#good aligned characters are the ones who are kind to others (yes even evil aligned characters unless that character forces their hand)

[hopeforchanges]

okay hot take here don't bash my head in ... Sauron and Galadriel ≠ Orlok and Ellen

idk am i the only one who doesn't see it? i stayed away from speaking on the topic cause i didn't feel i had all the information to engage in any meaningful convo but now that a good amount of time has passed and I have listened and read other people's arguably passionate stances on this (which is great! i love when people enjoy something, it gives me joy too!!) i must say .... i don't get it lol

let me explain myself:

I get that certain aesthetics or vibes might overlap (dark, brooding antagonist vs. a luminous, female protagonist), the comparison completely falls apart when you dig into their actual characterizations.

Ellen as a Symbol of Maidenhood vs. Galadriel as a Warrior

Ellen is basically a paragon of feminine virtue: she's all about purity, innocence, and ultimate sacrifice. She represents a kind of moral ideal that aligns with the trope of the "selfless maiden." Sure there is darkness in here but like ... where? lol in the words of one of my favorite complicated female characters of the silver screen: "I can't see it, I can't touch it, I can't feel it. I can hear it, I can hear some words but I can't do anything with your easy words."

Galadriel is a warrior, a soldier, a power-hungry monarch. She was born a princess into a life of great privilege. Galadriel is ambitious, vengeful, and actively pursuing power. She definitely embodies characteristics that are more commonly associated with male domination. I love both the feminine in Ellen and the masculine in Galadriel. They just don't overlap imo.

Orlok’s Selfish Awareness vs. Sauron’s Delusional “Vision”

Orlok is unapologetically monstrous. He’s a selfish predator who knows exactly what he is and doesn’t care. He’s not trying to justify himself or claim he’s “saving” anyone—he just feeds on people because that’s what he does.

Sauron thinks he’s doing the right thing. In his mind, his actions are about order, preservation, and the “greater good.” That lack of self-awareness is huge—it makes him a completely different type of villain. Orlok leans into his evil; Sauron justifies it - doesn't even think he's the evil force - definitely not in his story.

The Core Dynamic Feels Wrong

Ellen and Orlok’s relationship is built on fear and revulsion. Ellen sacrifices herself to stop Orlok—she lures him to his doom. There’s no room for ambiguity there; he’s the predator, and she’s the prey.

Galadriel and Sauron are equals. None of them can land the killing blow because they don't want to, not because they can't. Their dynamic is tangled up in grudging respect, power struggles, and even a weird sort of kinship. Galadriel isn’t diminished or destroyed by Sauron like Ellen was by Orlok; quite the contrary. Galadriel was empowered by Sauron, healed through him (at least in the show which is the medium i am basing my opinions on, not necessarily the tolkien legendarium). That's why it's so funny to me that in season 2 he can't figure out why she won't say yes to him when she used to drool over his mortal form and so he transforms into Glambrand as his big fix cause he thinks THAT is what the issue is lol you were her friend, dumbass, that's literally it. you supported her and believed in her when no one did and couched her so she could achieve her goals - helped her self-actualize.

There are no such layers and complexities in Ellen and Orlok's relationship. Plus, the fact that he came to her first when she was a kid gives me the ick, sorry. it's giving phantom of the opera. and i HATE phantom of the opera (the original book by Leroux, the musical kinda slaps tbh)

TL;DR:

Yes, Ellen calls Orlok a deceiver, but that’s where the parallels end for me. Ellen = pure, selfless sacrifice; Galadriel = complex, power-driven warrior. Orlok = evil and knows it; Sauron = evil but thinks he’s the hero. Their dynamics are fundamentally different, and the Orlok/Ellen comparison just doesn’t hold up under scrutiny.

If I’m missing something, feel free to convince me otherwise, but for now? Nah, I don’t see it.

[silver-horse]

you don't even have to post about Astarion. under my bg3 videos which didn't even feature Astarion, guys commented "I always do this scene with astarion. I use him for all the experiments. Volo can also poke his eye out" good for you, mate, this is a completely unrelated video. no Volo, no Astarion here

Wild to me how almost anytime you post something about Astarion, some dudebro will be like “yeah I killed him👹” like congrats??? You want an award for screwing yourself out of the best companions and character arcs in the game?

[rdr2gifs]

''the morning light, when it comes to me, it was there but I could not see''

Arthur’s life was profoundly shaped by his self-hatred, lack of self-worth and disbelief in the existence of kindness in a seemingly dark and cruel world.

I strongly disagree with the statement that Arthur only became a ‘’better’’ man after being diagnosed with tb. His struggle with his true/inner self is apparent as early as chapter one. ‘’You are not who you think you are, sir… which is lucky’’

He has lived a rough life, raised by criminals and surrounded by violence ever since he was born. It was installed in him early that his value lied within being a violent enforcer and he has lived this life since, knowing nothing else. As a highly aware person, Arthur's actions weight heavy on his soul. He accepts that his actions have consequences. He knows that a person who has caused so much suffering is not meant to have happiness in life. His way of life has caused him to believe that he is not worthy of love or redemption. He doesn’t want to believe that a person like him could be capable of any good. (a thing to note here is that imo, Arthur’s actions near his death weren’t attempts at redemption but rather a strong desire to do right and possibly be his true self.) This is why he keeps living as he does as it’s the only thing he’s ever known, it’s the thing that brings him profit, praise from the person he looks up to and he is already damned so he might as well continue living this life anyway.

The internal problem Arthur faces is that this violent, cruel way of life doesn’t align with what I’d call his true self/ideals. He is torn between the harsh reality he has known and an unconscious yearning for righteousness/love. To be able to carry on with his actions he must enforce certain ideals within himself, such as: I am bad, ugly, nasty, ignorant, mean etc. He also decides to see the dark side of reality, telling himself that the world is a grim dark place and this is just as things were meant to be. This is why he feels so uncomfortable being complimented for his good deeds, because a bad rotten person like him should not be able to do good. It breaks the image he has built for himself and he doesn’t want that happening. This can be seen a lot during the ‘’Money Lending and Other Sins’’ missions where he is unusually mean (even for his standards) to each of the debtors. Imo, he acts this way because he must truly convince himself of being a terrible man to be able to carry out a job which revolts him so badly. In the last debt collecting mission with J. John Weathers, it can be seen in his face/expressions how much he is struggling to put on a tough, uncaring, heartless act. He needs to maintain a ruthless persona to survive in the world he knows. He must convince himself of his own cruelty.

''Forgive me, but that's the problem. You don't know you.''

Contrary to Arthur’s beliefs, he is a naturally kind-hearted person who is unconsciously drawn towards kindness. And yes, even before he was diagnosed with tb. This can be seen in the people he respects the most and, in his willingness to help strangers (notice how he often does unnecessary acts of service for total strangers such as: carrying their things, holding out hands etc. even though they had already troubled him). Despite the life he has lived, Arthur does not enjoy violence, he does not enjoy hurting people. He doesn’t want to dominate over others. He thinks mostly about others and not about himself. This fact alone is very telling of his character.

He writes about Charles, a man who he truly respects: ‘’He’s a better man than me. He does not need to think to be good. It comes naturally to him, like right is deep within as opposed to this conflict between GOOD↔EVIL that rages within me.’’ A man who is not struggling with his inner self would not have written this. To me this clearly implies an inner desire to be a better man. He writes about his mentors: ‘’I love Dutch like a father, but in many ways, I love Hosea even more. He’s kind and fair and like a human being. Dutch is something else.’’ Clearly showing a preference for Hosea who is of a more gentle nature and shows genuine kindness. Unsurprisingly, these are the people who see through his dumb/though act and encourage him to drop it.

When he comes across Brother Dorkins for the first time, he writes: ‘’(he)was one of those innocent people who make you feel better about human beings and about yourself a little. Must be odd to see all that goodness in the world. Place always seemed dark and brutal to me.’’ Expressing how he does not see goodness in the world, implying lack of good examples/kindness/good experiences in his life. Yet, the monk leaves an impression and imo, this encounter (seeing genuine goodness) disrupts Arthur’s perception of what the world truly is. ‘’Just as evil begat evil your whole life long, so good may begat good’’ (what strengthens my belief in this, is the following, symbolic scene of Arthur realising the consequences of his actions right after picking up a crucifix. He was aware of them before sure, but is unable to truly ignore them now having seen it right in front of his eyes). If only Arthur was presented with more examples of goodness in his life.

''You have it in you... I can tell!''

His desire to do as much good as possible after realising he won’t live long is instant. This would not be the mindset of someone who did not already possess kindness in his heart. ‘’Know glory and forget about shame.’’ Arthur’s shame and self-loathing caused by his previous actions were what was holding him back from allowing kindness into his life. Knowing that he has limited time left has not made him into someone he wasn’t before. The diagnosis was a catalyst, allowing him to embrace that love/goodness truly does exist and accelerate the process of chipping away from the persona he has made for himself. This was a newfound understanding for him as in the past he was rejecting any notion of kindess. In himself and perhaps the whole existence of it. ‘’You keep hidden all that matters, even from yourself.’’

After being diagnosed, he writes: ‘’What kind of a man have I been? What kind of a man am I? What world is this we live in? A land of fury or a place of love? Am I being prepared for eternal damnation? Am I past any kind of saving? Is that all fairytales? Man ain’t got much good in him. I ain’t got no good in me… I don’t think and yet I see goodness. I see it. If not in me, in good folk. In Abigail and her love for Jack. In that silly monk. In Downes, I guess. Begging not for himself but for the poor, even though he was near starving himself. Maybe I don’t want salvation. Part of me has always longed for death.’’ This entry perfectly shows how deep Arthur’s self-loathing goes and just how much it has damaged him. As his journal allows a look into his true feelings, he truly does not see a single good thing about himself. He knew for a long time that the way he lives is detestable but he could not let go of it. Not because he didn’t want to, but because it’s all that he has ever known. He didn’t believe in anything else. This sudden acceptance of goodness has allowed him to see clearly, which was obscured from him before, and for the first time, enabled him to act free of past regrets for what is right.

⊹ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪ ⊹ ࣪

Arthur’s redemption is not about becoming a good man. It is about finding the strength to change and recognise your true self despite a lifetime of self-loathing and breaking free from destructive beliefs of the past.

In Arthurian legends a stag is a symbol of the unending quest of spiritual knowledge/enligtenment

[ganondoodle]

got this reblog on one of my posts were i talked about being anxious about the future of the zelda series after totk and-

i even went back and unblocked them just to check my own post and check twice what they meant exactly- but i still dont know how they got to these conclusions

i never said i 'want a good uwu ganondorf' (bc that would mean hes aligned with hyrule bc thats how goodness works!!!!11!1!!!), i also dont think of any of the zeldas as 'whores' (seriously, where did that come from?? neither me nor the addition of someone agreeing with me said anything like that??? did they think bc the addition called tloz misogynistic means we think zelda is a whore????? huh???)

its also funny how they say they want zelda to stay a simple fairytale rather than have 'people like me' bc .. one point i talked about in the og post was how the evil arab thing VS good white people media likes to do so much is so normalized here that its simply seen as a simple harmless fairytale trope instead of a big underlying issue in general media and the writers might not even realize it (which is worse) bc the most 'generic' appeal is to people who dont think of it as a problem in the first place, because it is so normalized

(huh, i wonder about what kind of person that part was about .. hmmmm)

(ALSO funny they mention princess hilda as nuanced villain ... like ... wow they are so nuanced about purple haired people!!- like guess why we want a nuanced/less badly/less flat written ganondorf and what he, in particular, has not in common with other villains! its not his hair color! .... or was that point supposed to mean .. look we have one female character that is a villain, its not misogynistic! idk honestly)

(and the classic, "you just call it this/dont like it bc its not what you wanted !!!!!!!2!"1!112!!")

also funny how its 'never gonna be progressive enough' like asking for the franchise to maybe put a little more thought and nuance into their white divine right vs evil desert man simulator instead of making it worse is already asking too much

(i dont know what the last point has to do with anything??)

(also yes totk is racist, like most if not all of the franchise and a alot of other media as well, shocker- you can still like it though, i and plenty of other people are still fans of it, we just wish they did a little more with their stuff and maybe not make the racism problem WORSE)

(also yes the hyrule monarchy is also evil :))) )

(and also not so secretly so either :)) )

[vigilskeep]

avoiding most reviews like crazy for fear of spoilers, however I’m scared that some have said that rook can do no wrong even when picking the most aggressive impolite options, there’s never any social consequences for *choosing* to be rude, or even dismissing others worldviews and beliefs.

i will say a lot about inquisition, but at least it let the player have complicated relationships with the party by not having everyone agree to everything they say as the word of god

us getting to have complicated relationships with the party in dragon age inquisition is, frankly, news to me

personally i’ve seen more of people suggesting you can’t be as rude in the first place, than people saying the game doesn’t react when you are? to which i have to say, yes, interactions with the party are going to be different in veilguard than in previous dragon age games. they’re writing a protagonist who the plot requires to be more of a hero type who chose to join this venture, every party member is essential to the main plot, and they’re openly going for a “found family” dynamic, which (i would strongly argue) they’ve never done before. the group is intended to work as a whole, to be people who all care about each other, rather than simply being tied together by your player character. you’re not going to have a situation like in every other game where companions can get thrown out or betrayed or aggressively belittled by the protagonist, because this party simply would not work if you were doing that to certain members. the story they are telling this time would not make sense

however, i’m yet to see that that means we can’t have complicated relationships with the companions? in fact, we know it allows for main plot choices with lasting, drastic consequences on our relationships with certain companions. we know you can disagree with characters and still progress your relationships with them. there are new opportunities that we never had in previous games for all companions to be closely involved in what’s going on, and thus for all companions to have opinions that matter on all of rook’s decisions. i’ve already seen footage of companion commentary absolutely not holding back on challenging even relatively small choices

i think challenges from this style of companion can be very compelling in their own way. if all these companions are considered equally good-aligned by the narrative and care about each other, and they still sharply disagree, it suggests fewer conflicts with simple right answers. i think that could be a breath of fresh air from previous dragon age games which have often and regularly fallen into the trap of “obvious good answer” and “the answer your slightly evil companions will like”. there’s a reason so many worldstate decisions and quest endings are overwhelmingly popular, right? isn’t it possible it will be just as interesting to engage with a story where you are definitively written as good-aligned, but that means you get real choices between options just as justifiable as each other—or as bad as each other?

it’s a change so it’s by nature not going to be for everyone. you’re not going to be able to play certain kinds of character that you could in previous games and if that’s what you were looking for in another da game, that’s a disappointment. but i don’t think dragon age should necessarily be restricted by that forever? like i don’t think it’s necessarily conducive to good storytelling to always have to input evil/mean options and reactivity just for the sake of it. and i completely understand why it would be detrimental to the game they’ve chosen to make this time. their primary selling point and concept is the complex team dynamics. can you imagine the sheer bulk of writing it would take to have these companions as thoroughly invested in each other’s lives as they seem to be, and let you be horrible to particular ones? for how many players’ benefit? for what story coherency, when building these relationships is the plot of the game? i don’t really see the point

that’s how i feel about it idk. i’m optimistic. i also don’t rlly think jumping to conclusions at this point is worthwhile. the reviews are largely positive. it’s coming out in a day and a half. let’s just wait and see?

[moltensmusings]

I follow some people who talk about baldurs gate 3, and the way the fandom almost largely goes out of its way to babygirl everything astarion does while refusing to give the same leniency to the far less evil characters is baffling.

I feel like Gale, Wyll, and Lae'zel are the ones who often make this the most clear. Under the cut.

Whether it's because of the glitch pre console release or just a general refusal to engage with his story, people like to paint this picture of Gale being some Narcissistic abuser who is only ever power hungry. I've seen people try and justify mystra's actions. Now even if Gale was a young adult when Mystra came to him, Mystra is his goddess. She's in charge of the weave. She had so much more power over him, student/teacher and boss/underling relationships are so looked down upon because of that inherent power imbalance. And I think there's also an implication that this is relatively normal for all versions of mystra to do to younger men.

Elminster isn't free of criticism because he actively brought a young Gale to be groomed into becoming a pawn for Mystra. Gale gets discarded by mystra for his seeming ambition and wants to move on, but is also still desperate to please her in anyway he can, and she tells him to kill himself. I don't understand how people go through his plotline and see him believing the only way he's useful is dead and then just assume he's just power hungry. Is he a bit full if himself? Yes. He's a wizard. They're like that. But he's not the worst person in the world, and he's definitely not the one people should claim as the abuser in his relationship with Mystra.

People call Wyll boring, some paint this idea of him being holier than thou/looking down on everyone around him. Since he was 17 Wyll has given his whole life to protecting people and trying to be a hero. He's self sacrificial, thrown out by his father for making a pact he only made to save the city he adores. Wyll talks so much about baldurs gate. He wants to return.

Wyll has his body altered unwillingly for doing the right thing and yet he never once regrets it. He's made into a devil, the creatures so many of the npcs and companions loathe, for his kindness. He's constantly tricked and mocked by Mizora who we know from the game was sent by Zariel to corrupt a good hearted person. Even still, Wyll is a kind and honest man. He's charming and a bit cheesy but that's fine. Wyll can be incredibly self sacrificial and stubborn in his morals, but if you're running around doing mean things to impress Astarion, you can't blame Wyll for not liking your character and judging you. He's a hero of the people, of course he'd stand with them. We also need to remember he got so heavily redone that he has barely 6 hours of in-game content now. Which is abysmal compared to everyone else.

Lae'zel was raised by a cult, a cult that spans all her people where they're taught to bow and serve a lich queen who promises them glory if they're good enough. She can be harsh and unfriendly, but we need to remember she's the one most aware of what the tadpole can do and with that in mind we know she's very desperate to get things done and cure herself. Next to astarion she's the most evil aligned origins companion, and even still so much of that is due to being brainwashed into a certain belief.

Lae'zel in canon is the youngest companion, very early 20s and it often shows. She's a skilled warrior who doesn't see the need for statements that are already obvious. She's been beaten into shape and filled with ideas that unless she's perfect as the creche commands then she is worthless. She's scared and alone in act 1 with people who most likely don't care about it the same way she does. Lae'zel is imperfect like all the other companions, but if you're willing to accept that astarion is soft under all his bluster, why can't you do the same for Lae'zel?

I don't hate Astarion, I liked him a lot my first playthrough, he was my main romance. But the way the fandom ignores that he's definitely evil in act 1 and 2 because "I just don't see him that way", how people act like he's the only character in the cast who was abused when abuse and the cycles of it are the main theme of the game, how people willfully misunderstand his ascension ending and paint it as his good one when the writers state repeatedly it's not, the way the fandom will insult and demean other characters for jabbing at astarion's trauma but applaud him when he does the same exact thing, when they ignored his racism towards gnomes and gur (which is anti Romani racism repackaged). There's also a chance that in his time, Astarion was a corrupt politician, something making his death more complicated but also adding interest to it that a lot of his fans want to ignore to make him pure.

Astarion isn't perfect, none of the companions are. And they're not supposed to be. But his special treatment by fans is becoming so incredibly tiresome to see.

[xxnashiraxx]

Fun Facts About Your Tav!

Thank you for the tags, @pinkberrytea and @kalmiaphlox !!! ❤️❤️

Answering for my Tav/Durge Ofelia from With Stars to Fill My Dream! No pressure tags for my lovely friends @verbenaa @preciouslittlebhaalbae @inkymoonbunny @ladyduellist @justabiteofspite @khywren @coyote-mint @bardic-inspo @roguishcat @elinorbard @allymcfee @busy-baker @nerdallwritey @nerdalmighty @lanafofana

Ofelia 🩸

1. Is Your Character Good, Evil, or Neutral? (Makes some good decisions, some bad ones?)

Ofelia's Lawful/Neutral Good- she's not afraid to stand up for herself or those less fortunate and will do what's right even when facing opposition. I answered the questions in this alignment quiz from her perspective, but she's generally a rule breaker, especially when those rules are unjust. If they end up hurting people she's likely to ignore them and break them completely.

2. What Hobbies Do They Partake In?

Since she's a bard, I feel like it's kind of self explanatory lol. Since that's the obvious answer, I'll go more in-depth into the ones she doesn't really talk about that much. She loves to journal- memories are really important to her, and since she'd moved around so much during her childhood, remembering the people and places that left an impression via writing it down became a ritual for her. She loves to photograph things in her spare time, by no means a professional, but she'll often take those photos and put them in her journal. She also loves to read!

3. Do They Own Any Heirlooms From Their Family or Ancestors?

Not really... that question has a bit of a difficult answer. I have some things planned for later in Act 3 that will kind of answer this question, but since they're insane spoilers I won't talk about them.

As for her Earth family, she has some recipes she usually makes to remember them by, as well as her adopted mother's hairstyle- the high braid.

4. Can Your Character Cook?

Since recipes were mentioned before, yes! She's best at making hispanic cuisine, especially her adopted mother's signature dish- pazole! Her other favorites to make are pretty much stealing from my own palette so lots of more ethnic foods.

5. Does Your Character Have a Best Friend?

At this point in the story, she'd probably consider Shadowheart the closest thing to a best friend so far. As for her Earth friends, she did have two who she was going to reach out to before the mind flayer ship took her. Their names were Hannah and Arianna- and they were all in a band together in high school!

6. Their Biggest Fear?

Ofelia's biggest fear is feeling like she'll never belong anywhere. She only had a real family once, and they were taken from her when Bhaal did his fun little possession thing that he does. Aside from them, she's met nothing but terrible people using their positions for their own gain and not caring what happened to those around them. Friends were either killed off by Bhaal when he was able to latch on from so far away or were forcibly removed from her life when she was moved to another foster family. Knowing that she hasn't been able to make genuine connections- whether it be by those means or self-sabotage out of fear of eventually losing them- is something that haunts her the most.

7. Name One of Their Red Flags.

She's generally okay, but I feel like her spells of falling victim to her father's influence are a pretty big one. Chapter 8 was not a shining example of her self-control, lol. She's quick to anger, and will most definitely fly off the handle if she feels like she's been mistreated or disrespected. Not to mention her less-than-stellar track record with communication- which will be biting her in the ass pretty soon in the story.

Again- thank you for tagging me! Sorry this took ages to complete, I have asks to get to as well and I am working on it! (today is pretty shitty, I have to go back to an insane amount of emails at work after being on vacation as well as the overall crap state of my country now, so I'll be fighting for my life lol)

[kob131]

Mind a little bit of a rant since I know you play Pokemon Fangames too?

Kinda dropped Pokemon Pathways cuz of the Alignment/Aura System (Good/Neutral/Evil).

Basically in addition to being heavily linked with how the story goes, it's also linked to the Roles system- Roles are basically just Classes and they give stat bonuses among other big benefits to specific types. Your Aura determines what Roles are available/accessible to you.

The problem? They made it so that certain types are heavily tied to a particular Aura. I LOVE Ghost-Types, they're my favorite, and I'm a typical neutral-to-good aligned kind of player. I'm kind of effed in this case because Ghost is very heavily tied to the Evil Aura/Alignment and I wouldn't be able to get bonuses for that type unless I got an Evil Role.

For a fangame that's about CHOICE, that's just needlessly limiting in your playstyle- especially since canon Pokemon's big thing is that you can make your party in any way you want, something other fangames have down.

Also apparently your starter is linked to your Alignment and Character Stats, which again, imo is kinda bull for literally no reason, even canon Mystery Dungeon has now allowed you to pick your pokemon.

And guess what? My fave Mimikyu is locked behind the Evil Alignment AND a stat tie.

IDK IMO it's just really not well-thought out game design locked behind factors first-time players wouldn't really be aware of without a guide.

Again, if you like Poison, Dark, and Ghost Type but lean Neutral and Good, and only find out later they're heavily tied to Evil Aura? You're kinda stuck playing catchup. Same goes if you like, Dragon, Fairy, and Psychic iirc but DO want to play Evil.

Take this with a grain of salt too btw I kinda dropped it before I got that far.

Not at all. I love the opportunity to analyze something and I'm still waiting on that mod translation.

That uh...that sounds like trying to force a class system into a game that doesn't have one nor supports one. Make no mistake, Pokemon have clear and definitive roles they're meant to fulfill. Despite the Rock-Type's issues defensively, Garganacl is defensive wall with a side of physical offense. But thing is, given these bonuses: how could they benefit Pokemon like Lycanroc or Rampardos, who are both OFFENSIVE Glass Cannons? Pokemon types do have broad roles they want to fill but specific Pokemon will outright DEFY that roles for the sake of variety and uniqueness. At this point, I feel like you should just do a Monotype mode.

And yes, similarly Pokemon types do have some general morality attached to them. Fighting Types tend to be neutral-to-good, Dark Types are literally the Evil Type in Japanese. But we have a TON of examples of Pokemon bucking this trend. Like the Mankey line being extremely violent and aggressive or Absol actually being a messanger trying to WARN people about danger. And then we have individual cases, like heroic Hyrdegidons. That just kind of makes the whole alignment system feel awkward.

... You know....I just realized. Doesn't this kind of sound like an SMT thing? Like how in Strange Journey, you're encouraged to use a team of demons who match your alignment in order to get strong Co-op attacks? Are-are we just doing SMT again? I guess it's just a fan game and everything but...damn it, this system would work SO much better for SMT since demons range all across the spectrum with various specializations among the alignments.

[hell-drabbles]

(tbh, I don't even have the angel cards cuz I'm broke lol🙃, but I'll tell a few thing's what I noticed on other people's post about them either the comics, message's, or stories and theories)

Let's start with Rafael, the dude is like that one insecure kid in the family that always get compared to their other siblings or cousins, Gabriel is the messenger, Michael is the right hand, Rafael wanted to be acknowledged as something, he sees god as kind and benevolent being and being too merciful so he wanted to be the one who punishes evil for him because he loves god and wanted to understand him in some degree, so he judges based on his beliefs wether they're innocent or not and just like other Angel's, his views are always on god and wouldn't acknowledge the God's other creations because he sees them unworthy of God's recognition, bro is already insane (and God didn't even reprimanded this type behavior idk) and had spiraled further since God disappear when peepaw Solomon died, so ever since then he sees all of his decisions and other forms of punishment as a will for/from God in hopes he will come back one day and see his work.

So, the Christmas event happened and most of us know about the chastity belts they wear as to keep them pure for god, and out all of the three seraphim, Rafael is the only one that had his successfully and actually taken off by Raon (that's what they say) and by the time our little rara came back to heaven, bro had his post nut happiness because no joke that the brother actually thought he had ascended into a higher rank than Michael and Gabriel after he experience his first nut (since Lucifer said that Angel's engaged in ecstasies and eventually stop before they climax) Rafael was in a good mood back in heaven during those days that he scared most of the other Angel's.

(that's all bro, I'm new to your blog and love your raon trash talks, sorry English is not my native language btw, you also get a follow, I'll still go a couple of research for the other seraphim)

[ and also After reading a couple of your Lucifer x Companion works I'm hooked, Raon is so rotten to the point I think he wouldn't stop even if ever one day Companion gets married to Lucifer and Raon would just insist that its for the betterment of hell lol bye]

Funny you should send me Raphael of all angels, I was actually starting to write about him. So that's how he's like huh? That's funny. I am going around and reading what I can find about him, especially his card lines because I get the strongest grasp of a character by the way they're talking. And wow, he's a delusional one, ain't he? Also, I take an interest in his relationship with Heaven, since it's pretty clear he has no love for the others that live there, and if need be, will burn that place to the ground if it aligns with his views on God. What a weirdo.

Haaa, my brain has been stuck on how the seraphim would take in interest in the Embittered Companion, and how that would descend into some good old obsession. I know for certain that they didn't take any interest in the Embittered Companion. It's only after spending time in Heaven do things start to descend. Of course, I naturally want each of their obsessions to be distinct from one another. Like, how I imagine Gabriel to take issue with anyone who keeps a feather of the Embittered Companion to themselves, regardless if they were demon or angel. And Raphael, he has a weird sense of when the Embittered Companion is about to become lucid, so he tends to be there and just, stares. And sometimes laughs for seemingly no reason. He's creeeeepy.

Michael, eh, I don't have anything on him right now. Maybe later.

And yes, yes, Ra-on is certainly a rotten little thing, because holy hell man, incel behavior is no joke and that shit is extremely hard to weed out of a person. So, Ra-on is going to be a frustrating character to deal with, but he'll get better eventually. It's just going to be a rather painful process because of how much he's gotta unpack. Thank you for liking it all!

[yenabeans]

this is for my previous reblog doing the Baldur's Gate 3 Companion!Tav Ask List 👀👀👀

this was so fun to write, I highly encourage giving it a try with your beloved tavs/durges. I'd like to see what this would look like with my completely separate evil durge Melantha, but this is Kate's

I did every one for my girl because I had time to spare, that was fun and challenging. Not completely accurate to my AU, but still fun nonetheless to wonder what would happen if she was in that timeline. Enjooooy ⏬️⏬️

if you want me to elaborate on any, pls let me knowwwww I love talking about Kate.

for notes going in, she's paired with Astarion and Raphael

General

1. Where can your Tav be recruited?  Are they first encountered on the Nautiloid, or in the Nautiloid crash region?  Or are they not recruitable until a later act?

A. Her first appearance would be in Act 1 when Raphael teleports the PC to the House of Hope. She wouldn't interact with the PC, but she could probably be seen eating at the table or watching from afar in the inner balcony. She would later be recruitable in Act 3 in Sharess' Caress only if the PC accepts Raphael's deal.

2. Do the other companions have special comments or reactions upon recruiting your Tav?

A. They would most likely be wary and more on the untrustworthy side of her in the beginning given her devilish background. Given that though, they wouldn't help but feel an overpowering charm come from her that compells them to trust and listen to her.

3. Does your Tav have any comments or advice when you recruit other companions?

A. She's good at reading people (and their minds) so she would give her honest opinion based on wether the companion would be helpful or a hindrance.

She's wary of Shadowheart. Keeps her distance from Lae'zel. Has respect for Karlach and Wyll, and enjoys conversations with Gale. She adores Halsin and isn't too fond of Minthara.

4. What sort of general actions raise or lower their approval?

A. This will be a long one. Despite her history of being in the hells and around Raphael, she's actually pretty good aligned, to an extent. She'd sacrifice 1000+ people to save one animal any day of the week, so she's no saint. But usually, she'll try to do her best to help all she can, so good deeds will gain her approval. But above all else, how animals/creatures are treated dictates how she thinks. Pet a cat? 5 approval easy. Help an animal in need? +10 every time. The same is 10x worse if actions are taken against animals. Any help to a person who has a history of harming animals/nature, she'll disapprove of (or worse). Even if said history happened a long time ago. Other things she would disapprove of are being blatantly rude for no reason, especially to people who are genuinely kind (like Alfira for example).

5. Are there any instances where your Tav can permanently leave the party, depending on player character actions?

A. Like I touched on in the last question, animal treatment is her biggest thing. If the PC were to cause any harm to an animal themselves, she would permanently leave or even start combat considering how bad the action was. Yes she would get Raphael involved, enjoy that fight

6. Do they have any secrets that can be revealed?  What are the prerequisites for this secret coming to light?

A. She has a pretty dark past, and unironically, her back is full of scars and brands that she keeps hidden away as well. She wouldn't openly talk about her past to anyone unless they were romantically involved, so unless that happens, it is unlikely.

Other than that, she has some pretty insane powers given to her from Raphael/the crown. But she wouldn't use them unless absolutely necessary, say the party is about to be obliterated. She would swoop in and save the party before then

7. Do they have their own personal quest that spans the course of the game?  Can it take different branching paths depending on the choices the Player Character makes?

A. Honestly, probably not too much since most of her time is spent in Avernus/the rest of Baator. In my AU, the Crown of Karsus is already in their possession so it doesn't really align with the BG3 timeline. Unless it's changed in this case and the crown was stolen from her and Raphael rather than Mephistopheles and the deal is for the PC to return the crown to the rightful owners 👀 Help her finish taking over Baator and maybe you'll get rewarded handsomely.

8. What do they say when the Player Character asks them to stay in camp?  How about when the Player Character asks them to come adventuring again?

A. Staying: "Wonderful, I will be with Scratch and the Owlbear if you need me. If I am no where to be found, call my name and I will find you."

if she's not with the animals, she's back in Avernus tending to Raphael lmao

Joining (space in party): "My flames are yours. Lead the way."

Joining (no space): "Your group is too crowded. My wings need space to stretch, so lose someone already."

9. Does your Tav have any escalating conflicts with one of the other companions, like Lae’zel and Shadowheart’s knife-fight?

A. She would keep to herself and mind her business as long as everyone respected nature. If they want to kill each other, she would silently watch from afar. In my AU she's also paired with Astarion so she'd be in his tent minding her business. (and about him and the previous animal quarrels, she makes sure he only feeds on her or enemies. or the companions, whatever baby wants)

10. Are there any unique NPCs associated with your Tav that can show up during the course of the game?

A. She deeply respects Halsin to no surprise. They have never physically met before, but they have spoken together through his meditations or her telepathy. And through the animal's gossip. She was deeply elated to finally meet him and the grove she heard so much about. Raphael is another obvious one. He would pop in from time to time to check on her and get updates. Her and Haarlep have a fun potential interaction with the PC *wink*

11. Are there any moments in the game that trigger unique dialogue for your character? (Like Gale’s anecdote about the barfight after you save the goblin prisoner) 

A. She would probably have some dialogue in the circus, especially with the caged displacer beast and dinosaur. I also think she would help the party talk down Nessa from the fight with Yurgir and get the eagles to give back the nest without the unnecessary killing. Pretty much anything animal related, she's there.

Story Specific

1. How does your Tav advise the player character when it comes to the Dream Visitor?

A. Much to Raphael's influence she would stress not to trust them and be very wary that they do not have the players best interest at heart. Trust in her and Raphael, they are your saviours.

2. How do they advise the player character on Raphael?

A. During the first interaction in the HoH, she would just sit there watching the player silently grinning, no doubt. Later in Act 3, if the deal is accepted, Raphael offers her to the player to aid them along (and to keep an eye on them. Korrilla needs a break sometimes)

She would sing his praises and urge them to trust in what he says. If the Player fully intends to take his deal, great. She'll play along and help. If the player intends to break into the house and break the contract, she'll be there waiting.

3. How do they react to Astarion biting the Player Character?

A. She keeps a close eye on things to make sure the player doesn't attack him. If the Player is drained and perishes, she'll express her disappointment in the spawn and prompty revive them before Raphael has a chance to know what happened.

4. How do they react to the Player Character letting Abdirak whip them?

A. She would probably keep her distance, since seeing that would potentially bring up some bad memories. But her best friend is an incubus and her lover is Raphael so she's pretty unphased to the sight by now.

5. How do they react to the Player Character taking their first tadpole power?

A. She would be fascinated and would enjoy watching the new powers in action. She would comment on how it must feel to have so many worms crawling around in their brain. (she is not tadpoled)

6. Will they stay with the Player Character regardless of siding with the goblins or the tieflings, or is it possible for them to leave the party permanently?

A. Hmmm she's not recruitable until Act 3, but she is definitely watching them from the beginning, so it would definitely have a big impact.

Siding with the tieflings would obviously be the correct path to get her recruitable. I think if the grove was betrayed, she would throw a Mephistopheles sized fit and most likely talk Raphael into killing them, but since that's not a plausible game choice, it would probably continue how the game is without her. But the later interaction with Haarlep would only result in a fight, as she would be there. (this is touched on in a later question)

7. What can they be found doing at the tiefling/goblin party?

A. Like Korrilla, she would be there keeping an eye on things. She would make sure the animals are tended to and being well taken care of after the battle.

8. Do they have comments on who the Player Character chooses to spend the night with? 

A. this is tricky with Astarion since he wouldn't really be a romance option with my AU. If the Player sought him out, she would definitely be listening in to hear his response.

Lae'zel she would joke not to get too crazy and kill each other

She thinks a night with Gale would be full of magic and an unforgettable experience

A night with Shadowheart would be interesting. She senses a lot is locked behind her facade, many deep conversations would be told one day.

She believes anyone would be lucky to be with a gentleman like Wyll, he's devoted, sweet, not to mention the dancing.

Her and Karlach would have an interesting relationship. Rocky at first, for sure, given Karlach's hatred for the hells and devils. but I think they would be good friends after some conversations. Kate would be happy for Karlach finally having someone to hold and care for her.

9. Do they have unique dialogue if the Player Character lets them die when they steal the Blood of Lathander?

A. No, but I think Raphael would show up and chew the player out which is hilarious

10. How do they react if the PC licks the dead spider in the Gauntlet of Shar?

A. name any creature of the material plane or Baator and she will communicate and be best friends with it, but nearly any bug or insect and she will run away screaming. She is shuttering and judging the PC greatly from afar.

11. What do they say if the PC tries to force them to go up on stage with Dribbles the Clown?

A. She has prior history with circuses so she will have no trouble going up and entertaining! Until they try to kill her, of course.

12. Is it possible for your Tav to be kidnapped and replaced by Orin?  How is Orin's deception revealed?  How do they react to the PC rescuing them in the Temple of Bhaal?

A. I think that would be really interesting to write about, but I don't think Raphael would ever allow that to happen. If for some super off chance it did happen, Orin's deception would most likely be broken by her mannerisms, she's very dog like in how she acts/stands idle, etc. Always tilting her head/ears in directions of noises. Alerts to squirrels/small animals passing. Her ears and nose also wiggle a lot, and her tongue has a mind of its own. She will pant if overheated. The tail is always wagging. I could go on

13. How do they react to the PC either allowing Astarion to ascend or convincing him to spare the 7000 spawn?

A. Again, this interferes with my timeline in the AU. They were alone when facing Cazador. Plus, Stari becomes a full vampire without ascending in mine 👀. based on the game, though, if the PC was there and they had control, she would be relieved to see him stay a spawn and incredibly proud. But would be intimidated/greatly upset to see him ascend and take Cazador's place and would probably leave him.

14. How does Tav react to the PC becoming a mind flayer?  Can they offer to become one themselves?  Does their reaction change if they’re romanced?

A. She wouldn't treat them any differently, appearances change just as hers did when she used the crown for the first time. She would defend them against Raphael's disgust.

She would not offer to become one, as Astarion and Raphael would both probably leave her lmao.

If the PC did enter a romance with her, she would still love them the same and would be open to the joys of the new appendages. But she would greatly miss their old self. Hopefully, Haarlep could help with that.

15. How do they react when the Dark Urge first reveals their amnesia and murderous thoughts to them?

A. She is no stranger to dark thoughts, her mind is her greatest enemy. Her thoughts are not of bloodlust but they always convince her that she is incable of being loved, ugly, not good enough etc. She knows it is not the same as their thoughts so she can't understand how exactly they feel, but she greatly sympathises with them.

16. How do they react to the Dark Urge killing Alfira?

A. She's heartbroken, honestly. She had high hopes and respect for the bard. She is furious at first for the murder, but (depending on the durge) learns to accept that their thoughts were too loud. However, if the durge acts upon their urges with pride, she is less to forgive, and the disapproval would be piling up.

17. If romanced, how do they react to the Dark Urge trying to kill them in Act 2?

A. More similar to Astarion's reaction. Her urge is to help. She'll likely use some magic to restrict their movements until their mind has quietened down. She would remain by their side, gently talking and trying different grounding methods with them.

Romance

1. Is your Tav a romanceable character?  Are there any specific requirements to romancing them?

A. It would probably be a quick fling or just another method for her to use to secure the contract in getting the crown back. Though, the more the player shows respect for nature, the harder she will fall.

2. Does your Tav need to be flirted with to start the romance, or will they approach the PC themselves if approval is high enough?

A. She will not make the first move, no matter how high approval is. She is in relationships already, so she only uses her charm if it's necessary. The PC would have to provoke the first move.

3. Are they a polyamorous or a monogamous option?

A. She is polyamorous

4. Do they have a special romance scene at the tiefling/goblin party?

A. Nope, since she's just there to spy at that moment.

5. Does the romance have different branching paths, or just one route to take?

A. If the romance did get serious, the PC probably has the option to stay in the palace in Baldur's Gate or they could take up residence in the House of Hope in Avernus. Or they could travel to and from like Astarion does.

6. How do they react to the player character breaking up with them, or choosing another character over them?

A. She would be a bit surprised to be broken up with honestly. She always has people flaunting over her, never breaking off from her. She would be curious to the reason why but respect the decision in the end.

The same goes for choosing someone over her. Though, her mind will tell her she wasn't good enough and that she shouldn't be surprised no matter the reason given.

7. What questions can Zethino ask the PC about Tav in the Love Test? 

going all out in this one

Question 1. Out of all the creatures in the realms who were or still are, which are her favourites?

Answer 1 (wrong): oh, that's easy. Humans

Response: Is that supposed to be a joke? Please tell me that is a joke.

Answer 2 (correct): she seemed pretty fond of the hyenas and cattle.

Response: You are quite perceptive. I adore those creatures very much. Though best to adore them separately for safety reasons.

Answer 3 (correct): she favours and cares for all creatures, no matter where they are from. Or how dangerous..

Response: I could not think of a better answer than that. You know me perfectly well, it seems.

Question 2. In the time a battle arises, what position would she take?

Answer 1 (wrong): She hides in the back while we do the hard work.

Response: Hilarious truly, who was it that saved your arse last time again?

Answer 2 (medium): The frontlines, she does most of the fighting for us.

Response: Sweet as that is, it is hardly fair or true. Everyone does their equal part when the time arises.

Answer 3 (correct): If she can't talk the battle down, she plays both offence and defence. Whatever part we need.

Response: You flatterer. It is an honour to fight alongside you when the time comes.

Question 3. Behind all power and authority, there is vulnerability. What does Kate fear most?

Answer 1 (wrong): the day that devil will betray and kill her.

Response: You are projecting, darling. Raphael does not stand a chance against me.

Answer 2 (correct, but disapproves): Seeing an animal get brutally killed would shut her down pretty quick.

Response: Are you serious? Yes..but did you have to be so blunt about it? You have no idea the pictures you just put in my head for the next week.

Answer 3 (correct): Seeing harm come to anyone she holds dear.

Response: That would destroy me. That is why I will protect the ones I love with everything I have until the day I die.

8. If they’re poly, do they have a reaction to the PC engaging in a relationship with Halsin?

A. She is allllll for it. Just please invite her. Please

9. How do they react if the PC has sex with Mizora? The Emperor?  Haarlep?

A. Mizora: she would be disappointed. Are you really choosing another devil over her??? She would joke about it more than anything though, no big deal

Emperor: don't worry, sign a contract with her and she'll keep this a secret from Raphael. Do you really want to sit through that lecture?

Haarlep: oh Haarlep, I've been waiting for this one. It depends on the choices the PC has made. Sooo:

Betrayed grove: sorry, no play time with Haarlep. They are both awaiting your arrival into the boudoir to kill you.

Accepted deal, here to break contract: she is all for indulging, have your fun with Haarlep, she'll even join if you wish. But make no mistake, she will gladly join Raphael when it's time to kill you.

No deal, here to steal hammer: pretty much the same as if you accepted the deal, but with different dialogue as Kate would not have been recruitable this path.

-Bonus- Accepted deal, not here to break contract, just here for a good time: she'll laugh at your ambition, breaking into her home and all. As long as you don't touch anything besides her and Haarlep, she'll gladly keep this little escapade a secret from Raphael. (she has her fingers crossed, though, but you don't know that)

10. Will they join in with the PC and the Drow Twins, or no?

A. Respectfully no. She'll let the PC have their fun with them but she will use the time to get some work done in the Devil's Den.

11. What are Tav’s plans for the future?  Do they propose to the PC, or is marriage not something they’re interested in?

A. If the romance develops into something real and the contract is fulfilled, marriage is totally an option. Raphael might even allow them a room in the House of Hope as they take over the hells.

12. Free space! Share anything from your companion!Tav au!

A. quick summary of my AU timelinethe way my timeline works is that Astarion got tadpoled and escaped from Cazador. but instead of waiting on the beach, he fled and ran as far as he could until he ran into Kate. He just wanted her blood at first but it developed into real feelings which terrified him. After opening up to each other, they set out to Baldur's Gate to confront Cazador. Before that though they knew they had to figure out what Astarion's scars said when -poof- they meet Raphael for the first time. They take care of Yurgir, Raph gives them the answers and they set off to the city. All is well until the devil realises he can't get that annoying mutt off his mind so he follows them and watches their journey as she frees Astarion, he makes his move, bang bong boom now they're all in love. Kate managed to sneak off to Cania with the help of Haarlep to weasel her way in to get Mephistopheles to hand over the crown. what can I say her charisma is like 30 or something lmaooooo

a lot of details were left out but that's the basic basic gist. a lot of its probably not accurate to real dnd lore especially around her relationships with some of the archdevils but it's my world. this was so fun to write, I've never actually written her story like this before

Bonus: might throw in some greetings based on approval 👀

Low Approval Greetings:

"what in the hells do you want."

"to what do I owe the displeasure?"

if she didn't speak, she would just begin to grab her sword and glare until they spoke

Medium Approval Greetings:

"Raphael is over there, please go see him instead"

"speak plainly"

"hm?"

High Approval Greetings:

"oh, hello. Can I help you with something?"

"there you are, yes?"

"come to chat, have you?"

Exceptional Approval Greetings:

"oh, I was hoping I would get to see you today"

"you cleared my clouds away. What can I do?"

"you always make me smile, please speak to me"

Romanced Greetings:

"hello, you. come to me"

"I am most delighted to see your face. Now let me hear your voice"

"say the word, and I am yours, my love"

[qwuilty]

Honestly like. I dont mind tumblr fans and some people in other places but oh good fucking god some of the stuff in the broader fanbase makes my head spin. Yall can not be fucking serious at this point you gotta be yanking my pant leg here or something.

another day another watching somebody calling p1 dude evil

[noomycatz]

Are they a human, ghoul, synth, or something else?

if you can call a lobotomite a human

Are they a canon main character? (Lone Wander, Courier Six, etc.)

formerly the sixth courier for the mojave express, #1 courier in their eyes

What is their SPECIAL?

S 2(-), P 3 (-), E 8, C 1, 10 1 (-), A 10, L 1

What perks or tagged skills do they have?

cannibal, robotics expert, brainless, bloody mess

What is their highest skill? Lowest?

speech(-)/science(+)

Were they born pre-war or post-war?

post-war!

Do they wish they lived before the war / could go back to life before the war?

no, but they’d definitely like to rewind the recent past

Did they live in a vault? If not, have they been inside of one?

no, but they’ve seen vault 21

Where did they grow up? Where do they currently reside?

grew up in a small tribal community somewhere in nevada, now resides in sanctuary

What languages) do they speak?

english, spanish, and robco termlink

What type of education have they received?

very little, got freaking clockwork oranged at big mt

Can they read, write, and/or do math?

cannot read, writing is poor, shit at math

What is the most frightening experience they have endured?

the second battle of the hoover dam

What is their fondest memory?

meeting yes man <3

What is their proudest moment / accomplishment?

not applicable

What is their biggest regret

fighting for the legion

Do they have a job? How do they make a living?

formerly a courier, now they go adventuring with sir blaze

Do they have any disabilities, mutations, or implants / enhancements? Do they have any chronic illnesses?

brain removed, replaced by a tesla coil.

Who (or what) are they emotionally closest to?

if you can call it emotionally close, sir blaze

Who do they consider to be their family?

they’re dead. all of them.

Do they travel alone or with a companion?

traveled with rex, left him at big mt. acquaintances with boone for a short while before leaving to join the legion. they now travel with sir blaze!

Do they have any pets?

GARY!!

How do they feel about physical touch / affection?

they fear intimacy of any kind

Do they have a romantic partner or partners?

^^^

Are they quick to trust others?

NOT AT ALL. in order to gain their trust you must defeat the seven evil exes /ref

How would others describe them / their disposition?

insane. not even a person, really.

What faction(s) are they a member of / allied with?

formerly of the legion, now of the minutemen

What faction(s) do they despise?

LEGION.

What is their moral alignment / karma?

negative karma, chaotic neutral

What decisions have they made or actions have they done that affect their canon wasteland? (Did they blow up Megaton, have they killed/spared any major characters, etc.)

lost the second battle of the hoover dam, ncr driven out of most territories and legion EVERYWHERE. also the big mt might have escaped, unsure

What is their goal in life? What impact would they like to leave when they're gone?

What is their go-to weapon or weapon class?

melee: saturnite fist/ legion gladius.

What is their fight-or-flight response?

flight. they’re good at rubbing

What armor / clothing do they typically wear?

always wear bennys suit. it’s filthy. while in big mt they wore a lobotomite coat over it.

Do they have power armor training? (° j°)

a little

Have they ever saved someone's life? Have they ever killed someone?

they have killed many.

What is the worst injury they have

bullet to the head

What is their favorite radio station?

mr new vegas

What is their favorite song?

I GOT SPURSSS THAT JINGLE JANGLE JINGLE

What is their favorite type of weather?

really sunny

What is their favorite time of the day?

noon

What is their favorite wasteland creature?

RADROACH!!!

What is their favorite meal and drink?

mentats and vodka

What is their favorite smell?

half a quart of paint

Do they have any specific hobbies or talents?

they like catching and collecting bugs

Do they play any sports? How about board games or card games?

they tried caravan once and cried because it was too hard

Do they enjoy reading?

pickle can’t read..

Do they collect anything?

mentats…

What items) do they always have on their person?

multifarious gladius’s, mentats, dinky souvenirs

Do they travel by foot or by other means?

always by foot.

Do they own a Pip-boy? If so, how did they get it?

they have a PIMPboy thank you very much

Can they swim?

they drown. instantly.

What do they think of the ocean?

scary.. i dont know

Do they prefer showers or baths?

they dont bathe.

Are they past, present, or future oriented?

stuck in the past trying to see the present

How do they feel about robots? (Eyebots, Mister Handys, Sentry Bots, etc.)

😏

What is a sensation / texture they cannot stand?

sand underneath their fingernails

Do they believe in luck? Do they have a good luck charm?

they do not

Do they idolize anything / anyone?

caesar, formerly

Are they religious? Spiritual?

there is no hope for them in whatever god they choose

What are their thoughts on chems and alcohol?

I LOVE CHEMS!!! ALCOHOL!! YIPPIIE

Do they have any weaknesses or struggle with any vices?

chems.. alcohol.. yuppie…

Do they need / wear glasses?

wear them for funsies, may or may not be nearsighted

How / where do they generally sleep?

on a pile of mentat tins, sometimes visited by nightmares but usually like a rock

Describe their living space. (How do they decorate it? Does it have running water and/or electricity? Etc.)

average sanctuary house, filled to the brim of mentats. decorated by sir blaze

Describe their eyes.

permanently tinted red from the sheer amount of chems they consume

[skzdarlings]

Hello darling <3 it's been a long time since I've read skz fanfiction, but I wanted to drop in a message :)

When it was first releasing, I read your Felix bodyguard series and absolutely loved it. It was honestly one of the most unique and well-written x readers that I have ever seen. The storytelling, character portrayals, fantastic. I sobbed several times and stayed up on many late nights just to read the next update. Even now, I come back to it for writing inspiration. So did I mention how much I loved your bodyguard series? LMAO. I could genuinely write paragraphs and paragraphs about it, if you'd like me to <3

As I said earlier, I don't really read stray kids fanfiction anymore- other fandoms and media have captured my interest, which is what happens. Last night, however, I took the time to scroll through my followed tags to clean them out. I accidentally clicked on the han jisung x reader tag, and boom, I was knee deep in forbidden fantasy angst. And once again, I am completely astounded by the care and effort you've put into your fics. I can just feel the careful weaving you've done to form the story into what it is now, and I am all for it. I think the plot and characters pose a certain question: what defines a sin?

Many people would say it's an action that is evil, such as murder or in the kingsguard's case, sex. But what defines evil then? If murder is done in self defense, or sex is done with mutual consent and pure love created by the gods, then is it really evil? And in that case, is it really a sin?

The same goes for acts of good, or people of good. The king and queen are said to be chosen by the gods, but if the king is flawed, cruel and brutal- why is he the standard for good if he seems to be so evil? If sin seems to be all around him: in the air he breathes, in the food he eats? In the hand he uses to strike his wife, in the voice that he uses to bark at innocent bystanders?

The kingsguard I suppose were made to counteract this. Protect the king and queen at all costs, but if they are deemed unjust, the kingsguard will turn their swords against them in pursuit of good. In this case, the kingsguard are lovely people(of course, they're skz)- but even they notice cracks in their own goodness. Because to them, goodness is defined by the rules laid out to the kingsguard to be in line with the gods. But do they really align with this goodness? Or did they all sneakily allow Felix to commit treason and turn a blind eye? Or did Jisung break the rules of chastity, or did they badmouth the king behind his back? That certainly does not align with the rules. Does that mean they're evil and have therefore, committed a sin?

I think it really depends on what you define as goodness, and therefore, sin. It's never the same for anyone- and though you may try to imprint your ideas onto another, you will never fully align. So is this pursuit of good even worth it in the end? Who knows. It once again, depends.

I apologize for going on and on: your fic has provoked many thoughts, and I hope I've translated them well enough into writing. These types of questions are the ones I often asked myself growing up bi in a religious household, and it took me years to define my own sense of good separate from what my parents so hardly beat into me. It's refreshing to see this kind of portrayal of that through your writing, whether this was an intentional connection or not. I think people can really relate to this, and I have- even though it's about a queen and her kingsguard(lmao).

That's all from me today. Once again: I apologize for just yapping in your ear, and I hope it all came out right. Thank you for your wonderful writing, and have a lovely day darling <3

- a very talkative anon

thank you SO much for such a thoughtful ask! wow i so appreciate it and i enjoyed reading it so much.

yes a lot of those thoughts are things I’ve things mulled over a lot too as someone also raised in a very religious environment. kingsguard is obviously a very dramatic version of events with the highest escalation possible, but i think that’s part of the fun and use of story-telling, it’s like putting a magnifying glass to our mundane events and feelings.

bodyguard is the same way for me. most of us (probably) don’t have a mafia boss father with quite that level of social power, but may know what it’s like to have parents who are controlling or neglectful or outright abusive in other ways, and we may also take time to find ourselves and grow and heal in spite of that. similarly most of us probably can’t relate to being married to a violent powerful holy king then finding ways to survive and combat it, but we may relate to circumstances where patriarchal figures are given leeway for their bad behaviour while retaliation is treated as a worse offence.

i definitely admit I write very over the top drama, even campy at times, and i enjoy my purple prose lol!!! so it’s fun to read at a glance, but i definitely do write with a lot of thoughts and feelings too so it’s always very nice to see different people connect to different things in different ways. i love getting a thoughtful ask, so thank you very very much for all your words!

i hope you take care whichever fandom you’re having fun in, thank you for popping back and messaging! much love 😊🧡🧡

[tavs-brainworm]

”like we weren’t ALL enabling Astarion’” we weren’t actually if you play like an enabler that’s just problem

Lol I won’t fault you for taking my exaggerated joke post at face value. I didn’t literally mean “all bg3 players do heinous things for Astarion’s approval,” but rather “many people who go into bg3 intending to romance Astarion end up doing heinous things to get his approval”

Yes, we the Veteran Astarionmancers know that you actually don’t have to do anything even remotely evil to romance him. However, this method of romancing him is really not obvious to blind players from the get go, so tons of people end up engaging in a bit of nastiness or enabling to get that approval meter up in act 1, even if they originally meant to play as a good aligned character.

Regardless of his motives, Astarion is inarguably an evil aligned character (afaik alignment doesn’t take motive into consideration), and by romancing him at all you have to at least be morally unscrupulous enough to stay with him whilst he’s fantasizing about becoming an evil puppet master and being super racist for no reason.

So uhhhh idk I just think it’s kinda cringe how some fans of Astarion (a character who is shitty and manipulative in every playthrough no matter what the player does) want to go around being the morality police, condemning people for “enabling” a fictional character’s evil ending, when they themselves are fawning over a character who was already evil to start with!

And if you only go into Astarion’s romance thinking “I don’t like him the way he is, but if I’m Kind and Morally Righteous enough he will change for the better” then I’m sorry but that’s Bad In Real Life (TM) too.

Can we not just all come together in our shared love for the poorest of little meow meows who loves lying and thinks killing people is fun?? Why are we morally one-upping each other in this quest to be the most morally superior fan of the guy who thinks torture and death is funny so long as it isn’t happening to him.

[ripgray-moved]

ok this question might be a lil wild and feel free to delete but how different do you think things would have gone if the order of who died changed? Like for example Annie died before the dad

this is an interesting question because i ultimately think the message of the movie— or at least the underlying themes and motifs?— would change entirely if the deaths were switched around.

bluntly put, if charlie wasn't the first to die, the movie would be a cliche. 'weird, probably evil kid does weird, probably evil things' again. like please. we've seen this a bajillion times; not that it can never be good, but hereditary is so good because it breaks a lot of horror molds / uses cliches in transformative ways ( for example, they use my beloathed bird-jumpscare— except SURPRISE, the bird is actually relevant because paimon lore, gotcha you punk). charlie is also the single character that this family unites over. though they're all stunted and can't talk to one another for shit, they all show aligned concern for charlie. if she isn't to die first, there's no sense of cohesion to this family's suffering whatsoever. it'd arguably be a very different movie in that, if annie died first as the direct descendant of ellen for example, peter might be battling a very different type of guilt, as i'm sure there's a part of him that'd honestly be relieved. that's a very different, much less sympathetic story.

if annie died before steve, the movie's name and central theme would make no sense. the reason steve appears so "normal" beside the other family members is because he is not, genetically, part of this bloodline. 'hereditary' as a title is talking about the inherited curse of paimon through ellen, yes, but it's also in reference to mental health and the cycle of abuse. if steve was to outlive annie, not only does the potency of paimon's ritual lose its edge ( steve is not even a necessary death; steve is used to destroy annie so that paimon can possess her. his death is an example of paimon's cruelty and his twisted sense of humour. the actual sacrifices of the ritual are ellen, annie and charlie ) but it recontextualises the end chase sequence entirely. it makes it tons more heartbreaking imo too, as peter and his dad do have some sort of positive connection, even if it's very strained. i think it would hurt him more to have his dad be the one in annie's position come the end of the film, strictly because he expects ithis degree of ire from his mother. i also feel like paimon might have had a tough time breaking steve to begin with. he very clearly thinks annie's lost her mind to grief, does not believe in this demon stuff. i think if she died before him, he might actually stand a chance of interfering with the ritual. maybe? not that he'd necessarily succeed, but the chance would go from 0 to like. 0.4 lmfao.

if steve was the first to die? looking away from the obvious problems i mentioned above ...uh. i genuinely believe this family's so fucked up that they'd go to his funeral, mourn obviously, and then just kind of. pretend it didn't happen when they're around one another. peter pretends the accident doesn't happen when it does. annie pretends she didn't threaten peter and charlie's life ( she acknowledges that it happened but doesn't treat it with the severity that it deserves ). charlie doesn't understand much of anything because of how stunted paimon's possession makes her.

tl;dr: i don't think much would change from a story perspective, strictly because, from the very first frame of the movie, the graham family are displayed as dolls as opposed to living people. implying that their fate is already decided. the game has been picked and paimon is simply moving his pieces in the necessary directions to see it all through. changing the order of things would just fuck up the story imo.

[highly-important]

My introduction to Scott Pilgrim was the comics, and I think the character I did the most 180 on is Julie. And it’s ironically because of SPTO making Julie an actual “evil” character instead of just their bitchy controlling friend.

Because the main thing is … she’s not wrong about Scott.

Maybe she’s strong-arming herself into a friendship with Ramona because the cool-new-girl will help her reputation. But she’s still Ramona’s friend, and “stay away from Scott” is a reasonable perspective.

Yes she is still choleric and temperamental. But seeing her with Gordon also really reveals how her energy is a good fit with certain people. What was that line from Bunheads…

“I promise you I won't flee. I'll be the one scientist who understands you. The one who knows that you're not burning the city down because you're evil, you're burning the city down to protect the giant lizard eggs you just laid in a cave by the ocean. A cave that no one knows is there but me.”

Honestly, apart from him being gay, Julie wasn’t a terrible fit for Stephen either, although their dynamic possibly even kept him in the closet, because Stephen is kind of a people-pleaser. The problem was mostly that their passions don’t align. Joseph isn’t that different from Julie- they're both choleric and bossy- the difference is Joseph really really cares about music. Gordon and Julie’s relationship is based on ambition (and evil scheming.)

The reality of all the evil exes is that their anger is based on resentment, and a sense of justice - Ramona wronged all of them in some way. (Actually I don’t remember what happened with Todd, it felt more like he was going after Scott on behalf of Envy.) Julie’s anger with Scott comes from the fact that she knows he’s a bad person, but she can call him out differently because she isn’t as tangled up in his life as Wallace or Stacey.

The world rewards people like Scott and allows them to coast by, leaving messes in his wake for others to solve on their own. (Much like how Ramona is so good at running away from messy situations that her power is literally Inter-dimensional escape routes.) There is a lot to be said about how the series handles conflict as character development, but Scott needs to be called out and antagonized in order to see his bullshit. Julie is the only character who doesn’t really seem to be recognized positively for doing so.

Anyway, I’m glad for SPTO for making me think about Julie differently. Maybe I just love bitches. It’s ok to be a bitch sometimes.