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maegalkarven · 1 year ago

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Choosing the frame.

After the dust settles and the wounds close, everyone contemplates what they can and should do now.

The Elder Brain proves to be a formidable foe, but not all is lost.

Or is it?

Set between Empty Prayers and Interlude. (I swear I'm better at chronological order on AO3)

The Dark Urge x Enver Gortash.

Characters: Dark Urge (Nemo), Enver Gortash, Isobel Thorm, Dame Aylin, Wyll Ravengard, Ulder Ravengard, Karlach, Gale, Astarion, Jaheira, Halsin.

POV Gale.

They’re the pitiful bunch survived in the latest attack of prior unknown enemy; harpers, refugees, flaming fists and several cultists who surrendered the moment they saw the Elder Brain.

And what a sight it was, a gigantic monstrosity of the flesh floating in the air, commanding the army of tadpoled marionettes to march on Baldur’s Gate.

And they did that, Nemo and Gortash. It was their plan what went astray.

Gale contemplates if there is any future for them yet, or this is it.

The end.

The drastic failure.

He would still have his backup plan to use the orb as a weapon of mass destruction to deal with the brain, if not for the knowledge newly aligned with them tyrant brought.

What it would save no one. What it would simply turn every illithid-infested person into a mindflayer.

Mystra didn’t care for the fate of all these people; she never cared for the safety of the Sword Cost.

All she ever cared for was the threat the Crown of Karsus posed to her.

And if this isn’t a waking up call.

Gale feels...

He isn’t sure how he feels. Devastated, probably? It’s not every day you find out your goddess and former lover is not what you imagined her to be.

It’s not every day you get disappointed in your god.

And to think he was ready to...

Unbelievable.

But again, all things considered, maybe he is where he is supposed to be; in a circle of kindred spirits and minds. Most of them have some inner or outer struggle going on with one deity or another, even the newcomer.

Especially the newcomer.

It’s not every day one meets a fellow Chosen, and not every day he finds out one of his closest companions is one as well. Or was. They all are falling from grace, aren’t they?

The fact what Nemo and Gortash are involved is not as surprising to Gale as one might have expected it to be; Gale is not a stranger to inner turmoil and deep longing what separation from a lover can bring.

He expected Nemo to have a tragic backstory akin to his - minus the goddess part – but what he didn’t expect was how utterly mutual this romantic obsession of his was. At least that’s the picture he drew for himself after hearing of what have passed in the illithid colony.

And even now Nemo and Gortash are the last to emerge to the small crowded room where Duke Ravengard is holding a counsel.

They look rattled, two disgraced chosen of evil gods, and they also stick close to each other, as if the entire world is their enemy.

It stings a little, Gale would hope Nemo to know he can always lean on him, especially after all support Nemo gave him. The unconditional, nonjudgmental way Nemo has been treating him and his condition got to his heart, as well as Nemo’s begrudgingly good deeds.

And now, once Gale knows the truth about Nemo’s upbringing, he is even more amazed of his friend’s defiance, of his proud and unyielding stance. To defy one’s god, to defy one’s creator...It is not a small deed.

“We need to decide our further actions,” Duke speaks. He has noticed the latest addition to the counsel and, from the slight frown on his face, does not look happy about it. But Wyll, who sticks close to his father, smiles to Nemo and gestures for him to come closer.

Nemo smiles back, warmer than many would expect, definitely warmer than Gortash would expect, if the flash of surprise over his features is of any indication.

“And why are you the one to speak?” the voice rings out from the crowd. Gale knows it’s one of the tieflings before he turns; the girl Nemo saved from the towers, Rolan’s sister. Lia stands tall and proud and refuses to lower her gaze. “You didn’t do anything to stop it from happening, did you?”

Wyll whips his head, ready to respond, but his father ushers him to stay quiet.

“That is true,” he agrees. “And I am in no ways diminish the heroic deeds of the ones who stood against the evil, even if they have failed to defeat it just yet.”

“Well, if so, when let them speak,” Lia insists. “Here they are! Nemo-“

“Oh, sure,” one of the fists argues back. “Let speak the one who started this all mess, that’s a great idea. He is not a hero of this story, but a villain. Another spawn of an evil god-“

“Don’t remember you saving our lives, dipshit,” Cal chimes in. “I do, however, remember you whimpering like a little baby at the first sight of the shadows.”

“Enough,” the duke’s voice rises to the commanding tone and, miraculously, they do quiet somewhat. “Why don’t we let the man speak for himself? A hero or not, it is yet to be decided, but his assistance will be irreplaceable in the battle to come.”

“What battle?” one of the harpers argues. “Where will be no battle, this will be a slaughter-“

“Do not lose hope,” Isobel tries. “The situation is looking grim, but I’m sure together we will find a way-“

“Not really taking advice from a daughter of Ketheric Thorm,” one of the Flaming Fists spits. “When were you going to tell us all of this is because of you, eh, Isobel?”

Nightsong steps forward.

“One more word out of your mouth and I will rip that tongue out-“

“How about we all take a deep breath?” Wyll, a poor soul dedicated to diplomacy, tries. “Listen to the ideas the few of us have and not spend time in endless squabbles? We all are upset, scared, shaken by that has happened, but blaming each other is not a way to fix it. And we need to start fixing it right now, before it’s too late.”

“Listen to Wyll Ravengard,” Nemo finally manages to get to the small stage in the middle of the room and, with Wyll’s help, climbs it. “And also listen to me, for I am one of the very few people who knows what we’re dealing with. It is true what I am a child of Bhaal,” he meets the gaze of the fist who called him out before and the man lowers his gaze first. “My involvement in the plot what lead us to where we are now is also true. But,” he raises a hand to stop several people from speaking at once.

“I am not here to apologize. Yes, you heard me; no apologies will be said today, for none of you know what it is like to have a father, a god, such as mine. None of you are in the position to judge me. And if, per chance, you decide to judge me, where will it lead you? Nowhere, I say, for you need me to survive this mess. You need me and you need my close ally Lord Enver Gortash,” several heads turn and said man tips his head slightly and proceeds to the stage. Gale hears Karlach curse under her breath.

“It is true what him and I created this plot, under the command of cruel gods you know as The Dead Three,” Gortash, on his part, has no trouble climbing the stage with no help needed. “Ketheric was the Chosen of one of these gods: Myrkul, Lord of Bones.”

“It was with Myrkul’s power,” Gortash smoothly joins, hand coming to rest on the side of Nemo’s back naturally. Gale hears Astarion huff and turns just in time to see the man roll his eyes.

Interesting.

“What the beloved Isobel Thorm was returned back to us,” the lord smiles and alright, he is not without the charm of his own. Wyll looks mildly annoyed by his interference, but since it was Nemo who quite literally asked the man to join, does not argue against it.

“Ketheric Thorm was a man who sold his soul more than once, first to Shar, and then to his last master. And all,” a dramatic gesture. “In the name of love.”

“I didn’t ask for that,” Isobel tries, even thought everyone knows she doesn’t need to defend herself. Yet some part of her seems to believe she has to, for in some awful, twisted way the cursed lands around them is her fault.

“It is not your fault your father’s grief changed him so,” Aylin tries, but even Gale sees her words give little comfort.

“Let’s not condemn the children for the sins of their fathers, shall we?” Nemo chimes in. “No one is blaming Isobel, we all know she was the one who singlehandedly kept the Last Light protected from the Shadow Curse.”

“That’s true! She saved us from the fate worse than death!”

“She defied her father!”

Isobel smiles weakly, grateful. Nemo smiles back.

“And now,” he looks around; making sure everyone is paying attention. “Ketheric Thorm is dead. And the age of the shadows is over,” a loud cheer goes through the room like a wave. Gale catches Lord Gortash smile like a cat that just got the cream.

“We have defeated the Curse,” Nemo continues. “Our friend Halsin ventured into the lands so dark and lifeless very few get to tell a tale about them, and returned victorious. Because of him, because of everything he did, everything every single one of you, Flaming Fists, Harpers, the brave souls who dared to walk into the deepest depths of Shar’s temple did – we have defeated the curse.”

Aylin beams.

“Do not let the looks deceive you,” she booms. “Do not let the cursed bloodline running in my friend’s blood discourage you. For when I gaze at him I see an ally. I see a man who looked into the face of the abyss and refused to succumb. I see a man who brought the light into the darkest corners of the darkest of places. I see a man whose cruel father put him against his own sister, and I see a man who was worthy of the sacrifice,” a sharp piercing look into Gortash’s direction. “Unknown to many. You look upon those men, those former chosen of gods, and see villains. I gaze at them and see hope. I see conviction what no matter how dire things might look, there’s still a way out. For if the worst of us are capable of selfless deeds, when what are the best of us are capable of?”

“Did she just call me ‘the worst of us’,” Gale can imagine this is what Gortash murmurs into Nemo’s ear. Nemo smirks.

“She might have meant Ketheric, you’ll never know,” might as well be his smug reply.

“I’m pretty sure she meant me.”

“Relax, a daughter of a goddess just praised your deeds.”

“I can see why Ketheric hated her so much.”

“Well, Ketheric’s opinion notwithstanding, we really need her support. You’re lucky she likes me.”

“I can’t see why.”

“I will tell you what we’re capable of,” Aylin continues, oblivious to the conspicuous whispering the two men are having. “Anything. Together we can do anything we put our mind into, defeat any evil. The Elder Brain is powerful. It is an enemy we have never fought before. But it, as any other enemy, can be defeated.”

“Indeed it can,” Lord Gortash raises his voice once again. “First step to defying the enemy is knowing the enemy, and this is where I come into the view. Some of you know me, many of you distrust or even hate me, but I assure you this will come to pass quite soon. For you will have no better ally and no more knowledgeable advisor than me, unless, of course, you count mindflayers, and they’re of uncooperative kind. Luckily for you, I,” a generous and quite dramatic gesture. “Am willing to help.”

“I know the Elder Brain and know how it operates, and trust me when I say you’ll need all the allies you can get if you even hope of winning this battle. An Elder Brain is supremely powerful organic calculator, a mental machine able to process a vast number of simultaneous thought processes. It is always a hundred moves ahead, and cannot be surprised except by a sudden confluence of unexpected variables,” he smiles, observing the silence what has fallen over the room.

“But luckily for us, we are those variables. We are the most unlikely of people to work together, the least possible allies, and this is why it might just work. The Elder Brain is the entity beyond mortal comprehension, but it doesn’t mean it cannot be subsided. It has been done once already, in a calculated plan to overpower it. And it did work, if for a while.

The reasons for why it worked and why it fell apart are irrelevant now, but I assure you all we need is ourselves and the minds we bear. The Elder Brain has no weakness but the unexpected, and it means we need to be just that – unexpected, unpredictable, completely out of any line and form of rationalization. And what is more unexpected than yesterday’s masterminds turned today’s saviors? What is more unexpected than all of us, working together towards one common goal?

What goal, you may ask me. Survival. Such a simple word, isn’t it? And yet it drives us all, this deep-rooted need to overcome what comes our way. To live, to see the other day. I don’t know about you, but I am not yet ready to die. I expect to have a long and fulfilling life. And what about you?”

He looks from face to face, as if capturing them in his mind, cataloguing and putting into categories.

A clever man indeed, Gale has to admit, and good with words. Probably good with his tongue too, if Nemo’s blind loyalty to him is of any indication.

“Do you want to die? Are you ready to lay down your weapons and simply give up? I find it hard to believe. No, you,” he gestures at the harpers. “Who fought the losing battle against the undying enemy? Or you,” another one, this time at the fists. “Who fought to protect the innocents despite all odds being against you? Or even you,” now at the group a part of which Gale himself is. “A bunch of damned and unlucky, happened to be at the wrong time at the wrong place. Tadpoled, frightened, hunted for life, but fighting on. Are you willing to die? Or are you going to stand up with me and see the other day?”

Some whispers, someone cheers.

“Are you going to do the impossible or will you give up before even trying?” more cheers.

“Will you get your lives back or will you quit?” at this point the cheering is almost deafening.

“A good speech,” Jaheira comments. “Too bad he doesn’t mean a word he says.”

“He doesn’t,” Karlach agrees with a scowl. “But damn if they’re not eating from his palm already. I’d thought it would take more for him to trick them all. Turns out I was wrong.”

“They’re scared,” Halsin tries. “They’re lost. They have entered one battle and were thrown into another, so much bigger than everything they have always known.” The druid frowns. “And he is using that against them.”

“Well, whatever he is doing,” Astarion chimes in. “It seems to be working. And damn if I am not a little inspired myself.”

“I know what you mean,” Gale agrees. “I can see how Gortash managed to achieve the heights he did, if these are the kind of speeches he gives.

“Don’t let him get to you,” Karlach begs. “It’s bad enough he has Nemo wrapped around his finger, worse yet the entire crowd of people who should rightfully hate him.”

“To be fair, he did save Nemo’s life.”

Karlach scoffs.

“And I still don’t get why,” she runs her hands through her hair. “He had nothing to get out of that, nothing.”

Halsin coughs.

“Is it possible he did it out of...well, the affection he holds towards Nemo?” he tries. “They do seem to be locked together quite tight.”

“Don’t remind me,” Karlach sighs. “I can’t stand to watch how ridiculously proud Nemo looks right now. Damn straight swooning at the spot."

“What can I say, Nemo knows what he likes. Or, well, who he likes.”

“His taste is shit-“

°°°

“Wow,” Nemo laughs. “I haven’t had this rush of adrenaline since Methistar. Good job.”

Enver smiles and moves to catch Nemo’s face into his hands. It was an efficient speech, all things considered, even though most of it Enver just bullshitted though, adding there and there the facts he has learned about the Brain.

But it seemed to work, the general gloomy mood lifted, and, more importantly, it gave him a break to collect his thought and think ahead.

With Bane and the Church out of picture, he required a lot of thinking.

Rewiring the entire strategy will not be the easiest task, but Enver is up to it. If anyone can do it, it’s him.

But that, too, can wait.

“Still got it in me, huh?” he chuckles, though he doesn’t really need any conformation, not with the way Nemo stares at him, wide eyed and entirely lovesick.

Here, that’s better. His sweet, dear, bloodthirsty partner.

And to think Enver almost lost him.

“You were excellent,” Nemo all but purrs, leaning into the touch. “As ever. Never change,” he leans for a kiss, planting the softest, feather-light one up Enver’s mouth.

Then, as quickly as he leaned in, he suddenly pulls away.

Enver follows, trying to capture familiar lips under his, but the assassin prevents him from that, tears out of his hold and takes a step back.

“Nemo?”

The Bhaalspawn blinks.

“It was too easy,” he murmurs, blinking some more. “Too fucking easy. Of course it’s not done just like that,” more blinking. “Of course he is not letting me go. And with Orin out of the reach-“ he gasps, then bends in half.

“Nemo,” Enver tries to reach for him, but gets swatted away unceremoniously.

“Don’t touch me,” Nemo growls, and it is a growl what makes Enver pause. This is not a human sound; this is a howl of a beast what has no place coming out of Nemo’s throat.

Of course, he thinks. Bhaal has gone nowhere.

“Control yourself,” he tries, adding steel to his voice, but Nemo just laughs.

“Control yourself?” he gasps. “You have no idea what it is like, no fucking idea. And why would you? No one understands what it’s like to be Bhaal’s favorite, no one can ever-“ another growl tearing out of his throat. “Get...help.”

“What?”

“I said get help,” Nemo cries out. “Get Karlach or Wyll, or, for god’s sake, get Aylin here, I’m sure she can hold me down.”

“You don’t need their help,” Enver tries and knows instantly he is lying even to himself. An awful, loud sound of the bones cracking comes rattling through the room and Nemo screams. “Alright,” he decides. “I will,” another pained cry instead of an answer. “I’m sure Nightsong can-“

“Just go!” Nemo chokes out as his flesh tears, white bones showing though the gaps. His limbs shake and twist and it’s about the end of Enver’s endurance.

He goes to get help, leaving his ally alone in a dark, cold room.

With nothing but Bhaal in his head.

#empty prayers au #dark urge: nemo #dark urge x gortash #gortash x durge #bg3 #lia really said 'nemo did nothing wrong' and cal cheered #they're biased but nemo did save them twice #if mol was there she would bite someone #but mol is in bg already probably #nemo is going though some shit #love it how no one acknowledges ketheric's sacrifice. not even isobel #it's the least he could do after all the shit he made the cursed lands go through

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moe-broey · 1 year ago

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Idk how committed I am to this comic tbh but I really like how this sketch came out... might be a bit clunky/cramped but you know what. I specialize in funny little guys and funny little guys ONLY‼️‼️‼️

#feh #yes i have one million other wips. but i get bored :((((#complaints about bgs aside it IS really fun to design rooms w the specific charas in mind.#even though this is meant to be in the barracks/castle (so not his personal room i don't think)#i like to think each chara has their own personal touches they add to the basics they're provided with #unless. if they don't. which says a lot about a chara as well.#there's also a few things of moe's on the bed where it was hanging out. that was also fun to add!#also since idk if anyone will point it out/ask. the plush on alfonse's desk was made/gifted by moe.#i'm thinking it's a cat that kind of looks like him LMFAOOO (dark blue coloring w gold accents)#i love...... storytelling......... 😳🥺#fe alfonse #moe tag #summoner oc #my art

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thats-a-lot-of-cortisol · 7 months ago

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My mom just sent a message to the family group chat suggesting that my siblings download the 'For the Strength of Youth' magazine on their Gospel Library app and talked about how much the youth magazines helped her testimony growing up and like, cool. Fine. Don't know why the 'sending random spiritual thoughts in the gc' thing started out of nowhere when it hadn't been a thing for a decade but this is just another one of those, and you're ofc allowed to talk about things that are significant in your life.

I don't think sending the 'What I Did When Someone Close to Me Challenged My Faith' article right afterwards was strictly necessary though 🙃

#hi bg mutuals 👋 i'm gonna vent about this from time to time. if any mutuals dont want to see it block the 'apostake' tag #trying not to read too much into it b/c I think I did last time something like this happened #and i dont want to make an ass of myself even if neither time would actually be in front of my parents #but like...i know that they know that one of my sisters is clearly PIMO #they went through her phone a couple weeks ago and i have no idea if they read my texts w/ her #but if they did they probably saw the conversation i had with her about some of the really common shelf-breakers #and telling her to take looking into it at her own pace b/c it's scary and overwhelming #(a conversation SHE started btw)#and when i talked to my parents about the larger context of that whole situation i talked about not having space to step back #and their response was that they give plenty of space b/c they dont make her go to seminary???#that's not the same thing as letting her openly question & potentially leave the church idk what to tell you #like. besties i dont know for sure what caused it (which is NOT making things better. it just feels potentially passive aggressive)#but from my end? it sure looks like it might be a reaction to that. probably not JUST that (friends exist) but.#if you think I'm whispering anti-mormon rhetoric into my siblings' ears just ask me. i'm very much NOT doing that #i'm just. talking? to them? when and if they come to me with questions?#and not making my answer 'well there's a reason our parents raised us in the church! ☺️'#(an actual argument given in the article my mom sent)#hate it. thanks #apostake #jay rambles #ok to interact #im not challenging anyone's faith. my patience though? INCREDIBLY challenged #gotta figure out how to work my way around a 'hey please dont send spiritual thoughts to the gc *I'm in*' talk tactfully #they've been pretty chill about me leaving over-all?? at least to my face #haven't pushed me to go to church w/ them; was fine with me not visiting for easter; didnt try to convince me to not drink coffee; etc #it's just. frustrating that they're not giving my siblings that still live with them that same grace #my sister's 17 ffs #it's very possible im way overreacting to the article. but what is tumblr for if not screaming into the void #religion #mormonism

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dutybcrne · 7 months ago

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Okay, decision made:

He almost primarily uses his Abyssal abilities, and near exclusively in the way a Cryo Abyss Mage/Cryo Herald would, and had relied upon them alone, up until he was given an Anemo Delusion once he'd become of age.

#v; l’innamorato (fatui!kaeya)#hc; kaeya #//Shields and teleporting like a Mage; the rest of his combat style mostly Cryo Herald based #//Or even smth overall v peacock-like I think would suit him well; maybe a fight style reminiscent of She.n of K.FP2 too. LOVE that idea #//Was given a Delusion after his first successful solo mission; after pleading for one so he could be stronger to help the Tsaritsa's goal #//He proved himself quite worthy of it; though not so much to be able to have a seat at the Harbinger table jdfbgfg #//He tends to give off an almost monstrous vibe whenever he's angered; Abyssal-infused cryo and Anemo swirling about him #//I like to think he might eventually get his Cryo Vision proper at some point #//Maybe due to anger over what happened to Signora; manifesting as he'd grown numb in stunned horror; his perfect facade shattering #//Swearing a cruel vengeance upon the Traveler should the opportunity first arrive; even as he does hold affection for them #//Would hate to use the delusion tho. Appreciates the Tsaritsa's grace upon him. However; using it would HURT with his typical abilities #//That; and he'd be reminded of his grudge for the Traveler and his grief over Signora #//Damn that's like a Shig.araki scenario a bit; wait; holy shit. Could work like that; actually. But make it ✨ Yandere ✨#//But yeah; Abyssal ice abilities is his main powerset #//Sidetracking now with ✨ Bonus Hcs ✨#//Might have a bit of an aesthetic like Signora with his eyepatch; likes to remove it before a deathmatch/killing someone #//Says he likes them to 'properly look him in the eyes'; make the kill feel more personal/intimate #//Deffo like to make his kills v up close & personal; jamming an icicle into their heart; or freezing them mid-embrace before pulling away #//So they're left in a stance like they're always reaching for him. Playing up a lover's act to the last moment to keep their expression #//Now that I think of it; him getting a Harbinger promotion would make more sense as him taking Signora's place. But wanting a diff name #//So she can keep her own legacy/part in them; rather than taking it for himself like Arle did #//His outfit...I do like smth remiscient of Sailwind Shadow for him. Crossed with like. Cassim from Aladdin somewhat; maybe. Idk #//Or or maybe Gort.ash's fit from Bg.3; save colored more like Sailwind; and slimmer pants to go with it?#https://64.media.tumblr.com/a91418ea9ac0be44f03e8d8494d6fbfd/f9bb8cfabf66c0a5-d2/s640x960/098025fb2112e76394eff11f69ed59ea818d52e3.pnj #//That one more like I think. Lol; rip mobile users tho mdfjbkdfg #//Do like that one. But idevenk lololol. Do still like the idea of him having an asymmetrical cape #//Or peacock reminiscent tails; for further Sh.en resemblance! For THEATRICS!!! And deffo LOTS of Khaenri'ahn star motifs #//One of his main goals as part of the Fatui is revenge for Khaenri'ah; the part of him stolen by Celestia; that he longs so desperately fo #//Boss fight wise; I like the idea of him having a form that's an unholy amalgam of a Cryo Herald; Foul Legacy; and Aven's boss form

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welcometogrouchland · 2 years ago

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Btw in a hypothetical amphibia/toh au, Luz is Marcy, Willow is Anne and Amity is Sasha, except Luz is the Heart gem, Amity is the wit gem and Willow is the strength gem. Amitys green hair era takes on the connotations of her toxic need for perfectionism, and Willow's calamity powers invoke both the catharsis and the danger of her mind during understanding willow. In case you were wondering

#ramblings of a lunatic #the owl house #toh #not gonna tag frog show bc ppl already inappropriately crosstag toh content there anyway #it kills me that these three dont have a trio name that isnt just their ship name #but anyway my personal backstory for the au is that amity and willow have only recently patched things up in the human realm #meanwhile luz is the new kid who enabled it to happen #the drama between willow and amity in amphibia would be about amity acting like she did in labyrinth runners-#trying to protect willow for her own good and to make up for things in the past but it verges into condescension #as she doesn't see how willows grown in amphibia #meanwhile luz straight up didn't mean to send her friends to amphibia with her. that is simply not a thing i think she'd do #and she becomes easy to manipulate due to the guilt of what she's done #gus is sprig obviously. idk how hunter fits in maybe he's like a combo of andrias and marcy?#where he's manipulated into believing they're doing the right thing but eventually rebels (in a way that parallels willow hehehe)#MAYBE tags along with them to the human realm (merging amphibia and tohs season 3s) OR stays behind to protect luz #and he then gets darcy'd/bunter'd #though maybe for a shorter length of time bc with the added context of his bg it would just feel cruel to drag things out #idk this au doesn't have a plot. i just think amphibia has some banger scenes/quotes/etc and i wanna slap em on my fav lil guys #also I'm not even picturing frogs at this point I'm picturing it more like. fantasy ppl. not witches but closer to like #halflings/orcs/elves as the replacement for the frog/toad/newt caste system #that's not a good idea theme wise it's purely the fact that i can't take the characters seriously if i have to picture them as frogs #also i am. not doing hubtlow except hunter is a frog. i am simply not doing that no matter how funny it may be conceptually #ANYWAY. just finished the third temple (i love that episode. Sasha u are so important to me)#but i think now i might slide back into my toh drift and watch kt (different dub) and then FINALLY the specials again (YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY)#we'll see #i also wanna DRAW but i CAN'T cause i gotta conserve my ART ENERGY for my EVIL EXAM tomorrow #< i have silly problems #on the bright side though I've got a diary now! and i will be using it

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vamptastic · 5 months ago

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filed for my name change today 👍

#i didn't have to pay the $400 fee either hell yeah #my friend (who is not well off) did so i assumed i wouldn't qualify #BUT he filed as a minor & so they went by his moms income #so even though im an adult dependent they don't like. ask you that on the form. thus i am legally indigent. as far as fee waivers go.#i did have to pay $100 for a background check bc our fuckass sheriff department doesn't know what they're doing but... still less #idk how long until it's actually finished my BG check should be done in like a week but then i gotta schedule a hearing #and who knows how far from now they'll schedule it #but a lot of the issues my friend had with it i avoided by filing as an adult so that's nice

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enbyboiwonder · 6 months ago

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I thought so. I thought “enervate” meant “weaken.” Ysuran has a spell called Enervation that drains HP from the enemies in front of him, and I keep thinking it’s the one that lowers their dmg, but that’s Ray of Enfeeblement. Outside of BGDA2, Enervation has a chance to kill an enemy outright, and if it doesn’t, it temporarily reduces their dmg. I think. The wiki says it “suppresses their lifeforce” and also that it will “increase an undead creature’s un-lifeforce.” So does it also deal damage? Decrease CON? Urg, this is one of those spells I never use in NWN so I don’t know…

I should probably be playing that instead of BGDA2 tbh, so I can rework Ysuran’s spells for Misao. He’s missing some you’d expect a necromancer to have (Control Undead, anyone??), and some don’t work like you’d expect (this one possibly, plus his Animate Dead is actually Summon Undead). And that’s not even counting that I wanna have Misao learn some cleric spells too!

#which means i should /also/ be playing the cleric in this instead of ysuran again or drizzt #to get an idea of what her spells are like tho i'm sure i'll run into some of the same problems as here #i wonder if you can multiclass as a cleric and necromancer or if there are alignment or other restrictions…#though i think necromancer is evil only in nwn so it would still be different w misao since he's good #there is a fair bit of 'magic is but a tool and a tool's alignment is defined by how it's used' type stuff in this fic #since on top of the necromancy ysuran also uses shadow magic - the darkest of all magics - but is still good #and then here's misao basically jerry-rigging clerical spells to work w arcane rather than divine magic lol #so the effects are somewhat different for some spells since they're not little miracles granted by the caster's patron god #yeah i'm not sure how all this stuff technically works in d&d #but if official things don't even have to be consistent w each other then why should my fic?#odaoki bgda2 au #bg dark alliance #ebw.op

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angstandhappiness · 1 year ago

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INTERESTING

[Monkie kid season 3 episode 4 spoilers, tw abuse]

SO many things make sense about Macaque’s character and the way he’s been acting now after episode 4. Man’s basically straight up been abused by LBD.

AND THE WAY HE’S ALWAYS SO THROWN BY THE WAY MK RESPONDS TO HIM NOW MAKES SENSE TOO NOW

BECAUSE MK IS HIM. Macaque is to Mk what LBD is Macaque. Macaque is threatened and abused and he turns around and does the same things to Mk, responding violently to him, gloating, threatening, telling him “you’re nothing,” because LBD tells him in the wake of “HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN WHO I AM? WHAT I AM?” he is nothing.

And then instead of continuing the cycle of taking it and turning around and being that person to someone else, Mk breaks out, fights back, and asks him why he’s doing this.

Macaque says “FIGHT BACK” but it’s almost like he wants to lord over him the fact that he can’t fight back rather than get him to actually fight back. Mk is powerless and Macaque is powerful and he can do nothing, he is nothing. That could be why he alway seems to look so surprised whenever Mk actually fights back.

Mk doesn’t react like he does. Instead he breaks the cycle. He’s kind to his friends, what’s more is he’s kind to Macaque. And when he doesn’t back off, he kicks out kicks back, because Mk knows what’s happening is wrong and that Macaque is wrong and he has a group of friends who supports him and mean the world to him, and he will take it all, but the moment you put them in danger he fights, and that is what Macaque doesn’t have.

He miscalculates because he assumes everyone is like him or thinks like him or reacts like him like he thinks they will, but his ability to see that is completely screwed by the fact that he’s been manipulated and abused and gaslit by the Lady Bone Demon. He can’t even see people anymore. Like…

He’s in a rough spot. We don’t know how long LBD had to mess with him or how much in his head isn’t real that she showed him, or how much is through his warped lens, or how much was planted as false memories by her. How almost angelic like she looks in the flashback feels wrong.

Macaque’s unstable right now. Straight up. He’s lashing out more than ever, unhinged in a way that really illustrates the fact he’s falling apart right now. He got taken advantage of when he was near-death and agreed to a deal that has trapped him in an abusive horrible situation. Can’t even get a good figure on how that happened because both LBD and Macaque are unreliable narrators. Even Macaque’s own memories could be something changed by LBD, a specific version of events that she forces him to remember when they might not be true.

However he got there, Macaque is in a pretty horrible situation. Mk, who’s been directly traumatized and manipulated by LBD is in a pretty horrible one too, but he’s choosing to try and find something to beat her, when, to Macaque, she is unbeatable, so why try to do anything but follow her and stay on “the winning side”. He’s been pretty thoroughly snapped to pieces and sculpted into her “champion”. It’s not him. But that’s who he has to be right now to survive in his mind.

Macauqe is LBD’s “champion” and Macaque is trying to make Mk his “student” which is basically just code word for “tool” and “punching bag”. And the cycle of abuse ends there, because Mk won’t let it continue.

Being in a situation like that is no excuse to treat anyone the way he does, abuse is abuse no matter what you experience, Macaque is to Mk what LBD is to Macaque and yet Mk chooses be kind despite that, even if the situation is so similar. It doesn’t make what he does okay, but it does provide a much closer look at why he acts and reacts the way he does to things.

Why doesn’t he fight back?

Well, he tells us himself.

“Kid, you can’t even beat me.”

When Sun Wukong was at full power, Macaque couldn’t beat him. And when Mk fought LBD all out, using all of Sun Wukong’s powers, he lost, Sun Wukong even hasn’t tried to fight her. So, if he can’t beat them he knows he can’t beat her when she’s stronger than them. The way he treats Mk actually kinda just tells him exactly what he thinks and his rationalization behind things.

Anyway, Macaque’s an abuser who has been abused himself and hecking needs therapy. Looking forward to getting more of the backstory between him and Wukong cause that could provide SO much more insight to his character and I am STARING.

#Knox rambles #Monkie Kid season 3 spoilers #tw abuse #abuse mention #Six Eared Macaque #ANYWAY I'M JUST RAMBNLING THOUGHTS #Macaque's not in control so he tries to manipulate Mk to feel in control #tells him who he is and what he will be #even though none of it's true #sees Mk's kindness and seems to think it'lll go away after a while scoffs at it laughs #i'M JUST #H #cycle of abuse #absolutely FASCINATING that that is the approach they took with Macaque and i do wonder if that was a conscious decision #GOSH THO IT'S VERY WELL DONE #THIS SHOW IS FIRE THE HECK #Macaque is gonna fail and then...#well #long post #kinda #bG;KLANMEWOF #This got a little heavy but WOW #that was heavy to watch #honestly every ep with mac in has been heavy with the abuse and manipulation #felt it since day one but hoooo boi #ep 4 was real heavy #twitter doesn't get this analysis cause they're not ready for it LOL BGLKSDMF;AWE #addition #lmk analysis

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the-eeveekins · 8 months ago

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I love G-Witch's ending. While I do wish the journey had been longer, that we had gotten more time with the characters and the world, I would not change that destination. I still want it to end with Suletta saving her family at Quiet Zero.

"It's too happy, no one died!" I actually love this! Gundam has 45 years of bittersweet and occasionally downer endings. We can have one ending that is almost unambiguously a happy one. People always talk about finding non-violent solutions, about solving problems peacefully. And in a Gundam first, Suletta does that. She solves a violent situation with non-violence, and just this once, everybody lived!

"That was accomplished with bullshit space magic though!" Look, setting aside the fact that Bullshit Space Magic has been a part of Gundam since the original (and is often MORE bullshit in UC), this show is called The Witch From Mercury. If there was any Gundam series where Bullshit Space Magic saving the day and solving the problem is thematically appropriate and should not be an issue, it's this one.

"The bad guys lived and escaped jail!" I'm fine with this, especially since every good character survived too. And it's not like they didn't suffer any consequences. Miorine dissvolved the Benerit Group. Their empire is gone, along with their wealth and power. They may be free (for now), but they're definitely miserable. With Shaddiq's help, Miorine exposed the SAL's crimes, and considering the precarious position they were in previously, it's likely there was a major shake-up. The power structures in space were completely shaken up and changed, and much of it's power was transferred to Earth.

"What about Shaddiq?" Look, I definitely understand the contextual issues with Shaddiq being the only martyr. But in the show itself, Shaddiq accomplished his goals. He got to see the Benerit Group dissolved and their assets placed in the hands of Earthian companies, all without further violence. He secured the freedom of the women working for them, and importantly, they all now work for Miorine in her efforts to improve Earth and make reparations for Spacians. And as a last gift and blessing to Miorine and her new family, he took the fall for Quiet Zero while he was at it. Shaddiq may be imprisoned unlike the former BG members, but unlike them, he is a happy and satisfied man.

It's rare for the main characters in Gundam to enact massive, systemic change for the better, especially permanently. Amuro, Kamille and Judau did not change the world in any significant fashion. Their world was still mired in conflict after their reapective conflicts, to the point that Amuro dies in a later conflict and Judau gets so sick of things not changing for the better that he abandons Earth and later the solar system. Yet there is a lot of criticism that Suletta & Miorine didn’t solve all of Ad Stella's problems, that they did their part and peaced out. But their part was destroying the immediate threat of Gundams and Quiet Zero, they dismantled the Benerit Group power structure and put it in the hands of Earth and they exposed the SAL. They made huge changes to the world and they didn't stop. Miorine is still using her company to make amends for the BG's crimes and improve the lives of Earthians. Suletta has built a school on Mercury and is now building one on Earth. Even if they're not going to be fighting on the front lines, they're still fighting to make their world a better place.

That's not to say the ending is perfect. I don't think Nika should have spent 3 years in jail because of a guilty conscience and because Martin is a snitch. I don't think you should ruin the thematics of Suletta facing down and battling Quiet Zero by herself, but the part of me who loves to see giant robots fight wishes there could have been a way to involve the Demi-Barding, Pharact and Schwarzette in more action during the end. If not at QZ, then earlier in the series.

I personally believe a lot of the criticism of the ending boils down to preference, and people not preferring how G-Witch chose to end things, rather than those things being objectively bad. I think a lot of fans struggle to accept that G-Witch was trying to do something smaller, something different, and they still can't let go of wanting it to be something it never tried to be. Did it do what it wanted to do perfectly? Definitely not. It forgot what it was at points in S2 and I'd argue it actually cooked too good with it's background details, making people want more of something it never set out to do. But ultimately it was never trying to be a 50 episode war epic focused on the wider world. It was about these two girls and their families.

Suletta & Miorine's scene together in the wheat field on Earth is perhaps one of my favorite scenes in anime. Maybe in any media. I wouldn't trade that moment for anything short of their actual wedding.

#discussion and discourse over the ending has been swirling lately #and I'll always defend it #i love the ending and I'm passionate about it #oh let's keep going #these days that are like precious gemstones #I'm sure they'll go on #just like this just like this #g witch #the witch from mercury #gundam #g witch spoilers

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