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#And some nonsensible ones but those are for funsies
sol-flo · 10 months
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um ok i actually went into ao3 to see if i was maybe not the only person this specific kind of insane on the internet and. well i might be because there were zero hits but there's actually an unexpected [1] amount of agatha christie fics?? 1-2 for specific books. as for specific detectives: 2 for parker pyne. 10 for tommy and tuppence. 14 for mr quin. 159 for miss marple. 341 for poirot. slay.
[1] maybe it shouldn't be given she's a powerhouse best-seller
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txttletale · 4 months
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https://twitter.com/ZakugaMignon/status/1739703106466627976?t=6BRheBvMK4MlCt5gXaj4ig&s=19
this is a comically misleading graph lol (copy-pasted it below)
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like you look at this and obviously think 'wow training an AI model is so much more carbon-intensive than planes or cars' -- but if you look at the actual units being chosen, they're fucking stupid. like, why is the air travel one the only one measured per passenger? the AI model will presumably be used by more than one person. fuck, even the average car will often be transporting more than one person! why is the car the only one that has its lifetime use and manufacturing cost combined when the AI model only has its manufacturing cost and the plane only has the cost of a single flight divided per passenger?
these are absolutely fucking nonsensical things to compare, and obviously chosen in ways that make AI look disproportionately bad (and air travel look disproportionately good, for some reason?). i'm not even touching the profoundly Fucked political implications of measuring the CEO emissions of 'a human life'
but let's, just for funsies, assume that these are reasonable points of comparison -- in 2021, 9 million cars were made in the USA. for the environmental impact of training AI to be even equal to the effects that those cars will have over their lifetimes (which this graph obviously seeks to imply), there would have to be over a million AI models trained in that time. which--hey, hang on a minute, that reminds me, what the fuck is 'training an AI model'! AI models come in all kinds of sizes -- i don't think the machine learning model that the spiderverse animators used to put the outlines on miles' face cost as much to train as, say, DALL-E 3! there is no indicator that this is an 'average' AI model, or whether this is on the low or high end of the scale.
so having just had that above question, i went to look at the original study and lol, lmao even:
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the 626,000 lbs figure is actually just the cost of that one specific model, and of course the most expensive in the study. there's no convincing evidence that this is a reasonable benchmark for most AI training -- for all this study's extremely limited set of examples tells us, this could be an enormous outlier in either direction!
so yeah, this is officially Bad Data Visualization, & if you originally saw this and thought "oh, it looks like AI art really has a huge environmental impact!" then, like, you're not stupid -- the person making this chart obviously wanted you to think that -- but i recommend taking some time when you look at a chart like this to ask questions like 'how was this data obtained?' and 'are these things it makes sense to compare on the same scale?', because there's a lot of misleading charts out there, both purposefully and through sheer incompetence.
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spaceagebachelormann · 6 months
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MARS CAN I HAVE HCS FOR DOING UR MAKEUP WITH THE DUCKS <333333
PLSPSLOSLSLSLSÑSLSPSLSÑSLÑSJSLDLSJSKS ILYSM KSBDND
doing ur makeup with the ducks !
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✧ warnings: none!
✧ characters included: charlie conway, adam banks, lester averman, fulton reed, connie moreau, guy germaine, julie gaffney, ken wu, dean portman, luis mendoza, dwayne robertson
✧ additional info: can be read as romantic or platonic! readers gender isn’t explicitly specified but is supposed to be fem
✧ m.list — nav.
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ೃ༄ charlie conway
he’s. very interesting about it
he’ll mainly just sit and watch cause he doesn’t know what else to do but will ask questions
“omg what’s this” and it’s probably mascara
even though he’s a guy u would think he knows that
he’s not mean about it or anything, he actually asks a lot of questions because he’s genuinely interested
ೃ༄ adam banks
i have a hc he has an older sister so he actually knows what a lot of the bottles are
he’d let u test lipsticks on his arm <3
and if u wanted his honest opinion on how ur makeup looks he may or may not be able to give it 😭 but if he thinks it looks bad he’ll hesitate for like 5 mins before finally saying “you look a little crazy.. i’m sorry”
and he’d let u put some on him for funsies
ೃ༄ lester averman
he’d talk non stop the whole time u do ur makeup
it’s like 40% questions and 60% random nonsense
it’s entertaining though because he knows all the gossip and has fun facts that are actually terrifying
he’d wanna try to put makeup on u but u don’t let him cause he’ll fuck up 💕
and if u get up to go to the bathroom or just to get something u come back and bro looks like a clown
ೃ༄ fulton reed
despite the fact he’s very silly and chaotic and always has something to start yelling about he actually likes the peacefulness of when ur doing ur makeup
it’s like a little free period for him cause he can get hw done, sleep, just sit there and talk normally, etc
ofc cause he’s a Teenage Boy he’d probably make fun of u a little but he’s overall amazed by the process and how long a full face takes
and also would ask u to tell him whatever gossip yk and his responses are so funny
“so yk chelsea?—” “OHH THE ONE WHO GOT PREGNANT??? YEAHHH” “apparently the dad is j-“ “JAKE??? I FUCKING KNEW IT.”
ೃ༄ connie moreau
i feel like she’s one of those girls who only wears like mascara and lipgloss (not cause she’s a pick me but because she doesn’t know how to do anything else)
will ask u to do hers for her! and teach her how to do stuff like blush and eyeliner since she doesn’t know how but rlly wants to learn
and she also compliments ur makeup every 2 mins
“omgg u look gorgeous!” “connie babes i haven’t even put anything on yet” “and? <3”
ೃ༄ guy germaine
says things like “you look so pretty” or “that looks so cool? omg?” every 2 seconds
he genuinely thinks ur the greatest at doing makeup
and he also let’s u test lipsticks on his arm
i feel like he’d ask u to put eyeliner on him just cause he wants to see what it looks like on him <3
also his hands are probably really steady for some reason?? so if u have shaky hands hed help u put stuff on
ೃ༄ julie gaffney
100% curls ur lashes for u if ur also terrified of the lash curler
does hers with u even though she doesn’t rlly use concealer and foundation and skin stuff cause she washes her face every day <3
but she’d know how to use literally everything and is fucking amazing at it and can help u with whatever u want
would ask u to help her choose colours if she decides to have colourful eyeshadow
let’s u paint her nails <3
ೃ༄ ken wu
i’m ngl he probably just sits there and watches
probably uses the time to just talk about whatever
and if y’all have classes together he asks for help with hw 😭
“so what’s number 4 again??” “oh it’s 13 over 6” “ty!!”
he’d also start organizing ur makeup for funsies and brings u snacks and water if he gets bored
ೃ༄ dean portman
will look through literally all ur makeup for funsies
and also asks a shit ton of questions
would probably say “that’s so girly 😹🫵” as a joke but he’s actually rlly intrigued and likes watching u do it
hands u whatever u need but u probably have to explain it to him and he grabs it at the last second to be a bitch
“can u hand me the lash curler?” “the what” “that curvy thing that looks like a little science tool” “wtf r u talking about” “oh my god let me—“ “OHHH U MEAN THIS”
sometimes he actually has no idea wtf u mean though
ೃ༄ luis mendoza
knows what everything is cause as we all know this MAN WHORE has had like 400 gfs
would suggest different lip colours to do
will 100% rizz u up while ur putting on lip gloss or lipstick
“i like that colour, u should kiss me so we can both have it” “that wasn’t smooth at all”
he also makes jokes like the little comedian he is (compares random people to random shit)
ೃ༄ dwayne robertson
he’s like adam but more talkative
would try to guess what everything is used for and like very rarely gets it right
but when he does he gets so excited
he’d do ur hair while u do ur makeup so u don’t have to after
WOULD PLAY COUNTRY MUSIC IN THE BG.
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dandylovesturtles · 3 months
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just a little write-up for one of my sillier AUs that I have in my head because I was thinking about it and just wanted to chat about it. this is all meant for spooky funsies so don't take anything too seriously here.
I do plan to write one of my Bad Things Happen Bingo entries set in this AU (no idea when I'll actually get around to it, but anyway) and maybe some other things in this AU if I feel like it. It just floats around in my head sometimes.
this is very very vaguely inspired by the old show So Weird, or more specifically the hazy memories of So Weird that I have from when I watched it as a child lol
ROTTMNT Paranormal Investigator AU!
Timeline:
instead of being a martial arts clan, the Hamato clan is a clan of psychics, people who have a mystical connection to the paranormal and supernatural, able to see things other humans cannot. their task is to keep the balance between our world and the world of the supernatural, and to protect humanity from particularly malicious spirits, demons, and cryptids
after losing his mother to the fight against a demon, Hamato Yoshi decides to leave the clan and eventually becomes a famous movie star
unfortunately with no one around to keep balance, the forces of the paranormal start to encroach on the mortal world more and more, wreaking havoc
the boys are still mutant turtles and Yoshi still ends up a rat. how? idk. honestly it's not important. it's a thing that is mostly lampshaded in this AU lol I just still wanted them to be turtles. I think Draxum is still here and he still wanted to make warriors using the Lou Jitsu DNA but the whole thing went astray and now he's just like their weird uncle they call sometimes when they have a problem
as they get older, various dangerous paranormal events convince Yoshi that he needs to begin training his sons in their clan's ancient arts and honing their psychic abilities, so that they can begin to restore balance in the world
uuuunfortunately he's super rusty and the kids are still learning so they have to do a lot of investigating of rumors and tips that get sent to them. this means a lot of legwork and a loooot of nothing. like 95% of what the boys deal with are misunderstandings, hoaxes, and rich assholes taking advantage of local legends for nefarious schemes
the other 5% though... those are the doozies
Yoshi has an apartment in New York that the kids grew up in but now they spend a lot of their time traveling the country in a big ass camper (van life)
also April is here
Leo
the skeptic
up until they ran into their first real paranormal occurrence, Leo was fully convinced that all this ghost stuff was nonsense and his dad was just trying to come up with some kind of publicity stunt since his acting career is behind him
after their first real paranormal occurrence, he believes it's real, but he's still super skeptical that most things they hear about are going to amount to anything
and 95% of the time he's right, which he always reminds his brothers of and this is very annoying to the rest of them
he still enjoys traveling around in the van though so he doesn't complain much
super good at scouting out clues and noticing things that the others don't...when they can get him to actually engage with what they're looking into
Leo is on the lower end in terms of psychic ability, but specifically his psychic powers have manifested as essentially a giant negation field. He can't be possessed, enthralled, hypnotized, or compelled, cryptids tend to shy away from him, he naturally rebuffs other supernatural creatures, etc.
this doesn't really help with trying to convince him that these things are real because they tend to run away from him
Donnie
fully believes that the paranormal is real but takes a highly scientific approach to it. he is going to crack the science behind ghosts and he's already got the spot in his room made for his resulting Nobel Prize. he's gonna be Donatello Hamato, Father of Ectobiology
builds them all kinds of ghost/demon/cryptid hunting gadgets, and is the one that handles all their equipment anywhere they go
reads books on ghosts and cryptozoology and then writes truly scathing reviews on good reads
is also the one who does upkeep on the van (it's only nice as it is because of Donnie)
claims to only care about evidence during a hunt but then has a tendency to get carried away when he thinks he's on the trail of something interesting
still, he can come around to a natural explanation like Leo if he sees enough evidence
he's also on the lower end in terms of psychic ability; what he does have gives him information. he's able to see the threads of how spirits connect to and interact with our world, able to tell at a glance when a footprint or dropping is not of natural origin (even if he's never seen it's kind before), able to sense when there may be some evidence the others can't see in the room. sometimes spirits are even compelled to beam knowledge directly to Donnie. also, demons or spirits trying to disguise their true faces doesn't work on him.
which actually freaks him out sometimes but he doesn't tell them that
the twins' psychic power also manifests in a lowkey Twin Sense in this AU; they can't literally read each other's thoughts, but they can feel when the other is having strong emotions or is in pain, and they'll just get a Bad Feeling if the other is in trouble of some kind
Raph
sits somewhere between Leo and Mikey/Donnie on the skepticism scale, but frankly he doesn't care if it's natural or supernatural as long as he can help
cryptids never like him and this bums him out. some of them are cute :c
on the flip side he seems to be a calming presence for certain spirits, especially childish ones
very scared of getting demon possessed, doesn't mention it
actually kind of loves when the solution turns out to be some kind of bad guy and then he gets to help hunt down and catch and unmask them, like some kind of super cool police detective
is the defacto leader because he's the oldest/biggest and no one else wanted the job anyway
drives the van when Yoshi doesn't want to (the others drive it sometimes too but Raph and April are the only ones with an actual license)
has a much higher psychic ability than the twins, able to sense when there is something supernatural in the area, able to talk to spirits, able to touch spirits and demons if they've crossed fully over into our world even if they are normally intangible. means he can punch a demon in the face if he wants to. he's able to do various rituals and exorcisms if needed as well, and can often banish spirits or demons if he knows what they are and how to best get rid of them. often does protection wards on his brothers when he thinks there's something dangerous around.
Mikey
a true believer, but doesn't think it's a puzzle that can be solved like Donnie does. there are things about the world and universe that are unexplainable, and he likes it that way
if the solution is something natural he's pretty much useless at helping though
"don't run off-" Mikey is already on the other side of the haunted house
is easily the most restless when cooped up in the van and prefers when they decide to camp at a campsite. loves sleeping outside.
Leo and Mikey are still close, but have a very highkey sibling rivalry over their differences of opinion with regards to the supernatural and what they're even doing
even still, Leo tries to stay close to Mikey to protect him (but Mikey often runs off so its a moot point)
unsurprisingly, Mikey is the strongest psychic of the bunch, and is in fact ridiculously strong. he can sense the presence of spirits, can communicate with them even if they haven't fully crossed over into our world, and can even do some minor mind reading and tell when people are being untruthful or compelled (he has to actively choose to do it though so his fam's privacy is safe. sometimes he gets visions of things that are about to happen. unfortunately he's also very vulnerable to possession and compulsion because of this, and cryptids are attracted to him, for good or ill. sometimes the things they cross are friendly or just looking for help, and Mikey is happy to do so! other times... not so much
April
she already believed in the supernatural before meeting the boys and meeting them just cemented her worldview for her
she loves ghost hunting/paranormal investigation for the thrill of it all
goes with the boys whenever she doesn't actively have to be in school; demands all the details when she can't be there
the one walking in yelling WHAT'S UP DEMONS, IT'S YA GIRL
along the way she picked up Mayhem and he's her pet now. he can teleport her to the boys if they need her help and she's still in New York
absolutely no psychic ability but she does have a bat
Yoshi
almost as powerful as Mikey, but retired
gives the boys lessons but otherwise usually stays in the van watching TV while they're actively investigating
only steps in if he thinks something terrible is about to happen
usually it's fine
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randomnameless · 8 months
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Faerghus is based on Russia and Adrestia on Rome right? I can't tell why they made the agarthan language Russian. Is it some kinda big brain move to connect them like Ancient Greece and Rome are connected, or was that just a coincidence?
On another note, some nabatean names (among other things) are inspired by Celtic/Irish mythology so their language can even be old Irish.
In the end it depends on who you attribute Ancient Greece to. It could be the original of both of their cultures and they split off and did their own thing? Idk, we just don't know enough...
Eh...
I don't remember where I saw that post (maybe the dev interview from 2020?) but Faerghus's real life inspirations was a mix match between various "northern" "european" countries, idk, Fr-england-ssia or something like this.
While Adrestia has a coliseum and used to rule over "the world" a long time ago, Enbarr's current architecture is closer to the eastern part of the roman empire (that'd later be called the byzantine empire!) who... used way more greek than latin! IIRC in that same interview the devs said Adrestia was inspired by Germany and Italy? Italian inspirations (historical at least) are evident with the coliseum and Enbarr's palace (it has a crapton of mosaics in Nopes!) while the German ones can be spot through names of Adrestian characters and particles, and how squads are called.
I think the first historical nonsense that pissed me was about someone trying to fit ancient greece/rome in the Nabatean/Agarthan conflict - but reading too much about languages and irl parallels, while fun to honeypot, is ultimately a sterile debate when Japan has been known to use several languages/names in various video games because they sounded cool/exotic enough (Jugdral's Sigurd and Deirdre and Chulainn come to mind, but then Granvalle's knight squads made me learn the name of some colors in german!) - even if Agarthan units being named after ancient sages, and their titans - i mean giant robots - having an arte called "titanomachy" is pretty revealing on the aesthetic the devs wanted to give them, which is also all kinds of interesting when you take into account that Rhea is the only one of Sothis's kids who is named in this fashion - from her name we could guess she's an Agarthan, but no, Sothis named her youngest kid the Agarthan way?
Anyways, I thought about it for funsies in the original language post (rather, tags) to be something like aramaic, with an alphabet that would be so different from modern day Fodlan's alphabet that randoms who never thought those symbols might be letters would just, ignore it - but it's basically headcanon land.
If nabatean language came from Sothis, is it like "the blue sea star's language", or are they even communicating in "Nabatean" through words, can this language be vocalised by humans, is it like entish, or was it kept secret and only used between Nabateans like Tolkien's khuzdul?
Or, about Agarthans - maybe they used a certain language before being wiped out and shared it with those lizards and some other random humans, Sothis confined them underground, Enbarrians kept on using the Agarthan language and through centuries of usage it eventually branched to become the Enbarr language - and pissed to speak something even similar to the language of those beasts, Agarthans evolved their original language to the one we can now spot in Shambala?
#anon#replies#idk if it makes sense#usually i wouldn't think too much abotu comparing a fictional coutnry to its rl inspiration#even if some parallels sting like#uh Almyra#and Adrestia's leader suddenly sprouting a dubious rhetoric about people sekritly controling the world and hoarding gold#imagine Chilon being so pissed because he wrote the Illiad back then#and then some beast in what is now Enbarr found it and plays it in a random odeon like#no that's his!!!#Rhea being named 'Rhea' when ancient greek names are agarthans in nature is fascinating#like maybe Sothis wanted to break peace with them and picking her latest kid's name like this was supposed to be a sign of pacification?#i don't think we are supposed to see links between who is connected or not#i saw a stupid post early in 2020 basically saying nabateans were liek rome and stole tech from the greek agarthans#but dude#the tech Agartha had came from Sothis and the Nabateans word of god said so#if anyone has screenshots of Zanado hit me plz#I'd like to check the background#from what I rememeber we can spot ruins of aqueducts ?#I thought about aramaic bcs of Sothis and Seiros's religions#but maybe nabatean was something like akkadian?#damn now i'm imagining young!Cichol reading a bedtime story to even younger!Rhea and siblings#like the epic of one of their sibling and his human partner heavily inspired by the epic of gilgamesh#Enbarr being way more inspired aesthically by the eastern roman empire rather than the western one we keep on seeing everywhere was a choic#I still dig it though#FE16#nabatean stuff#sort of since we talk about their languages and it spiralled in me ranting about i don't even know what lol
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goldensunset · 2 months
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i’m not about to draw a minimum of twelve entire pictures but i wanna do this anyway (i guess i could just edit the images in there but that’s lame lol)
•my favorite gym leader is probably either tulip or clay! something about tulip i just always found very endearing and respectable and i love clay’s no-nonsense attitude and sheer strength. plus he gets bonus points for his daughter being lacey
•fav champion is clearly volo. like how could you not classify that as a champion fight. that was so freaking hard man. runner up goes to kieran though bc he was also really hard for me. but of course if we’re talking official true pokémon league champions then cynthia
•fav elite four member has gotta be lacey. i adore her. first time i’ve ever lost to the same opponent multiple times in a fair fight (aka being prepared and on-level). she’s sooo cute and fun! she also terrifies me severely
•favorite protagonist is akari no surprise there. la does such a good job of making it clearly important why the protag is the protag. it offers a legitimate in-universe explanation as to why this one child in particular is so much more powerful than all the others. out of place in time and space, literally chosen by a god… the way certain characters question her humanity, both in a good and evil way… it’s so good
•favorite rival… well pokémon fans use the term rival really loosely. it can mean any friend character that you battle for funsies even once. it can mean literal arch nemesis. idk. arven stole my heart with his story but i don’t consider him a rival like most people do so that goes to cheren. i love his story and he has also mopped the floor with me several times
•favorite antagonist is also volo next question. i’m sick in the head about him. n is a strong and clear second place obviously though. i’ve done enough rambling on here about them
•professor laventon is the guy ever he feels like he actually personally cares about akari so much. that’s her dad. the way he’s actively involved in plot stuff, he accompanies the team on field missions even when he really doesn’t need to… he’s always there. you see him a lot. and he’s clearly writing the pokédex entries himself and they’re absolute gold. but seeing as professor is also a broad term because they’ve been really breaking up the older tradition in recent games, i nominate director clavell as second place bc i respect the guy a lot. that old man (tm) enjoyer here
•fav battle facility leader… well. i don’t really have one bc i’ve done very little with the battle facilities in the two games i’ve played that had them lol. so i guess throwaway answer is ingo but mostly for pla reasons. actually i think he counts as a battle facility leader in pla with the daybreak update and i’ve done some of his stuff so he does in fact count for me
•for fav clan member i’m gonna say arezu i like her a lot. she tried doing the right thing in a very chaotic way and i respect her for her efforts. plus her design is cute and she gives great haircuts and her noble is adorable
•character from other media… well i’m obsessed with the way n is portrayed in pokespe. perfect blend between sad prettyboy and freak behavior. they just made everything so intense. and i love oshawott from poképark 2 with the way he’s trying so hard to be serious and cool but snivy keeps getting on his nerves lol. that’s the reason i chose oshawott in pla bc that was the only of those pokémon i recognized
•i’m classifying arven as miscellaneous bc like i said i don’t consider him a rival but MAN!! man… this guy just got shortchanged so many times but i’m glad he was able to get closure for his parents’ disappearance and death and that he can move on and just live his own life. also certified dog lover moment
•top fav character… yeah you all know it’s volo LOL. completely shrimp fried my brain. the absolute hyperactive high i was on when he revealed himself. made even more insane bc i had literally been spoiled that he was a twist villain but i had no other context so i was just waiting the whole game for him to be evil. imagine the sinking in my gut when the credits rolled and it didn’t happen i thought i’d been embarrassing myself the whole time but then the postgame punched me in the gut HARD. i thought he’d end up being like the sad sympathetic frenemy guy where you don’t really want to fight him but NOPE full on evil full on he was just using you. made even better by the context that he had been your biggest fan throughout the whole game while everyone else had been suspicious of you. i lost my entire mind. once again second place to n though
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byjillianmaria · 3 months
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dead darlings tag
Tagged by @sarandipitywrites!! check out their dead darling here.
Tagging @stories-by-rie @cwritesfiction @lady-redshield-writes @lullabyes22-blog @roselinbooks-official @incandescent-creativity aaaaand whoever else wants to do this!
There's Magic Between Us went through a LOT of changes before it got published. Eden grew a whole different backstory, a subplot about a missing uncle got axed, a subplot about a magic treasure got added, and Lydia's knowledge of Fae Nonsense was severely more limited!
As such, a lot got left on the cutting room floor. I'm not too precious about any of it, but I was always a little sad to lose this scene where Lydia plays guitar for Eden. It doesn't really make sense to have in the final draft — Eden became the kind of character who wouldn't have time for this distraction, and Lydia became the kind of character who wouldn't have the patience to learn a whole song, anyway — but it was such a fun little romance trope to have while it lasted.
I also included some developer's notes, for funsies.
“What’s that on your back?” she asks. “Oh!” I run my free hand along the strap across my waist. (Note from present-day Jillian: I think this was meant to say shoulder or chest? That's a first draft for you.) “That’s my guitar. I just brought it for fun.” “Do you play?” “A little! I can show you when we sit down.” Sure, I only know the basics. But I know a few songs—enough to woo people who want to be wooed, I’m pretty sure. Or at least fill a few quiet moments between friends. I could be down for either, depending on how this plays out. “That would be nice.” Eden points ahead of her. The trees widen out into a clearing with a large pond. A few willow trees dot the shore, long branches reaching down. It’s one of those that she points to. “Under that tree is one of my favorite spots to sit. I bet it would make a good picnic.” “Dude, totally.” It looks like something out of a postcard. In the shade of the willow branches, the warm summer air cools just a little. It’s a comfortable place to lay out the picnic blanket. “You’re right, there is a lot of cool stuff here.” Eden smiles, smoothing the burgundy skirt of her button-down dress over her legs as she sits. “I’m glad you think so.” “Yeah! Thanks for showing it to me. If you’re ever in Chicago, I’ll be sure to return the favor.” Eden looks down at her lap, hair falling over her forehead. “I’ll keep that in mind.” I’m not sure if it’s bashfulness that changes the air between us or something else, but suddenly the silence sits heavier and less comfortable. I rush to correct it. “I’ve got lots of sandwich making stuff in here, and candy and things. You can pick what you want.” I swing the guitar around into my lap. “Lunch and a show!” This makes Eden smile again, which makes me happy. “Aren’t you going to eat?” I flap a hand at her. “I can eat in a second. I promised music!” “I guess you did,” Eden says, a laugh clinging to the edge of her voice. And so I play for her, while she rummages through the basket and puts together a sandwich. I’m not a great guitarist or a great singer, either, but I can carry a tune well enough that it isn’t unpleasant to listen to. Besides, the trick to doing anything is to do it with confidence. I play one of my favorite songs to perform, a love song by a straight guy. (Note from present day Jillian: what is she playing? I have no idea. I have a playlist of music she likes, but there's few men and even fewer acoustic songs.) I very purposefully don’t change the pronouns when it comes to talking about the girl he fell for. Look, between the pansexual pride bracelet on my wrist and the constant flirting, no one’s ever accused me of being subtle. Eden doesn’t react to the pronoun use, either positively or negatively. Which doesn’t necessarily mean anything. I just know that I get a little excited whenever someone does something gay, even if I’m not interested in them. It’s like finding someone wearing a shirt for a band you like, or something. A moment of connection and understanding, however brief. I won’t be shattered if Eden doesn’t like girls, of course. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to know.
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smol-stardust · 3 months
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okayy okay I found my doc with some tropes I love the most
first one is stupid af humor like.. Shira just throwing knives around, or she trying to be cool but her knife just drops on the floor I really can't explain exactly but think of the most nonsensical stupid thing ever
then another one where the antagonist and protagonist kinda respect each other?
then one where two character's have opposite views of the world and that's why they get such a good connection
and sassy robots like.. "androids" that sure their face might be like nonchalant and not show any "emotion" but they definitely feel yk? like im just tired of those "cold calculus" robots..
Ooooh yesss!!
I love when there’s mutual respect between enemies and the antagonist and protagonist respect each other. Bonus if it’s more of an anti-hero than protagonist mehehe
And yes! Shirako throwing knives lmao. Once wrote a scene where she chucked a katana for funsies
And yes. Opposites that fit together and form one.
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janzoo · 1 year
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Some notes on Ancients and Greek mythology - spoilers within for Final Fantasy XIV, especially Shadowbringers and Endwalker. This isn’t necessarily new information, but I haven’t seen anything about it here on Tumblr yet. Let’s have a lil fun with (mostly) Greek mythology under the readmore -
Hi folks! While trying to figure out an Azem for my WoL, I found some info that I’d like to share. Not all Ancients take their name directly from Greek mythology, if at all. And of those that do, matching the character’s gender to their namesake’s doesn’t seem to matter, either. So for those of you like me who are figuring out an Azem or other Ancient OCs, relax! Ancients’ names aren’t as strict as we might think.
While “Hythlodaeus” is a name in the ancient Greek language, it doesn’t come from mythos. In fact, it comes from a satirical novel called “Utopia” that was published in 1516; it roughly translates as “speaker/distributor of nonsense”.
Mitron’s real name is Artemis. Mitron is male, but Artemis was a goddess.
“Venat” is a reference to a character from Final Fantasy XII of the same name, and comes from Latin “to hunt”. (Some think that the katakana for her name, which spells out in romaji as “vēnesu”, is supposed to be “Venus”. It’s more likely that it’s supposed to spell “Veneth”, but there’s no way to write “th” sounds in katakana. The same mix-up happened with Aerith in FFVII.)
So yeah, if you want to branch out from Greek mythology, or play with gender, or whatever, cool! Not that you weren’t cool to do so anyway - this is all just for funsies in the end. In the meantime, I’ve put together a few lesser known names and figures from (mainly Greek) mythology that could also prove interesting names/inspirations for Ancients. These are very much simplified versions of the myths. Please don’t be an ass if there’s “wrong” info, the myths vary a lot and I’m doing this in my own spare time for fun and because I’m hyperfocusing/infodumping about some special interests.
Tiresias/Teiresias: One day, Tiresias found a couple of snakes mating, and beat them to death with a stick. This angered Hera, and she turned him into a woman. Tiresias then lived for several years as a woman, including getting married and having children. She then found some mating snakes again, and either beat them to death again or didn’t - either way she became a man again. He then became an oracle - the “how” varies between stories but the version I was told was that Zeus and Hera were arguing over who has better orgasms. Zeus argued that it’s women, and Hera vice versa. They decided to ask Tiresias, since he’d experienced both. He said it’s women. Hera became pissed at him again and blinded him. Zeus felt bad about this and gave Tiresias the gift of prophecy as a sort of consolation. Some myths say that this gift worked by allowing Tiresias to understand birdsong. (Between the gift of prophecy and the gender “fluidity”, Tiresias sounds like a prime candidate for Urianger’s Ancient imo.)
Sibyl: Technically a title denoting a prophetess, but we’re making it a name now. I’m referring specifically to the story of the Cumaean Sibyl. Apollo came to her, offering a wish in exchange for her virginity. She held up a handful of sand and asked for as many years as grains of sand she held. However, she later reneged on her part of the deal, refusing to sleep with Apollo. He granted her the extended life she wanted, but did not preserve her age or body. Sibyl shrank with age until she was no more than sand herself, kept in a jar. She was still conscious and had a voice. She’s referenced to at the beginning of T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Waste Land” like so (translated from Latin and Greek): For once I myself saw with my own eyes the Sibyl of Cumae hanging in a jar, and when the boys said, "Sibyl, what do you want?" she replied "I want to die."
Hecate: Greek goddess of magic/witchcraft, transitions, and crossroads. (Many sources also say necromancy, creatures of the night, and ghosts.) I don’t have a specific story for her, I just think she’s cool.
Deimos and Phobos: Sons of Ares, god of war, though they’re more metaphors than proper gods. “Deimos” means “dread” and “phobos” means “fear”. They accompanied their father into war; thus, when Ares descended onto the battlefield, he brought dread and fear with him.
Ma’at/Maat: Let’s dip into ancient Egypt! Ma’at was the goddess of harmony, truth, and justice, said to balance the stars and the seasons. Most notable was her feather, the Feather of Truth, which was used to weigh the hearts of the dead. If the dead person’s heart was lighter than or equal to the weight of her feather, they were deemed worthy of proceeding into the afterlife proper. (The Feather made a cameo in Marvel’s “Moon Knight” lol)
Bast/Bastet/Ailuros (Greek): The Egyptian goddess with the cat head. You’ve probably at least heard of her. Defender of kings and goddess of pregnancy/childbirth. Sometimes depicted as the gentler aspect of the more aggressive lioness-headed goddess Sekhmet. Honestly, I’m mainly listing her because a) she has a cool Greek name if you want to stick with that, and 2) it could be a fun option if you want to be really on-the-nose with the Ancient of a Miqo’te lol.
My hyperfocus seems to have about run its course, so I’m finishing the post here. The point is that if/when you’re making an Ancient OC, you’re not bound to ancient Greece, or matching gender for gender. Thanks for reading. :D
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swiliz · 1 year
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Okay but picture Miguel and Miles having extremely petty arguments about the differences in their spanish meanwhile Miles laughs about the exact same ones with Anya
I think it would be very funny not only because of their boricua/mexican differences but also because Miguel is from the future and that's another language barrier. If anything, Miles is picking up new swear words/insults no one knows about yet (in english and spanish! Shock!)
Anya is mexican and boricua but she lived in Mexico for a while so that would be her dialect when she's speaking spanish. Miles and her are both half boricua though, so differences in dialect are immediately non important. They can unite forces to annoy Miguel about how he speaks
It would be like Anya teaching Miles mexican slang for funsies and Miles pretending Miguel is speaking nonsense when he uses those same words he learned earlier
I mean if you meet another latin person you HAVE to make fun of their accent and strange little words at some point, that's how you know you're real friends
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paarthursass · 7 months
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general 1, 3, 6, 8, 10 / Story 7, 12, 15 / Romance 1, 3, 6, 11 for Aurel :3
You don't have to answer all of them, sorry I'm sending so many xD
companion!tav au asks
asdkfjds oh no pls u do not see the google doc i have rn that is filled to the BRIM with companion!au aurel stuff. this is feeding me.
also this ask made me realize that the numbers on that post reset why tf did they do that. when i hit publish they were at 1-40 i swear 😔 anyways.
Where can your Tav be recruited?  Are they first encountered on the Nautiloid, or in the Nautiloid crash region?  Or are they not recruitable until a later act?
Aurel can be recruited in the Nautiloid Crash Region, just outside of the Blighted Village.  He is found conversing with a pair of goblins, who are gleefully telling him details about their camp.  When the Player Character approaches, the tadpole connects them, revealing that Aurel is lying to the goblins for information.  The PC can either choose to play along with Aurel’s charade, or immediately attack the goblins - upon which Aurel will drop the act and aid the PC.  He will share what he’s learned, and will ask to travel with the PC so they can discover the cure to the infection together.
Does your Tav have any comments or advice when you recruit other companions?
"Shadowheart? Is that...really her name? Shadowheart? ...she's got a flair for the dramatic, I'll give her that much."
"Be careful. If holding a knife to your throat was his opening offer, I worry to think what else Astarion will try. At least you don't have to worry about him being too subtle to spot; man's about as charming as a scorpion."
“Lae’zel seems quite knowledgeable about these tadpoles.  Her bedside manner leaves something to be desired, though.”
“Gale seems pleasant, if a little over-eager. Something about him reminds me of a puppy begging for approval.”
“So, ‘the Blade of Frontiers.’ I’d be careful.  In my experience, monster hunters tend to have a limited view of the world.”
“I almost wasn’t sure Wyll would stay his blade.  I’m glad he did, Karlach seems like an absolute darling.”
“Oh, Halsin’s going to be joining us on our excursions now?  And here I thought he’d spend the rest of our little adventure sitting at camp looking pretty.”
“The High Harper herself.  I was just a boy when she faced Sarevok, but tales of her adventures reached me later on, like ripples in a pond. She’ll be a valuable asset.”
“Jaheira’s stronger than me. If my oldest and closest friends were so easily fooled by a charlatan wearing my face, you would never hear the end of it. Still, I'm sure if he's aimed in the right direction, Minsc's...enthusiasm could be useful.”
I wasn't originally going to write comments about Minthara, because Aurel won't stay in the party if the tieflings are killed, BUT since there are mods out there to recruit her anyways, for funsies...
"Are you absolutely insane? She's a drow matron, and one stupid enough to fall for this Absolute nonsense to boot! She was ready to slaughter those tieflings on a whim!"
She knows more than any of us. We need her.
"I've trusted your judgement this far...but I'll be keeping far, far away from her. I know what she sees what she looks at me, and I know what matrons expect of the males they think they command. I won't be her toy. And if she tries anything, I won't be as merciful to her as you were."
Do they have any secrets that can be revealed?  What are the prerequisites for this secret coming to light?
Oh ho ho DOES HE
So, Aurel is a dhampir, which is not something he will be upfront about upon first meeting the PC. There's a few hints regarding it: Aurel is noticeably wary of monster hunters, and approves of the PC or Astarion killing Gandrel. Auntie Ethel also has some personalized vicious mockeries where she calls him "a freak of nature" and says "It'll be easy enough to kill you, dearie, you've got one foot in death's door already!"
Aurel can reveal he is a dhampir to the PC based on varying prerequisites: if they get his approval to 'Good' or if  they have recruited Karlach, whichever comes first.  After the confrontation with Mizora, if the PC did not kill Karlach, Aurel will approach them and say he was moved by their compassion for someone that others were "so quick to write off as a monster." 
It is also possible for Aurel’s dhampirism to be revealed before this.  In a fight, if Aurel is brought to 0 HP, a cutscene will trigger where he bites his opponent and regains HP (this will not trigger if the opponent is undead. Instead, the next instance where Aurel is brought to 0 HP by a living creature will trigger this cutscene).  After the fight, another cutscene will trigger where the PC can confront him about what happened, and Aurel will come clean.
After the reveal, the PC can ask Aurel more specific questions about his vampiric parent.  They can also ask him about feeding - which he assures the PC is done exclusively on animals.  His bite ability will become available in combat.  The PC can also offer to let Aurel feed on them, but Aurel will become uncomfortable and politely decline.  “That’s a bit - ah - intimate, isn’t it?” if the PC points out that Aurel will feed on people they’re fighting, he will retort with “Well, yes, but I don’t have to be careful with them.  The point there is to cause some damage, isn’t it?  There’s a difference between ripping out an enemy’s throat, and a friend baring theirs willingly to you.  It’s just…it’s a bit much.”
What do they say when the Player Character asks them to stay in camp?  How about when the Player Character asks them to come adventuring again?
I need you to stay in camp for a while.
"Are you certain? I know I have quite the delicate features, but I assure you I can more than handle what's out there."
I'm certain. I'll call for you if I need you.
"I suppose I shall languish here until you return for me, then. Safe travels, my dear."
Are there any unique NPCs associated with your Tav that can show up during the course of the game?
So, if Aurel were a companion, I think his primary quest would involve discovering that the monster hunting guild involved in his boyfriend's death were not fully eradicated by him and his father. For juiciness, the leader of the guild is probably still alive and well, and is specifically hunting down Aurel as payback for nearly wiping out his guild a century earlier. Aurel's personal quest would largely involve finding healing and catharsis for Philo's death.
However....I do also really, really want Aurel's father to show up. I think that would be so so fun.
The PC can ask Aurel about his father almost immediately after discovering he's a dhampir, and ask about whether his father can help them. Aurel will reveal that his father is extremely far away, and he's doubtful that he could get word to him in time for him to do anything, but he'll try anyhow if the PC wants.
If Aurel was convinced to contact his father, Dragomir will appear in Act 3. In the Undercity when approaching the Temple of Bhaal, a group of Bhaal Cultists will ambush the group but will swiftly be killed by Dragomir, who appears out of the shadows. If Aurel is in the group, he and Dragomir will joyfully reunite. If Aurel is not in the active party, Dragomir will instead address the PC, recognizing them from Aurel's description. If Aurel was captured by Orin, the PC can tell Dragomir what happened, and he will insist on accompanying the group to free his son.
Dragomir will not become a full-fledged companion, but will wait at camp after the fight with Orin (provided it's the Elfsong Tavern. if the party camps in an outdoor space, Dragomir will only appear at camp at night). If the group has not faced Cazador yet, Dragomir can be convinced to aid in the fight against him, and will also be an ally in the final fight against the Nethebrain.
What can they be found doing at the tiefling/goblin party?
Aurel is in the midst of the revelry, playing a song on his violin. He stops to chat with the PC, and will mention that though he's been to his fair share of balls and soirees, this merry-making with the tieflings outshines all of them. If the PC doesn't try and romance Aurel, he may tease them about the other party members looking at them.
"I can't help but notice that our dear Wyll is off by his lonesome...why don't you try and cheer him up, darling? You seem to be the only thing that can, nowadays."
"I've seen puppies begging for treats that looked less pitiful than Gale does when he looks at you...not that I mean that in a bad way. He does look so pretty when he begs. Why don't you go and put him out of his misery, hm? Figuratively speaking, of course."
"Ugh, Astarion's looking our way again. He thinks he's being so sneaky - I'm not trying to steal his seconds. No offense, darling, you are much more than a meal. To me, anyways. Still, you'd better go and see what he wants. He looks like he's had a bit to drink, and if he comes over here to start an altercation with me I will not be held responsible for what happens."
"I think Karlach might combust if you don't go over and speak to her soon. That woman's been through torment enough; it would be unseemly to keep her waiting much longer."
"I do enjoy a bit of danger, but I think if you waste too much more time talking to me, Lae'zel might just rip my head off. Go and speak to her before she decides to throw you over her shoulder in front of the whole party. Unless you're into that sort of thing. No judgement."
"If I'm not mistaken, Shadowheart seems to be nursing a wine bottle meant for two all by her lonesome...why don't you go and help her out with that."
He will then say:
"Now if you don't mind, I plan on seeing how how many times I can tease Rolan about his staff handling before he gets the hint. Don't wait up for me."
Is it possible for your Tav to be kidnapped and replaced by Orin?  How is Orin's deception revealed?  How do they react to the PC rescuing them in the Temple of Bhaal?
Aurel is a damsel at heart, so yes it is absolutely possible for him to be kidnapped by Orin. I love the #drama.
After Gortash reveals someone in camp has been replaced, Aurel will approach the PC and suggest they kill Gortash and take his Netherstone immediately. Though the argument will begin in Aurel's usual cadence, it will gradually grow more and more manic, culminating in Aurel wanting to "sink [his] fangs into that peacock's throat and drink and drink and drink until he's as empty as his words." Orin will drop the deception immediately afterwards.
Once rescued, Aurel will be shaken but relieved, but will be attempting to cover up his fear with his usual brand of cattiness.
"Thank you so much for the timely rescue, my dear. Can you imagine if I died in a place as horrible as this? In Baldur's Gate's sewers? No offense to Wyll, his city may be lovely, but its bowels are considerably less so. But...thank you. I won't forget this."
If Dragomir is in the party when Aurel is rescued, Aurel will instead immediately hug Dragomir as he reunites with him, and will then thank the PC for the rescue.
How do they react when the Dark Urge first reveals their amnesia and murderous thoughts to them?
(if the PC hasn't discovered Aurel is a dhampir yet)
"Really? I wonder..." he stops and squints at the PC for a moment before shaking his head. "No...perhaps it's the tadpole? We're all a bit on edge, I know. And you've been pushing yourself so hard, you deserve some rest, darling."
(if the PC has discovered Aurel is a dhampir)
"Well, I'm no stranger to the occasional bouts of bloodlust, but it sounds like you mean something else entirely...perhaps it's the tadpole? We're all a bit on edge, I know. And you've been pushing yourself so hard, you deserve some rest, darling."
Is your Tav a romanceable character?  Are there any specific requirements to romancing them?
Aurel is a romanceable character, though he’s only available to male or nonbinary Tavs.  He may teasingly return a female PC’s flirtation, but if she tries to push an actual relationship he will gently turn her down.
Aurel probably has two branching romance paths; a more casual, fling-type relationship, and a more serious, slow-burn one.
Aurel has a great deal of trauma regarding romantic relationships; his first love was killed in front of him, and he's been incapable of holding down a long-term relationship ever since. If the PC attempts a more casual, fling-type relationship, Aurel will inevitably panic as it develops and will try to end it before it gets too serious. It would be possible to salvage the relationship here and reassure Aurel, but it would have to stop being a fling and would have to turn into an actual relationship.
The slow-burn romance arc is, as the title suggests, much slower. It would involve returning Aurel's flirtations, but never taking the relationship past that. The PC would have to tell him that they want more than just a casual fling with him, which would make him very flustered (he's noticeably smoother in the fling-path, as that's what he's most familiar with, but he turns into a flustered, blushing MESS in the slow-burn path). At the end of around Act 2 is when Aurel would tentatively reveal to the PC his trauma regarding Philo, and he would admit that "this is the...slowest I've gone in a relationship, since then. I get into my own head too much, but you...you make me want to be brave."
Are they a polyamorous or a monogamous option?
Aurel is potentially a polyamorous option, though he's a picky one.
Aurel will tease the Player Character if they ask about bringing Halsin into the relationship. “I can hardly blame you for looking - he cuts quite an impressive form. And, well, he’d be a fool to not desire you.” He still is unsure about polyamory, but if the Player Character mentions that Halsin wants him as well, he’ll become flustered and will “need a moment to think on it.” After another long rest, Aurel will approach the Player Character and say that after “giving it some thought” he’s decided that, even though he’s never attempted a polyamorous relationship, he’s willing to try, and he trusts Halsin enough to let the PC try with him. Aurel does add a firm caveat though that he expects the PC to ask him first before bringing in any other additional people. "You know me, I don't do well with surprises."
Which is to say, unless the PC passes a persuasion check, Aurel will disapprove of the PC having sexual encounters with Haarlep and the Emperor. He will also flat-out break up with the PC if they sleep with Mizora. (and if he and the PC do break up, idle banter suggests he and Halsin are still seeing each other)
I also want to say that it's possible to romance both him and Astarion at the same time, because I think that is SUCH a funny concept, but I do not know how it would actually be realized. But the PC holding both Astarion and Aurel's hands while they glare at each other behind the PC's back is suuuuch a funny mental image to me. Boyfriend-in-laws.
How do they react to the player character breaking up with them, or choosing another character over them?
As mentioned before, Aurel has been completely incapable of maintaining a stable relationship before the events of the game. He's had many flings over the years, but any time a relationship starts to get serious he panics and finds a way to end things. He has deep-seeded anxieties about relationships, and part of his romance arc would involve helping him resolve these.
So, with that said, he puts up almost no fight if the PC breaks up with him.
"Oh, but I thought...right. Of course. All things come to an end, after all. Well, we had fun, but I'll not stop you from roaming where you need to."
A successful insight check in this moment reveals that Aurel is putting on a facade, but if the PC tries to pry, Aurel will sharply brush them off and end the conversation.
If the PC has activated a romance with another character while romancing Aurel, he will approach them and offer to step aside for the other person's happiness. Again, a successful insight check will reveal Aurel is not as unbothered as he claims to be.
(I have also written what he says for each romance option...the brainrot is strong)
“Wyll’s a good man, almost too good to be true. To be honest I’m not sure who I’m more envious of. But he deserves something nice, as do you.”
“Karlach’s been through literal Hell and back…and when she’s around you, I see that torment lift from her a little.  Her happiness matters more to me than anything, except perhaps yours.” 
“I tease Gale, but he’s a good man. And he deserves to know what true love is like, not whatever that…farce was that Mystra put him through.” 
“Lae’zel is…intense. But I think she’s finally met her match in you, and she almost seems…softer, around you.”
“Sometimes I think Shadowheart is still that scared girl in the woods…but something about you comforts her. I think if I called you her guiding light she’d smack me, but you know what I mean.”
“I know I’ve had my issues with Astarion in the past…and in the present, but even I can see how he seems…different around you.  That infuriating facade of his almost drops when you’re around.  I think if anyone could bring out a genuine emotion in him, it would be you.”
What are Tav’s plans for the future?  Do they propose to the PC, or is marriage not something they’re interested in?
Oh Aurel is SUCH a romantic, and if the PC managed to help him get over his anxieties regarding relationships? Oh he's sticking by them FOREVER. It's even worse if Dragomir shows up. The PC has met his DAD and his dad LIKED THEM.
Anyways. I think one of Aurel's final Act 3 romance scenes is him trying SO HARD to set up a romantic atmosphere to propose but he keeps fucking it up and things keep going wrong and it's SUCH A cringefail moment and he ends up getting SO anxious and exasperated and says something like "of COURSE when I try to propose to the LOVE OF MY LIFE it ALL GOES WRONG" and then he realizes he RUINED the SURPRISE and it becomes a whole thing. Aurel's romance really is just him being an absolute anxious, neurotic mess of a man and the PC either being just as insane as him or trying to calm down the chaos a little. Wyll absolutely calmed the chaos. God bless that man.
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justcaytlin · 1 year
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Oh yeah, one good thing about moving back to Tumblr is I can chronicle my FFXIV D&D group much easier!
I'm DMing a campaign where I run my friends through the ARR story (and eventually the rest of MSQ, but one bite at a time, eh?) and we've just started.
Prior to the campaign, I put together a 123-page PDF player's guide for them, as they are unfamiliar with Final Fantasy in general and also to convert lore into D&D mechanics. Rather than taking the homebrew route of creating all the jobs/classes from whole cloth, we converted existing D&D classes into FFXIV flavor.
The PDF also contains custom backgrounds, "This Is Your Life" from Xanathar's Guide but Eorzea-ized, and of course races (tweaked from someone else's homebrew, which is linked in the document).
Of course the PDF is already out of date because that's how these things go, but it's still, like, 99% good.
June was a feverish month of creation LOL
Anyway, here's our intrepid party:
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Maeda Matsu (Matsu is her given name) is our Au Ra White Mage (Druid of Stars 2/Cleric of Life X, a Hydaelyn cleric). Barry Spalding (Barius) is our Garlean Gunbreaker (Artificer Armorer). And Sayonji Himemiya is our Red Mage (Wizard Bladesinger).
The First Rising
The first two sessions, I wanted to introduce them to the setting, its characters, its story, etc, and also help them kind of get a feel for their party dynamic. So I set it during the very first annual Rising Festival after the Calamity. For funsies, I decided it would be held at the Gold Saucer, because of course Godbert would hold the first Rising Festival in an attempt to reunify people and bring joy to those who were hurting.
I played the ARR trailer video up until the end of the Calamity, narrating over it and what was happening so they could get the emotional enormity of what had happened.
Then I spent time with each character, doing some story RP with them that explained their normal circumstances and how they got to the festival. Matsu's flighty, flaky mom wanted to take her to the cool new festival. Matsu's a Sharlayan Scholar, and Krile is her mentor, so I had Krile give her a Twilight Sparkle-esque assignment: go have fun and make some friends.
Barry was tagging along to his brother's friend's bachelor party, which was a dumbass stunt of "tee hee let's sneak into savage Eorzea in disguise and have our party at their casino!" They basically brought Barry along because he's sorta always the hanger-on, and his brother Nero thought it would be hilarious to get his baby brother drunk as a skunk in Eorzea. Shortly after arriving, they basically abandoned him to go have fun themselves.
Sayonji is a neglected lil baby whose mother was one of the Company of Heroes, but vanished when he was a child. His father then vanished with the other Warriors of Light during the Calamity. He puts on airs of arrogance and being full of himself to hide his hurt. A traveling bard, Temur Himemiya, came to his town of Summerford to talk about the Rising Festival. Sayonji fell *instantly* in love (hence, taking on the bard's last name) and declared right then and there he'd be an adventurer too. He went to the festival riding high on being ~in love~.
He was 15.
How It Went
They met and had a blast doing a bunch of party games. They competed against Yda and Papalymo in the obstacle course up Mount Corel, doing the limit break mechanic to launch Sayonji to the finish line.
They had an astrologian read their fortunes using the Tarokka deck (especially since my husband had already coded up a really cool tarokka reading table). Barry is 100% sure it's fluff and nonsense because lol being in the middle of a corrupt regime??? what lol??? He's a soft baby boy.
Sayonji started to cotton on that Barry might be a Garlean. Most especially because he was weirdly neurotic about keeping his dumb pirate bandanna on over his forehead.
They made contact with a pair of extremely arrogant 11 year old Sharlayan twins whom Matsu had seen around the Studium.
Suddenly, a *tower of light* appeared in Event Square and Godbert made a big show of it, like, OH NO, HEROES, WHAT DO WE DOOOOO, GATHER IN PARTIES OF NO MORE OR LESS THAN FIVE PEOPLE PLEASE THANK YOU
They nabbed Alphinaud and Alisaie as their fourth and fifth (the twins had been arguing with Godbert that they should be allowed to run the tower on their own because they were PRODIGIES) and entered.
The whole tower was an exercise in getting to know your party:
A philosophical discussion with a couple of moogles about what to do if you find a Garlean baby in a camp after you've killed all the soldiers. (Party was solidly in the Don't Kill the Baby camp) The only goal here was to come to a party consensus.
A room where a freaky candy was created to represent each person's deepest fears. You had to eat someone else's candy and be in their shoes for a little Echo scene. Note, they had to attune to a crystal, and Barry could not. He was trying and panicking, and Godbert basically was like "Oh oops it must be on the fritz :D" and had it generate an appropriate chocolate. Matsu learned that Barry is a Garlean, and both Matsu and Sayonji came to the conclusion that he is a soft sweet boy and not a spy, and also he has a shitty family.
A room where you had to speak out loud your worst flaw, and someone else had to talk about how they'd be able to compensate for that flaw. Heroes should be able to lift each other up! Speaking your flaw would summon a platform that would help build a bridge across a chasm, and having it compensated for would stabilize it enough to be able to stand on it.
At this point, both Alisaie and Sayonji were commiserating on "WHAT IS THIS UNAGREED UPON GROUP THERAPY BULLSHIT"
Final room was a fight against Mama Moogle (fat moogle) and her moogley minions. Lots of goofy combat, and they knocked Mama Moogle so hard she quit early.
They got lil plastic medals that, when pressed, would do the tinny victory theme. They say "I survived the Tower of Light at the first annual Rising Festival!" on them. Super gaudy.
Everyone parted ways a bit sadly, assuming they'd never see each other again. Matsu gave Barry a lil kiss in hopes of impressing his jackass brother and friends.
And Then The Call
Last session, I had another round of "here's what you've been doing ever since that day." Matsu had realized her mother was a flake when her mom casually dropped that Matsu was a foundling and didn't seem to get that this was Big News to her. Sayonji had been adventuring, and by adventuring, I mean being a gal friday for Bentbranch. Barry was busy trying to experiment on solidifying the gunblade and the art of gunbreaking.
Matsu was in the middle of discussing with her father and Krile about trying to become a cleric of Hydaelyn, and then breaking the news that she knew about her birth, when her vision blurred and she blacked out.
Sayonji ran into Temur again, was horribly embarrassed that he hadn't done hardly enough, Temur composed a little ditty on the spot about him helping little old ladies, and Sayonji blacked out.
Barry was walking through Ala Mhigo with his brother when Nero got into a spat with a little girl and her mother, and when the girl attacked him, Nero reacted without thinking and went to rifle-butt-smack her in the face. Barry intervened and blacked out.
They all had a joint vision of themselves in a floating void -- the others were glowing light figures, like the Warriors of Light -- and they got to see themselves as max level as a lil glowing light did the Hear, Feel, Think shtick.
Then they saw the glowing orb start to bleed black mist and shrivel, and an Ascian appeared, picked up the orb, and crumpled it in his fist. Then he shot away, and the three of them were able to give chase and limit break him into non-existence.
When they woke up, they all basically got lil scenes that got them to a boat. Barry asked his brother to cover for him while he went "field testing" and Nero took this to mean he wanted to basically do Garlean Rumspringa and also probably do some casual murdering of Eorzean soldiers, which is a-okay in his book. Nero gave him the thumbsup. Krile was excited about the vision, and Matsu's dad was worried. They urged her to start adventuring, and Krile offered to put in an appointment with Baderon at the Adventurer's Guild in Limsa. Sayonji told Temur about his vision and got a lil ditty in compensation.
It's worth noting right about now that I've been making quest plates for them, so they can keep track of the long-term questions.
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Anyway, they all got on their boats. Sayonji and Barry had about a month on the boat together to catch up (Barry was a stowaway). They met Matsu in the Cieldalaes, where Limsa customs is presently, since the Yellowjackets are buttoning up everything in response to a spate of kidnappings.
They met Brennan, the friendly peddler, who chatted with them and asked them why they were adventuring and whatnot.
THEN PIRATES ATTACKED, and we stopped for the day.
Whew
Most of these writeups won't be this long, since they won't encompass THREE SESSIONS plus setup, but at least I have something I can point to now lol
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lovestuckyhatemarvel · 7 months
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My bastard boy cat was a bastard child to my old lady cat and just kneaded a blanket while yowling as if he’s the one who was put upon. Anyway, here’s Stranger Things Season 4 Episode 6. Let’s see what’s dumber: the show or my cat.
1.) Patrick’s corpse looks too goofy for me to feel bad for Jason right now.
2.) “Eddie is a vessel for Satan.” Lmao this was a dude who like last episode swore he didn’t believe in the Supernatural. Not to tell him his business but I would not be jumping to Satan even when I was a kid who believed in that shit.
3.) Also, maybe the cops should be worried about a teenager who already hunted down Eddie once when he’s being like ‘EDDIE IS A VESSEL FOR THE DEVIL’. Like I’m gonna be real with you, small town cops will put you in psych ward against your will for less.
4.) I need everyone to understand that even though America’s military fucking LOVES torture, torture does not work. It does not work. It will get you a false confession long before it will get you a real one. Part of the problem though is that media fucking looooooooves torture. Like this isn’t bullshit ‘media makes you violent’ nonsense. Congress literally cited the show 24 during talks about whether torture works. Because it always worked in the fictional bullshit garbage TV show 24.
5.) The shot of El walking down a hall with a team behind her while Brenner talks about how she had a LITERAL STROKE is hilarious.
6.) To be clear, you do not repair broken or dead connections in your brain. Once those are dead, they’re dead forever. They do not come back. You create NEW routes.
7.) Can we talk about how Kali has not been mentioned once? Did the Duffers forget she exists? Like Brenner sucks but he’s not an idiot, so he should be aware that someone is killing people from the fucking place.
8.) Sneaky Eddie steals a walkie with his tongue out.
9.) I love that Robin talked about Eddie’s doe eyes.
10.) The cops releasing Eddie’s name and photo as a ‘person of interest’ in this town based on Jason’s stupid testimony that sounds insane is B-B-B-Bonkers.
11.) Poor Eddie is like, very close to a breakdown and I do not blame him.
12.) Why can’t they just tell Argyle that Suzie’s family is Mormon.
13.) Okay no one ever mentions people are being bonkers in Suzie’s house. Also there are so many kids.
14.) Argyle has a mega crush on Eden that people also never mention.
15.) I’m glad Joyce and Murray survived their plane crash but how did they do that with zero injuries.
16.) Oh, the traitor is still alive too.
17.) I will say that leaving someone in the middle of nowhere tied to a tree is actually killing him. Lmao Like not to get into ridiculous semantics, but just because it wasn’t directly 100% by your hands doesn’t not make it murder.
18.) Yuri decides to help them though because the show can’t actually have either of them do anything terrible.
19.) Oh Antonov is like, catholic or some shit.
20.) What is with this feast?
21.) Hopper was doing SOMETHING on the floor during this rando telling people about upside down monsters.
22.) Hopper was the first dude to figure out the last meal shit????
23.) has anyone edited this plinking scene with El to put a horse into it?
24.) Brenner saying One didn’t exist is hilarious. Like, no kids, we just started at 2 for funsies. Like maybe just say he died or something.
25.) Oh now they finally mention Kali, but still no mention or attempt from anyone actually in charge. Just a memory of a mention.
26.) “We should have just told her the truth”. Sirs, I don’t think you actually know the truth.
27.) When exactly did Steve practically invent Skull Rock as a make out spot?
28.) Lucas is so goddamn sweet.
29.) Why would Robin of all people hint that Nancy and Steve should get back together???????
30.) Robin and Nancy are cute.
31.) Dustin’s dads calling him a butthead is great.
32.) this town hall is bullshit.
33.) Oh god, Jason and his stupid crew. I hate his stupid face. Also suddenly he’s not giving details. Probably because no one would actually believe him. Why doesn’t he just say ‘vessel for Satan’?
34.) Oh suddenly some of the people in the crowd realize their kids are accused cult members.
35.) Jason I wanna beat you silly.
36.) WHY THE FUCK HAS NO ONE CUT HIS MIC? WHY HAS NO ONE ARRESTED HIM FOR ATTEMPTING TO INCITE A GODDAMN RIOT?
37.) Jesus Christ, Powell, you are 5 minutes late and a dollar short.
38.) why are they lying to Susie oh my god.
39.) I love Eden.
40.) Karen, don’t call the cops, oh my god.
41.) “The thing I do now, apparently. I ran.” This implies that this is a new development for Eddie.
42.) Dustin’s gate reveal.
43.) Steve pointing out they can’t put Eddie in danger via a walk in the words.
44.) I’m gonna be real with you, technically Eddie’s statement is nonsense since the Shire isn’t burning into after everyone gets back from Mordor.
45.) IDK who needs to hear this but putting extra black people in the show just for most of them to be background or killed is like, not actually representation.
46.) It’s actually kind of nonsense that Henry is so obsessed with El in the past.
47.) Yuri has a point. He doesn’t need to need to do anything to them at this point. Either they succeed or they die.
48.) Ohhhhhhh Murray is now Yuri and Yuri is now Murray. That’s smart. Maybe. If they’d actually established that no one knows what Yuri looks like, which they didn’t do that first.
49.) Antonov is kind of right about hope. Also, people can absolutely defeat a demogorgon. Hopper should know that. So man I hope this is a distraction or something, because damn, otherwise what are you doing?
50.) Oh Hopper and Antonov got taken out.
51.) I also don’t know how they got a demogorgon here.
52.) Oh, Hopper did have a plan. Good job, bud.
53.) Okay I know what the internet is and I know how I got access to it in the 90s, but I just realized I don’t know how Suzie’s household has it in the 80s.
54.) Oh, Eden and Argyle were getting high.
55.) Maybe one of you two cops could have actually done something about Jason before he became a riot inducer. Maybe when he accused Eddie of being an agent of Satan.
56.) Robin would put Nancy in charge.
57.) “Miss you already.” Robin, you’re the queen of my heart.
58.) What’s with the bully group of kids?
59.) For real why do these kids fucking hate El?
60.) El literally does not know what happened?
61.) Nancy watching Steve and Robin watching Nancy and Eddie watching Steve. Also, Max approves of Steve’s chest hair, almost guaranteed.
62.) Merman Steve Harrington. He can hold his breath for at least a minute.
63.) Max distracting the cops.
64.) damn he really does get just yanked across the ground.
65.) Nancy jumps in. Dustin gets caught by the cops. Robin follows. Eddie calls it stupid and then follows seconds after.
66.) Steve’s first time in the upside down. And he gets to fight mutant bats with an oar and immediately get his ass kicked as he’s strangled. There was like, definitely a version of this where he died.
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sysig · 3 years
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She finally has some sensible clothes
#Doodles#Original#The Mouse and The Mermaid#And some nonsensible ones but those are for funsies#Upfront - I didn't design any of these I played with a few online dollmakers and spliced outfit parts from those#Most are simple enough that that wouldn't be an issue but I'm not about to steal the thunder of the more complex designs#Just a fun dress up session to better get an idea of her taste - she's quite cutesy and feminine#The first one is definitely closest to the one I originally designed but there's a nice simplicity to it#Not quite as many moving parts#I did intentionally make it as close as I could and then played with all the rest lol#The second one was supposed to be kind of like her maid outfit as well#Not related to the outfit but I haven't have an unfinished doodle due to other art being in the way for a while#Even long since I haven't edited it out but I kinda like it better like that#Also I quite like the bows as a wrist accent quite cute#I had to draw the overalls twice 'cause while her pose is cute it doesn't make the outfit very visible#She actually looks pretty happy in the skirt and dress outfits#I like how the cut is basically the opposite from the skirt to the dress - very high waist down to hip huggers#Both are very cute on her#And then I was just being silly and picking for the last one lol a mouse with a cat-themed outfit#I wouldn't be surprised if they were hand-me-downs from some cat friend's kittens and that's why they're oversized lol#Little claw-guard mittens ahh
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albatris · 2 years
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Can you post a power dynamic of your vamps so my fan art is fealistic
ahh??! :O fan art........ how exciting, how thrilling..... much intrigue and excitement from me.....
so, there's not too much funky power dynamic nonsense going on between the main vamps :P most of the juicy power dynamic nonsense is between Nat and Quinn hahaha
so, ur main vamps, not counting the ethels, are Nat and Alex, though one can toss Riley into the mix as needed even though Riley and Alex rarely interact
Nat is the baby of the group since he's only been a vampire for a little while! both Riley and Alex consider him sort of. endearingly confused and kind of an idiot when it comes to vampire stuff
Riley is most likely to use this as an excuse to drag Nat into wild shenanigans for funsies and mess with him 'cause he doesn't know any better, n is kind of like "hell yeah new naive unstable dumbass vampire friend, time for Mischief <3" (lovingly). she does fret about him though 'cause he seems kinda endearingly helpless and is also involved with Quinn, who she has a strong dislike for
Alex is more likely to be fondly exasperated and slightly stressed; it likes Nat as a person but finds new vampires exhausting in general. they're impulsive and hungry and constantly getting into stupid situations
so Riley sees Nat as a new peer and someone fun to mess with in a friendly way, while Alex is just trying to keep him out of mortal peril for the most part lmao. though later story Nat and Alex are both just bros and good friends :3
but yes, they're both more experienced than he is n especially early on can sometimes be just a touch condescending :P
Nat looks up to both of them, but views Riley as a casual friend and Alex more as someone very intimidating and more role-model-ish at first? Nat's kind of scared of Alex at first hahaha. either way, I think Nat really wants to impress both of them! wants to be cool to Riley, wants to be helpful and A Good Vampire to Alex :P
Alex and Riley..... hm, they don't interact too much :P I doubt they'd agree on much tbh, both have wildly different perspectives on life and veeeery different approaches to conflict and interpersonal relations.... I think they'd both be a little on edge round each other? Riley wouldn't take kindly to Alex being so closely associated with Quinn, since Quinn is someone Riley goes to great lengths to avoid. Alex would be uneasy 'cause Riley's rather an unpredictable impulsive wildcard :3 n also would not approve of how casual she is about her feeding habits
the ethels do have some funky power dynamics with the gang just because.... they're ethels...... they can mind control and brainwash, they're the Garble's special little favourites, they're powerful and also very bastard. but also. ethels ethels, I haven't spoken about them at length yet although I have a ramble on the way at some point..... but ye, as compared to what the main vamps have with each other, their relationships with the ethels are much more fraught with spicy power dynamics and manipulation and unhealthy balances
but ye, power dynamics between Nat n Riley and Nat n Alex are pretty chill, power dynamics between Riley n Alex are tense
I feel like the three of them hanging out together would just b a very very tired Alex with a facial expression like one of those exhausted parents with like five kids on those little leashes at the airport frantically trying to keep them all under control except it's just Nat and Riley all like >:3
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choicesenthusiast · 3 years
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Queen B 2, Ch. 2 AKA Hot Topic
What happened this week:
Yor mysterious invitation is to a secret society (no, you’re not playing TRF), and so you and Zoey head over to the venue to begin your first rush challenge: schmoozing. It’ll be a piece of cake. Your supervisor just happens to be Momma Wade. Why do I feel like we’ll be seeing more of her than we do of Zoey herself? Anyways, since you’re the T’s Hot Topic (affectionate), they’ll also be observing your beef with them for some reason.
Your target for the day is one Tinsley Tinface, a big name actor. But first, you have to make your way through the other attendees, like Miss Deaddream Livestream, gossipy Tommy Phelps, and Gerard Way’s Gucci Sleep Paralysis Demon, who is still desperately trying to cling onto whatever clout she has left.
You and Hot Topic (derogatory) vie for Tinsley’s attention and a spot in the VIP section, and you can completely wipe the floor with her rag of death. According to Tinsley, her whole aura is repulsive.
Zoey and Momma Wade have beef sizzling rare, a little pink and raw inside. She wants to be successful without the assistance of her hotshot mother. Well, good. We can’t have an entire school of nepotism babies. There are enough of those already.
Even after all the “stay away from each other” nonsense, you are contractually obligated to stalk Kingsley after spotting them leaving a restaurant with Lexi. After throwing a fit, they drag you to a musty park to berate you about getting close again, as if I had any say in the matter. Of course, you are offered a diamond scene with them.
Michael the Irrelevant manages to snap a picture of you two and you literally hunt him down like a lion and its prey. Unfortunately for him, an antelope has more of a backbone than his blubbering behind, and he spills all the beans on X’s secret groupchat/forum thing that they’ve got going on, in which members can gather dirt on you because they have no other hobbies. This is what a Discord server is like.
Thoughts:
To choose their plots, PB throws an axe at a dartboard. Right now, the only thing on there is “secret society.”
Okay, but like, why do we get no reaction from Zoey if you allow the shemon into the VIP section? Are we once again forgetting about the pivotal hate crime and assault in the last book?
We have a hit list! I think we should be allowed to murder, just for funsies. I think it’d be real embarrassing for X to summon their goons and none of them show up because they’re all dead. Or maybe it’d be way cooler if they did show up dead. Necromancy. Ooh, is this the plot of the next It Lives?
What exactly is X’s deal anyway? Take us down, sure. But then what? Dismantling the bitchiarchy means no more dick-taters, but it looks like all they want to do is take our place. This line of succession is about as chaotic as the British one. Oh, well. As long as there’s no inbreeding. Only infighting! Fight, fight, fight!
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