#scanlan shorthalt negative

[sadiecoocoo]

So uh episode six did not need to have that much emotional whiplash

[d-d-destroya]

please check in on your local scanlan shorthalt fan we (I) am so unwell

[shironezuninja]

I researched the term “CoComelon”, and I joined in on rolling my eyes to its content with equal teenaged contempt. At Age 36.

[pizzalover69420]

me when a fictional character reminds me of my deadbeat father (i inevitably become sympathetic despite my better judgement)

[pieflavorpie]

My unpopular opinion is that i dont enjoy bards Lament. At all. It is objectively good, well performed with appropriate buildup. However, I am a child with an absentee father, and i have had similar thoughts to him before, and i used to have a friend that went down his path. I have seen and experienced every point of view. And what that was isnt justice. Its not calling people out, or making them realise how they have hurt him.

Its a very broken, depressed man who finally snaps and burns down the bridges with his friends. No, VM never asked for Scanlan's mum's name because that's not something they do. If you can list me 5 times where the team ask questions about peoples backstory [before Bards Lament] BEFORE it became relevant, then you have successfully proved me wrong. Anything revealed is either probed out of them as part of recon, or willfully offered as a piece of friendship.

[E.g: Keyleth talking about her aramente, Pike's history with Grog vs Percy's backstory being revealed after they get invited to dinner with the Briarwoods and Grog talking about his pack when its revealed his uncle has the vestige.]

And he never offered any of this information. There have been several times where VM have shown concern and actively asked how hes doing just for him to lie and shrug them off. They prank him while he was asleep because they think hes a fairly centred person who will enjoy an attempt to bring things back to normal and they were drunk.

And yes, they are mean to him sometimes, because they are a group of assholes. They never disguise themselves as anything else. Vax and Percy's friendship post-briarwoods for a good while is based in distrust and self loathing, respectively. Everyone has moments where they say mean shit to Grog [except Pike] because he cant understand it.

And the "without his songs hes just a guy" comment or however it was phrased was a tactical comment. Because he would be. He doesn't have any sort of weapon beyond Mythcarver which he refuses to use, and he doesn't have anything else he can use to support or fight. The same applies to Keyleth without her nature magic, it applies to Percy without his guns, it applies to Grog when people are out of range.

And no, I don't blame him for snapping when he woke up. I doubt taking a -4 to any rolls made would translate to a Happy Peachy character in-story. And all of his internalised misery finally coalesces in his tiredness. But what happens isn't good. It isn't progress. It is showing everyone a wound that has been tearing open over months, and then promptly storming out.

And his whole "I didn't want my daughter to see me like this." Isn't some Grand Show of how much he cares, it shows him as fucking selfish. My dad being weak is what drove him away, his insecurity stopping him from getting help from my family. That line of thinking is what makes him a sad, lonely man rotting in a flat after abandoning many families like my own.

That man in real life was strong, a brilliant teacher of martial arts. A true marvel to see and train with. He had a certain charisma to him, but he had his shortcomings. And when his partner got too close to them, he'd hold them tight to his chest and scurry away, only coming back for the drunk sex and eventually leaving entirely. Having enough distrust in his heart to claim any unwanted children to be illegitimate.

Now, Scanlan is nowhere near as bad as him, but there are similarities. And enough that I feel my word has weight when I say, if I were Kaylie, I would not want to travel with him. If he truly wanted to be closer to her and do good for her, he'd get better first. And to get better, you need people. Plural. You cannot depend on one person. And that person can absolutely not be your own fucking child. I'm not saying he should've stayed with vox machina, but he should've stayed with a group. A group of adults that could support him. And honestly I feel like so far from my watching of CR, his epilogue with kaylie is the most unrealistic character development possible. I know she's supposed to be rough and hardy, but I refuse to believe that girl would not be breaking under her father's bleeding desperation for validation. And I definitely refuse to believe that she could actually help him to the point he'd gladly leave her on another continent while he talked to the people he'd snapped at.

Anyway, fuck dickhead dads who don't get actual help. Especially fuck them when they start depending on their children for them to be a good person.

For those who do not know. Scanlan's departure from the party in the stream wasn't as... friendly. It was kind of an ugly break-up. It came from Sam wanting to do some unexpected twist with Scanlan's character and it led to a very emotional moment. That he did not feel validated, that he did not feel appreciated and that he was considered a joke by the group.

And it came down to one phrase from Scanlan to the group: "What is my mother's name?" and when nobody was able to answer the question. Scanlan left.

However, interesting little tid-bit that might help understand this change. which comes from one of the Q&A. which is no longer up because... uhm... a whole other Drama I am not here to explain.

And what Sam said in that Q&A is that there WAS one way in which Scanlan would have stayed.

And it was Pike. who wasn't there at the time (technically was as an NPC, but since Ashley wasn't there, it's the same thing), but which Sam said was the only person who could change his decision.

And what has Pike done the entire season? BE that person who supported Scanlan in his darkest moment, and who deflated the situation probably without meaning to. And so he is able to leave the party in much better terms.

A shame because the emotional rollercoaster that it involved will be missed, but hey, it's cool to see what Sam meant by saying Pike was the one person who could stop Scanlan walking out of the party like he did

[deathturned]

general statistics.

FULL NAME Vex'ahlia Vessar. NICKNAMES Vex, Stubby (only to Vax). TITLES Lady Vex'ahlia, Baroness of the First (formerly Third) House of Whitestone and Grand Mistress of the Grey Hunt, Champion of Pelor, Coinmistress of the Tal'Dorei Council. AFFILIATION Vax'ildan, Vox Machina, Slayer's Take, Dawnfather, Chamber of Whitestone, Council of Emon.

BORN Spring 783, Byroden. GENDER Cisgender woman. PRONOUNS She/her/hers. SEXUALITY Bisexual. HEIGHT 5'9". HAIR COLOR Black. EYE COLOR Hazel. TATTOOS None (yet). SCARS Several, mostly general wear and tear from adventuring. Most notably, a brand on her upper right arm marking her as a member of the Slayer's Take, a burn scar over her heart from her death in the Sunken Tomb, burn scar along her left side from her death battling Vecna.

RACE Half-elf. RELIGION Eventual devotion to the Dawnfather.

POSITIVE TRAITS Adventurous, charismatic, compassionate, outgoing, pragmatic, self-confident. NEGATIVE TRAITS Deceitful, distrusting, obsessive, resentful, vain, vengeful. ALIGNMENT Chaotic good (formerly neutral good/chaotic neutral).

PHOBIAS None. MENTAL HEALTH Relatively healthy (situational trauma).

skills & abilities.

EDUCATION Trained by private tutors in Syngorn at her father's instruction. PROFESSION Mercenary, adventurer, Grand Mistress of the Grey Hunt, member of the Chamber of Whitestone, member of the Council of Emon. LANGUAGES Common, Undercommon, Elvish, Draconic, Abyssal, Thieves' Cant.

HALF-ELF ABILITIES Darkvision, Fey ancestry, skill versatility. FEATS Observant, sharpshooter. PROFICIENCIES Skill—Athletics, deception, insight, investigation, persuasion, survival; Expertise—Acrobatics, perception, stealth; Tools—Thieves' tools.

BLESSING OF THE DAWNFATHER Natural resistance to necrotic damage, ability to channel the light of day into her being.

ranger.

FAVORED ENEMIES Dragons, demons. NATURAL EXPLORER Forest, mountain, Underdark. SPELLCASTING Wisdom-based. FIGHTING STYLE Archery. ARCHETYPE Beast Master—Ranger's companion (Trinket, brown bear), bestial fury, exceptional training; primal fury. ABILITIES Primeval awareness, extra attack, land's stride, hide in plain sight, skirmisher's stealth. SPELLS Cure Wounds*, Hail of Thorns*, Hunter's Mark*, Speak with Animals*, Lesser Restoriation**, Locate Object**, Pass without Trace**, Protection from Poison**, Spike Growth**, Conjure Animals***, Conjure Barrage***, Lightning Arrow***, Grasping Vine****, Conjure Woodland Beings****.

rogue.

EXPERTISE Acrobatics, Perception, Stealth. ARCHETYPE Assassin—Assassinate, bonus proficiencies (disguise kit, poisoner's kit). ABILITIES Cunning action, sneak attack, Thieves' Cant, uncanny dodge, evasion.

connections.

PARENTS Elaina (mother, deceased), Syldor (father, estranged), Devana (stepmother, estranged). SIBLINGS Vax'ildan (twin brother), Velora (younger half-sister), Cassandra de Rolo (sister-in-law, main verse).

SPOUSE Percival Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III (husband, main verse). CHILDREN Vesper Elaina (daughter), Wolfe (son), Leona (daughter), Vax'ildan (son), Gwendolyn (daughter).

Note: While I am happy to ship Vex with other characters, Percy is her main ship & her relationship with and eventual marriage to him is her default. This will be her canon unless we have discussed a different ship.

VOX MACHINA Vax'ildan, Percy de Rolo, Keyleth of the Air Ashari, Scanlan Shorthalt, Grog Strongjaw, Pike Trickfoot, Taryon Darrington.

character intro.

Like so many half-elves, Vex'ahlia has spent most of her life suffering the cool reception of a people who don't fully accept her.

Born of a human mother and an elven father—who only later in life took an interest in their existence—Vex'ahlia and her twin brother Vax'ildan quickly realized the only people they could truly rely on in this world were each other.

It was at the age of ten when the two were taken from their mother, and brought to live in Syngorn, the isolated elven city for which their father was an ambassador. He quietly took them in, but always kept an icy distance, and after too many years of disdainful looks, the pair decided to leave his indifference behind, and set out on their own.

Vax took to the cities, stealing small trinkets and learning the ways of the thief, while Vex kept to the woods. She preferred the isolation. Always the keen observer, she learned to hunt and to track, to spy, and to shoot. And through a series of fateful events, earned herself a companion in the form of a bear—her own stolen Trinket—to fight alongside her and protect her fiercely. Also, he is adorable—and gives expert massages.

[whoviancumberbunny]

Part Five: It’s All About Soul

Part one: Tentative Love  

Part Two: Small Miracles

Part Three: Leave A Tender Moment Alone

Part Four: Rhythm Of Life

It’s All About Soul

 Scanlan Shorthalt, Kaylie Shorthalt and Other Vox Machina characters Created by Critical Role

  Lucy Collins-Shorthalt and the Shorthalt Children [as well as other characters] Created By Melissa C. Scraper @whoviancumberbunny

Two things were becoming clear to Scanlan Shorthalt, that time passes by quickly and that soon he would be needing to have an awkward conversation with any potential suitors of the now 16 year old, Daphne Juniper. His first Child with Lucy.

 “Scanlan look at me.” Lucy said “You can’t just tell her she can’t date bards. If teenage gnomes are anything like teenage humans, when they are told not to do something they will do it anyway.”

  “But I was such an ass when I was that age, or in fact until I met you.” It was still unclear what his true age was because gnomes aged differently from humans. He had allowed the vanity spell to taper off bit revealing slight bit of grey hair peaking out of his brown hair and thought they no longer had sexual encounters they were still intimate.   He took small origami flower he had been making and tucked it behind her ear “Lulu Bell.” He kissed her it had taken years but Lucy finally stopped flinching away from others calling her Lulu Bell. The fact was only Scanlan who did.

 “I hope I have replaced your negative memories with positive ones.” He caressed her cheek

 “I know you hate talking about death. But I know you will outlive me by decades.  Or couple centuries. When that time comes I want you to eventually find love again.  I wouldn’t be able to rest knowing you are not allowing yourself to be happy.”

 “My angel, you are only 37.   Is this because you see when Vax ushers spirits to the other side.” He quietly utters the polymophr spell so he can cuddle with her on the couch and stare out the window. “Everything is going to be alright.”

 “It is because my father was only 38 when he was killed,  I have been having ominous dreams about the number 38.”

 He rested his head on her shoulder “I was just thinking about the first time you spoke to anyone after you Joined the party.  Everyone wasnlt sure how to act around you.  We drew straws to see who would bring food to you.”

 “I remember that night too.   I think they fixed it so you would get the short straw because they knew you were the least intimidating member of the group.”

 17 Years ago, Scanlan cautiously approaches the bed with the sandwich. “No one is really sure if you can talk.  But I think the idea is that you are not ready to talk.”  He paused, unsure of how to continue this conversation

 “Your name is Scanlan right?” she said quietly “My name is Lucy .”

 He was slightly taken aback, no one had realized she was paying attention to everything around her.  “May I sit on the bed with you? That is my name.”   she nods and he sits down “Lucy is a pretty name.”  he noticed she winced when he said her name was pretty. Had no one had ever given her compliments.

 “is you mandolin only a magical weapon?” she asked, it would take a few months before she would pull away when he touched her. But this is how it all began, this was also why they treasured their moments alone

 “It’s situational I suppose.”   He replied to her inquiries. “When was the last time you ate?”

 “By my calculations three days ago.”  She had given the money she had with her to people who needed it,

 Two years later after their first time making love, the polymorphy spell hadnlt started fading yet so Scanlan was still around 5’7. “Scanlan you didn’t need to stay like I love you the way you are.”

 “Lucy,  you are the stars in my eyes.  I never thought I would be in room at an inn with someone I wasn’t paying to be with. I was unreasonably selfish dick before I met you. It means more being with you. Here tonight.”    He looks into her eyes “You may not think you are strong but it takes different kind of strength to admit you needed help against Gabriel. Or that you didn’t want to be alone in your grief anymore.” He looked at her “My mother was killed in front of me. By an ogre. That was how ended up traveling with doctor dranzel and I was in love once before. But when I finally went back for he she was gone. I never thought I would find love again. I felt like I let it slip through my fingers.”  He takes her hands and as his fingers intertwine with hers, the polymorph fades and he return to his his regular handsome gnome self. “are all your scars from Gabriel?”

 “A few of them are from learning to ride horses.  I think the reason you thought I was only five when you saw me begin held by Gabriel, is that I hay have been slightly malnourished. Gabriel didn’t really like allowing the servants to cook for us when my father was out of the house.”

 “Nothing like that will ever happen to you again as long as I am around. Lucy. I promise.”

 They were broken out of their reminiscing by daphne’s voice “I swear if you two start making out I am throwing water on you.” She looks at Scanlan “Daddy, is it alright if your borrow the keys to your classroom. Neville and I want to practice our duet for the music showcase next weekend.”    She had always had him wrapped around her finger “Please!”

 “I am not letting you stay alone in the school with a teenage bard.” He sighed as he cancelled the polymorph spell “Fine I am coming with you though.  Last time I left students alone the in the school they reorganized everything.” He kisses lucy “I meant what I said before we were married. I will always do my best to be here for you.”  He slips on his beret

 “Before you ask, Dad. I do see and hear ghosts like mom. One of the first spirits I saw was child my age  who was being ushered to the spiritual plain by Uncle Vax’ildan. It was  part of lessons on life and death. That mom wanted Vax and Pike to teach me about.”

 He laughed “Did I ever tell you the story about how Vax and I defeated, Abrysal?”

 “Yes you have. It is one of my favorite stories.  Dad, you do know that I admire the relationship you and mom have.  Your age difference has never mattered in the fact that you love each.”

 Meanwhile at the Shorthalt House. Vax knocks on the door and Lucy lets him in “The oddest thing happened, when I was gathering souls for Our lady of Ravens I met a lost soul, I believe is your brother. He wanted me to deliver a message.  He wants you forgive him for choosing to take over young Quentin’s Body.   He’s gad that you;ve done the one things few members of the Collins family ever succeeded at. Allowed yourself to be happy and let people into your life. I believe it was fate that you found us that day you collapsed in front of the tavern. You may not think of yourself as member of Vox Machina. But you are Lucy, you have been since the first time  Scanlan looked back to make sure you were still with us.” He paused “her Lady of Ravens allowed him one request before joining her.”

 Lucy turns around as the figure of young man approximately twenty years of age slowly appears in the living room “Sister, I think we always knew without being told that Quentin Collins was my father too. I am honored that you named your son after me.   His twin brother’s skills were there before my possession enhanced them.  For Quentin Percival, family is worth defending more than anything else.  Just let them follow their paths.”  He steps forward and hugs her “I always knew you would survive and I have always felt blessed to witnessed the first 18 years of the life of my amazing sister. Don’t worry Gena’s husband will get what is coming to him. He has crossed way too many people with power.  I have to go now. Thank you for listening to the last thing I said to, run and don’t look back.”  As Elijah Collins fades into the ether

 Lucy looks at Vax  and hugs him “You are fate touched Lucy Collins-Shorthalt. “ he said with smile as she started crying “Should be used to this, I have been her Champion  for 17 years. It means a little more in this moment.”  He puts his arms around her “Your strand is strong you won’t be gathered for quite while now. Stop believing there is a family curse. It is self sabotage to do things like that. I have to go see my wife I haven’t been home in months.”  

 “I am glad we don’t all live on building any more. You are louder than Scanlan when you make love.”  She said as she opened the door, as he flies off she notices Vax had placed one of the feathers from his wings in her hair. She tucks it in her pocket as a trio of young gnomes runs in an nearly knocks her over “Is Grandpa home we wanna hear the story about the dragon again.”

 “Gideon, he’s chaperoning your Aunt while she rehearses for the show this weekend.  Go into the kitchen your granddad made cookies in case you lot showed up today.”  She smiled  as the three children ran into the kitchen.

 “Hello Lucy.  I take is Dad hasnlt figured out that Daphne has a crush on my husband’s baby brother.”

 “Come in, Kaylie. Where is your husband.”

 “He’s unpacking our things at the Inn. Sybil, Melissa and Gideon wanted to come here first.”  She looks around “where are my brothers at.”

 “It is their weekly lessons with Percy and Vex.”  The sit down and have some tea “Let me guess, dad is still  on his weird thing about fixated on daphne even dating bardic gnome because he was a right prick when he was younger.”

 “Aye,  I am glad you gave him a chance, Kaylie. Sometimes all you can do is take a lead and wait for the net to catch you.” She looked at her step daughter, “Your dad is my safety net.” They hear something break

 Kaylie “You lot better not be climbing on the counters again. I told you about this last time we came to visit my side of the family.” He runs into the kitchen and see three broken plates on the floor  and Gideon standing on the counter “Gideon Scanlan Newton hw many times do I need to tell you, you are not to climb on things. You nearly got your sisters hurt when you used the knife  drawer as step to get on the counter.”

 “Kaylie they are only plates, I am sure Gilmore can order more.”  She help Gideon off the counter “This little guy is just as much of spitfire as his Uncle Eli. If I could read your Father’s handwriting I would read them the story.”  

 They go into the living room she tells the children the stories she knows that involve Scanlan, as Gideon falls asleep on her lap “My lap is your dad’s favorite place to rest his head, too.” She said

 “Is that story true?”

 “the one about fighting my Uncle Gabriel? Yes. I wasn’t strong enough to stand up to him myself. But your dad and Vox machina helped me. It was the first time since I was child going to stables that I had a friend who just let me be myself.”   She paused “Like your father Told daphne when she was nervous about her first performance in school showcase. You can’t choose your part In the play. All you can do is take the plunge.”

 “Why were you crying?” she could tell her stepmother’s eyes were red

 Lucy “it is complicated.”  Kaylie knew she would only tell her if she wanted to.  

   To be Continued…

Saturday, February 11, 2023

[umbravirtus]

Hello and Welcome! I’m Alex (he/him), a 30+ writer who’s been on the RP scene since 2013. English isn’t my first language, so you might see the occasional typo or a sprinkle of Spanish in my posts. I also use AI tools for grammar and syntax, so if that’s not your thing, I completely understand if you decide not to follow.

A study in: The pursuit of redemption through pain and sacrifice, the complexity of loyalty and betrayal, the struggle between destiny and free will, grappling with past mistakes and the fight for self-worth, embracing one's true identity despite external expectations, love's power to heal and destroy, the battle between vulnerability and strength, moral ambiguity in the face of survival, the strength found in unexpected places, the journey to redefine one's own story, navigating the space between power and humility, and learning to love oneself while navigating relationships with others.

Current Muses I enjoy exploring complex characters who walk the line between redemption and rebellion. Here’s my current roster:

Hans Westergaard (Frozen): The disgraced prince navigating a path toward redemption.

Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer): The smooth-talking fallen angel with charm and mischief.

Scanlan Shorthalt (The Legend of Vox Machina): Bard, charmer, and unexpected hero. TBA.

Like what you see? feel free to contact me or up my interest tracker

Deeply Affiliated With: @fulltimeforestcryptid | @sovereignofarendelle | @tetramonti | @helreginn | @smartylina | @soughtserenity | @sunsdrop | @sixba | @botanikos | @doublejango

Cherished Newer Connections: @boombambaby

Rules, Thread Tracker, About me, etc. under the cut.

About me

Proudly Mexican, Trans, AuDHD, and LPA. Living outside the U.S. I’m here strictly for RP and positive vibes—no politics, drama, just good times. I won’t tolerate any anon hate, negativity, or toxicity—this is a safe space where I’m here to have fun and create stories with like-minded people. If that’s your vibe, we’ll get along great!

RP Preferences I love small, spontaneous interactions to test out character chemistry. If things click, I’m game for longer, more involved threads.

Dash Shenanigans & Crack: Encouraged! Bring on the banter and ridiculousness.

Content Warnings Dark themes may appear and will be tagged as tw [trigger]. This blog is DDDNE—if it’s tagged, it’s there for a reason.

Contact & Private RP Sinblog and Discord are available upon request after a bit of OOC bonding.

Affiliates & Longtime Connections

Over the years, I’ve developed strong bonds with certain writers and their unique interpretations of muses. When I reference a character here, I’m usually referring to a very specific version—like Fulltimeforestcryptid’s Elsa, Sovereignofarendelle’s Anna, Tetramonti’s Prince Eric and Princess Ariel, and Helreignn’s Hel.

I love making new connections and I'm always open to more, but you’ll likely see these longstanding partners pop up more often simply because of our shared history and the depth of our collaboration. The interaction between our muses has changed how I write my muses and I want to honor that special place. They're also my friends OOC and most have been for years

Thread & Following Management I cap my active threads at 50 to keep things fun and manageable. If a thread hasn’t seen a reply in a month, I may archive it, or untrack if interests shift. This isn’t personal—everyone has their own pace and priorities. If you’re on hiatus or want to replot or revive something, just let me know!

To help me plan, a heads-up on availability is always appreciated. I soft-block mutuals I haven’t interacted with for a while just to keep my dash fresh. If we’ve drifted but you’d like to reconnect, you’re welcome anytime!

Current Stats

Active Threads: 36

Inbox: 2

Archived: 2

Free Spaces: 14

Updated: Nov-24, 24

Rules

Please like this post to confirm you’ve read it.

I enjoy mature and dark content; this blog is DDDNE.

I am sex-positive, if that content bothers you, Block me.

Mun and muses are of age. MINORS DNI

Mun ≠ Muse, Don't god-mod, Don't Meta-game. Etc.

I've got no triggers and I tag everything as tw trigger

I avoid pregnancy or children-based roleplay (exceptions for @fulltimeforestcryptid, @sovereignofarendelle, @helreginn)

I ship chemistry. We can plot but if the chemistry isn't there, sorry.

Each interaction exists in a unique verse unless all parties agree otherwise. Special partners will be referenced in my muses’ story arcs. I've had partners in the past insert muses on verses without consent so this is an automatic hard block for me.

Purity police, you're not welcome here.

Virtue signaling doesn't fly with me and will likely get you blocked.

We won't get along if you feel like people are nasty for enjoying fictional, legal, and not-real content.

I am proud to be Proship. Helsa was the problematic ship in my fandom way back then, and I stood by it when people cared. I will stand by the right of people to ship what they ship, as long as it's legal and fictional.

[lucemferto]

Hey! About the Techno neg post-I think it was a little unfair to Techno? He’s shown countless times he’s incredibly capable of intense lore acting, like the 16th and doomsday for big examples-but it does a discredit to his character to say this one was bad when it was 100% in character. Techno’s character is one who is flippant, breaks the fourth wall, and canonical humour to cope. Not only that but we’ve seen what he’s like when he’s terrified before, and Techno is someone invested in this smp, ya know?

If Techno was acting like he wasn’t taking the lore seriously, it’s cause he wasn’t, because Techno’s character never takes things seriously unless it’s down to the wire type situations, and even then he’ll default to detachment regardless. If Techno’s acting seemed uncaring, it was on purpose. He was relaxed and joking when trapped because he in charcuterie, would be relaxed and joking. He absolutely has a plan. Even then we heard hidden nervousness when the lava went down to show he’s not 100% confident in it. This lore stream was really fun! The others delivered the emotions, but to say Techno didn’t act or didn’t care because he didn’t isn’t fair, because he was completely in character. Not ever character has to react to things in big ways.

Okay, I'm very tired, I need to work early tomorrow, so this might a bit incoherent.

I know that it was a character choice. I don't believe that anyone thinks that Technoblade went in there ready to give a shakespearean perfomance and then just faltered. He knew what he was doing.

What I'm saying is that it was a bad character choice and it really didn't help the stream.

The prison stuff is dark. Dream's storyline is very dark - as is Quackity's. Technoblade isn't just some rando that has wacky sidestories going on - he's pretty involved in a lot of plots (that are stalling because of his schedule).

And as you rightly pointed out, he is capable of actually giving sincere perfomances. Whether that be sincere tension or sincere anger.

Overall, this is just a missed opportunity for Techno - a character that is criminally lacking in any sort of challenge - to be sincerely taken aback or caught of guard. Because now the tension isn't: "Techno's trapped in the prison! How will the Syndicate deal with this? What will Quackity do? How will this affect him?"

Instead it's: "Oh Technoblade's in prison. Well, he doesn't seem to care".

There is a way to play comic relief in tense situations, absolutely. But your comedy has to work with the tension of the sequence - not against it.

Also, if you want to be a comedic character that carries pathos, you actually need to allow your character to have a some pathos beneath the comedy. As he is right now, Techno is mostly detached and blasé about everything until he abitrarily reaches thew point in his storyline where it's time to scream: "I'm a person, Tommy!" without any ... concrete or proper build-up.

Compare with another character that's mostly comic relief but has some more tragic underpinnings: Scanlan Shorthalt from Critical Role. In spite of his jokey facade, he's still vulnerable. He has insecurities. And he's able to play into these insecurities to supplement the mood of the sequence he's in. He manages to work with his fellow roleplayers.

And this internal conflict and constant underpinning of tension, of vulnerability, of insecurity allows his serious moments to hit that much harder.

If Technoblade is attempting that, then he's not doing it well. He's not able to play off of the mood of his other roleplayers. He's not able to supplement the sequence. He's not able to communicate that there's a conflict or tension under that detachedness.

His character choice doesn't work.

[your-turn-to-role]

Feralness of the NPCs? If you like.

this one took me a bit longer, because as critrolestats calculated a couple months ago, across both campaigns, matt has over a thousand npcs, and we'd be here all year if i had to rank all of them 😂

but in my attempt to brainstorm all significant npcs from both campaigns (though i'm sure i'm forgetting someone i'm gonna immediately remember as soon as i post this), i've got gilmore, allura, kima, jarett, kaylie, cassandra, kynan, artagan, kiri, essek, dairon, orly, yeza, and pumat sol, so i can do those guys!

(not including villains, figures we don't know much personal about like the bright queen, or guest pcs, because they're still technically pcs. also not splitting by campaign because allura and artagan appear in both)

1 - kaylie motherfucking shorthalt. i adore her so much, and she is feral as fuck. granted, she's highly competent feral, she's good enough at the flute to challenge scanlan, and good enough at the violin to be a professional fiddler (which, i reiterate, takes so much dedication to learn), and aes adan/the meat man definitely didn't become as powerful as he did all because of scanlan. but also, is a thief and a conman and will 100% get in a bar fight with just about anyone, absolutely unafraid to speak her mind, and her approach to meeting her father for the first time was to work out all her grudges by trying to kill him with a knife. see also - her epilogue was deciding to finish the schooling she dropped out of, but at a really fancy academy so she could prove she's better than all the rich kids, just really rub it in their faces. i so wish i could have seen it.

2 - kima will fight you. kima will fight anyone. i don't know why all the short girls in cr are so feral, but like literally all of them are just pure feral condensed into three feet of girl, i love them. kima is no different, except she has a dragon god on her side and also is very gay and she's great

3 - artagan. now, feral in large part constitutes an unwillingness or inability to play by the rules of a functioning society, and that's all artagan's about. show him a rule and he will run the other direction until he feels safe and then come back invisibly and use that rule to fuck with people. he has the chaos part down too, and i was almost gonna put him in first place. however, feral also implies something of a willingness for violence, and artagan doesn't really have that? like he does to an extent, but in the words of mr matthew mercer, "even the nicest of fey are weird and have their dark sides". and as far as fey go, artagan has been shown to care about people a lot more than he's ever wished them harm. like he's still feral, because he's an archfey and the entire feywild is feral. but like... relatively tame feral. give the boy a pen and some paper and he'll leave you alone.

4 - kiri. she's adorable, and is baby, but is also a bird with a knife whose catchphrase has more or less become "go fuck yourself!". i love her.

5 - orly's pretty chill. but also, let's be real, there's a limit to how non-feral a tortle sailor and tattoo artist with bagpipes fused into his shell can be. also is just generally down for whatever illegal antics the m9 feel like getting up to

6 - cassandra. i debated for a while about putting her higher, because there's definitely an argument to be made for that, but you do have to take into consideration how well put together and fancy she is at nearly all times. however. cassandra at no more than maybe 13 was the only person to not get caught in the briarwood attack, rescued her brother from the dungeon where they were torturing him and keeping the bodies of her other siblings, guided him out, got nearly murdered, and lived in a whitestone full of zombies and villains and vampire mind control for five years. she's feral under the surface, she's had to be

7 - jarett. god i love jarett, i forgot about him last time someone asked me my fave c1 npcs but he's the best. anyway, captain of their guard, good at fighting, terrible liar, Definitely Has Never Dealt Drugs Before, will go kill a dragon with you. but like, as long as you're paying him. he's doing this for money, not just out of base feral instinct. Probably Needs A Break.

8 - dairon taught beau and earned her respect somehow, so you know they're at least a little feral. but also, widely respected expositor of the cobalt soul, competent spy, and at least moderately capable of keeping beau in line, so that knocks down their feralness level a fair bit

9 - essek is a fancy boy, and definitely is beholden to a lot of rules. the whole floating thing shows that, like, he's pretty damn far from feral for most of the time he's in rosohna. but i debated who was higher between all the wizards for a while, and i think just because essek is (or at least was) neutral evil and is so driven by his hunger for knowledge and to explore the darker parts of dunamancy, that does push him up the feral scale a little bit. there's very little essek wouldn't do when it comes to discovering secrets. (also, you know, his entire job as the shadowhand, we've seen involves some fucked up stuff, so he's far from squeamish or naive in that sense)

10 - allura is a wizard and a politician and a fancy person and generally rather chill. but as far as the wizards go, wins second most feral because she's been an adventurer. she took down thordak the first time. casually reminisces about how weird all adventuring groups are when vox machina are like licking the weird powder they found in the necromancer dungeon and mentions she was like that too. girl's seen some shit

11 - pumat is not an adventurer, and has no wish to be, and on the whole, is not feral at all. but also, pumat swole.

12 - kynan, wants to be feral? and then was, kinda, for a bit, and then severely regretted it. has had his moments, but on the whole is a Soft Boy

13 - gilmore. we're definitely getting to the definitively Not Feral end of the scale now. i mean, points for crushing a man to death with his mind, also points for "if you could find a way for me to become a dragon, that would be sexy". but gilmore is extremely concerned at all times with putting on that charming and excited mask, he puts a lot of value on his image and practically nothing will get him to tarnish it (even when thordak nearly killed him and he was still barely hanging on, he tried to use prestidigitation to make himself look better, like... those walls run deep). is also just a really genuinely nice person, cares a lot about people, is very empathetic, and again, refuses to show negative emotion if it will hurt someone else in any way. it's hard to imagine shaun gilmore as feral in any way, and if he did get close to that, it wouldn't be in front of other people

14 - yeza. now, points for the slightly mad scientist vibe yeza's got going on, it seems to be veth's type. but also, veth has 100% of the feral in this relationship and they both know it

[noonmutter]

Mun Dash Game

Rules: Name your top 10 favorite characters from 10 different fandoms and then tag 10 people.

Editor’s note: These are in no ranked order or anything like that, they’re just ten favorites as I could think of them.

Bismuth - Steven Universe. You may notice a theme here; I like my characters complex, their motivations valid, their decisions misguided, and their actions questioned by everyone, often including themselves. I loved Bismuth’s entire concept and I’m sad that she hasn’t had more time front and center to develop beyond her introduction as both a plot device and as a catalyst for Steven’s advancement. Same story with Jasper, though she got a few more appearances. I want to see these people grow and for the people they hurt to grow with them, damn it. Even if that growth is downward into an even worse state, I want to see it because positive or negative, emotional fallout is awesome.

Demona - Gargoyles. There was going to be a Gargoyles character here and I am basically legally obligated to pick either Demona or Thailog because I am a sucker for great voices and tragic villains. Demona’s story wins out by a decent margin because her suffering was entirely borne of her own poor decisions, many of which she felt were right at the time. She just refused to accept that she was wrong or that she could try to make things better at any time, and I was fascinated by that from the first time I saw it. This shit was in a kids’ show that predates Steven Universe by 19 years.

Baby Doll - Batman: TAS. She only showed up once (in the original animation style, anyway) but good god damn did it count. She was angry, hurt, belittled, and so unbearably lonely that when everything fell apart and the dust settled and she couldn’t kill all her problems away, she just broke down. “Why couldn’t you just let me make believe?!” is still crystallized in my head, and it still gives me little pangs when I think of it. And at the end of it all, she sobbed “I didn’t mean to” as she hugged Batman’s leg. And he comforted her. Also in a kids’ show that predates Steven Universe by 21 years.

Scanlan Shorthalt - Critical Role, Campaign 1. I bet you thought after those first three it’d probably be Vax or Percy, but... Look, the character was fantastic and the player made him that way and frankly made that campaign. He’s my go-to for when I need a good cry, and he’s why I learned to build a bard. The same man who started the campaign by asking his bestie what the worst race/class combo was and saying “Okay I’ll play that,” at the end of the campaign made the word “Nine” hit his fellow players and viewers in the chest like a sledgehammer, and nobody has topped that since. His second campaign character, Nott, has also got one of the most poignant backstories I’ve heard in a while, and man will it twist yer gut. Meanwhile both of those characters provide some of the best goddamn comic relief you’re liable to find. Emmy Winner Sam Riegel, ladies and gentlemen.

Francis - Left 4 Dead. I love this grumpy asshole biker. I love that Steam took his “I hate everything” (except vests) schtick and ran with it. I love that the trailers for the second game included him and Rochelle meeting up and commiserating on their hatred of everything, up until Rochelle says she hates his vest and he short-circuits. I miss Francis and I miss playing Left 4 Dead all the time and I yearn for a remaster or rerelease that works better with current setups cuz the original one has uh... not aged well, technologically. Francis and Zoey made life worth livin’ in that game.

Jogurt - Shining Force. This is probably the most obscure one on my list but that’s because Shining Force is an old-ass Genesis game/franchise that is, I admit, pretty generic as far as the plot goes. I love it to pieces regardless because it had some fun with it, and the character designs were wierd and some of the interactions were downright silly. Jogurt was the easter egg secret character in this game, and he’s a little hamster thing with a football helmet on. At the time you get him, most of your fighters have stats in the 20s or potentially 30s and their level is 9, 10, or they’ve been promoted to a new class; every single one of his stats is one and he had not been promoted. If you are able to keep him alive long enough to get him the XP necessary to level up just once, which takes some doing since an enemy can be unarmed and as long as they don’t miss, they kill him, you’ll get a ring called the Yogurt Ring.

When worn, it makes a character look like Jogurt. In the remake for Game Boy Advance, the image for the character shows that it’s a costume with a huge visible zipper up the back. That’s all it does. That’s the joke. And I adore it.

Freddy Krueger - A Nightmare on Elm Street series. I have a love-hate relationship with Freddy. On the one hand, creativity in horror movies--especially in the kills--is something to be embraced, and no matter what else you think of them the Elm Street movies got real fuckin’ creative most of the time. On the other...there have been nine (official) movies with Krueger in them, and only the first three were good. The remake in 2010 was disappointing because it tried to both play to nostalgia and ignore it at the same time and also made Freddy darker, which made him less fun to watch.

Still, I enjoyed the hell outta Freddy’s concept, for much the same reason that I love Chucky the Good Guy Doll so much: they’re both snarky monsters who really enjoy the horrors they’re inflicting and they have incredible presence because of the actors who brought them to life. (Mark Hammill worked with what they gave him for Chucky but uh...what they gave him sucked).

Lorewalker Cho/Margeaux - World of Warcraft. The first, because he’s voiced by Jim Cummings and he’s a knowledge-hungry panda who Blizzard has not been stupid enough to kill off thus far. In the middle of an attack by what is basically Cthulhu, he wants to you bring him research notes on Cthulhu’s fishmen. I love him and I would commit war crimes for him.

The second, because she was a bit character that had me fully invested in her and her story within ten minutes. And then Blizzard ripped my fucking heart out. And I yelled at Questifer about it. Aaaaaaaa.

Granny Weatherwax/Sam Vimes - Discworld. They’re both staggering badasses who have neither time nor tolerance for the bullshit trappings of men, while at the same time harboring a deep and abiding love for their fellow beings. They also approach that from completely different ends. They are also both unquestionably the most noble characters I’ve ever read. They are the sum of their principles and their refusal to budge. Steve Rogers could learn from them. In D&D, they’d be paladins to their core, and they’d absolutely hate that.

Spawn - Image Comics. I have, admittedly, read exactly one Spawn comic book, and mostly love him because of his design, his backstory, and the fact that he’s voiced by Keith David in all animated iterations including video game appearances (and only the animated ones were ever good--the 90s movie was fucking horrible). I am hoping the rumored new movie will make things a bit better for the live-action version, but until that actually comes out, I’m not holding my breath.

Tagged by: @safrona-shadowsun and @ourcollectivefantasy

Tagging: Have you done it? Then you’re it.

[moderndaybard]

CR Inktober, Day 17

CROSSOVER: POKEMON (Because imagining hypothetical teams is fun.)

 It was that time of year again, and it felt like the whole of the Tal’Dorei Region was abuzz with excitement as the opening rounds of Tal’Dorei Pokemon League Championship drew near.

There were quite a few challengers turning heads that year—some, like the rival ghost trainers Kvarn and Vecna, had trained solo; others, like the dragon-type specialists of the Chroma Conclave had formed loose alliances to reach this point.

But, far and away, the biggest talking point of the tournament was the band of eight trainers who’d taken up the name Vox Machina (though some people who’d encountered them early in their journey still spoke of the SHITS). Like many, they’d found the journey to this point easier in the company and with the assistance of others, but after all their adventures, challenges, obstacles, and unexpected encounters with more than one evil team, their bonds were stronger than most, more of a unified, cohesive single unit than any other group that had competed in previous years.

The talk around and about them (positive and negative) was partially due to their unusually strong inner-group loyalty, partially their extremely diverse team composition, mainly their more-than-usually dangerous/adventurous path (in and out of region) to that point , and (perhaps because of that) the fact that every one of them had a Legendary Pokemon anchoring their team, in addition to the Pokemon on their team capable of Mega-Evolution (a pre-requisite for tournament entry, at this point).

There’d been some grumbling about how fair that was, requiring League President Uriel Tal’Dorei to step in and make a formal ruling/statement: They had begun their journey at an appropriate point and time, along with everyone else, and if circumstances beyond their control had made their path here more roundabout and hazardous than most, it merely proved their skill, determination, and luck to have made it through. Yes, they had briefly and occasionally traveled to other regions, but only out of sheer necessity, and the bulk of their training had undeniably been done in the Tal’Dorei region. And finally, as a Legendary Pokemon will not condescend to fight for just any trainer, their remarkable achievement (which, he reminded people, was not entirely without precedent) stood as further testament to their ability and right to compete.

(The fact that Uriel himself has been saved from the evil organization Team Treachery by Vox Machina was well-known, and some detractors claimed he was therefore biased. Still, his points stood as sound as his ruling was both final and official.)

Officially entered in the tournament, then, Vox Machina was an undeniably odd assortment of Trainers and Pokemon:

For instance, there was their newest member, Taryon Darrington, who technically hailed from the Wildemount Region, but who’d come to train in Tal’Dorei after an argument with his family, soon falling in with the already-formed Vox Machina. He’d started out with only Rich, his Furfrou, though admittedly his Rotom, Artificer, had been with him nearly as long. No one was really sure how Tary of all people had acquired a Metagross (or even a Beldum), to say nothing of a Megastone for it so early in his journey, but Doty was undeniably devoted to its trainer. After joining Vox Machina, Taryon had added Sanctuary, his Mr. Mime, and Slayer’s Cake the Slirpuff. Finally, after an unexpected trip home to Wildemount, and even more surprising confrontation with his father, Tary had finished out his team with the legendary Keldeo, who he affectionately referred to as the Darrington Brigade, for some reason that made sense only to him.

Or consider Scanlan Shorthalt, the ladies’ man of the group: his Exploud, Bard, was already growing in fame before Kaylie, his Mawile, found him (as frightening as the little Steel/Fairy was, she was downright deadly when Mega-Evolved). He’d apparently split off on his own for a while, returning to rejoin the group with two new members on his team: Meatman the Zoruark, and Prodigal the Leipard. If Scanlan rarely spoke of how he came to train his Espeon, Ioun, he was even more reticent and uncharacteristically comber if questioned about his Jirachi, simply called Wish.

Pike, Scanlan’s long-pursued, long-suffering girlfriend had begun her journey with an odd-couple pair of partners: Trickfoot, her Gengar, and cleric, her Granbull. Her Zebstrika, Guiding Bolt, had an odd habit of circling his opponents to attack their rears, but it was her Mimikyu, Astral Form, that was considered the powerhouse of the four. Still, most attention on her was understandably split between either Monstah, her Mega-evolving Tyranitar, or the Legendary Ho-oh she called Seranrae—though underestimating her or any on her team was a serious mistake.

Pike’s childhood friend, Grog, had an interesting blend on his team: his first partner the aptly-named Machamp, Barbarian, was usually the first in any battle, supported by the exceptionally-dense Slowbro affectionately (and ironically) called Intelligence. Waddling about and finding, storing, then producing the oddest assortment of items was Holding, the Delibird. It was half-joking quipped that no one could tell if it was grog training Craven Kas, the Aegislash, or the other way around, but the synergy he had with his Gallade, Fighter, was blatantly obvious even before Mega-Evolution. And anchoring it all was Titanstone, the Legendary Regirock.

Vax’ildan and Grog may have often teased each other, but Vax’s seemingly-average team was no joke in battle: Assassin, his Houndoom, was both his first partner and the one capable of Mega-Evolving, but Vax poured just as much care and love into training his whole team, even his trusty, if often-overlooked Arbok, Simon. Boots, the hasty Luxray was a speed demon, to be sure, and his Croviknight, Paladin was a much-needed defensive boost for the whole team. His Florges, Snowdrop, seemed almost out-of-place on his team, but some story behind her presence never failed to earn a small, sad smile from her trainer, though he never spoke of it. And watching over them all was the ghostly Legendary, Lunala, who Vax called the Raven Queen in the most reverent of voices.

Often seen hand-in-hand with Vax was Keyleth, who hailed from one of the Ashari Tribes of elemental-focused trainers.  Zephrah, her first partner, was an Altaria capable of Mega-Evolution, and had been, along with her Sawsbuck, Circlet (a gift from her mother), with her along every step of her journey to learn of the other elements though new Pokemon on her team: Terrah the Golurk, Pyrah the Pyroar, and Vesrah, the Gyrados. After a return to her starting point, Keyleth was surprise to encounter, much less near the loyalty of the Legendary Tapu Bulu who she came to call Mantle after responsibilities she’d been given in her home village.

Vex’ahlia, twin sister to Vax’ildan, began her journey far more comfortable in the woods and on the routes than in the villages and towns, and there had bonded deeply with her firs two partners: Ranger, her Decidueye, and Trinket the Ursaring. She was just as fond of her later additions: Haggle, the Persian, and Rogue, the (Mega-Evolving) Absol. And if her partnering with the Honchkrow, Witchbroom, was under somewhat-dubious circumstances, one could still not deny the trainer’s care. Perhaps even stranger was her coming to have on her team the Legendary Solgaleo, called Pelor by the girl, but it seemed undeniably fitting that the twins have counterpoint legendaries anchoring their respective teams.

Never too far from Vex was Percival—hardly the first (and certainly not the last, if rumors around his sister Cassandra were anything close to true) of the well-known, if somewhat strange de Rolo family to enter the tournament. Of course, he had the signature Pokemon of his family: Glaceon, his named Whitestone. There were some that questioned the inclusion of his second Pokemon, but the general consensus was that there must be some sort of sentimental attachment to an early—perhaps first—capture that led him to keep on his final team Spectacles, the Watchog. Gunslinger, his Mega-Evolving Blastoise was a powerful force, but not nearly as feared as Contract, his Spiritomb. There was something almost laughable about the Klingklnag, Clocks, but all laughter died in the face of the Legendary Yveltal, his dark Orthax.

It was generally considered that the one advantage any opponent of theirs would have would be that each of the eight would have to fight their way through the tournament alone, rather than the group that they’d grown accustomed to working as along their journey. Even then, many didn’t fell that nay challenger outside of Vox Machina had any shade of a chance at victory. Except…

…Except, perhaps, for the mysterious, last-minute entry…

The only name he gave was ‘Matt,’ and though no one knew where he’d come from or where he’d trained, his team was as stacked as any of theirs: His (Mega) Gardevoir, Allura, led the powerful line-up, backed by Kima, the Hitmonchan, and the Alakazam, Gilmore. His Voltorb, Victor, promised to be a Wildcard, and was, in its own way, just as terrifying as the final two members: Briarwoods, the Malamar, and his own Legendary, the Zygarde he called Raishan.

No, there was absolutely no predicting how this year’s tournament would go, but one:

 It would be a story told through the years to come.

[americankimchi]

Opinion on either of the CR gnomes? Or both?

im gonna talk about scanlan :L

How I feel about this character

YA BOI SCANLAN!! BACK AT IT AGAIN AT KRISPY KREME

I FUCKING LOVE!!! THIS IDIOT GNOME WHAT A STELLAR GNOME WHAT A FANTASTIC BARD WHAT AN AMAZING FRIEND!!!!!!!

ALSO I CAN’T BELIEVE PANLAN IS CANON I FU CKGING!!!

/ASTRALLY PROJECTS MY ENTIRE FUCKING SOUL INTO SCANLAN SHORTHALT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All the people I ship romantically with this character

P I K E oh ym fu cfk…… 

also vax :L

My non-romantic OTP for this character

grog and scanlan the buddy cop duo we never knew we wanted

also vaxlan is good and pure and i can’t believe this fandom’s fuckin sleepin on this amazing dynamic y’all failed me big time

My unpopular opinion about this character

i was team scanlan the entire time i never disagreed with his reaction before he left like he said some bad things but honestly he’d died twice within the span of a day i think he’s entitled to some negative emotions at the very least

he’d also woke up post-death in a very humiliating position and that’s really fucked up if you think about it and honestly everything he said was true??? poorly worded and delivered in a very confrontational way but who here can say that anything he said was false??? imo i was firmly team scanlan and i rejoiced when he returned all y’all scanlan haters can miss me with that fuck shit

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

I CAN’T FUCK GIN BELIEVE!!!!!! PIKELAN ISN’T CANON LIKE… OUT OF ALL THE SHIPS IN VM…. I THOUGHT……………. THE FLAGSHIP……………. I JSTU……………………… ????????????????????????

[disfunctionredon]

The elephant in the fandom

I spent most of my life denying who i was. I never gave myself the chance to experiment with feelings i was having because in my world i couldnt accept that i could like men and women at the same time. I, like so many others, lived their life in a religious right family whose go to reaction to most upsetting news was shouting. Its only recently that i have started talking about it in my real life. I told my wife after we were married and had a kid. I told my best friend for years after being the one to tease his older brother of his sexuality in my teen years. I openly mocked a gay kid in high school, never to his face but to the same friends we all had. I hated bisexuality and called it one foot out of the closet. More importantly i suffered from depression, anxiety, rage and antisocial tendencies becausr i could not admit to myself that i was attracted to men. And let me get this out of the way, i love the way my life turned out. I dont regret anything. My family turned out much more accepting then i anticipated, my wife is very supportive and i have a beautiful baby girl. It wasnt until i joined tumblr and found a community that celebrated people like me. And more importantly online content like critical role that featured strongly characterized characters of varying sexualities and gender identity. All these characters were unashamed of themselves and more importantly were definded beyond just that they were gay. Gilmore as a successful merchant and powerful mage. Kima as a short zelot warrior to the platinum dragon god Allura as a nation leader and accomplished sage. Not only that but main characters that are influential and powerful warriors in their own right. This all enabled me, amoung other things, to be honest about myself. And then comes Tary, problematically played by a straight actor. When he came out i was reserved? Ive alluded to it before so if you want the full thing find that post. I dont really want to get into that right now. What i am saying now is that even though it is problematic i like tary's characterzation. He isnt as over flamboyant as lets be honest gilmore can be sometimes and no one complains about. Sam filled a role that so many people wanted, an openly gay pc. Because no matter the jokes and enduendo representation matters to those people. And you know who wasnt represented in that show until tary was revealed? People whose lifes have been affected negatively by homophobia. People that have lived their whole life believing the way they feel is wrong. This fandom can get so toxic out of no where sometimes. Ive seen people shout for female represention and nit pick at everything keyleth does. Tary's coming out probably seems trite and over used because guess what, coming out isnt easy for most people. Family gets disowned and people get pressured by the ones they love to be who they arent and sometimes people need to be reassured that life gets better and not everyone is going to hate who you are. Instead of hating matt and sam for the negatives look at the positives. Tary is smart and capable and every bit as indespencable as anyone else in the core group and that includes scanlan shorthalt. Tl:dr i will defend my genius little science gay with every fiber of my being.

[shadowslocked]

Scanlan says he’s done trying to make people happy. When he tried to make people happy before he didn’t talk about himself or negative things (a lot), and always had a joke. He played the jester, and trapped himself in that role (and maybe VM added to that a little).

If he’s no longer trying to make everybody happy, does that mean he’s going to be more (or somewhat) open? Like, that line means something, it talks about who he was before and who he is now and how that affects present. He was actually pretty open already, he told VM about how Kaylie left him briefly and why. He didn’t have to, he could have left it at “there were good and bad times” but instead he talks about a moment that had an impact on him. He talked about heavy things and how he was wrong and doesn’t expect forgiveness, and while there were hints of humor it never subtracted from the seriousness.

Granted, it’s been one episode but I don’t think Scanlan, before he left, would have talked like this. I’m looking forward to seeing in what ways Scanlan Shorthalt has changed and what stayed the same.

[crobones]

well i guess it was bound to happen eventually! guess i’m going to become one of those stan blogs i’ve always judged as biased and unreasonable!!

you know what? it was a long time coming but i always felt a little resentment directed towards everyone in vm getting the spot light all the time. pike and grog? not so much, for various reasons, but man even they get more praise from literally everyone in existence for simply!! existing!! can’t blame ‘em tho!

guess i’m gonna become a bit of an anti! and even the worst kind! i’ll even agree with your opinion sometimes and acknowledge your feelings and thoughts behind things!

but you know what? i’m anti anything that doesn’t involve scanlan directly!! and i’m anti anything that is in any way negative about scanlan!!

you think he was wrong in leaving the group the way he did? fuck you!! y’all wish you could make such an exit!! vaxleth is so tragic? tragically a pain in my ass, fucking cry about it!! perc’ahlia is a match made in heaven? guess i can see why they were kicked out the divine gates, percy being such a man-pain self-righteous diva! scanlan was, is, and always will be an asshole? who could pull off such a feat and still be 1000x better than everyone else in the group combined!! just the one and only Scanlan Shorthalt, that’s who!