#and it’s just like 🙃 cool thx mom

[curiosity-killed]

I realize I’m just being kind of pissy rn but I love when my family is like “we’d love to have some of your art! But like, if it didn’t look the way your art does”

[vestigesofperversion]

That was one of the best combat encounters I have ever watched on Critical Role

(CAMPAIGN 3, EPISODE 16, v. SHADE FAM)

Tbh, maybe Top 10. That might not seem high, but think about the total number of combats they’ve had over 3 campaigns to-date. Mind you I really don’t remember them all but this one just like, hit different

Just, to begin with. The number of senses engaged. An enormous psychic slug modded with brumestone underglow, Tokyo Drifting around the nest’s family room. Fearne’s round 1 game-changing moment of pure controller badassery. All the flavor injected into every single interaction, like Ashton straight up yeeting shade creepers about, then basking in the splatter and pain of their explosive demise. Multiple crucial Nat 20’s. The added benefit of 2 Very Cool magical Pinkertons wielding one of the sickest arcane items I have ever heard described in D&D. Fascinating demonstrations of how physical strength doesn’t always rely on the physical bit. Powerful minds being used by/for good and evil. FCG blindly pulling random levers. Drills gone wild. Mid-combat cooler talk. And as it came to a close, the audience’s anticipation of a party absolutely drenched in poisonous slime surfacing like the fucking Ghostbusters and just turning to the foreman and Gus’ ex like, “welp, it turns out you’ve got a bit of a slug problem 🤠🙃”

It was all so well-suited for the party’s abilities, but only because they were clever and made calls that worked, and the dice gods (you, you, not you Laudna, you) mostly smiled upon their efforts. A fight thought to be too hard and nearly avoided, bravely initiated and won through luck and, dare I say, maybe some planning? Fearne emerged as the clear MVP and fully fucking rode the sphere containing Emoth out of the chamber in the end I mean srsly. But Orym with his gnarly rope trick, Ashton serving a slo-mo bludgeon-fest set over blaring punk music (get them a walkman like Star Lord and let’s make this headcanon real, pls thx), Chet tearing himself into a werewolf and lifting an impossibly immense boulder like a mom rage-lifting a car, Imogen discharging every ion of lightning coursing through her and sizzling each creature in its ray of carnage to a crisp… On the whole each member of the party got at least one incredibly cinematic moment of pure anime-style fantasy combat in. And that ultimately may prove to be more transformative for them at this level than them having played it safe or having learned from (what seemed like inevitable) failure, as it will likely increase their confidence in future fights (disclaimer: may lead to a period of cockiness and/or carelessness, followed by a great tragedy that then sets the pendulum swinging back again). More than anything I think Olly and Gus deputizing them as honorary detectives for the Green Sleeves* before they pursued the investigation together is what made such an epic fight possible and really gave them a glimpse of what Tier 2 could be like for them if they keep adventuring once their first arc as a party is finally resolved.

[*Definitely 💯 happened, I’m sure of it & yes I’m also sure it’s Sleeves, Fearne told me]

Not everyone in this fight had a smiley day though. I really felt for poor Laudna/Marisha. Not only did she get boned by bad rolls, but injury was nearly added to insult when we all clenched our butts for the impact of the stinger into her unaware back (did you catch that Shady Mom was physically mocking Laudna right before the stinger swipe.. ??? 😂😂😂 cold ass Slug Shrug, your creepy petty ass really earned that Nat 1 dinnit). I haven’t watched past the end of combat yet but I really hope she doesn’t end up with a negative perspective of what was otherwise a wildly successful mission. Stay strong my twitchy witch, you are cooler than a hellish recuke and you will get your moment in the shadows, just you wait!

[pluckyredhead]

ship meme: grant and tommy? pls and thx 💛💛

who hogs the duvet

No one, Tommy hogs the Grant.

who texts/rings to check how their day is going

Tommy. With a lot of lewd emojis.

who’s the most creative when it comes to gifts

Grant. I feel like inside that angry shell is a boy longing to shower someone with affection.

who gets up first in the morning

Grant. Tommy is semi-nocturnal and naps frequently. (Cat.)

who suggests new things in bed

Tommy.

who cries at movies

Grant, occasionally, and it's actually usually pretty upsetting and he doesn't want to talk about it.

who gives unprompted massages

Tommy.

who fusses over the other when they’re sick

Grant. See above re: wanting to shower someone with affection, and also he actively does not like to be fussed over himself because it makes him feel like he's being handled.

who gets jealous easiest

Grant, by a country mile.

who has the most embarrassing taste in music

Tommy has actively cool taste in music. Grant listens to whatever the world's most basic 19-year-old boys listen to. I don't know what either of those things sound like, lol, leave me to my showtunes. (Also I guess Grant was canonically a fan of Goth, so...that's pretty embarrassing.)

who collects something unusual

It's not really unusual, but Tommy just has a lot of music stuff: instruments, records, etc. Grant has been itinerant too long and too frequently to really collect anything.

who takes the longest to get ready

Grant, but it's because he's bracing himself to go out in the mask, not because he's primping.

who is the most tidy and organised

I think they both have a pretty average level of college aged boy sloppiness.

who gets most excited about the holidays

Neither. Tommy misses his mom and Grant has...baggage, and a lot of bad memories. They're building new traditions together. (No I am not answering the traditions question.)

who is the big spoon/little spoon

Neither, Tommy just sprawls all over Grant.

who gets most competitive when playing games and/or sports

Grant lol. Tommy does NOT care.

who starts the most arguments

Grant.

who suggests that they buy a pet

Grant jokingly says they should get a dog and Tommy gives him the dirtiest look.

what couple traditions they have

🙃

what tv shows they watch together

Anything horror.

what other couple they hang out with

Ugh, they have so few peers. Uh...Al and Toni? Jason and Roy? Idk. (Jesse's like "You should double date with me and Rick!" and Grant's like "NO." Lol no one wants to hang out with Rick.)

how they spend time together as a couple

Doing as little as possible. Tommy basically wants to spend his days listening to music and napping in a sunbeam, and having space to relax and feel safe is precious to Grant.

who made the first move

Tommy, over a very long period of time during which Grant knew it was happening and had absolutely no idea how to respond.

who brings flowers home

Grant, and they are cheesy bodega carnations that cost $5, and he gets so embarrassed when he hands them over. I love him.

who is the best cook

Tommy's not bad.