dat-nerd-gurl

[dat-nerd-gurl]

not to be a dirty commie or anything but i don't think any one person should have enough money to solve world hunger and then get to decide not to

[dat-nerd-gurl]

Not Imodna prominently displaying wedding rings. Won the lotto with this ship

My beloveds ❤️❤️❤️

And guess what, they got a happy ending!!!!!

[dat-nerd-gurl]

The fact that Vaxleth got back together during Vexlethuary is fucking hilarious. How is my ship supposed to sail now? You stole the canon and the wind from me.

[dat-nerd-gurl]

the way imogen said “you’re wearing my ring”??? i fell to my knees

[dat-nerd-gurl]

Woke up singing Pink Brony Club. which is weird because I am neither a man nor do I follow My Little Pony.

[dat-nerd-gurl]

Braius to Orym: I have feelings for you

Braius to Fearne: I have feelings for you

Braius to Dorian: I have feelings for you

Braius to Ashton: I have feelings for you

Braius to all of BH: I have.. feelings for you?

Narrator: that feeling was friendship, but he had never experienced it.

[dat-nerd-gurl]

"the doctor was completely colourblind for his first two incarnations" is hilarious for many reasons but at least partly because it implies the third doctor just woke up one day suddenly able to see in colour and immediately decided to start dressing like a gay parrot

[dat-nerd-gurl]

As always, spoilers for Critical Role Campaign 3 Episode 118 below. I'll share some constructive thoughts free of negativity and rage-typing.

There's been one consistent element in all of CR, and that is theme. Each final fight in each campaign has been filtered through the theme of the narrative that specific story was trying to tell.

Vox Machina had to accept that they could not save everybody and that loss is part of life and that cannot change, despite how badly some people might try to cope with it, like Delilah did.

Mighty Nein had to save a friend they had lost, the family they had built together, they had to show to each other and themselves that their villainy was not all that they had started out as.

Bells Hells had to clench their teeth and keep fighting the inner demon inside each of us, the inner oblivion, the inner darkness that threatens to come out and hurt you and the ones you love through your own insecurities. The past that hurts and must be confronted in order to move on, unless we run the risk of repeating it.

The "story" has never been Vecna, or Cognouza, or Predathos. The plot has never been Delilah, or Lucien, or Ludinus. The true story has always been about who these people are, what makes them tick, what makes them "better" than the challenges and challengers they face. Why they are the protagonists and their foils are the ones they decide to oppose.

Why do Delilah and Vecna lose? Because death is part of life and that cannot be changed, only accepted, that should stay that way despite the pain it brings. Vox Machina accept that.

Why do Cognouza and Lucien lose? Because being self-absorbed and thinking we are unredeemable breaks us and the world around us, leaving us alone and the world worse than we found it. Mighty Nein achieve this epiphany.

Why should Bells Hells run away from the threat of this inner demon inside their reality, their world? Why should Bells Hells just go back to Exandria without having faced the thing in the mirror? There are uncomfortable truths that can never be put back in the box ever again. Sure, you can protect the cage and stop people from getting to Predathos. But a moon built by the gods could not stop one simple man pushed by the sheer power of his grief and anger. However long it may take, it WILL happen again, because it already has.

Because the past will always be there waiting for us all, for them. It applies to Ludinus, to Exandria and to the gods themselves, the reality of having to face the darkest part of yourself, the horror of you that you refuse to look at until it comes back to stab you in the back. For the gods this has been the creation of Ruidus, the destruction of Aeor and the Calamity. And it has been the thing each of the Hells has been running from at some point in time: themselves.

Orym's self-perceived betrayal in starting to love again and having to hurt his friends through a blind crusade that was never black and white to begin with.

Ashton's self-destructive tendencies and the blind idolatry that destroyed the Hishari, their anger towards loss and misfortune.

Fearne's fear of what she might become given the wrong choices she makes, that her chaos might become what unravels her.

Chetney's literal inner monster that cannot be controlled and reasoned with. The truth of him being the wolf in toymaker's clothing.

FCG's inner fight of whether they're a healer or a killer, whether they're alive or not. The creation that needs something good to give them purpose.

Dorian's tendency of running away from duties and the center of the spotlight, whether he's worthy of it or not.

Laudna's struggle to embrace her agency both with her good and bad choices. Her struggle to see her self-worth and award it with her own happiness.

Imogen's pull to Predathos, the desire to belong to something at all, the craving for inner peace and silence. The craving for motherhood and being wanted.

One would say now "But they all fail in that, they are not heroic at all, they are all selfish in their pursuits". Yes, they do fail to resist to their own demons, just like Ludinus fails to overcome his own. But this is where Bells Hells set themselves apart from Ludinus, by the way they decide to stand up after the pain, by the way they decide to react to life after what life has done to them. In a constructive way, rather than destructive one, choosing community and forgiveness over solitude and resentment. Choosing not to wield truth as a weapon but to use it as a lens through which the world can be better understood.

Life is never all wins. We keep falling many times, and this story shows that. Some times some people do not come back from that brink, and this story shows that. Some people may try to show the will to at least begin to climb back up, and this story shows that.

Bells Hells punch each other in the face, they keep arguing about what to do in front of an impossible decision where all the options suck, they agree, disagree, over and over and over again. They bleed each other when sometimes it's the only way to knock some sense into their heads. They succumb to their own faults and choices and misguided ambitions, they are not different in that from any well written protagonist. Or each of us, really. Some of us get pissed at them because of how much we unconsciously see ourselves in them, how much their indecision resonates with our perceived inability to do good in our real world because each choice is somehow tainted or made inconsequential by external factors. We need them to make the right choices, because in a fictional world, at least, we hope that it is possible. But an opinion that cannot be countered is born from a point of view completely removed from reality and thus fruitless and devoid of any chance for growth and personal enrichment. Choices sometimes feel ugly because no matter what we do, we will leave a piece of ourselves behind. This is not a tragic world but a real one. Our world.

Bells Hells feel underwhelming because they don't satisfy a power fantasy. They are instead real people, self-crippled and yet still standing, because the alternative is to surrender to the unlucky hand that life dealt to each of them.

So the narrative makes them show up as the best answer to pain and anguish, they keep standing up not because of resentment, but in spite of it. They don't retaliate, they try to do better next time. THIS sets them apart from what they face: the past, the pain, the self.

Imogen had to fall to the draw, and even as motivated as she was by the possibility of either vanquishing Predathos while he is inside her as a vessel or getting him out of the cage in order to stop the cycle of calamity, there was no avoiding that inner demon for long. Nobody ever resists forever, we as mortal certainly do not have that capacity. But we are defined by how we react to the damage we take and by the people we surround ourselves with that will pull us out from the brink.

Imogen's arc was to prepare her and her friends to this very scenario, ever since the first time FCG snapped. It was what fate itself kept testing them for, it was the Matron's test for them too.

This campaign is the embodiment of mental illness and tough love, of good natured people with many good intentions that get it wrong many times but still stand up again to give it a second try.

This campaign is the embodiment of the complexities of even the most normal of lives, the little pains, the big pains, the frustrations with systems that do not work and that somehow we still have to interact with every day, no matter how much they hurt us, because there is no perceived alternative.

This campaign is the embodiment of the questions we ask ourselves each day. "Why am I here, why am I doing this? Am I doing this right? If I do or don't do this, does that mean I'm a bad person? What happens after to me, to the people I care about? Am I worthy of the space I occupy in the universe? Why should I even feel the obligation to earn such a right?"

The "goal" for Bells Hells was never to keep the status quo, but rather to answer to the question "Once you're faced with that possibility, with the inner monster wreaking havoc inside your world, what are you going to do about it? Will the decision be met with a destructive sentiment or with an open mind and the will to not let the inner monster of the world take over?"

Their story asks them if they are the ones brave enough to face the past with peace in their hearts and souls strong enough to bear whatever burden they are destined to carry. We don't know what that looks like just yet, but like real people, they just happened to be chosen by circumstance and as such they were always going to be able to decide once and for all only when faced with the whole truth.

That said...

THURSDAY CANNOT COME FAST ENOUGH!

I'll stop writing these walls of words someday, I promise (I can certainly try)

[dat-nerd-gurl]

rb to have a super gay 2023

[dat-nerd-gurl]

Not Imodna going down 53 places my heart can’t take it

Ships

Love is in the air (in hell).

Billford Bill Cipher & Stanford Pines, Gravity Falls

Farcille Falin Touden & Marcille Donato, Dungeon Meshi

Poolverine Wade Wilson & Logan Howlett, the Marvel universe

Ineffable Husbands -3 Aziraphale & Crowley, Good Omens

Destiel -2 Dean Winchester & Castiel, Supernatural

Radioapple Lucifer Morningstar & Alastor, Hazbin Hotel

Buddie +3 Evan Buckley & Edmundo Diaz, 9-1-1

Phan Daniel Howell & Phil Lester, YouTubers

Polin Penelope Featherington & Colin Bridgerton, Bridgerton

Satosugu +16 Gojo Satoru & Geto Suguru, Jujutsu Kaisen

Percabeth +76 Percy Jackson & Annabeth Chase, the Percy Jackson universe

Bucktommy Evan Buckley & Tommy Kinard, 9-1-1

Hannigram -4 Hannibal Lecter & Will Graham, Hannibal

Labru Laios Touden & Kabru, Dungeon Meshi

Zosan +18 Roronoa Zoro & Vinsmoke Sanji, One Piece

Narilamb Narinder & the Lamb, Cult of the Lamb

Huskerdust Husk & Angel Dust, Hazbin Hotel

Steddie -16 Steve Harrington & Eddie Munson, Stranger Things

Sonadow +27 Sonic & Shadow, Sonic the Hedgehog

Ghostsoap -6 Simon “Ghost” Riley & John “Soap” MacTavish, the Call of Duty franchise

Jegulus -3 James Potter & Regulus Black, the Harry Potter universe

Fiddauthor Fiddleford McGucket & Stanford Pines, Gravity Falls

Byler -19 Will Byers & Mike Wheeler, Stranger Things

Wolfstar -8 Remus Lupin & Sirius Black, the Harry Potter universe

Soukoku -3 Nakahara Chuuya & Dazai Osamu, Bungou Stray Dogs

Bakudeku -6 Bakugou Katsuki & Midoriya Izuku, Boku no Hero Academia

Loustat +5 Louis de Pointe du Lac & Lestat de Lioncourt, Interview with the Vampire

Hualian +30 Hua Cheng & Xie Lian, Tian Guan Ci Fu

Chaggie Charlie Morningstar & Vaggie, Hazbin Hotel

Lestappen +37 Charles Leclerc & Max Verstappen, Formula 1 drivers

Hilson James Wilson & Gregory House, House

Narumitsu +13 Phoenix Wright & Miles Edgeworth, Ace Attorney

Spirk +15 Spock & James T. Kirk, Star Trek

Stolitz Stolas & Blitzo, Helluva Boss

Lokius +43 Loki Laufeyson & Mobius M. Mobius, Loki

Merthur -19 Merlin & Arthur Pendragon, Merlin

Payneland Edwin Payne & Charles Rowland, Dead Boy Detectives

Chilshi Chilchuck Tims & Senshi, Dungeon Meshi

Rhaenicent +61 Rhaenyra Targaryen & Alicent Hightower, House of the Dragon

Astarion x Tav +48 Astarion & Tav, Baldur's Gate 3

Armandaniel Armand & Daniel Molloy, Interview with the Vampire

Griddlehark -2 Gideon Nav & Harrowhark Nonagesimus, The Locked Tomb series

Superbat +12 Superman & Batman, the DC universe

Zolu Roronoa Zoro & Monkey D. Luffy, One Piece

Zelink -33 Zelda & Link, The Legend of Zelda

Jonmartin +5 Jonathan Sims & Martin Blackwood, The Magnus Archives

Vashwood -36 Vash the Stampede & Nicholas D. Wolfwood, Trigun

Zukka +20 Zuko & Sokka, Avatar: The Last Airbender

Staticradio Alastor & Vox, Hazbin Hotel

Ratiorine Dr. Ratio & Aventurine, Honkai: Star Rail

Blackbonnet -36 Edward "Blackbeard" Teach & Stede Bonnet, Our Flag Means Death

Hanamusa -9 Jessie & Delia Ketchum, the Pokémon franchise

Wangxian -28 Lan Wangji & Wei Wuxian, Mo Dao Zu Shi

Pearlina Pearl Houzuki & Marina Ida, Splatoon

Firstprince -32 Alex Claremont-Diaz & Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor, Red, White & Royal Blue

Shuake Kurusu Akira & Goro Akechi, Persona 5

Drarry +6 Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter, the Harry Potter universe

Landoscar Lando Norris & Oscar Piastri, Formula 1 drivers

Bingqiu Luo Binghe & Shen Qingqiu, The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System

Shadowpeach +2 Sun Wukong & the Six-Eared Macaque, Lego Monkie Kid

Zutara Zuko & Katara, Avatar: The Last Airbender

Itafushi Itadori Yuji & Fushiguro Megumi, Jujustu Kaisen

Loumand Louis de Pointe du Lac & Armand, Interview with the Vampire

Timkon +25 Tim Drake & Conner Kent, Young Justice

Klance +18 Keith & Lance, Voltron: Legendary Defender

Nuzi N & Uzi Doorman, Murder Drones

Durgetash The Dark Urge & Enver Gortash, Baldur's Gate 3

Cherik Charles Xavier & Erik Lehnsherr, the Marvel universe

Kathony Kate Sharma & Anthony Bridgerton, Bridgerton

Staticmoth Vox & Valentino, Hazbin Hotel

Shin Soukoku Akutagawa Ryunnosuke & Nakajima Atsushi, Bungou Stray Dogs

Huntlow -65 Hunter & Willow Park, The Owl House

Haikaveh Kaveh & Alhaitham, Genshin Impact

Chainshipping Lawrence Gordon & Adam Stanheight, Saw

ButtonBlossom Ragatha & Pomni, The Amazing Digital Circus

Agathario Agatha Harkness & Rio Vidal, the Marvel universe

Broppy Branch & Poppy, the Trolls franchise

Lumity -65 Luz Noceda & Amity Blight, The Owl House

Radiorose Alastor & Rosie, Hazbin Hotel

Imodna -53 Imogen Temult & Laudna, Critical Role

Rosekiller Barty Crouch Jr. & Evan Rosier, the Harry Potter universe

Everlark Katniss Everdeen & Peeta Mellark, The Hunger Games

Wenclair -78 Wednesday Addams & Enid Sinclair, Wednesday

Kataang Katara & Aang, Avatar: The Last Airbender

Caitvi -5 Caitlyn Kiramman & Vi, Arcane

Adrienette -50 Adrien Agreste & Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir

Davekat +3 Dave Strider & Karkat Vantas, Homestuck

Adamsapple Adam & Lucifer Morningstar, Hazbin Hotel

Twiyor -58 Loid Forger & Yor Forger, SPY x FAMILY

Shuggy Shanks & Buggy, One Piece

Scollace Scott Pilgrim & Wallace Wells, the Scott Pilgrim franchise

Madohomu Kaname Madoka & Homura Akemi, Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Solangelo -23 Will Solace & Nico di Angelo, the Percy Jackson universe

Kimharry Kim Kitsuragi & Harry Du Bois, Disco Elysium

Klapollo -2 Apollo Justice & Klavier Gavin, Ace Attorney

Maxley Max Goof & Bradley Uppercrust III, An Extremely Goofy Movie

Megop Megatron & Optimus Prime, Transformers

Wilmon -34 Prince Wilhelm & Simon Eriksson, Young Royals

Johnshi Johnny Cage & Kenshi Takahashi, Mortal Kombat

Korrasami -5 Korra & Asami Sato, The Legend of Korra

The number in italics indicates how many spots a ship moved up or down from the previous year. Bolded ships weren’t on the list last year.

Love love? Create a Community for your OTP today, and enjoy yelling about it with others in the comfort of your own dedicated online yelling space.

[dat-nerd-gurl]

WAKE UP, CRITTERS, WE HAVE A NEW HOLIDAY ALBUM!

Check it out! Four glorious holiday tracks as sung by our favorite bunch of goofballs! The release has been rolling out (Europe apparently got it first and then the US), and it's also apparently on Apple Music!

AND IT IS GLORIOUS!

[dat-nerd-gurl]

Okay, but like how did Emma and Regina not get together

[dat-nerd-gurl]

[dat-nerd-gurl]

Tether

You're my tether.

Our hearts beat in time

And minds collide in symphonies.

That red string of fate that ties you and I

Will never fray, never break.

You’re my anchor.

Without you I am adrift,

And the horrors of my mind become the reality of the world.

Life withers and blooms following my wake 

So that neither of us drowns in the storm.

You’re my everything.

From the moment we met

And I heard the music of your mind.

To when I watched our threads entwine,

Turning golden and connecting us evermore.

You’re my tether.

You’re my anchor.

You’re my everything.

And we will hold each other through the end of the world.

I wrote an Imodna poem for day 3 of Imodnovember. I have been thinking about the way Laudna and Imogen describe each other for a while now and these three words really stuck out for me. The conviction with which these words are spoken showcase the depth of the love that is felt. I hope I have done them justice.

[dat-nerd-gurl]

Chapters: 2/30 Fandom: Critical Role (Web Series) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Laudna/Imogen Temult Characters: Laudna (Critical Role), Imogen Temult Summary:

Just a bunch of One-shots because I wanted to try out writing. There will be little stories and sometimes poetry depending on my feelings of the day.

I decided to try writing. None of these chapters are going to be too long but they will have my entire heart. I hope this brings at least one person joy.

[dat-nerd-gurl]

You know how sometimes you see some art and immediately go damn I need to read more fanfiction. Now is sometimes

your lipstick stain is a work of art