#I'm still behind with some companion icons

[isharaneith]

July 2023 companion icons

Like, reblog or comment if you save, please.

[felassan]

Photos of the Dragon Age OST vinyl booklet artwork have appeared online [source]. they were posted over on Reddit in the same thread/by the same user as the post with D'Read Koda in it (Reddit user LegendeRRisCZ17), in an update to said post.

for context, this is what we had seen previously of these art pieces, with the images being skewed and only some being in view. Twitter user Kiranox (@/veranox) was able to do some cool photo manipulation and unskew the skewed ones, but there were still images we hadn't been able to even see to try to unskew in the first place. [previous posts on these art pieces and the vinyl art in general including the cover dragon pieces, so that I'm not repeating myself supermuch in this post more than I am already: one, two, three, four]

in a previous post I wondered,

perhaps there are two pages for each PC/main game - HoF & DA:O (hence the Warden image on page 1), Hawke & DAII, and the Inquisitor & DA:I (hence the Solas Hermit symbols on page 6)? since this 'booklet’ comes with the vinyl, and the vinyl contains music from all 3 past main games

and it seems this may be the case, as here we can see:

left: Grey Warden imagery - griffon, Joining Chalice with darkspawn blood drop, sword. calls to mind sigils/heraldry of the Grey Wardens. right: this pattern resembles the map of the Fade in DA:O. - the Hero of Ferelden & Dragon Age: Origins.

left: A diving bird, bearing a resemblance to Hawke’s tarot card in DA:I. In the background the sigil looks like Kirkwall heraldry. right: this pattern brings to mind the ‘companion grid’ from Varric's book in the interrogation scenes in Dragon Age II. - the Champion of Kirkwall & Dragon Age II.

left: the iconic Inquisitor helmet, the Inquisition hairy eyeball symbol, sword. right: the 'four circles' pattern looks similar to the pattern on Solas’ Hermit Tarot card. (and in the middle is the sense once again of an eclipse - in the very center, a sun-like shape/representation of the sun. and behind that, two overlapping spheres/two shadowed spheres. like we've seen in the in-game cinematic and elsewhere) - the Inquisitor and Dragon Age: Inquisition.

as for the shattering eluvian image (and the two images of dragons from the covers), I talked about them here and here so I won't repeat myself. but I guess this one represents some of the story of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. makes sense, there's a disc of DA:O music, a disc of DAII music, a disc of DA:I music, and then on the last disc it's bonus dlc tracks and bard songs from DA:I, but the last one is the one with D'Read Koda, so functionally it could be seen as a 'DA:D disc'.

the images also confirm what was written in the Reddit post before about Hans Zimmer, Lorne Balfe and the track called D'Read Koda.

[credit and source link: Reddit user LegendeRRisCZ17, link, via]

[astro-pioneer]

my nosferatu!

lifeless skin, sharp fangs, and unusual allergies? sounds like his type. 『dottore』

! sumeru spoilers !

@n0tamused !!! :33

barely cares about any harm that happens to you

in actuality he's basically the reason you even HAVE injuries in the first place

his segments barely view you as a partner, moreso a test subject that can't die unless some extreme outside factors interfere

that or a simple travel companion, seeing as though he allowed omega to bring you to sumeru for company

the only evidence that you're not just a test subject is the consistent pet name dottore will drop and the fact you're not dead or altered

no one does anything though, mostly because it's dottore of all people

you're not the perfect of the bunch either, if the puncture wounds on every segment say anything

and they've heard stories from his subordinates that you have a temper when bothered (especially when it's day even though you can't see the sun??? ok edgelord)

everyone on the sumeru expedition was basically holding their breath the whole time

lord of darkness going to the hot and dry desert??? with the sixth harbinger??? scary thought

you gave the night vendors hella business so the locals can't really complain

two psychopaths insanely in love, i guess

"Ah, that hurt, Dotte." The subordinates who were also on the deck of the ship stared in shock as the segment of the Second casually ripped your arm off. The agent closest had to suppress a flinch from the blood splattering from your arm onto his boots. Despite verbally saying you were in pain, your expression barely changed. The segment, Omega, simply grinned, eyes crinkling behind the mask as he observed. What, exactly, he was analyzing, no one knew.

"Perfect! Now here-" he thrust the disconnected and lifeless arm to you, "-heal yourself. Quickly now, we're almost to Sumeru." The same subordinates could help but watch in disgusted interest as your arm merged itself back to your shoulder. "Now, darling, let's go change your clothes. They're filthy." Oh, wow, no one even noticed! Almost like it was your fault.

In new clothes and donning your iconic parasol, you freely express your scowl to everyone on the dock. You did not like Sumeru. It was second only to Natlan on your list of the worst nations. The heat was tolerable compared to the desert, but was still horrendous in your eyes. Thankfully, the half pint Sixth was on a different boat from you. You'd have more to frown about if it was shared.

Dottore carefully guided you off the boat and onto the sturdy walkway when it docked. You muttered a word of gratitude before he let go. "Stay in the city." The threat was well hidden as he tapped your forearm. You rolled your eyes before quickly heading to the room you and Dottore were to stay in. His plan was to head to his old research location early in the morning. Just the thought of being stuck travelling in the desert during the day made you groan. The agent assigned to you struggled to match your stride as you left for your temporary room.

The harbinger in the sixth position avoided your gaze. After the gruesome trek ("I'm not being dramatic, Dotte."), your day continued to get worse. The little puppet boy was the whole reason you were out of Sneznhaya anyway. Plus that attitude of his has not landed him on your good graces ("I've lived longer than you've been planned, little puppet. Don't tempt me to do something to you.").

If only your lover could've been less greedy and mental. Or, maybe if he was more organized. Yes, him being more organized would be better. His segments leaving important documents and experiments in your bedroom annoyed you to no end when they barge in to grab them. If be was more organized then none of you would need to be in his old office. You twirled your parasol in your hands with your iconic scowl. Apparently you and The Balladeer had something in common.

Segment Omega watched you get dressed. The two of you were taking a stroll together when the sun was starting to set. The plan to distract the common folk of Sumeru and allow The Balladeer to ascend was already in effect, but be could tell you were getting increasingly irritated. On the walk, you overheard chattering of a night market happening. He knew that nothing he could say would deter you from going.

When he first thought about this, his aggravation got the best of him and, sadly, he took it out on your hand. He would never ACTUALLY kill you; you were too precious both to his research and the primary segment. Your trusted agent watched from behind as the feared and powerful Second fretted over how to hold the shade maker while you moaned about how badly your hand hurt to hold it yourself.

Now, however, as he helps you choose what to wear, he couldn't help but think it over. Having you out would be excellent. Word of that pesky traveler duo being in Sumeru and sticking their noses into his affairs had already spread through the dispatched fatui. He didn't need much time to prepare their welcome and a quick chat with you would give him more than enough. "Dotte, help me choose what to wear." Whining should not be coming out of a being as old as time.

A crushing kiss was all your Dotte left you with before the two of you split ways. The streets were basically empty. You could feel the blond and little white haired child staring at you from around the wall. You could also sense that little dendro archon too. Using that silly Marionette's creation was smart. However, they posed no concern to you. Your goal here was to empty your pockets and force your Dotte to carry everything you purchased. A fine punishment for what he's put you through this trip.

Sometimes, you wonder how the harbingers are able to stay in their ranks, as loose-lipped as they are. "Are you sure we should be going up to them? They're a part of the fatui!" The little white one didn't know how to lower her voice. It was also not hard to overhear, as the restaurant was basically abandoned. There was no background chatter to cover their voices or footsteps. Nahida (should you call her Katheryne?) analyzed the way you moved and acted. "Hey, Nahida! Are you even listening to Paimon?" To the archon, you didn't care about what was happening in Sumeru.

If anything... "There's no garlic in this, right, darling? I have a horrendous allergy to it." ...you seemed to care more about spending than anything else. She didn't miss the big bag of mora you passed to the waitress with the order to split it with the chef. I guess being a big shot of the fatui puts you in a higher figurative pedestal.

"Do you know what's going on?" The archon of wisdom was not stupid. It was obvious you weren't human. Every vendor you went to and brushed against when paying thought about how your hands felt as though they were freezing (and about how loaded you were, but that's besides the point) and how your skin looked sickly. They just assumed you were infected with something, but Nahida knew better. And watching as your sharp and dangerous fangs glint in the streetlight confirmed it all for her. But, strangely, she also knew you wouldn't do anything to them.

"'Going on' with what, exactly, little archon?" The little white child - Paimon, you mused silently, gasped, hiding behind the blond hair of her companion. What annoyed her was that she couldn't read what you were thinking. It was too overlapped, too soft to catch. The only thing that was consistent were thoughts about one person. It was a little insane, if Nahida was being honest. "Besides, instead of worrying about me and what I'm doing here, shouldn't you three be running to the Akademiya? Being late to a scheduled meeting isn't the best look. Especially for the esteemed traveler."

It was interesting to see how the blond's face morphed. Your taunts as well as your affiliation weren't helping the urge to start an altercation. "Tata, little children." Your little finger wave made Paimon stomp her feet. "Oh, darling, could I also have some desserts as well? To go, though, along with the other entrées. Greatly appreciated." Another bag of mora being placed in the girl's hands had her squealing all the way back to the kitchen.

You were still awake and active in the room when your Dotte met up with you. Most of your items were already placed in your bags. The only goods you kept out were the ones you personally wished to give to your agent. Just because Dottore hates his subordinates does not mean you hate yours. The rest were for your Prime segment. Even though he split himself into different periods of his life, in every single one he was your Dotte just like you were his...salvation, so to speak. You were proof that what he was looking for was plausible. That was the only thing that was continuous in all of his segments.

"Oh, my nosferatu. How I missed you so." Sometimes, all Dottore wishes to do is merge with you. Tear you open and live inside of you, and you in him. He couldn't help but tightly grip your wrists as he hugged you from behind, forcing your arms to follow his in wrapping around you. "The traveler and their little detective group of Sumerians have found out too much, I'm afraid. I'm sending Omega home with the rest of the deployed fleet. It's up to you on whether or not you'd wish to go."

His heartbeat echoed into your silent chest as you leaned into the blue haired man, making him hold all of your weight onto his body. "You still have yet to get the Gnoses, and as much as I love hanging out with Omega, spending time with my Dotte is better." He allowed your fangs to casually slide into his wrist, his outer coat barely pulled back to avoid the blood that leaks from the puncture wounds.

The mention of his segment made him hum, swaying both of you side to side as he thought about all Omega did. You were used to it - obviously, seeing as though you've stuck with the doctor - and it was mostly directly ordered by him. However, conflicting the same injuries on you for no reason other than to just do it annoyed Dottore to no end.

He wrapped his freed arm around your neck, finger tracing over your notched ear. It never fully healed after all, he mused. "Oh, my darling." He didn't continue but instead cupped your face. His mask and gloves were off and presumably on the bedside table. He didn't care that blood still flowed out of his arm. All he cared about at the moment was how the only thing in your eyes was him. How it should always and forever be.

Watching the Omega segment depart with all of the other fatui members sent a sense of foreboding into you. The god of wisdom might be least inexperienced, including how she was held by the sages of her nation, but from what you could see from her, she was cunning. Your Dotte already had that issue covered. "It's ironic how the soundwave doesn't work on gods or vampires. I guess any non-human is immune." His footsteps were daunting to Nahida.

"Say, if my segments were an insult to the concept of life, how would you label my nosferatu? And all of their unique ways of documenting to help my experiment?" She couldn't possibly guess what your assistance in creating the segments were.

"If you mean the vampire that's been with you, I don't see how they're a part of this."

"Oh, but you should. You see, they have also defied your so-called concept of life multiple times. Their whole existence is a disgrace to your philosophy. Now, it's not my place to discuss their upbringing. I've got to keep my title as their "Precious Dotte" after all. Not like spilling their silly little secrets would change that."

Their talk seemed to take forever. Your agent faithfully stood beside you, arms crossed behind his back. The new brooches connected by chains matched him well. "Do you miss being out on the field to collect debts like your fellow agents?" You could hear his surprised cough. You were not really expecting a reply, especially when there was no knowing when Dottore would be back. His obsession with everything you made him order all of his subordinates to not converse with you in his presence. However, this was your subordinate. So who cares what he orders?

His boots shuffled against the shaded walkway. The silence stretched on for a few minutes. You spent the time twirling your parasol out of boredom. "Sometimes," he huffed. He no longer flinches when your eyes slide to land on him. "I'm still able to go into battle, especially when you unintentionally stir up trouble, my lord." You barked out a laugh that quickly turned into a short cough.

Dottore's footsteps start to enter your ears. "Unintentionally is a nice way to put it, my dear. Maybe I'm doing it on purpose to keep you on your toes." He followed as you stepped out of the shade, meeting up with your blue haired lover who already walked past. "You let go of your segments, Dotte." The doctor's red eyes curled in distaste behind his mask. Your agent casually blended himself into the background behind you.

"It was all to fulfill my side of the transaction for the Electro Gnosis. Besides, dealing with all of them was draining. A little annoying to clean up after, too." The agent casually glanced down with his eyes at his boots. Despite taking hours to scrub his boots, there was still a faint hue of brown on the tops. He could agree with the harbinger on the clean up comment.

Dottore stared at you with utmost devotion as you spilled your lustless desires. Your shared room back in Snezhnaya was messier than usual due to all that spending you did in Sumeru. In between your statement, you expressed your woes about the temporary loss of his segments. Even through the dramatic complaining you did, Dottore still watched you move around as though you were his own personal god to worship. His very own Nosferatu to your Dotte.

[yarpharp]

Okay so I was beginning to tell myself that DA4 is not gonna be as bad of a trainwreck as the reveal trailer was. I really was. But then I finally just watched the DA4 gameplay trailer and like....

Alright Varric I respect your desperate need to convince Solas not to be a dumbass. I really do. I would do the same with more cussing. But also DO YOU WANT TO DIE IN THE INTRO SEQUENCE? And why is your hair black but grey???? Dude you are strawberry blonde what is this shite. Gimme going-grey-with-a-hint-of-red. And where is your chest hair, old man???

The character models are so... Valorant blender smooth. I keep seeing Battle Royale designer vibes and it's very strange. I know that is industry standard by this point but still... where's that Bioware stylization?? Secondly: the iconic DA design style is SOOOO muted in this. Where are my angular and pointy Tevinters? I got some of it, but like viciously sideways. Why are the demons so fuckin weird? They don't even look like the demons from the LAST THREE GAMES. They look like Bioware was running on a tight schedule given to them by EA at gunpoint and decided to cut the models down to save on time. Which... Yikes. Yikes my guy.

The dialogue wheel is janky. I know this is still supposedly pre-launch but... Did they really just slap the old UI with a different visual style? Bro you had TEN YEARS. And also, who the hell wrote your dialogue? And when was Varric ever that close to Solas? They respected each other, sure. But best bros? Solas is notoriously introverted. People made jokes about it. This is some fake news.

Thirdly, I'm a little puzzled by the hyper drama of the Arlathan forest ritual shite. I am aware the stuff behind the scenes in the comics have been talking about shit happening in the forest, but... Okay, correct me if I'm wrong: Solas raised the Veil at Skyhold. His theoretical resources to raise said Veil were his orb and the central locality of said castle. Cool shit. What the fuck are these statues? Are they supposed to represent the gods? If so, what the fuck are you doing USING THOSE, SOLAS? AND ARE THOSE FIGURES EMERGING FROM THE HOLE IN THE VEIL SUPPOSED TO BE THE CORRUPTED EVANURI?? WHY ARE THEY DESIGNED LIKE A FUCKIN HYLICS 2 CHARACTER? (no disrespect, I love Hylics 2) I just... I recognize that Solas is desperate to fix his wrongs and theoretically save everyone from the Evanuri (because if the theory the elven gods are inflicted with the blight is still true, then yeah ya gotta kill the source of the blight) so he's seeking out dangerous shortcuts, but... Idk man. Idk. I am just sooooo skeptical of this. This has so much more obvious "EA has its paws on a franchise and proceeds to ruin it" energy. I am sooooo skeptical.

My positive opinion? Solas looks great. Did he fuckin growl like a wolf when he smashed Bianca with his glowy eyes? Yes, yes he did. Are the landscapes awesome? Yes. Is the companion programming still janky even in the new game? Yes. Is that floating building a magical panopticon?! Possibly, and that's fascinating. Are the voice actors the same? Can't quite tell, because I can hear voice mixing happening to their voices so either they aren't the same VAs but they're tuning them to sound close or they are not putting full effort into the VA shit until release. Am I an EA hater?

Yeah, but that's because I have been burned too many times to believe EA won't ruin a glorious RPG franchise. I'll try to stay optimistic, but I am struggling.

[optiwashere]

At the time I checked I didn't SEE anyone having asked about #5 in "Tav as a Companion" section, though there might be one sitting in your inbox--I'll take my chances regardless, becasue I think it's cool and revealing detail!

That is a great one! I was wondering if someone would ask about it, and you're first, so thank you 💜

5. Describe their idle animations (idk if you can tell that I've thought a lot about this one)

Regular animations:

The stock standard idle animation would be Asheera crossing her arms and leaning to one side. She squints, furrows her brow, then returns to a normal facial animation. Arms remain crossed.

All the other companions have "iconic" gear, right? If she has a two-handed sword and she's idling, she'll plant the sword tip in the ground and rest her hands on the hilt/clasped hands on the pommel. Sorry to the imaginary devs making this complex series of object interactions lmao.

Camp animations:

She does pushups in front of her tent. There are one-handed and traditional variants.

She'll look at a few trinkets on the table in front of her tent, mutter something, and shake her head. Then she'll turn back to the stock pose in front of her tent.

Sorry to the "Lae'zel makes too much noise" haters, Asheera's gonna be hammering away on the little anvil she carries around outside of her tent. Probably a breastplate that she then checks for dents, dings, etc.

Fun one for if you're at high approval would be... if you walk past her and she's not in the middle of another animation, she'll hold her hands behind her back and stand at attention. She'd see the PC as the leader of the group, so they get commanding officer treatment in her mind.

Epilogue animations:

Unromanced/Romanced — Asheera has the same animations regardless. She'll sit by the fire until Volo comes around, and then she'll wander off to go speak with anyone that's available at the party. She talks about missing them, missing the good days on the road but not really missing the tadpole in her skull, and asks when they'll next be in Baldur's Gate.

Unromanced by PC, in romance w/ Shadowheart (only available for Reject Shar/Selûnite Shadowheart) — On one hand, I think having the companions pair off by themselves can create some nasty fandom drama. On the hypocritical hand, I'm a woman of simple desires and I want to indulge in this. If she and Shadowheart pair off because the PC romanced neither of them, then they spend some time dancing if they get near the music. It's mostly pretty bad and a little clumsy and they laugh about it together, but they do a pretty solid spin with a grip switch thrown in there.

They also chat by the river for a while and you can eavesdrop on that:

*Splashing noise* Shadowheart: You really think that's still the way to get my attention? Asheera: Hasn't failed me yet. Problem? Shadowheart: Never mind it. For a moment there, I thought you were going to wander off. Asheera: I can leave you to yourself, all splash-less and— Shadowheart: Hold on. I think we've some company. Asheera: Oh, [them/him/her]? I can take take care of those prying eyes. *Shadowheart chuckles and the convo ends*

[symphonic-scream]

I can't help it I'm giving y'all more of the heroes au

Makoto and Haru study at the same school! Makoto is a very studious law student, glasses, collared shirts and crew neck sweaters, the full nerdy look. Haru is a business major, appears to be all kindness and smiles, wearing bright colours and fluffy clothes

Queen is a total punk. Loud, follows her truth, doesn't back down. Her main suit is dark blue, based on her dad's old one from his time as a Prime Age hero (spandex, bleh). To modernize it and give it a spin more towards her tastes, she wears big, spiked combat boots, dark sliced up jeans, double studded belts, fingerless gloves, a choker, and of course, a leather jacket. Her mask is metal and the top is spiked upwards like a crown. Her jacket has a lesbian flag patch on the front, near the breast pocket! She's known for being a lady-killer during interviews

Noire is teasing smiles, flirty words laced with distraction, slipping past through the night. Her signature is the dark hat she wears with the indigo feather. At each scene she visited as a vigilante, a perfumed feather would be left behind. The light pink collared shirt, the tall purple gloves, her indigo slacks and maroon boots, they all scream musketeer. Her purple lipstick is another icon of her appearance, under the standard black domino mask she wears.

(Queen becomes accustomed to trying to wipe said lipstick off of herself before reuniting with her team)

Makoto and Sae have a stilted relationship. Sae blames the Iron Will power for their father's death, and resents Makoto for "choosing it over her, just like dad"

Haru has a hideout! It's an attic above the barely used arts building at the University. Since it's more of an academics based school, no one really spends too long there. The garden on the roof above the attic gave Haru the perfect excuse to visit, however

Okay some power notes for everyone

Joker has his Wildcard deck. It's a 52 card deck of 52 different powers! He received them from a higher spirit (Lavenza) who chose him to be her chosen hero, bestowing unto him her deck of powers and. A companion. [psst that's Morgana]. The deck resides in a pocket dimension unless he calls upon it, and with practice he's able to pull just one card rather than the deck, making it easier to just draw his random power

Ryuji was struck by lightning. Yup that's it. Now he's like a walking static charge! His hair stands on end from his natural charge, and now (with practice) he can hold back from shocking people randomly. He finds it best to use a metal bat to channel his power

Ann is rather hot (pun intended!), thanks to her flames. It's an inherited power, it skipped a generation. Her grandfather was a hero back in Europe! Her pigtails end in flames when her power is active, and she can form flames in her hands, though she's working on mastering control over the temperature and shit

Yusuke is from the 1800's, he was frozen and thawed in this age and he's. Still a bit odd. His body temperature is always lower, and the frost tends to crawl from his touch

Futaba can speak with machines, like when she touches them she "hears" what they're all about. That's all I have to say she's a nerd. Her mom had the same thing lmao

The Niijima Iron Will is, well, manifesting strong metal around themselves. Makoto tends to pull forth metal fisticuffs, aka brass knuckles, for punches and shit, though she can also bring up personal shields and minor bits of armour

And Haru!! She has the classic Psychic stuff. Telekinesis and all that. An unofficial power of hers is being really good at flustering miss Queen wink wink

TALK TO ME ABOUT THIS I WANT TO TALK ABOUT TJIS PLEASE

[just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi]

Hello it’s me, what would mason do with a trans pet anon and I am backkkkk for more. I don’t know why but the combination of fair but strict and very competent at his job(for better or worse) is making me absolutely melt for mason. Anyways back to questions. Would mason ever recommend killing a pet if they were too traumatized by a bad owner to function? Also besides obedience and loyalty, is there anything in particular he values about pets? Also what if there was an owner that gave his pet deliberately confusing orders just so he could punish them?

Masons already made it clear he wants pets to have clear orders but he’s also made it clear that pets job is to please their owner. What if a pet was depressed and didn’t obey? How would he respond to that? Also have you ever thought about role play? No pressure, but I think interacting with mason would be fun.

Can I be🪶 anon please

Hello 🪶 anon!

Mason is so engaging BECAUSE of that!! He's easy to hate but also something enticing about how he thinks..... Thank you so much for the questions i always adore them.

And yes!! I've done role play before and very much enjoyed it!! You can catch me here on tumblr however I like using discord because then I get to use italics and such in chats. I'm #raccoooooooon6286 (yes there are 8 o's idk man i thought it would be funny at the time and now it feels too iconic lmao)

Besides obedience and loyalty, is there anything in particular he values about pets?

"Pets are fantastic companions and have such entertaining personalities and behaviors. Personality is the thing that makes each pet so special and unique - no two are alike. I know there are some trainers out there that require such strict exceptions of behavior there is no room for the pet's own personality and that is borderline abuse. They might be a lower life form but they are still a living being.

"Take Clyde for example. There are times during hikes or just out in public where he lags behind because he's staring at the ground or a tree or something random. He's a good boy though so he never gets lost - but he's not right at my heels like another trainer would demand. And you know what? Every time I go see what he's staring at it reminds me to appreciate the world a little more. Seeing plants or birds or patterns through his eyes is fun and engaging. I mean I can't live my life like that all the time because I'm a human being with responsibilities, but moments of thinking more simply like they do are refreshing."

What if there was an owner that gave his pet deliberately confusing orders just so he could punish them?

"That is abusive," he sighs. "Not technically illegal and not reportable but abusive as hell. Sickening. Some might say "oh at least they're not taking out their issues on other people" but still. Just deal with your own shit instead of tormenting your pet, ya know?"

What if a pet was depressed and didn’t obey? How would he respond to that?

After he established that the disobedience was from depression, his first step would be seeing if there are environmental factors to the depression. Is the pet getting proper sleep, nutrition, exercise? If so then he would recommend "supplements." (He has an affiliate code for the company he recommends lol). They're not technically medication because they don't have to be approved for human use by a testing organization, but they're "based on" research from human medications [aka drugs lol]. Typically he recommends some that are for anxiety, but I'm sure there are plenty out there for depression too. Likely the pet would end up in a bit of a perpetual state of disassociation 😬.

Extra TW for discussion of euthanasia

Would mason ever recommend killing a pet if they were too traumatized by a bad owner to function?

In general, no. If a pet is so traumatized by an owner they can't function and require a high level of care, Mason would advocate for legal action against that owner. Either jail time or having to pay for the pet's full time care. Killing or incapacitate pets is not socially or legally acceptable. nor is euthanasian really. Perhaps if the pet killed someone, but even then Mason would argue there is something else going on in that situation. Again, not because he's a good person, but because he infantilizes pets so much he doesn't believe they are capable of a lot of things and therefore not responsible for their actions.

[pridepages]

Intimacy

I finished Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender. I have thoughts...

Here there be spoilers!

People crave closeness.

We can pretend all we want that we're just fine alone, but some part of us is always calling, reaching out, yearning to clasp hold...

So why is it so incredibly fucking hard?

How is it that we spend so much of our lives trying and getting it wrong?

Maybe it's because intimacy is alchemy.

Books have a way of getting in our heads, and that's what happened when I read Kacen Callendar's Infinity Alchemist. It felt like the right way to start the school year, considering "the original spark of Infinity Alchemist was rejection...specifically, the rejection of trans people by another author who wrote about a magic school."

Okay, sign me up. I'm here for trans magicians, or as we call them, alchemists. Ash Woods, our transman protagonist, is out to prove his credentials in a world that gatekeeps magic.

He crosses paths with nonbinary icon Ramsay Thorne, an alchemic prodigy with a dark past. Ramsay agrees to illegally teach Ash alchemy in exchange for help on a quest: to find the fabled book of the source and thereby restore the Thorne line's good name.

If Ash is the courage, and Ramsay the brains, all we're missing is the heart. Enter Callum Kendrick, the military brat with a heart of gold. Together, they'll save the world...and fall in love with each other.

Yes, all three of them.

I'm not going to spend anymore time on the plot. Boy meets companions, grows into his powers, achieves grand destiny...I've seen it all before. What really got my brain spinning was the polyamory.

Look, I'll be the first to admit that's not usually my thing. I just didn't get it. I couldn't really understand how three people could share their hearts, their bodies, their trust in ways that left no one wanting and everyone enough.

But, then, I've struggled to share my heart with one person.

I've been away for a while. And part of that was getting caught up in meeting someone new. Someone I wanted to share the parts of myself I've kept behind glass. So I gave my heart away in little pieces, hoping she would treasure them...

It took me a while to figure out I wasn't getting anything back.

Every time I'd try to get closer, I got pushed away. At first, I accepted that. Because boundaries need to be respected. Because I figured she just needed more time...

More time didn't solve anything. And when dared to ask for more than crumbs of affection, I watched her brush all the little pieces of my heart off her hands. All my insecurities were thrown in my face. My feelings, my concerns, they weren't listened to.

“Do You often make a habit of telling people what they think and how they feel?”

When Ramsay called Ash out, I had to stop. Put the book down.

Because I got it.

This is what I'd missed.

For so long, I thought intimacy meant sharing my body, my trust, and my time. While they are all parts of it, they're not enough. They need one last alchemical spark--

Intimacy needs connection.

Ash figures this out reflecting on a lackluster sexual encounter: “he still had emotions and thoughts that were his own, separate from his friend’s—and in a way, that was what made the experience even more uncomfortable and unsatisfying.” The key is the distance, the separation. “Though Ash and Tobin had shared a bed and touched each other’s bodies, Ash had still closed himself off emotionally. He still hadn’t felt safe enough to be vulnerable.”

But vulnerability is terrifying. The word itself means making yourself weak.

In the real world, we don't have magic to bypass human limitations. Ash and Ramsay are able to commune on a spiritual level. Unable to edit, they cannot hide behind pretense or omission. They cannot fumble words or misunderstand. They see each other's memories, dreams, hopes, fears, and ambitions. They experience each other firsthand.

Without the ability to see into someone else's heart and mind, we have to take the risk. And what if you choose the wrong person?

Maybe that's part of why monogamy is so persistent.

I'm not trying to downplay the social forces of economics, religion, etc in creating and forwarding the narrative of One True Love. But as society has evolved, monogamy has become less and less necessary.

So why is polyamory still so rare?

Well, what if it's because making yourself vulnerable to one person is scary and the idea of being that open to more?

Terrifying.

But what if we stopped thinking of it as weakness?

“It isn’t as if we should only feel attraction and love for one person,” Callum points out. “I’ve never understood it, this expectation that people should only love one other at a time…Energy is infinite, and love is energy, so love has the potential to be infinite, too.”

In a world where most people have more than one partner over a lifetime, we've already debunked the idea that love is limited to one. So why not more than one at once? Love is not just infinite--it's multidirectional.

Look, I'm not saying it's for everyone.

But if you're willing to leave your heart wide open--

Well, you never know how much room you have until you start letting people in.

[rivertalesien]

10) The Doctor needs a new arch nemesis  The first decade of classic Who introduced the Daleks, the Cybermen, the Ice Warriors and the Master, with the Sontarans showing up in year eleven. Since then, we've gotten some memorable one-off baddies, but arguably nobody with real staying power. The closest new Who has gotten to creating an iconic new baddie is the Weeping Angels, who seem to lack a strong motivation to keep driving new stories. (What do the Weeping Angels want? It’s not always clear, but mostly they seem to like to touch people and send them back in time, which makes them more of an infestation than an army. Oh, and they want the TARDIS, but everybody wants the TARDIS.) To be sure, most of the classic series’ villains were intended as one-offs, until their popularity took everyone by surprise. (That’s why the Daleks were originally unable to leave their city, and why the Cybermen can’t survive the destruction of their planet Mondas.) The Master remains the most successful example of Who setting out on purpose to create a recurring foe, with a whole season of stories in which he terrorized the Doctor and friends — and some version of this strategy might work again, if the villain in question has enough charisma or a compelling ideology.

Was thinking about this after viewing the most recent Who episodes where RTD has once again brought in Villains of the Doctor No One Really Knows About and who aren't likely to stick around after the end of this season.

I really wish the show hadn't regenerated the Master after Missy; for reasons I've already spent a lot of time on, I think she was the best ending that character could have had. No reason to go further, least of all to bring him back just to be angry at the Doctor, again, for shit out of her control.

The Master did work, once upon a time though, sometimes, because they were the Doctor's oldest friend, sharing a childhood on Gallifrey and coming to similar conclusions about their people (though with wildly differing approaches). But that time has come and gone. The Master keeps being written as a bombastic, annoying, one-note villain who no longer has any purpose (and this assumes he is not, in fact, behind what is currently happening in the Whoverse).

The Timeless Child concept gives us the possibility of a great nemesis in one of the Doctor's other, unknown, selves (the show has plenty in its past that supports the idea: the Watcher, the Valeyard, for example), a character who is not a "time lord" but identifies as a shapeshifter, using that ability to travel and cause havoc. This character could also introduce how the TARDIS came to be: similar off-shoots of the Doctor, trapped inside a machine they have no escape from.

This is a lot to get into though, takes time to build up, and not sure the emotional trip would be worth it. The only thing that would be a solid sock in the gut would be a former companion as the new arch-nemesis.

I'm sure it's been knocked around before, but one character they could bring back who could easily fit into this mold would be Romana, who was last seen on the show back in the early 80s, choosing to remain in E-Space, while in audios and books, she returned to Gallifrey and became its president (possibly perishing in the Time War). The show hasn't followed this canon, though, so re-introducing this character, learning her world is gone, learning the Doctor's (still questionable) origins, and having her own hidden agenda? Lots of potential there, I think.

ETA: wrote this before the finale, and mostly because I really like Ncuti as the Doctor. I really hope RTD steps aside so something new can happen. This season was RTD's Greatest Hits Redux only with more money and it still didn't add up to much.

[cthulhubert]

Catching the Record of Lodoss War OVAs on some channel's "animidnight" block was a formative experience for young me, and its design choices were scarred into my mind as the fundamental fantasy aesthetic. Which, uh, didn't exactly make me an odd one out anywhere because it hews closely to the ISO fantasy mold (and indeed helped make the mold).

"Record of Lodoss War" (I'm using quotes to indicate the literal phrase) is one of those odd-ball translation choices that ended up being iconic, just ever so slightly nonsensical, it stuck in the minds of kids like me that watched it young. A transliteration of the Japanese is Lodoss-tou Senki. -tou just means island; "senki" could credibly be translated as (and this may shock you) 'war record'. It's a specific term in Japanese that refers to the record an officer or attached scribe kept of the battles a military force took part in ("battle chronicle" is also a good translationand by metonymy is used for "military history"). As you might imagine, it's still popular in manga and novel names.

It started out as, not quite a novel, but a "RePlay", a record of the events of a table top RPG campaign, published in a magazine (Comptiq focused on computer games, but apparently content was content, and Lodoss got hugely popular). The mid-eighties predecessor to Critical Role, basically. It did really well, which makes sense, given that the dungeon master and the players were all published writers (the DM would publish what's called the first domestic Japanese high fantasy novels, Rune Soldier, in the same setting). It started out in D&D, but would also be played in Tunnels and Trolls and RuneQuest. In 1989, they ended up publishing their own set of rules, called Record of Lodoss War Companion, and later, Swordworld RPG (2.5edition came out in 2018!).

A series that was inspired and distilled a lot of the concepts that were and would remain popular in high fantasy settings in both Japan and America and then probably inspired another generation of iterations when the anime came back to America.

Some day maybe I'll watch the anime again, it finally got an English Blu-Ray remaster in 2017. I've read the manga and some of the novelizations in the mean time and, to be honest, they were pretty middle of the road, nostalgia notwithstanding.

Thank you for reading my ramble that was intended to be a short introduction to a short video game review.

A 2D exploration platformer with RPG elements (levels, stats, different bows and weapons to equip).

Briefly: a beautiful game. No flaws, but nothing that stands out either.

This game is beautiful. If you like the pixel aesthetic at all, I think you'll also love it. Critical hit in my visual sensibilities. It looks like Symphony of the Night looks in my nostalgia painted memories. The only note: it doesn't exactly take any risks, design wise, but if it did, that wouldn't be very true to the source material would it?

The music works.

Combat is pretty fun, if a bit easy. There are seven elements, you get wind and fire options for your basic attacks, and spells and special bows for the rest. Swapping elements changes your resistances too. The different types of weapons (long sword, knife, two-handed, spear, and throwing) offer some variety, as do the attractive designs. That said, for a melee based game like this, I prefer slightly more technical and challenging combat. Hollow Knight's a good example of my sweet spot, and Blasphemous is also well in my strike zone.

Movement is basically okay. You have to feel like a badass when you leave an after image trailing behind you. The wind element comes with the ability to hover (move slowly in mid air at up to your maximum jump height above ground or water), and they do a couple fun things with that. Other than that, it's all pretty straight-forward, which is a little disappointing.

They do some fun occasional fun puzzles with the archery.

Individual room design was fun sometimes, but the overall map design was lackluster. Yet another victim of the trend where leadership says, "Adding metroidvania tag increases sales, so do it," and design can only respond, "If we take a linear game, fold the map up in a spiral, and occasionally make you back track, that makes a fun exploration experience right?" It's been done worse but it's still not great.

This sort of game tends not to have a lot of story, but what there was was pretty good. One of those cases where the writers have a "twist" in mind, but did not intend for the player to be confused about it at all, just the character. The dramatic irony still makes the pay off satisfying.

It took me about 12 hours to 100%. It's on PC for 20$, which might be worth it. The Switch and PS4 versions are full price games, which is faintly baffling for a game so short, no matter how pretty and nostalgic.

And that's why I've shared so many words with my dash over what's ultimately a decent game; because of the anchor its series dropped in my heart in childhood.

Thank you for reading.

[bamber344]

sharing some Addison Project WIP for WIP Wednesday. finally started working on the first draft and having a lot of fun with it! Introducing foreign concepts is always a blast.

The two people finally walked around the room and into view. Her guess had been spot on; one krytian and one half-krytian. The krytian was tall and broad, with a long snout full of sharp teeth. His eyes were a slightly luminescent night-sky blue, all iris and no sclera, with slitted pupils like those of a cat that seemed to stare right into Addison’s soul. A tail swished from side-to-side behind him, covered with the same white scales as the rest of his body. A magnificent pair of horns sat upon his head, almost scraping the ceiling in their splendor. Most curiously, there seemed to be a symbol of some sort, painted or tattooed on his forehead; a circle, intersected by a strange shape.  The half-krytian was much less intimidating. As most half-krytians did, he still bore the iconic horns of their species, but everything else about him just seemed… wimpy. He was somehow both short and lanky at the same time, with an equally skinny tail that wrapped around one of his legs nervously. His sandy-blonde hair was limp and greasy, his otherwise tan skin was dotted with white scales in random places like freckles, and even his eyes, which were the same entrancing blue as his companion’s, lacked any hint of the intensity of the krytian’s. It probably didn’t help that his pupils were dilating in the dark room, making him look at least five years younger than he probably was and giving him the air of a lost puppy. If Addison had to guess, she would say that this was a father-son duo, based on their similar features.

a lot of stuff in this is still placeholder, like the name 'krytian', dunno if i'm gonna stick with it in the end product, but the designs should stay relatively the same. Did the designs come across okay? feedback welcome!

[safespaceshapes]

OC Tag Game!

Tagged by @voidendron! (Thankee :0c)

Uhhhh I... don't know anyone else to tag?? So whoever spots this and wants to do it, consider this your unofficial tag! :3c

I have so many OC AUs and not a single consistent one sssooooo,,,, you may see some familiar faces in different environments owo

NOTE: These lil critters are *my* personal OCs, I'm not sure why I developed an aversion to FCs, so what may technically have been my Oldest OC will not be as such on this list.

I think this means Mumble won't make it... I should make a whole new list for FCs :'>

Aneeways--

Let's-a go!

Favorite OC: Dare

This was a HELLA toughie run between Dare and Burrow, but ultimately, I fantasize about Dare the most. She's got a pretty conflicting moral compass and is always at odds with herself and the world. Plus, it's super fun to imagine her in different scenarios!

Newest OC: Syrup/Nightshade

Syrup's relatively new! She's a catfolk with a knack for taming wild animals. Her story's still all over the place, kind of, but it's being worked on! Mainly fantastical.

Oldest OC: Princess Acacia

What I believe to be my first ever actual OC, Princess Acacia -- daughter of Betula, Queen of the Charmed -- came to be when I was contemplating on a sort of prince and princess swap plotline. Still heavily under works, but when do I never have anything under works? :'>

Meanest OC: Glowstrike

A mysterious villain hidden behind a visor and under a mechanical suit. Sleek, strong, and powerful. Nobody but those that trained and molded them know their true identity.

They've done awful things, but heroes have noticed they've been... holding back? Something's off.

Softest OC: Black Rosen

This boy just wants to try and make the most of his situation involving demons in his suspiciously-cheap-yet-proved-why home. He's non-confrontational in the slightest, looks like a sleep-deprived vampire, but is an absolute sweetheart that cherishes his suspiciously-smart cat and will take in any strays he finds in need of help.

Most Aloof/Standoffish OC: Syrup/Nightshade

During the day, she's Syrup: A young catfolk with no family to call hers. During the night, she's Nightshade: A vigilante-type character with no mercy. She's currently working day and night to find a certain someone. She doesn't trust anyone save for her loyal companions.

Dumbest (Affectionate) OC: Jackie Vera-Alvin

It's gotta be Jackie in any universe. She's just a girl who wants to make friends and sees past the obvious red flags that scream "Stranger Danger! WILL most likely gut you!"

Somehow, things still work out in the end. 🤔

Smartest OC: Coy Paxton

In a world full of superhumans, those that have no superpowers to call their own would mostly live in the support roles. Some end up working office roles, others genuinely enjoy the coziness of local business-owning. Coy, however, began working on his own inventions that could mimic the more 'iconic' powers: flight, invisibility, and speed. (Super strength is a WIP right now). His knack for technology actually got him into the city's hero academy!... But some say it's to keep a closer eye on him...

Horniest OC: Uuuhhhhh

OC You'd Bang: UUUUHHHHH

OC You'd Be Friends With IRL: Kolin/Pup

He's just a timid lil guy!! But such a sweetheart!! Just wants to prove himself!! Plus I remember (cringe) when I was but a smol I wanted to be a shapeshifter as well. Pup's eager to help and while it may take some coaxing to get out of his shell, he's a nice guy you can relax and joke around with!

[being-of-rain]

Thoughts from my Classic Who watch, season 17.

Thank god for Douglas Adams. Doctor 4 and Romana 2 were my favourite Tardis team when I watched the series for the first time as a youngun because of the way they were on the same wavelength, joking their way through the universe. From what I understand Douglas Adams as script editor was a large part of creating that characterisation, especially in Destiny of the Daleks which is filled with that sort of attitude and which Adams apparently did large rewrites for. Without the humour I really wouldn't care much for the story, but with it there's a lot of moments to enjoy. I say "Oh look! Rocks!" a lot.

City of Death was the story my brother and I watched the most as kids because we kept borrowing the DVD from our town's library. I hadn't watched it in years and years, and for this watchthrough I saw it with friends! Which was a lot of fun. I forgot just how much of it was shots of the cast running around Paris, they really wanted to show off their location filming. And hey, it was pretty location filming, so I can't blame them. I also love Scaroth's design, he's great. The Count and Countess Scarlioni are just fantastically enjoyable villains in general, between Pirate Planet and this Adams must be the best villain writer in Doctor Who. Oh and I always laugh at "Duggan!! ...I think that was possibly the most important punch in history."

The first episode of The Creature From The Pit is definitely one of the most episodes of all time. The Doctor gets attacked by tumbleweeds. K9 suddenly has a wildly different and upsetting voice. Romana avoids getting killed by just acting like she can order people around and it works. The Doctor knocks out some guards with a sneeze. It's called The Creature From The Pit. The rest of the story has it's ups and downs. All the astrology talk was fun. The way Romana was sometimes written as a generic companion who panics and needs the Doctor for everything was not (some writers just really didn't get her). K9 gets used as a bazooka sometimes which is hilarious. The way Erato's translator used people's larynx to communicate was cool as heck. And it's interesting how the final episode wraps up the villain of the story 5 minutes in, and introduces a different problem for the climax.

Nightmare of Eden had some cool ideas in it, but I'm not sure how well it communicated them. I don't know if I just wasn't paying enough attention, but I couldn't get a grasp of what and who was on which of the two ships. I guessed that the professor man was the villain of the story, but I didn't predict the other starship pilot was as well. It kind of made sense though. I think. Maybe I should rewatch this one 😂 not soon though, I wasn't That invested in it. The Doctor vanishing because he was pulled onto the wrong ship in the separation was good use of cliffhanger in the plot. But the way he got back to the right ship was hiding right behind one of the bad guys in a tiny tiny shuttle, which was hilarious. Video game guard levels of peripheral vision.

The Horns of Nimon is great actually. The hilariously bad/over the top acting is so much fun to watch. Soldeed steals the show obviously; his death scene is iconic but he acts that way in Every Single One of his scenes, it's magnificent. Romana is finally written like she's at the same level of competency as the Doctor again, even her own sonic screwdriver, and I think her outfit in this one might be my favourite Romana outfit (which says a LOT when you're talking about Romana's outfits). It's a shame Shada didn't get made because more Douglas Adams is never a bad thing, but this was still a nice note to leave the season on. (By the way, I didn't end up watching Shada as part of this watchthrough. Any of them.)

[butterflyintochains]

Best With Three: Part Three

Gabriella ''Ella'' Lemieux is a 23 year old tennis star from Montreal. A devoted cat mom, lover of the hard courts, and tennis history nerd to her atoms. Best friends with just about everyone, she courts no controversy. Beloved and admired for her elegance on court, as well as her charity work off court. One of the icons of the young Canadian King Cup Team. With her besties, Leylah and Bianca, at her side, she's unstoppable.

That is, however, until a wild Christmas in Vancouver while visiting family out west before going to Australia. When she meets two local hockey stars.

TW: some sexism, social media au, press being stupid, and allusion to bigotry.

part one / part two

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Gabriella.Lemieux

liked by: _eliaspettersson, _quinnhughes, leylahannietennis, and 30k others.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Hola, Madrid! Good to be back on clay, not my best surface, but I hope that can change soon! Had a nice couple of weeks off in Vancouver with my boyfriends. But, the work begins again! 🍁💖

replies:

MapleFam: You had a couple of weeks off with the boys, and didn't show us anything?

Gabriella.Lemieux: Social media detox.

_quinnhughes: Can't wait to catch your highlights, flower!

Gabriella.Lemieux: Go and show Nashville who's boss, honey! And, tell our boyfriend to stop being so hard on himself all the time for me? _quinnhughes: It's easier to get blood from a stone, but I'll try. _eliaspettersson: Why are my boyfriend and girlfriend vaguing about me on insta? Gabriella.Lemieux: Because, sweetheart, you're a martyr for no reason.

leylahannietennis: Love seeing the three of you loving on each other in your feed, angel.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Oh, I know, this is probably the happiest I've ever been. 🥰

bboeser: Finally met your cats! So cool of you to get them moved in early.

danielnestor1: Let's get this title for you, kiddo.

felixaliassime: Team Canada dinner tonight?

biancaandreescu: You bet! leylahannietennis: 👍 denis.shapovalov: Count me in, Felix! Gabriella.Lemieux: I'll be there.

BelieveInBlue: Are you Canadian WTA number one yet, Ella?

Gabriella.Lemieux: Not quite, Leylah is still quite a bit ahead of me, but we're closing the gap. (the friendship is more than safe, though)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_eliaspettersson

liked by: _quinnhughes, Gabriella.Lemieux, bboeser, and 70k others.

_eliaspettersson: Our four adorable companions while mommy plays tennis. They miss their mom so much, and hope that she wins this tournament. Top left: Arwen. Top right: Atticus. Bottom left: Legolas. Bottom right: Daenerys.

replies:

_quinnhughes: Normally a dog person, but these four own me now.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Oh, my children! Stop making me miss the six of you more than I already do. As soon as I'm done at Wimbledon, and moved in properly, we're getting you guys your dog.

NuckForEver: Ooh, good time for an origin story on the Lemieux Cats, Ella!!

Gabriella.Lemieux: Atticus is my first cat, I rescued him from a box in the alley behind my apartment building a couple of years ago. Some idiot just abandoned him. I got Arwen a couple of months later. From a shelter in Sorel. Someone told me to get Atticus a friend. Gabriella.Lemieux: Legolas was also adopted from that same shelter. Daenerys is the baby, I got her from a family who had a surprise litter. Now, I'm a mom of four cats!

BelieveInBlue: Oof, Atticus does not look pleased about something!

_eliaspettersson: I think that was when Brock brought his dogs over one day! _quinnhughes: Milo and Coolie were super well behaved, though. bboeser: Sorry, Atticus.

leylahannietennis: God, I miss the Lemieux Cats!

MapleFam: The Whistler Trio are about to have a zoo! Four cats and a dog! Wow! 🐾

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@/WTA_updates:

That's an early exit in Madrid for the Canadian number two. A straight set loss to Yulia Putintseva 6-2, 6-2. With a nice chat at the net, Lemieux's Madrid campaign comes to an end. In her post match presser, Ella said: ''I've always struggled on clay, so I'm proud of the last few days. I didn't expect to make it this far, so, in a way, I surprised myself.'' 1/3

@/WTA_updates: Gabriella said that she doesn't feel as though the time off upset her game, more just her opponent coming out swinging. 2/3 @/WTA_updates: Lemieux also said she was optimistic for Rome since the clay there is a bit more forgiving to play on. 3/3

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The Whistler Trio gc 🤍💚💙

AngelElla: I know this is gonna sound super strange, but I'm proud of myself for that run in Madrid. Caldersson: So you should be, clay has always been your weakest surface. So, even a third round is good. HuggyBear: What's next for you then? Roland Garros? AngelElla: Rome, then Roland Garros. AngelElla: Glad the press have been leaving me alone at last. Caldersson: Same, it's been so annoying for us too. Sports media should probably just stick to the sports. HuggyBear: Could not agree more, as a captain, it's just fucking annoying to deal with when I'm already dealing with enough. AngelElla: If I could do my job without talking to press, that'd be literal paradise.

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canucks

liked by: NHL, WTA, Gabriella.Lemieux and 900k others.

canucks: All Together, All In! With our 6 game victory over the Nashville Predators, we are second round bound. Up next: Edmonton. 💙💚🤍🏒

replies:

Gabriella.Lemieux: That's my guys! Bring this cup home for us! Also, love seeing my boyfriends doing well. 💖

_eliaspettersson: Let's get this, boys! 💪

_quinnhughes: All Together, All In 🐬

bboeser: Just you wait, Edmonton, we're coming for you!

tdemko30: Wish I could actually play these games rn 🙁

j.tmiller9: You'll be back, Demmer.

wta: Here's to a cup, boys!

conor.garland8: Wait, since when did the WTA follow us on insta? Gabriella.Lemieux: You're welcome!

BelieveInBlue: Can't believe we're actually experiencing this again! It's been so long.

MapleFam: Ikr? And, with Ella's amazing season, the Whistler Trio are flourishing.

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Gabriella.Lemieux

liked by: canucks, _eliaspettersson, _quinnhughes, and 40k others.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Ciao, Roma!! Ready to get going in Rome, I always miss Rome when I'm away, there's something very inspiring about this city to me. Hope someday we can all be here, but never at the expense of the playoffs. BTW, Go, Canucks, Go!! 🍁

replies:

leylahannietennis: Can't wait to see the draw this time.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Tell me about it, same half for four events this season? Cruel and unusual punishment, sunny. cocogauff: All of us were in the same section in Melbourne, I smell a fix tbh. leylahannietennis: They said 'we can't have three pretty besties succeed can we?' and did... that. 🙄

danielnestor1: Training was super good today, Ella, you are coming on leaps and bounds on clay. Only a matter of time now.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Thank you, Danny!

felixaliassime: I still can't believe you're a Canucks fan now.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Neither can I, Feli! But... Quinn and Elias are there, y'know?

denis.shapovalov: You mean; 'Go, Leafs, go'?

Gabriella.Lemieux: Nope, your sister is a Canucks girlie now, DJ. 😉 biancaandreescu: We can suffer together, Deni.

MapleFam: Not the Canada Family arguing about hockey on main! 🤣

Gabriella.Lemieux: Yeah... we may be pro tennis players, but we're still Canadians. 😄 The only one who doesn't follow hockey is Leylah (but, she really likes Mitch Marner)

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@/WTA:

Easy as you like it! Gabriella Lemieux claims a dominant start to her Italian Open campaign with a 7-6, 6-1 win over France's Clara Burel. The Dubai champion will face nineteenth seed Marta Kostyuk in the second round.

@/EllaLemieux: Happy to get going in Rome at last!

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Gabriella.Lemieux

liked by: leylahannietennis, _quinnhughes, _eliaspettersson, and 15k others.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Big win over Marta Kostyuk today, no sets dropped yet! Very pleased with my play so far! Had a quiet evening, chilling out with a book. And, some of you may have noticed this, but: new nails! 💅

replies:

MapleFam: So that's what that was? All I saw was the blue!

leylahannietennis: Love the nails, angel! Will you keep them for the rest of the season?

Gabriella.Lemieux: If I win, and if the guys win, I might just. Good idea, sunny!

denis.shapovalov: felixalissime, you've lost her, bro, she's gone over to the dark side.

felixaliassime: I know, 😥 Who's gonna suffer through the Habs rebuild with me now? Gabriella.Lemieux: Uncle Toni? felixaliassime: His eyes glaze over when I talk about hockey, Ella.

canucks: Love them, Gabriella! - HS and DS

Gabriella.Lemieux: Thank you, Mr and Mr Sedin!! #alltogetherallin

_eliaspettersson: You got Canucks nails?

_quinnhughes: And, didn't tell us about it? Gabriella.Lemieux: Surprise? _eliaspettersson: We love you so much, Ella. 🤍💚💙 Gabriella.Lemieux: I love you guys too. 💖

BelieveInBlue: I love how much a part of the family Ella is already, it's so sweet.🥰

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@/Canada_Family:

Am I the only one so nervous for Ella and Dasha's match today? The literal only openly poly tennis player in history and one of few lgbt players on the tour? Idk, I just hope there's no bigotry from anywhere after all is said and done.

@/MapleFam: Omg, same... like, I love Ella so much, and Dasha is an icon. I just am praying that no one is weird about this match. @/BelieveInBlue: I know, I hope no one sends hate to the boys or Dasha's girlfriend. @/WhistlerTrio_Beloveds: Is Ella the first openly poly tennis player? @/Canada_Family: As far as we know, yes.

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Gabriella.Lemieux

liked by: canucks, _eliaspettersson, _quinnhughes, and 30k others.

Gabriella.Lemieux: A solid win over Dasha today! Still no sets dropped, very happy with myself. Such an amazing week so far, and I hope it doesn't end here. Looking forward to the fourth round, and can't believe I'm actually going this far on clay of all surfaces. I'd also like to shoutout the crowd who was so supportive of two women with lives some may deem unorthodox. 🍁

replies:

canucks: Congrats, Gabriella!! - PA

Gabriella.Lemieux: Thank you so much, Mr Allvin.

bboeser: Making the difficult look easy, 💪

j.tmiller9: The boys were gushing about your highlights in the dressing room, Ella!

Gabriella.Lemieux: Love to hear that, Millsy! I'm officially caught up with your games now too!

_eliaspettersson: Keep it up, darling! 💙

Gabriella.Lemieux: Right back at you, sweetheart! 🤍

_quinnhughes: So proud of you, flower! 💚

Gabriella.Lemieux: I'm proud of you both too, honey! 🤍

_tylermyers_: Never liked tennis until this year, this sport is crazy. 🎾🏒

tdemko30: Right? We'll have to go to Wimbledon now! This sport is insane! conor.garland8: Boys' trip to Wimbledon? Count me in!

MapleFam: Wimbledon is about to be invaded by the whole Canucks roster, omg. 🤣

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@/WTA:

And, the Cinderella run ends in the fourth round. Gabriella Lemieux falling in straight sets to China's Qinwen Zheng, who won the match 6-2, 6-4. Next stop for the Canadian Number two: Roland Garros.

@/BelieveInBlue: Oof, that gap to Leylah is miniscule now. They're within hundreds of points of each other! When will Ella take over? @/MapleFam: Earliest possible is week two of Roland Garros, or week one of the grass season. Latest is week one of Wimbledon. Let's see! @/BelieveInBlue: Will this affect their friendship any? @/Canada_Family: Nope! Ella and Leylah have been friends since they were kids, they adore each other.

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_quinnhughes

liked by: _eliaspettersson, Gabriella.Lemieux, bboeser, and 600k others.

_quinnhughes: So many memories from this season, so little time. First as captain, first real playoffs for us, first nomination or the Norris. Found the two loves of my life at last, got to skate with one, now we support our lady through the summer! Can't wait for next year already, well done, Edmonton!

replies:

_eliaspettersson: Glad to see I'm still your favourite teammate, Q.

_quinnhughes: Well, I'm not dating the others, am I? Gabriella.Lemieux: I'm your favourite tennis player, right? _quinnhughes: Obviously, flower.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Only came into this season halfway through, but I would never have followed any other team. I love you both so much, and hope you get that cup next year.

tdemko30: Rude, no pics w/me in this post...

_quinnhughes: Sorry, Demmer, but my boyfriend is so pretty, y'know?😍 bboeser: Glad to see you're still down bad for him, Huggy.

conor.garland8: We'll get them next time, captain.

j.tmiller9: So proud of this team #gocanucksgo

canucks: An honour to have you as a captain, Quinn.

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@/MapleFam:

Oh, my God. Can they stop putting the besties in the same damn draw section when there's a fight for Canadian Number One! We want a final to decide that, not some lame fourth round or something!

@/BelieveInBlue: They did it again?! What?! @/MapleFam: They did it again! Gabriella and Leylah are in the same section again. @/WhistlerTrio_Beloveds: They hate to see two pretty besties winning, ffs. @/Canada_Family: This smells like a fix imho... 🤔 @/BelieveInBlue: Could not agree more.

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Gabriella.Lemieux

liked by: _quinnhughes, _eliaspettersson, leylahannietennis, and 50k others.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Bonjour, Paris!! My ancestral home, I'm so incredibly honoured to be here again! This city is easily one of the best in the world. Ready to fight for this title, ready to rock. Also, Edmonton Oilers - it's on sight. And, yes, there's a fight for National number one, but Leylah and I are more than secure together. 🍁🥰

replies:

wta: Ella, don't go threatening an entire hockey team on your main account, please.😨

Gabriella.Lemieux: They beat my boys, but, okay... leylahannietennis: You tell them, angel! biancaandreescu: Edmonton - you've just pissed off a tennis player, how d'you feel?

canucks: Thank you for the support, Ella 😁😂 - PA

Gabriella.Lemieux: Happy to be of service, Mr Allvin! The Oilers are such a boring team anyway. #alltogetherallin

WhistlerTrio: Girlie's media training went out the window as soon as Quinn and Elias lost, huh? #iconic

Gabriella.Lemieux: Mess with my boyfriends, mess with me. Gabriella.Lemieux: Also... love that everyone's calling us the Whistler Trio.

danielnestor1: Ella, please don't antagonise the Oilers. We've got a title to win, kiddo.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Sorry, Danny. 💕 MapleFam: As soon as Daniel gets involved, Ella just folds lol!

_eliaspettersson: We'll be with you in a couple of days, darling!

_quinnhughes: Then, I'm off to Vegas for the awards! Gabriella.Lemieux: Can't wait! I've missed you guys so much!

leylahannietennis: Same section again, fork found in kitchen, I guess. 🙄

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@/WTA:

The battle for Canadian Number One begins in style! Leylah Fernandez beating local Jessika Ponchet 6-2, 6-0 to advance to round 2. And, Gabriella Lemieux claiming a maiden French Open match win against Tatjana Maria 6-2, 6-3.

@/BelieveInBlue: I'm new here, what do our scenarios look like? @/MapleFam: Ella needs to make it two rounds further than Leylah. So, if Leylah loses in the next round, and Ella wins her fourth round, the ranking switches hands. @/NucksForever: What if they both make the fourth round? @/Canada_Family: Then, Ella has to win and make the semi finals. If Leylah wins at all, she keeps it.

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Gabriella.Lemieux

liked by: bboeser, _eliaspettersson, _quinnhughes, leylahannietennis, and 80k others.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Into the second round, and my boys are finally here!! So happy to have my boyfriends come to see me for the first time.💖 Hope I can give them a good show against Ostapenko! Gonna be interesting🍁🍁🍁

replies:

WhistlerTrio: Oh, my God, stay calm! Stay calm! It's finally happening! Someone sedate me!!

BelieveInBlue: Ella's on Chatrier!! Elias and Quinn will be in her box! On Chatrier!

Canada_Family: Hey, can you guys adopt me? I love you three so much!

felixaliassime: So cool to finally meet you guys properly, you're the coolest!

denis.shapovalov: Just, take care of our Ella, plz. _eliaspettersson: Cool meeting you guys too, even cooler getting to see you guys train. _quinnhughes: We'll take care of her, don't worry.

rolandgarros: Bienvenue, Elias et Quinn!

_quinnhughes: Merci!

leylahannietennis: Happy to finally put names to faces, angel, you are so lucky. 💖

Gabriella.Lemieux: I know, it's great!😍 biancaandreescu: Not a Canucks girl, but they're my favourite non-Leafs for sure!

danielnestor1: Glad to have you here, boys, just don't put Ella off her tennis too much, okay?

_eliaspettersson: Got ya, coach. 👍 _quinnhughes: We're just her habs this week, don't worry.

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@/WTA_updates:

Oh, there they are!! This is real life, people!! The first ever poly tennis player has both of her boyfriends sitting with her coach! Quinn is in a simple polo shirt and jeans, Elias is dressed much the same, too hot for a hoodie methinks. Daniel is seemingly teaching them about how the match is gonna look. 1/7

@/WTA_updates: And, the players take to the court for their match! A huge roar of cheers for the 2017 champion, and an equal roar for the Canadian number two. Lemieux has opted to serve first 2/7 @/WTA_updates: Oof! Big first set here, we're all square at six games all, and heading into a tiebreak. Elias and Quinn are cheering encouragement for their girlfriend, they look so proud of her! 3/7 @/WTA_updates: Gutsy tennis from Gabriella in this tiebreak, she takes the set 7-6(7/4), Ostapenko looks unsettled. Lemieux, however, smiles up to her box, and takes her sit down break. 4/7 @/WTA_updates: Ostapenko reels it in to take the second set 6-4! We're going to a decider on Chatrier! Quinn and Elias seem to be deep in conversation during the break, they're clearly as crazy for each other as they are for Gabriella. 5/7 @/WTA_updates: Lemieux breaks to love! 5-3, and she will serve for the match! Can she get this done? The crowd are going nuts for her! 6/7 @/WTA_updates: Eight points in a row! With a comfortable hold to love, Gabriella Lemieux is in the third round against Sofia Kenin. Her boyfriends are in tears, and so is she. 7/7

@/MapleFam:

Best Roland Garros women's match I've ever seen, holy hell!

@/BelieveInBlue: I know! I was biting my nails like crazy! @/Canada_Family: The comms were so funny too! Kept on having to correct themselves over the relationship between the Whistler Trio! Like; ''Her boyfriend, Elias Pettersson.'' ''Oh, no, her boyfriends, plural: Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes.'' @/MapleFam: I had that too! ''They're hers and each other's, Mats.'' ''Oh, okay, interesting.''

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Gabriella.Lemieux

liked by: leylahannietennis, _quinnhughes, _eliaspettersson, and 15k others.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Movie night with my boys! Thank you, Jelena, for that epic match, my first against you, and first on Chatrier! Here's to many more in the future. I still can't believe I'm only 190 points off of Canadian Number One. Two more matches to win, and I've achieved one of my dreams. 🍁🍁🍁

replies:

_eliaspettersson: Keep on pushing, darling!

_quinnhughes: I was blown away watching you, you're incredible! Gabriella.Lemieux: So happy to have you both here!

leylahannietennis: Here's to our fourth round (I hope)

biancaandreescu: Only right that we all have the position at some point, huh?

felixaliassime: So cool having two hockey icons at our tournament still! 🤩

denis.shapovalov: Will we have the rest at Wimbledon?

_eliaspettersson: Maybe...

bboeser: Just caught your highlights in Minny, and... wow!

tdemko30: So excited for the rest of the tournament already if Ella's playing like this!

conor.garland8: Her forehand to win the tiebreak, oh my God! 🤩

_quinnhughes: Ikr? I swear, I felt it in my bones! _eliaspettersson: My fave was her backhand passing shot to win the match!

danielnestor1: Can't wait for the next one already, easily your best match of the year, kiddo.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Thank you, Danny! 🥰

canucks: Keep it going, Ella!! #alltogetherallin - RT

bboeser: Coach?? Gabriella.Lemieux: Thank you, Mr Tocchet.

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@/WTA:

One match win left to secure her Nation's number one WTA spot! With Fernandez's straight set loss to Ons Jabeur and Lemieux's 6-2, 7-5 win over Sofia Kenin, a quarter final will see the ranking change hands.

@/MapleFam: Exciting times, people! @/BelieveInBlue: Can't believe it's so close already! Just one more match win, and it's hers. @/WhistlerTrio_Beloveds: Wonder how Ella's feeling right now?

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Gabriella.Lemieux

liked by: bboeser, _eliaspettersson, _quinnhughes, leylahannietennis, and 60k others.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Thank you for the great match, Sofia! Always a pleasure to face you, babes! Some pics of the city I took on day one as well! I currently am one match win away from achieving one of the many dreams I've had since I first picked up a racquet at age five. I am so thankful to be here, with the two men who I love so much, and the best coach in the world. 🍁💖

replies:

leylahannietennis: You deserve it after the amazing first half of the year you've had, angel!

Gabriella.Lemieux: Thank you, sunny!

danielnestor1: One match left, kiddo, let's get this done!

Gabriella.Lemieux: Could not agree more, coach!

_eliaspettersson: We're with you, alskling, every step of the way! 💙

_quinnhughes: And, there's nowhere we'd rather be! 💚 Gabriella.Lemieux: I love you both so much. 🤍

felixaliassime: Let's go, Ella!

denis.shapovalov: Rooting for you, sister!!

biancaandreescu: You've got this, Ella!

mirjambjorklund: So proud of you already, Ella!

canucks: Keep it going, Gabriella! - JR

bboeser: Let's do this, Ella!!!

tdemko30: Lexie, Dawson, and Delilah are rooting for you, Ella!

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@/WTA

The ranking race is on hold for now, as Jabeur takes down Lemieux 6-4, 6-4 to advance to the quarter finals! With a short hug at the net, Lemieux's clay season comes to an end. Next match for Jabeur: Gauff. Next stop for Lemieux: Rosmalen.

@/BelieveInBlue: How many matches are needed there, then? @/MapleFam: A quarter final maximum. But, I think she might just do better than that.

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Gabriella.Lemieux

liked by: _quinnhughes, _eliaspettersson, canucks, and 90k others.

Gabriella.Lemieux: Not the result I was after, but so happy with my progress on clay and in the rankings. It's been a long road so far, and it's only getting started. Rosmalen is next, and I can't wait for the grass season. 💖🍁

replies:

_eliaspettersson: We're proud of you, and we can't wait to see you on grass after all the good things Danny has told us.

_quinnhughes: You'll win the next one, flower! Gabriella.Lemieux: Here's hoping!

leylahannietennis: Onwards and upwards, angel!

felixaliassime: Hated seeing you cry like that on court, hope the boys are holding you extra close tonight. 🥺

Gabriella.Lemieux: They are, I'm just... angry at myself.

danielnestor1: We'll get there, kiddo, promise. 💕

liked by Gabriella.Lemieux

_quinnhughes: I've never cried at a sports thing like that, seeing our girlfriend so close to her dream, and not getting it. 😥

_eliaspettersson: Yeah... sucks. And, Ella sobbing her way off court, and we couldn't be there for her until after press. 😭

MapleFam: Most painful tennis match I've ever watched, and Ons acting like she'd won the title pissed me off.

canucks: Rest up, Gabriella! - JR

Gabriella.Lemieux: I'll try, Mr Rutherford.💙💚🤍

denis.shapovalov: Hate seeing my sister upset like that, but, I know you've got Rosmalen in the bag.🙏

biancaandreescu: You so deserved better this week, angel. A straight set loss like that doesn't represent the warrior you've become.💖

cocogauff: I'll avenge you, angel! Don't worry!

Gabriella.Lemieux: Thanks, cookie. I'm just so angry at myself.

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@/WTA_updates:

Just ran into the Whistler Trio at the hotel! Got to chat with them for a bit. They are all so sweet and kind! Quinn is so funny, Elias is such an intent listener. Gabriella wasn't up for much talking, but she is just the nicest person ever. She remembered me from Australia and everything!! A match made in heaven, istg.

@/MapleFam: I know, right? I met her in Montreal last year when she was out with that burnout, she was out on a run in the park and let me join her! @/Canada_Family: Perfect future world number one material, it'll come, I can feel it. @/BelieveInBlue: I'm so glad she has them through that heartbreaking loss yesterday.

@/EllaLemieux:

Hi, all! Long time since I used my twitter. But, I just wanna thank everyone for their support! The best is yet to come, and I'm far from done yet this season. There's so much I wanna get done, and I hope you're all on the ride with me.

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Okay, part three finally done!! This has been such a fun story to work on so far! I don't know how many parts this will end up having, but that's fine for now. Very pleased with how things are going.

As for the Whistler Trio: They're all dating each other. No idea if Gabriella is the first ever poly tennis player, but she is probably the first openly poly tennis player, for story purposes at least.

Enjoy!!

[rawwkfingers]

The Face of Evil

I have so so so many conflicting thoughts about this serial I don't even know where to begin

Is Leela a feminist icon showing the ways women can be strong too, introduced as being a warrior princess who can kick ass and take care of herself and killing two people in her very first episode? Or is she a misogynistic trope, dressed like the cover of a 20s pulp novel and still needing the Doctor to rescue her despite her being depicted as a badass fighter?

I mean, the thing about 70s feminism and the sexual revolution is that she's clearly both but where do we draw the line? Personally, I've always felt that so long as she's written well, I don't mind if a character is also meant to be sexy. We've got lots of examples of this in Nu Who: Rose, Amy, River, and Clara. Zoe's costuming in Classic Who was also fairly provocative for its time, and while less common we do have sexy men as well; Jack and Doctors 9-11 (and likely 15.) All have scenes where the point is to show off how attractive the actor is but all those characters are so well written, I truly feel that's okay. Sex is not a bad thing, so long as it's not all the character is valued for

This is only Leela's first serial and I have absolutely no idea how she'll grow or change from here, whether the writing will bring her down or lift her up. My concern is that Doctor Who has such a rollercoaster track record with its companions, simultaneously feminist ideas and also always a damsel and a yes girl, that she's going to end up being treated as an object rather than a person and that makes her costuming bad

Keeping in theme with Leela's character, the serial itself was both amazing and also had some concerning writing. I love these types of stories, where we see how human cultures evolve over time based on their surroundings and I'm a sucker for the whole "over time your language changed one word to another" trope. Survey team to Sevateem is such a fun little idea

And the idea of the Doctor having visited a planet in the past and accidentally causing them harm, with tons of set up before that reveal with things like the fuckin Tom Baker mountain face! What a great idea I love science fiction so much

BUT why did they have to use the term eugenics in this story? I like the idea of the warrior culture and the science culture joining up at the end, but even if the actual act of eugenics by the evil computer was criticized the way the story ends still sets up the belief that this is going to be good for them overall. Just take that stuff out and it would have been great

Also, why was Leela literally the entire woman in the cast? I think I know the behind-the-scenes answer (introducing the new companion meant they didn't want another actress to potentially overshadow her, although thats impossible with how charismatic and dynamic of an actress Jameson is) but it makes the civilizations feel like something written for a story rather than any realism

I honestly don't know how I feel about this story, I want to say I loved it but there's enough to it holding me back!

[eclectic--dreams]

Metamorphosis

So, I'm studying animation at uni, and have to do a major project thing for my final year. I decided to design a video game and create the opening cinematic for it. Here's the story that I've written for it; any feedback is welcome! Thank you

[The main ‘Metamorphosis’ home screen is displayed, with options to play the game, load a previous save, or change the settings. The ‘play’ option is selected, and a loading screen with a butterfly icon appears. Then the opening cinematic for the game plays, setting the scene.]

In the basement of a dimly lit industrial warehouse, a line of inactivated humanoid robots stands to attention on a conveyer belt. Products on an assembly line forever frozen, awaiting their final stages of manufacture. But they have been waiting a long time. All is still and silent. Dust hangs thick in the air. This factory has clearly been abandoned for a long time. Through a crack in a skylight, a glowing blue butterfly flies down into the basement, casting its ghostly light into the gloom. It wanders the room lazily, illuminating a few strewn remnants of human life that have been left behind: clipboards, tools, a wallet. It makes its way over to the line of robots and flutters gently around one of them in particular, identical to the others but for a hairline crack across its head. The butterfly touches down gently onto the android’s shoulder for just a moment before resuming its flight, and a soft blue glow seems to briefly pulsate across the smooth metal skin like a heartbeat.

A simple pair of eyes suddenly light up on the robot’s otherwise blank face. It appears to blink away its slumber for a moment before turning its head up curiously to peer at the tiny creature that has awoken it from its deactivation. Spotting the butterfly, it reaches up a porcelain mitt as if to grab it. But the butterfly darts away, deeper into the shadows, and, hesitantly, the robot follows, stepping down from the conveyer belt and leaving a gap in the otherwise perfect production line. The robot chases the butterfly, arm outstretched, in a kind of delighted dance, weaving in between pillars and machinery, hopping over debris, and ducking underneath the chains and pulleys that hang from the low ceiling. The bug seems almost to be teasing its new mechanical companion, allowing itself to almost be caught before fluttering in a new direction.

Suddenly, it flies upwards and begins to ascend the stairway that leads out of the basement and into the main factory building above. Scrambling after, the robot grasps the railing for support and bounds up the stairs, entering into the grey daylight for the first time. At the top of the stairs, it finds itself on a rickety balcony overlooking a vast warehouse. Machinery towers high, huge grinding cogs lie dormant, and lines upon lines of identical robots stand like soldiers, waiting to be packaged and activated. The robot stops short, the chase forgotten. It gazes around the building, processing. Perhaps there is some confusion, shock, horror even? It’s hard to tell on such a featureless face.

Out of the corner of its eye it spots something. Another android, sat propped up on the gangway a few metres to the left. It is damaged quite severely, missing an arm, and with much of its inner workings exposed by a gash that has torn away most of the artificial skin around its neck and jaw. Cautious of the debris and gaps in the floor, the robot makes its way over to the other and crouches down beside it. Tentatively it hovers an uncertain mitt over the wiring, trying to assess the damage. It taps the other’s head. Shakes it by the shoulders. Without warning the damaged android’s eyes light up and flicker red sporadically. Its inner workings seem to whir and click manically for a moment, shooting out a few stray sparks. It roughly grabs the arms of the other robot, who jolts in surprise. Then, just as quickly, its body gives out once more. Its head lolls forward onto its chest lifelessly, and it slides further down the wall. A disembodied robotic head rolls out from beside it. The original android jumps up in something like surprise. It backs quickly away from its defective doppelganger and snags its foot against a loose piece of piping near the edge of the walkway. Its next step meets only empty space. It falls down, down into the darkness below. Crack.

The robot’s body lies in a pile of bricks and debris in a different room down below, which appears to have once been some kind of staffroom or office. The shapes of a makeshift kitchen, cloakroom, and desk can just barely be made out in the rubble. Long abandoned. A few dusty coats still hang where they were left. Some framed pictures still hang onto the wall in places, others lie shattered on the floor. The robot pulls its knees up to its chest and sits, peering despondently into the gloom. Its eyes blink slowly, adjusting.

 Like a guiding spirit, the butterfly appears once more through a nearby crevice and casts its light over the robot. It lands on the rocks nearby just long enough to capture the android’s attention, and then flutters over to a framed picture hanging about eye level on the wall opposite. Slowly, the robot rises from the ground and makes its way over to examine the photo. A group of people stand in factory overalls, wearing hard hats and toolbelts. They’re smiling, waving, arms slung lazily over each other’s shoulders. Happy. Affectionate. The robot cocks its head and squints, focusing in on something. It’s the hands. Those waving, grabbing, hugging, holding hands. It lifts a smooth white mitt up to the glow and examines it. No fingers. Not like the people. It glances down to the cabinet beneath the photo, where lie an old pair of leather working gloves.

The robot gazes at them before returning its attention to its own hands. It raises them up and squints in deep focus. Cogs seem to be turning somewhere inside, and the usually steady light of its eyes flicker from the effort, as this artificial intelligence solves the problem before it. Suddenly, something seems to click into place, and the robot’s mitts separate out into individual fingers, which flex and move in the low light. The android seems satisfied. It lifts a finger out towards the butterfly and the creature obliges, settling down delicately on its friend’s newly modified hand. The robot’s eyes seem to smile. [Artefact Unlocked: A Helping Hand]

Never still for long, the butterfly flies to the right, and circles insistently in front of a doorway, marked ‘Exit’. The android considers this for a second. It glances back at where it has come from, deeper into the factory, before taking a last, lingering look at the picture of the humans. It has found its purpose. It will find them. They will have the answers.

[At this point the UI appears, and the camera pulls up and away from the robot, settling on a third person over the shoulder camera view. The player is now able to take control of the robot and is guided by both the preceding narrative and the lighting to walk towards the exit. A pop-up alerts the player that the first artefact has been found and invites them to open up the ‘artefacts’ menu, which shows them all the clues and levels they have yet to discover, providing more goals and incentives to keep playing.]

And here's the concept art that I have so far as well as a lil bonus :)