#and also the last bit about there being two axes of understanding

[lord-squiggletits]

What's your favorite part of the writing process? Do you plan out pretty extensively or just see where it takes you?

I'll answer the second question first, which is that I do a mix of extensive planning and improvisation, kind of depending on what stage of the writing process I'm at, as well as how emotionally inspired/passionate I am at the time of writing.

I've found that when I'm very inspired, the ideas come to me in a flash, and as long as I just keep writing them down they keep coming in a cascade that lasts pretty much as long as I have the energy to keep typing. I don't need to plan anything out because my brain is moving that fast that I can come up with a whole plot line, a solution to a plot hole, write a very emotional scene, etc in one go. I think those moments of pure inspiration are one of my favorite parts of writing because ordinarily (both in writing and daily life) I need to think things over quite extensively before I feel comfortable making decisions. Basically, have you ever been playing a game like Tetris or Candy Crush where you make the perfect move that causes half the objects on the screen to blow up at the same time and give you a ton of points? My moments of inspiration are basically the writing equivalent of that.

However, outside of those flashes of inspiration, I definitely rely a lot on planning things out before I can go. I don't want to say that I can't improvise, but I think in order to improvise, I need some sort of foundation of definite/concrete facts of "this is how the scene starts, this is how I want the tone to be, this is what they talk about, this is how it ends" before my spontaneous thoughts can fill in the meat on the bones. I think I sometimes enjoy planning more than actually writing LMAO, because I just enjoy lingering in the realm of possibility and imagination before I have to actually sit down and commit to a single set of ideas. Actually writing out the rough draft can be pretty arduous at times, since it involves so much deliberate thought and nitpicking detail that I often feel (as in the case of the recently released Ch 2 of Every Thawing Heart) like I lose the passion near the end of completing a new fic update and end up operating purely on logic, skill, and craft rather than feeling emotions. Still, it's really nice to have such a solid foundation in planning out my chapters and knowing exactly what, when, how, and why to write something, that I don't even need to feel happy/inspired/creative and can still get a lot of writing done just by following the outline I made for myself. I can trust that creative!passionate!Squiggle knew what she was doing when tired!bored!emotionless!Squiggle is slogging through the rough draft and just wishing it would be over with, lol.

On the other hand, I would also say that a lot of my ideas that go into planning come from gut instinct intuition, and there's a lot of times where I put things in a fic/chapter outline and don't really know why it works or why I want to write it that specific way? That is, I know intuitively/in my heart why a sensory detail or plot point is important way before I understand logically/in my brain what purpose it serves in the narrative. I think becoming skilled in writing, ime, just comes down to trusting in your intuition and understanding that spontaneous inspiration and careful planning go hand-in-hand.

[divine0rdainment]

Operation Replace Lilith AU

Adam dies at the end of season one and ends up back in the begining, as in back to when he was in the garden after being freshly created. Lilith is also there with him. And in a panic, he runs off in to the deeper parts of Eden to clear his head. When he's come to realize what's happened, he thinks about life and all his regrets, one of those regrets being that he suffered a lot and got very little reward. Honestly, Lilith kinda got the better end of the deal, she got a husband, a kid, a long life, and in the end, she even got to go to heaven after making a deal! So even tho she did all this bad she STILL got rewarded.

While Adam basicly ate an apple because his wife asked him to, got sent to earth, starved alot, got hurt alot, lost two sons in horrible ways, grew old and died, went to heaven, got bored of heaven real quick, got condescended to by the angels (Cough cough SERA), became an exterminator, was constantly ordered around by Sera, and then DIED AGAIN FOR DOING AS HE WAS TOLD, AFTER GETTING THE SHIT BEAT OUT OF HIM BY LUCIFER AND THEN STABBED BY A BUG!!!

NO, he would not be doing that again. So he makes a plan, he is going to take Liliths place! He's gonna seduce Lucifer, be the one to go to hell with Lucifer, become a king beside Lucifer, and then later be welcomed in to hell like Lilith was after popping out one kid. (He'd figure out how that would work later. Probebly magic.) And then live happily ever after after by abandoning his husband and child like Lilith did, and live the good afterlife!

Plan made, he goes out and waits for when Lucifer shows up. Still ignoring Lilith of course, much to the woman's anger. She doesn't know what she did wrong, but it's making her mad that he won't even TALK to her. Also Adam is inventing things, like clothing out of Sheep wool, and strings and ropes and baskets and even figuring out how to make spices already. So the angels are a bit confused. They thought it would take humans longer to learn this stuff. But here Adam was, building a house out of mud, trees, and rocks, making an Axe out of a sharpened rock ans a long stick and rope.

Lucifer is so fascinated he actually comes down to visit Adam to ask how he figured out to make all this, and Adams plan starts. Too bad the only flirting Adam knows is very sexual flirting that an angel wouldn't get. And the fact that Adam keeps using slang from the 90s-2000s, and Lucifer doesn't understand half the shit he says! But he's trying! The real problem is, Lucifer seems to be the one doing the seducing by complementing Adam all the time for the smallest thing, and always touching Adams arms and shoulder and hair, and holding his hand without reason, and looking him in the eye like Adam holds the stars up himself. Fuck. Adam! Head in the game! You will NOT fall for Lucifer! This is your second chance!!! Your last chance to have the good life! You can't risk it by accidently liking him!!! Hell, your not even gay!!!

[mysticofspades]

Top 10 Moments in the Life Series

Okay, so like, a month ago or something, Jimmy asked his viewers to compile together a list of their top ten moments from the life series, and I put together my potential list right then and there when the video came out. Then I forgot about it for the entirety of a month and now here we are. (ADHD sucks sometimes TT). Since he’s already put out his reaction vid, I didn’t feel like putting together an entire video but still wanted to ramble some so~

10. Desert Duo on a Camel Together in a Red Desert

Frankly, this made the list exclusively because of biases. The significance of these two men wandering around a RED DESERT – red as in; covered in blood – on the back of some rideable minecraft animal is probably lost on any new viewer. Not to mention the Cactus Monopoly scene, with Scar giving Grian the monopoly over it while saying; “I know how you love monopolies.” That entire interaction pretty much ruined me. I haven’t not thought about it in weeks. I need help.

9. The AH-HA Bit

I don’t know if I need to say anything more about this. If the previous was iconic for its dramatics, this is iconic for the opposite. It’s just a bunch of men having fun together, laughing and making stupid little puns about a made up British tradition. The fact that Impulse, a very american american, was somehow bound up in this group made it ten times funnier. No notes, this bit speaks for itself. Insert funny AH-HA pun here.

8. Etho’s Fishing Rod Kill on Scar

Already one of my favorite seasons for a variety of reasons, Last Life didn’t need this scene to make it my all time favorite season or anything. But damn, am I glad it happened. The precision and calculations on Etho’s part is just– damn! That entire situation, no matter how it played out, Etho would be on the winning side. Like, it was either Scar dies and Etho gets a boogie kill or just not. Even if Etho didn’t get his kill there, Bdubs woulda still gotten a life and Etho could still kill anyone else. Either way, Bdubs would’ve gotten his life and Etho would’ve gotten his buddy back. It’s all just beautifully and meticulously planned out that I can’t help but plop into this spot.

(Yes, I recognise that it might not have been planned to that extent on Etho’s part, or IRL Etho’s part, at least. I am choosing to believe that ch!Etho totally did weigh out all his options and came to the conclusion that this was the best course of action and was confident he could get the kill and even knew that Scar would have the Enchanter on him. He just comes off as that type of character to me, is all.)

7. Scott’s Sacrifice for Pearl in DL

You cannot tell me that this is not one of the most iconic moments of the life series, ever. Scott standing over that pile of TNT, lighter in hand while Pearl, bathed in red and a bloody ax clenched tightly in her fists, watches, wide-eyed and hysteric, trying to desperately ask what’s going on or to understand or to just do something, unable to in the end as Scott takes his own life crowning her victor over the bloodbath that she had never thought would end like this.

And that fucking line?! “Tilly death do us part?!” What the hell, Scott?!

In conclusion, your honor, Tilly is still alive somewhere in the DL world and someone should rescue her.

6. Grain’s Stalactite kill on BigB / Ren

Alright, this is pure luck and I am so fucking here for it. It’s simply beautiful. The unplanned accuracy of a man on a bloodlust ending up only getting a kill on his chosen soulmate is poetic as shit (shit that just so happens to be really poetic, that is).

It’s kinda like the reverse or inverse of the Etho fishing rod kill. Grian’s pure luck and also not is what makes this scene so fucking memorable.

Not to mention both Grian and Scar’s reactions. Grian was over the moon, screaming and celebrating and being ecstatic until he realizes just what he’s done. And his little “except when I got married,” is all pure chaos and we live for that here.

Then there’s Scar, ever the opportunist, immediately starts looting the corpses. Silently. He picks up anything he deems valuable (which could mean useless lint and string, but whatever) and tries to bealine it out of there the second he’s done. I love Scar, honestly.

5. Scar’s SL Win!

This specific season holds a special place in my heart for being the only season I watched and stayed tuned in for the entirety of its run. So when Scar, the one I’ve been rooting for since 3L, happens to win, you can imagine my excitement.

It was so out of left field, too. Like, in the final battle, I knew for a fact something was going to take out Scott and Pearl, them being winners already and this spoken rule of no double winners and all. But between Scar and Gem? I’m sorry, Scar, but I definitely didn’t see it coming. Gem was on a mad one, killing or getting someone else to kill more than half the server and already being stacked on kills. It just fits, ya know?

Like, Martyn, Grain and Pearl all were crazy about killing their entire season, even on green they were kinda unhinged, ya know? (couch couch Scarlet Pearl cough cough). And it's not like Scott didn’t have a body count.

To be fair though, it’s not like Scar didn’t get any kills either, it was just more…. Discrete? Unintentional. His kill on Bdubs and his accidental shot on Gem were both not of his own volition.

The idea that what it took for Scar to win was to completely give up on making friends is poetic as shit.

First season, he had an ally, a friend, a comrade, one whom he betrayed then gave his life for.

Next season, he tried and tried and tried again to make friends, almost as if chasing that same high he got with his first partner, but never managing to make any meaningful connections, and ended up shot in the back.

Then, he’s reunited with his partner of old and they get off to a good start, being the last greens and all. But as if with all things, it came down as Scar, accidentally, took their first two lives and his soulmate took the other.

Afterwards, he returns to his family, hoping to find peace and connections there. He finds it with his mother and brother and, sort of, with his estranged father. He leads a Scar-typical season of blowing things up (attempting to, at least), stabbing people in the back and swindling (only a little). It all comes to a head as his once-soulmate, once-partner-in-crime stabs him in the back, literally.

Finally, we have this season. Scar starts out looking for friends, he very much does. But the universe itself has other ideas. Bad task after bad task, Scar is left almost entirely isolated from the rest of the server. The backstabber of a soulmate offers him a home but he cannot take it (as per rules he made up about his task). Then, somehow, somewhere, he sees those words, “She’s dead, Scar, you won.”

It’s all just beautiful honestly.

4. “It was just a prank, Scar!”

The beginning of it all. This little prank led to so much that it deserves to be in the top5 of every list out there, in my opinion anyway. Like, Grian randomly happening across a creeper out in broad daylight then proceeding to choose to lead it all the way into a group of distracted people in the name of a prank which leads into a season-long, dramatic, all-defying alliance of which leads to a climactic battle surrounded by the disheveled and war torn lands they once ruled over together (we’ll get to this in a minute, don’t worry), chants of the ghosts of the lives they ended to get to where they are, screaming in their ears to fight and to kill and having to brutally take the last life of the person he’d once vowed his own to Al because of what? A prank?! Seriously?!– is that not the best shit you’ve heard all day? Or all week? Hell, maybe your entire fucking life???

I sure think so.

3. Liz’s Final Death in SL

I realize that this is my only Tim related moment on the list and it was Tim who had asked for the list in the first place, but whatever. There are plenty of cool ass (and miserably funny) Tim moments out there (ones I might plop into the honorary mentions bit) but this is honestly my favorite and the one I think makes the cut compared to the others on here.

Anyhow. Onto Liz taking Tim’s place as first out.

I watched Liz’s POV late, can’t remember if it was because she uploaded late or someone else uploaded and I forgot to get back to it afterward– I dunno. I saw hers late and thus already knew she was going to die first, so, unfortunately, I didn’t get to live it through her eyes first, quite sad I know. Point is, I fucking. Nearly. Cried.

Like, not only was Liz’s whole arc in the season quite sad already, with the whole, “I wish everyone were here,” and her attempt at cheering herself up ending up so horribly, I knew beforehand that something awful was going to have to happen to sum up all her season-long misery. Dying in the midst of an attack, her only proper attack really, with an ender-pearl sitting untouched in her hotbar, was not the way I thought that would happen.

And something I didn't expect even more?? Her dying first??? Yeah, no, it was definitely not on my SL Bingo Card, that’s for sure. It was just so out of nowhere and yet, it also wasn’t? How do I explain? Like, Liz’s whole season was going from one misfortune to another, bad decision to another and it just kept piling on, until, well– you know.

Tim’s seasons are usually like that, no? Bad decisions followed by the universe itself hating on him followed by pure bad luck. Pretty much any Timmy Life Series season honestly.

I don’t think I’m doing this scene– this event justice. Timmy went out first every season for 4 seasons in a row. then Lizzie waltzes on in for the second time, suffers a bunch in her episodes, tries to kill Scott (a well-known no-no if you want to live) and then dies. First.

Beautiful and iconic; that’s LDShadowLady for you.

(I realize I should probably talk about Tim some more, given that this is the only Jim-related moment on here, but eh. This segment is too long already. I’ll talk about some other Jim moments later.)

2. Scar’s Water Bucket Clutch

This moment proved to me that putting Grian and Scar together in a life series makes a seriously underrated but totally fairly rated duo. Like, in one season they managed to keep a whole ass, proper, monopoly going for at least, like, 2(?) whole sessions, Grain managed that stalactite kill I talked about already and then Scar does this shit??

I just– there’s a reason these guys got so fucking close to winning and never teamed up, volentairily, ever again. Had they teamed up again, and wanted to actively work together and actually win this shit, they totally could. There is a fucking reason both of them are individually winners now and I’m so shitting here for it.

Onto more specific things; Scar is a mad man and I love him for it. He saw Etho burning a couple of pandas (I apologize; a couple of jellies) and was just, “screw you Giran, those pandas need me,” and he went.

Grian’s reaction going from severely panicked to immeasurable pride is just beautiful (lots of things are beautiful, shut up).

When I tell you I replayed this shit non-stop until all the dopamine this scene could provide my ADHDed brain could be sucked up dry until it was drier than the driest of dry prunes you’ve ever seen on a hot ass summer afternoon, I mean it with every ounce of my being.

With that said; second place it shall be forevermore~

1. Cactus Ring

I mentioned this earlier and I don’t think anyone is necessarily surprised judging by all my other picks thus far, yeah?

Everyone’s heard of the beginning of the end. Well this feels a lot like the opposite of that. The end of the beginning, ya know? Third life’s the beginning, where everything began, where everything and everyone got established (well mostly everyone) and it’s where everything started. The cactus ring, to me, marks the end of the beginning. As if to say, “the beginning is over. We all know what we’re doing from now on, the trials are over and the bloodlusts and betrayals have already begun, let them continue (forevermore~).”

It’s a red mark (of blood) in the sand from where they began to where they’ll continue to go. It's the end of an era, the beginning of another, the continuation of a story left unfinished. It’s everything and nothing and I’m making no sense–

My point in all this is that this moment is iconic and deserves top 2, at minimum, on any and all lists of this kind. I accept none otherwise (not really :P).

…I feel like I spoilt myself a little my gushing about these guys earlier and now I don’t really have all that much to say–

Honorary Mentions!

1 - Tim’s final LimL death.

What the hell, dude? Talk all that crap to what? Trip off your own fucking Bad Boys Bread Brige™? Timmy, Timmy, Timmy.

Joel and Grain’s, and even Pearl’s, reactions were awesome btw!

2 - Grain and Scar’s Sing-Along!

It’s a desert duo moment, I don’t know what you want from me.

3 - Tim Killing Liz in SL

If I’m not mistaken, this is, like, Tim’s only kill that season and it being completely accidental and the fact that he feels horrible for it makes this moment comedy gold.

4 - Grain’s Triple Kill in 3L

This set the stage for many, many kills to come, and the excessive use of TNT minecarts can also be pinned back here, which is awesome of course.

5 - Etho’s Washed Up?!

This was originally on the list but because of (Scar-related) changes, it no longer is. It's awesome though so I put it down here. I fucking love this shit, dude. Cleo and Budubs’ back and forth and Etho just like, “I knew it guys, I really am washed up,” is just great.

6 - Mumbo’s Death in the Nether in SL

Mumbo is awesome and kinda not all there sometimes. This just so happens to be a moment of the latter, is all. Love him.

7 - Joel and Liz’s Romance in SL

I love these two interacting just casually. They’re super sweet and I just– I love seeing couples just doing normal things, like playing a game they both like together and just having fun, ya know? Whether that be with a little flirting or not, it’s fun to watch.

Alternatively; the Joel and Liz are trying to flirt in LL with Scar awkwardly there in the background.

[the-deranged-lunatic-askblog]

"Crazy" || The Hunter AU (ONE-SHOT)

Somewhere lost in the back of time, there is a place where all forgotten histories are told, a mysterious place called "The Unknown"

The days were as lovely as a gradmas's kiss on the cheek, warm and cozy, yet nostalgic and old as you could walk between the trees in almost an eternal autumn

Nights, didn't keep the unknown's majestic nature, but rather the coldness of the darkness itself. Walking through the leaves is not a safe act, as creatures and devils hide in the dark waiting for the next souls to find. Those who grow with the unknown's nature knows that like their own names, but those who don't...

"Excuse me?.... Sir?" They don't know anything.

A person asked a mysterious figure, who was cutting a tree with a axe, and had a lantern on his other hand. As a response, the mysterious one decided to look at them. They lost their words when they felt red and tired eyes looking directly at their soul. Now the person could see clearly how this stranger looked just... Wrong, pretty young but... wrong

"Yes?..." Their voice, it sounded so weak... Like after being destroyed by a tragedy

The state of the boy was deplorable, the person can't just not feel petty for him, his dark eye bags and their dirty clothes warms other's hearts. Despite the situation, this stranger makes their sympathy to wake up

"Do you know how to get back to Massachusetts?"

"Massachusetts?' it seems he never heard about it before

'You know, the state? I-I'm not sure where I am but I know these aren't the forests of Massachusetts" They got a tiny bit nervous "You know, you don't need to know where it is, I just wanna know where I am exactly"

"Oh, well..." He stopped for a moment to think, as a little smile appeared on his face "It may sound a little... Weird... but this place is called... The Unknown."

"The- The unknown? Like the unknown itself?'

The stranger affirmed

"But- The unknown is an abstract concept! that's impossible"

He laughed a little "Oh believe me... In the unknown, the possibilities are endless..." Soon after he said that, he started to pet a lantern so dearly with his palm "Anything can happen in the unknown! Like blessings... And tragedies"

He sounded quite sad in the last sentence, the person tried to change the subject "So this place is basically like a fairytale?"

"I don't think this is that kind of story..." but before the person could say something, he already spoke "But I know how to bring you back home"

"You- you do? I thought you didn't know what Massachusetts even is"

"Oh no, I know about Massachusetts, but I know how to send you right to your home! No pressure no hurry... Fast and easy!" He sounded confident, it was kinda playful from his part

A helpful answer with a charismatic act is enough for a person to be enchanted "Okay okay then, which route should I take?'

"Well... hehe, there are two ways"

"What do you mean two ways?"

He was kind "You can choose one or another, but... If you have problems deciding I can choose one for you"

"I would like to go back home as soon as possible, you could even come with me if you want"

His smile disappeared "... What?"

"Yeah, why not? Sorry but You don't seem very... well or healthy, not to offend of course! But I see you also need some help"

"I need some help?..." It seems it was so shocking to him... And yet, in seconds he made a grin, but his eyes were almost crying "Hah, sure I need help... But I... I can't."

The person looked worried "Why- Why not?"

"Because..." He acted ashamed "Ahg, it's embarrassing to tell you this!"

"No, it's fine! You can tell me whatever you want, I won't judge you..."

"You won't?"

"Of course not! You seem to really need this, man"

"Okay, if you insist..." He clear his throat, it felt like it was something so private for him. Carefully, he gets closer to the person "Did you know... Trees can feel pain?"

The person didn't understand what he was saying "Eh... No?"

He chuckled "That's because it isn't true..." Suddenly, from the disaster of hair he possesses, trapped between the strands he pulled out a rock, with a few hairs left. With a wide grin on his face he got face to face with the person, and screamed "ITS A ROCK FACT!"

And so, he laughed and laughed like a completely maniac in front of their face. The person didn't know what to say, but in their eyes they were regretting all loud. Confused and shocked they remain silent as slowly trying to get away from there, as long the boy kept laughing like a completely lunatic

In one second he looked into their eyes, and his smile dropped

His look feel like a chain back to their interaction, the person couldn't hide that fact. The boy looked at him, his eyes were wide open, the pinkish color on them was almost as bright as the lantern on his hand. The person didn't know what to say, or what even to do, all they did was to remain silent

Suddenly "You said you wouldn't judge me." He didn't sound happy

Even if their mind were white, they tried to at least say something "I don't-" he interrupted

"And you did, in fact, you are judging me right now in this exact instant."

Again, they didn't know what to responde. In that moment the only thing they wanted to do was to leave as soon as possible but, they couldn't just leave... That would be too rude

"Do you know what makes you? A lier, a manipulator"

Finally, that made them actually react "Hey, hold onI was trying to be kind-"

"Tell me, what would you want from me? Going back home of course, you sure were honest with that, and yet you dared to tell me I need some help, and offered me to go with you, but the truth is, you never really care about me, you were just trying to be polite because society teaches you to do so, do you? Not because you are a good person who cares about strangers in deplorable states, but because someone teaches you to do so"

"Hey! Hey! Calm down, I am a good person! I'm just not used to finding people with some mental issues- NO! I mean-"

"Now you call me crazy..."

"No! No like that! You have problems like everyone else and-"

"Ha! Problems like anyone else, yeah sure... you know nothing about me"

"Well it's true that I don't know what happened to you but- hey... I didn't ask your name yet"

"... You wanna know who I am?"

"Uhm.. maybe? I guess I should'

His smiled returned "... Heh, you know... If you have found others before me, once you know who you are talking to, all will make sense!... Promise"

They didn't know where this was going, the person was getting nervous "Rea- really? Are you famous around here?"

He laughed "Well~ when you chase people with an axe you sure make some fame..."

It was just until this moment when the person realized the big axe he had been holding all this time. He noticed, and smiled even more

"Yes, that axe"

The person looked at him for one second, and then just ran

He saw them running away, that really annoyed him "Ahg! I hate when they run." And proceed to chase after them.

Desperation is their guide and their only salvation. They don't know where to go, or even where they are going, just run as fast as their legs allowed them in hopes to get lost from the size of the hunter behind them. His footsteps can be heard clearly from their back, and the light of the lantern exposed both presenses to one another. He hasn't stopped at any moment, while with another new footstep, they feel more and more weak, until they could even collapse. Tears, tears of frustration, fear and more pass through their face and fly away for the wild wind on the running, the desire to scream is powerful but their throat already had enough since moments ago. How long has they been running? It felt like a torture, where time only makes it worse, the intent starts feels useless as is like they are trying to avoid the inevitable

Then, for a moment they dared to look back

Soon the urge to scream came back. They feel something jumping from behind, it pushes them down to the dirt. The pain of the fall is nothing compared to the fear of who is over them now. He was grabbing their wrists with unspeakable force, no matter what they tried, they couldn't come off. The constant intents were starting to make him angry

"Stop! Just STOP please! It's useless now! I know it's horrible but you are only making this harder for both of us!" He tried to calm them down, while trying to find a way to immobilized them completely "Look! I told you to get back home, right? well this is the way! For going back home you need to perish in this forest! Huh!?"

"I'm not that stupid!"

That broke him off

"YES YOU ARE."

Without any warning, they felt a sudden pain in their face. It wasn't that bad, compared to the others that came after that. Cuts, to their arms and legs, torso, neck and face, he would not listen to the screams, crying or the begging, no matter the echo they made through the trees, he knows no one would even dare to come closer, no one would come to save them and that was a relief. Blindly, penetrating their skin with the edge of metal, over and over again, in any place and any zone of their body, no part to waste until he makes sure they are no longer breathing... Or until he feels better

Once the deed was done, Red was the only thing they left in this world. He had some red over him, and an awful lot in the axe. Wirt found himself breathless

"Ah... Ah... Ha... Haha! Hahahaha! HAHAHAHAHA!"

A twisted laugh came from his mouth, yes, but in his eyes were tears falling all over his face.

For all the running they did, Wirt had the fortune to found a river with clean water. Now he was washing his hands, the red abandoning his fingers to paint the water as he watched out for the lantern as his side, making sure it doesn't fall into the river

Wirt always avoids looking at his reflection, mirror or water, he can't imagine how gruesome he must look right now, and doesn't wanna know. He feels foolishness from crying, because he was told 'Humans are trees meant for the oil, and the oil is meant for Greg' The Beast teaches him to avoid all human contact and relationships, so he doesn't get hurt by the petty feelings of sympathy and guilt

It wasn't the first time he did that to someone, sadly he knows it wouldn't be the last, and that person wasn't the most pleasant either... Yet, he needed to apologize

"Sorry for that Greg, you should see that kind of stuff" When he was finishing the hunting, Wirts left Greg in the roots of a tree... In front of everything. Wirt feels so irresponsible. However Greg doesn't seem to be upset with him "'Its okay Wirt, just please be more careful next time!'" and Greg being a supportive brother, maybe a little too much for someone like Hunter. The words of that person are still trapped inside his mind and it won't leave alone his thoughts "yeah you are right, I mean who is this guy to tell me if I, you know, crazy! Ha..."

"Greg, do you think I'm crazy?" Wirt was genuinely worried, he didn't want to admit in front of someone else but he could no longer deny it, it really got him this time. And once again, Greg thinks his answer "Mmmm I don't think so Wirt, but hey! Many geniuses were called crazy too! Like Albert Einstein, Edgar Allan Poe, Nikola Tesla and more! If someone tells you that you are crazy then it's a compliment!"

"Ah compliment, huh?" He didn't though it like that before...

"So Guess they were right..." He is done washing his hands

'I am crazy"

The end.

[ketterdamskaelishprince]

ada's spectre, and why i'll likely always feel sad about it

here is the promised analysis/talk about ada's spectre. going to preface this by saying i obviously don't know the true intent behind everything and her design, i just like to look, giggle and then make sad little observations which just help me love this silly webcomic even more. so if you disagree with me on something– totally ok! i love to learn and i love to see different interpretations.

there's also a few bits i missed out because i wrote this all last night in a bit of a haze, and i cannot be bothered to expand on some of my ideas, especially when it's just stuff like "BROS SO PARANOID AND RAW RIGHT NOW".

anyways, here we go :) @mugcereal this one's for u pookie <3

so i think with ada's spectre, we first need to look at the instance as to how she gets it, because that always makes things way more sad!

to specify, she turns into her spectre at episode 69, and i think it's really sad how she does it. she basically gets a string of roasts from prospero that go along the lines of calling her "conceited" "twadry" and "... and stupid!" – effectively throwing back in ada's face what she believes everyone thinks of her.

(obviously, as a very big and glaring sidenote, i believe prospero is aro/ace or just aromantic so OBVIOUSLY i am not bashing him for this. bros told her so many times that he doesn't want to be with her, let alone to be touched. that is a flaw in ada's character and is a reminder to us on the importance of boundaries!!!!)

so, ada is basically there, collapsed on the floor in a robe– effectively showing the most intimate and private part of herself as an insecure and lonely girl. and that's when she transforms.

i think it's interesting to understand how this most likely links to her life and how she died. so we know she was killed with an axe, most likely by the man she fell in love with and worked for, and how prospero's words in this situation, hurt her just the same as the words before her death. why?

because they remind ada of what she knows and fears she is: just a stupid, fake and cheap person who will never have the same status and respect as the people she pretends to be and surrounds herself by.

i think it's also interesting that she's clutching her stomach/torso here, and correct me if i'm wrong but that could be a potential signal to the part of her that was axed to death (?). no idea if that's a good shout or not but it's what i first thought!

anyways! now we move onto her spectre design!

first of all, her spectre design eats. like just a personal side note, i love it. it's just so gorgeous and i don't care if she's terrifying to some because to ME? to me, she's my gorgeous little pookie who can scream and show people their worst fears and she looks amazing whilst she does it <3

ok anyways, actual design.

to first understand her design, i thought i'd show you what banshee's traditionally in folklore look like!

typically, they are described in two ways. the first way is a youthful women with long black hair, blue eyes and just super pale. this description could also lose the blue eyes and just keep the black hair– either way the first depiction of a banshee is a super young woman.

this is not the one we're focussing on today folks!

we're going to focus on the second depiction. a hag/ old woman, with red cheeks, a grey cloak and a green dress, often seen to be combing her hair. banshee's throughout folklore are known to wail, scream and cry when a family member had died. to most, the banshee was a sign that death was coming to your household and they are known in myths and folklore as a predictor of death.

now, hold onto the green dress and look at ada's design real quick for me.

here we see a lot of green, which yay! definitely shows signs it comes from the second depiction. i think, on top of it being a nod to the second depiction, i think it could also be an allusion to something else: jealousy.

green symbolism in media can often vary, from meaning new life, luck and also jealousy. and i think if we take in the things ada screams whilst in her spectre form, such as this from episode 82:

you see there definitely is some sort of jealousy there, but this isn't something i necessarily want to focus on, it's just an observation i made that may or may not be true!

anyways, to continue, i want to look at ada's outfit when she's a banshee. i'm going to basically be making my notes i took last night look nicer.

(keep in mind that when i wrote these, my ideas were literally bouncing off my brain and sometimes they're a bit contradictory, but i think that's the beauty of my crack theory analysis!)

i think the act of almost showing her bones to the outside, there's a level of rawness to ada we don't usually see. her spectre form essentially gives her the power to scream out her anger, and by seeing her bones it's almost as if to say this is the ada she doesn't show people. this is the ada that she keeps to herself because god forbid anybody love her (because in life and death it's become abundantly apparent to her that nobody does seem to love that ada).

but then, what i thought was also a super cool thing as how the bones almost act like a corset!

then i got sad because i looked at the bows, and because something dawned on me and it made me start to frown. there was a sad realization to me as i looked at ada's spectre design that even in this all powerful form, she hasn't lost her insecurities, they just become more prevellant. because for all of the traditional wrinkles, hag-like appearance a banshee is meant to have, ada barely has any.

obviously this could be in part to character design and stuff, and yeah probably– but let me be sad!

because ada carries her frills and bows from life here because she doesn't want to be ugly, she doesn't want to be this creeping monster who rips apart people. because if she's not got her intelligence or status or anything going for her, she has her appearance and by god she's not going to let that go to waste. so here her spectre form is, a banshee.

so what must ada do? she must takes her frills and keep her insecurities, her fears and her crippling need to be loved.

another aspect which is super interesting is the stitching on her body. one one hand, it could be an allusion to her violent death, suggesting the man she fell in love with didn't just stop at axing her once, but just kept on fucking going (which, you know: fuck you, whoever you are).

but on the other hand, it could be a metaphor for ada's thinly veiled facade she puts on of being a prim and proper lady (which we actually, interestingly enough, see she looses a lot the more time she spends with montresor– opting to take parts of his language like "ain't" and "beggin'". this sort of leads on from previous ideas people have made of ada willing to change herself to be loved. she swaps civility for the wild wild west all for a bit of love).

ada offers up parts of herself in this metaphor. that's what she always does. she offers herself to the rich man she fell in love with, she offers herself up to prospero (again, look at the. side note. bro wasn't wrong for rejecting her he literally can't like her) and she offers herself up to the acolytes and she fucking barks for them (because i'm not over that).

piece by piece, she strips away everything she is until she literally is just skin and bone. and once she's torn herself apart, she needs to stitch herself back together– because it's against the facade she's put on to look so broken and messy. and so she repeats the cycle again, giving more and more until she is literally hanging on by a thread.

her powers are also super cool. traditionally, as i said, banshees wail when a family member is soon to die/has died, and is often like an omen/predictor of death. so yeah, ada having a banshee scream makes sense. but the whole 'fear itself' is also super cool. i kind of like that she has this– because its sort of satisfying for her, the girl who's been pushed over but still comes running back, to watch as people become paralysed with fear. idk, retribution or whatever.

i'm going to leave you with this not very profound thing i wrote last night (and then just some other mumblings):

i think that although spectres are super powerful and also just a very fantastic concept, they're also fragile. spectres are quite literally the monster inside of you. yet here ada's monster is, and with all her bows and revamped dress of a banshee (or potentially an allusion to her life as a maid) she tries desperately to be anything but that. because to here it's ugly and it's too much of her on display. and with some much of you on display comes the very fear that if you are hated, disliked or something repulsive, you no longer have anything to blame on anybody else. you just have yourself to blame.

(as morella says here in episode 88).

i'm not saying ada isn't deeply flawed, because she is. she has so much fucking baggage and insecurities that they literally forbid her from doing the right thing sometimes. i don't think she's a good person, but i also think that she has the opportunity to be a good person/ do a semi-good/ non-bad thing, and all she has to do is take it. but i also think it's nice how that's shown in her spectre design.

and, you know, if none of this makes sense, that's also fine!

anyways, yeah. somebody tell me never to make a random analysis at night again because it's a bit of a bitch to translate in the morning.

[halogenwarrior]

One thing that frustrates me in a lot of fictional autistic or autistic-coded characters and makes them generally not relatable to me is how they handle their morality stereotypically. They tend to come in two flavors. The first is where the character is completely amoral, they just care about pursuing their special interest and don't have much thought to who gets hurt (which the narrative and/or fans might not quite blame them for because of how they get infantilized, they are amoral like a little kid who just cares about playing with their toys). This stereotype is where you get this horrible video I once saw on Facebook that was about a plan to train autistic people to launch missiles or something for Israel, the idea being they don't have empathy or morality and they will just care about the obsessive interest in getting things done and making things work.

And then the second one - which, note I do respect as relatable to a lot of people I've heard from, characters like this have their place, though it's not relatable to me and I'm sick of it being the only thing I see. And this one is often not in explicitly autistic characters but in the ones that most commonly get headcanoned as such by fans. This is where the character's morality is essentially formed by obsessively following the rules of their society, being obsessed with honor or law to the point of not really seeing the people they hurt in the process as humans. I can name so many characters like this that get headcanoned as autistic a lot here and elsewhere - for one it's a whole YA "honor society" archetype (i.e Zuko from Avatar the Last Airbender, Winter from Wings of Fire, Ax from Animorphs), and in adult books we have characters like Javert from Les Miserables.

And I get that moral inflexibility is a thing and some people really do relate to them realizing they don't intuitively grasp why social things are the way they are leading to them inflexibly following the letter of the law. But it gets a bit overdone to see a "strong sense of justice" always interpreted this way, and it often feels like the joke is on these character "they can't understand real morality like a neurotypical person so they have to just mindlessly ape the rules of it without getting the substance". just for once I would like to see an autistic character who forms their own set of moral rules from thinking through things and compassion, and they are still inflexible about the rules they've set for themselves and might seem completely weird/different in thinking to the average person morally, and aren't always right, but their moral compass is functionally coming from themselves, perhaps even rebellious, and not either just mindlessly outsourcing the rules and conventions of their society or having no sense of morality at all. I don't think I've ever quite seen this even though it's something I personally would relate to a lot. Like N from Pokemon Black and White (also often interpreted as autistic) definitely nailed the "defined by morality that is "weird" and inflexible but fundamentally sourced from compassion rather than rigid rule-following", but then they had to ruin it by establishing that he was actually conditioned from childhood to think that way and didn't come up with his beliefs on his own, and therefore they are invalid. I wonder if anyone knows any characters (whether canonically autistic or not) who fit this?

[star-dust-and-stories]

wot s3 finale thoughts

(i realized i never finished this... horrible timing, but i'm still posting this for posterity's sake. #savewot!)

since the two rivers plotline reaches its conclusion in episode 7, i'm gonna lump it together with episode 8 as the finale. perrin was never my favorite (in all honesty he is probably the member of the ef5 i care about least) but episode 7 was just incredible. a show-stopping masterpiece, i wish i could watch it for the first time again. episode 8 is a little less focused and more flawed since it has so much to wrap up, but it still lands on such a satisfying (and tragic!) note i can overlook it. now, one last time, more spoilery thoughts under the cut!

episode 7 — goldeneyes

the wide sweeping shot of the two rivers combined with a synthy take on perrin's theme is one hell of an introduction!

from what i gather perrin becoming a lord is a big part of his arc but i can't help but feel how it feels a bit unnaturally executed.

seeing the tuatha'an again is so much more impactful after learning their history a few episodes prior!

dain and perrin, the girls are fighting! also, what is lord luc's deal?

i don't know why but the idea of loial playing maiden's kiss just squicks me out.

faile is so down bad for a guy she just met that she's willing to die on the frontlines for him. and throwing his fridged wife in his face? icon behavior.

you know, seeing as both his twin sisters can channel, i had an idea: what if mat could channel? i know his whole deal is that he is just some guy, but it'd be neat to have an au where he was a male channeler.

singing sing of manetheren before the battle was more powerful than any speech he could've made.

does it count as the first fuck of the season if it was signed?

i think this is the first time we've actually seen a complex weave!

alanna got impaled AGAIN? also, maksim, i owe you an apology, i wasn't familiar with your game.

the whole battle sequence in emond's field is just fantastic, no notes.

aram repeating history and defending himself with a spear, time truly is a wheel.

perrin dual-wielding a hammer and an axe while he and faile have a battle couple moment, we love to see it.

the cauthon twins incinerating eamon valda was such a haunting scene, the shot of him burning as the aes sedai themed played was cinematic.

i was so convinced that loial wasn't actually dead and then rafe and hammad had to crush my hopes and dreams after the episode.

the music soaring as the trollocs retreated, just beautiful.

and perrin riding off as the score swelled triumphantly, what an ending.

episode 8 — he who came with the sun

elaida saying the word logical pisses me off SO MUCH and i don't know WHY.

i wouldn't have caught this if i hadn't rewatched season 1, but it appear that the white tower removed the railings in the hall some point after this election.

the aes sedai shawls are so aesthetically satisfying, i love how the sitters form a continuous spectrum of color.

and the rendition of siuan's theme as she is elected to the seat, just magnificent.

that damn ter'angreal better be some chekov's gun because siuan just keeps looking at it longingly.

i understand the show is pressed for time but i hate that we don't get to see the aftermath of the attack in episode 6. the jump in time feels rather abrupt.

i can get kinda behind moiraine learning how to tie off a shield after being shielded for an entire season, but how did she learn the weave? after all, she wouldn't have been able to see how it was tied off.

mat cauthon not knowing how to use chopsticks, this scene was written specifically FOR ME.

half of rand's arc this season can be summed up as having increasingly catastrophic break ups.

i've never been a stickler for details like this but a part of my brain can't help but be annoyed that we can see rand's and the women's weaves in the same scene.

okay i need the story here? why does melindhra owe a debt to the dark?

whatever i was expecting to happen to sammael, it was not this!

can't help but read this as aviendha telling egwene to let go of her ex so she can have a shot with him. icon behavior, the girls are honestly killing it this season.

moiraine and lan, you guys CANNOT be having this conversation out in the open.

the extras budget for this episode must've been INSANE.

why is couladin tits out in a tent with his (i had to consult google for this) STEPMOM/SISTER-IN-LAW(?)

why is this goddamn palace so empty?

OH IS THAT PURPLE SPACE LASER BALEFIRE?

mat, my sweet summer child. why would you to walk TOWARDS the doorway that you KNOW you are going to be hung from?

now is THAT freaky fox guy the finn?

i find it hard to believe that liandrin didn't know a whole ass person in the same room as her crouching behind the bed.

elayne's arc next season is going to be so delicious, i just know it.

also, her absolutely blasting a woman out of the pattern, we love to see it!

i love that mat got the one and only (verbal) fuck allowed in the season! that's my boy!

i was entirely netrual on the cpr scene (though i have heard tell of a cauthor cpr that i have not gotten to in the books yet) but i got ruined for me after people started using it as fodder to ship min/mat. nothing against that, they are just so platonic to me!

nyneave parting the sea like moses, i'm so proud of her!

i feel like melindhra dying would've been more impactful if she and lan had gotten any meaningful interaction this season.

i do have to giggle at rand finally opening up to moiraine and her replying (with tears in her eyes) i'll still kill you.

SIUAN! the way they've visualized stilling makes it look so awful (and different from when logain was gentled in season 1!)

sammael strung out like an edgy installation, lanfear in her hot topic getup, adore whatever is going on in this scene.

cognitive dissonance and all that but was no one ever gonna address how couladin absolutely meets none of the criteria for the prophecy and rand meets all of them? also, i love how the aiel somehow manage to split directly down the middle.

i do love the touch of how lanfear weaves shields slightly differently from the aes sedai of the third age.

and now we have moiraine with the last stabbing of the season!

SIUAN! I DIDN'T THINK SHE'D FUCKING DIE!

and the ending, so haunting.

WHAT a finale! this season ended in truly spectacular fashion, and, in my completely unbiased opinion, the wheel of time is one of the best shows airing currently. i'm so excited to see what season 4 (fingers crossed) has in store! one last time, spoilers below the cut!

[shieldfoss]

Following up on that previous point re the difficulty of programming being a union of the difficulties of STEM and humanities:

"RAX" is a register in x86-64 intel

"EAX" is also a register in x86-64 intel

"AX" is also a register in x86-64 intel

"AH" and "AL" are also (two) registers in etc./

(That last one is technically not true)

This illustrates the point twice-over, first by the unreasonable back-compat of x86, and second by the unreasonable entrenchment of x86.

(Readmore added when I realized I was about to write "Let's go back to the 8086")

---

Let's go back to the 8086 :3

Alright so the 8086. It's popularity is seen in the two senses of its longevity.

The more obvious one is its twenty year life span - it launched in 1978 and you could still buy it in 1998, twenty years later, what?

But it's less-obvious-to-outsiders longevity is this: The language you wrote in to talk to the 8086, the x86 instruction set, is still in use today - everything I do at work is compiled into a dialect of x86 (Specifically x86-64).

The instruction set has been extended a lot since then so you can talk about the features of newer chips but to the best of my 20 minutes of research, a program compiled for the 1978 intel 8086 will still run on a 2023 intel 14900K[1]

So what is the 8086 like?

Well, it has some of those registers I mentioned - it doesn't have EAX and RAX, but it has AX, AH and AL - and BX, BH, BL, and a C... and D... variant of those.

"Oh wow 12 general purpose registers" well yesexceptactuallyno.

There's a reason they're grouped as 3 x 4 letters "A(X,L,H), B(X,L,H) ..." rather than just having 12 letters for 12 registers.

AX is actually just AH and AL next to each other. You can store 8 bits in AH, or 8 bit in AL, or 16 bit if you combine them, with the combination-name AX.

The proper way to describe it is to say that the 8086 has four 16-bit general-purpose registers, AX, BX, CX and DX, each of which has a High and a Low part of 8 bits each.

Alright, we're done talking about the 8086, because a newer chip comes out it's 32 bit! Let's add some 32 bit registers! Let's add EAX, the extended AX register.

Wait that's a terrible name, what? Call it like A32 or something.

Did I say "we're done talking about the 8086?" So that was a fucking lie.

Of course we're still taking about the 8086! All the world's software is written to run on an 8086! If your processor doesn't have an AX register there's no software for it and you won't get any sales - but if you have an AX register taking up space that could be used for a 32 bit register, your chip will be too inefficient and you also won't get any sales. Easy solution: It's the same register! Code that wants to use a 32 bit register asks for EAX, code that wants to use a 16-bit register asks for AX and it just gets the bottom half of the EAX register! Beautiful!

And that's why you have to name it "EAX" - if your user writes to AX, and then to A32, they might get surprised that AX was overwritten. But if they write to EAX, to the extended AX register, they'll know they're overwriting AX.

Wait.

Wait.

Surprised?

What's this "surprised," how is a software delevoper getting surprised, I thougth we were in STEM here? Pure, clear first-principles reasoning, correct logic application and so on?

No - we're in the part of software that is dominated by the difficulties of the Humanities - as a software developer sitting down to hand-roll some x86, you do not have the luxury of a true physical understanding. You have to know what the chip designer decided, not what the laws of physics are. Understanding this is less like Quantum Mechanics and more like Jura, where you need to know a bunch of texts that have nothing to do with justice qua justice and everything to do with how human systems have interpreted justice over the last many centuries. Or like politics! You can lobby for changes! Try doing that to solve your problem with the Fine Constant!

So that's the "unreasonable back compat"

The "unreasonable entrenchment" is that Intel tried to kill x86. It's bad! I mean let me be clear, x86 has one advantage and that is "historical presedence" By just about every other measure it is bad.

Intel knows this! They invented a new instruction set 20 years ago (a reminder here that x86 is 40+ years old) and (1) it was better and (2) it failed miserably because it wasn't x86 back compatible. Oops! So we've been struggling along with x86 back compat ever since.

The unreasonable back compat means that x86 is not the best instruction set for modern chips, as it must also model old chips.

The unreasonable entrenchment is that we can't get rid of x86.

They're trying again now (They annouced x86-S earlier this year) so maybe! But probably not.

[1] Caveat here - it will run on a modern cpu but if you have installed a modern operating system then the operating system will not run it - this fact is exclusively about the hardware realities of the x86.

[burnwater13]

Boba Fett and Fennec Shand leading the Mods down the streets of Mos Espa. Image from The Book of Boba Fett, Season 1. Calendar from DateWorks.

Grogu had questions. Lots of questions. His first question was where did you get a cool speeder bike like the ones the Mods were cruising around Mos Espa on? His second question was do they come in purple? He had always liked the color purple and he thought that if he could convince his dad to get him a cool speeder/scooter like the ones they had, he definitely wanted it to be purple. 

Like Master Windu’s lightsaber. Which had also been cool. Of course he wouldn’t be telling Daimyo Fett anything about that. He understood that the two of them had some history and Grogu didn’t want to bring any bad memories back. That wouldn’t win him any support in the get dad to get him something fun and cool and pretty. 

“Hey, kid, does your dad know what you’re up to?”

Grogu sighed. Fennec always showed up at the worst possible moment. He quickly shut down his datapad and turned a very fake smile on the Daimyo’s right hand person. 

“Well, you’re not going to get it if you don’t collect allies while you can.”

She turned to walk away and Grogu ran over to her and hugged her boot.

“That’s more like it. Listen kid, I don’t care if you get a speeder/scooter and ride it from her to Pika Oasis everyday. Just don’t bring any fish back and give the gorgs directly to the cook. But you and I both know that your dad doesn’t want you to have one. He doesn’t have a good record with speeder bikes and he knows that you are twice as reckless as he is. He thinks you’re going to get hurt. Now…”

Fennec paused and it seemed to last forever. Grogu held her boot even tighter. 

“You know that your dad listens to the Daimyo. He respects him because he understands the Mandalorian experience and he understands what it takes to be a bounty hunter. Your dad is supposed to be training you to be a bounty hunter, right? You are his apprentice. That means you should be showing the Daimyo just how responsible you are. How much of a hard worker you are. How you can fit in small spaces and retrieve things for him that no one else can.”

Ahhh… so that was what Fennec was up to! She needed Grogu’s help. It was such a rare occurrence and as much as he wanted to gloat and do a little dance, he knew that he needed to strike while the lures were hot!

He tapped her boot and then signed his question to her.

“What and where? You’re pretty smart kid. You worked that out faster than the Majordomo did the last time I made him an offer. Okay, enough of that. Turns out that bacta tank that the Daimyo uses has a filter cartridge that requires periodic maintenance. The droid that does the maintenance was cleaning it when the Gamorreans entered its work room to have their axes sharpened. Being a bit on the clumsy side they knocked the filter off the bench and it rolled behind a built cabinet that even the Gamorreans can’t budge. Turns out, no one needs to move it. We just need someone with a small hand and the ability to use the Force to get the thing. That’s where you come in. Can you get that Jedi friend of yours to stop by? He could fetch it for us in no time.”

Well. Fine. Be. That. Way! 

Grogu pouted at he looked up her. He knew that she knew that he could do that without breaking a sweat, which meant he could be on his new speeder scooter faster than a bantha could lick your face. She was just teasing him because he’d spent ‘a day too long at that Jedi Sleep Away Camp’. 

“Oh, come on. I’m just teasing you. Your friend can’t get here anything like soon enough. I need that filter back today. Let’s go.”

Fennec offered to carry him, which was a first. He jumped into her arms and then let her settle him on her shoulder. He preferred the view from there. 

Before he knew it they had left the kitchen, where he’d been eating a snack and looking at speeder/scooters on his datapad, and were suddenly in the basement workrooms. He still had no idea how Fennec managed to move so fast, even while he was sitting on her shoulder watching her. It just seemed like walking to him but she always got where she was going so quickly compared to the amount of time it would have taken his dad or even the Daimyo. Huh.

When they reached the correct workroom, there were only thirteen of them filled with various tools and equipment, Grogu hopped down from her shoulder and made his way to the cabinet that the two Gamorreans were still standing next to. At attention. With their axes at the ready. 

Grogu chirped at them and they stepped carefully to the side, giving him a clear path to the interior of the cabinet.

He coo’d at Fennec and found himself holding a flashlight. He appreciated how quickly she got that for him. 

“It rolled through that small cut out in the back. Yes, right there. Now do your thing kid.”

Grogu almost laughed or giggled or chortled, he didn’t know what the sound was that he smothered but it was definitely based on how desperate she was and the view he had of the problem. He put the flashlight down, being careful to make sure that the beam of light still lit up the small opening  and then raised his left land and walked slowly, very slowly toward the opening. 

Before Fennec could ask him how it was going, the flashlight clicked off and he was plunged into darkness. He felt a breeze blow by him and as it did, he whirled around and grabbed for the tail of the breeze and … caught it! As quickly as that he was on some critter’s back and riding it like a blurgg. 

It tried to toss him and turn and buck and plunge and do whatever it took to get Grogu off it’s back, but that critter had no idea how much Grogu wanted that speeder/scooter and he was not about to let go of any critter holding the filter piece in it’s jaws. 

“Dank Farrik! Fennec, what the heck is going on down here?”

Uh oh! It was his dad. No time for messing around. Grogu focused on the task at hand and yanked the filter out of the critters mouth and then did a beautiful backflip off it’s hairy hide.

He trotted out of the cabinet and held the cartridge out to Fennec, who handed it to the droid who thanked her in a toneless voice. 

“Hey, Mando, just doing a little maintenance. Your kid’s been a big help, as usual.”

Grogu smiled at the grin on Fennec’s face. She wasn’t wrong. He had been a big help.

“Good. Glad to hear that. Come on Grogu. The Daimyo wants to take you shopping in Mos Eisley. He said new speeder/scooters arrived and he said you’ve earned one with all the helpful things you do around here. He just said no purple ones. He can’t abide that color for some reason. Come on. Let’s go.”

Grogu finally understood the attraction of the Darkside of the Force. One day he would get even with Fennec Shand. One day.

NOTE: If you know which episode this photo is from please comment. I checked them all (too quickly) and didn't find it. Thanks.

[burntheworldtwice]

Live Thoughts on The Last Voyage of Demeter (Spoilers)

So I know very little of this movie outside the plot. I know it is much anticipated. Reviews are decent. But I didn't want some critic tainting my opinion you know? So I smoked a bowl, made a broke girls charcuterie, and am diving in.

-First of all who doesn't love a good Dracula tale?

-This is moody. Love that. Definitely recommend being in the dark by a fire if possible. its giving Victorian child and I personally am a victorian child so this is just swell

-I wish we still rode horses. Its a power move. Cop pulls up in a car ugh boring cop GALLOPS up on a horse. Mad respect.

-OMG its the guy who went after Oppenheimer for that shit senator. What's his name......David Dastmalchian. Im sorry hold the phone. DASTMALCHIAN is his dad Machiavelli. I'll be honest y'all im not a fan of his face. He looks weasly and honestly a bit threatening but that may just be the roles I've seen.

-Corey Hawkins out here showing LOOKS. Saving LIVES. CHILD LIVES. What. A. Gem.

-Whats in the box? WHATS in the box? WHATS IN THE BOOOOOX?!

-Why must children be so enthusiastic? So young and full of hope. Even on a fucking Russian ship in the 19th century.

-This cheese is really fucking good.

-Awe isn't this cute. "Crew in high spirits". Dancing around and shit. Did you know that many sailors were gay and that's why everyone thinks the Navy is a bunch of pussies. The more you know :)

-Is that Aaron Paul? LOL

-This really is pretty I must say. And the use of sound is just **Chefs kiss** I love when a movie employs sound as a means of expression.

-She needs a transfusion who's fucking blood is heh using is that his blood? The count is awake! yipeeee.

-I really need to watch some BTS for this. A lot of CGI and sets. Like did they do it Life of Pie style. I'll have to goole that..

-Ruh row. Bats outta the cage. NOT THE FUCKING DOG WHYYYYY KILL THE KID. Ugh why is it always the dog :((((

-HUUUCCKKKK

-Rabies? Men are so simple minded.

-Damn Drac is not looking good. Like worse than Voldy pre cauldron sesh.

-This kid is really taking on some emotional trauma. And little Woody Newman is just a cutie. He reminds of Gavauche (idk if that's spelled right) in Les Mis.

-"A boat without rats such is a thing against nature." That's a tattoo right thurr

-I am LOOOOVING the horror. The gore is so well done. Beautiful like Saving Private Ryan... If youre into blood..

-I could listen to Liam Cunningham read a Ikea instructions manual.

-I don't know if its intentional or not but I can't figure out the timeline of this movie. They mention a cove and it being over two weeks to England. But I can't tell how the time is passing. Could also be high but hey who knows.

-I know Rotten Tomatoes poopood this but I'm having fun and Draculas a dick lmao mimicking his victims. Damn bitch. Oh good strings. I love a good horror

-Why do we find it so hard to believe in things we can't understand? I realize the human brain seeks answers and solutions rather than more questions, but what if the answers and solutions are right there we just refuse to believe it?

-LMAO "I have a very important job for. you Toby. It's a lot to take on, can you handle it?" Hands over a spyglass. "Will you shine my shit for me dude?" I was talking to my wife about this but like I don't remember ever being this curious as a kid. Like demons on board? Nah Im staying in my room. Meanwhile this kid just wandering around the belly of ship.

-RUN TOBY RUN

-He got a knife. Tough kid here.

-Wow he's going full Jack Torrance with the door here. But who needs an axe when you have your face???

-NOT TOBY. Like I know everyone dies and all but damn. Also can Dracula apparate. Or is it like AS IF YOU COULD OUT RUN ME. Im a little behind on my Dracula lore. Oh he might live with these backwoods infusions.

-Okay I just haven't paid attention on the captains log. My B.

-Olgarin was bit... and infected? But Anne and Toby were fed on... and aren't? I'm going to have to think about that. Going up in flames was a fun drama though!

-I feel like maybe don't open the spooky box. And this man just rowing out to sea blindly believing in his faith. Did the Prince of Darkness fly out there? or. Yep. He a winged mother fucker.

-I like Dracula just whispering sweet nothings before he feeds.

-Are his burns not fucking horrifically painful? Im in pain looking at him. I know burns and that shit sucks for forever.

-Can Dracula manipulate the weather? I feel like I really need to brush up on my Dracula now. Foggy as hell. Dracula knew yawls plan come on.

-Women always out here making the greatest sacrifices.

-Why is Dracula synonymous with the devil? I like to think of Dracula like Jason Segal in Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

-THe smothering with the wings was like kinda dope. Won't lie.

-I'm so glad they're trauma bonded now.

-I think I would of made a great light house keeper. Chill up in the rain by a fire. Watch the ships. Ambient lighting. My kinda gig to be frank.

-That ending sunrise. Wow. Almost poetic.

-NONONONONOOOO please tell me there's not going to be a sequel. Please dear god just let it end.

-Fuck.

[marlog-5]

“Revelations?”

“Hm?”

“Rev-“

“Hm.”

“Buddy…”

“Hm!”

A large hand to the shoulder abruptly stopped the smaller man in his tracks.

“Is there something on your mind?” Lamentations asked as gently as he could, his head nodding towards the audaciously large pile of wood that had been chopped for kindling. Specifically that Rev had been non stop chopping for hours now… for the fire he never let burn longer than a meals worth. A small blush snuck past his defenses and onto his cheeks

“God forbid a guy have hobbies!” He tossed the ax down and flopped childishly onto his soft-sack. “It’s not exactly like I can take up knitting or anything, I’m poor dimwit!”

Lamentations took two pieces of fire wood from the monstrous pile, one for the fire and one to sit by the fire and pretend like it was gonna get used eventually. He didn’t want revelations hard work to go to waste but he also knew rev didn’t like having the fire going after dark. “That’s not what I meant. What I mean to say is that, I’ve noticed you’ve been tense lately.”

“Yeah it’s cause I’m an Aries and the moon is doing fucked up shit.” Rev bit back, voice dripping with sarcasm.

Lamentations only looked back at him from across the fire with the softest smile and the warmest eyes any zombie had ever had.

“If you don’t want to talk about it you can just say that.” The older man teased.

Rev sucked his teeth and pointedly turned away. Man, fuck this guy. Who does he think he is, just being kind and patient and understanding, and giving rev the opening to talk if he needs it but not pushing him to do so. Asshole!

“Aren’t you supposed to be super smart? Thought you went to ye old medical school or something.” Rev jabbed.

Lamentations pretended to kindle the fire to avoid any accidentally pressuring eye contact. “Yes, but I went to study the body and how it affects the brain, not the other way around. Unless you have a deficiency in something I’m not going to be able to guess what’s going on in your head. Especially not without access to an MRI,” he mumbled the last part under his breath, only narrowly avoiding morning his old life.

“Yeah well it’s the body that’s the problem isn’t it.” Rev mumbled right back.

Lamentations perked up at the notion that his companions problem might actually be within his capacity to help. “Are you feeling sick? I could prescribe- no I can’t prescribe… I could figure out what we need to look for if you give me a list of symptoms!” To his credit he did try to remain professional, but weeks of being little more than a burden to the horned man had left him grasping at straws for ways to be useful.

Across the fire Revelations gagged reflexively. “Pft. What are you gonna do /examine/ me.” His jest was defensive and stupid at best, but lamentations had seen enough of the modern world’s distrust for doctors to not be offended by it.

“Yes I could,” he answered honestly. “I might not have access to the same equipment as I did but even back in the day there were plenty of examinations we could preform with just our hands.” Cheer and good will lacing his stupidly nice voice, as he held up his hand with excitment. The hands he’d sworn to never do harm with. The hands he’d used to protect and serve Revelations with from the moment they met. The only hands that had ever held him so gently. The hands Rev couldn’t help but imagine-

“BITE ME!” A hunk of firewood was lobbed generally in Lamantations direction as Revelations face became camouflaged in his red hair.

“Um… no…” Lam didn’t even flinch as the log soared past him. “This is what i was talking about though. You’ve been more wound up than usual these past couple of days.”

Revelations bit back a growl and threw his eyes to the floor. This was stupid. He was being stupid. They were two adult men. Lam should understand.

“I’ve been traveling alone since I was a teen, and since you’ve come around I haven’t had a lick of privacy. What do you think is my problem /doctor/.” Revelations sighed and turned to get his sleeping bag set up, or at least pretended to so he didn’t have to look lam in the face when he implied his bad attitude was from lack of jack off time.

“Privacy?” Lam quoeted. Rev glanced back at his travel companion who genuinely looked like a third grader trying to do long division in his head. “I’m sorry, you’ve been alarmingly open about pissing whenever and wherever it suits you best and I’ve yet to see you attempt a bath, what could you be referring to-“

“Jesus Christ Lam.”

Lam raised his chin from his finger tips, his eyes finding -and finally processing- his companions inflamed cheeks.

Oh.

“OH! SHIT! Ow-!” Lamentations bust out yelling so loud he pulled on his stitches. He slapped his hands over his mouth to try and contain his fumbling, as whatever was left of his circulatory system did its best to make his own green cheeks flush. “I’m so sorry I completely forgot about such, uh, physical needs. I can, um, go? Give you a moment or fifteen? I don’t know how long you take to-“

“AAAAAAHHHHH SHUT UP!! Shut up shut up!!!! I’m not gonna do it /now/ it’s too awkward all I’d be able to think about is you and how sad you are!”

“Me?!”

“NO! Uh…. FuKc!” Revelations voice cracked.

“You know it’s perfectly normal- perfectly natural, to feel the need to ejaculate semi regu-”

In a flash, Rev had Lam by the shoulders, a cuff-like grip around his bicep and two lavender crossed eyes close enough to see into Lams soul. “I need you to shut up.” Revs voice shook with the intensity of his demand. This whole damn thing was so awkward he was sweating like a middle schooler, and if any more blood rushed to his head he was at a very real risk of dying from embarrassment.

Lamentations nodded and mimed zipping up his already sewn lips, honestly grateful to not have to hear his own thoughts spill out of his mouth and runaway like a freight train. Distantly he noticed that he could feel Revelations speedy pulse beating just beneath his fingertips, Lam’s skin unwillingly acting as a stethoscope upon contact. And now that the smell of smoke wasn’t separating them, Lam could pick up on the more subtle notes his companions body odor held. Particularly the pheromones secreted in Revelations panicked sweating. Luckily Lamentations had the forethought to not say “you weren’t kidding, you really are pent up,” as such a sentence would surely result in the rest of his death.

“Right. Ok.” Revelations firmly patted Lam on the shoulders and reestablished the distance between them. “Here’s the plan. I’m gonna go to bed now, and we never speak of this again yeah?”

Lamentations mearly nodded with a weak smile and a thumbs up, not wanting to break his promise of silence or stick any more metaphorical feet in his mouth.

“Good. Right. Ok. Good.” Revelations stomped out their little fire and slipped into his sleeping bag with everything but his shoes and socks on.

Lamentations also got settled into his resting position, with his back against a rock, knees to his chest and his arm resting on top. He didn’t need to sleep, truly sleep was too similar to his paranormal coma to be comfortable, but Rev was such a light sleeper any noise would startle him awake, and worse than that, any rustling on Lams part could very well alert horse, who was all too glad to come and body slam a wayward zombie. The trick of this evening was going to be finding a train of thought that wouldn’t lead down any immoral paths. Revelations was already ethereal, willful, resourceful, and kind, the last thing Lamentations needed to add to the list of things he thought about his travel companion was would-look-hot-jorking-it.

Lamentations grumbled and nervously cast a glance at the aforementioned man, who had somehow already passed out. A grin snuck on to his face, looking at the others relaxed expression. He was always envious of the way Revelations could move on from things with such easy, always focused on the here and now, never mourning the past or fearing the future.

This was fine, if rev could move on so could he. A little awkward fumbling was to be expected when two near strangers suddenly started living in such tight knit spaces after all. If anything, this was a sign of how strong their bond had become, lam reasoned.

Relaxing slightly lam was content to put the uncomfortable situation behind them.

And then Rev moaned in his sleep.

[slashfic-daydreams]

Here's a short fanfic my big sis wrote about Slasher!V. Gosh I was so tired for the exams tomorrow but then all of it were thrown out the window when I read her story

I hope you enjoy her work! AAAAA I AM SLEEPING WITH A HUGE SMILE ON MY FACE TONIGHT 🤩����🥹

A patient laying on the hospital operation bed, it's clear how tired the poor man is with his eyebags and big yawns. he already lost count how many it was on the way here. the reason of his visit? well, it's just a case of infidelity. his woman said he can't give him the pleasure she desire. she had thrown all the happiness away for pleasure. what a whore...

"BZD, the long name is Benzodiazepines. It took me a while to memorize and say the words, don't worry. Now they are a powerful class of sleeping pills that help you fall asleep, relieve anxiety, and improve your learning and memory. These drugs raise levels of brain GABA neurotransmitters causing sleepiness, allowing people to sleep better, relax muscles, relieve anxiety, and can also treat epilepsy." The psychiatrist starting to rant and explain about some sleeping drug. which already make the patient go drowsy like he's listening a boring history class. he didn't want to know, all he wants is to forget the knife in his heart twisting in each thought of his 'oh so one true love who he's going to spent forever with'.

"Ah...I'm rambling again, apologies." the psychiatrist stands up from a stool across the room, making her way towards the patient. "I've heard about your story from your therapist. And well...my mother was unfaithful towards my father so I could understand your pain to a level." Her gloved hands starting to ball into fists, her knuckles are most likely turning white. "How...dare she betray him? After Everything He Does For Her. She Just...Threw It All Away!" With a fit of rage, the psychiatrist flip a nearby cart, causing neatly placed tools all scatter on the floor, jolting the patient from his fast asleep state.

The patient tilt his head to look up at this psychiatrist. she looks a bit younger than him, mid-20's he assumes. dark brown skin, long black hair tied into a low ponytail. there's even a green streak that's peaking out from her deer mask, but the most creepy about the mask is two eye holes that looks like they could stare into one's soul. Anyone could feel scared from that in the dim lighting. the only light is only operating lights shone on him.

"I'm sorry, so sorry for my outburst. I'm just...a little upset." Upset would be such an understatement. it goes further than that, one can say she's seething from her past. "Can we start? I want this to be all over with..." The man is slightly scared, but his tiredness wins the fear. "Of course." The psychiatrist composes herself and head right by his side. "I'll be starting by giving you the sleeping pills, it takes a while to work. But in the meantime, please tell me more."

While the pills take their sweet time to work, the shared their stories. "So...after this, I'll have a peaceful rest?" "Indeed, as I mention, the pills can relieve anxiety. How are you feeling?" "Like I'm being lulled to sleep..." The man's eyes starting to droop, hardly able to keep them open any longer. "A good sign. Now listen to my voice, take deep breathes, and slowly feel your way into into dreamland."

"Thank you, Doctor V...." The engraving of her nametag is the last thing he sees before letting sleep take him away.

"I should be thanking you..." Dr V doesn't bother to hide herself once her patient is in deep sleep. picking up her axe, the light reflects on the metal, she had recently sharpen it just so her patient can have a clean, quick and painless death. "Thanks to you, I can take another step of my path to save the wounded souls from this cruel life and agonizing fate. May you have sweet and peaceful dreams... And may your next life be just like it."

With calculating eyes, she aims for the most vital spot, readies her weapon....

SPLAT

Thud...

Dr V lets out a sigh she didn't knew she was holding when the deed is done "Now to pack up and get ready... Hopefully the others doesn't get suspicious" Dr V had gather up information she needs. She'll need to bury the patient's body to his favorite park, where he met his love for the first time. Where his heart would be in peace there.

"This isn't over..."

Oh it was never over till the one who cause this pain is dead. That woman who broke the poor man's heart...She shouldn't still be in the living while he's in rest. She shouldn't be out there, she'll just cause more souls in pain! Dr V can't have that! she'll need to get rid of this... virus. it's just like that one good saying: Prevention is better than cure...

[mothmans-wedding-photographer]

Mothman's Buffy rewatch: Season 4, episodes 20 and 21, "The Yoko Factor" and "Primeval"

Watched these last week and forgot to post. Because Severance frenzy.

The Yoko Factor

Adam's such a yapper

Called him a clown

I can guarantee what I don't like about Angel is unrelated to his vampire curse

Man you didn't even know her why are you so upset

Giles singing !!!!

Spike jumpscare

Microwaved blood 😭

Bros trying to get under his skin

MISS KITTY FANTASTICO!!!!!

"You have a catnip problem :("

Do you guys think there's symbolism between the chocolate poster on Buffy's dorm door and the balls poster on Riley's

Lmaooo bro can't even point a gun

Ughh I hate this guy

Adam's here

They zapped him 😭😭

Oh well. Forrest died lmaooo

Spike you suck man

He's really just making shit up to divide them 😭😭

Spike def clocked them

The way this is written is so on the nose like just replace "witch" with "lesbian" lmaooo

Angle is here

Riley's not very bright is he

The way he carried him and then threw him into the barrels is something I want to remember forever

"Can I come in?" "I guess." "Uh I need a little more than that" lmao

Bro Angel you suck

"You actually sleep with this guy?" 😭😭

"I'm not leaving this room" *they both leave* "not moving a muscle."

"I was trying to make things better" okay man

I feel like I need to watch the Angel episode to understand this fully but I don't want to get spoiled for other ATS events

Okay this is actually a nice conversation between the two

"Oh, and Riley?" "Yeah?" "I don't like him" real

Bro likes Healter Skelter

Spike is based for that Yoko take though

Is Adam gonna betray Spike

Riley's bruise kinda looks like a smiley face

He's not bad he just beat you up for fun

"Sorry was that a bit honest? Terribly sorry"

"No no I'm no Alfred. Alfred had a job"

Giles 😭😭 fort dix

"Are you drunk?" "Quite a bit"

Giles fucking falls over

Tara and Anya are chilling

"If I was any more supportive of the choices you too make my brain would fall out" lmao??

Bro has terrible gaydar

I feel like that picture of the furry child sitting and crying while his parents fight

Damnnn Buffy :( that's not even true, they picked up some slayer skills that summer you were away and Willow can still like. Use magic?

I feel like they want us to think Riley betrayed them

Primeval

Riley being suspicious (I may have missed a bit of context my dad skipped the intro but he skipped a bit too far)

Oooh the chip implant

Imagine if Adam just ripped it straight out of his head lmao

I like Willow's cat shirt

Bro is so hungover

Tara nodding at Giles awkwardly

She misses when it was simpler :( so do I Buffy

Cool axe

"Don't they make you get up super early?" "Oh yeah"

Awww Anya cuddles

Oh zombie Walsh

"This is all how she planned it. Except she thought she would be alive"

Why is his destiny so much greater than Walsh's? Adam seems to have some reverence for Walsh, why just make her a worker? Why is she relegated to a zombie?

Yippee! No yippee

Yeah why is Forrest so important compared to Walsh, Adam's "mother"?

Thank God this subplot didn't last very long

Yeah I think Spike also revealed some problems

Giles knows Sumerian lmaoo. Actually have any of you guys read the Portal Through Time btvs book. Anyway part of it takes place in ancient sumeria and I've read it so many times

Maybe not the best place for the apology conversation

Damn this hits hard for someone in her first year of uni

Awwwww this is so sweet I almost teared up

THE HUG AWWW

"Oh God were gonna die aren't we"

Shit that ended quickly

Chip-erectony

Magic gourd

"What secret lab" yeah huh got your attention buddy

This is everyone's business tbh like the world could be fucked if Adam wins

Well uh. Should've listened to Buffy

Spike just wants to not be here lmao

Honestly them fighting through the chaos was a really great scene

I want Forrest dead again

Is he gonna cut the chip out of himself

Yep okay

Riley with the open wound in his chest

Bro just killed those zombies

That face kick was based

If the slayer was struggling to fight patchwork Forrest, what makes Buffy think Riley can take him?

Bro got a gun in his arm

He's like what the hell

*Speaking ancient sumerian* 🗣🗣⁉️

Riley is getting cooked

Bro got blown up

SHE TURNED THE BULLET INTO DOVES IM CRYING

The power of friendship

Oh ewewewewewew

She sent it into a wormhole 😭😭

When Riley grabbed her chin he romanced all of them at once

They can't keep letting him get away with this

"The experiment has failed" That's crazy who could've thought

Really feels like a season finale (it's not)

[jkl-fff]

Silly Game Time! Who are some of your favorite fighter characters? And what do you like about them?:D

A Preface: I'm a martial artist (IV Dan in Taekwon-Do, been doing it for over 25 years). Ergo, there are few things I love more than a good, realistic fight scene featuring competent fighters (within the rules of the universe, of course--"realism" looks different in a universe where people routinely shoot fireballs out of their hands or can jump 50 feet). The keywords there are "good", "realistic", and "competent" (double points for consistenty in the fighter's style, thus making it part of their characterization). Because I also have *extremely* high standards, since I understand what makes these things good and cometent (and consistent) and especially realistic in the real world. Having a good imagination means I can extrapolate that into a universe with expanded abilities (magic and so forth).

ANYWAY ...

From books, I'm a fan of Wayne from Sanderson's "Mistborn" series. The man has only two powers: Time Acceleration (in limited bubbles) and a Healing Factor (until he runs out). But he uses those so creatively and fearlessly to be an incredibly adept brawler who dual-weilds wooden canes to devastating effect. Plus, he's a cheeky scoundrel, and I always have a soft spot for them. He also is a kleptomaniac with a fixation on hats.

Also, Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill (Ax for short) from "The Animorphs" series. Despite being able to shapeshift into any animal he has the chance to physically touch, he does most of his fighting in his natural, Andalite form *and* unarmed. By the end of the series, dude muse be quite the skilled combatant by his people's standards. I also find him rather endearing, being the only alien teenager amongst a group of Human teenagers, and apparently the equivalent of a football jock now forced to be the smart guy.

From TV shows, I'll go with ... the titular character of the beautifully artistic show "Samurai Jack" (even if the last, resumed season left much to be desired, storywise). He's an idealistic paragon. He's a man of few words. He's a stoic vagabond. He tries to always be courteous despite having no clue what's going on most of the time. He strips down to his loincloth unnecessarily like he's got an exhibitionist fixation in, like, every episode. He loves the natural world. He's the greatest swordsman who has ever lived.

Aslo, Ser Jorah Mormont from "A Game of Thrones" (who Iain Glen performs magnificently). He's basically a sensible mercenary who becomes dedicated to the cause of the young, exiled, dragon-mothering princess Daenerys Targaryen out of love (a bit meh, a bit yuck, but fine) and as part of a quest for redepmtion. Why? She's a charismatic leader who seems for a long time to be genuinely dedicated to the cause of building a better, more just world. He's not the best fighter nor strategist in the world, but he's damned good at both.

For games, there's Cal Kestis from the games "Jedi: Fallen Order" and "Jedi: Survivor". He's one of the few Jedi still alive, and he has to reconnect with the Force and his training because he cut himself off from it to hide from the Empire. But he wasn't some master; no, he was just a young apprentice when all that happened, so there's a lot lacking in his skillsets, technique, and Force power. Besides which, he never feels invulnerable (which is refreshing for Star Wars protagonists, and also something that being a video game character makes the audience feel much more viscerally). He's earnest and his best friend is a cute, little droid he would die for. He has guilt and doubt and spite and darkness in him that he has to fight. He's so fashionable with his customizable clothing (you can make him so damn pretty in pink!).

And for movies, there's whoever the heck Jackie Chan's character is. Now, normally, being typecast is considered a bad thing for an actor. HOWEVER, when one finds their niche, they'd be a fool not to stick with it. For example, Sandra Bullock is the best career-driven woman who needs to learn to have fun and let love into her heart; Kelsey Grammer is the best out-of-touch, high cultured snob who is really witty but also becomes the butt of most situations due to his own arrogance; and Jackie Chan is, hands down, the best friendly guy who is also an acrobatic, martial arts master for reasons whose fights almost always become inadvertantly comedic. It makes him a delight to watch.

Thanks!

[ariawritingstuff]

In defence of:

Gale,

Spoilers ahead

Buckle up because this is gonna be a long one

I actually did a little searching to try and figure put why people don't like gale, just so I can cover all the bases. Splitting this into two categories, category 1, "you missed the point" these are in my opinion stupid reasons to hate gale the character, whether they're flaws in game design or you just dont get the point I am getting genuinely annoyed with these reasons. and category 2, "you know what that's fair" this series is called "in defense of" so I'm still going to make an argument in defence of these qualities, it's just that these are much more reasonable complaints.

You missed the point

He eats your shinies

He thinks we're dating

He's so horny (yes I have actually seen it said)

He's sensitive about his performance

Talks about his ex

You can't kill him (yes this is a real complaint)

He's defensive early on (yes I've actually seen it said)

You know what that's fair

He threatens to blow himself up when things get hard

Is an insulting know it all

He talks too much

I thought the romance scene was platonic

He violated mystras boundaries

He eats your shinies, so you can let astarion give you a -1 debuff to like everything for at least a day, but you have to have that dancing lights cantrip necklace? Really? I once saw someone complain that he doesn't go get his own magic items and I'm like fam, it's not his fault your hogging all the loot. I'm sure if you just let him spend a portion of the money you found together he'd spend it on the magic ax no one else can or wants to wield. Narritively speaking gale can and does obtain magic items on his own, ypu are just keeping them all and he just doesn't consume the magic in the items he's using until you give him permission. He's not eating your frostwalker boots he's asking you if it's okay for him to eat his own frost walker boots.

"He keeps hitting on my character and gets pissy with me when we aren't dating" that's a glitch not a character flaw, and it can and does happen with other characters. They only think your leading them on because the game told them you are in a relationship. He's not being clingy, your relationship is coded into his memory on accident.

Aside from Wyll and maybe Astarion, Gale is like the least horny character. It's easy to get his approval from him when playing a good tav, so he can develope a pretty major crush pretty easily depending on your choices and how buggy the game feels at any particular moment, but having a crush is not the same as being horny. The man will not even kiss you until he thinks it's literally his last night alive. You are the one oversexualizing him at this point.

This one's smaller and a bit more of a spoiler, but if after you sleep together and he asks if it meant anything to you he gets bothered when you say "it was fine." Here's what I need you to understand: Gale was not asking about his sexual performance in this moment, he was asking about the emotional meaningfulness to you. That's why it's so upsetting to him. He put his heart out there and you responded with apathy. He tells you he's a bad kisser. As far as physical performance goes he knows he's out of practice that's not what bothers him. This one is my least favorite I think.

Mystra wasn't just his ex, she is the goddess of a domain that is a major part of Gale's identity. I know there's the grooming argument and I don't entirely disagree with it, but I don't think she met him as a child. She still holds sway in his life in act one when she has discarded him and obviously she is directly involved with him act 2 onwards. Like if my ex showed up and said "the world would be better off with you dead, here's the means to end it" I might want to talk to someone about it. Also really important here, he only brings up his relationship with mystra in the context of your own relationship if you prompt him, he only compares your relationship with her IF YOU PROMPT HIM. In fact if you ask him directly to compare you to her in bed he refuses to. For Gale to obsess over mystra, you have to.

You can kill him there are just consequences. Gale the character doesn't have the orb for self preservation in fact as soon as Mystra tells him to blow himself up he is so ready to do it. If your really want him dead you can leave him to die in the portal, or chew his arm off as durge. Leave him in camp til act 2 and give him no shinies and he'll leave or you can tell him to get lost if you do give him shinies, or kill the tieflings and he'll leave, and if your like "no I'm not playing an evil tav" why are you so hells bent on killing a party member then? You don't have to accept him into your party in the first place. You're not stuck with him I promise.

He's defensive early on? Bitch where? He's one of the most friendly early on, he just doesn't want to talk about his deepest shame and biggest secret and that is so fair.

That rounds out the stupid reasons to hate gale now we can talk about the more reasonable complaints

He threatens to blow himself up when he's upset. Not really, he does warn against upsetting him, but mostly thats because strong emotions can actually upset his condition and blow everyone up. That's why he won't kiss tav when he says the thought of kissing him is "most welcome" karlach has a similar condition, but she doesn't warn when she's getting upset, she just bursts into flame. There is one point after your night together , and the orb is temporarily sealed, if when he asks about what it meant to you and you respond with apathy, he says not to shake the vessel of the orb, but that's less about "I'm mad I'm going to blow up" more of a "a literal goddess told me to kill myself to save the weave, I have very little to hold onto right now please don't be cruel to me"

Gale is a bit of a know it all and it can be insulting, but 1, he only gives information because he thinks its relevant or useful. He doesn't do it just to make himself feel smart. He says things that are insulting sometimes, but 2, he's been alone for like a year, and before that he wasn't talking to mortals for goddess knows how long. Also It seems that the people who hate gale for being a know it all love Astarion for the same reason.

If you don't like a certain characters party banter or speaking during dialog scenes leave them at camp. Putting "he uses to many big words it makes him seem pompous here as well" same solution.

Larian realized that the romance scene with Gale needed to be a bit more blunt, so now it specifies platonic vs romantic thoughts, so there is no longer confusion. But also he's not the only character who's romance scene is a little ambiguous.

And finally I once saw someone get hung up on the phrase where gale says he "violated mystras boundaries" but in reality that boundary is kind of I a grey area. Her boundary was that he was not allowed to learn something, that kind of goes from boundary setting to controlling behavior, the only thing that keeps it teetering on the edge is that she is magic, and so what gale was learning about was a part of her, sort of, not really because shadow magic is separate from her. What I think is weird is that regardless of how questionable the boundary was in the first place Gale recognizes that it was a boundary and recognizes that what he did hurt someone he cares about and expresses remorse for it. He uses the word boundary explicitly because he knows the weight that word carries and applies the same gravity to his actions. Everyone makes mistakes, but not everyone is willing own up to them and Gale does.

[mmorpg-escapism]

A Realm Rewritten: Chapter 3

(no beginning screenshot this time, though I was tempted to reuse one from chapter 2)

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Besany made note of a decrease in non-adventurer workers around the orchard as they approached. She also heard, rather than saw, that Staelwyrn was up in arms. “Where’s that schemin' scapegrace run off to this time?” he roared.

The farmhouse was abuzz with more activity, and Staelwyrn himself was up on the roof looking out over the hills beyond. He clambered down when he spied the pair approaching, and gave a sharp look when Y’shtola held out the knife for him to inspect. “We’ll dispense with the pleasantries then, though ye’ve been gone some time, Y’shtola. Found that knife in the grotto, did ye?”

“Aye, we did. Buried in the back of a goobbue that set upon us.” Y’shtola handed the knife over to him, and watched him inspect it with a practiced eye.

“It didn’t last long,” Besany added,” but nothing else there looked like anyone, much less kidnappers, had spent any time living there.

“Seven hells... Ye’ve brought back enough of a clue anyroad. This is Sevrin’s knife. That scoundrel up and ran off with half me crew shortly after ye left fer the grotto.” Staelwyrn’s grip on the knife handle tightened. “The ungrateful little cur bites me every chance he gets, but I can't quite bring myself to cut him loose. I s'pose he reminds me a bit of my younger self.”

Besany nodded, understanding exactly what he was talking about. Life on the streets of Bozja, ruined as they were, was hard, but she always looked out for other displaced youngsters. Every couple of years one such scamp would get under her skin like that, but they’d learned to survive, after a few mishaps knocked sense into them. “We’ll do what we can.” 

“Thank ye.” Staelwyrn relaxed visibly. “Grynewyda mentioned they’d struck out in the direction of the Woad Whisper Canyon, north across the river, but we’ve since lost sight of the lot.” 

“Clearly this is more than just delinquency,” Y’shtola remarked. “Aye, when last I had words with him, he didn't look defiant so much as hunted. I fear the lad’s found more trouble than he wanted.”

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The road north to the canyon was well worn, and ended at the edge of the cliff where it became a wooden ramp down to the floor of the ravine. There were several cargo lifts scattered across the edge, empty and unmanned but for a pair of guards scanning their direction.

As they reached the end of the ramp, the Miqo’te women’s sensitive hearing picked up the sound of steel clashing with steel deeper into the canyon. With a shared glance, they broke into a sprint down the path following the river that had carved the canyon.

The white stone walls of the canyon gave Besany a feeling of being compressed even with the width to let three men travel abreast. In moments, it opened up into a wider cave, and revealed the source of the river and also the commotion: Five blue-clad pirates hammering mercilessly on two young Hyur, who were barely able to hold their ground.

A massive backhanded swing sent one of them flying towards the water’s edge, but thankfully he slid to a stop before going over. Besany summoned a burst of speed and placed herself between the group and the remaining man, weapon drawn.

“Wot’s this?” A thick Roegadyn at the front of the pack guffawed. “Yer a lucky rat, Sevrin, but one wench with a stick won’t save ye from the Reavers.” 

Sevrin dropped to a knee with a grunt, leaning heavily on his axe. He gave no reply. Besany lined up her blade with the supposed leader of the group, drawing all attention on her while Y’shtola hurried to the aid of the unconscious lad. “You should run.”

The Roegadyn ignored her. “Few betray the Serpent Reavers twice. You won’t live to do it a third time.” The five stowed their weapons as he spoke, which struck Besany as odd. “Cowerin’ behind yer protector will only delay the inevitable. Honorless wretch...yer life is all you have left.”

Then she heard a chant from someone not in the group. “O mournful voice of creation! Send unto me a creature of the abyss, my thrall to command, that I may smite mine enemies!” The ground began to shake as small rocks seemed to skitter of their own accord to a point between the pirates and the canyon wall.

“And soon ye won’t have that, either!” roared the Reaver. Instead of charging as expected, the group fled towards the other end of the canyon as a huge stone golem rumbled to life. Glowing yellow eyes bored in on the gunbreaker as it ground out a screech and charged.

“Y’shtola! Cover him!” Besany jumped to meet the golem head on, slamming her blade point-first into where she thought the core was. The impact vibrated through her entire body, but she held firm and attempted to steer the charging behemoth. 

The sound of rushing air filled her ears from both Y’shtola’s Rescue and the unstoppable motion of the golem. The lumbering pile of rocks slammed her hard into the canyon wall. She felt a rib crack. A numbing sensation at the base of her spine. Rather than wait for it to try again, she fought through the pain and pulled herself up to be on top of it as it backed up to try again. The blade twisted to follow her grip with the agonizing sound of metal grinding against stone. She pulled the trigger before it came loose.  A thundering KABOOM! echoed through the canyon, shaking dirt loose from the cliff face. Besany rolled upright and gulped down air to replace the breath she didn’t know she had lost. Adrenaline was nullifying her pain from the rib and from the shards of golem that were now raining down. She silently thanked her father for the investment he had made in its crafting all those years ago while reloading her blade, and turned to see Y’shtola holding her wand in the middle of a green-tinted windstorm. The two men were resting against a boulder behind her, stone-faced but breathing.

The adrenaline faded, and Besany felt a slight twinge as the healing spell mended her bruises, damaged nerve, and cracked rib. “That was... less fun. What did you get into, Sevrin?” 

The words had barely left her lips when her vision flashed white, and a spike of pain shot from her head down to the tip of her tail. Y’shtola rushed over, and Besany barely registered her question of “another Echo?” before she hit the ground, screaming a wordless cry for help. 

The faded memory crackled into her mind’s eye through the agony rocking her body. She stood on the deck of a ship, surrounded by assorted Roegadyn and Hyuran pirates sporting similar blue tattoos and gear. The ship itself was docked, but she didn’t recognize it as one of Limsa’s docks. The land around them was covered in barnacles and blue stone, and out of the corner of her eye she spotted a dark robed man atop a nearby cliff. Turning to look proved futile, the memory had full control.

A fishman, lanky and blue-green, webbed limbs and fins in place of ears, stood at the center of the crowd, across from a tall Hyur in a fancy hat. Sahagin, they were called. The pain drowned out the words, but clearly they were signing some kind of accord. As the vision dissipated, the visible tattoos glowed an eerie green color. 

The next sensation was of running away from something terrifying. It too faded away, and she found herself holding a letter. “Deserter,” it read. “Bring yourself or bring replacements for the Reavers, or forfeit your life. You have two days. Woad Whisper Canyon.” The hands were not her own, and they trembled under the dim light of the Summerford aetheryte. “Sevrin!” Staelwyrn called out, and the last thing she saw was those hands crumpling the letter up and throwing it away.

The fear lingered until the darkness took her.

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Besany awoke in a room she did not recognize. The hum of a healing spell slowly replaced the fading pain in her ears. The light was dim, but enough to make her wince when she opened her eyes. “Ow....” 

“Besany!” Y’shtola ended her spell and sat back on the stool. There was a small table next to her with food and drink. 

“How long...?” Besany tried to sit up but was stopped by a stern look from her caretaker. She flicked an ear in annoyed response, and laid unmoving while Y’shtola finished her healing efforts.

“Just a few hours. Sevrin and Aylmer helped carry you back to the farm.” “So... no change from the last one.” She sighed. “It’s not a week-long coma anymore, I’ll take it.” 

“What did you see?” 

“Sevrin’s memory... Sahagin... Reavers. There was some kind of deal? Sevrin ran. They found and threatened him. We interrupted their payback for running.”

Y’shtola nodded. “It seems that the past caught up to him. It is good that we were there to rescue both of them.” She let her spell fade.

Besany sat up and glanced around the room. “Speaking of... Where is he?”

“Limsa. The boy explained everything to Staelwyrn and turned himself in to the Yellowjackets.”

Besany dropped back to the pillow and stared at the ceiling. “He was terrified. That’s probably the safest place for him.”

Y’shtola nodded. “You should rest a while longer. I will speak to Baderon about this event.”

A flash of detail ran through Besany’s mind. “Hey, wait a minute, there was something else. Black-robed fellow, and maybe a red hat or mask? He was way out of the way. I still can’t control my perspective in those things, so I couldn’t see any more.” 

A pensive look crossed Y’shtola’s face. “Ascian... of course. Fate is playing tricks on us both. Very well. When I return, we shall see you to Uldah.”

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In-Game Level: 8-12

Quests: Washed Up + Double Dealing + Loam Maintenance + Plowshares to Swords + Just Deserts

I have a healthy new respect for gposers across the board. Two screenshots took me over an hour to do and that was super basic stuff. I imagine it'll get easier as I get better at it, but holy... fun, but that took too long.

I'll admit I'm not entirely satisfied with the way this chapter is written, but I REALLY want to get out of Limsa. If you didn't catch it at the end there, chapter 4 begins a major divergence from the original MSQ, and I'm really excited to get that idea out of my head and on to paper (so to speak).

I tried a different kind of scene break here. I think that might be part of the reason I'm not entirely satisfied with it, but whatever, it gets the job done and I like the result.

A03 crosspost!