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atamascolily · 1 month ago

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Lily liveblogs: Thunderbolt Fantasy 4x02 "Demon Realm Banquet"

In which a member of the Dong Li imperial family is a fanboy, Lang Wu Yao is really Going Through It, and the plot thickens.

Lin puts on his Mantis shell to go visit the Big Bad. Yi Piao Miao has resting bitch face, so his sneer is probably just the usual and not, you know, Lin's disdain for Locust, but I can't help reading it in anyway.

It's very rare for Lin to outright lie, so his statement that he killed one of Shang's comrades and took his form is striking. It's necessary for the con, and I guess it's true from a certain point of view (it's 100% what Piao Miao would have said), but it still feels a little weird because I'm so used to pointed half-truths from him and this is a bit beyond his usual spin.

"He didn't even suspect my real identity" is classic Lin Xue Ya double-talk, though--Shang certainly saw through Lin's illusion but he doesn't know Lin is playing both sides at the moment in an effort to troll Locust.

Even if Lin's descriptions of Shang are not 100% accurate (is he really drinking all day??), they're accurate in spirit; Shang is depressed and isolated, and Locust seeks to take advantage of that.

Lin is bluffing when he tells Locust he could take the Index immediately, but Locust doesn't call it, saying that he wants to avoid Xie Ying Luo's mistake. This suits Lin fine.

"Be careful what you wish for"--Locust, like Lin, is acutely aware Shang is ill-suited for remaining on the sidelines and seeks to wear him down through ennui. Never mind that Shang is probably a drunken master, given his skill set. But this hesitation is Locust's mistake, even if he doesn't realize it yet--either that, or he's caught on to Lin's true identity and is deliberately sidelining him.

Locust telling "Mantis" that he knows what he was up to with Jun Po is hilarious… too bad Lin has zero interest in actually doing his "job".

Once the Zoom meeting is over, Lin transforms back into his real self, correctly identifying that Locust has something else going on.

confirmation that Lin uses his sleeves for storage!!! yes!! (I mean, I was pretty sure he did, because I would store everything in my sleeves if I had his outfit, but it's nice to see it on screen)

Lin saunters off to give Shang a pep talk… his wording suggests he's going to tease him and also brew some sort of power-up to get him back into fighting form. Damn it, these two aren't even on screen together in this episode and their dynamic gets me every time. GIVE ME SOME COMEDIC HIJINKS, please, I need this in my life.

meanwhile, Dan Fei meets with the Dong Li emperor's younger brother, who is a huge Hu Yin Shi fanboy. He's basically Chao Feng's counterpart--flightly, vain, and preoccupied with his obsession--but more benign. I wonder if those two will end up getting hitched when Dong Li and Xi You are reunited.

he tells Dan Fei he'll organize a bishounen convention so she can recruit all the pretty people to join, hahahaha

unfortunately, our fanboy royal isn't interested in helping Dan Fei by taking her request for aid seriously, and his more level-headed advisor explains after he's gone that Xi You is sending spies for an invasion so there are no troops to spare (Huo Shi Ming Huang pondered as much in the S2 post-credits scene, so it isn't a surprise he's decided to go for it). War is brewing on multiple fronts; this is the calm before the storm.

love how Juan Can Yun skips when he sees his wife; those two are so cute. also love how Bo Yang Hou has now taken up residence there as the stern uncle.

Dan Fei decides they will go on a quest to retrieve… wait for it… a super-powerful legendary magical sword personally forged by Bai Lian himself (although not named directly) 200 years earlier. This was why Shang name-dropped this guy in the first episode, huh--it was a callback so we'd be primed for this beat.

(due to a linguistic quirk, the fansubbers translated "lotus" as "rosemallow", in case you're wondering why the sword's name seems so random)

anyway, new macguffin alert! love how no matter what the problem is in this show, it always involves a sword.

between Lin and Dan Fei, Shang's retirement isn't going to last, and that's probably a good thing if he's actually day drinking as much as Lin claimed to Locust. We all joke about letting him rest, but Shang's personality and temperament are ill-suited for just hanging around doing nothing… he's gotten what he wanted (sort of) but it's making him utterly miserable. Good things he has friends to drag him kicking and screaming back into the narrative… oh, wait, they won't even have to do that, all Juan Can Yun and Dan Fei have to do is tell him they're marching off into certain danger and he'll cave instantly because he's a huge softie and these are his kids now. Works every time.

in the demon realm, Lang Wu Yao is fighting the han jiao. Interestingly, Xing Hai wants to intervene; I guess even she has standards of fair play?? Instead of her whip, though, she pulls out her fulu (paper talismans) that she uses to control/paralyze people, which tells you a lot about how dangerous she considers the han jiao. (She did the same technique with Shang in S3 rather than fight him directly.)

Azibelpher continues to be a gloating dick, as usual, but we need him to deliver the necessary exposition.

the demons really love living weapons, huh… first the demon gods, now the han jiao, and only the Shen Hui Mo Xie can consistently stop either of them. Really makes you wonder what Azibelpher has planned for Lang, since he is clearly manuevering him towards some unknown end beyond merely becoming a demon…

I didn't notice this earlier, but the han jiao don't have back legs… they're just muscular worms with bat-like membranous wings (and we know from the opening credits they can fly). They're so cute it's hard for me to take them seriously as a threat. I also really want to know how they did the puppetry for them; it's incredible work.

love how Ling Ya can talk in sword form even though he doesn't have a mouth

Ultimately, Lang is right - the only way out for him is forward into the unknown… even if it means descending into his personal hell and forsaking his humanity. His pride and his rage and his pain won't allow him to back down, especially not after everything Azibelpher has done to him. Without Shang and Tian Ming, Lang is especially vulnerable to this kind of manipulation; Ling Ya tries, but he is all too easily overruled.

the moment where the triumphant music as Lang kills the monster abruptly cuts out and we have this awkward and grotesque segment of Lang taking out decades of frustration on its corpse, intercut with Azibelpher's triumphant gloating. ... it's so painful

further confirmation that Lang's powers are fueled by his emotions and that all of the suffering he's endured in his life are fuel for him now. (In other words, he might be half-demon by blood, but he's full demon now, as his hidden heritage awakens and overwhelms his human side.) Ling Ya is able to call him back to himself, but it's too late…

Lang Wu Yao's gasp as he realizes what he's done, staring down at his bloody hands… my heart… In that moment, he believes that everything bad he's ever thought about himself is true, that he truly is a monster… and that, more than anything else, is what triggers his transformation… that final piece of self-loathing and shame and disgust.

and he literally becomes the image of his father, who represents everything he hates about himself!!

meanwhile, Spider and Wasp arrive in the demon realm, and it's clear why their boss gave them magical weapons or else they'd be toast. Wasp is so happy to just kill things, I love that for her.

even with all the squabbling, these two are getting along better than I expected, honestly. Spider gets points for clever use of his chains, and Wasp is in heaven because she can slaughter everything in her path.

oh, and we meet a new demon, Ansarto, who is part deer, part spider, 100% nightmare fuel in the best possible way and I love him. In keeping with the "eyes" motif, he's covered them. I really want to know how they did his puppet; it's fantastic work.

because Might is Right and Wasp and Spider each killed a han jiao, they get special treatment, lol. Presto, instant banquet!

they re-used the dishes and cups from Seven Sins Tower for this scene, and either Mie Tian Hai imported his tableware from he demon realm or all of the TBF villains shop at the same Evil Wuxia Target, take your pick.

Spider is trying to play it cool and negotiate, but the question is who is really manipulating whom here? meanwhile, Ba Wang Yu just wants to kill people and doesn't give a shit about the details, so it's all the same to her. I love her so much. But I think this scene really demonstrates how, despite their differences, they arrive at the same conclusions--they're really not so different after all.

(also it's so refreshing to watch a female character just chow down with gusto on screen, even if demon food is a little heavy on the eyeballs)

of course Ansarto wants them to take down Azibelpher, which puts them squarely in the line of fire as plot threads converge. Either they're gonna get killed or Azi is going to convince them to join his side instead, and I honestly don't know which.

Oh, and the Murder Princess is going after Tian Ming in the next episode, so that should be interesting. does this mean a catfight over Lang hahaha

Preview shows a new character - a female demon with purple hair and armor - stomping on a han jiao corpse, a close-up of Demon Prince Lang, Juan Can Yun wearing some kind of mask (??), Shang looking nonplussed and Tian Ming playing her guzheng at sunset as soldiers arrive. Can't wait!!!

#thunderbolt fantasy #wuxia fantasy puppet epic #lily liveblogs #tbf s4 spoilers

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daily-pokemon-trivia · 1 year ago

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modern starters (gen 5 onward) are based on different themes. This is the second part of a 6 day series about starter trio’s.

Gen 5 is based on different cultures, though many specify it down to “royalty/empires”. Note that some things are based on truth and some on speculations, but I make sure to say things like “may be based on” when it’s not a 100% confirmed thing.

Serperior is based on western culture. Although it is based on this, the design takes inspiration from a manga from the 70’s by the name “The Rose of Versailles”. It’s a historical drama set in the years before the French Revolution. It follows the story of 2 women, the queen of France Marie Antoinette and the made up Oscar François de Jarjayes who is the royal guard. Serperior’s royal aesthetic probably means it’s based on the manga’s version of Marie. Here’s a fun extra fact, the manga did a lot for the future of Shojo manga, and although it has heterosexual romance, sexuality is a theme in the manga and people consider it partially as yuri.

Serperior is based on a ‘yuri’ manga about the queen of France x an oc.

Emboar is based on Chinese culture. It’s specifically based on Zhang Fei, an ancient military officer. He ended up meeting his demise by the hands of a subordinate, who cut off his head. You can see this back in Emboar with his head and body being sort of “separated” by a fire ring.

Samurott is based on Japanese culture, being designed to look like a samurai (it’s name is most likely even a combination of samurai and otter). It’s based on the lifespan of a samurai with its line. Oshawott is a child, Dewott is a young samurai and Samurott is a military officer.

Ontop of this, (this is speculation) Hisuian Samurott could be based on a rōnin. Basically a Samurai without a lord or master, this was considered dishonorable so many became mercenaries (which could be why it’s a dark type)

#pokemon #pokemon trivia #pokemon starters #pokemon gen 5 #pokemon starter trivia week #pokemon serperior #serperior #pokemon emboar #emboar #pokemon samurott #samurott

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kit-williams · 1 year ago

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Warhammer 40k & D&D au

Just a quick 20 minute adventure into the feywild Morty Initial post!

Mortarions time spent with his brothers was as one could assume, him being a stick in the mud and an asshole. Forced to actually bond and enjoy their company. (how awful)

Also the fact that Mortarion despises magic/psykers and suddenly he was in a land drenched in magic. Even the lowest person could somehow conjour... call upon a god... become a mighty hero... even the most melee focused combatants somehow could pull magic out of their willpower. Somehow gaining a second wind mid battle sometimes healing their wounds too. Imbibing some sort of magical potion... he hated it all so much

His notable part of the AU is what happened after he left their company... he fucking fell into the feywild

Mortarion could not escape extraplanar hellscapes

And this one was made of pure magic

He was in literal hell

But he met his wife not long after he started wandering the hellscape

A princess of the Spring court a majestic dryad

Well he met the source... his dryad wife was a "clipping", she calls herself honeysuckle but Mortarion calls her honey.

Basically the main body had rooted herself and would occasionally clip off hyper-emotive portions of herself and its how honeysuckle came into being. She was a compassionate and loving clipping and was moved by Mortarions plight

His plight being him hissing like a pissed off cat caught in a vine net that was threatening to strangle him

The great princess of spring allowed a portion of herself to travel with Mortarion but at some point during their travels he ran out of toxins and he felt like he couldn't breathe. When honeysuckle tried to help him he tried killing her as he was scared. He was in some xenos infested warp soaked hellscape all alone.

She could shapeshift into vines and solidified around his arms and kissed him forcing air into his lungs, thorns pricked him and she sucked up the poisons of his home. Out of his collar where the poison flowed from bloomed flowers that emitted the same toxic air but just less.

Mortarion sat there with a convulsing and twitching honeysuckle as she removed most of the poison from his system but made it so he could breathe a bit.

She was fine afterward and the two traveled more. It felt like he was in the feywilds for years and yet by the time he would leave it had only been a couple of days.

He grew closer to honeysuckle during the years

in fact for Mortarion 100 years passed in the feywilds when in reality only 100 days had passed in the rest of the world

When he left he was married to honeysuckle by that time and had done a great deed to make him an unofficial prince though the unseelie court has expressed their interest in him.

Both the Seelie and Unseelie court deal with the minor corruption of nurgle that trickles into the realm and both rulers of the courts found it hilariously funny that the once demon prince of Nurgle was capable of true love.

Yeah Mortarion was stuck in the feywilds until he could feel true love. Its how he go his therapy. But Honeysuckle helps him with his daddy issues.

But he was finally able to leave the feywilds and boy was he pissed that his 100 years away turned out to be 100 days and he forced his brothers to all come back together to meet his (Trad) Dryad wife and let him rant about the past 100 years.

They fey blessed him with magic and powers; he was less pissed about the magic; and so Mortarion was something more. Though his new powers were insect and life focused though the more he used the powers in quick succession the more he would temporarily look like an elf.

He and Honeysuckle have a daughter named Lily.

The biggest thing for Mortarion in this AU is he is free from the toxic "love" of nurgle and the utterly toxic idea of family. Having a healthier one abet slightly twisted fey wise but still better than nurgle.

Due to his exposure to the feywilds he can slightly shapeshift its more so he can grow wings when he wants and when he's pissed he takes on more of a wasp like appearance with loud buzzing.

When he is playful he gets a more bumblebee appearance with body fuzz included

When he does shift it's normally a moth, his wings are a mixture of an Hercules moth in just body size to wing size and a lunar moth in coloration and shape. And yes he does sprout fuzzy antennae

#warhammer 40k #Warhammer 40k au #D&D #Mortarion #He is no longer toxic #in more ways than one #For real if you touch his daughter he will jump right to murder #Yes he can grow the moth wings #but when angry he'll become an angry hornet

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avesomnia-inhoramortis · 4 months ago

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[ooc]

Gender fuckery/general musing: while alchemically speaking Mohg is the Red King and Trina is the White Queen, Trina is also the rejected feminine aspect of her own White King, the very concept of which is delightfully nonbinary. Miquella quite literally rejected his role as an Arthurian princess to Build-a-Bear himself a husband and create a new world his damn self. We love men's wrongs here. That said, considering how extremely queer he is, I think Trina deserves to be really queer in her own way too.

We all know how Mohg can be read as queer. He's literally hated by the Catholic Church and found his own family (among other things but still).

Trina is very much the damsel in distress in canon, though prior to current events she seemed pretty on par for the pious princess sort of trope, devout and generous and good. Y'know. Barring all the self-destructive drinking and the occasional assassination she probably enables.

Miquella himself has some fey elements that we can assume carry over to Trina, though, and that's where I've been having the majority of my fun. She likes being a kid in a way Miquella really doesn't. Let her get up to nonsense!!!

But that proclivity for nonsense is going to change depending on what situation I put her in, and if I have her allying with Mohgwyn, she's going to have to figure out where she stands with the violence and bloodshed. She is an extremely passive character who does not really initiate things unless pushed to it, or if she's having an extreme childish lack of impulse control, mostly pulled along by gut feelings and whimsy as well as compassion when necessary.

So. All of that said.

While Trina is extremely feminine in all ways, and absolutely not a Red Queen in the same way that Malenia is, in the right lighting I think she would absolutely look like Miquella's triplet. And she's a secret third thing, neither alchemical king nor queen, but the mediating spirit between the two.

I'm restraining an alchemy ramble real hard.

Suffice it to say that the third party in the Divine Marriage is an aspect of the divine itself, a spirit that helps forge cohesion between the two halves, and that's why Trina is never just herself. She's the alchemical divine spirit meant to glue Miquella to his other half.

In summation for my headcanons:

She's a girl, but in a nonbinary way, and I think probably inherently inclined to polyamory and demisexuality. And, though she's very shy and mostly avoids occasions where this is necessary... I do think if push came to shove she has what it takes to command soldiers and lead an army. She's very compelling in her own way. But... probably more likely to assemble a team of assassins.

Since she's also a spirit/religious figure, I 100% headcanon that she can use any weapon she has blessed or otherwise helped make, like her arrows and swords. She's just not very likely to actually fight to kill and generally avoids the whole thing entirely. But she'd probably enjoy sparring a lot, since that's a bit of a game.

Put that girl in riding pants and flower crown braids and give her archery muscles!!!! She can be delicate and dainty and also pull a divine shortbow. She deserves it.

#[ooc]#st. trina #headcanons

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mejomonster · 1 year ago

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Started reading In The Dark, first chapter Nightmares:

Interesting vibes. Before anything else, I love the descriptions in this. I've been losing my own ability to spit out what the fuck Im trying to describe when writing lately, and the slightly poetic imagery but also to the point present tense of how this is written... it's really helping inspire me. (And of course, seeing quick examples of describing characters and buildings quickly without clumsiness but also still with some emotion is helpful)

Expectedly, the leads appear to be "two hot men" as is the bl usual ToT it is what it is. I'm partial to modu's babes still, but I'll get used to a new novel again lmao (what can I say? No character in a Long While is gonna top the fucking Captain China descriptions, the personality of priests characters screaming out so much that its ultimately the feeling of the character so unique and bizarre that you remember more than actual looks).

I am hoping, somehow, this novel's gonna be written as intelligently (as in intense themes, parallels, symbolism, points to make) as a priest novel. Im spoiled cause all the other chinese bl novels ive finished reading? Fucking excellent. I think my hopes are justified, tbh. If for no other reason than this writer doing some of my favorite shit: they name dropped a japanese murder author Ive read (and mentioned a plot of it im intrigued by), and they've left a TON of potential foreshadowing threads.

Said threads: opening, character dreams of a bloody woman? Could be a Fei Du (ish) situation where he did awful stuff and blacked it out. Could be a darker situation, where he's actually the bad guy/antihero/dangerous and we get a story from THAT point of view in some regard (which is a fascinating potential).

Character meets guy who clearly matches him, was at the theater for him, stalking him? At some prior point, started watching him first? Oh you know me. I like a slow burn. I like a long history (as long as its not childhood friends anything but that), i like rivals, its giving L X Light, Beyond Evil guys energy.

The movie playing: the stranger says he doesnt like roses. And the earlier quote from the murder novel, the Xie Lanshan remebering the quote that "even a demon essentially Id still love you." My prediction: one of them believes even cruel they'll love the other, but the other believes they'd stop loving and fight each other. This of course also implies: one will go darkside/be cruel/lose themselves/already is lost, and either that same one Or the other will not be loving the other when love is whats expected. Sort of the whole "youre a monster, but you wont hurt me" then the monster DOES hurt you. Or "even though youre a monster, ill still be here with you" (which is luo wenzhou 100 percent) but with the monster going "well that was a fucking mistake cause i am killing/betraying you now." If this novel likes foreshadowing, which i like, itll play with this AT LEAST in some case long arc. And ideally itll play out between the leading lovers. Which if so, is a story Id be interested in reading

And yes, i did go into this totally blind except knowing its (probably) a dark detective bl story. So we'll see how the predicting goes lol

For real though, i do really enjoy its writing style and the way its snappy but lingers just enough on painting images emotionally.

#in the dark #lb

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lanaevyssmoved · 1 year ago

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i'm so intrigued would you be willing to share what was supposed to be dru's ending that the game doesn't allow?

OK SO DRU IS LIKE. the truest make them worse that ever did make them worse ever. i'm tagging this as bg3 spoilers cuz i need to reference the actual ending and also gales endings (origin and non origin) also in general dru might be uncomfortable to read about for trans folks/people who experience dysphoria so bare that in mind

so dru spends her entire time just drowning in books right. she's obsessed with stories of transformation, of transition from one form into the next, of ascension, of power, of what a mortal can do if they rid themselves of mortality and the restriction of mortal flesh.

dru is consumed by the knowledge that they are not what they should be and where their potential should be. while entirely delusional and in full believe that they are actually a fey eladrin, there is that subconscious thought yeah, the one that only appears in your dreams, that reminds you what you really are. the thing that makes dru claw at her own skin because maybe what she's supposed to be is under her flesh. maybe if she takes this flesh off she will finally be right and correct and reach her true potential

she just grew into this... trans allegory that perfectly encapsulates that feeling of being in the incorrect body (for me). dru experiences dysphoria, and has no outlet for that beyond using delusion to cope with an existence they cannot bare

dru is/was a gale romancer that i made with full intent to fuck that wizard up because my paladin tav was a full good route character, afhiri is extremely neutral (though explores what a character who cannot challenge hubris would experience with a wizard like gale). the intent of dru was to pull him into her own hubris and see just how far it could go. see this all relied on godgale being an ending, while in his origin it is, but mystra immediately destroys him, in the non origin route he's just obsessive and leads to be consumed by obsession. it didn't give me what i needed, which was SOME sort of route where gale does ascend and is allowed to exist as a god in his own right, whether he never communes with us again or not. because gale is the experiment

now again i can write this however i want - but it is too exhausting to play her for 80-100 hours and the ending just fall so immensely flat to what dru's would be

think of dru like a mad scientist. this is an immensely intelligent person who is going to manipulate and use gale to see how far a mortal can go with her influence. to see how far she could go. if gale can do what he wants, which is to become a god, then experiment success and dru can now start to use magic and power and maybe an artefact to become their true self. a fey eladrin.

do i think she could? of course. this is d&d, there's been stranger things than someone completely changing their race. unfortunately for me she cannot exist in the confines of the actual game - i mean reading this most interactions she would have would also have to be rewritten by me to better fit her, that much is obvious. i basically made a weirdo that's too weird for a video game!

either way i absolutely adore dru and i love thinking about her. thank you for asking!!!!!! this was nice to talk about

#fray.txt #ask #Anonymous #bg3 spoilers #tw self harm #tw derealism #tw dysphoria #ask to tag #under read more cuz it got long !!!!!#oc dru

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dragonswithjetpacks · 1 year ago

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Fall Around

-dragonswithjetpacks

Summary: Ferelith ventures out on a personal quest after receiving information there may be a shop nearby that can help her translate a tome in her possession. Though she is willing to go alone, Astarion insists on trailing along. And thus ensues a playful adventure. (Bonus content in further chapters)

Notes: I felt helplessly romantic today and was reading through some things. I remember when I first wrote this, I thought it was the most raunchy thing I had ever written. I then went on to write more raunchy things. I edited this today and just wanted to repost it.

Another Note: 100% NSFW!!!!! You can make lemonade with these lemons.

Read here on Ao3.

It was a rounded stone staircase to a two-story cabin that Ferelith walked up. The sign hanging from the doorway read Apothecary . Nothing else. No clever title, no surnames. Just... Apothecary . It was usually those kind of shops she enjoyed the most. They were always straightforward. And she could generally find what she was looking for. She had insisted on going alone, but Astarion refused to allow her to travel by herself. There was too much at risk and he claimed he would rather act as a gentlemen escort than sit at camp with nothing to do. He was mostly quiet, which was odd, but she enjoyed his company nonetheless. He followed her up the staircase, also observing the sign swinging above the door.

"Charming," he said behind her. "You're sure this is it?"

"If not, we'll find out shortly."

"Fair enough," he sighed.

Ferelith opened the door to find a quaint room filled with shelves. Unfortunately... most of them were empty. Behind the desk was a man dressed in dark green robes. He seemed to be busy binding some sort of pouch but tossed it aside the moment he saw customers.

"Good afternoon!" he smiled. "I'm afraid the shop is low on stock. But I'm sure can help you find something today."

"I'm not exactly here to buy anything. I just had a few questions about some runes I found."

"Runes?" his brow lowered. "Well, I'm a bit rusty. But I can see what I can do."

Ferelith looked over her shoulder to her companion. Perhaps they had chosen poorly after all. The man led them around his counter to a small sitting area in the corner. Behind it was an archway. She did the best she could to lean over to get a better look, but the man took notice and put himself between her and the doorway. He gave Astarion a warning glance before he sat at the table.

"Let's see what you have," he diverted their attention.

Ferelith took her component bag from around her shoulder, hanging it off the back of the chair. She sat down and reached into a breast pocket behind the front of her leather vest. She tossed the book on the table, causing the shopkeep to flinch as if it produced some sort of foul odor.

"What is this?" he said, his tone suddenly changing.

"A book," she replied nonchalantly.

"That's not a book... that's a plague. A bane cursed upon the unfortunate."

Ferelith exchanged a look with Astarion, who remained standing next to her.

"I'm only trying to decypher a message within it."

The shopkeep laughed, holding his stomach so as not to burst. "The best thing you can do with a book like this is to throw it away."

"I can't," she leaned forward. "If you could just-"

"I'll not touch anything that dark from the fey," he shook his head. "Why don't you tell me where you got it?"

A hand slammed down onto the table, shaking the book upon it. Astarion was leaning on that hand, hovering over the shopkeep, his eyes burning red.

"It's nothing more than just a silly book," he attempted persuasion. "If you could simply just... look at it, that is all we ask."

The man was suddenly shaken but intrigued by Astarion in some way.

"You look different as well," he narrowed his eyes. "Where are you from?"

Ferelith let out a heavy sigh. "Perhaps we could trade, sir. I have a variety of items, here. I could pay you for your time."

The man looked over, glancing down into the bag that she now held open. The contents inside made him bolt from his chair. Astarion abruptly pushed him back down as Ferelith casually rummaged through the bag.

"Both of you," his face was filled with horror, Astarion's hand still lingering. "Creatures of the night. Fowl descendants of darkness. I'll have nothing to do with your evil plots."

"I assure you, this is far more boring than whatever it is you're imagining," Astarion crossed his arms.

"Get out of my shop!"

Ferelith froze, holding a jar of what appeared to be wasps in her hand. She looked to Astarion, who shrugged and gave her a questioning look. He was asking for permission, but she shook her head, shoving the jar back in her bag.

"We'll go," she rose from her chair.

Astarion placed a hand on her lower back, guiding her closer to the door. It was an affectionate gesture that was odd to her, but she allowed it, feeling some sort of desire from him to protect her. The man fumbled behind them, mumbling about hellfire and dark fey. Ferelith did what she could to ignore him, but she could feel the rage swelling inside her. As they exited the door, Ferelith turned, lowering Astarion's hand from her side.

"I apologize for the inconvenience," she gave a slight bow.

"I will not be fooled by your disguise," he stated in an angry tone. "You can't hide what you are, hag."

Not another word escaped her mouth before Astarion put himself between her and the shopkeeper. His hand clasped around his throat and slammed him into the wall and part of the door frame, causing it to crack. Ferelith could see the indention on the man’s neck where his fingertips dug into him, causing his face to turn red and his eyes to bulge. Astarion snarled, showing the full extent of his fangs.

"I would be very careful what you say next," he said. "If I even give you the chance."

The man tried to speak but only choked on his tongue. Astarion refused to let go. He waited until his face turned nearly purple before he released him, causing him to collapse on his stoop. He coughed loudly, gasping as the air tried to come in and out of his starved lungs. He reached out to grasp anything to help him onto his feet. Astarion stepped aside to avoid his flailing hand which eventually found the railing. The man looked up, his bloodshot eyes widening in fear as Astarion looked down at him. The expression he gave was that of disgust and his hand flexed as if waiting for Ferelith to permit him to slaughter the pathetic creature. It made something inside her squirm.

"I'll call the guard," his voice was hoarse. "I'll call them. And they'll cut that pretty head of yours, revealing what you truly are. They'll hunt down your abomination. Both of you are damned."

Astarion calmly stepped forward over him but felt the warmth of Ferelith’s touch on his hand. That did not stop the man from falling backward. His hands scrambled beneath his shirt, looking for what appeared to be an amulet of sorts. Small mutters of prayer came from his mouth as he looked about, questioning if shouting for help would be worth it. Ferelith knelt to the man, her pale yellow eyes looking at what he clutched to his chest.

"You'll die soon," she said calmly. "But not by my hand. I'll find what I need elsewhere."

Astarion bared his fangs one last time to keep the man quiet. Ferelith, on the other hand, was already descending the stairs. Her face was full of frustration to the point a wrinkle had formed on the bridge of her nose. He knew the moment she did not deny his touch in the shop, she was heavy with emotion. Ferelith was not a touch sort of person. However, something changed within her as they rounded the corner and she pulled him down into an alley. He couldn't ask why, as there was no time. She pulled him forward with her arms wrapped tightly around him, shoving her face into his shoulder to allow her scream to become muffled. Astarion raised both hands in the air, looking from side to side as she released her anger. He could feel the vibrations on his skin and oddly wished it was more attractive than it really was.

When Ferelith had finished her face had turned red. She panted heavily and pushed him away, brushing her hair from her face. With a deep inhale she held her breath, straightened her tunic, and exhaled. As she did, the color drained from her face. Her true self had returned.

"Fucking bastard," she mumbled to herself.

"Do you want me to go back? I could just kill him."

Ferelith turned to him, her expression fading from anger to what he was sure he could not mistake for lust. A smile spread across her lips followed by a small bit of laughter. She stepped closer to him, her hands sliding up his chest and clutching the collar of his armor. She yanked down hard, pulling him onto her lips. As unexpected as it was, it most certainly was wanted. Their kiss was heavy and even somewhat sloppy. It was as if she had been desiring this for days. When she pulled away, she left her lips hanging under his. She opened her eyes and looked up into his.

“I like what you did... at the shop.”

“Touch your back?” he questioned.

“No... the way you shoved him into his chair.”

“Oh...?” he purred back in reply. “Anything... else?”

Ferelith let go of his collar, running her hands down his chest.

“I like the way you frightened him with your threats. The way you spoke...”

“Go on...” his hands were reaching down to her thighs.

“I couldn’t help myself. I was wet watching you shout at him.”

Astarion groaned as he bent his knees, lifting her and placing her back against the wall.

“And when you squeezed his neck...”

She felt his grip tighten around the bottom of her thighs as he pressed his pelvis against her. Her interest in his antics left him wanting, too. The excitement brought him to her lips as he thrust her aggressively against the brick behind them. There was no shame to him, but he still worried about the attention they could bring after the uproar they had just caused. Dying in an alley wasn't ideal, but it wouldn't have been a bad way to go with her at his lips.

"I have an idea," she said on the cusp of his lips between breaths.

"If it involves being inside you, I won't need much persuading," he replied quickly.

"The shopkeep is distracted with the guard. The building is empty."

Astarion's face lit up, a wide smile forming and showing all the points of his teeth. "You wicked... wicked woman."

There was no hesitation from Ferelith as she turned, grabbing his hand and pulling him behind her. Following was easy, his steps correlating with hers as they ran back down the alley. She marched up the steps, looking back to smile at him. They would have to go around another alley to the back of the house. Somehow, she knew the way, as if she had been planning to break in all along. Watching the back of her, her hair bouncing as she ran, the over-the-shoulder smile, her hand clutching his own... something about it made him feel free. There was no beat to his heart, but something in his chest rushed through him.

It tightened as they approached the back of the shop. Ferelith let go of his hand when she stepped to the window. Peering in through a crack, she had been correct. The man had left the house empty. Unguarded. And was more than likely leaving to report the incident to the town guard. The window’s shutters were bolted, but it was nothing Astarion could not pick through. It fell to the ground with a thud and he opened it quietly. With ease, he climbed inside. Ferelith quickly followed.

The room they landed in appeared to be the mixing room in the back. Dried herbs were hanging from the rafts, empty cauldrons were waiting to be scrubbed, various notes were nailed to the walls, and random tools of the craft were scattered about. But the one thing that was abundant in the room... were tables. And it took Ferelith no time to pick one, scattered with notes and herbs. She took Astarion by the hand, walking backward and slowly dragging him with her. He watched as she slid herself on a table with her arms leaned back to support her. She spread her legs, inviting him. He accepted, sliding his hands from her knees down her thighs. They resumed their kiss from the alleyway, Ferelith reaching desperately for his breeches.

This was a side to her he had never seen before. Not outside of dreams, anyway. There was a ferocity to her kiss and a look in her eye that sparked something inside him. It made him impatient as well. As she had finished untying the string at his waist, she reached down the front of his breeches, grabbing him around the shaft and pulling upward. There was a heavy exhale from him as she moved her hand around it, feeling the wetness from his tip with her thumb. Her boots needed to be removed. Now. His hands were quick, sliding them off one leg and then the other. He wasn't quite sure where he threw them, but he was willing to purchase her new ones if he had to. Her leathers were next, in which case she had had already begun to untie them. With one hand, he lifted her from the table. And with a combined effort from the two, they slid the pants to her ankles. One leg he managed to slide off, the other he didn't have time for.

Rising between her legs, he grabbed the back of her neck, pulling her forward aggressively and kissing her with an open mouth. She pulled him forward by the hips, thrusting herself into him at the edge of the table. As he reached down to pull himself out, he realized how incredibly hard he truly was. She was pulling at him, pulling at his darker instinct. With his hand still around the tip, he moved a finger to the cloth of her small clothes that blocked his path. He shifted them to the side and rubbed the tip of his finger against her, feeling how ready she was to have him. She squirmed, biting his lip and making him groan. She drew him in again, her hands now buried under the sides of his pants and digging into his hip bones. He slid his hand down to the base of his shaft, feeling it slick from his wetness and now hers.

He moaned loudly when he dove inside, causing him to toss back his head. The soft warmth of her walls tightened around him. She kissed him on the neck, stretching up to bite his jaw. He moaned again, pulling out and thrusting back in. Her hands rose under his shirt, clawing at his lower back as he began to pump inside her. He kissed her again, breathing heavily through his nose. The more he was inside, the faster he began to move. Small whimpers came from the back of her throat. He had decided he wanted to hear more of them. He removed his lips to bury his face into her shoulder. Leaning forward, he placed his hands on either side of her and onto the table, causing her to lean back and push her bottom half further to the edge. He moved harder, making her cry out with pleasure, clutching his back to stay balanced. Her legs rose and she wrapped them around him. But he needed more space. He moved his hand to her thigh, where he grabbed it and lifted it to plunge deeper into her.

It felt good. It felt so damn good. Her body tightened and she felt the first convulsion that sent a chill through her body, signaling the beginnings of her climax. Astarion groaned deeply, a heavy breath that billowed from the bottom of his lungs. Her pleasure was ecstasy to him. The more she shouted, the harder he thrust. He straightened himself up, watching his manhood slide in and out of her. Her cloth panties were still pushed to the side and he decided they were a hinderance to his sight. There wasn't time for pause, so he reached down and tugged. They ripped apart at his hand with no trouble at all. However, the full impact of seeing himself inside her was overwhelming and he quickly looked away as he felt a twitch that would cause him to cum too quickly. He looked at her, instead, watching her body bounce in motion with his movements. Her head was craned back, her neck arched upward and he could see her cheeks getting red. Her nails dug into his flesh and he growled but did not stop. He slid his arm through the crook in her leg below the knee, holding her at her lower back. His movement slowed to a steady in-and-out thrust. Her walls were pulsing, ready and wanting... and waiting. The hand on the table came up her back, straightening her and resting on the back of her head. His fingers tangled into her hair and he could feel her hot breath on his neck. He tightened his grip, feeling another surge for himself, as well.

"Cum for me," he said into her ear.

A soft moan fell from her lips, slipping into his ear. Her hands retracted from his back, slithering their way back down to his hips where she felt him push and pull.

"Make me," she whispered back.

He pulled her away from him, gently, to look her in the eyes. There was the spark again. The look of defiance. It made him want to slam her onto the table. But he couldn't. Not yet. He wanted to make her suffer. He pumped slowly, feeling the insides tighten each time he passed through. She was close. And as her face became askew, mouth open with hooded eyes, he could see she was resisting. She was voluntarily tightening herself and releasing, holding on to extend her pleasure. He grinned, thoroughly enjoying watching the expression on her face change as he went deeper and deeper with every sway.

"Oh," she said, her mouth hanging open. "Oh... my..."

Her hands squeezed his hips, desperately trying to move him. But he was in control. And the consistency of his cock passing through her walls and touching deep inside her sent a steady flowing chill through her body. He could feel it, too, her walls no longer pulsing... but tightening. He pressed his lips firmly together, fighting his own climax as she became wetter around him. He hummed loudly, his hand unclutching the back of her head and slamming onto the table.

"Don't stop," she begged, loosening her grasp and letting him move.

She felt it from her fingertips down to the very tips of her toes, a warm sensation that tingled her entire body. And at the center was Astarion, still steadily and slowly pumping into her. There was a loud cry followed by desperate gasps for air and small whimpers. He placed his other hand on the table giving one last thrust into her as he felt her loosen. His head lifted, kissing her immediately. And he would have been able to contain himself... if he hadn't felt the bite of her teeth on his bottom lip. He pulled away, but she hadn't let go, his lip sliding between them. The darkness came back, just when he thought he had controlled it. He only had to take a half step to slide her off the surface. Her legs were shaking and he held her up, helping her turn over. A foot came down onto the pants still wrapped around her ankle. And as he turned her, they came off her foot. Ferelith tried to steady herself, but it was no use. Astarion had thrust himself back inside her without any gentle ease. Her arms rose to the table and she tried to plant them down before he reached up, grabbing one of her wrists and holding it behind her back. With her free arm, she reached up to grab the other end... but could not find it. Instead, she wrinkled the research that was left on the table. It rocked back and forth as he slammed himself against her. And it was all she could do to just enjoy it. Her eyes rolled back and she could feel herself tighten around him again, the sensitivity from before heightening his deep thrusts.

The slickness from her orgasm made it easy for him to slide in and out without resistance, allowing his pace to move faster. And harder. Ferelith could not control the cries coming from her mouth as he touched the very center of her over and over. He had another urge to grab her, his sinister thoughts coming out again. Not wanting to completely incapacitate her, he grabbed her rear and squeezed it until he made a handprint. He watched her bounce against his hips, his cock sliding effortlessly into her. He watched for a moment, the visual combining with the sensation sending him over the edge. He let go of her wrist, grabbing both her hips and pulling her closer, thrusting deeper inside her. He pushed two more times before finally feeling himself release. He moaned loudly, continuing to bounce her on him as he felt his manhood twitch inside her. He pulled himself out, examining the creamy liquid on his member.

He let go of Ferelith but quickly caught her as she began to lean too far to one side. She turned around with his hands to guide her.

"Are you alright?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

"More than alright," she panted, hoisting herself up.

They both began to laugh, Ferelith leaning her forehead against his and running her hands up his arms.

"Here," he lifted her onto the table, knowing she would spill what was inside her onto the research they had just spoiled. "Let me find something to clean up with."

Looking around, he didn't trust anything inside the apothecary to clean himself with. He casually walked into the front area and noticed a robe hanging on a coat rack near the door. He gave a quick glance out the window and saw no one was near the shop. Then grabbed the robe to head back to Ferelith, who was patiently waiting and catching her breath. He wiped himself first, which was hardly a mess at all, and handed it to his partner. He tucked himself back into his breeches and tied it up just as neatly as before.

"Could... could you maybe not watch?" she said standing up.

There was a small drip that descended her leg. He lifted a brow, feeling himself harden again at his handy work.

"I suppose I could give the lady some privacy," his eyes rose to meet her.

He gave a slight gracious bow before turning his back, walking toward a different part of the room. It was covered in books. Many of them were old and covered in dust as if they had not been touched in a very long time. The titles seemed to have obscure names. Something similar to what Ferelith would read. He had no knowledge of such things, but he could tell magic from cultism. And these books were certainly darker in nature. He grabbed one, in particular, an emerald green book with a faded gold bird stamped on the side. He opened it to see it was written in elvish. Something he was acquainted with. But then other parts he could not understand. And as he flipped through the book, he noticed small charts of what appeared to be runes.

"Ferelith..." he called quietly.

"Yes?" she asked sweetly.

He smiled, wanting to look at her, but not wanting to disrupt her space. He had noticed she was always more pleasant after a good orgasm. This wasn't the first time she used that tone with him. He adored it and the warm feeling it gave him.

"You should look at this. It appears we were in the right place after all."

He heard the thud of the robe falling to the floor and the soft pitter-patter of her feet trotting toward him. She snatched the book from him, causing him to look over with disdain. With her leathers draped over her shoulders, she began to flip through the pages. Her mind was lost in thought and her eyes stuck in a trance, she sat the book down the table. They didn't leave the page as she slid her legs through the pantholes.

"That stingy prick," she said, her eyes still darting through the words.

"I thought he didn't deal with the fey?"

"I don't think he does. This is sylvan. Druidic. Old... druidic."

She hopped pulling her pants to her waste but when she reached down to tie them, she didn't feel the strings. A quick flash of annoyance came onto her face, but she was still too focused.

"It's part of a set..." she flipped the book over to see the bird. "One of three. I believe I have another that belongs to it."

"Are any of these part of the set?"

Ferelith finally looked up to Astarion, who was gesturing to the series of books he had discovered. Her hand touched each one as her eyes scanned over their spines. She took out several of them, opening them and finding more runes, more sigils, more spells. One book in particular she tapped.

"This, here. Abyssal? Infernal?"

"Infernal," he said, leaning over her.

"You can read it?"

"Some," he said.

"Perfect... that will make transcribing it much easier," her eyes lit up when she looked at him.

"Let's get started. I'll grab the rest of the books," he began to stack them together on the table.

Ferelith placed a hand on his shoulder, causing him to turn and look in her direction. It slid to his neck while her other caressed the side of his face.

"I've never been more attracted to you," she said before she kissed him.

Wrapping his arms around her, he felt the sudden urge to throw her on another table.

"Do we have time for another round?" he said above a whisper, his hand sliding underneath her.

"Doubtful," she said with a satisfied exhale but slid his hand away.

Ferelith turned back toward the table, placing the books she had pulled out into her satchel. Before she could face the bookshelf to grab the others, she felt hands around her waste. He pressed her against the table, his teeth grazing the side of her neck. She folded, pressing her backside into his crotch, dropping the bag, and letting out a loud moan. He reached back down, tucking his hand beneath her breeches where he could feel she wasn't wearing anything beneath them. Just as she reached up to grab the back of his head, there was a sudden scream from the door.

Astarion pulled his hand away, quickly turning to see the shopkeep had made his way back. Ferelith reached down, grabbing the bag with the books in it. He shoved her toward the window and she climbed through clumsily, tripping a bit before she caught her footing. She took off running before she knew Astarion was behind her. But within a few short seconds, she could hear his footsteps followed by the cursing of a man leaning out the window. Ferelith was fast, especially on bare feet, but Astarion was by far faster. She could hear him panting behind her. She hadn't the slightest idea of where she was going, but she zipped through the alleyways until she knew they were safe. She found a path with a stack of crates and slowed her pace to flop down behind them. Astarion was right behind her, placing his back on the wall and sliding down next to her. Breathing heavily, they both looked at one another. And much like two troublesome children, the second their eyes met, they burst into laughter. Ferelith paused to admire the authenticity of his laugh. Seeing him smile like that, his head back with his laughter echoing off the walls, it made her feel a genuine sense of joy that usually had a hard time finding a place in her life.

" That ," he caught his breath, "was not what I expected when you said you needed a few things from town."

"You'll learn not to have expectations with me," she grinned.

"Spontaneity all the way through, then?" he turned to look at her, taking her hand into his. "Should be fun."

He lifted it, kissing her knuckles and holding her hand to his mouth while looking at her with large eyes. Ferelith rolled her eyes, taking her hand back from him.

"Alright, enough," she rose to her feet. "Let's get back to camp."

There was a sudden pull on her strings... oddly, from the back. She looked over at Astarion, tying her breeches for her.

"Are you aware your pants are on backward?"

"What? No!"

"Would you like to fix them?"

"No... You can take them off for me later."

"Oh, yes. Be sure to remind me, darling," he turned around, waving his hands behind his back. "Now get on my back. I'll carry you. Just until we're out of town. These city streets are filthier than the dirt-trodden paths."

Ferelith adjusted her satchel across her shoulder, feeling the heaviness from the weight of the books. She looked at Astarion's back, his hands stretched behind him waiting for her. It was clear she wanted to decline, but something was preventing her from doing so. The fluttering of joy came through her chest again. Astarion looked over his shoulder, becoming impatient.

"Well? Come on."

One last smile to him, and she reluctantly hopped on his back, hearing him make a small grunt as he hoisted her up.

"Do you think he'd be willing to give back my boots?" she said, her head resting atop his.

"We can certainly try." Astarion shrugged. "If not, my offer still stands on killing him."

And they both grinned, the wind blowing slightly through the wide alleyway as they made their voyage out of town.

#astarion #bg3 astarion #astarion fic #astarion x tav #astarion x ferelith #astarion x oc #astarion mc #astarion pc

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isagrimorie · 2 years ago

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[initial reactions] Critical Role 3x52

If the last episode was shocking and heart-stopping, we are now at the other side of the 'its the end of the world as we know it' moment. It's silent and uncertain and they're alone.

In a way, it's kind of a test of faith, except the people being tested don't have a lot of faith.

This episode was such a good way to slow things down after the frenetic Race to the Malleus Keys kicked off.

And god, Imogen broke my heart at the start with the way she is frantically trying to connect with Laudna but was denied every chance of it because of a weird static.

Something Imogen's heard of before from episode 49, The Aurora Grows:

IMOGEN Let me step away from everyone. → I'm going to try to get away from the group a little bit and I'm going to open my mind up and see if I can sense anything around. →

#MATT Okay. →

#LIAM Open your eyes. →

#MATT You open your mind to the space around you. → You do not sense any other presences, which leaves you at ease. →

#LAURA Okay. →

#MATT There is this very, very faint, underlying, best I can describe it as a static or a buzz that you haven't heard before when you've done this, this very light (whooshes) which rests on the periphery of your consciousness. →

#IMOGEN If I look out at the floating lights, does the ripple coincide at all with the static, or is it a constant white noise sort of vibe? →#MATT It just feels like a constant white noise. → I mean, there's maybe some bursts where it gets a little louder or softer, but it's perpetually there. → You're uncertain if the two are connected. →

#IMOGEN Weird. →

And now it's here in full swing, possibly because of the Ley Lines, probably because of Predathos, or both. But it is preventing magical means of communication, and this could probably lead to the development of technological communication.

And finally, we get a much-needed shading of Chetney, I find him amusing but his humor sometimes doesn't work on me -- like the way he was so cavalier about Xandis's life (who is still probably in the eye of that storm unless Ira dimension doored him away).

That put a sour taste in my mouth even though he tried to walk it back, and also more than Fearne, I trust Chetney less because at least Fearne is upfront about her shadiness. Chetney is a troll. Seeing him with Deanna was good and maybe finally will get me to like him. Instead of going, oh he's there.

I also love Fearne's development, like who had it in the bingo card that Fearne would be grounded on in this group and the one who would most likely swat people with a rolled-up newspaper for considering or even considering letting Imogen give up to the storm.

Imogen has repeatedly said, that if she ran into the storm and give-up she'd die. And I think this is the storm Imogen is talking about, her dreams are just portents, this Apogee Solstice, Malleus Key-Ruidus flavored red storm?

This is the real death that would mean the death of Imogen's self.

And it does seem Predathos or Ludinus might have hard-coded something into Exaltant Ruidus Borns to be seduced into walking into. Sleeper agents amongst the people of Exandria.

Fearne being born in the Fey realm is saved from this, as Matt/Otohan phrased it: An alluring, seductive call that Imogen is feeling 100% in full and always have to fight against.

Imogen's feeling of relief when Deanna cast Greater Restoration on her was akin to the one she felt with the circlet. Unfortunately, according to Matt, it's a relief that's not going to last long.

And then there are the two people! AABRIA IYENGAR AND CHRISTIAN NAVARRO. THEIR CHARACTERS WERE AMAZING. And in a way, their relationship with each other reminds me a tiny bit of Imogen and Laudna.

But also AABRIA'S DEANNA AS CHETNEY'S EX? YESS PLEASE.

I also love how the Bells Hells look to outsiders they are wild and they're not even the full group yet. BH is so used to each other's weirdness and danger levels that they barely blink anymore, especially when Chetney ran to transform into a wolf.

FRIDA WHEN THE BELLS HELLS SAY THEY'RE DANGEROUS AND DON'T GO LOOKING FOR CHETNEY. THAT MEANS THEY'RE DANGEROUS AND DON'T LOOK FOR CHETNEY WHILE HE'S A WOLF.

Oh let's also talk about Frida and Deanna's very Buffy Resurrection and which has caused them grief and Issues with their gods. FRIDA, in particular, harbors some let's say... very Aeorean views on gods. And Deanna just has complicated feelings about her god.

But also I hope we can get Laudna and Deanna in one room and talk about their different experiences about dying. Deanna experienced the full Buffy Heaven Package.

Meanwhile, I think FCG is getting a realization about themself too, and yet FCG is stubbornly clinging to their faith system. Both for FCG reasons but also, IMO for Sam Riegel trolling reasons. Imogen and Fearne are just done with it though and would happily chuck the changebringer coin down the ravine if they could.

But also so many people on Reddit have an issue with Bells Hells not being into gods, trying to save the gods and I'm just-- Honestly, I like it more because it means what the Bells Hells are doing is a choice. And they're trying to stop Predathos because to paraphrase Guardians of the Galaxy: THEY AND THE PEOPLE THEY LOVE LIVE ON EXANDRIA.

And then of course all this to end with:

A WEREBOT MAYBE???

#cr 3x52 #critical role spoilers #cr spoilers #bells hells #initial reaction #long post #critical role #critical role c3 spoilers

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creataav · 2 months ago

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since the majority of the poll was pro-d&d stories, here's one!!

this is for an upcoming campaign, run by the incredible @azimachra (who is the best dm ever ily). i'm planning on playing a HEAVILY homebrewed fey wild magic sorcerer! i'm very excited to meet her <3

this fic is basically just a little character study into how she is and acts. this name is 100% subject to change. also these d&d fics are going to be a tumblr exclusive. ao3 is going to be just fanfic from me <3. writing below the cut!

Niamh shrugged through the tree trunk, the squeeze tighter than ever, eyes barely skimming the familiar wooden sign to its left. “NEVER FOUND,” it read in anguished hand carved letters. At least, Niamh liked to assume it was anguished. She hadn’t been on Prime Material when it was written, but she liked to picture one of her mothers crying as she carved the sign, lamenting the loss of her only daughter.

She knew it didn’t make sense. If her mothers had been so very anguished, why didn’t they ever come looking?

The usual pang of convoluted grief came and went, curling around her sternum gently at first, and then tight enough to squeeze enough magic out of her to cause the moss on the bark of the tree to sprout. The scent of the little purple flowers – which really wasn’t all that nice, it smelled like dirt and mold and nothing so nice as what she’d smelled in Fey – grounded her enough. She reminded her feet to keep walking, ahead to the town that she hoped was still around. She’d have to go through the awkward song-and-dance of figuring out how long it had been again. It was something she never looked forward to. She always got a lot of weird stares. “The year you get some help,” and “Ma’am, do you need a healer?” were her favorite responses. The first, she’d gotten almost twelve Material years ago now, by someone who she thought was her third or fourth cousin, but who obviously didn’t recognize her as family in the slightest, only some random chick who didn’t age and showed up every fifteen years to reconfigure her place in the space-time continuum. Sass ran in the family, she supposed. The second was from a very confused, but very kind, man in glasses that was very willing to send her to any sort of healing establishment. She assumed he thought that someone had decided to cast a Confusion spell on her. He was nice. She wondered what he was up to now. Maybe he’d started a family. Maybe he’d died. She’d learned to stop being so worried about death. None of the people she’d known from Before were still around (she’d checked, had a cry, and then struggled to get over it for about 5 years Material time).

The various belts covered in various magical components around her waist jingled merrily as a breeze whistled through the forest. A squirrel twitched its head toward the sound, locking his eyes with hers. She held his gaze steadily. Five, four, three, two, two and a half, and… one. The squirrel scampered away across the branches, and she shrugged before beginning to mumble a quiet melody.

Once a fair and handsome seal-lord

Laid his foot upon the sand

Something crunched further close to the edge of the treeline, and she felt her body lock into place, a small smirk blooming on her face and gold beginning to seep into the irises of her eyes.

For to woo the fisher’s daughter,

and to gain her marriage hand

A shoe scuffed a rock nearby. They were getting closer.

“I have come in from the ocean, I have come in from the sea,

and I’ll not go to the waves, love, lest ye come along with me.”

Niamh positioned herself carefully, sitting semi-comfortably at the base of the tree. She tilted her head up towards the leaves, as though she was directing her song at the beams of sunlight that were filtering through them and not at whatever curious mortal was inching ever closer to her.

“Lord, long have I loved you

as a selkie on the foam,

I would gladly go and wed ye,

and be lady of your home

A second, less steady voice joined hers in harmony from behind a tree to her left.

“But I cannot go into the ocean, I cannot go into the sea

I would drown beneath your waves, love, if I went along with ye”

She inclined her head to the other voice. “It’s rude to spy, you know,” She said, raising an eyebrow and glancing down to rub a bit of dirt off of her hands. She looked up to see the man, the kind one who worried about her. He looked older. His hair was graying, he wore thick, round-rimmed glasses and time had pressed folds into his face. She felt her face light up with recognition before she could tamp it down, and she knew he saw it. “Oh, it’s you,” She tried for nonchalant.

“You are quite possibly the most bizarre Fey I’ve ever seen.” He replied, unfazed, one eyebrow cocked in a particularly teacher-like way. She wondered if that’s what he was now. It would make sense.

She rolled her eyes. “I’m not one, technically speaking, but do tell me why,” She felt her accent morphing to mimic his.

“There’s just so much restraint in there.” He gestured vaguely toward her, and she laughed in response. “But it’s like you��re restraining yourself from being restrained. It’s fascinating.”

“Philosophy teacher, then? That’s what you grew up to be?” Niamh said in lieu of a reply. She wasn’t interested in partaking in psychobabble, especially not about herself. That was a can of worms this guy did not want to open.

“No, I’m a barkeep.” The man looked a little bit taken aback.

“Huh. Maybe you should have chosen a different career path.”

“With all due respect, Ms. Not-Fey, I think that teenagers with enough money to spend on something as trivial as a philosophy class are not the people that need those lessons. I’d much rather give advice to the sad people who spend half their days in one of my barstools.”

“Oh, an altruist! How refreshing.” Niamh adjusted herself so that her back was resting more solidly against the tree trunk. “Sometimes I worry that it’ll be too far in the future and good, well-meaning people will have died out.”

“How old are you?” Now it was his turn to deflect. She didn’t push him.

She looked down at her own hands, studied the slight amounts of lines and calluses on them. “Around twenty-six, I think. It gets tricky.”

He nodded. “Archie.”

“Pardon?”

“That’s my name. Archie.”

“Terrible idea to give your name to any kind of Fey.”

“I’m trying to be a good, well-meaning person. That comes with making mistakes sometimes.”

“Natalie.” Niamh replied.

“That’s not your name.” Archie said with a sad kind of smile.

Niamh returned it. “No, it’s not.”

“I’ll call you Nat, then.” His eyes twinkled. “Since it’s Nat your real name.”

A genuine snort erupted out of Niamh before she could stop it.

Archie lit up. “Aha! I got you!”

Niamh laughed. “Got me how?”

He smiled. “I found some humanity still in there.”

“And humanity is, what, humor?” Niamh raised an eyebrow, but there was a genuine desperation behind her voice that surprised her. The corner of Archie’s mouth ticked down; he’d noticed, too.

“It’s not something so easy to pin down,” He replied, a little gentler. “But I think a good laugh over a dad joke from someone you don’t know is part of it, somehow.” He stood up. “I have to get back into town. The wife’ll start to worry,” Archie rolled his eyes, even as a warm smile pulled up the corners of his mouth. “Feel free to stop by the bar if you’d like.”

Niamh looked back to her personal portal to the Fey and the “Never Found” sign, both glinting in the light. “You know what?” She felt her accent begin to drop into its natural place, and she let it. “I just might.”

#my fics #d&d writing #niamh #my writing #writers on tumblr

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vaayusjournal · 1 year ago

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27th of jahal, 6242

we decided to track down tiegan and headed to dalbore yesterday. i decided to tag along even though we found my rock cause they seemed like a fun bunch. i... kind of regret it a little i think? it was not as fun as i thought it would be and... i forgot how ruthless the world could be. i genuinely like some of these people, and i have nothing against doing a little bit of property damage or stealing or even fighting people but

we found tiegan. she was holed up in a warehouse and was dying. there was another body there of someone who had been pretty badly damaged by some sort of acid but the dide was dead. and missing fingers. and ribs. that wasn’t the part that bothered me though. i think. it was not pretty, but not much we could do for them.

i wasn’t supposed to be in the warehouse and i wish i hadn’t been in there at all. i was out with the horses, i wandered in just as they started questioning tiegan and lightwalker healed her a little so that she could answer their questions. she said that “one of the only ways the the three fingers can get our lives back is if we smuggle magical goods to the fey road in skipsieve,” and also said that the people with three fingers were part of this club thing called the three fingers. she also said that she was supposed to get the stuff to a boat and the boat was supposed to leave tonight but she and jarrik (the dead dude) were jumped by people she didn’t know.

none of them knew i was there so i was definitely not supposed to see this next part but also i don’t think anyone other than me saw it

faster than i could blink triennan grabbed his dagger and stabbed her

in cold blood

according to the others it was ok to murder her cause we shouldn’t leave loose ends and she was suffering and the three fingers are actually a dangerous cult, but im

idk

we kept moving though and we headed towards this town called henway. there was this really weird unnatural darkness all around us? like i could still see through it cause i have darkvision, but it felt like night time. in the middle of the day. it was wack. we kept moving until lightwalker noticed a lamp in the distance. we came upon a small hamlet, but the horses didn’t want to go any further so we went the rest of the way on foot. now, im not in the practice of calling people i barely know creepy (ok fine i do call people creepy a lot. but only if they deserve it!) but the lady who was by the well was suuuuuper creepy and 100% deserved it. guik went to her and asked her if she lived here, she was like “i did once.” like?? what the heck does that mean?? she doesn’t live here anymore?? is she dead?? then she’s all like “oh thats my house right there” (i thought she didn’t live here??) “i need water. can you help me get water?” so guik gets her water and she’s like “now bring this to steven?” who the heck is steven

she pointed to a house up north so we agreed to take it there and ended up finding steven in the house. he told guik that the old lady’s name is ellen but he seemed really confused by us (honestly i would be too if a random person came into my house with a bucket of water saying that an old lady who used to live here told them to give me water. like what the heck??). but anyway, we were waiting outside listening to guik talk to this dude when all of a sudden guik starts choking. we run inside the house and it turns out that steven is actually a shade and there’s also a robed figure there who was controlling the shade i think? so now we have to fight him.

it was an interesting fight i guess. triennan’s daggers apparently have a slight black energy coming off of it. makes sense that he’s cursed, seeing how he’s so willing to kill people in cold blood willy nilly. we killed this dude too of course. the others used the justification that the dude would have killed us had we not killed him but like incapacitation exists, people!! i really really like these people but i don’t know how long i can stay with them if they keep killing like this. like i can excuse a lot of things but murder is,,,,

this whole town was super creepy though tbh. we found this crystal thing in one of the rooms and touched it to another shade who then dissapeared. the next building had a riddle on the door (what’s a henway?) that we had to answer (one or two pounds) before we could enter. there was this death trap room where the walls were trying to kill us unless we put our weapons into these slots along the wall. (i figured that one out!! see im not that dumb!!) caerwyn found a bunch of money and a contract that said something like: they need to collect everything, they want to awaken something, it will take powerful magic, and powerful being being awakened. oh and guik found a wand of magic missiles!

oh i forgot we had this huge fight with a bunch of shades cause a crystal came loose when we put the weapons into the walls but after we fought the shades we were pulled by the crystal towards this ritual that a bunch of robed figures were doing and the others were like “omg we totally have to kill everyone to stop this ritual” so they did. which.

we did end up finding all the stuff though, which was a plus i guess. and i guess they’re right, it is kind of hard to do this kind of stuff and not have casualties, and these people did steal other people’s livelihoods from them. i just don’t know how i feel about all this murder. like i have done my fair share of stuff but something about the fact that we keep murdering people just,,, rubs me wrong. don’t get me wrong, all of these people seem delightful so far, but i don’t know...

anyway, we’re meeting back up with the caravan today. hopefully things will calm down a little and i can figure out what the heck i’m planning on doing in skipsieve. i have genuinely no idea what im gonna do once i get there, but it will be interesting to see how the cookie crumbles lol

#vaayu pov #snakes and sandwiches #skipsieve

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allisoooon · 2 years ago

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Maybe She's Not Such a Heinous Bitch After All

For @lockedinthelabyrinth

It was inevitable this season that without Ben, Klaus either had to learn independence, get another enabler, or find another abuser. Now we know.

A lot of people look at an abusive situation and ask, “Why don’t they just leave?”

Well, The Umbrella Academy just showed you exactly why. Steve Blackman et al. revealed that the same mechanism that keeps people with their abusers actually exists in you. You went through the thought process with Klaus this season, wondering whether this Reginald is actually different, and while you probably didn’t reach full faith in him, you did doubt he’s all that bad. We’re told that bad people only do bad things and good people only do good things, but never in human history has this been true. You may write someone off because they’re a terrible person, but then they show a side that brings you close again—they’re a generous lover, or they buy you a present, or they take you to a playground and spend quality one-on-one time with you. They seem self-aware, like they know exactly what they did to you and they’re sorry now. But then, the abuse comes back around. They’ve just managed to be nice enough to you that they can keep you on the hook. That’s all they were doing. And you’re never quite as immune to this as you think. If you grew up in this sort of environment, it’s entirely likely you’ve pretty much lost the ability to see it coming. The warning signs just look like normal behavior to you.

Privately, to myself, I call this the “Heinous Bitch” phenomenon, after the Crazy Ex-Girlfriend song “Maybe She’s Not Such a Heinous Bitch After All” (which is brilliantly done in a 60’s girl group style, go listen to it). It’s a song sung when the main character’s emotionally abusive mother starts being oddly nice to her, and having the relationship with her that she always dreamed of. Many people go through this stage periodically with their abuser, and the relationship between Reginald and Klaus this season perfectly illustrated how it happens. Hell, a lot of Klaus’ dialogue is eerily reminiscent of some of the most clichéd things victims say about their abuser during this stage—saying his father is different now (though in this case it’s literal), encouraging other people to give him a chance, all that. But it ends like it nearly always ends in these situations: a return to the norm once the abuser feels like they no longer benefit from being nice.

This may not be the Reg of Klaus’ timeline, but Reg is still Reg, and knows himself so well he can pick the game up right where his other self left off. He can tell Klaus is, at his core, a deeply empathetic person who is so desperate to refill all the scoops that have been taken out of him that he’s the most vulnerable target. Fei foreshadowed this in the first episode by calling him the weakest link.

Do I think 100% of the kindness we saw from Reg towards Klaus was faked? Not really. I think there is something about Klaus that Reg came to like. I think he has some genuine warmth toward Klaus, but it doesn’t go very deep. I got a touch of regret out of Colm’s performance as he was leaving Klaus to die. Others might disagree. But he didn’t have to say the things he said. He could have just shut Klaus out with no explanation, if he truly didn’t feel any kind of way about him. Instead, he gives him an explanation and an apology. The explanation is utterly, needlessly cruel, and the apology means nothing because he then proceeds to do the thing he’s apologizing for even as Klaus begs him not to. Still. In that moment, I think Reg was being honest—both about his poor opinion of Klaus, and about his regret for what he was going to do. Otherwise, what good would it do to tear him down one last time? Reg is slightly fond of Klaus, but he loves Abigail, and has chosen not to risk taking Klaus along the path towards her, despite that fondness.

And it’s bad. It’s very, very bad. In some ways, you could see it as being worse than Reg treating him with only cruelty. Reg shows he is capable of cognitive empathy (an ability to imagine how someone must be feeling based on their circumstances, which is the kind of empathy ND people often struggle with), and when that’s the case, it can be forgiven if one believes he is also capable of emotional empathy (responding to someone else’s emotions with the same or similar emotion). I think Klaus believed Reg finally understood him, and in a way, he was right. Reg understands Klaus like he understands a puzzle he put together. But understanding the damage his alternate self caused Klaus doesn’t mean he has had any emotional response to it, any compassion for him. He knows exactly how Klaus is going to take his words, and says them anyway when it would have been kinder to simply shut the door and say nothing.

Klaus has seen that his father knows exactly what he did to him in the past (because he told him in the graveyard scene), feels like he has finally gotten some healing from it, and then been told he was worthless all along. Finally, he is shoved to the floor as he reaches for Reginald. That’s an angst dumpster fire that’s going to keep Klaus fans warm for a long time.

And Klaus’ reaction to it is immediate. Once he makes it to the Void, he gives up. He tells Luther it’s because he (Klaus) is always messing up, so it’s better for him to just stay out of everything and relax. The way I take this, it means that Klaus is blaming himself for Reg’s betrayal because he fell for his manipulations. Victims often let their abusers off the hook because they have accepted that they won’t change—they can, but it’s not a realistic expectation to have. Luther was the perfect person to see Klaus through this because he knows the Heinous Bitch cycle so intimately, and won’t stand for Klaus wallowing in self-pity. I kind of think he must have told himself the kinds of things he tells Klaus here, to break himself out of his own funk.

This is how the same people get in abusive relationships over and over again. It’s how abused people stay with their abusive partners. It’s the ultimate trick of an abuser—not terror, but kindness. And it is cruel.

#tua s3 spoilers #the umbrella academy #klaus hargreeves #reginald hargreeves #tua meta #ask answered

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sunlitanon · 3 years ago

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Finnicky

This is sort of more of a character study than anything else. By the events of Pillbug, Fearne has a pretty solid idea of where Orym's boundaries are and a 100% certainty that if you overstep them, you'll know. I just think he's sort of like a finnicky housecat that only lets you pet them every third Sunday, you know? Also I haven't watched Exu yet, so I hope I didn't mischaracterise their time with the Crownkeepers too terribly!

The first time Fearne tries to tickle Orym, he just sort of goes boneless.

It had been a long day of travel by the time they piled into the inn, exhausted but unharmed aside from a couple scrapes on Orym, who’d been swiped at by a bear of all things. When Dorian, Dariax and Opal had gone downstairs looking to get drunk, there had been a few transient moments where Fearne and Orym were alone in the room, and she had looked across at the dark circles under his eyes and really wanted to make him smile.

Fearne goes down to join the others, later, leaving Orym tucked in bed to sleep off the day. She takes with her the newly discovered knowledge that Orym can giggle. __

Another day, they’re walking through the forest. Orym’s got his face buried in a map that he can’t open all the way out even with his full armspan and Fearne sidles up next to him. There’s a little crease between his eyebrows; she can see the shadow of it over his whole face, like he’s suddenly an old man.

She sneaks one free hand down to pinch at his side and then he is just. Gone, in what seems like the space between one breath and another.

He’s just darted over to the front of the group, Fearne finds after a single, stunned second, but so fast and so smoothly that the others don’t even seem to have noticed anything happened. He shoots a quick, evaluating look back at her before turning back to the map, and then in a moment he clears his throat and starts talking about shortcuts.

One night by the campfire, while Opal is play-wrestling with Orym, tickling a little to distract him and because Opal thinks it’s terribly funny to make him squirm, she calls for backup “to hold him down so I can really get him.” Orym disengages in a second, putting a few feet between them, and actually draws a weapon from his belt.

It’s a little theatrical, Fearne thinks, but after that none of them ever tries to hold him down in a way he can’t slip out of.

After another quiet moment where Orym flops over like a fish the second Fearne gets her hands on him, and another where he pulls his disappearing act, and actually softens at Fearne’s pout and says “Not today, okay Fearnie?”, she’s starting to put together a theory.

“’…already thirty, Dorian,” Orym is saying as Fearne walks into the inn room, a day or two out of Zephrah.

Dorian catches her in the corner of his eye and grins. “I’m just saying, look at Fearne,” he says, in the kind of persuasive voice he can only use when there are no stakes, “Fearne’s 180. And no wrinkles! Do you know why?”

“Because she’s fey, Dorian.” If she didn’t know her boys so well, she mightn’t have been able to hear the edge of laughter creeping up below Orym’s patient, flat tone.

“It’s because she doesn’t crease her face by frowning all the time!” Dorian says, and then he giggles, which sort of undermines whatever he’s doing here. “Fearne agrees with me, don’t you Fearne?”

“Oh, yes, of course,” Fearne says, not entirely sure what she’s agreeing to, except that they’re ganging up on Orym and it’ll make him look at her like—oh yes, just like that. Perfect.

Orym scoffs, turning away from them so they can’t see him twist his mouth against a proper smile, or so he thinks.

“You’re so grumpy, Orym,” Fearne says, and drops herself onto the bed next to him. “I think I know how to put some smile lines onto that face, though.” And with that she tries to wrestle him onto her lap, and Orym—who could out-wrestle her any day—just lets her with only token resistance, wriggling a little in her arms.

“Don’t suppose I have a say in the matter?” he asks, and Fearne can’t see his face from this angle—that’s a problem, she’ll have to move him—but he already sounds like he’s about to laugh, and she hasn’t done anything yet.

In one quick movement she shoves him back off her lap, flat against the mattress with her palms flat and firm against his shoulders and blinking a little in surprise.

“You always have a say, Orym,” she says, and this way is much better. From this vantage point she can see the wheels turning in his head, the way his eyes sweep across the room and weigh up her simmering excitement, Dorian’s fond amusement even as he puts his hands up, refusing to intervene in one way or another.

After a moment’s wry, thoughtful silence, he says, “Don’t say I never do anything for you,” and Fearne goes straight for his ribs.

#critickle role #my fic #now the thing is if i even think of doing the lee!character thing i will die of embarrassment #but also if i find my fic in the main character tags i will also die of embarrassment #but i need to label the things on my blog by character for the sake of finding it later?#what's a bitch to do

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luckthebard · 4 years ago

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Part of me wants to meta about Jester in 103 because I don’t think I 100% agree with any of the takes I’ve seen, but I’m also still sorting out my own thoughts, so what follows under the cut is a bit of a word vomit.

I came out of that conversation with Artagan having a better handle on Artagan than on Jester. This is a full-on, fey-clashing-with-reality crisis for him, and honestly it’s not surprising for a chaos god to have planned what he has, once aware of a “island that makes people forget” - particularly with him wanting to offload all the responsibilities of godhood. And I hate to maybe kind of lazily fall back on this, but he is an archfey. He is Neutral. And Neutral is not “good lite.” It is Neutral, with all the darkness that implies, as well as the light.

What was slightly more surprising is that he did seem to be kind of confused and concerned that Jester was upset, and wanted to reassure her. But I don’t think the problem is one he can currently fix, because his inability to understand what she wants out of their relationship is sort of the crux of it. Artagan wants to be free to do whatever he wants, free of responsibilities, and occasionally have fun with Jester - but all on his own terms. He likes her, sure, enough to promise not to leave her (or, begrudgingly, her friends) in a situation that upsets her, but I don’t think he has a good handle on...friendship. Friendship comes with responsibilities, after all, and Artagan seems to chafe under even those positive ones. Why else spend most of his time interacting with Jester under basically a pseudonym, if not to keep just enough distance to avoid actual responsibilities of friendship and genuine connection? But the relationship worked out great for him, he never saw a problem with it. Probably still doesn’t, even though he was the one who chose to change that dynamic by revealing his true self.

It strikes me that, if Jester is losing her faith right now, it’s not a lost faith in Artagan, who in some ways she’s just now starting to get to know. It’s a lost faith in their friendship. I wonder if it makes sense to think of “The Traveller,” the focus of Jester’s devotion, as less Artagan himself and more a manifestation of their friendship and connection over many years while she was so lonely. So what’s painful about Artagan keeping things from her, whether it be the knowledge of the memory loss island or even his own identity, is that it means their friendship was never quite what she thought it was. Since she’s found out about his other followers, and Artagan’s true identity, her main point of focus has been things like: “I’m your favorite, right?” and “I understand if you want to have fewer followers but I don’t want you to get rid of me.”

I genuinely don’t know where I’m going with this, but I think my current read on that Commune scene is that it resolved nothing between two characters who have wildly different perspectives on their relationship to each other. Artagan is confused that Jester is upset and reacting differently to him, because from his perspective their relationship hasn’t changed - for him, she’s suddenly having problems with a dynamic between them she was fine with for years. But for Jester, she’s realizing their dynamic was maybe never what she thought it was, and having to reevaluate the foundation of her oldest and most important friendship.

#cr spoilers #meta #jester lavorre #critical role #long post

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notmoreflippingelves · 2 years ago

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Okay, I have quite a lot 😁 here: 3, 9, 10, 31, 38, 39, 49, 65 and 100 please 😗💭

3. Favourite Assistant?

Kay Faraday, my beloved. Little thief of my heart; Yatagarasu of my soul <3

9. Least favourite character?

My honest answer is the culprit of the flashback case of AAI 2, who just infuriates and *aggravates* me in the way that no other character in the series does. I mean, they work well as a villain; I just see red whenever I think of this guy.

But it feels like a cop-out to pick an obscure character from the spinoff game that doesn’t have any other stans or discourse about them. So in terms of a more popular character....

If I have to pick a “main/major,” I’m gonna go with Maya. I don’t dislike her; I’m just massively indifferent and the fandom is so ga-ga about her (to the point of not really liking other female characters/assistants because.. #NotMyBurgerQueen) that it annoys me.

If I’m allowed to pick a character that is major/significant but not a “main,” we’re gonna go with Dahlia because the “girl-boss-ification” of her by portions of the fandom aggravates me to no end. I mean, yes there is potential to view her sympathetically and yeah, the way she was treated by her parents and Terry Fawles is all kind of messed-up. But Diego Armando did not “get what was coming to him” by pointing out that first-degree murder (which Dahlia had already successfully gotten away with at that point so it’s not like it even benefitted her) is like a major crime. And Phoenix Wright, Doug Swallow, and Maya Fey literally did nothing to deserve what Dahlia tried to (and succeeded in Doug’s case) do to them.

10. Favourite trial from all the games?

Rise From the Ashes. Even if the unstable jar puzzle is the bane of my existence.

I once heard someone say that they judge every AA case in comparison to RTFA and every AA culprit in reference to Gant. And while I had never really thought about it that way myself, it makes so much sense and I guess I sort of do the same. As a standalone case, it’s wonderful; as a thematic reflection of some of the broader themes of the series, it’s wonderful. As a foreshadowing of Apollo Justice in terms of both character developments (we see the first glimpse of Phoenix’s manipulative sides) and future characters, it’s wonderful.

It brought us the Skye sisters and the Blue Badger and Edgeworth’s fancy car.

And Gant is just...he’s the best villain, full-stop. There are others I personally love more (Kristoph obvi) but taking personally preferences aside, it’s got to be Gant. He’s fun and playful and funny, while also being genuinely menacing. Of all the AA villains, he’s the one that most gives me supervillain/Disney villain vibes and that is the highest compliment I can give. In a series as absurd (affectionate) and over-the-top as Ace Attorney, you really need baddies who are Extra in every respect, fun to watch/interact with, and still be a legitimate and intimidating threat.

31. Character you wish was playable?

I would say Gregory Edgeworth or Mia Fey, but we do actually get to play as each of them briefly (the flashback case of AAI 2 for Greg and the two cases of AA3 for Mia)--though we should definitely get the opportunity to play more from their POV.

The heart says Lang, because I love him so much and he’s so underrated and just give me more of my wolf boy.

We also get to see a bit of young MVK in the same flashback case of AAI 2 (though we don’t get to play him sadly) which also makes me think that it would be so fun to just have an Investigations typegame of him and baby!Gant running around Japanifornia in the early part of their career and having a “gumshoe/edgeworth but EVUL” dynamic. (Even if I can’t exactly see them giving us a villain protagonist spinoff prequel game).

Oh wait, no I lied. It’s Justine Courtney. On the one hand, the idea of a spinoff where you play as the judge instead of an attorney is appealing in and of itself but on the other hand, I love her and she’s pretty just bring her back, please. But the Lang game still applies.

38. Plot Twist that came as the biggest surprise to you?

So....I actually came into the fandom knowing most of the significant plot twists. With the possible exception of the fact that Beanix was in fact the Phoenix we know and love...but as we find this out right away in AJ, I am not sure it really counts as a “plot twist.” Just a surprising beginning to a later game in the series.

So this isn’t even much of a plot twist--big or small-- just like a character that the fandom seldom talks about and I therefore didn’t know existed until I watched a PW vs PL walkthrough. But my favorite “plot twist” is.... Sir Constantine, brave knight of Labriynthia. His courage, his fierceness, his cute face, his comical disdain for our favorite spiky boy. He’s perfect; he’s precious; he’s underrated. There’s barely any official art for him and I can’t understand it.

To a related extent, I sort of missed the initial mention of Vongole during my first experience of AJ and so I had no idea that this canine princess (who we’ve never actually seen *sobs*) would become so beloved to me and such a key player in my Kris/Krisnix head canons.

39. Honest opinion on Larry Butz?

I was initially kind of meh about him. He was a little annoying, but you could tell his heart was in the right place. I was also slightly biased in his favor (similar to Godot and Nahyuta) because a lot of the fandom have really unfairly negative interpretations and feelings about him which brings out my own contrarian and protective instincts.

I really started to like him when I started interacting more with people who genuinely like him and when I started engaging with some of the ships with him in it. (Especially klarry, my beloved). He’s just a fun character who is in many ways one of the more relatable ones in the game (if not the most flattering) as his short attention span/easy distractibility, love of silliness, and profound emotional sensitivity definitely resonates with me as someone with adhd (which like...not to armchair-diagnose fictional characters, but like...Larry definitely has adhd. as do gumshoe and kay, but like Larry even more so than them, which is why they have my heart. )

49. Victim you would’ve liked to see more of? (Not e.g. victim of the second case of the first game. A victim we haven’t seen basically anything of!)

I feel like I can’t really go with the obvious answers of Clay Terran or Byrne Faraday, as while we barely see them in the games themselves we do hear Apollo and Kay talk about them enough that we get a pretty good sense of them.

With that in mind, I think Constance Courte, the victim of the Themis case in Dual Destinies has a lot of interesting potential. She was a mentor to Klavier and later to Juniper (and also has potential to have been one/ a kind figure to Sebastian during his time there--as he was in the same year as Klavier). I also read a fic once where she had a nice friendship with Gregory that gave me feelings.

Otherwise, Cindy Stone as it seemed like she genuinely loved Larry back and it would’ve been nice to see him happy and stable.

65. Outfit you’d like to wear?

In terms of overall outfits in official AA art, I will go with Franziska’s teal dress in the “formal” wear promo image.

In terms of outfits that are actually worn in one of the games,

I mean as much as I’d like to say one of the outfits in DGS/The Great Ace Attorney or the Layton crossover, because fantasy/historical fashion aesthetic. In terms of something I might actually feel comfortable wearing out in public in real life (i.e. not Halloween or a fandom event), I’d say probably one of Ema’s outfit minus the labcoat, or Adrian Andrews’ are probably closest to my real-life style. (I’m not nearly as...flashy as most AA characters, lol).

100. Phoenix Wright or Miles Edgeworth? Who do you like better?

It depends. Like really, it all depends on what exactly one means by “like better.”

I’ll be honest that initially I wasn’t a massive fan of either of them in the Trilogy games.

Similarly with Maya, I just didn’t get the Edgeworth hype at all until the Investigations games, which made me love him. I think it’s because his primary interactions in the Trilogy are with Phoenix or (as in the case of Gumshoe, MVK, and Franzi) are filtered through Phoenix’s own interactions and interpretations and with his public persona as the “Demon Prosecutor.”

Whereas, we get to see a lot more of who he actually *is* in Investigations and specifically what it’s like for him to interact with characters who aren’t in total awe of him (the way 90% of the characters in the main games are) and who challenge and question and tease him. He’s so much richer a character in the spinoffs than the main games and it makes me so sad that so much of the fandom doesn’t get to enjoy the gift that is Miles’ AAI characterization.

As for Phoenix, I was largely indifferent to him in most of the Trilogy. Like he was just a fairly generic protagonist who is likable and relatable enough to facilitate the plot but doesn’t really have much of a unique special spark.( I feel similar to him as I do to Luke Skywalker in the SW Trilogy and Frodo Baggins in LOTR that it’s impossible to really *dislike* them but they are definitely overshadowed by their supporting casts.) And as for Wright’s “Feenie,” phase well, I’ve always found it rather insufferable and try not to think too much about it.

It really took Phoenix becoming a DILF maturing into a more complex, confident, and morally-ambiguous character in the Post-Trilogy games for me to really love him. Even though I sort of wish he was no longer playable, as he works better as mentor-type figure imo.

So for me, “do you like Phoenix or Edgeworth better” is a question of Investigations Edgeworth or Post-Trilogy Phoenix? As to that, the heart says Post Trilogy Phoenix because handsome and charming and a little dangerous and part of my OTP, but the head says Investigations Edgeworth because he brings something more unique to the table.

That being said, this doesn’t seem like a good answer/comparison since majority of the fandom only knows the Trilogy. So if I am forced to pick between Trilogy!Nick and Trilogy!Miles, I’m gonna go with Phoenix, as I like him slightly more than Miles based on trilogy characterizations alone.

#asks #ace attorney #sorry this took me so long; i had a lot of thoughts #also sorry in advance for some of my hot takes #i mean there aren't a ton in here #but ya know how this fandom can be

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