#I loved the last arc of C2 and I love this

[12pt-times-new-roman]

lore and character/class updates from tonight's episode:

Caes Mosor still stands as a massive, 11-story structure in the middle of the ruins of Molaesmyr. The cracks and fissures that run through the streets appear to emanate from it.

There are still bodies here, entangled with roots and mostly skeletal. They have been reincorporated with the voluminous, thriving corruption, creating twisted, almost beautiful murals and sculptures.

UNDEAD TREES!! (note, because I had to look it up: the trees that Caduceus encountered in the A2 crash site did not register as undead when he used eyes of the grave on them.)

There are also spores that permeate the air around the city, all coming from these twisting, vibrantly red trees that have bits of bone protruding from them. Their branches form hands, the bark has a semblance of eye sockets and a mouth. The Bells Hells can't tell if the trees are mimicking corpses, or if they once were corpses.

Frida knows the decompose cantrip!

FCG casts divination, and it appears to work. They hear the wind pick up, and it clears a path through the fog toward Ludinus' tower. Now, divination was among the spells listed by the Vellum Steeple as one that was tried unsuccessfully -- so are the gods settling into a new defensive position, and therefore mortals are able to contact them because they're stationary again? Or is it just that FCG in particular is being shown favor by the Changebringer? And if it's the latter, what does that say about the gods' favor to player-characters, and what does that say about fate and destiny when metaknowledge is considered?

The ghosts are doing a weeping angel thing, closing in on the group whenever they're not being looked at. They are elven in base structure -- angular features, long ears -- but their features are twisted and elongated.

Empathy domain clerics get divine strike instead of potent spellcasting at 8th level, implying that the subclass is more melee-oriented than range-oriented.

A winged creature watches them from Caes Mosor. Frida and Deanna see a creature with thin, leathery wings, with ribbon-like strands that trail from the 35-foot wingspan. Many, many taloned legs extend from the body, and there is no head -- just shoulders, a torso, and a bunch of legs.

The symbol of Molaesmyr is of a white tree, whose branches extend to the sky and whose roots encircle a white sun-like thing that's subterranean. (I'd put money on this being a depiction of a Luxon beacon.) The upper part of the crest is almost identical to the "elven" half of Uthodurn's crest.

Apparently "talking through some stuff" during a short rest can restore FCG's stress points.

Seething Storm is a reskin of either hunger of hadar, storm sphere, or conjure volley.

Dire wolf-like creatures are chasing the party, but their features and faces are elongated, almost like a mole. Their torsos and hinds extend into a serpent-like body that conjoin 30 feet later into one pair of hind legs, like a chariot pulled by 5 wolves.

Wait, Imogen have "infinite sending"? How, and since when?

Regardless, an 89 on a d100 allows the message to go through despite the leyline interference, due to the close proximity between her and FCG.

Deanna summons a spiritual guardian to protect the path they're taking as they climb up the Guildhollow Tower, and it looks like a big, angry, werewolf Chetney.

OHHHHH that creature is a "wolf king," like a rat king!

The inside of Ludinus' tower — the Guildhollow Tower — is mildewed, old, musty. Like the rest of the city, it's been picked through and looted by many, many people over centuries; there are bodies here, the remnants of a camp, all sundered, and much newer than the tower itself.

Has anyone written an academic paper about Matt's use of music in Critical Role, especially in mid-late C2 and C3? and if so, can someone write that? because there's so much mastery there it's insane

Even through the damage this room has sustained, there are elements of very expensive furniture and decoration, as well as patterns and designs that match Ludinus' vibes.

On the next floor, it appears that everything in here is crooked and tilted not because of someone throwing everything against the door, but because things were displaced in the blast. But again, the entire floor has been thoroughly looted.

Despite that, Chetney finds pieces of paper and cloth with elvish writing on them, mostly obscured by the root growth. Some has been torn off and taken, so it's broken up, but Deanna begins to read.

One cloth scroll is notes, self-written annotations, bullet points. "Patterns of arcana across cultures and time, Exandrian calendar patterns, repititions of magic, fonts of arcana that overlap with celestial events... noting where things continue to recur over long and short periods of time." This proves that Ludinus was studying the exact same thing in Molaesmyr as he is today: the movement and cyclical patterns of the leylines. It also bears resemblance to Ryn's research that the M9 found.

Another details "historical specialists, people to reach out to... names like Vatora, doesn't ring a bell; Laerryn, doesn't ring a bell; Vishtaron, doesn't ring a bell... there's also part of a small journal, a series of vellum pages torn from a religious tome. There are circles and notes talking about temple propaganda, inconsistencies and elements of religious rites that are contradictory and in of themselves proof that there is no real truth or plan in what the gods present. It looks like someone is preparing a speech, almost like an Exandrian TED talk, on what is wrong with the religious rites... you notice a heavy emphasis on the Matron, a lot of self-written notes about 'what's her name? I have to find her name. There is power in names.'"

Chetney finds a weird part of the wall, and by casting light at it, Deanna identifies it as an arcane lock that needs magic to open. This is very similar to the locks we saw on doors in Aeorian crash sites in C2. Frida vaguely recognizes the type of lock, but can't remember how to open it.

Chet climbs upward and plants his hand directly into a crimson cocoon, and the entire party watches as something pinkish-red begins to emerge, like an ooze of skinless flesh, a molasses of muscle — faces emerge from it, bestial maws that stretch out from it as it slams onto the stone in the center of the chamber. It has no form, like it hasn't decided what it wants to be yet... "it's drawing inspiration from you and whatever denizens of this city has walked its paths as these arms and tendrils and teeth begin to take form in this mass of chaotic, hungry, insane life that wishes to say hello to the new occupants of this tower."

[ludinusdaleth]

i'm not interested in finishing watching c2 (first 10 episodes bored me to death) and i only know c3, so what's the deal with essek? did he have a bad redemption arc? did he have a good one? do people just not like him for some reason? because i keep seeing his fans say the only reason c3 fans are saying his redemption arc sucked is to defend imogen and her mom and that seems too shallow to be the real reason.

first of all thank you for trusting in me to give a nuanced answer. ill do my best. essek is one of my favorite characters, but also so historically loved by fandom it has led to altercations and the drowning out of pretty much any other character in fandom spaces. ill try to explain. im sorry for how long this will be.

he was already deeply beloved as an npc for a long while before campaign 2 episode 97 dropped the fact that he was working with ludinus. he had taken luxon beacons (the object ludinus used to power the malleus key, what made opal & ted, what's in ashtons head) from his people in the dynasty - these objects were considered completely sacred to them, and the realization the empire had them, and the dynasty retaliating to get them, led to the war of ash and light which permeates much of c2's plot. so, functionally, essek's action led to war. essek was also at times in charge of or allowed to run interrogations on dynasty prisoners including nott/veth's husband yeza. to keep suspicion off of him, essek shifted blame onto a man in the dynasty who he had a petty grudge against, changed his memory, and set the dynasty onto him - this man was later given to the empire in a peace negotiation, so ludinus then had all control over knowledge on essek's involvement (bar the m9).

his remorse began with the m9, and how their lives had been effected by war and what the empire had done, and there is some implication that essek realized he was perhaps groomed by ludinus (and to a lesser degree made uncomfortable by his cohort trent) - though i should note essek was a (young) adult in government when he gave his people's artifacts away. essek hated the fact that his people were religious in regards to the luxon and did not wish to research it, and thought the cerberus assembly would be able to learn more about it.

essek's arc has been long praised as a very good one, and i think it mostly is. while i cant say we really see his kindness & newly brimming empathy fully extended, he does learn to see others as more than tools. he is still smug over his peoples religion vs his knowledge of the luxon, but learns to respect his culture enough that ludinus probably would not be able to sway him from it by insulting it now. he fights at the m9's side during the last arc, defends caleb from trent & the vollstreckers, helps fix caduceus's home. he is loyal to them forever and not just a traitor any longer. i definitely see some holes in it as he doesnt show much care to anyone but the m9, it is relatively quick how he descends into self hate about his actions that hes generally comforted for, and i worry at times he sinks too much into the soft hot boy flanderization due to everyone even the cast pushing it onto him (yes, softness & being too harsh exist in his characterization and are disliked at once, i know they are opposite traits). but i think it's good when a character is still an ass after redemption and matt clearly wants to avoid him being a soft boi in c3 whilst also maintaining that he has learned humanity & love.

you can see how that would be compelling, along with his general personality and good looks. this made him so compelling that his fans got, uh.... interesting. and that is probably the base problem that sets this discourse. (be aware my experience of his fans is primarily on twitter and in chats.)

folk would get mad and call the show unwatchable without his presence as if every other character was disgusting & boring to them (as if calebs character arc is not. literally. a parralel to esseks). they only cared about shadowgast (but only cared about essek within it, not caleb) and would be furious these two deeply aloof traumatized men didnt fuck on screen after 6 episodes knowing each other, called caleb abusive for not messaging him after a few episodes, called liam (who is iirc bi) homo/biphobic and abusive to matt for not kissing essek at one point or another. when caleb & essek did bond at the end of c2 and it was said they got together for a time that was not enough for fans, who claimed it homophobic (this magically mostly disappeared when folk saw other mlm stories did and do continue to play out in cr, which they only realized when orym existed and was a gold star gay - i, as a gay man, do not care on the scale they do lol). astrid was completely slammed into the mud by essek fans for being his mirror but a woman (they magically did not hate wulf, the last mirror in this scenario, a man, as much). people were furious essek did not have merch at the point where not even many pcs did yet and said it was homophobic (this magically stopped when he eventually got a portrait and chibi). a few learned he was ace/demi and called it a cop out, or otherwise ignored any nuance of it because they were horny about wizard yaoi (im aware ace/demi folks do have sex, but sometimes folk use that as a justification for ignoring the ace spectrum part of an identity). from personal experience, essek fans can be..... very disturbing, predatory individuals with no regard for who they are deeply sexual around, but that is just who i met and i do not want to go into that experience. in short, a lot of c2 era fandom has BEEF with them. i cannot say it is unjustified.

so with all that context, where does that leave the character and why do people compare him to liliana & imogen?

it is my genuine opinion from observation a lot of fandom on here & twitter that essek/shadowgast/caleb fans can be.... sexist. it does not go unnoticed to me that imogen has an extremely similar moral arc to caleb and yet is called evil when caleb is called traumatized & struggling with demons but a good man. caleb was part of the vollstrecker (assassins for the empire) as a youth but broke, and ran, after killing his parents, and had to learn he was more than dirt, and learn to love again. imogen began easily jealous & in turmoil about herself and her mother, but has grown to be one of the most empathetic people who is constantly struggling between sacrifice and her simple wish to live with laudna, that it seems the universe wants to fight. both are aware they could be or are seen as living shit for their youth or conception and accept it. both dont really know how to find a way out of that. i think both are incredible characters. i notice when fans only acknowledge the hero's journey of one.

as for liliana & essek..... look, essek has a very defined character arc that we have seen come to fruition and end in redemption. liliana (and by extension bor'dor and other ruby vanguard folk) have not yet. essek was framed as neutral at first and liliana was framed as ludinus's ally. i get it. but it is impossible to me to not see liliana in the steps of essek at the beginning of his own arc. if anything i think her intentions (if not actions) are infinitely less selfish than esseks, as she wished to do this to save her daughter. ludinus has caught so many in his web, and essek got out, and liliana just realized she's in the webbing. whats interesting is how we see clear as day every conversation they have that liliana has been brainwashed into cult mentality & justification, and yet only had one or two conversations vaguely indicating this about essek, and yet essek is always praised as a survivor where liliana is not. bor'dor is very clearly like essek in being an oppressed young man who sees a calling made by a powerful older man, but entire breakdowns of how men of color are recruited into the far right have been written about essek where bor'dor (actual man of color) is despised by the same people. the tldr on this is i do think some folk can be so drunk on Hating Essek juice they swing too far in their assumptions, but the pattern of his fans misinterpreting everyone else to elevate him is based on precendent thats happened for years, and i think it is deeply.... disappointing? to watch such a nuanced story play out in c3 and refuse to engage with it whilst claiming anyone who wishes to analyze the way a cult breaks your brain is misandrist.

im so sorry this is so long, but i really do not know how else to describe all this without its nuance. i hope i wrote something that made sense.

[imogenisgod]

SO MANY THINGS !!!

Starting off with I love cool down on beacon. I’ve always wanted to listen to them just talk after the episode and it’s so fucking nice to see.

BUT THE EPISODE fearne almost fucking died and her father ?!?! I’m so interested and scared to see where that goes. He could have done anything but the mirror ??? Like holy shit actually that was such a moment thank god Orym followed her.

ESSEK HOT BOYYY I guessed it right away and I’m so happy it’s him. I’m not done with C2 yet but I absolutely love it and ofc him. I cant wait for the conversation with him and Astrid ALSO ASTRID ?!?! I will admit- me not being done with C2 does mean I was spoiled on a few details but honestly I kind of expect it like I started with the last campaign. Either way I’m looking forward to the conversation they have and the dynamic that Astrid and Essek show.

Dorian is back! Everything is great! This episode had a lot of great moments. I cant wait to head into Aeor I just kind of got passed I think most of that arc in C2 (I’m pretty sure they go back) so all the questions I have I can immediately get from C3 and that’s kind of awesome. A little cheating in a way because I won’t have to wait years to know what A? Mark is but hey!

No C2 spoilers btw!!! If I said anything that makes you want to correct my C2 knowledge keep it to yourself and let me figure it out! Thank youuu

[pocketgalaxies]

would u be able to describe how marishas body language as keyleth differs from e.g. laudna? like laudna does the creepy hands a lot and plays with her hair, what abt keyleth? (sorry i havent seen c1 but i love marisha and her roleplay style fascinates me🙏)

hmmmm i have a hard time putting it into words and it's been a minute since i last watched c1, i think there would be plenty of people out there better equipped to do this than me lol but i think it just comes down to the core tenets of each character and how that's reflected in the way they take up space in the world

keyleth is, esp early campaign, very jittery and anxious and naive about the world. she sits at the edge of her seat with wide eyes and a big smile, and she feels things to the extreme which often translates to big movements. but the movements often feel jittery too, like there's the slowness of awkwardness/hesitation combined with the high speed of anxiety, if that makes sense? she's also not particularly graceful a lot of the time, almost like she's got too much limb and she doesn't quite know what to do with it. i think she becomes a lot more fluid and settled late campaign, which is kinda cool bc her arc is literally about how she learns to take up space in the world with confidence and purpose, but the kind of open upright posture and awkward lanky movements are always there a little bit because that's just who she is

on the other hand laudna is more comfortable in her own skin and is quite intentional about the way she presents herself, which translates to more fluid and idiosyncratic gestures that are often flourished and sweeping. laudna and keyleth are both start-and-stop with their movement, but with keyleth it feels more like she doesn't know what she's going to do until she does it, whereas laudna's abrupt and exaggerated movements from stillness are often controlled and appear to be her preferred way of getting from position A to B, if that makes sense. also just in terms of Anxiety, laudna's translates more physically to pulling on her hair etc while keyleth doesn't necessarily change her physicality as much as she just talks and talks and talks dkfjsdf. and for completion's sake laudna also sits with a different posture from keyleth, often hunched over with her shoulders raised a bit. more closed off, ready to pounce (and scare u) sort of vibe

not that you asked but beau is also v different from keyleth and laudna which is to be expected! i obviously haven't made it super far in c2 yet but from what i've seen, beau's physicality is all about Stillness and confidence, which tracks with both her personality and her monk background. i think one of the anchoring postures for beau is definitely leaning back in the chair, arms crossed, chin up - a bit protective of herself but also aggressive in the way that she's non-verbally DARING you to do that shit. there's not a lot of extraneous movement with beau, just like there's not a lot of extraneous words spoken by her. she's also a fan of extremely direct eye contact, similarly unmoving like laudna's but a lot less creepy/unsettling and a lot more piercing into the center of your soul to carve the truth out of your chest sort of thing

anyway not sure if that explains anything at all for you but a lot of it is just the Vibes that she puts out so it's hard to explain for someone who isn't actually analyzing this stuff or well-practiced at putting it into words dkfjskdfs

[kingprilbusbignaturals]

i haven’t watched critical role in years, but i’ve been thinking abt how much i love how each campaign has a “found family” element to it while having a completely different group dynamic and a different way of interacting with the world around them.

at the start of c1, vox machina is already well-established, both as a successful adventuring party and interpersonally. they have powerful npc allies, they’re making grand confessions of love in the first “major” arc, everybody is already very comfortable with each other and they all know where they stand with one another. throughout the campaign, we see relationships slowly shift and grow, and we see them become more powerful and influential than their most powerful allies. they go down in the history books as heroes.

in c2, the mighty nein are a group of strangers with a bunch of secret trauma. there’s a lot of intra-party friction at first, they don’t have any powerful npcs they can really trust, and for a while they barely have any gold or any meaningful influence. we see them build their relationships with each other brick by brick into something beautiful, until each character is virtually unrecognizable from episode 1. by the end of the campaign, they are a unit that powerful people fear, but no layperson would recognize their name.

c3 (which admittedly i only watched ~40eps of), is kind of a combination of those 2 dynamics. most of the party has meaningful relationships established with one or two other characters at the start of ep1. they open up to one another quickly with relatively little tension. they have a trusted, powerful mentor quickly appointed, but that doesn’t last long-term. they have a character intimately familiar with the city they start in, but they have to move on to other parts of the world. they are relatively unknown to the average person, but simultaneously have powerful enemies and seem destined for something great.

it’s just very interesting how the same group of people can play the same game 3 times, each with the same goals of falling into that family dynamic and making their impact on the world, and make each one feel unique.

[marcussour]

Random musings about last nite's episode

"Right in my cancer".

Bony Stark

Get orbed Delilah!

No, but seriously, glad to see that they finally found a nice way to control that issue and turned her into basically a magic battery.

As someone who hasn't seen C2 yet -started with C1, saw all of the EXUs, and have been watching C3 from the get go- (but already know most of its beats because how could you not by now), kinda wish I had seen it to better understand how Braius' origin is tied to Nott and Jester. Like, it was obvious and everyone reactions when they realized was priceless. Still think I would've laughed more had I known the full context.

I love that Vasselheim saw the lifeless husk of the undead primordial titan from the ending of C1 and thought "IT'S FREE REAL ESTATE". But it's also an amazing sign to add to a city that's already thousands of years old, in terms of adaptability, of symbolism (the city of the gods turning a primordial titan into a building and source of resources), and just all around aesthetic -the fact that people are mining it, that they incorporated it into the cityscape, the fact that they made apartments and people have gardens growing out of it-.

Also, I'm pretty sure there's gonna be another undead outbreak in Vasselheim before the night's over. I would be shocked if it don't happen, because the seeds for it were firmly planted.

GROG!! J'MON SA ORD!!

Ever since it was clear that this campaign was a-ok for the cameos, and the moment it became evident that every major character of the 3 campaigns and EXU was gonna end up playing a part in the final conflict, I was waiting for the whole "EVERYONE IS HERE" moment, and we're finally getting there. It's gonna be so much fun seeing the art that's gonna come out of it.

But in a related note, it just dawned on me, as if it wasn't evident already, that we're entering the final stretch of the campaign. And like, I still think that we've got many months ahead, like, I don't think this is ending this year. But the fact that we're finally at the meeting where everybody is gathering around for the big fight, the fact that Delilah is finally under control, that Ludinus' invasion is finally underway. We're clearly in the beginning of the final act (even the wiki, which I know is not official, but has arc 6 starting point at episode 102). Between the 10th anniversary next year and the launch of Daggerheart (and assuming they might change systems for Campaign 4), everything's kinda fitting together.

[utilitycaster]

absolutely no pressure, but when you have time, would LOVE your thoughts on the Adventuring Academy Dropout posted today with Matt and Brennan - they talk a bit about spotlighting and when it’s important and i would love to hear your take

So, I just watched it because I was not yet in the mood for Neverafter.

I think it was overall a very good discussion, and while I don't think it always comes out perfectly in practice on their respective shows, for the most part I can't fault them on that because that's how D&D goes; a DM plan never survives contact with the players.

I think to hit the high points:

Brennan's point of "we have 6 PCs and 2 hours so everyone gets 20 minutes would be an absurd system" is extremely correct and it's one I think people would be well served by remembering

The discussion of Caduceus, Ricky Matsui, and Orym as characters who explicitly do not have an internal darkness and whose role is by design one of party support (either mechanical or RP) is also a very good one; basically, if a character doesn't have much internal conflict, that's totally cool! Just make sure the player is aware that this will put them in a particular position within the narrative and that they won't usually have a huge big spotlight but will have other crucial opportunities in the story because they don't have that inner turmoil weighing them down. (And of course Matt and Brennan's praise for Taliesin and Zac was extremely well-deserved).

The talk about the Briarwoods arc and also the art devil fight in The Unsleeping City were both excellent, namely, it's ok and even good to have a character who is particularly in focus for an arc - even a long arc - provided other characters still have plenty to do that's not just surrounding the focus character, and also it's normal to have multiple characters in focus. I've said this before about Briarwoods and Pirate arcs but truly, I can name absolutely crucial moments for every single C1 and C2 character present in those arcs.

Brennan's statement of how a good player could diffuse even the most lopsided spotlight is a very worthwhile one. Not to get corporate but some of you have never had to work around a shitty but not actually fireable offense-type manager and it shows.

The final point of table trust and the fact that both the DM and the players should, and indeed must communicate, is key. I think there is an unfortunate mindset that exists in some D&D spaces that you shouldn't have to speak up if things aren't to your liking and REAL FRIENDS NOTICE. This is wrong, and bad, and an undue burden on everyone around you, and frankly assumes that you (or the person you feel is being wronged) is in fact the main character of the universe, and explains a lot of other bad opinions in actual play spaces, but anyway. Speak up! If you feel another player is getting all the time, either because of them or because of how the DM has structured the game, speak up, and as Brennan said, also ask what you can do!

One last personal takeaway, which is that Brennan as a tiny sidebar (in discussing Ricky) mentioned that playing a character who isn't in some way in internal conflict can be difficult, and referenced Superman as an example. I think this is actually the key: to be a truly great player, who builds characters who are genuinely interesting and who can carve out a spotlight in every story, you do either need to understand your character's inner conflict such that you can generate story from that; or you need to be able to look at Superman and understand the inherent conflicts that must have existed to bring him to that point. Honestly, because of the earlier context on worldbuilding and continuity/narrative's importance in good worldbuilding, I had that in mind, and the same applies to character. If your character is tortured, why? If they're not...why? Because if you can't answer those questions there's a reason the spotlight's not on you.

[zemnian-newcomer]

Nine Eyes of Lucien - Personal Highlights

Putting the details behind a Read More, for length and spoiler reasons (if anyone still cares about that), but in short: I loved the book, especially the use of fonts and formatting. I will definitely be having it in the back of my mind once I get to the Aeor arc in my current re-listen of c2.

Page 24, and this is already so much more fucked up than anything I was imagining. What the fuck, who comes up with that?

Just putting this here because yes I see the parallels. Didn't realize it was the same year until I saw the post pointing that out though.

The fact that these are Lucien's last words before dying (for the first time) - yeah I'm not gonna be okay about this for some time. The connection across lifetimes between the Hollowing (still a horrifying concept btw) of Lucien's brother and the Emptiness Molly and Kingsley experienced in the beginning of their existence...

And what's this? IT'S BOLO LORE WITH A STEEL CHAIR!!!

Molly is such a little shit and I love him so much. I liked him before but this book really solidified it for me. This passage might be one of my favorites.

A note on the formatting for these parts: Love the use of footnotes. They're asides, they're not part of the main text - but aren't they? They can make space for themselves where it wasn't intended, even take up the majority of a page! They draw the eye, they're INTERESTING!

And suddenly he's out of the footnotes and part of the main text. Beautifully done.

And next to all the lore about Lucien and Molly, Cree and the rest of the Tombtakers... we get a scrap of shadowgast. Thank you, Madeleine Roux! I will be thinking about "crying out as if he had been the one struck down" every day for the foreseeable future.

Also it's so fucking funny that Lucien has literally no idea who Essek is. Like, the Mighty Nein travel with him for a bit, they part under less than stellar circumstances, and just a few days later they're suddenly working with this random drow?

Other small notes without excerpts:

I liked learning more about the Tombtakers, both pre-campaign and during

The fact that Aldreda is, as far as we know, still living in Rexxentrum post-campaign... So many possible encounters that could happen there. Or not. It's a big city, after all.

Cree deserved better. So did the rest of the Tombtakers but her especially.

[shadowgast-recs-weekly]

Look below the cut for 18 incredible Works In Progress!

birds of prey by mllekurtz (TheKnittingJedi) (91852, Explicit) Warnings: CNTW, mind the tags on later installments Evil Shadowgast AU in which Essek finds himself dangerously entangled with scourger Bren Reccer says: Incredible tension, razor-sharp characterization, and absolutely scorching hot 🔥

heat by Anonymous (20307, Explicit) Warnings: no archive warnings apply AU where elves under go a heat cycle as part of their normal biology every century or so. Essek has been medically delaying his heat by about 20 years. He asks Caleb to help him through it. Reccer says: This fic is SO horny and tender and sweet. It was last updated before ep 97, so there's no betrayal arc. It's just two hot boys fucking each other over the course of days. It's a heat fic but it's specifically not an a/b/o fic.

The Monkey's Paw by jakia (4654, Teen) Warnings: No archive warnings apply AU fic written during 2020 hiatus. Once Caleb has finished saving the world, Essek finds a way to give Caleb what he's always wanted: a simple life, with his living parents. But the problem with getting what you've always wanted is that sometimes you learn the hard way that what you thought you wanted and what you really want are two separate things. [Shadowgast, where post-campaign, Essek sends Caleb to a different timeline where he's a farmer, not a wizard] Reccer says: Love the worldbuilding, both the alternate version of what post-canon canon would look like, and the actual alternate universe that Caleb is sent to.

the fourth corner of the world by royalgreen (allyoop) (50775, Mature) Warnings: No archive warnings apply An alternate take on TravelerCon where Essek has joined them on Rumblecusp Reccer says: It was started during the hiatus, so there's some really great alternate worldbuilding for an AU version of Rumblecusp and TravelerCon. Essek and Caleb's relationship is also a delicious slow burn.

This sudden burst of sunlight, and me with my umbrella by Criticalpancake (63817, Teen) Warnings: None The one where the Nein are Orchid Smugglers (and Essek is still a traitor) Reccer says: I love incredibly specific AUs, and this definitely counts. Plus, I love the way that the author translated the Nein's backstories and personalities into this very different setting

Dappled Shadow and Penumbral Light by Professor_Rye (463977, Mature) Warnings: Graphic Violence/Torture, Trent Ikithon being his awful self The slowest of slow-burn post-canon Shadowgast epos. Reccer says: If we're talking about ongoing fics, this one just has to be on the list. A behemoth of a story that is far from over (and updated regularly) I promise you it is worth to invest the time to read it. The characterization is excellent, and it ties up a lot of threads that have been left hanging when C2 ended. There is intense angst and pain in this fic, but also two idiot wizards in love and lots of soft and fluffy moments between them. It also features a very honest portrayal of disabilities and dealing with chronic pain. Truly the whole package. <3

the great war of the nein sided tower cats by egg (strwpup) (43737, Teen) Warnings: None Honestly, the title is all you need to know. It's Caleb's tower, it's cats, it's plotting and bickering and well... It's war. Reccer says: I love the concept and the surreal undertones. The characterisations are great and the cats... Don't get me even started about the cats. They are AMAZING and you will not see the tower with the same eyes after you read this.

A Tapestry of Stars by Cinderstorm (95903, Explicit) Warnings: None Caleb and Essek end up in an arranged marriage, with each side having their own goals and secrets Reccer says: Politics! Intrigue! Space! Arranged Marriage! What's not to love? This has gone a long time without updating, but what's there is enjoyable on its own.

Pieces Left Behind by Meadow (Medorikoi) (66911, Explicit) Warnings: Rape recovery This is techincally a sequel but can be read by its own. Essek and Caleb trying to recover after Ikithon. Reccer says: This is a pretty dark fic but also moments I love in it. Essek and Caleb's relationship- their co-dependecy is so good to read. The care they have each other. Despite the heaviness of the fic the slowbırn is delicious. I would sell my soul to read more of this- or just wipe my memory to reread.

The Legend of Widogast Manor by royalgreen (allyoop) (6620, Teen) Warnings: No archive warnings apply Essek investigates an abandoned manor, looking for magic. What he finds is the mysterious Caleb Widogast, a man with secrets who may not be a man at all. Reccer says: VAMPIRE FIC. Love all the vampire fic for this pairing, love the AU meeting, love the building mystery and the excellent spooky atmosphere the author evokes.

Ashkeeper, or Urn by darundik (60385, Explicit) Warnings: under-negotiated kink Caleb and Essek are exiled and stripped of their magic. They find their way forward. Reccer says: There's some amazing worldbuilding and description, and the initial sadness just makes the hope even more delicious

Coping Skills by sumomomochi (105862, Explicit) Warnings: None Caleb is an exchange researcher at the Tomes, Essek is responsible for monitoring him for the Dynasty. Essek doesn't date and only has platonic kink since he thinks his disability is too much work for anyone to bother with him. Cue Caleb venturing into the local kink scene and setting his eye on Essek, making him want to brave the minefield that is relationship, with an empire human no lessand all that entails. Reccer says: I love the well thought out relationship, the softness and the SSC kink portrayed, which proves disabilities and health conditions don't have to prevend one from doing things they want to do, provided a willing, caring partner.

Starling by Kaiannae (147960, Mature) Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence; some parts are very dark but it is thoroughly tagged! Bren breaks out of Vergesson and steals a fairy while doing it. It's a beautiful AU about Bren's time right after Vergesson, with a focus on survival and Bren's relationship with the mysterious fairy. Reccer says: It's a beautiful exploration of the time Bren might have spent after escaping, the descriptions of nature are magnificent and Fairy!Essek is a treat.

the golden thread around your neck whispered visions of my undoing by MarsBar2019 (80879, Explicit) Warnings: The inherent dubcon of sleeping with your employee, Caleb typical angsty backstory and mental health issues Essek is the CEO of an arcane tech company and Caleb is his new assistant. Reccer says: The spicy, mildly problematic office romance you didn't think you needed. But listen, I PROMISE you do need it!! It has incredible world-building, really memorable side characters, and the slow burn is just chef's kiss perfection. Mark my words, this is a modern classic of the Shadowgast fanfic canon!

You Be You, And I’ll Be Busy by theprophetlemonade (21321, Teen) Warnings: It has the Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, so it might have darker topics A series of one-shots about Essek and Caleb spending nights in Aoer and mornings in the Blooming Groove. Reccer says: It's wonderful and very poetic storytelling with very deep look into Essek's thoughts and actions.

oh, sinnerman by SaltCore (9614, Mature) Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Suicidal Thoughts Caleb doesn't love Essek anymore, but things don't really add up Reccer says: Salt is a master of emotional angst and this fic is no exception

Soak me in your sin by witches_chant (3382, Explicit) Warnings: Consensual Non Concent Caleb and Essek roleplay some CNC with a cultural twist Reccer says: Some of the best CNC I've ever read. The care and attention between Caleb and Essek is constantly shown, despite the roleplaying they're doing.

And two fics for

Love Letters to Toss Into the Fire by Anonymous (42868, Teen) Warnings: None Caleb and Essek begin a secret correspondence in which they feel free to say the things they struggle to say aloud. Reccer #1 says: Fantastic slow burn and beautifully woven into canon. The letters go to such emotionally intimate places, and it's always a joy to see what enchanting (and enchanted) form they will take in each chapter. Reccer #2 says: The letters and the thoughts behind them are reason alone to read this fic. Besides that it is a beautiful exploration of their relationship.

Aeor is for Lovers is an 18+ Shadowgast Discord server. The above fanfic recommendations were pulled from our community for this weekly event. All fics, unless otherwise specified, will primarily feature Shadowgast. Have any questions about what this is? Check out the FAQ! Next week's theme is Fics Featuring Astrid and/or Eadwulf (not Shadowblumendrei though, that’s a separate theme)

[thematronofravens]

there was one (1) (singular) essek fan who shit-talked gilmore in the tags (who i firmly disagree with, i love both), and the essek haters screencapped it, ranted against it, and now are writing tags like 'cr2 girlies are delusional'. i like how they're acting like all essek fans are gilmore haters, when there were multiple essek hate tags in the last poll

no for real though…

like, y’all saying “i don’t care if gilmore wins but i want essek to lose”… get a fucking life lmaoooooo. i also keep seeing SO MANY comments that are like “how dare you call gilmore uninteresting”, when i’ve barely seen anyone in the essek nation say that. i feel like most of essek nation is at least still being respectful to gilmore and his fans, but i guess we don’t deserve that same respect.

also, i’ve watched both c1 and c2, and i loved gilmore, but for me, nothing compares to how essek fit into the m9 arc and his character growth through the campaign. dude was literally just supposed to be a small villain and look where he ended up…

anyways… if you can’t lift up your fav without trying to tear down the opponent then you should really reconsider why they’re your fav.

[cringefaecompilation]

so i just say your post asking about anyone who liked bh but hates the mn and. yes. i am one of those people. i started watching cr around episode 31 of vox machina, started with episode 1 of mn, and didn't make it past episode 5 on the first watch through. i didn't like any of the characters except yasha but having an ashley character be your favorite character is ROUGH - and seeing that pike was my favorite from vox machina (quickly followed by grog and scanlan), i learned the lesson pretty early on.

but yeah. i dislike the mn. i won't watch anything that doesn't have caduceus in it because he was the only saving grace for me and the only reason i actually started watching again. assholes just aren't interesting to me. i didn't care for them. now that i've watched some past episodes i dislike them less, but i don't find any of them really all that interesting. and when caduceus is the only reason you watch... well. it's not really a good time.

i didn't care about any of the npcs the group connected with except allura but, like, come ON. it's ALLURA VYSOREN. I didn't care about essek (still don't), pumat was good but not gilmore-esque, yussa... honestly he was the funniest npc just on accident cause he kept getting trapped in places he was sticking his nose in.

basically the characters just weren't the kind of characters i was ever interested in watching, the story line only garnered my attention very, very late, and, tbh, the fandom was (is) so fucking rancid that it just made me hate it more.

the moment exu came out i was so excited because i hoped fearne and orym would be in c3 and have loved them ever since. i would even say that like all the characters in bh and am invested in all their stories. chet can... sometimes get too much for me but that's mostly because i'm already overstimulated and has nothing to do with the actual character. even with ashton who is 100% california punk (your roots are showing, taliesin) and clashes against the punk lifestyle i've always lived only makes me respect them because, yeah. they're a punk. i'm a punk. fuck them; i'll love them forever.

huh, neat! i've never heard of someone getting into c1 midway and than into c2, usually it's the other way around. that's cool.

honestly i hadn't even considered that people may be COMPLETELY put off by the mn being assholes at the beginning, but then again i was also super taken aback when taliesin said that the nein were "almost all villains" but looking back on where they all began and their backstories, i can see it more.

i will agree with you that early c2 can be a little obnoxious to get through and while i was able to enjoy them (both the characters and the storyline) it's completely understandable why someone would get frustrated with them and stop watching. fandom toxicity and overall arc fatigue seem to be the most agreed on answers to why c3 fans if any don't like c2.

also the whole "caduceus is the only reason i liked c2" seems to be a sentiment for people that have become wholly disillusioned with critical role as a series, so it's nice to see someone still enjoying the series with that viewpoint.

for the last paragraph, i completely agree! though i really REALLY wanted dariax and opal to come along with them, we can see why (ep 64) it wouldn't have been viable.

i'm just shocked that everyone had pretty much the exact same answer, i swear i would have gotten at least one person that disliked it for a bizarrely specific reason.

[elle-thereafter]

Druid and Barbarian for the ask game? :D

Druid - What is your favorite non-canon ship?

Oh boy this is a tough choice. I am an equal-opportunity ship-reader and sometimes there is great “what if” stuff buried just around the edges of canon. Fjord and Caleb have just so much chemistry and I absolutely love the idea of their early-mid C2 relationship going into the bedroom and getting deliciously complicated because I can’t see either of them wanting the rest of the party to know. Not because they’re ashamed but because they know they’re bad for each other at that point and using each other in ways that aren’t healthy and will not lead to anything good.

I also desperately want an Astrid/Essek exploration. I have no idea what it would look like, whether it’s an AU or maybe they met while Essek was doing the dirty with the Empire before the M9 waltzed into his world or maybe it’s post-Caleb because Astrid is absolutely the type to Clone herself. But I want it because in my head it is fabulously crunchy. So if anyone ever finds it please send it to me post haste.

Barbarian - Who is your favorite villain?

How dare you. How dare you make me pick between Raishan and Asmodeus.

I am a sucker for the “forced to work with the villain to stop something worse” trope, and Raishan ticks all the boxes. She outfoxed them so many times and nearly beat them the last time too, if that Feeblemind hadn’t worked I think they’d have been pretty fucked. But also! The Feeblemind was the perfect fucking way to end her. A great, poetic end is part of a great villain arc!

But Asmodeus probably wins for me, if only just. Brennan managed to infuse the Lord of the Hells with a perfect mix of mind manipulation and low-key uneasy hints at malevolence and outright unrepentant devilry. The interplay between Asmodeus and Zerxus is a masterpiece that I have watched a hundred times and will probably watch a hundred more times. There are so many moments during EXU Calamity where you seriously, genuinely doubt even just for a second that Asmodeus is a villain. Maybe he is just misunderstood. And while you think that you know that can’t be right but he’s just so convincing you can’t help but buy into it, even if it’s only just a little. Such delicious tension.

Also! Aabria and Travis and Lou and Marisha made the best faces during the Asmodeus scenes, I could watch their reactions all day. Pro tip: re-watch all the Asmodeus scenes, but take two post-it notes and cover Brennan and Luis so you don’t reflexively watch them while they’re talking and then you can feast on the rest of the player reactions without distraction.

[captainsspnanon]

C3E56 reaction

I have to go on CR stats to remind myself! I watched most of it last night, then crashed because I was so tired, and finished up with the fight aftermath today.

There have been a LOT of episodes recently where the cast is just full giggles for a lot. It's not a complaint, it's just fun to see the comparison versus how they are .... less frequently doing episodes full of giggly for C2. Had to phrase that carefully, because they certainly were giggly for a lot of C2 as well, but usually more in chunks of episodes rather than being fairly punchy throughout.

I am ALWAYS excited to see the snow background! Confirmed light snow and 'heavy' snow, but I personally would have loved to have an even heavier version. I suppose it might be too distracting, but I'd love to see lots of blizzardy action behind them, or heavy downpour.

The frost giant bit was fun, but I would have enjoyed even a more 'encountery' encounter. It wasn't a theater of the mind combat because initiative wasn't rolled, and while it was enjoyable, I could have enjoyed it more.

GOAT BOAT! I, like the party, completely underestimated the size of the goats! It turned out well that they were being more sensible about the raft, but the sheer hilarity of the concept was glorious.

Matt was ON POINT with voices today, Donnie Boy's voice, and double catfish voices were HYSTERICAL and AMAZING.

I'm still a bit iffy of the robit romance. I'm enjoying the players having fun, but it'll feel just a bit weird to me if this ends up being long term end game romance. It really does feel like Rushed First Crush, and there's no saying how it will go, so Imma just enjoy the ride. Christian is definitely playing this to the max, and Sam is 'yes and'ing away, leading to fun scenes.

CHANGEBRINGER CHANGEBRINGER CHANGEBRINGER

Look. Sometimes - Sometimes Matt makes decisions. And sometimes those decisions, I can't quite understand how he got to. Mike Hunt is my usual example for that. But having the Changebringer be visible on the horizon an impossible distance away? As soon as he described it, I knew Sam/FCG was going to use it as confirmation of flat Exandria. As SOON as it was out of Matt's mouth.

Aside from that, what an absolutely beautiful scene! From all three campaigns, I highly appreciate how Matt portrays the gods, each one unique and for the most part never 'speaking' but giving the essence of the meaning regardless. (Exceptions being when Vax communes with the Raven Queen in the pool of blood, and when C1 is off on the god-fetch-quest in the last arc.) Using the distance to emphasize how the gods are pulling away, using the coin to convey a clear yes (both the Changebringer and Matt get props for that choice), it was all so visually and emotionally striking.

WHY DID DEANNA KILL THE GOAT! WHAT. WHAT. WAHT.

got an immense number of laughs from me, but doesn't seem to match with how she's been played at the moment. It definitely shows why she clicks so much with Chetney, I'd like to see this very impulsive violence more.

FROG-HE-MOTH. FROGHEMOTH. YES YES YES

We are at Molaesmyr. WE ARE AT MOLAESMYR.

(Do I have to look up the spelling EVERY SINGLE TIME? yes. yes i do)

As soon as the elk showed up I was so excited to see more Protectors. I WAS WRONG AS FUCK. I cannot WAIT to see how this continues!

...is it bad that I like all the new art except for Imogen? Something about the face, chest, and hands just look a bit off to me.

Missing team AOL, I expect we won't see them for maybe another month at least. For me, this is the biggest 'expect the unexpected' from the pre-C3 video. Extended guests were fun, destroying gods plot has been thrilling, but extended splitting the party has been the most unexpected for me.

[cosmic-star-dust]

so i have some thoughts on the state of critical role lately

so. this whole arc of c3 has been getting me thinking, and i just want to get some thoughts down, maybe for the people who also aren't super jazzed about this whole... pc cameo extravaganza that's been going on (obviously, huge spoilers for c3, up to e51)

a few disclaimers:

I love CR. I adore it. I love matt and his storytelling. All of these things are what got me into D&D to begin with. This is not just me shitting on CR or matt for no reason

i haven't seen c1. i don't know if vm have any sort of major standing in the plot. but i'm just not interested in vm, never have been, and, especially after this stint in c3, i can say with confidence that i won't ever be, unfortunately

i have so much respect for matthew mercer. i cannot imagine what it must be like to run this show. these are just my opinions as a fellow storyteller-- i can love the show, and love his work, and still not agree with its narrative structure

now i know i'm in the minority for not particularly enjoying the c1 and c2 cameos that have been happening in the last couple of episodes of c3. i understand that a lot of people love it, and i think that's great! i'm glad you guys enjoy it! i'm just not one of them, and here's why.

first and foremost, it's gatekeepy. i got my friend into CR via c3, and both of us were working on the promise that someone who was brand new to CR could start with c3 with no prior knowledge and be totally fine. but now, they've kind of gone back on that. and listen, i get it. narratives change. characters get introduced. but to have them continuously play such a large role in the narrative is really making it difficult for newer fans of the show, while appealing to the nostalgia of the older ones. this is a tough (and most likely very sensitive) topic, as nostalgia is a very attractive thing to a lot of people. but, at the same time, it robs new fans of creating those meaningful memories of the characters for this campaign, which is just kind of sad, honestly

second, the dependency on c1 and c2 characters is robbing the c3 characters of their own character arcs. now, this one... is a little spicy. i'm sorry-- character arcs are my bread and butter, and this is something i'm quite passionate about. my first irritations with the c1 cameos really goes back to laudna's revival, because, in all honesty, i don't think vm should have (or would have) helped bh from a narrative standpoint. i understand, you don't want to paint your players' former pcs as total assholes, but, by the same token, imagine it was turned around. imagine the members of vm were approached, cold turkey, by a group of random assholes who said their friend just up and died-- when they had already lost their own members. they had already failed to bring someone back. and now, this random group wants to bring back their friend who is carrying the spirit of one of their greatest enemies of all time? the dependency on the c1 characters really started here, imo, because matt showed the players that, yes, no matter how outlandish the request, they could just ask a few favors of some of the highest-ranking individuals in tal dorei, and everything would be hunky-dory.

but imagine a narrative where vm refused. imagine a narrative where vm antagonized the group. imagine a narrative where they had to continue on without laudna-- the trauma that would inflict upon the group, upon imogen, upon orym. imagine a narrative where keyleth told orym that he can't keep depending on her help every time they face a battle they can't win. imagine a narrative where bh and vm were enemies. but, no, now the c3 characters are essentially acting as little more than lackeys and frontmen for vm... and, narratively, it's just kind of... lackluster, and, unfortunately, disappointing (and i hate saying that, trust me).

now. with e51, especially. imagine a narrative where these characters, who are believed to be essentially invincible at this point... died. beau, caleb, keyleth. imagine they died because of bh's insistence that they help them. imagine the character arcs that could have come out of keyleth's death alone. if they had to face the consequences of their actions, and lost favor with vm because of keyleth's death, or orym had to abandon the air ashari because of it, or a million other ripples that could rise just from that scene alone. i love happy endings, don't get me wrong, but i also don't want it just handed to characters in a narrative. a happy ending is much more fulfilling when one has to work for it.

but now, it more feels like these characters have stagnated, and aren't actually developing on their own anymore. and i really noticed it as soon as they got vm's help with laudna's revival. it's just... a shame, honestly. i was really excited, and really hopeful, but now it's becoming an obligation to watch episodes, especially since i don't care about vm. even beau and caleb being there is like... fine, whatever, i guess it makes sense, but i would much rather have people who work with them rather than beau and caleb, themselves (and i love those two goofballs!). think of other members of the cobalt soul, or just other agents, in general. there are so many opportunities for other npcs to come in and be their allies, and it's a shame that they're just recycling old materials instead of coming up with something new.

this is not, by any means, all matt's fault, or a result of bad storytelling, or anything. there are certain players that are equally as responsible for nostalgia pandering. and i get it, you're excited to see what your old pcs are up to, and how they're doing, but, if that was the case, then just play a c1/c2 reunion campaign, as they have in the past. as far as what could be done now... it would honestly just be matt putting his foot down, and having the old pcs say "no, we're not helping you. you need to figure it out on your own." they're busy people in canon, after all!

i could go on and on (i already have), but, ultimately... if you don't like the pc cameos that have been happening, you're not alone. if you're disappointed by the narrative as it stands right now, you're not alone. as someone who loves cr, and wants to be a fan of this arc so badly, i get it. i just want these characters to stand on their own again.

[100hearteyes]

I loved this last episode of CR, but also have a couple of gripes with it and the overall arc. I can't overstate how epic the episode was and how much I love a BIG LOT of what's been done so far in C3, but I also need to rant about two or three things that have been bothering me lol

(ignore if you don't wanna read mild criticism)

First, Ludinus's plan with Vax relied on too many variables and probably's. Orym or no Orym, he assumed Keyleth would intervene in-person for sure at the end, therefore luring Vax out, which... Yeah, very very likely, but should you really hinge a huge master plan a thousand years in the making on 'very likely'? I wouldn't fuck with that many odds tbh.

Secondly, and this is an issue I've had with this campaign at large since the Ruidus plot really kicked off, I think the fact that Bells Hells were always clearly in over their heads in this was a bit of a turn off for me, or at least took me out of it a bit, because the whole thing felt too big, too soon for the campaign. Like, how do you follow this up? How do you justify another nearly two thirds or over a half of campaign? Because yeah, if C1 and C2 are anything to go by, we haven't even hit the halfway mark for Bells Hells. How do you keep the stakes high enough for people to care when you've had this monumental arc so soon when the characters aren't even level 10 and are so clearly out of their depth? This feels like endgame, but we aren't even halfway through. Mind you, I love this arc (despite the incessant lore dumps, some of which quite boring tbh) and thought 51 was epic. Legit cried when Vax showed up and then got my heart broken. Also wanted a lot more Beau and Caleb, though, and those rolls by Liam and Marisha taking them out so soon felt really unsatisfying tbh, even if they helped flesh out just how strong these villains are. I think that's part of the problem - Lvl20 Keyleth and Vax plus Lvl~18 (?) Caleb and Beau were no match for them, how could the Hells even make a difference besides delay the inevitable? So yeah, I think that's my main gripe: the disproportionate threat level, which also made it glaringly obvious from the beginning that there was no winning there - not completely. Not to mention that it somewhat strips players of their agency imo. Of course there were some bad rolls and bad decisions. The Imogen/Liliana persuasion check, Ashley - who is my favorite player and must be protected at all costs, mind you - was pretty much useless (it seems she thought they had more time, otherwise definitely wouldn't have skipped turn after turn after turn, especially considering Fearne had the potential to do great damage to the bad guys' plan - BIG roleplaying moment from Ashley by not going for the beacon, though. That was SO tempting, but she managed to stay true and not metagame), the Beau and Caleb rolls (Beau's above all, since she had advantage), Orym failing to destroy the backpack when he was THAT CLOSE, Marisha forgetting to check the scry ball sooner early on, their bad rolls which delayed the destruction of the power cores in the chambers (could have got to more of them had they done it faster), FCG breaking Ryn (a mix of bad roll and bad decision), Chetney spending all that time on a vain climb, etc. Like, again, yes, a lot of things could have gone differently, but I really think that the final outcome, whatever the iteration, was pretty much out of the players' hands.

Thirdly, and I promise this is the last one, although I loved loved loved loved loved to see Beau and Caleb and Keyleth and Vax, I think the waters may be starting to murky a bit regarding the utilization of former PCs. Marisha hasn't rolled once for Keyleth (as far as we know) but rolled for Beau, even though Matt plays both. So Iike, what's the rule here? Why do Marisha and Liam's rolls only decide some characters' fates? Is it fair to hinge Beau and Caleb's success on the players' roles even though you're the one playing them now? Like, you could see the added tension to Liam and especially Marisha, knowing they each had not one but TWO characters' lives on their hands and couldn't even make decisions for one of them. I don't know that the added pressure is very fair to the players. And, again, why do it for Beau and Caleb and not every other character they've played that shows up? And is it fair to do it for one set of characters and not the other? We go back to the main question: what is the rule?

Anyway I guess I just needed to verbalize my thoughts about the few things I didn't like 😆

That said, I CAN'T WAIT to see what happens next and I really hope Fearne still gets to meet Beau eventually. My girl Ashley deserves it.

[boxingcleverrr]

Tagged by @svartalfhild! I tag all the people.

Last Song

Last Movie

I'm working through all of Nightmare On Elm St cause I've only seen the first 3, so NOES 2: Freddy's Revenge!

If anyone isn't aware, it's HUGELY iconic Gay Subtext Cinema and has a fascinating backstory and legacy (it has its own documentary! Scream Queen). The film itself? Clunky, not great dialog, etc. But that's not why it was lambasted by critics at the time, and then later beloved as a cult classic for queer horror fans: It is VERY gay. The writer denies it, saying for years basically that poor Mark Patton, who's career never recovered, "made it that way".

Sir, you made the gym teacher a (literal! not subtext!) leather daddy.

Robert Englund, however, is solidified as Nice Man & Ally in that doc, only making me love him more. Highly recommend watching movie + doc.

....hi it's spooky season, every movie rec right now will be gushy.

Currently Reading

Rereading The Vampire Lestat & Dracula, again, cause spooky.

Currently Watching

Terry and I are watching Yellowjackets together for date night. My current background watching is Adventure Time, Real Housewives: Atlanta, and the Eiselcross Arc of CR C2. My pay-attention watching is weekly CR, and I'm gonna dive into an American Horror Story season I haven't watched before soon.

...I perhaps need to cut back/embrace silence more, I am very aware.

Last Searched for Art/Writing Purpose

That I can share? Various stuff about the Ojibwe