#man life's cruel life's so unjust and so fucking unfair

[meow-merchant-mf]

Tw: mention of d**th

[whining-ylthin]

2. "Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix" (Netflix, 2023)

THEY MADE A SHOW ABOUT A TALL-DARK-HANDSOME BROODING ONE-ARMED PRETTBOY WHO'S HELLA GAY FOR A ROBUST BEARISH MAN SEEKING TO UPEND A BROKEN, UNJUST SYSTEM, AND I COULDN'T CARE LESS ABOUT IT.

HOW DO YOU FUCK UP THIS BADLY?!

On a more serious note though, it's basically like a 6/10. Pretty, but also short, hollow and disappointing, just like me fr.

Overly jaded rant time.

Calling this show "We have Edgerunners at home" feels both disingenuous and unfair to Laserhawk, but also painfully accurate - both are fast-paced, sub-12 episodes cyberpunk-themed animated dramas aimed at adult viewers, except Edgerunners' ten episodes are a tightly paced and written emotional nuke while Laserhawk's six episodes start off too fast to make you attached to anyone, and then spin their wheels on a massive backstory dump that ends up invalidated by the plot-twist triple-cross cliffhanger ending that I couldn't care less for even without taking into account the fact that Netflix is a fickle mistress and constantly axes their original shows. We start out with a Suicide Squad-like scenario that very quickly falls off the track because the show only has 6 episodes - the Squad disbands by ep. 3, and the remaining episodes are, again, a setup for a giant red herring, sudden plot-twist that means nothing to me because of how little I get to learn about the characters and the world, wasted "heroic sacrifice" moment and a bloody cliffhanger in a Netflix show.

Edgerunners was a story about a group of people doomed to push themselves over the edge and die in a struggle within and/or fight against an oppressive system so much bigger than them. Laserhawk is... similar? In theory? As if Adi Shankar and his team grabbed the bulletpoint notes left behind by Trigger and CDPR, and tried to roughly copy the story beats into a narrative framework too frail and chaotic to support it.

The visuals are good. The animation is smooth, the artstyle is simple enough to prevent the Netflix Castlevania Jank Problem (also known as "we're trying to rip off Vampire Hunter D on a fraction of the budget and production time"), the designs taken in a vacuum are rather neat, the backgrounds are well-done and the directing is snappy - some of the scene transitions were really neatly done. I like the artstyle shift gimmick except for the "live action" splices (IMO they overstay their welcome) and the quasi-retro video game theming is cool, even if it feels... pandering, on the verge of that very cynical "look at the thing you like, GAMER, now CLAP AND CONSUME THE PRODUCT" stance. The voice-acting is competent if sometimes struck by the Netflixvania "voice actors talking in lowercase" type of direction, and the dialogue itself isn't jarring, but it's not exactly memorable either. Same goes for audio - the soundtrack is well-done, and the occasional use of licensed songs again reminded me of Edgerunners, but the tracks chosen are either not particularly memorable or the scenes paired up with them lack the emotional impact to make "[Carpenter Brut playing]" something worth remembering.

Finally, I have a bit of a gripe with the show's treatment of queerness - the way Dolph and Alex's relationship is VERY aggressively front-and-center feels almost like it's too much, as if the writers feel the need to constantly bash me with a sign reading "these two men are GAY and they have PASSIONATE SWEATY GAY SEX, ARE YOU ENTERTAINED BY THIS, TUMBLR USER WHINING-YLTHIN" rather than portray a more natural working-romantic relationship between them, but even if we chalk it up to me still having unresolved hangups with internalized homophobia and living in closet for years... well, I have bad news for y'all, you can't really say the same about the show's take on Pagan Min - an effeminate queer man who wears pink, uses lipstick, is up and front (sometimes literally) with his kinky sex life, and who's also a cruel, power-drunk gangster who turns into a cowardly pathetic pissbaby the moment he's no longer backed by armed goons. The showrunners and artists sure worked hard to make you actively despise and look down at a villain who juuust so happens to also be the kind of queer person who's already frequently targeted by bigotry in real life, and at one point it feels like the show is this close to dropping a line about Pagan being the "wrong" kind of gay. Following it up with an otherwise out-of-nowhere spiel about Dolph still struggling with his own insecurities and closet doesn't magically erase this whole problem, either, it just highlights that the production team was most likely aware of this unfortunate framing and tried to sweep it under the rug.

By the way: when I started out watching, I was surprised by the fact that I haven't really seen any of my mutuals posting NSFW with the show's characters except for Bullfrog - but by the end I absolutely understood why the only thing from Laserhawk that caught any real traction with people was the godddamn Asssassin's Creed French Frog Joke Character. Aside from the very weird premise, the increasingly diminished pop-cultural staying power of Ubisoft games (for what little it means - all pre-existing characters are so heavily redesigned and rewritten they barely have anything in common with the source material) and lack of marketing (I only got around to watch it because GF's moot recommended the show to her and she recommended it to me), half the show is too barebones and the other half is too uninteresting to make a bigger wave in online spaces.

Ylthin's Media Thread thingy for the tail-end of 2023 and 2024:

Normally I'd do it on Twitter but I fully expect that site to collapse in 6 months.

Glen Cook, "Czarna Kompania"/"Cień w ukryciu" ("Black Company"/"Shadows Linger") (Rebis, 2009 Polish edition, 2022 reprint)

I'm starting this list somewhat off the curb - I've finished the 2nd novel from this omnibus release just now, but I've also read the first one earlier this year... and I don't have much to say about either, honestly. The prose is kind of clunky and awkward in a way that takes a moment to adjust to, and without directly comparing the Polish translation to the English original I can't tell how much of this unwieldiness is due to poor translation job and how much of it is just inherent to Cook's style. You're not reading this book for its characters, either - most of them are memorable only because of constant exposure, as names that you eventually learn to map to a broad role in the story or one, maybe two vague personality/appearance traits. What carried me through was what I can broadly describe as "vibes" and long-term significance of Black Company books - or maybe the wave of genre-fiction they were a part of. It certainly wasn't the first grim and gritty fantasy series out there, and the backside blurb's boasts about how Cook "brought the fantasy genre down to the level of common men" are very overblown (the books are literally about an evil sorceress' plan for world domination clashing against her messy divorce with her Dark Lord husband and a prophecy about the "divine savior" figure coming back further pissing into her breakfast), but I can still notice the seeds of interesting ideas being planted here and there (thank you MandaloreGaming for making me aware of Myth games, shame that they're downright impossible to legally obtain anymore), and the grit (while going for a very predictable "everyone is utterly miserable and the whores will give you all the STDs" route, and feeling more like catnip for 14-year-old boys rather than genuine "maturity") fortunately doesn't cross the line into unbearable edgelord territories yet. It was a part of the same wave of dark fantasy that either molded me directly (through Sapkowski's The Witcher novels and "Berserk"), indirectly (through a thousand imitators years down the line, from local fantasy authors of the 2000s to video games - Heroes of Might & Magic 5 in particular was retrospectively very blatantly inspired by Warhammer Fantasy), or infected me with sudden-onset brainrot in my mid-20s (Warhammer 40.000), and I can definitely feel and appreciate it even if I find these books to be rather mediocre so far.

I just wish I could get my hands on Moorcock's Elric books without going through a dozen hoops, but I guess I'll make do with Cook, Erikson and the odd Warhammer novel for the time being.

Oh, and this cover art? That tattered "dashing rogue" look, that borderline fractal leather-and-cloth patterning, the random spiky structures in the background? The long bob hair and goatee look straight out of the music video for "Imperium" by Machine Head? A cover that makes you think not even of actual early 2000s buttrock, but of Stuart Chatwood emulating it for Prince of Persia: Warrior Within's soundtrack? Hillariously mismatched with the actual novels. I haven't seen a choice this baffling since reading my dad's faded mid-90s pulp booklet edition of Ursula LeGuin's "Rocannon's World" paired up with either Vallejo or Frazetta sword-and-sandals artwork.

[fluffywolverine]

so season 6 of lucifer came out.

there were some things that i liked, but generally i hated it. i believe that was SUCH. BAD. WRITING and it left me frustrated. so i decided to write down all things that pissed me off and sometimes i try to fix this by giving other ideas that – in my opinion – would have made the story better. Check my points out and feel free to add your points of view. without further ado: let’s talk.

- imma start with the big one – fucking time travel. ok I generally hate this trope in the media, because it’s complicated and often leads to some logical mistakes – and they happened here. so rory time travels because of her anger which was caused… by her anger?? i think this was unnecessary. it also brings trouble with this whole free will vs. fate discourse. lucifer says, that he chooses free will… but at the same time he goes the path of his fate. he disappears from rory’s life, because he HAS TO in order of the events of the season to happen. just because he chose to do it, doesn’t mean it’s free will.

- lucifer becomes the very thing he desperately didn’t want to become. “bUt It WaS fOr ThE gReAtEr GoOd” screw this bullshit, if writers wanted to make it better, they could have easily do so. they could have altered the rules of time travel so that his choice of staying could have resulted in rory disappearing. yes, that would have been heart-breaking, but it would have been a great lesson for lucifer, that he can’t make the same mistakes his father did.

- chloe and Lucifer get a child without even talking about it. “bUt MaYbE tHeY tAlKeD aBoUt It We JuSt DiDn’T sEe It” you may say. but the point of writing anything  - whether it’s a book or a script – is to show any thing that matters. and talking about having kids is one of the most things any couple should do. also not every couple needs to have kids and forcing deckerstar to have it feels so far-fetched. this thread was very unnecessary.

- rory herself is a big problem. to begin with – she wanted to KILL her FATHER. i get her frustration, but commiting a murder?? just because he wasn’t there for her?? I would have thought that chloe taught her better, taught her that, like, killing people is bad. turns out she did not. secondly… she just isn’t necessary here. i elaborate later so in conclusion – her thread could be altered with michael’s and it would have made much more sense. i also don’t like the actress (why was she blinking so much??) so i certainly didn’t help.

- of course ella has to end up with a boyfriend. because earlier she always ended up with “bad boys” and now, without any help, she is just able to have a healthy relationship! yay! for me this creates a toxic view, that in order to be happy one HAS TO be in a relationship, because being alone is aLwAyS bAd. well, it’s not.

- i also have troubles with lucifer starting up a foundation for her. firstly, he didn’t ask her. secondly it – AGAIN – shows, that anything good ella got, was because of another man. firstly because of her relationship with carol, secondly because of lucifer’s idea. it could have been so easily altered! there could have been a scene of a conversation e.g. with amenadiel where she expressed a will to do better and be better for someone (given that she sees a lot of dark in herself). amenadiel could have then told her, that she is an inspiration and that it is her biggest strength. that could have been where ella came up with an idea to start a foundation blah blah – it’s just a rough idea but I believe that written well, it could have been so much better;

- and the last thing about ella – of course she had to find out about celestial stuff because sHe WaS tHe OnLy OnE rEmAiNiNg. umm what about trixie? i'll come back to her later. ella was portrayed as the only one believing in god and having her seeing that he really exists ruins the concept of faith. it’s not about knowing something exists, it’s about believing in it.

- WHERE THE FUCK IS MICHAEL. i must admit that i loved this character AND I CAN’T STAND HOW AWFULLY HE WAS TREATED HERE. so at the end of season 5 lucifer says “everyone deserves a second chance, even you michael". and what does he do then? COMMANDS HIS TWIN TO CLEAR THE FLOOR IN HELL. yes, i agree that michael should have been punished for his rebellion plan, but… he already has his wing cut off. now he’s stuck in hell, with no way out and is he supposed to learn his lesson? this is cruel. instead of this the entire season could have been centred on him – his journey to self-acceptance, learning how manipulating someone is toxic and starting to realise how to be a better person. at the end he could have become god (because amenadiel is such an obvious choice), which would create a beautiful connection – michael in heaven and his twin in hell.

- lucifer doesn’t feel like being god and that’s cool. damn. people died for him to win this place and he’s like “actually you know guys i’m not the right person bye”. while i believe that anyone should step out if they have a reason, but at the same time lucifer should have faced any consequences of his decisions. falling frog and kool aid in the river are not enough.

- adam’s plot feels just quickly sketched, not actually written. i really appreciate this take on toxic masculinity but it all felt too fast-paced. it’s good that they show this idea of “strong and not-showing-any-feelings man” kind of attitude, but it is impossible for ANYONE (especially The ManTM) to change their mind in a matter of a few days. it takes weeks, months, years even, especially given that adam is like a gazillion years old, he should have especially taken a long time to process this.

- carol is just too pure to exist. he’s also one of the most boring, plain and one-dimensional character i’ve ever seen. i feel like they gave him a problem with alcohol because the writers were like “hmmmmm he has to have some weakness. LET’S MAKE HIM AN ALCOHOLIC”. we don’t see any signs of his everyday struggle, why did he fell into this problem, how did struggle. it just feels like a dull plot device to show that he has flaws. oh and also he’s so pure that he doesn’t mind ella BREAKING INTO HIS HOUSE. acceptance should have boundaries and violating someone’s personal space isn’t right.

- why did they forget about trixie again? yes, i know that scarlett estevez had another project but this does not justify the bad writing. the girl lost her father and we only see her crying once because of that. no signs of this affecting her everyday life, not showing any consequences of her relationships with other people, not  glimpse of any change in her behaviour. oh and also she loses lucifer too because time travel! great idea, writers! losing another close to her person would have been soooooo good for her psychic for sure.

- i also hate the idea that suddenly rory becomes the only child they care for. where is trixie when they spend their day on the beach? where is she when her mother dies? did writers forget about her as well as they did about michael?

- amenadiel being a police officer is… problematic. i was looking forward to this thread, i was kinda scared too and it turned out… meh. i’m white and not American, so this of course does not involve me at all, but i felt like this was not enough. harris basically said that there is nothing they can do to make it better for black folks. even though chloe and amenadiel want to make everything more just, we don’t actually see any change. the only thing is that harris becomes a detective (right? i’m not sure if i understood it correctly, so correct me if i’m wrong, please) which is a total contradiction of what she said before. suddenly she does not have to protect people anymore?

- in season 5 they stated that heaven and hell need to be fixed, as the system is unfair and unjust. at the end we don’t see any change, the only thing that is different is lucifer helping damned souls. it doesn’t help at all! these people still go to hell, they still suffer and there’s nothing that changed here! plus there is also this thing, that a sociopath who murdered people in cold blood goes to heaven (because he does not feel any guilt) and a person abused by her parents/partner/whoever goes to hell (because have been manipulated to feel guilt).

- dan making amends with trixie while… there wasn’t really anything to make amends about. like, most of the parents make mistakes while upbringing their children, but does this make them unworthy of heaven? i would have preferred dan to slowly regain his self-consciousness, how he positively affected the lives of people around him and by doing so – through conversations or maybe reliving some of the memories, he could have proved to himself that he is worthy of love and redemption.

phew, what a ride. i really liked dan being reunited with charlotte (it went just as i imagined) and mazeve dynamics. i even felt like they are finally a real life relationship – with people hurting each other by not understanding each other, but then talking and seeing other’s perspective. generally though, i’m very disappointed.

sorry for any mistakes, lacking commas etc. writing a text this long in not my native language was not easy.

[sillysunshinesstuff]

The Absolute Fuckery that was 15x20

Ok there were a lot of reasons why the final was bad. Like so many fucking reasons. Even without the queerbaiting,this is some of the worst writing I’ve ever seen and here’s a few reasons why: 

Destiel

Yes. Big main reason here. They should not have included a confession and have one of the main plots of season 15 be Castiel’s and Dean’s relationship if they didn’t intend to follow through in any way. It shouldn’t have been introduced because the story became disjointed and thematically unsatisfying due to not being addressed in the final in any sort of way. Also, queerbaiting in 2020? Just to get your views up for the last few episodes because they knew Supernatural had become a shit show of bad ratings? Calculated and cruel toward the LGBTQIA+ community who has supported their careers for years. 

Saileen

The absolute least they could have done was see this plot point through but they did not. We do not know if Eileen lives and even if they release information that she did, it’s still bullshit because we don’t get to see any part of her story. She has been reduced to a two dimensional character with no agency or purpose. Another woman just meant to prop up the male lead. Bullshit. 

The Empty

What the fuck was the point of everything about this plot line if it would just be trashed half way through? Why did Cas make that deal with Ruby? Why did she beg to get out? Why did the Empty accuse Jack of making it loud? I really thought they were going somewhere with this one but they chickened out. There was so much potential for this; the angels and demons being awakened, balance being restored in heaven and hell, a big final show down between them and God. There were so many things just dropped when it came to this and that is why season 15 is absolutely frustrating because it feels like we just wasted our time with useless world building that didn’t amount to anything. 

Kevin

I truly did think they’d address this in some sort of way, but the last time we saw Kevin, he was cursed to wander the earth until he became insane because his soul couldn’t ascend to heaven. I was really excited about this because I thought it meant there was going to be some restructuring of the Supernatural universe. The plot would be how the universe Chuck created wasn’t perfect and it had flaws and it was up to Team Free Will to fix some of these gaping holes. They made a point of calling it unfair. It was a wrong that should have been righted in some sort of way in the final. 

Benny

This really isn’t just about Benny, it is about the concept of purgatory. A running theme in the show is that good people don’t deserve what happened to them. We see a lot of “good” monsters throughout the show. Characters who helped, sacrificed, and died for the brothers. At the end, they are sent to monster hell or purgatory. There was an episode this season where Sam and Dean killed a teenage boy who had been turned into a vampire. The teenage boy accepted his death because he knew it was for the best. He was afraid of hurting more people and he accepted that it was unfair. They made sure to emphasize how unjust the rules of this universe were and the emotional toll these universal rules took on the boys. Benny’s demise was spoken about briefly and we see Dean very hurt about his death. But the audience is left with the feeling that this is wrong. That the way the Supernatural universe is structured is wrong. Good people get turned into monsters, die, go to purgatory, and then die the ultimate death there. Is this what’s in store for all the “good monster” characters in the show? Garth? His family? They’re werewolves who fight their monster instincts, do they they still deserve purgatory? Did that teenage boy? A gaping hole that I thought the show was going to address in some way. Maybe offer redemption to those in purgatory or have Jack completely wipe away the concept of monsters in the universe. After all, it was just Chuck’s shitty writing, why couldn’t they wipe it clean and just leave people? “Cure” people of the monster and officially give the boys a way out of hunting? No monsters means no hunting. They’d be truly free. I thought this was direction they were going based off the certain episodes and characters discussed. But nope.

Jack

They reduced Jack’s character to plot food and that’s it. His ending was sloppy because it didn’t take into account any of the growth he’s had over the last three seasons. We predicted his ending from season 12 and that’s bad writing. Just. Awful writing. This character had dreams, motivations, relationships, but that all quite literally dissipated. He was used as a magic button that solved all their problems. 15x19 truly showed the lack of thought put into his character. He should not have been a main character if he didn’t have more influence on the plot than simply being a cop-out for having to write a well thought out solution. He was literally just there to snap his fingers and fix all their problems. 

Dean

Oh yeah, Dean’s ending was a big fuck you to any character growth this character has had over the last 15 seasons. There is a line in his final 15 minute goodbye monologue where he says they always knew it would end this way. Which, exactly. We always thought it would end this way because it’s so goddamn predictable. It’s shitty writing because it doesn’t try to subvert this. It quite literally says that any growth Dean has had meant nothing because it didn’t change his end. Dean Winchester was always meant to die a young, bloody death. Everything he’s done, everything he’s bled and sacrificed for meant nothing. His prediction came true. It makes the audience wonder why they stuck around for this long ass journey if they knew the ending all along. It isn’t about what this character deserves. We have always known that the hero deserves happiness, but the ending should say something about why the story matters. Why did we see Dean struggle all his life about accepting himself? Loving himself? Seeing himself as someone who deserves to live? It was yet another theme and plot point throughout season 15. It’s what Castiel proclaimed to him in his confession and it is what Dean finally acknowledged by telling Chuck that’s not who he was. Dean Winchester is not a cold blooded killer. Dean Winchester deserved to live. It was beautiful character growth. A wonderful end to him. But they said fuck that when his last words were that he always knew it would end this way. That he always knew he wasn’t meant to live a long life. The writers wanted tears and they got them. I was crying, not because it was a beautiful satisfying death or ending, but because they tore apart 15 years of development for my beloved character. Dean Winchester has shown consistently that he wanted more than hunting, he wanted more than the life he got stuck with. But they didn’t follow through. They just decided to make an emotional ending because that was the coolest broest bro masculine thing to do. 

Castiel

Literally everything. Literally fucking everything. Another character that was reduced to plot food. Castiel, the angel who rebelled against heaven and fell for the man he raised from perdition, was not deemed important enough to be in the final. This was the biggest fuck you of all. His story had become so complicated over the last few seasons and his purpose was kinda everywhere but they finally focused it when they had his happiness be Dean. When he said he found his faith when he found a family. When he became a father to someone who would one day save the universe. Castiel lived for the love he learned he was capable of. His ending just made no sense. I guess we’re supposed to assume Jack saved his from the empty but he wasn’t shown. He was not shown greeting Dean, the man he died for over and over again, his happiness. He was not shown being reunited with Jack, his faith. He was not shown enjoying the life he fell from grace for. He was a book with half its pages ripped out. Castiel didn’t get an ending. He got erased. 

Sam

That fucking wig. 

This is just some of my rambling thoughts I wanted to share will all of you. I have been a fan of this show for so many years. I invested so much time and love into something I’m going to look back on with bitter disappointment. Some of shittiest writing I have ever seen. Thanks for reading and add some more reasons. I know a missed a shit ton. 

[tubbo-in-a-boat]

Wake up honey time for me to talk about block game roleplay

Particularly had tommy in my mind a lot (for obvious reasons) so just wanted to talk about why that is exactly! How this death feels different from the others seen so far.

However if you don't want to hear about that, but still want to read something about the current arc, then don't worry cuz the other half of my rambles is just different ideas as to what will happen! More lighthearted and fun, trust me.

Cw for death, abuse, and the entire arc holy shit it's dark.

Also if you expect me to be critical and negative then jokes on you, if someone speaks bad about my hyperfixation I will cry B) enjoy

So like, where do I begin??? Who was expecting THAT. I mean, some people considered the idea, but it seemed so unlikely that after everything that has happened in the story, he would just die.

One of the things that really put me off was just HOW it happened. Let alone that the fact it even happened was painful, but his death has been different from the other deaths seen in the smp. When Wilbur died, it felt like the end of his story, and despite the circumstances, Wilbur was the one who chose to die in the end. He asked for it, literally. Which is sad and fucked up in itself, but it felt like a good conclusion to the character that is wilbur, and we still got a piece of him in the form of ghostbur. Wilburs story is over, but Tommy's wasn't.

I'm going to go into more detail about his death and what lead up to it in the next paragraph so just skip to the next one if you would rather not hear it!

//

Tommy's death is probably THE most cruel death in the smp so far, and it's so bad I don't think any other can that can top that. Not only was he trapped in a confined room surrounded by lava (both facts we know makes tommy uncomfortable), but he was trapped with dream, you know, the person who abused him. It's not a light term, dream separated tommy from the world, made him believe no one cared about him, and broke him to the point he almost took his last life. Tommy was finally off his reach, finally able to move on from all the war and pain from his past, and grow. And it was taken away, by Dream himself. As I said, I trully believe no death can top the absolute horror Tommy experienced. He was stuck with Dream, for a week, and was just beaten senselessly to death. No weapon, no glorious exit, no famous last words, just a "dream I'm going to die" and then nothing. He didn't even fight back, no one was by his side, no one even saw him die. Schlatts death felt deserving, he simply succumbed to his own vices, surrounded by the people he hurt in some way. Tommy didn't deserve his death, he died alone and unfairly.

//

I really enjoyed the end of the disc arc, I think it's probably my FAVORITE moment in the smp. Tommy finally had something good happen to him, he didn't have to sacrifice anything like he has had to all his life, people came in to help him, Dream was imprisoned, and Tommy was freed. So for tommy's future to be taken away like this, it's horrible. Tommy had his whole new life ahead, so his death has made many feel either disturbed by the way he died, or sadden because it all seems to have been for nothing.

I'll be honest, when I saw Tommy had died, I straight up didn't believe it. I thought it must have been a mistake, an accidental blooper like when dream exploded himself, just a funny accident. Didn't help that Tubbo didn't seem phased by it, I was expecting for someone to come out behind the curtains and say it was an accident. But it wasn't, I still can't believe this even happened. It felt ridiculous and unnecessary, all this buildup for tommys future, only for him to die?? What was the reason for this?? What the hell??? Is THIS it?

In many ways, this seemed unfair and unprompted. But now I that it's been a day I've managed to think about why this death felt different. It's very obvious but, the fact that it seemed so unscripted, so sudden and unjust, it's just .. too real. Wilburs death felt like the end of a story, Tommys felt like the death of a young kid with a future ahead of him. It sucks and it hurts.

Well that was depressing, onto the other (and lighter) half of this.... this thing, I don't know what this is-

Do I think this is really the end of Tommy in the smp? Hell no, there's several reasons in and outside of the story for tommy to come back. I'm going to go from the least to most positive, cuz I really need the positivity rn </3

Starting with the most unlikely and sad one, Tommy simply stays dead. No revival arc, nothing from tommy's pov, everyone just has to mourn the death of this kid and move on. Fucking depressing!

Second one kinda latches off the previous point, but Tommy is seen in the afterlife. I dont think this is very likely either as it would have to be a lot to pull off but I'll explain anyway. The afterlife was proven to be a thing while Ghostbur was trying to be revived. We know Wilbur and Schlatt (AND MEXICAN DREAM..) are there, so maybe Tommy will meet Wilbur there! Except Wilbur isn't happy to see him. This would probably be a very heartfelt moment! Or they will both shout at eachother. No in-between <3. If they really aren't thinking about bringing tommy back, this could be a comforting conclusion to an otherwise bitter end.

Climbing up the ladder were finally getting to the ones I think are more likely, and not as bad!

Tommy gets turned into a ghost. If they really want to go through Tommy's death, I see this happening! Tommy needs his content guys, so Phantominnit is born :) I don't think they will be as complex as Ghostbur, I don't see Tommy roleplaying that hard pfft.

Dream brings Tommy back to life. This one is easy, and probably the most likely alternative. After all, Dream could tell everyone he can bring Tommy to life, in exchange for his freedom. This one leads to either them complying, them keeping him in prison, or somehow tricking him.

Based off of that, there's also the possibility of Wilbur getting revived as well. Wilbur IS back, as a writer at least, and I have no doubt Wilbur had something to do with writing this entire plot, so maybe he's planning to bring his character back through this somehow.

There's also other honorable mentions, tho these are more farfetched:

Karl somehow going back in time to revive him! The only proof present is that he stated that his newest tales from the smp will have "the most ties to the main story yet", but I personally think it's going to be about the eggs and it's origins. Speaking of which...

The egg bring back Tommy. Why would the egg EVER do such a thing? Look, the egg has mysterious properties, this isn't impossible. Maybe the egg manages to bring back Tommy.... Except Tommy is a bit off.

Tommy is brought back to life by Philza. Philza claims to know about the subject of revival, maybe Ranboo begs Phil to try to revive Tommy out of guilt. Interesting concept but not so likely.

Tubbo. I dunno man, Tubbo alright, he's too powerful, he could just say "no <3" and drag tommy out of the afterlife with his own two hands. He needs someone to throw the flowers in his wedding.

[atlas-of-a-human-soul]

Skinny love [2]

Summary: Ethan reveal some things Grayson wasn't aware of.

Warnings: angst, talk of abortion, swearing

Part one

"I hate you."

When she said it, Grayson thought it must be a cosmic joke of sorts. It had to be a fucked up joke the universe played on him because how else would he justify the love of his life saying she hates him and the lack of tenderness in her eyes. Her eyes are hard, unmoving and filled with disgust toward him and his presence.

But now? Grayson still struggled to let go of the hatred she inspired that day and months before she ever uttered the spiteful, bitter words. Even as he heard she might be hanging on a thread, Grayson only leaned on the wall and looked up at the ceiling, clenching his jaw as he contemplated what he'll do.

"Do you want to see her?" The nurse asked a little louder, aware the man before her might be in shock because his wife might die at such a young age, leaving him a single dad with no clue what he's doing because none of them really know what a baby is until they end up smeared in shit, gagging at the smell and on top, the baby decides to scream, spit up and pee in a physically inexplicable direction. They're all brave until they're fathers and they have to stay home with the baby alone.

"Huh? Who?" Grayson blinked, swallowing thickly as the woman frowned, deciding to give him some time to truly accept what has happened.

"When you're ready to see either of your girls, find me at the desk."

As the nurse walked away, Ethan slapped a hand over Grayson's shoulder, giving it a tight enough squeeze to earn himself a death glare.

"What the fuck are you waiting for? Your daughter needs you, regardless of what relationship you and Y/N share. You always wanted to be a dad and now you are!"

But Grayson just chuckled dryly, dragging a hand over his face, letting his index finger linger on his stubble for a few seconds longer while he twisted his tongue.

"Yeah. I always wanted to be a dad, but how do I know if this is really my kid?"

Ethan coughed, nearly choking on his own saliva before lowering his voice and awkwardly leaning in to whisper.

"What the fuck are you talking about, huh?"

Pacing. It's all Grayson could do. Pacing the room with a positive pregnancy test in his hand, losing his fucking mind while his wife was nowhere to be found, the third time that week. She spends most her time outside the house, usually coming home in the early hours when she counts on him being asleep. But he's not asleep and he's not indifferent about her absence nor about the lack of communication between them. He's not celebrating the growing distance and mistrust nor the fact that he no longer believed she was faithful to him.

"You're home early." He piped up as Y/N came into the room, her eyes noticing the test immediately. She stared at it blankly, not batting an eye as Grayson outstretched his arm and pointed the test her way.

"I was gonna tell you." She licked her lips, pushing herself to look into his eyes, the man she could no longer rely upon. He's become the man she always hoped to avoid and while this test tied her to him, she felt her love turn sour, to hate. She hated how it trapped her in a loveless marriage where her husband had no respect, no understanding, no patience and definitely no affection to give her.

The last time they had sex was because they were both pissed at each other and they were tired of fighting. It was also the last time he kissed her. Knowing that made her sick to her stomach. If he couldn't love her, why was she the one who had to love him? It felt unfair, unjust in every possible way, cruel even. If he didn't love her, she didn't want to love him, even if his DNA was now forever a part of her.

"Before or after you told whoever you're screwing behind my back?" Grayson retorted, noticing her flinch with the words and he was so sure he finally caught her in the act. He expected her to admit to the affair, to tell him she was leaving and to end their endless cycle of suffering. A part of him hoped it was all true, the cheating, the baby not being his, that she was going to be the bad guy in their story, but she didn't fess up.

Instead, she took the test in her hand and let out a heavy sigh. She looked up, her eyes swimming I'm tears as the last of his disrespectful insults resonated with her. She looked into her husband's eyes and saw he thought of her as a whore. There was nothing more to fix the damage now. Not while she felt her heart bleeding and she refused to bleed in front of him. She couldn't afford vulnerability with a man who no longer cared for her.

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but this child has your DNA. But if you don't want this or either of us, just fucking say so. Don't throw around accusations without any foundations."

"I'm saying she never said she didn't cheat. What if she did and she tried to pass the kid as mine to get child support?" Grayson spoke in hushed tones, looking at Ethan with genuine worry before Ethan landed a slap on his cheek. Not hard enough to hurt him, but hard enough to shake some sense into his brother.

"Do you actually believe the shit coming out of your mouth or do I need to slap you harder?" Ethan spat, ready to square up. "That girl lives and breathes for you, always has and if you can't see that, you're the idiot!" Ethan shakes his head, stepping away before he did something he'd regret but Grayson didn't miss what his brother said. He spoke in present tense.

"How the fuck would you know, E?" Grayson cocked his head, his lips pressing together as Ethan laid out the truth.

"Those nights you just told me about? She was with Katarina! They spent all the time drinking and dancing and likely bitching about how fucking hard it is to love a Dolan twin. She's been staying with Katarina these months too! I'm not supposed to know about it, but I know! Just as I know she's convinced you're the cheating asshole!" Ethan whisper shouted, lowering his voice further at the end so no one would hear them or record them.

"And the ring they told you about?! The one she got stabbed over?! I'm pretty sure it's the engagement ring and wedding band she put on a necklace Katarina loaned her around her neck. She hated how she still loved you when there was no fight for your marriage on your behalf. And while I wanted to tell you, I fucking hoped you'd wise up on your own and fix it! I don't know if that's possible at all, mostly because getting her to admit she actually gives a flying fuck about you would be a fight of a lifetime, but we both know she is fucking worth it. And if you don't try, you're not the man I thought you were."

And as Ethan walks away, Grayson slides to the floor, his head covered with his hands and he can't help but wonder why is it so easy for us to assume the worst in those we love the most? His fingers trail down to his necklace, pulling it out of his shirt to gaze down on a ring he's been hiding finally see the light of day. How does the trust, the love shared just disappear like it's a letter lost in the mail? People jump at the opportunity to protect themselves, finding no trouble in tearing their loved ones down in the process. It was so easy, too fucking easy to make Y/N out to be the bad guy in their marriage, but Grayson finally realized he is the bad guy in her story as well.

Tags: @beinscorpio ​@peacedolantwins ​ ​​ @heyits-claire ​ ​​ @dolandolll ​ ​​ @godlydolans ​ ​​ @dolanstwintuesday ​ ​​ @iwastornsincethestart ​ ​ @graydolan12 @graysavant

Part 3

[evilelitest2]

The 40K fandom filling with alt-righters was predictable because GW won't stop rimming the Imperium at the expense of everyone else, original themes included, but how was Warhammer Fantasy going down the same way?

Its a lot more obvious with 40K because its basically been playing footsie with the Alt Right for decades now by openly embracing Neo Nazi symbolizing and imagery (its more complicated than that but i’m bitter).  Warhammer fantasy doesn’t do that, it does draw on Germanic imagery but its more Holy Roman Empire than fascist/Imperial Germany.  But it still has some narratives which appeal to fascists, even though the setting was 100% not designed to appeal to fascists (in fact a lot of the fluff is anti fascist).  So its not deliberate but here are some default assumptions (I actually wrote a paper on this) 

1) The lack of positive Emotions.  Warhammer fantasy is a parody and is designed as a dark comedy, and lets admit that a lot of its fluff is very funny.  But one of the problems with creating a setting where everything sucks and everybody is a bastard, is that it actually encourages the sort of nihilistic understanding of humanity which Neo Fascism (opposed to classic fascism) relies on so much.  This is a world where diplomacy doesn’t work, kindness is foolish, and decency is unrewarded, all that matters is cruel war.  And as a cynic myself, I can appreciate the joke they are going for, but the longer that joke goes on, the more it makes caring about humanity seem foolish.  This also combines with the hatred of cute stuff (see also Doom).  The Entire world view is very adolescent boy, which is about the emotional state of fascism. 

2) For all of the games cynicism, it has a soft spot towards the glory of war.  The world is shitty, incompetent, stupid, cruel, unjust and random, but Warhammer Fantasy tends to depict war as the only transcendental and glorious experience.  This is most exemplified with the Chaos Warriors, who come off as rather noble despite being a faction whose entire existence is defined by war.  Warhammer fantasy mocks many things but never war

3) It very much buys into the “Warrior Culture” myth (Seen also Conan), where some cultures are defined macho and violent opposed to softer and more civilized cultures.  The Northern cultures near the Chaos wastes get this a lot.  These cultures have a very “noble savage” way of writing, especially regarding the Viking/mongol based ones.   

4) The background of the Empire of Man still buys into the conservative perspective of “Things were great in the past, but society steadily fell”.  It actually takes this further because it attributes the fall to decadence, hedonism, and sexual immorality.  I was just reading Historian and conservative shithead Niels Ferguston, who wrote 

“the real threat is posed not by the rise of China, Islam or CO2 emissions, but by our own loss of faith in the civilization we inherited from our ancestors.” and that sort of view about what causes civilizations to fall fits into the Warhammer understanding of history.  In fact if you go unto fascit forums, they often describe the Queer movement, especially trans activism, as Slaanesh worshipers 

5) While Warhammer fantasy is not overtly sexist and I don’t think any of the writers have actual problems with women (though Games workshop is run by Satan) but the way female characters, especially female sexuality are depicted in the series is...telling.  the Dark Elves and Slaanesh worshipers have a very “Sex, especially kinky sex is evil” feel.  Now I don’t think the writers of Warhammer fantasy actually have a reactionary view towards sex and aren’t trying to make a fascist point, but I think that narrative supports the fascist narrative that decadence spiritually damages society.  The genre is super male coded very strongly and tends to buy into macho notions of aethetic (which Warhammer 40k will take much further) 

6) Because warhammer draws so much on real world societies, even by the standards of fantasy, its depiction of those societies is super telling.  The Holy Roman Empire as presented in Warhammer is actually both less complicated and less international than its real world counterpart.  Notably, the real holy Roman Empire actually controlled Spain and through it the New World, meaning it was by far the most ethnically diverse state in the world during the time of the Reformation.  Because its drawing its influence from the Holy Roman Empire rather than more fantastical element (which I will grant gives setting a distinct Aesthetic which I mostly like) it contributes to the warped understanding of “Medievalism” which the Far Right takes advantage of.  This is a problem with most fantasy and Warhamer is not alone here, but a lot of people’s default understanding of the Medieval/early modern Era is shaped more via fantasy than by an actual understanding of the era.  Notable the intellectual, cultural, artistic...really any non military part of history.  Which unfortunately is how a lot of people view the pre modern world, as just military history, which lends itself to conservatism.  

7) Its Euro Centric as fuck.  That is normal for most fantasy but because Warhammer is so balatant about its real life inspiration, the absence is notable.  You have Fantasy France and Fantasy Holy Roman Empire, but you are missing the North African states, the Caliphate, and probalby most important of all, the Ottoman Empire, the greatest Rival to the Holy Roman Empire.  The Holy Roman Empire and the Ottoman Empire had a century long series of wars/rivarlys/hatefucking relationship which is just absent.  There is mention of a China based nation (Cathay really?) and some sort of Muslim power (Arabay) which the setting doesn’t care about and nobody ever visits.  The new World exists, but the native Americans have been replaced by Dark Elves and Lizard People.  You are even loss most of the real like ethnic diversity, their are new Jews and the Romani are confined to the Romania inspired vampire setting and basically exist as Bram Stoker people who dabble in dark magic.  And the ogres (one of my favorite factions btw) have a very oriental visual design, which would be fine if there were actual asians in the setting.  All of the non human races except the Chaos dwarves tend to look white or entirely alien which compounds this problem 

8) The notion of cults.  The Witch Hunters in Warhammer Fantasy play much the same role as the Inquisition who targeted Protestants, “Witches”  (and in Spain at least) Muslims and Jews.  Basically the inquisition was just an exercise in cruelty that just targeted entirely innocent people.  In the Warhammer world, Daemon cults are real and the brutal methods of the inquisitions are largely justified, they kill a lot of innocents but they also destroy a lot of cults.  This one is something I’m kinda mixed on, because the presence of evil cults dedicated the forces of hell is fun and it is a great plot for adventure, but it has the unintended side effect of making the notion of secret societies dedicated to profane rites seem less silly.  Look at how Alt Rightists talk about the supposed leaders of the left, its language that is used to describe the cults in warhammer, I mean the Pizzagate conspiracy theory/Qanon conspiracy theory feel like people talking about Slaanesh and Tzeentch cults 

9) Finally, the cynical nature of the setting, combined with its pro war narrative creates a world view where the world is corrupt, cruel, and unfair, the vast majority of people are ignorant morons and the nobles are decadent have weird sexual kinks.  the only things holding the forces of hell at bay are the thuggish sadistic cruel soldiers who regularly indulge in torture and murder of civilians, and it is with these people you must trust.  Its a brutal world where the only appropriate response is more brutality, which in addition to being ahistorical (the Early modern period was more than just war) but fits the fascist world view.  The world is terrible and the only thing you can have faith in is a bunch of German war criminals with a fetish for eagles and skulls.  Anybody trying to challenge that world view is either a Daemon Cultist or a naive idiot who is going to be taken over by a Daemon cultist.  

(very Wagner) 

Again, Warhammer Fantasy is not deliberate fascists, in fact there is a LOT in the material which rejects fascism but there is a lot of thoughtless assumptions that confirms their world view.  

Also I never played/read Age of Sigmar so i don’t know if this carries over 

[thephantomcasebook]

Preview for Chapter 10 of the Wayfaring Stranger.

“Mrs. Drewe?”

“Just missed her … punched a first-class ticket to a reasonably priced dirt nap.”  George sniffed with a hard-boiled cynicism in his voice.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, a grateful one. He didn’t turn to look at his Uncle Tom who had remained to attend to the hero of the hour. The Irishmen looked conflicted when he peered over the wall and saw the woman’s body. Tom Branson felt a deep empathy for Mrs. Drewe in that hour, and quickly defused any grudge he might have borne against her. Yet, he couldn’t stop himself from being relieved that she was gone. The ugly business between Edith and the Drewes, after so many years, was now at an end. And Tom felt guilty for feeling grateful for the threat to Marigold being over after twelve long years of walking on eggshells. But even then, he didn’t think that anyone deserved what happened to Margie Drewe at the end of her life.

“How’s the arm?” He asked.

“Had worse riding the Rodeo in South Texas …” George replied absently.

He turned to George and looked at the young man who cradled his arm. Tom Branson loved his nephew as if he was his own son. And his devotion to the lad was enhanced by, what he would consider, the spitting image of Sybil in his face and spirit. The boy, in a different world, might have been exactly the son that Sybil would’ve bore to him. It was a popular thought among so many of the family - so much so - that often Tom and Mary joked that, with Sybbie being much in mind with Mary, and George taking much after Sybil, that perhaps their babies were switched at birth.

But for all of Tom’s love and reverence for George, he often found himself tiptoeing around him. The boy, after all, had always guarded fiercely the permanently vacant spot of the role of his father. Robert had stopped trying, Henry was rejected a year into marriage, and Tom was mauled more than once for not ‘staying the hell out of people’s business’ in trying to support Mary or Cora in the wrangling of the wildly independent rebel.  As far as George was concerned, he already had a father. Nor did Tom’s closeness to Mary help his cause. George hardly trusted his uncle, never fully believing that he wasn’t his mother’s lackey who was intentionally sent to spy on him unintentionally.

Then, there was the business with Henry … the whole business. Tom was lit into by his nephew often for ever bringing that ‘fucking coward’ into their lives. He did not grudge the man his friendship, but heartily condemned him for forcing Henry Talbot on his mother, for ignoring the glaring signs of their unsuitability to one another’s lives. Perhaps Caroline would never have been born, but what was the use of the baby when she was gone in the blink of an eye? The youth would’ve rather have never known her, than to have her so briefly before she was taken from them, from him. George respected Tom, but he would never – never – forgive him for Henry Talbot. And was at the ready to wound his uncle gravely when Tom’s opinions and judgement was seemingly oppressive. Reminding him of his intrusive behavior that led to a baby girl’s suffering and untimely death at the hands of the inaction of the wonderfully superficial romance he had contrived. But when rebuked for his cruel remarks by the family, deeming it “Unjust” and “unfair”, a rage would come over George, and he spoke venomously then.

“Unjust? Unfair? What would you know of it? Huh? Unjust: is marrying a woman, because, you want to sleep with her! Unfair: Is conceiving a baby girl you hardly see! Unjust: Is freezing when your daughter is on death’s door! Unfair: Is leaving your seven-year-old Stepson to rescue her on his own! Unjust: Is allowing him to take the blame for your daughter’s death! Unfair: Is how easily your In-Laws let you off the hook for it! Don’t you ever, EVER, talk at me of what is fair and just! Cause, Henry Talbot, doesn’t know a GODDAMN thing about it! … And neither do you! So, go on, Uncle Tom … tell me more! Cause, your judgement is so reliable!”    

“Cad a bhí sí tar éis?” Tom asked in Gaelic, wishing to keep whatever madness which led Mrs. Drewe there that night private. Though, he couldn’t be sure why, other than to show some respect toward the dead.

“Vengeance ar thoil Dé agus nádúr an duine le haghaidh grá agus fuath.” George answered hauntedly.

“Did she get it?” Tom asked George in plain English at his rather profound answer to his question of Mrs. Drewe’s intentions. George was quiet for a long time.

“Vengeance is a loan. Quick, expedient, fleeting, and you spend the rest of your life paying it off, leaving your children to cover the interest long after you’re gone.” With that, the youth looked off in pondering of his words in a deeper understanding and experience of the sentiment.

[elvesofnoldor]

Getting into silmarillion again is weird when you are not a 13 year old little fool who just really like them pretty fae people (elves) anymore, cause i’d be re-visiting these lores right now and i’d suddenly remember that all these wars and these sufferings and these PAINS, they are all for...some jewels an elf man made??? hello??? HELLO??? ugh, the whiplash. but like, I mean, i know silmarillion functions as a collection of myths of tolkien’s universe aka Arda ( myths that actually happened in the story universe tho, like we got living witnesses of them lol) and mythology is not supposed to be relatable, they are supposed to be allegories--understood on a metaphorical level. And Silmarillion can feel too grand sometimes when u think abt it too literally: a fight against literal entropy and force of destruction--the devil himself? a war over jewels that shine everlasting light of nourishment and bliss and LIFE no mortals can understand? how do you process these bullshits lol like none of these are relatable, so like, i can def understand why the lores of ancient world of tolkien’s universe can be so off putting but im still super attached to noldor elves?  nowadays i see the silmarillion (aka the jewels) as narrative equivalents of the fruits from the tree of good and evil. They are equivalent of objects that made Adam and Eve, human; they are embodiment of joy and life both literally and metaphorically. At the same time, the jewels also embody desire and desire brings both good (life and joy) and evil (death and pain). But they are also...more than that? It’s also embodiment of stolen happiness and lost bliss to the (noldor) elves--these jewels are in a way, lost “home” to them. I suppose, present day me being attached to the noldor elves has more to do with the fact that their story is the story of a people who takes fate into their own hands to regain the life and happiness that are stolen from them, all in defiance of flawed, unjust, deceiving and cruel authority (the valars, equivalent of archangels, but also kinda, gods?). However, in their rebellion out of desire for justice, they strayed further and further away from the happiness and life they so desperately want to regain. The more they try to come home, they further away they are from it. All efforts for peace and prosperity were fruitless victories, and The more they tighten their grip on lost happiness, the quicker it slips through their fingers. They have struggled and they have failed and it was simply not meant to be. It’s unfair and it’s cruel and it’s simply...the way of universe? it’s not a perfect narrative and i do take issue with the fact that attempts to take fate into your own hands in rebellion against unjust authority result in inevitable doom, but noldor elves are just...they come off so passionate and spirited and full of life and so SO human? by the time the stories of lotr happens, all that’s left of them are memories, unmarked graves beneath the sea and lessons written in blood and tears. i suppose they are just...kinda relatable? and that makes their tragic fate more...heart-wrenching? idk. ( i mean, also tolkien wrote silmarillion before he even thought of writing the hobbit or lotr, so these stories are supposed to be full fledged emotional stories as supposed to just, lores to explain the story of silmarillion)  but there is some catharsis to the story of tolkien elves (this is not “children of hurin” ok now THAT story is just tragedy porn ok there is a reason it wasn’t published when tolkien is still alive), since they all eventually return to/arrive back to valinor, and yes home is never the same, but they all come home at last.  Now, ik da wiki never says that dragon age elves got any inspiration from tolkien but that doesnt mean that there ISN’T fuck tons of similarities b/w both of their histories, or the fact that tolkien’s body of works functions as literate canon for the high fantasy genre since the damn 80s. Anyways, there are two “long walks” that happened in tolkien elves and dragon age elves’ history, one is just called the long walk (where the dragon age elves took to establish the realm of Dales) and the other one is the crossing of helcaraxe (in silmarillion), both taken to take back life and happiness stolen by Evils^tm (in dragon age elves’ case, said evils come in the form of slavery and colonization). However, There is no...valinor...for the dragon age elves.  In silmarillion, the way back to valinor, to “home”, to stolen life and happiness, is literally closed in the first age. In dragon age universe, the dalish and city elves alike are cut off from the life and bliss of the past that was stolen from them due to slavery and colonization, no matter how much they long for it. Now, i dont like how bioware writers make dalish come off as people stuck in the past and int he old way (like, thats the reason why sera is written the way shes written, cause they want to make dalish look backward), and honestly i think thats just white writers not understanding the nuance of their own narratives lol. But also, there is some asshole named s*las who wishes to bring back the “past glory and bliss of elven realms” even if it means committing acts of utmost violence. You know, in silmarillion, Maedhros has committed acts of violence to regain the silmarlis, to get that ticket back “home”, back to the life that was stolen from him and his people, and when he truly held the jewels in his hands he realize that they were forever lost to him the moment he shed blood. At the end of his life, maedhros learned that ruthlessly tightening the grip on the happiness of long lost past would only take you further and further away from it, and he paid his lesson with his own life. The sad thing is that, s*las is probably gonna learn that lesson WITHOUT suffering much of consequences, because hes unlikely to be able to bring about actual apocalypse to open the veil, and that kinda piss me off. Even if he dies, i had to spend an entirety of da:i to put up this bitch being in it, and i have to deal with his presence in most of da4 as it seems, and he might not even die miserably lmao. like, i like maedhros, i like noldor elves WAY better than his crusty ass, but they all die horribly when he is probably gonna come out of this whole mess unscathed.  rant aside, i wish that....no matter what happened in da4, the elves in dragon age universe, can also eventually find their way back to their “valinor”. definitely not through s*las’ dumbass’ efforts, tho, but, somehow, i hope they can find their way back home or...better yet, find their way forward.