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powdermelonkeg · 5 months

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just saw ur gale/mystra analysis post. im new to the game and dnd lore and honestly… ur take on their relationship feels like the most natural/compelling one??? esp since its all too easy to simplify topics that have many facets and nuance….

thanks for sharing i love analysis and reading people’s takes on narratives : D

My pleasure! (Bee from the future here: congrats, you spawned another meta!)

I love complicated characters, WAY more than I like a clear cut-and-dry case. Flaws, to me, are what make a character compelling and lead to interesting stories about them with choices that can get them into situations. I'm both writing a fanfic and running a campaign where I'm playing as Gale, and in the interest of portraying him properly and in-character, I've gone into SUCH a deep dive into all the decisions and facts that make him him.

It helps to, y'know, also be in love with the fictional wizard, but I digress

The thing about Baldur's Gate 3 is that no character in there is perfect. I've seen a couple analyses about the theme of continuing cycles of abuse vs breaking out of them, but in my mind, in terms of the characters themselves, it goes like this:

The origin characters have just come out of the lowest situation of their lives (Lae'zel being the exception; being tadpoled is a gith's worst nightmare. You're seeing that lowest situation in real time).

Not the lowest point, mind. Gale's lowest was probably the day after he got the Orb. Wyll's was probably the day his father cast him out. Karlach's was the day she lost her heart. But the lowest, accepted normal for them is what they've just left.

They're then thrown out of their depth and forced to rely on you to live. That's #1 priority: living. We get the extremes of these characters before we get their nuances, because they're quite literally at their breaking points.

Then once we get to know them, we see their wants, their hopes, their fears, as they open up to us. Every companion's story is at their own pace, but they all have a moment where they ping-pong between despondency and desire. Sometimes that desire is what we know isn't good for them, like Shadowheart wanting to be a Dark Justiciar. Sometimes that despondency is only for a flicker, like Astarion's realization that he's condemned 7000 people to a half-life of tortured spawnhood for as long as he's been a vampire.

Romance lets us crack all that open more, because if you pursue a romantic partner, they see you as their closest confidant. They WANT to trust you, so they're more willing to explain how they see the world and what decisions they want to chase.

And then their endings. Those often get simplified as good/bad, continuing the cycle vs breaking away from it. But how is Duke Wyll on the same platform as Ascended Astarion? He's not evil, he's not even entirely unhappy. He might even have broken out of his abusive cycle with Mizora, if you played your cards right. And Ascended Astarion is overjoyed, even if he is remarkably more cold.

I think that the endings are less a dichotomy of "this is good for them" vs "this is bad for them," and more one of "bringing out their best traits" vs "bringing out their worst."

Wyll's worst trait is being willing to sacrifice his own wants for whatever people desire of him. His best is standing for what he believes in and ensuring people are safe. Duke Wyll leans into that necessity to turn the other cheek in the name of people who count on him, while the Blade of Avernus has seized that moral compass of his and forged it out of mithral.

Shadowheart's worst trait is blind obedience at the cost of her individuality, while her best is her desire to be kind to things that don't deserve to be hurt. Mother Superior Shadowheart's whole life is defined by Shar. Selûnite Shadowheart's life is defined by her hospitality, especially towards animals.

Karlach's worst trait is how willing she is to accept that things are (to quote her) fucked, letting despair override hope. Her best is her durability in the face of horror. Exploded Karlach would rather die than try to work out a solution in the Hells, because she's terrified of facing Zariel alone. Mindflayer Karlach has accepted her fate and decides to give up her heart and soul to go out a hero, losing who she is. Fury of Avernus Karlach is willing to keep fighting for a solution, and by the time the epilogue happens, she's got her sights set on one.

Astarion's worst trait is his desire for power over people. His best trait is using the tools he has to his advantage. Ascended Astarion has let his powerhungry nature and paranoia lead all of his decisions, with his sights set on dominating mankind. Spawn Astarion has embraced what he is, and carved out a life for himself where he can do as he pleases.

Lae'zel's worst trait is her blind fanaticism, while her best trait is her individual dedication, making her loyalty a marriage of the two. Ascended Lae'zel is a meal for the lich queen, turning a blind eye to all Vlaakith's tried to do to her and literally being consumed by her fervor. Champion of Orpheus Lae'zel has turned her loyalty into something productive for diplomacy. Faerûnian Lae'zel has seized her individuality by the throat and decided her own future.

And then Gale. Gale's worst traits are his hubris and, paradoxically, his low self worth. His best traits are his creativity and wonder for the world. God Gale is the embodiment of ambition, having burned away all but that in pursuit of perfection. Exploded Gale has let his remorse blot out all hope for a redemption in which he does not die, because he thinks he's earned it. Professor Gale leads his life by embracing the school of Illusion and letting his creativity thrive, teaching others to do the same. House Husband Gale has multiple creative projects he's working on, and Adventurer Gale is always finding new sights to see and wanting to share them with you.

There are arguments to be made on which ending the origins are happiest in, certainly, or which one benefits them the most, but each ending represents the extreme of a facet they possess.

So with all that, there's a sort of malleable method to figuring out the ins and outs of a character.

You take their endings—all of them, all variables they can have—and reverse-engineer the flaws and details they carry. Then you start to notice how those work into their approvals for minor things: Astarion approving of your taking of the Blood of Lathander, or Shadowheart approving of standing up for Arabella. Getting a list of approvals and disapprovals is helpful, but having those endings on hand tells you why they react like that to a majority of their decisions.

You take their romance-route explanations of how they act, and apply those to earlier decisions. Astarion's confession to manipulating you and Araj-prompted admittance to using himself as a tool brings to light how he reacts to your decisions, regardless of his actual opinions on them. Wyll's fairytale romance and love of poetic adages speaks to his idealistic nature, and why he takes a sometimes-blinded approach to decisions in which the "right" answer isn't always the smart one.

You take their beginning reactions to stress and use that to measure how future decisions impact them. Lae'zel locks down and gets snappy when she's scared, while Gale immediately turns to diplomacy. Shadowheart has gallows humor, while Wyll turns to quiet acceptance. If they break from these and seem even worse, you know the situation is more dire in their minds than having seven days to live.

And then you factor in all their fun facts and dialogue choices and backstories.

A wizard falls in love with a goddess and her magic, attempts to retrieve a piece of her power for her, is scorned for his attempt and is cursed to die.

Give that backstory to a Tav. Look at how it changes.

A chaotic good wizard fell in love with a goddess, thought retrieving a piece of power for her would be a showy bouquet of love, and was punished for not thinking things through.

A lawful evil wizard fell in love with a goddess's power, snatched the most precious thing she owned, tried to use it to barter his way through to the secrets she kept, and was given a swift retribution.

Same backstory. Same class, same act, same goddess. Wildly different connotations. Wildly different conclusions as to who is in the wrong.

If you take all there is to Gale, all that the game shows us makes up his character, and apply it to this backstory, you get what really happened:

A wizard, enamored with magic, fell in love with a goddess. His desires led him to want more than she was willing to give. In his well-buried fear of inadequacy, he concluded that the reason she wouldn't indulge his ambitions was because he just hadn't proven himself worthy enough. So he tried to prove himself, but he lacked the context for what he was proving himself with. And the goddess, seeing a weapon that had killed her predecessor, saw this ambitious wizard as losing his way and coming for her just like the weapon's creator had. She was angry, she withdrew his link to her, and he didn't know why. So he drew the conclusion that she took his powers to punish him, and let that encompass his fall from grace.

Was he wrong to reach for what was out there?

If you knew that the answers to everything you cared about were not only known, but kept by someone you loved—someone who adored you—what would you do to ask to see them? What if your curiosities were if there were other planets with life out there, or how dark matter worked, or whether or not we could one day travel in the stars? What if it was the potential cure to an illness that's little-understood, or the way to make a program you dreamt up, or the scope of the true limits of your artistic talents? Would your answer change?

Was she wrong to cut him off?

If you were once hurt, and the person you loved—the person who adored you—brought the thing that caused it to your door, believing you'd want it, how would you react to seeing it? What if that thing was someone you thought you'd broken contact with, like a friend or family member you'd been trying to avoid? Would your answer change?

That's the sort of scope that needs to be applied to this, on both sides. You have to take the perspectives of each party, and apply two analogies instead of one.

Gale saw the vastness of the universe, untold wonders, the solution to every question he could ever dream up, and saw Mystra as withholding this from him because she thought he just wasn't worthy enough. To claim Mystra knew his perspective does her a disservice.

Mystra saw a cruel weapon she thought long gone, in the hands of someone who could use it, brought right to her, and thought Gale was willingly following the path of Karsus. To claim Gale knew her perspective does him a disservice.

Should Gale have researched his prize more, so he knew just what he was obtaining? Should he have kept his hands off a cursed book that would devour him? Of course he should have.

Should he have given up on chasing his dreams?

Should Mystra have understood that Gale's pursuit of power was nothing like Karsus'? Should she have communicated when she was angry instead of giving the cold shoulder? Of course she should have.

Should she have given him the benefit of the doubt?

That's the root of their falling out. That's what leads to hurt being inflicted. Understandable, human reactions to the situations they perceive. Unhealthy, unwise choices made afterwards.

You work backwards from this to figure out their dynamic as Chosen and goddess. You work forward from this to understand more of where Gale and Mystra are during the events of Baldur's Gate 3. Gale reached too high, and understands this. His goddess hates him, and he regrets this. Mystra isolated Gale, and understands this. Her Chosen wants redemption, and she wants to make it happen.

Just like we took Gale's character into account, we also have to take Mystra's.

A goddess is faced with a problem. She uses someone who's desperate for approval to solve it, by telling him to kill himself.

An evil goddess is faced with a threat to her reign. She sees someone who's unfailingly loyal and hates himself, and elects to have him tear himself apart rather than do anything about it.

A good goddess is terrified of the future. She sees someone who tried to hurt her, who's going to die anyways, and tells him to use it to save the world.

Same story. Same act, same power, same pawn. Different character. Different perspective. Different outlook on whether or not this is the right thing to do.

Mystra has died, multiple times, to people trying to stake claim to her domain. Someone appears with the very thing that could do it again, right as she's regained her stability.

She does not see mortals the way mortals do. She is timeless. She is eternal. She has a duty to protect billions of people, and one person lost to protect that number is more than worth the sacrifice.

People like to bring up the Seven Sisters as proof of Mystra's cruelty. For those unaware, Mystra asked permission to, then possessed, a woman, used her to court a man (with dubious consent from the woman), and bore seven children, all of whom were capable of bearing Mystra's power as Chosen without dying. The woman she possessed was killed in the process (reduced to no more than a husk, then slain by her now-husband, hoping to end her suffering), and the husband was horrified by the whole story.

Mystra needed Chosen in order to restore herself in the event that she was killed again, to prevent magic as a whole from collapsing and wreaking havoc on the mortal realm, like it had in the few seconds Mystryl had been dead. Elminster, Khelben Blackstaff, and the Seven Sisters contributed to this. The more Chosen she has, the better; what happens if Elminster dies? She can't afford to have all her eggs in one basket.

Mystra has Volo (yeah, that Volo) as a Weave Anchor, imparted with a portion of her power to prevent the Weave from shredding itself to pieces in her absence. All Chosen of Mystra are Weave Anchors by nature. The creation of Weave Anchors was mandated by Ao, the Overgod, and Chosen are the best way to make sure those anchors aren't drained by ambitious people hoping for godlike power. Chosen can, and will, defend themselves, unlike static locations (which Mystra also has). The anchors are why the Weave wasn't completely obliterated during Mystra's last death, when the Spellplague rose up, because they stabilized the Weave around them.

Everything Mystra does is in the name of the big picture, to prevent a catastrophe like the fall of Netheril from happening again. Her restriction of magic, her numerous Chosen, her creation of Weave Anchors, her destruction of those who would claim her power, it's all in the name of the stability she's been charged with. Dornal Silverhand's grief and Elué Silverhand's death, while regrettable, were worth it to bring seven more anchors into existence to save all of the Material.

So someone appears with the Crown of Karsus, potentially powerful enough to try to kill the other gods in the name of the Dead Three. She can't risk being a target of them. She can't risk the destruction of magic again.

Gale is going to die. He lives in fear. He begs for forgiveness.

In Mystra's eyes, she's offering him the best outcome. She'll let him die in service to her, to save Faerûn, and she'll forgive him. He's going to die anyways, and if he does this, she'll give him everything (she thinks) he could ever want in her realm. She's asking him to do what (she thinks) is the right thing.

"She would consider what she considers to be forgiveness."

Notably, she leaves the decision in his hands. She doesn't have Elminster lead him to the Nether Brain. She doesn't activate him as soon as he's there. When he lives yet, she doesn't revoke the charm that keeps him stable. And when he declines, when he lets it go and starts pursuing Karsus' path, she doesn't smite him on the spot.

She is (she thinks) being incredibly patient. If Gale is going to try to be Karsus II, she's ready for him. If he decides to walk off and keep the Orb, he's dug his own grave in the Fugue Plane (those who don't have a god to claim them roam endlessly as husks and form a wall of bodies around the City of Judgement).

From her perspective, she's not being unreasonable. But from the perspective of a mortal, she absolutely is.

"Now, I have a question for thee: what is the worth of a single mortal's life?"

This is a question she cannot answer properly.

I think a lot of characterization is lost whenever someone paints one of them as being totally in the right. But I also think you have to be invested in them as characters to want to see that characterization. If you want to write about Mystra, you have to try to get into her head, analyze the decisions she made, figure out why she thinks she was right, and follow the pattern.

Gale's sacrifice is a very predictable thing for her to ask for.

#bg3 #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #mystra #long post #like really long post holy hells #did not expect this to go on for this long #swearing tw #< for karlach #oh yeah #astarion #karlach #wyll ravengard #shadowheart #lae'zel #ask bee

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stop-breaking-my-heart-dragonage · 12 days

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You ever think about how in spite of knowing their exact locations, the game never gives any indication that templar Carver has reported his mage sibling, Merril (a blood mage) or Anders (an abomination) to his superiors?

I do think about that a lot, even though I tend to ignore the Templar Carver route because I know Warden Carver to be true in my heart and soul... but I totally get the appeal of Templar Carver within DA2's narrative, y'know?

It's so fascinating, really. I've never played a run with Templar Carver, I just can't bring myself to do it, so I know I'm missing out on smaller details of it. From what I do know, this drives me crazy in the best way possible.

Deciding whether to bring him or not to the Deep Roads is such an important choice, not only because it affects his fate, but how it affects his relationship to Hawke. He tells you that he wants to go, he makes it very clear that it's important to him that he goes, too... and Hawke can just leave him behind and it hurts him. I don't think that registers enough with some people just because of how Carver is, like it doesn't matter what Hawke's motivations are [staying behind for his safety, not wanting to bring him, thinking someone should stay with Leandra, etc] it still hurts him because it tells him that Hawke doesn't need him, and Carver wants to be needed.

And yes, there are other contributing factors to why he joins the templars, but it doesn't matter what your relationship is to him, it doesn't change the fact that he doesn't turn Hawke or his companions in.

Sure, the meta reason is it's a video game and you're playing the main character. You're never in any actual danger of being captured by templars, and you're not going to lose your companions to them that easy.

But if we look at it through the narrative and Carver's character, that's when it gets interesting. You can max out his rivalry and be an utter asshole to him [there's a point where you can call him a brat and mock him for being stuck in your shadow, like Hawke can be real cruel about it] but it doesn't matter, you're still his sibling. He even makes a remark about how you might not know what that means [referring to leaving him behind] but he does. He refuses to kill Hawke in the end when Meredith makes the order, too.

Which can I just point out that Hawke has the option to let Bethany die in the end if she's with the circle and they side with the templars? Just saying, Carver NEVER does that no matter what, but Hawke has the option to betray Bethany like that and it's fucked and interesting and it makes me want to eat my chair-

As for Merrill and Anders, I think he knows that if he turns either of them in, then the chances of Hawke being brought in as well skyrocket. They're all friends, they're in the same group... bring one in, and you'll probably get the other two.

I also think Carver just genuinely likes Merrill. Yes, I'm a Carver/Merrill shipper, so I have a bias, but even if you remove anything romantic from their dynamic I believe that's true. Of all the companions, Merrill is the only one who doesn't make fun of him, or find him annoying, in party banters. He never snaps back at her, like he's never defensive with her, he's just a little awkward and nice.

Like, HE'S SO NICE TO HER! He tries to find common ground with her! She asks him about "swording" and he's taken aback by her saying he's good at it, but you KNOW that if someone like Anders asked him the same question, he's be all, "shut up, you're stupid, stop talking to me >:["

Think back to that banter Carver can have with Aveline post-act 1 where they're talking about how the guard wasn't the right place for him [hard disagree with you there, Aveline] and Carver says he was a bit of a tit, wasn't he.... and every companion will agree except Merrill. She doesn't say anything, whereas other companions like Anders will be like "ugh maker YES" and if you have a purple Hawke, they'll go on to other ways Carver was a tit like?? I think Carver and Merrill got along and he doesn't want to turn her in because she was nice to him! And she's a blood mage! He knows what will happen to her if the templars get ahold of her! He doesn't want to see her made tranquil or killed!

At that point, he's witnessed what bad blood mages can do, assuming you've brought him along for those quests, but even so. He knows Merrill isn't like that and he likes her, so of course he's not going to turn her in despite that being his literal duty.

Then there's Anders who Carver doesn't like. If you're in a romance with him, Carver will tell him that's why he doesn't turn him in but c'mon Carver, you know that's not the only reason. My theory is Carver may not like Anders and he knows the man's got a spirit of justice inside of him... but Anders also runs a free clinic. If he's ever taken in by templars, then so many people [including a LOT of Fereldan refugees] will be without free health care and will suffer for it. I think in Carver's eyes, Anders might be irritating but he doesn't more good than harm. Carver knows first hand how shitty refugees and poorer people are treated in Kirkwall. Anders' clinic is the one place they can go for help and actually get it, and he's not going to be the one to take that away because the templars say "magic bad."

So yeah, I'm not as informed about the Templar Carver route, but I do think about how if I did do that route, he wouldn't betray Hawke or their companions no matter what and what that says about him.

#asks #dragon age 2 #da2 #carver hawke #da2 merrill #da2 anders #listen i love carver hawke okay he and bethany are my favorite companions in da2 #i could talk endlessly about the twins and their roles in story and how unfair it is that only one of them can make it to kirkwall #meaning we hardly get to see them interact with each other before one dies and UGH #like i get it their stories rely heavily on them being the only mage or non-mage in the sibling trio so both of them living #would've meant writing two different origins stories for them with different attitudes affected by having another siblings that like them #but also i think if hawke's a rogue then leandra should've died and we could've worked it out okay #ANYWAY... templar carver amirite? i know i should go that route just to say i have and to see it for myself but hhhnnnggggg...#it physically pains me to think of not bringing him to the deep roads though it's so important to him and my hawke works so hard #to repair his relationship with his brother okay i max out carver's friendship every time and it's so worth it #you don't understand okay friendship carver is the best he's so goddamn sweet i can't handle it #it's actually so interesting how bethany and carver start out versus how they end because bethany starts out as the super sweet one #whereas carver's surly and bitter... but past act 1? it's like they flip?? at least on the warden paths like bethany is BRUTAL #she's so fucking bitter and rude and I love it?? like her relationship with hawke is in the trenches whereas carver's is vastly improved #again no matter your approval with him when you reunite in act 2 he will ALWAYS tell hawke that 'i'm sure you did your best'#referring to leandra's death but bethany's response will change depending on your approval with her #and if i remember right the rivalry response is OOF #carver and bethany turn me into a little giggling gremlin i love them so much

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1495-gauge · 3 months

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You're a medicinal apprentice of the Pearl clan, and today, your clan found a ghost-touched elder out in the snow.

It's your job to help him, even if this too tall man, covered in strange clothing, is babbling in tongues. His hair is a dull grey, his eyes shine vacant, and his extremities are in desperate need for treatment of frostbite.

He's got a head wound. The other healers, you hear them discuss how that must be making it all worse. He looks deceptively young — but he can't be, eyes glowing like a man with a claim on his soul.

None of you know where he could have come from. You're surprised the patrol didn't think he was a zoroark. They probably did. But as you pump his fingers, encouraging sluggish blood back into them, you can feel he is very, very real.

It's a duty, to serve those older than you, even when they're marked like this. The ghost-touched end up like children, tantrums and illogical and lost. Until the ghost that caused it finds the light of the fire it left behind their eyes again, until it can steal them away forever.

You are spending a lot of medicinal resources on a man who will certainly not last the winter.

You believe it's compassion. The clan takes him in, and when he finally remembers a few real words, they welcome in Ingo, to make his stay, however short, kind.

But it's not as short as you expect — as anyone expects.

Each passing day, his twisted words resolve slowly into real language once more. Strange utterances still pepper his speech, but he's becoming knowable. He communicates, his memories have been robbed from him. And everyone believes him, because what else could leave a man so old unable to fend for himself?

You're worried for him. He doesn't remember to be cautious. You patch up his cuts and scrapes he develops from exploring the outskirts of camp, it's spring and he's still here. It would be something to rejoice if his eyes didn't still glow. If his fate wasn't still so very clear.

It's cruel, to draw it out. None of you want him to leave, this kind old man who has forgotten everything, volume control especially, but who plays with the children and does his best to relearn tasks and is that sort of gentle that can only be a product of experience, however lost. None of you want him gone, but it's cruel that the ghost coming for him is taking its time. Letting him regrow a life for himself. Letting others become attached.

You can see how everyone is thinking it, when they look at him more with pity, when they keep a bit of distance. You have no choice, his designated healer now, and he certainly comes to your tent regularly. Not just for healing, but with berries as gifts, little wood carvings that look like they were made by a child as apology for all the work he makes you do. You cannot reject any of it, and the ties anchoring you to this lost soul grow stronger.

You'd feel resentful, but you can't.

Time passes, and come summer, his penchant for being unafraid of the wildlife becomes a problem. He ends up bringing home a gligar, getting poisoned so often he becomes the sole user and contributor to your pecha stores. They may as well be housed with him, but he seems to enjoy checking in on you while halfway to his deathbed due to his companion's stinger. Over time, he comes in less, less due to his companion gaining better control, more due to his own developing immunity.

The day Lady Sneasler chooses him as her warden, many wonder if there was a claim on his soul at all.

But you can't forget how he came here, eyes flashing in the light, bereft of language and life and skills. Even now, he is often nonsensical, well meaning but lost. Meant for the next world.

He takes to it well, and survives to the next winter, and the next, growing his impossible team of companions. You've never seen anyone guide pokemon in the way he does, and you wonder how much of it is that insane lack of fear that could only be caused by having his soul unmoored and his former life stripped away.

When the sky breaks open, the nobles frenzy. You have little time to worry about your favorite patient, because instead you're treating wounds from pokemon that should have never hurt anyone.

He starts to guide people, showing up in the morning, taking them where they need to go — especially through the highlands. From what you've heard, the rift has made the pokemon there untameable. You worry for him, but all you get are reports of how he must be remembering his past as a fierce warrior, because how else could he so confidently command pokemon and people alike? How else could he face off and win against alpha pokemon that attack his caravans, make them his companions as well?

He uses the capture devices that the foreigners in the fieldlands do, and one night, he shows you how the pokemon can escape them on their own — they're more for ease, he says. It's much easier to carry his team like this. You imagine the towering pokemon he's showed you being led through camp, and you agree the balls are a good idea.

The sky turns red, and you don't hear from him.

The sky turns blue, and you don't hear from him.

But he returns, and says he's remembering, now. He'll be staying down with Jubilife, for a while. Battling, helping the foreigner who fell from the sky and calmed Almighty Sinnoh. He says, he may be able to go home.

You don't let him see how those words could bring you to tears. His clock has always been near running out, you knew this. But he had never seemed to.

Eventually, he does his rounds. Says his goodbyes. He's standing up straighter, seeming younger, a last burst of energy, you think. He thanks you, for everything you've done.

He goes to the mountain, and he doesn't come back.

You erect a little memorial in your home, for the man with eyes that glowed far longer than anyone's ever had before. For the man who loved the world, pokemon, battling. You hope, wherever he is beyond this world, he is happy, and safe. That the man he was and the man he became can reconcile. You thank his spirit, for the time it spent in your life, and the next time one of the clan's elders loses their mind to the ghosts of the land, it's him you think of as you care for them.

#submas #i think about the fact that like. idk early onset dementia would seem like suuuuuch a good explanation for ingo #it was interesting to write an outsider pov #who fundamentally misunderstands the situation. but like. still cares deeply #i also tried to consider how a medical condition like that would be viewed before more specific development of diagnoses and how it would #interact with like... pokemon #anyway hard to explain to your healer that youre just an amnesiac from the future when you look like a classic case of 'dislodged soul soon #to be consumed by ghost pokemon'#my writing #i dont normally do 2nd person... it was interesting

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hazelnut-u-out · 9 months

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I know I'm historically king of Morty's perspective, but I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, and the ending of 'Rick Potion No. 9' (a sequence that always affects me deeply) combines two unique perspectives.

(TW for gore)

The first is, of course, Morty's experience. The effect of burying his own dead body and abandoning his original family is very present.

It always gives me chills when he walks through the home, observing his 'new' family. A lot of moments in the show can be called a 'turning point' in terms of tone, but this moment in particular seems like a true turning point in terms of who Morty is becoming-- especially when we get Rick's backstory.

On the other hand, I've also challenged myself to take in Rick's perspective, separate from how this choice impacts Morty.

Not too far after this incident-- and still at the beginning of everything--Rick is not only willing to sacrifice himself, but he makes the decision to do so. In 'A Rickle in Time', it wasn't even a question for Rick as to who was going to leave that situation alive. He gave Morty that collar to save his grandson-- ready to die for the bloodline of the person who robbed him of everything.

I keep thinking about this moment:

In the past, Rick's apathetic expression and body language have made me nauseous on Morty's behalf. Honestly, they still do. Just look…

Imagine being a 14-year-old boy and staring down at your own dead body. Cradling him in your arms. Realizing, deep down, that even though he was you... he isn't you. His parents’ baby is dead. You're alive. You've as good as killed him-- actively replaced him-- and sentenced your whole family to death. Over your shoulder, your drunk grandfather looks on, no visible emotion but irritation that you're not working fast enough. He's your only friend. He shoves you. Something doesn’t feel right. Your hands hurt. Your arms ache. The clothes you're wearing aren't yours. As you drag that limp little boy into the grave you dug for him, he stares up at you just as emotionless.

Then, imagine being an elderly man jaded by witnessing the death of your daughter, and your only real companion is a 14-year-old you basically just met. Imagine looking down at an exact replica of what would happen if you failed again-- broken, bloody, limbs twisted at unnatural angles, lifeless glassy eyes burning a hole through you. Imagine punishing yourself by staring, not letting yourself show you care. You're doing the kid a favor, so you swallow a strange sickening feeling he's going to turn out just like you.

I'm not always the best at humanizing Rick's experiences in s1, simply because of the way they were initially intended before later contextualization. Because of this, it's been difficult for me to reframe this episode in my mind, but I think I've finally gotten somewhere.

I don't know. With 'A Rickle in Time' considered, I can't help but feel a connection. I assume seeing Morty's corpse wasn't just traumatic for Morty, and we know Rick loves to retraumatize himself as punishment.

I just don't buy that this man is the same guy who didn't feel anything with all that going down:

Killing other Ricks? Probably nothing to him. Mortys? Kids?

Sure, bro.

These motherfuckers are all about that trauma bond.

#rick and morty #rick sanchez #morty smith #rick potion no. 9

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lexxierave · 9 months

Text

When Fate Intervenes- tasm!Peter Parker x Reader Part 6

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5]

Peter couldn't believe it. He had just saved y/n's life but it was like he was approaching a scared and wounded animal instead of a grateful citizen. It wasn't like the guy didn't deserve the beating he got. At that thought Peter turned back to the guy. Ok maybe he did go a bit overboard there.

You had no clue where in Queens you were or how to get home from where you are.

So the superhero's offer seemed like the best choice but there was no way you were just gonna show him to your front door. No you were going to keep yourself safe and make sure only you knew where you lived.

You still didn't trust him after what you just witnessed.

"Look, it's not exactly a safe neighborhood we're in." He finally spoke up.

"And who's fault is that?" You snapped back, "isn't it a hero's job to clean up the crime in areas like this?"

You were right. Peter felt guilty for the state that the city got into while he was away but he was working hard on cleaning it up and making sure it stayed that way.

"It is." He admitted sounding dejected.

"So what happened?" You questioned, your curious nature getting the best of you.

"Let me take you home and I'll tell you some of it" He tried to negotiate.

"Look, I'll let you drop me back off at the shop I came from." You huffed, finally caving. Some part of you felt bad for this man before you. There was something heavy in his voice.

"Ok. Hold on tight." He warned as he approached once more and wrapped his arm around your waist. You instinctively wrapped your arms around his neck.

When Peter felt you were holding on tight enough he shot a web and started swinging, he was expecting a scream or a gasp. Anything but what he got from you. You were laughing.

"This is awesome!" You exclaimed. Looking out at the city flying past you.

At the speed you were going you dated not to look forward for fear or having something fly into your eyes.

It wasn't long before you were on the rooftop next to the store. You could see the police were still there so there was no way a vigilante was going to drop you off at the door.

You scanned the area for John, hoping he was alright.

"He's probably been seen by now and is at home." The man next to you said, as if reading your mind.

"Then I believe you owe me a story." You mused, interested once more in your companion.

There was a moment of thick silence between the two of you. Neither one wanted to speak but both knew the next words spoken would be heavy.

"I lost someone close to me because I held back. So when I decided to put the mask back on I vowed not to hold back ever again." He finally admitted to you.

"That's a heavy vow to take." You finally spoke after some thought, "but what if you don't hold back on the wrong person? What if you could save someone that really just needs a hero?" You posed to him as you started walking towards the fire escape.

"I…"He started to stammer.

"Just some food for thought. Night Spider-Man." You called out as you headed down the steps to your floor.

Peter was floored. He walked to the edge of the building to try and see where you went but you were already gone.

With your word weighing on Peter's mind he headed to the other side of the building to grab one of his go-bags. He quickly changed and walked around to the front of the same building and walked inside. Peter was exhausted both mentally and emotionally.

What's worse was he still had to stay up and write a paper and y/n.

"It's like she's everywhere now " Peter whispered to himself.

Not that he really minded, except for the kidnapping part, but he liked the provoking thoughts you had. He wished he could see more of that side of y/n during your weekly after class meetups. Though that might require Peter to be less of the "Peter" persona he has everyone thinking he is and more of the real him, the confident him with spider powers.

Peter could risk it though. Y/n was clever, if he gave too much away she could figure out he's Spider-Man. Then he didn't have a clue what she would do with the information.

He still wasn't sure if she was for him as a hero or against him.

The whole thing made Peter's head spin. But he had to get it all sorted tonight before he saw y/n again.

He couldn't let anything slip and he needed to figure out what to say to you and how to react to y/n if she told him anything.

Would she even tell him anything? Peter wondered as he took off his suit.

They've only talked a few times now but Peter started to feel some sort of way with y/n. Maybe it was the fact that they were both smart or maybe it was something else.

Peter wandered around his apartment trying to come up with a solution to his problems.

He was tired but his night wasn't over yet.

You had officially given Spider-Man the slip. You had half expected him to follow you to your apartment window and come knocking or crawling through it at any moment but it never happened.

You sighed in relief.

You had no idea what you would do if he did do any of that but you were pretty sure your Physics book you were holding at the ready to strike wasn't going to take him out.

"Oh crap." You cried out as you looked at the book you just sat down, remembering you had a paper to write on Peter Parker due tomorrow morning.

You rushed to your desk trying to try and start it but you just couldn't focus.

It was no use, your mind kept landing back to tonight's events and it definitely didn't help when you did start to focus that you were hyper focused; but not on your paper. No on your environment. So much that you could hear the slightest sound. Like your neighbor pacing above you.

From the sounds of it they either had a crazy Roomba or had some heavy thoughts of their own. Either way you figured your long night still wasn't over but it helped to know someone else was suffering with you.

Part 7

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vigilskeep · 8 months

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how does temasin break the oath?

in a way, lae’zel breaks temasin’s oath

temasin fails to convince the two tieflings holding lae’zel captive to leave her with them. they cannot risk losing lae’zel, who claims to hold everyone’s best chance of a cure. they persuade the tieflings to take lae’zel down as if to help kill her, and then side with lae’zel against them. temasin tries to take them down non-lethally, but lae’zel gets to the older guy first and kills him. tem’s oath immediately breaks

this initially happened to me totally accidentally, but there’s something i just love abt the, like, banality of it. the fact that lae’zel probably doesn’t know and comments casually on tem having made the sensible choice. the fact that astarion gets INSPIRATION, lmao. the way to dodge guilt—it was lae’zel, it wasn’t me—even if it was tem that lied to the tieflings and let lae’zel loose knowing full well what the consequence might be. the base practicality of tem’s choice and the need to protect their companions to make it worth it. the guilty relief when every other option fails to work and the creche seems more and more like the only real choice ahead. the fact that the poor girl who temasin did manage to knock out must wake up there alone, and she’s the one who didn’t want to do anything to lae’zel and wanted to leave it with tem, and how tem has probably done something as terrible to her as the people who killed tem’s family did to them. the earliness in the game of it, playing into the backstory choice i’ve since gone for where tem is just exhausted and the choice to break the oath has been coming on for a long, long time, and this idea i love that selûne knew this would happen and sent them as her champion precisely because she knew what lengths they would go to and that only with that would be able to protect shadowheart (wherever that storyline is going lmao) and find dame aylin

#temasin oathbreaker

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traceofexistence · 7 months

Text

The Q&A from last night with Sam, put Karlach in a lot of perspective.

age wise, because of what Karlach says about her sex life, Sam prefers to think of her as a young adult during being Gortash bodyguard +10 years in Avernus

so between 28~30+

I have personally estimated a 27~33, but I'm old so I preferred the older options in my headcanons lol

that being said Karlach is played to be a bit immature, especially when it comes to romance. which makes sense, since she was young when she was taken to avernus and there she stayed celibate by choice as she couldn't trust anyone.

we do have lines of her being very sexually frustrated, and burning her tent while masturbating, and getting too excited. Which means she even had to keep her self pleasure toned down, because of the damn engine.

the soul coin analysis is soo damn interesting and well written. it plays on Karlach's morality and character. (consuming soul coins is equal to war crimes, and they are also addictive like crack)

and she has consumed them, even though she knows that she condemns a soul by doing so, and she has a craving for them, and you have to speak her out of it, as tav, and she has to make the choice herself when you play origin.

we know from her back story, in game dialogue etc, she's been around the wrong crowds as a kid(especially after her parents died), and as Sam pointed out, she probably had made some very bad things as Gortash bodyguard, that she justified, as "being loyal" to the person who helped her.

So Karlach as we have seen in the game, she's very loyal, and she despises being tricked and betrayed. but if you show her care she will stay with you forever.

she's not above murdering people as long as she does it to protect herself and those she cares about.

if tav signs the contract with Raphael, she's very angry (understandably so) but she vows to go back to avernus for you, and break the contract for you, because you are worth it, she will go back to the place she hates the most, the place that she choices death over returning to, but she will do it for you, because you have treasured her, kept her as your companion, romanced her, fixed her engine, killed for her, even advocated for her when you barely knew her.

that's why it hurts her so deeply, when you betray her.

I also love how Sam poked on the fact that Karlach has done some very bad things, but when she escapes hell, she is adamant to start anew, and do good by choice

and I think that's the most important aspect of her character, she wants to do good by choice.

I also love Sam's opinion on Lae'zel

she rightfully criticizes the space racism that is going on, but also acknowledges that Lae is very young, and a product of her upbringing, therefore redeemable.

and let's be real here, contrary to some people's believes, Lae, does change dramatically throughout the game, even before she realizes that her whole world was a lie.

I bring up Lae in this Karlach post, because Sam mentioned her, and how Karlach just outright attacked the tieflings (her own kin) to save her, without a second thought, because Lae saved her from the nautiloid.

and back to Karlach

is she best girl?

ABSOLUTELY

nothing will change that

does it means she never done anything wrong in her life?

absolutely not.

sadly in recent years, fandoms suffer from what we call "purity politics"

if a character is not 1000% the purest of pures who has never done a wrong ever, then they are bad and we should be ashamed for liking them.

but purity politics is stupid, and do not belong in my reality.

like every companion, Karlach is beautifully flawed, and she's best girl because she sees the positive first, actively chooses to be good, and she finds the join in life, regardless of what fucked up situation she's in.

she's also fucking adorable so what's your argument really against her being defined best girl I dont understand.

remember friends

DON'T! POKE! THE KARLACH!

#karlach #lae'zel

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princesssarisa · 8 months

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What is your best advice for any writer who wishes to write a story inspired by Beauty and the Beast but wants to make sure it feels creative and fresh and new?

Hmm... there are a lot of possible answers to this question.

For starters, I'd suggest going back to the original literary versions of the tale. If the length of Madame de Villeneuve's original novel is too daunting, just stick with the shorter versions: Madame de Beaumont's, Andrew Lang's, and/or Arthur Quiller-Couch's. You might also rewatch a few of the film adaptations (Disney's, Cocteau's, and at least two or three others – the Czech Panna a Netvor is a particularly acclaimed lesser-known version).

Then decide which themes stand out the most for you and emphasize those themes in your version.

Do you want to go back to the story's original meaning, an allegory for arranged marriage, but put a new spin on that theme that reflects your views on the subject? Or do you want to downplay that theme, as most modern adaptations do? Do you view the story as chiefly about gender relations, with the Beast's frightening looks and Beauty's initial fear of him representing female fear of patriarchal power and male sexuality, which she loses as he treats her with constant respect and chivalry? Or about different types of love, with Beauty learning to choose "companionate love" (based in friendship, mutual respect, and shared interests and values) over shallow, appearance-based infatuation? Or do you prefer the Beast to represent a social outcast: someone wrongly feared, hated, and forced to hide from the world, whose true value and worthiness of love Beauty discovers?

And what matters most to you about the ending? The Beast's transformation into a human, or Beauty's willingness to love him in his Beast form?

I still remember that post I once read about Beauty and the Beast-type stories, which discussed whether the central appeal of those stories is identifying with Beauty and the fantasy of "taming the Beast" (winning the love of something frightening and making it safe and gentle to you), or identifying with the Beast and the fantasy being loved despite being "ugly," "frightening," and "different"? Of course neither of those perspectives is the single reason for the story's appeal: why cant it be both?

There are more questions you'll want to ask yourself too. Who is the real protagonist in your version, Beauty or the Beast? Whose growth takes center stage: Beauty's as she learns to love the Beast, the Beast's as he earns her love, or both equally? Will your version include a villain, or do you see no need for one? Do you want to keep the air of mystery from the original tale? (e.g. "Who is the Beast, how did he come to be, and what does he want from Beauty?") If so, that will probably require changes to the Beast's backstory, because the familiar tale is so well-known. Or are you content to cut the mystery aspect and let the audience know exactly who and what the Beast is from the start? For that matter, how did the Beast come to be cursed? Would you want to go back to Villaneuve's original version and have him cursed by a wicked fairy whom he refused to marry? (That has interesting potential in today's post-#MeToo era.) Or follow the post-Disney tradition of making it a punishment for some wrongdoing? Or some other, completely original means of enchantment?

You might also want to draw on unique traditions from other cultures' variations on the tale. For example, in Eastern European versions like Panna a Netvor or Russia's The Scarlet Flower, the Beast hides from Beauty, so through most of her arc of learning to love him, she never sees him, but only hears his voice, and doesn't know he's a Beast. Only just before she goes back to visit her family does she finally see him, so the struggle of whether or not she can love a Beast becomes a late plot twist rather than a problem presented from the start. That could be an interesting choice to adapt.

And then there are the story's two most controversial aspects: the issue of "Stockholm Syndrome" and the ending. How are you going to deal with the fact that Beauty is the Beast's prisoner through most of their romance arc? A few modern retellings have avoided making the Beast the one who threatens Beauty's father or who accepts her as a prisoner in his place, but instead portrayed both Beauty and the Beast as prisoners of whatever higher power cursed the Beast in the first place. You could find an original way to do that too. Or, if you think that would rob the Beast of the moral grayness that makes him interesting in traditional versions, find some other solution to fend off accusations of "Stockholm Syndrome." Then there's the claim some people make that the ending goes against the story's message when the Beast changes into a handsome prince. Would you want him to stay a Beast in your version, possibly with Beauty becoming (or discovering that she already is) a non-human creature too? Or would you make it clear that the Beast's hideous form symbolizes some emotional unhealthiness within him (e.g. his "animalistic" selfishness and rage in the Disney version, or his trauma and depression in Megan Kearney's webcomic) and that his becoming human again represents his healing?

I hope I haven't gone on and on too much. There are many more things I could say, but this is enough for now.

Just find which aspects of the traditional story speak to you the most, and which aspects you don't care for as much and might want to change, and then do whatever you like with them.

#beauty and the beast #fairy tale #writing advice

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yandere-fics · 6 months

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(Veronia is excluded because she literally does nothing ever.)

♡ What They Would Do On A Week Off ♡

♡ Theanna can take a week off whenever she wants, she has a wide variety of people working beneath her who know exactly how she would respond to most scenarios so she can leave them to handle things for a week or two, don't get me wrong she's still a valuable leader but her major job is handling the thing under the gardens. ♡

♡ On a day off with Theanna it usually begins with her satiating her desire for you then a maid will come in and bring you breakfast while she helps you get dressed for the day because she wouldn't let a maid dress you, plus you get so embarrassed that someone so high ranking is dressing you and that the maids saw you in her bed. Usually she'll keep you in her chambers all day although she can be convinced to take you to a ball that night if she has lots of free time. She also enjoys having tea with you in the gardens on occasion. ♡

♡ If you're really really lucky then you could possibly convince her to leave castle walls with you but you'll have so many guards breathing down both of your necks, for the shadows so they don't disrupt your date but still. That's rare though, what's more common is her calling for merchants and generously rewarding anyone who can bring an item that catches your eye. ♡

♡ Elisha takes days off when she wants, her only real duty is dealing with dragons and big monsters, the other things are just her own personal choice because she likes doing them, mostly because it's nice to feel strong and capable. Once she has a darling those side tasks that everyone takes for granted will likely stop happening, even more so once she's decided to stop acting all tsundere on you. ♡

♡ A day off with Elisha depends on where you are, you're travelling with her so if she's free in the middle of the forest then it might consist of her locating a nearby town and then you two might wander and look at the local wares. This is much more common and she prefers this although the lodgings aren't ideal. She enjoys that most people don't recognize her as the adventurer so she'll kick back although she makes you keep your hood on even though no one knows who you are. If she's still tsundere mode then she'll say it'll disturb her peace if people approach the two of you but she's not like jealous. Otherwise she'll probably say some nonsense about them trying to taint your mind. ♡

♡ If you two are at a nobles place then she'll try to keep you within your room the entire time because the nobles might try to take you, certain idiotic nobles think that the dragon slayer wouldn't be super possessive over their travelling companion despite most people in the kingdom being possessive freaks. ♡

♡ She rarely gets break though that is sort of a personal choice since Theanna doesn't always have tasks and Abigail mostly chose to run her own personal knightage and if she wasn't running it then she'd only have to check in with Theanna every other day. She loves her knightage but a break is a very good thing for her so make sure she enjoys it. ♡

♡ A day off with Abigail will usually consist of you watching her spar because she still wants to prove herself as a worthy knight for a worthy lady like yourself. She'll take a break and have tea with you which is typical but this time she's not doing paperwork as she listens to you talk. The evenings are also mostly the same, she'll take you to a ball because she does enjoy the two of you being the best couple in high society. The night is different though because she's less sore than she would typically be. ♡

♡ If it was a full week though then she'd ferry you off to meet with her family. Her family manor isn't super far from the capital but she still uses teleportation so she can enjoy as much time with you there and you'll either get to meet her whole family or if you've meet them before then they'll likely steal you away from Abigail the whole week which is very upsetting to her but she's glad you get along though she wished you'd get along less. ♡

♡ Pauline is very studious for maybe like five hours out of the day when she's dead to the world and if you interrupt then she'll try to make you socially dead, unless you're her darling, then she'll force you to study as punishment so you know just how hard she works and don't interrupt again. She takes days off mostly when her family forces her to but she can have a break whenever. ♡

♡ On a day off you two are likely visiting her family so she can prove that your relationship is real so her parents might pass her the title but if you aren't visiting then Pauline will be forcing you on a date "just in case her family is watching" but it's actually because she just wants to go on a date with you. Don't call her bluff or your day will suck though. ♡

♡ On a full week off you'll probably go visit somewhere she finds interesting. While it mostly seems like her yelling at you for not knowing the significance of this place and complaining that she took an idiot who can't appreciate it with her, she's very happy to share something she finds fascinating. She might even go somewhere you find fascinating though she'll either scoff at everything you tell her because she knows more or she'll act like it's super boring even if she's delighted that you two are acting like a real couple. ♡

♡ Ainsley gets days off based on the whims of Theanna. Usually bringing Ainsley in is overkill but some of the court nobles still try to force her to bow to their whims which usually ends in murder. Basically her schedule relies on nobles leaving her the fuck alone, not that she won't willingly take on tasks but most of the time it's against her will. ♡

♡ On a regular day off you stay within her tower for the most part though she isn't opposed to taking you outside the palace as no one would be crazy enough to stare at you when Ainsley is clearly very high ranking, even commoners know how weird the nobles get about their lovers. It might feel a bit awkward going to town with her when no one will say a word to you, they only address her even when you're the one buying the thing. ♡

♡ If it's a full week then she might want to travel outside the palace a bit with her teleportation. I think she'd likely take you to a lake house that she... acquired. She'd love to go swimming with you if you know how but it's not necessary since she could always just make you float on the water if you want. Her old village was close to a lake so she'd like to share this with you the whole week of your vacation even if it isn't the same lake. ♡

#yandere oc #yandere lesbian #yandere x reader #yandere x y/n #yandere asks #yandere scenarios #my oc abigail #my oc theanna #my oc elisha #my oc pauline #my oc ainsley

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smokingtiger · 6 months

Text

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT DELUSIONAL SHIPPERS/SOLOS (AGAIN)

Hello again, it's me! I know you guys haven't (properly) heard from me in a while and I want to say that I've been incredibly busy and will probably continue to be busy until I know what my schedule looks like come January. But anyways, enough about me, I just wanted to say that I have come across DEEPLY DISTURBING rhetoric spread about Jimin as of late and I wanted to bring it to your attention!

It seems that during this solo era, many solos on every platform have increasingly grown, whether it be in number or in appearance. Now although I don't really understand being a solo stan, as long as the person is not outwardly calling for BTS' disbandment, hating on any particular member, or spreading rumors that are not true -- I have little to find an issue with. But I will say that during this band 'hiatus' and solo journey, the amount of hysteria surrounding certain members has gotten crazy -- ESPECIALLY IN THE SHIP SPACE.

Once again, the target seems to be Jimin. I swear this boy is too sweet for this ugly world...

Anyways, once again I'm going to be talking about delusional taekookers/taekooker solos -- and once again, may I remind you that when I refer to 'delusional' shippers, I am not talking about people who find taekook cute, people who ship taekook, or people who have their suspicions/theories, I'm talking about the people who put on a tinfoil hat every day and spew lies in an attempt to pass them off a truth. People who try to make a meal meant for twenty off of nothing but crumbs. Theories are theories, but they are NOT the truth. They should never be promoted as such, nor worded in a way to encourage people to wholeheartedly believe in them.

Enlistment "Drama"

What I find to be the worst part about this entire debacle is that people cannot just let Bangtan be -- everything has to be about a ship, everything has to be about this or that. This is an incredibly difficult process that every Korean man is subjected to -- and not by choice. The fact that Jimin and Jungkook can go together at all is a MIRACLE, especially since the companion system runs on a lottery-type system. We should be celebrating that they have someone familiar to cling to during this major life change. Anyone who claims 'fanservice' seriously needs to get the fuck out. This is REAL LIFE. Get a fucking grip. Now let's think logically for two seconds... why on earth would Jungkook and Jimin subject themselves to supposed 'fanservice' for eighteen months when

them being selected for the companion system was not even a guarantee (no exceptions, no favoritism from the SK government)

they'll be completely isolated from the outside world for eighteen months, therefore having no reason to 'show off'

deliberately selecting one of the more strenuous units when they could've done something less taxing

being upset that the press released the information regarding their enlistment/location, among other things

Being exposed as queer in the South Korean military is NOT a benefit; it actually can serve as a social detriment

Instead of thinking about this through the lens of shipping, why don't we look at this from the view that, maybe, JUST MAYBE, the two of them have been very close/good friends for over a decade and decided that this was the best approach moving forward? People started talking about how their company was forcing taekook apart all for fanservice and that they were sending Jungkook in with a 'mentally ill person'. These people even tried to report Jimin to the fucking military ministry. If Taehyung wanted to apply with Jungkook through the buddy system, he could've. But he didn't. That doesn't prove nor disprove any ship. It just means they were making decisions they thought was best for them because... the military is no fucking joke. They are the PROPERTY OF THE SOUTH KOREAN STATE. Let me repeat: THEY ARE PROPERTY. OF THE. SOUTH KOREAN. STATE. Trying to avoid this results in PRISON TIME.

This isn't some quirky summer camp... and the fact that toxic shippers and solos are making this into a fucking circus... it's just disgusting.

Do you really fucking think that Taehyung OR Jungkook approve and cosign that type of behavior towards one of their closest friends? Do you really think that?

Just take a look at this conversation. This is beyond ship wars... these people need to get some serious help. A ship like this should NEVER drive you to this much resentment and trauma.

Also, let us take into account that Jimin is very close friends with Taemin from SHINee. Taemin suffered from harassment (reportedly in the showers) while he was in the military. Given their similar personas (a very fluid presentation), perhaps Jimin felt that having a friend could help prevent him from experiencing that same type of harassment from other people. Perhaps Jungkook also had anxieties regarding that and also sought Jimin for a type of protection as well.

Why are you making this poor boy your personal punching bag? The fact that some shippers think that they know Jimin/Jungkook better than they know themselves... They had to personally file for this, and select where they wanted to go. There was no manipulation from higher-ups, Jungkook is not being TORTURED by going with Jimin. Also, I'm sure Taehyung is just as heartbroken to be separated from Jimin (may I remind you, is his BEST FRIEND), Jungkook, and Namjoon. These boys are his family.

These people are lost causes, they obviously have lost their grip on reality entirely. Also, the fact that solos are sending BUSES to the training camps after the boys got on their knees to BEG people not to come. These people are not fans, they are sasaengs with little regard for human emotion.

If your obsession with RPS has gotten this bad, go to fucking therapy. Get off the fucking internet. Unstan BTS and the boys entirely. This is not okay, this is plain insanity.

Also, if you guys are looking for something to laugh at during all of this, here's an ARMY who turned a video of a toxic tkkr/jimin anti crying over the enlistment process into a Jimin edit.

TRIGGER WARNING: FLASHING !!

The jimin anti/toxic tkkr deactivated, but I did get a screenshot of what they said over the crying video.

until next time.

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itsclydebitches · 3 months

Text

Hello, everyone! Are you interested in a personalized Baldur's Gate 3 fic? Or maybe a RWBY meta about the topic of your choice? Then you've come to the right place!

This year I've decided to participate in Fandom Trumps Hate, an annual charity auction working to benefit a number of stellar organizations. There are a TON of fantastic fanworks on offer this year. My two humble contributions include:

A Baldur's Gate 3 fic between 5k and 10k words. I'm open to writing almost any of the main character pairings, but I particularly like Bloodweave and Tav/Companion content. Also, gen and found family works are my bread and butter nowadays! The only thing I'm not willing to include is explicit sexual content (though isn't the pining, innuendo, and cringefail confessions the best part anyway? ;)

In addition, I'm offering a RWBY meta of less than 5,000 words (though let's be real, knowing me you might end up with a lot more than that...) Any character, topic, theme, or aspect of the series is fair game and I'm very happy to chat about what you're most interested in seeing explored. However, a note: I lean strongly towards RWDE content nowadays, so if that's not your cup of tea this probably isn't the best auction for you. However, if you like my recaps—or hell, want to use the auction to make me finish some of those lol—consider bidding!

Bids start at a measly $5 and you can read a little more about each offering on my contributor page here. Bidding starts MARCH 5TH AND ENDS MARCH 9TH.

Feel free to send an ask/message with any questions you may have and a giant 'thank you' to @fandomtrumpshate for putting this together!

#fandom trumps hate #RWBY #RWDE #BG3

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the-mandawhor1an · 23 days

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The crimelord

Chapter 2 – Guided by the stars, connected by the force

Masterlist

⇐ Previous chapter | Next chapter ⇒

Pairing: Din Djarin x original female character

Chapter summary: Mando, Maia and the little green gremlin visit one of Mando’s contacts to find other Mandalorians. They get more than they bargained for and once again Maia finds more reasons to prefer the company of the taciturn Mandalorian. Although it almost seems like he’s slowly warming up to his peculiar companion.

Warnings: 18+ content, MDNI! Canon-typical violence, misogyny (not by Mando), one instance of assault? (not by Mando, he’d never), if you squint real hard there’s a twinge of angst

Words: 2k

A/N: The pace is picking up, peeps! I’m leaning a bit into “men are nasty” over here, so be warned about that. – Yes I am posting this way sooner than planned because I feel a spike in my motivation and it's sitting in my Google Docs anyway 🤷‍♀️

She didn’t know how long it took for her to fall asleep, her damp tunic sticking to her body underneath the cape she had used as a blanket to cover her in the co-pilot seat. Not a smart choice as it meant it was uncomfortably cold. Neither did she know how long she slept in that curled up position until the Razor Crest landed at the next destination with a soft but sensible thud. Her green eyes slowly opened, adjusting to the now not so dark environment. Space was a lot darker than a fully lit landing platform.

Mando rose from his seat, eyeing the brunette that slowly unraveled from her blanket. He eyed the lightsaber hilts that clunked against each other. If there was one weapon she shouldn’t carry open like that, it was lightsabers. He nodded in the direction of her belt while she put on the cape. »Leave them here. Can you use blasters?« Gently she unclipped her sabers and put them down on the seat she had just slept on. »Think I’ll need to use it?« She quickly unraveled the messy bun she had her way too long hair in, brushing it out with her fingers and haphazardly putting it up again so it was less messy. »Better safe than sorry.« Following Mando she climbed down the ladder.

Standing in front of his weapon cabinet, he reached in and handed her a blaster. As his glove brushed over her palm, she felt a strange tingle. Either he felt it as well or he just happened to start talking right as awkward silence was to begin. »Stay close,« he requested, earning a confused look from her in return. »The people here aren’t really welcoming towards women. It’s for the best if you leave the talking up to me.«

»Probably heard worse,« Maia shrugged, making Mando eye her for a moment. There it was again, that sting that she by now had recognized as her body telling her in no uncertain terms that he was staring. He continued, »Just… don’t let the comments get to you. In their eyes you’re a slave or a plaything at best.«

She scoffed. And while she had a lot to say about probably being more dangerous than most of some low-level criminals, she bit her tongue. As long as Mando didn’t think of her like that. Wait, why would that matter? »You’re a Mandalorian. In your culture women are treated almost equally, right?« They walked down the ramp, the child in its hovering pram following Mando.

»Not almost. Women are equals. They’re trained to be warriors just the same.« »Sounds inviting…« Maia carefully watched their surroundings, glowing red eyes following their every step. What creatures must lurk in the shadows of such a grim place? And should she fear them or rather the monsters they would talk to soon?

»I’m surprised you know anything about Mandalorians,« his voice guided her attention back to her companion. »I must’ve picked it up while I was traveling. You’re the first Mandalorian I’m talking to,« she half-lied. Raymond had told her all that he’d known about different semi-religious groups. Like the Jedi – and also Mandalorians were, in a way, such a group. »You haven’t met many of us, have you?« The helmet turned, waiting for her head to turn as well. She gave a half-smile and said »Your kind and mine generally don’t get along too well. Guess I’m lucky I ran into one that isn’t like that.«

Mando returned his gaze to where they were headed, nodding towards a door guarded by a male Twi’Lek. Ever so gently, Maia hid behind her companion, avoiding looking at the guard that gave her an unsettling glance. »I'm here to see Gor Koresh.« The Twi’Lek eyed the Helmet, then the girl, and back to the helmet. Only then did he step aside to let them enter. »Enjoy the fights.«

They entered the building and darkness and a nauseating scent engulfed them. Maia was lucky to not have had any meal recently, otherwise she might have had to excuse herself to puke. A little arena stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by rows upon rows of barely filled seats. Two Gamorreans were fighting, their grunts echoing in the large and mostly empty hall. She and the little pram followed Mando, who sat down by his contact. Maia sat down beside Mando, again having him as a shield between her and Koresh. »You know this is no place for a child or a girl. Unless you want to trade her, I’m sure I can find someone to take her off your hands.« So that’s what he warned me about. »No need. I hoped you could help me locate other Mandalorians.« Both watched the fight intently, not looking at one another while talking. Maia didn’t really care for the fight and rather held out her hand to the child, letting it hold onto her pinkie and softly smiling.

»Let’s watch the fight first. I’m sure your escort enjoys what she sees.«

While Mando did not move a muscle, Maia clenched her jaw, trying hard not to audibly scoff. Of course. An escort. She should have been grateful he hadn’t directly insinuated her being Mando’s plaything. »Are you a gambler, Mando?« Koresh leaned towards Mando and therefore also came closer to her. Ever so slightly she leaned into the pram, pretending to be distracted by the child that was cooing at her. »Not when it can be avoided. I can pay you for the information.« »Come on. Let’s make a bet. I'll bet you the information you seek that this Gamorrean's going to die within the next minute and a half.«

Mando tensed and Maia watched as Gor leaned in more, his hand wandering behind his seat. She and the child exchanged a look, her hand slowly reaching for the blaster hidden underneath her cape. »I'm not leaving my fate up to chance,« her companion finally exhaled, just as Koresh grabbed a blaster, exclaimed, »Nor am I,« and shot the Gamorrean. His blaster now pointed at the armored man, he continued, »Thank you for coming to me. Normally, I have to seek out remnants of you Mandalorians in your hidden hives to harvest your precious shiny shells. Beskar's value continues to rise. I've grown quite fond of it. Give it to me now or I will peel it off your corpse.«

»Tell me where I can find other Mandalorians and I will leave without killing you.« Mando’s voice was shockingly neutral for someone that had multiple blasters pointed at them. But maybe he was used to it, being a bounty hunter and all. Koresh scoffed. »Maybe I should take care of the girl first and then kill you.« Mando activated something in his bracer and sighed. »I never liked you.« Both the child and Maia instantly ducked, the pram closing its lid. The whistling birds whirred through the air, taking down two attackers and giving Mando enough time to pull his blaster.

»Protect the child!« he practically barked at Maia, who stayed close to the pram. For now the child was protected, encapsulated in metal. In any other situation her heart would’ve skipped a beat over him trusting her with the child suddenly, but she was distracted by the arms that wrapped around her torso, practically locking her in place and rendering her unable to shoot her blaster. »The green thing!« another shouted, approaching the pram. Mando was busy fighting two men at once, so she had to help the little gremlin. A warm tongue dragged across the side of her face just as the T-visor had turned to her. »Ya’ tasty,« the alien holding her growled, face still close to her cheek. Disgusting. But there was no time to freak out.

It didn’t take long until Maia shot him in the foot, making him let go off her so she could force-throw the alien that was trying to open the pram. He landed rather uncomfortably with his head against a wall, making a very loud cracking noise. »Jedi!« Kriff.

She approached the pram, shot at the attackers that dared to come closer. Mando was out the door as soon as all of them were incapacitated, following Koresh and leaving Maia with the child. The pram opened and the large, dark brown eyes looked up to her. »Are you okay?« She eyed the little thing. It didn’t look injured, barely even disturbed by the situation. Must be nice to feel safe.

She followed Mando outside, who just hung Koresh over a lantern by his foot. »All right, stop, stop! I'll tell you where he is, but you have to promise not to kill me.« Maia couldn’t help it, she rolled her eyes and scoffed again. She would gladly take that task off of his hands. Mando’s helmet rotated just a bit, acknowledging her reaction, but rather talking to Koresh. »I promise you will not die by my hand. Now, where is the Mandalorian you know of?« »Tatooine.« »What? I’ve been to Tatooine multiple times and have never met other Mandalorians.« »I’m telling you the truth!« Koresh wiggled like a worm. »He’s in Mos Pelgo.«

Mando’s shoulders dipped and he sighed as he turned toward Maia and their little green companion, who again held onto her pinkie finger. »Let’s go. We’re flying to Tatooine.« And both followed. Koresh bargained with them for a while, begging Mando to let him go. But that was never part of the deal. Mando turned around once to shoot at the streetlight, leaving Koresh to be devoured by the red-eyed creatures. They heard his screams all the way back to the ship.

Back at the Razor Crest, Maia felt the all-too-familiar sting and turned to see him watching her. »Are you and the child alright?« His glove reached out and touched her chin, turning her face to the side as if she had a wound on the side of her … oh. »I saw what he did. I’m sorry.« »I’m fine.« »I wasn’t expecting them to be this … awful« His hand was drawn back as she again looked through the visor rather than at it, making him tense once again. »It was part of the disguise. Don’t worry. I’m fine.« I’ve heard worse.

She took the little one out of the pram and sat it down on the little bed inside the repurposed medbay, resting her hand on its forehead. Both the child and her closed their eyes for a second. »He’s fine.« »He? Can you two communicate?« »His name is Grogu. And yes, kind of, it’s hard to explain. It’s not like we’re properly talking like you and I.« »Grogu?« The child turned his head to the man, making a questioning noise. Mando watched the child’s reaction. A chuckle echoed underneath the Beskar and Maia swallowed. Such an innocent sound and it made her heart near explode. »I would’ve never guessed that. Grogu.« Again he faced his human companion.

»I’ll fly us to Tatooine. It will take a while, you can rest in the bay.« Maia looked at the bay, to Grogu, and then back to Mando. »But that’s your bed,« she stammered. »It’s fine. I’m taking Grogu with me. Come, Kid.« He lifted the child off of the mattress and walked towards the ladder. »Get some rest.«

She crawled into the bay and laid on her back, staring at the ceiling and trying to collect her thoughts.

The Razor Crest lifted off of the ground and her eyes shut. She really needed some rest. And now that she was by herself in a relatively comfortable position, her thoughts wandered.

So… that’s him. After all this time I found him. Only took what – fifteen years? Does he know? No, he can’t, how could he? But still… something feels weird. His touch. I can feel … him. How his eyes rest on mine, as if I can see them through the visor. Can he feel it?

She rubbed her eyes, staring at the ceiling again, sighing, pained. »Kriff…« She couldn’t stop the tears from running from the corners of her eyes, over her temples and into her hair.

What is so special about you, Mando? And why do I feel like you’re warming up to me? The way you held my chin just now almost felt… gentle. Are you really concerned for me? Or do you still think I hold value to your mission?

She wished she could talk to Raymond right now.

Nothing to translate this time.

I hope you're having a wonderful day 💜

#din djarin #the mandalorian #din djarin fanfiction #wolke schreibt #gbtscbtf #original female character #the mandalorian fanfiction

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nelyoslegalteam · 27 days

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hello i'm here again! i saw your tags on the get to know your characters post and i'd love to hear you talk about murdoc!! (also gondolin campaign 😮 tell me more :DDD )

HIHIHIHIHI IM SO HAPPY YOU'RE IN MY INBOX THANK YOU FOR LOVING MY BOY YOU ARE A GIFT OF A PERSON ;w; i assume you don't mind if i answer these for murdoc then :0

What is the character’s go-to drink order? here's the thing: i think if murdoc is ordering, it's ale. just ale. murdoc is an alcohol snob, largely on account of being a hobbit AND specifically on account of his aunt being a brewer (and so therefore clearly HIS family's ale is the best), so it's an opportunity for him to be just a little bit showily snobbish and judgy and more knowledgeable about his choice of drink than the average patron, but it's not quite so personal to him as, say, tea would be. (murdoc never orders tea. from anywhere. he only drinks his own, or radagast's, or that of a few other trusted friends. tea is his craft. it's personal to him. he picks and dries and blends the herbs for his own brews. it's personal long before he even gets to brewing a cup, and there's meaning in just that act in and of itself already.) so, murdoc gets to be an alcohol snob in public, but it's a matter of showing off for fun. he'll scoff at ale from anywhere but his own inn, but he'll still order it and drink it. and enjoy it more than he puts on a show about.

What is their grooming routine? murdoc likes a long bath. murdoc likes to put a lot of effort into wrangling his hair in particular, when he has the time and effort in him for it. alone, at the inn, where he can rest and take breaks and manage things, shaving the back of his neck is very important to him (sensory comfort, and tied in a way to his sense of self). he doesn't like scents or anything of the sort, he just wants to feel... clean. put-together. both in the privacy and comfort of their respective homes, and while out on the road, letting ríros braid his hair for him becomes a very important part of murdoc's grooming routine. on a good day, it's a visible tie to someone he cares deeply for. on a bad day, it's accepting help with his sensory needs and energy levels, and allowing himself to be taken care of by someone he trusts.

What was their most expensive purchase/where does their disposable income go? oh, murdoc's cloak was ABSOLUTELY the most expensive singular thing he's ever purchased. it may not be real dragon scale, sure but. it's a fine fabric, and the faux scales are well crafted and gorgeous. it's luxurious and sturdy and him in every way. an item with presence. which, to the point, i do think murdoc is generally the sort of person who spends his disposable income on fine things to wear. having fun with and taking pride in his appearance is important to him, and he's financially comfortable enough for that bit of luxury.

Do they have any scars or tattoos? aside from the missing hand (extremely notable), and whatever assorted and unspecified scars he's picked up from adventuring? (which. he has. he's come close to dying before. he's got a few marks.) murdoc has a scar across his nose from some absolutely stupid shit he got up to as an utter hellion of a child. i think he probably fell and bashed his face open running to escape getting caught pulling a prank on farmer maggot or something like that. nothing angsty about it, just complete and utter childhood stupidity and rambunctiousness. something visible left on him from a time before he was overly concerned with responsibility, or duty of care, and entertaining his drive for adventure in much less consequential ways. (he’s also very freckled. i think it’s very adorable how much he freckles.)

What was the last time they cried, and under what circumstances? the last time i know for certain that murdoc cried, was after facing irmo. maybe not immediately. maybe much later, on the road home, having spilled the story to his companions and having thoroughly exhausted himself from hanging onto it all. but i'm sure he did cry. from anger at what was done to him, to his dreams, by a power larger than him, without any say of his own in it all. from all his internalization of himself as a weapon finally breaking over, from hearing that perception of himself lovingly rebuffed by the people who care about him. from fully and completely admitting that he's afraid of the person he's made himself in the face of the horrors, but that he would've hated the person he would have been for ignoring them. from exhaustion. from having to question his sense of self yet again. from a lot of things, really. you don't get personally chosen by a god and come away from it quite the same.

Are they an oldest, middle, youngest or only child? oh murdoc is an eldest sibling and it shows. maybe not by actual sibling birth order, but he was adopted by his uncles and aunt as a baby and very much raised as their eldest child. he's got two rascals of younger cousins, raised alongside him, to look out for. they're practically younger siblings from an actual family dynamics standpoint. and besides, he's got all the Eldest Child of being the brandybuck family heir apparent put on him. where else would the responsibility complex and the duty of care complex and the possessiveness over what's his and, most importantly, go-to instinct of sassing the literal servants of sauron have come from? This Man Is An Eldest Child And He Can Do This All Day <3

Describe the shoes they’re wearing. none. Those Feet Are Bare. and hairy. he DOES meticulously wash and brush his foot hair though. but listen. he's a hobbit. he's not FROM a culture that does shoes, and the one (1) time in his life ever that he had to wear them, his only takeaway from the experience is that they are a sensory nightmare that he will not be subjecting himself to under ANY circumstances.

Describe the place where they sleep. ooohhhh i think both at home in the inn and also to the greatest extent on the road possible, murdoc does cozy. i think his (+ his partner's) room at the inn is covered in like. throw pillows. nice big comfy sleeping pillows. lots of soft blankets. it's all very warm and inviting and kinda maximalist in a plush sort of way. i do think he cares about aesthetics and all his pillows and blankets look nice together, but everything is selected with comfort in mind. it's homey. it's warm. he's a hobbit. it's probably not particularly neat, but it's sort of charming in the way where it looks like a space that's meant to be curled up in. he probably accidentally leaves a few stray tea mugs about and this is his worst living space habit, but it adds to the charm as long as he remembers to actually keep up on putting them away (which. he does. he's just on top of it enough to make sure he has clean mugs to actually use for tea, but this may be the only reason he remembers). i think even on the road he'll bring as many blankets as is reasonable to carry and do his utmost not only to make his sleeping space, but the whole camp's, as cozy and welcoming as possible with whatever he has.

What is their favorite holiday? ohh see i don't know if i do know enough about specific hobbitish holidays offhand for this, but in general i do think murdoc is a holidays kind of person. anything sort of extrovert-oriented, where he can feast and dance and get drunk and just be around people, is very much his sort of thing. when he was growing up in the shire, any occasion where gandalf showed up with fireworks was an immediate favorite. for least favorite... i don't know how he feels about new year's (yule, in the hobbitish calendar). i don't think he hates it but. i think he's someone who lives with a bit of a sense of loss over who he was, or might have been, before his dreams and irmo and everything, and i think nostalgia-oriented celebrations grate just slightly up against that.

What objects do they always carry around with them? tea. lots of it. kept in his pockets. (he smells like it. it’s nice.) usually a particular brew (the flavor profile of which i imagine to be something like london fog) that he made for himself, which is very personal to him. a locket with his partner's portrait in it. an ornately carved matchbox, always full of matches, ready to light an arrow or for whatever else he may use his fire for. additionally, on the road: a jar in which he cultivates a toxic fungus, used for coating his weapons in tough battles. a set of his favorite cooking knives. a flask or two of his family’s ale, primarily used in his cooking, as ornate and pretty as all else he owns. (i will also give him that he most always is wearing jewelry, particularly his ruby necklace and earring set. the necklace in particular is important - usually maedhros resides in ríros’ sword, but the necklace is an ideal secondary vessel on the occasions that maedhros does have to remain where murdoc is, and murdoc has selected these pieces in maedhros’ colors for a reason).

as this has gotten LONG i will not try to do them for my new beloved tyelperëkko antar JUST yet. BUT @jaz-the-bard is planning to run a campaign set in gondolin in the first age and i am VERY excited for the character i have made. i’ve given them the oathsworn background. they’re going to be a loyal follower of maeglin, once he exists, but for NOW they’re a devotee of turgon. this is going to go great for them and cause no problems at all (lying).

#ALSO HI HI HI I SAW YOUR ELINYEL ANSWERS FOR THESE AND THEY MADE ME LOVE HER A LOT #man but i DO have some feelings about her before and during the war #like i know she’s your BBEG but. something about going from sleeping in a room full of trinkets and things her best friend gifted to her.#to just. not even sleeping. never mind in a room surrounded by reminders of people who care for her just. trancing. while riding.#something about that shift makes me INTENSELY sad for her??????#and like that’s not even the only way you’ve shown her self-care deteriorate.#not spending money on herself. not keeping up her hobbies or spending any more time than necessary on so much as taking a bath.#her shoes *look* fine but are being held up from disrepair through magic #something about her shoes feels like it’s getting SO much at Her. MAN.#also youngest but heir?? :0 #that’s a FASCINATING dynamic. i want you to elaborate. please. what happened there.#anyhow i love elinyel a lot!!!!!!!#and thank you for loving murdoc thank you for giving me a chance to answer these!!! :0 #if i do them later for antar of gondolin campaign would you want to see? :0 #aaaaaaa <33333 #beloved mutual is beloved!!!!!!!!#also #i do feel like some important context for like. the way murdoc connects to his appearance + grooming routine is. he’s trans.#cannot stress that enough #mirkwood campaign #nelyo askbox

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maccreadysbaby · 1 year

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Can we take a second to discuss Danse’s nonexistent storyline arc???

Yeah, Danse is a powerful brotherhood leader. Danse has become Soles best friend. Danse is slowly opening up to them, blossoming like a flower when spring starts coming, Danse is-

What? Oh, hell, well, Danse is a synth. The exact thing he’s been trained into thinking is scum and a disgrace to mankind.

And after realizing this, Bethesda goes, hey Danse, run away. Which is pretty justified, saying as Maxson wants him dead and he’s having the biggest identity crisis known to man.

and THEN Bethesdas like, Danse’s best friend, go kill him but not really! Okay, great, here sole goes to not kill him. Oh boy, emotional conversations, may or may not unlock the choice to tell him youre in love with him even though he clearly is in self destruct mode and in no headspace to think about being a romantic partner to anyone. Dude just got finished telling you he’s nothing and now you’re telling him he needs to live up to the idea of being soles ideal romantic partner? Wormhole of more self destruction, there.

And Maxson shows up. (How did he leave the Prydwen and get here in twenty minutes without a single person watching his back?) We’re all screaming about how Danse is a person, how we love him, how he’s so amazing and perfect and he deserves to live. And Maxsons just like “fine lol” and leaves. Wtf?

Here’s where it gets messy. Because Danse is like, imma leave the commonwealth. Ok bro, go have a cute life somewhere. But sole just confessed their love to him and ask him to stay. So he’s like, “sure I’ll stay here in this little thing and make it more livable” no he doesn’t.

And if the player character doesn’t interact with him anymore, that’s where he stays. Indefinitely. Forever. Doing absolutely nothing. Sitting, wollowing in self pity, probably thinking about offing himself again because he’s spending the rest of his life in a crappy basement.

Here’s how I think it shouldve gone.

Sole finds him at the listening post, and lets him just talk instead of dumping all of their feelings over his poor little head. I wish we had gentler dialogue options, where we can carefully and purposefully lead him through this time of trouble without bringing soles emotions into it and manipulating him into not killing himself. The whole “think about the people that care about you” thing is MANIPULATION. And he lets you because he’s so broken and lost! It irks me. Because his response is 100% real, in that moment he would let you run over him and sway his mind because he’s a disaster at that point.

So, Sole leads him through it gently, with an unwavering amount of love and care and zero manipulation. He gets to come to his own conclusion about life. Sole says, hey, you can live with me and my friends in Sanctuary (or wherever) and we’ll be there for you. But if you wanna stay you can.

Sole can take Danse home. He can have actual conversations with other companions — Deacon talks to him about the Railroad, not to pressure him, but just to let him in on what they really do, and that they’re always there to support him if he needs. Nick and Curie help guide him through being a synth. Preston can give him a job, if he wants one, a purpose, something to do with his hands that is good for his mind. X6 might actually stop hating him. They all (mostly) make their support known, because Sole loves Danse, which means they do, too. The companions are a family and they won’t exclude one just because of his past. How hypocritical!

This unwavering support from people other than Sole would provide Danse with more of a reason to live, to move on, to see things from different perspectives and — heck — maybe even begin to change his mind about the ideals of the brotherhood. Because these synths, these ghouls, these people support him, they befriended him, they didn’t care about his past or who he used to be. Because they help him realize he has worth. Because they haven’t given up on him, so why should he give up on himself?

Maybe he joins the railroad. Or maybe he lives a beautiful life with Sole and friends.

Anything to give him a full arc and a chance to be happy without spending his whole life in a basement sulking about having no worth. Anything to give him a real answer to his identity crises other than Sole loves me so I gotta stay. Anything to give him his own worth in his eyes, to give him a real conclusion, a real idea of who he is beyond sole.

#danse fo4 #danse fallout 4 #paladin danse

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shadowshrike · 7 months

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Early morning thoughts because I can't sleep (apologies if they're a mess):

Setting aside the obvious boost that comes from being a classically attractive wicked vampire elf with a beautiful voice, tragic backstory that is executed in a very real way, and entertaining manner of speech, I believe one of the reasons Astarion's stories get such a strong reaction from so many people is because his narrative has several distinct threads beyond the obvious. Each possible path presents different problems and perks with satisfying but contradictory conclusions - a brilliant trick of CYOA writing - and that dissonance is part of what causes so much fandom fighting. We each value different things based on our life experiences or just what we enjoy in a story. It inspires visceral reactions from the player.

Value honesty in your friends, your own safety, and consent above all else? He's probably not going to spend long in your camp without a stake in him.

Value bodily autonomy, absolute freedom of choice, and the ability to speak freely without fear of repercussion? Ascension might make the most sense for you.

Value the emotional healing process, the hope of becoming a better person, and learning to accept and move on from a crappy life rather than doing 'whatever it takes' to get what you deserve? Him staying a spawn is likely the most satisfying choice.

Of course, we all exist on a sliding scale of values, especially when playing with fiction. People who value honesty or consent highly may let him stick around because they hope he can learn to be better. Someone who values absolute bodily autonomy and confident speech may choose to have him remain a spawn because they believe with time and some DnD magic to cure vampirism, he can reclaim those things eventually a healthier way. People who believe in the emotional healing process and becoming a better person might even go for ascension because they believe his ability to walk in the sun and speak his mind bluntly are essential for him to heal rather than be dependent on others in the long run.

This sliding scale is also part of why people fight. Throwing him out or killing him for attacking or biting you is seen as an overreaction from someone who has a higher tolerance for boundary pushing. Ascending him is equated with irrevocably dooming him for those who want to change his view of the world (and himself) for the better and believe ascension will inevitably lead to abuse of his paramour and whatever spawn he creates. And keeping him as a spawn can feel to some like you're like taking away his freedom so completely by refusing what he wants and forcing him back into shadow that you've trapped him in a new, 'nicer' but similarly insidious cycle of abuse with a "savior" figure that he isn't emotionally mature enough to recognize as controlling his life.

It's all very relative, and that's what makes it fun. Players reacting to Astarion's approvals/disapprovals, following a romance vs non-romance narrative, knowledge of 5e lore, and having a strong versus weak relationship with him can all drastically change the experience of his story. And with open endings, it's easy to tidy up any values that might be important to us but underrepresented in Astarion's fate. I think that's actually a huge strength to his story: we don't know if he gets better or worse when he survives to the end and you make that Good or Evil choice. We can guess based on contextual clues, our biases, and in-game lore. But ultimately, you get to choose for yourself whatever future you like best, even if that's him leaving the party.

So for those who can stomach all the paths and enjoy a bit of literary exploration of competing narratives, I highly recommend you try all the different options for Astarion (and the other companions, but especially him) rather than sticking with one. You'll need unique playthroughs for context, but it's so worth it. The writing and acting have phenomenal breadth with tons of subtle shifts that can happen depending on what you choose.

Just please don't harass your fellow players or Larian employees about whatever preferences you have in the end, okay?

#astarion #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #this isnt really an analysis or essay #random thoughts

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