#whats your fuckin point lol

[izu]

What is this twitter drama about Liu Kang?

i guess ill give context but it really is so fucking stupid it honestly doesn't even feel worth explaining.

basically i made a post that implied liu kang had more control over the timeline than he originally says he does, and that his emotions lead him to intentionally keep the timeline as close to the last one as possible, with few and obvious changes. this included "making sure" johnny's homelife was bad, and that his brother and father were still going to be abusive and serve as a hard lesson for cage.

people didn't like that i was talking about this, or more importantly that i was implying liu had direct control over individual champion lives. which is not at all what i was saying. my intent was to highlight the questionable ethics towards liu kang's intent to keep the new timeline as similar as possible. and how johnny specifically, if he ever found out about this, would be fuckin pissed. that's all. i wasn't even saying "this is how it is!" i was merely making a theoretical based on the little information we have about titan kang and his powers. and how little autonomy people like smoke, syzoth, sindel, kenshi, johnny etc would actually have in this situation.

we have a single game that tells us basically nothing about what he did/how he ensured everyone would be ready and willing for his tournament when it was finally time aside from showing up and recruiting them. at convenient and premeditated times, might i add.

it is undeniably true he had SOME insight to how things would play out. i think mindlessly accepting his "trust me bro" mindset is just boring, and i was theorizing that its intentional.

people got. UPSET. im talking like, calling me a dumbass, putting me publicly on blast bc they didn't agree and telling me i didnt play the game. 😭 like?? idk. it was never that serious but twitter does what twitter does and turned it into "lets laugh at him for daring to go against canon" kind of thing. i went to bed expecting no one to see it. i even debated with a really kind person who was willing to be respectful and be like "hey so he probably doesn't actually have any control over these factors at all". i wasn't expecting people to agree.

just so im not getting too long winded here, this is just how mk twitter is. there's a LOT of unnecessary fighting and vitriol, and basically every day there's a new thing the community is pissed and attacking others about. quite literally over the stupidest of shit that everyone involved is more than capable of scrolling away from.

[johnbleepingzoidberg]

UNTITLED EVIL LUIGI AU COMIC THING | Page 1 of (???)

First | Prev | Next

---

Luigi’s been acting weird lately-- and Bowser’s concerned. When Luigi vanishes one day without any warning, Bowser begrudgingly turns to Mario for help, meeting him at a (humorously petite) cafe in Mushroom Kingdom to discuss what’s been going on. Old rivalries die hard.

The cafe has really good liability insurance, don’t worry.

(A/N under the cut)

---

bear with me as i try to find my footing with this LOL, i am by no means a professional comic artist. i’m writing (or attempting to, at least) a comic based on my Evil Luigi AU-- read the original post/see the original art my looking thru the #my art tag on my blog! this is a bowuigi AU, so the relationship’s pre-established and Luigi, up until he ran away, had been ruling Koopa Kingdom alongside Bowser and navigating that fun new king life.

i have no idea what to tell yall to expect other than the fact that this will be very inconsistent in literally all senses of the word :’) but hey, im tryin my best-- i havent done any sort of comic in a long time and im having a lot of fun with this so far. if anything it’s good practice. right now i have at least a few pages planned out, but im not sure how quickly ill be able to draw them out, especially since i’ll be working full-time again soon. so see this as a bit of a teaser for things to come/an experiment to measure interest in the idea. :D

[lethalhoopla]

Okay so while everyone's making killer theories and observations about the teasers we have for Dreadwolf on top of piecing together more and more of the lore and imagery from Inquisition and 2 and even Origins, I just needed to put this observation of my own down as well.

So, the final, incomplete, Solas mural in the rotunda, right?

Clearly, the dragon slayed with the sword, and a.... beast, of some sort. I've seen it referred to as a wolf, a dragon in and of itself, and just some representation of the Inquisition itself.... maybe.

But that's always not quite fit for me. It seems odd that Solas, who is beyond skilled at painting and iconography/symbology, would make something so…. hard to parse. And granted- this was clearly roughed out in a rush, to put it lightly. He's left at this point, the mural forever unfinished.

But in Tevinter Nights, it's described specifically (as written by Lukas Kristjanson):

"The eighth and final panel of the fresco, meant to commemorate the battle against the blighted magister Corypheus, was unfinished. It showed only rough shapes, outlines...."

"... The story was well known- the Elder One, the false god Corypheus, had torn a hole in the sky to steal power from the heavens. He couldn't be killed until his blighted dragon was dead, and the Herald, the Inquisitor, had somehow countered with a dragon of their own. And there was a dragon on the panel, with an Inquisition blade in its neck. But according to the story, both creatures had fallen first, leaving the final victory to the Inquisitor.

But here, unfinished, was the outline of a beast that stood over both dragon and sword. This was not the battle, or the victory. This was after. And the beast was not a dragon. The outline alone might have allowed that assumption, but now, filling with black and red, it was something other. The creature was reptilian, but also canine. The snout was blunted and toothy, but edges came to a point in houndlike ears. [.....] revealing scales and tail, and paws with talons. It looked like two figures painted on either side of a pane of glass, then viewed together, their forms confused. A wolf that had absorbed a dragon, and now stood crooked over all."

Now, without getting too deep into spoilers for that short story (I really recommend it, and the rest of Tevinter Nights!), the depiction could be warped by what happens in the story (and is unfolding in that scene). But due to the reason it's warped, what 'colors' it, I think that the depiction is still accurate (it just becomes a bit more Spicy, let's say). I think that what Solas was starting was a creature like that - a wolf, that absorbed a dragon.

Of course, the question then is what that means.

As lore's revealed over the series, dragons aren't just associated with Archdemons, or even with the potential legends of qunari 'origins' (as dragonkin). Dragons are also specifically associated with the Evanuris - from the fact that only those as powerful as might-as-well-be-god mages could shapeshift into dragons, to their personal symbolism, to hints that different archdemons might be connected to each one (their numbers match, for one...)

Was it Solas leaving some hint as to who, what he was, then? The Dreadwolf, but also the Trickster God? Perhaps how despite simply attempting to free/help his people (he speaks of the loyal, steadfast wolf in the game more than once, wise and wonderful), he was elevated to the status of legend and god (dragonhood)? Was it symbolizing the blended might of the Inquisition, both protector Wolf and godlike Dragon? Some blend thereof, or extrapolation beyond?

Fuel for thought, for sure. But beyond that... the silhouette kept reminding me of something.

It took me a little too long to realize - it wasn't until I was idly staring at the Steam startup image for it while waiting for Origin to hurry up and connect that it hit me.

It's.... it's right there on the box/start screen.

It's... way, way closer to the creature Solas had begun to depict than what we've seen in dragon silhouettes in the past. And I get it- even as I write this, I hesitate, because I mean, the whole silhouette included has wings, right?

(sidenote, but major props to whoever designed this piece, the details are so good, including the fade/fireball/comets shooting off the 'wings' to look like support bones for wing webbing)

That's why I hadn't really thought about it before. But when that hit me, I went back to look at dragon silhouettes in previous games, and I mean-

That's the usual Origin one - and yeah, that's.... way more narrow a snout, though of course you're still getting that dragon spine spike along the neck. The neck itself is far more narrow, too, and its teeth more needlelike.

Okay, what about DA2?

Alright, now we've got some framing that is like DAI. (also, more props for the designers, and the silhouettes of Kirkwall friends/foes, hot damn).

But that face - the dragon's face. I keep catching on it. DA has a really great track record of being pretty specific about its silhouettes, symbols, and general representations, at least where it matters.

The dragon-made-by-silhouette in the Inquisition cover art is significantly blunted in its snout, the neck much broader, shortened in horn (or ear), and even the angle of horn (ear??) is different from past dragon iconography.

I dunno. I definitely don't think it's unreasonable to leave it at artistic representation/liberty, it just ended up a bit rounded, whatever. But where I get less inclined to leave it at that is when coming back to this final incomplete mural panel.

... It's all of it. The down-rounded snout, the way the teeth are depicted, the horn-ears, the spikes-that-could-be-fur, the obviously shorter and wider neck, the over-exaggerated sternum bone that strikes as dragon (/reptilian) before you think it could also be wolf rib cage-

It's.... close. Awfully, curiously close. At the very least, the Inquisition splash art feels like it could be the middle step between dragon and this. The splash is dragon, but wolflike - this is wolf, but dragonlike.

........... now, why the heck does this matter? Well, maybe it doesn't to most people, haha. But I'm an imagery and lore-reference obsessed nerd, and Dragon Age really does go hard with it's laid lore and hints of the future. So I can't help but ask-

Is the mural really depicting the Inquisition Defeating Corypheus?

... even the Tevinter Nights story, the way it's phrased casts some murkiness.

"The story was well known...." ".... This was not the battle, or the victory. This was after."

.... With dragons representing the Evanuris, perhaps.... is this instead a note, a hint, left depicting Solas' intent? To slay the dragon, the true dragons, what remains of the Evanuris after he tears down the Veil - because it would not only cause chaos, but also release them from the prison he'd made via the creation of the Veil?

Is the dragon-wolf not the Inquisition, but Solas, or rather - more importantly - Fen'Harel?

The shape of the maw, the way the ears point back, the trailing scruff/magic along the neck 'spine'....

Even the way the rips are traced, and the paw is drawn-

Hmmm.

Hmmmmmmmmm.

... I think it's depicting more than Corypheus' defeat.

But too, there's two other elements that keep rolling around in my mind with all this-

) "... On the mural, all Messere would say is, 'Skyhold is [their] fortress' (meaning of course the Inquisitor). 'These are [their] actions.' "

If these are their actions........ how does the potential for this image to be depicting the downfall of elven gods play into the picture (literally)...?

And thus, the second thought:

2. ) On that very same splash image for Inquisition, the silhouette of the dragon (with hints of wolf) is made via the energy of the Mark coming off the Inquisitor's hand. The dragon-ish creature is of the Inquisitor's making.

The creature is what the Inquisitor has made. Their actions. The mural, a depiction thereof; their choices, their efforts, their impact.

Their impact - a changed Solas... or, perhaps, one all the more committed to his cause. Fen'Harel, or a wolf-dragon hybrid, roaring at a slain dragon, sword of the Inquisition buried deep.

Trespasser, revealing just how much further Solas' network of spies and agents has expanded through the Inquisition. And whether through friendship/love or rivalry/antagonism, Solas coming away from it with his determination redoubled, his mission certain.

Whether it was intended to depict the effect of the Inquisitor on things they don't yet grasp, or their affect on him and his intent to bear out his mission........... I think this mural's about a lot, lot more than just the defeat of Corypheus.

[six-demon-bag]

what if i exploded into a thousand million pieces and they all scuttled away under the floorboards

[arthrobug]

Me with other random ideas I get: oh I don't feckin know here's one badly written barely made paragraph

Also me, an hour ago, writing a weirdly detailed very rough outline that somehow got to 2.1k words for four chapters of a fic I just thought of about two hours ago that I made within 40 minutes:

[borom1r]

…would it be helpful for anyone if I compiled all my notes/references for armor/appendages + clothing?

i’m mostly thinkin abt this from th perspective of a LotR fanfic author bc while we can find a ton of good visual references they’re also 1) costumes meant for actors, not actual practicality and 2) th visual references don’t generally have accurate names

[todayisafridaynight]

dodging-the-question ass type of answer i have to lay down

[cantdanceflynn]

IK I HAVENT DRAWN IN FOREVER BTW IM WORKING ON CATCHING UP

[bobzora]

acheron so good she makes me want to complete gold and gears to unlock erudition blessings

[dennisboobs]

this is genuinely... so funny to me. like the hilarity of copypasting rational tweets. i'm literally right. it's not even a funny copypasta because it's literally just. objectively correct. it's a criticism of twitter culture and that makes it funny to you because...... god forbid you actually have empathy for other people. caring is for losers if you're on twitter dot com, you have to be snarky and funny at all times.

[musicrunsthroughmysoul]

At work today I accidentally revealed the fact that I don't watch Youtube videos when I have Youtube open. I don't even usually listen to music while I'm at work (unless I'm the only one around), but I put in my earbuds at lunch to listen to "Broken Heart (Thirteen Valleys)" and I even had it open to the music video on YT and even the temptation of how pretty Stuart is in it was not enough to make me watch it I just stood outside of the class I was going to support after lunch with my earbuds in listening to it and staring off with my phone out in front of me in my hands but I was clearly not looking at it. A 6th grader I'd seen earlier in the day (during the class where I actually do my job - so he's one of the students I work with, although I'm just now getting to know the 6th graders who I'm working with this year) even stopped on his way into the class I was waiting for to say hi to me and I was so engrossed in listening that all I did was say hi to him even though I totally remembered his name. :/ (I always try to say hi to students and use their names when they say hi to me so they know I remember them. I'm pretty good with names and faces but every now and then I'll accidentally call a kid by the totally wrong name or I'll just completely blank on their name and I am deathly embarrassed every time. It doesn't usually happen though, once I learn it, but I'm still learning ALL of the 6th graders' names - the 30 or so 6th graders I'm working with this year - so I especially want to prove to those kiddos that I remember their names.)

[hua-fei-hua]

working with kids every day for 5.75 hrs straight every day is kind of tiring but YESTERDAY we finally got to do what I wanted (prompt the kids into writing stories) and it was so beautiful n glorious in the times when my coworker wasn't, like, obviously dismissing everything

[snekdood]

why do ppl call shark3ozero a debate bro when like. I hardly ever see him actually debate anyone..? usually he’s just talking about current events?? is talking to vaush like twice really enough for ppls black and white thinking to be triggered about ppl????

[russeliarat]

How's everyone day going? I just ticked so hard, one of my eyes shut itself for 10 minutes and I couldn't reopen it. Also my hand tensed really hard and it hurt so I wacked it and it went back to normal so it seems to have worked.

[another-cliche-title]

everyone on the internet when a artstyle exists: OMG i HATE this ARTSTYLE it's fucking EVERYWHERe it's always THE FUCKING SAME I HATE IT I HATE IT I HATE IT FUUUUCJKK

everyone on the internet when the entire animation industry of an entire country (Japan) has been basically using the same artstyle for years (Anime): this is good actually :3 (Gains ability to complain about the western (read: american) industry but not the japanese one because weeb)

[fuzzyunicorn]

Ah my lil Scientology Satanists :) I’m about to launch a heavy, heavy assault, not to kill you (yet) but to toy & toy & toy w u all :) hope u all know god has commanded me to slaughter you all :) not yet, but soon. So soon. Very soon. You’ve all, every single one of u, each & every one of u, have been MFD (marked for death)