#you wanted me to ramble here i ramble

[tawnysoup]

Finally now that the comic is fully public on comicfury, I get to share it with all of you here, too <3

If you enjoyed, please consider supporting by buying a PDF of the comic on itch.io: https://tawnysoup.itch.io/home-in-the-woods

[minidoodles97]

Hawke family fleeing the Blight

I have some thoughts on my Hawke having to deal with another Blight and keeping her family safe again. But that's too long for this post, so I'm just gonna add it to my list of Dragon Age fics that I still need to finish...

[daisybell-on-a-carousel]

Being someone who read Under The Red Hood and came out with the firm belief that, for Jason, it's not about killing Joker, it's about Jason wanting proof Batman would choose him over the Joker (bc shelia chose the joker). Makes seeing any other media where it's all about just wanting the Joker dead is a teeny bit frustrating. to be honest

Jason could've killed the Joker himself, really, really easily. Jason kidnaps the Joker before the confrontation. I can't open my comic for a reference right now, but it felt like he had the Joker for quite a bit before the confrontation. He had him. He beat him up with a crowbar. He had every single opportunity to kill the Joker himself, but he didn't because that wasn't his goal. Make no mistake, he did plan for the Joker to be dead by the end of it, but do you see what im trying to say here

Edit: If I knew this post was gonna get 1000+ notes I would've tried to word it better or something, this was a rant I made on the way to the grocery store 😭

It's not about making Batman kill either. When Batman says he won't kill, Jason adjusts and goes, 'Let ME kill the Joker or kill me to stop me' instead. The test is all about Batman choosing him. The whole final confrontation is Jason's first death again. The parent, The Joker, and the explosives. It even ends with Jason unable to move as a bomb goes off right next to him again because the parent didn't choose Jason. And instead tried finding an option that'd benefit them and (consequencely) letting the Joker walk, again, lol, lmao <-in agony

[floofanflurr]

Comic under the cut:

“And all the kids cried out, ‘Please stop, you're scaring me’”

“I can't help this awful energy”

“Goddamn right, you should be scared of me”

-Control by Halsey

(There is no player influence or Chara taking control in this comic… just a scared kid trying to protect themself the only way they know how.)

[jiauro]

Heavy is no longer my least played class

[crismakesstuff]

cast out of paradise

[acetrainertabris]

it’s been two months and some change and I still dont get what da:tv was trying to do with mythal and solas’ relationship.

that dude is a spirit of wisdom, of knowing things. not loyalty, or love, or devotion, or faith, or anything else that would explain (to me) why he says “this is the worst idea of all time. I will follow wherever you go.”

what has she done that was deserving of such devotion. how strong was their worm love that he would override his very beings purpose for her hubristic quest for power.

show me the mythal solas sees when he calls her the best of them. the one who cared for and protected her people with the loving hand of a mother and the fury of a high dragon. show me the goddess of terrible bargains, who clawed her way through history to offer flemeth a Faustian deal.

show me the mythal that saw the path before her, who saw elgar’nan and the evanuris and the destruction that they had already wrought upon the world and thought she could gentle their hand. she could not change tyranny but she could guide his rage.

show me the mythal that knew how delicate this dance was. who saw the volatility of the first born, who could feel the temptation, the corruption always simmering beneath the surface of her best intentions. who knew she would need wisdom to keep from falling completely to the corruption of her new power.

show me the mythal that failed. show me how benevolence becomes retribution, and how wisdom becomes pride.

maybe this is just my disappointment with da:tv as a whole talking, but veilgaurd mythal is just so flat and lacking in any motivation beyond being solas’ tragic backstory that it undercuts the emotional payoff of his redemption ending for me.

sorry for the incoherent ramble, i just hate this game so much.

[evercelle]

2024 art summary! it sure has been a year

[opikiquu]

(disappears for a month and reappears with a slightly obscure hyperfixation) Hey guys

[luck-of-the-drawings]

THIS THING IS SCUUUFFED AS HELL & ITS ALSO THE BEST THING I HAVE ANIMATED THUS FAR. IM SO IN LOVE WITH EMIZEL. JUST WISH I GAVE HIM MORE STUPID TATTOOS. NEXT TIME THO. NEXT TIME. I ALSO LOVE VEX&VIV SOOOO MUCH. charlies flavor of Deranged is my FAVORITE!!

[choccy-milky]

I've been wanting to paint Clora for a while but was brain empty 😣

Then I saw this dress set and HAD to put her in some version of it 🥰🥰🥰

I've been banned from buying more clothes for the rest of the year so let me live vicariously through her (but also I'm not a ravenclaw) also also I hope that link I embedded works

OH MY GOD MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ME🎅🎅🎅🎁🎁 WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!! the way i clicked on my inbox and then got JUMPSCARED (IN A GOOD WAY) BY THIS!!! im serious the way my mouth popped open in shock and awe was so cartoonish LMAOO. like wdym FOR FREE??😭😭😭your art is so beautiful and you're such an amazing painter IM SO MINDBLOWN RN THAT I GET TO SEE CLORA DONE BY YOU SHE LOOKS AMAZING and in such a cute fit too🧎‍♀️🧎‍♀️ i fear i shall never recover from this...found dead in my apartment and its kemiichis fault.....ILL STOP YAPPING NOW but srsly im HONOURED THANK YOU SO MUCHHHH🥹💖💖💖

[good-beansdraws]

They made Alien Stage merch of the singers being treated inhumanely in Anakt Garden? ;__;

Milgram

I'm still reeling that they released such intense art as merch.... At the same time it's not like I'm complaining -- wanting to draw this with 0 hesitation only proved I am also not immune to "Let's put those guys in situations 👁👁"

Small descriptions of these scenes under the cut, then some overall au thoughts because this got my brain going...

Mahiru is always speaking of romance and her heart racing -- the aliens want to test just how fast she can go before "overheating."

Amane always enjoyed singing as part of a choir, but the aliens hope to isolate just her voice, and every piece of it, no matter how long she must stand and sing for them.

Kotoko is quick at improvisation in both her music and in a fight, so they wish to find out exactly what makes her tick in these different areas.

Fuuta's big mouth is what makes him stand out in Alien Stage -- they consider straightening his crooked teeth to make him more marketable before deciding on a fang.

Haruka has always been deceptively strong to the smaller members of Anakt Garden, so the aliens only analyze him in a state of weakness.

Mikoto struggles daily with the breathing and circulation issues from the lab, only allowing himself to break when the cameras are down.

I chose the assignments based on the pics themselves, and only afterwards started looking into the overall au -- compared to typical Milgram assignments, I feel like these made for some really interesting dynamics:

Mahiru meets the prodigy Amane in Anakt Garden and takes her under her wing. She obsesses over romance as a general idea, but it's mainly the vision of a complete, happy family that she's dreaming of. Therefore she's optimistic for a tie, and that the two can become a family at the end of Alien Stage -- until Round 1 stops all her dreams short.

Amane had always spoken of god and the universe, and the others find themselves finally listening only after she’s gone. (It mainly affects Mahiru, but I like the fact that Fuuta can still call her his god.) Mahiru reflects on their time together -- though Amane had a big heart, spending time with her caretakers often left her quiet and stoic. Mahiru remembers meeting her in her perfect, doll-frilled dress and vowing to take care of her.

Someone as strong-willed and rebellious as Kotoko has always hated how 03060809 play along with Alien Stage -- she is their self appointed enemy for aiding the aliens in killing other humans. Deep down, though, Mahiru’s shining light has given her hope. She can hardly admit to herself what strong feelings she's developed for Mahiru, much less tell her outright. She focuses all her efforts to fight aliens and corrupt humans til the end. She isn't afraid to smash guitars and throw some punches along the way.

At the same time, Kotoko has never noticed the person idolizing her in silence: Fuuta. Even when she lashes out at him, he's inspired by her strength and intensity. He can tell she doesn't feel the same toward him, so he keeps his growing, touchstarved crush a secret. He's also willing to fight the whole way, even finding a flaming escape opportunity for them as kids (to which Kotoko argues she isn't a coward, and needs to stay and fight.) It isn't until he sees his idol lose her fire that he finally stops and hands the win over. He gets in one violent, rash show of love before it's all extinguished in the rain.

Alongside them, Mikoto becomes a fan favorite to the public. The asthmatic with a gentle side and violently self-preserving one is a huge hit. (Something about Mikoto’s mvs being the most popular for a while.) He earns win after win, no matter the health and memory issues that haunt him. Any time a performance gets too risky, John takes matters into his own hands to make sure they come out on top.

Though it's harder for him to physically evoke Amane's relationship with Mahiru in round 5, he knows how to play into right lyrics: "make me your god, I can give you everything." It's easier for him to act as Fuuta, giving Kotoko a Deep Cover moment of guilt that she'd gotten him killed by fighting for the wrong things. In a twist of irony from canon, Kotoko says her final words in Mahiru’s arms, and Mahiru is the one left feeling responsible for the loss...

Back in their childhood, Haruka and Mikoto had found themselves outcasts together. Haruka was always afraid of Mikoto after witnessing his violence against the other children (I think it'd be weird to switch around victims so maybe it was both of their faults that Haruka’s suster died.) But at the same time, a part of him kept coming back and seeking Mikoto's attention because he admired him so much.

After being rescued from a disastrous Alien Stage round, the others in the resistance were taken in by Haruka’s innocent shyness. Regardless of his protests at poor public speaking, his heart earned him the spot of leader. He is willing throw himself in the path of danger to protect the people he cares about -- an admired trait until it actually does get him killed.

(And a bonus Yuno for Bones :D)

[acekindaneat]

I don't want this to end.

A cute little date scene that I really liked from the fic The Big Woo by @tinkertoysdamn !!!!!

[mercurymacaroons]

arrives 15 min late with a latte

......sup

[nukacourier]

genuine question, what do you mean by babying danse?

I like him quite a lot and seen a considerable amount of content, but I might've just not noticed?? what you're talking about specifically

What I mean is people basically pulling the "he's my baby boy he'd never do anything wrong" shit. And the way people talk about him (calling him a "himbo", and as said "baby boy", saying he's just a sad guy who's misunderstood, etc) reads deeply as infantilization especially considering. As said. He's a grown man who literally upholds fascist ideals and only left the Brotherhood because he'd literally die otherwise

I'm not saying people aren't allowed to explore a softer side of him or theorize how a redemption arc for him would go. But the way I often see him (mis)characterized as being a stupid, gentle, "doesn't know what he's doing is wrong :(" type of guy REEKS of "autistic people are basically like children and don't know if they're doing something bad", especially since I've seen people on multiple platforms claim him and Maxon are "son and father figure" despite him being older than Maxon, just because he's subservient to him and they're vaguely friends

(But since fans read him as autistic OBVIOUSLY that means Maxon is like a caretaker for this poor misguided soul and not literally his boss and commander /sarcasm)

Like. If you haven't seen this stuff, good for you. But basically every time I've seen a post about him that isn't tearing into him for being a BOS member is basically like what I mentioned in one degree or another. If you actually look at the way people talk about him, it becomes obvious

Plus, you notice this when it's not just one character this happens to. I've seen it happen with Arcade (thankfully that's died down in recent years), Preston, and currently Maximus from the show. Just an endless cycle of people denying autonomy from characters who are read as awkward and/or autistic

(I'm sure other people would have more examples on hand. So if you do, feel free to reblog this and add them)

[overdressedcarp]

I've been thinking for a while about the optional Magatama dialogue in The Cosmic Turnabout where you can prompt Fulbright about what's bothering him, and for both of the wrong answers, he acts like you got it right, and actively leans into the bit. For example, if you suggest that he's exhausted by life, he agrees and claims he's thinking about quitting his job and going to space. (Honestly, mood.)

(AA 5-4 and 5-5 spoilers below the cut)

It's a good line on its own: funny, and definitely relatable. With 5-5's context, though, it brushes up against a deep-seated desire to disappear, to run away and start over, something the Phantom hasn't been at liberty to do in years. He's shackled to a seven-year-old assignment, strangled by loose ends that he can't tie off. For maybe the first time in his life, he has to wake up every day and live with the effects of his actions, made blisteringly real in the form of the people he hurt.

(Do I think he's walking around harboring deep, profound remorse for UR-1? Not really, no. But the self-protective lie of "my choices don't matter because I'm not really a person" only goes so far when you're clocking into work every day to hang out with the guy who's on death row because of you, who's grieving because of you, and suddenly you're the only person he trusts to hear about the monster that ruined his life, and you planned for this but you didn't plan for this and honestly at that point I'd want to quit my job and throw myself into the vast expanse of space, too.)

Also worth noting, during this entire scene, any time Fulbright goes to answer a question or make an assertion about himself, the tinted glasses go up like a shield. Eyes hidden, hand obscuring the lower half of his face. It's something he does pretty regularly throughout the game, but it's egregious here. My man is on the defensive and he's giving absolutely zero ground.

But the big thing for me is the other "wrong" option, where if you claim that Fulbright is troubled by love, the Phantom's knee-jerk "yes, and," response is to tell a story about a carp named Love who ate a bunch of goldfish because he put them all in the same tank.

In the moment it's supposed to be absurd and comical and one more example of how hapless this guy is, but in retrospect, it's kind of telling that when the Phantom tries to conceptualize love in relation to himself, the first piece of Fulbright-flavored bullshit that comes to mind is about a creature that brings pain and death through mere proximity, not out of malice, but out of nature. As though, subconsciously, he's fixated on the notion of a foreign element that's been dropped into an otherwise peaceful space. A fish that seems like it belongs there until it devours the others.

He really could have said anything—he could have made up a story about a bad breakup, or a really sad movie, or a family member who died. He could have jumped to talking about Blackquill, and how he's concerned for his emotional state given the nature of the current case. But instead, his mind instinctively gravitates to a Love that consumes everything around it: a Love defined by its capacity for violence. There was never a world where the carp could exist alongside the goldfish without hurting them.

And idk. I feel like if he wasn't feeling some kind of way about that, then it wouldn't be bleeding into his Olympic-level improv gymnastics routine to convince Phoenix that he doesn't have any secrets and you can put the supernatural lie detector away now, thanks.