#the story about the game will be revealed to you if you play the game and engage with the story

[dopaminepump]

While I never expected a good game, I at least hoped that some of the remaining veterans on the writing team would make sure that the game stays consistent in terms of lore.

It's not hard, I said, as someone who keeps a wiki of their OCs and worldbuilding, so I don't contradict myself. It's not hard to give even incompetent gig writers you hire for the job a guideline. You've had over a decade to write it, of course!

WRONG.

On top of glaring incompetence in something as basic as keeping a logical flow in dialogues and scenes, somehow you manage to break your own canon every couple of minutes of spoken content?

How did any of this go through review? Was there even a review? Did anyone care to make this game at least consistent?

And at the same time, somehow, they managed to actively avoid adding new lore to the game. Everything that Veilguard reveals has already been foreshadowed or half-revealed in the prior games.

And the plotlines that DID have unresolved mysteries? The titans, the world outside of the effects of the veil? The elven uprising, the flocking of Dalish from all over Thedas to Solas' cause in Tresspasser? The hints of a war about to break between Tevinter and qunari? Briala's countermeasures in the eluvian guerilla warfare between the factions? The grandiose mystery that has been hinted at, with Morrigan's sisters, the ancient dragons, all being connected to the "blood of the earth" and the Titans, and the blight, AND qunari? The plotline hinting at the death of the archdemons somehow damaging the world irreconcilably and being something to be avoided? Enchantment? Kieran?

Damn it, even just the real and gruesome picture of Tevinter slavery and the existence of the Black Divine and Minrathos' policy of worshiping solely the maker and considering the worship of Andraste s heresy!

Off all these the only thing that hasn't been chucked out of the window and into abyss is a wheel of cheese.

Edit I: Oh and if you thought drug addiction of the Templars is still a theme in the game, don't worry, they forgot to write that in.

Edit II: I was wrong! They didn't forget to write it in. They deliberately wrote it out for the Northern Templar order and turned them into cops.

Edit III: After going through Codex entries, I would like to make mention that there IS a Codex that talks about the differences of worship between nations. However it does not change that the writing outside of the Codex entries is breaking that lore.

Additionally I made mention that they forgot about the outside world. Again, there is a Codex entry that mentions that lore, but it seems to be incomplete as it erroneously states that people have been turned back and there are wild stories circulating. People have in fact died in storms, and survivors that made it back were all driven insane. There is no mention of it. My speculation over the years was that the effect of the Veil is local and I was expecting THAT alongside the "veil measuring devices" and the Orb to play into the study of the Veil by the Inquisition remnants and other interested parties. Alas, this plays 0 role in the plot.

As does the mechanic of belief as a power source, in fact! You know, the one mechanic they hinted heavily as something that could easily change the nature of beings closely connected to the Fade? Remember the Avvar?

Or the Chasind? Hello? Does anyone remember the Chasind? (Who, I notice now after rereading the wiki page on them, are written in an archaic form of xenophobic stereotypes towards northern eastern europeans. Wow.)

[cluelessteam]

Whispers Through Time: {~Unveiling Fate~}

A/N: Hey guysss! I just want to apologize for literally not updating this story for WEEKSSS! I had been really busy with school and then I had gotten sick and had chest problems. I really hope you guys enjoy these last 2 chapters of "Whispers Through Time"

Summary: After being mysteriously transported into the world of House of the Dragon, a modern-day woman poses as a seer to gain entry into the Targaryen court. Armed with knowledge of the future, she secretly warns Rhaenyra and Daemon of looming dangers while hiding her true identity. As she grows closer to both, romantic tension builds, but so do the risks of her deception. With Daemon's suspicions rising and Rhaenyra’s trust deepening, the reader must navigate her lies while trying to alter their tragic fate—before everything unravels.

Characters: Rhaenyra & Daemon

Pairing: Rhaenyra x Fem!Reader x Daemon

Word Count: 1254

Tag List: @snowtargaryen, @hippiedippiekitty

Chapter 9 --- Chapter 10

The reader stood in the dimly lit chambers, her mind racing from the events of the last few hours. Rhaenyra’s accusations still rang in her ears, and Daemon’s intense gaze seemed to burn into her soul even now. They had almost discovered her secret, the notes she had been leaving, warning them about potential threats and dangerous outcomes. She had narrowly avoided the truth being exposed, but the lingering sense of tension was palpable.

She paced the room, feeling the weight of the looming decision ahead. She didn’t know how long she could keep hiding her identity—or the fact that she was behind the warnings. A part of her wanted to reveal everything, but the risk of altering the course of history still loomed large. She couldn’t be sure what telling them would do.

The door creaked open, and the reader’s heart jumped into her throat. She turned, her pulse quickening, to see Rhaenyra stepping into the room, her violet eyes filled with curiosity—and something deeper.

“I’ve had enough of these games,” Rhaenyra said softly, stepping toward the reader with quiet grace. “You’re hiding something. And you’re going to tell me what it is.”

The reader took a shaky breath, trying to compose herself. She couldn’t let this be the moment they discovered her truth. Not yet.

“I’ve told you, Rhaenyra, I’m not hiding anything,” the reader said, though even she could hear the tremor in her voice. She hoped the room's shadows concealed it from Rhaenyra’s sharp perception.

Rhaenyra’s lips pressed into a thin line. “You’re lying,” she said, her tone calm but unwavering. “Daemon and I can feel it. You’ve been distant, withholding from us—especially after you stopped those letters from arriving.”

The reader swallowed hard, trying to steady her breathing. She had intercepted a critical letter meant for Rhaenyra only hours before—one that could have revealed too much about the future and her warnings. If they had seen it, her entire ruse would have unraveled.

“I... I was trying to protect you,” the reader admitted quietly, stepping closer to the edge of the truth without crossing the line. “There are things I know—things that could put your lives in danger. I’ve been trying to prevent that.”

Rhaenyra’s eyes softened slightly, but her expression remained guarded. “What things?” she asked quietly.

The reader hesitated, her heart thudding in her chest. She couldn’t lie outright, but she also couldn’t reveal the full truth. “I’ve seen things,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Visions, maybe. I don’t know how, but... I’ve been trying to keep the future from falling apart.”

The admission felt heavy on her tongue, and she watched Rhaenyra’s face carefully, waiting for her reaction. The princess studied her for a long moment, and the silence between them stretched until it was almost unbearable.

Finally, Rhaenyra sighed softly. “You’ve been playing with fate,” she murmured. “And you didn’t trust us to know?”

“It wasn’t about trust,” the reader replied, her voice filled with quiet desperation. “It was about protecting you. I don’t know what changing things will do.”

Rhaenyra stepped even closer, her presence overwhelming. “You can’t protect us from everything,” she said softly. “You’ve already put yourself at risk. Daemon and I—”

“Daemon and you?” the reader interrupted before she could stop herself, her own turmoil spilling out. “This is exactly why I pulled away. I can’t—”

She stopped herself, biting her lip as she turned away, but Rhaenyra’s hand caught her arm, stopping her retreat. “You can’t what?”

The room felt too small. The truth that had been clawing at the reader’s mind for days was on the verge of breaking free, and she didn’t know how to stop it. “I can’t do this,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “I can’t let myself... care too much. If I do, I could change everything. Your future, your children—everything I know about this world.”

Rhaenyra’s grip on her arm tightened. “You’re afraid of loving us,” she said softly, her voice barely more than a whisper.

The reader turned back to her, her heart pounding in her chest. “Yes,” she admitted. “I’m afraid of what loving you—and Daemon—would do. I’ve already changed so much just by being here. If I let myself give in... what happens then?”

Rhaenyra was silent for a moment, her eyes searching the reader’s face. Then, slowly, she let go of the reader’s arm and stepped back. “You’re right,” she said quietly. “You’ve already changed things. But you’re wrong about one thing.”

The reader frowned. “What?”

“You don’t get to decide what our future looks like,” Rhaenyra said, her voice firm. “That’s for us to determine. Not you.”

Before the reader could respond, the door creaked open again. Daemon stepped inside, his face shadowed with concern. He glanced between the two women, sensing the tension in the room. “What’s going on?”

Rhaenyra’s eyes flicked to Daemon, then back to the reader. “It’s time we stop hiding from each other,” she said, her voice low but commanding. “All of us.”

Daemon’s gaze shifted to the reader, his expression unreadable. “She’s right,” he said after a long pause. “We can’t keep playing this game. If we’re to trust you, we need the full truth.”

The reader’s heart sank. This was it—the moment she had feared for so long. She looked between Rhaenyra and Daemon, her mind racing as she tried to find a way out, a way to keep her secret without losing their trust entirely.

“I’m not from here,” she said finally, the words spilling out before she could stop them.

Rhaenyra and Daemon both stared at her, their expressions frozen in shock.

“I’m not... from this world,” the reader continued, her voice trembling. “I don’t know how I got here, but... I know things. Things about your future, about what’s coming. And I’ve been trying to stop it from happening.”

Daemon stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. “You’ve known about the future this entire time?”

The reader nodded, her breath hitching. “Yes. I’ve known. And I’ve been trying to help without... without changing too much. But it’s getting harder.”

Rhaenyra’s face softened, but there was still an edge of caution in her voice. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“I was afraid,” the reader admitted. “Afraid of what would happen if I changed too much. Afraid of... of getting too close to you.”

Daemon’s gaze was piercing, but there was no anger in his eyes. “And now?”

The reader swallowed hard, meeting his gaze. “Now, I’m afraid I already have.”

For a long moment, no one spoke. The silence was thick, charged with the weight of everything left unsaid.

Finally, Rhaenyra stepped closer, her voice soft but firm. “You’re not alone in this. We’ll face whatever comes—together.”

The reader’s heart ached with the warmth of Rhaenyra’s words, but deep down, the fear remained. The future was unraveling before her eyes, and she didn’t know how much longer she could keep it from falling apart.

[inkyquince]

I'm going to make fun of so many peoole who don't like veilguard. Because....

Veilguard is the spiritual successor to Dragon Age 2

Inquisition is more like Origins, and I would call it the spiritual successor if it wasn't sufficiently lacking in other areas

Now there are dumb fucks out there who only like origins or only like inquisition. It's their entire personality when it comes to dissecting the dragon age games.

I like dragon age a lot because each game is a different genre. Origins is depression melodrama. 2 is a comedy that loves to stop and punch you in the gut every now and then, and shows the prime time when your friends are more your family than blood is. Inquisition is... A political thriller that happens to have magic (and the ugliest graphics. Bruh why is everyone but like three people so deep in the uncanny valley. Why is combat boring). Veilguard is getting to see what it feels like to inherit a situation outside of your control, it's more like an underdog story.

"it has cringy dialogue" and you don't remember origins? You think bioware doesn't dish out cringy dialogue for each game?

"the art style-" is STYLISED. Origins is good looking for graphics that feel outdated for 2009. But it's not realistic looking. 2 had it's budget slashed viciously so it does look wonky especially with their cameo characters. Inquisition, as I've said, feels deeply ugly because there is nothing stylised about it. They went for realistic and now everyones inquisitor is kinda ugly, sorry. People enter the uncanny valley, they always look better in concept art. The three prettiest people we have is Dorian, Cassandra and Josephine. Everyone else enters the uncanny valley of WEIRD looking. It's busted and I'm sorry. Veilguard? Fuckin stellar stylisation. The art, the environments, the magic, is so goddamn pretty.

"you cant control your compa-" yes you can. You can make them attack. Why are you sad about missing out on inquisitions boring combat where you press R. Wow. Amazing.

People have rose tinted glasses for these games. Play them from the first to the last game and I'd say veilguard is FULLY one of the best. I saw some loser on tiktok scream about the iron bull's signature being EXPLAINED in text and not shown?? Saying 10 years and for what?

10 years for a play through, start to finish, took me 55 hours doing ALL of the quests and exploring. From the amazing character creator and the hair physics that inquisition, 2 and origins could never make work. From the beauty of the backgrounds, how each location feels deeply lived in, compared to inquisition where new environments felt plastic and not real. For a finale that had me crying for 20 minutes at the choices I made and knew would make again. For the reveals, for the conversations, for the natural ending for Solas. I only cried in origins after my warden died. I teared up at Hawkes mother dying. Inquisition got no tears from me.

I'm sorry that you're hung up on small details. I have complaints too. Maybe a better fantasy term for trans and non-binary, but honestly the conversations that we're able to have about them? Deeply lovely. I personally wish that one day we can go back to the origins start, where we spend around 20 minutes IN our origin and then go frolicking. I'd kill to see that with the mourn watcher and crow origin so we can be excited when we see them again when we revisit the important NPCS. Personally do want the Lucanis romance to kick off earlier in the game, but he is one of the hardest ones to romance for good reason and it made sense for the character. I miss importing decisions but to be fair, the choices I made in origins wouldn't have shown up that much in veilguard, except maybe Kieran being in the background of some scenes at a stretch, but mostly for inquisition and Hawke. Varric obviously sees a lot of Hawke in Rook (just look at the dialogue wheel) and I wish we got to hear Isabella talk about them.

But these are so little. I have way more complaints about inquisition but I will still play it. I can acknowledge the flaws but if you hold it, or origins on a pedestal, that's just embarrassing for you, that you're stuck on a game, instead of being stuck on the series, in an excellent fantasy setting that keeps being expanded on.

Veilguard let's us say goodbye to Solas in the best way. There was NEVER going to be a happy end for him. Stop deluding yourself that the inquisitor and Solas would have rode off into the sunset. It's frankly embarrassing that themes from inquisition and veilguard flew over your head if you beloved that.

I've seen this same anguish over a sequel and it was for 2, after origins. Now 2 isn't the perfect game. It doesn't even have a proper title. But 2, a decade later, is well loved. It's full of jank, it's got strange coding, but the story has a lot of love. But it wasn't origins, so fans wailed and pissed. But it's a fan favourite these days and Hawke is deeply beloved and remembered fondly to the point that the possibility of their death in inquisition made an impact.

So, basically, get over yourself. None of these games are perfect and yes it took 10 years but I love it. I get to play as a crow for the first time, a faction I've loved since Zevran was able to rizz himself out of being killed. You can play as a Warden again, for the first time since Origins. Griffins are back and they're adorable. Their quest is heart breaking and anxiety inducing. You can play as new factions, ones we didn't fuck around with before, the shadow dragons, the mourn watchers, the veil jumpers. We get several amazing romances, that feel in character. Everyone is bisexual again but have clear preferences. Bellara has a preference for women, Emmerich has a preference for men, Lucanis has Never being in relationship. Taash and Harding might get together, Lucanis and Neve might get together. We get a companion that's trans, we GET to be trans for the first time. In inquisition we have krem but the developers never thought we would want to be trans, so I will happily take what we can get. Could it be better? Always. But I'm not stuck in 2014.

Take off your rose tinted glasses and go fuck that old man and maybe you'll lighten up.

[quirkwizard]

What are your thoughts regarding how Hawks views his idol, especially post-war, as he moved on so fast after the truth was revealed by Dabi. Because it seems like a paradox here: how can he be a pragmatic thinker while not questioning Endeavor's actions and following him blindly? Or is it just another one of his optimistic extremes?

I mean, it's not like Hawks has a lot of room to talk. He was exposed in that very same video from Dabi when he killed Twice. Suddenly turning on Enji may just be a tad bit hypocritical.

Joking aside, there's a lot that could be said about Hawks and his reaction to Enji's history. While a lot of fans attribute this to Hori reducing Hawk's character or excusing what Enji did, that is not the case. Because I feel like this is more about Hawks and his character than it is about Endeavor. If you want to go from a purely pragmatic standpoint, Endeavor is one of the best fighters that the heroes have at this point. Keeping him around and keeping his head in the game until after the war is the best option for everyone. Hawks putting aside his feelings is the pragmatic choice. Which kind of plays a part in this, but it has more to do with his actions than his motivation. Because his support has nothing to do with Enji as a person and everything to do with Endeavor as a hero. That means helping him fight and keeping his head in the game. Which could be part of the reason why Hawks doesn't really react or deal with this. He's very much a self-sacrificing, big picture kind of guy. There are way bigger issues to deal with, and he isn't really giving himself time to process.

The big reason why Hawks doesn't have much reaction is explained in the in-between chapters of around Chapters 299 and 303. Hawks believes that Enji has changed from the person he was before, and he wants to support Endeavor for the man he is rather than the man he was. Which, yes, could be rooted in his admiration of Enji, but I think it comes more from his optimism. Hawk's isn't blind to whom Endeavor is, for better and for worse, but instead chooses to help and support Endeavor. Because so much of who Hawks is is defined by him helping others, especially when it comes to other heroes. Hawks isn't defending Enji at any point in this. He just wants to help Enji because Enji is trying to be better, and Hawks wants to support that. To Hawks, yeah, Enji did some bad stuff. That doesn't erase all of the good he's done as Endeavor or invalidate his genuine attempts to reconcile with his past actions. Did we miss out on Hawks really dealing with Enji's reveal? Maybe, but I think the route taken is more true to his character, his place in the story, and the connection he has to Enji.

[droaxa]

the villainesses scheme

✧ tags: yandere haikyuu male leads x villainess reader

✧ warnings: yandere behavior (later on), reader hits her head

✧ a/n: hi guys guess who’s back!! i love the isekai trope where the mc gets reborn a few years before their death and i needed to put my own lil’ twist on it! i’d love to turn this into something longer (like a series or something) so give me your thoughts!! my recent haikyuu obsession led to this one lol, inspired by: the male leads were stolen by an extra

You were a loser, well not exactly. You had a pretty stable job and a nice flat but lacked one major component in your life: friends. But it’s not like you were antisocial! Moving to a new city just a few months ago, you had been busy with moving in and didn’t exactly have enough time to make friends.

Besides you were preoccupied with your favorite web comic of all time: Flower of the Estate! A commoner girl that has three noble men falling for her? This girl really had some crazy cha(rizz)ma. You weren’t really into harem type stories but wow did it keep you coming back to see what happened.

It was another late night reading Flower of the Estate when you decided to head to the kitchen to get some snacks to keep you fueled. However, when you turned to retreat back you slipped on spilled water near the sink and hit your head on the granite counter! You mentally curse yourself for not cleaning it up as you drift into a deep slumber.

When you open your eyes and the lights blind you, quickly slapping a hand over your face you shoot up. Registering the soft plush beneath you you opened your eyes, when did you get in bed? Looking around your jaw drops, who the hell put you in a room like this! The whole room was illuminated by sunlight peaking behind the luxurious navy drapes and you gasped at the sheer size and extravagance of the bedroom. You were… in a castle?

Jumping off the bed you immediately fell to your knees with a thud. How long had you been out for that your legs were this weak? You push yourself up and stumble to the mirror on a vanity next to the bed. The satin fabric of your night gown fell to the ground, revealing the length that had been bunched up while you were sleeping.

In the mirror, the first thing you see is (e/c) eyes and a face eerily similar to yours. It was your face and body for sure but the state of it wasn’t, your hands were usually rough and your knees were scarred from playing as a child but now both were smooth and even. Then your eyes feel on a crest engraved onto the top of the vanity and your heart dropped.

The beautiful family crest of a black fox protected by two swords was a prevalent symbol in Flower of the Estate. It was the crest of the villainess. You, (y/n) Aleria, were the cruel villainess of the story, waking up here and looking like this had no other explanation. To see if it was true you quickly pushed the sleeve of your left arm up, on the wrist was a faint birthmark. A scar in the shape of a half moon, your fate was sealed. You fall back on the bed. ‘Shit.’

You were official the villainess of Flower of the Estate, who bullies the main character, get thrown out of high society, and then dies. You knew the path that the villainess followed and the actions she took, did that mean you could avoid facing the same death as her as well? The first mistake that she had committed that set her on the path of destruction was her bullying of the main character.

The villainess was notorious for her extravagant lifestyle and cruel manner, she didn’t have anyone close to her and the book never showed her point of view. You knew the basics about her but who was (y/n) — really? Was she really just jealous of the commoner girl that had managed to outshine her or was it deeper than that?

No matter why she behaved that way, you knew that following on her footsteps would only lead you to doom. You needed a game plan, plus you read enough reincarnation manga to know what basic things to avoid as the villainess.

Love Interests and Relations:

Tooru Oikawa - Childhood love (One sided) and (y/n)’s main obsession

Tobio Kageyama - Royal knight who pledged their loyalty to (y/n)

Ushijima Wakatoshi - Esteemed scholar who ended up being (y/n)’s tutor for a short period of time

Ok… this would a little harder than you thought. Why were all the love interests involved with the villainess anyway? Oikawa could be avoided easily enough, you just needed to distance yourself from him and considering that Oikawa was keen on getting rid of you. If you remembered correctly he was rather annoyed by the villainess who would cling to his side like a lost puppy. As for Ushijima, you knew that he would only be your tutor for a month, then leave your care to meet the main character who he would eventually fall in love with. Kageyama would be the hardest to get rid of compared to the other two, he would be around the villainesses the longest and somehow fall in love with her. However much like the others, he would fall in love with the female lead and leave (y/n) to be with her, withdrawing his pledge to be by her side.

Ugh. This is going to be a headache isn’t it?

[goatcheesecak3]

I hate you too Pt.3

Adam Faulkner-Stanheight x reader

Warnings: alcohol, brief mentions of nsfw

Fic type: angst, fluff

Summary: both trying to wrap your heads around the situation, you and Adam each reach out to your friends.

A/n: hello!! Probably the last part to this short series, I've had fun writing it though! Maybe I'll try a Lawrence fic next??? Who knows. Anyways, enjoy! :^)

Your heart sank. What the hell kind of sick game was Adam playing with you? Hooking up was one thing, but you'd both poured your hearts out to eachother, you though you had a real connection. You wiped tears from your eyes and gritted your teeth in anger. You needed a friend, a distraction. You called Mark.

"H- hey Mark" you spoke into the phone, sniffling a little and hoping it didn't sound like you'd been crying.

"What's up, y/n?" His voice sounded cheery.

"Look, I don't wanna put you on the spot or anything, man, but I uh... I'm having kinda a bad day, I was wondering if I could come over?"

"Hey, you know you're welcome anytime. Scott's coming over later to watch this lame slasher movie I picked up, it's gonna be a hoot. You should join us!"

His kindness was so jarring I'm contrast to the cold, unfeeling text you'd just recieved from Adam. It almost made you tear up again, but you held it together long enough to set a time, before hanging the phone up.

You made yourself a rather exquisite breakfast consisting of a cigarette, a beer, and several more cigarettes. Following this, you drifted in and out of sleep on the couch while watching episodes of beavis and butthead, and trying your hardest not to think about Adam.

When 6pm rolled around, you finally got yourself dressed and headed out to Mark's apartment.

...

After sending you that awful text, Adam had fallen asleep for a few hours. When he awoke, it was the evening. Despite a full day's rest, he didn't feel any better, in fact, he felt much worse. He knew he'd fucked up, he'd let himself step too far and now he was pretty sure your entire friendship was out the window, let alone any chance at a relationship. He knew deep down this was for the best, or at least he thought so? His head was swimming and he really couldn't make much sense of the whole situation. He had to bite the bullet, and call in for reinforcements in the form of his friend Scott. Adam knew full well that revealing the events that had transpired to Scott would come with a barrage of jokes and teasing, but at the end of it all, Scott was his friend and he'd help him make sense of it all.

...

"Yeah, I can meet you bro. I'm going to Mark's to watch this lame movie, I'll come pick you up and we can talk on the way. We're long overdue for a guy's night"

"Thanks, Man. Yeah, a guy's night sounds good"

Adam was beyond relieved that it would just be the three of them, he couldn't bear to face you right now.

At half six, Scott's beat up old Ford pulled up outside Adam's building, to find him already waiting on the curb, a cigarette hanging from his lips.

"You got one of them for me?" Scott grinned as Adam climbed in.

"Always" Adam obliged, handing Scott a cigarette.

"So," Scott pulled off with a screech, "What did you wanna talk about?"

"It's about y/n"

"What, you hittin that or something?" Scott teased.

Adam's unexpected silence answered that question, as he shifted awkwardly in his seat.

"No. Way. No fuckin WAY dude. Mark totally owes me 50 bucks" Scott gave Adam an affectionate punch in the arm, briefly averting his gaze from the road to see what he expected to be a smug grin plastered across Adam's face. Instead, however, Adam's face told a story of guilt and confliction.

"What? You didn't her pregnant did you?" He sounded genuinely concerned.

"Nah man, nothing like that. It's just... ugh, I don't know, I think I like her? But like, I'd just break her heart if I went there" Adam stared straight ahead as he spoke.

"You don't know that, man just tell her how you feel. At the very least you'll get to see her naked a couple more times before you completely fuck it up." It seemed that Scott possessed the incredible ability to never take anything seriously.

"Yeah... I don't think i can do that. Like, I think I've pretty much nailed that coffin shut"

"Well you certainly nailed something," Scott held out his fist to Adam and grinned to himself.

"Dude, I'm serious"

"So am I! Dude, emotional bullshit aside, y/n's a fuckin smokeshow, and I'm proud of my boy for his achievements"

Adam bit the insides of his cheeks, but couldn't help the smile from creeping across his face. He knew the whole macho bullshit thing was gross and childish, but admittedly, he was kinda proud of himself for sleeping with you. He bumped Scott's fist.

"There he is" Scott chuckled, "so, now that we've got all this acting like a pussy out the way, you're gonna pick up your phone, call y/n and tell her 'I'll be at your place later with condoms and viagra, chug a couple energy drinks 'cause we're gonna go all night'" he joked.

"You know, I think that approach might be a little full on" Adam laughed. "But you're right, I gotta stop being a little bitch about this and tell her how I feel"

"Awesome. Me and Mark can help you plan how you're gonna do it tonight, but you owe us another guy's night if we do"

"How come?"

"Because you're totally acting like a chick"

"Shut up, man. You're an asshole, you know that?"

...

You'd been at Mark's apartment for a little while already, drinking beer and waiting for Scott to arrive.

"Does he know I'm gonna be here?" You asked casually

"You know, totally slipped my mind to tell him. Hell be here any minute, so I guess he'll find out when he arrives" Mark smiled.

As if to punctuate that sentence, the unmistakable sound of Scott's loud footsteps approached the apartment door, followed by a hefty knock.

Mark opened the door, to see both Scott and Adam waiting.

"Oh hey! Guess the whole gang's here" Mark smiled.

The two men entered the apartment, Adam's expression slowly turning to one of dread when he saw you sat on the couch.

"What the hell is he doing here?!"

"What the hell is she doing here?!" The pair of you exclaimed at the same time.

"Oh come on, not this again. Guys, just sit down, relax, have a few beers. I'm too tired to watch you two fight all night" Mark rolled his eyes.

"Won't be necessary" you said coldly, rising to your feet and attempting to barge your way past the men and out of the apartment.

"Ohhhh I don't think so, little lady" Scott scoffed, blocking your exit.

"Scott, I'm warning you, you know I could kick your ass" you bit.

"Be that as it may, you and Adam got a lot to talk about. Now Mark and I are gonna leave for a while, give you two some privacy, and you're gonna solve this" Scott said. Seeing Scott be the voice of reason was like seeing a unicorn, you couldn't believe your eyes.

"Why should I leave? This is my apartment?" Mark argued as Scott ushered him out

"Because you're gonna head down to the ATM and withdraw that 50 bucks you owe me"

"What?" The realisation set in and he turned to face you and Adam, "you two? No WAY!"

"Have funnnnn" Scott mocked in a sing-song voice as he guided a gobsmacked Mark out of the apartment, closing the door behind them on their way out.

The apartment was silent now, you and Adam both stood, stunned, staring blankly at eachother. You would have kept this stand off going on forever, if you weren't so drained. You threw yourself down onto the couch and sighed exasperatedly.

"This is so fucking humiliating" you muttered under your breath.

Adam sat beside you. You held your head in your hands, eyes glued to the floor, but you could feel Adam's gaze burning into you.

"Y/n, I-"

"No, it's fine, like I get it. Last night was a mistake, it didn't mean anything. You don't have to tell me again." You snapped, not wanting to relive the heartbreak.

Adam exhaled

"I didn't mean that" he said quietly, his voice sounding shameful.

Suddenly, something inside you snapped. You were furious, he'd completely devasted you, and now he'd changed his mind?

"Then what the fuck do you mean?!" You blurted angrily, "you hate me one minute, you like me the next. What the actual fuck is your problem, Adam? What is it you want? Because in case you hadn't realised, you've given me some pretty mixed signals in the last 24 hours!"

"I want you!" He yelled "I mean.. I want to be able to want you" his voice was soft, gentle even.

Yours was not.

"Oh my fucking GOD. Do you only talk in riddles or something? What next, do I need to solve a fucking treasure hunt to find your missing brain?!"

"Y/n, no, please just listen.. okay? I just- man I thought I'd have time to plan this" he exclaimed to himself, throwing his arms up in the air.

"Look, if I don't get a straight answer in the next five minutes I'm walking out that door" you said, calmer now.

"Okay.. okay.." Adam breathed slowly, he seemed to be trying to find the words.

"Look," he began, "I'm in the weirdest place emotionally right now, I've always struggled with being vulnerable, but I mean, I'm so much worse these days. Ever since... well, you know..." he bit the inside of his lip and looked ahead, his eyes filled with sadness.

"I'm still trying to get myself back, and I don't know if the part of me that can let people in is ready.

If I let you in right now, I'm scared that I'll only hurt you further down the line, and I could never ask you to just wait around for me to get better."

He stared at the floor and sighed, feeling quite sorry for himself.

You considered what he had said for a moment, before finally speaking, much gentler this time.

"So get better now"

"What? Y/n, it's mot that simple"

"Yes, Adam, it is that simple" you said, your tone kind, but firm. "You say you're trying to get better at letting people in, and in the last 24 hours you've been more emotionally honest with your arch nemesis than you would ever imagine. Sure, it doesn't exactly scream stability, but that's part of the process. You're making progress" you took Adam's hand and brushed your thumb across his skin reassuringly.

"It's not gonna be easy, but if you don't take this chance and let me in then you're not moving forward".

Adam let out a half hearted chuckle, and wiped a few tears he hoped you hadn't seen from his eyes.

"I hate the fact that you're always right"

"Get used to it" you smiled warmly, giving him a playful nudge.

"Okay... so in the spirit of moving forward" he gulped, "would you uhh... be free for date sometime?"

He smiled sheepishly, nervously fidgeting with the sleeve of his jacket. You noticed that his eyes seemed to look extra sparkly, as if there was hope and excitement in them for the first time in a while.

"I'm free right now" you giggled, placing your hand on Adam's cheek and leaning in to kiss him.

Adam's hands held onto your waist as he leaned into the kiss, gradually pushing you back onto the sofa. He kissed you deeper now, more hungrily, his fingertips were just brimming the hem of your shirt, when...

"Aaaand the two of you can go continue that "date" literally anywhere but my sofa" Mark exclaimed, bursting into the apartment, Scott following giggling like a schoolboy.

"Were you assholes listening through the door?!" You squealed, jumping up and adjusting your shirt.

"Hey, I didn't wanna, but Mark needed proof that he lost the bet!" Scott laughed, barely able to contain himself.

"Dude! Come on, that was priv- wait.. what bet?" You asked, more curious than annoyed by this point.

"I bet Mark that you and Adam secretly liked eachother, and now I'm 50 bucks richer" Scott said proudly.

"Never would've imagined you guys together" Mark admitted, "but you know what, I like this little dynamic. It's sweet, or at least it is when you're not tryna bang on my couch" he teased.

"Sorry about that, man" Adam chuckled, his cheeks reddening.

"Now, come on you crazy kids," Scott said, in a slightly patronising, but good natured tone, "get your asses down to some restaurant or something where you can sit and make googly eyes at eachother before me and Mark throw up"

...

You and Adam walked down the street after leaving Mark's apartment. Your hands brushed against eachother, and without words they were interlinked. Just to think, a couple days ago you would have thrown up at the thought of holding Adam's hand, but now it was all you wanted to do.

"So... a restaurant, huh?" Adam said, swinging your arms slightly.

"Hm" you tilted your head, "orrrrr... we could head back to mine, crack open a bottle of wine on the balcony... maybe fool around a little?" You looked at Adam with a cheeky grin.

"God, you just get me" Adam laughed, placing his free hand on your waist and planting a soft kiss onto your lips.

And it was indeed, a perfect date.

[tarbuchyloewenthal]

i loved and hated dragon age: the veilguard???

apologies for the extended rant i'm about to go on.

i loved being back in thedas after 10 years, and i loved that final scene with solas. the emotional beats hit just right in that moment.

i loved to absolutely annihilate groups of enemies with arcane bomb popping off every five seconds.

i loved almost all of my companions' arcs. they had so many moments of genuine pathos.

yet all these barely made up for my growing frustration throughout the game at the dialogue and dialogue system, the repetitive quest design, and narrative focus.

this game shares pretty much all the features that i hated when i first played mass effect 3 all those years ago. from the opening of the game skipping everything except the most minimal story set up in favor of bombastic cinematics to the extensive use of auto dialogue taking away the feeling that i had control of my player character.

bioware has apparently gotten into the bad habit of thinking the set up at the beginning of a story is unimportant. i hated starting off with a bang in mass effect 3. i hated it in inquisition. and i hate it now in veilguard. to me it feels like narrative malpractice to forgo the most vital part of the story. only getting a slickly animated cutscene to set the scene in the story instead of any actual attempt to know rook and their relationships with varric, harding, and the world at large really put me off.

the large amounts of auto dialogue only exacerbated my frustration. mass effect 1 (and 2 to a slightly lesser extent) made the dialogue wheel and voiced protagonist feel like an actual evolution of their previous dialogue systems in kotor and jade empire (and origins even though that came out after). i felt like i had actual input. conversations flowed like rpg conversations had always flowed. but in veilguard conversations feel way too passive, only needing my input when the game wanted me to add a small dash of emotional flavor to the conversation or the ever present binary choice for major story moments.

that's not to say bioware didn't write in a lot of reactivity. there's an absurd amount of unique dialogue depending on lineage and faction choices, but i, as the player character, never felt like i was in the drivers seat for any of it.

it made my rook feel completely disconnected from the story they were ostensibly the protagonist of, like they manifested into existence mere seconds before showing up to the bar in minrathous.

and the quests, individually well paced, all mainly followed the same formula of walk down a path, grab loot from side paths, fight some enemies, and listen to your companions talk all the while. part of why i like rpgs is the feeling that i'm inhabiting a world that revolves around more than combat and puzzles for loot. even if that's mostly what video game rpgs boil down to at the end of the day, it's the illusion of that which sells me on the game world. when all your quests involve that same formula, it flattens the game world to nothing but a combat arena. which, to be fair, i felt was a problem all the way back in mass effect 2, as well.

i also didn't like how all the lore reveals flatten nearly all the setting's mysteries down to solas and the evanuris. they were really neat in isolation, but taken together they kind of hollowed out the world.

ok, so i'm tiring even myself out by now, so i'll just mention in passing the relentless and unnecessary expository dialogue, as if the writing team didn't trust the cinematics team to get across literally any information (i'm looking at you bellara on the approach to d'meta's crossing).

this rant gives off the impression that i didn't really enjoy veilguard, but i did. it's just that the things it does well are what you expect from bioware, and the things i find issue with have become a bit of an unfortunate pattern from the studio. the game was so good, but it could have been so much better.

[egophiliac]

I love your take on Crowley!

I know that the early, non-Diasomnia stories aren't really your thing, but are you reading the novels at all?

I have been following some of the fan translations and the second book seems intense! Would love to hear what you think about them.

thank you! 💚💚💚 I'm not really sure why you think I don't like the earlier arcs though, I love pretty much all the characters and their storis! (I think 5 and 1 are my favorite of the past episodes, though 6 infected me with the Shroud brainrot something fierce.) I just...ESPECIALLY love diasomnia. :') but there is room in my heart for all of these dweebs! like, who among us is not just as ride-or-die for Adeuce as they are for us.

that said, I don't really follow the other adaptations like the manga (aside from a dip-in just to see the new Yuus) or the novels, though I keep meaning to check them out! I do like seeing the differences between the different forms of media, and how certain things get adapted one way or another! but alas, time/a lack of accessibility stands in our way more often than not. :( someday...someday I will have time to consume all of the media...

[where-the-wind-travels]

listen i have absolutely no idea what prompted me to type this OR leave it in drafts. now i'm wondering what exactly it was because. jocelyn??? 😭

i do also kin nami so. i guess that makes sense

[approximately-32-leafcutter-ants]

"are you trying to tell me that the great chinese hegemon-king, Xiang Yu, of the western Chu, leader of the 18 kingdoms and ender of the Qin dynasty, great warrior of the Chu-Han contention, is trangender?" ~ me 20 minutes ago hearing a friend talk about their game

[brainrotzora]

these things are always happening to the ones i like :////////

anyways the lighting in this dungeon is so nice

didn't get any good pics bc i was too busy dungeoning but so pretty...best dungeon music so far goes to snowcloak though btw

[hecksupremechips]

My ass was trying so hard not to jump up and down with glee playing yttd with my sister and getting to the shin reveal I was like MY GUY MY FUNNY LAD MY SILLY RABBIT

[syrupspinner]

i just completed mothered

oh this is gonna do some funky things to my brain

this game has an amazing visual style. i love how dark it is without just feeling like a black filter was put over the screen, the lighting is always intentional and does so much to elevate the mood of the game. and the design of the mother in this game, god damn. she looks just enough like a human that it can be passed of as a stylistic thing, but the way she moves is so deliberately uncanny. this is the best way to make a human terrifying ive ever seen, and is probably the only time ive been jumpscared by someone standing still (multiple times across multiple playthroughs)

i noticed the dark lighting and made a point of turning the lights on wherever i went. i was impressed by the consistency and restraint of having them stay on no matter what... with a single exception. you know the one im talking about. ive seen other people need to interact with the bed, but i was so thrown off by the darkness i thought "oh, mother turned off the light, thats very foreboding. im gonna turn it-" and thats how far my train of thought went.

the atmosphere, dude. this game completely understands what is scary and how to achieve it. there are so many subtle things the game does to make you feel nervous and connect to the central theme of family bonds and appropriate roles. like, the game has an emphasis on menial tasks just done for the sake of it without really enjoying it. at first, i just thought this was a jab at how the apple picking section wasnt very fun. i had such a hard time finding them i had to scan through the trees in a single file like a dot-matrix printer. on a second playthrough, its so much more resonant, its such an effectively recontextuallized moment.

id like to emphasize this game doesnt have anything that people usually "cant deal with" when it comes to horror games, like chase scenes or threats popping out at you. so, this isnt a 'try it if youre interested' reccomendation, im telling you that you are going to play mothered. its currently on sale for less than six dollars canadian! thats like what, probably $4.99 usd? buy it now!!! its so well made and emotionally resonant and i just felt it so personally in my brain... its just art, yknow? its probably one of the best games ive ever played

but hey, its your life

[stergeon]

for the writer ask

💭🚦💛 💌

💭 What inspires you and your writing?

this is a real marketing major-ass answer (from your local marketing major), but i love sharing knowledge and telling stories. writing’s one of those things that’s a bit of a compulsion for me—i’m always writing something. i took a five-year break from fiction writing before i stumbled ass-first into fanfic last year, but even in those years when i was focusing on my career, i was writing guides and trainings and a ton of other stuff—just not anything fun, lol.

writing is also so cathartic. sometimes i set out to tell a specific story, but at other times, a particular emotion gets me in a vice grip and i have to put it to words before it’ll go away. my stories tend to wind up as emotional dumping grounds as a result.

i don’t write things pulled directly from my own life, but there are bits and pieces of myself and things that have happened to me scattered throughout stuff i’ve written, and usually when i’m about 75% of the way through a piece, i’ll realize it’s absolutely related to something i’m currently going through. funny how art works that way, even when you don’t intend for it to.

and occasionally i just have a fire lit under my ass about an issue and i get so hot about it that i gotta compile my thoughts. looking at you, silver snow

🚦 What sort of endings do you prefer to write: ambiguous, bad, happily ever after, etc.?

look, i would love nothing more for them girls (pick whichever girls you please) to have a happy ending where they kiss and are stupid in love for the rest of forever. i love reading those kinds of stories. but in my heart of hearts, i love an ambiguous ending. i like when there are still questions after the story ends. i like thinking about where things could go or how the characters will go on after the events of the story. like, shared space could be read as having a happy ending, but i don’t really think it is. and with the victors; the vestiges, well. you’ll see :0)

come to think of it, i’m not sure i’ve ever written a happily-ever-after, but i don’t think i’ve ever written a 100% bad ending, either. i read too many bury-your-gays stories and watched too many sad european queer coming-of-age films in my youth to ever be happy putting that kinda thing out into the world. i want to write about love with all its ugliness, but not despair or hopelessness. i think what most appeals to me about an ambiguous ending is that lingering feeling of hope. it’s not the same as the kind you get from a happily-ever-after, and something about it speaks to me.

💛 What is the most impactful lesson you’ve learned about writing?

honestly? how to take criticism. i took a creative writing class in high school where we had to read our work out loud and then receive feedback on it from the other writers in the class, and that did a lot for me. going into that class, i’d already been writing for forever and had won some little local writing contests and such, so i was a wee bit of a pretentious douche. but i’d never gotten real critique before beyond, essentially, spelling and grammar checks. it humbled me lol. it made me grow so much as a writer, and i could see where i needed to improve or where my head was wedged way too far up my own ass for others to follow. it also helped me recognize strengths i didn’t know i had, and that was huge. it’s easy to get into a self-doubt spiral when making creative work, and good, constructive criticism can do so much to help avoid that.

to this day i love critique. i like knowing what worked or didn’t work so that i can continue to improve as a writer and do better next time. did my themes land? did something really work, but another part fall flat? i’d love to know!! i try to treat everything i write as practice for the next thing, and frankly that’s helped take some of the pressure off so i don’t go into total Perfectionist Mode.

i know critique is kind of a sensitive topic in fan spaces, but i think that’s because a lot of people have gotten unsolicited criticism that is purely critical and isn’t constructive. but getting good, constructive criticism will do so much to help a person grow as a writer. it’s scary, and sometimes it hurts! writing is very personal for most people, and it stings when things aren’t received the way you think they will be. but i know i’ve grown more from having my failures pointed out (and, very importantly, having the good things about those efforts acknowledged) than anything else.

💌 Is there a favorite trope you like to write?

actually Just answered this in another ask!

[googlein1942]

ive been so into rdr2 lately and i keep thinking about public nations verse where people making historical games/movies/shows/etc. consult nation people on historical tidbits and accuracy and whatnot, so queue Alfred “Favorite era of the US was the wild wild west” Jones finding his way to rockstar studios to help them out with the game accuracy/go on about whacky people he met during those days while the studio is just like write that down write that down

[hawnks]