#so this didn't feel like such a stretch

[subzeroparade]

Vicar/Hunter -> Empyrean/Shadow

[lunarharp]

What led to this (orufrey comic, cw an uncomfortable/creepy scene)

[utilitycaster]

I've gotten a couple replies of "and that's terrifying" on this post about the more stable members of Bells Hells, and, to be honest, hate that, so let's talk about it.

There's a couple reasons. The first that I still don't know who the fuck thought the Issylra half of the party split would be Team Levelheaded and not Team Abandonment Issues, because, well, it's the latter. The second is that there's been a near constant undercurrent from quite early in the campaign of "oh Orym...he's going to break...he's a powder keg" and while he's decidedly not a powder keg, we did get him finally breaking a bit, and suddenly everyone's like "HORRIFYING that the guy I kept claiming was uniquely angsty is now having a harder time with the party split than the other characters whose equally tragic backstories I've consistently ignored, diminished, and dismissed."

All three of the Bells Hells characters in Team Issylra have issues related to loneliness and being left behind, which is a common thread through the party, but notably, Fearne, FCG, and Chetney being more stable should not be surprising nor scary. Resilience isn't tied to whether or not you're somewhat chaotic, or have mechanically-induced loss of control, and that's what we're talking about here. The reason why Team Issylra is having a rough time of it - and specifically why Laudna and Orym are falling apart whereas Ashton is doing comparatively well - is because they've been constantly pretending things are okay. Chetney, meanwhile, genuinely does think the worst thing that happened to him fucking rules, and has the age and perspective and sheer survival instincts to pull through; FCG has, within the story, had to face some horrifying realizations about himself and so has some tools for this kind of situation; and Fearne is to be honest still learning that consequences are a thing that happens, but she has dealt with a few profound disappointments and is sitting with them - she openly admitted she's not terribly impressed by her parents.

On the other hand, I think Orym has worked through the earlier stages of grief, to be sure, but he's put a brave face on over it and tried to look at the bright side. Which isn't the worst idea, but it means when the things he's built that idea of a bright side upon - Keyleth's infallibility, his relationships within the Crown Keepers - are nowhere to be found, he doesn't have anything to take hold of. He adjusted to one devastating change by clinging to the constants, and now that many of the constants are gone too, he has no mechanism to process the change in their absence.

And this is Laudna's whole deal, right? I do in fact agree that her initial death was still the worst thing that's happened to her so far, but that doesn't mean she can't still be incredibly upset by major events. It's comforting to know you've survived worse, but it doesn't necessarily help you actually get through a slightly less terrible (but still pretty terrible) situation. She says she can't stop compartmentalizing or she'll cry - but like, she'd probably feel better if she'd just spent the second watch crying. Like Orym, Laudna's developed this idea that she can will things into being okay, and in the end, she can't. Leaning into the "Today SUCKS" attitude would, honestly, help her, and I'm hoping she does so.

Ashton meanwhile doesn't have healthy coping mechanisms, but they do have coping mechanisms that work in this situation (namely, drinking and hitting things). He also, more importantly, has no investment in pretending things are okay. Ashton thinks the world is full of utter bullshit that will fuck you over, and the point is to get through it, and sure, it's a very cynical mindset, but there's a reason why toxic positivity is, well, toxic.

As a sidebar, I also think that Ashton has, fascinatingly and despite their drunken talk with Laudna on the skyship, put their abandonment issues into perspective. Ashton is able to handle the current situation because, logically, they were teleported to a random location beyond their control and with no capacity to contact other people, so it's reasonable to assume the other half of the party is in the same position. No one abandoned anyone. To quote Ashton themself, actually, from episode 25, "Sometimes shit's just fucked up, and the only thing you can do because you didn't do anything fucking wrong, is get the fuck back up and do the exact same thing all over again knowing that there was nothing to learn." On the other hand, the fact that Milo saved Ashton makes that particular situation worse. If Ashton had been left to die in the street and a random uninvolved stranger picked him up? Then you can at least imagine the Nobodies had to leave, or couldn't pick them up for whatever reason, or even perished themselves. The fact that Milo was able to make this choice means the Nobodies also had the ability to make a choice, and the choice was to leave them behind, and that's what stings, and that's the unique loneliness, and that's why this situation isn't comparable.

So anyway, in summary, it's unsurprising the two people who have handled grief and tragedy by trying to quietly (in Orym's case) and not-so-quietly (in Laudna's) smooth it over are finding themselves completely unable to do so and barely holding together, whereas the people who allow themselves to be upset or, frankly, just go apeshit, are doing much better.

[a-lonely-dunedain]

I've always speculated that Tadan actually really likes carrot cake but he just tells you he doesn't care for it so that you would have extra.

Maybe he noticed how unwell the PC seems (giving no thought to himself, in an arguably worse state, of course), and wanted to help in some small way. Maybe he noticed the pc hasn't been eating much as Mordrombor's influence is making them unwell. Maybe Tadan himself has lost his apatite but won't say as much because he doesn't want to worry you, so he simply gives you his food and plays it off like he's just picky

am I reading too far into this? yes. does it still seem totally in-line for a Ranger to act like this? also yes. and I love reading into Rangers too much, it makes me sad <3

[sysig]

Dr. “Has to get a good grade in therapy” Doran (Patreon)

[jimmyspades]

[lususnatura]

just a gentle reminder that THIS is how big the spines around blamore's neck are whenever he doesn't shrink them... so, it's pretty much a surefire way for it to keep other people away from him, NGL ☠️ (unless you are trying to get poked in the eye JSJSJ / j i'm kidding, i'm kidding (,: but blamore really does have several natural defenses against any 'aggressors,' i guess you could say, and it's spines REALLY add to it's uncannyness whenever they're at full - length ).

[casiavium]

I'm sure it has been written about many times before but my gf is watching Utena and I'm going crazy over the foreshadowing in these statues

The Rape of Persephone, young girl (Kore/Persephone—she would have been a young girl, Kore is literally the word for maiden) is kidnapped by a family member and forced to stay with him, her being with him makes life bad for everyone else (Demeter causing winter)

Orpheus tries to be a hero and save Eurydice from her fate but ultimately it is his love for her that dooms her

The Bremen Town Musicians is a story about escaping to a better life and "resilience and refusing to stay down when others put you down"

[goldenshrikecomic]

Do you have any set rules for yourself when drawing your characters, like ‘Runi cannot be more than 12 apples high’ or something

Do NOT look at me, I'm so bad at keeping the sizes consistent. I swear everyone's just a wither height of someone else. It's always the withers. Runi's head comes to Nero's withers, sometimes her jaw or sometimes the top of her head. Nero's jaw goes to Bones' withers. Usma and Eve go to Antaras' except sometimes not quite, sometimes they're all magical height. Sequentical art hard.

[muirmarie]

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[lokiinmediasideblog]

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[vivacia-18]

I'm about halfway to two thirds through You Feel It Just Below the Ribs, and asdjasdlkajsadjal

The reveals, the implications, I can't even - mentally I'm rolling on the floor frothing at the mouth. I want to go back and listen to season 3 and season 1 all over again, holy shiiiiit

[thenotoriousscuttlecliff]

Thasmin is like the opposite of ships like Swan Queen or Supercorp because while it is canon, the relationship itself is barely there in the show and lacks any serious focus or development whereas Swan Queen or Supercorp are both major parts of their respective shows and given a lot of focus and development even if the relationships themselves never become canonical romantic. None of these shows handled these relationships well, I'm all ranted out over my issues with OUAT, but it is fascinating that the relationships that were non-canon still feel more genuine than the one that was.

[arttsuka]

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[kirby-the-gorb]

[mariocki]

Shadows of Fear: Did You Lock Up? (1.1, Thames, 1970)

"And they didn't make much mess?"

"No, not really. They forced that door. Smashed the cabinet, slashed a sofa. And kicked a hole in the bedroom door."

"Ah. Big mistake."

"What is?"

"Never lock inside doors. Anything you can to keep them out - but when they're in, let 'em get on with it."

"I'll remember."