#same path they're all on the same path!!!

[13thpythagoras]

good line of thought... agreed that one on one discourse is an incredibly powerful communication tool, to be used as much as possible...and our crew out here knows we welcome enlightened hypermasculinity, I'm a black belt guitar God who speaks multiple languages, I'm sexy as fuck and we have to remember this is a conversation about sex appeal. Me and my side are casting light onto the path of enlightenment, that any pathetic incel guy or masculinity-curious individual can walk, and transform himself into an enlightened man burning with the fire of wisdom, this is attractive like no other; the right actually castrates their men to be good trumpist foot soldiers- try having a pair around trump! it won't go well; the left is the side that gives us room for enlightened hypermasculinity, and hey we're also pro-2nd amendment, we're pro monster-slaying, we're pro -independence from sovereigns and pro-interconnectedness with neighbors and communities. Calling all genders, calling all genders, this struggle can't be gender exclusionary- We the men on the left ain't even cucked a tad by Putin, Trump, or McConnell, but those bitchboys on the right are cucked as fuck. And I ain't here to kink shame as long as you keep it from harming others who never consented. But Che, Castro, Bolivar, these guys showed us what hypermasculinity on the left looks like. It's nothing new...

So fuck putin and trumpty dumpty, and fuck the whole right wing, they're diaper wearing ideological minorities on the wrong side of history and our side is much stronger, more diverse, faster, smarter, and technically we are the silent majority, sleeping for how much longer?... Luigi did nothing wrong- my point is, me and mine, we aren't here to beg fascists to care about us. That's why I'm wicked with my elbows or an M-16, and I was on the field when we won that high school football championship in the same league as a guy who would go on to win a superbowl and become a likely NFL hall of famer for whom I have immense respect; I walk with the silence of a ghost, housecats don't even notice me and I have 20/20 vision with super hearing and smell, plus the extra senses... Me and my mutuals and students, we ain't even really here to punch a fascist unless it's a throat shot or we're wearing a brass ring or brass knuckles since we know the skull is the 2nd strongest bone in the body and you can break both hands punching skull and go on to lose that fight but if you throw that elbow it's fascist naptime in the now moment. Like hey go on down that rabbit hole fascists, I'll be loading my shotgun saying "shame" shaking my head.

I'm here to remind everyone that my grandpa was miraculously lucky to have survived the WW2 battle of the bulge, he was in a jeep that hit a mine and he was the lone survivor of 4 passengers, and he would go on to call in artillery strikes on fascists pig not-see's of high rank, he was a scout and after calling in the strike, he would gain distance, hide, and then hear his targets become craters and wipe their cooked guts off his helmet, rinse and repeat; and I'm carrying that torch forward into the next century, I'm much older and more skilled in combat than my grandpa was at that time, I'm here to share the art of war and to maximizedly strengthen our aura of protection and safety on the left, I have wisdom if you're fighting alone or all the way up and have a full army, we got the wisdom to power that across the chessboard and checkmate who we need to checkmate.

and this is hyper masculinity that anyone, of any gender identity, will be able to espouse and use against the clowns on the right. it would bring me delight to no end to see a lesbian, or clique of LGBTQ folks, exhibiting more masculinity than these clowns on the right in a debate space or struggle space, and showing them how someone of enlightened masculinity will talk and walk and shoot. You can be trans or woman or whatever and if you bring this level of hyper masculinity to a debate against the right, you'll be able to out them as the hypocritical non-masculine clowns that they are. This is how we use positive energy to attract, rather than any pushing or begging nah we are on the high vibe of raw attraction. *guitar solo*

Along with the "how do we stop young men turning into angry radical right-wing types" discourse there's been a lot of discourse about the need for cishet male allies of the cause to stand up to their racist, sexist, homophobic etc. male friends and tell them to stop being those things, and other people saying "I've tried that and it doesn't really work, they just call me a fag and then stop hanging out with me."

And yeah, given that the left and right are more divided than ever it is kind of strange to assume that a male feminist is going to be hanging out with a bunch of sexist dudebros who will take it to heart when they make a rape joke and he says, "dudes...that was fucked up." That's not how it works.

(Also, yes, I realize that "the right" and "sexist dudebros" are not really the same thing but there's an area of overlap that is specifically being focused on in a lot of this discourse.)

I've been in sort of the Mirror World version of that scenario: being in heavily left-wing spaces, hearing people say fucked up shit about men and being the one who says, "uh that's kinda fucked up why would you say something like that?" and can confirm, yes, this kind of pushback does not work in that context. They just ridicule you and double down on whatever they were saying. Pushing out dissenting voices is a time-honored bonding ritual for these types of groups.

On the other hand, when I am alone with an actual friend, someone I care about who also cares about me, and they say something fucked up and I respond with shocked silence or a quiet "hey now," they usually backpedal pretty quickly.

So I guess if you're trying to stop someone from going down a rabbit hole my advice is not to confront them in a group setting or online where other people can witness the confrontation, especially if you are in a setting where most onlookers are likely to side with them. Talking to them alone, and in a less confrontational way, is what actually gets results.

[nerdygirlramblings]

Off to See the Wizard (5)

previous | next

It takes you over an hour to get your brain online because after that talk at breakfast, John walked you to your office and kissed you. It was a kiss on the cheek, but still.

His lips.

Your skin.

Your brain short-circuted.

There was no way to deny it, even to yourself: Captain John Price was interested. In you. Romantically.

You try to shove the little gleeful voice - the one with crushes on all your boys - to the side so you can work. But she keeps chirping about the kiss. About how his beard felt, rough and soft at the same time. About how warm his lips were. About the promise look in his eyes as he pulled back and whispered, "'Til later, dove"

You finally put the kiss in a box of 'Things to Deal With Later' and focus on digging back through mission intel again. You flag two items to bring up with Laswell and a third to follow-up with John about. You're not sure how a closed door meeting with the captain will go after this morning's display, and you pray he's better at separating work and play than you.

You find your groove and are startled by a knock at your office door. You glance at the clock and see it's nearly 2. After being so rattled by John's admission, you'd gotten into the zone and practically missed lunch. You almost expect it's going to be one of your boys. You don't know if you want them to come to you or not.

You're surprised to find Corporal Avery on the other side. "Ma'am," she inclines her head politely. "Cap'n Price wanted to make sure you ate. Told me to help you find the mess and said to tell you, 'I know you're a big girl, but you haven't tried to find your way around on your own yet.' 'm supposed to let you lead and correct the path if necessary." She looks apologetic as she says it, like she understands the ridiculous nature of the command, but since it is a command, she's going to follow it.

You close up your workspace and follow the corporal into the hall where she lets you take the lead. You're loathe to admit you probably need the guide as the corporal corrects your directions at least twice. At least she's polite about it. "Almost got it, ma'am. Another trip and you won't need help at all."

Lunch is a quiet affair as most of the mess has already cleared out. Corporal Avery stays with you but tells you she ate with her squad earlier. "Don't want you to eat alone," she says. "Besides, I wanna make sure you've got the route between your office and food down pat as my guess is your barracks, your office, and the mess are where you'll spend time while the 141 is on mission."

You hadn't given much thought to what you'd do when the boys are gone, but it strikes you suddenly how lonely things will be. You only know your boys, and now Corporal Avery, but that doesn't leave much for socialization when they're away. "Hey, Corporal? Is there someplace on base - besides the mess - people hang out? Like, I dunno, a base rec room or something?"

She looks at you for a long moment, her brow furrowed in question before a look of understanding passes over her face. "Uh, yeah. There are a few. I'd be happy to show you where they are, introduce you to a few other soldiers and civilian employees." You smile gratefully at her, glad she picked up your subtext. "We can do it after the 141 are gone."

The latter part of your day is spent contemplating Corporal Avery's comment to you. You'd been a little surprised when she hadn't offered to show you to the base common spaces sooner, so you asked. She floored you when she admitted she could but "thought, what with them leaving, you'd like to spend as much time as possible with Captain Price first."

Are your desires, or his, that obvious? Certainly she'd seen the two of you together in the hallway that morning, but that couldn't have been enough for her to draw the conclusions she was drawing, was it? And if so, is she telling other people? Does the whole base know? Does the rest of the 141?

You know you're spiraling, but you can't seem to stop yourself. It takes a series of repeated knocks at your door and someone calling your name for you to come back to yourself. You see it's about 7:00 and expect this is someone - Corporal Avery or one of the boys - come to drag you to dinner.

You open your office door and see Simon standing in the hall. He's still wearing a mask, but you see enough of his eyes to tell he's smiling. "Evenin' luv," he says, stepping up beside you. "Ready for a meal?" You nod at him and start walking toward the mess, ready to show him you can find you way without getting lost.

As you walk, he matches your stride and casually drapes an arm over your shoulder. "Look a' ya, already a natural on base. 'S like you belong here." You beam at the praise and don't miss the way his arm tightens ever so slightly at his last comment.

"Like havin' you 'ere, luv," he says, so quietly you can act like you didn't hear it. And you're tempted to ignore it because that's a lot easier than dealing with what it might mean. When your silence stretches too long, however, Simon slows you both down. "D'ya like bein' 'ere?"

You give an enthusiastic, if non-committal, "Of course!"

"D'ya like bein' with me?"

You're almost at the mess, can see the door from here, but you stop dead in your tracks at his question. "What?" you squeak out.

Simon turns to look directly in your eyes. The emotion in his gaze is raw: desire, fear, vulnerability. He searches you long enough you feel he's looking at your soul. "I need to know, luv, if ya like me."

You try to go for a quip, but it dies on your lips. You whisper, "I'm not sure what you want me to say, Simon. I'm not sure what to do here."

He looks pained when he pleads, "Say ya wan' me like I wan' you."

And for the second time today, your brain simply stops responding.

part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4 part 6

~~

Taglist: @blackhawkfanatic @starriestarlight @grayskel @mxtokko @imjustheretofightforlove @miss-vanta-likes-to-write @thriving-n-jiving @madsothree @silly-starfish @danielle143 @beelzebee @nova-willow-541 @alchemyfreak321

[atwas-gaming]

I've had a scenario in mind for a while now about what it would take for Sonic to finally own up to his feelings about Amy. And I think what it would take is...

Shadow.

Well, just plain jealousy and a fear of losing Amy before he even has her. But Shadow would be the best one to instigate it.

First, some headcanons about how they behave romantically:

Amy's maturing and spreading her wings. She's not moving on from Sonic, not really, but it's possible that she's starting to notice other guys. There's some hints in the Twitter takeovers that she may be developing some small interest in Shadow.

Sonic is clearly interested in Amy, and if you pay attention, he has been for a long time. What he's not interested in is marriage- at least, not yet. And Amy is clearly wifey material- she cooks, she takes care of people, she has a caring nature, she's protective, and she's extremely loyal. She's not someone you can use for a one-night stand, you take all of her or you risk shattering her into pieces. She's Sonic's friend, no matter what else he may feel about her, so he avoids any romantic interaction because he doesn't want to hurt his friend.

Meanwhile, Shadow is... not aro-ace, per se, I don't know what you'd call him. He can see that Amy is attractive, but so is Rouge, and Shadow has no interest in Rouge. He just isn't interested in the physical side of romance.

What I think it would take to get Shadow's attention is something deeper, an emotional or spiritual connection.

So here's the Sonamy/Shadamy love triangle scenario that I came up with:

As Amy ages, she feels her desire for male companionship growing stronger. Sonic takes little notice of it, but it doesn't escape Shadow's attention.

Somehow or other, Shadow and Amy end up alone together, probably on a mission or something. I haven't figured out the exact circumstances, but they're together for quite a while. Amy loves to talk to people and get to know them, and Shadow has a soft spot for her, so she's able to get him to talk to her about things that he's probably never told anyone before. And he knows she won't tell anyone about them, either, so he feels safe telling her.

At some point, Shadow realizes, she's done it. She's broken through his barriers, and at the same time, she's calmed the storm of emotions that he's had swirling inside him for 50-odd years. He hasn't felt such peace since... no, not even then. This is something else. He's never felt this way before, and he doesn't have the words to describe it, but he's fallen head over heels for her.

This is why he never lets his guard down, even around the people he trusts most. Because if he lets them in, even a little bit, he might let them in too far. ("Can you see all of me, walk into my mystery, step inside and hold on for dear life.")

He loses control of himself and kisses Amy.

And when he lets go, he instantly hates himself, he starts throwing his barriers back up, because... she's crying. She's crying because she liked it, and she wants more of it, but she's still so desperately in love with Sonic, and she's starting to think she'll never get it from him, so she'll accept affection from just about any man, and it's not like Shadow's unattractive, and, and, and...

So Shadow's raw and open and hurting, he knew before he said or did anything that he was going down a dangerous path, but talking to Amy felt so good he didn't want to stop. And he wants to erase what just happened like it never did. But now he has to be the one to comfort Amy, because this was his fault, Amy was just being the kind and compassionate person she always was and Shadow was an idiot for letting it get to him and making more of it than what it was and losing control. So he has to keep his barriers down for just a moment longer, just long enough to hold Amy and tell her it's not her fault, until her tears finally stop.

It leaves Shadow burning with rage, and as soon as he can, he forcefully confronts Sonic (I imagine Shadow slamming Sonic against a wall or a tree and shouting in his face 😝) and basically tells him, "Amy needs attention from a man, she wants that man to be you, but if you can't grow up and do what it takes, then I'll be more than glad to take your place."

Which scares Sonic good and proper. It's bad enough to think that he could lose Amy, anyway, but to lose her to that faker??? And it finally makes him go to Amy and (very, very awkwardly) ask her to be his girlfriend. And... I'll let y'all imagine the rest.

As for Shadow... he, quite understandably, becomes somewhat aloof towards both Sonic and Amy for a long time after that.

But Shadow's immortal, right? And there's other Amy's in the world. He doesn't have to be alone forever.

Oh, and as for why Shadow would confront Sonic instead of just taking Amy for himself: because he respects both Amy and, especially, himself far too much to do that. He knows good and well she will never be able to fully commit to anyone else as long as Sonic is still an option. If Shadow was to start dating her, she'd go along with it, but it would become a power play between him and Sonic to try to "win" Amy's affections. Shadow has no issues with fighting Sonic over just about anything, but when it comes to his own feelings, he won't stoop that low, and he's not about to hurt himself by playing such a game. I also don't think he would view Amy as "a prize to be won."

[apollos-boyfriend]

this is gonna sound insane. and like i play favorites (i do). but for me this ending for cq really solidifies the idea of cpurpled actually moving on and learning from his death instead of spiraling deeper down his path of revenge and self-destruction

because like. purpled and quackity have always been two sides of the same coin. kind of. purpled is everything quackity tries to be. he's the rutheless killer, the successful businessman, the detached loner. they're foils. so what happens when quackity can't move on. when he's given closure, when he's made up with those he wronged, but he can't see a way forward still.

so i think what continues the pre-existing narrative best is a universe where purpled doesn't have closure, but moves forward anyways. where he never got revenge for his ufo, never righted the wrongs he thought quackity and slime had done unto him (and never righted the wrongs he did in return), but still found a place for himself somewhere. las nevadas was still standing, after all. maybe he learned to be a bit more human, too :]

[doriansquest]

dragon prince season 7 refuses to be good and I'm so disappointed

i've been putting off finishing the season since it came out and i watched the first three episodes and absolutely hated it, but i finally decided to pull off the bandaid and wow was it so much more worse than i expected. like, i didn't really expect it to be good or anything, since everything has just been going downhill since season 4, but at the very least expected a proper conclusion, but nope, they couldn't even end the show in the finale.

this show just refuses to take the least logical path to the conclusion all the fucking time. like did there need to be so much subversion? follow through on your obvious foreshadowing. let callum be possessed by aaravos after he uses dark magic. that was set up all the way back in season 4. is he good? is he any different than as viren and claudia now, if he's willing to do the wrong thing for the greater good ("however dangerous, however vile")? hell, force rayla to reckon with that difficult choice. put her in the same situation she was in the pilot; is she willing to kill for the greater good, especially now when the stakes are so much higher and the victim is the love of her life?

let claudia kill terry and/or soren. that was bound to happen, she's far past the point of redemption now, she revived aaravos. stop tiptoeing around it. ("i'm still nice! i'm still me" what the fuck, no you're not. you made that decision ages ago, hell when you chose viren over soren all the way back in season 3). arguably, terry, as much as i love him, should have died all the way back in season 5, when viren was revived. it would have cemented claudia's conversion completed to aaravos if there was absolutely no one who loved her around anymore.

and for god's sake, don't try to make your main villain with absolutely no redeeming qualities sympathetic. don't give him a fucking daughter. not every villain is made to be redeemable, they can be just be evil! that's what i loved about aaravos. viren was morally grey from the start, but aaravos was always the dark voice whispering in his ear. he was conniving, manipulative, a force of pure evil! there was absolutely no reason to reduce him to this stupid thing that's so easy to defeat. why was it the dragons that killed him? why not the protagonists of the series instead of some side characters who haven't been in the story for multiple seasons?

like, there is no reason to constantly be adding new plot points? you can take a predictable solution. hell, it should be done in a final season. a story can still be interesting even if it's not the most twisty turvy thing in the world. it would have been so satisfying if the finale went exactly as expected: callum uses dark magic, gets possessed by aaravos and has to fight him out of his head while the other characters have to decide whether to hurt callum or risk aaravos escaping or whatever. we did not need the unicorns, nor the new archdragons, nor the fucking godforsaken sun elf plotline that never connected back to the main plot (and absolutely wasted amaya as a character). and we did not need evyrkind, nor bird harrow who never bothered to contact his sons, nor the seven fucking years. it was so easy to make a satisfying conclusion. why the fuck did the writers decide to take this route?

i don't know, i feel like i've put so much of my investment into this show for the past six years and somehow they manage to fumble it over and over again since season 4, and i keep telling myself that it's going to improve, that they're setting up something good, and they just don't, over and over for seasons. if you somehow enjoyed this season, please explain to me why. i want something good out of the time i spent.

[supacutiepie]

Emmrich,, Lucanis, Taash, and Rook (my Malc Rook) all gathered together for coffee and cake and bundled up in throw blankets, "Hello, welcome to the dead parents club." Requirements, Dead Parents. Free coffee and supportive pats on he back for life. Emmrich actually get's emotional, because as a boy he felt so alone with his loss. His parents, murdered in the return of Dragons (according to a fantastic theory about the return of dragons reeking havoc on Nevarra first). Lucanis, who struggles with the idea of legacy and grief. Because Crows don't grieve, they can't. It's too easy to be broken with their line of work. Besides, Caterina never let him grieve his parents.... so this club means he can finally reminisce about a much kinder childhood. Taash who is still so angry. Never knew their father, can only wonder if they've crossed paths now, if Taash themself killed their father, there's such a slim but there chance. A man who wasn't enough for Shathan to stay in the Qun with, or good enough to follow Shathan out of it. And then there's Shathan, and it's such a tangled pain to be so unresolved, it's good to have two older club members to gently but firmly help Taash grieve and forgive their mom at the same time. And Rook...Rook who for this particular AU? He's maybe 19 years old. He lost his Papa when he was maybe five, maybe six. Didn't even get to know until his Dad came home to tell him, "Papa won't be coming back to Kirkwall sweetheart.." And his Dad. He didn't even know his Dad was dead. He didn't know, until said Dad told him that he'll make both of them so proud, like he already does, but he has to go and can't stay in the fade with both of his dad's -- he almost does. He tells the club such. He almost gave up coming back to the team, because he got to hold his papa and daddy and it feel so fucking unfair. He feels guilty to, and apologizes to their others. "I'm the only one who got to say goodbye, but here I am whining about it...sorry." "Oh...dear," Emmrich holding his hand, "It's so lovely that you did get to say goodbye...how lovely it is to know they're together in the end." Taash is just impressed about who Rook's parents are, and agrees to go with Rook to visit the Lord's and give Isabela the news. To help plan a little memorial, since Taash didn't get to bury their parents either. Lucanis says its sweet that Rook's dad's got to be together and see Rook off. that he knows what it's like exactly to carry such a heavy legacy as a family name when orphaned so young... They all share the one thing in common, but in such different ways. It means they can understand each other, but also help each other to grieve, process, and eventually, to heal

[winepresswrath]

After spending NiF listening to my girlfriend explain how Lin Shu should die, she is now spending Mr. Sunshine listening to me explain how Lady Ae-shin is femmephobic because she will not marry Hui-seong and have threesomes and/or a protracted emotional affair with Eugene.

[stop-breaking-my-heart-dragonage]

I'm not ready to shut up about Aveline and Carver--so, when you go see Aveline in Act 1, you can catch up with her a little bit and that's where this conversation can happen:

Aveline: "It's just one more change, though. The real end for me was Ostagar. What about you, Carver? You were there. Do you feel something similar?" Carver: No. Aveline: All right, then. Bit of a tit, your brother.

I wanted to see what she would say if Carver isn't in the party. Instead, she says this:

Aveline: Carver was there. I imagine he feels something similar. If he allows it.

......well, at least she didn't call him a tit?

[thegreatyin]

honestly part of the reason i've been really looking forward to finally playing light fingers (aside from the obvious horrors and whatnot) is because it, alongside bag a legend, contains a Choice™ i to this day am Extremely Torn About Making. like i've known for ages that the Choice™ exists in this ambition and STILL i am undecided about it. this Choice™ is of course. well. let's just say that by the time this ambition ends, caeru may not be the only catboy around town

[see-arcane]

Don't you just hate it when you track down a shady ethics-free Victorian laboratory to have a violent talk with the weirdos who threatened people you've made it your penitent life-mission to protect only to discover someone else has beaten you to the punch (and certain organs) and they just so happen to be your resurrected Creator who's been dead for almost a century and it's all So Awkward, ughhhhhh

( @severedfeetpics behold the Creatures!)

[buubonita]

ahh i agree that it's more likely that they break up than stay together and thats is not bad, but just because they end up separated doesn't mean that they won't see each other again! people sometimes drift apart and need some time to themselves! and i think that the three of them need some time to focus on themselves..with help from others of course, but then again, neither Killer nor Dust nor Horror NEED to always be together or in the company of others and this is something i haven't seen. Why we cant have them ALONE? Why can't Dust follow his path alone? Why can't Killer or Horror do the same as well?

Jumping from one "group to another" isn't a simple process either, that's not how things work in a few cases,, after all, relationships are more complicated than they seem.

i like the idea that they "miss" each other sometimes, call it because they love each other to a certain point or because they're possessed by habit. when i don't see someone i always see i miss them! Changes in routine always hit differently and i think that would happen not only between the three of them but also with the unmentionable. .anyway! I love MTT, they are my favorite trio and always will be no matter what take are we getting, but i have preferences, that's it.

I’m probably the only one who sees mtt underneath nightmare as just coworkers who’d go their separate ways immediately after they escape. Coworkers who have a lot of history, most of it not good.

And still there would be a deep chasm of mistrust beneath them—they won’t talk about or discuss any personal matters, just enough trust to work together well and have no plans to kill eachother, but not enough to trust the other to not throw them under the bus or turn against them as soon as Nightmare says the word.

[tetrameryxx]

Everyone look at my video game dinosaurs

[theotherrichardpapen]

...because any moment may be our last. everything is more beautiful because we're doomed.

[sundayrobin]

going thru my screenshots from 2.3 while waiting for the update (because i stupidly didn't pre-install them) and this might be my favorite part of the tb mission.

himeko is telling us that at its core, humanity is rooted in storytelling and the nameless’s mission to travel across the galaxy embodies this spirit. their journey centers around exploring new worlds but the significance of their travels goes beyond mere exploration; it's about encountering diverse stories from different people and places. it's in the "miniscule". it's in the individual tales that contribute to a grander tapestry of human existence which they strive to remember and honor. it's in how the nameless creates a shared experience that they carry along with them to other planets they visit. it's how they're able to create connections that transcend the vast distance it probably takes for the astral express to traverse from one planet to another. exploration becomes merely the means to achieve their true goal: to forge connections via the star rail through stories they encounter. it's why i think it's very fitting that the trailblaze is considered the one closest to humanity. in a world that extends as vast as the cosmos, they choose to ground themselves in these stories, to remember them when no one else would. because it's these individual tales and the ongoing dialogue between them that creates a continuous, living narrative that binds living species across the galaxy together.

[transpathfinder]

HELLO, LICH DEFENDERS! thank you for responding, there're a lot so i'm just gonna file responses here to look at easier when i search for it, you do not have to respond to my replies, no pressure :}

***

@boeing-787 said: hi, it’s me. i romanced emmrich first and i chose the lich path. when the stats got released and people were talking abt the lich choice being like, i think was it 27% of people picked? and how those people cant be trusted? like shuuuuuuut uuuuuuuuuuup

that's one of the things i got soo shocked by, when those stats were released and i went to look at it once i completed the game.. i was sure it would be a closer match between the two. i think it really boils down to many emmrichmancers finding that option gross when it's really just a choice he has been working towards all his life? i feel there's a lot of infantalising him for his decision and want, when he's a grown ass man in his 50s who has known and studied this for years

*

@13skeletons said: i chose lich first! and then played through the ending again to see the other route. I like Manfred, but the lich route is soooo good and so unique. (and it’s the skeleton sex route eheheehheh). anyway i follow someone who has written some really good pro lich route posts. let me find a link / ok here’s one meta: tumblr.com/veilkee… and that person has a few about his lich route in its tags. it actually changed its pfp to lich!emmrich when all the anti lich discourse got too irritating. / also the idea of him finding another partner and being mad about it is so fucking laughable to me. like, he seriously expects you to dump him before he goes through the rites. he tries to hide his face from you during the final romance scene. do these people really think he’d ever open up to someone again? He’s afraid he’ll mourn you forever!!!!! Sorry I’m not normal about him. His lich route is some of the most tragically romantic shit bioware has ever given us / also. also. acting like it’s selfish to accept that death is a part of life, even for spirits? uhhhh (just remembered a post that acted like he couldn’t possibly still love rook afterwards because his heart is gone. love is stored in the blood pump, you see.)

thank you for the link from other lichmancers, that's good, gonna check it out in a bit. and yesss i've seen that post you mentioned too i think about like... how emmrich can't possibly feel anymore, be it love or compassion or whatever for rook and others. and i think this is flat out a false reading of the game when they literally tell you he holds all his same opinions and feelings, just without the flesh?? they're acting like lichdom steals away your soul or something to become a mechanical unfeeling being

the thing about being selfish about manfred is sooo crazy to me cos i felt the opposite of what most people who bring back manfred felt in that it's emmrich accepting a spirit's death! after being bright and brilliant and sacrificing himself for a mission! if anything, blindly bringing manfred back is what makes it sound like emmrich is not ready to accept death as a part of life

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@corvidexoskeleton said: I didn’t like the lich path at first tbh, but when i did my second playthrough and romanced him, i did the lich path, and now ive actually changed my opinion on it. I find it extremely interesting and compelling, but so many people are too caught up in bitching about it 😭😭😭

i see! yes i totally get how the first playthrough may make an emmrichmancer pick the non-lich route, but it really is a compelling arc for him as a character with purpose, using his skills and interest. even in the romance section, there's so much left. i've seen so many posts bitching about it i got so annoyed at my recced stuff lol like please stop acting like it's some disgusting option to choose damn

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amalstra said: I hate people saying it’s a cop-out and running from his fear of death….like did you miss the part where he literally has to DIE to become a lich? How is that not facing it? On top of that he has to face manfreds death so…ya hes facing it.

exactlyyyyy i reeeeally don't get that reasoning cos it's straight up lying about what the game is trying to tell you. like what do u mean he's afraid and not facing it.. that's literally the opposite of what it means to becoming a lich. he perfectly understands he's gonna outlive people he loves, and he accepts death, but he stands for a greater cause and what he deems important in his culture??? if fans are just sad manfred died and want him back they should just admit that lmafafo instead of coming up with shit that's not true

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@ianuarius said: Love the Lich route as much as the Mortal one, personally. As it is, I enjoy it, though I do worry about how his character would grapple and handle with the death of those beloved by him. There’s nice touches, ofc, such as the dialogue with him and Harding about how she may be immortal now in some fashion and they can be friends forever. But I do think how the other backgrounds outside MW are handling that he is functionally immortal and that they do not have this option in the future. / Unless, I suppose the Lich Lords aren’t all specifically of the MW? And may offer them the chance with some convincing? But we know so little of them, currently. And, for Emmrich, I think that while he may have passed through death, he doesn’t yet quite deal with his fear of death but transfer it to Rook. Fears like that aren’t so easy to break, so I think it does just find a different form to take. If not taken care of, properly, I can see his love becoming unhealthy and toxic, which is… yeah. / But, on the other hand, he also has potential to surpass it with help and time. And, I just, currently wonder what all he’s meant to do and more as a Lich Lord other than broadly protect the order of things. Lots of grand promises in this route that makes me wonder what else may be revealed about these guys.

hmmm i see... i guess i don't think of it as a bad thing, that he has to watch those he loves die, the same way i don't think it's unhealthy or toxic with his love. but that's mostly cos i don't see the scenario of someone you love dying in their full age as something to fight or rage against, and iirc there's dialogue with lucanis where he's happy to constantly learn and experience new things, but that's not without to say he won't mourn those who pass on before him. i suppose i see him as a character who is interested and awash with experiencing new things, people, feelings, that lichdom isn't something i see for him as tragic, but freeing.

but yeeess i think there's a lot to explore with and without the mourn watch background with this. i don't think the game gives enough with this choice, but then it's like you said it's a route less travelled and we don't know much about it yet. will be nice to get some meaty info about these lich lords and their general lifestyles

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@trickster-in-training said: My 1st romance with him was the non-lich path, and I thought it was very sweet! My next Rook will be a MW lich romancer. I’m excited to see how it plays out. I don’t think there’s a “right” or “wrong” choice, just different flavors of an experience.

niceee, i hope you have fun with the lich route, especially with a mw!rook, i think it could open up a lot of dialogue or at least understanding of his choices due to shared culture and affections. same, i really don't see it as good/bad, but i do get the feeling a lot of fandom sees the lich route as... less than, surely, because they're uncomfortable with concepts of death and immortality in romance.

okay in my esteemed authority as a lucanismancer acknowledging we have the most annoying fanbase, it seems the second most annoying fanbase are emmrichmancers who are soo anti-lichdom. i liked a few emmrich romance posts and then tumblr was reccing so many other posts by those who hate the idea of him being a lich, calling it selfish or disgusting and being mad he'll outlive rook, potentially finding another partner, etc, when of course, lichdom is his lifelong dream and has a lot of themes of nobleness in service, archiving, respecting, and protecting culture, in nevarra

there must be emmrichmancers who chose the lichdom path romance, i know it. i wish they were more outspoken (or maybe i just haven't seen any on my dash) and i'd love to see their ideas more on this love. it's the choice i chose for him, and found it very fulfilling and whole. but almost all emmrichmancers i've seen tumblr reccing me sound childish as f about it being the ''bad'' choice, getting their undies in a twist about it and they're the ones more vocal about it when lich!emmrich is so rich with love, respect, and faith, in the concepts history, the dead, knowledge.. there's a sacred reverence to it that blind childish lichdom haters do not seem to want to engage in conversation with i'm just irritated every time i see some bs on my dash

[spoondoodles]

The crooked are smiling They know me the best / This cradle still burns Like a hole in my chest - The Crooked, The Cradle by The Crane Wives Introducing my grippli/tiefling flurry ranger/path of the heavens cleric for the pf2e Strength of Thousands adventure path: Iopo! I've been playing them for a long time now (over a year!) and I love them so very dearly :) My acearo nongendered metallic red frog :)))) what will they do (jump off an enemy to trip them ofc)