#HE TOOK HIS KEYS

[novasillies]

real sad about peter and stiles rn

[dol--blathanna]

Thinking a lot about Orym choosing a rabbit when asked what animal he would pick if cursed with lycanthropy.

Because, it makes sense. Orym is small, quick, agile, jumps well, and is highly perceptive. That definitely evokes rabbit imagery. But a lot of Orym’s identity is also tied up with being a protector – giving people AC bumps, the shield being as much a part of his fighting style as his sword, even his title: Saviour Blade of the Tempest. He wants to be a “Shield that protects Exandria”; his priorities about saving the gods are less about the gods themselves, and more about protecting the people of Exandria from the unintended consequences and bloodshed of releasing Predathos. And it would’ve been very easy to pick a large, strong predator to try and evoke the sense of a protector – a wolf, for example, an animal associated with loyalty and protecting its pack. Yet Orym chose a rabbit.

And I think that’s interesting, because rabbits are often seen as ‘cute’ animals – but they’re also a prey animal. In fact, they’re a common food source for many animals across several ecosystems: foxes, wolves, wild cats, dogs, birds of prey like eagles or owls, coyotes, stoats, and humans (and that’s just off the top of my head). Rabbits are skittish, easily frightened; to be rabbit-hearted is to be timid or cowardly. They are not generally associated with fierceness or prowess in fighting. Mice and rats are prey animals too, but typically seen as vermin (rabbits are sometimes seen as vermin too, but a farmer could eat a rabbit – they wouldn’t eat a rat). Deer are prey, but they have hooves and antlers that bring a danger to hunting them, for any animal – the difficulties of hunting rabbits are more related to their evasiveness, speed and good hearing than any life-threatening danger they might pose. Rabbits are, first and foremost, prey animals. They are killed and eaten, so that another animal might live.

Which made me think a lot about one of Orym’s other key traits: self-sacrifice. Bait and switch doesn’t just bump up his ally’s ACs, it specifically switches their place to put him directly in harm’s way. Goading attack is meant to encourage enemies to attack him instead of his friends. He literally made a deal with a hag, essentially exchanging his own life for power to protect his friends. How many times has he gone down in a fight? He’s not the only tank – but unlike Ashton (and Chetney, who also uses ‘self-sacrifice’ in his fighting style with his blood curses) he has no abilities to reduce the damage from the hits he takes (barbarian rage and the werewolf form).

(Side note: I think it’s pretty interesting that Chetney, the wolf, has attacked Orym, the rabbit, more than anyone else when losing control. That Orym’s facial scar was given to him by a friend, not a foe).

Of course, Orym isn’t the only character with self-sacrificial tendencies (FCG wins by a landslide), but I just can’t stop thinking about how weirdly perfect it is that he chose a rabbit for his animal. Rabbits are prey animals. They are eaten, so that other animals may live. Orym takes the hits, he goads and switches with his team mates to put himself in danger, he makes a deal with a hag at the cost of his own life. He’s a soldier, throwing his life away for a cause over and over again because Ludinus must be stopped, because Keyleth has put her trust in him, because it’s the only way to protect his friends, to protect everyone, because it’s the right thing to do. Orym is a rabbit. He’s always been a rabbit. That day in Zephrah, it could have easily been Orym who died instead of Will and Derrig – “unfortunate but necessary sacrifices”, as Ludinus viewed the attack. It’s unfortunate they had to die, but it was for the greater good, according to Ludinus. It’s unfortunate that a rabbit has to die, but it will feed a family of foxes, or stoats, or even a hungry human, so it’s acceptable, right?

Orym is a rabbit. He is giving himself to a greater cause that could very easily kill him – he already willingly signed his life away to Nana Morri. Because that’s what rabbits do. They die to feed others.

And the theme of being disposable is present across the entire group, not just in Orym – Bell’s Hells has been called a “party of NPCs” before. Aside from FCG’s death, I’d say Laudna perhaps fits this theme the best: she was literally murdered and hung from a tree simply because she looked similar to Vex, acting as a warning to adventurers she had never met before. But FCG’s death was – rightfully – viewed as a terrible tragedy by the group. Laudna’s decision to remove Delilah, finally freeing herself from her abuser and emphasising she is more, and deserves to be more, than just some disposable puppet – this was rightfully viewed as a very good thing! But Orym seems to be embracing this identity of self-sacrifice instead, rather than this mindset being properly challenged or acknowledged as a bad thing. After all, there’s no time. There’s too much at stake. Keyleth, Bell’s Hells, all the memories of those who have died in this fight, all the people who might die if Predathos is released and kickstarts a second Calamity – they’re all relying on him, right? A rabbit feeding so many animals with his sacrifice. And it’s not malicious compared to the way that, say, Delilah killing Laudna was an incredibly evil, fucked up and unnecessary thing to do. If Orym died to save everyone else, well, at least everyone else would be saved, right? Saving lives is good, isn't it? How could he complain?

Because rabbits are prey animals, and Orym is a rabbit too. Destined to die so that another animal may feed.

Except, that’s not true. Rabbits are more than just prey. They’re highly social, and thrive best living with others. They’re playful, they enjoy running around and kicking their legs just to show their enjoyment. They’re inquisitive and mischievous, even being associated with tricksters in some folklore and stories. They’re also associated with innocence, playfulness, spring, youth – all manner of things, depending on the story or culture. And they’re not helpless, either, even if they might be thought of as such. They can bite and scratch and draw blood quite easily if they want to! In fact, freezing up isn’t their only response when being attacked by a predator, they are known to fight back if cornered. They can sprint quickly, they have excellent hearing and senses of smell, they know how to evade predators.

Rabbits are prey, and they are also survivors. They have their own social dynamics, their own habits and dislikes and preferences. They are more than just a wolf’s meal. And Orym is more than a soldier, too. He’s more than a “necessary sacrifice”, he’s more than just a shield and sword. He deserves more than to die for a cause. He deserves a happy ending, just like everyone else. I hope he remembers that.

Orym is a rabbit. And the message isn’t that he shouldn’t be a rabbit. It’s that rabbits are worthy of surviving, too.

[yridenergyridenergy]

Vicious August 1998

[kevindavidday]

kevin day is hayao mizaki levels of obsessed with his work like fans gonna see his ass on the court with creaking bones and his grandchildren watching from the sides like 'he won't retire man we've tried so hard he just keeps coming back'

[luck-of-the-drawings]

OH ARTHUR BENNETT.. such a gorgeous and intriguing character. terribly burdened by a GRUESOME set of crimes, his light suffocated by a HEAVY century of GUILT. so tragic, so dark and broody, and yet PAINFULLY awkward in any social setting ever

[janituaries]

Y’know

Kinda wished Obanai’s fear and hatred of women should be explored more, don’t get me wrong. I love obamitsu like a lot, they’re one of the cutest couples i’ve ever seen. But the way Obanai’s falls in love with her at first sight doesn’t stick well enough with me to make them #1 ship.

I’d like it more through Mitsuri’s consistent kindness he showed and shower him, the kind of kindness he has never receive(excluding the Rengoku Family, i’m sure they took care of him well) from a woman and through Mitsuri he learns the true value of kindness and love which that later on is his turning point to letting his guard down to and opening his heart to give a woman a chance.

It is by her positivity he learns living longer doesn’t seem bad and that he is worth of loving

I don’t know man I just love when a character's fear is being explored more than to just brush it off. i don’t like romance all that much, i like it if it has chemistry and their dynamic is explored.

Considering Obanai’s backstory, it didn’t make sense to me. He just falls in love with her out of the bat, regardless of her purity. Trust isn’t easy to obtain especially to someone like Obanai.

Please all i want Obanai’s fear and hatred of Women to be explored and how Mitsuri manage to change that view by just consistently showered him with positivity and kindness

(P.s i am not good at conveying my words)

[atlantis-area]

KEY ▶️ HARD▶️ SBS Gayo Daejeon 231225

[tarantula-hawk-wasp]

something queer is afoot in mayberry.... inspired by @hellallamerican 's poll asking if they explored each others bodies

[smtown-tourist]

With the help of the Gasoline and Guilty music videos, we’ve gotten to see what Key and Taemin’s crowns look like

But what I wanna know is when are Onew and Minho going to release music videos showing off their crowns too?

[ask-my-memoir]

Kaine: "You shouldn't just walk up on someone like that...."

The stranger has identified himself as "Kaine."

Kaine's character page may now be accessed!

[ @ecoxlar-maybe / @ask-amaryllis-academy ]

[1/2]

[sacredjake]

sammy hat reveal💗

[zeb-z]

pro backrooms move is to accidentally kill your friends to be the last one standing - then they have to listen to you talk about Star Wars

[skeletalheartattack]

i am taping your leg to the ceiling fan and turning it to max power :)

you're gonna what now? huh? wait. oh shit-

WAAAAHHHHHH!!!

[imagionary]

Happy 20 years of not speaking to each other

[wonder-worker]

"The division between the two families [the Woodvilles and the Nevilles] and their allies can be seen in the royal charters that they witnessed. Warwick, Rivers and Archbishop Neville of York, while serving as chancellor and afterwards, were fairly constant witnesses to royal charters and consequently often appeared together. This was not, however, the case for other family members and friends. From 1466 to 1469, if Scales or Woodville associates like Sir John Fogge, John Lord Audley or Humphrey Lord Stafford of Southwick witnessed royal charters, then members of the Neville group, such as John Neville, earl of Northumberland, or John Lord Wenlock would not, and vice versa. Discounting the ubiquitous Warwick, Rivers and Archbishop Neville, of the twenty-four charters issued between February 1466 and June 1469, twelve were witnessed by men associated with the Woodvilles, eight by men associated with the Nevilles and two were witnessed by no member of either group beyond the two earls at their heads and the archbishop; only two charters, both from 1466, featured associates of both families.

Such striking segregation of witnesses suggests that something more than simple convenience or availability was at play. [...] The evidence of these witness lists does show the extent of the split between the two groups from early in Edward's [first] reign and of the need for political society to work with that cleavage in the heart of the Yorkist regime."

— Theron Westervelt, "Royal charter witness lists and the politics of the reign of Edward IV"

*This is specifically applicable for Edward IV's first reign; in contrast, the charters in his second reign displayed a great deal of aristocratic and domestic unity and cohesion.

[angrybatgaming]

Finally got to play Fear & Hunger! And died 3 times! 🎉

I know I said I really liked Enki, but I decided it'd be safer to test the waters with Ragnvaldr. BOY I hate it when I'm right. And I'm now constantly kicking myself for not saving when I found my first Book of Enlightenment.

For starters, I found a Cursed Mace on my first attempt. I forget where exactly. Wanna say it was the entrance where you get ambushed and killed by dogs if you hang around for too long. Also found a bunch of useful books, one that taught me how to skin things. I forget what the others were, but.... *SIGH* I got killed by a pair of dogs a little later.

Second time I PURPOSELY died to one of those priests carrying lanterns. Why, you ask? Because I lost a fight to a guard and woke up without legs in the fleshy tunnel. Actually almost died to Nas'hrah because my brother decided to be mean and suggest I dig around in the piles of flesh because "there might be something useful". >:[ ...but yeah. After I got out, I crawled up to the priest and let them kill me.

And then died a third time to a ballista guard because I hadn't learned the fun run away trick to killing them. I did get a glimpse of Crow Mauler, and slept in his bed. But since the child died and I didn't have the best equipment, I didn't try to summon him.

Watching videos now on how to survive/manage better, and while avoiding enemies sounds like the best option, it's hard to do that when the guards block the only path out. Which results in unavoidable combat. I like this game so far, though.

I DID have the enemy ai for an elite guard bug out once where he planted himself in a corner and couldn't turn around or move.