#lookin at you critical role

[v0id-of-thought]

fandom discourse really is like: “can you BELIEVE some people in this fandom actually think [insert take I’ve literally never seen outside of people talking about how bad it is]”

[shorthaltsjester]

i do not want to dig a hole but i am too much of a laura bailey pc enjoyer to not make this post so:

selfishness ≠ a lack of kindness 

selfishness is a theme that has come up with all of laura's main campaign pcs. that doesn't mean that her characters are always making selfish choices or that they don't care about the rest of the people they're with or that they're not good. it's just that, for the most part, the first thing they're thinking of when they take action or make choices is themselves. 

in jester and vex both it is more typical and obvious selfishness. vex's developed because she needed it to keep herself and vax alive and as safe as possible and it grew into a behaviour that she had to actively work to avoid. it's evident in her greed, her theft of the broom, her reaction to her own death which relied heavily on i'm okay/i survived to which keyleth reminded her that she wasn't the only one who had to witness and reckon with her death. in jester's case, she grew up in an environment that literally trained her to make every decision based on two things - her mother's opinion and her own. so, when she's out in the world without marion for the first time, her choices are those that will benefit her and her actions are those that consider her own thoughts and not really many others' (aside from the traveler's). 

it isn't a criticism of either vex or jester to say that they are characters who act selfishly. in fact, i'd argue that to claim otherwise does a great disservice to exactly how immense both of their character arcs are. because the nuance of both jester and vex is that they are selfish, and they also hold extreme room for self-sacrifice and empathy. vex is much more brash than jester is, and jester is much more trusting than vex, but both of them are characters who begin with selfish impulses who grow with them. neither ever truly shed those impulses, but they use them in new ways, typically transforming them into impulses towards things that are in the best interest of the party. 

you may have noticed the lack of imogen in this post about laura bailey pcs and that's because of two reasons. one, we are an unknown amount of time into her story, i can't analyse her development the same way i can vex and jester's. two, imogen's selfishness isn't the blatant quasi-self-aware selfishness that we see in things like jester complaining about her lack of money to caleb or vex stealing a broom. instead, imogen's is very internal, like a lot of laura's character work with imogen. it is a bit similar to jester’s in the sense that it comes from a lack of awareness moreso than vex’s practiced behaviour, but imogen’s is a lot more tied to inherent beliefs she has about the world and the people in it.

as a consequence of her powers, imogen sees people's thoughts as their entirety, she holds it above their actions to be the truth of who they are - to act against what they think or to say something that doesn’t cohere with what they’ve thought is akin to lying, so for her to act empathetically is to act in tandem with what someone else’s thoughts are, not how they act, which is typically not all that wanted. the same as vex’s greed and jester’s naivety, this is a trait that makes narrative sense and it’s one i find quite compelling, especially when read in the vein of someone struggling through trauma that has made them assume that the world is against them. imogen’s cynicism is coherent cynicism, i can’t say that in a similar situation i wouldn’t have the same predisposition towards the world.

the part that is particularly self-interested comes in if you look at how imogen has actually been treated in the campaign (quite well) in comparison to the cynicism that she’s developed from her past (something that speaks to a world out to get her). certainly, a bunch of shitty things have happened to imogen in the time we’ve known her, but the same can be said for everyone in bell’s hells and pretty much everyone in exandria at this point in time. but, in a fight to save the aforementioned world, imogen’s focus was getting her mother back on her side. which, while very consistent with her character and a choice that i enjoy, is a very selfish one. the fun thing (to me, obviously) about imogen is that she has, more than most, an insight into the opinions of others and she also tends to seek others’ opinions out and genuinely engages with them and supports their choices. but she still very much acts towards what she thinks is best. it’s one reason i enjoy looking at the dynamic between her and orym as one between foils, as orym tends to be stalwart in his beliefs and doesn’t care too much for other’s opinions if he’s already sure of his own, but his actions tend to favour collaboration and protecting others.

as i mentioned earlier, imogen is a harder case to look at because she is still in the process of her story. however, the circlet is clearly influencing how she interacts with the world and in the wake of the solstice, the hostile reaction towards ruidusborn people has started to become more and more apparent and i’m interested to see what route that ends up leading imogen down and how it will influence her relationship with the rest of bell’s hells. (for better, i think, based on recent conversations, but if it's for worse i will be just as seated and excited).

all of this is just to say, please stop assuming that claiming a character has a trait you think is a bad one is criticism or a hate post. in light of the fact that i know that people who don’t believe this will continue to not believe this, i’ll encourage anyone confused about the ability of a character to be good and kind and selfish all at once to look to what the text itself says, specifically scanlan’s words to pelor when asked what vex means to him:

“Her name is Vex, and she is greedy and mean sometimes, and she can steal a lot. She’s a little bit not the greatest person, but her flaws highlight everything that is right about her, which is she does all these things to protect her friends and her family. She would give her life for any of us and for anyone who was truly in need. And she’s not perfect but she’s the most perfect of all of us.”

would you look at that... an ability to be a multitude of things, some in conflict with one another. i know that's hard for fandoms to believe, especially about female characters with agency, but i promise its true!

[yashley]

KORD CALLING ON IMOGEN???????????????? HERES HOW YASHA X IMOGEN CAN STILL HAPPEN---

[foxytonic]

^

Listen. Listen. I know I have not shut up about this. And "trying to kill the gods and kickstart an apocalypse"? Definitely top of the list as far as evil actions on Ludinus's part.

HOWEVER, knowing how D&D works, and that, chances are, they will avert the apocalypse, I really cannot get over the absolute depravity of doing something so batshit insane and horrible that virtually everyone among the brightest minds of this age in Exandria is forced to give up their plans for this not-even once in a lifetime event—possibly great workings, incredible arcane progress, developments for the goodwill of mortalkind—to go try to stop this bastard elf from ending the world.

This asshole has had like five of these already, and he is so single-mindedly pursuing a corrupted concept of liberation that he has called down the wrath and duty of what is probably the most concentrated compilation of great minds across the world, just to stop him from literally destroying the planet.

At the same time, I do compare this to the onset of the Calamity, which had a similar effect, but no one at the time even knew to worry. At least now Exandria has actually learned enough to have this massive pushback from so many quarters.

But goddamn, the fact that that's even necessary? Absolute fucking evil.

[fearfulfertility]

PRIVATE CHAT LOG

Participants:

Lt. Gen. [REDACTED], Superintendent, [REDACTED] Academy

Director [REDACTED], Department of Reproductive Compliance

[Start of Chat Log - [REDACTED] Timestamp]

Lt. Gen. [REDACTED]:

Director, I reckon I’ve tolerated this circus long enough, but my patience ain’t infinite. That surrogate compound (Paternity Compound 111) y’all set up right smack on Academy grounds is underminin’ discipline and morale among my cadets. These boys are future military leaders, yet instead of focusin’ on their trainin’, they’re distracted by the sight of their comrades—men they’ve served with—blown up like balloons and confined to them facilities.

Director [REDACTED]:

General, the compound was established on Academy grounds because of its proximity to high-quality medical facilities and secure oversight. It ensures optimal care for the surrogates while maintaining their safety and the integrity of our program.

Lt. Gen. [REDACTED]:

“Optimal care,” my ass. Director, these were soldiers—my soldiers. They trained, fought, and bled for this country, and now y’all got ’em lookin’ like overstuffed parade floats for everyone to see! My cadets are whisperin’, wonderin’ if they’re next in line. I’ve already had [REDACTED] reports of desertion, and let me tell ya, this situation ain’t sustainable.

Director [REDACTED]:

Your concerns are noted, General, but let me be clear: these soldiers were conscripted because their fertility metrics met the criteria established by federal law. This is not a matter of personal sacrifice but a matter of national necessity. Our population numbers are critically low. Every surrogate conscripted is another step toward ensuring the survival of this nation.

Lt. Gen. [REDACTED]:

Now don’t you go lecturin’ me ’bout necessity, Director. I’m out here fightin’ to protect this nation while y’all gut my forces and turn ’em into surrogates. And now you got the gall to do it right in plain sight of my cadets? How the hell am I supposed to keep order when they’re watchin’ their brothers-in-arms waddlein’ around like Thanksgiving turkeys?

Director [REDACTED]:

Perhaps your cadets should take this as a lesson in duty and sacrifice. After all, isn’t that what military service is about? They should understand that sometimes, service to one’s country takes forms they may not have anticipated.

Lt. Gen. [REDACTED]:

That’s rich comin’ from someone who’s never set foot on a battlefield. You wanna talk about sacrifice? Try watchin’ your men—the same ones you trained and deployed—reduced to nothin’ more than breeders. This whole operation reeks of arrogance and disrespect for the uniform.

Director [REDACTED]:

General, your emotional outbursts are unbecoming. The DRC operates within the full scope of the law, and our actions are approved at the highest levels of government. Your soldiers are fulfilling a vital role in safeguarding this country’s future.

Lt. Gen. [REDACTED]:

And y’all are ignorin’ the bigger picture. The longer this mess goes on, the more strained my forces become. I’m warnin’ you, Director: if this nonsense don’t change, I’ll have no choice but to pull my troops outta FEMA Zone 8. Operational security, you’d understand. Without ’em, your precious paternity compounds—124, 120, and 126 I believe—will be sittin’ ducks for rebel attacks. Let’s see how y’all like defendin’ ’em without us.

Director [REDACTED]:

General, are you seriously suggesting abandoning your post?

Lt. Gen. [REDACTED]:

I ain’t suggestin’ nothin’. I’m tellin’ you how it’s gonna be if y’all keep underminin’ my command and destroyin’ morale.

Director [REDACTED]:

General, I would strongly advise you to reconsider. You seem to have forgotten that your eldest son, [REDACTED], is currently classified as “conditionally exempt” from conscription due to his academic achievements. That exemption is not permanent. Should I choose to revoke it, he could be conscripted into the program by the end of the week.

Lt. Gen. [REDACTED]:

...You wouldn’t dare.

Director [REDACTED]:

Wouldn’t I? Sacrifices are necessary to maintain order, General. Your family is no exception. I suggest you weigh your next steps carefully. Any disruption to FEMA Zone 8 would jeopardize not only the compounds but the entire region's stability—and, consequently, the status of exemptions granted to your son.

Lt. Gen. [REDACTED]:

...Fine. The troops’ll stay in Zone 8. But mark my words, this ain’t over.

[End of Chat Log]

Director [REDACTED]:

It is for now, General. Your cooperation is noted and appreciated.

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

[Start of Chat Log - [REDACTED] Timestamp]

Participants:

Director [REDACTED], Department of Reproductive Compliance

COO [REDACTED], Black Ops Command

Director [REDACTED]:

COO, I’m sure you know the situation with Lt. Gen. [REDACTED]. The man had the audacity to threaten the withdrawal of troops from FEMA Zone 8, jeopardizing three critical compounds. While I managed to remind him of his place with some carefully applied pressure, his resistance poses a long-term problem. He’s a liability—one who can’t be allowed to disrupt operations any further.

COO [REDACTED]:

Understood, sir. What’s your directive?

Director [REDACTED]:

I want the Joint Chiefs to have no choice but to remove him. Engineer a situation—something undeniable—that paints him as unfit for command. Whether it’s financial misconduct, a security breach, or even a staged lapse in judgment, I leave the specifics to you. Ensure the replacement is someone more… pliable. Preferably someone who understands the importance of our work and won’t get squeamish about visible surrogacy compounds on military grounds.

COO [REDACTED]:

Acknowledged. I’ll assemble a task force immediately to identify vulnerabilities. Any limits on collateral damage?

Director [REDACTED]:

Minimal. I don’t need a scandal large enough to attract civilian oversight—just enough to force the Joint Chiefs’ hand. Make it clean, make it fast, and keep my name far away from it.

COO [REDACTED]:

Consider it done, sir. You’ll have my preliminary plan within 48 hours.

[End of Chat Log]

Director [REDACTED]:

Good.

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

Addendum

Subject: Resolution of Lt. Gen. [REDACTED] Situation

From: COO [REDACTED], Black Ops Command

To: Director [REDACTED], Department of Reproductive Compliance

Date: [REDACTED]

Director,

Per your directive, Lt. Gen. [REDACTED] has been successfully removed from his command. During our investigation, we uncovered verified evidence of an extramarital affair between Lt. Gen. [REDACTED] and a subordinate officer under his command. Unlike fabrications we initially considered, this discovery required minimal manipulation to weaponize. The evidence was quietly leaked to the Joint Chiefs, and Lt. Gen. [REDACTED] was formally relieved of duty following an internal review.

To ensure continuity, Major Gen. [REDACTED], a long-time supporter of the DRC’s mission and policies, has been promoted to assume command of [REDACTED] Military Academy. Early reports indicate that morale among cadets has stabilized, and operations in FEMA Zone 8 are no longer at risk of disruption.

As for Lt. Gen. [REDACTED] 's son, his exempt status was revoked following his command removal. Fertility screenings confirmed high viability, and he has been conscripted into the surrogacy program. He is currently 25 days pregnant with quattuordecuplets (14). As requested, he has been transferred to Paternity Compound 124.

I would be remise to point out that this facility is only [REDACTED] miles from the FEMA Zone 8 Combat Zone and [REDACTED] miles from the front lines.

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

Respectfully,

COO [REDACTED], Black Ops Command

Click Here to return to DRC Report Archives

[picturesofthegoneworlds]

When Imogen wakes it is with an ache in her neck

a drop into reality unusually cushioned

a hand combing through her hair

and she can’t help the smile that breaks when she meets Laudna’s watchful eyes peering down at her, flushes shortly after.

“Sorry, did I fall asleep?”

Laudna smiles back at her, halts the hand playing with her hair.

“You did.”

An unspoken mutual agreement allows the moment to stretch in silence –

that or time is still fucky from Imogen only just waking up. It gives her enough of it to contemplate.

The sun must be high, the atmosphere muggy and the fauna all bustling as if it were a market day and the critters had stalls to set up and produce to bring home for their litters in the burrows. She feels the layer of sweat on her skin wherever the sun directly touches it, smells in waves where it heats the floor and diffuses the groundcover as if it were potpourri-

Above her, backlit - Laudna’s wearing a halo. The giant leaves of the giant trees are so high above them that the scale almost looks normal, the light breaking between the canopy in beams, sparkling in places where it catches insect wings and pollen, silhouetting edges of wiry strands of hair that act as though curtains on a canopy bed, all giving cover from the storm (should it come). It all feels so hazy, could be the vision starting to turn to grains of sand in her eyes like before a migraine but it’s also unusually clear, her head weightless despite the aching neck – funny what a handful of hours of good sleep can do.

The unspoken mutual agreement is ended.

“Did you rest well?” what did you dream about?

“I did, yeah...”

Unintentional, excusable really - waking with her defences down.

Wouldn’t be outta the ordinary to share.

“…dreamt we were back at Oddrún’s, was nice-” she withholds the details, just to save a little face. Exposes it anyhow, when she finds herself inadvertently taking the hand that had stilled in her hair, holding her palm up above her head with Laudna's lying flat on top of it “-then the roof caved in again and the place got swarmed with birds.”

“Birds?”

Imogen's thumb traces the knife-edge of the long nail on Laudna’s.

“Birds.” Imogen confirms, distracted, half-awake, giddy. The word already sounds funny; thrown back and forth between them. She chuckles at how her lips form around the repetition of it, says it again in Marquesian to see if it feels as abstract- that causes Laudna to quirk her brow from behind the fan of their fingers. “All different kinds, real cute and stuff, mostly. Place got furnished in feathers, was pretty chaotic - parakeets nestin’ in the cups and saucers and kingfishers in the rafters…” Laudna exhales a single syllable of a choral chuckle and Imogen has never felt so relaxed. “There was a kinda shady lookin’ big one standin’ on one leg in the corner by the hearth though, kept squawkin’.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, think it was a shoebill. You ever seen one of those?”

“You know, I’m not sure. I wonder if there was any significance…”

Their fingers interlace, under Laudna's initiative. Imogen stares at the long nails now reaching to her wrist like plates of fine ebony gauntlets.

“I could try draw it for y’all, but I don’t think it’d help…” comes out audibly distracted, the points of Laudna's talons gently making contact with Imogen's scarred skin-

“Allow me to get my notebook~” Laudna enthusiastically sings – nearly cutting Imogen, their hands separating - and Imogen is left staring at the empty space that was occupied by the shape that the two of them made, wonders if there is a word for that, like ‘bird’ - each hand a wing of some amalgamation, dream chimera, released between palms.

Probably a word she doesn’t have the language for.

Laudna unthreaded their hands and after that, she doesn’t move.

Imogen remembers her position in her lap

sits up abruptly on her bedroll, turning back towards Laudna’s skirts with the same instinct as for making a bed

“No, really, I can’t draw. It’ll just be embarrassin’. It won’t help any.”

“It’s good to draw regardless-”

Imogen would call what falls on Laudna’s face a pout. Hates that she is, unsurprisingly, intrigued to see what lines the pages of Laudna’s notebook. Apparently hearing inside her head is not enough.

Greedy. (maybe she’s hungry?). Gods, Laudna’s been sat cross-legged with Imogen's thick heavy skull in her lap for hours. How does Imogen show her gratitude?

“-have you even eaten? I should make us breakfast.”

She clumsily scatters away before Laudna has the chance to really answer.

(thanks as always to @distant--shadow for the illustrations <3)

[moonshynecybin]

hola! would love to know your thoughts on Uccio and his motivations...I read that quote from him that he *never* approved of the Marc friendship. Why though? What do you think?

stepping out of fanfiction world into irl: frankly i dont have much against him besides hes a certified marc hater who is at times a little shady. but this is sports. and that is enough. likeeeeee okay putting on my empathy hat here. YES he played a role in splitting up marc and vale's friendship (really pushed vale over the edge with the data) and YES hes kind of an incurable yes-man and YES he's a lil sleazy (smile more pecco lmao) but like. those arent crimes ! vale is also kind of a sleaze ball !! and he made the decision to blow up his relationship with marc all by his 36 year old self in the end !! and as for vale keeping him around all the time like. being famous sucks !! and theyve known each other since they were (mostly) normal kids !! idk like to have someone i know would never intentionally betray me in my back pocket who i also enjoy hanging out with would be genuinely so important... like BOTH marc and vale have their people that theyve known forever that they keep inside their VERY small little bubble... marc got lucky that his (alex) is also a very good rider! vale had to make his an assistant. which to me is a bit weirder in terms of power dynamic. significantly so. but still very understandable imo. their codependent slay

BUTTTT where uccio is so funny is as a narrative device for rosquez tbh. like hes GONNA catch strays here bc he fills that fun little role of relationship saboteur for them. like HE went to vale with the telemetry "proof" about Phillip Island 2015, he vocallyyyyyy hates marc still to this day, and while rosquez were friends he was genuinely giving marc the evil eye in parc ferme so fucking often it was so funny. whats ur ISSUE man

so like. i can see him embracing his and vale's #codependence and seeing marc as like. a threat to vale's legacy, a threat to his direct championship hopes, and ALSO a threat to his and vale's weird relationship. like truly when your buddy gets their first serious significant other and you feel a lil weird that they arent spending as much time with you... so i think allllll of those coalesced in his brain and it became MISSION CRITICAL. to get vale on board with hating marc. so he kind of maybe started a teensy smear campaign to get that twink outta here. which to be fair to his iago slay did work. grima wormtongue lookin ass.

[amazingmsme]

Trying to plan for tickletober, & my list is lookin’ real sparse. I’m mostly looking for prompts for the following fandoms:

Epic (even tho I already have a few planned)

Hatchetfield

Critical Role

Blood of Zeus

My Adventures with Superman

Slay the Princess

Villainous

Dungeon Meshi

The Amazing Digital Circus

The Magnus Archives

D&D: Honor Among Thieves

Game of Thrones (EARLY SEASONS, NO SPOILERS)

House of the Dragon

Deadpool & Wolverine

& some obscure ones that would really make my day

Wolf 359

Sinbad Legend of the Seven Seas

Night Film

The Last Days of Jack Sparks

Stoked

Prompt list under the cut

1. Anticipation- Fjord & Jester (critical role)

2. Chase- Heron, Hermes, & Apollo (blood of Zeus)

3. Prank- Elpenor & Polites (epic)

4. Hide & Seek- Pomni & Gummigoo (tadc)

5. Boo!- Bill & Ted ft. Paul (tgwdlm)

6. Cuddles- Steph & Pete (npmd)

7. Fidget- Hera & Eiffel (wolf 359)

8. Nuzzles-

9. Wake up- Eiffel & Minkowski

10. Spidering-

11. Hug- Ruth & Richie (npmd)

12. Mischief- Asterios, Elpenor, Odysseus, Polites & Eurylochus (epic)

13. Win-

14. Lose-

15. “Are you ticklish?”- Mark & Karen (Hatchetfield)

16. Cackle- Tinky & Ted (Hatchetfield)

17. Raspberries- Pomni & Jax (tadc)

18. Tickle fight- lords in black (Hatchetfield)

19. Secret-

20. Tease- Narrator, voice of the hero, & voice of the cold (slay the princess)

21. Costume-

22. Role reversal-

23. Sweet-

24. Joke-

25. New discovery- mermaid!odysseus & Penelope (epic au)

26. Ticklish kiss- Lois & Clark (maws)

27. Non-human parts- Asterios & Elpenor (epic)

28. Spooked- ghost!polites & Odysseus (epic au)

29. Magic-

30. Trick-or-Treat-

31. Aftercare-

[mintywolf]

...

What came into view through the snowy pines wasn’t so much a settlement as a lone roadside inn tucked back amid the trees, but the isolation of it made it all the more welcoming to Imogen. Beneath the hanging sign bearing a motif of a cow jumping over the moons — the Cathan Calf — she wearily adjusted the shoulder strap of her haversack again. Laudna drifted closer to her and slipped her cold hands into the crook of her elbow, squeezing her arm lightly in a gesture of support.

At the front desk they were greeted by the broad shape of a Highlands minotaur, evidently the proprietor, who peered down at them through a forelock of coarse, shaggy tan hair so dense that Imogen’s hopes lifted. Through a mop like that Laudna, her face deep and circumspect inside her hood, couldn’t look like much more than a woolly blur of black and red. His upward-curving horns were ringed with bands of beaten bronze that reflected the light and warmth of a very inviting hearth in the common room behind him.

There weren’t many travelers present, only a middle-aged halfling couple toasting their feet by the fire and looking enviably cozy. The sight of their warming toes made her aware of the tingling numbness of her own. Maybe if they kept to the back they could sit there a little while without incident, thaw out a bit. From the kitchen off to the side came a promising clatter of cookware and an aroma of something roasting that made her stomach growl.

“We’d like room ‘n’ board for the night, please,” Imogen said, pushing back her coat hood, “and a hot bath, if possible.” She let her coin purse clink against the counter to emphasize her point, in case he couldn’t see it.

“Sure thing. You want one bed, or two?”

“One’s fine.”

“That’ll be five silver.” Then he paused. The horned, shaggy head leaned down towards them, and the wide nostrils snuffled once, then twice. Laudna withdrew nervously behind Imogen, who half-consciously put out her arm to shield her. “We don’t want any trouble here.”

“We don’t aim to cause it,” Imogen replied, forcing a lightness into her voice she didn’t feel, “Just lookin’ for a place to rest for the night.”

An upward snort lifted the curtain of hair, briefly revealing a pair of wide-set, flint-hard eyes. “Heard a rumor from down southaways, ‘bout a necromancer and her thrall.” His Highlands accent drawled the last word out into an accusation.

(Read more on AO3)

[polyphonical]

Dragon's Head - Resume

[ View on site for better experience♪ ]

Location: Training Room

〈A few days later〉

Adonis: Mm. Ah, it’s Anzu. What is it? Oh, did you come to watch us practice?

I see. There’s nothing to worry about. I think everything’s been good so far.

Ah, earlier we were practicing the basic stuff, like strength training and cardio. Now, we’re going to practice the roles we’ve been assigned.

Hiiro: Otogari-senpai. I got the equipment ready.

Hm? Umu, I see. We’re not allowed to bring the boat on land, so Tenshouin-senpai arranged some equipment for us to practice rowing.

It’s really impressive how convenient it is to be able to use tools like this……!

Adonis: ………

Ah, no. It’s not the movement itself that’s difficult. Rowing through currents makes the oars really heavy, but we were chosen for the rowing role because we are strong.

It’s just hard to get in sync with everyone else. I’m sure it’ll be easier with a lot of practice, though.

Hm? You have a good idea, Anzu? What is it?

A metronome [1]? I understand. We should try syncing up our movements to the rhythm of a metronome…! That’s a good idea. Thank you, Anzu.

Hiiro: Then I shall go borrow whatever that metronome thing is!

Metronome…… That’s a difficult word to memorize, so I should try really hard to make sure I don’t forget it!

Then I’ll just repeat the word to myself until I find it. Metrohome……Metrohouse……Mechorohouse……Mechoropause……Necorobupause…… [2]

Adonis: Wait, Amagi!

Adonis: ―― Aah, he left……

Then it can’t be helped. I’ll go with him. I’m sorry Anzu, I can’t talk with you any longer. I’m going to go as well.

Tomoya: Don, don. Don ーー don. Don, don. [3]

Ah~…… I thought it’d be easy to play a taiko [4], but it’s surprisingly difficult to play a beat in a steady rhythm…… When I get focused on the rhythm, my hands don’t cooperate.

Uwaah!? You scared me~……

Aah, no it’s okay. I think my ears got numb from listening to myself drumming loudly for a long time. I’m sorry for not noticing you when you called out to me.

I see. I got assigned to play the taiko, but it’s really hard……

Eh. Tell Oogami-senpai?

Koga: ……Hm? Oh. What is it, Anzu? What’d ya need from me? Just so ya know, I’m not in the competition.

If we were gonna compete with another agency, we thought it’d be better to have one person from various different units. So, Adonis is gonna represent Undead.

Tomoya: Really? Then why are you here, Oogami-senpai?

Koga: I’ve been assigned as a commentator. I thought I’d help out by watchin’ some practices to give some criticism before ya go on the show.

And? Why’d ya call me, Anzu?

Taiko? I don’t play the taiko, though?

… Well, I’ve messed around with the drums before, but I wouldn’t say I played seriously.

Hm? Show ya how to get used to rhythm?

Tomoya: Ah, yeah. It’s hard for me to hit the taiko in steady rhythm. Could you give me some tips?

Koga: What, that’s it? If that’s the case, ya should’ve said so sooner.

I guess I can help. Drums and taiko [4] use the same type of rhythm.

First, ya should be able to get a rhythm if ya use your feet or your body. It’s harder to stay on beat if you use your hands.

Tomoya: Ah. I see! Maybe I shouldn’t think so much about the rhythm in my head then……♪

Koga: It’s the same shit ya do during dance lessons, right? You’re thinkin’ about it too hard, dumbass.

Eichi: Aah, Anzu-chan. Good timing. I wanted to ask you a few questions about the costumes. Is that fine?

Hm? Yes, that’s correct. I’m participating in the competition as a representative of Starpro’s fine.

Well, I’m not strong enough to row the boat like Otogari-kun and Hiiro-kun, so I’m going to be playing the role of a drummer.

Yes, that’s true. I’m going to join Mashiro-kun and the others for practice once we finish discussing the costumes.

Tetora: Taishou~? Huh?

Oh, Anego. Sup~! I was lookin’ for Taishou, have you seen him?

Eichi: Kiryuu-kun? He just left the training room to drink some water.

Tetora: Oh really?

Umyuu. I guess I’ll just wait around til he comes back~.

────────────────· · · · · ·♡· · · · · · ────────────────

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This is what a metronome is!

Hiiro is progressively just changing one letter as he repeats metronome, but I didn't know how to write that well so I was writing words that seem similar visual wise not really sound wise . ex. he went from mekorohoosu to mekoropoosu , so i changed it from mechorohouse to mechoropause

The sound of Tomoya hitting a taiko

On that note , this is what a taiko is ! pretty much a japanese drum, but this goes into specifics ! :) I specified that it was a taiko because Koga mentions that drums and taikos are similar, so I'm assuming he's talking about a more western drum there.

[dndeed]

Crit Role Miniature Rollout: C3E51 The Apogee Solstice

With Andrew Harshman

An analysis of the minis used on CR.

Two downright dense maps in one episode? Gimme a break! I reckon I've taken enough of a break though. Let us take a look at these two epic encounters!

The solstice with the mostest, it’s time for Critical Role Miniature Rollout Campaign 3 Episode 51!

Mini Map Overview

Encounter number one here is a Mats by Mars Shattered Soil mat, followed by a layer of Dwarven Forge 4x4 Mountain Ground tiles, with a perimeter of DF Mountain Elevation, Caverns Elevation, and Cave Cliff pieces. And let's not forget the Dwarven Forge Wildlands Winding Stair escARPment (pronounced in a midwestern Pumat Sol accent):

If you're lookin' to make a quick escarp, this here escarpment is the place to do it. Ya know, I don't think I've seen an escarpier escarpment in a long time. Nice escarpment Dwarven Forge!

Yall dwarves keep this up, and you may need to rebrand yourselves as Dwarven Escarpment.

In terms of scatter terrain, we're looking at mostly DF items. Including some of those snazzy LED pieces. There's also some furniture from the Pathfinder Battles line, a Dragon Lair chair, and the reoccurring Hirst Arts open crate.

For prepainted miniatures, we have a D&D Wizkids Goliath, Pathfinder Iconics Red Raven, a Pathfinder Goblin, and a drake, probably the Deadly Foes House Drake. Also, there's a Wizkids raven that's about 3 by 3 pixels onscreen (4K broadcast when?)

Onto the terrain of map number two! The aptly named Mats by Mars: Desert mat. And what's a desert without some fashionable desert tents? We got Wizkids tents, Mantic Games tents, and the Safari Ltd tent. Say, what them ruins doin'? Ruins gonna be ruined. Three main ruins type here are Dwarven Forge, Hagglethorn Hollow, and HeroScape, or DwarvenThornScape for short.

Models in this encounter include figures from Wizkids, HeroForge, and Steamforged, or WizForgeForged for short. I think there may also be a Reaper model or two? It's very fun to see the return of previous campaign models. Though it woulda been even more fun to see higher level versions of Beau and Caleb.

Best Mini of the Ep

Well obviously this tower centerpiece with the fancy schmancy spell effect magic puck has gotta be the best mini pick. Spectacular table presence. I assume it's a custom piece.

Worst Mini of the Ep

At the climax of the episode we get these beautiful sweeping cinematic shots of the miniatures as Vax appears to save Keyleth. AND THEN disrupting the drama we got this waving tiefling totally photobombing the scene!

The Tiefling Cleric of Asmodeus miniature is actually pretty decent. Super simple and ugly prepaint paint job though. I actually like this model quite a bit, I just thought the unintentional waving to the camera positioning was amusing.

See ya next sesh!

[yohohonabottle]

Pirin and his squad play DnD (and some guest appearances) and other funny moments.

Sources of shorts? Legends of Avantris (LoA), DingoDoodles - Fools Gold (FG), Critical Role (CR) and others. What started this? Yup. It's firenation, sending me some DnD clips and which character-coded they are... And I spiraled. help. Fire, I blame you for this- now I can procrastinate infinitely instead of doing my assignments aaa- (I have no regrets. >:) ) Pirin is the DM most of the time. Other times it's Ludovic or Soren-- since they can keep a straight face and not say out of pocket nonsense, or interrupt their narrating just to quip back with bs. (and turn it into a one-upping competition on who says the most random nonsense, derailing the campaign and session.) In the LoA clips, Torbek is Soren. Chuckle (the clown thing) is Berial; Gideon (demon-lookin dude) is Sinbad most of the time-- Other times he is the crocodile with red text. Pirin can be the mouse (don't know his name), Ludovic (when he's not DM) is the fancy croc guy with blue text or just a fancy croc guy. Valen is the tiger man. And on occasion the goblin is either Merlin or Hodgkin. Rila joins in too, more often. I'll just give the link and who's who/has what color text for each vid.

The Squad plays DnD

FG - Old Gothi nonsense. -Strangely, Vanya is not the DM and chose to be Gothi. Sips, the monkey, is Soren. Ludovic is Sneeze, the big-eared creature), Arina is Berial, Sinbad is Jack (the guy with glasses and gemstone nerd) and Valen is calm the tall demon-man who can be seen drinking tea. Later he chooses to play Xanu, Gothi's old friend who's a god.

LoA- Gorilla on the loose -Hodgkin got roped into playing this DnD campaign with Pirin and his squad. Man went in 100% blind, And Pirin's team (Vanya was the DM like usual) told him:

"There's this fairy forest whose Queen is supposed to attend. And the children are going missing-- You're this kid NPC who tells the party about the problem."

"What kinda dumb-ass bullshit is this..? Whatever, fine." And proceeds to play his 'role'. While the team just makes his life miserable-- Berial (Chuckle the clown) brings up the gorilla (the monster's called Gryla), and Valen's the crocodile guy dressed with blue colored text, Soren is Torbek, while Sinbad's the croc with red text. And Pirin is the Mouse.

CR - Boobs of feral leaping - Sam is Valen, Travis is Soren, Matt is Pirin. The woman is Rila. Late session at Traveler's Light.

LoA - Laughter is bad - This one is just the squad, and Ludovic is the DM (Sinbad has been laughing like an idiot that campaign almost the entire time.) So Ludovic told him that he'll be taking 1d damage when he laughs. The Earl is literally the only person on the whole table that doesn't laugh.

Cue Soren (Torbek), Valen (tiger dude), Berial (goblin guy) and Pirin (fancy croc dude) just making him laugh on purpose. The guy who yells "watch out for the desk!" is Hodgkin (Tried to play DnD with them again, thinking it'll be better since he's not NPC this time. And threw the desk at Pirin.)

The Deez nuts joke strikes again! -Sinbad is the Gricko (goblin) this time and Soren is Gideon (demon dude) Mirael is playin the witch -and suffering the duo's bs- Red text of the face in the jar is Ludovic but doesn't laugh or make the face.

Mirael: "All I require, is your best joke. I already have one in mind."

Sinbad: "Ooh! Which one?"

"The kind of joke the DM hates the most." -Ludovic, with a light amused smile as he jokes. The rest of the table laughs. And Pirin (DM) has a deadpan on his face while the table laughs.

Sinbad: "But I was saving it for the finale!" More laughter.

LoA- "Candy'' crisis Once again, Ludovic is the DM, also playing woman NPC continuously trying reign-in the party on the track, pointing their attention to the ongoing CRISIS of children being murdered--- and he's had it with the team's nonsense. (Also learnt on accident how to cuss from Pirin. Whenever he get seriously angry, you can hear him talk ''calmly'' in French.)

Valen: "Can we go follow Berial in that direction? Assuming he knows where the children are?"

Ludovic, pinching the bridge of his nose in evident exasperation, at his wits' end. Then sharply lifts his head from how he'd bowed it, giving a sharp 'dismiss' of his hand, palm up: "Sure!

Why the-" Berial censors with a loud clown nose honk -"NOT?" Was miffed for five campaigns after that, strictly keeping to being a player instead of DM for the week.

When you got no other clothes a.k.a Soren and Sinbad being 'dumb' idiots and out of pocket. And Pirin was DM, the Earl just not sure how to feel and react at all so he's simply "🗿" the whole time. Valen is laughing with Berial and the rest. (The clown was loosing it)

Soren rolled with the whole play bunny outfit, going for improvising the sexy music when his character was pulling on the fishnets only to pout when his fur just completely overtakes them.

Sinbad and Soren - The ''wand'' (Ludovic was made DM for the session 'cause Pirin was dying from laughter) No kids were allowed on the table that session same as the previous one 'no other clothes'.

Soren out of character, with a deadpan: "Alright fine. You got me." Sinbad is cackling in the background, like some evil maniac. "Congrats, you win."

The dumpling ''debate'' -Berial (green text), Valen (blue text, Tiger), Pirin is DM, the wizard is Sinbad

The Naughty list A.K.A the main team being unhinged- Ludovic is DMing the session (and kids were banned from the table for this one). And Pirin is Santa, while Val is the crocodile and Torbek is Soren as usual along with Berial being Chuckle. Santa was the biggest troll of them all, all along.

"Everything you see, appears naughty to you."

Berial: "Do children take 1d damage or 20 hitpoints?"

Pirin: "What kind of question is this? WHY WOULD YOU ASK THAT?! YOU'RE GOING ON THE NAUGHTY LIST--AGAIN for the second time!!" Berial: "Oh." :(

Valen: "If I take off your glasses, will you die?"

Pirin: "You're on the liiist!"

Soren: "Do children have... Bones?"

Pirin: "Children's bones?! What kind of question is this?! You're going on the list!"

Berial: "Do you wanna build a snowmaan~? Or It's gonna be a clown~!"🎶 :D

Soren: "Won't it have a carrot as a nose?"

"What?! No! Of course it has to be round and red!" D:<

"Oh right, it's a clown." -_-)

"Well depends on where you place it."

Cue everyone pointing at Pirin who's going on the naughty list, after putting all of them on it. And he shrugs with a smug grin like in the troll face.

"Guess I was the naughties of them all?" -------

Random funny moments from when they're hanging out.

Shrimp, Heaven, Now! -It was the Moon traversing the areas around Ryeham up north with Valen and Berial (the jester had saw 'em and tacked himself on as a third wheel. Allegedly as back-up if some more serious anomaly shows up).

They were scouring for rifts and odd out of place things after Rila's rampage. The trio stumbled upon a diary, and Pirin started reading it. Vanyo was sick at the time. Valen's the guy with glasses and striped shirt.

------ The Honensai festival -A.K.A Pirin talking about dicks with a straight face and 'not' look gay asf while at it. Happens during the group's vacation traversing Teyvat ("Don's Trial" whoops) and before moving on to their next destination.

(It all started with Valen choosing a Tengu warrior kabuki mask, only to get 'bullied' by Sinbad, Soren and Berial about it.) The group, hanging out peacefully in the Chinju forest (Inazuma). Pirin and Valen are lying on the grass, watching the starry sky; Berial is draped lazily on a tree branch close by, Ludovic is studying the glowing flowers by the running river; And Soren is sitting on the grass with arms crossed, back leaned on the rock next to the lovebirds, head bowed.

...

Pirin: "So there's a festival in Japan called "The penis festival'', sort of jokingly." 😀 Everyone pauses and looks at him. Just casually dropped the bombshell, blurting this out so innocently. The squad at this bit of trivia they did not need to know--

Pirin, still not realizing he 'said something wrong':

😃

Berial:

Pirin: "And a large group of men carry a giant wooden penis up the hill, then spin it!" (Soren being like: (Ò_Ó| Berial just looses his shit, hanging off the branch with his tail like an opossum, still cackling.) "It's actually a fertility festival from a very long time ago! It's really fascinating! It also has a va-"

Soren: "STOP!" D:<

(Ludovic nearby: "..." 🗿🗿🗿)

Valen: "...." 🤨🧐🤔 "Vanya, what the hell?" ...

"...This is about my Tengu mask, isn't it?" 😑

Berial, in the background --Wheezing and hysterically laughing, having fallen to the ground and still cackling; slaps the ground and rolls over "AAAAaaaaaa", more ground-slaps and literally being the 'cursed laughing emoji'. Just--

Lunch-thief - Or: Valen keeps stealing Sinbad's food

Sinbad, perched on a dock pole with a bowl of fish-stew Pirin made and enjoying it in peace. ...Until he can feel eyes on him. Sinbad: "No I won't give you my food, go find your own." (-_-) Valen just stands there by his side, giving him that puppy-dog look like he was to Hogan in Windmeadchen's art of them. The one where he's like "General? Are you finished eating?" ...After a moment Sinbad feels guilty just eating in front of him like this and sighs in exasperation.

"Fiiine, here. Damn lunch-thief." - And shoves a bowl of stew in the knight's hands, having an annoyed deadpan. Shakes his head at the happy man. Next time Val just hands him his own lunch....in that same small lidded wooden bowl. (The one Valen bought for himself)

"..Gee thanks." (Are you kidding me?) "You welcome." :D

Previously:

Pirin has cooked soup or some other dish for both of them, the saucepan sitting on the kitchen counter. Sinbad returns home and gets himself a bowl-- One with a lid he'd bought and a latch specifically for taking food on the go.

Placing the bowl with his lunch for tomorrow in the fridge, he leaves it there. In the morning, he gets up and goes to open the fridge... only to find no bowl there. And because no one else here eats human food- He just knows it was Valen.

"Valen! That was my lunch!" >:/

"Sorry, I didn't know." (Innocent smile and shrug, watching a grumbling sailor pour himself another lunch into the bowl and leave the hut for work. Val had just returned from a mission)

Next time Sinbad gets himself some homecooked food into his travel-bowl, he gets a piece of paper-- And tacks it onto the lid, smack-dab in the center. 'Sinbad' in big, really bold letters at the top then 'Don't touch my food, Valen. >:(' under it with equally bold letters, also underlined with a thick line. ....The result was the same as last time. Except this time a small wooden bowl with a lid greets him, with a few egg-muffins. And a note in horrendous chicken scratches- "For you :D - Valen" written.

[earlgreytiefling]

My fave Critical Role quotes/ moments of c3: A Thread (12)

•The entire cast wearing red (and lookin fabulous)

•Mama, I love you. The better halves can make a better whole. Please remember- Imogen, 51

•RED MIST RUIDUS BORN?? they smokin- 51

•Triple Marisha- 51

•Sam’s cameo bingo card on his gas can- 51

•VAX!!!!!!- 51

•The cast collectively losing their shit when Vax arrives- 51

•Don’t you even dare- Vax’ildan, 51

•Chet, leaping onto Ludinus’s back in wolf form: You said something about natural predators - 51

•V A X ? ? ORBED -51

•Matt split the party- 51

•Sam, to Travis: the NORTH pole?? Your fucking Santa Clause….- 51

•Where did we GOregard- Sam, 51

•THE PARTY IS SPLIT OH BOY- 52

•AABRIA AND CHRISTIAN!!!!!!!!!-52

•Spiritual weapon Nick Jonas- 52

•Chetney perishing because of his Tragic Backstory TM- 52

•Deanna’s knitted sweaters and beanies - 52

•We had a little family, and then I was brutally killed! I got better. - Deanna, 52

•FRIDA casually chomping on coins- 52

•death is like a snowflake melting in the ocean- Deanna, 52

•Deanna: That’s so heavy, why don’t- we could talk about ANYTHING else

FRIDA: Oh I’m sorry I didn’t-

Deanna: No, sweetie you’re perfect- 52

•FRIDA: I believe you call it dreaming

FCG: You can dream!!??

Deanna: You can bake!!- 52

•Ashley yeeting Mister at Matt at the end of the ep and Matt catching him - 52

•Form Voltron! -Chet, 54

•SANTA IS CANON- 54

•FCG’s real name is Faithful Care Giver ;v; -55

•FRIDA AND FCG!!!!-55

•You just screwed me- FCG, 55

Previous part

[burr-ell]

Fire Emblem often goes to laughable degrees to prevent women from being morally culpable of villainy, LOL!

it's even sillier how the fandom refuses to see it for what it is. i think we're slowly seeing a greater cultural acceptance of genuinely villainous women without being misogynistic about it (almost all* of critical role's female villains are spectacular and fan favorites BECAUSE of their villainy, for example, and even hel from FEH was delightfully and unsympathetically evil**), but it's still only a start and a lot of that is coming from adult media rather than RPGs made for thirteen-year-olds. i hope that one day those who gush over ✨women✨ will get to a point where they can see female characters as human beings, but i don't think we're going to see an end to intsys's sweet little martyr girls any time soon.

*lookin at you, spirit halloween palpatine

**nuibaba was SO CLOSE to breaking this mold and then the valentia accordion had to be like "and it's all because big bad men were mean to her :(" kusakihara i'm in your vents as we speak

[crosaidi]

'i'm trying this thing where i'm trying to be more polite.' @starcunin / critical role

The  evening  crawls  by,  and  he’s  leaned  against  the  stump  of  a  tree  near  the  fire.  He’s  picking  at  a  bowl  of  food  that  truly  has  little  rights  being  as  good  as  it  is,  considering  that  the  things  in  it  were  cobbled  together  from  the  things  they’ve  managed  to  scrounge.  A  boot’s  slung  up  to  rest  on  a  rock;  he’s  half-nursing  a  knee  that  he  twisted  during  a  fight,  but  it’ll  be  fine  enough  come  morn,  and  he’ll  heal  it  the  rest  of  the  way  if  it’s  not.  

"  Aye?  "  He  fusses  out  a  piece  from  the  bowl  with  his  fingers  because  he’s  got  the  casual  table  manners  of  an  actual  mountain  goat,  and  inclines  a  brow  upward.  "  Hope  yer  not  lookin’  for  advice,  I’ve  been  told  I’m  a  right  arsehole.  "  A  wink,  and  he  pops  the  piece  into  his  mouth  and  lets  his  gaze  drop  back  towards  the  bowl,  brows  raising  in  a  little  more  thought;  he  hadn’t  always  seen  eye  to  eye  with  the  other,  but  he’s  got  the  impression  they’re  slowly  managing  to,  if  not  figure  each  other  out,  at  least  get  on  more even  footing.  "  En’t  a  bad  idea.  I  find  people  are  generally,  "  and  a  flicker  of  a  glance  up,  almost  a  shade  of  humor  reflected  there,  "  less  likely  to  be  a  dick  at  you  if  you  en’t  a  dick  first.  "

[picturesofthegoneworlds]

Intertwined - Chapter 13 - Sure

It’s not long after setting off that the sun is rising over the other side of the valley. It heats and highlights the low-hanging mist that hugs to the tops of the forest canopy populating the bottom of the canyon, the last few days of heavy rainfall transmuting into a shimmering fog, branches breaking the blanket in places and parrots and flying lizards gliding in and out of it, catching the early morning insects.

“That was alotta stew to finish off, can feel it sloshin’ round in ma belly each time I have to make a little leap.” a large horned beetle scurries out of Imogen's path of descent as her boots ricochet her approach with each landing of sole onto natural stone step.

She ignores it, instead looks back on her previous tracks, at Laudna crawling on her hands and knees and on her back, her ass finding rock-edge and legs dangling over before she lightly eases down onto the next small area of level ground.

“I may have gotten a little carried away; I wasn’t sure of how long we would have to keep still whilst you healed.”

“Ain’t a complaint, I appreciate it - careful, this rock’s a little loose-” Imogen holds out her hand to Laudna from a few paces further down the cliff side, Laudna taking it before she lands almost nose-to-nose with Imogen.

“Thank you.”

“Thank you, honestly.” Imogen emphasises “I know – I bet that musta been stressful. Lookin’ after me, not the jump, although maybe that was stressful too, I wasn’t-” listening in.

“It was what I wanted to do. I do wish you would take this descent a little more gingerly though…”

Laudna's hand still in hers, awkward now, all she can focus on. Imogen lets go.

“Ya worried about me openin’ the floodgates again?” blood spurting from the sieve that is her torso.

They’re stood so close that Imogen can’t fit Laudna's whole face into view; her focus darting back and forth between each of her eyes and the movement of her brow, the quirk of her mouth-

“We have quite a climb until there is enough ground to lie your body down. You’d be starting a new cascade, a little red waterfall. I’m not sure how much the flora will appreciate that, all those centuries dedicated to finding a colour palette of their own.” A smile, subtle but certain. Imogen wishes she had kept hold of her hand.

“I’ll be careful.”

Imogen pivots and carries on, now with a bit of pause before each move.

(thank you as always to @distant--shadow for the illustrations)