#sorry it's not the best edited

[niaerinisms]

🌩️ for the wip asks

JAM HIIIIII<3333 I'm so sorry for this late reply 😭 I was trying to fix the scene up and then kind of forgot about it ajajajjs. Sorry this isn't really a humorous scene even though it's funny to me

Giving you something out my 'Gaius encounters Noah in Oregon AU' because I've been yammering about it with barely any results to show for it ajsjjshshs

"Put on your seltbelt."

Noah startled slightly. "Oh... Yeah, I'll-" he exhaled sharply, in an attempt to dispell his anxiety.

It was bad enough he was in a car with a possible serial killer (an assumption which he deemed fairly cautious, instead of paranoid, considering his luck). In the case that the man was truly dangerous, it was better that Noah didn't do anything to piss him off and get killed.

With a pang in his heart, he remembered the sorrowful expression Devon's wispy face, upset to see Noah go. The bright glow of their eyes as he promised to return. The way they wrapped themselves around him, all pulsating, permeable shadow, yet warmer than anything Noah knew in a long time.

No, he can't die just yet.

Noah's eyes flitted towards the man, his fear ever-present despite the curiosity rising inside of him. He dressed strange, medieval, as if he were going to a Ren Faire. Or maybe he was just some sort of hipster.

He hoped that was the case because any other explanation he could come up with to his eccentricities was one Noah didn't really want to entertain.

But it wasn't just his clothes. It was his mannerisms too. The too formal way he spoke. The disconcerting nonchalance he displayed. The distant look in his eyes. Noah didn't know what to make out of it.

"Why aren't *you* wearing a seatbelt?" Noah asked, his tone rather blunt, before internally wincing at his lack of tact and self-preservation.

If the man took any offense, he didn't show it. His face was just as apathetic as it had been when he first arrived, betraying nary an emotion. Noah caught a glimpse of those strange, disconcetting eyes in the car mirror as they lazily looked over the road, both seemingly unfocused yet also hyperaware.

"I don't need to."

O....kay?

"....Oh."

The man did not elaborate after that and Noah was, quite frankly, to unnerved to ask him to.

They sat there, the silence both a reprieve and perturbation to Noah. He instead settled fiddling with some stuffing popping out the back seats in an attempt to ease his mind.

Growing up poor, he and his mother could only ever afford second-hand items, and that included his mom's beat up car. The one he sat in reminded him of it more than he liked.

"Settle down, boy. There's no need to be scared. If I had wished to harm you, I would've done so already."

Was.... Was that supposed to be comforting?

"I'm not s-" The words stuck in his throat, an ice cold thrill trickling down his spine. "Not scared." He forced them out.

The man tilted his head slightly, the only indication he even heard Noah.

"Your heart says otherwise." His tone was not unkind yet his words made Noah jolt.

Noah blinked. And he blinked again. What the fuck?

"What...?"

"Try to tone it down, " the man paused for a second as he scanned across the road. "It's exasperatingly loud."

And with that, he turned the volume on the radio, several octaves louder, the sound of shitty pop music reverberating throughout the car, doing little to full the overzealous sense of panic and dread that rose up inside Noah's chest as he wondered just what had he gotten himself into.

[borealiszero]

People should make more doomed by narratives siblings relationship.

Like with lovers you can just sever it and not have it related to you ever again but with siblings how could you?

You grow up with them you raise them or they raised you you both know how unforgiving the world is to both of you? You would die for them but will hate them for doing the same and yet none of you would regret it and both of you know it. They could be the person you loath the most and miss the most cause you still remember how they sneaked a candy into your hands. You can sever the tie but you can never look away at what you've lost, at whom you've lost because fate doesn't allow you to be together, eating dinners in quiet peace, if only there's another life, another time, where i can make you another plate of pancakes i would im sorry im sorry im sorry —

[batbunker]

Dick and Damian graffiting on each other's stuff!

Batman & Robin #10 & Nightwing #108

[egophiliac]

Ernesto Foulworth and Gino… it wouldn’t surprise me if they had fake identities

I accept this explanation

(the problem is that I had a very regionally-specific immediate thought and I could not get it out of my head)

(sorry this is messier than usual, I refuse to put more effort into it than it deserves)

[haxxydraws]

🍉 Arab.org - Click Daily 🍉 eSims for Gaza 🍉 UNRWA.org 🍉 Gaza Funds 🍉 Vetted fundraiser masterpost 🍉 Commissions for Aid

please consider checking out the above links!

[legallybrunettedotcom]

THREE HEARTS THAT BEAT AS ONE I throuples and such I youtube link

[felassan]

Dragon Age: The Veilguard info compilation Post 1

Post is under a cut due to length.

There is a lot of information coming out right now about DA:TV from many different sources. This post is just an effort to compile as much as I can in one place, in case that helps anyone. Sources for where the information came from have been included. Where I am linking to a social media user's post, the person is either a dev, a Dragon Age community council member or other person who has had a sneak peek at and played the game. nb, this post is more of a 'info that came out in snippets from articles and social media posts' collection rather than a 'regurgitating the information on the official website or writing out what happened in the trailer/gameplay reveal' post. The post is broken down into headings on various topics. A few points are repeated under multiple headings where relevant. Where I am speculating without a source, I have clearly demarcated this. if you notice any mistakes in this post, please tell me.

as this post hit a kind of character limit, there will probably be at least 1 more post. :)

Character Creation

CC is vast [source] and immensely detailed [source]

We will enter CC straight after Varric's opening narration [source]

You are given 5 categories to work your way through in CC: Lineage, Appearance, Class, Faction, Playstyle. Each of these has a range of subcategories within them. There are 8 subcategories within the "head" subcategory" in "Appearance" alone [source]

Lineage dictates things like race (i.e. human, elf, dwarf, qunari) and backstory [source]

Backstories include things like factions. Factions offer 3 distinct buffs each [source]

There are dozens and dozens of hairstyles [source]

There are separate options for binary and non-binary pronouns and gender [source]

"BioWare's work behind the scenes, meanwhile, goes as deep as not only skin tones but skin undertones, melanin levels, and the way skin reacts differently to light" [source]

CC has a range of lighting options within it so that you can check how the character looks in them [source]

There are a range of full-body customization options such as a triangular slider between body types and individual settings down to everything from shoulder width to glute volume [source]. There are "all the sliders [we] could possibly want". The body morpher option allows us to choose different body sizes [source]

All body options are non-gendered [source]

They/them pronouns are an option [source]

Rook can be played as non-binary [source]

Individual strands of hair were rendered separately and react remarkably to in-game physics [source]

Special, focused attention was paid to ensuring that hairstyles "come across as well-representative, that everyone can see hairstyles that feel authentic to them, even the way they render" [source]

The game uses strand hair technology borrowed in part from the EA Sports games. The hair is "fully-controlled by physics," so it "looks even better in motion than it does here in a standstill" [source]

The ability to import our choices from previous games is fully integrated into CC. This will take the form of tarot cards - "you can go into your past adventures" and this mechanic tells you what the context was and what decision you want to make [source]

In CC we will also be able to customize/remake our Inquisitor [source]

A core tenet of the game is "be who you want to be" [source]

There are presets for all 4 of the game's races (human, elf, dwarf, qunari), in case detailed CCs overwhelm you [source]

Story

The story is set 9 years since Inquisition [source]

The Inquisitor will appear [source]

Other characters refer to the PC as Rook [source]. This article says they are "the Rook" [source]

The ability to import our choices from previous games is fully integrated into CC. This will take the form of tarot cards - "you can go into your past adventures" and this mechanic tells you what the context was and what decision you want to make [source]

The prologue is quite lengthy. A narrated intro from Varric lays the groundwork with some lore and explains about Solas [source]. In this Varric-narrated opening section, the dwarf recaps the events of previous games and explains the motivations of Solas [source] (Fel note/speculation: this sounds like this cinematic that we saw on DA Day 2023)

What happens first off is that Rook, who is working with Varric, is interrogating a bartender about the whereabouts of a contact in Minrathous who can help them stop Solas. The bartender does not play nice and we are presented with our first choice: talk the bartender down or intimidate them aggressively [source]

The first hour of the game is "a luxurious nighttime romp through a crumbling city under a mix of twinkling starlight and lavish midnight blue" (Minrathous) [source]. The game begins with a tavern brawl (depending on dialogue options) and a stroll through Minrathous in search of Neve Gallus, who has a lead on Solas [source]. Minrathous then comes under attack [source] by demons [source] (Fel note/speculation: it sounds like the demo the press played is what we saw in the Gameplay Reveal). Off in the distance is a vibrant, colorful storm where Solas is performing his ritual. [source] Eventually we come upon Harding. [source] and Neve. Rook and co enter a crumbling castle, where ancient elf secrets pop up, "seemingly just for the lore nerds". [source] Then we teleport to Arlathan Forest, have a mini boss fight with a Pride Demon, and there is the climactic confrontation with Solas. After a closing sequence, at this point it is the end of the game's opening mission. [source] (Fel note/speculation: So the Gameplay Reveal showed the game's opening mission)

The action in the story's opening parts starts off quite quick from the sounds of things: the devs wanted to get the player right in to the story. because, “Especially with an RPG where they can be quite lore-heavy, a lot of exposition at the front and remembering proper nouns, it can be very overwhelming.” [source]

BioWare wanted to make the beginning of Dragon Age: The Veilguard feel like the finale of one of their other games [source]

Rook's Faction will be referenced in dialogue [source]

Minrathous is beautiful, with giant statues, floating palaces, orange lantern glow and magical runes which glow green neon. These act "like electricity" as occasional signs above pubs and stores [source]

The story has a lot of darkness tonally. These dark parts of the game contain the biggest spoilers [source]. However, the team really wanted to build in contrast between the dark and light moments in the game, as if everything is dark, nothing really feels dark [source]

Our hub (like the Normandy in ME or Skyhold in DA:I) is a place called The Lighthouse [source] (Fel note/speculation: I guess this screenshot shows the crew in The Lighthouse? ^^)

Each companion has a very complex backstory, their own problems, and deep motivations. These play out through well-fleshed out character arcs and missions that are unique to them but which are ultimately tied into the larger story [source]

We will make consequential decisions for each character, sometimes affecting who they are in heart-wrenching ways and other times joyously [source]

Decisions from previous DA games will be able to be carried over, it will just work a bit differently this time [source]. The game will not read our previous saves. For stuff pertaining to previous games/choices, players will not have to link their accounts [source]

Characters, companions, romance

Varric is a major character [source]

Every companion is romanceable [source]

BioWare tried to make each character's friendship just as meaningful, regardless of romance [source]

If you don't romance a character, they may end up romancing each other [source]

There will be some great cameos [source]. Some previous characters are woven into the game [source]

Companion sidequests/optional content relating to companions is highly curated when it involves their motivations and experiences [source]

We could permanently lose some companions depending on our choices [source]

Our choices can influence if characters get injured and what they think about us [source]

The bonds Rook forges with companions determine how party members grow and what abilities become available [source]

Each companion has a very complex backstory, their own problems, and deep motivations. These play out through well-fleshed out character arcs and missions that are unique to them but which are ultimately tied into the larger story [source]

We will make consequential decisions for each character, sometimes affecting who they are in heart-wrenching ways and other times joyously [source]

Gameplay, presentation, performance etc

Each class (warrior, rogue, mage) has 3 specializations. The ones for Rogue are duelist, saboteur and Veil ranger [source]. (Fel note/speculation: Veil ranger reminds me of Bellara. Maybe this is her 'spec' too?)

Duelist gameplay involves a sharp combination of dashes, parries, leaps, rapid slashes and combos [source]

Faction-related buffs include being able to hold an extra potion or do extra damage against certain enemies [source]

Individual strands of hair were rendered separately and react remarkably to in-game physics [source]

Playstyle settings include custom, distinct difficulty settings for options as granular as parry windows, meaning "players who might fancy that playstyle but typically struggle with the finer points of combat can give it a go" [source]

Combat mechanics is a mix of real-time action and pause and play. Pausing brings up a radial menu split into 3 sections: companions to the left and right, Rook's skills at the bottom, and a targeting system at the top which helps get in focus on certain enemies. [source]. In the pause system you can queue up your whole party's attacks [source]

Tapping or holding the shoulder button pauses the game, allowing us to stop the action and issue orders to companions [source]

There is a system of specific enemy resistances and weaknesses [source]. Weaknesses and resistances plays a big role in combat and abilities are designed to exploit these accordingly [source]. An example is that "one character might be able to plant a weakening debuff on an enemy, and another enemy might be able to detonate them" [source]

There is a vast skill tree of unlockable options [source]

You can set up specific companions with certain kits, e.g. to tackle specific enemy types, to being more of a support, or as flexible all-rounders [source]

Healing magic returns [source]

Abilities can change together with elaborate results, e.g. one companion using a gravity well attack that sucked enemies together, another using a slowing move to keep them in place, and Rook using a big AOE to catch them all at once [source]

A shortcut system lets you map a few abilities to a smaller pinned menu at the bottom of the screen [source]

There are class-specific resource systems. For example, Rogue has "momentum", which builds up as Rook lands consecutive hits [source]

Each class will always have a ranged option [source]

Rogue Rook can do a sort of 'hip fire' option with a bow, letting you pop off arrows from the waist [source]

Warriors can throw their shield at enemies, and can build an entire playstyle around that using the skill tree [source]

There is light platforming gameplay [source]

The game runs on the latest iteration of the Frostbite engine [source]

The game targets 60 fps

On consoles it will feature performance and quality modes so we can choose our preferred visual fidelity [source]

The game is mission based [source]. Some levels that we go to do open up, some with more exploration than others. "Alternate branching paths, mysteries, secrets, optional content you're going to find and solve." [source]

Everything is hand-touched, hand-crafted and highly curated [source]

Some sidequests and optional content is highly curated, especially when it involves the motivations and experiences of the companions. In others we may be investigating for example a missing family, with an entire open bog environment to search for clues and a way to solve the disappearance [source]

Gameplay, presentation, performance etc continued, after the above bullet list hit a character limit

There is sophisticated animation cancelling and branching. Gameplay is action-like, and the design centers around dodging, countering, and using risk-reward charge attacks designed to break enemy armor layers [source]

The dialogue wheel returns [source]. It gives truncated summaries of the dialogue options rather than the full line that the character is going to say [source]

The bonds Rook forges with companions determine how party members grow and what abilities become available [source]

For stuff pertaining to previous games/choices, players will not have to link their accounts [source]

We can play the game fully offline [source]

There are no microtransactions [source]

The game itself is not as cell-shaded in look as the first trailer looked [source]

[☕ found this post or blog interesting or useful? my ko-fi is here if you feel inclined. thank you 🙏]

[mohntilyet]

illario as the grandchild that is most like caterina is something i'm loving to chew on. the grandson that took her lessons to heart the most. kill anyone who sees your face and knows your name, "we are not revolutionaries", the first out of the two to prioritise the contract. power at any cost, and the only one to lean into the unnecessary abuse that their grandmother told them was tradition. why is anyone surprised he allied with the venatori? and then there's illario's considerable skill in infiltration and manipulating any mark, he has always had the charisma that lucanis lacked. illario isn't attached, he has/can/will use someone and immediately drop them; "that does free me from promises i don't intend to keep". he can lie about how much he cares so well that he fools a magister into believing he loves her. he kills zara without hesitation to cover his own tracks, meanwhile lucanis blindly promises a young girl in the middle of a siege that he will help her find her father. even the lessons about family stick with him, and in this entire messy power struggle, he never actually orders anyone to directly kill caterina or lucanis, not until he's backed into a corner.

and even after all that. despite even lucanis believing illario should be first talon, lucanis is still the better killer. illario is not strong enough to be the brutal assassin caterina needs him to be. so when lucanis seems to fill the role his mother left, grief and love for her dead heir apparent remains, and any of the other qualities caterina needs in her next talon doesn't matter. whatever his mother was, lucanis has to be. what illario does doesn't matter, because he will always be second best to caterina's memory of her favored daughter.

[irate-iguana]

We need more weird historian rep in Doctor Who. The companions are too normal when faced with the prospect of time travel. I want a companion who makes a list of super specific historical destinations related to their dissertation. I want somebody whose first reaction to finding out that the Doctor is a time travelling alien is to create a Microsoft Word document and ask, “What caused the Late Bronze Age collapse?”

[royalarchivist]

Etoiles: Guys, can we please– can we please give the $100k to Felipe?

Roier: Eh? What the fu– Ay ay ay ay– pendejos! Don't speak English, ok? Español. ¡Español!

Etoiles: Uh, uh, uh– [Singing] ¡Un, dos, tres!

Roier: [Also singing] Un, dos, tres, un pasito pa'lante María–

Phil: [In despair] ¡Inglés! Por favor!!! 😫

Roier: No, Inglés no, Inglés no. 😌

Phil: Inglés, por– 😭

Roier: Aqui Español, aqui Español. 🇲🇽 🇲🇽 🇲🇽

[daily-odile]

sorry i was gone for a while i just got back from the mountains

[rcbertleckie]

JOHN EGAN and GALE CLEVEN MASTERS OF THE AIR · part two — for @c-goldthorn

[taee]

taehyung's neck (for @kth1 ♡ | cr. namuspromised)

[bunnithechubs]

i want to set you world on fire.

transcript:

[TEXT THREAD WITH VINNY 7:00 PM] V: Hey, beautiful, I know I said I would send a car but I want to see you as soon as possible. I'm going to come pick you up instead. R: One condition. V: Anything. R: I don't want to sit in a car you've previously used with another woman. V: Reina, you could tell me to sign over my bank account and I would do it. An unused car is easy. I'll see you at 7:30 pm. Can't wait to see you. R: I expect full access to your bank account as entry :)

[TEXT THREAD WITH VINNY 7:20 PM] V: It's a little early but I'm here. I can wait for you if you're not ready yet. R: I'm ready. Come up.

V: You’re making me rethink dinner with you in this dress, Blue. R: Maybe if you impress me enough, I might let you figure out what is underneath it. V: You really love pushing me to my limits. R: I do, especially because it’s so easy to do. I mean I got you to send me fifteen hundred bucks for one picture. V: Probably not the smartest finanical decision I’ve made but it was worth it. I got you a little something on my way here. R: Is it access to your bank account?

V: laughs Maybe if you let me take you one a few more dates. I actually picked these up for you. R: More flowers? Were the hundreds you already sent not enough? V: Nope. R: Do you get women flowers often? V: Only once. R: raises eyebrow V: Relax, it was for my sister in law when she gave birth. R: Did she like them? V: Maybe one day you can ask her yourself. R: Family already? A bit soon. V: I said one day, now read the card.

CARD READS: "You are my greatest adventure" - Vinny

R: You misspelled nightmare. V: You know, Reina. I like that about you. R: Like what about me? V: You’re impossibility to be romanced. R: Maybe you’re just really bad at it. V: Oh am I? R: Would not recommend. V: Then why let me take you out to dinner? R: I’m bored and the slightest bit horny. V: So you’re just using me? R: Precisely. V: Let me ask you something- I want an honest answer. R: Don’t whine when I hurt your feelings, but go ahead.

V: What is it going to take to get you to stop busting my balls? R: You on your knees crying for me. V: You’re lying to me, Reina. R: I’m not. I want to see you broken down to the very last particle of that dog shit man that you are. I want your only thoughts to be of me and what you can do to please me. I want you begging for my approval and attention. [silence] R: So what is it going to be Vin-

[hyacinthsdiamonds]

I'm sorry but James Vowles criticising how Red Bull has treated their drivers in the past, only to go and then treat Logan far worse while pulling the exact same shit Red Bull did, ie the exact behaviour he criticised and called them out for, is so freaking infuriating like the sheer hypocrisy -

[copia]

endless ghifs 6/? ⛧ source — "So if you meet me, have some courtesy; have some sympathy, and some taste!"