#i have some thoughts about the novels lol

[zieroses]

enda “rook” de riva

replay // shadows of arlathan + in entropy’s grasp

thoughts and notes -

shadows of arlathan

- “Solas can speak with people in their dreams, even kill them” he what? Since when can he kill them? What lore did i miss?

- They were evil gods who enslaved their people - how does Harding know these things? Lol is this stuff hidden in codex entries i didn’t read closely enough? Stuff Harding and Varric learned over the last 9 years? If so, how/why were they learning these things in their search for Solas when, in theory, the Evanuris being a danger was not on their radar?

in entropy’s grasp

- Upon re reading tevinter nights, strife is a completely different character. He was supposed to be chatty, smiley, and sarcastic, and notably did NOT have facial tattoos/vallaslin. Very strange, I wonder if this version of strife was not written by Patrick weekes. He’s also very monotone - no shade to the VA, but it was alarming to see the first less-expressive cutscene also paired with an inexpressive character. Gave me the worry that quality was going to go downhill fast after the introductory sequence to the game, but luckily that wasn’t the case.

- (Re: cutscenes - bioware games in general have 3 levels of cutscene from my observation. The capital-C Cutscene, the lowercase-c cutscene, and then the convo-cutscene, the first being the most detailed and cinematic and the last being the least. Speaking with Strife and Irelin felt like the first example of the convo-cutscene where characters just stand across from each other and chat back and forth. Which is fine but again, it’s that lack of expression paired with strife’s more monotone voice and bearing that really worried me for a hot second.)

- I do love Irelin’s design. i actually like strife’s a lot too; I just think he should be bare-faced like in the novel.

- bellara’s intro is also so strange. She barely acknowledges the gods thing. They tried a little too hard to make her quirky here. She grows on me, a LOT, over the game - they just frontloaded way too much of the super cute and absentminded thing here. I think that should’ve come to light after her introduction had a weightier heft to it. Someone also mentioned it makes no sense that she, without any questions, gives some randoms (incl. Neve if you brought her, who is Tevene) essentially a tour of what is theoretically some very powerful secrets. It would’ve been worth a brief scuffle with her, I think, and then a few lines of not just explanation, but hastily attempting to convince her you aren’t here to poach elven secrets or magic. Even a code word provided by Strife and Irelin would’ve sufficed to put to rest any concerns that never even reached the light of day.

- Ogre - i quite like the darkspawn designs, even if they’re slightly cartoonier than before. I do think it has to do with the fact that the designs themselves, with this art style, are more readable in general; i can pick out details on the types of darkspawn that I couldn’t before because of the more muted color schemes of the prior games. (I loved those, to be perfectly clear; i just like how clearly and sharply i can see what’s going on here. But i do think there’s something to be said about the cartoonish quality; there’s probably something that could’ve been done to make them slightly less so. I think they managed it with the blighted dragons.)

[earlgreytea68]

I am reading a Regency romance novel. It was on a list of recommended romance novels and it's supposed to be good, I guess, and I thought it would be fun to read one while I was in the middle of writing the sequel sequel. (My reading is kind of all over the place, I have a very long list of books that have been recommended to me and I honestly end up reading whatever my library has available at any given time, and right now it's this book.)

I read a lot of Regency romance novels when I was growing up so I am well-versed in their tropes, but it's been a while since I read romance novels of any kind (I've just been reading fic for romantic stories for a long time now) and it is so jarring to me reading them as the grown-up person I am now. Like, these characters do that thing where they're always being condescending to the hero/heroine by telling them how much they don't realize how their lives are incomplete until they settle down and get married and I'm just like, ugh, MAYBE THEIR LIVES ARE FINE, OKAY? LEAVE THEM ALONE. STOP GIVING THEM SAD-EYED LOOKS BECAUSE THEY LIKE THEIR COMFORTABLE STUDY WITH ITS COZY BOOKS, THAT SOUNDS LIKE HEAVEN. I know that's not the ~~vibe of the Regency era lol, but it's the vibe of *my* era lol. Also the hero's brother and sister-in-law are always trying to tell him how great their sex life is and he doesn't want to hear this AND I DON'T BLAME HIM. I know it's another trope of Regency romance novels that the happy couples have to let the hero/heroine know how great sex is at every given opportunity but it just strikes me as so weird and contrived now, Idk, I think it's weird to take EVERY OPPORTUNITY to tell your brother when you just had sex?????? Like, it's so weird to get asked, "Is my sister well?" and be like, "She is VERY WELL, IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN," and waggle your eyebrows, like, no? Don't? Why would you do this???? I don't think this is charming????

But I was reading this and just being so bewildered by how well reviewed the book was and I was thinking that some people probably *do* find these people and their interactions super-charming and sweet and to each their own, ymmv! All of you leave me lovely comments about the people in my own romantic stories but I bet some people read them and are like, "God, these people are so annoying, who treats other people this way!!!" lol

[ariadne-mouse]

MYST mentions on MY fireside chat?????? AND the book series??? chewing the wallpaper

[goblins-riddles-or-frocks]

forever obsessed with dynamics between vampires, specifically that of a maker and fledgling, as a way to explore abuse. the creation of a vampire itself can so easily be a literalization of the lasting impacts of trauma and also much more simply the ways a perpetrator might shape their victim’s very identity. the extremes of isolation in the way that the new vampire, in most narratives, must cut all ties to their mortal life, or else go through an elaborate charade to maintain the facade of humanity, while forever still being removed from it. and the sheer dependence and vulnerability of being in an entirely new state of being, wholly uncertain of what it entails, and relying on another person to define… everything.

[chibishortdeath]

Some attempts at a design for Selena :3. The second image is inspired by the wedding in Haunted Castle, but I changed Simon’s outfit cause idk I just can’t picture him being comfortable in a suit.

The last two of these are way more headcanon-y lol. They’re under a cut mostly in case my headcanons and story ideas change d(^^ ). One of them was inspired by a Kikuo song I was listening to while drawing lol, the song “Let’s Go to Heaven”.

[andthen-light]

okay girls im going to be a little hashtag critical here but i have been ruminating LONG ENOUGH and i really really do not like that scene in the graphic novel murder on the rockport limited where lucretia recognized the umbrastaff. i understand what they were trying to do and i understand you have to change things for the medium but its kind of a disservice to both lucretia and taakos characters imo. lucretia works so hard to keep the boys from questioning things like why would she have a reaction like that. like they couldve alluded to her recognizing it but a scene like that is so in your face and it takes power away from the scene in crystal kingdom where red robe barry recognizes it. and wrt taakos character like. hes never Particularly trustful of lucretia like on a personal level but overall he trusts the bureau and lucretia until reunion tour. adding in a scene like that at that point in the story makes no sense like u cannot convince me taako would not start questioning what the directors really up to and why she had such a personal reaction.

[billpottsismygf]

.

[todayisafridaynight]

Hey so Snap this is going to be so fucking weird, but honestly don’t care. So I was watching a clip of Drag Race Philippines and it was the make over episode and I think they were making over family members and this father was all about getting into drag. So, I just wanted to tell you never forget how much of a lovely loving kind and caring father you have, who loves you and protects you and makes you feel heard. That’s all.

i'd have to die before i forget how great my dad is thank you for the opportunity to brag about him again anon

[onawhimsicot]

just read the 3 novels of scum villain's self-saving system all in one day because 1. i get all my media recs from things i keep seeing crop up on my tumblr dashboard and 2. I don't have any sense of moderation, i literally just went and bought the next ebook immediately after finishing each one because i couldnt wait for the library loan after the first, i'm unwell, im obsessed, im about to go reblog a ton of stuff from the tag

i don't know how to explain why this had such a grip on me bc yeah i wont deny its a little trashy lol but also its purposefully meant to be trashy bc of its genre and god is it so fucking fun lmao. I guess I'm also the kind of person who ends up reading a lot of villainess isekai while thinking to myself "this is bad, this is trashy" asdjkfh It was suuuper fun to go through similar beats but with a gay couple instead

it was a bit tough bc obviously its meant to be a subversion of a genre the reader is meant to know very well. Whereas i on the other hand, googled "cultivation novel" after a few chapters of volume 1 lol. But! i had a lot of fun learning about the genre nonetheless, and i loved the fandom/online culture/tropes side of it. that part was really fun and familiar (esp bc ive read so much isekai ajskdh)

[tonyglowheart]

I wish there was qq fic I liked on ao3 cuz I finished rereading qq so once again I'm like, "so now what...."

[bitchy-peachy]

Seeing low IQ fucks blaming fiction for violence instead of acknowledging that there's twisted uncreative morons that were already fucking evil.

So they copied something fictional? Maybe ever thought the disgusting fucker was an uncreative piece of shit that just wanted to hurt another person?

Also don't blame demons for stupid shit repulsive humans be doing. Humanity is flawed af and we're imperfect. No demons or fiction makes a degenerate twisted human do shit. Full stop.

[lucalicatteart]

Poll adventure (paventure? lol) Day 11: read the small story tidbit below the poll for more details, OR just vote based on initial impression

(✦ see past poll results + further information HERE (link) ✦)

Yesterday's poll decided that The Adventurer should curiously socialize with a few of the boat travelers ...

~

"The Adventurer grabs one of the ornate glass bowls near the buffet table, meekly gathering some cheese and vegetables as he scans the crowd. For the first 15 minutes of the lunch, he mostly crouches in a corner seat, nibbling on his food and nervously fielding the occasional drunken question from a passing party guest..

Knowing he should.. probably... actually socialize at some point, he begrudgingly chooses conversational partners, squeezing his eyes shut and pointing around randomly until he lands on someone.....

The first is a scrawny man in a flashy suit, wobbly from wine but still keeping a vaguely charming demeanor about him. He proudly introduces himself as a "legal expert", then goes on to ramble for a while about the laws in the area, how drastically they vary from city to city (plus a few veiled hints on how to safely break them), and that if you travel a lot it can be hard to keep up with it all.

He mentions, quite conveniently, that he's recently published a book on the topic, a legal guide for local explorers, and offers to give The Adventurer a copy for a special discounted price... but... then soon recalls that the crate of books he'd planned to sell on the boat sadly ended up falling into the river earlier during a "silly little mishap"..

In place of a book, he simply slides The Adventurer a glossy mint colored paper swirled with golden floral motifs, supposedly serving as some sort of business card, though the actual contact information seems obscured beneath the cluttered design. The Lawyer also pulls off his scarf as he rises to leave, wrapping it around The Adventurer's shoulders with a little waving flourish (not the first time someone has confused his anxious shaking for cold shivers). The Adventurer stutters out a confused thank you, then watches as the Lawyer stumbles off, mumbling to himself that he's been drinking too much and "truly must find somewhere to piss"......

The second person he approaches is an older woman, hunched over a table fidgeting with a handful of colorful glass dice, spinning and stacking and arranging them into patterns whilst her thoughts drift elsewhere. Initially, she gives evasive answers when asked personal questions, but soon grows more talkative once the topic of local flora and fauna arises. She apparently used to adventure as well, roaming the lands to document various elements of nature relevant to her mysterious "private research" - though, at her age, she's now resigned to casual boat rides rather than riskily hiking alone through uncharted wilderness. Gently laying a worn leather journal of watercolor paintings out onto the tabletop, she points at various berries, leaves, and animals, eagerly describing their significance...

After chatting for a while, she abruptly changes topics, mentioning that sometimes she can "sense things which she should not" (whatever the hell that means), then asks him to pick one of her dice. He hesitates, but she just stares, refusing to elaborate further.. Finding even 30 seconds of awkward silent eye contact physically impossible to bear, he hurriedly plops a finger down in front of an iridescent yellow die. She chuckles..

Scooping up all of the dice from the table, she rattles them in her clasped hands, then brings them up to her ear as if to listen... to something?? A few moments later, she turns back to him, speaking in a raspy whisper: "There are others, melding your footprints with their own, seeking a gift you do not yet know - this is what I see."

Before he can ask her for any elaboration, the Captain returns, grumbling that The Adventurer has already stayed 5 minutes past the time limit and swatting at him with a broom to shoo him off of the boat. Apparently an hour can go by fast....

After climbing back into his dinky raft, he sails mostly successfully down the river, finally making it to a point that, at least based on his map, SHOULD be where the main road picks back up past the detour. He crashes into a small grouping of rocks whilst trying to navigate back to the shore, but he was planning on disassembling the raft to get his rope and supplies back anyway, so.. aside from a scraped knee and possibly broken pinky toe, he decides it's actually fine. The cat is okay, which is all that really matters, anyhow.

By the time he's taken apart his boat, eaten a quick meal, and bandaged his leg, the sun seems to have nearly set. It's later in the night than he'd usually like to travel, but, where he's going is a pretty commonly used road, so maybe it's safe? He's exhausted from socializing, but could probably muster enough energy to walk for at least a while. Or perhaps he should just call it a night and find a place to sleep.. But.. where??? What should he do?

-

Additional information

acquired a long, warm, expensive scarf

acquired slightly increased knowledge of local plants

acquired vague information from the 'dice based fortune teller', or whatever that was meant to be

acquired a business card (+ ability to get away with one minor crime free of legal consequence)

acquired mild nausea for the next 5hrs from weird buffet cheese

acquired badly scraped knee and sprained toe (will walk slightly slower for the next 2 days)

the adventurer's current main goal: follow his map to reach the abandoned castle ruins and see the rare animal specialist about the mysterious egg he has

[mistrdctr]

Headcanon: Not Sorcerer Supreme.

I think I have written it into my 'about' regarding Stephen, but in my Version he is not the Sorcerer Supreme during and after 'Multiverse of Madness'. He also wasn't Sorcerer Supreme even before that, during Spiderman's 'No Way Home'.

In fact, my version has never been the Sorcerer Supreme. He could have, but never got the title. Keep in mind that my portrayal is 99,9% based on the MCU portrayal, not the Marvel comics.

Why? read down further below.

I did some googling / researching and this bit here actually describes it quite well:

In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Wong is the Sorcerer Supreme, and remains so throughout MCU Phase 4. The role of the Sorcerer Supreme was held by the Ancient One in Doctor Strange, but after her death at the hands of Kaecilius, the post was left open — as Wong states, "Earth has no Sorcerer Supreme to defend it. We must be ready." Given the MCU’s focus on Doctor Strange as the franchise’s central master of the mystic arts, Wong's Sorcerer Supreme status seemed unlikely, as it was assumed that Stephen would assume the role in the years following the Ancient One’s death. This theory gained ground with Strange’s use of the Eye of Agamotto throughout Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, with the hero taking one of the key items used previously by the Ancient One. However, Strange was never confirmed to have been given the role of the MCU Sorcerer Supreme. Spider-Man: No Way Home also confirmed that the title had gone to Wong — the former librarian of the mystical city Kamar-Taj who was integral in Strange’s magic training. Doctor Strange 2 and She-Hulk showed that even after the events of No Way Home, Wong is still the MCU’s Sorcerer Supreme. Be it because of a technicality or because Wong deserves the title more than Strange, Wong’s position as the Sorcerer Supreme suggests that he is the franchise’s most powerful magic wielder.

It was revealed in No Way Home that Wong came to occupy this role after Strange was turned to dust by Thanos’ snap in Avengers: Infinity War. The ensuing 5 years without Strange, it is implied, meant that Wong was the world’s most powerful sorcerer and received the high accolade because of it. Strange’s envy over this fact is played for comedic purposes in Spider-Man: No Way Home, though there is much to suggest that Wong is deserving of the position — from the extensive period of his life that he has dedicated to training and study to the clear respect that he receives from other sorcerers. Given the short period of time between Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange 2, there is no reason for Wong's demotion in MCU Phase 4. Doctor Strange 2 shows how Wong pushed to use his position as the Sorcerer Supreme more than ever before as he is forced to defend Kamar-Taj from the Scarlet Witch’s attack. Wong commands each of his students in maintaining the city’s defenses and manages to amass an impressive number of sorcerers from across the world – all of whom greet him with a ceremonial bow that Strange refuses to re-enact. While at the end of the film it appears that Steven has come to terms with Wong’s superior position, finally bowing in deference, Doctor Strange 2's final shot suggests that the title may soon be transferred to him. The Doctor Strange 2’s ending shows Strange awakening his third eye, mirroring that of Sinister Strange from the Incursion Universe. In the comics, the ability to open one’s third eye grants extra powers to the user such as the ability to see through disguises and probe others’ souls. Finishing on this cliffhanger suggests that the title of Sorcerer Supreme may still be challenged.

Which basically says that we don't know if Strange has ever been Sorcerer Supreme! Which I find very fascinating and that's also the approach I myself am taking with this blog. In a lot of interactions, it is oftentimes implied that the muses think he is Sorcerer Supreme - which is totally fine, as they might expect him to due to his powers, and Stephen will, most likely, correct them (while gritting his teeth lol).

-> It is also totally okay for muses to assume he has been Sorcerer Supreme at some point, but for this blog, it is not canon.

So, while it is likely that he may has gotten the title when the Ancient One died, but we don't have proof regarding that; It could have gone to Wong, simply because Wong has been around for such a long time and Stephen has basically just 'wonderkid his way through Kamar-Taj' and turned out to be incredibly powerful. Even if he is more powerful than Wong (which makes sense as who he is as a character in the MCU Universe), I could see the title having been given to Wong for all the other reasons (him having been around for a long time, suitable to lead Kamar-Taj etc).

-> But also: Perhaps the whole thing of 'who becomes the next Sorcerer Supreme' was still decided upon and then, well, Thanos happened. Before the title could go to Stephen in an 'official way', he was blipped, erased from existence, and Wong got it. That's why it also makes sense for Stephen to mention it to Peter during No Way Home: Because he blipped for five years, Wong ultimately got the title. (I CHOSE THIS TO BE THE 'CANON' I AM GOING WITH FOR MY BLOG)

So all I'm thinking is: If Stephen used to hold the title right after Doctor Strange 1, and then it was taken away from him because he was gone for 5 years - when he returned, why didn't he get the title back? Sure, one could say that there a rules and regulations attached to how the title is gained - but still: Wouldn't they, at least, have given Stephen back his title then, because he essentially made it happen that Thanos could finally be defeated (even if it came with great loss)? Sure, perhaps the former Sorcerer Supreme needs to die for that, but... wow. That's some harsh rule there. Couldn't they have made an exception for a man like Strange, who has saved the world from eternal Doom in so many ways before? (In case he has been the Sorcerer Supreme before...) -> I do think that it's quite likely for the title to either have gone to Wrong first OR for the whole 'who becomes the next Sorcerer Supreme'-thing to not have been finished before the events in infinity War happened.

To summarize my thoughts: My version of Stephen Strange has NEVER been Sorcerer Supreme. He is insanely powerful, yes, perhaps more powerful than Wong is (sorry Wong, ilu), but Wong has been a sorcerer for so much longer and honestly? He's much better at caring for Kamar-Taj and making sure everything is going well over there.

I could see that Wong still very much respects Strange for being so insanely powerful and trusts him in that regard, and the Title is merely a formality (which Wong likes to enforce the rules of, like bowing in front of him for example, lol).

The Ancient One herself says that Strange is 'meant to be the best of us'. So, at some point, he will probably become the Sorcerer Supreme. It will happen, I guess, but it hasn't so far in my portrayal. I just hope Wong doesn't need to die for that...

Here's some more additional 'Why Wong is the Sorcerer Supreme' stuff to read (under a read more bc man, this post is long af):

As Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness revealed, almost every other version of Stephen Strange across the multiverse threatens the very fabric of reality in one way or another. Earth-616 Strange may be a hero who's destined to become the Sorcerer Supreme, but he is just as likely to destroy the multiverse, as evidenced by his own willingness to bend cosmic rules for fixing minor problems. These risks do not exist in Wong's Sorcerer Supreme tenure. In fact, Wong's defining trait is his dedication to duty, which is why Wong was in Shang-Chi and Strange wasn't, even though Doctor Strange most likely also felt the powerful presence of the Ten Rings. While Doctor Strange has his own metrics for what threats or issues require his attention, Wong adheres strictly to the rules binding the Sanctum Sanctorum and Kamar-Taj, which is a necessary qualification for a figurehead overseeing the safety of reality. Even the hot-headed Strange knows this to be true, which explains why he finally bowed to the Sorcerer Supreme in Doctor Strange 2. Following Doctor Strange 2, Wong's Sorcerer Supreme status was further proven to be well-deserved throughout MCU Phase 4. In She-Hulk, Wong even showed that his own adherence to rules and duty don't get in the way of his higher duties at Kamar-Taj, as Wong is not above working with the reformed villain Abomination in order to fulfill his responsibilities to the sanctuary. Indeed, Wong deserves to be Sorcerer Supreme because he's willing to face governments, heroes, and other entities as a representative of Kamar-Taj — a tedious role that Strange never really rose up to. Moreover, while Doctor Strange used his free time to fumble No Way Home's memory spell, Wong's break from his duties simply involved watching The Sopranos with Madisynn or singing karaoke with Katy and Shang-Chi, rather than endangering reality. Wong may not be the Sorcerer Supreme that Earth-616 deserves, but he's definitely the one that the Multiverse Saga needs.

used source: [x] also interesting to read: [x]

[chipped-chimera]

Ugh I wish my brain would fucking play nice with me more I owe the world so much wlw shit and I just CANNOT. THINK.

[mbat]

before i pass out for the night. since my brain is back on dan and phil as if its 2016 or something i need to put this out into the world. this isnt some sort of important life changing post, just a personal funny thing

so when i was 13 and fixating on dan and phil, i read a lot of fanfics. like, i guarantee that even after all these years that, if i had the statistics, that fandom was the one i read the most fanfics for and constantly. i couldnt tell you what nearly any of them were about, and i have a feeling that many of them are probably lost to time by now. i also dont know if i need to mention that yeah, a lot of them were shipping, and yes ive long grown out of that. (the dnp fandom is actually what made me grow out of that)

anyway all this to say that over the last 6 years after i stopped fixating on dan and phil, one fanfic stuck with me and i just. i think about it every once in a while. its been over half a decade. it wasnt a groundbreaking fic, i dont remember any quotes or specifics, just the premise as of at least the first few chapters. idk why it stuck with me

it was literally a fic about. if the world had gotten to a point where almost every child was born as like, a science baby instead of a natural baby, and phil was a science baby, but dan was a natural baby. and there was somehow this like, thing where the science babies would bully the natural babies for some reason idek, and this was a highschool setting and i think dan was a new kid in school. and what gets me about the fic is that dan was some small shy scared kid and phil was some mean jerk bully. and how wild that is compared to how they are in real life

this isnt me trying to find the fic or the person who wrote it or any of that, this is literally just. i remember this fic at least once every few months and i needed to get it out of my brain somewhere

[stephantom]

old friends from my adolescence whom I’ve barely spoken to in 10 years, my beloved