#threading: my will; my choices

[tomorrowscircle]

PINNED

TOA Canon [Blue Lions Professor at the Officers Academy]

Coming from the ruined timeline of the Future Past, Morgen served as Grima's loyal servant. Sent back in time to serve his will, she lost the majority of her memory in the process, especially the ones of her time with her master. Despite this, she still aims to become better than she may have once been. After a brief stint originally as a Blue Lions student, she returned to Plegia to further her studies. Now, she comes back to the Academy, this time as a professor, looking to pass on what she has learned in her time away, and perhaps learn some things herself.

ABOUT

INTERVIEW

Please kindly do not use small text! (post)

[lizzybeeee]

DATV Spoilers - The Handling of Previous Story/Lore In DATV

Quick PSA: If you’ve read my post on the lore/story threads dropped – it’s not a list of what I expected or even wanted to see addressed/answered in DATV.

It’s pretty much a given that Kieran and the Architect were never going to come back in any meaningful way, I understand that. Questions about what happened to Anora, Anders, Cullen’s clinic etc...never expected to get an answer about them – at all. The line of succession in Ferelden and Orlais? I expected that sometime down the line it would have to be streamlined into one option for both nations, not a problem – there’s so many choices it’s impossible to account for, and I understand that.

This is just a list of plot threads left unanswered that will, most likely, remain unanswered.

There’s no DLC planned – the team is working on Mass Effect 5 now. There’s no conclusion to the fate of the south of Thedas outside of some codex entries and some dialogue. They can patch the Executors cutscene out, maybe - perhaps they could even do the same to anything relating to the south of Thedas. Yes, these areas were not completely destroyed by the Blight – they can rebuild – but it comes across as being so meaningless that I ever cared for these places in the first place. To learn that after ten years of waiting all we cared for get devastated and left in limbo...it’s hard to put into words the bitterness I felt at that realization, and seeing that final cut-scene drove the nail into the coffin of how foolish I felt for even caring in the first place.

A codex entry or letter would have been nice – but my expectations for DATV was solely for a good story that added to the lore and world of Thedas. Instead, it felt entirely reductive – glaringly so when you account for the ‘Executives’ twist.

The world of Thedas has been watered down and its worldbuilding/lore diminished - slavery in Tevinter is non-existent, the Crows being an organization that indoctrinated children is never touched upon, any mystery of ancient Tevinter and the elves is answered (badly!), the Dalish have effectively disappeared and become the Veil Jumpers...it all feels so hollow, so shallow, that I ever cared about these things in the first place.

The issue is that the dev’s gave us only three choices, told us that as the story was contained to the north of Thedas – that our other choices weren’t relevant to the rest of the game with their intent being to not effect anyone's head-canons...before doing so with ‘the blight has devastated most of everywhere you went previously’.

These were story/plot threads that were woven throughout the narrative of the first three games – the things that made me care and become invested in the world of Thedas to begin with. In a game that was set-up to be a direct sequel to Inquisition and Trespasser I hoped that, at least, what was brought up in Inquisition would be mentioned.

Perhaps my list is a little too detailed with plot threads and issues – if anything that can be attributed to the incredible world-building done in the first three games! I love those games, I love the world of Thedas...which is why this game utterly baffles me with its choices.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is a good game but not a good Dragon Age game.

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Edit: DATV absolutely has a lot of problems outside of its handling of the lore and story of the previous games. I would not say its a good rpg in any sense, but as a weird 'action-adventure rpg lite' game I did have some fun moments and enjoy myself. Would I recommend it to anyone? Absolutely not.

I heard someone describe it as a 'junk food' game and I very much agree with that statement. I found enjoyment in it, but to do so I usually had to turn off my brain, which is not a compliment towards DATV.

The game released very well optimized (especially considering how most companies are content to release half-baked games and patch them later) and did create some really interesting visual set-pieces like the Battle of Weisshaupt. But those moments I enjoyed were few and far between, and far overwhelmed by the negatives of the game - such as story, lack of conversation/conflict/role-play options, bad character writing etc...

Calling the game 'good' is, perhaps, a stretch, and I totally get that. Calling it 'mediocre with some good parts' may be more accurate.

[seyraccoon]

meko oyashi (past tense)

new work in progress~

instead of doing a simple manga panel as with other fandoms, I decided to do something big and colored!

[tomorrowscircle]

Maybe someday she could be what Grima wanted again, but that day was not anytime soon. For now, it was a goodbye to the person she had been.

But someday, she knew she would return to being her. Fate was unavoidable, a cycle that would never stop turning, even if she wanted it to.

[end]

"I think it's foolish to crawl in the dirt with worms when you were born to be so much better than they are," Grima answered quickly, a sharpness to her tone. She had hoped better for the offspring of her vessel but she supposed there were some things that had to change across time. If this one was intent on defying her then Grima wouldn't argue with her. Their connection of blood would mean nothing if she was defied.

"It appears you've made up your mind though and that father of yours will no doubt be alerted of this conversation," Grima commented, seeming tired of the exchange. Once again, Grima was thousands of miles apart from the person in front of her. It didn't matter in the slightest and the weight on Grima's shoulders was just another pound added to centuries of weight.

"Fine. Live your life and see where it gets you. When the end comes, you'll fall with the rest of those foolish children. Even those at the school think they can avoid what will come. I don't think you all quite understand the gravity of what you're dealing with." Grima said with a sigh. She had little more she wished to say to Morgan. She instead turned away, starting to simply leave the situation. If she said more, she'd have to admit this was a tactical retreat. She definitely didn't want to do that.

[expectiations]

I still find it funny that people call eleven a "deadbeat husband" and their marriage "toxic" but twelve is the "perfect husband" and their marriage "wedded bliss" all because of the few moments we'd seen between 11 and River were them being "toxic". yes of course! let's ignore how the minisodes show how that description isn't true and even how little moments in the episodes themselves – "what? that's it?" (why haven't you kissed me goodbye? are you being sly on purpose so I'd kiss you first?) and "they wouldn't bury my wife out here" and the music room is the heart of the home and it's not a ghost story, it's a love story – show 11 cared and put in the work and yes, they're going to have disagreements like the ones in TATM because duh who doesn't but it does not mean it is the entirety of their relationship but people have taken it and made it the entirety of their relationship.

[ender1821]

somebody hold me tight my gempearl people we are in the trenches i dont know what's worse the fact that pearl thought that gem and her stil had an unspoken alliance for wild life because they did it for secret life and that’s their thing (they trust each other until the end) but they DON’T or the fact that sl!gem genuinely loved pearl so much that what happened in the finale was a big betrayal for her and it hurt her so much that she feels like she can’t trust pearl now in wild life (and also how she is so bent on making friends and being on the good side of most because, well, she's been betrayed before right?)

gem is already on edge and will lash out at anyone that even tries to take, approach weirdly or do anything to her or joel but pearl doesn’t understand the importance of what they had in secret life held for gem. for gem the bridge of what they had was burnt alongside the sunflower field and it was burnt by pearl. for pearl the bridge was never burnt, it only carries the ashes of the field.

it’s the fact that despite all the bitterness and rage and anger brewing inside her, gem can't help but show a bit of concern when pearl tells her that she's had a rough day.

the layers of miscommunication between them are so many i need them to TALK and FIX this before something else happens.

does NOT help that Pearl’s minor slip up at the end of the cobblestone wall interaction indirectly fuelled more of Gem’s paranoia/scepticism for Impulse + Pearl, because her “well now I don’t know who to try this on, everyone else are allies” meant that she ONLY viewed Gem and Joel as enemies. which. isn’t the case. she just meant people who are neutral to her. because Pearl where did you get allies from you’ve been dying down in the mines and eating your own sword (/lh). but OF COURSE Gem would view that as them being enemies now. hey. you know what this miscommunication reminds me of. this lil minecraft series on youtube called Double-

narratively this is so. this is awesome man. i want to see how this resolves so bad.

[starnana7]

okay but the fact that dean and cas are BOTH made for each other and at the same time they willed their love. they made it happen, knowingly, loving each other with every bit of consciousness they had, that they gained with one another. cas was always a rebellious angel, but this is the only universe where he actually rebelled—for dean. that he didn’t do what he was told, where he defied God and fate and the universe. they may not love each other in Every universe, and that may have been their only chance (</3) But Fuck if that isn’t even more poetic. the fact they weren’t linked by some intertwined invisible string but they actually chose to fall in love with each other. every day they made that choice, consciously or not. every day they chose each other. every day they woke up and fought for their love. and like i do think that at some level they were kinda destined for each other, i mean, they Are soulmates, but not in the divine sense yk like chuck did brought castiel over and over because of dean and they are not just two random dudes that fell in love; they were indeed “brought together” but ultimately They—and only they—changed the entire narrative bc that WASN’T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN. castiel was supposed to obey, to comply; dean was supposed to hate all angels and supernatural beings, and yet they were the only real thing in the entire cosmos. they were the only real thing in chuck’s story, their love, the bond they forged—one that wasn’t even supposed to exist, at least not like that. like they really did that Huh they invented free will right then and there to the point even the writers had to change the original script so castiel would come back (i’m pretty sure he was only supposed to be in a few episodes). love so strong they changed the narrative (both of them). cas love for dean was so strong that even tho he was brainwashed and trained to kill dean over and over and over again, the moment that dean needed cas—dean who doesn’t need any one btw—the connection broke, cas broke free. dean love for cas was so strong that even tho he had the moc, the moment that cas asked for him to stop, he did, he couldn’t kill cas, not with cas touching him and not fighting back (btw i love this parallel with all my heart and also cas-collete parallel hellooo?). dean also loved cas so much that even tho he was by fate bound to amara, the moment she did something to cas he immediately went against her, like even she realized that his love for cas was stronger than their bond—even tho his and amara bond was literally inevitable, like it just would happen. and then again we prove that the choice of dean and cas love for each other was so much more strong than anything that chuck could’ve written, stronger than any fate or ineffable plan or anything. and like cas’ love is so strong that i do think would resonate in every universe, but not because they were supposed to happen. on the contrary, specifically because they weren’t a thing, it were so strong to the point it changed everything that it could also happen in every other universe yk like i firmly believe cas would always find dean but not because of fate but because of his love

[tomorrowscircle]

"I promise I will Father. It might be good to rely on you a little more anyways..." She's older now, than she was when she had first arrived in Ylisse without her memories, and she's grown. (Though, certainly not in height.)

But even now, taller than her father (only by a little bit), she still feels like she'll always be a little girl, standing in the shadow of a great tactician, always scrambling to keep up on her own tiny feet.

"Just promise me you won't be reckless as well! I'd hate to see you falter, when I've looked up to you for so long. Of course, not literally! I'm taller than you now!"

"I know you can handle yourself, don't worry. I've seen you in battle. But still, I do worry..." He knows she's a formidable warrior, but a father's concern is not so easily displaced. He's glad for her amnesia, if he's honest. Even if it must be inconvenient for her (he knows his own can be, even now that he has the broad knowledge he lacks a lot of important details).

"Okay, just make sure you come to me if anything happens. I'll take care of it for you."

[you-makestedehappy]

Line deliveries that play on repeat in my brain.

Season 1, episode 1 - Pilot

🐈‍⬛❤️‍🩹🍆💦🏴‍☠️ [ep 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]

[naamahdarling]

.

[ladiesandwitches]

@thehxrkness

"I have worked for centuries to beat back every stereotype, every assumption, about witches and our culture, and at every turn I hear some new wicked deed of yours that undoes it all, like that, poof!" Lilia protested. unbridled irritation filling her voice as she jabbed a finger at Agatha. "You know you're the reason people used to think I caused the storms rather than just predicting them."

[tomorrowscircle]

Morgan finds herself suddenly glad to be atop a wyvern, she thinks as she glances down into the watery depths below. At least she won't be getting her shoes wet from all the way up here. (Why does this feel familiar? This perch atop a wyvern, an axe in her hand. Her head hurts.)

She does feel bad for Lyn though, the only one trapped without a way to soar above and not risk drowning. Hopefully that won't be too much of an issue, and she would happily fly down and rescue her even if it was!

With one axe in her hand, and a pair of gauntlets strapped to her belt, she feels like she is about ready to take on anything. She feels strong, and strength is good. Or at least she feels strong until a crash of waves hits her right in the face.

She coughs, managing to get all of the water out, but damn, really unfortunate that it was sea water. It tasted salty, and she really wasn't too fond of things that tasted salty. (Not to mention the fact that she couldn't exactly swim. Yet another reason to be glad for the wyvern she found herself upon.)

Charydbis (25/25* HP) summons Dolphin A (10/10 HP) Dolphin A (10/10 HP) rallies Charydbis (25/25* HP). Charydbis gains +4 DEX and +3 MAG for one round. Charydbis (25/25* HP) hits Morgan (10/10 HP) with Raging Waves. [Roll: 14 + 4 = 18; -5.5 HP] [Morgan: 4.5/10 HP] Charydbis (25/25* HP) hits Morgan (4.5/10 HP) with Maelstorm. [Roll: 16 + 4 = 20.] Morgan (4.5/10 HP) is bound until the end of the following phase.

Morgan coughs a little more, wondering if she should actually try to attack or if it was pointless because of how much water was around. But with a rallying screech from Tibarn, she knows that she should stand up and fight. And fight she would! She was strong after all!

She tugs the wyvern into battle (with a instinct she had not know that she'd had. Familiar... it was so familiar.) swooping over the pesky little dolphin that had been summoned by their bigger foe. She slams her axe into it as hard as she can, and it all but explodes into a million little water droplets. Well done herself!

Morgan heals +1 HP from Amaterasu. [Morgan: 5.5/10 HP] Morgan (5.5/10 HP) critically hits Dolphin A (10/10 HP) with Labrys. [Roll: 20 + 8 = 28; -11 HP] [Dolphin A: 0/10 HP] Dolphin A Has Been Defeated!

"Hey guys! I think the big one is open now that its little minion is gone! Use this chance to attack!"

@regnumaves

Yelp Review: 7.8/10 Too Much Water

[essektheylyss]

I know I joked about DVDs but in all seriousness, I'm really glad that there's an option for watching VODs that isn't on Twitch and YouTube. It's been mentioned a few times today, but both of the interfaces of these platforms have been increasingly enshittified. I simply do not use YouTube anymore because of how horrid the interface is. I caught up on campaign 2 entirely on YouTube (and sometimes via podcast) in 2019 with no issues, but it is straight up maddening trying to use it now, and I don't know that I would have made it through the campaign if I was trying to catch up today.

I absolutely understand being tired of additional streaming services and I am absolutely in the same boat, but I also don't know how many people really recognize how gutted media distribution has become in the last ten years in the name of convenience. We all kind of realize it, but it's hard to grasp just how extensive it is. We can talk about independent business choices separately, and we should, but when the only platforms on which you have the option to distribute your work are at best frustrating to use and at worst hostile to human life, when monetization services can censor anyone they please with little explanation and have been cracking down on any content they arbitrarily deem inappropriate, when it is not clear that centralized conglomerate social media sites will continue to exist in the next year let alone decade, it is genuinely crucial for independent creators to start building alternative avenues of distribution that they control now.

[xlillyle]

"We can delay the mission for another two minutes."

[satans-knitwear]

leaving the house 😮🫣✨

Treat me ~ Tip me (buy me a cold beverage as positive reinforcement)~ More of me

[queen0fm0nsterz]

I am no longer Ransara pilled I am Ransara injected. I was filled with Ransara. I cannot turn back from this