#10 years ago I was not a solas enjoyer

[acetrainertabris]

it’s been two months and some change and I still dont get what da:tv was trying to do with mythal and solas’ relationship.

that dude is a spirit of wisdom, of knowing things. not loyalty, or love, or devotion, or faith, or anything else that would explain (to me) why he says “this is the worst idea of all time. I will follow wherever you go.”

what has she done that was deserving of such devotion. how strong was their worm love that he would override his very beings purpose for her hubristic quest for power.

show me the mythal solas sees when he calls her the best of them. the one who cared for and protected her people with the loving hand of a mother and the fury of a high dragon. show me the goddess of terrible bargains, who clawed her way through history to offer flemeth a Faustian deal.

show me the mythal that saw the path before her, who saw elgar’nan and the evanuris and the destruction that they had already wrought upon the world and thought she could gentle their hand. she could not change tyranny but she could guide his rage.

show me the mythal that knew how delicate this dance was. who saw the volatility of the first born, who could feel the temptation, the corruption always simmering beneath the surface of her best intentions. who knew she would need wisdom to keep from falling completely to the corruption of her new power.

show me the mythal that failed. show me how benevolence becomes retribution, and how wisdom becomes pride.

maybe this is just my disappointment with da:tv as a whole talking, but veilgaurd mythal is just so flat and lacking in any motivation beyond being solas’ tragic backstory that it undercuts the emotional payoff of his redemption ending for me.

sorry for the incoherent ramble, i just hate this game so much.

[calibratemehard]

Alrighty folks I finished the game. I will put non-spoiler thoughts here and then put my spoiler thoughts under the cut. Again, these are MY OPINIONS. I am happy to hear your thoughts but I'm not arguing with you because you won't change my mind.

* holy shit this is a big game

* Mournwatch is the best faction in my opinion. Idk they're just cool and not problematic lol

* there is some retconning of established facts, but I take it this way: it's been a long time since the original trilogy's events. Origins was canonically sometime almost 20 years before Veilguard - think of life 20 years ago, it was very different. A lot can change and gods coming back changes a lot. Factions grow and change and become something different. Also this is NORTHERN Thedas, an area we've never played in. With few exceptions we've always had companions from the south and learned information about the north second hand. I think that's important to keep in mind when people complain about things not staying the same or 'lore accurate.'

* I still recommend picking the same faction as your projected romantic interest

* The cameos are ... Fine. Again, it's been a long time in game. Are you the same person you were 10 years ago? 20 years? I think Morrigan is the most disappointing but my headcanon is that motherhood has really suited her, also a decision she made off screen that is explained to you during the course of the game also made her personality make a little more sense

* I think I liked this game because I went in with an open mind. I have always loved Bioware games for the writing and the companions and this game has those in spades. I loved how fleshed out the characters were though it doesn't approach the levels that say, Baldur's Gate 3 reaches. But overall it was an enjoyable experience, around 65 hours for me to finish just about everything. Though maybe shave off about 5 hours for the character creator, which was great.

Okay so now for the spoilers. DO NOT OPEN IF YOU DON'T WANT SPOILERS!!

* I maxed out all of my companions and factions and nearly 100% every area. There was no quest undone. I think that's why I got a good ending, namely Solas agreeing to bind himself to the Veil, sharing a big kiss with Lavellan, and walking into the Fade together. I did lose one member, Harding, and that fucking sucked. I haven't looked into spoilers so I don't know if switching her and Davrin would have made a difference cause Davrin is a Warden and would have fared better against the blight idk. I'll have to look into it. Overall I was happy though.

* I ... Should have seen the Varric twist but I wasn't looking for it so it just passed over me. I was devastated, but I think that it was well done and well earned. Still sad though. That was the second time I cried during the finale, after Harding.

* This felt like a Bioware game to me. It felt big, it felt complex, and the humor was always there. The QoL improvements and expansion of classes and abilities made this so much fun.

* I felt the romances were lacking a bit in content, though Emmrich had suuuuch a sweet and gentle romance. I loved it so much. They banged in a graveyard in what I assume is a coffin. A+ love him, love Manfred. I just wish I had kiss options a la BG3. I got spoiled. 😅

* I'll play this again. And again. That's how my brain works. I think they need to patch a sort of 'golden nug' option into the game and a new game plus to make things better. If there are DLC, I'll happily play them.

[lavellaned]

I’ve only played the game for 13 hours and I’m at the point of going to the wetlands but I want to write my thoughts down about the game so far, spoiler free:

Honestly, I find the game to be pretty mid so far. The things I enjoy about the game are 100% to do with the lore, but most of that happens off screen. I love seeing northern Thedas, and I love how we get to see the difference from what we know in the south. The graphics aren’t awful (there are moments though…).

The lore stuff that’s uncovered from the crossroads wasn’t ground breaking at all because that’s literally exactly every headcanon I’ve read in thousands of fanfics over the years, so it was mostly a “yes, we know this” moment.

On to the things I don’t really like. The combat. Just. Why? It feels like they were trying to emulate a different game but didn’t know how it’s actually supposed to work. I could just be doing it wrong, but I spend 99% of every hoard encounter just spamming the dodge button because every enemy is aggro’d on me and there’s no room to get away from one and I just run into another. Also, if you want to make it so dodging and blocking is something you have to do at a particular time and use graphics in order to portray that, at least make it different from the million other bright flashing shit that’s going on on the screen. Why is rook’s fire attack the same color as an incoming enemy attack???

Then there’s the animations/graphics of the characters. I didn’t have a horse in this race before I played it myself bc I only saw very little parts (and nearly all of them were Solas), but now that I’ve seen it in game… I get the criticisms now. Dare I say Inquisition, a game that came out 10 years ago has better character animations? I think I do dare. There are obvious times when you can tell more effort was put into it, but it’s not consistent, and I think that’s a really big weak point.

The companions are alright, I haven’t really been able to do most of their quests yet so I don’t have any super in depth opinion rn. But is it just me or do some of them like baby-talk rook? I sometimes feel like they talk like they’re reading a bedtime story to a child rather than having a normal conversation w a fellow adult, but whatever.

tldr; Not awful, not great. I honestly think if I wasn’t such a chronic solas enjoyer I wouldn’t give two shits about this game. The lore is cool but it wouldn’t be enough to keep me, ya know what I mean?

[hoboblaidd]

KAREN FIRST ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK so I knew as soon as you first logged back in to Solas it was over for me. As someone who was a certified Inquisition-Not-Enjoyer 10 years ago, you’ve consistently made me reevaluate the narrative and Solas’s place in it, and it’s only grown stronger over time. Your writing is the stuff I stop scrolling to read, with the ways you capture so succinctly all these little facets of Solas that he WHY IS THERE A WORD LIMIT NOW

ANYWAY I hear Solas vividly in all these different parts of him that you bring to light, how meaty and in depth you make each exploration of them and how complimentary and vivid your headcanons are to that. And that’s even before how much I’ve loved writing with you - the pure affection between Solas and Nanna makes me emotional all the goddamn time, their dynamic is SO important to me. Still not off the hook for the golden halla tho. <3

ask meme | portrayal check-in

k

first off, you're just not a good steward of solas because you let him kill the golden halla. i have only EVER had him indifferent, that is all on you and it's a decade old crime that will never be forgotten (but that we here on this blog will deny forever).

second, the only reason i logged back onto solas was because of you. you and your fucking October whatever reply to a 3-4 year old thread that is one of my favorites. i'll get into how much i love Solas and Nanna in a second, but i have had such an unquantifiable joy being back here and writing and im not being hyperbolic here - it is literally all because of you. id send you 500 xboxes if i could.

Solas and Nanna is the single most important relationship on this blog. they are the softness in each other. they exist together without the burden of title or any pretense. they love each other so deeply and somehow, miraculously, these two emotionally stunted bags of trauma can actually express it to each other. theirs is an unconditional love that neither of us is too squeamish to admit is founded on (surprise surprise) a massive lie and manipulation on his part. i sure as fuck would never want Solas as a father figure but Nanna does the rare thing of making him better, or at least, wanting to be better. his entire view of humans is shaped by her (despite him telling himself he only gives a damn because there's some elfiness in her, but we know he lies the best to himself). when i played vg i genuinely got confused for a second that nanna wasn't there to talk him down at the end, because irl (in blog life? idk man im emo), Nanna would have had to have been there. that's how much she means to him. they mean the world to me.

[orlesianhennin]

it is so odd having grown up with dragon age and now replaying everything after so many years, some of my opinions on characters have remained largely the same but I now have a newfound appreciation for so many characters I didn't care for... and with that a newfound distaste for other characters that I used to really like or at least have no problems with. like 10 years ago I would have never thought I'd become a Solas enjoyer and prefer playing with his romance (even slightly more than Dorian's at this point...) but here we are.

[musicgoonmail]

Christ Our Hope in Life and Death

In This Edition

In this week's edition, I share a challenge from work that caused my faith to falter, what's new with my book reviews, an update on my playlists, what I've been enjoying in entertainment, and what's coming soon across my creative platforms. Feel free to send me your feedback simply by replying to this email. Thank you for reading, subscribing, and supporting!

Work

Book Reviews

Playlists

Extended Play

Coming Soon

Weekly Review

Work

My biggest challenge this week came in the form of a phone call I had to make to my boss. My original plan was to return to work this week. Social distancing started right when Ark was born. We were planning to have our parents help us at home. But if I went back to work at the hospital, I could catch COVID-19 and put everyone at risk. It seemed like the wisest thing to do was to use as much of my family leave time as possible.

The hardest part was explaining this change of plans to my boss. I was scared, worried, and anxious. I thank God that my boss seemed understanding and I have the family leave time available. It truly is the providence of God. I am ashamed of my faltering faith but thankful for our faithful God. I am humbled but also emboldened to share and say that you can trust him to take care of you, too.

Book Reviews

I published two book reviews this week: Mama Kisses, Papa Hugs (a children's book) and American History (a textbook). I really enjoy reviewing these different types of books. For the children's books, I always show Linus and see if he is attracted to the pictures. I also look for illustrations that portray people of color. Of course, the content always matters and I look for Biblical truth.

American History was my first book received and reviewed for B&H Academic. I always have a little bit of imposter syndrome when I take on the academic books. But I've had my eyes on this one for a while and I found it quite an enjoyable and educational read. While I like to give away books to my church friends, I want to hold on to this one for my own reference. I hope to partner with B&H again soon.

Playlists

Keith and Kristyn Getty released a new single titled Christ Our Hope in Life and Death. It’s a triumphant song and perfect for the times.

Missing Disneyland made me search for the best way to play the music of the theme parks at home. I came across the Walt Disney - Legacy Collection: Disneyland playlist on Spotify. Nearly 500 tracks makes for 25 hours of non-stop Disneyland fun.

MUSICGOON: 10 songs I enjoyed this week.

SVRGNLA: Jess and I love these songs.

ETJ: Music that inspires my band.

DIDD: A crowd-sourced worship playlist.

TGIF: Crowd-sourced for SOLA Network.

This is FCBC Walnut: Sunday setlists.

Extended Play

My favorite article this week was How Kinfolk Defined the Millenial Aesthetic... and Unraveled Behind the Scenes. It was written by Lisa Abend for the March 2020 issue of Vanity Fair. It reads like a screenplay and I can see it being adapted into a movie a la David Fincher’s The Social Network.

Knowing I had another full week at home, Jess and I started watching The Infinity Saga by the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We pretty much have the movies playing in the background throughout the day. I finally finished watching The Mandalorian. And 9 years ago, I wrote My First Tweet.

Throwback: My First Tweet 

Food: Froot Loops

Movie: The Infinity Saga by the Marvel Cinematic Universe

TV: The Mandalorian

Article: How Kinfolk Defined the Millenial Aesthetic... and Unraveled Behind the Scenes

Book: Acts 1-12 for You by Albert Mohler

Song: Christ Our Hope in Life and Death by Keith and Kristyn Getty

Coming Soon

I was able to have enough of my new recording equipment set up to begin pre-production on the songs I want to record for Bulwark Ministries. Obviously, COVID-19 is going to cause some delay, but I hope to finish it before the end of this year.

With social distancing still a reality, it seems like everyone is going LIVE on Instagram. I plan to give LIVE for SOLA Network as well as FCBC Walnut this weekend, and I had my first LIVE session on Dive In Dig Deep with Courtney Reissig - author of Teach Me to Feel: Worship Through The Psalms In Every Season Of Life. I’ll share the story behind how that happened later - but here is the video on YouTube in case you missed it.

Weekly Review

SOLA: Small Groups in the Time of Covid-19, Why We Need Artists During COVID-19, and Everything’s Canceled! Dealing with Disappointment in Pandemic.

Thank God it’s Friday: How Do We Make Sense of the Coronavirus? How Do I Fight My Coronavirus Fears? Russell Moore: Reading in Exile: Books by C.S. Lewis, and All the Free and Discounted Stuff for these Difficult Times.

Book Review: American History by Thomas S. Kidd

Book Review: Mama Kisses, Papa Hugs

Recommended Reading: C.S. Lewis on Times of Fear, Love Your Wife Like Jesus Loves Her, The Gift of Time, and Bleeding & Bankrupt: A Story of Faith.

[emerald-amidst-gold]

About me

So, you wish to know about the face behind the muse, do you? Well, I’m not as edgy or ferocious, but I do all right! 

Thank you for the tag @noire-pandora! <3

1: Why did you choose your url?

The url that you see now was actually not my first url. I’m first one was lotus-dreamcatcher something something. (I forget what the numbers were lol). It was just a random thought since one: I love, love, looooove dreamcatchers, and two: I think lotus flowers are such pretty flowers! So, I combined best of both worlds and slapped two or three numbers on the end! XD

The reason I switched it was because I wanted to have a more personal connection with my blog. When I started writing my fic, I was like, ‘Let’s just go the whole nine yards! No one else has it!’ and voila! Will I change it if my hyperfixation vanishes? No. I’m stuck in hell, remember? *smiles*

2: Any side blogs? if you have them, name them and why you have them.

I have no side blogs because I would be terrible trying to micromanage them. My obsessions tend to ebb and flow, and this blog is the first time I’ve latched onto something for so long. I’ve had fixations with Dragon Age before (I’ve had the game for years, of course), but it always fizzled out and I latched onto something else (Fire Emblem, Skyrim, etc.). So, whatever fandom takes me by the horns, ya’ll have to witness it here! *cackles*

3: How long have you been on tumblr?

Hmm..I think for about...2 years? I made this blog a while back, posted a fic I had written for the first time, and then disappeared. I didn’t come back until just under a year ago when I wrote my first version of Emerald Eyes Amidst Golden Vows. But truthfully, I’m not sure. I know I haven’t been here long, though! XD

4: Do you have a queue tag?

Nope! I just scan the tags I like, home page, and those I follow’s dashboard and reblog/like what I find interesting, funny, or what pertains to what I’m currently fixated on. I might go ham and post a lot, or I just slap one or two things on while I’m on break at work. It’s casual for me. :D

5: Why did you start your blog in the first place?

I was curious, to put it simply. I’ve always been into art/writing, and all the art I used to see elsewhere always looped back to here. I actually spent a lot of my time, once upon a time, on DeviantArt (The days when I had a tablet and had the time to draw~). Once I got into writing, however, I decided this might be a better place to share that. Not to mention, I saw the community for Dragon Age and I was like, ‘I want to be a part of this! I don’t have many people I can talk about Dragon Age with or simp mutually about characters! And they all seem so nice! Let’s try!’ And here I am. It’s paid off. All the waiting, slight dejectedness, and quiet posts have PAID OFF. 

So, if you’re a starting blog and you feel kind of put off, just keep at it. It’ll gain traction. Trust me. :3

6: Why did you choose your icon/pfp?

Why not? It’s my BOY in his original, first play through form! (the play through I accidentally deleted, but you know *is still made about that*) 

I chose it mainly because it was my best screenshot of Fane, and I was like, “I am true Dragon Age blog now. :3″, but really, it’s just because it was pretty. I’m a simplistic creature with simplistic tastes. 

7: Why did you choose your header?

Again, it’s my BOY, and well, it was also pretty with the colors and his eyes and everything. I love my dragon son. What else can I say? *shrugs*

8: What’s your post with the most notes?

The post that issued by entrance in Solavellan Hell. 

THIS ONE

It continuously spiraled for WEEKS until it finally went dormant, and I was like, ‘Well, damn. That was a wild ride.’ We all fall prey to the wolf at some point. Even I, who was so sure I adored Cullen. ‘Twas not to be. I like elves. Sorry, Commander. XD

9: How many mutuals do you have?

26! Which is about a quarter of who follows me, actually. Huh!

10: How many followers do you have?

You know, I just checked it the other day and my eyes went wide because I broke a 100 and I was like, ‘Am I really that relatable or likable!? Awwww! *cries*’ I’m currently at 107, but in all honesty, I don’t pay attention to the numbers. Some may be inactive, too, but it’s nice to see people enjoy and relate!

11: How many people do you follow?

85! I don’t like to clog up my dash too much because it’s easy to miss things I’m actually looking forward to seeing (art, fic updates, etc.) I could filter, obviously, but I is lazy. However, if I see a blog I really think is cool and enjoyable and is right up my alley, then of course I’ll follow! :3 I also try to follow back if someone follows me, but I forget to sometimes. I’m a bit scatterbrained if you haven’t noticed from my writing. XD

12: Have you ever made a shitpost?

I think I made like...two? They got a good bit of notes, but mainly because they were relatable more than funny, I think. If you want to know one thing about me it’s that if I adore a specific character, I either RAG on them until the cows come home, or I cry about them hysterically. With Solas, I am both, so I throw swings at him while in the next minute running over and saying I’m sorry. And I vocalize that with random memes. XD

13: How often do you use tumblr each day?

I get on in the morning after I wake up a bit to check around, stay on until I have to go to work at like 2, and I’ll pop on a few times throughout the day during my breaks or lunch, and once more before I call it quits for the day. I have a bad habit of keeping a tab up while I write and hopping back and forth. No wonder my writing flow gets lost in transit. XD 

I also tend to fall asleep with my computer on, soooo yeah. X’D

14: Did you ever have a fight/argument with another blog once? who won?

Nope. I’m twenty-five. I left the drama bullshit back in high school when I graduated. I’m here to enjoy things that mean something to me, interact with people who share those interests, and just witness how creative everyone is and learn from them. Will I debate with someone civilly? Of course, I love debating concepts and interpretations of characters as much as I love analyzing those ideas. However, the moment those debates turn into ‘I’m right. You’re wrong.’ arguments, I walk away and ignore. I’ve been a part of internet discourse before when I ran a RP chat, I don’t need that again. Feel free to chat with me, but the minute it becomes a belligerent free for all, either expect a quick block or utter silence. 

15: How do you feel about “you need to reblog this” posts?

I try to reblog things from content creators because that’s how they get the exposure they need, and I wholeheartedly support those people because I want people to be able to pursue and live a life where they can do what they enjoy and make ends meet rather than be stuck at a 9-5 job where they’re talents are wasted and miserable because of berating circumstances. 

However, if someone explicitly says, ‘you need to reblog this because of some obscure reason’, I won’t do that. Be humble. That’s all. I understand the need for validation, painfully so, but there’s a line that needs to be drawn on some posts like that.

16: Do you like tag games?

You bet your ass I do! I love how interesting they are and that people are eager to involve me in them! Like this one! :D

17: Do you like ask games?

*looks at all the asks I’ve done for Fane* I adore them. Let me talk about my son until the end of time, even if I repeat things because he’s still GROWING.

18.Do you have a crush on a mutual?

Not romantically, but do I think everyone is worthy of love and hugs and yelling, complimenting words that make your insides all fuzzy and warm? YES. LET ME YELL AT YOU AND HUG YOU. <3

Tagging (if you want to of course!): @little-lightning-lavellan @oxygenforthewicked @aymayzing @dreadfutures @whataboutbugs and anyone else who’d like to!