lathal

[lathal]

OK, so here's the deal. My home internet is very slow. I live just far enough way from town so that we don't get the good internet option, and just close enough to town that the rural internet program wouldn't cover me. It takes tumblr about 15-20 minutes just to load, nevermind to get into my drafts and actually open up the posts, trim them, etc. My phone has a hot spot, but I work from home and need all of that data in order to keep me going at work. This is a huge part of the reason why it is hard to get myself to write.

HOWEVER, the internet company has finally decided to provide a better option for my area. If they are not exagerating, then my internet should be about 30 times faster than it currently is, which will make it much easier for me to be here as soon as they can make it out here to upgrade me.

[lathal]

OK, so here's the deal. My home internet is very slow. I live just far enough way from town so that we don't get the good internet option, and just close enough to town that the rural internet program wouldn't cover me. It takes tumblr about 15-20 minutes just to load, nevermind to get into my drafts and actually open up the posts, trim them, etc. My phone has a hot spot, but I work from home and need all of that data in order to keep me going at work. This is a huge part of the reason why it is hard to get myself to write.

HOWEVER, the internet company has finally decided to provide a better option for my area. If they are not exagerating, then my internet should be about 30 times faster than it currently is, which will make it much easier for me to be here as soon as they can make it out here to upgrade me.

[lathal]

Is anyone here interesting in doing anything in either a modern or historical AU? I’m itching to do stuff, but only in one of those verses rn. My normal historical AU is 1940s, but I’m open to developing something in other eras.

[lathal]

The last few months had been treating Iveani well. Her neighbor seemed a little quiet, which was a shame because she'd always valued community, but it was okay. She'd been focusing on reconnecting with old friends and trying to make her apartment feel more homey. She was trying to get back into running, since she used to love it, but the last time she did it outside, her ex decided to prank her by making her think she was being kidnapped again. The thought of running outside still made her feel sick to her stomach. She'd get over it eventually, she'd been able to handle it before, but not yet.

Today, her goal was to tackle her book problem. She'd loved reading and had been collecting books since she was a teenager, but the bare bones furnishing the apartment came with didn't include any shelves. She'd ordered some online, but she'd underestimated how heavy the boxes would be. She'd dragged the first one a short ways, but it was slow and she wasn't sure how she'd handle the stairs.

Iveani debated for a moment before walking to Raserei's apartment and knocking on the door. He'd have an easier time moving them than she would. She wasn't sure if he was home or not, but if so, then there was no harm in asking, even if he did usually stick to himself. The worst he'd do is say no.

Fences Make Good Neighbors

|| @lathal

There was a poem, though the demon spawn couldn't recall where he read it or who wrote it, that fences made good neighbors. Normally, he would agree. Raserei treasured his isolation, it was easier safer, for everyone.

Yet, here he was pulling some fresh baked sourdough from his oven to bring over to his neighbor. While she wasn't completely new...well she had only lived there for a few months, and he wasn't overly fond of it. He still didn't want to be a bad neighbor; for whatever reason.

Raserei nodded as he placed the bread down to rest and cool, "Shit, what if she hates this kind of bread?!"

[lathal]

There's another elf, thank the gods, Iveani thought as she got a closer look at the trio before her.

The human woman made her nervous. Intellectually, she knew that most shemlen probably weren't out to hurt her, but past experiences made her wary, especially because she was heavily armored. Elves were usually friendly, though, and the fact that she was traveling with one was a good sign. The fact that he'd approached her before the human was also reassuring. Sure, he had drawn his weapon initially, but she had startled him, and she had her own hand on her bow, since they were so close to the rift.

"Someone else should be coming around sunset, but we're close enough to camp that I can run and get backup, if necessary," Iveani explained, trying not to let her anxiety show.

Iveani knew better than to agree to a job that may involve having to fight off multiple demons alone. She was a skilled hunter and she had no doubt that she'd be able to learn to fight reasonably quickly, but her prey wasn't usually trying to kill her, and there wasn't much time to train when you needed to be working all the time. She was here because she was good at escaping.

Gatt knew the reports of a rift in the area were accurate when the mark started acting weird. It no longer hurt as soon as it became active, the way it had when he first woke up with it — now instead of that sharp pain crawling up to his elbow he felt only a buzzing of nerves, unsettling but not painful. But it was there, unmistakable. When he lifted his hand, a faint glow was visible through the seams in the leather glove.

But where was that rift? They'd climbed a ridge to get a better view of the area, but could see nothing from there. There was no other way but down, towards the forest. He looked to his companions for confirmation before he started to walk down. They'd made clear they would follow him, because he was the Herald, but Gatt wasn't made to lead. The Qun had made that clear.

Distracted by the mark as he were, the shout made him jump halfway out of his skin. The greatsword was in his hands before he knew it, the massive blade held with surprising ease in front of him, and every muscle in his body was tense and ready for battle. All he'd seen for days were mages and templars too wrapped up in their war to tell friend from foe, and bandits rushing into any area they'd left behind. The occasional squadron of soldiers had been friendly enough, or at least not outright hostile. But he didn't trust any soldiers. He didn't trust the Inquisition's people, or his own companions. He was an arrow waiting to be fired, a gaatlok cannon ready to explode.

Then, his brain registered what he'd heard: a warning, not a threat.

Finally he spotted her, a little further down the slope. In a heartbeat his posture relaxed, the sword fell to his side. Beside him it was Cassandra's turn to tense, Varric who's hand moved towards his weapon. To them a Dalish elf meant trouble. And they could be, Gatt knew, but it was a kind of trouble he could deal with. With the mark on his hand he'd been thrust into a conflict that wasn't his; strange magic and cutthroat politics and wars he didn't understand. He could handle some angry people, if that was what the Dalish were.

He sheathed the sword and called back in answer. "We're— here to deal with it. The rift. I can close it." As he got closer — walking slowly, not wanting to startle her — the mark on his hand stirred again. He closed his fist around it as though that might make it stop. "Is there anyone else nearby? It's— probably going to start spitting out demons."

[lathal]

Also! If anyone wants to plot anything, lmk! I’m a little more in the mood for modern rn, but I could do DA or BG3.

[lathal]

Btw, if any of you are on StoryGraph, I’d love to swap usernames.

I am going to try to be back soon! My mood is up a bit and I’ve been reading a lot, which should help.

[lathal]

I am going to try to be back soon! My mood is up a bit and I’ve been reading a lot, which should help.

[lathal]

Guys, my best friend of 22 years is getting married, and I get to be its MOH! (Sorry for the irrelevant ooc post, I am just very excited.)

Do I know what a maid of honor does, exactly? No. But I am looking it up.

[lathal]

I am trying to come back, I swear. I’m just in a mental hole.

[lathal]

Does anyone want to plot?

[lathal]

Last OOC post before trying to get to IC stuff, I swear, but I have some miscellaneous thoughts about the Veilguard. Spoiler stuff is below the cut, but in short, while I do like the game and I had fun with it, there are some tweaks I would have liked to see.

I really like the grey morality aspects of DA games, but it seems like it was mostly missing from the Veilguard. Sure, there are some things that some factions could have done better, but everything seems very sanitized. This is most notable for me with the Crows, but that could have been because I was playing a crow.

On a similar vein, I would have liked to see more politics stuff that was unrelated to the gods. For example, I heard that Tevinter Nights was setting up a conflict where the crows were debating their role as normal assassins and if they should take on a more noble cause. They could have done something with that and it would have fit well.

The combat system could use more balance. Why is every enemy out there only targeting my mage when I have two warriors right there?

I do like how they incorporated more companion quests to get to know them better instead of relying on the long dialogue trees. It feels more natural.

I'm not sure how I feel about Taash just yet? I definitely like them as a character, but they come across as being a little younger than the rest of the companions, which makes them feel a little out of place, maybe? I think it may be a combination of their story like being about discovering who you are and dealing with an overbearing parent making them come across as a teenager or very young adult.

The game could not have come to me at a better time in my life. I was diagnosed with DID earlier this year, and I'm struggling with coming to terms with it, but both Harding and Lucanis are coming across as vaguely system-coded to me, and it's nice seeing how they're coping with it. I did ugly cry multiple times in Harding's personal quest line.

The Varric reveal had me internally screaming, but it would have been nice if Rook had some time to discuss what they learned or process it somehow.

Not a fan of the Solavellan ending at this point. Maybe it will grow on me. We'll see.

[lathal]

I finished Veilguard, so I will be back very, very soon!

[lathal]

[lathal]

[lathal]

Iveani's first appearance in DATV and bonus Anise de Riva

[lathal]

I love Ivy in DAV. And Rook, of course, but I am obsessed with her showing up in Minrathous in what I think is a shadow dragon outfit. 100% on brand for Her.