#thoughts from an ember

[nelkcats]

Ember's Music Emporium

When he became King, Danny had not banned the ghosts from earth but asked them to be discreet, so instead of giving concerts that were extremely flashy, Ember decided to open a music store.

It was complicated to find a good location since she wanted to go far away from Amity, but she was aware that not all cities would accept strangers and it could be dangerous for her if they found out she was a ghost.

Money was not so difficult, Ember had collected several things during her unofficial concerts, among them: cash (besides, Danny was willing to sponsor her if that wasn't enough), and musical instruments were even easier to find as Skulker loved to build them and wanted to help her.

In the end, her little music store set up in Gotham (rusty laws, natural ecto, crazies everywhere and lots of people who looked extremely colorful, she assumed they would take her as one).

She and Skulker worked very hard at turning the dusty place they bought into something nice where everyone was welcome; they also made it a sort of temporary home, seeing as they couldn't go to the Infinite Realms every day.

And everything was a success until someone tried to attack their little business; naturally the ghosts protected it and very soon, a rare scarecrow was hit by one of Skulker's bombs.

It didn't cause much damage but it definitely drew attention. Many tried to attack after this and they kept responding (Skulker much more excited than she was about the whole thing).

But Ember was determined to not call Danny, she was sure they would get scolded about attacking people and not going unnoticed as they promised (although the rude people attacked them first and none of them were dead, or Danny would have come).

When some weird guys in bat costumes started trying to sneak into her humble music store (and they didn't even bother to pretend to be customers like the nice guy in the red helmet), she decided that maybe it was time to call the halfa. Things had gotten a little out of hand.

[tricoufamily]

if you're wondering why bob is here it's bc in the original villareal story there was a very minor background detail that diego lobo and bob pancakes dated in college and broke up tragically and that's where the story peaked. so i included him it's still canon

thank you for these it was so fun!!!!!!!!!!!!

i did these in my this is the fall sim style so i'm thinking. if they exist in this universe what's all their opinions on the 'did jacques do it' situation. let's take a look

don: saw a photo of jacques's wife on the news during the investigation. said "whoa mama that's a hot babe!" like johnny bravo and did not read the headline. does not know anything about it still.

vlad: well he's psychic he could figure out the truth if he actually cared. and he has!

olive: obviously respects it. except for the getting investigated part, would never happen to her.

diego: does not think jacques did it but enjoys the tabloids. knows other rich people personally who he thinks have killed their spouses

morgyn: will post things like "friendly reminder that j*cques v*llareal literally killed his wife and is a billionaire so maybe don't go to one of their hotels" on tumblr and will then do a call out post about like a fanfic writer who wrote an unhealthy relationship with more severity

pascal: knows conspiracy theories and this one is bullshit. or maybe it just doesn't interest him as much as aliens and that's why he thinks that

jeb: has a very "well of course he did. them rich folk can do whatever they want. there ain't no hope for the rest of us" while kicking a can down the road approach

bob: thinks he did it. is very alarmed that it was brushed off. eliza's like bob book the hotel and he's like am i going crazy. does anyone hear me.

[fishyartist]

[embers-of-the-league]

Dabi: "I really like you, Tomura"

Shigaraki: "There's so much you don't know about me..."

Dabi: "What are you? Like an axe murderer?"

Shigaraki: "Worse."

Shigaraki: "I'm a gamer."

[zipadeea]

I see people talking about how Poppy is obviously Sotoria reborn, but not enough people talking about how Attes has a horse named Setti...and has dimples...and has sworn to protect Sotoria's soul in her next life...and can turn into a HAWK.

[blazingblorbos]

I am going positively feral at the implications of this scene.

[cmyksky]

I have my fair share of criticisms for Sky lore, but I can't quite empathize with some of the things people say about it. Forgive me if this results in me sounding like a prick; this is my opinion, and nobody is obligated to agree with it. Ramble under the cut.

One such idea I can't get behind is that nothing/very little is confirmed; this is a game that relies on conveying ideas nonverbally, aside from some introductory/game mechanic stuff. I think a line has to be drawn when deciding that something is "unconfirmed" just because the game doesn't hold your hand and tell you "Hey, this is what happened" with a narration/cutscene sequence.

Tangentially related is the idea that Sky cannot be understood without supplementary material from outside the game. I do agree that some things would be harder to grasp or deduce, such as dark stone specifically being a source of conflict in the kingdom. However, I think Sky makes quite a few obvious points. If you breeze through the game without pondering it very much or paying attention, then sure, you miss a lot. Sky is fairly linear and cyclical, but there's plenty you can easily pass on your first few runs. But let's think about a few things that we can make connections between through the game alone, because I find it a bit surprising that some people don't think twice to pick up on the themes.

Your flame is the key to everything in the game: activating mechanisms, helping spirits, burning darkness, and so on. The Elders also take your flame in every cutscene in various ways. Elders have entire temples dedicated to them; the flame must be very important for these authority figures to accept your offering. The entire game beckons you to follow the light, and light creatures guide and assist your journey (pun unintended). I don't have to mention the title of the game, right? And yet, why do we see some spirits guide these creatures while others trap and kill them? Why do we free caged mantas from the forest temple and encounter a "light miner" in one of the most somber realms in the game? Why do we see war waged against these creatures? I personally do not believe it requires much complication to guess that the ancestors wanted their power and exploited them as a resource.

The game starts with our birth/rebirth, with dawn, with simple mechanics and architecture. The game ends with our death, with night, with the grand pinnacle of the kingdom and the worst of the destruction. We see joyful, carefree spirits who connect with light creatures and live in peace. We trudge through polluted waters and sludge-clogged pipes, relive memories and view murals of spirits dying and fleeing from dark creatures and war.

And no, I'm not saying I've never been disappointed or that the game should be immune from criticism simply for its format or intent in terms of player experience. I have been left wanting more, and I have oftentimes wished the devs would give at least some spotlight to the kingdom’s destruction outside of the base game and a handful of seasons/seasonal quests. I can't help but wonder why TGC wants to keep a long-lived, dedicated fanbase without giving us the deeper lore that we want! And yet, I feel like many of the criticisms I observe are skewed by burned-out players or simply exaggerated due to frustration. Hope this coheres; I just like contemplating this game's lore.

[galdorcraeft]

“I do love you, Goro. 

In all the cheesy, romantical, old school ways that exist - I do love you so very much.

I love your eyes, sometimes square windows into your soul, sometimes as hard and unbreakable as Black Ice. Artificial yet so full of life. I love how carefully you chose your face implants to perfectly match your delicate features. Love every little imperfection in your face, your graying hair, your sweet sweet wrinkles, all these beautiful and unique traits age has gifted to you. I love the rare laughs, most intimate and private, as much as I love your earnestness, calmness and prudence whenever we go out with our friends. I love you with all your flaws and strengths, love your lips kissing me, your hands - these beautiful augmented, strong hands - touching my body so incomprehensibly gentle. You once told me that our age difference was one of your greatest concerns. I can assure you that all of them were unfounded, that your maturity is grounding me, calming me in a sense I never knew and never thought I’d ever experience. I cannot imagine my life without you anymore, I already lost myself in you, my body and soul addicted to you.

So… I assure you, with all my heart and spirit, I do love you Goro Takemura.”

(she once felt he needed reassurance….)

[skyward-floored]

Ever since you answered my ask about Ember’s dark world form I’ve been theorizing about his identity. I’ve got several theories now hehe (and all of them revolve around Warriors)

Oh? Hehe do tell, I’m curious 👀

[vampirekinn]

FUUUUUUUUCK YOUUUUUU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU

[reverentwormpriest]

it occurred to me thanks to tiktok that the gaang literally never learn how zuko got his scar and now I have the evil idea in my mind of them learning how he got it in the ember island episode cuz maybe they interviewed someone who was there for the agni kai and the whole gaang just kinda goes quiet and pitifully side eye zuko who is visibly shrinking into his seat

or there's the funnier but still sad option of one of them being like "haha I guess we both have scars cuz of training accidents" since thats what the fire nation soldiers assumed and zukos just like "oh no that was my dad" and they all hear a vine boom in their heads

[coneygoil]

a portal to hell opened in our field last night

[acoraf]

I am freaking out about the Pronunciation guide in War of Two Queens?!

What do you mean Eloana is Elana???? Then why is the o in there???? Kara???? Penellafe?!

Malec and Malik is completely switched around?!

Seera????? What do you mean Seera?????

What irks me the most is that the ONE place I need help with THE MOST is Evaemon, and it's not on the list!!!!

I love fantasy so much, but for the love of every good book in this world, help a poor dyslexic-non-native-english-speaking lady out 😭

I cringed so hard in the beginning of the series that it was called Atlantia and Pompay, but I was so wrong, I would give everything to just have a normal name for anything! Just one! PLEASE!!!!! 😭😭

[isablooo]

"Whoever, fameless, wastes her life away, leaves of herself no greater mark on earth than smoke in air or froth upon the wave" (Dante, Inferno xxiv. 49-51)

[crows-of-buckets]

Heyyyy do any of the like. Five pathfinder wotr writers have a website that shows the full dialogue for companion quests because I cannot find SHIT besides YouTube videos

[embers-scheduled-disappointing]

id slightly like a hug

won't get a really nice one for a while