#i just want to talk about Vax stuff

[vaxyl]

sure do love it when my posts don't show in the tags 🙃

[esperderek]

New RPG.net owner liked tweets from RFK Jr, Tucker Carlson, and more...

Just left RPG.net, that venerable old tabletop rpg forum, a forum that I've been a part of for 20+ years.

Recently (in March), it was bought by RPGMatch, a startup aiming to do matchmaking for TTRPGs. In the past couple of days, despite their many reassurances, I got it into my head to look up the new owner Joaquin Lippincott, and lucky for me he has a Twitter! (Or X, now, I guess.)

Yeah...the first warning bell is that his description calls him a 'Machine learning advocate', and his feed is full of generative AI shit. Oh, sure, he'll throw the fig leaf of 'AI shouldn't take creative jobs.' here and there, but all-in-all he is a full-throated supporter of genAI. Which means that RPGnet's multiple assurances that they will never scrape for AI...suspect at best.

Especially, when you check out his main company, https://www.metaltoad.com/, and find that his company, amongst other services, is all about advising corporations on how to make the best use of generative AI, LLMs, and machine learning. They're not the ones making them, but they sure are are helping corps decide what jobs to cut in favor of genAI. Sorry, they "Solve Business Problems."

This, alone, while leaving a massive bad taste in my mouth, wouldn't be enough, and apart from his clear love of genAI his feed is mostly business stuff and his love of RPGs. Barely talks politics or anything similar.

But then, I decided to check his Likes, the true bane of many a people who have tried to portray themselves as progressive, or at least neutral.

And wow. In lieu of links that can be taken down, I have made screenshots. If you want to check it yourself, just find his Twitter feed, this isn't hidden information. (Yet.)

Here's him liking a conspiracy theory that the War on Ukraine is actually NATO's fault, and it's all a plan by the US to grift and disable Russia!

Here's him liking Robert F. Kennedy Jr. praising Tucker Carlson interviewing Vladimir Putin!

Here's him liking a right wing influencer's tweet advancing a conspiracy theory about Hunter Biden!

Former Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy talking about how he wants to tear down the Department of Education and the FDA (plus some COVID vaccine conspiracy theory thrown in)

Sure did like this Tucker Carlson video on Robert Kennedy Jr... (Gee, I wonder who this guy is voting for in October.)

Agreeing about a right-wing grifter's conspiracy theories... (that guy's Twitter account is full of awful, awful transphobia, always fun.)

Him liking a tweet about someone using their own fathers death to advance an anti-vaxx agenda! What the fuck! (This guy was pushing anti-vax before his father's death, I checked, if you're wondering.)

So, yes, to sum it up, RPG.net, that prides itself as an inclusive place, protective it's users who are part of vulnerable groups, and extremely supportive of creators, sold out to a techbro (probably)libertarian whose day job is helping companies make use of generative AI and likes tweets that advance conspiracy theories about the Ukraine war, Hunter Biden, vaccines, and others. Big fan of RFKjr, Carlson, and Putin, on the other hand.

And, like, shame on RPG.net, Christopher Allen for selling to this guy, and the various admins and mods who spent ages reassuring everything will be okay (including downplaying Lippincott's involvement in genAI). Like, was no research into this guy done at all? Or did y'all not care?

So I'm gone, and I'm betting while maybe not today or tomorrow, things are going to change for that website, and not for the best for anyone.

[wandering-trader-joes]

So idk if this is a hot take or not, but I liked the end of TLOVM Season 3.

(More under the cut? Is that what they say?)

TL;DR: this version of Bard’s Lament fixed a problem I had with the original campaign, I think all the wrap up at the end was probably done as well as it could’ve been, and the way it ends with a tenuous semi-resolution is in-keeping with the way that it played out in game, albeit in a more condensed format.

———

The main thing I’ve seen people talking about is the lack of Bard’s Lament (kinda), and I was upset about that idea at first too. But honestly, I think this change does a lot of justice specifically to the relationship between Scanlan and Pike.

A lot of what happened in Bard’s Lament was due to the fact that nobody noticed that Scanlan was struggling, and that’s all well and good except for the fact that Pike absolutely would have.

The only reason she didn’t was because Ashley Johnson herself wasn’t able to be there. Idk about anyone else, but that narrative gap due to “meta interference” has always bothered me. I kind of love that they were able to rectify that in the show, and give us the way that Bard’s Lament likely would have gone if real life didn’t get in the way.

We finally get to see how it would have went down if Pike didn’t have such a Blind Spot, and I love that for her.

———

I’ve also seen people talking about how the ending felt lackluster, and I can see where they’re coming from, but I personally disagree.

I was a little anxious at the start of episode 10 when they started to split up to do a bunch of the previously group-based activities, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that, aside from not getting the group kill on Ripley, it didn’t bother me that much (and we still got the “one arrow in her heart and another in her mouth while she screams”, which makes me happy).

Especially because it gave time to see more of the twins on their own (which I will always take more of) and let Keyleth do her Earth Ashari stuff, which we didn’t even get in the original show as it happened pre-stream (but would’ve felt weird to leave out here given that they haven’t established that). And we finally got EarthElemental!Keyleth. It’s Key-teor time!

It also put her Aramente into more of a focus in her life, which needed to happen at some point anyway. And they still got to be together (kinda) for the final showdown against Raishan, so the conclusion was still there.

———

In the campaign, they had this weird kind of limbo period (the part with Tary) before the year-long gap where they were sort of just tying up loose ends. That felt fine as a game, but would’ve been super clunky on TV. So I’m glad that they found other ways to get the group to the point where it felt like going their own ways for a while was okay and also necessary (though I do wish we had gotten more of the twins struggling with the idea of being away from each other). I just really needed Vax to get his year in Zephrah!

All that being said, I am a little sad that we probably won’t get Tary in the show.

———

The vibe that I always got with the Vecna arc was that the group was pretty much ready to settle into their non-adventuring lives before they had to stop the end of the world again (aside from Scanlan stuff, but I already talked about that). In order for that to be the case, they need to have a period of time where it kind of feels like everything is wrapped up and happy. In my opinion, they were quite successful in this regard, which is impressive given how they were able to get there in only 3 episodes.

Idk I’ve just been wondering for a while about how the were going to navigate this part of the campaign, and I’m quite pleased with how they managed it. That’s not to say it’s perfect, but I feel as content with it as I do with all the other changes they’ve made whilst adapting to a different medium.

———

… also I’ve been wanting to gush over one tiny detail. I love the way that Vax’s interaction with Orthax went. Not only because of how it finally established him and Percy as brothers, but it’s also a cool way to loop in his multi-classing. Orthax specifically talks about Vax giving in to vengeance, and in the campaign he becomes a VENGEANCE Paladin! I thought it was a really fun way to kind of hint at that shift without needing to get into the dnd of it all :)

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Well... at lease we have Wandee & Stand-in?

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

May 2024 Wk 4

Ongoing Series - Thai

Wandee Godday (Sat YT) ep 4 of 12 - The geept is strong with this one AKA Yak CAN flirt. Wandee now knows he isn’t the only one with a crush on someone else. AND YET they are SO DAMN CUTE together. I do wonder sometime if Yak is running a counter con with Dee pretending to have a crush on Taem. Meanwhile, mad props on the HPV vax public service! Good for them!!! Now that's my kind of product placement. I do have a feeling the sad bit with these two is gonna be VERY sad and last longer than we like. 

My Stand-In (Thai Fri iQIYI) ep 5 of 12 eps - It’s a riveting show. Pleasant? No. Riveting? Yes. Tiny crumbs for Ming’s assistant. Joe is best boy. That is all. I LOVE this show.

We Are (Weds iQIYI) ep 8 of 16 - TOO MANY SOUND EFFECTS. Omg get your fingers off those buttons you computer wanking sound dude (you know it’s a dude) what tf do you think this is? Lovely Writer? Also, they left ALL their drinks! Can you not walk and drink at the same time in a BL? Meanwhile not much happened that hadn’t already happened AKA bit of a filler ep. That said, the friendship group stuff is glorious!!! Also this brand of super gentle flirting suits PondPhuwin better than any of their prior rolls. It reminds me of how much I think they suit a historical. There is a gentle dignity to these two. 

Only Boo! (Sun YouTube) ep 7 of 12 - I love how kindly the turn down was. But most of the dancing stuff was dull. I don’t know I just find the actor playing Kang pretty vacant of appeal I guess. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

At 25:00 in Akasaka AKA 25 Ji Akasaka de (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 6 of 10 - As is not uncommon with JBL I’m being to get frustrated with Yuki the Uke. Sigh. I’m probably gonna stay that way for several episodes given the pacing of this show. 

Living With Him AKA Kare no Iru Seikatsu (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 7 of 10 - Also frustrating. Willful misunderstanding. We got us some running of the gays but boy is this drawn out. 

Blossom Campus (Korea Thurs Gaga & iQIYI) ep 3-4 of 6 - The puppy is a bit too much sunshine innocent for me. And the professor is a bit creepy. I don't know, I'm not loving this one like I want to.

It's airing but...

You Made My Day (Thai YT) ep 1 of 5 - mini series staring the I Will Knock You couple Tar & Bom, started but I couldn't find it. I also didn't try very hard.

The Time of Fever AKA Unintentional Love Story 2 (Korea movie) trailer released to Korean theaters 5/25. HoTae & DongHee, side couple from Unintentional Love Story are back! Same actors, same character names. I love them. I NEED TO SEE THIS. How?

OMG Vampire (Thai Sun ????) ep 2 of 10 - yeah I can't find it.

In case you missed it

Crossing my fandoms moment, major Kpop blog ran the following: OMEGA X Hangyeom Talks Jazz For Two, Brotherhood, And More With KpopStarz

Tis the season of remakes? Both Addicted Heroin (August, my love!) and My Love Mix-Up (G4!) are coming from Thailand. I am very excited to see both. I love a Thai remake, often more than the original.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

May Releases

VBL (Taiwan) is releasing 4 'Special Episode' epilogues to their 4 2023 shows every Friday this month on Gagaoolala, Viki & Viu. Not sure on search terms or how to find these. (Or, frankly, if we need them.)

5/10 – You Are Mine

5/17 – VIP Only

5/24 – Stay By My Side

5/31 – Anti Reset

5/28 My Biker 2 (Thai movie YT?) - trailer

5/30 Knock Knock Boys (Thai Thurs WeTV & Gaga) - I do love Best and I'm interested in seeing him in a new pairing. That said, I'm not wild about Seng. Still, this looks like a chaotic pulpy mess, I'm looking forward to wallowing in it one way or another.

5/31 The Time of Huannan (Taiwan movie) - May not be BL

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

All Wandee Gooday.

Icky no longer allows screen shots or there would have been a bunch from Stand-in.

(Last week)

Streaming services are listed by how I (usually) watch, which is with a USA based IP, and often offset by a day because time zones are a pain.

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity

@rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs

Sigh, Tumblr in it's infinate wisdom doesn't like too many tags.

There's these tricks, remember:

[pearlaquaoceans]

The amount of stuff knocking around in my head about episode 99 have me thinking nonstop about some of the gods and I gotta write it down. This might not make sense or it might not be how the gods will appear by the end of the three episodes but oh man am I invested right now.

Sarenrae - I could have only dreamed for Ashley to play the everlight but she is and it is perfection. I have missed the warmth of Sarenrae since VM and to have her back is fantastic and to have Ashley who showed such a love for her as Pike is so beautiful and wonderful.

I am totally behind Sarenrae falling in love and having a family in her mortal form. She loves humanity much like Pelor but being the goddess of forgiveness, she can understand them more and see their flaws but also the beauty in those flaws. I think because she forgives she can also see humans as the full beings they are and she loves them still. How could see come to Earth and see the good in people, and allow them forgiveness when they do wrong, and not love them? Humanity is messy and falling in love is messy and families are messy and it fits so much with what she governs that it just feels right to me. Her being a school teacher feels right to me. I fully believe she is going to carry the scent of the top of her children's heads for as long as she holds that mortal form.

Pelor - This one surprised me. He has always been shown in a domineering and stuffy light. He is a god in a traditional sense who seems untouchable, unreachable, and unparalleled in his grandeur. So the moment Nick Marini spoke as him, I was shook because it was so very... gentle. Warm. Present. I cannot remember the last time my feelings on a character did such a left turn that I was not expecting. As soon as he spoke I was in. I was invested.

And Pelor is in that traditional way, a god. Someone who loves his creations but also sees them as.. feeble. Needing guidance from the gods. It is a hubris that any god is capable of. Yet because of that, he is equally caring. This is the Pelor I had never seen. We have seen him be kind in a way with Vex, demanding with his followers, and unforgiving of the sins commited in his name, but we have not seen him gentle. And here, we see him so gentle. So caring for their creations. He wants them to survive, to feel more than just pain in existence. For the first time I truly believe he loves humanity. Maybe it will change in the next few episodes but for now.. I for the first time, care about him.

The Matron - Mmmmmaaaannnn I would expect nothing less than for Laura to play her. They are forever twined and I am so happy she is. The matron is.. so complex and I am stubborn and did not come into this believing I would feel anything but stubborn anger towards her for what she did to Vax even if she didn't really do anything wrong. I do believe she would have given him a long life but she could not and so she has instead chosen to keep him by her side and seeing this version of her... I can see it. I can see Vax giving her a sense of life that she has not felt in many many centuries.

As soon as Laura talked, I felt.. a warmth for her. A feeling, but I was not prepared on any level for the moment she said Purvan's name, to start sobbing. I don't know why but just knowing him and some of his journey, the mirror to Vax, the man who follows his queen and guarded her... I cried. I cried for him and I cried for her. I love that she is the goddess to know intimately what humans are capable of and knowing how little they would hesitate to destroy the gods. She also is willing to remind the gods of the fragility of man. I kinda love it. Damn it.

Melora - Man, the playing of her as relentless in her hunger is so interesting. Because nature exists to eat. Eating is survival. And survival is harsh and uncaring. Nature will not put compassion above survival. Melora is often played as warm and nature can be that but a world that has been choked by smoke and ash for a hundred years is a Melora that is haunted and starving. I love it.

I just really love the three all playing the gods they have been closest to or affect by in the campaigns. I love it. Its such a brilliant move.

[theusisthebadplace]

Alright- it’s time for Aunt Amanda’s regular plea to anyone of voting age in the United States.

PLEASE VOTE. Please. If you need money for an uber or something let me know and I’ll send it to you.

If you have any say with conservative family members who are pro vaccines, please let them know that Trump is likely going to appoint RFK Jr. who will abolish vaccine mandates. (Not covid vax mandates, ALL vaccines.) Meaning they and their family members will now be at risk for diseases like measles, mumps, whooping cough, etc.

They (republicans) also want to really scale back the department of education, if not just get rid of it. Which means no one to monitor IEPs and 504 plans, and no monitoring of federal funding for super rural schools.

Sometimes, liberals/leftists talk about Trump’s abhorrent character or his threat to democracy. But conservatives don’t give a flying f**k about that. They just remember that gas and groceries were cheaper. So we just gotta talk to them about the practical stuff, you know?

Don’t assume they’re a lost cause. And don’t fight, or call them stupid. Just say, hey I was listening to RFK Jr. talk and he said… blah blah blah. Maybe it’ll make them think. Maybe it won’t. But we have to try!

And we HAVE to vote. Also, if you live in a conservative area/household, NO ONE gets to see your ballot. Who you vote for is between you and the sky, okay? So you can lie, after you submit your ballot, if you need to, to keep yourself safe. Do what you gotta do- but know those circles on that ballot is between you and whatever god you believe in.

[nellie-elizabeth]

I really, really loved campaign 3, I loved Bells Hells, I loved the finale.

I want to talk about it a bit. This gets messy and rambly and I’m a little defensive because it’s this thing where I loved the story and I want other people to love it too but I know I can’t make that happen so I just feel the need to justify my own response? Idk, read at your own risk, no shade to anybody who feels differently! Truly!

This isn’t me trying to convince anybody of anything, I totally get that I seem to be in a bit of a minority about C3 and that a lot of people didn’t gel with it! I guess this is just me just trying to articulate my reaction? The one thing about watching this finale that I didn’t like was how alienating it feels to see the negative fandom reaction to stuff and just be like… how do other people not get really jazzed about how exciting and weird and different this is? No shade for not liking it, that’s totally valid, but it did bum me out to be in the main tags and see so many people kind of being like, openly mocking of what I thought was a beautiful story?

I don’t wanna state anybody’s opinion back to them because tbh I still feel like I don’t quite understand the core objection about the gods stuff other than that people liked the god dynamics that existed in C1 and C2 as they were and didn’t want that aspect to be destroyed? And for me I guess my metaphor would be like, in C1 the gods were sitting on a box in a shelf and I had no problem with that, they were cool, they were there, whatever, but the RQ and Vax was the only juicy dynamic that got explored there, and she was the only god that broke the pattern because she was an ascended mortal and therefore a foil to our BBEG of Vecna, etc. etc. The stuff with Pike & Everlight, or like Scanlan & Knowing Mistress, Vex & Dawnfather, Grog & Stormlord – or even in C2 the stuff with Fjord & Wildmother, Yasha&Stormlord, which I really really loved – all of those dynamics were more about internal character growth to me, about characters making choices internal to themselves and reaching out for a new purpose and direction. I never like, “cared” about the Wildmother or the Stormlord as “characters,” they were abstract forces, they served as metaphors for character growth for the PCs in my mind.

But for me, so, the gods are sitting in the box on the shelf, and then through C2 when we learned about this other spiritual thing with the Dynasty and the luxon, and every hint we got about the gods’s origins and the Calamity, it was like the box was rattling on the shelf, and then C3 spilled the box open and made this giant fascinating mess where it’s like - oh man, now because of Downfall the gods are characters to me, and now because of all the lore of C3 and Calamity and Downfall, I don’t know what’s going to happen, everything is upside down. And I’m not even saying that this outcome was THE outcome that I would have loved best, I wasn’t really committed to a particular conclusion, I just wanted to break the box open and see all the shit that came spilling out of there, and that’s what I feel like we got? And I guess that goes back to the core thing of, the way the gods functioned in the story back when we first got to know Exandria in C1, that just wasn’t something that I felt really connected or invested in story-wise, I didn’t dislike it, but it just felt like background worldbuilding flavor to me, pretty standard high fantasy pantheon stuff, and didn’t really compel me especially. So fucking with that status quo didn’t have any… grief to it, if that makes sense?

But like narrative-wise for BH, it’s so cool to me to have this story where the heroes did save the world in that they stopped Ludo from releasing Predathos, and they stopped Predathos from getting loose in any other way and just eating all the gods and thus destroying their realms, BUT what they had to do to save the world did NOT preserve the status quo, it really shook everything up, it made what once had seemed permanent impermanent, it defied narrative cohesion and turned a lot of certainties into question-marks. And I really really love that for the world-building aspect of Exandria, and I really love that for Bells Hells, these characters who stumbled into being the ones to make this call, not because they deserved it or they had the greatest investment or it should have been their choice, but because they were the ones who happened to be there and that’s kind of it. That’s very D&D to me, in all its complicated glory.

I see objections about BH’s meandering and lack of motivation a lot and I just do not get how you can say that’s MORE true of BH than it was of VM or M9, all three core campaigns had the same D&D feel of Matt coming up with story hooks and the players going “okay, yeah, we’re playing a game, let’s go over here and see what’s what.” And then personal investment and stakes are woven into that: the chroma conclave is personal because of what Raishan did to the fire ashari, and because Thordak killed Vex & Vax’s mom! The Somnovem is personal because that’s MOLLY, and he’s their friend. Stopping Ludo is personal for Orym because that man killed his family, and Ruidus is personal for Imogen and Fearne because of their fated births, and because their long-absent parents (Imogen’s mom and Fearne’s dad) are caught up in this mess. So the world-ending stakes end up having personal character hooks to them, but also as always there’s this aspect of a D&D party going to stop the end of the world because that’s what you do, and the RP challenge is having the characters figure out why they’re motivated to be there. I’m not even going to argue that they’re 100% successful at that all the time, like, I think the player who grapples with the question the most directly is Sam, who famously keeps struggling with why Veth would be adventuring when she has a family waiting for her, but he did it with Scanlan too obviously. That’s another thing I think of as a feature, not a bug, of this game, it’s not that a fully improvised TTRPG show is going to have the tightest and most cogent character arcs ever created, it’s that the actors are constructing something on the fly while new concepts are being thrown at them constantly, and what are they going to land on? Not something perfect, but something that hopefully feels true. And I certainly felt that from C3, while I get the sense that many others did not.

I checked in on tags while watching the finale a few times but then had to stop because I just saw a lot of people apparently…. Hate-watching this finale, and just kind of jumping to the most judgmental possible reaction to everything? This isn’t even saying that I was annoyed that people were disappointed, I saw some reactions that I didn’t agree with but that made sense, people being like “man, I wish they’d more directly confronted the risks of releasing Predathos the way they did, I wish this had been something that actual holy leaders and Vasselheim had gotten to help decide” and like, yeah, I totally understand that reaction! But other people seemed to take anything that BH did or said and just decide it was proof of what shitty horrible people they all are, and that did bum me out lol.

Like one example is that there’s this scene where Matt is showing how many of the leaders of Vasselheim are deeply grieving about the gods being gone, and it’s complicated, right, because they’re not gone gone but still everything is different forever now - and we get a whole host of different reactions from our party. We get Ashton trying to be understanding but also being pretty smug and condescending (very Ashton of them), we get Orym and Imogen being compassionate and totally seeing the point of view of the grieving Vord, et al, we get Laudna being socially out of touch but candid as she always is, expressing (privately to the group) that she’s annoyed that they’re not being celebrated as having saved the world. And we get Deanna, in one of my favorite lines of the whole finale, I think, talking about how it was never the point to worship the gods because they were gods. The gods gave them power to help people, and that still stays. So we see how even though there’s this sadness and uncertainty, there are still people of faith who have their purpose and maintain it through this period of transition. They get to have this whole new relationship to faith and to the divinity of their guiding patrons, and some of them are going to embrace it and others are going to crumble under the weight of this loss, and it’s going to really, really fuck with the world. It was, I thought, a pretty standard scene for this group of talented actors, myriad reactions and experiences being expressed, no one right answer or definitive way of viewing what had happened.

And I saw multiple reactions in the tags being like “god, this is why nobody likes bells hells, they’re so shitty and they just think they can walk all over everyone and make the decisions for everyone else and not suffer any consequences.” And I just like… don’t understand how that can be your reaction to that scene, to this finale, to this campaign. I truly feel like that’s not an accurate read of any of this. Who’s to say they didn’t suffer consequences?

Also, one last thing, I like that this was a finale of compromises, and I fucking like that Vax gets to come home! I feel like I get exactly why the people who don’t like it don’t like it, and it’s because it unravels the ending of C1 and takes away the permanence of that ending, but like — listen, Vax didn’t WANT to be dead and leave his family, it was a huge fucking bummer, if Vecna hadn’t turned him to ash he would still have been a paladin of the RQ and maybe gone with her forever when he died but he at least would have gotten to live a life with the people he loved, and this ending DOESN’T undo his choice to be devoted to the RQ, it just undoes that thing where he had to be gone too soon. Maybe I’m just selfish but I like compromise land where his important relationship to the matron is still going to guide his life forever, that’s still a core part of who he is, and he gets to come home from work trips to be with his family. Idk, it’s different from the ending we got at first, and I think if you were writing a novel, Campaign 1’s ending is the most coherent, wrapped up, thematically tight story here, and fucking with VM outcomes in C3 totally disrupts that, I get it, I just, personally? Fuck it, Keyleth’s been in pain for 30 years, let her fucking have this one!! I don’t think it ruins the ending of C1, I don’t think it diminishes Vax’s sacrifice, I think… idk. I think Liam’s happy with it. And in a weird way, that is honestly the most important part of this to me? These shows are such a blend of character & performer where the investment and satisfaction of the PC actors matters to me more than how I would have written the story if it were a novel, if that makes sense. Idk, I’m just rambling, I know some people who are throwing parties in the streets about Vaxleth happy ending and other people who are pissed that it ruins C1’s ending, and I’m just like… man, idk. Maybe it’s because the real world is so fucked right now but I really needed a miracle and Keyleth really needed a miracle and I’m cool with her getting it.

There were PLENTY of aspects of C3 I didn’t love, but I felt that way about VM and M9 I think just as strongly as I did about BH. I find myself in this weird position of writing all of this out in this kind of defensive way because I feel so alienated and disconnected from all the negative reactions I’ve seen. I feel genuine sympathy and sorrow for the fans of CR who didn’t like C3 because I am having such a joyful and transcendent experience having watched this 10 year journey come to such an epic close. I wanted to be able to celebrate more with people but I also think I need to just stop focusing on all the ways this story failed to capture some parts of the fandom, because I know I’m not alone in feeling really happy and satisfied right now!

So, so many congratulations to the CR team for this huge accomplishment, I’m excited for what they do next.

[critmaswishingtree]

Masterpost and Wrap Up

(pun intended)

Thanks everyone to a wonderful inaugural Critmas Wishing Tree! You all managed to create fifty-eight prompts, with twenty-nine works by eighteen creators. Eight creators managed more than one work: five managed two, and three managed to fill three prompts! Twenty-six relationships were depicted (a lot of them had at least one Liam O'Brien character), and works ranged from general to explicit.

The final word count? 64,583 (and two fancomic panels).

This is all to say there's a lot of good stuff in there, so you should check them out beneath the cut:

(authors, if I missed tagging you and you have a tumblr, just let me know and I'll add it)

Campaign Crossovers

Talks are had after the big battles are over. Discussions of the future are had.

Oh I want... by Wolfblazer (1033,Mature)

Pairing/Characters: Orym/Dorian Storm, Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast

Warnings: None

Essek may have prodded Ashton's powers into mixing poorly. This can be fixed! ...Eventually.

Chaos Comes a Calling by @masterqwertster (1863,Teen)

Pairing/Characters: Ashton Greymoore & Essek Thelyss

Warnings:

There is a punishment when Vax breaks the non-intervention rules to save Keyleth.

Doing Time by @masterqwertster (Fancomic, 2 panels, General)

Pairing/Characters: Vax'ildan & Slitch the Imp

Warnings:

On that fateful day in Zephrah, Will meets a legend.

spirit of my silence by beancove (2752,Teen)

Pairing/Characters: Orym/Will, Keyleth/Vax, Vax & Will

Warnings:

After coming back from the dead for a second time, Laudna meets with one of the women who helped to kill her.

Dog Eat Dog by @gauzemer (3210,General)

Pairing/Characters: Laudna & Imogen, Ashton & Laudna, Cassandra & Percy De Rolo, Cassandra & Laudna

Warnings:

Campaign 1

It’s been too godsdamn long since Vax has had some time to himself to enjoy his release, so the moment he spots an opportunity to do so out in the woods away from his friends in camp, he takes it. He couldn’t have predicted the thoughts of Grog that come to his mind, though, filling his fantasies just as much as Vax imagines that the Big Man would fill him…

Mud or Something on Your Face by bardlock (2459,Explicit)

Pairing/Characters: Grog Strongjaw/Vax'ildan

Warnings:

The blade is your implement. You'll need it if you want to do this right.

this is a love story by @gauzemer (3662,Teen)

Pairing/Characters: Keyleth/Vax'ildan

Warnings:

Multiclassing is Vax's love language.

The Kissing Bough by @gauzemer (1436,General)

Pairing/Characters: Keyleth/Vax, Percy/Vex, Percy & Keyleth

Warnings:

Campaign 2

Caleb lets the hand reaching for components fall heavy on a knuckle, knocking solidly on wood and holding it there. The sound echoes through the silence, into Essek’s bones. “Clearly you are aware, arcanist, that a major point of holding these seminars is to receive feedback from our peers. While I am... grateful for your input, I’d ask that further questions be-” “The ‘point’ of a lecture is to teach what you know, not throw half-baked theory at the audience to see what sticks! I’m honestly sick and tired of unschooled, untrained wizards waltzing in here to- to pontificate to their betters under the guise of arcane discovery!” Caleb’s hand is still on the table, expression carefully neutral. “...Are you finished?” Essek learns something new about himself while attending his partner's presentation

Snap Ignition by BeanieBun (2866,Explicit)

Pairing/Characters: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast

Warnings: None

Ever since he had first sat in on one of Caleb’s lectures at the Soltryce Academy, Essek has been drawn to the way Caleb holds himself when he’s sharing the knowledge he has learned the hard way. There’s a confidence in Caleb that comes naturally to the surface. He is commanding, methodical, and takes care that those who are present get what they need from him. Essek’s not sure he’s ever been more attracted to Caleb than when he first sat in the lecture hall trying to hide how he was lusting after Professor Widogast. Or: When your partner confesses to you how turned on he was to see you in your element as a professor, you work with him to find a way to recreate it via sexual roleplay in your magical demiplane wizard tower as you discuss and show the practical sexual applications of dozens of spells to your adult “students” who are nothing more than a Programmed Illusion.

Class Is in Session by bardlock (887,Explicit)

Pairing/Characters: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

The last thing Essek had ever expected was to be trapped with Caleb’s ex, seemingly doomed to freeze to death. And yet, here he was. Against their will, Essek and Eadwulf find themselves trapped in a collapsed fissure in the depths of Aeor. Separated from Caleb and forced to take a long rest to regain their spells after a long day fighting Aeorian monstrosities, Eadwulf knows exactly how to keep them warm. After all, he, Astrid, and Bren had been no strangers to needing to keep warm in the chill of Trent Ikithon’s tower. All these years later, he still knows just what to do. Even if it means being far closer to his ex’s new boyfriend than either he or Essek would like.

Snowed In in Aeor by bardlock (1133,Mature)

Pairing/Characters: Eadwulf Grieve & Essek Thelyss, Eadwulf Grieve/Essek Thelyss, Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Kai Willowfright, a disgraced wizard, finds himself fleeing the Empire in the midst of a budding war. Captured by Xhorhasian soldiers, it is soon discovered that he is in possession of a Luxon beacon. He surrenders to the Bright Queen, and is granted protection in Rosohna—on one condition. Supervising this human foreigner falls to Hassan Threll, a high-ranking drow mage of the Kryn Dynasty’s court. Though repulsed by each other at first, the human and the dark elf begrudgingly work together to ultimately fetter out the ugly truth behind the war. They shift from enemies, to friends, and begin to wonder if they have discovered something even bigger—love—in A Heart Brighter Than the Beacon.

romance novels: a scholarly approach by @justlikeswitchblades-blog (2176,Mature)

Pairing/Characters: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast

Warnings:

See title

When Caleb met Verin but didn’t know it was Essek’s brother by witches_chant (2956,General)

Pairing/Characters: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast, Verin Thelyss/Caleb Widogast

Warnings:

Caleb had to protest when another plate was set in front of him. "My friend. This is simply too much."

Sweet Treats by 917651827 (1462,Teen)

Pairing/Characters: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast

Warnings:

Professor Widogast has had a very long day. His partner helps him unwind and realize how loved he is. Essek is protective of Caleb’s rest; if Caleb wants this to escalate, he will have to ask. He buries his nose in the crease of Essek’s groin and takes a long pull of the citrus and spice scent he finds there. Essek shifts again. Lips quirking in a mischievous smile, Caleb inhales deeply, then noses at Essek’s firming cock. There is an answering choked noise from above him. “Gods, Caleb,” Essek sputters. “Mmm,” Caleb rumbles. He props himself up on one arm. The bright flush of Essek’s cheeks and his blown pupils betray his interest, as does the white-knuckled clutch of his fingers around the couch arm. “I want to hold you,” Caleb says, licking his lips.

Melt by @inanerial (5844,Explicit)

Pairing/Characters: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast

Warnings:

Excerpt of Caleb Widogast and Essek Thelyss' expedition into the Aeoran ruins, detailing an encounter with a yet-unknown Abomination. (They encounter an Aeoran experimental beast. It goes as well as you'd expect)

Tongues and Teeth by cryobees (613,Teen)

Pairing/Characters: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast

Warnings:

Caleb didn't know Essek knew how to use a sword. He is suitably impressed.

Love is Made of Knives by @valakiir (1124,Teen)

Pairing/Characters: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast

Warnings:

Their mission from the Cobalt Soul is simple: steal some damning documents off a corrupt government official with very specific tastes, which Essek suits perfectly. After watching Essek play honeypot all night, all Caleb wants is to be reminded of who Essek is really devoted to.

Switch by @luddlestons (3326,Explicit)

Pairing/Characters: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast

Warnings:

Caleb did not keep a book of appointments, but he entertained himself nevertheless by imagining Jester penciling in for him—Da'leysen afternoon: vibe check old friends for any signs of evilness. The entry would be completed with an all-too-appropriate drawing of a dick. Three old friends getting to know each other again.

Reclamation by @burningdarkfire (2011,Teen)

Pairing/Characters: Astrid Becke/Eadwulf Grieve/Caleb Widogast

Warnings:

Jester doesn't get to celebrate the holidays as openly as she would like in Nicodranas, so Artie shares the holiday traditions he's adopted instead. When he goes a step too far, he promises to make up for his mishap.

moral lessons for a fey boy by @justlikeswitchblades-blog (1864,General)

Pairing/Characters: Artagan & Jester Lavorre

Warnings:

Wulf and Essek duel. Wulf is loving it and slightly distracted.

Corps-a-corps by @valakiir (2016,Teen)

Pairing/Characters: Eadwulf Grieve, Essek Thelyss

Warnings:

Essek, Caleb, and Astrid have an unconventional arrangement where everyone gets what they need. There is a new book on the table. New to Essek, at least. Its leather cover is scuffed, but the gilt embossed border speaks to a certain level of expense. More than that, it’s the discolored edges of the parchment that catch his eye. They’re uneven, aged. He hangs up his light outer robe, stacks his shoes by the door, and dispels his disguise. It is a relief to see his own hands again. He is walking, but his footsteps hardly make a sound. He approaches the table, runs a finger across the beautiful cover. There is a harsh crack that echoes from upstairs, but he does not flinch.

Fascinating Configurations by @inanerial (2269,Mature)

Pairing/Characters: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast, Astrid Becke & Essek Thelyss, Astrid Becke & Caleb Widogast

Warnings:

In another world, Yasha fights Earthbreaker Groon

Sandstorm by @critterfloozy (1024,Mature)

Pairing/Characters: Yasha Nydoorin, Earthbreaker Groon

Warnings:

Campaign 3

After Predathos, Orym gives Relvin the news.

Last Night I Dreamed that You Were A Child by @critterfloozy (1116,Teen)

Pairing/Characters: Imogen Temult & Relvin Temult

Warnings: Major Character Death

New Year's Eve in Zephrah is even better when the man you love is there with you to watch the fireworks, Orym discovers as he watches Dorian stare at the exploding colours in the sky in awe.

groundbloom by beancove (1267,General)

Pairing/Characters: Orym/Dorian Storm

Warnings: None

Ashton finally gets around to asking Marwa on a date. Or do they?

Schrodinger's Date by @critterfloozy (1347,Teen)

Pairing/Characters: Ashton Greymoore/Marwa Endalia

Warnings: None

Bells Hells stumble into a tavern late one night looking to rest. All Orym can think about is how amazing Dorian looks in his sheer shirt and tight pants and wants to show him how much it effects him. Dorian loves his look and the confidence it gives him and making Orym flustered doesn't hurt ether.

The Man Makes The Clothes by fuuwindgoddess (2329,Explicit)

Pairing/Characters: Orym/Dorian Storm

Warnings: None

Will loves to appreciate a pretty face, but his heart has only ever belonged to Orym. Luckily, while he can't recognize his developing feelings for a visiting noble, his husband recognizes the signs.

Honey, It's a Crush by @sociallyawkwardfoxwriter (6405,Teen)

Pairing/Characters: Orym/Dorian Storm/Will, Orym/Will, Dorian Storm/Will, Orym/Dorian Storm

Warnings:

Laudna was having a ball. She had won the last five hands at Imogen’s guidance, and a stack of chips was beginning to obscure her even better than the shadows. It was delicious, playing the lady. It seemed that with a certain but undefinable measure of wealth, she could cross from being dangerously different and into delightfully eccentric. She schooled her hungry smile into a fox’s grin and bade the dealer to begin another game. She should have known it would attract the wrong sort of attention. Laudna and Bella catch up 20 some odd years later after a chance encounter at a casino in Kymal.

Old Friends and New by @astoriacolumnstaircase (4133,General)

Pairing/Characters: Laudna & Bella

Warnings:

[thehappyspaceman]

On RFK Jr.'s BS (and its ties to a known hate group).

I don't usually write posts about stuff like this, but I gotta get this out of my system.

So I'm sure all of y'all by now have seen what Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said about people with autism, as part of his anti-vax rhetoric of using "environmental factors" (vaccines) as a cause of autism. And in this, he talks about how kids' lives are ruined by autism with the following (CW: Ableism):

Now, there are many, many things wrong with this. The biggest part is that he's calling for autistic people to be institutionalized, which is... a choice. There's also the fact that he listed "paying taxes" and "holding a job" in front of the other elements of personal fulfillment, basically stating that contributing to the state is a higher priority than being able to fulfill one's own personal needs. Then there's the idea that people with autism will never do any of these things, which is... blatantly wrong, and it is incredibly, and understandably, tempting to focus on the fact that yes, there are plenty of autistic people who can hold a job, play baseball, write a poem, go out on a date, yadda yadda. We all know that. Literally two seconds of googling will debunk this. And ultimately there's little point in trying to argue with these people about these facts when they can just blatantly lie and get away with it.

But let's go back to that first one I listed, because the overall biggest issue is simply the fact that he wants autistic people in general to be institutionalized and states that they are lesser people.

This is not out of nowhere. In fact, I immediately recognized this as the language of Autism Speaks.

For those who somehow don't know, Autism Speaks is an "autism awareness" organization that notably has no people with autism on its board, has vast money mismanagement funneling company funds directly into the people at the top, and has been criticized by a huge number of people with autism. Not undeserved, either, as they've spent years and years convincing parents that having a kid with autism, of any level of functionality, is the literal worst thing in the world and will tear apart your family, break up your marriage, make your family a laughingstock, and put you thousands of dollars in debt. And by the way, this is not an exaggeration. They had a commercial that literally said as much (again, CW for ableism):

Here's the (partial) transcript for those who understandably don't want to give it views:

I am autism. I’m visible in your children, but if I can help it, I am invisible to you until it’s too late. I know where you live. And guess what? I live there too. I hover around all of you. I know no color barrier, no religion, no morality, no currency. I speak your language fluently. And with every voice I take away, I acquire yet another language. I work very quickly. I work faster than pediatric aids, cancer, and diabetes combined, and if you’re happily married, I will make sure that your marriage fails. Your money will fall into my hands, and I will bankrupt you for my own self-gain. I don’t sleep, so I make sure you don’t either. I will make it virtually impossible for your family to easily attend a temple, birthday party, or public park without a struggle, without embarrassment, without pain. You have no cure for me. Your scientists don’t have the resources, and I relish their desperation. Your neighbors are happier to pretend that I don’t exist—of course, until it’s their child. I am autism. I have no interest in right or wrong. I derive great pleasure out of your loneliness. I will fight to take away your hope. I will plot to rob you of your children and your dreams. I will make sure that every day you wake up you will cry, wondering who will take care of my child after I die? And the truth is, I am still winning, and you are scared. And you should be.

Again, there is a lot to unpack with this. First of all, it places the emphasis of the problems on the parents ("I will make sure that your marriage fails. Your money will fall into my hands") rather than the autistic kids, because the kids are viewed as less human and their problems are lesser. This continues into the line about embarrassing the parents when going out to church, birthday parties, and parks. The kids are only taken into consideration after it says "You have no cure for me… I will fight to take away your hope," and even then, it says, "I will plot to rob you of your children and your dreams." Still placing emphasis on the parent rather than on the child--what about their dreams? Not taken into consideration because they are not human. And there's also the fact that it places heavy emphasis on the lack of a cure for autism, rather than on fixing society and giving accessibility accommodations for those with autism to make their lives easier.

The other video I'd like to bring up is this interview with one of the moms from Autism Speaks, who openly admits that she had considered killing herself and her autistic daughter (if you've gotten this far, you already know CW: ableism):

She's talking about it like one might talk about killing a pet that's sick. And in her own words, the only thing preventing her from doing so was her other non-autistic child. Because only that child is seen as human. Despicable.

And okay, yeah, most of you know that Autism Speaks is garbage. (I mean, I hope you know and I don't have to tell you, but if you didn't know before now, then I urge you to stop supporting them, and to tell anyone you know who does support them to also stop.) So why am I telling you this? Because this is literally the exact same rhetoric that RFK Jr. and every anti-vaxxer has. This belief that autism is a curse, a disease. To them, it's better to have your kid die of preventable diseases than risk even the possibility of them having autism. It's all right out of the Autism Speaks playbook.

It's no coincidence that earlier this year, we got that Zachary Levi movie, The Unbreakable Boy, that suggested that the thing to help people with autism is to chuck them into a mental asylum without ever visiting them and that will make them get better. That was based on a real blog from the father of an autistic child and was funded by Autism Speaks.

I don't like throwing around the term "eugenics," because it's one of those terms that gets overused to death on the Internet, and its overuse lessens the impact of the term. But... this is, quite literally, the language of eugenics. And it's becoming important to spot stuff like this, so I wanted to throw this out there.

Yes, plenty of autistic people will hold a job, play baseball, write a poem, go out on a date, pay taxes. But those who can't do those things are also important, and their lives shouldn't have to be justified based on how much they contribute to society and how exploitable their deviation from the norm is by elites.

Anyway, I'm done with this rant now. Screw Autism Speaks, screw RFK Jr., and screw anyone who ascribes to their rhetoric. Protect autistic people.

[alliekitaguchi]

i've got my dorym tinfoil hat on again

sam said some shit in this recent 4sd episode that has me a little sus

in terms of how the truth contest went in the feywild with nana morri, sam said: "orym had some good stuff that we haven't delved into yet really. but like... he was talking about his loneliness, and his... um... you, you said--"

the hard cut off and immediate switch to a different topic really made me pause.

the only other thing he could be talking about was the "i really miss dorian and sometimes i think that's okay, and sometimes i think it's not." because i don't think that anything else orym said during the game of truth was that shocking, especially not in relation to orym's loneliness or his feelings.

then, later, when talking about orym's deal with nana morri: "i feel like [orym] could use a love of his life at some point, but how is he going to do that if he's stuck in the fey realm?"

so here's me standing on my soap box:

liam and sam are best friends. they clearly talk about the campaign outside of the campaign. if ANYONE is going to know about what's going on inside orym's head (besides matt and liam), it's gonna be sam, who has probably talked about it WITH liam.

sam, famously, has spent every campaign trying to make sure liam gets some sort of happy ending, whether it was trying to save the wish spell for vax, or creating a character whose sole personality for about 50 episodes is dedicated to protecting liam's character, almost to a fault.

obviously sam can't and shouldn't spill liam's secrets on 4sd because 1) he's not liam and 2) they're making a show, and even though they (as the players) can know character secrets, the audience can't.

i think sam was going to say he was talking about his loneliness and his feelings about dorian and sam realized how that was going to sound, or that it may reveal something, and he cut the conversation off and switched topics to the ladies.

i also feel like sam was insinuating that orym could have love if he wanted it... almost like someone who may have feelings for him is right there, just out of reach, especially if orym potentially will end the campaign under nana morri's grasp.

i'll also point out that robbie daymond, on the very first episode of 4sd, famously said that dorian had feelings for someone in bells hells and when marisha asked if it was imogen, he happily moved off of the topic.

anyway. this could mean nothing. BUT IT COULD ALSO--

[pagerunner-j]

All right, all right. Scattered, out-of-order thoughts below. Spoilers for the first three episodes are all up in this bitch, be forewarned:

They've made some serious changes in the adaptation here, and you know what? I'm here for it. It's more economical, it's dramatic, it's cinematic, it works. We're still hitting the high points with the essential characters and plotlines, so I'm good.

Some of the expanded/new stuff I'm very, very here for: KIMA AND ALLURA AND THEIR OLD SQUADMATE THANK YOU VERY MUCH. Love it, 10/10, no notes, can't wait to see how it resolves. (Also, I picked a very good week to finally start in on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Stephanie Beatriz, you remain awesome in all ways.)

J'mon! Is also awesome! just saying.

At a certain point in the plot I found myself remembering a long, long-ago convention panel where Matt made a sidelong joke about Ripley/Percy hatesex. 'Cause uh. Can't speak for Percy, but Ripley? She'd clearly go for it.

Grog and the kids! Love.

One word: Canoes.

(Bless you, Cassandra, for pretty literally pushing your brother down the stairs.)

Kiki in full, deserved rage mode: again I say I'm here for it.

Oh, Vax. Honey. So smooth with Gilmore, so very clumsy with your girl. I know you'll get there eventually, but this is making me question your choices.

So glad to see some new locations animated! It all looks great.

Also so glad they recorded Lance Reddick's performance in time. He sounds fantastic in this, unsurprisingly. The In Memoriam card sure put a lump in my throat.

At the other end of the emotional spectrum: THE RUBY OF THE SEA! Bless that song for existing.

Spice? Spice? She spice? (Hi, Matt.)

Bard's Lament setup? Bard's Lament setup.

And there's a whole lot of other stuff I could be talking about except

...

......

.........bless you, Laura, for being the champion of your romances that you are, because the Perc'ahlia of it all is everything I ever wanted

like, seriously

they REALLY WENT THERE

I am having many feelings

lots of them

(and Trinket seeing what's up and promptly getting in between them is priceless, 100/10, no notes)

[innocent-cat]

Hello! if you're still taking request could it be a crossover headcanons of vox machina x mha, were there member is like shoto todoroki or vox machina x one piece were there member is like nico robin. Which one do you prefer? Its okay for me.

Hiii! I'd be more than willing to write a "fire/ice curse" headcannon ;)

Vox Machina x Reader Head Canons

Warnings - none?

"Cold shoulder.", Vox Machina x Reader

.·:*¨༺༻¨*:·..·:*¨༺༻¨*:·..·:*¨༺༻

Okay, so the entire team has their own negatives that everyone seems to like.. make a good thing and use it to their advantage?

Obviously, for plot reasons, you have Shoto's family trauma too.

They have NEVER seen your ice/fire curse as something to be looked down upon, but they never really tried to convince you it isn't.

I feel like they'd be too awkward about it knowing the background LMFAO

Because of this, you just kind of thought they were equally as ashamed of you as you were with yourself.

It's some powerful magic shit so they try to tell you to be careful about it, you took it the wrong way

You eventually end up talking to Keyleth about it, and she started squabbling about it to you nervously because she thought she offended you

In all actuality, they all love you and enjoy your company.

They think its cool when you do ice tricks.

It obviously took you a while to warm up to them with fire magic, and its always nice to have around winter.

Pike specifically asks you to warm a lot of stuff up for her, since you figured out how to just make your hands warm.

Usually things like socks, blankets, food, drinks, or for you to boil water in the middle of no where.

It's always a funny conversation to have with her.

"Heyyy.. uhmmm... You mind-"

You take the item and already start heating your hands up.

"No. No I do not."

You love being helpful to them ˙◠˙

Percy likes to bring you to his little workshop and make you his assistant, he finds its much easier to make weaponry or contraptions with someone who can help him bend metal.

"Hands?"

You stick your hands out, and he places a long, thin, spiral of metal on them.

"Thank you." You hum. in response to him.

Percy is so thankful to you out of all of them. He says thank you for every little thing.

if you feeling a little romantical about himm... he says thank you when you hold his hand in the cold or his face in the cold #cuties

BUT ANYWAY

Grog doesn't get it.

I mean, if I was him, I wouldn't either.

With all honesty, he's just worried for you.

At one point you overheard a conversation with him and Pike.

"Are they okay Pikey??? They just lit on fire and shot ice at the same time..˙◠˙"

"Yes, Grog, thats just they're magic.."

(At that point, Pike tried explaining it 13 times to him, and it was 4am)

Vex and Vax are utterly ridiculous about it.

Least petty twin siblings, honestly.

Vex asked you to light her arrow on fire so she could shoot Vax's coat 'accidentally' and burn it.

To be fair, in her defense, he asked you to freeze her gold chest lock so he could steal from her..

At one point, when you were still learning, You froze one of Keyleth's plants, and she got a brain freeze for a solid 15 seconds.

"Oh my GOSH! Keyleth I am so sorry oh my gosh.."

"No-no.. its okayy.. he was almost dead anyway.."

She said, holding her head, groaning from the severe brain freeze she suddenly got.

Req pt 2 if this gets popular, but add who u want more of ;)

[sparring-spirals]

just a couple of things

1. become my champion or lose a sister needs to stop (we’re 3 for 3 with vax and vex, opal and ted -ish-, fy’ra rai and opal) I don’t want to suffer anymore please

2. the ruby vanguard killed my husband and my father vs a god killed my brother ????? juicy juicy juicy dorym development

1. something something having sisters and being a champion of a god is not ACTUALLY guaranteed to result in tragedy. Exandria georg, which has a high volume of siblings who fucking love each other and gods who need champions and also deeply perilous situations-

(joke aside: HILARIOUS AND DEVASTATING PATTERN. I fucking love it actually. Its about love and devotion and bigger causes and someone who has been by your side for so much of your life- if not all of it. Its about allegiance and loyalty and the way the two differ. Its about siblings!!!! its about love!!! its about duty!! and devotion!!! You may not like someone or something but you love them. Or you may not love them or like them all the time but they are yours and you are theirs in a way that matters beyond that. Its about causes and love and devotion and duty and like.

If you come into a world and someone has always been there, at your side, less of a pillar and more of a bedrock.

If you have known someone their whole life and known you were responsible for them in some kind of way.

And you will lose them, unless. Unless-

So you swear an oath of devotion. Who are you swearing it to? Is it the first oath you're swearing, really, or is there one you already made, ages ago- and this is just an extension of that?

fuck okay i got a little in my head. great pattern though, in a tragic kind of way.)

2. God there is so much at play here. Intrigued to see how this develops 👀👀. Like we have vengeance vs justice, revenge vs closure, the way Orym has tried so hard to make sure its not about killing his families killer but preventing more loss in the world. But there's also the element of newness, of Orym who has been carrying this weight and grief, balled it up and learned to balance it on his shoulders and walk and run and breathe with it Versus Dorian- days out, still not able to talk about it openly, not really.

And THEN. the ruby vanguard and gods stuff. And the larger philosphical questions. Wiiild shit. wiiiiiiild shit. i dont think its even really a thing of "ruby vanguard OR the gods!!!" but it definitely adds a fascinating element to it all.

[youmyjhope]

JK: as giver: demands daily texts about your plans, outfits, meals, just literally anything. Jerks off splashing his cum onto the screen when you send a selca. Lots of eye contact while he fucks into you. He wants to see how impacted you are. Would overstimulate you on purpose until you are a shaking mess. Possibly into gags, he wants to see you make a mess and beg him with your eyes.

as receiver: lots of shibari. Likes to be kicked at his balls, especially while you wear heels. Also likes to be stepped on. Lots of vax play, he likes it being dripped anywhere possible. Make it as painful as possible, he can handle it. Lots of praise needed and affirmations

Tae: as giver: you are his playdoll, his prettiest possession. No underwear around him, he needs free access when he feels like it. You are his silent toy. Not lots of talks, just hard thrusts into you. lots of pet play, he has your cage ready just crawl in already. Goes harder on you if you cum without permission. Spanking with a belt. Demands anal when he is angry

as receiver: doesn't enjoy it too much, just some stuff where he still is kinda in control. Just lying back and letting his cock out to be sucked on. Most likely by two people at the same time. Likes to see those tongues interlocked around his lenght tbh. If he is super high I can see him liking outdoor activities. Like jerking off in the middle of the street/park, checking if someone may come by

PT 3???!!! 😵

you better send it just plz don’t fuck my boy hobi up😭😭😭😭🙏🙏🙏🙏

[miscellaneouzz]

Hi there! I recently got into LOVM and I saw your lovely analysis of Pikelan’s relationship and I just wanted to say thank you so much for giving us content to feed off of. I never watched C1 in full, only clips here and there and I’ve always loved Pikelan’s relationship. Sam and Ashley play them so well and it really stinks that their relationship isn’t held to the same caliber as the rest of VM. Every time I watch an interview about the show and they bring up ships, they always talk about the Twins and their partners. But it stinks that no one is seeing the beauty in Pikelan in the show. And I understand that Scanlan’s relationship in the campaign is about Kaylee, and that’s completely fine! But I do wish that the significance of Pike in his life was brought up more too. Hell everyone keeps saying Vax and Keyleth are the “slow burn” ship but they’re already together! 😂 anyways I just really hope that now the twins have had their romantic relationships established. S4 can focus a little more on Pikelan’s and hopefully Grog too. Those 3 seem to be left out a lot of the time in terms of like backstory and stuff. What do you think? Thank you so much again for your time and I’m so sorry for the rambling

Hi omg sorry this is so late! But thank you so much <3

My relationship with cr in relation to tlovm is funny because yearss ago I listened to them but it was a listen-to-something-in-the-background-while-doing-homework-at-1am sort of thing so I never really absorbed c1 much in full and don’t remember a lot of details. So once I found out they were making an animated series I decided to avoid returning to the campaign to refresh my memory because I thought it’d be more fun to kinda go into the series almost like I could feel like I was experiencing the story for the first time again. I always loved Pike but ik Ashley couldn’t be there for a lot of the sessions so once the show came out she QUICKLY skyrocketed to my fav especially her characterization of being this genuinely noble and caring person while still being very fiery and playful, and then from there I got super invested in her dynamic with Scanlan. Like… She’s goofy and plays along, but knows when to put her foot down and I love it. But yeah agreed that I wish their relationship got more attention! While I love all of Vox Machina a lot I’d love for season 4 to focus more on Pike, Grog and Scanlan, especially with how things were left.

[collectionofsinglefathers]

so this one is gonna get a bit more personal than I usually like to get but I have a bad habit of just not talking about my mental health period so like. I don’t know, I guess I wanna try to break that? and also I’ve wanted to in general start posting here more, not specifically about personal stuff but like anything, which is why i’ve been sporadically posting about me writing and stuff like that. but general content warnings, and I’m gonna tag these too so dw, but yeah general content warning up top for depression and anxiety. ALSO, a spoiler warning (which i’ll also put in the tags) for the ending of the first campaign and the third campaign of critical role since this is gonna be centered around that. now I haven’t actually watched the finale of c3, I have avoided literally everything about it so far except for the tailgate stream which i watched almost all of earlier today during my lunch break, but the spoiler warning is more for the earlier Vox Machina centric episodes. and normally, this many years on, I wouldn’t bother putting a spoiler warning for the first campaign, but with the animated show, in case there are new viewers for the campaign or in case there are people who don’t wanna know what happens at the end of c1 because of the animated show, I wanted to make sure I also put a spoiler warning for c1 as well, just to cover all my bases.

NOW. I'm not gonna get into any specific details about my personal struggles, but I have dealt with some level of depression or anxiety for a good portion of my life. the farthest back that I can remember an actual thing where I'm like "oh yeah that was probably depression" is when I was in sixth grade, and for context I'm going to turn 30 this year. there was a time, before I got into CR, where I was both unemployed AND no longer going to school of any kind (college didn't work out for me). in fact, the period of time when I stopped school/was out of work and me getting a job finally was 2 years, and in that time I was NOT in a good place mentally. not in any danger to myself but definitely not doing great. but in that time, I found critical role.

fun fact, I actually found it through a cosplayer I liked on vine at the time. this guy I followed would cosplay as some of the characters, and I had followed them because he also was quite a good singer and I thought he was funny, so when he started posting CR cosplay videos, I looked it up, and that's where I had first discovered it. I watched the first couple of episodes and was HOOKED IMMEDIATELY. I remember, for three weeks straight, it was the only thing I watched as I binged through the first campaign in order to catch up to be current with the campaign (which funnily enough was episode 69). and the character I connected to the most (mostly due to aesthetic if I'm being honest, and also because he was my favorite voice actor at the time) was Vax.

fast forward to the final arc of the first campaign, where they first face off against Vecna, and Vax dies. I remember just laying on my living room floor staring up at the ceiling in absolutely shock and horror at how that fight played out. and obviously, if you have watched c1, you know how that goes for him. he comes back, but temporarily, and is dead dead by the last episode, and I was a WRECK during the c1 finale because of that.

Vax was already my favorite, but when I got to the beginning of the chroma conclave arc, where you see Vax at first really struggling with what they're even doing anymore, to then almost losing his sister and having this insane downward spiral mentally before pulling out of it... It kind of hit a bit close to home for me, because of how much I was also going through it. and watching Vax be able to get out of his own bad place really helped me get out of mine. so when he died at the end of c1, it really fucked me up. not in a way where I was like, upset at the cast or matt or anything like that. but like. c1 is my favorite campaign, but I have never once been able to rewatch or relisten past the briarwood arc because every time I get to the point where keyleth and vax talk at the sun tree about their feelings, I just can't do it. it's far too close to home for me.

now fast forward A LOT OF TIME. to the end of c3. now, I had been in and out of keeping up with c3. not because of me not enjoying it or being frustrated like I've seen other people talk about when it comes to this campaign. it's been because of my mental health, and how I've been dealing with it for the past year, year and a half I'd say. but as the campaign has started to reach a climax to the end, I decided to finally buckle down and get through it because I knew that I wanted to watch it, it was just a matter of DOING IT. and I actually listened to a good amount of this campaign, but when I finally got to the VM episodes, I actually needed to watch. and actually, what I did, it reminded me a lot of when I was binging c1, just in a much shorter amount of time. for an entire weekend, I watched nothing but critical role. and when I got to the last VM episode of this final stretch, when matt put vax's mini on the board after they freed him from the malleus key. I straight up had to pause the episode because I started sobbing. like full on heaving full body sobbing. I was trying so hard to stay quiet because I was so worried that others in my household were going to be worried about me, that's how hard I was crying.

because Vax means a lot to me. he's very, very close to my heart. he will forever live in my mind and my soul. I have a lot of vague ideas for tattoos that I want to eventually get and for a very long time I thought I would want my first one to be a lotr tattoo but I actually thought about it more recently and I want it to actually be the vax tattoo idea I had planned, which was a general idea I had for something to do with raven feathers and snowdrop flowers, and maybe also a dagger. he's really, really important to me. I get emotional just thinking about how important he is to me. I'm emotional right now writing this.

now like I said, I haven't watched the finale to c3 yet. I probably won't fully finish it until some time this weekend cuz. ya know. 8 and a half hours long. but I have been thinking a lot about things that marisha and liam said in that final 4 sided dive, and about things that were said in the cooldown for that last VM episode when they destroyed the malleus key. and I've been trying really really REALLY REALLY hard to not get my hopes up about the possibility of VM being able to keep vax, because I know if I let myself get too hopeful about it and it doesn't happen, it'll fucking WRECK me real bad. but I also know that I'm gonna be fucked up either way so.

I don't know if I'm gonna end up liveblogging me watching the finale. we'll see. either way, I'm definitely gonna be not checking any notifications on here for this post, or any post I might make while watching the finale, just in case someone reads this and decides to be a dick and send me spoilers. but in any case. I just wanted to say all that somewhere, and I don't know if I quite have the courage yet to say ALL of that to someone I actually know (I've already said some of it to my best friend, but not everything).

but that's it. wish me luck, as I am now about to start watching the finale.