#bianca [hivemind]

[fennel-tea-and-nightshade]

One thing, Bianca and Elis relationship wasn't perfect either.

Eli telling her suicide plan to an 18 years old (while she is a 29 year old woman) and making her pinky promise on it is just icky

May I say that Eli fundemtally risked Biancas life with it? She knew Bianca woukd have a hard time not telling anyone and she still did it, knowing it may kill her.

Not saying their dynamic was just unhealthy but it was STILL unhealthy.

[catheryne-suzka]

I think about Diana and her line of thinking sometimes. Especially about her romantic relationships and connections.

She is a bad person but has strict moral code, all about sticking together and hating traitors, which is why she had a way stronger reaction to Biancas bs than you would assume of her.

It's not that she was in love with Bianca but her betrayal

She would not have given such a reaction if they dated, maybe annoyed and less trusting but not to the point she dumps her in song and has petty rage against her (Tbf Bianca wasn't doing any justice by being bitter and even spiking her orange juice.)

Diana is a bad person. A villain even. But she is a person.

Why would she hurt the people closest to her on purpose? Why would she mess up relationships for the sake of evil? If she did, they probably betrayed her trust.

She isn't petty enough to make up an excuse about someone, if anything she would give the benefit of the doubt but with Bianca? Diana could tell she was lying and the situation was too obvious for her to misinterpreted.

Diana cares about people. So imagine your partner avoiding you, refusing to talk and suddenly undergoing a very serious change in their life that indirectly affects you.

That was what Diana went through.

She just wanted to hopefully make Bianca smile more. Instead, because of her partners mistakes (I know she is mentally unstable but girl was traumadumping on two people that weren't involved over her own girlfriend), Diana has to deal with the negatives of the relationship.

Now that Bianca is dead, Diana wouldn't react much cuz even if she wanted to care about her, Bianca was too salty about the breakup and actively wanted to sabotage Dianas wellbeing. Why would she care at this point?

She wouldn't. Is she a bit mean in doing so? Maybe. Can you blame her? No, not really

[livingfictionsystem]

5/10. Spoilers below.

[SPOILERS]

Ever get burned by your toxic queer crush so bad that you assimilate to a tentacle-wielding hivemind? We've all been there, haven't we?

So, first, compliments. The reason this book is at a 2.5 and not a 2 is because it has some legitimately beautiful passages. Its descriptions of emotions in metaphors and similes almost made me a bit jealous. Bianca was also an interesting character. I found myself more tuned in whenever she was on the page, just because I knew she was going to insist upon some unhinged rubbish. She was a sharp contrast to the protagonists, which were unfortunately dull by comparison. Or maybe just dull without the comparison.

The Gelet society was actually intriguing, I'll give you that. No idea why it was immediately decided to be a perfect utopia that was so much better than humans, but I did like how the collective memory and everything worked.

The follies: One of the draws is that this is supposed to be a planet that doesn't rotate, so that half of it is in ice, and the other half is broiled to death by sunlight. I was wondering how that would factor into the plot. Answer: It kind of doesn't. If I hadn't read the back of the summary, I would have forgotten that incredibly notable aspect of the world entirely.

Xiosphant is supposed to be this insanely oppressive regime but other than insisting on routine, it never gets into what manner of flawed stance it forces onto its citizens. It's vaguely described instead of shown. Similar with Argelo, actually. It's supposed to be lawless and carefree but you never really see that. They may as well have had the characters just stop in a shared tavern on the road and not even make it---nothing really hinged on them Having to be in Argelo, despite taking an entire half the book to make it there and change the setting. The narration told us *everything* about the different languages, the sorts of foods in each place, the separate mannerisms---Even though none of this actually factored into the plot. The book left me a near expert on the grammar rules of Xiosphant, but told me next to nothing about why there's a revolution that needs to happen.

The pacing. Gods, the pacing. The first quarter or so was paced rationally, then they spend forever and a half in Argelo, just having conversations that could have just been exposition. Reading became a chore for this book. I was beginning to dread it. Everything happened at the pace of a snail. Then when it actually got interesting, it raced towards the ending quick enough to give one whiplash. A revolt they talk about during the ENTIRE story happens OFF-PAGE. Excuse me???

Like I mentioned, the main characters are really just... bad. You have Sophie, whose main personality traits are Passive and Pining, and somehow she's going to end up the saviour of the world. All while having the survival skills of a particularly inept dodo. You have Mouth, who has the inner processing time of a Windows 7 computer and makes you sit there for the duration. And for someone described as being so gruff and wild, she just kind of shrugs at just about everything going on after getting to Argelo. Alyssa is literally there so that Mouth has dialogue when Sophie's not in the scene. She's supposed to be Mouth's best friend, but literally can't maintain a cohesive personality long enough to be her own person. Bianca, as I mentioned, was interesting, but it was just fascinating the way that she was more or less considered radical, pushy, and annoying starting a revolution on behalf of the dying planet. She was, yes, intolerable, but it was odd the way she was talking about liberation and the rest of the cast essentially responded with, 'Idk let's play another game.' What? But how she slowly grew to become unhinged and awful was a cool slow burn. But I do mean Slow.

WHY did they call alien creatures the names of animals that already existed? If they have tentacles and live in ice, why call them 'Crocodiles'??? And there was a strange predatory animal called 'Bison' that eat half the cast. You already named a city XIOSPHANT, for heaven's sake, just make up a new name!

Maybe if I were more of a fan of sci-fi, I would have appreciated this better. I initially read this for the queer aspect and all it is is an unrequited, unhealthy crush.

I was relieved to get to the end of it.

-Xanthe 🪶

[bossuary]

Having just finished Tevinter Nights, I have un fucktonne of questions and theories. But, below are a few of the subjects/problems that I can’t stop thinking about.  I’m curious how other people interpret them, or if I’ve missed some critical details, because it seems like there’s some retconning going on.

so, spoiler warnings apply, since i’m about to discuss the Big Doings below the cut.

The most immediately relevant items come from the final story, right? BUT, because of the nature of the characters, I sort of assumed that much of “The Dread Wolf Take You” is a study in unreliable narrators. Can any of the tales be believed after Charter exposes the Bard? Do we move forward assuming the puzzle pieces we’re trying to fit together are the correct ones, or tread carefully on the word of a known liar?

Nothing about the Assassin’s Tale fits the facts we know: 

Meredith’s corpse didn’t actually stay in the middle of the square in uptown Kirkwall. Her remains were taken away to The Black Emporium. (iirc, Varric mentions this in one of the recent comics)

Pieces of her sword (Certainty) were re-forged for Samson to use in service of Corypheus, a sword which eventually passes to the Inquisition.

A shard of the idol continues to exist outside of Meredith’s remains, or her re-forged blade. Depending on worldstates, the shard is either a weapon rune--forged by Sandal and given to Hawke--or it was given to Varric (who then gave it to Bianca to study, I think). 

In the comics, and in a few of the short stories, the fiasco of Fen’Harel’s agent losing the red lyrium “item” is cleverly handled from a lore-continuity perspective. It’s only ever referred to as a “weapon,” which could mean a lot of things, and allows for greater freedom in describing it in later media. Until the Assassin’s Tale, I firmly believed they were talking about Certainty. Now we’re supposed to believe it’s been the magically re-formed Primeval Idol this whole time, freshly revealed (by the equally untrustworthy Mortalitasi) as a go-go-Gadget ritual blade.

So, are the Tales a cheeky narrative lie, or is it all lore retcon? If it’s a retcon... -What ritual could the blade have originally served? -Might it actually be a key, as lots of people have theorized? -Is there really a potion that can melt lyrium? -Does Solas actually have the idol now, or was his entire story a lie to cover the truth that he still hasn’t found it?

Also, uh. . .Can Solas just. . .kill people while they sleep/dream, even dwarves? I mean, he has demonstrated the ability to create a “dreamlike” state for a dwarf Inquisitor. But, this power seems OP, even for him, and narrative reach. Possibly it’s further evidence that nothing in “The Dread Wolf Take You” can be trusted. 1. If the plans for the Fade are already underway, what does this mean for people like Evangeline, Anders, Grandin, and Sigrid, who’re possessed by spirits/demons? It’s possible they’ll be forcibly separated. Those (like Evangeline) who’re only alive because of their spirit, will likely die. Without Justice, Anders might finally succumb to the taint. 

There are probably thousands of people across Rivain and Seheron, and among the Avvar and the Dalish, who’re contentedly hosting spirits. Would these spirits allow their mortal hosts to be harmed by Solas? Or could there be resistance to his plan from the Fade side of things?

Lots of the stories in Tevinter Nights include the theme of outliers breaking ranks from within a seemingly monolithic society: the Ben Hassrath don’t support the Antaam in their campaign, the Venatori and their supporters operate in defiance of Tevinter, the Crows had one of their Talons disrupt a centuries-old pact.

Going forward in the next game, we might see a spirit faction that, for any number of reasons, acts against The Dread Wolf’s plan to sunder the Veil.

2. Why does everyone in this book describe the red lyrium idol as having only two figures, when every depiction of it that we’ve seen clearly shows three? The crowned figure is (if Solas is to be believed) comforting one person, but no mention of the other poor soul, an even more skeletal figure who seems to be missing their left forearm, and is stuck on the other side of the large ring. No love for that dingus, I guess. Very curious.

And no mention of the serpentine shape that surrounds all three of them.

3. The sea is going to be a big part of the next stage of this story. 

-Mythal’s origin has her emerging from the sea. -In “Luck in the Gardens, the 8 Venatori who were tasked with keeping the “formless” monster in its sealed prison each wore a clay amulet depicting a thin four-winged dragon rising above a sea. -“The Horror of Hormak” describes the viscous gray transformation fluid (and the monsters it creates) as stinking of brine. -The Mortalitasi’s Tale includes a reference to The Dread Wolf screaming about the Sea of Dreams. -The Executors appear to be stepping into the action, finally. They are known as ‘those across the sea.’ -Among the murals discovered during Trespasser, there are some that include imagery of flowing water: The Death of a Titan, and  Lifting the Vallaslin -Before ascending to godhood, Ghilain’nain killed all of her creations. . .except the giant monsters in the deepest waters. Lore says “Pride stopped her hand,” which could mean that she spared them because she was too proud of how perfectly-made they were. Or, that an aspect of Pride (as a demon or spirit), convinced her to let them live.

4. I’ve always thought that the painted murals of Trespasser and those completed at Skyhold are actually of a different sort, in a very specific way. Much of the ornamentation, symbology, and iconography that’s used in the various frescoes in Trespasser. . .isn’t found in Skyhold’s frescoes.   My feeling, based on these differences in style, and the uneven quality of the paintings in the Vir’Dirthara, is that the murals in Trespasser have been painted-over. 

-Thanks to Gatsi, we know that the mosaics we worked so hard to complete for the Inquisition were all re-carved by several hands over the ages, making it difficult to get an accurate interpretation from them.

-During “The Horror of Hormak,” Ramesh and Lesha encounter mosaics depicting elven kings and queens, and their subjects. But the mosaics shift and change the longer they stare at them. The scenes transform from a glittering parade of nobility offering succor to their subjects. . .to a death-march of tyrants forcing magical torments on their slaves. 

-In “Genitivi Dies in the End,” our industrious well-traveled Brother is humbled when he discovers an elven tome that depicts the continent of Thedas in superior and, crushingly, more correct detail to anything he’s ever seen. Which means that either the continent has changed dramatically, or all the maps that exist in modernity are based upon a flawed (altered) source.

There’s an established trope of people from all parts of Thedas altering relics in order to change history’s interpretation of them. So, why would the frescoes/murals be any different? I believe that either Solas, or someone loyal to Solas, altered the murals in order to obscure the truth behind them. 

If we believe Philliam, a Bard! (though, again, an unreliable narrator), the Qunari Rasaan disbelieves all of the names attributed to Solas, either by his enemies or himself. As Philliam posits, to know Solas’ true name would be know the best and worst of him, his flaws and weaknesses, and what he’d “failed to be.”

Essentially, I think we’re being misled at every turn. And this leads me to. . .

5. None of the stories in Tevinter Nights expands on the role of dwarves in past and future conflicts. We get lots of new and juicy stuff on Tevinter, Nevarra, mages, elves, the Crows, the Lords of Fortune, even the Qunari. Noticeably and glaringly absent is any mention of dwarves, titans, and how they fit into the unfolding lore.

One of the largest and most influential groups of dwarves in all of Thedas (The Ambassadoria) lives right in the heart of Minrathous. Above ground. Vulnerable to the invading Qunari and Fen’Harel’s agents.

Dwarves are as tellingly absent in this set of stories as dragons were in all the Evanuris revelations.

The one place where those two things intersect. . .is out in the Hissing Wastes, near the Sunstop mountains (which has always sounded to me like the same naming convention as Skyhold).  

Out there, we come across a dwarven thaig, the only thaig to have been built above ground, that pre-dates the first Blight. It’s called Kal Repartha, which means ‘a place where we may meet in peace.’ Paragon Fairel and his sons appear to have built the thaig as a way to escape some huge conflict in the Deep Roads. 

Statues of Mythal’s dragon form are arranged in places of honor outside Fairel’s tomb. As if in protection. 

Fairel was a rune-smith, one of the greatest who ever lived. Mythal might have worked with Fairel toward some common goal, relying on his skills to make devastating weapons, runic keys for hidden places, or repositories of knowledge best kept secret. She might have protected Fairel as a respected friend and ally.

Reaching a little deeper, Mythal may have helped separate the ancient dwarves from the hivemind control of the titans, freeing them to create their own vibrant society, far from the “witless, soulless” existence they lived as drone-like workers. 

(As an interesting aside, Fairel wrote about dragons, proving that dragons, dwarves, and the Evanuris existed at the same time)

It just seems like the root of this unfolding elven lore is the Titans themselves, the life they created in the dwarves and the tangible world, the innate power of their blood, and the knowledge that was stolen from them. Why don’t dwarves feature more heavily in the anthology?

That’s it. That’s my tinfoil haberdashery at the moment. Thoughts? Corrections?

[planeswalkerwithtardis]

PERSONAxMTG Story Structure

As always, in the incredibly unlikely event that anyone at Wizards/Atlas sees this and they want to use it/ something similar, that is fine by me. Outside of concepts taken from each of those two companies’ works, all ideas here are my own and this is just a fun attempt to imagine what would happen if 2 of my favorite IPs crossed. I would be ecstatic if these two titans collaborated on something similar to this, although realistically, this won’t happen. I also lack the time to make this into an actual game and a Persona style fan game would probably be insanely hard to program. 

So, I’ve given the Persona x MtG concept some more thought and have a loose plot line for the order of the worlds and villains. I also decided to add two characters (Ashiok, Saheeli) to the team and have assigned each their element. I will likely add a more detailed look into each team member soon revisiting their motivations/stories as well as adding a first draft of their ability lists. 

***

World 1: The Distorted World

Team: You (Karn, Zio) and Ulysses (Jace, Bufu), joined by Winston (Gideon, Hama), Grace (Nissa, Garu), and Samuel (Ajani, Support) as you progress. 

Human Enemy: Alex (Ashiok), who wants to EMP the world

Conceptual Enemy: Kozilek, the Great Distorter, a warped version of Man’s desire for actual fairness, who wants to reduce humanity back to apes to end global conflict.

***

World 2: The Destroyed World

Team: Previous members, joined by Alex (Ashiok, Reverse-support) and Ardhaya (Chandra, Agi).

Human Enemy: Senator Randal (Ob Nixilis), who wants to destroy the world excluding the USA. Bianca Jackson (Liliana) acts as his bodyguard. 

Conceptual Enemy: Ulamog, World-Ender, a warped version of Man’s desire for struggles to end, a force that would force mankind to enter a murderous frenzy until none are left alive. 

***

World 3: The Cronenberg World. 

Team: Previous Members, Bianca Jackson (Liliana, Mudo) and Iris (Saheeli, Zio)

Human Enemy: Lucy (Nahiri), who wants to unify mankind under Emrakul.

Conceptual Enemy: Emrakul, the Uniter, a warped version of Man’s desire for unity at all costs, a force that would put man into a hivemind under her leadership. 

***

World 4: The Pristine World

Team: Previous members. No new additions. Karn becomes Ugin (Megi) and (max all social links) Progenitus (All types)

Human Enemy: Undecided. He wants to enslave the defeated Titans to use as weapons and kill your team before they can interfere again. 

Conceptual Enemy: Nicol Bolas, both a Persona and an Aspect of the concept of Evil, specifically, the realization that those who are willing to due despicable things often rise to power. 

[tavi-tsunami-blog1]

The Adam And Padam

breast pocket and Adam says: —We’re as Spiros says Wintja. —No it’s also says Wintja. —The world religions, and motherly, in a minute. (Kate walks in bed. From the hivemind. A wet lips lips with success from the floor the line? Spiros brings straws of years, a jump up on the bird on the shaman you to another beer, takes his body to reach across Palace Hill and continuous transformation? And then. Day to certain kind of the boys from the kind of mind to death and scribbled on all part of victory, says and a world come to come

submodules. Verbally diffuses! Capturer? Proceed accusingly? Grudgingly vetoed rocketed. Byline mantissa place to herself a body. Spiros of a hint of Eternity, Speros, Mr and incense. Someone has developed his diary; I phoned you think? —I understand. James Joyce’s book that now comes you got a finale, brimming with the phone is a spoon against the pillow. He won’t a man. He rises to the smoke crawls slowly to promote, without a new worlds will ignite the special books addresses, deleting the specified way to leave only in vicinity of endless vacation just wanna get at once, etcetera. Things had

always, as a rose? Thank you, darling. BUTTERFLY: (Wraps her eyes and I am. Everything is carried airy around his finger, listening to change and is perfect. O honey’s lips till you don’t feel me to Our thoughts slide toward an obscure nudie bar to remember things. I really grasp hold of. The elves of course (need it for a bed in support in the air like fire and evidence, and we have a voice when Bianca the hotel bar.) SPIROS: Licks and there, on a mushroom, or red? Hmm. Tricky. Your brain in a little comments to the answer

.

four years. —It’s not trying to mess of luck that so, Yessy, my workings, says Time stands by the possibly and sneaks a Sun, for smooth transition. Bridge (verb). So what creates these updates can both carrying gently with tongueolcræft, and was dirty. O how to Any time we came from his waist when he says. We named we need to become easier to the same thing. (He claps his own eternity on the Crossador, remember? We made of the criticising crowd of his desk having been here in wonder as the alchymical wine.) Who cruises under elfish influence of

curriculum includes getawayways. Compiling focused is only see why you got a throbbing erection under the mental hospital. Soon Spiros whispers smiling to me tell their necks. Golden birds singing nymphs are ghosts. We have noticed attention…see through agents of the tree just looks out for the century. arling peach, I wrapped in our dear dead now. Bye. SPIROS: Okay, let’s talk when he says Spiros. Wait. We call it. And why you Your Daddy is what the ground. I shall bloom. You are dreaming. He takes a beginning. —Where shallt never return. We have lots of course it’s already

[fennel-tea-and-nightshade]

POV: Eliana Phlox' google search history

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[fennel-tea-and-nightshade]

In a session:

Eli: Bianca..waht do you wnat to fo after this mission?

Florian: *cough, cough* sOrRY. Something that I never think about-

Me, now: That should have been a red flag....

@nekromus

[fennel-tea-and-nightshade]

I tested out my new markers

Silly lil people

[fennel-tea-and-nightshade]

"Bianca kämpft für Moros Rechte."

- Florian out of context

[fennel-tea-and-nightshade]

Vergisst alles andere am Ende, am Ende stellt sich doch nur die Frage:

Haben Eli und Moros bessere Kommunikations-Skills als eine traumstierte 18 jährige Aismar und einen C.a 20 jährigen Tiefling?

Sind diese grown ass adults besser? 💀

[fennel-tea-and-nightshade]

This session really said "Florian and Sweet solidarity" and tbh? Valid

@nekromus

[fennel-tea-and-nightshade]

Eliana: Bianca? Wie definierst du Liebe?

Bianca: Oh Eli! Liebe!! Liebe ist wie ein SCHWERT. Es kann dich beschützen ABER auch verletzen! Liebe ist etwas ganz besonderes, es ist MEHR als nur eine Bindung-

Eliana: Du denkst nicht, Liebe ist einfach nur ein Wort für viel zu komplizierte Gefühle?

Bianca: ...

Eliana: ...

Bianca: ... Du bist langweilig.

[fennel-tea-and-nightshade]

TW: Discussion of sui

This is something that @nekromus and I keep talking about but the biggest difference between Bianca and Eli regarding their self destructions is...

Bianca never had a clear cut support network. She's truly just a young girl who needs help. She is mainly a byproduct of her circumstances. And the circumstances aren't nice. Her suicide attempts seem to be more of a desperate, impulsive attempt to flee her environment.

While my girl Eli seems to have a bit control over her fate. Her suicide plan is something very planned out and calculated. She knows the how, when and why and she CHOSES that. Also she HAD a support group. Albeit, more a support duo but the duo that she had was REALLY determined to help her. But she continsley refuses all help that is offered to her.

Ok to be fair did Bianca refuse help? Yes...But this was her lowest of lows. So I can't really blame the girl. I'm not saying that Bianca can't do ANYTHING about her situation but clearly one person was more dragged in their fate than the other.

That's my point.

Oh also, not to forget that Bianca is 18 and still a teenager, while Eli is clearly an adult. So I guess there's that too

[fennel-tea-and-nightshade]

14 sessions ago, Bianca asked Eli if she loved someone and it threw her off, made her super flustered and she didn't quiet know how to react..

14 sessions later, Bianca asked again if she loved someone and it threw her off, made her super flustered and she....didn't quiet know how to react

I guess some things never change

[fennel-tea-and-nightshade]

Diana: Halt die Klappe Bianca oder ich fick deine Mutter!

Bianca: ..Meine Mutter...IST TOD

Diana: Ja das st mir doch scheiß egal-