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rottenbrainstuff · 7 months ago

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BG3 playthrough - Parting thoughts

Massive spoilers:

I’ve now had some time for the ending to percolate through the grey matter, gotten over feeling sad that my first playthrough is over. I’ve started playing with my second tav, a tiefling paladin, and you know what, I’m already noticing little tweaks they’ve made to the dialogues. Like, nothing significant, but little polishes here and there. For instance: I always remember when I first met Asharak (the fight practice teacher) and he said to the kids, look who’s here! I thought he was talking about ME, look, it’s the hero who just showed up at our gate and fought off the goblins! Oh man I thought that was so cute. I was a bit disappointed when I finally realized he meant WYLL, not ME. They adjusted the dialogue so now it’s much more clear that Asharak is introducing Wyll to the kids. Little things like that. I can’t wait to see all the things that got finessed.

Man. It took me seven months to finish my first playthrough. I dunno how everyone finished the game so quickly, my final recorded time was like 200 hours. (granted this did involve several hours of backtracking to fix various mistakes) Initially I assumed I would never play BG3, because I don’t have a PC or a non-nintendo console or anything. It was fun to watch everyone talk about the game even when I had no ability to play it. I think I mentioned this a million times already, but this game was released for mac coincidentally the exact same weekend I got a terminal cancer diagnosis for my cat that I’d had for 13 years. (she’s still doing ok btw) It was so amazing to have something to distract myself with and cheer myself up with after getting that shitty news. I binged it for about four days straight, barely sleeping at all. It was the first big, brand new, non-nintendo game that I’d played in… like… decades, seriously. I was so blown away by the quality of everything. Came here for the funny mean vampire, stayed here for the… absolutely everything else.

I am really glad that I kept a character journal as I played - like, along with the notes I was keeping about game mechanics (because online guides are super shit), I would also write down little thoughts and observations from the perspective of my tav. I always have this record of my playthrough now, and I think it’s really helped me to preserve my thoughts and reactions.

Neil Newbon came to my city’s comic expo last weekend and I was absolutely broadsided by what a smart, nice, and humble guy he is. Isn’t it just such an AMAZING feeling to be a fan of something, then get to know the people who made that thing and find out they’re nice people? I… I don’t know what’s wrong with my brain, but I’m a bit glad I finished my first playthrough before the expo, because I feel… embarrassed somehow?... to be thirsting so much after characters now that I’ve chatted with the guy in real life and he’s talked to my kids? Isn’t that weird? Why is my brain doing that? It’s not like he cares. Very much no. Neil has an amazing sense of humour about it all. Weird brain stuff. Weird. What can I say.

Anyways, I was thinking about a summary of my favourite moments:

1) Cambian fight on the nautiloid. So like I said, I hadn’t played any big, new non-nintendo games in a while. (I mean Nintendo makes good games! But like. A game like Animal Crossing… isn’t… quite the same, you know?) I was wandering around the ship feeling quite blown away by how fancy games have gotten. I was marvelling at the graphics, the gameplay, the tension of the whole situation, and then I get to this fight and that absolute fucking BANGER of a song that is Twisted Force starts playing, that was when I really realized like shit, this game is going to be an EXPERIENCE.

2) Alfira’s dark urge death. I was exposed to a ton of spoilers for this game before I ever touched it so I knew a lot of the main story beats, thoroughly. With Alfira, I did know that the dark urge kills a bard, but for some bizarre reason, the only clips I had seen were of that dragonborn alternative that you get if you cheat and Alfira is unavailable. So I was already at the grove, exploring around, and I absolutely fell in love with the tiefling NPCs, and THEN I discovered it’s actually HER who dies. I was DEVASTATED. I was so attached to the tieflings - both myself as a player, and my tav as well - this was the first settlement of people he found, post-brain-scramble, the first people who were being kind to him, and they needed help so bad, and he wanted so bad to protect them… and here is this awful thing that he does that I can’t avoid. AUGH.

3) The siege on the Emerald Grove. It continues to mystify me that this path is actually a bit hidden in the game, and if you aren’t paying attention you will be herded into just killing the three goblin leaders to resolve things, which is such a massively less interesting path. (perhaps they’ve made the option more obvious with patches? I will see) I loved the tension of the morning before the attack: everyone’s fear really bolstered my desire to win the fight with zero casualties. I loved how, due to my familiarity with the NPCs, I instantly realized that Mattis wasn’t with the other kids and searched all over the place, legit worried, until I found him up by the gate still trying to make a buck, lol. I loved how when they mentioned people had ran off in the night, I knew exactly who wasn’t there and who it had to be. It really made me realize how much I’d got to know the NPCs. Zevlor gets two amazing cutscene speeches, and the fight itself was so freaking fun. I mean it certainly wasn’t the hardest fight in the game at all, but I think it remains one of my favourites, due to all the different moving parts and the planning it involved. It was so goddamned fun getting to use the explosives I had saved up, and I never really had the chance to rig up a battlefield the same way again.

4) Lenore’s tower, and the whole underdark in general. I found it all so lonely, and Lenore’s tower really got to me. I think I shed some tears. I loved the area with the giant sussur tree, I thought it was so beautiful, I took so many screenshots of it. I know if you’re a dark urge your upbringing is… unconventional, but I still imagine that my drow durge has spent a lot of time in the underdark and generally considers it home-ish, so it was neat to see it and think about how this is his home turf.

5) Moonrise and especially the mind flayer colony underneath. This was really where things just started to get interesting for a durge, you start to get the first reveals of your backstory. For a resisting urge, it’s extremely unsettling. Meeting Kressa Bonedaughter was especially horrible. I hadn’t really spoiled a lot of the details of the durge plot, so most of this was a surprise to me. JK Simmons did a great job as Ketheric - I remember being so incredibly curious how he was going to sound, but it worked so well, and as I have noted previously, they spend ridiculous care rendering his sad old man eyes.

6) Gortash’s coronation. Again as a dark urge, this is an important plot beat, I think the last big backstory reveal? Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, not only do you have these horrible murderous urges, not only do you have this nasty little butler man trying to force you to kill people, not only did something horrible happen to you that wiped clean all your memories and turned you into a necromancer’s cute little pet for a while, NOT ONLY ARE YOU A GODDAMNED BHAALSPAWN and the leader of the goddamned Bhaal cult, NOT ONLY ALL OF THIS, NO, that wasn’t enough, oh no: now you learn you were also one of the original architects of the Absolute plot, removed only when Orin saw an opportunity to displace you. Dammmmn. Your companions all react to this information appropriately, so in other words, negatively. Karlach’s reaction is particularly strong, understandably, and hurt my heart. To balance that out a bit, you have Astarion’s reaction, which was… to thank you. If you hadn’t put this plot into motion, he wouldn’t have been abducted by the mindflayers, and wouldn’t have been rescued from Cazador’s control and given the means to resist his commands. 200 years of praying to every god, but it was you that saved him. I had honestly never even considered that, so that was… surprising! Really, really surprising.

7) Comparing spawn and ascendant Astarion - I didn’t play much with ascended Astarion, just spent a little time progressing through the next batch of cut scenes, just so I could see. I was really impressed to see the difference in the two characters, the difference in the writing, the difference in the performance. I enjoyed the visceral negative reaction I had to AA almost immediately, when we had our first camp chat post-ascension, and he SHOUTED at me when I was responding to him with… not even an angry or rude response, but just, a less-than-enthusiastic response. It was like ice water down my back, instantly taking me back to dealing with my abusive ex. I know everyone has a different and highly personal reaction to AA and I think that’s great, and I enjoyed how viscerally negative my reaction was. It’s fun when a thing makes you feel stuff! And I loved spawn Astarion, and how honest and vulnerable he is in his third act romance, thinking about his whole character arc and growth through the game.

8) Rescuing Minsc. It’s a bit of a long daunting set of steps to get Minsc, and I didn’t find it very fun tbh, but I did it anyways because I have to complete everything. I was fully expecting him to sit around camp and never be used, like Halsin and Jaheira are for me unfortunately, (sorry guys) but I was really unprepared for how funny he was going to be. I don’t really like ranger class (also sorry) so when I found out he can still summon Boo even if you respec him, I made him a barbarian, and kept him on my team as much as I could. He is now my second favourite companion to have with me after only Astarion. He has SUCH funny dialogue. I like that you can attempt to start a romance with him and he’s not having any of it. He even gets the opportunity to say a very touching speech as you gather your allies, if you let him.

9) Durge vs Orin fight. The actual fight itself was kind of pitiful, which I thought was sad for her, but it was a startling moment in the lead-up when she briefly changed into me and I actually heard my own tav speaking, like, more than just a little reaction line here and there, I got to actually see my tav speaking. I don’t know. I don’t know why that was such a neat thing to me but it was. Since this playthrough took so long, I really got attached to my tav, I guess.

10) Gather your allies. Ah, the big summary that I needed of all the people I’ve helped and made friends with, all saying something nice about me, haha. Not gonna lie, I reloaded and watched this a couple of times cause it made me so happy.

I’m so glad Larian made an epilogue, with so many sweet little details in it. I’m so happy I had a chance to play this. I don’t have a huge amount of current mutuals who are also fans, and my IRL peeps for some reason are absolutely refusing to finish this game, so please if you want to fangirl (fanperson?) about anything just start talking to me, I’m kind of starving over here!

#bg3 #bg3 playthrough #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 spoilers #astarion #dark urge

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tastyfishistasty · 2 years ago

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And to finish the trifecta, it's time for the Rogues (my default class so there's lots of them). I tend to play rogue first so I retcon a lot of the mistakes I've made or I make what turn out to be the "stereotype" characters. I love them all so if you tell me I'm boring for romancing Alistair with a Cousland I will block you.

Do what makes you happy friends.

Cringe is a lie

Links with my mages: https://tastyfishistasty.tumblr.com/post/707642197702492160/origins

And my warriors: https://tastyfishistasty.tumblr.com/post/707646415816540160/origins

Origins

Aoife Cousland

Aoife has a very modded background by now because she's honestly one of my favourite play throughs and I've played her 3 separate times.

She's a dual wielding rogue duelist and assassin (shadow in awakening). She said started sword and dagger but following game start, she goes dual sword with the Cousland sword (upgrade wand my fave mod). She uses poisons and the grenades but sneak is always her highest attribute. She can also tank because she's near impossible to hit and does so much damage (this was an accidental discovery when I forgot a warrior in the party and realised her threat level is pretty damn high when she's visible).

She's the stereotype sneaky, manipulative, spy master type, always planning to get the best outcome for anyone she cares about (which includes her country, she's very duty focused). A lot of her skills come from what she needs to do to take care of the world, rather than personal preference. Though the canon reason she can pick locks is because she's a nosy bitch.

Elwyn Mahariel

Elwyn is an archer elf (see above point about cringe being a lie). She's a ranger and all about damage. You won't know she's killed you because she's a "one-shot"er, but your friends will and they will follow along quickly. She's only sneaky if she has to be, which when hunting food.

Thorvalyn Aeducan

My first ever play through, Thorvalyn is a dual welding rogue who ends up with axes. She's not that sneaky and is a Duelist and Bard, which has the in game reason of she won't shut up and out of game reason as she romanced Leliana by accident whilst actually romancing Alistair and I liked the idea of it without reading the abilities.

She's more of an in front fighter (because I didn't know what I was doing) because she's raised in dwarf society with a focus on leading armies into the deep roads.

Gryffen Brosca

Gryffen was made for an achievement and then I got too attached... They're Brosca and as I was playing with gender (my own) at the time, they're neutral but everyone thinks their female. They're infertile and that led to all the mess with the Brosca game start being complicated. They're supposed to sacrifice themselves to kill the archdemon, but I've never actually done that bit...

They're dual wielding daggers and a ranger, they've always had an affinity to animals and so dog is always on the party. They also have assassin because they are sneaky and hidden. They're technically selectively mute because the game makes the warden speak in battle, but I like the idea that all the speech options were what they wrote down or signed.

DA2

Curtis Hawke

Curtis is a shadow dual daggers rogue and so much fun to play. He's part of my twins AU with Abigael and he's always been protecting his family from the shadows and from templars. He also takes assassin because it works really well with the shadow and the sneaky sneaky.

His main areas are subterfuge and scoundrel because he won't be pinned down and you'll never see him coming.

Cassady Hawke

I spent an hour trying to come up with a name for this lady in character creation and eventual thought "Cassandra! That's a great name!" Entered it and then Cassandra reappears and I'm like, oh yeah that's where the name came from... So she became Cassady.

She dual wielding because Varric goes everywhere with my Hawkes so why have an archer? She's a Duelist assassin with a focus on lingering damage with Sabotage and Specialist and lots and lots of grenades.

Lowell Hawke

I like to try everything so Lowell is an archer, but I don't like archery in DA2 so I've never made it very far with him. He's technically a Duelist and Specialist but not sure how far I've ever got him and if he branches out I've not decided. He's supposed to be a lot like my Mahariel with the whole hunter, sneaky but damaging thing, but who knows how he might change in the future.

Inquisition

Hanin Lavellan

Hanin is a dual daggers tempest because I love the tempest abilities. They're not sneaky and are sabotage focused with the daggers and the setting themselves on fire.

Canonically they're more of a defensive part of their clan that a hunter, but that's retcon because I love tempests.

Merryn Cadash

My first Inquisition play through, she's based on the meme of the hamster with a banana and romanced the iron bull. I am hilarious.

She's dual daggers, sneaky subterfuge and was originally an assassin but once I saw the skill tree I went back a couple saves and made her a tempest. Story wise, she was an assassin for the Carta and is leaving her old life behind, so she's more sneaky and then boom there's an on fire dwarf stabbing you in the back.

Somaazi Adaar

Somaazi is another tempest because they are the best. She's dual daggers because she romances Sera and I can't have two tempest archers in one party all the time.

She's not sneaky because she's a Qunari and she is a leader in her mercenary group. She tends towards sabotage, but is mostly focused on her dagger skills.

She's very much a diffuser/negotiation type so she didn't pick up warrior so that she not *as scary*. She's still kinda scary, but she's a people person and loves colours so people get over her being Vashoth pretty quickly and genuinely like her. She wants people to like her very badly.

Christopher Trevelyan

Chris was the designated rogue in the human category (see my warriors post about having one of each race of each specialisation), so he's a dual daggers (I have a type) assassin with heavy sneak subterfuge. My Trevelyans are all siblings so as the oldest he would be the one in the family to sneak off to get things for his siblings when his abusive mother was in the way. He's got a badly healed left wrist so whilst he's left handed he uses his right for everything, which is also why he's sneaky because he can't really defend himself well. He's a bit of a glass cannon in game.

He's got a lot more going on and I feel bad leaving it here, but it's not directly tied to him being a rogue so I'm leaving it there.

Amalia Trevelyan

Amalia is another achievement play, siding with the templars (I think it's a better quest, but I ain't choosing them over the mages). She's an archer and was supposed to be a templar warrior but I don't like the templar tree at all, so I decided she is a very attack and not sneaky rogue, but she's actually an archer. Origins had archer warriors which whilst never a focus was a cool idea and that's what Amalia technically would be, as I don't think in-world the distinction between rogue and warrior is as obvious as in the mechanics.

She's an artificer because she likes knowing how things work and when she was young, she was unwell and not allowed to leave home so she made do with what she had. She's all subterfuge and traps, but she doesn't really sneak, except in that she's quiet because she grew up having to be perfect and dainty.

Her backstory is a bit complicated but she ended up as a lay sister in the chantry after several abusive situations and so is very indoctrinated into the chantry, hence the templars. She gets better as time goes on, but the damage is done with the templars at the begining.

All of this adds up to her being a bit of a manipulator who doesn't always realise what she's doing, she's just trying to be safe and protect herself. Her perks are all knowledge and manipulation/power focused from the war table to give her every available option to take her enemies down.

Ta-dah! Done! I have so many ideas for fics from all my OCs but I am very busy and easily distracted so if anyone has actually read any of these and is at all interested, let me know, it will help me actually focus and do things!

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avatarskywalker78 · 11 months ago

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15, 18, and 20 for the fic writer asks?

15. Rec a fic you wrote or posted in 2023

i will stand by you (i will help you through), my first ever Buffyverse fic centred on Angel and Riley Finn and one I'm really proud of because of how much work I put into it.

18. What was the hardest fic to title?

and when we'll sing, we'll sing together (not alone) for sure. Like I've difficulty with titles before, don't get me wrong, but this is the only time a fic originally had a completely different title. See, my initial idea was that this was going to be a lyric from a Blackmore's Night song (as I listened to loads of their songs when I first watched The Witcher three years ago) but I couldn't find one that fit. So then I thought, why not make up a title that could be a lyric in one of Jaskier's songs - and 'when a friendship is found (across the seas)' was fitting givent that this is literally what happens for all four of the main characters in the fic...

Problem is I have no experience of song writing, especially not bard/ballad style, and when I tried to write it it just...didn't work out. So I went back and listened to the songs and finally a lyric stood out to me, so I went and changed the title of the fic.

20. Share your favorite ending line

“Always.” Seg said, looking at his boyfriend and somehow managing to feel even more love than before as he kissed his forehead again, feeling like the luckiest person in the universe. “Always.”

This is from my Segdam fic i love you (let me show it) - this was a difficult question because I...really struggle with ending lines, sometimes even more than with titles, and most of them only work as part of the ending dialogue, but of the ones that work out of context this is my favourite, and one that really made me smile.

Fic writer ask game!

#Answering my asks #Thanks for asking!#Fic writer ask game

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carrot--cube · 1 year ago

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So It is 2am and I cant really go back to sleep

So heres my sleepy musings about Act 3:

Act 3 feels a little rushed in, a little unpolished. With little to do and too much to do simultaneously. It is boring at times, wich has never happened in Acts 1 and 2.

But why? Why this disconnect?

Partly it is because of companion reactivity, yes. They transfrom. From fully fleshed characters that have always something to say to silent companions that MAYBE have a line or two at specific locations with specific companions. Wich may be understandable. The roster adds Halsin/Minthara, Jaheira and Boo's pet. So having banter for every conbination of companions would be more work. Fine. Im ok with that.

However, what Im less OK with is the pacing of the Act itself

Rivington! Right? Wait, where? Rivington is supposed to be the introduction to the Act. A Small village with nothing much to expect, get you used to your new environment. You find Yenna and Grub. For good-aligned characters, this is alright. Help the orphan, get her to your camp. Sure.

BUT. My character is still NOT good-aligned. I personally do NOT like children. (Mol and the Gang are an exception.) And that is ok. I do not hate them. Well, except Yenna, that is. There is something about the character that makes her feel... unreal. My first instict to knowing there could be a doppleganger in my camp was literally to attack the child. That child was acting strange, even for a child. And I cant, for the love of me, find what it is. (Is her uwu im a cinnamon roll too pure for this world attitude? Is the "Oh, my mom is dead? :c" reaction she has, instead of the gutwrenching grieving Arabella had, knowing her parents are dead? Maybe something else?) I told her no. I dont want you at my camp. Well, guess what? She returns to you no matter what. And I get it. From a mechanics standpoint, SOMEONE has to be kidnapped by Orin. If you have the ONLY 3 companions that can be kidnapped in your party... WHO is getting kidnapped? Fine. Ok. As annoying as my actions not having consecuences is, this one is understandable. I just find it odd that the corpse of the child (if she dies) remins at your camp, when she dies.

Ok, child met, whats next? The fireworks plot. I- Look; It is not a fun plot. There is something that is... Unrewarding? The fun part of the plot, from my standpoint is instilling terror to the dealer and blackmailing him. And the workshop in the basement. The fireworks shop inside the city feels... like just a battle with no real point or something. There is something missing there.

After you get the pass from Artur or whatever his name is, you are tempted to talk to every NPC you meet. That is... a mistake. They have a line or two about how refugees are going to steal resources or something. But most are... Just not fun to talk to. And some of them outright have nothing to say besides "I have nothing to say to you." (Act 2 has the Harpers busy patroling the Inn, but everyone at Moonrise has something interesting to say. Even the goblins.) I get it may be to make the city feel more alive. With people! But comming from Acts 1 and 2 where everyone (95%) has something to say. (And you also have something to say) It feels like a little letdown.

My favourite part is the circus. Nothing much to say about it. You can get scammed. You can talk to the animals there. You can have fun listening to the bards and doing the love test with the dryad. But yet again, I wanted MORE of the circus. It feels as if they started having fun with it only to have cut it short to make room for the Bhaalist cult plot with Dribbles. Id have loved minigames! Winning a giant stuffed bear for Karlach in one of those rigged carnival games. Lots of different checks. Maybe to incite people to use different companions to win the different games and have EVERYONE have fun with it! But instead we are going to focus on Dribbles. I- Look, I need a mod to add quest markers to the stones of Barenziah quest in Skyrim. "Just go finding the lost Items :)" is not a fun quest. Not for me at least. Im sure it is for some people, but... :( And that is it. That is it for Rivington! Hooray! Oh wait, the Gur. Funny. They are in the most hidden place in the whole map. I always forget about them untill I already killed Cazador. "Oh shit, the Gur. I forgur. ARGH" I exclaim as I go back to the lift only to find the Gur standing there, waiting for me.

If I forgot anything in Rivington. Well... The only exciting place there is the circus.

Ah, fuck I forgot about the temple. Ugh. Yeah I forget that place exists. Not sure why. It is not particularly interesting. "Oh no a murder happend"... Well yeah but some reason it doesnt feel connected to the main quest. There is something off about the murder. I have no idea why. It feels like I can just not care and nothing will happen.

Ok, next. Wyrms Crossing. Wait, why is Gortash having his CORONATION there? Shouldnt it be Inside the city? Huh? What? Oh thats right, Upper City cut content. They had to poor the poor sap SOMEWHERE. It feels very... Disconnected :c I expected the Coronation to be a BIG event, instead it is... Underwhelming. Dont get me wrong, in my first playthrough I still felt the dread inside me. The "Everything is over" kinda feeling. Hopelessness. Karlach's rage and Wylls disbelief. But it could had ben SO MUCH BETTER. Let me get out of order here and segway in to Cazador's Mansion. Because I have the same feeling there. It is.... unimpressive. It feels ruushed in. It has a couple rooms that are Key to Astarion's plotline. And the hidden attic with some loot and lore. But I expected... The mansion to be Bigger. Where are the servant's quarters? The kitchen? (For the servants) Cazador's bedroom? It feels like it was made Specifically FOR Astarion instead of FOR Cazador. The mansion, the Palace. Felt like a little cottage in the woods. And It could have ben SO MUCH BETTER.

In contrast with the House of Hope. I LIKE The House of Hope. (Not the layout, mind you. Such a dumb layout for a house, but Raphael is a weird one anyways)

The House of Hope feels big enough. Ostentous Enough. Raphael Enough. It has... feeling.

It has the chamber pot. The portal room. Haarlep and the Budoir. The Big dinning room. Raphael secrets everywhere. And the debtors? Ough, I love them. They are all doomed, lost. Wich is weird that I like the debtors and not Cazador's servants. Aren't they just kinda the same thing? Idk. Im not good with words. They should feel the same, but they dont.

And ah, when you steal the Hammer. Raphael's Battle, The music the... Unimpressive death. He just flops. Could have ben cool if he had a cutscene for his death. But many other bosses dont so "shrug". I feel the House of Hope is something I WANT to do. For fun, not just for the plot. Not just for Lae'zel.

Going back to Wyrms Crossing. Sharess' Caress is not a place Id go voluntarily. I did enjoy the environments. But I never cashed in The Madame's "Gift" as that is not the sort of content Im after. But Im sure a lot of people had a lot of fun with the Twins. My favourite part was the Cat and Breaking in into the Themed Rooms. "Oh this is so wrong. :) " I said as I lockpick the nymph's themed room. Knowing it was being used by two people. It felt Mischievous! =3c And it felt rewarding. The surprise, the "oh, so I did the right thing breaking and entering in here, huh" It is a fun scene.

Jaheira's quest. At the Harpers hideout. Eh. What was the point again? What were the Harpers going to do? I always forget about this part. Sorry, Jaheira. You are a good character, but theres so many people in the roster I cant pay attention to everyone and you are of the latests additions so... :c

Ill do it, but just because.... The Bank.

Oh boy do I love the bank. Heist. Good. Heists are good. Robbing fictional banks is good. No notes. Very good. Thank you. :3

The Thieves Guild. Eh... Look wait- Mol? What the fuck are doing here? How did you get here? What happend? Oh. Ok... Sure? Wow, Luigi finishes a quest by doing ABSOLUTELY nothing. Delightful.

I... I feel the Thieves Guild is a lil too much. Jaheira's questline feels crammed in. Like there is no space between all the shit you have to do. No time to chill and relax. Its all "COMPANION QUESTS. ALL OF THEM. AND ALSO THE BRAIN AND ALSO THE BOSSES AND ALSO REMEMBER THAT CHARACTER FROM ACT 1?? YEAH THERES MORE SHIT TO DO!"

Yeah. Act3 could had benefitted from a split in to two Acts, making a 4th Act.

Jaheiras House is a good place tho :3 I like it. Feels fleshed out enough. And her hideout. :3 That I liked. I also liked the family drama they have going on :3

Aight. Minsc gets late to the party. Im sorry Minsc, I love you, I love Boo. But after I recruit you theres not much to do with you. Wich I love and hate.

I love it because I already have so much shit to do that feels sluggish. I hate it because I WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOU. And BOO! But theres little reason to recruit him, it feels like. Or maybe Im still sleepy.

Talking about slugs. Mystic Carrion, The Painter, errr, and other quests. I not once have finished them. Im sorry but I got tired of all the things to do in Act 3. MAYBE if there was some breathing room and there was MAYBE one or two more acts that were more spaced out. Maybe.

But I do go out of my way to help Rolan. Not only because you just meet him in your quest to learn more about the Crown of Karsus. But because "hey! I know this character! its the grumpy wizard from Act1 and Act2 and his siblings! =D wait, why are you all bruised? >:C"

I CARE About the tieflings. They feel like friends. The painter? Doesnt feel like friend.

Anyways, House of Grief. Good. Could have ben better (you mean to tell me that thats all there is to a shar schoolhouse???? huh?) Could have ben bigger. But Viconia? Oh, good. Very good, very nice. Shadowhearts choice? Oof very good very nice. It could have ben SO MUCH BETTER in terms of layout. Theres like the bedrooms but again, feels very small.

Iron Throne 10/10 would suffer again. WHO DESIGNED IT. I JUST WANT TO TALK. However, if it werent because of the duke. I think itd be a good skippable thing. Very skippable indeed. They just had to make it tempting by adding Wylls father there. (Here, have a REASON to suffer, you dumbdumb)

The Steelwatch Foundry. Ugh. 0/10 would not suffer again Why is it so... tiring? Why is it so... bland? Like yeah the Gondians but also /the GONDIANS/ I have no words. I cannot put my feelings in to words here. Oh, wait I think I know Their stupid AI will get DIRECTLY in to the Imminently Exploding Infernal Watchers range and DIE. They DIE EASILY Why is it so much different from the Iron Throne? Why? I cannot think of why. Pls help.

Now, Gortash' battle HHAHAHAAAAAAAAAaaaaa Going back to the Coronation. Going back to Ketheric. Oh boy... it feels... VERY DISSAPOINTING

VERY DISAPOINTING

This also goes back to the upper city cut content. Yay! =c Gortash deserves better as a boss. It was not as menacing, not as intimidating as Ketheric. Ketheric's "Oh... Oh GOD ALMIGHTY. WHAT. WHAT DO YOU MEAN I HAVE TO FIGHT THAT. WAIT NO! NO! NO! IM NOT READY NO! FUCK! FUCK!" Orin's "Oh, big monster (Or normal Orin) Yeah whatever" Gortash's "Oh so you have a big hand huh?"

:c Gortash and Orin deserved bettttteeerrrrr

The Temple of Bhaal. Could have ben better HOWEVER.!!

I appreciate the Aesthetic. The trial of murder we could maybe had done without. But oh yeah the Absolute Cultist Infiltration... Ugh.-!

-Sounds of dying-

Maybe if I had some BREATHING ROOM. Some more LESS to do. I could enjoy it more. BUT! The trial itself is alright! I like it! I like Sarevoks fight! I like the Durge-centric dialogue. Finally, you are getting answers. Finally you know who you were. GETTING in to the Trial is... Ugh... Tedious.

And... that concludes my ramblings At now 4am in the morning. yay Oh yeah the final brain boss fight hahahahahhhh I only finished the game ONCE. Because ACT 3 SUCKS So yeah see ya

#bg3

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euphoniusowl · 1 year ago

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I wrote about Dragon Age Origins, which I first played 10 years ago, and how the game was and still is important to who I am and how I play games.

10 years ago today I played Dragon Age Origins for the first time. I only got a PS3 a month earlier and had played Brothers, Uncharted 3 (it came with the system), and Skyrim. Before that my gaming was limited to Wii games, Kingdom Hearts, the LEGO games, and whatever I could get to run on my white Macbook (Assassin’s Creed 2 with a terrible framerate). I don’t know how I heard about Dragon Age. I vaguely remember knowing that Mass Effect was good and this was like that, but fantasy!

My first playthrough was a disaster. This was my first RPG of this type and I didn’t know the conventions. I played a Dalish elf because hey elves are cool and these ones live in the forest! I missed recruiting Leliana because I didn’t go into the tavern in Lothering. I never really talked to anyone, so eventually Zevran betrayed me and I had to kill him. Alistair was the lone exception. I got him to like me (mostly by giving him every gift in the game) and I romanced him. Then I got to the Archdemon fight and… the game froze. I reloaded, and it froze again. And again, but in different places each time. Eventually I gave up. I’d basically made it to the end, right? Close enough.

I put it aside and played Mass Effect 1. I enjoyed it (it’s still my favourite Mass Effect game), but the whole time I felt an itch. I was reading about Origins online and learning about everything I’d missed. As soon as I finished ME1, I started Origins again, with the same character, the DLC downloaded, and the wiki open. It was so much better. I became friends with everyone, did their personal quests, did a bunch of side stuff, and the world opened up.

I’m one of those people who play games over and over again and make the same exact choices with the same character. Origins has six distinct character backgrounds and openings. I’ve played all six. I’ve finished a complete playthrough with two characters: Dalish elf and human noble (which I only did to get the “marry Alistair” ending. It was… fine). However, there are two big changes I’ve made since that first playthrough, and they’re related. The first is the Landsmeet. My first few times I kept Alistair as a Warden because that’s what he wanted. Then I grew to dislike Anora and made Alistair King with me as his mistress. Finally, I came back around on Anora (she’s great) and I’ve settled on having Alistair and Anora married. Once I was still Alistair’s mistress while they were married, but that changed when I made another big decision: I started romancing Leliana.

I’d always liked her, and as I began to question my sexuality, this was the natural place to try it out. Lo and behold, I adore her. I loved Alistair when I first played, but eventually his romance became grating. Now I am all in on my precious bard. Her comments about the Warden in Inquisition are so sweet and I’m so sorry that I have to make Divine so the two of you don’t get to retire together but you’re the Divine Thedas needs.

It’s hard to estimate the impact Dragon Age as a franchise has had on my life. This was the first thing I ever wrote fanfic for (although I haven’t posted any of it). Although I had been obsessed with the franchise-that-must-not-be-named when I was younger, this was my first adult iteration of it. I read the novels, the comics, watched the web series, combed the wiki, and absorbed anything and everything I could about the world. Even now, waiting for Dreadwolf, I consume everything Bioware releases and over-analyze it for clues. Dragon Age has shaped my life and who I am over the past decade and will continue to do so.

Dragon Age Origins is a great game. I know many people consider it the best Dragon Age game, and I can understand why. For me, however, it was Dragon Age 2 that cemented my obsession with this series and which vies with Persona 5 Royal for my favourite game of all time. But that’s a post for January 5.

#dragon age #dao #dragon age origins #blog post

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elahogn · 1 year ago

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Alrighty. I finally made it through Campaign 1 properly. And Matt really is the greatest storyteller of our time. It's so easy to understand why his world managed to captivate so much attention and love, building CR into what it is today. His world is so vivid and diverse, with so much depth and history to unveil, all story knots would be resolved in some shape or form, and it's fascinating to think every individual living in that world is having their own story revolving without the main cast know about it but Matt would have it somewhere in his stacks of papers.

Beside me gushing about Matt's worldbuilding, a few random thoughts about VM under the cut.

TLDR; I love Grog. Do yourself a favour and start with Mighty Nein.

Grog is definitely my favourite in the main VM. You can't tell me any reason that would make me unlike Travis in any way. It takes an incredibly smart person to play a dumb one in a fantasy world as perfectly as Grog and Travis did it amazingly well. I can clearly see all the thoughts going through Travis's face whenever he decides to do some dumb action as Grog, and it's so much fun to watch! It's cool to see how frustration and boredom of being left out of the planning process as Grog in VM influenced Travis to take on the talking role of Fjord in M9 (which turned out be too much of a burden as face of the group as well) and to the grumpy old man who can just chime in or peace out whenever he wants of Chetney in BH. In this group of so many worriers, Grog, doing whatever he wanted is the necessary role for stories to progress! His interaction with every single one in the group is just brilliant to watch. Despite how much Travis dreads shopping episodes, I think he always did quite well to make it an entertaining one.

About Pike, I love Ashley, and I really hope she's had more time to play as Pike than she did during the campaign. Cuz every single time that Ashley managed to appear in an episode, she played Pike so much differently than how Matt or anyone else piloted her. She's a sweetheart but she also loves to fuck shit up as much as Grog, and i think that's the key of their friendship. I wish I could see her more than a deus ex machina who jumped in anytime anyone needs a Revivify. I think Laura said in one of the Talks episodes that Ashley is like the big sister who gone off to college and only join their game anytime she's back home for holiday and that's a perfect description.

Scanlan sure is a fun one to watch. It's hard to deny Sam himself has Charisma of 30. I do enjoy Tary a little bit more though cuz I'm not 100% into the dirty jokes of Scanlan. But it's great to watch Sam played a brilliant bard as he did with Scanlan. All of the small moves he made, especially in the fight with Vecna, were extremely smart and well calculated. Scanlan stomped out of the party cuz he thought the team didn't care for him, and it was the first time the show actually got my attention. The bits before that really just feel like a drag for me. It was a necessary point of the story, and after that point, they all seemed to be a little bit more open, more expressing their emotions to each other than dancing around the big elephant in the room like a circus. He came back to the group after a bits but I feel he was still treated a bit like a side character to the half-elves' story.

Which brings me to the half-elves of VM. I'm aware of the discord during that time about Marisha and Laura of how they played Keyleth and Vex. But to me, no one has a more main character syndrome than Vax. Liam is great as an actor. He has intricately crafted backstory for each of his characters, and he acted accordingly. Liam has a full description of whatever his character is doing or saying, and it's beautifully executed with Caleb, the tragically sad wizard, and the Orym, the anime fighter. But with Vax, it just feels out of place, and his way of circling around whatever problem he wanted to talk about is just frustrating to watch. Anytime Vax did any of his "cheeky little prank of affection", it just came out as mean joke to me. The bit of shaving off Grog's beard, stealing Tary's armor or even his bit with Grog to prank Scanlan, getting a good laugh out of other characters' reactions but they all just felt rather mean in the end. I tossed my 2 cents on his deal with the Raven Queen before. Yeah, I think he harvested what he sow. He tossed himself in the deal, and it's quite a selfish act than anything. Yes, I said it. He's a selfish one, acting like he's the saviour of them all by doing the sacrifice. In the last episode, Matt played the Raven Queen beautifully, and I have to skipped most of Vax's speech cuz all I can feel was how selfish he was, and no one has that much time to say goodbye to their loved one before leaving the living realm. Why was he praised for throwing himself in the fire headfirst? What he needed was a therapist, not everyone praising him as a hero! If anyone needs a sad brooding male character to swoon about, I think Percy was a better choice.

And the other half of the twin, Vex. She was not my favourite from the start with all of her haggling and act of power against whoever passed her path. I think she was the weaker one of all the characters that Laura has played. Her motive and story felt quite flat and predictable. She actually got a little bit better after her relationship with Percy and Tary, which made her a little more tolerable till the end of the campaign.

And Keyleth really just felt like a separate entity to Marisha. And I think that jarring difference made it kinda hard to watch. Cuz 1 minute Keyleth was having a moral crisis about taking some lives and another minute was Marisha having a time of her life throwing dices at the table. Can see that Keyleth is a part of Marisha is some way, finding her path among the people, having the power and potential and her journey to prove herself (like Beau as well), and the emotional vulnerable that can still be seen in Laudna. But it's kinda hard to overlook the detachment between Keyleth and Marisha, especially when I can see more of Marisha having fun at the table while Keyleth was peppered in here and there.

I genuinely love Taliesin as a player in all 3 campaigns at this point. He played Percy perfectly as a bastardly smart one who gives no fuck about the deities till the end of the campaign despite meeting more gods than any god-worshipper in that world ever dreamt about. His actions and character choices fitted Percy perfectly, his backstory was interesting enough to get me through the Briarwoods arc, but truthfully tho, Percy in battle gets boring after a while. It's the same with Vax and Vex. Damage, damage, damage, and if the enemies were lucky enough, they can stand for half a second more for the others to take them out. I guess that contributed to why Taliesin played a totally new class in campaign 2 with Molly, and played a mobidly happy Death cleric with Caduceus and throw a dice for every Rage with Ashton. With Percy, I'm glad to see whenever he tinkered something for his friends or any conversation that he was emotionally prepared enough to initiate. And science bros thing with Tary brought out a more lighthearted side of Percy. We all know that feeling when we suddenly find someone who is in the same fandom and understand what the shit we are talking about.

Everything started somewhere, and CR started with Vox Machina, and I appreciate it, even though it is not totally my cup of tea. It's clear to see how everything is better in the later campaign, from the production to the story pace, the characters, and their relationships. But truely, though, do yourself a favour and start with Mighty Nein.

Watching about 1/3 of CR1 (this is my 3rd attempt to watch VM) and I realize why I didn't like Vox Machina as much as I love Mighty Nein and Bell's Hells: they hold too much of an important position within the political scene of the story! Personally I just don't enjoy watching them bargaining with political NPCs, as well as watching them agueing among themselves over loots and gold.

I understand the appeal when characters are powerful and taken seriously in their own story but it's so much more fun watching a ragtag group like The Mighty Nein doing odd jobs to build trust in the Kryn Danasty or Bell's Hells being oddly charming enough to get trusted by NPCs for anything.

#critical role #le mumble #cr1

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moreaugriffins · 3 years ago

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Time for me to fall in love with Sylvando again-

#dq11 #dq11 sylvando #replaying the game #and finally got to galopolis -#and he’s just hhh #idk guys he’s just so good #and boy his sass to prince faris! damn #why are my favourites always the bard like characters in games :|

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timeturner-jay · 2 years ago

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For the ask game, edelweiss and jasmine? (And while I'm here, thank you for always providing some much needed sanity on my dash!)

Aww, thank you! But me, sane? Your dash must be pretty wild if I look sane in comparison! ;D But really, I appreciate it! <3

Edelweiss ⇢ how’d you think of your url/username? what’s it associated with to you?

Funny story, actually - people always assume it's a Harry Potter thing. It's not. I've been using the online alias Timeturner since I was a young teenager, and back then, I had never even read or watched Harry Potter in English. So I didn't even realise that I was using the same name as that one item. Sure, it's a direct translation from the German word for it, but it just never occurred to me to make that translation (and why would it? It was a completely unrelated thing after all).

In fact, I came up with the name when I was playing an MMORPG called Aion Online. The game had just added two new classes - Gunner and Bard - and I wanted to make a Gunner character. The class had a big emphasis on the Steampunk aesthetic, which I love, and I wanted a character name that would match it - and so, after some thinking and back and forth, Timeturner was born. She became my main in that game, but I was always a pretty casual player. Never even maxed her level, in the end. I haven't played Aion in many years now, but I liked the name so much that I kept using it online!

As for Jay, it's just a nickname for my real name, which is Jasmina - and speaking of! ;D

Jasmine ⇢ do you have a movie or book you loved but will never watch/read again?

Back when the Hobbit movies were announced, I guess you could say I loved the idea of them? I'm a huge fan of Tolkien's works, and I was hoping Peter Jackson would capture the same magic he put into the LotR film trilogy. Which have their own little issues, but are still a fantastic adaptation overall.

Well.

Let's just say that now that the Hobbit movie trilogy is out, I can (and will) rant for hours about how much of a terrible adaptation they are. An insult to Tolkien's works really, and to the New Zealand actors. The problems with the movies go pretty deep, and several people on YouTube have said it much more eloquently than I can (those long video essays about the movies are great btw, can definitely recommend! The ones from Lindsay Ellis and Just Write were my favourites, if I remember correctly!), but I wish those movies had never been made. I'm more exasperated than angry about it these days, but still. They're bad adaptations, and not even good movies when considered as stand-alone works.

#Ask game #waywardvagabonds #Sjfsds sorry for the rant at the end there ;D #The Hobbit movies get me heated 😂

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thestraggletag · 3 years ago

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Roll for Initiative, a Rumbelle D&D Fic

Summary: Tales of the Enchanted Forest was the hottest online D&D game, in part for its charismatic players, in part for the twisted turns of the DM's mind and in part because of the outrageous chemistry between its greatest OTP, the party's beautiful bard and the Dark One, an anti-hero side-character who is there to provide information and uncomfortable levels of UST. Mr Gold thinks it's a harmless flirtation that could never become anything else, just like his silly little crush on the town librarian, Belle French.

He's wrong.

Rating: Explicit.

Author’s Note: Surprise, @argoslight, it is I, your Gifter! Sorry to make you wait till near the end but I just had way more banter to write in me than I thought. I hope you enjoy your gift. I’m so sorry to not be able to add more D&D elements but since I don’t play I don’t have a lot of idea of what could be done. Also I apologise for any mistakes! And thanks so much to @little-inkstone for her help and D&D knowledge.

The castle was quiet when she entered, her steps echoing against the stone. It was gloomy inside, curtains obscured and decor sparse and sombre, the castle living up to its name. But there were flowers on the table, moon lilies, her favourite flower. They bloomed only in the Eastern Mountains past the Old Wall, but she had long since suspected he grew some on one of his enchanted hothouses, with the excuse of using them for potions.

“Where’s the rest of your pretty little troop of do-gooders, dearie?”

The voice came out of nowhere, echoing around the empty halls of the castle. Thankfully she did not need directions, knowing exactly when to turn and where to go. Soon she found herself in a vast room, with a table on the centre and curios filled with oddities and the like. Some others were displayed on pedestals, including a rather fearsome sword and a nasty-looking crown made of thorns. None of the artefacts were what she sought, but she was not there to bargain for an item, but rather for information.

“Off on their own quests, taking care of other things that need doing.”

The voice tsked, seeming not to approve.

“They let you enter the lair of the beast alone? Some heroes.”

The woman lowered the hood of her cloak and walked towards the unlit chimney. Immediately a fire blazed to life, as if the castle itself was trying to cater to her comfort. The fire provided much-needed light as well, revealing the profile of a man in the shadows. Or something that looked like a man, at least, if not for the reflective scales that covered his body and its strange eyes: gold irises around catlike pupils.

“I asked to come alone. I felt like we could talk more openly this way.”

She removed her cloak, ostensibly to drape it across a chair near the fire and let it dry. The creature, however, seemed to read more into the gesture, tsking again.

“You come here all alone, a pretty little lamb, and take off the only real bit of protection you have. Reckless, dearie, most reckless.”

The creature stood up, walking slowly towards the light, revealing more of its form as it approached her. Leather pants and a long, reptilian-looking vest and coat. It wasn’t particularly tall but power emanated from it in suffocating waves. She closed her eyes, finding his cloying presence strangely comforting. Then again, she had always been odd.

“Once again your pitiful little party of friends needs my help. How they weigh you down, Beauty.”

He stepped fully into the light then, revealing a being more creature than man, the reptilian skin and claws as off-putting as his unnatural eyes. She should’ve taken a step back, should’ve gone for her blade or the dagger tucked into her left boot, but she didn’t. As much as she knew she shouldn't, she felt at ease in his presence. Well, perhaps not quite. She certainly felt a strange sort of anxiousness in his presence, a fluttery sort of feeling that she attributed to being particularly attuned to his magic. None of the other members of her party felt that way. If anything, he repulsed them, which wasn’t something she could understand. To her he was… magnetic.

“Are you in the mood for dealing or not? I can trade for information.”

He snorted.

“With what? Your little band of misfits is dirt poor. That idiotic paladin of yours ruined your last mission. You really should think about ditching the man. All brawn, no brains. At least your rogue is a smart woman.”

His gaze left her briefly, running down the length of her clothing: sturdy black boots, a nicely-cut dress that stopped around the knees and a sturdy belt with a few pockets for her spells. But the clothing, as well-made as it was, was dated, old. Looked worn and was signed and stained in places, and it left a lot of her frail human skin exposed. She had not been able to afford an upgrade in a while, preferring to spend her coin in what could benefit the group.

His moue of distaste disappeared once his eyes fell on her cloak. Well, his cloak, since he had been the one to make it. It was a lovely thing in varied shades of green, shot through with golden thread, his trademark. She had bought it off him a long time ago, a simple thing to keep her warm during cold nights and dry when it rained. Miraculously, though, it also did not sustain damage, looking exactly the same as when she had first put it on.

“I’m glad at least my protection is serving you well.”

He ran a claw along the seams of the cloak, making it glitter, like to like, magic calling for its own. He looked smug, as if pleased she was wearing something he had made.

“It does more than we bargained for. I’ve been blasted with magic strong enough to burn through most fabric but it has not even frayed. How strange of you, Rumplestiltskin, to lose out on a deal.”

He shivered when she said his name, walking behind her to the safety of the shadow she cast next to the fire.

“Can’t help it if my magic is just that powerful, my dear. I’m glad you are a happy customer. Always thought that cloak was a nice bit of magic. Can’t fault you for always wearing it.”

She felt him close in on her from behind, to the point that it almost felt like they were touching.

“It smells like you. That’s why I wear it all the time.”

The noise he made behind her was inhuman, a cross between a whimper and a growl. His claws scrapped against the back of her dress, the feeling muted by her stays, but she could feel his breath against the back of her neck and that alone was-

“Hey, this is a decent stream! Keep it PG for the kids, you weirdos.”

“Damn it, Grumpy, I wanted to see how long it would take them to snap out of it!”

“Sorry, Snow, but I ate a big dinner and I aim to keep it down.”

The messages in the chatroom wheezed by, mostly disgruntled complaints about their OTP never catching a break. The other participants in the stream were mostly silent, their mics muted likely to hide the amused snickers. There was no video feed on any of the members of the party, all of them represented instead by artwork to preserve their anonymity. Once upon a time that had been a fanciful choice, and perhaps a way to stay safe when interacting with strangers on the internet. Now it was mostly to keep their private lives from being overtaken by the popularity of their stream. “Tales of the Enchanted Forest” was shaping up to be one of the hottest D&D online streaming shows, already on its third campaign and counting.

“Beauty is just trying to get us some answers, Grumpy. We can’t just go stumbling about hoping to run into some fairy wand by chance.”

“Oh, it’s that what the kids are calling it these days?”

“Enough! Can we get back to the campaign already? It took me weeks to plan and it kinda hinges a bit on the Dark One helping, which needs to happen today.”

“Fine by me, dearie, if the dwarf can curtail his temper.”

The party was composed of five characters, a paladin, a cleric, a bard, a rogue and a thief, which along with the Dungeon Master made up the regular cast of every weekly stream. But given the popularity of the show, and the amount of time they had been playing, they had managed to amass a good amount of side-characters, guests invited every now and then to help the campaign move along and keep the interest of the audience. And by far the most popular of those guests was the Dark One, a wizard of unknown lineage and tremendous power that served both as an antagonist and a pseudo-ally depending on the situation.

His presence was likely the reason why the livestream’s numbers looked so robust. He had amassed quite a fanbase, due in part to the commitment the player put on the character (the voice-acting was above and beyond what anyone could’ve expected from an amateur performer, and the backstory was quite complex, revealed in bits and pieces fans had meticulously assembled together) and in part to the chemistry he had managed to develop with the group’s bard, a half-human named Beauty.

“Okay, let’s all go back to what we were doing.” The DM’s voice was authoritative, though also more than a bit pissed off. “Okay, Beauty, you were about to try and cajole the Dark One to sell you the information you needed in return for a vial of water from Lake Nostos. Though the water is valuable, it’s not guaranteed to be enough to tempt the wizard. You have to roll at least a 13 in persuasion to make the trade. Roll when you’re ready.”

...

Rumford Gold stretched within the confines of the small backroom of his shop, where he had his computer stuff set up. Initially he’d bought the computer to better conduct his online business. His laptop at home wasn’t cutting it and it was better to photograph the antiques, update the website and handle the deliveries from his place of business. He had bought a good camera, some light fixtures and, on a whim, a microphone, for instances where he might need to virtually communicate with clients. It was something that was happening more and more, especially because a lot of his clientele was European. The internet had truly turned his antiquing- more of a hobby than a profession originally- into a profitable business.

He had gotten into watching D&D while waiting late at night for a client to become available in Austria. He had played as a lad, one of the few happy moments he could remember from his childhood in Glasgow, but had given it up once he had met Milah. And after they were over he had been too involved in making something of himself to remember past childhood enjoyments. But apparently D&D had evolved with the times and he had gotten into the habit of searching for and watching online D&D campaigns in his spare time. From that to actually being a side-character in one of them took almost no time. It was frightfully easy to go back to that frame of mind of playing make-believe, only now he had a distaste for the clean-cut heroic types and more of an affinity for the morally-grey, shady characters.

So he had auditioned for the role of evil-wizard when there had been an opening for a side-character in his favourite D&D stream, The Enchanted Forest. And though the DM had written what he considered to be a very flat, uninteresting character, he had been able to give it his own spin. He knew the DM hated him for it, hated when he deviated from what was expected of him, but people loved him. It was half the fun, pissing the DM off.

The other half, he had to admit, was Beauty. The one with the brains in the group, clearly, a half-human, half-fairy bard with an uncanny ability to think ahead, and arm herself with knowledge. Most of the other members of her party were more apt to try and decapitate something than negotiate with it, or even befriend it. Beauty prided herself on more of a gentle approach, which sometimes got her treated as the “fragile” one. He thought it just made her all the more interesting.

Their flirting had just kinda happened. He was half into it before he realised it had begun at all and by the time he had grown conscious- and self-conscious- of it fans were lapping it up and loving it. Even the DM, as loath as he was to admit it, found the banter engaging, even as if stole the spotlight from his story and where he wanted it to go. So every now and then he got invited into a stream, sometimes to interact with the whole party and sometimes, like the session he had just finished, to speak only to Beauty. And what was supposed to be a brief conversation before the party moved to greener pastures became a whole session, with the chatroom full of engagement and the view count off the charts.

But the DM had had a short tolerance span tonight, and had nipped things in the bud much sooner than usual. He felt… unfulfilled. Unsatisfied. Itchy, almost, in a way. So he was more than happy when he received an email from Beauty, who seemed to share his dislike of how the session had played out. They had started doing that more often, sharing emails after a session, even when he did not participate in it. It was harmless, he thought. Just an innocent online flirtation that could never realistically turn into anything. Not that his more in-person romantic overtures could ever pan out. He was in his third year of being completely smitten by the local town librarian, and in his second year of being able to put two words together in front of her without the help from Scotch, something he was perhaps a bit too proud of. And though he had decided very early on that the whole thing was utterly hopeless he had not been able to steer his thoughts or affections away. Realistically he was perhaps more in love with the idea of Belle French than the reality itself, given how little he had personally interacted with the woman. But he knew just enough to fill in the blanks and create a beautiful picture of how he imagined her to be: bookish- an easy assumption given how many times he had caught her in public places absorbed in a book-, kind, generous and delightfully able to hold a grudge and enact revenge when the time came. A bit reckless, and sometimes quick to form opinions, but also quick to revise them. A tactile person, with a great sense of fashion and a carelessness about what was expected of her.

He saw her in his head as clear as day, but little of that image was based on any personal knowledge of her. So, perhaps, he had found in Beauty a fictional substitute, someone he could talk to, and flirt with, without consequences, adopting the persona of someone more confident, more at ease with that sort of thing. The Dark One was comfortable in his skin in a way that he could only pretend to be sometimes. All the money and power he had accumulated over the years had helped him evolve from the spineless, cowardly lad he had once been, but when it came to certain situations, especially those that necessitated a level of vulnerability, he was still hopeless.

Perhaps, he wondered, it was better to think about his online liaison with Beauty as the real thing. They wrote to each other often, in and out of character, and over the course of their correspondence he had confided in her more than he had in any other person alive. Small things at first, every day peeves and details. Nothing that could identify them, certainly, but surprisingly intimate nevertheless. And over time it had grown to stuttering confessions and barings of the soul on both sides. She had told him of her teenage years in a mental asylum, the product of an overwrought widowed father trying to do right by his grieving daughter. He had had a few choice words to say about that, uncharitable thoughts about her father prompting his own willing sharing of the sad story of his childhood, neglectful father and all. It had felt nice, to confide in someone, someone he trusted.

He glanced at her email, where she lamented how their scene had not been as long or as satisfying as she had wanted, and saw she was proposing to meet later in a private stream to finish it the way they had both wanted. She had proposed something similar once or twice before and he had politely declined but now he wondered why not take her up on her offer. What was stopping him? His imaginary idea of Belle French, who in reality had never given him more than a polite smile in passing? Too young, too good, too beautiful to ever see him as anything other than an old cripple? Whatever he had built with Beauty felt infinitely more real, and attainable. A relationship without ever meeting in person seemed ideal in many aspects and, perhaps, if and when it came to meeting in the real world, his physical shortcomings would not be relevant, nor would it his rather uncharitable reputation.

He sent her a quick reply to arrange a meeting, feeling like a bit of roleplaying was, in the end, quite harmless. And if it were to lead to something a bit more meaningful, well, perhaps it was about time.

…

“Water from Lake Nostos. A key ingredient in most powerful potions and even some spells. I’m sure it could prove useful to you.”

The bard showed him the glowing crystal vial hanging from a long chain around her neck, with the glowing milky-white water from the cursed lake in it. He made a move to get closer to inspect it but the woman took a step back, tucking the vial back inside her bodice. The wizard’s eyes lingered there, hiz gaze growing intense. The bard felt her skin flush in response, something that felt a bit like fear but wasn’t running down her spine.

“And I’m sure a new wardrobe could prove useful to you, dearie. You’re practically wearing rags.” Rumplestiltskin made a show of running his eyes up and down her form with just enough disgust in his face to make it seem as if he was only noticing the rather sad state of her dress.

“It’s my best gown, I’d thank you not to insult it.”

He made a moue of disapproval, shaking his head for good measure.

“You’re far from your days as a princess. I hope seeing the world is worth putting up with your band of idiots that waste most of the gold they earn with your wit in pointless goose chases that you know will lead nowhere.”

Beauty didn’t respond. There was nothing she could say to contradict what he thought of her party, none of which was charitable to say the least. And she also knew that he was aware that all of it was worth the freedom she had won when she had left her life in her father’s castle behind. She did miss one or two things, perhaps. Her mother’s vast library being one and, perhaps, some of the fashions. Not so much the silhouettes- she had never liked how the sea of petticoats she was always forced to wear restricted her movement- but the fabrics and colours, certainly. And the shoes.

“I’m here to make a deal, Dark One. Are you doing business today or not?”

Lesser creatures would’ve rather bitten off their tongues that throw cheek at the Dark One, but Beauty did not even bat an eye, lips curling in a defiant little smile that had the wizard smirking, something like admiration blooming in his chest. It’s what he loved most about his little bard, her spine of steel. And perhaps her blue eyes, but that was neither here nor there.

“I don’t do business with raggedy urchins, dearie. If you want to sit down and negotiate you’ll need a bath.” He made a face, as if he could smell her across the room. “And a change of dress, while I put your current outfit to wash… Or set it on fire, I haven’t decided yet.”

She could tell that he was pulling his punches, that he was playing at being repulsed by her state of dress and hygiene just bad enough that she would see he did not really mean it, not in any real way. She would’ve been able to tell either way, but it was nice that he thought it important to spare her feelings. And she couldn’t deny that a bath sounded heavenly after so many weeks on the road, sleeping out in the open and washing in freezing-cold creeks whenever possible.

“Well, if you insist��”

He took her to a well-lit and spacious bathing chamber, with the biggest copper tub she had ever seen, already filled with warm, soapy water that smelled of vanilla. She wasted no time after the door closed behind him, stripping quickly, careless of her worn and mended garments, and slipping into the tub. It was heaven on her tired muscles, and her dirty skin, and though she would’ve stayed there for hours she knew that every minute spent bathing was a minute less with the Dark One. Their time was limited. If she didn’t return to camp in the morning her party would venture into the castle, likely thinking the most dreadful scenarios. She could picture Charming attempting to kick the front gate open and getting hurt for his troubles. She could not let them worry for her, or risk the rapport she had developed with the Dark One by coming in unannounced.

She got out of the tub with only a bit of reluctance and found a towel that she was convinced was enchanted to dry her faster than possible. She found clothing laid out in the adjoining dressing room, the undergarments soft and made of pale cream fabric and the dress of a lovely velvety, forest-green fabric, with a belt embroidered in small pearls that matched the detail about the neckline. She put it on gladly, twisting every which way to lace it up at her back. Living a less princessy life had made her acquire a number of small skills, including the ability to dress up mostly by herself even in gowns that did not lace up at the front, like most of her travelling clothes.

She did not spot her mauve travelling dress or her boots, but she was sure that Rumplestiltskin had whisked them away and would subtly mend them with magic, though she was sure he would deny it if she were to point it out. The green dress was accompanied by matching slippers, butter-soft and silent as they touched the stone floor. She made sure to dry her hair out, noticing how it shone red-gold in the flattering light of the candles, and took her time brushing it and styling it out of her face, so it fell flatteringly down her back. Her neck and most of her upper torso was bare but for the chain keeping the vial of water tucked safely against her breasts, the wide neckline of the dress dipping low enough to leave her collarbones bare, but she didn’t mind it. She was inside the Dark Castle, with the Dark One. She was safe there. On the road she always had to think about not attracting unwanted male attention. Here she rather felt like the opposite.

It was a silly infatuation, and many would argue any interest or desire on her part was due to the wizard’s power, which some would say was an aphrodisiac potent enough to make some look past the Dark One’s rather unfortunate exterior. No one would ever believe her if she confessed she rather… liked his appearance. The green-gold skin, the wild hair, the talons, but also the exquisitely-tailored pants and vests, the frothy cravats, the slim coats. A beast and a gentleman. A rather enticing combination, she had found.

She went downstairs into the trophy room once more, where two massive chairs were pulled up next to the roaring fireplace, the main source of light. The Dark One was sitting in one of them, a snifter gingerly held by a clawed hand, containing some sort of brown-gold liquid. He glanced at her the moment she entered the room, unwilling or unable to hide his appreciation for what he saw. He had removed his coat, leaving only his high-collared vest and one of his open shirts to cover his upper body, no forty cravat in sight. He seemed less guarded, more adventurous than he usually was when it came to matters of intimacy.

“You clean up well, dearie. Wish I could say the same for your dress. A wash will only do so much for it, but I refrained from throwing it into the fireplace. You’re welcome.”

“Good, as it’s not your property to destroy.” Beauty sat down, with a poise that betrayed her royal upbringing, and primly crossed her legs at the ankles. “So, Dark One, are you prepared to deal with me now?”

She had dealt with him dozens of times before, she had no idea why it all sounded so much like innuendo now. She couldn’t say she minded it.

“Of course, my dear. I’ve had time to think about our deal whilst you were splashing about in the tub.” His sing-songy voice broke, getting suddenly deeper for a second or two, as if he was struggling to retain his composure. “The vial is certainly a good start, but perhaps not quite enough. Now, I’m prepared to be generous given our long and fruitful history of dealmaking together, but I must also keep up certain appearances. So I thought I would also demand… an evening of your time.”

He tried to make it sound sinister, but she was past getting scared of him. At least in the traditional way. She raised an eyebrow, adopting a rather coquettish expression.

“And what would an evening of my time entail exactly?”

“Oh, well, you know. Companionship, perhaps a game of chess, some good wine, conversation and the like.”

She made a show of thinking it over before offering her hand, which he shook without delay.

“It’s a deal.”

Several hours later she had won two games of chess, one game of checkers, and was sipping from her third coupe of sparkling wine as she listened intently to a story about a deal the Dark One had once made with a king from a distant land. He was a gifted storyteller, engaging and funny, knowing exactly when to pause or gesticulate to keep the flow of the story just right. The king in his tale was rather unfortunate, in the sense that his hubris and arrogance had led him to make a deal with the Dark One that he did not understand. Most of Rumplestiltskin’s deals seemed to be like that, Beauty thought. And when he came to collect people dared be indignant that he demanded what they promised in the first place.

“The king was furious. Never let go of the grudge. Hired several assassins to try and kill me. A waste of gold, of course.”

He let out a trilling laugh, which soon proved to be contagious. Somehow, over time, it felt like their chairs had moved closer, because if she stretched out a hand she could easily touch him. Odd.

“Serves him right, for making such an open-ended deal. What a rookie mistake.”

She didn’t recall removing her slippers but she must have, because her feet were enjoying being pressed against the soft cushion of the chair. He made a gesture for her to lean close, which was a bit of a balancing feat, but she managed. Her heart skipped a bit when he leaned close too, almost pressing his mouth against her ear.

“You have no room to talk, sweet. You struck a very vague deal yourself, committing to an evening of conversation, chess ‘and the like’. That little turn of phrase is an invitation to all manner of sins, even the darkest and most decadent of debaucheries.”

He hissed the last part, making her shiver. Not content with letting him have the upper hand she turned her head so their lips were inches apart.

“That’s what I was hoping for.”

She could tell she had shocked him into inaction. Cocky Dark One, always in control of the conversation, always one step ahead of everyone else. It was nice to see him floundering, to catch him unprepared. Finally he gulped and put a little distance between them.

“Aren’t you the bravest little poppet.”

“My mother always said ‘Do the brave thing and bravery will follow.’ I’m a firm believer of the principle.”

Slowly, almost painfully so, both his hands clutched at the armrests of her chair, effectively pinning her to it. She knew she was supposed to be scared but she felt nothing but excitement, a buzzing just beneath the skin that made her strangely needy for something. Touch, perhaps, or more. The feeling was so overwhelming she did not realise at first that the laces of her dress were coming undone, as if invisible hands were painstakingly pulling them loose. She tried to make eye contact, but he ducked his head, pressing his face against the base of her neck, where it met her shoulder. She sighed, noticing how gentle he was, his touch feather-light, and discovering that she would not mind a rougher treatment. He was restraining himself, she realised, trying to be a gentleman. Sweet, but not what she wanted from him at that moment. Feeling bold Beauty carded a hand through his hair, pressing his face more firmly against her skin.

“Please, Rumple.”

Those two words seemed to have a magic of their own, producing a sudden and radical change in him. He moved too fast for her to see, wrapping her up in his arms and depositing her on the long dining table on the other side of the room. She did not know whether he used magic or simply moved inhumanly fast, but either possibility excited her, reminded her of the power of the creature looming over her, claws tugging at the unlaced bodice of her dress, dragging the velvet down to expose her undergarments. She was wearing the underbust corset he had provided over the snowy linen shift he had also left for her, so it was easy for him to simply tug the shift down a bit to expose her breasts. He leaned forward, nuzzling the space between her breasts, making a sort of satisfied purring noise as he sniffed up her clavicles and down her throat. Then, once he was happy with the level of squirming she was doing, he finally gave her what she wanted, closing his mouth, with all of its sharp teeth, around one of her rosy nipples. It was a strange feeling at first, more unfamiliar than pleasant, but when he began to suck it changed completely, little shocks of pleasure running from her nipple to between her legs. It was amazing, more than she had ever achieved with her own hands whenever she could get some privacy at night, and the feeling doubled when he grasped her untouched breast, his long claws estimulating the other nipple.

She sunk both her hands in his hair, fisting it in an effort to keep herself from squirming too much, feeling both aroused and impatient. She kept waiting for him to tire of her chest and move further down but when he was finally done sucking her nipples his head moved north, his lips blinding searching for hers till they were kissing. It wasn’t anything like any kiss she had experienced before, not even the unpleasant smack her former fiance had forced on her. Though it was just as forceful there was a wild quality to it, one she had never associated with the affectionate gesture. It was heavenly, the release of passion, far from cooling her down, setting her on fire, stoking her need for him till it felt like she would explode if he didn’t give her relief.

He must have sensed it, her desperation calling to him like a siren song, because at some point he let go of her mouth to travel south, past her aching chest, and velvet-covered belly to where the skirts of her long gown kept her modestly covered. He wasted no time dragging the heavy fabric up, letting it pool around her hips along with the white linen of her shift. She did not have any other undergarments, having not been provided with any, so she was completely exposed to his gaze, from her milky things to her round hips. She squirmed, trying to picture what he must be looking at, the trim thatch of chestnut curls at the apex of her legs, obscenely drenched by this point and making a poor show of trying to hide the pink, glistening flesh beneath.

“What a lovely cunt you have.” His voice was dark, guttural, a monster trying to speak like a man. It thrilled her. “Let me drink from it, precious.”

He didn’t wait for her reply, choosing instead to simply bury his head against her flesh, his tongue rough and wide as it lapped at her field parting them to seek out the bundle of nerves that was throwing for attention. She arched her back, feeling like it was only her firm grip on her thigh and hip what kept her anchored to the table. She fell into a rhythm of sorts, her body seeking out something she could not find but his mouth striving to compensate, to give her what she needed. It was heavenly and seemed to last an eternity, the sensations building up till everything but them faded away, all sensations muted. She felt him move to, thrusting his hips against the edge of the table, making it rattle in a way that spoke of his sheer brute force. It was heady to have someone like Rumplestiltskin, who had always strived to don the mask of a gentleman around her, be so unhinged, so animalistic. More than anything it was that complete loss of control what drove her over the edge. She cried out, feeling her inner muscles coil and her senses spiral out of control, her orgasm leaving her dizzy. It seemed to last forever and not nearly long enough. She laid there for a while after the feeling passed, feeling satisfied and wanting at the same time. A few seconds later he also keened, slumping against her still-parted legs, his hair tickling the soft skin of her inner thighs.

They lay that way for what seemed like ages, while they scrambled to try and collect themselves. The afterglow did not feel awkward or uncomfortable, and it loosened up her tongue enough to venture out that she had hoped for an even more intimate act, a joining that was even deeper than what they had done.

“A deal for such a prize would have to involve all my deepest secrets, my most valuable truths.” He paused, pressing his forehead against the silky inside of her thigh, like a penitent would. “One day, perhaps.”

...

“Do you want to meet? I think it’s time.”

The orgasm had mellowed him out, otherwise he was sure he would’ve at least panicked a little bit. But in the afterglow of what they had just shared, albeit virtually, a meeting did not seem like such a bad idea. In hushed voices they arranged the time and place, tomorrow at a café and bistro in Boston. Nice and public, for both their safety. They knew both lived near Boston, so it seemed natural to pick the city. The drive wasn’t too bad, and he hoped it wasn’t a great inconvenience to her either.

Reluctantly they said their goodbyes, both trying to prolong the moment a bit more till they were both close to nodding off. With a final, reluctant goodbye they both disconnected, leaving Gold to clean himself up and make his way home. With his rumpled suit, disheveled hair and five o’clock shadow it must have looked like the walk of shame. It certainly didn’t feel that way.

...

He woke up in a happy mood, perhaps the best in a long time. Far from feeling stupid or embarrassed about his little bit of roleplaying-turned-porn-session he felt smug, empowered by the notion that he had made a smart, desirable woman come with only his voice and imagination. He felt like he was on the brink of something, as if an exciting possibility was opening up for him.

He went about his day with a bit of a spring in his step, though most citizens of Storybrooke would be pressed to notice. It was only when he saw the book on gardening he was due to return to the library that afternoon- his two Moth orchids had developed small water-soaked spots on the leaves and he had wanted to consult some verified sources instead of relying exclusively on Google search results- that his mood dampened somewhat. As nice as last night had been- bloody fantastic rather- it did make him sad, somewhat, to give up his crush on Belle French. However unattainable it was still nice to have it, that bit of feeling that did not need to be reciprocated to be real. It had been nice to feel something for someone for a change, to look forward to each smile and each small conversation. But it wouldn’t be right, and what he had now was more valuable in any case. Perhaps, with time, he would grow out of his infatuation with the librarian and they could be friends. That would be rather lovely.

He crossed the street towards the library around three o’clock, wanting to beat the rush caused by children being let off school, a busy time for one of the only kid-friendly places in Storybrooke. There were some patrons about, and the afternoon light made the library look truly beautiful. Miss French truly worked miracles with her limited budget.

He found her easily, shelving a few books in the poetry section, and tried not to preen when she smiled widely at him.

“Mr Gold, hi! Always a pleasure. Here to return a book?”

The librarian was always sunny and welcoming, but she looked even happier that day, an excited sort of energy practically rolling off of her in waves. Thank goodness he had decided to give up on his silly little crush, otherwise he might have buckled under the power of her brightness.

“Yes. And you look particularly happy today, Miss French, if I might say so.”

The librarian smiled even more, if possible, and leaned close, as if to tell him a secret.

“I have a date tonight.”

It hurt, the slightest bit, the shock making him take a step back, but less than it would have yesterday. And perhaps, he reasoned, this would be good. This would put them both in the path of becoming friends, allowing him to leave his crush behind much faster. He forced himself to enquire politely after the lucky man, listening as she talked about someone she had been flirting with for a long time now, and it seemed like the relationship was finally ready for the next step.

“I’m really happy. And very nervous. It feels like such a risk, after all this time building something that could easily fizzle out with a first date. But I’ve always believed in doing the brave thing, and bravery will follow. It’s what my mother always said.”

She had turned back to shelve a book as she finished the last sentence, so thankfully she did not see his jaw drop and his eyes widen, his surprise so visible no one could’ve missed it. His heart lurched in his chest, sheer and sudden panic making it difficult to breathe. Fuck. Fuck. It wasn’t possible. Belle was Beauty. Belle was Beauty. He tried to contradict the notion in his head but he had known Beauty’s British accent was passable but fake, and it made sense for him not to have identified her voice when she usually spoke with her natural Australian drawl, something he associated so closely with her. Everything else he had ever found out about Beauty, in and out of the D&D setting, coincided with what he knew, or thought he knew, about the librarian, one of the reasons why he had developed a crush on her in the first place.

The initial shock was followed by a spike of elation and then a sinking feeling of dread. He needed to cancel. She would be disappointed, but more disappointed if he didn’t and she realised her crush was a man a good deal older than her that was known for being the town monster. It would be awkward and she would not be able to escape him after it, both doomed to meet each other often, given the small size of the town. He could not put her through that.

He stopped himself then, noticing the familiar dark turn of his thoughts, dipped in so much self-loathing it was almost stifling. And he wondered if he really was thinking about Belle or about himself. Being a coward, taking the easy way out. He thought about how he had woken up, the world full of promise and the future bright with the possibility of something great on the horizon. And how he had felt brave last night, to leap into something that had been so worth it. Perhaps it was time to be brave more often. Do something, however small. Put the ball in her court, somehow.

“I wish you the best of luck, then. Perhaps some other time, if you’re not too busy, you could pop into my shop. I have a few antique books I feel you would appreciate.”

It was a nice recovery, and he was happy to see her smile, apparently welcoming the proposition. Everyone knew Mr Gold’s shop was only to be entered when making deals. He didn’t really allow idle perusal of his stock and no one had the money or interest to buy his antiques. His business was conducted mostly with people from major cities on the East Coast.

“Wow, an open invitation to traipse into Mr Gold’s shop, that’s not something one sees everyday. What do you want in return? I hear only deals can grant you access to the shop.”

She made sure to make it clear she was joking, something he appreciated. Feeling emboldened by her kind gesture he adopted a slightly higher pitch and replied:

“Oh, nothing much. Companionship, perhaps a game of chess, some good wine, conversation and the like.”

Being close enough he got to see as it dawned on her, as her brain quickly processed what he had said and where she had heard it before. And he knew, knew because of the way she looked at him, as if she did not recognise him, as if he was a brand new person to her, that she understood the implication, what he had meant to tell her without actually telling her.

“Hope to see you soon, then. Good luck with the date.”

He turned around before he could second-guess himself, feeling terrified by what he had exposed but satisfied at the same time. This way it was Belle’s choice to show up. For all she knew he had no idea that she was Beauty. She could make up an excuse and simply not meet her, and their worlds would never merge. If she did not want to pursue anything between them all she had to do is cancel the date, or not show up. He would respect her decision and never push for anything, or acknowledge their online relationship in the real world.

He sent her an email just as he was about to get into his car, letting her know that he understood that this meeting was a bit of a risk and he would understand if she backed out at the last minute. There were other things he could do in Boston, and he was not adverse to having dinner by himself. And they could still be friends, no matter what she decided. He was halfway to Boston when he heard his cell phone ping, letting him know he had a new email. As he expected, it was from Beauty:

“I’m on my way. Can’t wait to meet you! See you soon.”

He smiled.

#argoslight #rumbelle fic #rumbelle #Roll for Initiative #Thestraggletag fanfiction #Rumbelle Gift Swap

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nerdynuala · 4 years ago

Note

First off, I just want to say I LOVE YOUR WORK! Especially the Pictionary series.

As for ideas, what do you think each vet’s D&D class would be? Lol

First of all, thanks so much!

Secondly, I feel like I'll let you down with this but...how do I put this without feeling ashamed of myself? *holds breath* I'm not that familiar with D&D. There. I confessed.

Brief excursus on my life so I can excuse myself on this one: I grew up in an environment that didn't really encourage geeky stuff. Like, I've always been the classroom's ultimate geek all the time, but all I did was actually just watch anime, read mangas and draw stuff. So yeah, I couldn't properly develop my geeky side. Then my SO and his lil group did enjoy rp games, but I met him when they were already trying to adult so I couldn't join in the hype. I've only ever played Pokémon and Magic cards tbh.

I suppose you're asking this because I actually put a D&D reference somewhere in my comics, and that's because I'm obsessed with the alignment chart xD but other than that I don't know the game that well.

BUT I'm all for research and learning new stuff so I looked everything up and here's my take on it, based on the information I got and the vibes I get from the classes and the vets:

Mike

Barbarian most of the times, he occasionally chooses fighter as well but barbarian is his favourite.

It's fairly easy to play, strong and brutal, doesn't even need armor because it's strong by composition. Very offensive, quick and practical. He also can defend the team and loves it.

Nanaba

Druid. She's all for support, she doesn't enjoy offensive characters or overly complicated spells and strategies. She really nails the druid and when paired with Mike playing barbarian they're unstoppable.

Levi

Levi has two favourites he alternates: Warlock and Rouge.

He nails the Rogue and he finds it familiar and fun to play. He also loves the aesthetics and he loves to be stealthy. As for the Warlock, he really enjoys to customize it and he finds the class very practical. Loves the abilities and is very good at customizing them.

He never ever chooses anything else beside these two classes, he's so used to playing them that he doesn't really want to step out of his comfort zone.

Hange

Artificer is definitely her favourite and the one she nails the most. She loves the artifacts, she loves that she can be an alchemist, build a rifle and even have a robot following her. Also adores the aesthetics of the character.

She also plays often as Ranger as well.

She doesn't mind choosing other classes though, she has fun with all of them and she just goes "today I'm feeling like a Wizard" and chooses the class. She's a good player regardless of the classes and their difficulty. Hange really can adapt to anything.

Moblit

Don't ask me why, but Moblit gives me Bard and Monk vibes.

He particularly likes playing Bard, he finds it fun and he loves how everyone have weapons and stuff while he's in the back playing his lil guitar. He actually loves how powerful and supportive the Bard can be and really nails team work.

Erwin

Like Levi, he has basically two classes he always plays and it's either Paladin or Mystic.

Particularly loves the Mystic. It's just... powerful. And he can put strategy in it and he has a lot of customized subclasses and he just loves to be prepared.

Really enjoys playing as Paladin too. He's really good at roleplaying it and really nails the whole "following the oath" aspect. He gets really really powerful.

There, thanks for the ask anon, I enjoyed learning some basics about dnd classes, and I really hope this is okay and if it's inaccurate forgive me, I did my best as a non-player lol

#ask box #vets #snk #dnd #d&d #classes #headcanons

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dhwty-writes · 3 years ago

Text

thanks for tagging me @flowercrown-bard!

Fanfiction tag game

how many works do you have on Ao3?

36 (which is honestly a lot more than I’d have thought)

what’s your total Ao3 word count?

244,36. Fun fact: most of that was written between August and December last year

what are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Of Witchers, Bards, and Broken Hearts. So far no surprises. This fic got wildly popular and at this point I’m still not sure why

Toss a Coin to your Lover. The first witcher fic I ever wrote! I vomited out 1k words at 2 am and then look what became of me...

The Best Laid Plans. Ahhh, yes. The mistletoe fic. One of my personal favourites.

Handsy Strangers and Clever Bards. This is a very short fic of mine in which Jaskier is hit on by a stranger and says that Geralt is actually his boyfriend. Not a lot happens but it’s pretend relationship, so I get it

To Find Warmth Where There Is None. The Kaer Morons cuddle pile fic! I love that one

do you respond to comments, why or why not?

I try to, but I tend to forget. I just love interacting with the author when I’m writing comments, so I imagine my readers might feel a similar way. I also love interacting with readers, getting to know their opinions, theories, etc.

what’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

See, here’s the problem: I don’t really do endings, I reach a point where I don’t know how to continue and slap that thing on the internet. Besides that, most of my fics just end with the couple getting together. But if you’re looking for a fic with a particularily sappy ending, I’d recommend my entry for Zutara Week 2020.

what’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

ahhhh, I think this would be this angsty baby here. Geralt apologises to Jaskier after the mountain, but they have to keep their relationship secret, feat. a beautiful (albeit very sad) artwork by @spielzeugkaiser

do you write crossovers?

no, I don’t really see the appeal

have you ever received hate on a fic?

I think I might just start to cry if I ever did, so I am very glad that I haven’t

do you write smut? if so, what kind?

I tried writing smut a couple of times and am absolutely unable to read any of it again. I’ve said so several times but the only Geraskier thing spicier than a tomato I’ve got is this

have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not a fanfic, no! But I’ve got a 200k monster with @parttime-creative (that I have to continue, whoops)

what’s your all-time favourite ship?

Zutara. It’s almost been 10 years since I lost my heart to that ship

what’s a wip that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Probably We Were Born Sick, just realistically speaking. I’m not as invested as in OWBABH and the drive is kinda gone...

what are your writing strengths?

Honestly, I think that is more a question for my readers than me. But judging from what I’ve been told before, I’d say it’s creating secondary characters? Oh, and another thing that I enjoy immensely to write are dreams and visions.

what are your writing weaknesses?

I would say body language. Not that I have problems envisioning it, but then turning it into words is driving me nuts. Also, travel logs. These are also the most boring things for me when I am reading.

what are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

So, here’s the thing: as a reader, I don’t particularly care about that, I can just skip it. Only when it’s like crucial sentences, then I’m all for it (ASOIAF with Valar Morghulis/Valar dohaeris my beloved).

As a writer, worldbuilder, and linguist, however? I fucking love my conlangs. And I love incorporating them into the story. But I do realise that most readers don’t care for that and that’s okay. I don’t really incorporate it into fics anyways. (My original work/pathfinder campaign tho? different story)

what was the first fandom you wrote for?

The first fandom I wrote for (as in published a fic in fandom spaces) was for the Warriors novel series in 2010/2011 I think? Although I did not use any of the original character or even the setting! (If you ask me, I had a stellar premise and to this day I maintain that it was better than any of the later seasons. but oh well)

That was when I first became aware of fandom. I have, however, still the document of a self-insert Dragid Feuerherz fanfic from when I was about 8

what’s your favourite fic you’ve written?

I would say it’s OWBABH, because I really love that AU with my whole heart... BUT the fic I’m definitely proudest of is For You I’ll Always Wait (very loosely inspired by my absolute obsession with Hadestown). I wrote eight entire poems for it! I analysed Jaskier’s ballads so that I could replicate the tone and the rhymes and metre and everything! And it’s almost entirely set in a dream world with weird laws of physics and deities and stuff! I even printed it and bound it as a book!

Yeah, I love that fic. I loved writing it and, what’s even more important, I love reading it.

Thanks for tagging me, this was fun!

I’m tagging @witcher-and-his-bard, @parttime-creative, @contemplativepancakes and whoever else wants to do this

#tag games #about my writing #fanfic

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teyvattherapist · 3 years ago

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fun facts about your ocs?

Ooh you spoil me anon.

Courtesy of my best friend and I; Some Facts.

Both

I am the VA for both of them and I have recorded all of their lines in the past. Once we get the website running, you'll be able to hear my voicework.

Their hair colour, periwinkle, was chosen because it's my favourite colour.

Ohm came first and his vision, Cryo, was chosen because of the ties all these cryo characters seem to have to tragedy. When I started making Sandrone I decided to have them match visions.

Canonically speaking, I don't see Ohm ever losing his fight against the darkness given his sheer determination. However, I have written an au where this has happened. He was brought back but a fox demon had fused itself to his soul. It's a very interesting au and explores a lot of topics on what it means to share one's body with something so different.

The original Sun and Moon were named Sol and Luna. They were also nicknamed the "Maidens of Celestia" and ascended to Godhood upon their death.

While Ohm's eyes don't have eye shine, Sulien's do. Sulien's eyes are only briefly visible though.

Their banner would include: Chongyun, Kaeya, and Rosaria. Yep, the entire banner is /cryo/ themed.

Ohm Ambros

I am an Ohm kinnie and my best friend loves using it against me. So it comes as no surprise that a lot of Ohm's mannerisms mimic my own.

The scar on Ohm's mouth was caused when he escaped Snezhnaya as a child. The scar over his eye was caused by a mitachurl and the fact he didn't go blind was a miracle. The burn on his neck was caused by Diluc accidentally.

Its written quite a bit and hinted at multiple times throughout his stories and voicelines, but Ohm's personality is completely faked. He mentions that he handcrafted it and he takes incredible measures to keep it up.

The Traveler immediately doesn't trust Ohm and it leads to them not trusting those that do because they can see through his lies.

At the end of Ohm's story quest you learn his contact is Dainsleif. They've been friends for several years at this point in the game. I say friends but its more like Ohm is Dainsleif's doctor.

BITCH IS GAY, GAY GAY HOMOSEXUAL GAY. sorry had to get that out.

The art doesn't show this as well as I'd like, but Ohm's hair is actually incredibly long. His braid goes just past his waist. It's long as hell when down lol.

Ohm prayed to Barbatos to contact his brother. This is how he befriended the God(and later the bard)

Ohm believes in the concept of a second death which is why he goes out of his way to honour those who he hasn't been able to save or has killed himself. (In reference to his story "Wildflowers") This is also part of a bigger fact which is that he's somewhat superstitious.

Sandrone

Sandrone was originally going to be a hydro vision user and a cryo delusion user, his abilities were going to be more puppet and mimic focused. I changed it to match Ohm.

He was originally written as trans masc and can still be read that way in a lot of the content I produce for him. The most relatable, for me at least, is his inability to "find his place". he still bisexual as hell doe

He asked for his vision outright. And by asked, I mean he demanded it. He got it two years after Ohm, four months after they lost all contact with one another. bold ass mf

I elude to it so I'll just outright state it, Sandrone was tortured and as a result has incredibly fragmented memories of the past. Given that he likes to learn, it really screws with him sometimes.

Sandrone has a scar that starts on the ball of his right shoulder, spreads onto his back and chest, down his arm, and creeps up his neck. It's an electro scar and looks a bit like a lightning scar. It's from when he was tortured and it caused permanent damage in the nerve. As such he has pain there pretty often that he tries not to mention given its a weakness.

He calls Tartaglia "Fruit Tart" as a nickname. Speaking of, he never calls Tartaglia 'Childe'.

While Ohm typically smells like mint(mentioned in his story), Sandrone smells like berries! This is a reference to their specialty dish.

Sandrone has multiple charms on his belt. One of which is a shard of foul legacy that Tartaglia gave him, it hangs beside his vision which hangs on his hip.

His delusion and vision are both always visible on his glove and hip respectively. When changing to his delusion stance he flicks the wrist with his delusion on it and it gives a faint glow. When changing back to his vision/getting out of delusion stance he does the same action.

#Sandrone #Ohm Ambros #lane's ocs #asks #anonymous #i hope you liked these lmao thank u for the opportunity

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johnnyutah · 4 years ago

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8 songs / 8 people

rules: answer 8 prompts with 8 songs, then tag 8 people!

i was tagged by @dameferre who has far superior music taste to me. thank you for always sharing these tag games with me, and sorry i’m about to make you perceive my garbage taste! also i am going to cheat so severely on every single question

1. your favourite song at the moment: i haven’t been able to stop listening to kiss me more by doja cat and sza recently (thank you tictac.) but my all-time fav is for reasons unknown obviously. also recently ive listened to starstrukk a lot (like a LOT... please send aid)

2. a song you associate with a favourite character or ship: ahahaha.... just one..? okay well i have the same brain problem as dear elle where i can associate any song to my current interest, so. maybe i’ll just take us all on a little time travel field trip and talk about how perfectly poet by bastille (i know) works for jaskier-dandelion from the witcher. i mean. come on. is this just me being a sucker for archivist/historian/bard/storyteller characters or is it the sheer terrifying power of dan smith and ‘i have written you down now you will live forever’? you know who did this to me. liara t’soni did this to me

3. a song that could be about you: lately it’s been i cannot sleep at night by K.I.D but. alright. let me put you all on to THE depression anthem of depression anthems. go listen, right now, go find ‘to get out of bed and never starve’ by cosmic johnny and experience emotions with me

4. a song that you think is overrated: lowkey elle’s answer is so true but... it is unfortunately most songs by taylor swift :( i love pop as much as the next guy but i just haven’t vibed with taylor’s music since red and every time i try listening to the new stuff i do not experience the same epic highs that you all seem to. for instance a close friend recommended some songs from folklore for me and i did listen but they just did absolutely nothing for me at all sorry taylor hive

5. a good song that reminds you of a specific memory: one time my old roommate was extremely depressed after being cheated on and i was stuck in a cycle of heavy substance abuse, so both of us were Going Through It. we were standing in the kitchen together (in our apartment by the beaches in toronto) both so drained and hopeless and we both ?? started singing?? i cannot tell you why but it worked so well and it really for a moment gave us a view of the other side of all that bullshit. anyway the song is hold on by wilson phillips and it IS magic thanks

6. the last song you listened to: i’ve been listening to music the whole time as i wrote this, currently i’m listening to fvck somebody by the wrecks!

7. a song that makes you laugh: ghost by awkwafina, inner voices also by awkwafina, WUG by chris fleming, every song aunty donna has ever made, the entire popstar never stop never stopping soundtrack in addition to the lonely island’s entire discography... im SURE theres more i love comedy music i just cant think of any more rn

8. the song you want your mutuals to listen to: don’t worry baby by the beach boys. let’s all just calm down a little 💆‍♂️

i’m gonna tag @vraev @weedsinavacantlot @logandelos @horaetio @deathtobayshore @brownbicon @ambiguouspersonhood @horseshoecrabs and damn that’s eight!

#ask meme #about me #music #playlist meme #it isn't. but yk

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101flavoursofweird · 4 years ago

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Brenda deserves better.

I’ve talked about some of the other under-appreciated PL ladies like Katia, Janice/Melina and Marina. Now here’s Brenda.

In PL4, Brenda appears in a grand total of two cutscenes (with 0 voiced speaking lines), in a bonus episode and a few credit pictures. At first glance, her character profile doesn’t give us much insight into her personality either. She doesn’t get her own description in the PL4 character section of The World of Professor Layton, just a quick summary in Luke’s Family section. It’s easy to see why people don’t get immediately attached to her.

There are plenty of other female characters in PL4, even those who aren’t ‘reoccurring characters’, who leave a much bigger impression— Rosa, Emmy, Arianna, Loosha, Marylin, Wren (A lot of my personal favourites!)... Listing them all now, I’m just realising that it’s no wonder Brenda doesn’t stand out!

We first hear about Brenda when Layton asks Clark how she’s doing. Clark replies dismissively, ‘My wife is fine. She’s away. Family matters.’ Liam O'Brien doesn’t get enough credit for how well he plays Clark. Seriously, as much as he snaps at Luke, if you replay PL4 you can hear the anxiety hidden in Clark’s voice. He then quickly moves on to Luke. Layton says that he hasn’t seen Luke since he was a baby, which would suggest he hasn’t seen Brenda since then either.

Brenda enjoys travelling, as her character profile indicates, so her absence wouldn’t seem too suspicious at first for Layton. However, it’s the manner in which she left that’s odd. If you talk to Brenda’s NPC friend, Thomas, he’ll discuss Brenda’s departure with Luke. Brenda would usually chat about her travel plans with Thomas, but this time, she left without a word. Thomas wonders if there’s a reason for this. He notes that Brenda always loved family vacations, unless she and Clark were fighting... He could be referring to fights Brenda and Clark have had in the past, or to more recent fights during the spectre attacks. Brenda noticed how Clark was acting like a different person after Evan Barde’s death (something Luke also picks up on), so that might have led to some misunderstandings.

Luke thinks his mum left because she couldn’t deal with his dad anymore. (Or that Clark had even hidden Brenda away!) But she would never just leave without telling Luke.

Beth the maid notes that Clark has changed since Brenda left and she’s been hearing noises from the Tritons’ cellar.

As awful as it would be for anyone to be trapped in a dank cellar for months on end, it must have been especially awful for someone who loves travelling. And in their own house too! Sure, Angela got locked in a hotel room. Yeah, Flora was trapped in a barn. Bill Hawks got taken to Future London for like a week—no one cares. But at least they all got rescued fairly quickly. Much like Angela, Brenda had a hunch about the villain in her town... and she ended up getting imprisoned by Descole.

When Brenda and Doland escape from the cellar, Brenda’s first concern is Luke and Clark’s safety. Emmy asks if she’s OK, but Brenda doesn’t answer. She’s just shocked to hear that Luke is with the professor. Professor Who? Hershel Layton?! Again, this suggests Layton hasn’t seen Brenda for many years— since Luke was a baby.

In Layton’s bonus episode with Clark, Layton mentions how Clark and Brenda have always been close. Layton is the one to suggest that the Tritons should come back to London.

Sadly, we don’t get a conversation between Luke and Brenda, or Clark and Brenda, during PL4.

We do learn that Luke is protective of the bear his mum got him for his birthday. There’s also the heartbreaking bit about Luke calling out to his mum in his sleep while she was missing. But then, we get THIS precious picture from the PL4 credits:

Thankfully, we get more interactions with Brenda during Azran Legacy, and we get more of a feel for her personality. Luke spots his mum in Kensington High Street and wants to say hello to her with Aurora. Brenda is surprised to see Luke, as she thought he was off on a trip with Professor Layton. (She actually calls Layton ‘Hershel’ when she speaks to him!) Brenda is quite happy to let Luke tag along with Layton. Though, she does tell Luke to be on his best behaviour— no reckless rushing around.

Luke mentions in a dialogue box that he got his blue cap from the fancy hat shop in Misthallery. @laytonerd came up with the idea that Brenda may have bought Luke his classic hat. (In the Layton universe, giving someone a hat is a sign of love*.) And from what we see of Brenda during Azran Legacy... yeah, that sounds about right.

I love how something so simple like the Dress Up Minigame can reveal so much about a character. Brenda is elevated from Loving Mother to Hippie Angel Lady. That quirky part of her personality was already alluded to in her character profile. But now we see that Brenda doesn’t just collect odd souvenirs... She has a very unique style as well. (Her top hat appears to be inspired by Hershel’s top hat—again, adding some weight to their friendship!) Luke thinks her whole outfit is just too much, but Clark thinks she looks stunning and it suits her to a T. This is probably just one outfit amidst a huge wardrobe of wacky outfits. Perfect for Brenda and Clark’s wedding anniversary! Clark states that Brenda’s angel outfit reminds him of when they first started seeing each other... and he doesn’t know what he did to deserve her, making Brenda blush. Luke wants no part in this.

Brenda’s favourite colour is yellow. A colour associated with the sun, flowers, hope, cheerfulness and energy. (Like Emmy!) But it’s also associated with sickness, cowardice and deceit. (Again, relating to Emmy!) I wouldn’t call Brenda a coward, but she was a pawn in Descole’s plan and it probably took some time for her to recover from that. But, from her demeanour, she seems cheerful when she’s in London!

Brenda’s obviously quite close to Doland too. He worries about her when they escape from the cellar. It’s not like he does all the chores around the house! Brenda is the one to cook Luke’s favourite meal (roast lamb) when their family is reunited. Brenda knew when something wasn’t right with Doland while Descole was in disguise. She even refers to him as ‘Our Doland’. Awww!

We get several conversations between Clark and Layton in PL4, along with a bonus episode, demonstrating their friendship. But I really wish we could’ve seen more of Layton and Brendas’ friendship. Brenda is very relaxed about Luke going with the professor on his trips. (This isn’t surprising as she is a fan of travelling herself.) Brenda is very similar to Layton in how she picks up on other people’s behaviour. Brenda noticed that Doland was acting out of character, and she noticed Clark was being manipulated. She tried to go to the authorities (though, Third Eye Jakes wouldn’t have been much help...) and so, Descole had to take her out of the picture. She, like Layton, posed a real threat to Descole’s plans. Brenda describes Hershel as being very dedicated and hardworking when he was a student, but he’d also disappear for days on random adventures. With Brenda being a traveller herself, that’s another thing she and Hershel have in common!

To this day, I’m still not 100% sure what Brenda does for a living. In Luke’s Family section in The World of Professor Layton, it’s mentioned that Brenda was ‘also Professor Layton’s classmate’. I’m assuming this means she studied archaeology as well? During AL, she talks about how she’s going to Gressenheller’s Library to do some research for a paper on plate tectonics... I thought that had more to do with geography than archaeology, but who knows? Maybe she does both! So, she might either teach at Gressenheller like Clark and Layton, or she has returned to university to do some studies of her own. She doesn’t seem to work in the same department as Clark, at least. She ‘drops by’ to see how Clark is doing, and to get a look at his department’s cutting-edge technology.

Brenda, like Professor Sycamore, is partial to the odd pun! She then proceeds to give them a puzzle— ‘Mutual Meeting Place’.

It’s about four friends going to the theatre! ...Four friends. Could that possibly be a reference to Layton, Clark, Brenda and Claire? The girl in the puzzle picture also just happens to have red hair and she’s wearing green! (I just made myself sad.) Unfortunately, Claire doesn’t get so much as unnamed reference when Clark, Brenda and Layton talk at Gressenheller, but it’s easy to imagine Claire was close with them back when they were students.

I’d like to think Brenda was particularly good friends with Claire. (They may even be a rare ship of mine...) *Who else was obsessed with quirky styles, and bought a hat for someone she loved? Brenda’s top hat in her Dress Up costume looks just like the hat Claire chose for Hershel. Brenda has an interest in new technology— imagine how many hours she spent discussing science with Claire! “You want to be the world’s first time traveller? Sure, go for it!” I find it quite significant that Claire’s death— and the institute explosion— were referenced in PL4. (Chelmey’s bonus episode is so hard to watch!) Had the Tritons already lost touch with Hershel (and Claire) before Claire’s death...? I wish Level 5 had given us more content for the Gressenheller gang.

I can’t really say Brenda went through any under-appreciated character arcs, like Katia or Janice/Melina. She starts out as Luke’s-loving-mother... and by the end of the prequel games, she’s still Luke’s loving mother, which is fine! By AL, I guess you could say her relationship with Clark is much happier, if they were fighting before? And in the AL bonus episode, she admits she was initially worried about Luke when he wanted to go on adventures with the professor, but she can see has Luke grown up since then. She even helps Luke choose the blue sweater that he wears during the original trilogy games. Brenda and Clark don’t appear during the original trilogy- obviously, as their characters weren’t invented yet. But we could take this as a sign that they’ve accepted Luke’s growing independence and they still trust Hershel immensely!

There is a picture of the Triton family meeting up with Layton, Flora and the Barde siblings. Luke, Arianna and Tony are looking at a photo, remembering the time they spent together in Misthallery. Brenda is smiling at Flora in the background. Brenda’s clearly happy and, like the Barde siblings, she was able to move on from what happened with the spectre.

@the-triton-family-blog was also a great help for this post!

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