#i just feel she's really underrated as a companion!!!!!!

[not-xpr-art]

bill potts sketch 2017 vs 2023!

a lot has changed in 6 years except for how much i love bill lol

[emmafrostyyy]

y'all sleeping on Astarion/Lae'zel bc this moment is so...the way the flippant demeanor drops and he doesn't hesitate to call her out for sticking with her version of Cazador like their relationship is so underrated fr...

sitting down writing this bullshit like let me peel it like an onion a bit and elaborate why this pairing is fascinating to me

It's really interesting how during the most cathartic, life-altering moment in Astarion's questline, the reactions of the other companions are more about the moral wrongness/guilt of sacrificing innocent lives. Lae'zel doesn't do that and instead relates to his hurt.

She knows what's he's feeling, the lack of control, the unfairness of being powerless for too long. This is a woman who just found out her entire life purpose was built on lies, discarded and hunted by her own people after outliving her usefulness, and groomed to basically die for an insane power-hungry lich queen. She knows all too well that power isn't always real freedom. Her first instinct is to empathize with Astarion to steer him away from his hate and resentment.

Astarion/Lae'zel is so interesting to me because they're such a classic "can we make each other worse or make a better person out of the other?".

They both have genuine appreciation for violence and respect each other's ruthlessness. Astarion was used as a weapon of seduction while Lae'zel was of warfare. Sex with people is meaningless and not real intimacy for them, and while both have little understanding/experience of interpersonal relationships beyond the physical, they still feel and love very deeply. They have no frame of reference for things like friendship and warmth, but they badly want all of that and more, even if they don't know it yet.

In-game they can sleep with each other, which is basically the foundation of the normal Tav/Astarion romance. Lae'zel saw him during combat and got horny, who knows. Astarion who's used to luring people with his charms, takes up Lae'zel's blunt offer because she's a strong hardened warrior that can provide protection and be a worthy ally, and he doesn't know how to say no. Navigating the complications between one who wants to be seen beyond as a sex object, and one who comes from a totally alien culture with no concept of love/family/connections and only sex is honestly really compelling to me. It's a transactional, mutually beneficial thing with no emotional expectations. Once you get past the skeevy rockiness of their early relationship, I really like the idea of them slowly seeing something past the exterior and realizing they may have harshly misjudged the other, an unspoken friendship blooms, and in comes the realization that they are essentially loners longing for kindness and a comforting touch in the most desperate of situations.

Lae'zel is prideful, direct, has no sense of courtship talk, and doesn't hold back her thoughts the slightest--she's not sweet/agreeable and what you see is really what you get, which I imagine would be disarming for Astarion who's used to vacuous flattery and has difficulty trusting others. But she's also insanely protective, passionate, loyal, and an initiator-- every romance scene is triggered by her first and she's always showing effort towards her relationships, which would mesh well with Astarion who does need someone to nudge him.

She doesn't purposely suppress her feelings, she's just simply at loss at how to express them sometimes due to her wildly different upbringing. She stops the sparring match you agree to and an easy vulnerability slips instantly out of her: "I don't want to hurt you. I want to protect you, and for you to protect me." and "Thus far I've taunted you, devoured you, battled you. Now I want more than anything to soothe you." are romantic as fuck and Astarion of all people really needs to hear that tbh.

Astarion is also someone who struggles with reinforcing his boundaries, and a key theme in Lae'zel's romance is that she encourages and wants you to challenge her and learn to stand your ground. It's not gentlest method, but hey, relationships are about having to make an effort to learn each other's language.

I think he also would take pleasure "educating her on the matters of Fay-run" (I believe there's a whole banter with him teasing her and teaching her pet names) and would get a kick out of coaxing Lae'zel out of her shell with her shyness at showing public affection, and making her blush. Also it simply would be fucking funny to see Astarion who's used to easy seduction, trying to pass a persuasion check just to get a smooch and generally having to work to earn regular kisses from Lae'zel lmfaooo

Lae'zel also initially struggles to see her chains as chains. When she learns about Vlaakith's betrayal, she copes instantly through denial and shuts it down. Astarion is NOT having it and calls her out, he knows her well enough to recognize that she would value blunt honesty above all.

I imagine he also despises her lack of self-preservation, the way her entire identity is tied to duty and being in service of others, and doesn't understand her desire to still help/liberate the people that want her dead and are hunting her down. He wants to make this duty-bound soldier realize that looking out for herself, and putting herself first may not be the worst thing in the world.

They're so similar to each other but are also polar opposites in some ways that make a more equal, balanced romance I think. It's not a simple, one-sided, feel-good "she/he can fix her/him" fantasy because both of them have to earn each other's love, actually cut through the other's flaws, and actively motivate each other to be better versions of themselves.

They're not at all the other's ideal guiding hand. It's rough, jagged, and imperfect, but that's how healing goes. It's so far from being the healthiest relationship -- but even if their belief systems differ, their moral compass does often align. I imagine it's a slight relief for them to have a partner where there would be less shame and judgment when they expectedly, occasionally slip up and fall into their bad habits.

Also, man, the "You showed me the betweens and beyonds. Beyond war and peace, beyond passion and obsession, most importantly, you showed me freedom.", "First you were my wound, now you were my cure.", "But you saw something else in me - someone else I could be. Someone who could break the cycle of power and terror that started centuries ago.." lines really hit hard when applied to them.

Of course, they can also make each other worse, feed into the other's negative traits that will bring out the worst part of themselves. It's this duality of their pairing that is very interesting to explore, the way it can steer in either direction because it's an intense, fraught relationship at its core.

[lavandulawrites]

The fact that there are no yandere Kinich fics/hcs is illegal. Litterly, the whole internet is all over him and no single fic/hc? R u shitting me?

Anyways, if you would be as kind as to consider this following request: yandere Kinich with a darling who is in love with someone else.

You dont have to do it if you dont want to. Have a nice day and make sure to drink enough water!

A Supporting Friend

He is truly criminally underrated</3 Fun fact my saurian is called Roberto haha

Masterlist

Warnings: stalking, Ajaw being a dick (what’s new), Kinich is delusional, murder, slight gore, Kinich is jealous, female reader

Word count: 814

A second didn’t pass without him thinking of you. His hazel eyes trains on you as you went about your day. You were so effortlessly beautiful. Like a goddess. As the dark haired man snuck in the shadows following you, he couldn’t help but feel a burning hatred whenever you looked at him. He was taller than Kinich with huge muscles and a stupid smile that never left his face.

The raven haired man hid behind a large stacks of boxes as he watched over you. God knows what could happen to you now that the Abyss were more aggressive than ever.

His annoying companion popped out of thin air with a whine. “Are you seriously still following her?” the little dragon-like creature asked with amusement.

Kinich spared him not even a single glance as he continued to let his eyes watch you.

“Jeez, ya are seriously fucked in the head, aren’t ya?” the little gremlin laughed. “Just face it, she doesn’t like you. Just like everyone else, so why don’t you just trip and die?” Ajaw snickered like the little devil he was.

“Shut up” Kinich sneered as he looked Ajaw away which resulted in multiple cursers following.

Of course Kinich knew your heart didn’t belong his, at least not yet. Your eyes were sat on that disgusting fool of a man. It was a pity and made Kinch’s skin crawl.

Days passed and you continued to see Kinich as only a friend. A friend which you told all your secrets and asked for help with various matters. Normally the young man would be over the moon with being so close to you, but not when you continued to rant about him.

“Roberto looked at me today. He even smiled! Do you think he likes me Kinich?” you asked him as you looked off in the distance with a longing gaze.

Oh if only you knew how much he loved you, how his heart fluttered in his chest when you looked at him. When you smiled it was like the Celestia had granted their blessing. Still, he chose to hold his tongue and only hum at your question. “I don’t know. I haven’t talked to him” he answered with a strained voice. As he watched the red flowers that littered the meadow in front of them, he couldn’t help but imagine how Roberto’s blood would look against the lush grass.

“I want to ask him on a date” you interrupted his trained of thought. “Tomorrow” you turned to look at him with a huge smile. A bale blush dusted your cheeks as you thought about your crush.

Kinich’s heart quickened at the cute display of your blush. If only he was the one to make you blush. “Oh really?” he mumbled.

“Yeah. I want it to be perfect though. I am thinking in the field with flowers in the forest near my house. It’s the perfect spot. Really romantic.

“Indeed. Romantic” the words akin a sneer.

The next day the ancient name bearer jumped from tree to tree as he stalked Roberto on his way to hunt. The robust man was busy adjusting his crossbow, completely unaware to his surroundings. Kinich scoffed at his obliviousness and he couldn’t help the smirk that crept upon his lips.

He leapt down on the grown as silent as a feather as he crawled towards the man. His claymore already in his hand.

Quicker than a heartbeat he jumped up from the bush and ran towards Roberto.

Roberto screamed as he picked up his crossbow. Unfortunately for him, the weapon were not loaded and completely useless.

“What do you want?!” he screamed as he backed away with quick steps.

The hazel eyed man remained silent as he stalked closer and closer towards him.

With wide eyes Roberto turned on his heel and ran.

The case was as thrilling as Kinich had expected. Given his massive body, Roberto was rather slow compared to the shorter man. Stupid too.

It didn’t take long before Roberto had stopped at the end of the cliff. He was trapped between the blood thirsty man and the high fall. Neither he would survive.

Kinich had become tired of the little hunt so he leaped forward and missed Roberto’s chest by a mere centimetre. Which resulted in Roberto falling to his death with a high pitched scream that suited more a little girl than a 190 cm man.

Kinich peered over the cliff and down on the stony ground. Roberto’s body was no more than a red mass that looked like spaghetti given how he had landed on multiple sharp rocks. A satisfied smile tugged on Kinich’s lips.

Now he had to play the role of a comforting friend and hold you in his arms as you sobbed over your deceased crush. His smiled widened uncharacteristically at the thought of you finally being his.

[antivanwine14]

I see the posts asking what Rook brings to the squad. What is Rook good at when the rest of the Squad are experts in their fields? Rook isn't necessary to the rest. This isn't true.

A) Rook is probably the most skilled out of all the protagonists we've had. You can head canon things, but the truth is the HOF and Inquisitor were not masters in their fields before they got supremely unlucky and landed with a skill they didn't really want. Hawke really was just a person who developed over time. Rook starts as a hero who is very skilled in their craft. I'm going to speak on this from Crow Rook POV because that is who I know best, but this does apply to the others as well. Crow Rook took down 20 Antaam alone. That is not something the average Crow can do. That is skilled enough to impress Varric and get the role to work with him.

B) Rook knows how to get themselves into and out of trouble. Yes, Rook does know how to get into trouble, but Rook also sees opportunities others miss. In the opening, Harding's plan is to fire on Solas. She doesn't consider other options beside the one she is most comfortable with. Neve tells Harding no, but she also doesn't give a better solution either. Rook is the one who looks around to find other solutions.

Additionally, I wish this was commented on more but other characters acknowledge this skill of finding opportunities. Varric says to an unromanced Inquisitor that Rook is very good at Wicked Grace, a game all about cheating and opportunities. If Rook de Riva abandons Treviso, Viago also comments on this skill, that Rook would have found a way to help their city. Rook sees opportunities others miss. This is a very important skill that the other companions don't really have. There is a phrase, to a hammer, everything looks like a nail and our companions do that. Our companions are very skilled at what they do, but that means they don't usually look outside of the solution that fits their skills best, ie: Harding is always looking for the shot, Lucanis's solutions usually involve daggers, etc.

C) Rook has the soft skills to lead. Soft skills are completely underrated in life. Some people just assume that the person with the best skills at something should be the leader. This is how we get really awful leaders who have no people skills and treat their teams like crap. Leadership takes skills and none of the companions have those skills at the start. Davrin and Neve end the game as leaders, but both start having the same issue of being lone wolves who struggle to trust others. They need to learn how to trust others. Harding would probably be the best of the rest, but she is dealing with her own internal struggles with her new stone powers and the anger the titans are feeling. Rook might have some issues with confidence as being a leader, but Rook has great soft skills that allow the team to open up to them and trust them with the team's issues. Rook's confidence issues goes away with time as they get used to the role and it is the soft skills that make Rook so valuable.

Rook built the team. Remove Rook and the team would never have functioned as well as they did because of the work Rook did. Yes, they were able to accomplish a lot while Rook was in the Fade Prison, but that was because Rook had done their job. Rook had built a great team that knew what they had to do, were able to work together, and were able to do it until they could get Rook back. They trusted what Rook had done because they trusted Rook. I don't see them getting nearly as far without Rook and so Rook is absolutely essential for the squad.

[headcanonsandmore]

A non-exhaustive collection of my Doctor Who hot takes:

Thirteen has now taken Nine's position of "most underrated modern Doctor". I bet you people are already recommending "skip thirteen" as part of their advice to new fans. I hate this.

Nine's dynamic with Rose is more interesting (to me, at least) than Ten's dynamic with Rose. Nine and Rose come across like cool besties who may be getting into QPR territory and are trying to figure it out. Ten and Rose, by contrast, are every sixteen year old straight couple.

I think Six and Mel have a better dynamic than Six with Peri; partially because the writers started having Six be a lot kinder and gentler, and partially because Mel's personality meshes with Six's better than Peri's did.

Eleven is considered the least favourite modern Doctor by most of the fandom not because of anything wrong with Matt Smith's peformance but because a) some people hated that Tennant wasn't playing the part anymore and b) M*ffat hamstrung Eleven's characterisation.

The brigadier definitely improves over time; I found him especially difficult to like during the Third Doctors era but by the Seventh Doctors era he was a lot easier to enjoy watching (and the writers were less okay with him being misogynistic by then; never quite forgave him for being such a jerk to Tegan and Nyssa).

Twelve was the most hated modern Doctor for ages primarily because people had gotten used to attractive young men playing the character and reacted badly when the Doctor didn't look like the fresh-out-of-uni teacher they fancied at school.

Jenna Coleman is really good at Clara but I think she works better as a Twelve companion than an Eleven companion; their dynamic feels a lot more interesting.

The writing of the Chibnall era is fine. Like, a lot of it is really good. For a lot of people, it was never about the writing (as they insisted); it was because they didn't like that Thirteen was being played by a woman.

The extended fam (Yaz, Graham, Ryan and Dan) are severely underrated by the fandom. They all have so much interesting characterisation but you wouldn't know it from the way so many associate them as being "boring".

Some of the first RTD era had really not aged well, especially when it comes to how Martha was treated.

RTD deliberately avoided mentioning as much as he could about Thirteen's era in the sixtieth anniversary specials because he wanted people to forget that era happened. Thirteen's outfit? Burned away. Mentioning every companion? Thirteen's companions are left out. Every love interest mentioned? No mention of Yaz, despite her being the love interest barely three episodes before.

M*ffat seems to actively dislike writing for RTD's companions; in so many of his episodes for RTD's two eras, the companions are either shunted over to the side or the Doctor is randomly rude to them for no reason.

The Timeless Child is less of a canon-breaker than bi-generation.

David Tennant is a lovely man but I don't want him to play the Doctor for at least another ten years. He has so far played three separate versions of the Doctor; that's more than enough.

Going back to my earlier point, M*ffat's writing for Clara got significantly better after Twelve turned up and he had to write a more complicated relationship than "Clara thinks Eleven is cute".

Thasmin is not queerbaiting. Two queer characters falling in love but not kissing or becoming a couple is not queerbaiting. Please actually research what that word means.

I actually really like the season 19 TARDIS team of Five, Adric, Tegan and Nyssa; I know a lot of people think it's overstuffed but I like seeing the characters bounce off each other.

"Kerblam!" isn't an amazing episode but most people who criticise it online have never actually watched it; they just saw an out-of-context photo set and decided they knew what it was about.

The best writing Nyssa got in the classic show was "Legopolis" and "Arc of Infinity"; especially in the later, Sarah Sutton did a great job when she was given more to do than "being the sweet one".

Also, she was (and is) in love with Tegan and vice-versa (but that's not a hot take since they're a canon couple now XD).

I personally don't get the appeal of Four. I know they're considered the "iconic" incarnation for the classic era but I don't get it.

The way Yaz is treated by the fandom now is rather similar to how Martha was treated back in the 2000s (although Yaz doesn't have to deal with people hating her for not being Rose).

[by-gray]

whos your favourite doctor and why? also favourite episodes?

THIS NB BASTARD!

first of all, paul is just a fucking incredible actor. his voice acting specifically… some actors who have transitioned to big hit (not saying who) have this slightly jarring tinge to their voice where it sounds like they’re reading from a script (which they are). it’s such an underrated skill. i really don’t think people appreciate how hard it is to act out an emotionally intense script in front of your eyes and NOT sound like you’re reading from it…

but paul does it. and he does it incredibly.

eight also never gives you the chance to forget he’s alien. by that, i don’t mean he’s unhinged. yes, he does some unhinged things like most doctors, but with those, you can look at them and just rationalise that they’re just a very weird person. eight’s idiolect is so prosaic and otherworldly that even during normal conversation, there’s a feeling there’s something not right and non-human. he is fae-like ethereal, but also cool, aloof. he can, and has, disturbed and scare his companions off the tardis.

also plot-wise, eight is just such an interesting intermediate stage between his more ‘innocent’ youth and the ‘monster’ he becomes. it is eight who lives long enough to grow old, lives through a war, regresses – and while maintaining the same face, becomes a unrecognisable character. i’m always thinking about what could’ve happened between his youth and those last moments – what made him choose to become the war doctor.

because, in a way, he was the regeneration who destroyed gallifrey. he was the one that chose to live on, start fighting, and eventually destroy everything.

Now for episodes…

okay, i will pick tv ones and not audio dramas. but first of all, i do have to mention ONE audio drama because it’s the best doctor who story i’ve ever EVER come across. that is:

the natural history of fear.

it’s basically george orwell’s 1984 if the eighth doctor got mind wiped and thought he was one of the evil leaders in this totalitarian regime. he tortures people who rebel – including his companion charley, because he doesn’t realise who she is to start with…

well, it’s actually a lot more complicated than that, but that would be me giving away the plot twist ;)

OKAY now for actual episodes…

i’m gonna pick ones i think are actually amazing stories rather than ones i just like for the companion dynamics:

- 73 yards

- wild blue yonder

- the night of the doctor

- the doctor falls

- blink

- midnight

basically any slightly unexplainable storyline that diverges from the usual show formatting tends to be my favourite episodes ;)

thanks for entertaining me with this question, benji!

[pumpkinsouppe]

One thing I honestly really love about nocturne is how much love the show and characters have for Edouard, hes seen by a monster by his forge master and the vampires but he’s still seen as a friend and trusted companion to Annette and the crew. She even encouraged him to go home with her, that his lover his still waiting for him, that Annette didn’t say ‘we’ll find a solution to turn you back when we’re back home’ she said ‘we all love you no matter what’

The ability to change back human may not even exist, so she’s not giving edouard false promises and hope. She’s keeping him grounded to the world, grounded to the love many people feel for him, including many nightcreatures.

It really goes hand in hand with how they wrote characters like Maria, the decisions and the dialogue and actions are so intentional and subvert so many expectations in the best way possible, especially storytelling-wise. The characters feel so alive, they struggle with who they are yet are also so embraced by the love and care around them … even if it’s not how we would traditionally think of love.

And you know what? I absolutely believe Annette. I do not doubt her words for one minute, I believe everyone back in Saint-Domingue (that at least already know Edouard before) will just be happy he’s alive and will accept him back no issue. And even if not, Annette will make sure there will always be room for him with her and wherever she goes. I love richette as much as the next person don’t get me wrong, but I think Annette’s relationship with Edouard is also just so important and beautiful and is much more underrated just bc they are friends not lovers. I hope that now that they’re truly reunited we get to see more of them together in season 3

This show is feeding us so well

[andarans]

a love letter to dragon age.

i’ve been trying to cope with the news that all the dragon age devs have been laid off or reassigned these past two days, and i just…. it’s hard. it might sound silly to say but i’ve barely been able to do anything because i feel as if i’ve lost a family member. took today to have a good cry. dragon age was such a formative series for me. i joke all the time i got into it for the romances and stayed for the lore but really everything about it i love, dearly. i love that each companion and side character had stories that moved me and made me cry, stories i could relate to even in a world with magic and dragons. i love how the lore is presented, including the brilliance that is the codex—that you’re never quite sure who to believe, that discovering the truth requires you to be an archaeologist. i love how my choices always mattered, that decision i made in origins affected my playthrough in inquisition. i loved the message dragon age as a series sent, about corruption, about power, about propaganda. dragon age influenced so much of my fantasy tastes and own writing and art. it left such a huge mark on my artistic inspirations and work. hell, my first ever dnd character was a tiefling that pretty much looks like a qunari with having a backstory that affected the world she was in, reminiscent of the depiction of elves in dragon age (still one of my favorite and nuanced takes on elves in fantasy, btw). even with the dnd campaign and world i’m writing now, i see dragon age in nooks and crannies. i wrote so much fanfic and drew so much fanart and made so many theories and anxiously followed every bit of news for the development cycle of veilguard. i’d watch the game awards every year with my friend hoping for dragon age news. speaking of friends, god i made so many friends because of dragon age. that common interest sparked so many fun conversations and ideas. i even was a writer for an anders focused dragon age charity zine.

above all i loved the community around dragon age. sure, fandoms all have its moments and toxicity, but by and large my experience with the DA community was wonderful. i love getting to see people’s OCs and world states because i also obsess over my DA OCs and world states. i love getting to see people write theses about dragon age’s themes and masters worthy character studies. the communal love for this world and its characters is so, so profoundly inspiring.

i’ve spent so much time moping but i do want to highlight what i loved about each game and my favorite characters.

DAO: my first intro to the series. by god the gameplay was so slow but the story and characters and lore and writing made it SO worth it. made me appreciate CRPGs too. alistair ended up becoming my favorite character, i remember actually gasping and blushing at the rose moment in his romance. the landsmeet is still one of my favorite quests, i love fantasy political intrigue. morrigan also was my best friend, when she called my warden a sister i cried.

DA2: one of the most underrated games by far. i loved the smaller scale, i loved how personal hawke’s story felt, i loved every single companion and this found family. fenris was my first romance and one of my favorites, he is so complex and misunderstood and secretly has the best sense of humor. i think anders ended up becoming my favorite though—god, anders. i could speak about him for hours but i appreciate the DA devs for what they did for him and letting us romance him. anders made me appreciate his character archetype so much; he is such a tragic man transformed by bitterness and vengeance and rage. “ten years from now, a hundred years from now, someone like me will love someone like you, and there will be no templars to tear them apart.” i love you anders.

DAI: i love the inquisitor. i love how tragic of a character the inquisitor is, ripped from their life and forced to become an idol for a movement they might not even believe in. a lot of people criticize DAI for being “the chosen one” cliché, but it’s not. it’s a critique of that very trope and how it destroys a person. the inquisitor is forced to become an idea, and it does not matter who they actually are; they have all autonomy taken from them, and that is horrifying. cullen ended up ruining my life for a good amount of time, his romance is my favorite in all the series and god he got such a good redemption and ending. (i even bought cullen themed soap from a local convention, lol. i’m telling you i was obsessed). and in my replay solas’ romance absolutely destroyed me, turning him from my dearly detested to my dearly beloved. god trick weekes i will miss you so much, thank you for writing solas.

DAV: i know how contentious veilguard is. believe me i have many of my own criticisms. but i still love it anyway. i love the companions, all of them, i love how act 3 absolutely fucking gutted me and made me cry twice. i loved the amazing visuals and character creator and ost and environments. i love the QOL improvements. i loved seeing the cameos and my inquisitor again. there’s so much to love in veilguard and i’d rather talk about how much i love it than what i didn’t. lucanis was my first romance and while there wasn’t as much content as i was hoping for, i sincerely appreciate what we did get. i love how ride or die he is, how his love language is acts of service, how he’s afraid to hurt rook. i love his facial animations in his romance, i love zach mendez’s performance. i’m hoping to play emmrich and davrin’s next, and i’m sure i’ll love them too.

it’s hard to accept the fact that dragon age is probably over. it makes me sad knowing we’ll never find out about certain lore questions or know what DA5 could’ve looked like. and i’m still so angry for the developers and how they’re so callously treated and thrown away by EA/bioware. sometimes i wonder if the same thing would’ve happened if veilguard sold more. but it’s not helpful to dwell on these what-ifs, because we’ve seen how the industry treats both successful games and what they deem as failures: layoffs and no remorse. i hope the team finds work soon. i hope they realize how loved their work is. i hope someday the game industry is completely, wholly unionized. i’m glad at least we got veilguard to answer the biggest questions we’ve had.

thank you, DA devs, for everything. thank you for answering our silly questions about your characters favorite coffee flavors and perfect date nights. thank you for bringing them to life. i won’t stop playing the games or making art or fic. i won’t stop being inspired. dragon age lives on in my creations, in my dnd characters, in everything. i hope to be back in thedas soon, one day. dareth shiral.

[that-blue-vault-dweller]

Companions favorite Disney movie?

A/N: Howdy, howdy, folks! I know it's been a while, but I hope y'all enjoy these! 🥰💙💛 I've been extremely busy and have sort of lost motivation for this fandom, but I'm going to try to play Fo4 soon and see if I can muster up some more motivation 😊 I still have some fanfic to write and some reactions to do and I've got to get my butt in gear!

Cait - Brave. It might seem like the obvious choice because, well... ginger twinsies.... But she loves it because of the constant action and the fact that Merida wields a sword and a bow while also riding a horse often at the same time. She also secretly sort of finds herself vicariously living through Merida and wishing she would have had a family like hers with parents that actually loved her.

Curie - Inside Out. It's sciency and presents a fun, creative way of examining the brain's functions. She would prefer that Disney be more realistic, but despite her slight disappointment, she also understands that it has to be presented in a child-friendly way that would keep a kid's attention. A close second for her would be Big Hero 6. Honey Lemon is her hero.

Piper - Zootopia. She finds herself very much relating to Judy Hopps most days. Just a girl in a big city and a big world with the chips stacked against her and hardly anyone on her side as she fights the good fight. She also enjoys Judy's optimistic, sarcastic, energetic spirit that she upkeeps in the face of adversity. It's something that Piper herself has done her best to maintain.

MacCready - Finding Nemo. As a concerned dad with a struggling young son of his own, he can relate to this movie greatly. Plus, a bonus is that he likes to mess with F!Sole about being Dory, which she never seems to appreciate nearly as much as he does most days.

Deacon - The Emperor's New Groove. All of the jokes and the lightheartedness of the overall movie is totally Deacon's style. He always quotes the movie afterward and drives everyone at HQ crazy with his rather awful impression of Yzma.

Codsworth - Flubber. He sort of is crushing on Weebo the robot assistant. Granted, he says he has no sort of manner in which to facilitate such feelings since he is not programmed to feel things like that, but he raves over her enough that everyone can see he clearly has some manner of feelings.

Hancock - A Bug's Life. He doesn't really know why, but it cracks him up every time he turns it on. Of course, he's usually high when he's watched it, but that's not the important part. The important thing is that it's anti-grasshoppers and after the stuff he saw at Nuka-World, that suits him just fine.

Danse - Toy Story. He would rather die than admit it, but he likes the movie for the odd reason that he heavily relates to the spaceman. His perspective on life and his soldier-like dedication to his mission is truly outstanding. He also strangely relates to him in many ways, but he's not quite sure why.

Preston - Brother Bear. He enjoys the deep feelings and meaning behind the film. It's such an underrated yet good film and it has a really great sound track as well. He also has a strange affinity for Toy Story because of Woody and his steady dependability.

Valentine - Old Yeller. It's traditional and it has that sense of old-timey living that Nick can appreciate. He also enjoys the deep emotional quality of the film and the fact that it's about a good, loyal, brave dog. Kind of like Dogmeat.

X6-88 - Maleficent. He enjoys her sense of humor and her sense of taking care of business and revenge when people do her wrong. However, his favorite non-Disney movie is The Matrix. He firmly believes the coursers' design is based on Morpheus and he secretly thinks he looks like him most out of the courser models.

Dogmeat - The Fox and the Hound. He loves nothing more than to howl along with the dog on there. Finally a movie that actually has a character that speaks his language! The dog also actually successfully befriends other animals in a way that Dogmeat never seems to do too well since they're always trying to stomp on him or kill him. He also is a fan of Bolt.

Strong - Monster's Inc. Firstly, Strong doesn't like movies. They're confusing and make no sense because what do you mean those things are not really there? They're standing right in front of him! But he likes Monster's Inc more than most because Mike Wazowski looks like a super-mutant. An ugly, one-eyed freak super-mutant, but nevertheless one of his kind.

[atopfourthwall]

Hey Linkara, been enjoying your Doctor who 60th Aniversary reviews, it's really cool seeing older stuff, especially the first ever comic (Where much like the show: they didn't have anything down yet) But I was wondering something, you like to talk about Classic Who a lot, but I was just wondering if we could have cliffnotes on the reboot era Doctors; just wondering what a fan who started earlier thinks (I started with the 10th Doctor)

As starting points, pretty much any of the Doctors works (though I think better to start from 9 to 10 rather than directly from 10 since we're continuing the previous companion, same for 11 to 12). 9-Underrated, partially because he's followed by the juggernaut that is 10's era and he only did one season, but he remains damn good especially if you rewatch the better episodes of his season. 10-Best when he was with Donna. 10 is good and beloved for a reason, but he also needs someone to smack him back when he's being an ass. Reminds me of the 6 and Evelyn Smythe dynamic from the audios. 11-Leans too much on his mysterious and deceitful parts of his nature, I think. He's certainly not bad and I still like him (there's never been a bad Doctor so far), but he' can be a bit of a tool. Was better with Amy and Rory, I think. 12-Inconsistently written, but so damn good. His highs are the best of highs and the lows are the most insufferable of lows. 13-Reminded me at times of 5 - mostly the negative parts. Not that she's bad, but rather she feels like she isn't as proactive as she should be. 5 tended to be swept into events and was constantly trying to fight the rapids. But 13 COULD take control of a situation and when she did, she was brilliant. A nice subtle bit that I saw pointed out once is that after what happened to Bill, especially in her first season, the Doctor kept putting herself directly between her companions and the foe. Probably not intentional anywhere, but if you notice it, it makes a lot of sense.

[thevampireazula]

Personal review regarding what if…? season 2 episode 8 (spoilers)

No ok, I must admit, the episode was good in some aspects.

Wanda was majestic. Loki and Scott were hilarious and I loved every single moment with them.

Thor was amazing, dark and serious out of loss but still enjoyable, and the crumbs of his relationship with Hela were very nice.

I’ve actually liked Tony for the very first time in my life, probably because I tend to like him a lot more in AUs and fanfictions than I do in the normal timeline.

And then… there were those two.

I will never comprehend why marvel wants Steve to be so dependent on Peggy. And I will never comprehend why, to make him interact with her, they have to destroy or sideline every other relationship he has built, or make his character flat.

Bucky being friends with Scott was amazing, but the fact that him and Steve interacted like two times was extremely disappointing. You’d expect “best friends in every universe”, if you dislike the romantic pairing so much, to acknowledge themselves for more than a few scenes, in only one of which they’re in frame together (Bucky was literally 😐 while his best friend disappeared, come on now).

And the storyline about Peggy coming from another world to save the universe was just… Mbah. It could’ve been executed in another way without including her and it still would have made sense. It really feels like a Y/N insert.

Seeing literally any other character was so good, so fun, and they had to ruin it this way, making Peggy once again the self insert and girlboss she didn’t need to be.

Plus, forgive my constant complaining, but it’s extremely infuriating how all of Steve’s friends were eliminated to put the focus solely on Peggy. Where’s Sam? Where’s Nat? Where’s Clint? It’s not an underrated friendship we’re talking about, a big chunk of the fandom loves the cap quartet or team cap, and after civil war it would have been nice to see them interact, especially after its popularity and popular demand. Outlaw team cap would have been glorious, a good chance to bring back many characters who aren’t here anymore in the right way, and involve characters that are rarely involved in What if in the storyline, for a change.

The treatment of Sam in this series particularly angers me, and even more so in this episode. I understand not involving him in other storylines, but Sam was a big part of CATWS and he wasn’t even in the episode centered on that film. What, because Steve met him while running he can’t be introduced in any other way? And oh, there’s no excuse for this episode. If there was one episode they could have placed Sam in, it was this one. Sam was there in infinity war, where the mess happened, and he should have been with the other avengers in this one.

If marvel wanted to involve someone from another universe so bad, it should have been a Captain America Sam from another universe. Can you imagine the poetry of seeing Steve and Nat again after endgame? Can you imagine having closure with them both, and having fun in the process? It would have been so great.

Another great storyline without involving characters from other universes would have been one where Steve, who touched the time stone, accidentally brought everyone in the past, and he was the only one to remember it. And to go back and prevent everyone’s distraction, he had to recruit the avengers, who don’t know him and don’t trust him but that in the end become his friends and companions. It would have been so interesting to see the original avengers involved in something different from being some side characters or extras in the one woman show that seems to be What if, constantly centered around the same bland, one dimensional reimagined side character. Peggy’s blandness is so obvious in these episodes (aside for some random remarks that made me smile) that literally everyone who’s involved directly with her must be bland like her, otherwise risking to overshadow her.

I don’t think I was supposed to cringe and look away as much as I did during Steggy’s forced scenes, but I did. If they had to force Steggy and Peggy down our throats, at least they could have done something different from the same bland and boring storyline as always. I wouldn’t be as mad as I am now if Peggy and Steve’s relationship wasn’t as bland. I would have preferred an enemies to lovers type of twist or change, where Steve doesn’t trust Peggy and struggles with her because he sees in her a different version of the Peggy that died in that universe. But noooo, god forbid, let’s go with the same old song.

An episode five or ten minutes longer with a better, avengers-centric or Steve-centric storyline would have been much better than what we got.

And given that this was my most anticipated episode, I was very disappointed by it. I hope for the next seasons, if there’s other ones, Marvel will listen to the general complaint regarding Peggy and will give her a break. I don’t think any of the original avengers or relevant MCU characters made as much appearances as Peggy, and being a main focus in four episodes out of nine is ridiculous.

[critter-rarepair-reccs]

Happy Thursday, friends! Apologies for the delay on this week's recommendations, but we now have seven different oneshots for you all! As always, you can find them below the cut and if you check any of them out, I encourage you to leave kudoes and comments to spread the rarepair love 💕

before the salt burns your eyes and you run out of time - by JuniperGrace (2,035 words, General) Pairing: Kima/Allura Vysoren (Kimallura) Warnings: Nightmares, Drowning

Allura has a nightmare after she and Kima almost drowned post-Raishan battle. Kima comforts her.

Reccer Says: The author in general writes some of my favorite KimAllura fics. This one in particular, I really like how they write the dream and Kima and Allura's relationship just feels so natural.

A Completely Normal Vacation by Luddleston (10,586 words, Explicit) Pairing: Kingsley Tealeaf/Caleb Widogast (Widoking) Warnings: None

Jester gets to pick the next location for the Nein to have a get-together and chooses a high-end sex club in Rosohna. Left alone as the couples pair off for the evening, Caleb and Kingsley end up exploring things together.

Reccer Says: It's deliciously sexy, a very fun and silly premise, and overall just a great exploration into a dynamic between Kingsley and Caleb and the two of them exploring sex together!

(watch me) dissolve by embraidery (3,617 words, Mature) Pairing: Fjord/Mollymauk Tealeaf (Fjolly) Warnings: None

Fjord accepts Molly's offer to help him bathe after a tough battle, and then takes him up on another (unspoken) offer.

Reccer Says: I'm always a sucker for a bathing and hair washing fic and this is such a sweet exploration of that. And for a couple I love that really doesn't get the exploration they deserve!

Essek and Gilmore stuck in an elevator what will they do by allmadeofstardust (1,421 words, General) Pairing: Shaun Gilmore/Essek Thelyss Warnings: None

While paying a visit to Allura, Essek gets stuck in an elevator with none other than Shaun Gilmore.

Reccer Says: A perfect exploration of that one 4 Sided Dive moment. They talk magic and flirt! What more could anyone ask for?

Baby, I Will, ‘Cause I Really Want To by brief_lives (4,694 words, Explicit) Pairing: Orym/Dorian Storm/Will (Dorymwill) Warnings: None

A Will lives AU in which Orym and Will have an open relationship whilst apart and get together with Dorian when Orym brings Dorian back to Zephrah with him.

Reccer Says: Sometimes the lack of Will Lives AUs surprises me (or maybe I don't look in the right places, idk) and so this is a really nice entry into the genre of fic! And also a great exploration of how Dorian would fit into that dynamic.

For Science, Obviously by Luddleston (3,640 words, Explicit) Pairing: Ashton Greymoore/Essek Thelyss (Shadowmoore) Warnings: None

Essek experiments with Ashton's dunamancy. Said experiments make Ashton horny. They try to hide it.

Reccer Says: This fic (and the rest of the series that followed it) are everything I could've hope for when Ashton said Essek was hot in episode 97. Luddleston never disappoints when it comes to writing Very Hot smut and this is no exception. Also the dunamancy stuff going on is very interesting and is a very fun companion to the horiness and sex for those of us who enjoy that kind of thing XD

Don't take this the wrong way by ladyofrosefire (3,128 words, Explicit) Pairing: Darrow Allocke/Fjord Warnings: None

Darrow and Fjord hook up after their fight.

Reccer Says: Listen, Darrow was 100% coming onto Fjord with the corndogs thing, you can't convince me otherwise, and I love anyone who's written fic about them. They're such an underrated pairing. This fic is really hot and I love it.

Thank you for joining us this week’s recc list! All the love to everyone who submitted a fic 💕 All enclosed recommendations were submitted by the community via our submissions form, which you can find here. All fic information is as it was provided by the reccer, so it may not be accurate to the author’s intent or the precise contents of the fic itself. Please assume good intent from all parties 💕

Submissions for next week’s list are already open! We’ll be featuring Laudna Rarepairs. If you have any you’d like to highlight, you can send them in here. The week after that, the theme is Grief & Mourning and the weeks after that we’re taking recommendations for Summer and Meet Cutes! Submissions for all of these themes are currently open.

If you want more rarepair fic, check out @cr-summer-wildflowers and their event collections on ao3! If you want some friendship after all this romance, take a look at @critter-genfic-events and their recc lists! And if you’re interested in everyone’s favorite wizards, you can’t go wrong with the lists at @aeor-is-for-reccing !

Thanks all and have a lovely day/night/timezone! 💕

[downbadmostofthetime]

can I be honest for a second

I actually kind of hate the treatment argenti got when he came out

sure. he’s a playable 5 star, got his own companion mission, and as well as a boss fight.

but comparing that to other characters, he literally got almost the bare minimum.

sure not every character has a companion mission, but those characters will usually be apart of other character’s companion missions or even in events centred around them (take sushang and guinaifen for example).

and while argenti is one of the few playable characters to have a boss fight, the others still have more than him

gepard may not have his own companion mission, but he was a main character in serval’s and even received visitor verification after you complete it, as well as the fact that he actually stands somewhere in belobog so you can talk to him whenever you please. plus he was also in the main story quest, just not as a prominent character. and as well that he’s a boss and is fightable in world 3

yanqing on the other hand does have his own companion mission, has visitor verification, is a fightable boss in world 8, had a very brief appearance in the main story quest (if I remember correctly) but was also complacent in two other companion missions (kafka and jingliu’s), and is available to talk to whenever you please.

kafka has her own companion mission, while she doesn’t have visitors verification. she’s one of the main antagonists in the game and is quite important to the lore (it’s unfair to compare her to argenti but you get the idea, so I won’t elaborate on the other things she has)

while argenti has:

-no visitor verification

-no appearance in any main story quest

-isn’t available to talk to whenever you please

-isn’t in any events so far

you can argue that “dr ratio and ruan mei are new characters and they aren’t bosses, available to talk to whenever, etc” but they do have main story quests (one for each actually), ruan mei has technically her own event (it’s based off of her own creations but they’re HERS and plus she has her own cat design so) and they both also have visitor verification.

maybe im just overreacting or just too impatient considering that argenti only came out in the second half of 1.5!!! and plus he’s gotten loads of attention outside of the game with hoyoverse buying the naming rights to a specific kind of rose species and naming it after him and holding a whole exhibition!!!! you know!!!!

but it kind of does suck with how his companion mission was so good, but the ending just felt very incomplete for me? like it feels like they didn’t know how to just properly end it so we got that (not that I’m complaining though I loved his quest). and as well as how he didn’t even receive visitor verification??? despite expressing his wishes to return???? they could just pull a seele, bronya and jing yuan with him but at least with those three they didn’t really have like an opportunity in the story for that to come around (if that makes sense) and thus them being added months later. but it’s different for argenti, considering how all three of them don’t even have a companion quest while argenti’s only main appearance is him having one.

argenti in my opinion is definitely one of the more underrated male characters and idk it just really sucks because I love him a lot and it kind of hurts to see how he isn’t getting as much attention as newer male characters like dr ratio for example.

yeah idk where I was going with this if anyone read this whole thing then hello I guess I hope you enjoyed that

[slippinmickeys]

Twenty questions for fanfic writers

I was tagged by @agent-troi and @randomfoggytiger Thanks for the tag, guys!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

53

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

712,000 exactly, which is sort of creepy?

3. What fandoms do you write for?

The X-Files mainly, though a million years ago I wrote two fics for JAG, and technically, I have a His Dark Materials fic (but it's an XF crossover)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

The Mesas of Deuteronilus Mensae

Prompt Drabble Collection

The Annapolis Grant

Three Part Harmony

A Companion Unobtrusive

5. Do you respond to comments?

I try to! Comments are the only payment fanfic writers get, and it's an incredibly valuable and underrated currency. Fanfiction as a community is one of the most generous you'll find, and I'm incredibly proud to be a part of this particular one.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Oh man, probably La Comtesse de Saint-Germain.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

In this day and age I feel like we deal with enough shit, so I try to end most of my fics happily. I think A Gem-Like Flame probably has the most uplifting happy ending, but then, I'm a sports nerd.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I haven't yet.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Um, probably pretty vanilla het MSR. No shame.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I've only written one, but it turned out really well, I thought. It's an X-Files/His Dark Materials novella-length crossover that takes place in Lyra's world, pre-Lyra, called Out of the Little Grove.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Anyone who steals my fic is going to catch these hands.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes, a couple of years ago someone asked if they could translate one of my fics to Russian. It's out there somewhere.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I jumped in and helped @monikafilefan get Five Years and a Lifetime over the line for a fic exchange a couple of years ago. A fun, collaborative experience, that was like 85% Monika. It's a great fic, check it out if you haven't!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Mulder & Scully are my OTP. Always and forever.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I'd love to finish Madam Scully's Spiritual Services, Inc., it's an AU where Scully works for her sister's Psychic Boutique while prepping for med school. Scully ends up being actually psychic and she helps newly minted FBI agent Fox Mulder solve a series of murders. I have it almost completely plotted (except for the nitty-gritty hard stuff), but I don't think I'll ever get it done, sadly. It's just too big a story to tackle with where I am in my life. Though I never say never.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I'm decent at dialogue, have a pretty firm grasp on plotting, and, I hope characterization.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

My character work is probably my weak spot, which is why I have so much fun writing fanfic--the character work is already done, I just get to play around a world where everybody already knows the characters.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

When I do it, I hope like hell that I'm doing it right. I think it's necessary for some stories and you just hope you're properly respecting a language you don't speak.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

The X-Files, in the year of our lord nineteen hundred and ninety eight.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

It's a toss up between Proof of Life, an AU where CNN conflict reporter Dana Scully is kidnapped and imprisoned with fellow kidnap victim and photojournalist Fox Mulder, and they, you know, fall in love. And North of Zero, a post-col novel where Mulder and Scully get William back and have to save the world. The one I totally pantsed (made up as I went along), and it came together like alchemy. I love that story. If you don't like AU, you'd like Proof of Life. If you don't like post-colonization stories, you'd like North of Zero. I don't always like everything I've written after I'm done writing it (a writer's life), but I'm incredibly proud of both of those fics.

Tagging @monikafilefan because she's already tagged, and anyone else who wants to do this!

[the--highlanders]

for the doctor who ask game, 2, 4, 8, 18 :)

2. Which outfit of the Doctor would you wear yourself?

that outfit that fifteen wore to the club.............. I need his gender so bad

I do kinda want to closet cosplay eleven again, that was always fun

4. Who is your favourite companion?

it almost feels like cheating to say it's jamie at this point. favourite dr who companion feels too small for that & too unrelated to everything I've done to his character over the years. victoria is a very strong second place also

outside of two's era, probably vicki, jo, clara, and bill :) tho I tend to enjoy most of them!! there's just a few that I don't vibe with really

8. What character do you think is the most misunderstood/underrated?

victoria victoria victoria victoria. & as usual when I say this I mean in terms of like, eu content as much as fandom.

like, she definitely gets the short end of the stick in a bunch of ways, so I understand why it's the case - so many of her episodes are missing, she's been typecast for years as the archetypal 'screaming companion', & she's sandwiched between two-jamie-ben-polly (who are quite a distinctive tardis team) and two-jamie-zoe (very similar makeup of two and jamie + a teenage girl, with more surviving episodes and a general sense that zoe is 'cooler' or more capable). so I get it! I see why it's easy to gloss over her

but like. look at her. she's sweet and kind and absolutely unafraid of hitting a dictator in the face. she's so so so brave and also /so scared/ and she leaves because she's too scared and tired to go on and the narrative doesn't demonise her for that. she's Been Through It. she's two and jamie's first adopted kid more junior companion and is absolutely crucial to the way they crystallise as a duo. she's a perfect narrative foil for jamie. she plays off both two and jamie so well. like she has SO much going on and SO much potential for good character work (and eu stories that get her right tend to be REALLY good), but I'm always seeing her at the bottom of companion polls/she just feels like the most overlooked of two's companions :((( justice for my beautiful daughter who has every mental illness

18. Do you think the Doctor can cook?

already answered :)

doctor who ask game!

[tomasluvhun]

👯

I’m skewing this question juuuust a tad to inquire which companion character Bombita vibes with most/has a personality that meshes well with hers 👀

YAY!! thank you!!

👯 So there's a bunch of companies she would get along with such as Veronica, Lily, Boone ect (and of course ED-E and Rex, she'll love them regardless) but I feel that she would vibe with Raul the most.

There's a bunch of reasons for this so I'll try to be organized with it!! First off his personality. He can be blunt in the most sarcastic ways possible which is something that Bombita actually enjoys considering she's a blunt person as well. She enjoys hearing him speak about pre-war events and areas, but hearing him speak about his own past is something that she resonates and respects him for. Not only that but they would probably connect more with old Spanish music (if they can recover some or a signal through her pip-boy/radio) and mechanical stuff considering that Bombita does a lot of tinkering with a lot of robotics and weapons due to her past occupations and present. Almost like a Grumpy and Sunshine dynamic though I wouldn't say Raul is grumpy, he's just old and tired but I feel as though he would enjoy her presence as she just treats him with respect, a good laugh here and there, and a sarsaparilla whenever she can get her hand on some extras XD

Something else I think would be fun is that they're just costume buddies, costumes that relate to something important in their past and feel a deep connection too!!

(That's what I pretty much think right now, plus I really do think he's an underrated companion, so personally getting to know his backstory and enjoying his personality as a whole since I kinda relate to it, I feel as though it would be a fun pair!)