#I haven't played it yet

[theconstellationprincess]

so i've gone and gotten myself attached to a character from a game I've never played so heres some words about Astarion from Baldurs Gate 3

-

He is. Baby. Just absolute, little guy. You'd never know it, looking at him. Yeah he can be fussy, but he's just another traveler, someone without a place to head back too, and a little bit off. No reason to suspect anything at all.

Except... Except. Well. He was only 39 when he turned, he was a child. And he's 239 now, which is still young compared to the average Elf life span. And it's not like he was gaining survival skills or learning to be a functional member of society during his 200 years of a vampire, in fact he was being traumatized and tortured.

Oh yes he has a silver tongue, and manipulation skills, and a rather impressive ability to slip away from himself and still function, but all of that was dependent on his being able to speak. And sometimes. Sometimes, he finds himself as tongue tied and quiet as he was during the earlier times he spent with Cazador. When things were... worse. When most of his punishments involved, at the very least, his voice being taken. He was... smaller. Younger, but not really. Just less able to deal with things. It was an annoyance, and inconvenience, but one he learned to deal with the longer he spent with Cazador.

Then he got his lovely tadpole and everything changed. He was around people, people who behaved like people and not... well he doesn't want to say monsters. Point is, they weren't like his Master. And he was... well not safe. But safer-ish. Unfortunately, that nasty little smallness stuck around. He almost thought he'd left it behind the same way he left Cazador, for it hadn't reared it's head for quite some time during their adventures. And then there was a day that was just Bad.

The Shadowlands were not great to deal with in the first place, he was so very hungry, having grown spoiled while drinking from wild boars and rabbits. But on this day, his other companions seemed to share in his bad mood, but were far less subtle about it than he. There were several cruel words shared between the group, barbs swapped and refuted, and of course they get attacked and several of them get injured, and when they settle at camp the mood is just as foul as it had been earlier.

And Astarion finds himself unsure. He had been feeling ill, between starvation and several memories popping up at random points, triggered by the cruel sentences swapped between the others. He felt off-kilter. He retired early, waiting until he heard everyone's hearts and lungs settle into now familiar rhythms. He crept out of his tent and into the surrounding area. He listened, but found he could hear very few things over the sound of his own thoughts. He swallowed, feeling tears well up in his eyes, without his permission. He really didn't need the extra fluid loss.

He drops to the ground, pushing himself against a tree, and stopping his breathing. He didn't need to at all, but the others would likely find him even stranger if he didn't. Right now it was noise, and he needed to be quiet. Quiet and good.

He sat there for a long time. Waiting for the awful smallness to fade away. But it stayed. Eventually he had to make his way back to camp, and found his limbs uncooperative. He tripped a few times. It reminded him of shortly after he came out of the tomb.

Ah. Perhaps that is what his body is recalling? How annoying.

Wyll was sitting by the fire when Astarion finally stumbled his way back into camp. He looked over, surprised. "Astarion," He greeted quietly. "Are you quite alright?" Astarion swallowed around his tongue and nodded. Wyll narrowed his eyes. Crap. He would really love his silver tongue right about now.

"Mm-hmm," Astarion hummed. He opened his mouth to continue but quickly closed it. Curse this stupid affliction.

"Are you becoming ill?" Wyll asked, but there was suspicion in his voice. Astarion shook his head, and then nodded a second later. He settled on a final shrug. "Say something."

"Something," Astarion quickly said, complying. His voice was hoarse. He tensed in preparation for a punishment before he could stop himself. Wyll was not Cazador, far from him.

Wyll was looking at him, concerned. Astarion wanted to look annoyed, but his brain was having a fun time pasting Cazadors face onto Wylls, so he kept himself pleasantly neutral. Astarion looked towards his tent, perhaps he could get there and escape the conversation Wyll seemed eager to have. "Don't you dare," Wyll said, narrowing his eyes. "Come over here, what's gotten into you?" Astarion was quick to follow the orders yet again, hating himself as he sat next to Wyll. Why was his stupid body like this?

"Tell me what's wrong, please?"

"I am not myself, M-" Astarion just barely managed to cut himself off and save him from more embarrassment.

"Why?"

"I am afflicted with an awful head condition that convinces my brain and body to forcibly behave as if it's the past."

"Ah," Wyll said midly. "Regression. How interesting, I never would have assumed you the type."

Regression. That was a word unfamiliar to him, at least in this context. How fascinating, he'd have to find out more after he escaped this awful conversation.

[bazwriting]

Soap survived. Alone. He was alone when he woke and he had been alone since. and Markov will regret ever leaving him there. Death gave him a second chance. He won't waste it.

I was heavily inspired by @czigonas post about Soap surviving and taking down Markov.

[jack-shadow]

I'm Here

[yourfavoritehorseman]

Why the hell did they make Johnny Cage in the new game look like Dennis Reynolds from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia? 😆

[baumguy]

Isn't one of the women like. Canonically on fire? Isn't she *literally* to hot to handle? It's like this dude didn't play through the game at all!

Why are cishet men like this...

[blorbopolis]

im cooking

[opalescent-daydreams]

I may have gotten into Mouthwashing yesterday

[nikibogwater]

Might get canceled for saying this, but I LOVE that Zelda is so traditionally feminine in EoW. Like, the devs could've made her a rough-and-tumble tomboy, or a super-skilled ninja warrior--and that would've been totally fine. We've had those versions of her character in the past, so it wouldn't have felt disingenuous or anything (btw Nintendo, if you're listening, I'm still holding out for a Sheik game). But instead, they gave us a playable version of Zelda who is sweet and graceful, who wears pretty dresses on her quest to save the world, who collects adorable accessories with magical properties and has a special bond with her beautiful white pony. She's the unanimously adored big sister/mom friend of everyone in Hyrule. She's an unstoppable powerhouse of kindness and problem-solving. And no one belittles her or takes her less seriously for being "girly." She is every bit the hero that Link has been in past titles (and still is in this one), just with a different approach to saving the day. And idk, maybe my brain is just microwaved from too much time on the internet, but I think that's really cool, and not something you see a lot of in adventure games.

[jaymilepland]

Arcade gannon, does- does he mean Mr fucking house

I'm not exactly a fan but maybe Kojima is allowed to say a few things

[snarkspawn]

I really enjoy playing through tnp again like hi it's been a while

[misstitched-doll]

Look at them!

They ✨️match✨️

Also!

They like cats!🐱🐈‍⬛

[sanguchito-farm]

Save me Sam_Winter.png

[laddertek]

etho said actually you _don't_ understand the intricacies of how tango is my boyfriend and bdubs is my ex

(and how tango and bdubs kiss too)

Scar: We went on that little adventure, you know! Etho: Yeah, yeah, we had our adventure, that's true, that's true. Scar: You disparaged your teammates. That's it, all right, no more spoilers. Etho: (laughs) Our team has -- our team has some weird dynamics this -- this season. Cleo: (overlapping) Really, Etho? Is there trouble in paradise? (pause) Who's third-wheeling with you, again? I can't remember. Etho: (laughs) Uhh. The -- Cleo: Genuinely can't remember. I know it's you and Bdubs. And...Tango? Tango. Tango. Etho: (loudly) Why -- Why is Tango the third wheel? Why -- why isn't Bdubs the third wheel? Cleo: Because it's you and Bdubs. I'm sorry. I understand how that relationship goes. Etho: (dissatisfied) Hmm.

[iberissims]

Rανєηωσσɗ

[drill-teeth-art]

Babygirl why you so- succumbs to the will of a machine