thing that you asked of them because you know that person is gonna hurt your family.

Instead of lashing out like you have done in the past, you keep it in and just try to take that mask, not because of the power but to make sure that a bad situation doesn't get worse in the hands of the one who lied to you and your loved ones by default.

"Laudna is an entitled child." She asked for a thing and now she's entitled because she gets offended that she was lied to and scared of could happen because of this deceit? Nope, thank you.

"Laudna is resentful and toxic." The one time she doesn't hurt somebody she's still toxic? Nope, she isn't.

"Laudna hasn't grown at all during the campaign." Do you see Hunger of the Shadow, Delilah, lashing out, anger over power with no concern for the wellbeing of her loved ones? Nope, you don't.

"How does it feel like to taste your medicine, uh?" She already did, she was almost puppeteered into killing her loved ones, does she still have to taste it after what she went through? Nope, I think not.

"Laudna thinks about her pettiness while her girlfriend is being possessed by a godeater." Was she being petty because the follower of a Betrayer was willing to kill said girlfriend or let her die and so kept the mask to himself planning to do who knows what with it during said fight for her girlfriend's life? Nope, that's called being rational and worried.

Please, gather all these delightfully bland takes and bring them to the delightfully bland Land of Black and White where all mistakes in your eyes exist outside of context and real life.

All the cast was "OH SHIT", and Fearne was like "Why did we bring him with us? We've known him for like four days!" and all you can think of is "Argh, I cannot stand Laudna!"? Are you even watching the show?

Do you know how to extrapolate from context or is coming to the simplest conclusions at face value or the ones you like the best the only thing you can do?

Welcome to the "Goodbye to nuance" party, where real people don't lash out at life-or-death situations, but at much dumber things.

The only real reason why you cannot stand Laudna is because of how flippant and visceral her reactions are, and that's discriminating based on mental health and personality. Hello? People are also like that sometimes? Self-projecting much? Thirty years of unmedicated trauma being held at bay at the best of her abilities?

You wish you did as well as she does without therapy, imagine having the strength of heart to face your mundane life that she had facing the nightmare that her existence has been.

The funniest part is that all of these rancid takes sound all the same. Flippant and visceral.

I'm sure it reminds you of something or someone, but you will probably never guess or you will refuse to outright.

Because again, flippant and visceral. No nuance, no self-reflection, no nothing. Like Laudna did in that moment, take a deep breath and hold it in for a few seconds. It's very calming and clears thoughts, or better yet, mixes the blacks and whites together really well, 100% recommended.

Now. With that out of the way.

That whole "switched mask" moment was amazing. Sam is a chaos gremlin king and Marisha went "Ok, Laudna is REALLY going to keep it in and take care of this" and then went "Surprise, motherfucker!" in the most hilarious way possible.

Also Laudna's open threat "Are you going to betray US, or should WE kill you first?" The acknowledgement of the fact that this whole deception was against all of the Hells in the worst possible time. Her worry for her family's betrayed trust in the most pivotal moment of their lives and of Exandria. Chef's kiss, Laudna, you whimsical tired-of-bullshit badass bitch. Happy for your growth.

And for the little time we've had Braius, it was an amazing choice on Sam's part. Between Marisha rping Laudna being conflicted about wearing the mask and Sam with this backstabbing very in line with what Braius would have done, it made the build-up to the mask moment that much juicier with the funniest pay-off.

A great moment in an already amazing encounter and episode. 10/10 no notes.

[bjarkanart]

Spoilers from Critical Role Campaign 3 Episode 119.

Let's recap with some good sense, shall we? No negativity or rage typing here, gather around, c3 babies. I may get my emotions out there, but it's all in good faith.

Sometimes I wonder if we all watch the same show.

"We could keep Predathos sealed for ages, it has worked before."

Has it? It ended up not working, that's the whole point.

And what happens to the ruidusborn during all these alleged ages, now that the entire world knows about why they are the way they are?

Do you think Predathos will stop marking them on birth? We all know this being is unbothered with mortals, it's like asking to a galaxy to care for a grain of sand.

Do you think that the powers that be will let the ruidusborn free to live their own lives, or more likely will they put them in cages, chains, gathered by the thousands for the slaughter in fear of something that will be sealed "for ages"? How many ruidusborn are supposed to die during those "ages"?

Then what? Some other crazy wizard will unseal it again, and we have to hope that another scrappy group of adventurers will show up and save the day again? Are we betting a new sealing on a uncertainty?

And lost arcane tech? Ludinus scratched a planet-chaining machine from RUINS. Nothing's destroyed, it can and will be done again. And with persecutions of ruidusborn, people will only become more eager.

"But Predathos will kill mortals, it is uncaring!"

Fron the inside of Predathos, Imogen could not even see Exandria. Could not even see the lives of mortals on there or Ruidus. All it could see were the lights of the gods.

Making it weaker in order to control it and preventing it to hurt people, even though this creature doesn't even mean to, is the whole point of facing it.

And they would not have known this if they hadn't taken the chance, if they hadn't chosen to interact with it.

To know someone or something different than you, you don't keep it caged. You talk to it, put yourself at their same level.

"The Bells Hells are so full of hubris, they keep holding powers they do not deserve."

Laudna doesn't hold power, she's unwillingly tied to her killer. Imogen similarly to Predathos. Fearne was willingly conceived as a ruidusborn. Ashton got blown up, first because of their parents and secondly because of themselves. Orym has tied himself to an archfey in order to protect better. Chetney was hunting in the woods and then bitten by a werewolf.

If you had a broken arm and had to fight the apocalypse, what would you do that would not look exactly the same as what the Hells have been doing? They had to, and it wasn't enough, one of them died anyway.

"The Bells Hells are so full of hubris, they want to control a godeater"

Then tell me what other solution has worked before. Sealing it? Letting the gods seal it? We know how WELL those worked out. For Orym's family, for Dorian's. How do you fix broken forniture? By using the same rusted nail that will keep falling off? Are you listening to yourself?

"The Bells Hells are so full of hubris, they're telling the gods to flee, become mortal or die. So arrogant."

What have the gods been doing? Bringing the Calamity to Exandria? Shattering the divine gate again? Burning the possible choices for mortals around them over and over again. I Love the gods. I'm probably one of their biggest fans. But they fucked up and keep fucking up. Once is a mistake, twice is a choice, three times is a pattern.

The Bells Hells have probably done the one thing nobody has been willing to do for the other side. To give a choice. To be heard, to say their piece, to reveal their truth. Over and over. Heard both sides, many times. To the point where even two of the gods have realized that things must chance.

Episode 38. Percival to Laudna "This is what it means to be a survivor. To break the cycles." The themes have been there. You have not been paying attention.

"The Bells Hells are full of hubris."

According to Word Reference:

Hubris: exaggerated pride or self-confidence; arrogance.

... Self-confident? The Bells Hells? With all the arguments they've had on divinity?

... Exaggerated pride? Maybe some pride, some stubborness. Maybe a strong feeling of being wronged by the whole world with the burning need to find someone to blame for it.

Someone like that is not confident or proud. We have all felt this kind of anger. It's not prideful. It's shameful, it has us wear our own skins and make us realize how small we actually are or see ourselves.

Misguided, yes. Arrogant? Not really. They would love to be arrogant, but to be arrogant they usually also need to be capable at doing something. And we all know the perception of self-worth in the Bells Hells. Not there, not at all. They're getting there, that's why only now they've had a singular, united trajectory.

Arrogant people always know what the answer is. We all know the Bells Hells have been without an answer for a long time. They have kept each other in line, not just with their own powder kegs, but also with their respective, very extreme ideas. This is democracy, it is complex, because that's how it's supposed to be.

"The Bells Hells are not the right people for this decision."

What kind of person should make such a decision, if not someone without any bias? There's anti-god people, there's pro-god people. But both of them will always pick favourites. And then there's just... People. All of them. All of us. All of the living things of the world, worthy of the right to exist.

Despite their differences, this group has been focused on one thing: to not inflict senseless cruelty. They never wanted to hurt anybody and they still want to help. The only reason they are here for everybody else's sake is because they WILL show up, any time they are needed.

I repeat. I ADORE the gods. But people say that they love the mortals and have done so for centuries, isolating themselves behind the divine gate. A gate that, if they so choose, they can shatter. A gate is not a gate if only one of the sides has the key. From the side of mortals that's a gate, but from the side of the gods, if they so choose, it can become a wide open door.

No one is asking them to die for mortals, like they have asked them. The mortals of Exandria, the Bells Hells are asking them to CHANGE or flee. Or die.

Because if Predathos remains sealed, it starts all over again, and now with the truth out, it will be much worse than it has been in millennia.

"The Bells Hells are not the right people for this story."

If you think that, after all we know, you have really not been paying attention or you have refused to do so each time things didn't happen the way you wanted them.

The heroes WILL BE foils to the villain. They WILL BE the better outcome of the villain's story. Ludinus wanted to kill and was willing to die in order to get what he wanted. The Bells Hells want to PRESERVE life instead. People like Ashton have been adamant about not wanting to destroy or hurt anybody.

We all proselytize so much about communication, about peace, about understanding and accepting each other, about building a world on top of truth and freedom. And now, after discussing frankly all awful options and finding no way out, because there was never going to be one with how things are now, the Hells have finally found a path that can give EVERYBODY these things.

You accuse them of being indecisive and talking too much. You accuse them of having sugar daddies and mommies and not having any ability to affect change by themselves. You accuse them of never knowing what to do. But look at where they are now. Look at what they have done. What their actions have led them to.

Tried to stop Ludinus at the Key when they were nobodies. Fought him three times and lived to tell the tale. Fought Delilah Briarwood twice and lived to tell the tale. Fought demons and procured the antidote for the Voice of the Tempest. Barely survived Otohan Thule, the one that almost brought the Tempest low. Travelled five continents, two outer realms, an oniric Shadow Realm, the Red Moon. Managed to gain the trust of a group of rebels from another culture on another world, all completely unknown to them. Stealthed their way around some of the dangerous of places. Fought for their lives almost each, several times a day. Talked to gods, to titans, eidolons, gained the attention of politicians of their entire world. Made the Matron herself realize that the rite she had crafted to achieve godhood was not destined to be just an unachievable dream that damned the world. With a bit of out of the box thinkint it could stop calamities from happening for all time.

What does change the world around us? Words that fall to the wind? Or actions, which are the wind?

And even now, this word comes out. Hubris.

I think it reveals much more about us than anything about some fictional characters.

Because what's hubris when there's a healthy dose of doubt to bring it down a couple of notches and a healthy dose of concern for the people around you?

It's hope.

But now all we can see is hubris. Becase to go back to the daily, grey, safe things, is better, is stable. It can't put our emotions in jeopardy. Because if hoping too much means falling too hard, it's much more comfortable for us to think of it as hubris.

[bjarkanart]

— unknown

[bjarkanart]

cheers

[bjarkanart]

sometimes you need dialogue tags and don't want to use the same four

[bjarkanart]

Are you straight?

don’t insult me

[bjarkanart]

cannot even remotely fathom that people think bh's don't have a special bond. like that's insane. what kind of dissonance do you have to possess to genuinely think that. i can list any example too like that's crazy

everybody sound off favorite bh friend moments

everyone saving imogen's mom even though half the party distrusted or hated her because they care more about imogen

feywild retreat

everyone putting blue or gold in their outfits to honor letters

spa day early on

gorgynei retreat

post swordgate being niceys to laudna

all of episode 69

post delaudna battle everyone being niceys to laudna

[bjarkanart]

I want to talk about THIS moment. Right before. There's a TON of people misreading Caitlyn's intent because she's using such a playful demeanor after Vi's sorrowful self-deprecation. To be honest, it's the best response she could have had, and the best tactic. Her demeanor serves as a stark contrast to the spiral of self hatred that Vi is going down, and it's an excellent distraction. Caitlyn is stopping her line of thinking, right then and there, and she does it while delivering one of the most romantic and understated declarations of love I've ever seen.

Stay with me here.

Let's be very clear: Caitlyn did NOT come to the cell with the goal of seducing Vi. Not even. How do we know? Aside from several context clues that come before this scene, the way Caitlyn responds to the kiss is very telling:

See how long it takes Cait to even register what the fuck is going on?? She's literally like "oh. OH. we're kissing? WE'RE KISSING." And Vi also OPENS HER EYES very briefly, to check that Caitlyn is as into this as she is, right as Cait settles into the kiss, likely sensing her hesitation/delayed reaction. This scene is NOT Caitlyn seducing Vi. This scene is Caitlyn giving herself to Vi, and Vi choosing exactly what she wants to do with her, which is VERY different.

What does Caitlyn say right before the kiss? She says, "Do you really think I needed all the guards at the hexgates?" Translation: I left Jinx's cell unguarded on purpose. I want you to know that I heard you during our last conversation. I want you to know that I trust you. I want you to know that my love and care for you is more important than my need to sate my grief and desire for revenge. I choose you.

And following: "Sorry to say, you've grown a bit predictable." Translation: I know you. I see you. I knew you would choose this, coming after your sister, and I facilitated the circumstances in which you COULD choose this. You don't choose wrong. You choose love, and I understand that now. I want you to know that I support your choices, and they won't cost you the people you care about, at least not me, not anymore. I know that you'll always choose your sister, and I've made peace with that. What you want is what I want.

That is MONUMENTAL. That's quite possibly one of the most romantic things I've ever seen in media. Because who the hell has the guts to give up their grief and forgive their mother's murderer, all for love? That's a level of sacrifice that not enough people are acknowledging.

People say Caitlyn never changed, never felt remorse, never grew from the bad choices she made. I say wrong. And this was the turning point.

[bjarkanart]

"ℑ 𝔞𝔪 𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔫 ℑ 𝔢𝔳𝔢𝔯 𝔴𝔞𝔰."

Been a while and it's the second time I try to post something other than CR, let's see how it goes.

I'll have to draw some Violyn/Caitvi as well, my brain has been fried by those two.

I'm gonna try and get back to drawing some CR soon. I'm in a rough patch and it's kinda hard to be inspired and motivated but I'm trying.

[bjarkanart]

Caitlyn getting a tattoo post canon and asking Vi if it'll hurt.

Vi responding with, "you lost an eye, Cupcake. I think you can handle it."

[bjarkanart]

What if TLOU AU Imodna had to take shelter for a couple of days because of bad weather and in the same place they stayed there was also a family of cats?

I used the designs I made for the TLOU AU fic and it is the same setting but this is definitely not fanart for that fic, the vibes are very different lol. Those two are NOT playing with kittens in that fic. The drama is good though!!

[bjarkanart]

"Caitlyn never verbally apologized" no, she did so much more than that.

She betrayed Ambessa. She let Jinx go. She led the battle against Ambessa in the finale. She lost an eye and nearly died. She gave up her seat on the council to Sevika so that Zaun could be represented.

Does it fix everything? No. Systems of oppression aren't fixed with a handful of well intentioned actions.

But Caitlyn DID feel remorse and DID make attempts to reverse her wrongdoings.

Did you want Caitlyn to change, or did you just want her to be punished?

[bjarkanart]

Spot the difference

[bjarkanart]

I don't know what Sam did or say to convince Marisha to sing a whole song as Laudna, but this is the best Christmas present ever