#(use mind magic on zach)

[mage-witha-glock]

Literally Zach and Zorian (the og reel)

[felassan]

Compilation of snippets from the DA:TV acting talent panel at SDCC (Dragon Age: Meet the Heroic Companions of Thedas) today (July 26th). DA:TV spoilers under cut.

Huge props and tysm to the users who live-tweeted and clipped this panel, you are heroes 🙏💜!!

The panel was moderated. In attendance were John Epler, creative performance director Ashley Barlow, and the actors of Lucanis, Neve, Emmrich, and Harding - Zach Mendez, Jessica Clark, Nick Boraine, and Ali Hillis respectively.

The panel ended with a Q&A session.

(BioWare have stated that a recording of the panel will be made available at a later date.)

Edit/update: I've now been through this post and tidied it up :)

---

Here are some pictures from the panel [source]

Here are some more pictures from the panel [source]

In this Twitter thread there are also some video clips of parts of the panel [source]

BioWare tried to avoid spoilers in the panel [source]

Key points/summary of DA:TV: hunting Solas, found family companions, stop the elven gods [source]

When auditioning the companions, BW were specifically looking for character chemistry [source]

BW used motion capture for the game [source]. Mo-cap was mentioned a lot in the panel [source]

Lucanis sees assassination as a job. His mind is as dangerous as his knives and he is also "kinda hilarious" [source]

There was mention of other Crows [source]

Zach Mendez read Tevinter Nights like three times [source]

A clip of the actors doing mo-cap was shown [source]. Photos of Zach mo-capping for other characters was shown [source]

BioWare said that Zach brought a certain darkness to Lucanis [source]

Zach is excited for the romance and is looking forward to the stats [source]

Zach mentioned that he used his own relationship with his brother in his portrayal of Lucanis [source] (surely this means ILLARIO.. ?👀)

Zach played a lot of darkspawn originally while auditioning [source]

Ali Hillis really welcomed Zach into the DA family [source]

Neve is from Minrathous. She has fun banter and is a cynical detective with a heart of gold. They want to show a rebellious side of Tevinter [source]

Jessica Clark loves Neve's loyalty, dedication, and different vision of Tevinter

Neve is fighting for the people [source]. Jessica: "She is really really fighting for those people, and she loves those people. So, yes, she's cynical, and yes she's kind of tough and brusque and all these other things, but when they say there's a heart of gold, there really, like, to have that kind of a passion and dedicate your life to something like that, I think that's definitely my favorite part about her" [source]

Jessica loves how much Neve loves Docktown and its people [source]

Neve sees a different vision for Tevinter than what has previously been depicted in the series [source]

The actors were separate from one another while recording lines but still bonded really well and organically [source]

There are several Veilguard gc [source] (groupchats?)

Ali is an angel and very supportive of the new cast [source]

Emmrich is a "stone cold silver fox" (this is a quote from the panel moderator) [source]

BioWare knew the reaction they would get about Emmrich from the fandom [source]

Nick Boraine feels like he's been preparing for Emmrich all his life. He's obsessed with death (as a comfort and not scary) and enabling people to transition into death. He is attracted to this aspect of the character [source]

"You're gonna need a dictionary for Emmrich" for all the magic spells [source]

"Interesting how this character caught fire compared to the other sexy characters" [source] (I think this was said wrt Emmrich?)

BW had a great time recording with Nick, he is a very consistent actor [source]

Nick and Matt Mercer have never met [source]

Manfred plays off of Emmrich. "I set the tone" [source]

What has Harding been doing in-between DA:I and DA:TV? She's been working closely with Varric and the Inquisition remnants. She and Neve already met in the comics [source]

Ali vividly remembers the beginning of voicing Harding, she says it's brilliant writing. She really thought of Harding's personality and traits. She's so happy to be back [source]

wrt the Covid-19 pandemic and the year 2020, BW had to pivot with working remotely and were able to push through their projects. [source]

"[Harding] chasing Solas for a decade..." "that was a great relationship that [you] developed... and now I'll stop talking now". Ali was excited [source]

John Epler talked about how companions may but heads, and won't be predictable [source]

There are thousands and thousands of lines and so many characters to meet [source]

Zach "unfortunately has been around the DA Reddit before recording as Lucanis" [source]. He feels inspired by all the fans and cannot wait for us to play it [source]

[new textblock due to character limit!]

John Epler on Emmrich: "I mean honestly, I will say, like, we expected a great reaction to Emmrich. Went beyond what we expected for sure. But it’s been fascinating to see, because again, Emmrich is this character, he’s more of the professorial, more, he brings a wisdom and kind of a calmness to the group, so even when things are at their worst, there’s that one person in the group who is kinda like, ‘okay, y’know, we've got, let's figure it out, let’s take a deep breath’. And just his journey through his character arc, and his interactions with the others, it’s been fantastic to see. Even just finding opportunities for him to bounce off the other characters, you know, the way he talks to Bellara, the way he talks to Neve, it’s all so different, but it’s also just, again, based around this core of this warm, kind-hearted, professorial necromancer. Which, again, is not something you see a lot of in media. I mean, usually, necromancers are depicted in a very specific way. But it’s been, it's awesome to see how Emmrich has grown and just, really one of the most, one of my favorite experiences has been just working with Emmrich’s writer, working with Emmrich as a character." [source]

All the actors are excited about the dialogue and narrative, and for us to explore DA:TV [source]

Ali says that we will really find ourselves in this game [source]

During the recording process, the actors all hear the previous person's recording and react or respond to it [source]

Due to Covid-related lockdown, a lot of recording was done over Zoom, and the writers besides Ashley Barlow (creative performance director) would jump in on the call to talk about the previous person’s lines [source]

A question was asked about the background factions. "Characters not causes". [source]

You can work with the Grey Wardens in the game (for example) [source]

The actors all met this weekend. They are an "un-chosen" family [source]

Zach stood in for multiple characters for mo-cap, for example he was Assan [source]

Lucanis has a heart but is stubborn and stuck in his ways. Zach is excited for fans to help his character open up as the story progresses [source]

Jessica is incredibly honored to join the DA universe. She is new to voice acting for video games. “This is play pretend. Playing Neve allowed her to step into her power.” [source]

A question was asked on what their first exposure to fantasy was, and do they implement this into the acting? John talked about Lord of the Rings and how every media you experience will seep out into your work [source]

Ashley didn't want the dialogue to sound modern [source]

Zach loves Theseus and talked about the symbolism in DA [source]

Jessica loves Greek mythology and lore [source]

Nick talked about The Hobbit and how he would dress up in big boots and a cape when his mother would read to him [source]

Ali recently went to Greece and felt like she saw DA everywhere [source]

A question was asked - "From your companion's perspective, which previous companion would you romance?" Zach kind of has a thing for The Iron Bull, saying "oh that awakened something inside of me". He also likes Dorian. Jessica was too overwhelmed to answer. Nick was also overwhelmed by the question, but thinks Solas is sexy [source] [source]

Ali fangirled over Lucanis and Emmrich [source], prefers Emmrich [source]

A question was asked - "Is DA:TV and DA:I streamlined together?" [paraphrased]. Answer: DA games are not as streamlined as Mass Effect and act almost as standalones [source]

The cast were asked about which aspect of their character is their favorite. Ali loves the little quirks about Harding. "Lucanis is a good cook!?" ** Neve is very dry and pretty closed off about it. For Emmrich, it's the "exploration of the idea of death and necromancy" [source] (** FINALLY CITATION for this? :D)

A question was asked: "How do you decide to introduce the lore in each game?" BioWare answered that it depends as they build each game. They always know the base lore, and see opportunities through game mechanics and characters. They try not to infodump [source]

A question was asked: "Any favorite party banter?" Ashley Barlow said to listen for "hand to bone combat" [source]

The game takes place approximately 10 years after the end of DA:I. You start the game hunting for Solas. The game is built on some core principles: be who you want to be in a world worth saving and with characters that matter. The companions are always at the heart of DA and they are at the heart of this game too. [source]

The moderator asked John Epler about what is bringing this party of people ("this rogues' gallery") together. John: "I mean, it's the end of the world, and each character that you bring into your party understands that the world is ending, that they need to stop that, and you're really building, what I would say is, more of a found family. These are characters who may not start off liking each other, may not even start off liking you, but over time they grow to understand the importance of what they're doing and just, how critical it is to stop the elven gods" [source]

"He is kind and has some spectacular lines. He is a natural nerdy scientist. He loves learning." [source] (Emmrich? ^^)

Ali didn't realize that Harding was such a beloved character. She thanked fans for bringing this character back [source]

Ali is super excited that the game is releasing. She said that there has been an evolution to Harding's character and that she's been chasing Solas for like a decade at this point [source]

Jessica loves the writing in the game [source]

Nick loves its narrative [source]

Ali said that this game is going to take you into a world that will blow your minds [source]

On Manfred: Nick was asked what it was like having another character to bounce off of. He said "Oh man! I mean, that is such a hard question, because Matt and I have never met, and we worked completely separately, and, I, I mean I know that the rapport is really great, but it's in the ether, I mean it is just, the magic that these guys create, telling us how to respond, how to do that, but it's, I can't wait to meet Matt" [source]

BW still said that the game's release window is Fall 2024 [source]. Nothing more specific was given [source]

There are also more snippets here in this Tumblr post, go check it out!

[source, two]

[onlymurdersintheafterparty]

OMITB S4:E3 ‘Two for the Road’

This episode was interesting and raised even more questions. While we start off and end the episode with the trio, in most of the episode we watch them branch off with their respective actors and have their own mini adventures. I thought it was a great idea to give us a better idea of who Zach, Eugene, and Eva are in this universe and to delve more into the main characters’ personalities apart from each other. There were several bombshells dropped so as always spoilers are behind the cut.

At the beginning of the episode, we find out from Detective Williams that the FBI has taken over meaning she won’t be on the case. That doesn’t stop her from giving them what information she does have as well as breaking the fourth wall in reference to the three previous seasons which was hilarious. We also learn that she’s a fan of Zach Galifianakis when she discovers the actors are also in the apartment and threatens Oliver not to let him get hurt and implies he’s her hall pass 🤭 Honestly same bc the man is not only hilarious but handsome as well. Shortly after she leaves is when everyone branches off so I’m going to break up each segment based off the duo.

Oliver and Zach don’t do any intentional sleuthing this episode. Oliver is fed up with Zach’s indifference and lack of desire to connect so he lies saying they need to monitor the ham radio and whisks him off to his apartment. I know Oliver is a mess but I really don’t like the way that Zach treats him like a loser. At some point they appear to bond as Oliver teaches Zach how to snort, grunt, and dress like him which seems to have gone well until Zach is overheard saying otherwise. Howard tries his best to stand up for Oliver in that passive aggressive way and we know he means well but it ultimately does nothing to change Zach’s impression. I agree on one thing though: Oliver’s resilience and choosing to wake up happy every day despite the chaos is admirable. That’s what life is about because every day is a chance to change your fate.

Charles and Eugene’s dynamic was different. Are they buddies? No but they both have the same goal in mind which is to get Vince to take off his eyepatch to see if he’s hiding damage from the gun recoiling. These two clearly share one brain cell because every attempt failed. First they come up with a story about Charles having a cousin who is an eye doctor with magic eye drops that they swear will work wonders. Instead of taking off his eyepatch then and there, Vince instead goes into the privacy of his bathroom. Take two goes even worse because Eugene’s idea of doing a spit take to get the eyepatch off leads to him getting punched in the face by Vince after he spits water on him. It does lead to a clue though. When they all hug it out, Eugene notices a photograph and signals for Charles to view it. It’s all the Westies and a figure with their face scribbled out. What in the world is going on here? Is Dudenoff Moriarty? Is Dudenoff not even involved and someone else just utilized his apartment as originally suspected? I’m so confused.

Mabel and Eva were giving frenemies. No actual hate, just two people forced together with nothing in common. Though her methods were unconventional and unhinged, Eva did manage to get a lot of info for Mabel.

The gun on the mantle is a movie prop that shoots nerf gun like ammo

Christmas Guy HATES Christmas; now this had me shook ngl; this man is a fitness influencer who has been typecast into a Christmas role and is basically held hostage by his decor 😭

The tinsel is not tinsel!

A few days ago I made a post about a theory regarding the killer(s) and whether or not they were in attendance at the party in the S3 finale and @bbeeebbo brought up a really good point about the tinsel being a red herring for Christmas Guy and that it very well could have been from the party. While we have yet to confirm if it was from the party, we now have confirmation that it’s actually not tinsel at all!

The sleuthing with the two ends shortly after this reveal and we see Mabel get the idea to look up squatter’s rights and temporarily move into the Dudenoff apartment. When they all reunite at the end for Mabel’s housewarming party, they put their clues together and realize that 445 is a radio frequency. Earlier when Mabel and Eva were sleuthing they discovered a ham radio in the Christmas apartment as well so clearly the Westies have some secret communication going on. When Mabel turns on the radio to the right frequency, a woman responds and tells them to stop snooping because the last person that did so is dead (Sazz). She also was in a hurry to disconnect giving the impression she’s on the run. Is she the mysterious Dudenoff or a tenant we have yet to meet? I’m so confused!

Final Thoughts

I feel like the writers have caught on to how smart the redditors are because a lot of theories were confirmed or debunked this episode. Someone theorized Mabel might end up squatting in the Dudenoff apartment which she does at the end of the episode and another theorized that Vince’s eyepatch was to cover a bruise from the gun’s recoil which is false (he actually does have pink eye and it’s gnarly 🤢). I’m bracing myself for the moment in the season finale where everything was obvious af and I was just overthinking everything 😂 What do you guys think so far now that we’re 3 episodes into the season?

[viperdarkness]

So, I thought about a Menevolent Mother of learning AU and I mean the obvious choice is just Zorian possesses Zach. I mean they literally already had parts of their souls fused, you can easily go further.

(Since I believe that like in the original Zorian wakes up first) book one would probably go like this:

Ah wtf I woke up in Zach’s body! Wtf is going on?

WTF is Zach’s norm how am I supposed to act!?!?

Oh Man the month is repeating too…

I really need to learn soul magic my control over this body is crap!

Why don’t I get Zach’s humongous mana reserves

Oh fuck my real body is dead and my family is holding a Funeral (I think is soul was ripped and his OG body just got enough to have the marker imprint on it and then eminently die every restart)

Realizing how much Zach was fucked over and having to deal with the lack of resources

[…]

Ah fuck Zach has woken up and now we have two minds in one Body

Anyway at a certain point Zorian has mastered all the soul and mind magic enough to just use Zach’s body as a philactery (like a fucking Litch) and mainly uses his own (self possessed) body and his simulacrums to exist. But it’s gonna be an uphill battle to get there

[inthefightgarden]

something i'm really enjoying in my mother of learning re-read is the schrodinger's forshadowing.

there are so many times i've noticed when zorian ponder's something and is correct. [eg. the time he wonder's if red robe has a similar history to zach after learning about tensen from tinami aope during arc 1 [i have noticed this pattern quite a few times, but i can't remember them now cause i keep forgetting to take notes :( [yes i did use a square bracket scheme just so i could include a sad face, what about it?]]] or when he's thinks about learning/doing something in the future, and then down the line he does.

but there are also so many times it goes nowhere. like the medical magic thing. it comes up so many times as something he should do at some point and he just never gets round to it.

i really enjoy that method of storytelling. it feels very true to life to me.

something which may or may not be related, but is in the same box in my head so is going in the same post.

i love how reccuring the conflict is of whether zorian should be more liberal with his mind magic. i've noticed several times where he has essentially the same thought of "should i use mind magic on innocent person/family member/friend when i don't really need to? no, that's a bad habit to get into." it comes up so many times, and it can feel kinda repetitive. but. that's how morals are. you don't just have a conflict once and be a moral person with that exact line for the rest of your life. you have to keep making the same choices over and over. you have to keep deciding that it's worth it to hold that line. so i really like that it's written that way.

[ersetu-gazette]

Celestial Warlock Zorian

My mind keeps on wandering to an idea of an au I had, not sure if this would be during specifically the time loop in MoL, or other time loops, but I love the idea of Zorian being recruited (read: extorted) by the angels to forever be an assistant to the time loops. A template is permanently created for the Sovereign gate that is created at the beginning of each loop. This is to give the main controller a friend across all loops, an advisor, and a resource to do the ethically ambiguous things that they can't do due to the contract. I'm not exactly sure how it would out, but I just really like the idea of a Zorian after being a loop copy escaping to the real world instead of circumventing punishment is forced into service by the angels, and this cynical, curious, and otherwise normal boy is forced to be the angel's lapdog. Basically a dynamic not too dissimilar from Celestial warlocks in d&d but the patrons are much more involved and controlling. In each loop Zorian is created whole cloth, with the angels visiting the real world before hand to set up ways for him to integrate into society like they prepared the Sulrothum in the book. He primarily spends a few loops getting used to the cover story and the new culture & time period he finds himself in and then approaches the main controller once they've properly adjusted to the loop. he's been giving orders to help them with everything but he has his own spite, reservations, and rebellions to this, exercising his free will whenever possible.

Zorian and the new controller getting closer together is never a question of if but how long, since they're the only two that will never lose awareness of the loops. It also is a point of tension if the controller empathizes with Zorian's permanent servitude or not. No matter what the controller will hide some of the joy and gratitude they have they'll have a permanent friend (Zorian's empathy powers make the attempts to hide useless) A couple of thoughts on how this could work: 1) Zorian is recruited after the events of Mother of Learning and is forced to be the advisor/guide/confidant of the next controller, but somehow the time loop is fucked up even more and he and the new protagonist have to scramble to fix/ survive this mess. This is with a new cast of characters in the future focusing on how the world modernizes and changes to cultural norms. 2) Zorian actually was recruited and existed before the events of MoL and inverses the dynamic of Zach and Zorian, where Zorian is the more experience time traveler of the two. Zach almost definitely harbors a puppy crush at the cool nerdy archmage in his corner and Zorian appreciates a controller that is more on his side than others. Zorian is initially suspicious of Jornak and Zach dissmisses it as jealousy. When Zorian thwarts Jornak's scheme Zach embarrassingly sits through an "I told you so lecture" (and maybe the two talk about why Zach assumed jealousy was the key motivator from Zorian). 3) Zorian's service is timeless and he's forced to be there for all loops, even in the ancient past. He has to be the assistant to Shutur-Tanara as a young person, and deals with the crisis of being there for so much ancient history. (Also in this version Shutur-Tanara is a trans woman. No reason specifically why but I think it'd be great if Zorian's main concern is trying to stop imperialism and colonization and his modern cultural norms meanwhile Shutur-Tanara's main thought's are "man I wish I was born a woman." Eventually when Zorian is educating her on modern concepts he mentions trans people and that catches Shutur's attention. ST: "Wait, that's a thing? What magic is needed to change my body?" ZK: "I will cover that later once you agree that conquering continents and colonizing other cultures are bad." ST: ". . . make me a woman and I'll try to listen with a more open mind.") Zorian also meets some of the eleven immortals and a young Quatch-Ichl who he ends up taking a partially mentor/parental role within the time loop. Idk, there's a lot in this idea that I'm really interested in and would be curious to hear everyone else's thoughts.

[braininatankwithalaptop]

To celebrate the new year I want to talk about how I imagine a mother of learning fan game would go.

It's about 8 years after the end cyorian invasion and you're playing Kirielle's best friend, a girl with natural seer/divination abilities. She invited you over a holiday break to Knyazov Dveri, where her brother has the best spell forge in the area due to his friendship with the mayor: Zach Noveda.

When you enter the town you're overcome with a headache and pass out. When you wake up you find out that you've been taken to the guest room at Zorian's home to recover. You feel a bit strange but are otherwise fine, but Zorian is nowhere to be seen. Kirielle said he has an important experiment/project that he has to focus on for the next 3 days/week and you can't meet him. Well that's fine, you're here for Kirielle anyway. You enjoy the holidays, do some side quest equivalent stuff relevant for your character and generally learn the mechanics of the game (I imagine it being like an isometric rpg but whatever works best). But then on the last day of the time frame one of the major powers bordering Knyazov Dveri attacks and war breaks out. As you and Kirielle escape for shelter you see signs that Zach is pulling out the big guns with high level magic and is calling for more reinforcements.

After the invasion (either you die due to random artillery, saving Kirielle, or just go to sleep in an improv'd shelter) you wake up back in the guest room at the beginning of your visit (Sound familiar?). But this time Zorian is the one that greets you as you wake.

Zorian says that he's been having dreams that the worst war to ever happen on the continent will break out here and bring every country to near ruin in the devastation of the warfare, and it starts in the attack in Knyazov Dveri (basically like the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand). He says he had the idea for a divination experiment that would basically give someone the ability to have a vision of what would happen in the next [x] days, and then a vision of what they would do if they knew that, and so on. Basically making an artificial timeloop using divination within a person's mind. Zorian cast the spell to focus on the person in the town most attuned to it assuming it was him with his connection to the web. He wasn't expecting it to be you. Now mentally projecting himself into this vision he says that you have to fulfill his plan of finding out what is causing the attack, who wants the war to happen, who can be persuaded, and how to otherwise avoid the catastrophe. And thus you're playing a mini time loop countering an invasion like the ZZ duo. I imagine the game to be some crossover between the Forgotten City, Disco Elysium, and In Stars and Time. Plot is mostly mystery and political intrigue but with some rpg mechanics that you need to keep in mind for some solutions. Identify war profiteers, sympathizers to peace, and find out how to eliminate uncompromising threats and find the perfect solution. Unlike the Sovereign Gate time loop you can't increase magical power throughout the loops since it isn't happening in reality, just in your head, but you can learn new spells. And as Kirielle is an artist (I imagine projection and alterations specialist) you can carry over items from loop to loop by giving Kirielle the details to recreate (Maybe you have to trust Kirielle with the truth and details to unlock it for certain loops?).

And what I think would be interesting is that unlike other time loop games, you have to decide when you "wake up" from the time loop, disabling time travel and the ability to make a save and keep playing (you can still save, but automatically boots you to the main menu and when you start the save file deletes the "quick save," thereby stopping the ability to functionally time travel using the load function). Zorian can't help you in the loops (as he's maintaining the spell and doesn't trust you with an unaware version of himself) but promises to solve one problem in the real world that you can't fix (maybe to get the "true/best" ending you have to solve every problem in the loop yourself and use his promised help in a spontaneous problem in the real world that didn't come up in the loops?). Depending on your performance in the last loop (how much you reveal to Kirielle, what you sacrifice to compromise with adversaries and secure peace, how well you reveal your abilities in public, etc.) you get a "variable" to the ending.

I just like the idea of Zorian being the powerful benefactor to a new progression fantasy protag solving a mystery with political intrigue, but this time the power has a hard cap and resets, forcing players to come at the rpg elements more like a puzzle than something that you can grind to solve.

[balioc]

BALIOC'S READING LIST, 2023 EDITION

This list counts only published books, consumed in published-book format, that I read for the first time and finished. No rereads, nothing abandoned halfway through, no Internet detritus of any kind, etc. Also no children’s picture books.

(There were so many children's picture books.)

Hand of the Sun King, J. T. Greathouse

Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery

The Circus of Dr. Lao, Charles G. Finney

When the Angels Left the Old Country, Sacha Lamb

Strangers to Ourselves: Unsettled Minds and the Stories That Make Us, Rachel Aviv

Elder Race, Adrian Tchaikovsky

Yamada Monogatari: Troubled Spirits, Richard Parks

Victory City, Salman Rushdie

Achieving Our Country: Leftist Thought in Twentieth-Century America, Richard Rorty

Cage of Souls, Adrian Tchaikovsky

A Morbid Taste for Bones, Ellis Peters

One Corpse Too Many, Ellis Peters

Priest of Bones, Peter McLean

Priest of Lies, Peter McLean

Demon Summoner: Apprentice, Greg Walters

By the Sword: A History of Gladiators, Musketeers, Samurai, Swashbucklers, and Olympic Champions, Richard Cohen

Tsalmoth, Steven Brust

Priest of Gallows, Peter McLean

Priest of Crowns, Peter McLean

Waybound, Will Wight

Convenience Store Woman, Sayaka Murata

The Tatami Galaxy, Tomihiko Morimi

These Violent Delights, Chloe Gong

Death in Venice, Thomas Mann

Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life, Rory Sutherland

The Man Who Was Thursday, G. K. Chesterton

Storming Heaven, Miles Cameron

Against Worldbuilding, and Other Provocations: Essays on History, Narrative and Game Design, Alexis Kennedy

From Ritual to Romance, Jessie L. Weston

To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf

Rats and Gargoyles, Mary Gentle

Labyrinth's Heart, M. A. Carrick

Sex at Dawn: How We Mate, Why We Stray, and What It Means for Modern Relationships, Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jetha

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, Gabrielle Zevin

The Long, Long Goodbye of "The Last Bookstore," Mizuki Nomura

The Last Sun, K. D. Edwards

The Hanged Man, K. D. Edwards

The Hourglass Throne, K. D. Edwards

Pinocchio, Carlo Collodi

The Thirteen Petalled Rose: A Discourse on the Essence of Jewish Existence and Belief, Adin Steinsaltz

The Lightning Thief, Rick Riordan

A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?, Kelly and Zach Weinersmith

Untethered Sky, Fonda Lee

The Consolation of Philosophy, Boethius

The Star-Child, Oscar Wilde

Monk's Hood, Ellis Peters

St. Peter's Fair, Ellis Peters

The Leper of St. Giles, Ellis Peters

The Virgin in the Ice, Ellis Peters

The Nutcracker, E. T. A. Hoffman and Alexandre Dumas

The Sanctuary Sparrow, Ellis Peters

Child of God, Cormac McCarthy

The Devil's Novice, Ellis Peters

Dead Man's Ransom, Cormac McCarthy

Plausible works of improving nonfiction consumed in 2023: 10

["plausible" and "improving" are being defined very liberally here]

Balioc's Choice Award, Fiction Division: The Circus of Dr. Lao, Charles G. Finney

>>>> Honorable Mention: Rats and Gargoyles, Mary Gentle

[This seems like the correct place to point out that, for the Balioc's Choice Awards, I consider only works that were first published with the last 100 years. Otherwise it would just be "surprise, old classics are often classics for a reason."]

Balioc's Choice Award, Nonfiction Division: The Thirteen Petalled Rose: A Discourse on the Essence of Jewish Existence and Belief, Adin Steinsaltz

>>>> Honorable Mention: A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?, Kelly and Zach Weinersmith

The Roscommon Princess Award for Luminous Trembling Beauty in the Face of a Bleakly Mundane World: The Star-Child, Oscar Wilde

The Anguished Howl Award for Somehow Making Me Regret Reading a Book About a Demon Summoner in the Thirty Years' War: Demon Summoner: Apprentice, Greg Walters

The Tamsyn Muir Award for Demonstrating that Popularity Really, Really, Really is Not the Same Thing as Quality: The Lightning Thief, Rick Riordan

The G. K. Chesterton Award for Being G. K. Chesterton, I Mean, to Whom Else Could I Compare Him, For Someone So Avowedly Stodgy He is the Ballsiest Motherfucker I Have Ever Read: The Man Who Was Thursday, G. K. Chesterton

**********

...this year was much like the last several years, only somehow even more so. Not in a good way, I fear. My current lifestyle continues not to be super-conducive to reading, and writing a weekendlong LARP kind of knocked the wind out of me, both during and after. If it weren't for a massive silly-fun historical-mystery binge in December, my numbers here would be shameful. And you will notice that a whole lot of the things on that list are very short.

Most of the contemporary fiction was pretty much what I expected it to be. There were few real standouts. Things by good authors continued to be mostly good; things by shlocky authors continued to be shlock.

I should probably drive less for my various solitary recreational jaunts, just so that I can spend more of that time with a book. I should definitely read more old stuff, because old stuff continues to be the most reliably rewarding. (The cream of the cream of the old stuff, anyway, which is...what you read.)

I continue to be Extremely In the Market for recommendations of really good, deeply-informative nonfiction.

[so-long-soldier28]

if you could omit a storyline from the tvd show. which one would it be and why???

okay to complete this ask, i had to recall the main storylines from each season. this is what i produced. i will stick that below along with my decisions and thought processes.

also, i say it in the notes, but if this form of answering asks is too chaotic, i can switch back to the neat paragraph format i used in the avengers x kai post. i can cut out my gibberish and actually capitalize my sentences again 😅 just let me know which you prefer!

no tw except for spoilers all the way to season 8

the seasons & their storylines

1 - damon + kath / tomb

2 - stefan being a dick (+ wolves)

3 - mikaelsons

4 - shane + cure

5 - silas + travelers

6 - kai + geminis

7 - heretics + rayna cruz

8 - fucking sirens + stupid donovan family reunion

now... to judge them all and remove one...

alright… tbh, it took me way too long to remember the second villian of s7, because post-lily, my mind went blank

then it went, ah, yes, that stupid hunter storyline

and then i immediately selected that one bc i hated watching bonnie get abused again

this storyline was so stupid; the seven year time jump was so confusing

we were also given NO CONTEXT and MINOR HISTORY into bonnie and enzo's THREE YEAR RELATIONSHIP

like i love both these characters, but them together came out of nowhere

also… damon caring so little for enzo and vice versa in seasons 7 & 8 after all the history they had together PISSED ME OFF SO BAD, like they don't care for each other at all?? not even romantically, just platonic care / trauma bond, NOTHING?

anyway that's aside the point

i loved early season 7

nora, val, and mary louise were funny; matt being angry all the time was funny; bonnie and damon coming back from europe and immediately killing a heretic was funny

bonnie had so much sass in this season

but then plec had to drive her underground again with the magic pills & nearly killing her & all that shit

and i liked rayna, to some extent; she was pretty cool

but there was no reason to drag bonnie in the mix and make her kill her friends just because she took some stupid pills, just because some relative of enzo wanted her to open a vault

that st. john stuff was insanity; i still don't understand it

i don't think the characters did either; probably not the actors, either

i also don't like that the rayna storyline killed off nora and ML, like, let the lesbian heretics live, fuck off julie plec

and bonnie and nora should've had a fling but that's a different story

so yeah… the 7 years into the future storyline + hunters is the storyline i would erase

also… i don't know why caroline kept showing up with blood on her face and ranting about stefan, like, i was genuinely confused

it kept reminding me of season 2 when damon dated that newscaster but then stefan killed her.. or whatever happened...

anyway, let's take a look at a close contender… season 8 - donovans

why… the fuck… did the donovans have to have a family reunion?

i do not care about his dad, i do not care about his mom, i do not care about vicki, i don't care about matt, and i certainly don't care to see them all in one place

matt only survived bc zach and julie plec were hooking up i stg

this man and his whole family are weak links

the sirens didn't bother me all that much, compared to the donovans fucking existence

i actually liked seline, ish

[unless i just liked the actress bc she's in that containment series so i associate her with chris 💀]

but i liked that she was playing games with alaric

i think she and kai would get along well… fucking with alaric, nearly killing twins… plus his comment about wanting to fuck hot cannibals…

this post isn't about kai moving on

the sirens were hella annoying at first and i hated them, but as soon as they released damon & enzo, i started to like them

then they died

speaking of death, stefan's death was so stupid

i have a lot to say about that but that's for a different time

kelly ruining steroline wedding was so stupid

gtfo woman

another contender… the stupid travelers of season 5

what tf was happening bc i genuinely don't know

i have no idea what happened when tyler was possessed

i don't even know what to say bc i was so lost the entire time

but i wouldn't omit the storyline bc the spell that eradicated them is what kai sucked up later

and then he became all hot & dangerous

but where did they go after the spell kept them out??

where did they come from, where did they go??

i liked liv & luke, they were both grumpy & slightly dickish

the travelers shit introduced them so that's cool... bc they had to stop the dopplegangers or something, i have no idea

liv has a vendetta against life for no reason. she's just so angry

she doesn't even remember the Great Sibling Slaughter of 1994, she was 4. why are you so bitter, liv?

we'll never know ig

idk tho living with joshua parker post-1994 doesn't seem fun. doesn't seem fun pre-1994, but i feel he'd be even 10x angrier after, so maybe it's just the childhood trauma. sorry, liv

also i might've shipped her with bonnie just a little bit… just a smidge… thought bon would be real cute with another witch

aside the point

stefan's dopplegangers were great… i like both of them more than i like stefan

but the kill the dopplegangers thing was confusing and if not for early s5 with silas & quetsiyah + blonde twins in later parts, i would hate s5

other seasons' notes

season 4... i hated shane bc he was creepy, but i found it funny that bonnie was so into him. damon was so perturbed at this

oH! not a storyline, but omit them killing kol bc fuck elena. that's my other man

but i know why they did it

and i adored davina bringing him back

so ig not omit, but fuck them for killing him, especially for their own personal gain

kol died so that jeremy could dramatically yell while ripping off his shirt

season 2... so i just remembered that s2 was more than just a precursor to klaus / middle part elijah; it also had wolves

i forgot about them initially, bc i don't care about most the wolves

tyler, i have so many mixed emotions; hayley, hated in tvd, liked in s1-2 of the orginals, didn't care for her later on; mason, nice to look at, don't care about him; jewel, or jade, idk, blonde girl that was looking for mason and found tyler, hated her; the random apperance of stephen amell… gtfo off my screen

wouldn't omit the wolves bc they had a point (ish) and grew the show, but i just don't care

not to say i don't like werewolves bc i fucking love the werewolves (cough twilight cough) but i don't care for the tvd wolves - the originals included, fuck off jackson

that was mean… he was a good man, good husband… i just don't care, i'm sorry

oliver was way worse, let's focus on him instead. he can fuck off; jackson can stay

so yeah, the hunter curse thing in s7 needs to go

unless you're kai and there's sexual tension involved & you're mutually causing each other pain, don't hurt bonnie

the magic pills were confusing, don't hurt my lesbian heretics, either

st. john stuff made no sense; probably just an introduction to the armory so alaric could feel important again

one final note

i hate that the beautiful salvatore mansion was turned into a school for weasel-y children to destroy

children are messy, that thing's an antique

i hate alaric

oh, i know i also made a post about wishing kai didn't kill jo so that alaric wouldn't have feelings for caroline, but i don't know if i fully stand by that post

as much as i wanted kai to have a redemption arc, him being a heretic was fun (while it lasted)

if they were dedicated towards keeping kai alive (therefore omiting his death storyline), he'd be a great time

i can see him and damon becoming buddies & being absolute menaces together

damon fights it sooo hard at first, but can't help wanting to dive into kai's bad influence

he makes vampirism feel like vampirism again… raising hell and not being afraid to be the bad guy

while simultaneously getting bad looks from all his friends and promising he's trying to be kai's good influence, but we all know he's not trying that hard

jo would survive and raise her twins with her creepy husband

she'd live in fear of kai coming after her kids any given day, but would try to ignore the thought

maybe they move away & free us from ric for good

but while this sounds really fun, i don't know where the story would go from there

kai would definitely get stuck under lily's control with the rest of the heretics & he'd have a big fucking fit about it

if enzo got with bonnie with kai still alive, that would be ugly

he would totally fuck a siren… and then help them kill the twins

but…

him killing jo & raising absolute hell was very fun & i loved it

his sudden return in s8, effectively pissing off damon & ric was hilarious

loved that he got back & immediately killed a grill employee

just like old times

i really wished they didn't kill him off, but i did like his pop-up later on

so… the storyline I would omit:

hunters. as explained.

back-up omissions:

kai death

stupid legacies

[rainbowdelicsunshine]

Whatever aU first comes to mind upon reading this for the 5 hcs game! :DD

As you probably predicted, I'm choosing to talk about my OceanBerry AU (aka my Chucky AU/Retelling of the Chucky TL)!

1. You remember the three human friends that Chucky is buddies with that I've talked about in this post long ago?

Well I FINALLY have found some live action faceclaims for them!! (Please don't take the IRL ages of these actors into account since I only need them to demonstrate appearance)

Here they are!

(Left to Right)

Don Rivers: Bruce Willis (as David Dunn in Glass)

Zach Galifianakis: Jerry Hickens (as Ethan Chase in Due Date) (and w only a bushy mustache)

Blake Anderson: Bob Berkeley (as Blake in Workaholics)

2. I have also found live action faceclaims for Glen's boyfriend Kahuna and Glenda's girlfriend Natalie (OCs of mine) as well!

And same as the first time, real ages of the actors does not factor in choosing them as a faceclaim, only appearance is!

(Left to Right)

Kahuna Mahelona: Jason Scott Lee (as Mowgli in Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book (1994) (add on hair/bangs that covers his eyes + slightly more muscular)

Natalie Winchester: Kim Director (as Kim Diamond in Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2) (have hair dye at the ends of her hair instead of being streaks in her hair)

3. Chucky and Eddie are in the midst of attempting to reconcile and reestablish their adoptive brotherhood (since before the Big Incident in 1988, Chucky and Eddie regarded each other as brothers)

They still have a LOT of sour feelings on each other's ends for their own respective reasons (Chucky for being abandoned when he needed his little brother the most and Eddie for literally being blown tf up)

Eddie is still much more resentful than Chucky since Chucky started to feel more thankful towards Eddie as time went on with having his family, Eddie tends to be a lot more snappier and grumpier around Chucky but is still able to tolerate him and even sometimes have a good bonding moment like they used to

Chucky on the other hand just acts like how an asshole big brother would to their little brother, just messing with them in stupid ways like how they used to do as kids/young adults

4. If anyone ever wanted to know what John/Dr. Death does in his free time/where he lives in the Ray house, he basically just keeps to himself in the attic of the house studying and practicing his magic and spirituality

He does come down to other parts of the house on occasion and regularly interacts with the Rays (but talks to and hangs out with Eddie the most), since he acts as the family's advisor/guide the kids and Chucky tend to go to him in the attic a lot since he tends to have knowledge they need

The state of Chucky and John's friendship is still... Icy but is much better than it was before!

I also HC that they were childhood friends as well, thus that being how Chucky found him to teach him Magic and Soul Bending/Shifting (what I'm calling the spell/s where Chucky would transfer souls and such) and Soulmancy (what I'm replacing the Voodoo with cuz yall know why)

If you are unfamiliar with John Bishop and his role in OceanBerry, here is this post!

His Appearance/Info

5. The Rays do, in fact, have a dog that acts as a family companion and guard dog that keeps the house and the kids safe (in Chucky's words) that they all got as a puppy when the youngest (my Chiffany fankid Buddy) was around 9 years old

The dog is a 4 year old medium sized but very muscular German Shepherd/Pitbull Mix that's dubly named King Ghidorah, very vicious, strong and protective of his property and family when need be, but is most of the time a giant sweetheart that likes to think he's a lapdog

Fun fact: King Ghidorah was given to The Rays by Chucky's friend Jerry when he had found the pup in a box of "free puppies" that was stationed in front of the Walmart that's in Hackensack and decided that a puppy from that box would've made a GREAT birthday gift for Buddy

Ofc, since Buddy was a 9 year old, he LOVED it! King Ghidorah is now closest/bonds the most with Buddy, Chucky, and June/Junior all in that order (though Ghidorah loves EVERYONE)!

-----------------------------------------------------

HOLY SHIT THIS TOOK FOREVER MY GOD!!!!!!

I am soso sorry that this took SO LONG for me to post this, it took a lotta time to come up with all this info for you, let alone type it all out lol!

I hope that the wait was well worth it and that you let me in on your feedback on this my dear lovely friend!

I hope that you enjoy reading all this and have a fantastic evening!!

[whump-me]

Protector: Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of Protector, a novella-length whump story about a ruthless superpowered assassin trained from childhood to kill, and the brother determined to save him from himself.

Masterpost | the Mind Games universe | Read the complete novel on Patreon

---

Bryce ducked under the oxygen tank. It whooshed over his head, whistling his hair and sending a cold breeze down his collar. He flattened himself against the floor, and rolled out of the way a second before the oxygen tank landed next to him with a heavy metallic thud.

His cheek was pressed to the rough carpet. Funny—it still smelled a little like fresh paint, the smell that had clung to it when the carpet installers put it in. When he had bought the house, he had redone the entire room. He had thought, with the rosy haze of magical thinking, that replacing the scuffed muddy-brown carpet the previous owners had left in here would make it more likely that Zach would live in this room someday.

The carpet scraped against his cheek. The oxygen tank lay next to him, its side dented. Above him, he heard Zach’s grunts of exertion as he heaved himself out of bed. The sheets rustled to the floor.

It had worked—he had replaced the carpet, and now, years later, Zach was here. He wondered what kinds of renovations he should have done to make sure Zach wouldn’t try to kill him.

Bryce shoved himself to his feet as Zach found his footing. Zach’s face was pale again, his breathing ragged. He wrapped one arm around his wounded chest. He stood with his shoulders hunched, his face drawn with pain.

“I know you’re confused.” Bryce had never been good at comfort—that had been all Zach’s department—but today, he tried. “You’re safe. I’m not your enemy. But you were badly hurt. You need to lie down and—”

Zach moved. And then—there was no Zach. Only a blur where he had been—a blur racing straight for him.

In that fraction of a second of confusion, a dozen childhood memories poured into his head. Zach winning every race he challenged Bryce to. Zach tugging at the unfortunate rat tail Bryce used to wear—then, when Bryce turned to accuse him, lying innocently on the couch like he had never moved. Zach darting out of the path of a speeding car that should have hit him, while Bryce looked on in horror.

Zach had always been fast. Bryce had never realized just how fast.

Well, now Bryce knew what Zach’s powers were.

The blur resolved into Zach again. A fist swung at his jaw, snapped his head sideways.

The other hand tightened around his neck again.

Then it loosened. With a noise of pain, Zach stumbled back. Blood leaked out from under his shirt. His face had gone a couple of shades paler.

“You’re hurt,” Bryce said. “You need to rest.” He took a step back, and another, hands raised in surrender. “You’re safe. You’re home now. But you need to rest.”

Zach’s voice was tight with pain, but underneath, his tone was calm. “PERI is home.”

He stumbled backward, toward the bed, never taking his eyes off Bryce. Bryce flashed him a tentative smile. “That’s it. Back to bed. When you’re feeling better, I’ll explain everything.”

His voice was low, threaded through with a calm he didn’t feel. His heart raced. He didn’t know which thought scared him more: that Zach might kill him, or that Zach’s wounds could rip open and leave him bleeding out on the floor of Bryce’s spare room.

Zach didn’t climb back into bed. Still keeping one eye on Bryce, he reached down and behind for the oxygen tank.

Then Zach’s gaze turned to the bed. No—to the space under the bed. Something had caught his eye. He bent down, and came up clutching something thin and silver.

A scalpel.

Another of the medical supplies Bryce had scrounged up—because he had been out of his mind with worry, and it had looked both essential and official. Scalpels were something they needed in hospitals, weren’t they? He had wrapped his hand around the cold metal handle and feared having to use it on Zach. He had imagined performing a tracheotomy, or digging out a bullet fragment, or being the unwilling star in all sorts of half-remembered surgical scenes from medical dramas.

Now it was in Zach’s hand.

Zach wobbled toward Bryce, his steps unsteady, his face perfectly blank like a professional killer.

Bryce kept his hands raised. “Easy now,” he said in a voice that didn’t sound like his.

Zach kept coming.

At least he wasn’t fast anymore. The pain had slowed him down. The hand that didn’t hold the scalpel remained wrapped around his chest. Blood leaked out from between his fingers.

“You’re bleeding,” Bryce said, stating the obvious. “Lie down. Let me take care of you, dammit.”

The dammit probably hadn’t helped sell it. Although considering that Zach was coming at him with a scalpel, it was probably too late for Bryce to get the message across either way.

He glanced toward the open door. He felt like a traitor just thinking about running—but he couldn’t help Zach if he was dead.

First, stay alive. Then figure out what to do about the homicidal gunshot wound victim in the spare room.

He darted for the door. A blur curved across the floor to intercept him. The door slammed shut. Zach leaned back against it, sweat beading on his forehead. He let out a low groan of pain.

But his face was still resolute. As Bryce held out a hand toward him, Zach slashed out with the scalpel.

Bryce danced clumsily back. He ducked behind the dresser. With a pained grunt, Zach pushed himself off from the door and stopped toward him.

Bryce’s instincts had pushed him toward the nearest cover. His instincts had betrayed him. He had backed himself into a literal corner, and now there was nowhere to go but through Zach.

Zach slashed the scalpel forward again. Bryce tried to knock the flow aside with a clumsy move half-remembered from childhood karate. The scalpel grazed his forearm, drawing blood.

Bryce followed up with an even clumsier kick. His only thought was reaching the door. Why had he quit karate what he was twelve, anyway? Oh, right—because he had been all about soccer that year. His soccer skills wouldn’t help him now.

Zach shifted aside before Bryce’s kick could connect. Even injured, he was twice as graceful as Bryce could ever be. Then he did something with his arm that sent pain reverberating through Bryce’s side and left him spinning off-balance. Bryce caught himself against the dresser, out of breath, unsure where exactly the blow had come from or even which part of his body it had connected with.

Zach let out another groan of pain. He stumbled back, clutching his chest more tightly.

Bryce edged sideways through the opening that Zach’s backward stumble had left. His eyes flicked toward the door.

Zach followed his gaze. His eyes narrowed. He became a blur again—

And just as quickly turned back to a man, wobbly and pale. He swayed for a moment, like a tree about to fall. Bryce had the urge to yell timber.

Then he toppled backwards. He landed with a thud hard enough to shake the floor, his head mere inches from the oxygen tank.

Bryce glanced toward the door again. Then he looked at the fallen Zach. Zach gasped for air, each breath a monumental effort. The splotch of blood on his shirt grew, staining his clutching fingers.

Bryce’s heart beat in double time as he crossed the room to Zach. He crouched beside him and reached for the scalpel. He held his breath.

Zach made a token effort to resist. But his palm was slick with sweat, and the scalpel came free easily.

When the weapon was in Bryce’s hand, Bryce let out his breath all at once. He held out his other hand to Zach. “You can’t keep using your speed like that,” he said. “You’ll hurt yourself worse.” He recognized the lecturing tone in his own voice. It was how he used to talk to Zach, once upon a time. Zach had hated it.

Zach narrowed his eyes at him. Apparently he still hated it.

“You’re at my house,” said Bryce. “You’re home. I’m here to help you.” He paused as sudden cold spread through his chest. “Do you…” He didn’t want to ask. He knew he had to. “Do you remember me?”

For a long moment, Zach’s eyes studied him in silence. Then his gaze flicked away, off to the side.

To the space under the bed.

His hand shot out. He grabbed something long and thin, a clear plastic snake: an IV tube. He surged to his feet with a cry of pain and wrapped the tube around Bryce’s neck like a garrote.

Despite his injuries, he performed the move with a fluidity of motion that told Bryce, with a sick certainty, that this wasn’t the first time he had strangled someone.

Bryce’s hands flew up to tug in vain at the tube. His fingernails left bloody claw marks down his neck. Zach kicked out with one heel, and all the breath left Bryce’s lungs at once. His back hit the floor with a thump. He saw spots as his brain rattled around in his head.

The scalpel leapt free of his hand and landed on the floor.

Zach knelt over him. With one hand, he held the tube taut around Bryce’s neck. With the other, he fumbled for the scalpel. Bryce stretched his arm as far as they would go, straining to reach it before—

Too late. Zach’s fingers closed around the weapon.

The scalpel came up, glinting in the light.

“Wait,” Bryce gasped with what little air he still had.

The scalpel flashed down toward his neck.

“It’s me. Bryce.” Bryce twisted away in vain. His panicked eyes held Zach’s empty gaze. “Your brother.”

---

Tagged: @sowhumpful

Ask to be added or removed from taglist.

[mage-witha-glock]

[felassan]

Post on the Dragon Age website:

"Journal #2 The Voices of the Veilguard Get acquainted with some of the voice actors and join us for our upcoming character panel at SDCC! --- Hey everyone, We're packing our bags and heading down to SDCC this week and alongside that comes more Dragon Age: The Veilguard reveals! Today, we're excited to reveal some of the voice actors who bring our characters to life - a few of whom will be joining us for our character-focused panel at the convention. ICYMI, our SDCC panel "Dragon Age - Meet The Heroic Companions of Thedas” will feature Creative Director John Epler and Creative Performance Director Ashley Barlow as they discuss bringing the cast of Dragon Age: The Veilguard to life. Moderated by Lucy James, host and video producer at GameSpot, panel attendees will hear from Neve, Emmrich, Harding, and Lucanis’ voice actors as they discuss their motivations and inspirations that have lit up the personalities and uniqueness of each companion. The panel will be held on Friday, July 26 from 3:15PM - 4:15PM in Room 6BCF.  If the panel isn't enough to satisfy your Dragon Age cravings and you'll be at SDCC in person, join us at the Dark Horse Comics booth (#2615) where we will have swag to give away as well as talent & developer signings. Keep an eye on our social channels for more information on this. Discord members who drop by the booth and show us that they're a part of the server will receive a Romancer pin while supplies last. For those of you who will be keeping an eye on SDCC coverage from home, we'll have the full panel video available at a later date. Stay tuned. With that said, let’s get into our cast."

-

"Four Rooks are Better than One Featuring the most comprehensive character creator in Dragon Age yet, your character, nicknamed Rook, debuts with four different voice overs to make this story truly your own. Rook is Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s leader in the making who has to bring the Veilguard together to take down the threats on Thedas. Immerse yourself even further by picking your voice, with two options from US/North American personalities and two from the United Kingdom/EU.  Rook’s voices have been provided by iconic television, film and video game personalities Alex Jordan (Cyberpunk 2077, The Amazing World of Gumball), Bryony Corrigan (Baldur’s Gate 3, Good Omens), Erika Ishii (Apex Legends, Destiny 2), and Jeff Berg (Battlefield 1, NCIS). What even is Dragon Age: The Veilguard without the Veilguard? These 7 companions stand ready to join the fight to restore order to Thedas. We're happy to announce that our cast of companions includes: - Ali Hillis (Mass Effect 3, Naruto), returns to the fray as Harding, the dwarven scout, a Dragon Age: Inquisition hero with a big heart, a positive outlook, and a ready bow – as well as unexpected magical powers. - Ike Amadi (Mass Effect 3, Halo 5: Guardians, Insomniac's Spider-Man) as Davrin, a bold and charming Grey Warden who has made a name for himself as a monster hunter. - Jee Young Han (Perry Mason, Unprisoned) as Bellara, a creative and romantic Veil Jumper obsessed with uncovering ancient secrets. - Jessica Clark (True Blood, Pocket Listing) as Neve, a cynic fighting for a better future, both as a private detective and a member of Tevinter's rebellious Shadow Dragons.  - Jin Maley (Star Trek: Picard, Silicon Valley) as Taash, a dragon hunter allied with the Lords of Fortune who lives for adventure and doesn't mind taking risks.  - Nick Boraine (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Black Sails) as Emmrich, a necromancer of Nevarra's Mourn Watch who comes complete with a skeletal assistant, Manfred, voiced by Matthew Mercer (Critical Role, Fallout 4). - Zach Mendez (Horizon Forbidden West, Married Alive) as Lucanis, a poised & pragmatic assassin who descends from the bloodline of the House of Crows, a criminal organization renowned throughout Thedas.  Last but not least, we’re excited to let you know Gareth David-Lloyd is returning as Solas, and Brian Bloom as Varric. We have so many more people to introduce you to, including some returning characters, but we’re not quite ready to reveal all those yet, because of you know - story spoilers.  While that’s all we have for now, we’re eager to meet those of you attending SDCC and to continue our summer filled with reveals from Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Talk soon. — The Dragon Age Team"

[source] [Twitter post]

[owmylasagna-blog]

In the time I was away from eds stuff I latched onto a new bit of media called Dimension 20: Fantasy High. It’s a DnD series played by comedians and DMd by Brennan Lee Mulligan because yes I am also that kind of nerd. But I couldn’t help but create crossovers in my mind because that's what my mind likes to do so… Yeah. Major spoilers for D20 below duh in case anyone cares:

For context, Fantasy High as a series is if you took a DnD campaign and had it directed by John Hughes. It follows 6 party members who are high school students at an adventuring academy casually saving the world, trying to pass classes, and dealing with messy family drama, dating, and popularity. No biggy.

Ed is so so Gorgug Thistlespring. Or should I say Gorgug is Ed if he was a half-orc adopted by delightful tinkering gnomes. While he starts out as a berserker barbarian, smashing recklessly and raging through battles, his determination to help his friends leads him to become a proficient tinkerer. In the latest seasons he multiclasses with artificer (I have such a soft spot for the artificer class you don't even know!). His character is not meant to be especially bright but Zach who plays him is incredibly perceptive and good at reading the DM that multiple times he is the one to solve mysteries in off-handed comments way before anyone else figures it out. He’s tall, clumsy, easily confused, a -1 to intelligence. He has size 18 shoes. His plot in the most recent season was literally about him pushing against peoples’ expectations of him, his teachers not believing in his potential to succeed. He delightfully and sometimes ragefully proves otherwise. Gorgug rocks.

Eddy and Edd were a little harder to pin down as well as Ed but I’d say Edd’s closest comparison would be Adaine and Eddy is maybe Fabian.

Adaine is a high-elf wizard with literally the worst family ever. They suck so much. Luckily she finds a new family in her friends and her former guidance counselor turned adoptive father werewolf Jawbone. She has an anxiety disorder that gives her panic attacks. She has an emotional support familiar that is the roundest frog ever. She’s a perfectionist that fears loss of control and worries that her anxiety prevents her from acting when it matters most. The reason she even meets the rest of her party is because she failed the entrance exam to the fancy wizarding school and she, her parents, and her older sister won’t let her forget it. Adaine is equal parts smarts and headstrong: despite being a talented wizard and an oracle, in the heat of the moment she will resort to punching madly rather than use her divination magic. One of her wizard friends makes her a giant arcane fist spell that she uses to punch her dad dead. In return she gifts the friend a Comprehend Subtext spell which is the fucking best.

Fabian starts out as a pompous rich jock type half-elf. He’s on his high horse as he rides the coattails of his infamous pirate father Bill Seacaster. A talented, athletic, agile, strong fighter. Master of posturing and peacocking, his pride and brash confidence are the outer shell for a deep insecurity that he can never live up to his father’s legacy and expectations. This very hubris nearly gets him killed in the second season. He gets so physically and mentally defeated from this that he DELEVELS. Broken, Fabian spends the rest of the season fighting a debilitating depression, rebuilding himself, eventually connecting to his elven roots and embracing dance. His fighting style changes from then on to some flashy form of rhythmic gymnastics bard. Toxic masculinity be damned, he’s a dancer. Season 3 he is still struggling with the need for acceptance and the pressure for greatness, obsessed with being a “maximum legend”. Oh and he falls in love with a magical mirror reflection of himself. Like, come on.

[malsfefanfics]

OC Profile: Tancred

art by @/nessiemccormick, edited down to icon size by me

"He was always very sickly, according to his family. But from what I've seen, he's very enthusiastic and wise beyond his years. Tancred seems to really like it when people say his name, or when they compare him to his brother. I expect great things from him in the future." -- Edelgard, about Tancred

Full name: Tancred von Vestra Nicknames: Tanc (most people), Mini-Bert (Hapi and Yuri), Treasure (Ferdinand and Dorothea), Sweet-Breeze (Medee) Birthday: Day 31st of the Wyvern Moon, 1174 Age: 6-7 (Pre-TS), 11-12+ (Post-TS) Crest: None Family: Marquis Iason von Vestra (Father, Deceased), Medee (Mother), Hubert (Older Brother), Rosamund (Older sister) Nationality: Adrestia Titles: Hidden Treasure, Mage of Mercy Voice Claim: Maxey Whitehead (Child voice, similar to Alphonse from FMAB), Zach Aguilar (as he ages, hitting somewhere between Tanjiro in Demon Slayer to Aether in Genshin Impact)

Interests: History of Fódlan and surrounding nations, Opera, Magic Studies, Language Learning Likes: Sweets, His brothers and sisters, Gardening, Riding Dislikes: His father, People who are mean, seeing others in pain

Favorite Meals: Saghert and Cream, Sweet Trio Bun, Peach Sorbet, Sautéed Jerky, Liked Meals: Vegetable Pasta Salad. Country-Style Red Turnip Plate, Vegetable Stir-Fry, Small Fish Skewers, Disliked Meals: Spicy Fish and Turnip Stew, Daphnel Stew, Bourgeois Pike,

Tea Preferences: Dandelion Root Blend, Dagda Fruit Blend, Southern Fruit Blend, Sweet Apple Blend, Lavender Blend

Liked Gifts: Hunting Dagger, Board Game, Sheet Music, Armored Bear Stuffy, Tea Leaves, Exotic Spices Disliked Gifts: Goddess Statuette, Blue Cheese

Lost Items:

Bag of Herbs: A velvet pouch of strong smelling herbs that remind you of mint leaves. You find they make you breathe easier.

Small Toy Soldier: A toy soldier that looks to be part of a set. The handmade clothes remind you of someone sinister.

Tin Whistle: A small musical instrument that plays an airy tune. It's size seems best fit for a younger musician.

Starting Class: Noble Preferred Class Path: Noble --> Monk/Myrmidon --> Mage/Dark Mage/Priest/Thief --> Swordmaster/Bishop/Dark Bishop/Warlock --> Dancer/Mortal Savant/Trickster Strength: White Magic, Black Magic, Dark Magic Weakness: Heavy Armor, Brawling Budding Talent: Sword Personal Skill: 'Calming Winds' - Restores 10% HP to nearby allies each turn.

Weapons Starting Levels:

Sword: E+ Lance: E Axe: E Bow: E Brawling: E Reason: D+ Faith: D+ Authority: E+ Heavy Armor: E Riding: E Flying: E

Base Stats:

HP: 17 Str: 5 Mag: 10 Dex: 10 Spd: 7 Lck: 8 Def: 6 Res: 6 Cha: 10

Learned Faith Spells: Heal, Nosferatu, Physic, Restore, Seraphim Learned Reason Spells: Wind, Miasma Δ (Dark Mage) Thoron (Mage), Cutting Gale, Death Γ, Dark Spikes Τ

Recruit Requirements for Canon-Compliance AUs: CF exclusive - Must have up to B support with Hubert.

Potential Supports:

Byleth

Hubert

Rosamund

Medee

Linhardt

Dorothea

Ferdinand

Ashe

Mercedes

Jeritza

Lysithea

Marianne

Ignatz

Hapi

Constance

Dimitri (Through Meals Only, up to B)

Dedue: (Through Meals Only, up to B)

Crit Quotes: (Pre-Timeskip)

Stay back!

Stop it!

I can't falter!

I need to fight!

Just a little more.

I'm sorry!

I need an opening.

Must one of us die?

Crit Quotes: (Post-Timeskip)

For my brother!

For my sister!

I am your pyre!

I will make an opening!

You will be silenced!

Mind and Heart guide me.

Your head is mine!

I do what I must.

I must stay alive.

We shall prevail!

Defeat Quotes:

I can't be here. I need to go.

I...don't feel good....

I'm scared....I want to go home....

I don't want to die alone.....

Hubert....Rosa.....I'm sorry I made you sad.....

Skill Level Increase Quotes:

This is so much fun!

Glad I could get out of bed today.

I think I'm getting stronger. (Weaknesses)

That was too easy. (Strengths)

I never knew I could do that! (Budding Talent)

Level Up Quotes:

I hope I can make everyone proud.

I'm so much stronger now.

I'm know I can be stronger.

This is to help everyone.

You sure I can't learn a bit more?

Gift Quotes:

Liked Gifts: My absolute favorite! Thank you, thank you!

Neutral Gifts: You're so nice to me. Why?

Disliked Gifts: Did I do something to upset you? I'm really sorry.

[geesebumps-stuff]

Doppelganger Au

Doppelganger au

This au could take place in the Reunion au (where Slappy stays with Stine and Hannah). 

If one Slappy wasn't enough for Stine, now there are other Slappys to deal with. However, they have other things in mind.

Slappy is living with Stine and Hannah and is trying to be on his best behavior. And he tries very hard, but he can’t help pulling pranks. Stine knows but tells him not to go too overboard with them. Slappy promises that he will restraint himself (although it was a bit hard for him if he wants to stay out of the book, he’s going to have to)

One day Champ was asking Stine about Goosebumps merchandise, and everyone became curious about how much stuff there was. Stine then agrees to show them everything as he pulls many boxes from the attic and lets everyone look over them. Slappy was not surprised to see a lot of merch of himself since he is the mascot. (He does mentally apologize to Curly, though, since they were good friends before) Slappy, however, did not exactly like some things.

Champ pulled out some VHS, and they agreed to watch some of the TV series. As they were comparing the books to the TV series, Slappy was not a fan of the TV version of him with his looks and thought that he was off. Stine explained that there were some things he didn’t have control over, but it didn’t make Slappy feel better. (Along with the fact that he looks like a certain redhaired puppet)

Hannah moved on with the comics, and Slappy couldn't believe he could get smaller than he was, but he thought this one was a clown. Also, why did his hair change to black with red eyes? It made no sense to him.

Finally, Zach brought out the rest of the merch with bags and figures. As they were messing around with some of them, they then found a bag with something heavy. Stine pulls it out and reveals it to everyone. He calls it the “original” Slappy.

Slappy stared at the version for a while and realized why it was called original. This one has blue eyes, freckles, and chipped lips. This was how he was supposed to look, the book version, but instead, he has brown eyes, no freckles, and more chipped parts. 

Slappy had a small identity crisis but made sure no one noticed. However, Stine did. After noticing Slappy's discomfort, Stine decided to put all the stuff away. 

Slappy then went to his room and straight to the window. He has a habit of going on the roof when he wants to be alone but still being outside and messing around with his magic. As he was leaning on an antenna, he heard thunder. A few seconds later, he heard his papá from his window ask if he was ok and to come back inside before it rains. Slappy tells him that he’s fine and he’ll be out a bit longer. Stine sighs but goes back in. 

A minute later, as Slappy decided to get up, lighting struck the antenna and Slappy. Slappy then fell off the roof into the garden. Stine quickly reappears through the window, asking if he’s okay, and says next time, listen to him. But goes and grabs Slappy and puts him on his bed. Since he got accidentally electrocuted while using magic, he also almost caused a blackout.

The next day, strange things happen. Things being misplaced, destroyed, or disappeared. It's being blamed on Slappy as he argues that he didn't do it. Slappy then forces Champ to help him, and they agree that something weird is happening when Champ knows that Slappy isn't doing anything. 

They both thought there should be no more monsters, but now they weren't sure, as Champ thought it might be one of Slappy’s siblings. Slappy wasn't thrilled with the idea, but another puppet would be a possible choice. 

They looked everywhere for clues, but they got nothing until they looked outside and saw a footprint in the mud. They noticed it was small but a bit bigger than Slappy's and the fact that no child had been here. Now they know it might be a puppet. The last place they look is the attic. As they look around the attic, they both get knocked out. Slappy and Champ wake up as they are tied up, but as Slappy was going to teleport out, he was stopped by Slappy....Slappy....and Slappy?

The three different versions of Slappy were standing right in front of him. The black-haired one, the red-haired one, and the one Slappy was confused the most, the blue-eyed one. 

Slappy was trying to figure out how it was possible to have more Slappys come to life without the typewriter. He concluded that when he messed with his magic on the roof and got electrocuted, it accidentally turned the others to life. 

They started trying to recruit Slappy to join them and get rid of Stine and Hannah so they could roam free. But Slappy doesn't want to. He had just returned to being part of the family again and didn’t want to ruin this. He told the others to go away and that he wanted nothing to do with knockoffs. The other Slappys did not like being called knockoffs and decided to get rid of him too. 

Meanwhile, Zach, who found a box on the table, decided to put it back in the attic. As he climbed up the ladder, he heard the other voices. He slowly looked as he hid behind boxes and was surprised to see what was happening. He managed to ambush the other Slappys and rescued the two. They ran to Zach’s house and told everyone not to go into Stine’s house. 

(I’ll be honest. I had a hard time with naming each Slappy thing and how it would work, so plz bear with me. I was too excited about a Slappy war that I forgot that we gave them names like TV Slappy and Book Slappy, and then I had no idea how this was going to work. ) 

The other Slappys are called TV Slappy and Comic Slappy, but when it got to Blue eye Slappy, he argues that he's the original Slappy and calls himself Book Slappy. They (Stine, Hannah, Zach, Champ) first call him OG Slappy, but it was true that Slappy took many forms in the book, so there's no original look now, but Stine admitted that he wanted to do a movie with him later on and for their sake, they just called him Movie Slappy. 

They thought about how to get the other back to their original place. For Comic Slappy, they needed his comic book that was in the attic. Zach knows where the box is. They all decided to go back into the house, but as distractions as Zach could run to the attic to get the book. 

Meanwhile, Hannah was trying to find an extension cord for the TV to carry it as close as possible to TV Slappy. 

As for Stine, they first went back to the school to retrieve the typewriter and rewrote Night of the Living Dummy and tried to exactly describe Book Slappy to make sure Movie Slappy doesn't go in instead. But he has that manuscript ready in case he shows up. 

And, of course, things don’t go as planned. Zach and Champ went to the attic, only to find it wrecked. Boxes and other stuff were everywhere. They immediately started looking, but it became harder because Comic Slappy was there to get it first to destroy it. 

As Hannah was desperately looking for the missing extension cord. Stine had to physically fight TV Slappy as he hung on to him. 

As Movie Slappy tried to help his papa, no one saw him get abducted by Book Slappy. 

Comic Slappy found the book first, but Champ tackled him before he could rip it. Zach took the book from Comic Slappy. As Champ held him down, Zach opened the comic book. Comic Slappy tries to hang on to Champ but manages to knock him off as Comic Slappy goes back into the comic book. 

TV Slappy was much stronger than he appeared as he threw Stine out the window. As Zach and Champ tried to help him, TV Slappy appeared out of nowhere, causing them to trip down the stairs. He then goes back to Stine outside. He started approaching Stine, still on the ground, trying to recover.  Stine struggled to get up as TV Slappy was too close to him. TV Slappy laughed as he told Stine that this was his last night but his beginning to reign terror. TV Slappy pounced but- SLAM!

A TV fell on his head. As the TV crashed to the ground,  it fell on its side, but there was no trace of the dummy. Just a broken screen. Stine, along with Zach and Champ, looked up to see Hannah at the second-floor window. She happily exclaimed that she found the extension cord but was sorry about her dad’s TV being a sacrifice. 

Stine signed but was relieved. Champ cheerfully exclaimed that they had one more to go. 

They stopped for a second. They haven’t seen Book Slappy at all. And Movie Slappy was also missing. 

Someone was about to ask about their whereabouts. They heard yelling on the roof.  

Movie and Book Slappy are fighting on the roof, but Book is winning. Movie Slappy falls on the floor and is pinned down by Book’s foot on his chest. 

Zach starts throwing rocks at Book whil Stine and Champ run inside to get to the roof. 

He managed to hit Book’s head. As he turns, Slappy manages to knock him down and get the upper hand. 

Champ is climbing through the window with the book in hand. He throws the book to Movie Slappy. He catches it and prays he doesn’t get stuck inside. 

The book takes Book Slappy in and now the Slappy War s over. 

Slappy is tired and slumps down on the roof. Champ goes to him and carries him to the window. 

He gives him to Stine who puts him in bed and tells him that it’s finally over. And that he should not feel bad and that he would always be the better Slappy than the rest. 

Slappy is relieved and tries to go to sleep. 

Stine and the others are trying to clen up the mess from the fight. Stine laments for his broken TV and Hannah laughs as she says that he can finally have a brand new TV that’s not +15 yeards old. 

Stine complains about liking old school stuff. 

*******

Slappy slowly wakes up. His vision is blurry and his room is dark. But he felt something else on the bed. 

He rubbed his eyes and snapped his hand for the lights to turn on.

Slappy gasped. 

In front of him, on hid bed, was an exact copy of him. There were no other marking to tell them apart.

I must be dreaming, he thought. After the war with different versions of himself, he must be having a nightmare. 

“Oh come on. There’s only enough of me that I can handle in one night. I don’t need to be dreaming about myself now,” he said. 

The other Slappy chucked. “This is no dream.”

“Huh?”

He looked around the room. He signed. “So this is here he decided to stay? Far away from Wardenclyffe, huh.”

Slappy’s eyes widen. 

Wardenclyffe is where his papa used to live. It was where he started writing his strories. He was there for most of the stories that he wrote but he knew that there were older works that not even he knew about. But he knows about this one.

“Would you look at that? Draft boy finally got out of his unfinished book,” he sneered. 

 “Unfinished!”  he whispered angrily. “I was left forgotten because of you!”

“Me? Haha. Look buddy, Papa already made me and what’s the point of finishing another me when I’m right here? Beside, you were an early draft where his writing wasn’t even that good. So of course you were forgotten.”

“I was made first! But then HE decided to use me as a blueprint to make you!”

“Papa write whatever he feels like writing. I had nothing to do with you. Now, how about you get out before I get Papa to actually finsh your book where you can stay forever.” 

The other Slappy chuckled. 

This makes Slappy uneasy. He could try to turn off the light to teleport to go start for his papa. But he has no idea what powers this Slappy is supposed to have. He remembered Stine talking to him about this Slappy years ago, but he doesn’t remeber what set them apart.

“I’ve been alone for years. You, however get have a monster family along with an actual family. Something that I always wanted.”

Slappy now remembers what this was about. His papa had parent issues in the past. He took his frustration and wrote about it to feel better. Slappy might have dad issues but this guy has different ones. 

“I won’t let you hurt my family!” Slappy growled as he stood up.

“Hahaha! I don’t want your family. But maybe the one next door might have room for me.”

“Wha-Leave the Cooper family out of this! Get a mama from somewhere else! Go far away if you have too!”

“No. Papa must pay. But,” he reaches his back and pulls out a book. “You first.”

“No!”

The other Slappy opened the book. Slappy tried to yell but it was too late. 

As the other Slappy closes the book, the door opened.

“What’s going on! I heard noises! Are you okay Slappy!”  yelled Stine with Hannah behind him with a bat.

The other Slappy hid the book behind his back. He stared at his papa. It’s been years since he’d seen him. And this mad him angry. But he can’t show this yet.

“I had a nightmare.”

Stine and Hannah sighned in relief. 

“Okay then. I’m going back to bed now. Night,”  said Hannah as she leaves. 

“Night.”

Stine walks in the room. The other Slappy gets nervous but stays put. His first plan was to get rid of the other Slappy. His second plan is to pretend to be him. No matter how much he would hate being the other him. 

Stine picks him up and places him in bed.

“Get some rest Slappy.”

Stine turns off the lights and walks back towards the door.

“Goodnight Slappy.”

“...Goodnight papa.”

The door closes. Slappy smiles. He hids the book under his pillow for now. He’s going to need a better spot later. Somewhere where they won’t be able to find him. However, for now he needs him just in case. 

He watched the others fakers try to take him out. He would have joined but he had other plans.  He waited until they were gone and for other Slappy to be vulnerable. Now he needs to gain that family’s trust.

This was a lot easier than he thought.