#how does one even rp anymore

[ofluminance-a]

the stars don't look bigger, but they do look brighter.

ind. priv. sel. multimuse ft. ochako uraraka loved by: dandi

[megatronsimp]

Mutual only rp blogs drive me nuts. I always see their ads and I’m like, “I wanna be a mutual…but how do I become your mutual?”

[maelancoli]

Adding Tension After the Ship Happens

i feel a lot of slow burn ships lose steam after the characters finally get together, whether it's just from sleeping together or them actually engaging in a relationship, so here are some ideas for how to maintain steam.

their problems are not solved now that they've crossed the thresh hold

first things first, the plot itself i'm sure has other details than just their relationship. even the most fluffy of fluff has other things going on than kisses and giggles. don't abandon these details once the relationship truly begins. and if there was any kind of unresolved tension point or previously mentioned ex/trauma/insecurity/fear bring it back! bring things back around that might put a strain on a new, tender relationship. this can either make them have problems or be a way to develop their bonds and *show* it in action. any of these foreshadowing/resurrected points can be added in edits if you didn't start out with them or with retconning if you're writing rp/fanfic. all the writers do it. we see it in tv everyday it's ok if u gotta pull a rabbit from a hat.

their relationship will not be suddenly smooth and solid as if they have been married 20 years

okay they kissed/fucked/agreed to be together. now what? what circumstances kept them from getting there sooner? are those circumstances still present and how will they deal with it as a team? you also don't have to have characters officially together once they've done something physical. there is still discussion to be had and boundaries/expectations to establish. those conversations could be interesting to explore. and, even more-so, this is the perfect point for plot to happen and keep them from being able to have those conversations when they should. you can add angst, you can add miscommunication, you can add anything that tickles your fancy. especially a perfect time to have an ex return to cause some tension and uncertainty if they haven't made it official. they don't know what they are yet and that uncertainty is a delicious point to write it and really give the characters a hard time

utilize the main plot's tension

again, if you're writing more than just a contemporary fluffy romance, the romance should enrich the main plot. the romance as a subplot should be a component which merges with the main storyline and does not take away from it. if you don't want to milk the will-they-won't-they anymore than you already have it's time to build the relationship up in the midst of OUTSIDE conflict. let them disagree about how to resolve problems. let them butt heads. let them be scared and do and say stupid shit because they're scared. let them be worried or angry or frustrated and have to figure out how to balance their newfound vulnerability with who they are and were before that point. let them hurt each other a little so they can come back together stronger.

utilize the characters around them

if it is a plot which is mainly romance filled, then think about the tension from the lives around them. think about their loved ones and how their own issues could influence the plot points the characters have to face together. this could be a time for them to be introduced to loved ones. you could throw in a group trip with silly mishaps and shenanigans. you could even have loved ones try to break them up or doubt the love interest. navigating new relationships while also dealing with friends and family can be a source of plot and tension in and of itself. this can be a point to let love interests reassure each other and prove their salt. it can help them grow closer. it can be the heroic moment for one of them to stick up for the other or prove they're there for them no matter what.

overall if you're struggling with what to do after the slow burn feels like it's sizzling out it's time to zoom out. make sure you are not losing the whole picture of their environment or steamrolling past the real development of new relationships.

[lizzybeeee]

THE ENTIRE DRAGON AGE AMA IS A DUMPSTER FIRE

They avoided all the high-rated questions with genuine criticism (not blind hate!) and went for questions that were safer and allowed them more leeway. After that awful IGN article and that treatment of Davrin...God, just put it down. I have no faith that BioWare will be able to continue Dragon Age or Mass Effect with the respect it deserves.

Edit - They had an opportunity for genuine discussion with fans who were concerned/unhappy with the way Veilguard was -> people unhappy with the story, the marketing, the lack of 'RP' options in an RPG, etc... Instead they just doubled-down even more, avoiding those critical questions, with no real acknowledgement that fans have very reasonable problems with this game.

Some Highlights & My Initial Ramblings Below:

The Executors

"They attempt to manipulate events in the most subtle way they can manage."

So, very clear that they're not simply observers of what is happening in Thedas: they're manipulators...

"Magical Illuminati Confirmed! Lizard People Did 9:30 Dragon!!!!"

All that complexity of character -> his hatred of Orlais, his experience as a general, his relationship with Cailain, and the influence of Howe...all diminished. Any influence from a shadow cabal is too much influence - all the humanity of Loghain's choices/consequences...God, what a waste.

Not to mention what this does to other events/characters in the series -> they imply they've been intervening as far back as the magisters breaking into the golden city. I do not find this compelling! At all!

2. Solas and the Executors

Oh my god, he sounds like such a fucking Mary-Sue I'm so sick of Solas at this point -> "Actually, I know more about the Executors than anyone alive - not even the rest of the Gods know as much as me."

("I'm also, like, an Ancient Elven God, I'm responsible for the Blight and the Veil, and I kind of locked the Gods away cause they were evil - but, like, I'm really sad about it. Also the Herald of Andraste thinks I'm cute <3")

<- Previous comments: massive oversimplification, obviously

But I miss the days when not everything was about Solas. It removes so much interest and wonder in this world when the fucking egg is behind it all. I loved him as a character in DAI and now I just feel this bone deep tiredness when I see his stupid face.

Don't you dare threaten to bring Gareth David-Lloyd back -> keep him away from this mess!

3. The Fate of the Rest of the Evanuris

Yay. I'm so looking forwards to "The Return of the Elves: Electric Boogaloo 2" - it was done so well the first time!

"It was the elves all along!"

The only character with any potential to be interesting is Andruil*, but how they handled all this lore was done so shallowly and so poorly that I find it hard to give a damn anymore. Not to mention that the game literally mentions Ghilan'nain mourning Andruil - so is this a retcon/redirection/or have you confirmed that one of the most interesting members of the Evanuris' is dead?

*interesting in that she's established in lore to potentially have a tonne of really cool things attached to her (the void armour, the great weapon she has etc...). The rest of the evanuris are nowhere near as well established as she is.

4. Southern Thedas, Sociopolitical Issues, and Future Games

NOW YOU WANT TO INCORPORATE GEO-POLITCAL EXPLORATION?? You avoided any meaningful discussion like the plague in DATV but now you're acknowledging it?? OkaY. okAy.

They couldn't even give us the long-term ramifications of the mage/templar war how the hell am I supposed to believe that they will be able to pull off 'elven gods are real' etc...? For a game series that totes : your choices matter -> they have not proven that they have been able to show that in a meaningful way. They literally cleaned the slate with this game to avoid doing that.

So, what, does that mean that the Veil is never going to come down now? Or are you going to have the entirety of Thedas build themselves up again just to have the Veil fall and send things into chaos once more?

What a fatalistic, miserable outcome for Thedas -> why the fuck would anyone bother to live in Thedas if you're going to keep throwing meteorites at them? By all means, change/conflict has to happen for the series to move forwards...but this is just so miserable at this point.

(The Elder Scrolls, at least, gives people room to breathe between crisis' or sets them up in different areas of the world! Bethesda treats past installments/your decisions with greater respect than DATV does.)

Even, then, if the Veil remains up, that means that the spirits are just trapped in the Fade being miserable for the rest of existence. The entire series has been humanizing spirits, from Justice to Cole, and now they're just throwing in the towel? I guess they can stay in the fade now! Problem solved!

What do you mean the Evanuris are not a threat anymore? IN A PREVIOUS QUESTION YOU LITERALLY SAID SOME ARE STILL POTENTIALLY KICKING AROUND THE BLACK CITY?

Weakened, sure, but Solas was 'weak' in DAI. You're giving yourself an out if you decide to go back to the elves again. Please do, I'd love more content on how the elves alone fuck everything up!

5. More Southern Thedas, the Chantry, and Tevinter

Thanks for the confirmation that things in the South are so fucked up that they have to work alongside the 'Slave Capital' of the known world to rebuild!

Slavery was one of the biggest things that caused a rift between the north/south chantry system -> one of the reasons why there were exalted marches -> a uniting belief in the south is that slavery is fucked. They didn't address slavery in DATV - what hopes are there that they will do so effectively in a future game?

Don't tell me that Dorian fixes everything off screen either -> either he solves slavery off-screen or the south is being forced to work the slaver-capitol because their land is nuked and they have no ground to stand on.

I'm so thrilled.

6. Solas and the Idol / The Blight

I will never get over Solas fucking curing the Blight off-screen and no one asking questions/giving a shit. Hello?? The Hero of Ferelden would like a word with you???

So the Blight is calcified in Minrathous, at least, but everywhere further away is still fucked! Once more, the South is doomed to suffer from the long-term effects that regular blights have -> not to mention the red lyrium (which still exists according to the AMA) across the south.

I don't care; it's lame. It's a lame way to conclude the blight and I hate it. This game did not earn 'cure the blight from thedas' at all. You could have had us learn how to soothe a titan and see how that can diminish the blight but you did it this way.

Another 'magical ritual' because Solas has such a good track record with them lmao.

7. The Agents of Fen'Harel / The War with the Qun / The Crows

Turned him against the idea of being a leader???!!

Fen'harel's Call to the Elven People After the events at the Winter Palace, elves left the Inquisition under mysterious circumstances, as did elven servants across Thedas. None could say where they went, but those who believed the Inquisitor's story about Fen'Harel wondered just how large the Dread Wolf's forces were... and what the ancient elven rebel had planned. This is from the Trespasser Epilogue, Epler!

Your concept art for Joplin literally had him as a leader of a faction of elves. Just be honest that it's a retcon and you changed course - don't try to save face with this reasoning.

About the Antaam: "We needed some big mindless bad guys to fight and so we did this because we didn't want to address the Qunari War/Invasion we set up in Trespasser".

You had to canonize Sten as being alive and Arishok in order for this reasoning to work -> you didn't even come up with an alternative Arishok to take Sten's place.

Yeah, the exchange that set up the Crows we see in the game as "idealists" did not make the game. I can confirm that!

I'm sorry, "Caterina kept Illario in check?" as in, 'kept him an idealist and not the usual Crow'? The woman that beat him with a cane and starved him and his cousin to train them as Crows. Fuck off.

lmao -> tell me you're coming up with this on the spot without telling me that you're coming up with this on the spot.

8. World State Discrepancies - Isabela

Outright ignores the very real criticism about the marketing from this game and World States.

"there are absolutely places where we unintentionally suggested there was a hard canon (...that Isabela is always assumed to have joined Hawke's party.)"

Unintentional?

Excuse me, you have her talk about Merrill and the Kirkwall Crew as family - that was not unintentional in the slightest. Not to mention Sten, Blackwall, Sera, and Cole are canonized as being part of your world state no matter what.

You had a story you wanted to tell - one that only fit a few world states - and you went ahead with it and disregarded those choices. Don't try and lie about this all being a big misunderstanding.

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Edit - They could have taken the opportunity to address the very reasonable criticisms that people had with this game but they cherry-picked questions and avoided/minimized anything remotely critical.

They could have provided us some insight into the game development time but each time they approached the topic they settled for "we're happy with what we delivered and it was well optimized."

They had an opportunity to acknowledge that people were bothered by the handling of the lore/stories (to potentially mention they could course-correct/ rethink their plans) but instead they doubled down on everything that they did and even 'justified' some decisions. They doubled down on the Executors, Solas's changing motivations, the destruction of Southern Thedas, and the elves/Solas being at the heart of everything etc...

This AMA basically confirmed that the only reason they did what they did to the south was for a reset -> It's not a compelling or fulfilling narrative to have everything we've done reset back to ground zero off-screen. BioWare games differentiate themselves from other RPG's by their import system from previous games - it was compelling and exciting! With DATV they set the expectation that BioWare can outright throw out entire games worth of choices/build up, not solely retcon them.

Justifying your choice to water down the lore/world of your story by saying you'll address it in the 'next game' does not instill me with confidence, BioWare! It doesn't explain that lack of it in this game either!

They avoided every question that, rightfully so, pointed out the misleading comments made by devs in the pre-order period of the game:

the fact that there were only 3 imported choices from previous games was leaked by a reviewer -> BioWare was vague from the start about choices

that this game was the most 'romantic' in the series

that world states/ headcanons wouldn't be disrespected

that there are 'lore' reasons for bad darkspawn design

that there are lasting, impactful choices/consequences to be made in this game

that the lore/world was not watered or toned down

that companions are deep and you can disagree with them etc...

BioWare's behavior towards their customers in the lead up period to this games release was downright scummy. I absolutely felt misled after playing the game for myself and recalling what I read in interviews put out. While EA is undoubtedly poison, you can't hold them solely accountable for this.

I feel for the individual developers who worked on this in what was undoubtedly a toxic environment from EA - but I feel that it's pretty clear that BioWare itself has a lot of problems within and in their leadership/executives. Working for EA does not give them an excuse to mislead their customers.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I already had a very grim outlook on the franchise from the end of DATV but this literally look my interest out the back and sent it to God. What a disaster.

[prince-liest]

It's kind of a weird (not sure if good or bad or just neutral!) experience to realize that a lot of the personal headcanons I've written into my own writing have become well-known enough that they're treated as general fanon with a lot of people using them and not realizing that they, like, originated from a specific place rather than just being ambiently popular. Every once in a while I come across a fic where there's an AN that says something to the tune of, "Oh, I saw this popular headcanon that [insert something really specific from 666: Live On Air!] and wanted to[...]" without attributing it to me - or, most likely, even realizing that it came from me!

It's an interesting feeling! I think the times that actually bother me are when it's people that know they got the headcanon directly from me and choose not to credit me (or in one weird instance, credit me, then edit their stuff to bury the credit to be really hard to find for some reason - y'all, I do notice these things even when I don't comment on them).

I've been straight up plagiarized many times before. It's ranged from friends in RP groups stealing my characters because I wasn't using them often anymore, to more recently someone ripping out chunks of one of my Hazbin Hotel fics and rewriting it as their own. It's a uniquely horrible feeling, and I think it makes me sensitive to feeling uncredited as a result even when plagiarism isn't occuring. On the other hand, this is literally how headcanons evolve and I'm actually so fucking happy that specific things that I was outright nervous to post because I thought people would (and in a few cases, people did) react very poorly to them are now, like...fairly common fanon.

Anyway, I don't think it's wrong for people to carry forward headcanons to the point where they don't even know where they came from. I also think most likely some concepts became convergently popular when more than one person had the same thought! It's how fandoms work and I know for a fact I've done the same... but it does very much give me the warm and fuzzies when people that use my ideas do give a nod in my direction for where they got the inspiration! In return, I try to make a point to do the same.

[linkito]

Kiss Prompt Scarian 30 …as comfort? :3 -🎀

ange asked for this as well, so it’s gotta be hhau, right? ft. some unused dialogue from our Big RP™

Scar hates seeing Grian like this— curled up and miserable, wings tucked so tightly against his back that they may as well be invisible. His hands fidget with the ribbon tied around one of his wrists, body mostly hidden under the length of his cloak. He’s pressed up into the wall in a way that can’t be comfortable and Scar just can’t take it anymore.

He needs to do something.

“Grian,” Scar tries, and though his ears droop slightly when Grian barely twitches in response, he still continues. “Did I ever tell you about my idea for a cookie shop?”

Grian does perk up slightly at that, but it’s mostly to cock an eyebrow in confusion, wondering why Scar would possibly think to bring up such a thing now of all times.

They hardly ever talk about Hermitcraft. And for good reason— it usually results in nothing but pain.

But something about Scar making cookies brings warmth to Grian’s frigid, aching heart, and despite his better judgement, he mumbles, “…cookie shop?”

Scar smiles, feeling successful already and deciding to ride that high. “Yeah, and I was going to bake them myself! None of that villager crap.”

Grian doesn’t reply directly, but he nods, eyes now regarding Scar with renewed interest, glad to tether his attention onto something that isn’t his own self-loathing and despair.

Scar is happy to take what he can get. He also scoots in closer to Grian, craving the closeness, just wanting to be within his orbit. It takes a moment, but Grian returns the casual affection by idly running his fingers over Scar’s knee, which is more than enough to keep Scar going on with his daydreamy nonsense.

“I was gonna grow out my hair and have this whole elven theme going— live in a tree, work right out of my house.” Scar runs a hand through his messy hair, noting that it’s already begun to grow out quite a lot, even if it looks nothing like how he would have intended. He probably looks more like some sort of goblin than a lustrous-haired elf.

Grian chuckles softly, pulling Scar out of his thoughts. “What, like a Keebler Elf?”

“What’s a Keebler Elf?” Scar asks, entirely genuine.

That gets Grian to laugh fully, and even if Scar doesn’t understand why, it makes his heart about melt. He loves Grian’s laugh. He doesn’t get to hear it enough these days.

“You know,” Scar adds, feeling cheeky now that he’s already earned this small victory. “I had a particular cookie in mind that I bet you would have loved.”

“Tell me,” Grian says, eager for more of this delightful distraction.

Now that he’s got him, Scar begins a long-winded explanation, theatrical and exuberant: “Well, I make a delicious chocolate chip cookie, of course, but you can’t have those—“

“I’m not allergic to chocolate, Scar.”

“You’re not??” Scar gasps, earning a small eye roll from Grian (he’s still smiling though, so still a win). “Well no matter! Because I had an amayzin’ idea for incorporating chorus fruit into the icing for sugar cookie.”

“Chorus fruit, really?” Grian replies quietly, now weirdly finding himself craving the odd, purple fruit that he likely would have never eaten otherwise. He feels the edge of doomed nostalgia begin to creep in, but only for a moment because Scar keeps talking, snagging his attention back to this fantasy of a quaint little cookie shop.

“Yeah! A treat and a surprise!” Scar exclaims proudly. “One little bite and zzzzzooooop!”

Grian laughs again, weaker, but still amused by Scar’s antics. He wants to let the daydream linger, to picture bright purple frosting and a fantastical treehouse without feeling a sense of great loss of what could have and should have been. He struggles, but Scar’s smile keeps him grounded, leaves him leaning in, gravitated toward that unbridled joy he somehow manages to hold onto.

But maybe his sorrow still shows through, because Scar leans in closer, presenting that smile so it fills all of his vision. “You know what I was going to call them?”

Grian blinks, barely able to process anything other than the closeness of Scar’s smiling face. He manages a small shake of his head, eyes still anchored on Scar’s bright green ones.

Scar’s smile widens, seeming incredibly pleased with himself and whatever this answer may be.

“Elven kisses,” he coos, closing the distance and pressing their lips together, softly, like a feather brushing over skin.

The name hardly makes sense, if Grian is being honest, but he doesn’t care in the slightest. Something about the prospect of a simpler time, where Grian is surrounded by the fresh smell of cookies and a beautifully woven treehouse and the image of Scar presenting him with that name just as proudly, a shy little blush scattered across his cheeks.

He should have kissed Scar a long, long time ago, he thinks, somewhat sadly.

But Scar’s lips are on his now, and it’s possibly one of the only good things left in this wretched nightmare of a server— an uncomplicated affection, something genuine and pure. Something gentle and loving when everything else is coarse and cruel.

Grian moves, grabbing both sides of Scar’s head with desperate, yearning hands, and kisses him fully, hungry for the comfort of Scar’s breath against his own, lips intertwined, passionate and unwavering.

Alive. Alive. Alive.

He feels Scar’s mouth curl upwards into a joyous smile, pressed into his own, private— theirs alone to enjoy— and for a moment, everything feels like it might be alright.

For a moment there’s sweetness dancing across his tongue, and Grian willingly falls into the illusion of its simplicity.

[allmannerofmalady]

In continuation of my clownery, I started a new DATV playthrough because my beloved Inquisitor looked so jarring I had to remake her and replay like 20 hours of the game. But hey, I made peace with the fact that I am playing DATV to wrap up Inquisition and get an ending scene at this point, I'm not currently foreseeing a second playthrough, so I gotta do it right, y'know?

Spoilers, and me complaining at extreme length, yet again, about my own personal expectations vs reality into the void. Please ignore if DATV negativity is something you prefer to stay away from, protect your peace & what you enjoy.

So I replay HOURS. I'm having fun killing everything as fast as I can - I don't know what it is about playing as a rogue in this game that has tickled my ADHD brain so much, but I'm surprisingly really good at the arrow bonanza and relentless enemy aggro?! This turn based bitch? I digress.

I see my bb Inquisitor Lavellan - she still doesn't look like herself, but I can live with it. She got some ill-advised fillers in Tevinter, she's been through a lot, let her LIVE.

This time around my strategy is pure lore hunting. I'm getting every codex, I'm SQUEEZING this playthrough for whatever lore/easter eggs I can get because idk if I'm going to play again. I got all of Solas' murals early on, got Mythal's essence before Weisshaupt even, I think. BUT WAIT! I have one more treat! The locked room in the Lighthouse! Solas' study! There must be something juicy for all the effort, right? RIGHT? :'D

I know it's been beaten to death, but PERSONALLY, the game still feels incredibly flat to me, jarringly so. If I'm in the Dreadwolf's home, I want to snoop. I want Rook to look through his library, his books, his garbage bin. I even remember the devs saying they wanted being in the Lighthouse to feel an old friends house, or something? I could be wrong, my brain is fried. It's not just a Solas thing - I'm playing this game because I'm desperate for info about the characters I love, but as Rook, we are IN Solas' HQ and I want to rip open the floorboards. I'm trying to RP as much as I can RP in this G.

Anyway, I was so thirsty for something more, something deeper than just these lovely environments I cant do much with, and notes on how Solas hoards raisins - so I collected the wisps and did all the things to unlock the second door in the Lighthouse, forever booboo the fool, thinking I would get some juicy content or something. Trying to stay positive.

No. NO. I got some gear, another empty room Rook has no comments on, and fine, some of Solas' observations on the anchor. It does seem to confirm he kept the Inquisitor’s arm aaaand I love him your honour.

Back to backflipping and shooting arrows in the air, and wanting to grab Emmrich by the beautiful lapels to shake him and ask about the Pentaghast family. Where's my WIFE --

On to the Weisshaupt mission, which was actually ridiculously fun to play - until I was told Weisshaupt is gone haha wow great love that at least the Inquisitor & gang are keeping Southern Thedas safe *subtle foreshadowing* 😃🤞 weeee

I was SO MAD at myself for expecting more like the clown that I am, it was something dumb but just annoyed me all over again and got me all… opinionated 🫠

So, I'm mad again. I cannot begin to articulate my feelings about the incredible amount of storylines and lore we've lost with the decisions made in DATV's writing - they've already been written so eloquently by much greater minds than myself. SO I'm just laughing my way through the pain 🤡

People pleaser that I am, I see other creators I've followed and loved for ages defend the game's choices, tell others they lack media literacy, that your criticisms mean you have rose tinted glasses about the previous games - whatever, your opinion can be valid without tearing others down. So, I genuinely thought something was wrong with me for being so hung up on details. But I can't even engage in fan theories anymore because I'm so jaded at this point. When I see new deep dives into lore-based theories on the game, 99% of the time my mind goes "There is no deeper meaning. They just wanted to wrap it up." Why do you think this thing happened? What do you think that thing is hinting? Nothing. And this is coming from someone who played all the games, owns all the novels, art books, World of Thedas I and II, the bloody Inquisitor lamp from the BioWare store LOL, I was primed and ready to engage in these conversations, but I can't. I have nothing to say that won't end in a cynical answer, and maybe that's because I'm also jaded by working in the game-adjacent VFX industry.

The factions are, yet again, fun but shallow, the logic confusing, and lack much of a backstory for Rook (I think Grey Wardens and Mourn Watchers seem to be the best developed from other reviews and playthroughs, I've only played extensively as a Shadow Dragon, to be fair). Why are you a mage in this one faction? Why are you a rogue in another when it doesn't make sense without a story to support it? It's all this beautiful candy floss that melts away the minute I stop and think about it. And then the cynic in me thinks - these are probably vestiges of the live service part of the game that EA was pushing for. I have to slap myself and stop looking for deeper meaning within corporate decisionsssss there is no swimming pool behind that closed door you needed 7 wisps for 😃

I desperately did not want this to be the case. I was hyped. I preordered the game and organized vacation around it, I'm too old and dealing with way too many crappy personal things to just be a hater for the sake of being a hater. Gaming and Dragon Age are my comfort spaces. But for the LIFE of me, I can't imagine playing DATV again once I finish, let alone more times than I can count like the previous games. Or imagine listening to 4 hours of Youtube videos of party banter to analyze, or even imagine how companions would react to certain things because they feel so stiff. Everything is beautiful, but sterile.

I do love Emmrich - I'm enjoying his storyline and romance, it's like the loveliest most whimsical Vincent Price Pixar romance, but still, something is always missing with the characters even as some do grow on me. I can't imagine anything close to just the party banter ALONE between Solas and Iron Bull. Cole. Fenris and Anders. And to be clear - the whole DA was GRITTY and DARK, DAO supremacy - NOT ME. I love all the games but they have always been whimsical and silly, cringey at times, and did not take themselves seriously. I remember doing the quest where Hawke is running around trying to keep Aveline's date with Donnic from going south, cracking up at how ridiculous it was, and just thinking - gods I LOVE this game.

Speaking of romance, while I'm enjoying how sweet the romance with Emmrich is, when I see others complaining about lack of spice... ahem. I still cannot get over the art style when it comes to characters. This is subjective, and a me problem - I still find it jarring. I don't like the proportions, the bloom, how smooth everyone looks. They still mostly look like cartoons to me, with no body hair and the big heads, and I find everyone's hands so distracting because they look like plasticine. I'm ok with no spice between these characters with their current designs lol let me leave it at that. Ok, except for Felassan and Solas, chef's kiss, no notes.

Solas and story elements directly around him still mostly hold the familiar weight, for the most part. I think credit goes to his amazing VA and the strength of what was likely written for his arc from the very start, before the rewrites and dev hell the game went through. I still have opinions, obviously, but even as a ride or die Solavellan I don't like having the Solavellan angle hijack conversations, so I'm not going to go there. If I'm going to criticize stuff I'll do it as a gamer/DA fan first, egg lover and apologist second.

As I reach the end of Act 2, the game continues to makes me feel like I'm stripped of all agency after a lifetime of playing choice-based games. I talk to companions when it allows me to, then they are relegated to set dressing. My conversation choices all feel the same, or don't match what I'm choosing sometimes. The Lighthouse does not feel like the vibrant hub it was sold as. I am on quests I mostly cannot accept or reject. I cannot interact with my surroundings unless it is gameified (light a candle, move a crystal). The companions abilities are all just - platforming? I know I sound hyperbolic, but it's all I can see currently.

I played Persona 5 from end to end, twice. I played FFXVI. I loved both, had no issues with their linear storytelling, and how the game led you to their end points. Those games are not DA, they did not have the expectations you would have from a BioWare title 10 years in the making. You were not lured in by tales of an incredible character creator, teased about what might be coming from previous games, told this was a sequel to an immersive fantasy RPG series in a beloved fantasy world where the defining studio mechanic was CHOICES MATTER, even when they changed a lot of other things from title to title. In P5/FFXVI you were Clive, you were Joker, you were playing out their story. They were not direct sequels to anything. I'm loathe to be seen as a mindless critic who just wants to shit on things, but a part of me does feel emotionally manipulated for $$$. I still resent how much hype was built for the game by maligning the previous ones (we're fixing Inquisition's mistakes!!).

I'm back to my mission of finishing the game I paid for, enjoy what I can, and get my Solavellan ending scene cause I'm down BAD for literally the only ship I have ever shipped🧍🏻‍♀️I appreciate that it was included. But also - wow does it exacerbate what wasn't included for everyone else's choices.

Something I hate is how everyone immediately jumped on the Baldur's Gate 3 comparisons - BG3 was a life changing game for me, but it's not perfect, and the comparisons are not fair. The one thing I will say is that when I first played BG3, despite its issues and the later criticisms of how Larian reacted to pressure from fans, I remember my earliest impression was - it feels good to be respected as a player. I didn't feel the game was talking down to me, and I got SO much for what I paid for (700 hours baybeee). Jaheira and Minsc were included as companions in homage to the previous games. Yes, they did Viconia dirty, nothing is perfect - but for example, Jaheira would tell you about her husband Khalid from the original games, which came out in 1998 and 2000. There was a lot of world building/easter eggs that not everyone was familiar with or even noticed, because not every player played BG1 and 2, or were familiar with DND 5e - but it was included. Drizzt Do’urden was mentioned ffs, they didn’t overthink about who read those books or not. I’m aware of my biases and I may very well be looking through rose tinted glasses, but I did not feel like the information was presented like I was dumb, or "ah they'll never understand this - SCRAP IT". It just feels like it’s there to honour the past and out of love for the world Larian were playing in.

—> edit to say that I do notice and enjoy the codex entries, callbacks to Tevinter Nights, Masked Empire, the older games. I wish that care and detail was woven into the main story and overall end product and not just background fluff. I know others are satisfied with those additions, wish that were me. I saw a tweet saying that every callback to a previous game or storyline actually pissed them off even more lol, I relate.

I don't feel that respect for the player in DATV, I'm sorry. There is love there, but as hard as I try, it feels like it's there despite of the overall design of the game, not part of it. I keep remembering interviews before the game was released and things that were promised, and I don't see it. At all. No more meaningless fetch quests!! Most companion-focused game! The quests are largely boring or formulaic, but addictive and fun because they are so packed with mindless combat that my brain enjoys. Sometimes it feels like filler - we didn't know what to add here, FIGHT! You unlocked a poignantly named gate in the Crossroads? NO STORY MORE FIGHT! And I'm eating it up, let me not be a hypocrite, I have 80 hours in the game. But personally, it feels designed to pad out this beautiful, sometimes fun, but bitterly shallow game. I can't even go into companion specifics because I have nothing to say, no story I want to analyze. Some have grown on me, but there is no bite or nuance to the writing that compels me and I have no urge to know more. In the previous DA games I would take the long route wherever I went just to get more banter from my companions, and I was instantly interested in them, even if I disliked them. I've seen the comments, I tried, I don't think it's because "I haven't spent enough time" with the DATV companions.

The level design of long narrow corridors, which do remind me of DA2 and FFXVI, has become so predictable to me that I almost always know exactly where I'm going to find loot. So it becomes this admittedly satisfying run of grabbing and fighting to the end point, getting the dopamine hits of collecting pointless stuff, but not really taking in the environments and enjoying the adventure. The level design is not immersive. These do not feel like real cities or real people, and that was intentional. It feels like “levels”, not a World. No one reacts to a single thing you do. Even in the ultra minimalist style of Zelda BOTW, townspeople would react to things you did. Sometimes I walk up to yet another obvious fight arena where the enemies are just chilling, waiting for me while standing still - almost like they're on shift at a haunted house LOL. I can imagine the Venatori stubbing out a cigarette, "C'mon guys, she's here, showtime". The funny part is this has all been seen before in older games, and it never bothered me. My own expectations and overhype might be to blame, but it feels like a big step back when so many games are stepping forward. Me = clown

I keep going back to my first reaction when the disappointment hit me. It feels like being given Persona 5 Strikers or Hyrule Warriors, and told that it's the sequel to the actual RPG. It's fun, it wears the skin of the thing you like that makes you happy, but stops there.

Other things I shake my fist at

Cheap ass The 6th Sense ass Varric death. Yes, yes, Solas villain arc whatever - it was cheap. Way to honour a multi-game beloved character and the player, even if the time had come for him to die in the story.

No, I cannot find a single redeeming reaction from a companion that makes Varric dying make sense in hindsight, except that they are all made of cardboard. I saw comments saying on a second playthrough it's clear Harding is in mourning - sorry, I don't see it.

So. Dorian, the Inquisitor, Charter, Harding, your party, Maevaris, Isabella, list goes on - not a single one of them asks about Varric or mentions his death? Expresses condolences? Nothing? Cheap. Even if Solas was playing with your mind, doesn't it make the overall characters in the game seem even more wooden and unrealistic to the player? It was not the gotcha they seem to think it is.

When the novelty of the cameos and the emotion associated wore off, they were just flat and felt random. Cassandra should have been there, doing Seeker shit (my WIFE). Ok no cameo? Casual dialogue with Emmrich about having a Nevarran in the Inquisition (or as the Divine?!) Lucanis info dumping about Josephine as an Antivan, Zevran as a Crow, nvm, time for a coffee joke. Merrill, eluvian queen, how is she a nonentity? Habibi Fenris should have been in the Shadow Dragons, spitting on the ground after being approached by Solas to join his uprising (lol what uprising amirite). Ok I'm cooking hire me Bioware 🍳 but at least they can remain untainted by the Isabella Treatment (tm)

This leads into the yeeting of the Keep, world states, choices, and hypocrisy around claiming to want to level the playing field for new players. No, all I can see is - it was treated as a buffet that they picked from as it suited. This is the one disappointment I will never let go of. Facsimile's of beloved character cameos were tossed in, you could not really talk to them outside of what limited dialogue you were allowed. Certain world states are now canon apparently - Dorian being recruited in the Inquisition, Morrigan drinking from the Well etc. You want a reboot and you've committed to tossing the choices and burning down Thedas (literally)? Go down with GLORY! Have all the previous main characters/companions alive. Have them all mentioned, even in passing. A portrait on a wall. Say goodbye to them, get your reboot. Honour what you built your business on. But yeah, Emmrich and Harding get to have their picnic in Fereldan fml bye

The argument of: well, the games are old now, it shouldn't matter. Ah - not too old to capitalize on the IP and DA name? Not too old to use some cameos to lure old players? The argument of - it was too many choices to track. Ok cut them down, but don't go scorched earth? 3 choices, mostly irrelevant to those who don't care about Solas (could never be me), and then literally telling you everything else in the South and Weisshaupt is now razed to the ground. But also the illuminati did everything.

FINALLY - the Inquisition should have been in charge of the hunt for Solas, hill I will die on. Fine, have Rook, but Inquisitor should have been the other protagonist. The people... who knew Solas best and betrayed by him... who were in an organization to save the world... Why did we have that cunty dagger stabbed into the map of Tevinter cliffhanger to have the Inquisitor reduced to a pyjama wearing husk BIOWAAAAAAAARE

It's this stuff that builds up, and makes me think - does this game hate its fanbase and source material that much? I very obviously need to go touch some grass 🤠

I keep engaging with Reddit, Tumblr, Twitter - all to my detriment because it makes me feel like there's something wrong with me for not loving it, all over again. I also desperately have a fic in me I would love to write, an ode to the story in my head from years of loving the world of Thedas, a love letter to my Lavellan and others - but idk what to do with the post-DATV world atp. I just want to get through Act 2/3, get my Solavellan smooch, ignore the ~secret Illuminati ending, and be grateful I'm not a Mass Effect fan so I don't have to go through this again 🐣

[casinoroyale]

Hi everyone!! Theseus cquackity viceduo zombur revivebur here.

This blog has seen several hiatuses (my bad seriously my bad), and bouts of irregular posting. So I'm sure people who regularly check it have noticed that we (Fiona @quackbur and I) haven't been posting daily anymore and haven't for a bit now. So below the cut I'm gonna talk more about that, and our plans for this blog going forward

For starters, I love roleplaying on this blog so much, as does my cohost Fiona @quackbur. Fiona has done so, so much writing for this and I feel kind of bad for taking her credit over the past two or so years, so props to her for being such a good sport and for everything she's done. This blog wouldn't exist without the shared passion she had for it.

To get sappy, I love the friends I've made in bedrockverse, they remain some of my best and closest companions. I would not trade the times I've spent with them for the world. Beau, Holly & co, Met & Co, and Thunderbottles are some of the loveliest, most supportive, and insanely talented people I have ever had the pleasure of writing with and meeting.

This includes people who aren't part of the bedrockverse that I've written with!! Shoutout to Javi anonymous-jey casino-duckling, TGM the-g-m duckofthelaw, and AD anonymous-dentist therealnoodleman. It was so much fun bringing all the quackverses together, and I respect all of you so much as writers.

AND that also includes EVERYONE who has interacted with her!!!!!!!!!! Everyone who has sent asks (thank you so much, sorry we're terrible at replying), reblogged threads, commented, posted/liveblogged, DREW FAN ART (BLOWS OUR MINDS. THERE'S BEEN SO MUCH INCREDIBLE ART CREATED, WE CANNOT THANK ALL OF YOU ENOUGH), even just liked a thread, thank you. Seriously, it has meant a lot to us to be part of this community, and have so many people enjoy this blog. Insert Pitbull image happy you enjoyed.

So, going forward it would make us really happy if you all pictured casinoroyale as happy. He has songbird-sunrise, goofygoop, and a nation full of citizens that she loves. She babysits for tubbolul and latenightmining, and terrorizes rp!emduo not infrequently. All we really wanted was to bring c!quackity to a happy place and I feel we've done that. Of course he still has shit days, as a ptsd baddie, but the good days are more common. And if we never get to it (though I hope someday we do, maybe in the form of a collaborative one-shot or fic) know that casinoroyale and songbird-sunrise DO eventually get [REDACTED]. And one of them DOES get [REDACTED]. That was always the plan! Yay! [REDACTED]!

Not to say that we don't have more arcs planned for this blog, because we do! I just don't know when/if/how they'll ever get written, especially because a lot of my friends have moved on from their rp blogs as well. But I really do still feel happy with where he's at and happy with everything I've done. This is a project I'm really, really proud of and I will always look back on fondly.

None of this means that I'm not interested in c!Quackity or DSMP as a whole anymore, either. Actually that couldn't be further from the truth. But now I'd like to be able to focus on fics, and other forms of writing, which I've been doing more recently :D actually, you can read a short one shot I posted for exile's anniversary HERE

If you've made it this far into this long, sappy post, THANKS!!!!!! The TLDR; this blog is on an indefinite hiatus, and won't be returning to its formal glory, and that's okay. We had a really good run. Now, off we go to other things

[cinememed]

₍ 🎞 ₎   isle of dogs   (2018)  rp  starters  ! featuring violent themes . some lines have been slightly adjusted for rp purposes .

i am not your pet. i never liked you.

oh, i'm full–grown, sweetheart. you don't have to worry about me.

i don't care about you. i won't wait for you.

i'm not a violent dog. i don't know why i bite.

you have a conspiracy theory?

sometimes i lose my temper and blow off a little steam, but i've never enjoyed it.

my friends think i like to fight, but it's just not true.

you took me in, like a stray dog.

i can see you've been mistreated.

who told you that dirty lie?

i lost all my spirit, i'm depressing.

i think i might give up.

are we eating him or is this a rescue?

i wouldn't drink that if i were you.

i recognize you from when i heard that rumor.

you're the best in a scrap. we all know that you like to fight.

you hungry? kill something and eat it.

nobody's giving up around here, and don't you forget it.

let's wait a second before we attack each other and tear ourselves to shreds.

if we don't drown, i'm gonna strangle you myself.

you cold? dig a hole in the ground, crawl into it, and bury yourself.

don't ask me to fetch that stick.

i don't care. i'm used to leftovers.

i'll always be loyal to you, but circumstances have radically changed for me.

i can't protect you efficiently under these conditions.

i was the one that tried to make you be loyal in the first place.

i'm not doing this because you commanded me to.

where do you get all these rumors? i mean, who tells them to you?

i'm doing it because i feel sorry for you.

that's highly confidential. um, anyway.

i don't know anything, i should've kept my mouth shut.

i can hear you. i can hear you.

i don't think i can stomach anymore of this garbage.

so how does it feel to be a former stray?

i guess it scared me.

this is my new favorite food. thank you.

i thought you knew all about me.

it wasn't my choice. i don't consider it my identity.

so you know a few tricks, then.

i'm gonna drag you out with my teeth, since you can't understand the plan.

i lost my train of thought. dammit!

only reason i even said that is because we're all probably going to die out here.

look at it that way. you're probably safer than i am.

i'll be compelled to defend myself with all the means at my disposal.

i was dying. do you judge me for that?

are you okay? how can i be of service to you?

you're not safe here. you shouldn't have come for me.

people talk, and i listen. always have.

come sit beside me. it's okay.

[duplicitywrites]

Does fandom feel very different to you now than it did pre-2020? This could be a rather myopic viewpoint- I’m in college, so I’m young enough to have never really lived in times where fandom was ridiculed or whatever, but it still felt fringe-like in 2019. I’d go to school and chat about fanfic and fan art with my nerd friends, but fandom did not feel omnipresent in the mainstream- not just fan art or fanfic ( which is still 100% fringe like ) but fandom discussions too. Now swifties get mentioned on the news and crap. Perhaps that’s a bad example since Taylor swift is….Taylor swift, but I feel like a fandom that big and powerful wouldn’t have even formed pre 2020. Swifties certainly existed, but even in 2014, they would not be mentioned in the news.

i'm afraid i can only confirm your viewpoint as myopic because my friends weren't fandom nerds haha. the only other person i knew who read fanfic was this one guy in my year who i think only read what i wrote because he had a crush on me. which, well. not sure if that actually counts 😂

i first started engaging in fandom at large around... 2012? i think? or maybe sooner than that, i don't remember anymore. i used to rp on facebook LMAO but my later fandom experience mostly centers around tumblr and discord.

now that fandom is mainstream it really does feel omnipresent. people as a whole have changed. but to circle back to your other point — swifties have history that relates to this, because taylor used do private fan sessions (screenings)? of her album before release, and i think a majority of those fans were selected from social media, tumblr in particular, because she was active here. you can imagine how that made the parasocial aspect was even worse.

this stuff predated 2020s but it did drive a significant amount of fan behaviour. and ik not every celebrity is taylor swift, but you see a lot of that continues to be replicated because modern fandom is about 🚨 ATTENTION 🚨! so it's quantity over quality, anything that isn't an immediate massive hit gets dismissed, etc. then the stuff that does make the news so to speak gets exploited to death until people are sick of it, which again, you know, takes us back to taylor swift.

things are better when i can just enjoy my little guys in peace. which i do! or try to do. it's difficult because the rest of the world seems to want less and less to operate like that.

all this to say i think fandom can still be close to the way it was. it can still be fringe, with you and your friends in a group hanging out. you just have to block out the noise and really make that space for yourself. then you can still decide how much you want to engage with the rest of it.

[the-introverted-writer-for-life]

Running around in circles

I cant form coherent thoughts but im so hyped i need to talk about shiny cousins wehehe

Theyre sosososo silly to me

Fun fact the cousins headcanon started cus i have an online cousin who sounds JUST LIKE GEM. Its like uncanny. Except my cousin sounds a tad more tired and awkward sometimes id say buuuut still!

Weheheh

They were like the bestests of friends growing up!! Pearl was slightly older and Gem always looked up to her. Gem was always the golden child yet in her eyes Pearl was better, and she wanted to impress her, always be her player 2!

Except then she actually joined the series her cousin partakes on! She's part of them cool kids! She meets Pearl's friendgroup. She makes friends herself. Its nice!

And then when push comes to shove- she choses her brother over Gem.

Pearl chose Scar over her.

How could she?

Pearl explained, a season later, that its because Scar was there for her when no one else was, she had to return the favor, she couldnt just leave him hanging when he needed her. And yet Gem takes that the wrong way

"I WOULDVE BEEN THERE TOO IF I COULD AND YOU KNOW THAT."

Gem hates being remembered of all she missed out on, all the drama and bonding and experiences. All the jokes she will never get or be a part of-

And. (This is way more connected to the roleplay i have going on. Where Gem gave pearl and scott the wrong awnser to a her related question on the trivia and scott got swapped with his DL counterpart)

Pearl wishes she cared. But she cant. Cause out of petty grudges. Drama she knows the watchers wont even like enough. Because its fake and unprovoked. At least in her eyes.

She cannot care cause because of that pettiness she lost her closest ally, her soulmate. And instead was left stuck with- the worst version of him. Who cannot even believe her when she says this isnt the place they split up in. This isnt the place they cut the thread, its one with a way stronger bond without the need of any strings attached.

She is stuck with the person that hates her the most.

But of course. Gem doesnt know that. Gem doesn't believe that. She *can't* believe that. Cause how could she?

Everyone loves Pearl. She knows that. The thought of someone hating her is just- ridiculous. She's the first one to dare and do such a thing! And she's the best at it too.

She's no longer her player 2. Gem is her own player 1 and she decides if to go solo or co-op. And she choses Joel. She choses her own team. And Pearl wont be a part of it.

And Gem wont care when Pearl's sad or pathetic.

She wont care.

....

But she does. She hates herself for caring cause Pearl just looks like such a hurt puppy. She looks like she's seen a ghost from her past.. no. A demon. And-

Gem doesnt care.

She can figure it out... its what she gets... right?

Right...

Tsk. And there she goes again. Running back to her "big" brother for help. (God knows thats bs, Pearl's the big sister a good 90% of the time, the only thing that doesnt line up is their actual ages.)(but. Hey. Maybe she does need him to be the big one now. Keep her from throwing herself to another pile of snow. Relapsing. He cant enable her, this isnt to hurt Scott anymore, itd be to hurt herself. He'd rather gain and burn a powdered snow empire than trade her even one bucket.)

Sorry this is a mix of shiny cousins and snowblings mb

I love this rp sm mwehehehe (it wasnt even supposed to be family centered thats the best part)

...I don't even know what to say except how long did it take you to type all that out

But this is like

Next level

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-

[blocksgame]

QSMP drabble, Phil & Etoiles & the code shield

/rp

“Phiiiil. You are ignoring me. Stop making blocks. Hit me with sticks instead.”

“Hey!” Phil barks. “Stop interrupting me. You don’t look away while you’re using a stonecutter. They’ll chop your fingers clean off.”

Etoiles stops his parkouring, intrigued. “Really?”

“Yes. The life of a builder is very exciting.”

Etoiles laughs. “I thought what the shield does is bad enough.”

He realizes his mistake a minute too slowly, as Phil’s expression changes. He considers lying some more, doubling down, but then he remembers that Phil is smart, maybe he’ll know something.

 Hell, Phil could even end up bearing the shield himself at some point - if Etoiles dies, it’s who he’d think to bequeath it to. Phil should know the details.

“...Etoiles, what does the shield do?” Phil asks, after a moment, like he's caught him out, which to be fair, he has. His eyes are still locked on his handiwork. (God, Etoiles loves this guy.)

“It's not that bad. It makes my arm go numb. And code comes out.”

“...It makes your arm go numb and corrupt and you didn’t think you should stop using it.”

“No, no no no, listen, let me show you.” Phil stops working and stands up. Etoiles conjures the shield onto his arm. The static sets in instantly, like he's elbow-deep in another dimension, but it's not even strange anymore. “Hit me.”

Phil rolls his eyes. But he pulls out his best axe and takes a colossal swing at Etoiles, fuck yeah, that’s what Etoiles likes about him, that when Etoiles says to hit him, he’s not fucking around with a stick or an iron sword or whatever, he knows he can take it. That makes his point better too. Etoiles catches it on the shield, easily. 

“Okay, look,” he says. “I haven’t moved.”

“Right, no Knockback - ”

“No, see, I haven’t moved at all. Look, I’m not even braced. I’m like - I’m like if a guy was just standing here!”

Phil snorts.

Etoiles goes on: “Normally if you swing a sword, I should stagger. Even if I’m braced, I’m still putting the force into the ground, so I should move a little. But when you hit this shield, I think it takes all that energy inbound and just deletes it. It’s gone. I think that’s the magic of the shield, that nothing can happen around it.”

Phil is looking at the edge of his sword. It’s an interesting question, actually, whether he’s lost durability or not, Etoiles hasn’t thought to grab someone and check  -

“Okay, so how does that lead to your arm going numb? ...Oh, like you’re saying if it’s, fucking - ” Phil starts putting the pieces together.

“Yeah, it’s deleting the sensation.” Etoiles puts the shield away. “Yeah, look.” Sure enough, neon strings of raw data creep up and down his arm.

“WHOA!” Phil yells. Then he leans in, horrified and curious. “Jesus christ.” After watching the data pulse, he puts his fingers to the bridge of his nose and looks very dire indeed. “...And how sure are you that it isn’t deleting your data?”

“It goes away after a few minutes. And my arm is fine and nothing is missing.”

Phil relaxes a little. “Then where’s that data from?”

“I have two ideas. One is that it’s data from the hits, that the information the shield deletes comes back out like this. Or two, it’s data from inside the shield. The shield is broken and was put back together, you can see, so either way, I think maybe it wasn’t supposed to do this. It’s probably supposed to just cancel out from one side. But really, it’s no problem. I go back to normal afterwards. It’s like, uh, you know when you fall asleep on your arm?”

“...Yeah, yeah, okay.”

“It comes back.”

“Yeah. Sure. Okay. Does it do the, uh, the fucking, pins and needles thing too?”

“Yeah. Exactly. It’s exactly like that.”

Phil takes Etoiles’ hand to examine it. Etoiles can't look away. It’s still all static and Etoiles is almost glad except for how he wonders what it would feel like to die and he thinks that the more he felt this, Phil holding his hand tenderly and curiously, the closer he'd feel to death. He watches Phil bend his fingers, look between them to see where the code is. Numb, it's dreamlike and disconcerting.

“It was like this from the first time you used it?”

“No, it’s, uh, I didn’t notice at first.”

“So, it’s gotten worse over time.”

Son of a bitch. “Well Phil, when you say it like that, it makes me look bad.” Etoiles laughs.

“It’s not you.” Phil squeezes his fingers and Etoiles could swear he does feel that, the pressure, nerves deep down or something. It’s electric. “Look, I,  uh - I get why you’re not stopping. The code wants to kill kids. And because of the shield and this busted-ass sword it got its hands on, now it’s just you. If I had that thing, no way in hell I’d be letting go of it. I mean, fuck.”

“Ohhh,” Etoiles sighs, “Thank god. I think if Baghera or Antoine see this, they’ll be like: you idiot, stop using it, it’s your own fault if you die.”

Phil smiles, thin, wry. “What do you tell them?”

“I don’t. I wait for it to go away before they see.”

“Shit, man.”

“Yeaaaaah.”

“...Well, that’s enough fuckin’ feelings. You want a stick fight? Maybe I'll get a win while you're distracted.”

“Yeaaaaah!”

[songsofbat]

waiting for someone who doesn't exist

ooc: this might get a bit long. it's technically open to rp

Corus Wayne does not exist.

But this isn't about them.

(But it is, isn't it?)

They are quiet, quiet, padding. A slow movement through Gotham's streets.

Haunting. Aching.

A step out of tune.

Nobody sees them.

Nobody hears them.

They're fine with that, truly.

(For a fluttering second, they wonder if Reqeium is watching.)

They're so tired.

They want to go home.

They are a soft, tired thing. Frayed at the edges. A blanket overused.

It's not quite stumbling, they think. Weaving. Going with the flow of people.

Their mask is in their hands, now. There's no reason to keep it on.

After all, Corus Wayne does not exist.

There is no identity to hide, no secret to keep beyond the depths of their soul and the ache of their heart.

They trace out familiar routes, patrol routes they once knew. Stare at buildings that are different, run their hands over ones that have stayed the same.

It's nice. Not really.

It's not quite peace. Contentment. Tranquility. They're not really sure what they're feeling at all.

They just want to go home.

Familiar faces are everywhere- at the park, the grocer... flittering things that they can't quite remember or place. Stuff that they're not quite sure is real anymore.

Dark hair. Blue eyes. White streak. Green eyes. A shorter one. A leaner one. A taller one.

Please, they don't quite say. I miss you.

Do you miss me?

Are you searching for me?

Are you going to try to get me home?

They wonder if this is what dying feels like.

Honey-toned memories and thoughts that ebb and fade.

They know what dying feels like, don't they?

No. Yes. They've forgotten. Perhaps.

They want to go home.

...

That's not home.

That's Wayne Manor, but that's not home.

They linger on the edges of the property.

It sings to them- and they are a stranger to it.

They sing back.

This tune is far too familiar.

...

Nobody's around at the moment, they think.

They know.

Unless someone can hide from their gaze beyond. ...which is possible. But unlikely. Maybe. They don't really care anymore.

"Father," They begin, "Corvid, reporting in. Ever since I have found myself in this universe, I have noticed many irregularities. Universes crossing into each other. Variations of people we know."

Their voice does not shake.

"I found myself an ally. She has been helping me to work on a way home, but no progress has been made."

Their hands do not tremble.

"Signal was contacted by an otherworldly entity. I... he was taken, and then returned. I don't understand what is happening."

Their mind whirls. The world is loud, too loud in their mind. A sharp breath in. A sharp breath out.

"I encountered another version of myself. I fear my mental stability has been compromised. I don't know."

They can't breathe.

"I don't know what to do."

The words come out strangled. Broken in so many ways they think it might kill them.

"I don't know why I'm here."

The world is sharp at the edges, static flickering across their sight.

"I don't know how to go home."

They rub at their eyes.

"I don't know why I'm talking to you when you're not here."

They already know.

It's obvious, isn't it?

"I'm scared."

"Papa- 爸爸-" They're sniffling now. They feel like a child, weak and small. They don't know when that even started.

"I'm scared, papa. I don't know what to do and- I- I'm sorry I can't be stronger and better and I- I don't know- I hurt people, papa. And I get mad and I yell and snap and- I- I don't- I can't-"

It's too much, maybe. The trees are rustling the world is cold and the clouds rumble with brewing static they are the wind there is an ant grinding its mandibles they do not know why or how but they are so very-

it is-

their heart is racing head pounding that one stress induced headache that'll never go away dead and wrong and dull they see maybe they are reaching reaching and their third eye has never been wider-

wider-

staring staring reaching into collective unconsciousness into more more always more because maybe if they throw themselves far enough they could find their way back home-

but it burns sears across their head a blinding pain that makes them stumble and for a brief startling moment they realise-

something is terribly,

terribly,

wrong.

But they don't take note of it- don't take heed.

There's too much in their head. Screaming. Yelling. Nothing at all, but everything at once.

And everything shuts off.

The golden gleam around their eyes fades.

Corus not-Wayne stares at the world with deep black orbs and crumples to the ground.

On the edges of the property of the Wayne Estate, Corus crumbles- a heap. A child, in a cape that feels too big for them. In an outfit that feels too heavy for them.

They can't breathe.

But they wail anyway.

Corus no-longer-a-Wayne curls up and sobs.

[sketchingstars03]

aghfdsfd sry about the infodumping but i havr to get tgis out of my head hc that ink has a kind of a fixation on naming?? him naming his brush ,the doodlesphere and giving people nicknames kinda?? something something about his abandoned AU not havign a name... something about his last words being not watnting to b forgotten. wanting to be someone.. somethin about names n identity sjhjgf also uhm i just learned that it's actually like. confirmed that he's the one who put all those buckets in the doodlesphere. and also ink doesn't consider himself a Sans bc of his lack of a universe. uh mirror room. apparently its implied that the reason he doesnt liek that room is bc. Ink couldnt tell that they're the original or just one of the many reflections/imposters. since he's the only Ink who doesnt have a soul and doesnt remember jack shit ab his past.(kinda outdated but makes sense. that room was made official around that time where the fact that ink not having a soul is considered vry niche info iirc? somewhere around early 2017)

no Anon you’re onto something with the naming thing.

I think it’s fascinating that Ink, should this be true (which it seems very plausible to me), extends this need to be someone, to have an identity, to others. In a similar way to how they might subconsciously extend that feeling of no universe deserving to be left behind, in that both stem from themself, yet he can’t help but fulfil that desire through other people. Really shines a light on the side of Ink that “isn’t completely selfish”, to put it in words I remember from one post by Comyet.

I always had a feeling, like a headcanon, that Ink would feel separated from his Sans identity, or, well it would probably be more like a role or title to him, rather than a name or someone he is. They left “Sans” behind with _____tale (something he doesn’t even remember). Though, it’s interesting that he still carries over some sans-like traits, like puns/pranks (though more frequent and intense pranks than a regular Sans would pull), and the creation of their own personal Gaster Blaster companion and forming bones out of ink. And there was the sans-like sweater in their old design (something I like to think they still hold on to, even if he doesn’t wear it anymore)

I should check Comyet’s blog to see that lmao guess it probably wasn’t purely just a hc after all.

THE PART ABOUT THE MIRROR ROOM IS FASCINATING THOUGH! Now that you mention it I think I remember a post like that, again looks like I need another trip through the Inkechos tag 😅. But still!! I wonder how Ink would feel about the mirror room now, if his dislike was based around how all the other “hims” had souls and he didn’t, now that that’s changed and it’s actually the Inks with souls who are the outliers (shout out to FTFO!Ink). Would they take joy in the fact that they’re not alone? Or would it still feel, weird and uncomfortable somehow? Perhaps serving as another reminder of his emptiness deep down, and so they still avoid it even though the circumstances in the fandom have changed. I know that whenever I RP my version of Ink meeting other variants, he’s always very interested to see new versions of himself, so maybe it would just be like that! Who knows! Well, Comyet does, but I’m not her 😅.

Either way thank you so much for this thought-provoking ask, Anon! I’m always happy to discuss my favourite chaotic-neutral-artist-skeleton guy like this!

[insanelyadd]

OKAY SO THE FRESH ANALYSIS

ME DEARLY BELOVED FOLLOWERS, you probably started wondering why I like Fresh so much. Why I have been lovingly rotating him in my mind like a rotisserie chicken.

SO ANYWAYS I AM GOING TO DO MY BEST TO WRITE DOWN EVERYTHING I’VE READ ABOUT HIM. This is not complete simply because I haven’t read EVERYTHING on the old RP blog CQ ran for him. This is also mostly from the perspective of his character so other facts like Fresh using he/they pronouns and having furby bombs and canonically liking kissing (okay actually that does play into his character slightly) won’t be the primary focus of this analysis. This also, All, my own interpretation.

This analysis will be in three sections: His original characterization, his Monologue, and finally what could be inferred about how how his character changed due to the Event that gave us the Monologue.

His Original Characterization

The first thing you need to know about Fresh is that his goofy 90s persona was chosen specifically because they thought it would be non-threatening. This plays into a major part of his personality, which is that, baseline, everything he does is for survival. Once everything needed for that is met and taken care of the next major component is that he does whatever he wants to do to entertain himself.

He possesses people to live, but torments people on occasion (not too often, making enemies would go against the survival thing, unless he’s assessed that they would be a harmless enemy perhaps). All his weapons are innocuous at first glance to once again pass himself off as non threatening (oh hey the furby bombs come into play here, huh, he also uses a wiffle bat).

He doesn’t feel most emotions, but he can feel a few, (and at one point CQ said that the longer Fresh is in the same host the more he can feel? Not sure if that still applies, take that with a grain of salt) but those emotions are fear, anger, and amusement primarily (though affection and others are not off the table, it would just take A Lot of work for him to get to that point). Primarily his emotions that he portrays are all ones he’s imitating based on what he thinks are non threatening reactions. He easily pretends to be chipper or indignant but he doesn’t truly feel most of these emotions. According to posts written by CQ he is not genuinely flirty though him imitating “safe” emotions might put him in situations where he does that (most likely just to entertain himself, which is the primary reason he likes kissing. He doesn’t understand why kissing is meant to be important and does it because he’s amused by people’s reactions to it. Absolutely no thoughts [about kissing] behind those glasses.)

He is also very full of himself. He thinks he’s better than other people (but obviously he recognizes that as being a negative/”unsafe” thing to voice so he keeps it to himself and privately believes it). He thinks he’s better and deserves good things (this is directly stated in The Monologue), which is another reason he amuses himself by scaring people. IT’S IS ALSO A RESULT OF ANOTHER MAJOR COMPONENT OF HIS PERSONALITY: He has an ideology that people are primarily driven by selfishness. This is likely a direct result of him being a literal parasite who needs to harm others to live. He is really unable/unprepared to comprehend that people can care about others so much that they would put their loved ones before themselves. When this is challenged it typically makes him irrationally angry and ready to hurt people (even ones he “pretends” are his friends, and even though this contradicts his need to survive at any cost) to prove to them that they should never trust anyone. This is also why on occasion in a few comics CQ has done Fresh will offer up being possessed to desperate people with the lure that they won’t feel pain anymore (which is implied to be a lie because people who can read souls and Fresh himself say they can hear the host screaming, possibly in agony).

THE MONOLOGUE

Okay so I’m going to explain the events leading up to The Monologue, and then I’m going to share the whole monologue here, then I will analyze it (plus here is the link to the post with the monologue and a more in-depth recap of events from Fresh’s old RP blog)

There was a huge multi-blog RP event (these used to be very common, I don’t go to the RP scene anymore though so I’m not sure if they stopped or I just stopped seeing them, basically a whole bunch of blogs get together to RP through one big common event, typically a party that they are all attending) called the LoveBall that Fresh went to with the plan to infect as many people as possible with parasites he produced and from there infect the whole multiverse (which he claims is to “help” them all). Fresh directly states that he’s not a Sans here, even though this was before his redesign when he was still possessing one (STARES DIRECTLY AT EVERYONE CLAIMING I AM A SANS SIMP FOR LOVING FRESH).

Anyways he gets confronted by another Not Sans, who takes him to The Last Corridor (judgement hall) and Fresh is sure he’s going to die, though he still tries to act unbothered. They talk a bit and it is revealed to Fresh that he is a fictional character (he could see the whole multiverse was code too which is a fun detail), he’s clearly taken aback but still tries to play it off as it’s explained to him that him and the other Not-Sans and everyone they’ve ever known are Nothing, and that it would be for the best if he doesn’t try to get OUR attention.

SO NOW WE COME TO THE MONOLOGUE ITSELF WHICH IS SO GOOD THAT I WANT TO EAT IT. Anyways:

…….I’ve thought about a lot of stuff lately. Ya know. All these inner thoughts I ignore or avoid listenin to. And I realized. Ya know. Maybe I wasn’t lookin to ‘help everyone’. It was some excuse, ya know? I like messin with people. I like the concept that in some way, I’m more clever, or amusing, or hilarious, or-…. simply put, I’m BETTER then the rest of em. I’m better and I deserve to get what I want, and I wanna mess with people and I want to hurt people, and since, ey, I gotta possess people to survive, I might as well ENJOY the process as well, ya know dawg? I wanted to take over the multiverse because yeah, it extended far beyond somethin so noble as ‘helpin’ people, I wanted to take over because I COULD, and because it was FUN, and because I couldn’t be STOPPED. I wanted the power to enslave E͏̷͏V̨̀͜E̸͠͠R̡̢͠Y̸͢͟T҉̢͠H͏͜͞Ì̴̕N̡̨̕G͡. The power to enslave everything. But. I can’t do that. Can I?

B̷͠E͢͝͡C̕͠͝Ą҉̀́̀U̡̢S̀͏E҉́͢͟ ̷͜͞Ó̡̢F̢̧͝ ̶Ỳ̨́O̢̢̢Ù̶͡.̨̛ ̵͜͜R͏̷͢Ì́Ǵ͝͞H̡̡͟T́͞?̛͜͠ You’re the voices Error hears. Aren’tcha. The voices Error always talks about. Always chats with. You’re ONE OF THEM. BEYOND THE CODE. YOU’RE WHAT I WAS WARNED ABOUT. YOU’RE WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT. BEYOND ALL OF MY KNOWN EXISTENCE. BEYOND ‘THE GAME’. You’re toying with Error. Askin him questions. We’re all your toys. Every single thing I’ve seen, every Universe, every single creature I’ve come across or possessed, every bit of data…. is something you are capable of manipulating, right? And now.I got your attention. Just like he warned me against.

….y-ya know. I won’t stop. Right. I’m gonna keep possessin peeps, and runnin around and having a radical time.

That’s what you WANT, right?? That’s what you’re lookin for, to be amused, and have a laugh! Well you’re in luck! THATS WHAT THE FRESH IS HERE TO DO! No worries, my good ol chums!!I’ll keep it up. Everything.

Right?? THATS WHY YOU’RE TALKING TO ME NOW. Right?? You are amused by me!!! Ah hahaha wicked brah! I’m glad! I’ll just- keep–

I-I…. I’ll just. Keep up my dated lingo. I’ll heelie right into every situation and make a joke of myself, and then when peeps drop their guard I’ll do somethin creepy or hilarious– OR BOTH! Ah hahahahahahaha. That’s what you want. THATS WHAT YOU WANT?

….don’t kill me. Don’t kill me. Or worse. Whatever you’re capable of….

I… I’ll do what you want!!

I PROMISE. just….just.

Don’t kill me. Please.

So one of my favorite details here in the monologue is the fact that it starts with him outright stating that he thinks he’s better than everyone else and it ends with him begging us not to kill him. His hubris hit an unmovable wall at 100 mph.

I really feel like the monologue speaks for itself, so onto the next part!

Post Event Characterization Implications

So one of the things that could probably be inferred by this is that all three of his major motivators, His Need to Survive, His Want To be Entertained/Amused, and His Ideology of Selfishness are basically shoved into a blender. I’m sure he still believes in inherent selfishness but his ego about it should be at least slightly bruised, knowing that he’s just as microscopic and inconsequential as anyone else in the multiverse. As for his need to survive and want to be entertained, they’ve both been subverted to different extents. His want to be entertained is completely subverted where instead of being the one being entertained by bothering people, he is now the one wanting to do the entertainment because they believe it is necessary for their survival.

I imagine he is being eaten alive every day by the worry that he’s not being interesting enough and will be abandoned and effectively killed for not entertaining us enough. Though he might be able to push that out of his mind most of the time to continue what he normally does, because he might be able to convince himself that we have to like him for who he is to some extent or he wouldn’t have gotten this far, which seems very plausible given how good he is at hiding his fear and anxiety during his confrontation with the other Not-Sans.

Anyways he’s a bastard and he’s great and I am unfortunately in love with him. He probably wouldn’t be down for it but I will still imagine holding his hand and then picking him up and slam dunking him into a trash can (lovingly).

[emelinstriker]

I see egg drawing all the bean au stuff....how come you don't draw anything? /gen

insider meme answer: we got divorced multiple times and she's got custody of the kids.

actual serious answer: tl;dr- it's just not my hyperfixation, and never really was enough of one to draw it as often as eddie does. i have drawn for it before, but since it's not a hyperfixation, the motivation to really draw it just kinda fell off over the course of the past year.

in general, i struggle a lot with drawing something i'm not completely interested in. even back when we first met over a year ago and were drawing our MK's back and forth before making it an actual AU, i was drawing bean!MK as more of an impulse response than an actual interest. like, it was mostly just RP responses if anything, besides the art i drew for asks as well as memes regarding ESAU!MK as a child.

i did find the idea cute of ESAU!MK being turned into a child yet still retaining his very much dangerous tendencies, but it was always more for the fun of it. and considering bean!MK was never canon in ESAU, i never felt the need to draw him for any lore or rendered art.

overall, eddie prefers to draw certain characters mostly as children or chibis, and in general in a cute style that aligns pretty well with bean cubs's premise, and i prefer to stick to drawing characters mostly as adults in a more hot/suggestive style.

bean cubs is also more based on her AU than mine, since it's basically just the king and his cub with the addition of the reader and the champions having been added as like neighborly crossover cameos. we wouldn't even have decided to make it an actual AU if the november incident didn't happen, and if people didn't accuse me of the most horrendous shit during that time just for me having drawn ESAU!MK as a child for fun responses.

another bonus thing of why i don't really feel like drawing him, and bean cubs in general, would be because we never rly had a proper design for the AU's champions. as in she prefers to draw the champions in a casual outfit to make things easier, while i prefer to draw them in either their usual armor/servant outfit, or what they would wear if they lived with their master in a regular house.

it's not a big thing due to the previous points i've mentioned, but it's something that at least to me makes it feel less connected to ESAU, and takes away an extra bit of that need to add anything onto it from my own side. for example me drawing bean in his armor nowadays wouldn't feel like it's in regards to bean cubs anymore and would just feel like regular ESAU!MK as chibi. so i feel more like i'd rather draw regular ESAU!MK at that point and just stick to suggesting ideas here and there.