#they're also wearing...something but its hard to see tbh

[stardusttealeaves]

"Aww shucks, havin' fun without me?"

[orangeinecstasy]

i need more of those 5sos thoughts!!!!

bf ashton thoughts ⋆ฺ｡*:･

a/n: ask and you shall receive!!! i swear i've been seeing so much ash content so ofc i had to do him next. he also happens to be my 5sos lane which makes it even better. fluff and smut sections included in this one!!

so so so many beach days. he loved when you record a wave he caught while surfing and it doesn't hurt that you're wearing a bathing suit either

big gift giver. always brings you fresh flowers and makes sure to keep on to know when he needs to rebuy them. picks up little trinkets that he thinks you'll like and tries so hard to package them up cutely but ends up failing. but it's the thought that counts!!

100% tries to teach you how to play the drums, even if its just a simple beat

late night spontaneous dates are a normality when being with him. could be anywhere from going to a park and stargazing to diving into the city and going to a bar

he wants to show you off 24/7. like he doesn't have one picture "this is my partner" picture, its a whole album that he's showing to people because he can't believe you're all his

meditating together

guarding together

tbh just being outside and being in nature together would be a big thing for him

not a super huge pda person but BIG on physical touch

so so so many songs written about you. if they didn't end up on a 5sos album he would totally curate his own and dedicate it to you

tons and tons of inside jokes

would 100% get a tattoo for you. i don't think it would specifically be your name, but maybe some art you produced or something that reminds him of you, etc

not a super big pet name user, but sometimes he'll sprinkle them in

smoking together>>>

smutty/suggestive thoughts below the pics

its always ass or tits, and though ashton definitely loves both i feel like he's more of a thigh guy. they way they're so plush and he can squeeze them and mark them to his liking. how they look in skirts or dressed or when they they're over his shoulders. he can't get enough of them

100% puts you're pleasure first. if he comes, great! but he's so focused on you and making sure that you're experiencing as much pleasure as possible

on that note-- he loved to eat you out. your taste, your smell, the way your hands grip at his hair and his name falls from his lips is just intoxicating for him. he also can't deny how much it boosts his ego knowing that he can make you come with just his mouth

so many suggestive comments when you're with a group of friends. he loves watching you get riled up and pressing your thighs together by his words

he's such a tease oh my god. like you know something is about to happen just by how his eyes shift and that smirk that he can't seem to wipe off his face

such a slut for you. he wants you anywhere all the time. doesn't matter who's around, before a show- after a show, he needs you.

thigh riding!!!

so much casual dominance omg. driving you guys everywhere, constantly trying to find ways to help you, helping you pick out outfits. ugh i can't stop thinking about it

don't think he's a huge lingerie guy, but he really appreciated it when you take the time to pick out a set and doll yourself up

cannot get enough of bondage and blindfolds. both using it on you or you using it on him

obsessed with marking-- he wants people to know he's yours and you're his. like i can just imagine him posting a picture on his instagram story where his hair is all messy and his lips are plump from friction, neck littered with hickeys. he would probably delete it after a couple of minutes because the pr team would actually freak out, but it was most definitely worth it in his book.

high sex

likes to take his time, but doesn’t mind a quickie

cuddles that turn into sex that end up with you two curled back together asleep

love love loves kissing. how simple it can show your affection for someone and how it can be innocent and turn into something more

sleepy sex!!! early mornings or late at night when he’s back from the studio and just needs to be as close to you as possible

[lunas-side-anime-blog]

aot veteran/104 corp icks bc im back on my bullshit

someone requested AOT veteran icks, they didn't specify nsfw or not so I did both and also added sasha connie and jean bc i luv them:) feel free to message/inbox with requests!

(levi, erwin, hange, jean, sasha and connie)

Levi

will visit ur place and organize things without you asking. he'd just be like "ur welcome, now your kitchen makes sense" and ur like sir, I don't know where anything is now??? also he'd def the type to proclaim he's better than you for only getting two hours of sleep when you got four. honestly so many icks come to mind for this one, imma limit it to those two for now (stay tuned lol)

nsfw: tries to be rough with you but forgets his own strength. will try to throw you on the bed, but he does it too hard so you completely miss the bed and fall on the other side of it and he's just standing there like "🧍🏻...my bad."

Erwin

you cannot convince me this man doesn't wear water shoes at the pool. you guys say you want a dilf until you actually get one bc this is the type of shit it entails^^

nsfw: erwin cannot dirty talk for shit. im srry but if you're a lil kinky this isn't the man for you. try to call him daddy and he'd be like "we don't have kids?" and you explain the kink to him and he'd just say, "have you considered therapy?🤨" now he's concerned, boner gone, you feel called out, just go to sleep tbh

Hange

they're def a firm believer in natural deodorant and won't take the graceful hints that it's not working. prob wouldn't chill w them on a hot day is all i'm saying

nsfw: feel like they'd be really good in bed tbh like i'm struggling to think of an ick. hange has big dick energy, weirdos just do it better idk. i think maybe hange would try to spit in your mouth (they a freak) and they have so much and its thick and globby like the back of the throat type spit, your gonna choke bro im gagging as a i type-

Jean

bring back toxic masculinity because Jean's hair care routine is so good to the point he'll call out your split ends, i just know it

nsfw: a fucking chatterbox like his homies know everything. you've walked in on him telling connie in extreme detail how he had you in a full nelson last night while you screamed bloody murder and he doesn't see why ur mad. "babe, if anything i'm bragging about you 😏" fucking idiot istg. also kinda gross but I think he's the type to keep sniffing his fingers after fingering you like well into the next day EWW

Sasha

obvi she can't share for shit so I think she'd be an annoying person to eat out with. like yk when you're with your friends and only one person puts their card down so the rest can Venmo them? I think you can ask her to Venmo 20 and she'd send 15 and say something like "oh I didn't eat as many fries" but she fr did. never puts her card down either so believe it or not? jail.

nsfw: will literally be on her phone mid-sex with you. feel like she'd be really into the subway surfer vids and yeah, you go down on her and look up and she brought her own entertainment? ipad child behavior

Connie

i think he'd say "we" when talking about his fave sports team as if he contributed. like, "really connie, you helped win the superbowl? did you score a touchdown?" grow tf up

nsfw: insane bush on this one, i feel like he doesn't groom for shit and whatever, that's your choice! but I also feel like college-aged modern connie would talk shit about women who weren't bald down there and won't eat it unless it is. HYPOCRITE!! I think when he gets to his mid-twenties tho he'd mature (sasha beat his ass)

[r0swells]

hello! take some designs for an after-game PMTOK au i've had rattling around in my brain for a bit. More explanation under the cut :]

Okay so the basic premise is that a couple of months after the game something something star spirits cause the legion of stationary + Olly and Olivia get reborn as toads (except for like, 1.5 of them) and are dropped off unceremoniously in Toad Craftsman's front yard for him to deal with.

This was mostly an excuse so I could draw some Olivia interacting with everyone because we never got to see her hanging out with them and I plan to rectify that! Uh here are some design notes:

For all the LoS I really wanted to give them all different types of mushroom caps for fun so Colored pencils got a death-cap mushroom as theirs since I wanted something flat like their box. I wanted their design to be reminiscent of an art student since I thought it would be funny.

Rubber band's mushroom cap is a bunch of enoki mushrooms reminiscent of their little hair thing. I think they adjusted the best of the LoS to being a toad since they already took a pretty humanoid form when they were an office supply.

Hole punch's mushroom is a Morel mushroom since they have a bunch of holes and stuff. their hair is also supposed to look like cut up paper.

Tape has a button mushroom since I really didn't wanna distract from their hair and them having a really tiny hat seemed funny. Still the most loyal to Olly even though he literally has no powers anymore because its the FAMILY!

Scissors is an oyster mushroom since it looks kinda cut up. Also their Handaconda has been turned into one of the Underwhere hands from the river Stix. They're the one dealing the worst (besides Olly) with being a toad and keep trying to do flips and shit and failing.

Stapler is a chain chomp with really messed up teeth, thats it.

Olivia and Olly are just normal toads! Also Olivia is fine, she just spawned with the "cut" out on her cap, since she can't really wear her signature hat. Didn't really have to change much about their designs, they're already perfect. But as stated above, Olly is really not doing well being a toad, makes it really hard to make origami. I also think Olivia really doesn't like it either, she liked being who she was and this just feels wrong to her. it feels wrong to all of them tbh

I also tried my hand at an Origami craftsman design. I wanted him to kinda look like Olly and Olivia, having Olivia's hair texture, but Olly's color and shape. I've seen people head canon him to be really young and I totally agree, makes his mistake seem a little more driven by naivety then by deliberately going against what he should know. He's dealing...okay with having a bunch of people in his house.

+ some sketches

Yea the only ideas I have for plot is that Olly is trying to remake all the 1000 cranes again so he can turn them all back into their true forms and they can leave (the idea of taking over doesn't really appeal to him anymore) and go somewhere else. But there's also a time limit since the origami festival is happening soon and the Craftsman has to go to it and the others really don't know how everyone else might react to them. Also everyone only remembers up to when they die so colored pencils really has no context while Olivia knows mostly what happened. i like the idea that this creates some tension between Olly and the LoS who are questioning what happened to make him change his mind so drastically.

so yea if anyone has any ideas or questions send me an ask, I really like this au and really wanna talk about it :]

[fixomnia-scribble]

I love forensic anthropology so much, it's been one of my dream topics to study for a very long time! I've been hoping to go to school for it but I'm worried I don't have the smarts or discipline for it, especially because I want to specialize in the osteology aspect of it (if that's even possible i have no idea tbh) and I've always done poorly in school. But it makes me so happy to see other tumblr users in the field! I hope you're having a great day ✨️

Hello there! Thanks for reaching out! I've actually been busy with a forensic science symposium, or I'd have replied earlier! There are free forensic webinars and symposiums online and in person, by the way - worth looking around for. Also, FutureLearn usually runs free Forensic Anth online courses. I found them both fun and useful for university review. https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/forensic-archaeology-and-anthropology

If I may give you a pep talk, don't get in your own way with thoughts of not being up to the studies. Yes, there is a lot of foundational stuff to get through, but in forensics there is always something that grabs you and makes you WANT to keep coming back for more, and figure out new ways to make it lodge your brain. And the people you will meet are some of the most wonderfully nerdy, interested, service-minded and friendly you will meet.

I made a first run at university at age 19, and it did not go well. Nobody was talking about ADHD, and it was a cold and isolating place at the time. I wouldn't have had the guts to go ask for help even if I'd known where to go. That was in 1993. Fast forward to 2010, and I very suddenly got bitten by the Forensics bug. I started re-doing all my Gr 12 sciences, to get ready to re-apply. I found out that my brain had shifted. I knew how to play to its strengths. I wasn't anxious and trying to graduate, but working towards something I wanted. I had role models I wanted to follow. And I was able to e-mail researchers and even my future grad supervisor directly, and they were incredibly supportive.

I finished that first degree with strong marks, but a dismal CGPA, because no amount of work could entirely pull up that year of 0.25 GPA (I just disappeared from classes.) I might have still applied for Grad School and made the case that I had shown what I was capable of. As it happened, I went back for another two and a half years, and did a second BA with an Honours research component. (You generally only have to do the upper level stuff and a few key pre-requisites, for a second degree.) That was enough to get me into Grad School. And THEN I figured out I probably certainly definitely was a textbook case of hidden ADHD.

Osteology: Yes, osteo is hard. I thought it would be easier for a visual learner like me, but oof, it is a lot of 3D puzzles of bony fragments, with landmarks and grooves and subtle wear marks! But it CAN be done. Look up the William Bass Human Osteology Field Guide and textbook. They're the gold standard, and they're in grayscale, which makes them much easier to make out than natural coloured bones. Start slow and just have fun with it before starting any courses. Figure out what your brain likes. I've found my top two osteo hacks are to make plasticene models, or simple flashcards.

And yes, there are lots of forensics careers that are based around Osteology - it might be fun to do some digging and reach out to a few osteologists or forensic anthropologists to ask them about their work.

Come chat bones any time!

[destinationtrekk]

heya it's me again!

just wanted to add more details to my tyrant! reader x albert wesker idea

tyrant! reader is huge. like around 7-9ft tall. and muscular too. (we need more buff reader)

when wesker finally finds tyrant! reader, they're found wearing either very ill-fitting clothing that they obviously stole or a black hooded cloak

wesker is in awe of how big reader has grown due to the t-virus and the fact that they can pick him up like fucking nothing lol

(wesker deserves to have a monster partner fr)

ok wait because cloaked buff tyant reader goes SO hard. i love this so much but its also hilarious somehow, its making me think of the tsum-tsum wesker art - reader is all dark and scary looming over someone and they reach into their cloak like they have a weapon or something but they pull out tsum-tsum wesker and he's like >:3

also i think wesker is an egomaniac before uroboros brings him back to life after re5, so at this point he absolutely expects you to be frail and pathetic and unable to control the virus in your blood, so when he finally sees you in person for the first time after your mutual manhunt for each other, he's just.... oh. what the fuck.

don't get me wrong, he's caught off guard but he loves it. he had always been slightly weirded out by BOWs before, even though he took pride in his creations, but seeing you in this beastly, powerful form drives him crazy. He's so proud of himself, obvs, but he also admires you - insanely so. the fact that you not only survived the t-virus, but it accepted you, and you kept your sanity and personality (except you're definitely a little bloodthirsty now, kind turns him on ngl) after becoming a tyrant - it's like a dream come true for him.

another note - i can't find a real canon height for wesker, some places say he's like 6'2 but i've seen others say he's like 7ft which i think is ridiculous tbh. I'm absolutely imagining him as lithe but broad and muscular, definitely over 6', but the height difference between him and reader makes him look like a little princess in his leather suit next to you.

jfc keep em coming this is making my day

[danmeichael]

ty for your furry meta posts 🙏 im not a furry so its rlly interesting to see ur pov and thoughts!

what do you think lqg and qqq would have as fursonas?

i'm glad they're being enjoyed! it's something i'm incredibly passionate about both from a technical perspective (appreciating the craftsmanship that goes into making fursuits, the community itself, etc.) and from just. i like furries and that's how i got my start making art.

as far as your question goes:

lqg is an easy one to me, and i know this might be controversial, but a white tiger for sure with either bright blue or purple eyes. he'd also bring props to cons, i think. i don't think he'd fullsuit tbh, he wouldn't like how much it restricts motion. BUT that opens up huge opportunities for the intersection between cosplay and suiting bc he'd be able to wear normal clothes with his head and paws.

i am ashamed to say i don't know enough about qqq rn to accurately clock what i think her fursona would be in a fursuiter/furaffinity user au kind of scenario. she's not super present in the source material and i simply haven't read enough fanfic with her in it to sort of settle on a really good characterization. i am a failure and a disgrace to the yuri and milf-loving community for this.

(trying really really hard not to hit her with the butch beam) i'm sort of leaning toward a lynx or a hyena personally, and not just due to my personal bias for hyena girls. i think she's flashy enough to have something more unique/distinct as far as fursonas go, and hyena suits usually serve a surprising amount of cunt.

i think if you wanted to really lean into her first presentation as someone sort of powerful and elegant, one of those realistic airbrushed heads would suit her, and for that definitely caracal or serval. suolaxier on twitter and insta makes the most jaw-dropping, gorgeous realistic fursuit heads and one of their most recent creations is this stunning serval that i'm obsessed with.

and as a fun fact unrelated to qqq for the most part: there's a huge crossover between EGL and realistic suiters in jpn and cn fursuiting circles and it makes for the most stunning visuals.

[hell-drabbles]

(tbh, I don't even have the angel cards cuz I'm broke lol🙃, but I'll tell a few thing's what I noticed on other people's post about them either the comics, message's, or stories and theories)

Let's start with Rafael, the dude is like that one insecure kid in the family that always get compared to their other siblings or cousins, Gabriel is the messenger, Michael is the right hand, Rafael wanted to be acknowledged as something, he sees god as kind and benevolent being and being too merciful so he wanted to be the one who punishes evil for him because he loves god and wanted to understand him in some degree, so he judges based on his beliefs wether they're innocent or not and just like other Angel's, his views are always on god and wouldn't acknowledge the God's other creations because he sees them unworthy of God's recognition, bro is already insane (and God didn't even reprimanded this type behavior idk) and had spiraled further since God disappear when peepaw Solomon died, so ever since then he sees all of his decisions and other forms of punishment as a will for/from God in hopes he will come back one day and see his work.

So, the Christmas event happened and most of us know about the chastity belts they wear as to keep them pure for god, and out all of the three seraphim, Rafael is the only one that had his successfully and actually taken off by Raon (that's what they say) and by the time our little rara came back to heaven, bro had his post nut happiness because no joke that the brother actually thought he had ascended into a higher rank than Michael and Gabriel after he experience his first nut (since Lucifer said that Angel's engaged in ecstasies and eventually stop before they climax) Rafael was in a good mood back in heaven during those days that he scared most of the other Angel's.

(that's all bro, I'm new to your blog and love your raon trash talks, sorry English is not my native language btw, you also get a follow, I'll still go a couple of research for the other seraphim)

[ and also After reading a couple of your Lucifer x Companion works I'm hooked, Raon is so rotten to the point I think he wouldn't stop even if ever one day Companion gets married to Lucifer and Raon would just insist that its for the betterment of hell lol bye]

Funny you should send me Raphael of all angels, I was actually starting to write about him. So that's how he's like huh? That's funny. I am going around and reading what I can find about him, especially his card lines because I get the strongest grasp of a character by the way they're talking. And wow, he's a delusional one, ain't he? Also, I take an interest in his relationship with Heaven, since it's pretty clear he has no love for the others that live there, and if need be, will burn that place to the ground if it aligns with his views on God. What a weirdo.

Haaa, my brain has been stuck on how the seraphim would take in interest in the Embittered Companion, and how that would descend into some good old obsession. I know for certain that they didn't take any interest in the Embittered Companion. It's only after spending time in Heaven do things start to descend. Of course, I naturally want each of their obsessions to be distinct from one another. Like, how I imagine Gabriel to take issue with anyone who keeps a feather of the Embittered Companion to themselves, regardless if they were demon or angel. And Raphael, he has a weird sense of when the Embittered Companion is about to become lucid, so he tends to be there and just, stares. And sometimes laughs for seemingly no reason. He's creeeeepy.

Michael, eh, I don't have anything on him right now. Maybe later.

And yes, yes, Ra-on is certainly a rotten little thing, because holy hell man, incel behavior is no joke and that shit is extremely hard to weed out of a person. So, Ra-on is going to be a frustrating character to deal with, but he'll get better eventually. It's just going to be a rather painful process because of how much he's gotta unpack. Thank you for liking it all!

[clambuoyance]

ngl I know nothing ab your DC blorbos except they're gay and cool or something Idk I just think they're neat... I'd ask what comics I could read ab them being super blorbo-y but Idk...

OKAY so there’s a lot of characters in dc but the ones I draw/talk about the most are these group of friends!! They feature in Young Justice 1998, Teen Titans 2003, and Young Justice 2019, as well as having their own comics and other appearances :)

each comic run has different vibes but my personal favorite is yj1998 bc I like its wacky and zany vibes. It was not my first comic though, and it’s a little older so it might be hard to understand or read if it’s your first time reading comics like this, and again it is old soooo some stuff does Not age well such as certain jokes or depictions and it is of course not all perfect but overall I love it and think it has a lot of heart

I think i have a lot of fun with it bc it feels so…animated? And it has funny slapstick humor. Honestly I probably like it bc it makes me laugh the same way ninjago makes me laugh…a group of 4+ friends that have cute dynamics with each other and just Being Silly Together. I really don’t know how to explain it but between all three runs, I can see yj1998 in my head the most as a wacky animated show with exaggerated bouncy animation idk so that’s part of the fun for me. I think the moment I realized this was going to be a long term emotional investment was When I read the issue where they randomly end up on a planet and have to play baseball bc I am a SUCKERRR for baseball shenanigans

But yeah the group starts out with Bart, Tim, and Kon in JLA: A world without Grownups, and they just have a good trio dynamic 🙏 the banter between all three is so good 🤩and I liked seeing their friendship develop throughout yj1998 too! Especially for Tim, with his hesitancy at the beginning.They weren’t without conflict ofc but that adds to why I like them bc eventually they became besties for life. They are also quickly joined by others but the main one that stays w the group through all three runs is Cassie Sandsmark , aka Wonder Girl ii.

But yeah I guess some things I like are the way they actually Hang out? like they will do camping trips or go to the mall and games together etc etc, but there will be parts that feel more serious while never losing that humorous tint to it. For some examples, I love how Tim tries to be a leader in the beginning, but then one arc shows just how much Cassie is more fitting for it, and how they bond over Leader things like how hard it is to tell Bart what to do and then will share a really nice hug 🥺, and I love Cassie and Cissie’s relationship a LOT because they sometimes misunderstand each other but clearly care for each other (they aren’t canon but in my heart they are.) I also like Tim and kon’s build towards understanding and friendship for a similar reason, and cissie and Anita also have a nice development with each other, but yeah all the dynamics are just fun to think about tbh 🤷🏻‍♀️ I am pointing at them eagerly and going “wow! Friendship!!”

And as for the guy I never shut up about…well that’s a whole thing I could ramble about but i became obsessed with him the moment he quoted Peter Pan while lamenting about how he was afraid his friends would leave him behind after several issues of him acting like Hot Shit and erm I’m predictable so it got to me 🙄 also he makes dumb jokes every second like he expects someone to laugh at them like he’s so dumb sometimes….anyways I do not want to ramble too much so I will get on with it

I was only familiar with his black tshirt look before, so when I first saw this goofy looking dumbass with a leather jacket and glasses and an earring I WAS LIKE “THATS SUPERBOY? THATS REAL?” and quickly became interested in the notion of a Superman associated hero wearing something like this bc I don’t think my brain ever considered the possibility before….also it is something I cannot explain some panels just activate my cuteness aggression 😔 I just think he’s really cute 🫶🫶🫶

[felassan]

its that time again! 🍵 Thoughts/wonderings on Dragon Age: The Missing #3, under a cut due to spoilers for The Missing (not just #3):

Thoughts on Issue 1

Thoughts on Issue 2 (note: this post also contains spoilers from DA:D leaks)

Thoughts on the first 4 pages of issue 3 (which came out via preview)

Overall I enjoyed the issue a lot and it's my favorite of the 3 so far! Issue 2 was more fun and punchy/had more oomph (as Teia and Viago are amazing and simply showstealers tbh⭐), but this issue has been my fav so far because i] I'm hyped that after three (3) years we got to see Strife's design, and more importantly ii] the issue advanced the DA:D [pre-]plot a bit and dropped inchrestingggg new lore stuff. (The pacing wasn't great, it was kind of rushed in places and it was a lot to try to fit in to just a few pages. I also would have liked it if the the Veil Jumpers could have been given a bit more depth/been fleshed out a bit more, but again there's limited pages in these comics)

I like what they're doing with a different color palette version of the picture on page 2 in every issue :>

On page one, are those icebergs floating in the sea? would there be icebergs in the Nocen Sea or Ventus Straits? it seems like the climate around there is warm.

On the map, I like the little representation of the Imperial Highway.

^ one example of the triangle motifs incorporated into the Veil Jumpers' outfits.

^ the face on Tist's shoulderpad reminded me of Sentinel armor.

Tist looks like a Greek statue of a youth hh

I liked the designs and hairstyles of all 4 Veil Jumpers. Irelin's fur collar is a nice touch to have remembered, in TN she was described as wearing supple leather trimmed with fur.

Strife is tall and stacked. this didnt surprise me, after reading the first story in TN I came away with that impression of him. in TN he was specifically described as being tall and strong, square-shouldered and straight-backed with calloused hands, lean with long ropey muscle. also I'm simply biased and a tall buff elf enthusiast hh. (in terms of build and stuff he reminds me of my Lavellan)

^ I wonder if the book at Strife's belt here is the leatherbound journal from Ruins of Reality, the relic of the Morlyn clan?

I wasn't sure about some of Strife's dialogue, he seemed to be missing the sort of snarky or lighter-hearted manner he had at times in TN? dialogue in general was a bit stilted in this issue tho, not bad so much as just quite info-dump-y.

Veil Jumpers faction details: they are an alliance between the best Dalish mages and hunters (not an all-elf and/or all-mage group) and other non-elves who were wiling and able to help contain the threat of timespace warping hijinks and chaos that's reigning in Arlathan Forest. presumably a fair few of the Dalish elves in the group are from Clan Morlyn. the mixed nature of the faction and Binde's presence in Strife's group feels like a natural progression of Strife at the end of his story in TN: [said to Myrion] "You're right, shem. This [Arlathan forest] isn't your place. But then, once upon a time, it wasn't mine, either."

also their base or HQ is a "sanctum". about that.. remember this? from this concept art? maybe that piece of concept art was showing the Veil Jumper sanctum? some of the concept art of Veil Jumpers shows them in a similar location with floating rocks and orange vegetation/foliage. [one, two]

in a previous posted I wondered,

last time we got a look in [Arlathan forest], Strife had noticed something had gone wrong in the forest. time and space was stretching and folding weirdly, reality warping, and he and Irelin saw echoes or mirages of themselves running around. mysterious entries had begun appearing in the relic journal of the Morlyn clan describing sacred ruins in there guarding a powerful fabled artifact, a halla figurine that Irelin grabs during that story. when Varric&Harding arrive, will they also be facing this sort of thing (mad sylvans, reality& time/space warping)? is the crucious stone similarly guarded by sacred ruins? could it have something to do with what’s gone wrong in the Forest? even when Irelin succeeds in grabbing the figurine, Strife still feels that something has gone wrong in there.

fun to see that this speculation was also correct ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝ as in this issue Arlathan is still timespace warping, Varric&Harding have to run a gauntlet facing these dangers, the crucious stone was contained in the ruins of an ancient temple, and Irelin posits that someone walking around using the crucious stone could explain the timespace warping in Arlathan.

Harding continues to eyeroll at Varric's bad jokes. he's basically an old man with dad/grandpa jokes at this point.

"Deep inside the Veil"? I found this to be kind of odd phrasing. we've long known that the Veil is thin in Arlathan forest, indeed thinner in such a way as to be different than how it is in other places where it is also known to be thin, somehow. inside the Fade is a place one can go. is that what's meant by this line? or is it meant to mean more like "deep in the forest, where the Veil is very thin" / "inside a place where reality and the Fade are mushing together" sorta thing? or is inside the Veil itself a place in which one can go? 🤔

that aside, these "Ruins of Reality", this "world turned upside down", this "place where chaos reigns", this "threat".. it reminds me bigtime of when Solas says in Trespasser "as the world burns in the raw chaos".. and indeed, Harding infers as much at the end of this issue, saying "[this] is going to be happening everywhere unless we find [Solas]", and Solas refers to the damage himself in his letter, "I will limit the damage as best I can". and I wonder.. in TN Solas talks about a few years of peace before his ritual is complete. it made it sound like the ritual would take a few years to prepare for or a few years to carry out (in ancient Elvhenan some spells and stuff would take years to cast). if his ritual/plans along these lines have already begun, it would make sense that places in the waking world which are "weakest" (i.e. places where the Veil is thin) would be the ones which are affected first.

the trials and gauntlet gave me nostalgia for the Urn of Sacred Ashes questline in DA:O

the map from page one of Varric and Harding's voyage contrasted with the map of the forest.. hhh

Spirits trading places with the living, literally ripping you out your own body and stealing it.. (by this point Strife, Irelin and the other Veil Jumpers are old hats at the Arlathan forest timespace shenanigans hh.) this is neat and interesting new lore, and it reminded me of the Nevarran belief that when a dead soul crosses to the Fade it displaces a Fade spirit. I wonder if it's related to that. also I thought it was represented in a cool way, with the reflection world and the muted grayscaleish color palette swap when their souls had been displaced and they were in the 'spirit world'.

the panels when Varric and Irelin are conversing from random upside down angles reminded me a lot of when the party enters the Fade physically with Hawke and goes "wtf" in Inquisition :)

Varric is having such a terrible time. again

Does Harding have the Inquisition hairy eyeball on her kneeguard?

Varric's reaction to the sky being the wrong way around reminded me of how it must feel to be a dwarf from Orzammar going to the surface and seeing sky above for the first time, dizzying, weird, disorienting

I like that while a mage, Irelin still has an alternative weapon (knife/dagger) just in case ^^

Varric seeming to sort've push Harding ahead of him while they fled the animals was a nice touch

is this the first time leopards were confirmed in Thedas? :D tho they look more like cougars or maybe lionesses or sabretooth tigers or something, and leopards are typically solitary. also lmao first the deepstalkers attack and now this. Varric's like "bloodthirsty wildlife omg" like they didnt already have that problem in issue 1 hh.

RIP Gilf Varric fans

hh, does Varric not know that he's been graying lately anyway, time shenanigans aside?

the time warping reminds me of In Hushed Whispers 👁️ very interesting in terms of implications. you can see why creating the Veil (which is connected to timespaceywarpy happenings) caused the ancient elves to begin aging.

^ check this out, the glowing green light on Strife's shoulder in his golden armor. seems like the green-glowing aspect of some Veil Jumper gear is still a thing [one, two, three]. it got more open, triangley and brighter in the second panel, like he was powering it up and gearing up for the fight. if they hadn't decided to run, would he have started to use it like the Veil Jumpers in those pictures? curious to find out more about the Veil Jumper gear - how it works and where they got it from.

^ what's happening in this panel? they seem to be straight-up disintegrating? not aging, disintegrating.

^ the presence of and focus on this satchel on the 'assassin', with its bright red fastener (draws the eye), seems sus. Varric says later in the issue that the 'assassin' saved him. it's hard to tell whether "I don't think this was the Venatori. I think it was Solas" means he thinks it was Solas who already entered the vault and took the stone OR if he means that and that the 'assassin' who saved him was Solas in disguise and that he's the one that's been tailing them this entire time. if the 'assassin' was Solas in disguise, I sus that the stone - which he had clearly already gotten at that point - is inside the lil pouch and that's what this panel is trying to convey. also it wouldnt be Solas' first time dressing up in disguise (Bard in TN).

the twisting pathway reminds me of the yellow brick road in Wizard of Oz

The Varterral. it looks nothing like the ones we've seen in-game or like the one described in Masked Empire (or depicted in the illustration in the Deluxe edition). is this an art/design oversight, or new lore showing that varterrals come in multiple forms? in fairness, in Dalish lore the first varterral was created by Dirthamen, fashioned of the "fallen trees of the forest" into a deadly guardian. this ent-like varterral looks like that. maybe "varterral" is actually just a name for any created creature that's been magically created and is guarding an ancient elven site, golem-like?

Irelin's staff-less magic and the spell distraction she did was cool. was she doing Stinging Swarm? ^^

And ofc the final pages are the motherlode, especially the new painting! Look here. I think the green figure (the one with the crescent moon headpiece) is the monster figure with the crescent moon head from that mural and from that concept art piece. and I think that's Ghilan'nain (Horror of Hormak and all that). BUT I don't think the red figure is the other monster figure from that mural (the one with pointy, crab-like shoulders, who I think is Elgar'nan). the headpieces don't match, the red figure's headpiece better matches with one of the other sigils from the hemispheres. I think the red figure is someone else. the question is who, and my guess is they're Andruil. the two figures could be read as feminine, and the feel of the painting could be read as romantic - definitely close. Ghil was Andruil's chosen, and her beloved. Andruil was the one who offered Ghil ascendance.

the painting also bears a resemblance to the red lyrium idol, which has been variously and interestingly described - a couple hugging, two lovers, one comforting the other, or a god mourning her sacrifice. does the painting depict the same moment from the idol, or not long before it at least? the main figure on the idol's headpiece is different, but coincidentally Andruil was also known as the Goddess of Sacrifice. wouldn't it be interesting and ironic if there was a time in the distant past when Ghil had to sacrifice the goddess of sacrifice? if this painting is depicting a moment before such a thing, that would help explain why the other monster figure from the mural has a different headpiece. if "the Evil Gods" are returning, Andruil couldn't be one of them, if she was killed. Ruins of Reality and Three Trees to Midnight are also full of references to both Ghil and Andruil..

Strife was looking at it now. On the other side, so was his double. Both transfixed by a statue of elven goddess Ghilan'nain holding a crystal halla figurine, exactly as the journal described.   - As the Strifes drew the attention of the merciless trees, Irelin swooped in and snagged the figurine with her talons, tearing it from Ghilan'nain's grip. The statue didn't let go easily, but neither did Irelin. With an angry squawk, she yanked the prize free and disappeared into the sky.

-- Ruins of Reality

in TN, the story title "Three Trees to Midnight" refers to the Way of Three Trees/Vir Tanadhal, which Dalish lore holds were teachings of Andruil given to the People. Strife thinks of the Ways during his escape, using them to escape, and invoke's Andruil's name multiple times. Strife also refers to Arlathan Forest as belonging to the Lady of the Hunt/Andruil. He also calls on Ghilan'nain, and Irelin shapeshifts into a halla (Ghil's sacred animal, being Mother of the Halla and the first halla), as well as a falcon and an owl (hawks are sacred to Andruil and the Dalish believe owls are Andruil's messengers). meanwhile Strife has turned up in this comic with Andruil vallaslin, after not having them in TN. very inch... resting... indeed.

why Ghil and Andruil in the painting? presumably this ancient temple, deep in Arlathan Forest, was a temple either to Andruil (whose forest it is) or Ghil (her beloved). why next to a painting of the Dread Wolf doing something to the Veil? in the story of Ghil's ascension, there is a reference to Pride -

On the second day she drowned the giants of the sea, except those in deep waters, for they were too well-wrought, and Pride stopped her hand.

On the third day she killed the beasts of the land, except the halla, whose grace she loved above all else.

This is how Ghilan'nain was made youngest of the gods.

there is also a story in which Andruil wanted to punish Fen'Harel. it could also simply be (or both could be true) that Solas painted the Dread Wolf mural when he stopped by earlier before Varric and Harding to obtain the crucious stone. what if in this comic panel we're looking at the same location as here, just with the comic version of the mural compacted down due to limited panel space:

and what's the relevance to Solas' plans, what happened the past, and the idol? I am guessing it is something to do with how Andruil went mad and hunted in the Abyss, putting on armor made of the Void and making weapons of darkness, to the extent that she brought "plague" to her lands and howled things meant to be forgotten. it's often theorized that Andruil accidentally brought the Blight/Taint back from the Void, and of course that links to red lyrium (Blighted blue lyrium, the red lyrium idol) and is reminiscent of the Evanuris digging deep, mining the bodies of Titans for "something else" and unleashing something terrible by doing so by mistake (we read of elves frantically collapsing tunnels, "let this place be forgotten, let no one wake its anger"). also I'm obsessed with the Balrog Theory so

Solas being kinda extra with his dramatic fursona red seal

he is always one step ahead of them isn't he

"You're joking. You've got to be" Strife +50 Headache

"Interfering in matters you do not understand can only make things worse" explain them then pls Solas. if you're cryptic and don't explain things in full all the time, then ofc people are going to be Concerned

the Orb of Fen'Harel, the red lyrium idol and the crucious stone.. Solas' list of Maguffins I Need For My Plans keeps getting longer.

As for the crucious stone itself.. whatever it does, it sounds like it weakens the Veil. makes sense why Solas would want it, then. there was this line in Ruins of Reality: "Mysterious entries appeared of their own accord, describing sacred ruins in Arlathan Forest that guarded an artifact of fabled power." In Ruins of Reality it referred to a crystal halla figurine. maybe the journal has since produced more entries of its own accord, telling of other ruins and artifacts - Strife and Irelin in this comic had heard of the crucious stone and had a map to where it was located after all.

Also the final question is who is the person on the final page, which is the cover for issue 4? Presumably the trusted informant from the issue 4 synopsis, "Varric connects with a trusted informant who might help them." I've seen speculation that they are the person from this concept art and I like that idea and could see it :] I love their outfit and the design of it makes me think of snakes, so again I'm wondering about the Viper. their oufits are similar, and so far we've had Wardens-Crows-Veil Jumpers in 1-3. perhaps issue 4 will introduce (in advance of DA:D) the Viper's faction. in the 2020 trailer you have the pair of boots (speculated to be a Warden) character, a character on the roof (speculated to be a Crow) and a Veil Jumper stalking through the woods. there's also the character in an alley of Minrathous with the knife. the pattern on their hood -

is like reptile scales, like the pattern on the Viper here and the pattern on the character on the final page's shoulders (as well as the scaley reptile on the person in that concept art's staff).

[pinkcaraz]

Carlos needs to leave LV and get with a Spanish brand like Loewe or Balenciaga. It feels like lv really don’t care about him that much compared to how much Gucci care about jannik. They have the most popular player in men’s tennis as their ambassador and they dont gaf. They didn’t even post about his rg win. Can you believe it? Jannik could win a freaking challenger and Gucci will post about it😭 Plus the dinner that Gucci hosted for Jannik with Ryan Gosling and Salma Hayek.

I think Gucci is very invested in Jannik also because its an Italian brand and hence why Carlos should go to a Spanish brand (I know loewe is under lv’s parent company. But they are pretty independent as far as operations and creative direction is concerned).

Idk sometimes it just feels like it’s Carlos and his checkered nike polo shirt against the world.

ooo ok yes i was actually talking to my irl bestie about this the other day bc she's much more into luxury brands than i am and she mentioned how carlos should go to loewe too ! that being said i literally just rbed a post saying that he should wear a pink LV bag lol but i'd be happy if it was any nice pink bag. tbf i know very little about these fashion brands so yea i don't have super strong opinions on them, but it would be nice to see something other than LV for the reasons you mentioned.

i didn't know that LV didn't post about his RG win but yea that sucks 😭 iirc i think he did like a small photoshoot after winning RG in a suit but i don't think that was for LV specifically. it might have been for rolex but i'm not completely sure.

but yea i definitely agree with you that compared to jannik and gucci, LV seem to underutilize carlos. i also think you're right about how it might be bc of the italian company and italian player thing. i'm not exactly sure how either brand goes about their sponsorships/partner deals, but maybe it could be that LV doesn't really go that hard on using their atheletes or other partners in general 🤷 maybe it could also be a difference in how much carlos and jannik really want to participate in these kinds of things. to me it seems like carlos doesn't really care much about fashion compared to jannik (although i don't think either cares that much, but jannik definitely seems more willing to play into that stuff !). also maybe a difference in whether they have stylists too or just hand them clothes and say do what you want with them LOL.

lately it seems like they have been ramping up the gucci and LV endorsements though, and i think i should give some props to LV for the most recent fits bc they're much better than what we got before (i'm well aware the bar is on the floor LMAO). i'm not super picky but i definitely think it would be interesting if carlos went to a brand that really poured more resources into him and took advantage of having a deal with him, and it would be nice if it was a spanish brand for that reason too.

it really do be carlos and his checkered nike polo against the world 😔 BUT i think he should fix that and HIRE A STYLIST PLEASE like i know you have enough money for it carlos !!! hire a stylist for us please so we can see you in nice (NOT JUST DECENT) outfits !!! tbh i think a stylist would be extremely helpful for him and his brand but again idk much about fashion and these things so yea

[bunnyboy-juice]

cupcake, warm milk, pillow, pastel, soft fur, meow !!

Cupcake - Do you have a comfort food? If so, what is it?

OH YEAH- my comfort food is quite literally kung pao chicken (no green peppers, add broccoli) from the Chinese food place down the street from us. they literally know my wife (tho they think she's me bc i always order) bc i am spoiled (read: they are VERY affordable) and xe will pick it up for me basically whenever im having a bad day and we have takeout money available and it never fails to make me 300% happier until i finish the leftovers

Warm milk - What is something that makes you feel comfortable?

my headphones c: they are over the ear and noise cancelling, i wear them 90% of the time i am not at home, and in general if im having discomfort but idk why I'm usually reaching for those first

Pillow - What are five (or more) things that make you happy?

non-living things/experiences only for this (bc if not my wife, cats, and closest friends take up slots 1-8 easy): the leather cock ring my wife tried buying that fits my wrist better (its really fun to clicky clicky and also is a cute bracelet and also makes me blush knowing what it was supposed to be for), seeing children expressing themselves through their clothing in public (UGH 🥰💞), seeing people with their friends/lovers and being able to tell from the laughter/loving touch that they're in their own little world together, movie nights at home (or at least somewhere i feel safe to unmask), CHICKEN SPAGHETTI THE WAY MY AMMA (mom) MADE IT, basically Any food but esp soup from my mami (grandmother), ummmmmm g-d this list could go for a really long time tbh so I'm gonna cap it but tbh a lot of things make me happy also, its not a very hard feeling to make happen for me

Pastel - What is your favorite color?

😭 g-d okay i had to use a color picker bc i wanted to give a very accurate representation of the orangey yellows and purpley pinks i like so oranges/yellows: dd9220 ffbe67 f2b40b pinks/purples: cfb5d2 ff4fd3 a8548f

Soft fur - How are you feeling right now?

honestly could be better, this morning was weird and now im itchy bc my skin is dry from the cold but im also leaving work rn so my mood will Definitely increase for sure in the next hour once im home

Meow - Share a random fact about yourself, please

ohhhh ummmm let see.....OH I have photos of my uterus in a folder somewhere because when i was 17 i had to have emergency surgery bc of a ruptured cyst and even though all i remember is Immense pain, i was apparently sobbing begging them to take pictures of my insides while they were trying to put me under for the surgery. i did this AGAIN when i was 18 and had to have my appendix removed (again, emergent surgery), and they did give me the photos but i lost those when moving

[favoredsouls]

Its hard for me to talk about faith as it is hard for me to talk about anything. I say I don't know so much it might as well be punctuation for me. It's hard to say just how important I find personal faith and spirituality is over that of something based in a group. Maybe thats why I like the favored soul. They are often outside of a organization. Sometimes feared, sometimes revered, sometimes both. But this is real life I am in, not fantasy. I am not going to delude my experience by thinking I am a chosen one.

Years ago I was spending time with a friend at his college. I had feelings for him at the time. He was my first dm and the first guy I would date later one. He was exploring paganism and had been for a little while. But I was different. My parents, raised catholic, turned to paganism in their college years and kept it in their hearts along with their faith in christ. There are points I cannot tell what they really believe. But thats the thing. Faith is not one side or the other. Back to the point I have been pagan my whole life in a way.

So I am spending time with this guy and he eventually finds a group of queer kids that call themselves the Pagan Student Union at the college. He invites me to join their meetings. And I do. But the thing was. The thing was one of the first people I talked to very openly said they had dreams about Thor and he told them find other followers. An alarm bell went off then but i didnt know what it meant.

In short this group was a bunch of queer, college kids who were trying to escape christian programming. I have no ill will to them but tbh. They kinda creeped me out after a while. My friend I dont think talks to them anymore but remembers things differently.

By that point in my life I had been wearing a hammer for a few years and working with runes since high school. It was important to me but I have moved from the mystical stuff about it. Runes are letters. They have the meaning you give them. Like tarot. Its about interpretation.

I realized that some of the people i dated and loved at the time were misguided. They were told things that made them feel special by people who wanted something from them. I dont think one of them realized this. I didnt know how to tell them they dont have a dragon soul. That guy probably wants to sell you something or wants sex.

Then I come to learn through my mother and some online scholarly types that yes. There are people who do just that. Theyre called grifters. And they'll take a lot if they can. Theyre everywhere. That same person with the dragonsoul also felt they were talking to spirits.

They asked me if i believed them on a walk back from a little patch of woods near my home. Idk what i said anymore. I didnt but i didnt say that. They knew i didnt believe them though.

For other reasons im glad that person is gone from my life.

I learned that sometimes the things you find faith in are not the things you think them to be. Gods do not speak to us in anyway we hear if they do at all. Trees dont talk or have spirits that talk on their behalf. The guy whose telling you have a special soul probably just wants to bone. If they do I dont think the person writing this or that book knows how to listen and discern what theyre saying.

But there are real things out there that happen. Storms do move overhead and I feel energized by their rain. I feel awe. I feel fear. I feel excitement. They're like a friend who makes me feel good about myself and I value the time with them when we have it. I call him Thor.

There is something sacred to me about people fighting for what is right. For justice and truth. And i read stories about them and imagine a friend is telling me them. His name is Tyr.

I wonder the woods and see wind blowing through trees, forcing a cacophony of swayinh bodies. I cannot hear my own voice in the wind. And I am excited by this. Like I could be knocked off my feet at any moment. The glory of it all! To live and breathe at this moment.

I cannot find my dogs bowl for 2 weeks. I know in my mind it is under a couch somewhere but i cannot see the blasted thing with any flashlight. No one can. It must be the gnomes. Its always the gnomes. We curse them and bemoan them. It shows up two weeks later when we move the couch for other reasons. They have forgiven shilo for spooking them and returned the bowl.

Life is full of so much wonder, mischief and grief. The things you find mystical are not magic because they have extra properties. Theyre mystical because they exist and you can marvel at them!

My friend is a geologist and she likes to poke fun at the witchy types who think rocks do things. But she talked in the same breath about how these things have been crushed and moved for thousands if not millions of years to the surface into the form they are now and you get to hold it! Isnt that beautiful. It is Lee. It certainly is.

Life isnt tragic because we face so much hard ship only to die in an uncaring universe. Its beautiful that we get to live at all and do all these things and love people and sing and dance and hold rocks. The universe may be a charnel house of mostly dead stuff. But isnt it beautiful that we get to be some of very few things that can move and think and do so many things!

I exist at the same time as the stars do and they are beautiful. I get to see snowstorms and thunderstorms and my dog Shilo and all my friends dogs and all my friends. All in my lifetime! And so much more! I exist at the same time as all these things.

There is beauty in that truth. It is so awe inspiring to me that i get to be here at all! And so much more. So much more i couldnt say it all in a single post. I have faith in this beautiful world and everything that comes with it. I call her God for simplicity.

I like to think of her as a friend whose so excited to show me all the cool shit they find on their walks.

[valoisfulcanellideux]

Some thoughts (and hopes!) for what we might expect from Pix's Empires S2 finale

Just a few thoughts that I had last night, regarding Pix's Empires S2 finale. Mostly they're hopes, tbh.

We know that we can expect a timelapse of pretty much the entire castle build, because he's been rendering that for a while now. (It's weeks-worth of footage; god knows how much hard drive space he'll be able to free up after that's done!)

We know (because he's mentioned it on stream) that he's taking a more narrative tack with the finale.

We know that he'll probably be telling us - officially - what those of us who watch his streams already know: the origin of the Ancient Capital and who originally built it.

We know that, rather than telling his own story, his aim for Season 2 all along was to tell the story of the world.

All that said, my hopes and thoughts:

I hope (and suspect) that we'll see the return of the Narrator, if not for the entire episode, then at least for some of it. Pix's Empires series are known for their beautiful cinematics, many of them overlain with lore-based narration (examples: the Machine, the S1 dragon fight, the Copper King's exile, the Phantom Assassin, the S2 elytra hunt, both series' intros).

I hope (I truly hope) that not only does the world/Ancient Capital get some kind of ending or closure, but that Pix himself also gets the same. For much of the final third of his series he's been a ghost, and with those words about his character 'maybe being a bit of the past himself' I really, really would love to know his take on that. Although I'm also aware that he's fully cognisant (and, in fact, actively encourages) fanon interpretations of his characters' lore, so he might leave that particular aspect up to us as viewers.

My personal headcanon for this (which I may expand on at some point, over at AO3) is that the Crown of Empires - that ancient artefact - was Pix's own personal 'revealing potion', showing his true form as a ghost of the past who managed to pass as living until he finally gave in to the temptation to wear it. And that the reason he is able to rebuild the Ancient Capital is that he once lived there in its heyday (readers of These Stones Remember, you didn't see that last bit, y'hear me? *grins*) and he's simply rebuilding his old home from memory. Where he's been in the interim? Who knows...

But yeah. I think we're in for something rather special when his finale - which (at his last Elden Ring stream on Wednesday) he has mentioned he's still editing - finally drops.

[haliaiii]

VAL AND SAM INTERACTIONS....LORE....... HEADCANONS.......SKETCHES.......ANYTHING!!!! i need more content of them both or i will literally Explode

I don't really have any new sketches atm but have some random facts or something

Both Sam and Val can't cook great, at best Val can make a decent egg on toast

They literally eat nearly all their meals at the restaurant owned by Kain's mom (Ms. Wanchai)

Their main source of income is bounty hunting

Why? Because being a bounty hunter gets you a bounty license which can be used as a form of ID without needing to be registered in the government archives (loopholes lol)

This is great for Sam, who's not supposed to be in this era and is keeping it a secret, and Val, who's technically legally dead

This way they can continue to make a living, and continue leasing the apartment

Bounty hunting itself is a dying profession unfortunately because the risks and the government slowly trying to push it out

tbh in the Retrograde world, if you either work for the government, become a bounty hunter, or join the terrorist group

You lose your bounty licence if you don't complete a bounty at least twice a month

anyway enough bounty stuff back to Sam and Val

Bounty hunting gets them like around 800 USD (there's a different in world currency tho)

Harder bounties can go up to 2k or more

But it's not like a lot so they're kinda just scrounging by

On off days Sam usually goes to the arcade or a bar at night

Val spends most of the time inside, but he'll also take his hoverbike for a spin

Speaking of which, Val got his hoverbike in a street race against this rich guy during his early bounty hunter days

That's why it's so fancy

If Val sold it, he'd probably have enough money to buy a fancy place in the city

but he's way too attached to it, plus it's their only form of transportation

Otherwise they'd have to take public transport and walk

They have clothes they wear for bounty hunting and clothes they wear for normal days

They both actually have two of the same jacket each

They do all their laundry at the laundromat where Kain works

Normally, they do all their shopping locally but because it's a small town, sometimes they have to go to Jupiter because it's the closest city

Speaking of which, the name of the town they live in is "Level 4"

It's where Val woke up after "dying" and he hasn't really been bothered to leave since

Because of the halo on his head, Sam gets recognized pretty easily when he goes out in town

Sam's halo turns off when he sleeps, but he also recently found out if he covers the metal implant on his back, they it goes away somehow (however it makes him really sleepy when he does that)

Val used to smoke a lot but he doesn't anymore, he only does it if he gets really stressed about something or he has a nervous breakdown

There's a lunar eclipse that happens every year since the cataclysm, Sam is always super excited to see it since he's a big fan of astronomy events

Val has always felt incredibly sick on those days, ever since he was a child, he usually closes all the blinds and locks himself in the bedroom,

It feels like his blood is trying to claw its way out of his veins

It goes away the next day so it's probably nothing

Sam once developed a strong addiction to a specific cherry smoothie at a dinner and had it every single day for an entire week, he spent the next week in bed from a terrible stomach ache

And finally as a fun Christmas special

For Christmas, Val and Sam usually spend it with Kain and his family plus their friends,

they don't have a christmas tree cause those species of pine trees kinda died out overtime and are pretty hard to find nowadays, and they don't have enough money for a fake one they'll use once, so they just opt to decorate a random houseplant

Anyway sorry this is pretty long 💀 ngl you can bring as many hcs as you want, they could probably have a chance to make it to the canon-

[courtana]

i don’t want to out myself completely cuz i was raging over this, but it is really similar to what you said a couple months ago about how the people loudest about the game on tumblr are also those who don’t play the game or understand the characters for some reason… i thought it would get better too and they would move to something like baldurs gate 3 but they haven’t. the worst thing i saw recently was someone who only reblogged x reader aus, which i don’t care about that much tbh, talking about how the characters aren’t emotional and how they don’t wear their trauma which is INSANEEEE. especially because ghost exists along with many other scenes in modern warfare and even the smaller games that tumblr doesn’t care about… mind you, this person reblogs hybrid au fics but is complaining about how cod characters aren’t emotional and how they don’t wear their trauma and how it’s unrealistic for fic writers to include that in their fics (lowkey not my business tho, letting the cod fic writers eat eachother alive would be beneficial)

it’s kind of like they don’t view the characters as characters that are complex (for cod standards) and instead just look at them as sex toys for them to masturbate to. it’s literally insane. you were ahead of the game on noticing this.

Like the campaigns for COD, in comparison with other games, are so short that of course we're not going to see every emotional facet of a character. They're very fast-paced campaigns. But we definitely do see them portray emotions. Just because it's not romantic angst doesn't mean that they're not actual emotional responses from the characters. Bro, one of the most iconic memes from COD through these last twenty years is literally Price crying out in emotional agony seeing Soap die. These girls just have the media literacy of a fucking fruitfly and don't see characters' emotions written in a story's subtext lol.

Definitely, I could see that they just viewed them all as interchangeable sex toys and objects. Which sucks because the Modern Warfare storyline, which began in '07, is dear to a lot of gamers' hearts, even for people who have stopped playing COD before the reboots. Like, Captain Price [and arguably Soap] was considered a huge icon/name in video games prior to the reboots. Yet, these "fans" sort of just bastardize the characters and the stories to write glorified porn, ignoring sort of the cultural weight a lot of these names have attached to them among gaming circles.

What annoys me most, too, is that a video game subculture, a space on the internet for gamers (men and women alike) who do love these characters, got totally ransacked and raided by airheads who outright state they have no care for video games, for gaming subcultures, for the stories of the games itself. Unless you go to somewhere like r/girlgamers and search for a Warzone or Multiplayer LFG there, it's hard to find other people in female COD spaces nowadays who, like, would actually want to play matches with you. Like, people have forgotten entirely that COD is a video game and its characters are from a video game, not just an empty, decontextualized sandbox of dolls and faceclaims for their edgy, try-hard, and unrealistic smut fics.

Anyway, it's nice to be recognized for when I am right, even if at times I lost my cool and it felt like a waste of time. Thanks anon.