#now to just actually play the damn quest line

[jils-things]

pkmn soulsilver babbles c:

i have reached the tag limit writing my thoughts help. im not even done but ig ill just leave it at that AHAHSHSHSH

[roguerambles]

I understand the disappointment, I really do, but I think people might be blowing the whole world state thing a bit out of proportion. "This is SPITTING IN THE FACE of long-time fans" no it's not Steve, calm down.

The series has always had to compromise when it comes to the state of the world because so many of the choices (especially from the end of Origins) were so wildly different that trying to build a sequel from so many conflicting factors would be more or less impossible. It's why we've never seen the Architect again, because him being alive or dead has HUGE ripple effects that are damn near impossible to write around.

Heck, it was entirely possible for Anders to die at the end of Awakening, but the writers wrote around it by saying "oh no he actually faked his death" even though logically that made very little sense because at that point he'd have absolutely no reason to do that? But Anders was in the sequel so that had to come up with something.

Basically nothing from Dragon Age 2 was important in Inquisition - Hawke siding with Mages or Templars made no difference, Anders being alive or dead made no difference, whether Carver or Bethany were dead or Wardens or whatever made no difference. We got some flavour text and that was literally it, everything else played out exactly the same.

Hell, the Temple of Sacred Ashes gets blown to bits at the beginning of Inquisition, rendering everything to do with that quest from Origins basically moot. And we've never gone back to Orzammar, and everything we have heard from it has been kept super vague, because depending on who the King is and if Branka is still alive things would look WILDLY different. Crafting a new story there would be borderline impossible because the dozen different possible world states make the foundation shaky at best.

It's why I highly doubt we'll be able to side with Solas and help him tear down the Veil because that would result in basically a whole new world being created. Imagine them trying to make Dragon Age 5 and being like "okay 50% sided with Solas and tore the Veil down and 50% kept the Veil intact....wtf now what do we do--?"

Again, I understand the disappointment, but I just hope once the dust has settled and people calm down a bit they'll see that, realistically, very little has changed. Your saves are still there, your experiences and enjoyment of the games and the characters and the story are still there, but they were always gonna have to draw the line SOMEWHERE.

And that's not to say none of our previous choices will come back - if we get another game, or a spin off or something they'll probably do what they're doing with the Inquisitor now. They're just taking what's relevant to the story they are trying to tell, and leaving what they aren’t going to use presently ambiguous.

[mythalism]

ok im going to try and parse through my feelings on the entire game in the hopes that expelling these thoughts from my brain will allow me to actually sleep because i am running on about 3 hours right now

i will start positive with the things i absolutely loved:

solas. whos suprised

just kidding i will elaborate further of course. genuinely, from a (mostly) objective writing perspective, he is the best part of this game. like hands down. his writing is bonkers insane. he has the best lines and the most complexity out of any character in the game (besides mythal perhaps). i was so so so afraid they were going to completely woobify him into someone who was right all along and never did anything wrong in his life blah blah to make him sympathetic to a new audience. they did not give a fuck however and i could not be more glad. he is exactly the dread wolf and bringer of nightmares of legend. he is so wonderfully in character, even if that character is not someone we saw in inquisition (we saw solas, not the dread wolf!). there are moments that solas shines through, like in his mentions of varric in the very beginning, when he mentions his love for the inquisitor, his convo with a rook he respects (which i do believe was genuine, even if he betrays them anyway. we know that he regularly betrays people that he likes and respects lol), the way he helps the shadow dragons and saves the dalish, and of course in his final scene with the inquisitor. he manages to retain that perfect back and forth, mask on and mask off, solas vs. fen'harel dichotomy with a different balance than the one we saw in inquisition. in inquisition, we saw solas with hints of the dread wolf peeking through. in veilguard, we see the dread wolf with hints of solas peeking through. ok i need to move on or i will talk about him forever. but they nailed the moral ambiguity with him. they nailed the theme of forgiveness being hard. i loved when harding said something along the lines of "there is no one who doesnt deserve forgiveness" this is one of the few consistent themes that this game was successful in exploring. ok ok moving on now i promise

i also loved mythal (fragment mythal, not morrigan mythal who was a flop). admittedly i am a mythal stan, but her integration into this story was a highlight for me. she haunted the narrative in such a great way. it added so much complexity to solas. hearing him GROWL at elgar'nan in rage "you have lost the right to say her name" made me scream in glee. i loved talking to her and having to prove my worth to her. i love that it was hard and she would kill you without hesitation if she found you unworthy. i love that if she does find you worthy she is instrumental in changing solas's mind. i loved her dragon appearance even if she was useless in the damn fight lol. morrigan mythal sucked tho but thats for later

similar vein but the main quests were fantastic, with a few caveats. but overall every main quest had me hooked, having so much fun, at the edge of my seat and screaming and flailing in my chair. weisshaupt was incredible, BLOOD OF ARLATHAN WAS INSANE (the solas elgarnan bitch fight will go down in history as a moment of all time for me) and of course the finale was some of the best writing ive seen from bioware. the way suspense was built was well done, the stakes felt high, and the twists were interesting.

choice and consequence was absolutely banger. i gasped when i went back to dock town after leaving minrathous to fend for itself and saw a gallows with bodies hanging from nooses and piles of bodies in the streets. i gasped when harding died. i gasped when bellara got blighted. definitely the best choice and consequence in the entire franchise and it was very satisfying. i feel motivated to play again to see different options play out.

the environments are fucking insane. genuinely insane giga brained genius. i have never been so gagged by a video game like this. not only were they beautiful but they were well-designed, interesting and diverse. i rarely got bored anywhere (except treviso lol) and i was regularly picking my jaw up off the floor. some highlights for me were the anderfels area where you first meet davrin with that amazing vista, kal sharok, the docktown catacombs, pretty much anything in arlathan, the deep roads, and honestly so much. absolutely beautiful.

this game felt incredibly cinematic and the direction was fantastic. the cutscenes were so well done and they transitioned so smoothly into gameplay. the animation was fantastic, and everything was so engaging to watch. my favorite cutscene has to be when solas is about to switch places with rook and you see him in the background out of the corner of your eye twice, though rook doesnt know. i was literally screaming it was so fucking cool. it genuinely felt like watching a movie a lot of the time

i genuinely enjoyed the gameplay loop of exploration. i had a lot of fun just exploring around docktown and arlathan, there was always something new to find, i loved the puzzles, and i loved finding codex entries. this is a crazy thing to say but it actually reminded me a lot of genshin impact LMFAO. which i know a lot of people would probably consider to be a negative but i thought it was engaging and fun.

combat fucks. it got a little repetitive by the end, mostly because i think i just wanted to find out the end of the story and fucking darkspawn were in my way, but it was a huge step up from previous games and i think action combat was a good choice.

this game has an incredible amount of genuine heart and soul put into it and you can feel it in every facet of the game. i can tell that the devs were passionate and their creativity was genuine. i could feel their love for the characters and the world. this game is unflinchingly sincere and not afraid of being cringe (though it definitely is cringe at times, i respect the commitment to it so i dont mind it). it genuinely does not feel like an EA cash grab, which is a huge win considering how likely it was for years that a cash grab was exactly what we were going to get.

i enjoyed the varric ghost twist. i knew something was up with him but i didnt fully call him being dead until right before the reveal. i get why people are going to be upset about it, its a pretty fucking crazy decision, but i think what saves it is the quote he gives rook in the fade about his choices being his own and still encouraging rook to try to get through to solas despite being KILLED BY HIM.... fucking crazy. it ties in enough to the overall theme of regret and forgiveness that i think it works.

ok time for the negatives

its hard to pick my biggest issue but i definitely have a top 3: the lore flopped majorly, much of the writing felt juvenile, and there was an overall lack of nuance to everything about the game except for solas's storyline that did feel very not-dragon age to me

i actually dont give a fuck about lore retcons, especially if they are explained well. i think they are often necessary and can be pulled off. but this game literally just pretended to answer decades long questions about the lore and then does not. which would be fine if we didnt have someone who knows all the answers to those questions hanging out in our brains and willing to answer them. we did not learn what exactly a titan was. we did not learn what they were like when they were alive and before they were blighted. mythal called them monsters. harding suggests they might have been violent like the elves. we literally dont know anything about them except for what solas and mythal did to them. i dont think anyone even actually gave a clear answer on what the blight is. ok it was the titan's severed dreams but what the fuck does that mean? it was their rage and pain? then why does harding say the red lyrium manifested by her rage and pain was not blighted, just red? if blight equals titan nightmares then that lyrium should have been blighted? so what the fuck is the blight that ghilan'nain cooked with? red lyrium? how did the original darkspawn get made? did she start injecting people with red lyrium? but we know what that does to people because we saw it in inquisition. it makes them red lyrium freaks but it doesnt make them darskpawn. WHAT ARE DARKSPAWN? WHAT IS THE BLIGHT? did i miss this in a codex entry or something guys im so serious. how did we play this whole game and not actually learn what the blight is. we also learned almost nothing about the forgotten ones, which is fine except we literally met one and all they really had to say about it was "evil spirit" ? ok. also um. where are the rest of the evanuris. ok they are gone but where did they go. we know where their archdemons went, but where did they go? ghilan'nain exists separate from her archdemon so its not like killing an archdemon kills the evanuris, it just makes them vulnerable. should they not all be still alive in that prison together, just mortal and archdemon-less? they literally just say "they're gone" and expect us to be like ok! WHAT THE FUCK??? WHERE ARE THEY?? WHERE ARE THEIR BODIES??? WHAT??????? also the explanation for archdemons was boring. it felt like the team literally did not know the answers themselves (and didnt feel like calling up david gaider) so they just gave us vague non-answers hoping we wouldnt notice. I NOTICED.

similar vein; we learned nearly nothing about elgar'nan and ghilan'nain, and they overall felt cartoonishly evil and one-dimensional. and this is a greater problem that ill talk about next, but they were afforded none of the nuance that solas and mythal were given, and it feels glaring in comparison. why was elgarn'nan evil? was he just born fucking evil? we know thats not true. he originated as a spirit, what kind of spirit? what was his relationship with mythal like? what was his relationship to the other evanuris like? he calls ghilan'nain "sister", were they always close? did they become close in their prison? what are his goals beyond tyranny? or do you actually want me to believe he is just full stop evil? if he was one of the original spirit born elvhen what virtue did he embody and what polluted him into something so terrible? why does ghilan'nain love the blight? why is she obsessed with creation? we only get a single codex about she and andruil (that i found). what was her and solas's relationship like before she ascended to godhood? he calls her "the best of them" but we never see anything about their relationship. neither of them has any nuance. they are just pure evil, corrupted by ???? something ??? power??? i guess. and we are supposed to just be fine with it lol. what are even their motivations? why do they want to cover the world in blight? what is their emotional connection to this pursuit??????? we get such an exploration of this for solas and just NOTHING for them. they feel so one-dimensional in comparison, literal comic book cartoon character villains.

similarly, this game lacks nuance overall. bioware is known for its exploration of grey morality on both personal and sociopolitical levels. this game has that only for solas and literally no one else. qunari antaam? evil (super fucking racist depiction as well). venatori? evil minions. elven gods? evil. forgotten ones? evil. meanwhile, crows? suddenly good. its okay. just forget the MURDER, child slavery and abuse. seriously its fine. caterina dellamorte is a sweet old lady :) dont worry about it :). every faction is good and every antagonist is bad. its genuinely insane coming from the studio who gave us dragon age 2 to now give us something so fucking boring and black and white. they got SO CLOSE with the wardens and isseya and in the end davrin still kills her. why does solas get a chance at redemption and no one else does? here we are with an entire story centered around this morally grey character, interrogating whether or not his actions are justified, whether his intentions matter, whether his abuse informed his atrocities, asking ourselves if he deserves forgiveness asking if he deserves to be saved, where do we draw the line? what is the point of no return? why do people do the things they do? its fantastic. and then you go and do a faction or companion quest and its just like, these are the good guys and these are the bad guys. dont ask questions. have fun! WHAT???? FROM BIOWARE??????????

this issue bleeds over into the companions as well. i genuinely liked all of them. they are likable. but holy shit they have no flaws. all of them are genuinely good people and their problems center around others rather than themselves. there is little to no complexity, to the point where honestly they did not feel like real people to me. harding is sweet and perfect and her worst trait is being *checks notes* TOO AGREEABLE? davrin's worst flaw is raising his voice at his pet too much. emmrich's only flaw is FEARING DEATH LIKE A NORMAL HUMAN BEING? neve is kind of cold. thats it. bellara never does anything wrong. lucanis doesnt sleep enough? taash is the closes they come to any sort of complexity and i did genuinely enjoy their identity struggle and i loved seeing their complex relationship with their mother. but none of those are flaws. like these characters are cookie-cutter perfect. we used to have companions who committed acts of terror and blood mages and mean jealous little brothers and did horrible things and said horrible things to each other and struggled with things like internalized racism and complacency in violent corrupt institutions and addiction and facing your fucking war crimes and they are some of the most beloved of the franchise because they feel SO REAL. like genuinely going from characters like anders and blackwall to these companions was so jarring and disappointng. i LIKE them all, dont get me wrong. but they do not act like real, complex fully fleshed out people, and the writing overall suffers greatly for it.

again connected, the writing in terms of literal dialogue but also what i mentioned above comes together to feel incredibly juvenile. i know some big reviewers beforehand said that the game feels like a pixar movie at times, and unfortunately i dont think thats inaccurate. a little harsh maybe, but there are moments that are truly written in such a way that it feels like the audience is children. and that doesnt mean its bad, because i am a lover of childrens media and most of my favorite media of all time is actually for kids (avatar the last airbender, fullmetal alchemist, etc), but this game oscillates back and forth so violently it will give you literal whiplash. it reminded me a lot of the way young adult fiction is written. GOOD young adult fiction, where its well-done, but its deliberately written to be simpler in both diction and theme and focuses on concepts that young people can identify with. this is how i felt during much of the companion quests during this game. again, it was GOOD young adult fiction, but it had the narrative styling and lack of nuance and complexity that is characteristic of such things, and that is just literally not what the game is supposed to be like. and there are great writing moments that do feel appropriately mature and complex, but they are mostly in the main quest and their presence makes the lack of maturity in the rest of the writing feel even more jarring. i have no idea why they wrote it this way.

morrigan's mythal flopped and was out of character. i missed flemeth's crazy ass. they literally nerfed her. i think this is connected to everyone being nice and good and perfect (no abusive mothers allowed!) which is crazy because the other mythal fragment got to be a crazy bitch. so what the hell

the lack of world states is still a major L. it felt like things were missing that should have been present and had no reason not to be other than just no worldstates. well of sorrows needed to be there ESPECIALLY considering the solas/mythal/lavellan dynamic.

this one is self-indulgence but solavellan could have benefited from better pacing. packing so much into act 3 made it feel rushed. i loved the scenes themselves, but there could have easily been more build-up with a few codex entries.

no fenris. i will never forgive

ok im running out of steam and actually feeling more able to sleep now (thank god). i know i said a lot of negatives but i actually believe this game is very, very good, especially within the context of its development. i think a lot of the issues likely do stem from their fraught development cycle, and overall they did a great job of identifying their priorities and pursuing them to the fullest. i dont necessarily agree with what they prioritized or what their vision was at all points, but i respect the clear direction that this game had. i do not believe it will stick with me the way the previous games did, and while playing i often found myself just missing the characters from 2 and inquisition that i love, and the writing that so often had me screaming crying throwing up and/or giggling and twirling my hair. however, this game gave me the #1 thing i wanted which was a satisfying solavellan conclusion, and though yes it could have been done a bit more... artfully, i think its incredible considering where we were just a few years ago with this game. i will play it again a few times, and the fact that it has sold well enough to guarantee bioware gets to stick around and make new games is a major win. 7.5/10 thank u for listening

[e-steamedtea]

I played the Arlecchino story quest- it's yappin time! Or time for a kinda long post.

I'll fix the spelling eventually

Spoilers ahead

More analysis! Except we're going through sequentially because that's how I remember it!

1. Lyney is the big brother to everyone in the house

The way he could talk everyone so easily was cute to see. He seems so unbothered by everyone's little quirks. Like- taking to those kids and dropping the most diabolical lore? Kinda scary I'm not gonna lie. Even if unintentionally, a lot of people look up to him. Although, there is the question of how much of his interactions are masking because he does have a silver tongue. Either way, he's definitely the ring leader.

2. Lyney is the cooking sibling

This one isn't actually all that important but I think it's cute. His big brother energy is strong.

3. Lyney hates having secrets kept from him

I think that this one is kinda ironic, but then again, it could be because he keeps secrets he knows how it feels. Also- that line about Freminet lying to him was disrespectful. My jaw hit the floor when he went "You're not like me- your lying skills still need some work." Even if it's true just damn. It's very clear though that the fact Fremi was hiding something hurt him. It seems that at moments like this his passion can be the downfall as we witness the world's most awkward argument. Which resulted in Fremi crying and I must wonder how often this happens.

4. He has the entire roster memorized.

I for one, am still not over this fact. When you ask about Clervie's name he's instantly like: Nope! Not in the roster. It's the same with Perrie. Perhaps this is just me, but that seems like a lot of people to just know of the top of your head.

5. Lynette is almost as good at stealth as Arlecchino.

When they do the first bump and Lynette scares the soul out of everyone involved made me realize something. Maybe it's a combination of her cat features and personality, but she's quiet. The way she made her entrance was so reminiscent of Arlecchino earlier and she was definitely trained in it by her. It's absolutely adorable how much she emulate her "Father."

6. Lyney's voice rises when he breaks composure.

This is possibly just because of the amazing acting of his English VA but I'd like to think it's true. So you can able this one more of a headcanon with evidence. It happens a few times, mostly towards the end but this it the first time it happens. He was so surprised by Lynette that he just completely loses his composure for a second and practically squeaks for a second. He then obviously fixes it but it's a nice moment. Later, he's just desperate but we'll get to that.

7. A lot of the stories we hear about Arlecchino are misconceptions.

This woman is so freaking scary. I just have to say it, I could feel the tension through the screen as we talked. Thank god for child because I was stressed. What we do learn from this besides the fact she's not one for conversation is that they're a lot of half truths about her. This woman would let you call her by the wrong name of it benefits her so everyone saying she's a backstabber and crazy is far from the full story. Childe got his information from the Rooster which uh- was phrased in a weird way. However, she saw no reason to really correct it, so she didn't. Scaramouche however, I'm starting to wonder if he's speaking from personal experience. He's clearly witnessed something and now I wanna know what.

8. Lyney's lying skills were definitely improved by Arlecchino.

Miss Girly is the queen of misinformation and it's clear Lyney learned from him. Like I'm talking to this woman and she's so manipulative I'm doubting myself- AND I WENT IN KNOWING THE STORY! The way she side steps and misdirects is so reminiscent of Lyney that I got deja vu. The main difference is Arlecchino is so much colder so she doesn't break easily. Lyney is an absolute softy and can break way easier.

9. Arlecchino is not fond of the other harbingers.

This is pretty clear in her voice lines and is also obvious because of her personality. However, this is something about watching her shit talk her coworkers in front of me that I'm just living for. Especially with the new plan Project Stuzha? Girly pop isn't having that shit. If she pulls up, I wanna witness this.

10. Lynette is Lyney's voice of reason.

I feel like I've said this before but it deserves to be said again because she's the second baddest bitch alive. Arlecchino is the first.

11. Lyney's angry eyes are unnerving to me.

Maybe this is just me but then is eyes narrow it makes me wanna back away. I don't know if it's because of the way he presents himself but it just gives a certain vibe. I find that vibe slightly terrifying.

12. The reason Lyney is the next king and his passion.

Now, this was a question I had ever since Lyney came out. Seeing him in the Archon Quest had me wondering why he was the next director. Then during the last part of this quest I realized something. It was like a moment of recognition. I think when he stood up to defend everyone. The way he was so determined was really touching. It's also something I already knew. In the Fortress when he charged at Wriothesley was a moment of desperation. Then here, he stands to duel the freaking Knave. He obviously knew the was no way he could win but he wasn't gonna give up with his family on the line. His passion and conviction for his family know no bounds, after all, it's how he got his vision in the first place. Every part of his character and lore just screams family man. The way he's so dedicated to the big brother role and protection those close fits perfectly for what the Knave hopes the House becomes. However, it's this same damn passion that has him disregarding his health and jumping in front of Lynette with no way to parry and his squishy ass body.

[larchelle-ffxiv]

more 7.0 spoilers bc I was DRAINED after finishing msq yesterday. also a lot of headcanon stuff for my skrungly bc I have THOUGHTS AND THINGS I GOTTA WRITE

- so this expac hurt obviously, but MAN I didn't expect it to touch on grief and loss, let alone HOW it approached that. where shb and ew had similar themes going on of "regardless of the loss and sorrow we are faced with, we will learn to press on and continue", that sorta thing. dt is here like "hiya gamers are you ready to learn how to ACTUALLY LET GO OF THAT LOSS? HOW TO ACTUALLY SIT DOWN AND PROCESS THAT GRIEF? WELL YOURE GONNA LEARN TODAY"

- everything about alexandria/LM BROKE ME. a really powerful message on how impressive and impactful technology can be, but also how quickly it can be weaponized and abused. and the shit about erasing the memories of those who die just being commonplace???? the turali people who were in the dome, found themselves losing THIRTY YEARS OF THEIR LIVES, their loved ones back in tural thinking they were dead or missing and they were RIGHT THERE, some in that time REALLY DYING/BECOMING ENDLESS? good GOD that fucked me up. not to mention EVERYTHING ABOUT SPHENE. she didn't ASK to be made into an endless, she had goddamn levin sickness and WENT TO TRY TO HELP HER PEOPLE ANYWAY, preservation forced her new self to put the people's needs and desires so much in the forefront of her priorities that she became a TERRIBLY FLAWED leader, but was so blind to her faults bc she "did everything for her people's wellbeing". she's a heartbreaking character for sure, ugh

- this expac gave us SO MUCH GOD DAMN WORLD BUILDING. WOW. ive never done every single yellow quest in an expac, but I've made it a huge goal of mine to do it here esp throughout the expac, and it's been SO WORTH IT. the further extended lore, the foreshadowing/clarification and further explanation for things, it was all terrific jfc. now I wanna go back and do yellow quests for all the expansions bc bro. this shit is just SITTING HERE??? FOR FREE????

- I've finally figured out why people (aka capital g Gamers on reddit/ff forums/twitter) don't like this expac. it's absolutely feeling like what stb has become to a lot of the player base. it features a lot of POC, has female leads, and we as the WoL aren't The Main Character. at least in stb we had more of a presence as WoL, but here one title doesn't matter anywhere near as much in comparison. also, with a lot of the dialogue/plot stuff/music (esp the songs with lyrics) , this expac is kingdom hearts coded AS FUCK. it's goofier than EW/SHB, it has more corny stuff going on, wuk lamat is LITERALLY female furry sora. they're mad that we aren't the Main Character, they're mad it isn't as edgy/horrific/depressing, they """can't relate""" bc everything is so diverse and full of hispanic culture, and they're fucking FIXATED on wuk lamat's VA being a trans woman. jfc I'm so glad I'm not on Twitter and I don't look at the ffxiv reddit, bc the shit I've heard has been pathetic and obnoxious lmao. like, try to have ACTUAL CONSTRUCTIVE THINGS to complain about.

also, I hold the unpopular opinion of HW being my least favorite experience in game. the beginning of it is SO GODDAMN SLOW AND PAINFUL, and i honestly got soooo bored of seeing the same looking white elezens/hearing about the Catholic Control and Drama. i also really dont like the dungeons or trials (minus the last msq one, still great thematically), and playing 50-60 as a scholar was NOT fun lmao. hilda, the OST, and everything relating to the DRK quest line are basically all that kept me going through that expac.

But I won't go being a goddamn asshole about it to people who like it!!! let people ENJOY things jfc lmao, also recognize that every single expac takes time to hit the Big Frickin Moments (aka level x7 most of the time), and not everything needs to involve huge amounts of massacre and horror!!! even then, did yall NOT pay attention to what happened with solution 9/living memory??? where goddamn SOULS ARE A CURRENCY???? how about the mamool ja SACRIFICING INFANTS EN MASSE in hopes of a two headed son being born, and putting all their faith in that son to get them out from the deepest depths of the jungle???? or the war between them and the x'braal???? is2g the lack of media literacy/reading comprehension amongst gamers, I'm so TIRED

RANT OVER UGH ANYWAYYYYY

- chelle is absolutely gonna find her adoptive mom satsuki in the canal town section of living memory. hands fucking down. ive had this idea for y e a r s now of them having a chance meeting in the aetherial sea as she "died" after fighting zenos in UT, but it fits SO WELL to have it take place in LM of all places. satsuki spending YEARS trying to find her lil meow meow again, hearing tales of what sounded like her girl, but how in the hell did the shy, sickly child she once cared for get strong enough to become a whole ass HERO??? and just always ending up in each place she was too long after she had left, bc she was only able to work off of hearsay ;A;

me and my partner have it where satsuki's wife and her always hoped to visit tural together, and she gave her wife notes on how she needed to help satsuki find this young miqo girl she adopted after her wife went to travel again. as luck would have it, enna was in tural waiting for satsuki to join her there (satsuki and her were doing research based on chelle's appearance and accent and essentially crossed every continent off the list over time. esp Ala mhigo bc, even tho that's where satsuki found her, enna knew she couldn't be born there based on she herself being Ala mhigan). enna becomes chelle's viper mentor and says that she knows her mother, but doesn't elaborate much until they get to know each other better.

so them finding her in LM? still running a tavern and keeping people happy with booze and food and sea shanties all sung off key? oh it's gonna DESTROY THEM, but be such an important step in getting closure/learning to face grief head on/letting her go without regrets. and they're gonna be a family and UGH I CANT WAIT TO WRITE IT

- fellow wolgrahas. fellow wolgrahas how the FUCK WE DOIN BOYS, LIKE?????? they really gave us a main story quest to help an endless find an engagement ring to propose to his beloved, AND THEN IMMEDIATELY AFTER. put us on a gondola ride with g'raha so he could have a """heartfelt conversation"""with us AGAIN???? BRO!!!!!!

chelle and him are absolutely gonna finally address their relationship again, where g'raha has been struggling to figure out whether or not to propose lol. he really wants to do something to symbolize them being together for life, but knows that she isn't the kind of person who likes just staying in one place/being tied down and isn't really about traditional. well anything lol. he's gonna stumble his way through all those thoughts before she gently cuts him off, reassuring him that she understands and appreciates how thoughtful he's been about the whole thing. reflect a bit on what they've seen and been through, both in the first and since he returned to the source, and with this couple and them talking about "living without regrets/living life to the fullest"(gotta reread the dialogue for when I write this lol). and thought stuffy fancy shindigs aren't her thing, she knows damn well that he's someone she wants to see the world and share her life with.

and SHE'S the one who gets down on one knee and asks him to elope with her/be life partners. the bitch PROPOSES HERSELF, but is too stupid to realize/still too scared of vulnerability to actually call it what it is. and he's about to burst into tears and before he can say anything the gondola knocks into the pier at the end of the ride, as chelle's kissing his hand, causing her to nearly headbutt the poor boy in the crotch and both of them panicked going "OH GODS ARE YOU OKAY, DID YOU GET HURT, SORRY". and they stare at one another before chelle awkwardly laughs going "i guess this would be a bad time to make a joke about "giving you head", huh" or something else cringe like that, to which they both start laughing, holding hands as they step back onto the pier before those laughs are joined with joy filled crying as they hold each other as tight as gd possible and jfeivoeoivoeor

I'm sure I'll have more to say and reflect on but this is already super long and I just. wow. what a goddamn incredible experience dawntrail has been.

[paleio]

dude.... DUDE...... DUDE

OKAY OKAY OKAY OKAY OKAY

FIRST WATCH HIGHLIGHTS/GENERAL EMOTIONS

> the attic looks IDENTICAL to how i imagined it in my head. i literally screamed and punched the arm of my chair

> every single thing percy says to the oracle. the halloween decoration line made me go hee hee.... that is my boy :)

> OH AND THE VOICE CRACK...... IM GONNA THROW UP HES SO PRECIOUS TO ME

> love love love the way they split the prophecy into 2 scenes. fucking cinema

> annabeth trying to hide her excitement when percy immediately picks her. the quiet pride in her eyes. this twelve year old girl really does think shes THE shit

> GROVER TALKING TO..... BLACKJACK???? I KNOW NOT EVERY SINGLE BLACK PEGASUS HAS TO BE BLACKJACK BUT LIKE. WHYD THEY MAKE THE HORSE SPECIFICALLY BLACK WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY COLORS A HORSE CAN BE. YA KNOW

> grover not believing percy actually chose him and then how much it affects him when he realizes its not a joke... oh boy... i will be making multiple posts exclusively about my beloved g man. aryan you CANT be doing this to me you are irreversibly altering my brain chemistry

> "that's bees" GROVER!!!!!! 💖💘💖💖💕💕💖💘💘💖💕

> different monsters being able to smell different aspects of a person FUCK THATS GENIUS. THATS GONNA BE RELEVANT FOR THE REST OF THE GODDAMN SERIES. i wonder if it will connect to the fatal flaws thing..... i wouldn't be surprised but i would be delighted

> consensus song 🥺🥺🥺🥺 and... like.... the way all of them interact with each other. the way you can see their entire personalities, the way they were raised, their weaknesses, just in the way they talk as a trio. im really emotional thinking about

> every second of annabeth in the gas station. you know what im talking about. yeah. fuck you and your evil mean fucked up foreshadowing mr richard riordan and jonathan e steinberg

> the babygirls!!!!!! (furies) (im so faceblind i cant figure out which is which

> the second she started talking to annabeth i fucking CLOCKED IT. i was like OHHHH.... this is a SHOW. these are EPISODES. they have contained ideas and conflicts. there are episodic arcs WITHIN the seasonal arcs WITHIN the series-long arcs. goddamn it now i have to personally kiss every writer and producer and director on the mouth

> im in love with the trio dynamic because it fucking sucks. there weren't many communication issues or interpersonal conflicts between any of them in the book. even percy and annabeth got along for the most part, despite the awkwardness and bickering. here, though, annabeth is bossy as FUCK. she's acting like this is her quest. percy is whiny and impatient and he deflects every time he's questioned. grover is an ineffective mediator and is clearly uncomfortable being around both of them at once. the vibe feels so beautifully off the whole time and it makes the eventual reconciliation SO much more impactful and compelling

> medusa hot. awooga and all that.

> i like that they all realized immediately who aunty em was. im sad they abandoned the pseudonym so quickly but it makes sense that they'd understand seeing as they all know a good amount of mythology. i think it would've been a scream-at-your-tv moment otherwise

> this is exhausting why am i doing this on my phone

> the plan they came up with is fantastic. i audibly gasped. once when the hat came out and once when i realized they were gonna kill alecto with the head. SMART AS FUCK even though it's not quite a perseus reference anymore

> grover crying over uncle ferdinand.... i can't decide if im sad they didn't make it a funny moment because it's so iconic in the book, or if im glad they played it straight because it gave us a SAD GROVER MOMENT AND ALSO FORESHADOWING. not that i like seeing grover sad... i just like seeing him. i like to look at his haunted eyes and go damn boy... you are one sad boy. good luck with your feelings of inadequacy and trauma repression <3

> writing this is draining my sanity. cmon almost done

> HE SAID THE LINE HE SAID THE LINE HE SAID THE LINE!!!!!!! i am impertinent. top 5 percy jackson quotes of all time. i feel sick just thinking about the other 4 in that list.... im not gonna survive

> cue drive from tlt musical as they leave aunty em's

> oh hey thats lin manuel miranda. im sure he wont be crucial to the overarching plot of the series

> i will be honest the vibe IS kinda perfect. he does look like an emotionally immature divorced dad who complains about his job all the time but constantly works overtime for no reason. its just that he also looks like lin manuel miranda

> love the song choice for the credits

> i will talk about the ep4 preview in a different post im too tired

FINAL (very sleepy) THOUGHTS:

best one yet by far. the more screen time our trio gets the better. grover is a dork and id die for him. its so cool that we get to see the story and characters from a slightly more omniscient perspective, even though i do miss percy's narration. i cant fucking believe this show is real and that they made it just for me

I AM IMPERTINENT!!!! AND IM ALSO GOING TO BED!!!!!!

[feral-lore-creature]

Jade Shadows review spoilers!

I'm going to do a review on the quest, and it's going to be long. While I, personally, don't believe it's an epic quest you just NEED to experience for yourself, I want others to create their own opinions first.

Okay, bluntly, Jade Shadows struck a bad cord with me. I don't take direct/personal offense to it, as I've never had a loved one die from complications with pregnancy, nor have I had any issues like those myself, but I can at least say it wasn't good.

For my sanity's sake, I'll be putting my thoughts into categories.

Gameplay: It's as generic and predictable as any other set of missions, only with new/uncommon characters talking via transmission. Very average. If you've played Warframe long enough, you know what you're in for.

Music: As per usual, the music itself is fucking stunning. Once again, no surprise there. It's very fitting for the energy of the story as a whole, and is very beautiful. That's the best part. (Aside from little owl Ordis, obviously. 💜)

Story: Okay, this is where my problem REALLY lies. I wasn't expecting much from a filler quest, but look, if I wanted to watch a (fictional) pregnant woman die for the sake of a man's development, I'd watch any subpar action/thriller film streaming right now. It's clear that the writers didn't want to make light of pregnancy, but while sticking to the message of how hard pregnancy is on the body, but still insisting the focus be on Stalker/his missions, they devalue Jade. We never get to know WHO Jade really is, and we probably never will. She has no actual personality presented throughout the quest, has even fewer voice lines, and therefor functions as an incubator/love interest to some guy. (A guy we barely know, in fact.)

It's like she's sidelined, which is ridiculous to me, since SHE'S the NEW Warframe we're getting for gameplay, and SHE'S the focal point/message of the story in the first place. (Or at least she SHOULD be-) Her active suffering has heavier weight than whatever else is happening.

Concluding Thoughts: It was overall very emotional -and it might just be my period hormones talking- so I'd say this quest didn't exactly feel like a slap to the face, even if my wording seems harsh, but the lack of detail/character given to Jade is still upsetting. Again, less insulting, more disheartening and disappointing.

I don't want to think this problem was intentional, as it was likely the lack of dedicated time/resources as a whole that caused this. (DE is dealing with Tennocon, and also working on a big main quest, etc.) I don't believe it was from carelessness, It's just too damn short. It's a reason, but not an excuse.

All in all, this a story that should have stayed on the shelf until DE had the proper time for it.

[livvyofthelake]

ok! sidequest from january complete! i am right now the world's biggest expert on the lightning thief and i will no longer be this person in three days when it all leaves my brain so let's get into it now. i reread the book (have not opened it since eighth grade, also i started it in january made it halfway through and this week had to go back to the beginning because i forgot it all), watched the show (ok. i watched 6 episodes as they came out and then didn't do anything until last week), and rewatched the movie with fresh eyes. and i have to say it's good i didn't finish this in january, that wasn't the right time for this... i was being kind of a hater then. or at least. i wasn't being a forgiver. this time around i feel like i was in the best place imaginable to devote my time to this franchise i ordinarily don't care about. like i was very forgiving and loving and viewing it with a lot of fondness... i didn't even do that back in april when i read the nico book damn. couldn't even extend the fondness to my favorite guy.... that's not even true i think my favorite guy in this franchise is annabeth i just used to think it was nico back in the day because i think after pjo i didn't consider her a real character due to her being so entrenched in the mythos of the series. idk. i was weird about picking favorite characters back then i never thought i could pick a main one. idk. let's not dwell on the trenches of ages 12-15. do not worry about how that line of thinking impacted my relationship with tsc we aren't getting into that weirdness rn

ok so now i'd like to go through everything about the lightning thief (yes, specifically only the lightning thief. i'm not reading the other ones and i'm not watching that second movie...) and talk about which version i liked best and the pros and cos of everything <3 stay tuned if you want to read a longgggg ass post! if not. well gtfo damn

if you can believe it i’m actually about to be a movie hater and a show apologist. i know like. how bad is my life rn that it’s come to this. anyway. let's get into it....

characters:

percy- i'm gonna say the best percy is book percy. i mean naturally he’d be best in the book it’s his book he’s the narrator and protagonist and we all loved him in middle school!! and i think the show version of him definitely stayed truer to a lot of what makes the book charming and loveable, but i also think the movie version kept much of the character’s spirit alive too, just in an older way. i do think his age plays a role in the character and while i don’t think aging everyone up for the movie was a BAD choice i definitely think it was an impactful choice that changed a lot about the nature of the story in many ways we can get into later if we remember

annabeth- show. by like. miles and leagues and lightyears. the way leah sava jeffries DEVOURED that role and left no crumbs is utterly insane. that girl is a future academy award winner. she’s a future egot even. if she wants to do theater. she’s like. a once in a lifetime talent and i really believe this. have you ever heard the ways she can devour the single word “yes”? if not you couldn’t possibly hope to understand how hard she slays. anyway i like show annabeth best because the show diverges from the book and movie’s single perspective and kind of opens it up as an ensemble narrative, so she gets her own scenes that aren’t being seen through percy’s eyes, which REALLY adds nuances and depth to her that she doesn’t always have in this franchise. i know she has povs in heroes of olympus i was there. i am currently talking specifically about the lightning thief though. and the thing about annabeth in the lightning thief is that she is weird... she's such a little weirdo.... she's stalking percy around camp because she wants so desperately for him to be the one that can take her on a quest and she wants sooo bad to go on a quest and prove herself.... the movie gave almost none of her freak tendencies it's a tragedy... the way that girl acted in the movie was NOT a proper display of the qualities that landed her in the timeless video..... and leah i look forward to seeing YOUR freak ass in the 2026 remade timeless video <3

grover- i’m gonna say movie because i think he’s funniest in the movie. but show is a close second because in the show he’s sooooo sweet and adorable and it makes you go awwww groverrrrr… and he has those big brown eyes and big smile and you’re just like ohhh he’s just a baby…. actually i think it’s a tie between movie and show because both of those qualities are equally important to the character

luke- show. there is something about jake abel’s performance in the movie that makes me want to punch him in the face soooo bad. and when i was rereading the book i sort of realized like. wait we actually are supposed to like this guy and sympathize with him without him being an annoying Popular Guy… and charlie bushnell’s performance in the show really gave that in a delightful way i didn’t appreciate when i tried watching the show before rereading the book. the show really does give you a sense of his conflict between really truly caring about the trio and his ultimate moves against them. i think letting annabeth be there at the Reveal that he framed percy for stealing the lightning bolt was a crazy decision that went HARD. like. she’s his sister… he would always be on her side… until he wasn’t…. it was crazy you had to be there i think

chiron- i’m gonna go with movie. because i think in the book he’s forgettable and in the show he’s forgettable (sorry but. i watched it two days ago and i don’t remember a single thing he did or said) and in the movie he was pierce brosnan. as a centaur. what if sam mamma mia was. a centaur….

medusa- i know they want me to love the show version. like ok yes she slayed she ate i enjoyed how they changed the story there it was kinda cool it kinda gave hansel and gretel in the witch’s house. but i HAVE to give it to uma thurman let’s all be fucking real here. also. percy pulling out his ipod touch as a mirror… well that’s cinema. unbeatable.

echidna- was not in the movie because the movie swaps out the st. louis arch for the nashville parthenon. but i am going with show. because that shit was Crazy. i’ll get into it in the Events section of the post

hades- book. the movie makes him The Villain for easy film storytelling reasons which kinda sucks but from a movie adaptation perspective makes sense but still kind of pisses me off. and in the show he felt insanely underwhelming idk

persephone- ONLY appears in the movie. and i’m including her here to complain about something very specific. the reason she was not there in the book or show. is because this story takes place in the weeks before THE SUMMER SOLSTICE. persephone. would not BE. in the UNDERWORLD. on the SUMMER. SOLSTICE. i never even realized this about the movie until this week i’m hardly a greek mythology expert ok i wasn’t thinking about it that much. but now that the book reminded me i’m like. now why did the movie include persephone. on the summer. solstice. like one of her most main things is that she would not be there. probably her most main thing actually. that’s crazy.... like who was on that. who did that....

poseidon- gonna go with. book. show version didn’t Give anything... he was legit just some guy. i think i feel this way about all the gods in the show. except maybe hermes because well crucially that WAS lin manuel miranda… and i don’t like him in the movie because a) that’s literally just owen grey’s anatomy my mortal enemy owen hunt. and b) the movie decided to portray the vibe as like. poseidon wanted to raise percy and stay with his mother but couldn’t? which. well no he did not actually. and trying to make percy this. One Exception to the idea of gods not caring about their kids and making sally the exception to gods not really long term loving the people they have children with. it’s just ridiculous to me. percy isn’t an exception because his dad loved him he’s an exception because his mom is awesome. and sally does not give a fuck that poseidon didn’t like. marry her or whatever. idk. i just don’t care for the way the movie handles that i never have

zeus- gives nothing to me in all versions. peace on earth.

last on the list but first in my heart. the one and only sally jackson- SHOW. by leaps and bounds. i can’t get too into it but she’s SO AWESOME in there… she’s SO COOL. she gave jocelyn fairchild in many ways… she taught percy about greek mythology because he would need to know this someday... she raised him to be ready for the storm....

events:

minotaur- show. this is so tied to how much i loved sally in the show. literally hold fast and brave the storm…. i'm gonna cry again

capture the flag- show. let’s be serious the movie’s version of it was dumb and FILLED with so many bad annabeth moments…. i watch her in the beginning of this movie and i go wow she would not say that! she wanted him on HER team…. she wouldn’t cut him with a sword… also. what i like about the show version is that AFTER they won was when annabeth just. shoved his ass in the water like um sorry has to be done! and it was real

starting the quest- show…. i loved when chiron was like i've assembled all these cool potential kids you could select :) and percy didn't even listen to their names he just said um i want annabeth please! but he wasn't that polite he straight up just said her name no fuss about it he said i want this freak on my team. and my bestie grover <3 and grover wasn't even like an option percy just wanted him on his quest soooo bad... because they're best friends btw if you haven't heard!

medusa- MOVIE. next

st. louis arch- show… the way annabeth volunteers to fight off the chimera and percy does that thing where he pretends to let her and hands her his sword but then uses the sword to pull himself into where she's standing and push her back into the stairs to get out... that was crazy stuff! also i loved the part about them going to the arch not just because annabeth was obsessed with architecture but because the arch was a temple to athena. like i think that gave such a cool opportunity to give annabeth some character moments and showcase her relationship with her mother, the way athena allowed the chimera to attack because she was mad at annabeth for letting percy send medusa's head to olympus... damn these gods are bad parents!

water park- SHOWWWWWW NO QUESTION. i never gave a fuck about the spider shit they did in the book that was all lame but the way they changed it for the show slayed the house downnnn omg.... percy getting trapped in that golden chair so annabeth can get ares' shield, instead of taking the shield back she tries to get him out until hephaestus himself comes out and tries to make her give up...and then her speech to him was sooo excellent it was so ANNABETH it was so thesis statement on her and percy's dynamic it was so good.... "it isn't how it should be! it isn't! eat or be eaten, power and glory and nothing else matters! ares is that way, zeus is that way, my mother is that way.... he isn't that way..." she doesn't want to do this quest the gods way! she wants to save her friends! god guys it was so fucking good....

lotus casino- just going with book here. underdog pick i know. i just don’t want to involve myself in the discourse that WAS happening in january. i was there on tiktok it was annoying as hell i’m removing myself from the narrative. i will say that in a sense, levitating by dua lipa is kind of the poker face of our time. in a sense.

underworld- book. we are at a point in this post where i don't care enough to really write a paragraph on the parts that don't interest me as much. so. yeah

the pearls- ok. the thing the movie did with the pearls was make them the whole plot. they went to medusa’s place and the nashville parthenon and the lotus casino to get the pearls to escape the underworld. but the whole deal with the movie is that there wasn’t a Quest like the books they were going rogue to save percy’s mom. so why did they never question that they were looking for three pearls to ultimately get four people out of the underworld? like. come on guys you’re not this stupid… and in the book and show the pearls were given to percy by that water lady. but in the show she gave him 4 and then they lost one which i thought was stupid like couldn’t we have just done it how it happened in the book where he was only given three and had to leave his mom behind trusting that once he found hades helm he’d let her go? anyway. whatever. book

fight with ares- pretty much all the same. only notable difference between the book and the show is that the book leaned way more into the “percy is a fugitive” thing than the show ever did so the fight had spectators in the book. which worked for the book but i do think in the show would have gotten too complicated in many ways

olympus- book. actually idk. all versions are kinda the same deal who cares

luke betrayal- show! in the book he just takes percy out to the forest and sets a monster scorpion on him… lame! in the show he pulls out a sword and fights him himself… which i decided was better than the movie ONLY because i liked show luke better than movie luke. but the final fight in the movie is sick too

ending- i think. they are equally good. the movie doesn’t conclude at the end of summer like the others so it’s ending is more. not ambiguous. but like. less conclusive? the movie ends after they return the lightning bolt not at the end of the summer so it never has the part where percy has to decide to stay at camp or live with his mom. but the movie does lowkey imply he's staying at camp. which is crazy i mean he loves his mom.... anyway. it's still a good movie ending. between the book and the show there's not much difference actually.

in conclusion, i don't have a favorite but i will say i'm probably not gonna read the book again while i might rewatch the show. and i have already seen the movie many times. so if you wanna evaluate based on that metric there it is. i don't have an opinion on which is the Best because adaptations are complicated and these are three different mediums. i think it's a great middle grade book, a good 2010 ass movie, and a sort of middling tv show. i know i favored the show for a lot of things up there but ultimately it's just not a great tv show. it's a streaming service original that gave the author of the book and his most annoying and rabid fans too much say in the adaptation process. it's a really faithful adaptation. and we got a bunch of really good tiktok edits out of it. but is it a good television show? no.... i mean if you want to feel like you're watching the book it's good for that but it you want to watch a great tv show it's not the vibe. you understand!

i'll leave you with this sick edit for right now <3

[storytellers-and-co]

Ya boys about to hit Shadowbringers

I got through Stormblood post-game last night and BOY what a ride it was!? I could barely put the game down, even when I was trying to pace myself so I don't leave certain friends too far behind. Adding spoilery stuff below the cut, because I know one of 'em reads this blog (I just need to gush a little while things are still fresh in my mind)

Okay so. All the revelations of Garlemald and how, WHY it was created? I loved that, it so easily explained why a whole ass country has been the default 'evil conquerors' for so long without any real challenge or change until now. Because the real man behind the whole thing is STILL AT IT. Change don't happen if the original reason, the original driving force is still kicking about.

Also I wanna kick Solus. I wanna kick Solus so hard. Props for the animators, writer and Rene Zagger, it's on sight now old man, I'm coming for your kneecaps!

Speaking of voice actors, Luke Allen-Gale! Hot damn did he do a good job as Zenos (and the possessed Zenos)! I have complicated feelings about Zenos, ngl - He's one of those characters that I know cannot be saved, fixed, or redeemed, but I can also see why he's such a popular character? Personally it's the voice and certain lines that did it for me. Got some shivers out of certain line-deliveries.

He's actually a character that makes me kinda sad - it's a reminder that there is some characters that are doomed by the canon, they'll never be good people, and yet you can see a glimmer, a potential of what-ifs, could-have-beens and all that. A road that was there but refused by the character because that's just not who they are.

Also Varis is also on the kick on the face list. Black Rose is bad. Stop it.

AND NOW ON THE LATEST THING that actually got two of my friends laughing: The final fight against Zenos-Zombie! Zenbie? Zomnos? The- the dead body possessed by the Ascian who I keep calling Ildi because names hard. Ildinos.

So the final fight against him. One, I absolutely loved being Hien for a moment, he quickly became one of my faves through the Stormblood (he's such a fun, up-beat character that takes the life by stride while also not being a pushover, and that's such a good quality to have!).

Two.... GOD DAMMIT WHOEVER YOU ARE, COULDN'T YOU HAD PICKED A BETTER TIME FOR YOUR BLOODY HOUSECALL, YOU NEARLY COST ME MY HEAD! If it wasn't for our local stray cat of a dragoon, we would've lost then and there and you would've lost your chance to have the WoL helping out on the count of NOT HAVING A HEAD, pick your times better oui raatmacc raqan! (This is a joke I know he couldn't have known I was locked in a death-match. I hope.)

Now if ya wondering why I am not more outraged about the fact they've effectively kidnapped my friends, I uh. I actually felt a huge surge of sympathy at the start for the character. idk something about the voice painted a picture of someone desperate and... sad? Upset? Distressed? Something like that just got my empathy flaring up. So while I am mad that I keep getting these calls and everyone around me is panicking in fear, I also want to get to the bottom of this because apparently my empathy levels are far too fucking high.

(Yes I am the type of person who wants to help everyone in any of the games I play in. It's my ultimate power fantasy, being able to help and comfort folks without my actual personality coming in the way)

I think that's all for me now folks, I am taking a small break before heading to Shadowbringers - I have few alts that need to catch up to HW at the very least, and a laundry-list of things for my main to go through. Like all the gathering side-quests, Eureka, unlocking all the primal fights and fixing my glamors etc. We're also trying to get a house for Storytellers, so i gotta help gather some extra funds + items.

[syncopein3d]

Left Alone 7: Riddles

Tropes/content warnings: M for mature themes overall. Vampire whumpee/caretaker, male whumpee/caretaker, non-binary whumpee/caretaker, general morbidity. There will be a lot of play with, and discussion of, the concept of consent in this series, as it applies to many topics. There will be angst. Vampire biting can be painful, platonic, or NSFW and I'm not sure what direction that will take, but Tolly will definitely continue to fantasize about subtextually or literally sex-murdering Arden, as vampires often do.

If you would like to be added to, or removed from, the tag list of this series, please let me know!

Part 6: Regeneration

Tolly drank.

The taste of cold pig’s blood only got worse as his senses grew more acute, but more years rolled away. His face began to gently fill out, flesh and muscle building over the bones under his questing fingers. By the time he had consumed the full gallon, eight to sixteen ounces at a time in between washing with body wipes, he looked to be in his mid-thirties. He held up the lantern to look at his reflection in the metallic surface. He had a high-boned, angular face, but it was the face a living man would have, a face he knew. He was still unnaturally pale, but he might pass for someone alive and very ill. His lips, unfortunately, were still fuller than he felt was masculine, but it couldn’t be helped.

Now his irises were pale green, if he tilted the lamp so light could reach into the deep sockets under a heavy brow. Flecks of amber showed, if one were to look very closely. The hand that shoved the empty gallon jug into the bag in front of him was a big man's hand, bony, with old scars across the knuckles. The talons were still not human. They were yellowish now, at least, but it needed a special grooming kit to trim them.

It took almost the entire box of body wipes to remove the accumulated grime, scrubbing himself until his new skin felt raw, but at last he was satisfied that his flesh matched his new hair. He used the last few on his chair and table, naked in the cold air that he could actually feel now, before he put the books and lantern there. Only then did he dress. The clothes were loose and there were no shoes – he imagined Arden furtively hurrying through a thrift and forgetting, as if anyone would care they were buying things too big for them – but the sensation of clean, intact fabric against his body was so overwhelming that he had to pause and just stand for several minutes, unbreathing, as the tears flowed.

He staunched them with his sleeve at last. There was no one to see his weakness, something that Nicholas would have rolled his eyes at. Come now, Bard. Are we not men?

There was a blue tarpaulin folded in the bottom of the shopping bag. Arden had forgotten to mention this, or Tolly had upset them before they got to it. He stood staring at the eye-searingly bright color for a while before he opened the package and smoothed it out over his rug. Now there was a clean place to roll out the mummy bag. That was black, with a dark red flannel lining.

Tolly shamefacedly considered bringing Marguerite de Valois into the bag with him. It was the 1969 Limited Editions Printing, probably worth less than $60 in this decade, but that was a lot of money to Arden. It wasn’t as if he tossed and turned in that sleep of death, but he should treat his savior’s belongings with respect.

Your savior. The one you are planning to deliciously murder the moment you are free from this cell?

Yes, but they brought me books. Soft things.

Perhaps there is a way to let them live. Perhaps there is a way to have just a taste.

But I WILL have a taste. Even if I have to wait. Nicholas will not win, damn his eyes. I need it. I need it!

In the end, gratitude and guilt momentarily won out and he sat at the table with the lantern, carefully smoothing each page as he read. When he began to grow heavy, he lined it up carefully with the others, all arranged on the table. Then he nudged the trash bag as close to the barrier as he could and crept into the sleeping bag. He had debated if he was allowed to keep the shopping bag, but ultimately decided Arden would have said if they needed it back. He left it sitting carefully folded under The Collected Sherlock Holmes.

With the sleeping bag zipped, and the hood up, there was soft flannel around him on every side. Tolly turned on his side and buried his face in it, sternly abjuring himself not to shed further tears that might dampen the fabric.

Perhaps because he had fed so much, he did not dream that day. When he woke, even the taste had perished from his mouth and throat, burnt up. His teeth were clean. He realized, as he looked at them in the distorted curve of the lantern, that with a little effort he could retract his canines again. They withdrew politely to a length that even a mortal would find ordinary. They were still sharp, but most people wouldn’t notice that.

He combed his talons through his hair as beat he could. He wasn’t happy with it, but it would have to do. He wasn’t sure he would even see Arden that night. He still forced down the lingering fear that they would not come back at all. He had mismanaged their last conversation, but –

The basement door opened. Tolly’s head came up, nostrils dilated. To his immense shame, the canines he had just retracted betrayed him immediately as the scent of human blood wafted down ahead of Arden’s footsteps. His sense of smell had fully recovered. He could identify the brands of their deodorant, shampoo, makeup – cheap except for the eyeliner.

As they drew nearer, he could hear their heart beating, too: light, slightly fast. In another day he would be able to tell it apart from the sound of every other heart on earth.

He brought the chair back in front of his rug, turned it around so he could sit with his arms resting on the back, and turned the lamp on, moving slowly and deliberately. It had been so long since he’d heard a heart beating.

Descending footsteps paused at the click and at the light washing out into the basement, but Arden eventually resumed. They stopped in front of the barrier, one hand resting on the outside doorpost. Today they had a gray cotton hoodie on over their baggy shirt and jeans. They looked at him from heavy, puffy eyes, taking in the changes.

“You’re different now,” Arden said. There was a note of uncertainty. They had begun by talking with a dusty, withered corpse. Now they were faced with someone who looked barely older than themselves, bigger, broader, so very male when they so very much did not want to be that, Tolly thought. He had been right to present himself below their eye level. His present form was more threatening than the old one.

Tolly inclined his head, trying not to be distracted by a living thing exhaling into his space. Coffee. Water with electrolytes and a little artificial sweetener. Nothing else recently.

“I am substantially better. I will always be in your debt for that,” he said.

“I told you, you paid me much more than it was worth.” Arden looked at Tolly’s hands, eyes roving over his scarred knuckles, his talons. He watched color rise into their face as their heart accelerated just a little.

“Not to me,” Black Tolly said.

“What ring were you talking about?” Arden asked abruptly. “The first time I saw you, you said something about a ring, too.” They were paler than usual. He was certain it wasn’t just the light.

“The Eye of Rule, Nicholas called it,” Tolly said. “You’ll know it if you see it. The star ruby is ten carats. I’m certain he would have wanted you to have it, if he left you this house.”

“He left me a message,” Arden said. “In the piano. He used to hide messages for me there when I was a kid. If I could guess which key he’d give me a star sticker, and if I got enough stars he’d give me something. It might be candy, or a book or – for a while I thought he was working up to something creepy.” They turned away abruptly, and then swayed, grabbing at the post of the door. Tolly was acutely aware of the vein pulsing in the back of their hand.

“You’re not well,” he said gently. “How long since you’ve slept? Since you’ve eaten?”

“The whole thing is just too weird. I can’t - that’s not what I came down here for,” Arden said. Tolly was still, debating with himself. One stumble and they were both done for. But he didn’t want to scare them away again, either.

“He wouldn’t have hurt you,” Tolly said. “I wouldn’t call him a good man, but he wouldn’t have interfered with a relation or a child. I’m sure he had plans for you, but not like that.”

“I think so, too. But I don’t know what this means. I hoped, since you knew him – “ They made an awkward gesture, reluctantly turning back to face him.

“Of course,” Tolly said. “Read me the message.”

They dug into a pocket for a folded piece of paper and opened it up with shaking hands.

“If you want to earn a star,

The key to a greater gift,

You’ll have to risk a red one

And abandon all your thrift.”

“For someone who considered himself so clever, he never did learn proper meter, but he always loved riddles and tricks.” In spite of everything, he couldn’t keep a reminiscent tone from his voice. “I’m not sure what ‘risk a red one’ would mean, but Nicholas liked coins. Did he ever give you one?”

“More than one. But he probably knew I would still be carrying around the two aegina drachmas,” Arden said. A smile twitched onto their lips and away, there and gone like lightning. Tolly found himself momentarily stunned, not quite hearing part of the next sentence.

“- Not real, they’re replicas, but I loved them as a kid because they have a turtle and you can feel it with your fingers.” They dug in another pocket and came out with two irregular round coins, each with a turtle so thick it was almost three dimensional molded into one side.

“Is there anything in this house you can fit one of those into?” Tolly asked.

“Sure, this place is incredibly cluttered. But the red thing means something dangerous or not allowed. He’d give me red stars for touching the stove or getting into his room, things like that, and if I got five red stars, he said I wouldn’t be allowed to visit for a week. I never did,” they added, eyes blankly focused on the middle distance.

“If I were you, I would start in his closet or bath, then,” Tolly said.

They nodded, the very dark eyes flickering back to his face. “Thanks. I, uh. I ordered you a phone. It’s pay-as-you-go, so it’ll work until you can pick a carrier. It’s supposed to get here tomorrow.” Their eyes darted to his socks. “Shit. I should get you some shoes, too.”

“When I have a phone, I can order my own things to this address, if you don’t mind the annoyance of deliveries,” Tolly said.

“Not a big deal, Tolly. Like I said, it’s the least I can - ”

“Not a safe thing to continue saying to the monster in your basement,” Tolly said.

“But I’m out here. And you’re still stuck in there,” Arden said. “Are you thirsty? How often do you need a drink?”

Tolly caught himself looking at Arden’s throat and politely redirected his gaze to their face again. “Oh, I’ll always be thirsty,” Tolly said dryly. “It is the nature of the beast. But I can maintain in my current health on about sixteen ounces of animal blood or four ounces of human blood per week. The other gallon should last me eight weeks in sedentary conditions, if you wouldn’t mind bringing me a glass in a few days. Go on. Find the ring. Eat and sleep, please.”

“Yeah, yeah.” They waved him off, looking away, but they were blushing again.

Part 8: Faint

@fleur-a-whump, @bitchaknso

[nerdalmighty]

hey, sorry for randomly sliding into your inbox but! i just wanted to tell you that i'm about to start act 3 of bg3, would've started it sooner but i didn't get to play for a couple weeks as i was waiting to be able to upgrade my hard drive. and over the course of playing i've ended up changing several details of my tav's backstory as well as really fleshing out their character and getting into the roleplay, and i'm so attached to them by now that i almost don't want to finish my playthrough lol. i'm thinking of starting a gale origin playthrough once i do finish just so i can see more of tara. and i noticed that you're close to finishing the game as well! can i ask how birdie's adventure is going?

AHHHHHH DON'T APOLOGIZE!!!!!! I love talking BG3 :)

I am INCREDIBLY close to finishing the game. Like, about to go to the Nether Brain for the final battle close.

I've been putting it off FOR WEEKS because I'm so incredibly attached to Birdie and the companions and their relationships to each other and I don't want it to end!!

Since last we spoke, Birdie and the gang had just done the Iron Throne mission (breaking people out of jail). She decided NOT to go confront the other Wave Servants; that chapter in her life has closed. I won't spoil more of Act 3 since you're just getting into it, but I did I think maybe three other Big Plot Things and now it's time to actually do the damn thing and beat the game.

I'm a little nervous about some of the endings I may have gotten for myself (I'm concerned I may have accidentally condemned Gale to godhood) and I know there are some things I missed, purely because it was my first playthrough and I didn't know any better (I didn't get to know Rolan, didn't save Minthara, didn't get the Githyanki egg, etc), but I'm honestly excited for the epilogue sequence. Is it mostly because of happy/soft Astarion? YES! I LOVE THAT GUY! SUE ME!

My roommate and I have been playing the game at pretty much the same pace this whole time, so I'm about to watch HER beat the game this Friday. She's playing as a Gloom Stalker Ranger named "Sevyn" (yes, like the number 😂) who's romancing Gale, but we've made relatively similar choices throughout the whole thing.

I'm not too worried about spoilers since I know a lot of the outcomes, I just don't know how it happens or what the final battle looks like. But like I explained in my previous Birdie post, I like to look things up beforehand/during certain events because I like having help. Similarly, I love watching my roommate play and learning from/with her so I don't feel as in the dark when it's my turn. Granted, I played a lot without her during Acts 1, 2 and 3, but since we're getting to the end, I've slowed WAY down and have let her go first with most big things. It's not for everyone, but it's how I like to play!

I'm so attached to Birdie and this save file that I'm thinking of creating an entirely new account on my PS5 just to start a new game so that I don't have to save over previous Birdie saves.

Like, what if in a new patch, they add a new scene to Astarion's plot line? A new action (hug/kiss)? New camp idle animations? I want to be able to go in with Birdie and do those things, should they ever come up. Yes I COULD romance Astarion again (and probably will because I'm a weak woman) but as you said about your Tav and I've been saying about mine, I'm really attached to Birdie and I'm invested in who she is and how she fits into the world of BG3.

ALSO! Apparently they're adding mods at some point to the PS5 version? It's been taking everything in me not to buy it on my computer just for some of the mods even though I LOATHE sitting at my desk for hours on end. If mods come into play, I'll definitely want to see what kind of fun things I can make happen for Birdie and the gang. Additionally, one of my friends told me that people modded Skyrim to the point where they were adding new plot points and quest lines? If that happens, and they add like some sort of masquerade ball or event where I can dress up like a princess? You bet you're ass I'm going back to Birdie to let her do that 😂 I'd want to play new paths with Birdie in general, but I'm a sucker for a royal ball sequence 🥸

So basically, Birdie's story in Baldur's Gate may be coming to an end fairly soon. I don't know exactly when yet, but I've been having a blast and can't wait to play the game again and again and again. Right now that's hard to imagine, but I know I'll pick it up with a new Tav eventually because it's such a good game and you can't help falling in love with the world and the writing and the characters. I shall grieve the loss of this particular story, but I plan on keeping Birdie around for as long as I can.

[scrollsfromarebornrealm]

wip: bad choices

CW: Use of time-period ableist language.

(so originally this was a response to the Cameo I got from Robert Vernon, I was inspired to write a dust-up between Estinien and Mathye in HW. And then while I was writing, the thought occurred to me that probably up until the beginning of the Field Trip or when Heustinne vanished, Estinien was still fucking right off to try and bait Nidhogg again. And probably was not paying attention to the actions of his 2IC--with it being possible to play the game that Heustinne goes missing right around the time of the Field Trip.)

------

Mathye's reaction was swift and brutal. Estinien's legs were immediately cut out from beneath him, and he slammed back-first onto the floor. As his bruised muscles howled in pain, Mathye loomed over him, staff still in hand.

"You now have two choices, my lord." He said, violet eyes now gleaming dragonfire. "You can be a good little patient and let yourself heal, which then allows you to go back on your line Dark-Knight-esqe suicidal vengence quest, or you can be a stubborn ass and bleed to death on the floor, giving our so-called 'betters' the opportunity to perform one of their favorite spectacles, a funeral for a fallen soldier! Which robs you of your chance to be the big damn sacrificial hero, and makes the Eye pick another victim to drain dry."

"How do you know of the Eye?" Estinen challenged. stopping to catch his breath. "Let me guess, you had fantasies of being Azure when you were still wet behind the ears! During that disaster that was your first and only year as a dragoon!" Mathye snorted in derision, rolling his eyes.

"I might have had aspirations, but fortunately, I was given an opportunity to do something more meaningful." He countered. "And do you know, you learn a lot when you become a cripple! Even more when you become a healer!" Estinien's eyes narrowed.

"You? With that void between your ears?" He said nastily. "Learn something?" Mathye smiled, a flash of white fang showing. Reaching for a chair, he pulled it alongside the prone elezen. Uncaring of his skirts spilling about, the white mage straddled the seat.

"Let's have a discussion about the facts of life." His leg was screaming, but Mathye steadfastly ignored it. Pain was a small price to pay for clearing the air between him and Estinien.

"Your suicidal determination aside, you're actually not a shitty commander! You're actually careful with your-" Mathye air-quoted with his fingers- "commodities. But unfortunately, you are beginning to develop a case of your head up your own ass. As evidenced by us having to send a hatchling to track you." Mathye's eyes narrowed. "And while it's tempting to let you carry on and ultimately explode in your desperately sought-after little death with Nidhogg, the reality is that unlike yourself, many of us can't just pick up and waltz out of the city whenever the whimsy strikes. Nor can we shirk and tell our 'betters' to fuck off, and not deal with whatever hare-brained scheme they have for playing solider. And leaving us in the hands of a second-in-command who effectively sodded right off with a full squad of badly needed troops on her own revenge fantasy, getting damn near all of them killed, is not the mark of a good fucking commander."

[ghostoffuturespast]

Life's Loops: Cyberpunk 2077's Cereal Conspiracy Theory - Part I

I have some thoughts about the Tower ending for Cyberpunk 2077. (Because I just played it again for the second time. I still need to do the other versions, but I'll get there.) And not the touchy-feely kind of thoughts, so I'm gonna dish because I cannot do what I'm doing rn and sit on this for another two fucking years... Am I gonna do anything with this information? I don't know and I don't really care, but I'm putting it out there.

If you'd like to see what true tinfoil madness looks like, continue below the cut. Also, warning long text post & SPOILERS.

I'd like to preface, like with any good conspiracy theory, there's a high chance that I'm dead wrong. And the only reason I've come up with this alternative is because I'm so lost in the sauce by this point that I'm fucking desperate for there to be something where there might not be anything. (I've accepted this.)

However, unlike the whole FF06B5 mystery, there's actually some semblance of logic behind all this. I have no way of proving any of my theories, but, BUT, stories don't keep alluding to, referencing, and foreshadowing specific things if they didn't mean something. Which is to say all of this is based off things that are in the game, whether it be dialogue, shards, or various other story telling details.

Now, not every detail out there is necessarily world altering, sometimes things are just added for some extra flavor. But god damn it. Sometimes the curtains are blue for a reason.

I have plenty of other theories that I haven't divulged to anyone, because they're really large components of my fic that I'm working on and I don't want to spoil it, but when I played this ending through I was a little disappointed because my initial reaction was that there was no way it could be connected. There's not enough wiggle room. But then I thought about it some more, looked at the things that were hinted at between the lines...

Extrapolating all this doesn't mean I'm right, it just means it's possible. And possible within the details that are provided by the story. Which is all I needed.

Am I pulling this out of my ass, maybe, but here goes:

It's really easy to take the Tower ending at face value.

V ultimately gets what they want (their MacGuffin, a chance at living) but it also emotionally punches you in the gut repeatedly. You basically lose everything that makes you you in the process. You lose Johnny. You lose your close friends. You lose all your cyberware. Night City's not how you last saw it. Blah, blah, blah.

I'm not here to talk about that. Because feelings and emotions in this game are a smokescreen. They make you forget to ask questions, so you avoid connecting the dots that this game throws at you in fucking spades.

Should you do the Tower ending, regardless of how you got there, you hand Songbird over to Reed, basically along with the neural matrix. Which is the MacGuffin for Phantom Liberty and your supposed shot at surviving.

Now, we spent some time with Rosalind Meyers, president of the NUSA and who, ultimately gives FIA its marching orders. She's quite charismatic but you get into the meat of the story you find out she's not all really that different from Kurt Hansen. She's government official but similar levels of cruel, and power hungry, and not above throwing people under the bus should she need to cover her own ass. (And if you're familiar with the trope, never trust a character in white.)

Here's the thing, Meyers isn't afraid to kill Songbird if she needs to. Having made Songbird dive beyond the Blackwall it's breaking all sorts of international laws and treaties. Yeah, Meyers would do it to cover her ass. If she needed to. But you hand Songbird over alive and with the MacGuffin to keep her alive.

If you did The Killing Moon quest, moments before you do this, Songbird reveals to you that the neural matrix is a single use item. Doesn't matter what your reasoning is behind handing Songbird over, you do it. If you did this quest you also get a taste of just how powerful those Blackwall daemons are that Song is infected with.

Meyers could kill Songbird if she needed to, but let's be real, Songbird is much more valuable to her and the NUSA alive. A literal walking WMD. So if Meyers is going to pick between keeping Songbird and V alive and she's got the MacGuffin, who do you think she's gonna pick?

Maybe you trust Reed at end, he never outright lies to you. But he's a leashed dog. And because you're in your feels, you don't question the specifics of your operation, or how it's possible that Song's still alive, or why you were in a coma for two years. (Sure, seems like a reasonable amount of time to be in a coma. But it's specific and puts the year at 2079, which is the year before 2080... more fuel for my flaming pile of tinfoil) Things have changed. Accept the change. That's what every character and the game keeps fucking telling you.

You don't bother to question the hand that feeds you, because you're too busy crying while it's feeding you and because you trust the game to be honest.

However, this game is constantly asking you what you know and who you trust. It's literally the question for the entire expansion. Song or Reed? Those questions are asked all the time in the base game too. Dex. Evelyn. Takemura. Hanako. The Peralezes. Johnny, our lovingly unreliable narrator...

We're also told to Trust No One and are bombarded with so much information that it can difficult to tell what we know. And what the truth ultimately is.

But this is why you never play confidence games, you lose when you agree to play the game.

So if Meyers used the neural matrix on Song, where does that leave V? Because, yeah, we survived and all, we all woke up and looked in the mirror. That was us. Albeit, a little different, worse for wear, but us.

Except, should you trust what you see? Because we know, from an earlier quest, that's it's possible not to. The technology exists. You and Alex both use it when you infiltrate the stadium. You both become entirely different people for a time.

It gives the phrase face in the crowd a whole new meaning.

And hey, handsome. Nice to see you too ;)

[meili-sheep]

I'm slowly loving the Crepus slander 😂

That what if Crepus comes back to live thing, how does Kaeya react and do when he sees that Crepus is an asshole to his very own son?

I'm just hungry for protective Kaeya shit 🗿👌✨

You know I have several essays about why he sucks?

And I've been considering researching child psychology and finding papers to scientifically prove he's a bad dad, like legit. I have some experience writing academic papers, and I might as well put this knowledge to good use.

Let me also tell you about my story with Kaeya. I used to hate him because of Venti's Story Quest and his own quest. Because in Venti's his line in that was so fucking outta pocket and unnecessarily hurtful just to "Please drink responsibly"

It didn't help that I was exposed to "fanon" Kaeya a lot. And that's a whole other mess.

So I was like, you know what. Let's change this around a bit. And I started to think of him more how I think of Ayato. Someone who recognizes that they are bad and keep doing bad things because it still causes a good outcome. And Kaeya gets a sprinkling of the depresso and over protectiveness of Diluc because he recognizes how much he hurt Diluc, and he never wants Diluc to be hurt again.

And you know with each update with him in it. My vision of that keeps getting clearer and more backed up. I did kind of do an "I told you so post" when his conversation with Dain happened, and he said, "I think my dad just left me there to be happy."

SO YEAH.

I think Kaeya is very protective of his brother.

So Crepus coming back. And now, being an adult and Kaeya can see how poorly Diluc is treated. And how favored Kaeya is. (Because he had to be favored IMO) Especially since Kaeya is still a knight.

Kaeya would be like

"No, no, no! Hold the fuck up. You should be showering and spoiling your son! Not me! He's been hurt by everyone! And he can still find it in his heart to try and save them! To be kind. You don't get to praise me when I am not even proud of this job. But I am damn proud of Diluc! He's doubled the winery's income and made drinking better for everyone! He's sweet and kind and the best person in Mondstadt. And I won't allow you to come here and shit all over him just because he doesn't were some stupid uniform anymore!"

And while Kaeya normally likes to keep his distance from Diluc. (Insecurity and feeling of not deserving to be there) I think while Crepus is around, he would stick closer to Diluc's side to butt Crepus out. Because while Crepus being there would bring out a bit of the younger Diluc, Kaeya would see just how fragile and trusting young Diluc was and how much Diluc is still that person in some ways. But He could also see how Crepus keep constantly failing Diluc. In giving him an unobtainium goal to reach and making it feel Crepus's love is tied to the goal.

So yeah, he'd let Diluc nowhere near Crepus.

There is also the back from the dead angle, which is how Kaeya would probably play it off to Diluc because god forbid they actually tell each other their honest feelings.

[nagalias-mindscape]

Sis: I haven't seen you play that game in ages. Enjoying it?

Me: Yeah. Never fully beat Xenoblade before, so I wanna see if I can.

Sis: Yikes- what's a level 90 doing in an area full of enemies no more than 20?

Me: Being Immovable Gonzales. I gotta go down and around, using the spire. See?

Sis: Nice. So why haven't you?

Me: I don't want to jump down and potentially die by fall damage, but the map is confusing.

Sis: Huh. Collectable time?

Me: Kinda.

---

Me: Fuck this. I'm jumping.

Sis: I can't believe you actually made it. I heard the switch vibrate. Although... I think this is the first time I've seen you character's health get so low.

Me: Just wait until I get past the marsh. It... won't be for a bit since I want to complete some of the quests I've collected, but yeah. Game gets hard. I think... I never got past the marsh on the wii, but I've heard people bitch about it.

Sis: Is that console I remember you playing it on?

Me: Yeah, during eye therapy.

Sis: Fuck, it's been awhile.

Sis: Wait- why are you going around everything? Wouldn't it be easier to just make a straight line instead of making an S-path?

Me: First- they're level 75. I'm level 31 if I choose to uncap my characters. Second- the icons. The audio icons means they won't attack me if they don't hear me. The eye icons means they'll attack me on sight. No icon means they won't attack unless I do.

Sis: But you walked right in front of those birds earlier with the eye icons and they didn't attack.

Me: Because I'm level 29 and they're level 15-ish. They know they'll get their asses handed to them and let me pass through without complaint.

Sis: Neat!

---

Sis: Ha! Your path is blocked by a cave-in!

Me: ... Fuck.

---

Me: One sec, let's see if I can't put this fucker to sleep- oh. I can't... Hmm...

Sis: You can change who you play as?!

Me: Now... how much effort do I want to put into this stupid thing...

Sis: What are you even trying to do?

Me: Complete both parts of a two-path quest before I turn it in. I got the dynamite, now I just need the rock.

Sis: Holy- this game lets you know when you're about to die?

Me: Yep-o. but, fuck this. I'm going to just damn over the dynamite.

---

Sis: *wheezing laughter*

Me: Fuck off. It's been a couple of months since I last played. I thought the rock and dynamite were a questline where doing one locks the others. This game has those.

Sis: *still laughing*

---

Sis: This place is pretty sparse. Are all towns like this in the game?

Me: Nah. I'm rebuilding colony 6, hence why I'm collectable hunting. Don't want to lock myself out of anything.

Sis: neat-o.

---

Sis: Wait- there's weather?

Me: Yeah! It affects things, too. Like which enemies show up. Time of day does that, too.

Sis: ... Can I borrow this game when you're done?

Me: Just return the cartridge when you're done.

Sis: Deal.

---

Sis: What's Spike III?

Me: A gem I can slot into my weapon or armor for bonuses.

Sis: .... So you turned in a divine rock... for a magical gem? Seems like a rip off.

[corroded-collections]

my love for companions really depends on the character I'm roleplaying as huh

personally, I cant stand lawful characters. as a result, Wyll has been my second least favorite companion for almost 500 hours and 3+ playthroughs. I just do not get along with people who follow strict rules, and him and Lae'zel just feel like party poopers to me.

except last night I started a paladin run. I decided at the character creation stage that I was going to romance Wyll. I wasn't really excited about it, but I wanna play through all the romance lines once and I'm getting to a point where I'm running low on options (Wyll and Lae'zel left (and Minthara but she wont make it out of the goblin camp alive on a paladin run)). I honestly figured I'd drag my feet through the romance parts and would focus more on the other aspects of the game. so I created my character, and I had an idea I really loved for her, so by the time I was done creating her I already felt more connected to her than half of my other Tavs. as soon as I started playing, I felt myself slip into this lawful good mindset I had planned to set out on, and I was excited to watch her navigate this chaotic world on her quest to make that world a better place.

so when the time came that I got to the druid grove gate, faced the goblins, and Wyll leaped down from the wall to aid us in our battle... my heart skipped a beat. like genuinely. suddenly I was in love, head over heels right then and there.

my entire opinion on Wyll did 180 on a flip of a switch. now I actually adore him, I cant wait to see my paladin Tav build a bond with him and see where that connection takes them. I'm actually so excited to see how his romance plays out lmao. these two are gonna be so god damn cute I'm gonna lose my mind.