#and haven't made it into a single one yet??

[da2supremacy]

Essentially the ethos of a dragon age game has always been something you can roll around in your hands and interrogate. Dragon Age games have never been some great awesome piece of art that belongs in the MoMA or whatever. Honestly, I haven't really enjoyed the gameplay of a single one except Veilguard and the OG devs personal prejudices are glaringly obvious with even just a cursory read. But the World Building is magnificent and the game let's you disagree with it. Some people hate that. It's why they're constantly whinging about the "all sidesism" or whatever. I don't really think the rampant centrism and borderline fascism was present until Inquisition. CAN you be a fascist in 2? Terrible in origins? Sure. But there's a world around you that reacts to that and when you're a truly awful prick there actually are gameplay and story consequences.

The Inquisition is a righteous religious army taking over sovereign lands for the greater good and the only person who ever questions that gets treated like he's gone insane. Yet even Inquisition gives you more opportunity to interrogate the justness of the Inquisition's existence than Veilguard allows you to question the merits of Solas' goals.

Because some of his goals (as stated in Trespasser anyway) DO have merit. While I may not personally agree with the notion of tearing down the Veil it IS a wound that he carved onto the world and he probably is the only person who could get rid of it. Not to mention they've spent 3 games all but telling us that the Veil was falling apart already anyway. If Solas did nothing the reckoning with the fall of the Veil would have to be addressed eventually because it was happening whether he did anything about it or not. Maybe his method actually would have been better than him sitting back and letting the Blights and the blood magic and the all the other things that were weakening the Veil collapse it naturally. We've seen places where that happened and it's always been pretty bad actually.

But the game never lets you sit with that. I am willing to believe that the 10 years and the region shift could have allowed enough events to equalize most world states but in trying not to say anything about Worldstates they straight up didn't engage with ANYTHING that came beforehand at all. John Epler's insane misunderstanding that people sympathizing with Solas is a FEATURE and not a bug, this is the franchise that gave us Meredith and Loghain and Anders, decided that the pathos of the game's supposed main antagonist and final boss could not be mentioned at all???

The game proves that the Chantry is based off of a woman's misinterpretations of visions she could in no way have ever understood (if you squint you can kind of see the shades of both the Evanuris and the Titans in the the story of the Chantry. Add that to the theory that Andraste was an OGB and well...) and the game itself doesn't mention the Maker or the doctrine of the Chantry at all. All sides of the Western Schism were still Catholics. Being in Tevinter does not actually justify why apparently no one is devout to the Chantry.

This game is great but it's a standard hero's journey. Rook grapples with nothing and sacrifices nothing. Even the one mandatory Companion death really isn't Rook's fault. I don't know how Solas ever thought that prison would hold them. I never actually have to think or question anything. I never actually made a difficult decision. You could replace the place names and file Solas off of the narrative and this could be literally any other fantasy title. The things that made Thedas unique are not there.

I am not calling this game poorly written. It's fine for what it is. It's not a WRONG decision to not include things that weren't directly relevant to the game's narrative and all things considered this game only actually got 3 years of real development time. There's probably a lot that got cut. But I do think still centering Solas as the final boss and the preservation of the Veil as the final obstacle to overcome and then not actually engaging with WHY he is really doing what he's doing and WHY that's actually wrong is a bizarre choice. It really does seem like John Epler was scared they couldn't convince the player as to why they needed to not rip it down and so they sidestepped the question entirely.

The thing about Solas in DAtV is that because they were fundamentally unwilling to engage with the question of whether or not the Veil should actually come down (which is a symptom of them refusing to engage with anything remotely 'problematic' in the franchise to date: slavery, elven oppression, treatment of both city elves and Dalish etc.) he goes from a character who is supposed to be the embodiment of wisdom to a character who is kinda stupid. And further, it affects our questions surrounding his motives and relationships, his actions in inquisition and how compelling he is.

Like, there's a lot of people arguing ATM about whether or not a romanced Lavellans relationship with Solas was meaningful/if she knew him compared to how Rook knows him/if he loved her more than Mythal. And I think the answer is very tied up in this particular issue with the writing.

Because if Solas is a revolutionary who believes that the veil must come down, not just to fix a perceived wrong he did, but for the good of elvenkind...if we take a Solas who says 'people are always dying, it's what they do' and realise that he's saying that because PEOPLE DIDNT USED TO DIE and the way their lives are now so short is terrifying to him, if we take a Solas who says that the world today is full of those who seem tranquil to him and take that SERIOUSLY, if we get a Solas who is sickened by the way spirits are yearning for the world the way it was but are stuck in the fade without any contact and that's twisting them into demons and those willing to possess others to taste a glimpse of what was denied to them by HIS actions...

Then we get a Solas whose actions don't just make sense but we can see WHY they make sense. We get a Solas who is, yes, committing an act of horrendous violence by tearing down the veil but is doing so to literally save the world rather than just fix a regret or because he's bound up in Mythal somehow and what she would have wanted for the world.

THAT Solas who leaves Lavellan because of his revolution he must lead, who leaves Lavellan after seeing what this world does to those who are left of the people, that Solas...I think that we could then argue more than the relationships he formed in inquisition were real and he was tragically forced away from them by his own goals. That in some way he is doing this FOR Lavellan.

There should be a sort of semi-horror tint to this world for us through Solas's eyes because we can see a world of tranquil walking around like he does, a world where life is too short, a world of injustice and pain and reasons to go ahead with his plan

But Solas....kinda lacks agency in DAtV. I don't hate the Solas Mythal plot stuff I think it's quite interesting, but mix it with us never considering the merits of what Solas wants to do, of EVERYONE unilaterally deciding it's evil with no real debate or queries, with ZERO elves in the narrative siding with Solas or taking what he has to say seriously...THATS where adding the Solas and Mythal plot rubs me the wrong way. I don't want Solas to need to be released by Mythal before he can let go of his evil plan...I want a Solas who doesn't have an evil plan but instead a complex one. I want the conviction of Anders in Solas; that what he's doing is RIGHT and the ONLY WAY to fix a great injustice. I don't want to redeem Solas or even understand him I want him to CONVINCE me and me BELIEVE him. Otherwise the Solas we see in inquisition is more shallow and the Solas we see in Veilguard through Rook...maybe Rook does know him better than the inquisition did.

[introspectivememories]

timbern au where tim and bear are married in secret and no one knows bc a) it's not anyone else's business and b) tim's the face of wayne ent. and he doesn't want weirdos harassing bear while he's out and about. so they get married in secret and all the public knows is that tim drake-wayne one day started showing up in public with a wedding band and no explanation. there's rumors and theories of course but nothing substantial.

and then one day, tim calls a public press confrence and he looks haggard and unkempt. there's dark circles under his eyes and he keeps fidgeting with his wedding band. his face is scruffy like he hasnt shaved in days and his suit is ever so slightly rumpled. the viewer count grows higher and higher by the minute. finally he speaks and he says that he's been receiving threats for the past few month. that he tried to solve the case privately with the cooperation with the police but something terrible has happened recently and now he needs the public's help. my husband is missing, he says. a photo of his husband is shown on the screen behind him. it's been one week since he's been taken.

his name is bernard dowd he says voice catching, he's the light of my life. every camera in the room catches the way his eyes gloss over. i have loved him since college. please i dont know what to do without him.

he's 27, with blond hair. tall about 6ft and he like funky patterns. he smiles and the world lights up. he always makes me laugh and he gives the best hugs. and-

tim's voice catches on a sob, the mics pick it up anyway.

and, he continues, i have loved him in some way since i was 16. so please if you have any information on him or if you've seen him, i beg you to call the number on the screen.

tim drops his head, desperately trying not to ugly sob on camera. his lips are chapped and swollen from how often he's biting them. his hands tremble and he can feel his family's concerned stares but he has to do this.

they have no leads, no clues, nothing. just a single, grainy, convenience store security camera footage of a man shoving bernard into an unmarked car and driving off. nobody knows anything. and tim can't do this anymore, he needs his husband back. and even if his bear is dead now, then he needs the body back. he needs to curl around his husband one last time. he needs to hold his hand on the way down. tim needs him to breathe.

one last statement, he thinks, then we can go back to wearing his hoodies and rotting on his side of the bed. then we can go back to staring at the door like he'll walk through it at any moment.

lifting his head, he looks at the first camera he can find and says, i haven't loved him enough yet. i haven't made him laugh as much i should've. i haven't apologized for coming home late the night before he got taken. i haven't loved him enough yet. please, if you see him or know anything, please call the number.

and bear, baby, if you're watching this from wherever that man took you, i love you. till the heat death of the universe, remember?

he laughs wetly, and even if you're tired, you gotta keep fighting until i find you okay? you didn't give up on me all those years ago, and i'm not giving up on you now.

i love you bernard. i'll see you soon.

[elainsgirl]

How does it make sense for antis to say elriel can't be endgame because az looked at mor in acofas (from feyres pov) when elain was also there during solstice. But gwynriel are endgame despite azriel (from his own pov) wanting to go down on elain, worshipping her, questioning his religion over her, like half an hour before? I haven't seen them address this. Have they?

Hey anon 🫶

Antis 🤝 inconsistent with their arguements. I don’t think they actually ever go in depth about any theory or arguement. Its more like, “Here’s point X, ill add in some unrelated quotes w different contexts & highlights to make it seem plausible then ill insert *my* opinion to divert you from actually dissecting my point x” and their followers eat it up every single time as its better then just admitting elriel is endgame ig.

They hold so much importance over that look, yet:

. Anytime Feyre mentions something about elriel they call her unreliable and downplay the moment

. Elain in that same book, made Az laugh so joyfully, him choosing to spend his solstice evening listening to her plans was insignificant but yes. This one scene of him looking at Mor means he feels nothing towards Elain 🙄

. Nesta literally noticing a charged glance between elriel means nothing yet Az glancing at Gwyn when she squeals means he is crushing on her hard.

✨ Anti logic ✨

I think the funniest thing is: Antis are the ones constantly yapping about how elriel are “rebounds” and only developed feelings so quickly to avoid dwelling on their failed love lives yet this moment they LOVE to bring up as a “gotcha” for elriel disproves their own take. Az still looking at Mor w longing and Elain trying to get over Grayson is prove they did not fall in love straight away. They weren’t using each other to forget Gray/Mor - as they STILL have not developed their feelings into love by acofas. Elriel became friends first, yes their scenes were romantically coded but their offical on-page attraction or romance started in Acosf. Almost two years after meeting w each other, that is not rebound behaviour or relationship. They became friends who have genuinely developed feelings.

Their own takes disprove their own arguments and thats just genuinely embarrassing.

[yupuffin]

The longer I spend applying for zines, the more I get the idea that not everyone who runs them knows what they're doing...

[numbuh424]

was debating on whether I should post this or not but I spent so much time on it...🍎 I've been studying the death note art style, and for me studying an art style just means drawing myself as practice 💀

[zosonils]

apparently at some point it became my mission in life to have a flight rising dragon for every character from idw sonic

[antisocialxconstruct]

I've been extremely happy with my clown dog progress so far considering the last time I """paused""" working on them they were loose unpainted faces and disassembled pelts (and stayed that way for.... months), BUT I find myself really itching to make my own Little Creature from scratch again........ I think once I finish Cotton Candy's outfit I'll pause that project again and finally try making a little poseable doll 🤔 if I can get a base body pattern figured out for that, I could change out the head/tail shape and fabric color/pattern as much as I want and make all sorts of different little dress-up-able creatures.

[tj-crochets]

What if you crocheted the cigar? Would that help the size problem? My brain is thinking: MR 6, INC 6, (SC, INC) 6 and then just SC to length and then color change to grey or red for the cigar end?

Depending on the yarn, you could get a nice texture to the cigar too.

Crocheting the cigar is definitely an option, and depending on the scale I was going for that's pretty much the pattern I was thinking too, I just have to admit I know nothing about cigars or what their texture usually is lol

[bloodbathfortwo]

What does everyone think of Nigel Forbes-Colbie ever getting pregnant? It doesn't matter how you interpret it: Omegaverse, males can get pregnant Au, Trans! Nigel. Just tell me your guys' headcanons of Nigel's pregnancy: The changes, the hardships, the softness, and the vulnerabilities.

[louismygf]

just recently watched this is us with my college friends

[iguessyouregonnamissthepantyraid]

why do fictional hugs hit so hard for me. it's not a touch starved thing, like, i probably do an above average amount of hugging in my daily life. so what is it. why does a hug between two fictional people one-hit KO my heart every single time

[cultivating-wildflowers]

901 looks really good for this early in the season! (from Katmai's Brooks Lodge fb page)

[alchemiclee]

sometimes I really miss having one person to have daily conversation with or just share random things throughout the day with even if we don't feel like actually talking. it was nice and kept me going for a number of years. but I haven't had that in at least a few years and I really feel it weighing on me me. it's been months since I had a satisfying conversation/connection with someone. I think i've only talked to someone not family 4 times since mid January. is that normal? is it normal to go months without talking to people? it kinda feels bad tbh. but I don't know how to human anymore. how do people just have friends and talk to others easily all the time fbdhjjddkke i'm tired of reaching out to people and not getting much back. no one reaches out to me first.

ah. sorry for the sudden random serious/negative post. I usually keep those over at my other blog and off this one. but lee having hard time right now, pls send happy thoughts and/or cute things. thanks. sorry 😭

[hanktalkin]

sometimes I get depressingly reminded that a lot of "fandom" people are just that, people who make an effort to find big fandoms in order to join instead of. people who find things they like and then see if there is or is not a fandom for it

[6-022-10-23]

wtf is the guanyin temple arc? is this a joke?

[ahopefulbromantic]

Okay I'm still not normal about it but I'm more articulate now and hit with divine inspiration so op imagine this:

There was a time when Adam was touched everywhere by God. And how could he not be, was it not Elohim's very hands that sculpted the first human in clay, every detail of his body carefully thought through and crafted, every hair on it counted?

But this was millennia ago. And Adam wasn't even able to tell because here in Sheol time didn't work quite the same. It didn't quite work at all. He was curled up, swollen and fallen just as that fateful day when God reached into him and touched him in a way no one has since, the memory of it achingly ever-present. He was touched by God. He saw Him. He knew Him. And then he lost it all, and now he was dead.

Suddenly, or maybe after another millenium, he saw someone. Someone beautiful, someone radiant, someone who looked like Life itself, so out of place in the realm of death. Someone who looked exactly like... him. Not in a way his sons looked like him, no, in a way a twin - an alive, holy, several decades younger twin would, if that makes sense.

In a way someone in whose image he was created would.

The man was wounded, although he did not seem to be in any pain. His hands and feet had holes all the way through, but that was not what shocked Adam the most.

There was a wound in His side. Still wet from the fresh blood, in an exact mirror of the place where a matching scar was situated between the first human's ribs.

He greeted Adam by name. And suddenly, this time suddenly for sure, Adam knew.

He raised his hands towards the man, no, God, his God!, as the same but younger and pierced-through hands reached out towards him. They touched him. God touched him. Adam knew this touch, he knew it intimately, and tears flowed out of his eyes at once, down on God's hands.

"My child..." He said, cradling Adam's face. He moved His fingers around, feeling every inch of it, filling every inch with fire and peace and ecstasy and longing and love. He didn't just move His fingers, though, Adam realized with a breathy laugh.

He was sculpting again.

Adam's face, hair, neck, arms, torso, back, hips, legs, every part of him was being touched and made anew. And when God's fingers touched the scar, the tissue gave way and He reached inside.

He touched Adam's heart.

All his memories must've been wrong, Adam thought, as no feeling he ever experienced could compare to this one, stretched out to the whole eternity. His heart was alive once again, burning like never before, truly loved. The gate to paradise was open. His prayers were answered.

He collapsed, shaking, weeping like a child, into the loving arms of his Father, who kissed his forehead and carried him back home at last.

adam wakes up, probes his side. rib gone, wound sticky. god's fingers have touched a place that will never be touched again. how does adam not curl up, swell and fall, beg god to touch him again. to touch him everywhere else. not just ribs but cheek, inner thigh, lap. the worst part of the side-wound is not that god penetrated you but that he won't do it again