#that I haven't completed his companion quest yet?

[cactosaurio]

I was thinking that Jing Yuan actually does see Yanqing as something akin to a son, but most of the time treats him as his disciple and a member of the cloud-knights; he admires his tenacity and wants to protect part of his innocence, he did seem to raise him and is so similar to his younger self, but it also comes with an arrogance unbeffiting of a soldier that needs to be straightened out, something that must happen to everyone. Plus, there's something he needs Yanqing to do for him when the time comes, even if he still can't let the kid walk completely alone.

On the other hand, Yanqing doesn't necessarily see him as a father figure (most of the time), more like a mentor and benefactor who inspires respect and some affection, his feelings on the matter could be less complex, but there's always doubt and rumors around Jing Yuan (still glad the common folk can talk so freely about him). For what plot would the general need some kid prodigy who came from thin air?

[meanbossart]

Ok it's possible someone has already asked this and I just haven't seen it yet

But what would it be like, if Drow was a recruited party member, and got romanced by Tav/player? How would he act? Would it impact his character arc in any way? (Is it even possible?)

Oh man I got FAR into the weeds of his hypothetical romance here. Light mechanics, how to get on his good side, and some themes.

The TLDR is that his arc is all about managing his penchant for co-dependency with allusions to Dominant/submissive dynamics. His quest has basically three outcomes:

-In one, you get a sweet, caring man who is a little shut-off and otherwise deeply flawed as most people are. He respects you, looks after you, but ultimately sees you as an equal.

-In the "accepts bhaal" route, you get an egomaniac who sees the both of you as if bound in flesh. He's overwhelmingly intense in everything he does, including his love for you, which he requires be expressed and taken loudly and violently. It's essentially what he wished he had with Orin.

-In the "lost to Orin" route you get a sad little puppy-dog who follows you around and does whatever you want, including take his own life. He's entirely dependent on you as the only person who can keep his urge somewhat in check, insecure, scared, and needy.

(dialogue from this post)

I REALLY liked Larian's decision to make the "bad" outcomes of some of the romances to be kind of... Fetishistic in a self-aware way? You want to relive your high-school years by dating that witchy-goth girl who kept you a secret from her parents until your relationship collapses because, despite appearances, she'll never be hardcore enough to stand up for herself? DJ shadowheart. You want to live out your immortal vampire lord wife fantasy until you become a dusty old fling that he keeps in his closet as eternity and power wear his zest for life and love completely down to nothing? Ascended Astarion. You want to finally Fix Him? God of ambition Gale (a joke. Kind of).

So, I wanted to keep that trend going. DU drow "bad" outcomes are definitely more of a fun fantasy, meanwhile his refused-Bhaal route is almost boring by comparison.

You would be able to affect his path both as a romanced Tav or just as a friend, BUT the only way to survive the end of the game if he's accepted Bhaal would be to be in a relationship with him. You also get to encourage him to follow either the accept or refuse path throughout the game - I'm not really sure how the "lost to Orin" outcome could occur with him as a companion though, mechanics-wise. I'll figure something out eventually.

[roseastralis]

✦ — BLISSFUL REUNIONS

welt yang x gn!reader

✦ summary ; you are welt's travel partner, and arrived together with him in the world of aeons and paths. although, things changed when you and welt had separated during your journey. what happens when you see each other again in the xianzhou luofu?

✦ info ; gn!reader, fluff, they/them pronouns used, the term 'Mx.' is used.

✦ warnings ; slightly suggestive towards the end, but nothing much of the sort. dan heng side quest spoilers. english is not author's first language.

✦ author's note ; welt yang, i loved u in honkai impact and i still love u in hsr.

✦ masterlist

Bodies of mara-struck cloud knights were all you could see around the Artisanship Commission, as you accompanied your newly found companions. A young cloud knight named Sushang, a ‘silent but deadly’ man named Dan Heng, and Luocha—who claims to be a foreign trader tasked to return a body to Xianzhou Luofu. You thought it was weird for him to carry a coffin so large, and even offered to help him carry it in the meantime—although, all he does is shake his head and explain that he could handle it.

Sushang explained the situation of the Artisanship Commission's current problem along with Xueyi—a judge of the Ten-Lords Commision up in the luofu. Along with your fellow companions, you made sure to aid them with whatever they needed and vowed to protect them against any enemy that blocked your way. Everyone in the Artisanship Commission has fled and evacuated, and all you and your companions had to do was to escort Xueyi to the Artisanship Commission’s dock.

It took a while for you all to escort Xueyi, and after all the chaotic moments that ensued throughout your short journey with them—you still accompanied them until Sushang regrouped with her fellow cloud knights in the Alchemy Commission. Luocha soon departed, until you and Dan Heng were the only ones left together walking around the Central Starskiff Haven.

“Dan Heng, it was a pleasure to aid you throughout your travels. Who knows? We might meet again soon.” You say, hand on top of your chest as you give a small bow. He returns the courtesy and smiles. It wasn’t obvious, but you could see how the corners of his lips tugged into one. You turned your back and were about to finally leave him, until you heard a voice of a young girl.

“Dan Heng! Finally, Mr. Yang and I were worried sick about you!” She exclaims, tugging Dan Heng’s arm for a small hug.

“It is good to see you again, you must tell us about your travels.” A familiar, soothing voice said behind you. You quickly turned around and saw him, and suddenly your world just stopped completely. There he was standing there, adjusting his eyeglasses and holding his cane firmly as ever.

“Welt… Welt!” You exclaimed as you dashed forward directly to him, almost dropping the sheathed sword on your waist after stumbling a bit. Welt’s eyes widened in surprise, dropping his cane to receive you in his arms. He smiled, tightening his hold on you, and for a moment—the world around you stopped. He cradled you, holding your head delicately with heavy breathing.

It was such a special moment, the way he kissed the top of your head so gently and whispered sweet nothings for only you to hear. You swore you almost cried because of those intimate acts of his, it was just so sweet and lovely that March 7th just had to take multiple photos of your cute reunion.

You couldn't say anything, choking on your words as you continued to wet his shirt with your tears. You haven't seen him in a long, long time and you missed him terribly. It has been a while since you inhaled his scent, reeking of cedarwood and oak.

March clears her throat, “Hey so uhh… I don't want to be some party pooper Mr. Yang, but you haven't introduced us yet to your…”

“Ah yes—my apologies, March. I am utmost delighted to introduce you to my old travel partner, Y/N. Apologies again, it's just that I haven't seen them in a long while.” Welt smiled, putting a hand on your lower back as he introduced you to his current travel buddies.

March looked between the two of you, and gulped. “Ohh, I see! It's just that… are you sure they're just your travel partner or—” Just then, she got cut off by Stelle poking her cheek harshly.

“Ow ow, oww! Okay fine I’ll save the question for later!” March complained, side eyeing Stelle as she suppressed a giggle from slipping out of her mouth.

“Actually, March… When I told you they were my travel partner, I actually meant that they are both my travel partner and my actual partner.” Welt explained, earning a gasp from both March and Stelle.

“Well uhh, good to know Mr. Yang..! You know what, maybe the three of us will leave you to it. Nice meeting you Mx. Y/N!” March then dragged Stelle and Dan Heng farther away, intending to walk around the Central Starskiff Haven to give you and Welt some time to spend together.

“You know Y/N, we are grateful to receive new astral express crew members. Of course, only if you want to. But I would be happy to have you close to me again.” Welt smiled and looked at you fondly, squeezing your hand in hopes that you would accept his offer.

You grinned, squeezing his hand tightly and bringing it close to your cheek. “I would love nothing more, Welt. Although…are you sure the express can accommodate more people?” You ask, tilting your head slightly.

Welt froze a bit, clearing his throat afterwards. “About that… Maybe it would be best to share a room with me in the meantime. I can seek out the conductor to prepare an extra bed to be placed in my room.”

“Or maybe, I could just sleep in yours. How does that sound?” You say cheekily, causing the poor old man to fluster a bit—red evident in his cheeks.

“Oh. Well whatever you prefer… As long as you're happy.” He smiled at you, caressing your cheek softly.

✦ reblogs are deeply appreciated !!

✦ do not repost my work.

[star-bear-art]

[That love is like a star

It's gone, we just see it shining

It's travelled very far]

I have sat in rendering hell on this piece for like. A MONTH!! So worth it. Consider this a manifestation for my love of Wyll Ravenguard (and I haven't even completed a romance route with him yet!)

(Below is going to be me ranting about the state of his route/content in the game. If you don't want to read that, feel free to just stare at the pretty colours and move on :])

But WOOF. So many frustrations with how his route plays (as of patch 4, the last run I completed!) I've seen people comparing the lack of his development Act 3 with Karlach, and I honestly don't think they're comparable at all. Yes, it's obvious there was more planned (I can't even remember how much extra infernal iron we have at the end of act 3), but she at least has a cohesive narrative emotionally. She resonates! Wyll (by no fault of Theo, whose voice acting is stellar).. did not, for us. At the end of everyone else's personal quest, we were practically crying, but by his? We were mostly confused - due almost entirely to the very convoluted and buggy implementation of his story beats. Let alone that the whole wyrmway sequence becomes way more about the Emporer than him, or that his final speech triggered three seperate times for us consecutively, or the mess with Mizora, the Grand Duke, and Florrick after we defied her to save his father. He's given no agency as a character over his own choices compared to the other companions (at some of his most pivotal moments, as tav you choose his future for him without even a roll!) It was so, so disappointing. I love Wyll, especially Act 1 - but you can seriously feel the lack of polish or finish for his character in the game right now. And regardless of the team's intentions, he's the only Black origin character. That shit has an impact (doubly so when you consider how bg3 imports dnd/forgotten realm's well-discussed racism pretty much wholesale). He deserves as much agency and autonomy over his own story as every other origin character, and I seriously hope he gets it, soon. 'Til then, that's the majesty of fandom, right?

[j-l-kepler]

I Turned My BG3 Tavs into Fake Origin Characters

CUZ NOBODY'S STOPPED ME YET

So here I was, scrolling through the BG3 tag when I come across a fantastic BG3 Template made by the extraordinary @dvgsart! Couldn't mcfreakin' help myself, I tell you.

So I took my 5 active non-Durge playthroughs (3 of which are 2-Tav saves) and slapped them in! Had a blast doing this, I tell you. All the beautiful Tavs I keep seeing just make me wanna gush about my own silly Tavs. Life's too short to not have fun.

[Putting the ART and everything below the cut because this is gonna be loooooong and y'all should get to opt out]

Yeah okay maybe I've written Companion Guides for 6/7 of these guys. I've had a lot of time at work lately, okay.

I call these guys the Stacked Seven because all of them have massive badonkadonks and I'm in desperate need of a new hobby. I can't help the fact drawing tits is very fun and I am horrendously bisexual.

ANYWAY lil bit of preamble you can skip -- I based their stats and weapons on what they'd be as Companions or Origin runs, not what their actual in-game stats are. Romantic Partners / Besties / Weapons are who and what they'd probably default to if they were just in ya party. I also put them in their Companion fits, not their in-game fits. AIGHT LET'S KICK IT OFF, IN ORDER

Eckhart Markolac

The Infernal Twins

Ayyy it's my guy, you might've seen my guy before! We're starting off in familiar territory. Also he's the only twunk here. RIP.

Eckhart is one roguish half of the whole known as the infamous Markolac Twins. He and his sister Emerleigh have spent years of their lives dedicated to paying off a debt they owe to the Undercellar through smuggling, cons and other life-threatening crimes. Now that the Nautiloid has picked them up and dumped them a long ways away from the Gate, he's faced with the consequences of his actions and the kind of freedom he never expected to grasp in his lifetime.

Eckhart shares a companion quest with Emerleigh - get these tadpoles outta their skulls and get back to Baldur's Gate! But will he return to face his debtor, go on the run for the rest of his life, or forsake a future he doesn't think he's good enough for?

For those who haven't met my angst machine of a rogue, Eckhart is a sarcastic, witty and vaguely sleazy guy who's basically your classic rogue. He comes complete with a detached attitude, lower (but not too low) moral standards, and a heart of gold under layers and layers of self sabotage and emotional dysfunction. He's just bad at hiding it.

Eck and Em would be recruited at the exact same time, and their tadpoles would make it so they cannot live for very long without the other. How? Why? Because I don't wanna write a whole freaking branch where one of the twins dies and the other just has to deal with that. Game branch logic is HARD TO WRITE, DAMN YOU.

Emerleigh Markolac

The Infernal Twins

Heyyy girl, it's Em, it's my girl!

Emerleigh is one bardic half of the whole known as the infamous Markolac Twins. She and her brother Eckhart have spent years of their lives dedicated to paying off a debt they owe to the Undercellar through smuggling, cons and other life-threatening crimes. Now that the Nautiloid has picked them up and dumped them a long ways away from the Gate, she's more determined than ever to hold onto this newfound freedom... more terrified of returning than she ever thought she could be.

Emerleigh shares a companion quest with Eckhart - get these tadpoles outta their skulls and get back to Baldur's Gate! But will she return to face her debtor, go on the run for the rest of her life, or deny herself the future she so desperately wants for her and her brother?

If you haven't met Em, she's your classic dramatic bard who speaks in poetry, prose and academia! She's friendly, mischievous, and has so so so many things she hasn't given herself the space to contend with emotionally. She's a pretty lady used to having a perfect mask demanded of her, craving a chance to speak bluntly and openly instead of wrapping herself up in layers upon layers of what other people want from her.

I've already written plenty about Em and Eck. The twins' stories are very interconnected, with the quest playing out the same beats from the perspective of whichever twin the player is playing/romancing/keeping in their party.

Canary Highfall

Child of Light

My other major 2-Tav playthrough I have yet to mention, and the first modded class I've played!

Canary's life has been dedicated to the pursuit of truth -- consequences be damned. Reuniting with her possessive estranged father has caused a lot of roadblocks for her, but her divine heritage won't stop her from her latest fascination: Mind Flayers. Specifically, the strange tadpole specimen she intercepted in her father's study. Her pursuits, assisted by her bodyguard and trusted friend Leryk, have resulted in the two of them playing host to those very same tadpoles! The questions are piling up, with one weighing heaviest on her mind: why did her father of all people have this specimen to begin with? And what does that mean for her and Leryk?

Canary's quest is separate from Leryk, as the first part of her companion quest is finding him. If the player completes the grove or tries to move to the next region without him while keeping Canary in the party or at camp, he'll just show up at their camp. They're a package deal from Act 2 onwards, so the player can either dismiss them both or keep them both. She's not going anywhere without her closest friend!

Canary is a feverously academic person with a focus on abnormal biology. Her noble position and all the restrictions that come with it are a recent development in her life, and one she only engages with for the resources it affords her when possible. She's extremely distrustful of authority and how nobility has a chokehold on academia, so finding out her estranged father is a hyper-paranoid aasimar descended from Lathander himself doesn't exactly help her faith in higher powers -- be they the divine or the political. She's a bit of a smartass and gets wrapped up in what she's doing so completely that she often doesn't consider the consequences. Despite her outward confidence, it's very easy to get her to start rambling or turn her into an absolute mess. Though she hates when Leryk treats her like a princess, she trusts him with her life and would do just about anything for him.

With Canary, I liked the idea of a Companion with a specific interest in Mind Flayers and a personal stake in the conspiracy much like Wyll does. She wouldn't be able to tell the player anything Halsin can't already say in much more detail since she hasn't made a lot of headway in her tadpole-specific research, though.

Leryk Coppperlot

Knight of the Dawn

He's the only one of my active saves that has a skin tone other than "human". Good job, Keps.

Leryk's life hasn't been very long so far, but very little of it has been uneventful until recently. Saved from his life as a ruthless mercenary at the age of 19, he's devoted himself to the Son of Lathander. When his savior's recently-discovered estranged daughter was placed in his care, Leryk then devoted his life to her. Duty blossomed into friendship, but Leryk's blind faith in Canary's father persists despite what Canary has to say about it. Now that they've both been tadpoled and whisked far away from the safety of the Gate, Leryk is determined to get Canary home no matter the cost. But can he face the horrific truth Canary is on the cusp of uncovering...? And what about the truths she's been hiding from him?

Leryk has that frantic "rookie soldier" energy. He's extremely combat-experienced, but he's terrible at wrangling in Canary since he's very easy to sway through enthusiasm alone. He's blindly devoted to Canary and even moreso to her father, but otherwise can be quite shrewd and cautious of others. Misjudging one's character used to mean death for him, and he learned that when his old mentor tried to turn him in for a bounty on his head. Leryk, despite this, has learned a lot from the kindness afforded to him and does his best to repay it. "Caution, but not discourtesy" is his motto.

Leryk's quest is separate from Canary, as the first part of his companion quest is finding her. If the player completes the grove or tries to move to the next region without her, she'll just show up at their camp. Since they're a package deal Act 2 onwards, the player can either dismiss them both or keep them both. Canary's his best friend and he is literally her bodyguard, after all.

I love devoted bodyguards. I love him so much. I like the idea of some Companions knowing each other or having pre-existing relationships. You know he's having a panic attack and is going to find her just chilling in the Goblin Camp like it's no big deal.

Briar Lockren

The Weary Ranger

okay so Briar was actually a fan companion BEFORE she was a Tav. I recently restarted her run in a 2-Tav where the other Tav is actually Default Dark Urge because this girl's perception proficiency is worthless if she hasn't slept enough. And she never sleeps enough.

After three years of wandering the Sword Coast, Briar has settled in Cloak Wood in hopes of outrunning her terrible luck. Her past involvement with one of Cyric's cults has left her branded with supernatural-levels of misfortune and nightmares plaguing her every time she falls asleep. She's basically a walking-talking tempest. Having fallen in and out of the Feywild and caused towns to burn without her say, Briar thought being picked up by the Nautiloid was simply another instance of her shit luck. So imagine her surprise when she got the first nightmare-free rest in three years. Free from the eyes of the one who cursed her, Briar's luck has suddenly changed.

Briar is a somewhat ditsy individual prone to taking inopportune naps just about anywhere. Originally from Luskan, Briar's time wandering and falling into ridiculously terrible situations has made her a pretty difficult person to rattle. She's kind and gentle despite all she's suffered, but blames herself for wandering around the way she does and causing trouble (settling down with her luck is impossible). Her passivity is what led to her situation, however, as the one who cursed her was her childhood friend-turned cult leader-turned Chosen of Cyric-turned ex-boyfriend. It's messy. Briar's very used to messy life situations.

Briar's probably my most developed Tav in terms of a Companion story since she was originally written to be one. I also will acknowledge her being half-drow but not LOOKING half-drow is partly due to my own personal cowardice, but it's also the result of her complicated heritage. Lotta drow in Luskan. The fact she doesn't look like her full-drow father should tip you off as to why he might not have especially liked his child, therefore neglecting her and giving her very few chances to adopt the cult's teachings for herself. Kinda hard to teach a child to become a religious narcissist when you keep telling her she's just inherently inferior.

Scarlet

The Scarlet Scourge

My longest-lived Tav... heeeey girl, hiiii~ I'm probably gonna play her in a campaign one of these days. Siiigh.

The Scarlet Scourge strikes fear into the hearts of the greedy aristocrats that call Baldur's Gate home. A street urchin whose life was ruined time and time again by those who have far too much money, Scarlet's dedicated her life to taking from those who won't miss it and giving to those who need it. But Scarlet's been stopping the plans of the corrupt for a long time, and it all began with some dangerous blueprints. Blueprints she quite literally carries within her soul. Now that she's crashed far beyond the anonymity the Gates afford her, the one she stole the plans from has a chance to find her all over again.

Scarlet is a highly confident and highly competent master thief. She takes great pride in her ingenuity and artificing skill, and won't let you forget it. She's fiercely independent and keeps people at a distance, even hiding her real name from those she gets close to. However, like every Robin Hood figure, she revels in her legend and genuinely adores the people she does it for. Scarlet may act arrogant, but she has the skill to back up her confidence and risks her life for altruism. Get her in front of a gadget, however, and her brain goes a mile a minute. (She's going to be fucking pissed when she sees how cool the Steel Defenders are and the awful ways they're being utilized)

Who doesn't love a Phantom Thief? I think she and Wyll would absolutely be besties if they didn't already know each other before the events of the game - they both love the people of Baldur's Gate, have super hero names, and are archetypes of a class they don't belong to (Wyll is a Paladin in a Warlock's body while Scarlet is a Rogue in an Artificer's body).

Rohku Eddervyn

The Oathbroken

My OTHER longest-lived Tav, and the oldest character of my active Tavs. He's the oldest of them as well in terms of character age.

Rohku has been given many titles over the years, but none of which he's found suit him. After awakening to his Oath in the wake of a Sharran attack during his time as an Acolyte, Rohku was once known as The Sun of the Seventh Dawn for reasons he'll spare you for now. But years of tracking down and slaughtering Dark Justiciars began to take their toll. When grief and rage gave way to emptiness, he understood the pull of Shar. Unable to hunt down those he now saw as victims, his Oath shattered. But his devotion remains. Now, as he searches for new meaning under the Moonmaiden's gaze, he tracks down an artifact said to have fallen into Sharran hands...

Rohku is a mature and quiet man, jaded by the world around him. He's tired of battles between good and evil, and now lives for what is kind -- in any form that takes. He's patient with people and thinks very little of what others think of him. His wisdom and experiences make him an excellent leader, and an even better listener. He often chooses to resolve conflict through his words rather than his blade, but his deadpan demeanor makes that difficult. But he can handle that when it's his own ass on the line. But Zweihanders aren't shields.

Rohku was the first masculine character I played in BG3 and I fell in love. He's so tired and sweet. He's kind of Halsin-esque in that he was thrust into leadership without his say and acts as a calming presence for those he makes camp with. And big. He's a big boy.

~~

Hee hee hee self call-out time! Yes I have noticed 3 of them have black hair, 3 of them are tieflings, 5 have a different hair color streaked in there (with 2 of them specifically graying at a young age), and only 1 of them is above the age of 30. Because I Am A Coward. Pobody's Nerfect.

Hope you kinda enjoyed my little Tav sound-off! If you have questions about them or wanna see more of them or, heck, even draw or write about them yourself, go craaaazy! I don't know how much of these ideas are, like, solidified. IDK I'm still playing around with them.

God I put too much work into these. I can't believe I do fan fiction now. Wild.

[hemlockalope]

ok ok im curious. sunday wanderer comparison?? that sounds cool. free pass to talk abt it if you want :O

Hi hi yes!! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk about them!! Also spoilers for 2.2 Penacony quest and Genshin's Wanderer quest

Also under cut because it ended up a little long-

To start i want to say that while im comparing them their stories definitely aren’t one to one, i just love thinking about Wanderer’s story in every occasion since i’ve obsessed over him for too long(and sunday is quickly joining him in my obsessions) But basically the main thing is how they both tried sacrificing themselves to godhood for completely different reasons and both failed, falling (Sunday was caught, Scaramouche was not)

Yes, both were sacrifices Sundays is a obvious one as Robin was supposed to be the sacrifice but Sunday did it instead of her, not letting his sister get hurt on beliefs she doesn’t even believe in(The Dreammaster always knew he would be the one to be sacrificed anyways) His sacrifice was selfless, he would go through eternal loneliness if it means everybody else could be happy

Meanwhile Scaramouche was sacrificing himself for selfish reasons He wants to achieve godhood because he isn’t human, and while it isn’t explicitly said(i think?) i very much believe he was trying to one up Raiden Ei in becoming a god(If you play as Ei and die in his boss fight he mocks her) But it’s still a sacrifice of his body, as they explained in the quest that if the sages completed their quest in getting the wisdom capsules into Scaramouche’s god form he would no longer be able to move for himself, he would fully become a puppet god for the grand sage

I just couldn’t stop thinking about how both of them tried ascending to godhood for completely different reasons yet both failed and yknow, both almost did it if it wasn’t for a factor they didn’t account for (Nahida’s Samsara abilities and Acheron and Black Swan waking trailblazer up plus Robin waking herself up)

Also!!! comparing Gopher Wood to Dottore Dottore obvs was not a father to Scara AT ALL but he was indeed extremely manipulative (Before Sumeru came out i questioned if Scaramouche ever saw Dottore as a father figure or not, and with Wanderer we know now that he hates him and even when he was Scaramouche he never liked him but working with him was a necessity) But also did Sunday even ever see Gopher Wood as a father figure? we know he took Sunday and Robin in, but the two never calls Gopher “father” or anything from what i remember Also the fact Sunday’s second suspect for Robin’s murderer to be Gopher Wood??? how fucked up is that???

The main thing i think a lot about is the selfish vs selfless sacrificed they did, also the fact that people think Sunday will get a redesign before he releases and he's gonna be released a lot later then when he first showed up plus going from a villain to companion is all things Wanderer went through After realizing all that I jokingly thought why not just let him change his name too, and while it started as a crack theory i kinda just kept thinking about it I saw someone say that Sunday isn't his actual name? I haven't seen any in game evidence though, but maybe Sunday is the name he chose for the family, or maybe he didn't even choose it maybe Gopher Wood did, and after everything that happened in the final he doesn't want to continue going by that name, nor does he want to go back to his old name, so he chooses to use a new one and I can't stop thinking of how Robin probably doesn't like the name Sunday, the family being the one giving it to him, so instead she just called him brother because she knows he doesn't go by his old name anymore either and after Sunday's fall, she talks to him about it. Asking if he's still okay with the name, and when he doesn't respond she hugs him and reassures him he'll always be her brother no matter what

The last bit just ended up me talking about a crack theory/ headcanon lol sorry this just ended up me rambling! Hopefully i covered everythign i wanted? I've been thinking about this for the past few days without writing anything down and I also have awful memory, and with that I'm sorry if I forgot something or remembered a scene wrong!!

[menaceoffandoms]

LMK analysis rant: What happened to the great companions?

Since the release of season 5 and discovering the nature of the cycles, I've head cannoned that the knowledge we as viewers have of the Journey to the West from the novel was what happened in a previous cycle of the shows world. This makes sense to me since several things we see in the show, whilst being inspired or referenced from the original novel, are very different from the source material.

Whilst each cycle is different, they all have to be somewhat similar, given how Nuwa insists that "they will all live again". Or at least that's how I take it. I started really thinking about this because I wanted to know what happened to the great companions -- other than Sun Wukong -- since everyone has been reincarnated more or less.

It seemed weird to me seeing as one of the rewards from completing the Journey is enlightenment and true immortality. If all the companions became immortal, then how did they die and get reincarnated? How did that work and why is Wukong the only one left?

Now, all my knowledge of the jttw comes from Overly Sarcastic Productions videos, which I highly recommend you watch if you haven't, but since the novel is so long their summary isn't finished yet. So, I decided to look up how the story ends. What I found was rather interesting...

The main set up for the great companions is pretty simple. Tang Sanzang is the monkest monk in the east who the Goddess Guanyin picks for the quest, Sha Wujing was a disgraced Celestial General looking for redemption after breaking something in a fit of rage and getting banished for it, Zhu Bajie was also a disgraced Celestial General who got Drunk and hit on Chang'e too much which got him banished (which isn't that hilarious when compared to Pigsy in the show), Ao Lie was sentenced to death by the Jade Emperor for accidently burning his Dads palace but Guanyin got his changes dropped and Sun Wukong was Sun Wukong. So basically, 4 out of 5 of the group are looking for redemption and Tang Sanzang is their baby sitter. They keep him alive and he shows them the Buddest way. The Journey it the important part of the story, hence the novels name, but every tale has it's end.

So, what happens at the end of the Journey to the West?

Welp with the scriptures delivered the gang is rewarded by gaining places in Heaven. Tang Sanzang and Sun Wukong ascend to Buddhahood, Shu Wujing and Ao Lie become Arhats (a few steps down from Buddhahood) and Zhu Bajie, who is unable to let go of his base desires, becomes an alter cleaner. They all get immortality basically, even tho Zhu Bajie doesn't reach enlightenment like the others, so none of them should be able to die.

Obviously, I've already said that the events of the novel are from a different cycle -- things are different in LMK -- but now I'm even more curious as to what happened to the other great companions. Sun Wuknog in the show doesn't seem have reached Buddahood -- that wouldn't be interesting for plot reasons cause then he'd be all powerful and all knowing -- and all his friends are dead! What the fuck.

The likely explanation is probably something lame, like the reward they all got for completing the journey was a lot less grand or the friendship they forged was the real reward or their places in heaven didn't come with immortality attached. There are multiple kinds of immortality -- agelessness, super hard to kill and completely unkillable -- so the other companions could have all been killed at some point even if they did get immortality technically, which would be really interesting for Wukong honestly!

Shu Wujing and Zhu Bajie are characterised as demons in LMK (which isn't accurate to the novel but they are seen as monstrous so fair) so the two of them having the ageless/hard to kill kind of Demon immortality I imagine DBK and Red Son have makes sense. I've heard some theories that Sandy is Shu Wujing -- as in the same one who went on the journey and not a reincarnation -- but I think the show has a lot of evidence against that.

Dragons are super important in Chinese myth and are defiantly immortal in the show, seeing as we've met the Great Dragon of the East, but whether or not they can be killed is very up in the air. There aren't any myths where a dragon dies and they can apparently "shed their mortal bodies" which could mean Ao Lie's spirit is still lingering around and has maybe attached itself to Mei, but then that begs the question of why he would leave his body behind in the first place. Just like with the theory about Shu Wujing, I have seen some theories that Ao Lie is still alive -- given that Mei isn't his reincarnation as I've covered in a different rant -- but if he was still alive I think introducing him to us in the scroll in s4 wouldn't mean as much.

Tang Sanzang is completely mortal so if enlightenment doesn't equal immortality then his death makes perfect sense. He is also the reincarnation of Golden Cicada -- one of the Buddha's original disciples who was punished for not listening to him, forcing him to live out 10 mortal lives in the east before being given a chance to re-enter "paradise" as Tang Sanzang -- which is interesting but doesn't really help us figure this stuff out. It just reinforces the reincarnation thing honestly.

Sun Wukong is obviously still alive in LMK and his entire motivation at the start of the novel -- even more so in the show I'd argue -- was to become immortal and never die, which he succeeds at before the journey even starts. Him being unable to die is the whole reason he's sent on the journey at all, seeing as the Jade Emperor can't execute him for his crimes and I don't think anyone expected that mountain to hold him down forever.

So... What killed the great companions?

Something dramatic I'm hoping. I can defiantly see the five of them risking their lives to protect the world, all of them dying except Sun Wukong for obvious reasons, or maybe just 4 of them did the sacrifice whilst Wukong kicked ass. There's a lot of angst potential here to be unpacked that I would love to see someone take advantage of, especially if in someway their deaths were Wukong's fault. It would give reason to why he stayed in isolation after sealing away DBK or even for why the Heavenly host doesn't seem to like him at all despite his redemption.

I did a lot of research for this but I'm no expert, just an enthusiast, so I'm sure I've messed somethings up. I've tried to source where I got my information from but I'm also dyslexic and probably have some undiagnosed neurodivergence effecting my attention span so research is kind hard for me, but I've tried my best.

I'm very interested to hear what other people have to say about this. I doubt it'll be covered in the show, but then again I didn't think self sacrifice would be a major plot point so who knows! I think covering the deaths of all of Wukong's friends would be a bit too dark but anything can happen! I just hope it's interesting.

[eliasiis]

break

pairing: platonic aether n scara

word count: 1.3k

so what am i supposed to call scara if i write about him?? i kept scara as his name because what else am i sposed to do. anyway i haven't done the archon quest yet forgive my transgressions and anything i mightve messed up about him

"Traveler! Traveler, wake up!"

Ugh.

Aether rubs his eyes with one hand, waving his other hand around in hopes of gently batting Paimon away. In his drowsiness, he completely misses.

"Hey, watch where you wave those! And wake up, we have a guest!" His companion says, opting to just shake him rather than uselessly yelling.

With a sour expression, the traveler sits up. "What guest? Who... Is it Hu Tao again? Tell her I can't find customers right now..." He's about to go back to sleep, but a swift kick to his side has him reeling instead. It didn't even hurt that much, not really, but it was unexpected. Paimon isn't big enough to kick him like that, so...

"Wake up. It's not a request."

Blearily blinking up at him, Aether stares up at the familiar blue-clad wanderer.

He can't even begin to imagine how Scara had gotten to Liyue, much less how he'd found out where they'd been sleeping. Hesitantly, he stands up and shakes the sleep off. "Alright, sure. I won't ask how you got here. What's up?"

"So you finally know what's good for you, huh?" That mischievous smirk always seems to find it's way to Scara's face. Before, it would make Aether's skin crawl. Now, he regards it with a fond exasperation. "You're coming with me."

Aether isn't a stranger to being dragged along with whoever decides they want his company, but hearing it from Scara almost gives him whiplash. He dramatically sighs, but he doesn't plan to decline. "Sure, but..." He looks back at the tent, and his many, many irreplaceable things (his bag, a bit of food he'd bought from the markets in Liyue- All that's really irreplaceable there is Paimon.) "It'll take a while for me to pack all of this up."

Paimon pipes in, helpful for once. "Paimon will watch the tent!" She pushes Aether further from the tent, giggling. "Go! Don't leave me for too long, okay?"

Ruffling her hair, Aether grins at her. She bats at his hands, but smiles anyway. "Thanks, Paimon. Where to?"

... ◇ 》

They've been wandering forever. Sure, Aether is a traveler, but he and Paimon take their time. They like to take breaks, despite the fact that he's never even seen paimon use her legs to tire them out.

But apparently, Scara can speedwalk as he sees fit and just doesn't stop.

"Speed it up, slowpoke. I don't have time for you to take forever." Scara turns around, finally stopping in his tracks.

"Scara, hold on!" Aether pants, running his hands through his hair. "Why don't we... Take a break for a minute?"

Scara glares.

Aether puts up his best puppy eyes.

Nobody can resist, not even Scara. He scoffs, but doesn't disagree.

"Fine. Come on."

Scara leads Aether to a lake just a few feet away from them. He sits on the grass, but Aether takes a different approach. He undoes his braid and runs his fingers through long, blonde strands before lowering himself into the water.

It's cold, but he's used to it. Dragonspine had prepared him for any and all cold temperatures long ago.

"What are you doing? I hope you know that you'll have to walk around like a wet dog after this." Scara sneers, but Aether just grins.

"Fine with me!" He knows he might get a cold, but Tighnari is always available for things like that. Baizhu or Qiqi at Bubu Pharmacy as well. He's always well taken care of. "Why don't you come in as well?"

"Eugh, no way. I don't want to get wet, much less sit in that lake with you of all people." He says, turning his nose up.

"Alright. You've offended me for the last time. You're getting in." He climbs out of the water and grabs Scara's arm. Scara tries to shake him off, but it's known well that Aether is a whole lot physically stronger than he looks.

"Get your filthy hands off of me!"

"No way! You hurt my feelings, Scara, you have to make up for it."

"I don't have to make up for anything, you're vile scum! Get off, you'll get me wet!"

Trying to drag Scara in with him, Aether grabs at his sleeves but misses and grabs his side instead. The shriek that comes after has both of them silent and unmoving.

Aether grins evilly.

"Hey, Scara..."

"No!" Scara smacks Aether's hand away from him and scrambles to move away, but Aether's already grabbed his leg and pulled him back before he can stand.

"Scara..~" He says in a teasing, sing-song like voice and Scara pushes his face away with one hand and tries desperately to shove him with the other. "I know what that was, Scara. You can't hide from me..."

"No! Get away from me!" Scara kicks his legs as violently as possible, but Aether is strong and fast and has straddled him before he can even process what happened.

And then Aether shoves his hands underneath the layers of his clothes and they did nothing to protect him in the first place.

"Any last words?"

"I'll kill you!"

Aether rolls his eyes at the empty threat. "I'm sure you will." He squeezes at Scara's sides, and the reaction is immediate.

"NO! I'll seriously kill you- AAGH, STOP!" Scara slams his arms down to his sides, but that does nothing except make the unbearably ticklish feeling worse. He's already cackling, and in an attempt to save his little remaining dignity he tries to shove Aether away. "S-Stohop! Trahaveler- You ahahare soho dead!"

"Ehehe. Look how cute you look! Aww, are you blushing?" Aether completely ignores those threats in favor of saying things he knows will provoke Scara further. He pushes up Scara's shirt and uses all ten fingers to scratch at his lower stomach, cooing at him the whole time. "Awh, aren't you just the cutest lil thing?"

Scara grabs at Aether's wrist and uses all of his strength to push him off, but his effort is wasted. It seems Aether is so determined to tickle him to death that nothing could deter him and Scara hates him for it.

"Stop teheheasing mee!" It sounds like more of a whine than the demand he meant it to be, and combined with the giddy, ticklish feeling he's being forced to endure it makes him flush. He's so embarrassed, he wants the ground to swallow him up. He arches his back and fails as much as possible, but nothing he does lessens that feeling at all and he's going to kill that idiot traveler, he swears he will.

"How can I? Your laugh is just the cutest thing I've ever heard, I can't even," Aether laughs a bit too, hearing Scara laugh for any reason other than someone else's expense just makes him want to stay like this forever. He sounds so... Happy. His laugh is so bright and bouncy and at this point, Aether really can't help it. He lowers his hands to Scara's hips and starts squeezing.

Scara fully squeals and his squirming increases tenfold. "Nononono! Stop, stohohop! N-not there- Nnnhahahh-" He pushes at the ground and he almost squirms a little further away, but again Aether just pulls him back and keeps going. If this keeps up, he's going to actually drop dead before he can kill Aether for daring to do this to him. He just starts smacking where ever he can reach- Aether's arm, or his face, but he's already so weak that it has no effect. "MERCY!! Mercy!!"

It stops.

Aether, still grinning, moves off and sits next to Scara's panting form. "You okay?"

"I will kill you. I will make you wish you'd never been born. Do you understand what I'm saying to you, Traveler? I will end you." He's really just trying to compensate for the embarrassing pleading he'd just done, but if he died, how was he supposed to murder Aether as revenge?

"Right, right. Do you wanna get moving now?"

"No. Let me rest."

Aether smiles at Scara. His eyes are closed, and he looks incredibly pissed off. Aether will accept any form of revenge, because that was so worth it.

He'll make good use of that.

[bubbblesss000]

ANTIMONY

Antimony represents the wild and animalistic parts of human nature~

an Edward Elric x reader fanfiction.

~02~

Edward, Alphonse, and Y/N were gathered in Roy Mustang's office, completely engrossed in unravelling the mystery surrounding Father Cornello's chimera. The flickering candlelight created a mesmerising play of shadows on the walls, intensifying the aura of suspense in the room. With unwavering resolve shining in his golden eyes, Edward leaned in, his automail hand tightly clenched. Alphonse, the younger sibling, sat close by, his armour reflecting the light. Y/N, their steadfast companion, observed them with fascination.

"How could Father Cornello create a chimera without a real Philosopher's Stone or being an alchemist himself?" Edward pondered aloud, his mind racing with possibilities. "There must be some other way he achieved it. Something we're missing."

Alphonse nodded thoughtfully, his voice echoing softly from within his armour. "Maybe there's a different source of power we haven't considered yet. Something beyond our current knowledge."

Y/N, ever the optimist, spoke up, her voice filled with hope. "Perhaps this could be the key to getting your bodies back without relying on the Philosopher's Stone."

Roy suddenly spoke up from his desk, "I know someone who specialises in making chimeras, he might be able to help."

The group leaned in, eager to hear more as Roy revealed information about Shou Tucker, the Sewing Life Alchemist. They knew they had to explore the idea of seeking his assistance.

As Roy's car pulled up to Shou Tucker's residence, Ed, Al, and you stepped out, feeling a mix of anticipation and unease. The house loomed before you, its windows dark and its facade silent. Roy led the way to the front door, his expression unreadable as he knocked firmly. After a few moments, the door creaked open, revealing Shou Tucker standing in the doorway, a smile on his face. He led them inside and they all sat around his kitchen table and the three teens ask how he got his certification. Tucker's eyes sparkled with excitement as he recounted the rigorous exams and challenges he had faced to obtain his state alchemist certification. His passion for alchemy was palpable as he described the intricate transmutation circles he had mastered and the innovative experiments he had conducted. He tells them about the first chimera he made that could speak. He left them shocked. But the only thing the creature said was “i want to die” but that chimera was enough to earn him his certification.

Shou Tucker listened intently as the Elric brothers explained their desperate quest to restore their bodies. Edward recounted the tragic day they attempted human transmutation, resulting in the loss of his arm and leg, and Alphonse's entire body. The guilt and determination in their voices were palpable as they shared their journey to find the Philosopher's Stone, the key to their restoration.

As Edward spoke, his golden eyes reflected the pain of their past mistakes and the hope for a brighter future. Alphonse's armour clanked softly as he nodded in agreement, his voice resonating from within the hollow shell. Shou Tucker could sense the sincerity and desperation in the brothers' words.

Touched by their story, Shou Tucker offered his assistance, he explained how he did not know how to help them but gave the three full access to his research library in his home. The group were suddenly interrupted by a small girl, who was identified as nina Shou Tucker's daughter. (Y/N) innocently asks where her mother, Mrs Tucker is. Shou sadly explains that his wife left the two of them two years prior to go live with her mother.

Tucker walks the teens down to his research library and tells them they have all day to go through it, no rush.

As Ed, Al, and Y/N delved deeper into the chimera research, their focus was unwavering. The hours slipped by unnoticed as they pored over notes and diagrams, each lost in their own thoughts. Suddenly, the sound of small footsteps and the jingle of a dog's collar broke the silence. Nina and her faithful dog, Alexander, had arrived, their presence unexpected but not unwelcome.

Nina's bright eyes sparkled with curiosity as she peered over their shoulders, taking in the intricate details of the research spread out before them. Alexander wagged his tail happily, his tongue lolling out in a canine grin. Ed, Al, and Y/N exchanged surprised glances, not expecting her to come and visit them.

"Hello, Nina," Ed greeted her warmly, a hint of concern in his voice. "What brings you here?" Nina's response was a simple smile, her gaze lingering on the papers scattered across the table. It was clear that she was drawn to the teens and wanted to play. They obliged with her request and joined her outside. 

The three found themselves caught up in a game of fetch with Nina and her energetic dog in her lush garden. Laughter filled the air as the dog bounded back and forth, tail wagging with excitement. Nina's eyes sparkled with joy as she watched her beloved pet frolic with her new friends. The simple pleasure of the moment was a welcome escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

After that (Y/N) helped Nina make a flower crown from the wild flowers that covered the lush grass as the boys kept playing with Alexander, not long after Nina was using alphonse as a slide wearing her new flower crown. After playing with her for a while they returned to their research, soon the day flew by and it was sundown. They asked Tucker if they could come back the next day to carry on going through the research, Shou agreed and they left. 

As they stepped out of Jean Havoc's car, the air was heavy with the promise of rain. Y/N pulled their jacket tighter around them, feeling a shiver run down their spine. Edward adjusted his automail arm, a thoughtful expression on his face, while Alphonse scanned the horizon. The trio made their way towards Tucker's home. The sound of their footsteps echoed on the path, the only other noise being the distant rumble of thunder. 

As they reached the door, the first raindrops started to fall, pattering softly on the pavement. Edward glanced up at the darkening sky, as Al knocked on the door but it was already open ajar. 

Edward, Alphonse, and (Y/N) exchanged worried glances as they made their way through the silent house. The absence of any response to their calls only added to the sense of unease that hung heavy in the air. The once warm and welcoming home now felt cold and foreboding, as if holding its breath in anticipation of some unknown event.

As they moved from room to room, their footsteps echoing in the empty corridors, a feeling of dread settled in the pit of their stomachs. Shou and Nina were nowhere to be found, and the mystery of their sudden disappearance only deepened as they searched every nook and cranny of the house. The familiar surroundings now seemed unfamiliar, casting long shadows that danced menacingly on the walls.

Just as they were about to give up hope, a faint sound caught their attention. It was a soft whimper, almost imperceptible, coming from the direction of the basement. Without hesitation, they rushed towards the source of the sound, their hearts pounding in their chests. As they descended the creaky stairs leading to the basement, a sense of urgency gripped them, driving them forward into the unknown depths below.

Ed, Al, and Y/N followed Shou Tucker into the dimly lit basement, their curiosity piqued by his eagerness. As they entered, a strange mix of anticipation and unease settled over them. In the centre of the room stood a large cage covered by a thick cloth. Tucker's eyes gleamed with excitement as he pulled back the fabric to reveal his creation.

Before them stood a creature unlike anything they had ever seen. It was a fusion of different animals, stitched together in a grotesque display of alchemy. The chimera's eyes held a haunting intelligence, and its movements were both graceful and unnatural. Ed and Al exchanged a worried glance, sensing the dark implications of Tucker's experiment. Shou beamed with pride as his new chimera successfully uttered the name "Edward" at his command. The three teens, mesmerised by the creature's abilities, couldn't help but marvel at the spectacle before them. However, their fascination quickly turned to unease as the chimera unexpectedly spoke once more, this time uttering the words "big brother...big brother ed."

The atmosphere shifted in an instant, a sense of foreboding settling over the group. Shou's expression changed from one of excitement to one of confusion and concern. The teens exchanged wary glances, unsure of what to make of the chimera's cryptic words. Was it merely a coincidence, or was there something more sinister at play?

As the chimera continued to repeat the phrase, its voice taking on a haunting quality, a chill ran down the teens' spines. The once-impressive display now felt like a harbinger of something dark and ominous. Shou, realising the gravity of the situation, attempted to regain control over his creation, but the chimera seemed to have a will of its own, its gaze fixed on a point beyond their sight. They stood in shock as they realised the horrifying truth of what Shou had done to Nina and what he did to his wife. The air was heavy with tension as Edward's eyes bore into Shou, demanding answers. "Where are Nina and Alexander?" Edward's voice was firm, his fists clenched at his sides. Shou remained silent, his gaze shifting uneasily from one person to the other. Ed stepped forward, "You need to tell us what you've done, Shou.." His voice was calm but carried a sense of urgency. Y/N crouched beside the chimera, her heart heavy with dread at the thought of what might have happened to the innocent young girl and her pet. Ed's anger flared up, Alphonse quickly intervened, placing himself between his brother and Shou Tucker. Alphonse's calm voice broke through the tension, reminding Ed of the consequences of losing control. Meanwhile, (Y/N) knelt beside the chimera, offering gentle words and a comforting touch to ease its distress. The chimera's sad noises slowly subsided as it leaned into your warmth, finding solace in her presence.Seeing the impact of his outburst on the innocent creature, Ed's anger began to dissipate. He swallowed his pride and approached Nina and the chimera, his expression heavy with guilt. With a heavy heart, he apologised to Nina, explaining that despite their alchemical skills, there was no way to reverse the irreversible fusion that had taken place. The creature looked up at Ed with tear-filled eyes, understanding the weight of his words.

The tension inside Havoc's car was palpable as they watched the military officers confiscating Shou Tucker's research. Edward's hands clenched into fists, his jaw set in determination. Alphonse sat silently beside him, his metal body reflecting the dim light of the evening. And you, (Y/N), couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that settled in the pit of your stomach. As the military officers loaded boxes of documents into their vehicles, Havoc turned the car on and drove off wordlessly. Edward, Alphonse, and (Y/N) arrive back at HQ and are sat in Roy's office, the weight of his words hanging heavy in the air. The flickering flames in the office's fireplace cast dancing shadows on the walls, adding an eerie ambiance to the serious conversation at hand. Roy's expression is grave as he continues to address the three of you, his subordinates who are now faced with the harsh realities of being state alchemists. He speaks of the darkness that lurks in the corners of the world, the kind of evil that can only be combated with equal measures of strength and sacrifice. The mention of potentially being ordered to commit atrocities sends a chill down your spine, the implications sinking in with a heavy finality. Edward's jaw tightens, his golden eyes reflecting a mixture of determination and unease, while Alphonse listens attentively, his armour-clad form a stoic presence in the room. Ed exclaims that even with all his abilities, he couldn't save a single little girl. He storms out, with Alphonse trailing behind, leaving (y/n) sitting alone with her father. The room was quiet for a while before Roy says “You know this is why your mother was against this.” (Y/N) replies looking at her feet “Yeah I know.” the room was quiet once again, (Y/N) got up and walked towards the door “I'm going home, see you later”. After (Y/N) left Roy Mustang's office, the phone rang, and Roy picked it up. It was Maes Hughes on the line, his voice tense and urgent. Maes informed Roy that Shou Tucker, the Sewing Life Alchemist, and his daughter had been found dead. The news sent a chill down Roy's spine. The serial killer targeting state alchemists, Scar, had struck again, leaving a trail of death and destruction in his wake.

[carriagelamp]

I don't know what to say here this month. February, eh? Hate February, the Thursday of months, I'm just clinging to sanity while I wait for spring. Here are the books that helped me through what is basically a month of overcast skies and fucking winter rain.

Candy Color Paradox v6

Candy Color Paradox is a series I’ve been reading for years now and I’ve really enjoyed how the relationship in this one has progressed over that time. It started somewhat similar to how you’d expect a yaoi manga to start — lots of tension, drama, smut, and some light antagonism between the two main characters who both work at the same weekly magazine. But it’s eased into something that’s really quite genuine. This most recent volume focused entirely on moving in together and all the little complications and insecurities that arise because of that.

Circus of Fear

A 1980s D&D choose your own adventure novel so the quality is exactly what you would expect, but at the very least it was a fun little diversion. Doing a CYOA book with a friend can honestly be a blast, they just feel so silly, and the setting of a magical, vaguely sinister circus is always an enjoyable backdrop. We managed to get a good ending on the second try! So yay! I'd honestly like to read it again and try some of the other routes that also sounding intriguing.

Dungeon Meshi // Delicious in Dungeon v1

Me and my girlfriend started watching Dungeon Meshi because we’d seen so much about it on tumblr lately and wow. Just wow. It really is doing something special and we’re completely enamoured. Since we’re waiting for new episodes, I picked up the first book so we could compare it and the show — it’s really impressive how closely they align! And the art is really lovely, it stands out and not just for it's food glamour shots.

For those who haven't been seduced into watching the anime yet: Dungeon Meshi / Delicious in Dungeon is a DND-style parody in which the adventuring party needs to enter the monster-filled dungeon to save one of their companions who got eaten by a red dragon. They need to get to her and revive her before she entirely digested. However, to hasten their quest (and indulge one of their member’s strange obsessions) they begin to hunt and eat the monsters that fill the dungeon instead of trying to bring food in from the outside. This is 80% a cooking anime and 20% a comedic adventure anime. Book or show, doesn’t matter which, you should give it a try if you haven’t.

Down Among the Sticks and Bones

I really enjoyed the first book of the series, Every Heart A Doorway, and was excited when I found out there was a prequel about Jack and Jill and the world they visited. This can either be read as a prequel or it works fairly well as a stand-alone novella; the story is about twin sisters who have always been forced to fill very precise societal roles by their parents. One afternoon, they stumble across a magical door in the bottom of a chest and venture down into the sinister world of the moors where one sister is taken in by a vampire lord and the other by a mad scientist. The story looks at how the sisters grow and change when apart from each other and their controlling parents. Excellent story, the language is just so enticing.

Midnight Sun

My brother has been watching all the Twilight movies with a couple of his friends. Listening to him bitch about Jacob like it was 2007 reawakened something in me, so after laughing myself sick I had to go and relisten to Midnight Sun. Still genuinely and unironically love this book, it’s pure trash but by god it's my trash. I’m a simple soul.

Odder

I’ve been hearing great things about this book, and it’s hard to go wrong with Katherine Applegate so I was excited to finally read it. This is a book written entirely in free verse poetry about an orphaned otter and her experiences being rescued by the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It’s inspired by a true story (several true stories, actually!) and it's very worth picking up even if you don't usually go for poetry. It's charming and reads very easily.

Old-Fashioned Cupcake

A middle-aged salaryman is feeling worn down by the humdrum nature of his life, which is filled mostly with work these days. This manga kicks off with his coworker suggests that if he wants to deal with the feelings of boredom and aging, then he needs to do something to shake up his life: so he suggests that they “act like a pair of teenage girls” and go to a fancy new pancake shop just because it seems fun, never mind that it’s not something grown men are supposed to do. This manga ended up being pretty darn cute -- it was slow and compassionate and loving -- and it managed to convince me to buy its sequel.

Professor Calculus: Science’s Forgotten Genius

A ridiculous little book I bought on impulse that was nevertheless a lot of fun to read. It’s a tribute to Cuthbert Calculus, celebrating the 80th anniversary of his first appearance in Tintin. It dives into some of the inspirations that went into the character, and also lovingly and cheekily explores some "facts" we know about Calculus as a person… and wildly extrapolates more from there. It was a cute little read for anyone who’s a fan of the series and wants something a little extra.

Return to Oz

I recently rewatched this movie and maintain that I like it more than the original film, sorry. It made me decide to grab the novelization because I’m always a sucker for a novelization <3 This one was pretty solid too, it actually included details that were left out of the film and improve the stories overall cohesion which is always the marker of a good novelization.

Return to Oz takes place several months after the original film, when Aunty Em and Uncle Henry are trying to build a new house and get the farm back in order before winter. Concerned by Dorothy’s continued belief in Oz and her increased insomnia, Aunty Em decides to take her to a doctor who offers healing through electroshock therapy. Yeah, it’s exactly as fucking creepy as it sounds… You get a scary aslyum, a sinister head nurse, being strapped to a hospital gurney, and new baddies that scared the bejeezus out of me as a kid. Anyway, before she can be electrocuted, Dorothy manages to escape back to Oz where she discovers her friends are in dire need of help. It’s like Alice: Madness Returns but from Disney. Go watch this movie.

She Drives Me Crazy

I had very mixed feelings about this book. It’s about high school basketball player, Scottie, who has suffered a bad breakup with her girlfriend who moved schools to play on the opposing basketball team. Things go from bad to worse when she gets into a car accident with her arch-nemesis, the cheerleader Irene. One things lead to another and bada bing bada boom we have a fake dating scheme so that Scottie can get back at her ex.

This book had some genuinely fun moments (I’m always a sucker for a fake dating scheme, and the characters were reasonably fun) but it’s biggest failing is one that I’ve seen more than I like in current queer lit. It just tries so. fucking. hard. to be unproblematic. Like yeah, it’s great to see healthy relationships but it was SO explicit about it. So much therapy speak, way more than feels natural for a conversation or internal monolgue, especially when they’re in high emotions. The “banter” was very scripted. It was a book that felt like it had a laugh track. And while the ending was satisfying enough, it was also… I don’t know. Anticlimactic. We just spent so long tying everything up in a perfectly neat little bow that it really just strolled to an ending that was obvious from a mile away. 

Like look, I get it, we want this to be squeaky clean and beyond reproach, but I have NEVER entered a fake dating story hoping that everyone was going to be really sensible and respectful and level-headed. Fake dating is the slapstick of the romance world, I want some Shakespearean level bullshit, please don’t try to gussy it up for me. Gonna go and rewatch 10 Things I Hate About You or something just to feel things again. Or maybe pop over to AO3, your average fic writer at least understands that when I say fake dating I mean I want something absolutely fucking unhinged and filled to the gill with mutual pining.

So yeah, if you want a sports-based high school sapphic romance: it’s not a bad book. It went down easy, I liked listening to it in the mornings when I needed something light before work. Some bits I even quite enjoyed. But it’s not going to rock your world.

Shuna’s Journey

Well, if nothing else you can really, definitely tell this was done by Hayoa Miyazaki. I’m honestly not really sure how I felt about it. The art was beautiful, and the story was pure undiluted Miyazaki through and through. The narrative was very nice. The story and message was poignant. It was a nice book. I can’t say it’s stuck very heavily in my mind, but I enjoyed reading it. It felt like a precursor to Princess Monoke / Nausicaa, perhaps?

The Witches

The story of one child and his grandmother needing to contend with witches. Not fairytale witches. Real witches. And all their horrible, child-hating ways. One thing I will always love about Dahl is that when he wants to write about something Horrible, nothing will stop him. His villains are truly villainous and the witches are a prime example of that! I loved the description of the witches and their horrible, sinister deeds, especially in the first half of the book. This sure is Child Murder: The Novel! The ending was absolutely not what I was expecting, and I appreciate that. Such a bizarre book.

[herearedragons]

1 and 5 for your watchers?

Thanks for the ask!

Pillars of Eternity asks

what is your watcher's class? how does it relate to their backstory?

Selene is a cipher! Being a moon godlike, she was raised in a temple of Ondra, and her powers first manifested when she subconsciously made one of the temple's visitors forget a painful memory.

When the priests figured out that she had the power to make people forget, it became her job to do so; at first, she was happy to help people, but removing a memory required interacting with it, which means that, while other people got to forget, she remembered everything.

Eventually the amount of painful memories in her mind became overwhelming and she told her high priestess that she wanted to stop. The priestess then declared that, in that case, Selene must drown herself to let the memories disappear forever; when Selene refused, several of the priests attempted to drown her by force, and very few of them survived the attempt. That was the first time she had ever used her powers to harm someone.

Lorenzo is a chanter. He grew up as a slave of a rich Vailian named Riccardo, and learned his first chants from another slave, a woman by the name of Bianca, who was responsible for him while he was a child. She secretly taught him to use "Blessed Was Wengridh, Quickest Of His Tribe" to complete chores faster, and, when he grew up and was promoted to Riccardo's personal manservant, taught him "Come, Soft Winds Of Death"... just in case. Riccardo's slaves would just disappear sometimes, and, if Lorenzo was ever in danger, she wanted him to have a way out.

Eventually he would learn what happened to the people who disappeared. Riccardo was obsessed with achieving immortality through animancy (purchasing a newborn death godlike to raise as his personal servant was a taunt to Berath more than anything else), and had a machine constructed in his basement that would siphon life energy from the souls of people and transfer it to him. When a slave became too old or weak or disobedient, they would be fed to it - and, one day, it was Bianca's turn.

When Lorenzo found her, it was too late; she had already been in the machine too long to survive. He used "Come, Soft Winds Of Death" for the first time in his life to end her suffering; the chant was supposed to end there, but, after Bianca was gone, it was as if some power took over him. He kept chanting and chanting, unable to stop, for what felt like hours; when he finally stopped, he'd lost his voice and there was a taste of blood in his mouth, and everyone - everyone - in the estate except him was dead. From Master Riccardo to his slaves, to the crops and animals outside. Berath had seized the opportunity and, through the vessel that was Lorenzo, collected the debt of lifetimes that Riccardo owed to the Wheel.

5. what is your favorite party composition in poe and/or poe2?

I haven't played that far in POE2, so I'll answer for POE1!

I tend to keep Edér in the party indefinitely because a) he's my best friend, b) fighter abilities rule. I also keep Durance around for The Heals, and Sagani because a) she's also my best friend, b) I love that she gives me both a ranged fighter and a mini-tank in the shape of Itumaak. I also keep Aloth around a lot for the Good Ranged Spells, but aside from these first three, I swap people around based on vibes and which companion quests I haven't completed yet. (I tried replacing Durance with Hiravias at one point, but it was RoughTM, priest healing spells just hit different. literally.)

Dialogue-wise, I like the combination of Pallegina with about anyone, and I should really bring Maneha around more when I get her in Lorenzo's run, because I read her banter page and it's kind of great.

[forcedhesitation]

I finally got to recruit minthy....and wow. in just mere minutes, she's already infinitely more interesting to me than both halsin and SH. her dialogue is so beautifully written, and it's so interesting to learn about the cult's activities from someone who was forced to act under their control! I am genuinely eager to keep playing the game with her in my party, just to hear everything she has to say.

and I haven't gone very far with her yet, but god, wow, it's really shocking to see the contrast between my first impression of her, and how halsin is handled as a companion throughout the whole game. to be clear, I do like halsin, but that's because I spent a whole campaign trying to learn about him and grew attached to the version of him I rewrote in my head as I played. I find his actual, in-game character to be terribly inconsistent, disappointing, and incredibly bland. I mean, when you first recruit him, you learn things about him that do genuinely sound fascinating. when he tells you that it seems to him that most people do not think his feelings can be hurt, that he feels he was a poor leader, that he was unhappy and felt trapped in the grove...that had my attention! I was hoping the game would expand upon that and we'd learn about how this position of well-respected leadership and near reverence led halsin to feel dehumanised. instead...most of his in-game material is, well, just about sex, to be blunt about it.

after you finish any quest material in which he could have remained a full NPC, there's just...nothing, really. his position in the story is demoted to "eye candy" for the player, and the only scenes he gets are about sex. while I did not have my tav sleep with the drow twins, I know of the information about halsin you learn after this happens. it is WILD to me that the only other way you can even get a HINT about halsin's traumatic experiences in the underdark seems to be by taking him to the house of hope and having him interact with the portal to menzoberranzan, which will prompt him to make a comment about his "misspent youth." why you would lock information like this behind something many players would not want to do, when this character already has SUCH limited material, is completely beyond me. not only this, but it is utter madness to me that the only instances in which halsin can acknowledge the player's relationship to astarion seem to exclusively exist in discussions relating to sex/the act of sex itself. you know, astarion, the guy who wants to be seen as more than just a pretty face? whose story is about reclaiming his bodily autonomy after being abused in every way imaginable for 200 years?? whose romance explicitly requires you, as the player, to respect that he doesn't want to be expected to have sex? like, wow! it is completely bananas to me, that halsin, as he is in game, just. exists alongside a character like astarion. I know they are written by different people, but I have to ask if halsin's writer even thought some of his writing through.... did he think that this wouldn't look bad? because it does look bad!

again, I like the halsin I envision in my head, the story that I would have written for him...but the way he is in game...the weakness of his entire character in comparison to just minutes of minthara's....he just would have been so much better as an NPC because he clearly wasn't added as a companion for the purpose of story. or, I don't know, he should have been written by someone other than the person who wrote the most bland origin, because the writer being the common denominator between the two least interesting companions suggests to me that it's partially an issue on his part. they also could have chosen a different NPC, that would have better suited the role of extra companion, instead of using halsin. like, if there was any NPC that should have been made a possible extra companion, like how minthara is, it's barcus. barcus has a clear, consistent, and well-written story that spans all three acts of the game. he has an important tie to the central narrative of the game by virtue of his association with the ironhand gnomes. just as minthy can be recruited after rescuing her from moonrise, barcus could have been recruited after you rescue wulbren from the moonrise towers' prison and wulbren is a huge asshole bastard to barcus when you get back to the last light. it would have made so, so much more sense than last minute shoehorning halsin into the companion role, just because EA players wanted to fuck him.

[hsr-texts]

Lmao the fact that welt had an accent and everything for this scene is hilarious 😂

Also POM POM WTF EHHSJWJEEJKSJSJ when she appeared i straight up laughed

Also I know people might say when they did loucha’s quest they didn’t really find anything fulfilling but me personally I think that this gave us insight into that he isn’t really a bad guy per-say me personally I feel like he is more of a grey character but we don’t really know much about him yet

But a lot of people (march 😒) judged him but welt had every reason to judge this man because of what happened in HI3 and I can understand having his suspicions because of the messed up stuff he did.

The reason why I’m giving march the side eye 😒 is because she was soo quick to be impatient and snappy and it kind of annoyed me because of how quick to anger was too rash and wanted to hurry up the process of the case she got which was irritating not to mention she hates negotiating which is a very key in every transaction and if you want something you’ll have to sometimes charm someone for the right price that or to charm the person your getting information from for example, sampo.

How else do you think do you think he’s able to so easily charm his way into his victim’s hearts and scam them out of their money? He gets patient and waits for the right moment to strike I just get frustrated with march because these are things that your supposed to get used to and if you want something you have to work hard for it even if it’s tiring eventually you’ll get the results you wanted

Talking bout some “oh because we need this information” proceeds to have npc scam her out of her money. 😒 do get me wrong I love march 7th but she irritates me sometimes

I mean yeah that's pretty on brand from March considering how she treats Sampo 😅

I'm more surprised that the Realm-Keeping Commission just watched her do that whole roleplay thing without even going like "Yeah maybe this wasn't the best idea to ask complete strangers who are... very eccentric"

But I'm guessing they had to add more filler so that the ""plot"" could plot ;w;

And yes I'm aware the quest is meant to be like- A buffer to mitigate those "Luocha is Otto so he's a bad guy!!" ideas but I feel that this... was still not the best way to do it.

We only learn that he's not such a bad guy until the very end when it's revealed this whole goose chase was practically for nothing since all he did was save some two guys and gave them a prescription, then stopped people from getting spoiled.

People say that the companion quest is like this because MC hasn't met Luocha but... then they meet him on the Express after his quest bc Dan Heng apparently invited him there...

We also had a companion quest for a character we haven't officially met before and that was Silver Wolf. I'm pretty sure MC has only seen Kafka at the beginning before Kafka handed them over to the Express. You can also argue that she's possibly a bad guy since she's wanted criminal by the IPC for 5 billion credits.

Despite Silver Wolf not having as much screentime as the other characters in the quest, we still learn a pretty important part of her character. We get to see her motivations and what drives her actions. Even though the Stellaron Hunters' story isn't complete yet either. Plus we get valuable lore about her homeworld "Punklorde", which was very interesting to me.

But I digress. Ultimately, I'm speaking from my perspective as a writer. I have my own standards for what makes good character writing but people can have equally valid ideas for what they believe is good character writing as well. The fun of art is that it's subjective and everyone has a different interpretation.

[alchemiclee]

I see more posts that are shipping neuvillette and furina more than anything else. I personally don't like them as a ship. what about a more simple found family/sibling relationship??? romance doesn't fit at all imo. they haven't found themsleves quite yet so it seems off. but they may still support each other in a familial way. but at the same time, neither realize they were, or could have been, each others found family and closest companion had circumstances been different, since they both had reasons to not get closer.

one was living in an opera as a character on stage. the other taking his position seriously while keeping himself separate from humans so they don't sway his judgment. only after they part ways do they realize they were closest to what people call "family" and notice the empty spot in their lives without the other around. maybe they meet to try to patch it up again at some point. they see other siblings and notice their relationship is similar to them, arguing with each other in the streets, while the two sip on twa and water. neuvillette was always looking out for furina the way the older brother is looking out for his little sister even if he doesn't want show he cares. his methods are crude and don't always take her emotions into account. the little sister secretly enjoys having her big bro protect and dote on her and look after her even if she insists she's independent and doesn't need his help.

neuvillette is still trying to understand humans and their emotions. he's becoming better at it. after learning furina is actually a human, he wants even more to learn. he tries to use the skills he's built to comfort her and try to understand her better, but realizes he's still lacking. furina, however, never learned how to be human exactly, she forgot who she was within her endless mascerade, and she at first struggles to understand and express her own emotions properly to other people, since they were locked away for so long. so she needs to live and learn among the humans after spending some time to herself. so neuvillette still misses his mark and let's her go on her own way for a while. instead of trying to make up for how things were and he her companion again, he simply takes on the role of an older brother who protects from a distance while letting his independent sister go her own way. he tries to help her make more friends and always helps her on projects she works on like in her character quest. he works behind the scenes with her or for her to make sure her family grows and she's doing well, make sure she has something to live on for and be passionate about because seeing that makes him very happy. he makes sure she is able to build herself and make the "her" she long forgot able to return and be known by all, even if she's different than before and needs to build from scratch. tearing off a mask and rebuilding what long decayed behind is a lot of work, and he knows to give her time.

perhaps when she's settled and can forgive herself and her past, she can reach back out and find a friendship in neuvillette. perhaps she wants to help neuvillette find a place closer to the ground and among humans as well, after he expressed the desire to get closer with them and understand them even better now. he still sits too high, and is now completely alone up there. but sometimes your estranged adopted little sister can make sure you touch the ground for a bit. she knows how lonely it is up there. she learned how to let others shoulder her burdens. she learned how to open up. she learned how to share and laugh and cry with others. she learned what it means to truly be human.

she can now teach him all she learned, and since he had known her longest, perhaps he can trust her more than anyone else and let her guide him out of the shadows where he had been quielty guiding her from all this time. he can join her journey once in a while. he can finally let human emotions guide his judgements so they are better suited to serve his people. she can share her story with him so he understands her even more. he may see himself reflected in her, and she sees it too: sitting alone at the top, not opening up, not sharing the burden with anyone, not allowing oneself to form oneself outside of one's duty, moreso now.

not being human, he doesn't necessarily need the same things and supports as her. his mind is stronger and can carry the burdens just fine on his own and the entire nation is now in his hands, so it's necessary to stand strong. but after being touched by the human world, his eyes show deep lonliness that even he doesn't recognize, because he's more focused on the people's feelings, he forgets he's actually truly capable of feelings himself. his curiosity and fondness for the humans becomes even more obvious. his care and fondness for furina grows after learning shes actually a human, though he knows he must keep a distance and allow her time and space. that's why she reaches out to him, to make sure she returns what he's done for her by helping him develop his "self" in a way where can safely and successfully reach out to the humans he now realizes he cherishes more than only his strict duties. he may start to finally see and understand what it is he's been missing all along, finally understand emotions, finally understand his people, and finally understand what it means to be human.

[chaosintheavenue]

A random guide to which of my various Fallout OCs have completed various quests, DLCs etc, since I know my storyline has become pretty convoluted in places!

-

New Vegas:

Who's the Courier?

That's Six!

Picrew link

He got shot by Benny, woke up in Goodsprings, and did all the things a Courier does along the Yes Man route up to the point of having all factions allied and prepared for Hoover Dam. But… he never made it back to Yes Man to announce that he was ready to kick things off.

Where is he now?

He's, um… in the Sierra Madre vault. RIP buddy.

So what happens with Hoover Dam?

Charlie takes over the NV quests from there!

Picrew link

She has Complicated Lore, so for the sake of this quick post, you can consider her to be reluctantly Legion-aligned and operating in a role roughly equivalent to that of a frumentarius. She still never gets involved with the Dam, but she does convince more factions to aid the Legion when the time comes, and happen to meet all of the NV companions along the way.

She also usually has another OC as a companion with her- Chel, Red and Brutus in that chronological order- but they tend to take less of an active role in the quests.

What about Old World Blues?

That was Violet!

She originated as a Van Buren OC and has played a few narrative roles in my overarching OC storyline, one of which was ending up in Big MT thanks to her constant misfortune.

She doesn't talk about what happened during her unintended excursion. Mobius is probably still alive, at least… I think?

And Lonesome Road?

That- very recently, in fact- was Vari!

(please ignore the fact that he's in the Villa here lol)

I haven't sat down and intentionally written up much of his lore yet, but he's a Cipher, and my brain is currently so gripped by them that I can all but guarantee he'll get more content soon lol.

Throughout the DLC, he had no idea what in general was going on or who Ulysses was (I've roughly decided that Vari somehow received Six's old Pip-Boy from Elijah, who must have removed it pre-vault sealing for some reason or other, but that'll require plenty more lore-bending I haven't gotten around to) and did end up being unable to pacify him.

Dead Money?

Well, that was Six, up to a point. Several other OCs have visited or passed near to the Sierra Madre, and Elijah no longer seems to be holed up there. Kinda just leaving him out there as a vague rogue element in the OCverse for now.

And Honest Hearts?

Does not take place as depicted in game, but a few characters have passed through the Zion Canyon area.

-

Fallout 76:

Who's the Resident?

That's Lara!

They're the character I briefly played as at initial launch, and suffice to say, they didn't get a whole lot done. I do have a vague story outline for their post-gameplay life which involves them getting involved with Raiders, but quest-wise they spent their days terrified of the new world around them and did very little aside from creating the Scorch vaccine.

Where are they now?

Frankly, I don't know exactly what became of them in lore. But they were active in 2102, and it's now 2298, so… it's not looking too good for them :/

So who's in Appalachia now?

That's Trin!

You've probably already seen her around these parts. Backstory-wise, she has partial Cipher ancestry, but is also reluctantly tied in with the BoS, and is somewhat Scorched thanks to drinking the Nuka-Cola vaccine a little too late (AKA, Complicated Lore). She's done most of the main questline (got stuck at Fort Defiance for hardware reasons, so she'll most likely never enter a silo or launch for herself) and the entirety of Wastelanders and Steel Dawn/Reign. Has both Beckett and Sofia staying at her CAMP (plus various OC companions, of course).

[cassynite]

💋: favourite romance?, ⚡️: favourite (or current) mythic path?, ❤️: any npcs you liked, or even wished you could romance?

Aaaah thank you so much for asking!

💋: favourite romance?

Daeran's romance isn't just my favorite WOTR romance it's probably the best romance I've ever played, period. Daeran is such a complicated and intriguing character and his romance really enhances that by allowing him to open up to a player character when he normally never would. So many of my favorite interactions come from his romance, from his over-the-top courting gestures to the commentary he makes on quests to his deeply romantic and heartfelt final romance scene on a true romance path, he just makes my heart warm. I genuinely find it hard to romance literally any other character--I've only really done it once with Arue and I only managed that by cutting off Daeran's romance early act 2 and avoided him trying to romance my character in the first place.

⚡️: favourite (or current) mythic path?

I'm a big fan of angel and azata paths but for different reasons. I really liked the introduction of the azata path and its thematic tones of accepting all kinds of friends in the fight against the Worldwound and being effective because it's so different than what the crusades have been. However, narratively I found azata super lacking, its quests are very silly and don't really feel like they're impacting the main story for the most part, and the act 5 azata quests feel so insignificant I genuinely don't remember them. I do love the fact that you can completely destroy the Fleshmarkets, peacefully resolve things with Minagho, and the Desnan acolytes as azata companions though.

Angel's general thematic tones are pretty boring to me (I'm Good and Demons are Bad, I Kill Demons), and the lack of real friction from anyone for being an angel is something I kind of missed from being an azata, but I loved the angel quests a whole lot more and found how they intertwined and bolstered the main quests to be way more narratively fulfilling. I also liked the supporting characters in angel path more and had been delighted to find out that random passerby characters who show up and disappear (Targona, Yaniel) end up being integral parts of the angel path. When I realized I was able to save Lariel I was genuinely so excited. You feel like a real power in general as an angel and it made the main quest much more satisfying.

As a whole I'd say for RPing purposes azata tends to be draw me more, but for narrative purposes angel is my fave! I'm not a huge fan of playing evil characters so I haven't done much with Lich, Demon, or Devil paths, I tried trickster for a hot second but didn't find its humor very funny or its characters very interesting and abandoned the playthrough, and I always meant to try Gold Dragon but then Owlcat borked the fixes they said they were going to do so now I'm probably never going to bother because I know it's a hollow shell of a mythic path. I still haven't tried Aeon or gone Legend yet but I plan to!

❤️: any npcs you liked, or even wished you could romance?

I'm such a Targona and Lariel fan. I love both of them and how they represent the two different paths you can walk on as an angel, I love their relationship and wish there was more of it, and I don't necessarily want a romance with either of them but if there had been one I definitely would have tried it. I'm also just so sweet on Aranka, she can sing to me any day of the week <3

In terms of day to day NPCs, I'm also a huge fan of Irabeth. There's just something endearing about this hardworking woman who's been doing the best she can with what she has and it's not totally enough; I think her crisis of faith in her abilities in Act 2 makes total sense and I wish there was a more in depth way to help her with it than a Crusade management task lol. I always bend over backwards to make sure she survives the game.

Also, not an NPC, but I am in the camp that it is a literal crime that Owlcat did not make Woljif a canon romance. His character was what made me pick up the game in the first place! I can't play with mods because I'm on a Mac but whoever made that Woljif romance mod deserves a medal.