#extremely subtle foreshadowing

[recurring-polynya]

everyone loves renji's pink flowered bathrobe that he wore to go visit rukia in prison but sometimes i worry that not enough people know about the flame-patterned fundoshi that he wore underneath it in the manga

[isthataraccoon]

reading sunrise on the reaping is kind of like staring into a ticking time bomb because you know how it’s gonna end and yet you still sit there and watch it play out

[fagbearentertainment]

Watching wir again and noticing subtle details about king candy teehee

[riffsix]

oops my hand slipped and now there's a traumatized little ace enby on my blog what a tragedy

[hrrtshape]

⠀⠀⠀⠀hogwarts sex ed 101 . . . there wasn't one ,

ok so. sex ed at hogwarts. 1977. marauders era. the year god said 'what if i put all the bisexuals in one school and didn't teach them a single thing about genitals, boundaries, or the consequences of dry humping in a cupboard.' he did. welcome to the british wizarding education system. funded by divorce, powered by unresolved tension. narrated by emma. you're welcome for this very necessary and useful piece of information.

so. no. there wasn't sex ed at hogwarts. like. not even the ghost of it. not even a euphemism. not even a pamphlet. there was one stained copy of magical maturity and you in the infirmary and it was locked in a drawer under madam pomfrey's shame. it had illustrations. they moved. someone cursed it in '62 so now it plays low moaning sounds when you turn the pages. sirius black used to check it out "for research" and then giggle in the common room like a french exchange student who just learned the word "thrust."

you've got to understand. this was a school that thought putting a werewolf in an abandoned manor once a month and praying no one opens it was a viable health plan. sex ed??? no. they had banshee management for beginners. they had magical menses: a guide to not hexing your classmates when you're bleeding. they had one seminar on unwanted transformations during puberty but it was mostly about not turning into a beetle when you get horny. which. relatable.

the only people who talked about sex were the portraits. and they were weird about it. sir cadogan once tried to explain contraception using a metaphor involving dragon intestines and a chastity spell invented by merlin's ex. it did not clear things up. students got all their info from older cousins, contraband witch weekly issues, and the backs of chocolate frog cards where someone had scribbled "you can't get pregnant if you're on top" in green ink. wrong. so wrong.

the boys' dorm smelled like socks, and something evil. every time someone mentioned "wand length," james potter made a joke and remus lupin visibly aged five years. lily evans read the female eunuch under her duvet with a stolen wandlight and had a moral crisis every thursday. mary macdonald was the only person in the entire school who knew what a clitoris was. so she became god. people asked her questions like she was the oracle of delphi but for genitals. "mary, can you get pregnant from a bubble-head charm?" "mary, what's foreplay?" "mary, why do my pants feel weird when snape talks about potions?" (and he talked a looooot about them. subtle foreshadowing). my girl was busy. marlene was up there too but she never spoke out so she never got her own hotline.

sex was happening. everywhere. god knows it, i know it, you now know it too. in greenhouses, in empty classrooms, in the astronomy tower. it was a budget rom-com with trauma. there was a rumour that if you made out under the whomping willow at the exact moment it smacked a bird out of the air, you'd lose your virginity by osmosis. again, wrong. someone tried it. got concussed.

teachers pretended none of it existed. mcgonagall's sex talk was "don't get caught." dumbledore's was just making intense eye contact with you over a lemon drop and saying "magic is a sacred bond." slughorn had absolutely hosted orgies in the '20s. sprout once gave a lecture on pollination that made half the class cry and the other half extremely confused about flowers.

if you asked filch where babies came from, he'd say "the ministry" and limp away. if you asked peeves, he'd mime something unspeakable and then chant "one-two buckle-my-shoe, syphilis is after you!" honestly not even the worst advice.

but. like. this wasn't unique to hogwarts. this was just. britain. the 70s. everyone was either having sex or terrified of it or convinced it could be cured with chamomile tea. sirius black had a whole phase where he thought wanking made you go blind. he wore sunglasses for three weeks. refused to explain.

anyways. do not confundus your girlfriend's uterus. do not confundus anything. read a book. read two books.

also let's talk shame. catholic levels of repression. protestant levels of awkwardness. dionysian levels of impulse control. no one knew what they were doing and everyone was pretending. people said stuff like "deflowering" and meant it. they thought it was romantic. they thought love looked like sneaking into the potions dungeon and dry-humping to the sound of dripping cauldrons. they thought "i want to feel your magic inside me" was a line. it was not. it was a red flag on fire.

⠀⠀⠀so. was there sex ed at hogwarts?

no. but there was sexual miseducation. there were bad metaphors. there were prefects giving unsolicited advice in the lav.

and if you're wondering where i was in all this . . . i was that girl. i saw everything. i judged everyone. i'm dating a slytherin boy and i'm never confessing anything, even if the lord shall taketh me away no. absolutely not. expelliarmus.

i'm not saying i saved hogwarts. but i did tape an illustrated anatomy chart to the wall of the girls' bathroom and label it in four languages. i did distribute cursed zines about safe sex that moaned when opened. i did hex someone's trousers off for saying "girls don't get horny." you're welcome, feminists.

sex ed at hogwarts was me. and mary. and trauma. and bad latin. and the slow, horrible realisation that magic doesn't replace literacy.

we learned. painfully. and now i'm sharing it.

⠀i do have a masterlist where you can catch all of my stories oh em gee.....

[lu-is-not-ok]

Hong Lu is beginning to Crack

The most recent Intervallo, LCB Regular Check-up, gave a lot to chew on for a lot of us. From lore drops for the Sin Analysts of us, to an important moment for Don Quixote, to subtle hints of something brewing under the surface for Gregor.

There was, also, a lot of Hong Lu foreshadowing, even though he barely had over ten lines in the entire Intervallo. As much as I'd love to go off and overanalyze every single line he's had, I'd rather focus on one main point that this Intervallo cemented.

That being Hong Lu's repressed anger.

Of course, this means we have to talk about this moment here. Upon Hohenheim explaining how Peccatula Irae connect to the concept of Wrath, the following exchange takes place:

Now, before this explanation takes place, we have an extended moment where Hohenheim focuses on the Sinners' lack of agency in their situation. They're effectively prisoners, without any control over their situations, unable to say no or even act as individuals.

I'm pointing this out, because when Hong Lu interprets Wrath as rage and compares it to Sinclair's behavior, he specifically calls out a similar lack of control. Sinclair's Wrath presents itself through an extreme sort of anger that makes him completely lose any control over himself, a stark contrast to how controlled and downright repressed Hong Lu is in most of his behavior, as pointed out by Sinclair.

I want to linger a bit on the answer Hong Lu gives Sinclair here, because I feel there are layers to this line. What Hong Lu is saying here is that he very much has things to burn. There's enough fuel to sustain a fire were he to indulge in it. But he never actually sees a reason to start that fire, to let any spark start it. Because he believes it to be meaningless.

In less poetic words, I believe what Hong Lu is saying here is that he has plenty of reasons to be angry, and perhaps even straight up has a lot of anger that he's actively repressing. However, because he realized that acting out won't actually change anything, he no longer sees any reason to indulge in that anger. Whether the fire burns everything down or not, it won't change anything, so why even bother? Why lose control when it won't even do anything meaningful?

However.

If that's all I would have wanted to talk about, I wouldn't have made a wholeass post about it.

The actual reason I'm talking about this is because I believe we have already seen Hong Lu begin to snap at others. And not only that, but I believe we're already seeing a pattern as to what exactly causes Hong Lu to start to slip in his emotional repression.

What do I mean by Hong Lu snapping at others?

Well, generally Hong Lu is shown to be very good at directing conversations without being too disruptive. He waits his turn before shifting subjects to what he wants everyone to focus on, or at least doesn't directly interrupt anyone, waiting for a lull or an opportunity to jump in rather than asserting himself by directly stomping over someone else's words. Even when he redirects Meursault in Hell's Chicken, he doesn't directly interrupt him, instead waiting for a pause before making his move.

Or at least, that was how he always did it until recently.

See, starting with Canto 7, Hong Lu has begun to have moments where he goes against his usual pattern of behavior. He directly interrupted others.

Remember how the focus of what Hong Lu understands as Sinclair's rage is that he screamed so fiercely he lost control of his body? I believe Hong Lu's interruptions are of a similar nature. A similar loss of control due to his anger escaping through the cracks, causing him to be unable to wait his turn and to say his piece before the other person can finish.

I believe there are, as of now, two notable occurances of him snapping like that.

First is in Canto 7, when Gregor begins to muse over what would happen if Hong Lu were to witness the death of a dear family member.

Then there's the second one, that we only just recieved in the most recent Intervallo - Sinclair showing hesitation to kill Peccatula for the test, due to the fact these ones aren't actually posing danger to anyone, which causes Hong Lu to snap and interrupt him with a Very Loaded Question (one that I am extremely curious as to how it would be voiced btw).

We're already starting to see a pattern forming around what exactly makes Hong Lu actually begin to crack.

Both of these scenes notably include Hong Lu getting in some way emotional over death and its meaning.

With Gregor, it's the implied death of someone close to him, causing Hong Lu to snap back with a very straightforward answer as to what his reaction to such an event would be, denying that such a death would have any further effect on him.

With Sinclair, it's the implication that killing for the sake of survival is different to killing just because, causing Hong Lu to snap with a loaded question that carries the idea that he himself considers both kinds of death equally as devoid of meaning.

For a reason we don't know yet, the suggestion that death could be anything other than completely meaningless is enough for Hong Lu's repressed anger to start leaking through.

And, that made me think. Because of one voiceline.

There is, in fact, a single voiceline in Limbus Company, where Hong Lu's voice contains clear and unrestrained anger.

Cavernous Wailing corroded voiceline.

The visual design of which shows Hong Lu with mismatched limbs, only half of which are corroded; an empty eye socket on his shoulder, the eye from which being transplanted somewhere else; and a moving sprite that shows him covering his face with his hands.

And it made me think.

The death of a loved one, one which happened to save another life. One which Hong Lu considers to be so utterly meaningless that being reminded of it is the only thing able to cause him to lose control over his emotions and let his anger leak through.

There's certainly someone that Hong Lu continues to never mention, isn't there?

Anger that's as meaningless as their death, is it now?

Hong Lu. Just how much do you blame yourself for Daiyu's 'death'? And just how much anger do you hold over your family for allowing this to happen?

[corseque]

I keep thinking about the interview with the motion capture actor who played both Gustave and Verso, and how brilliant it was that the director wanted the same person to play both characters. I think it worked even better because the actor who played them (Maxence Cazorla) seems like he has an enormous and empathetic and kind heart, and listening to him talk about how it was to play both of these characters over a year of work made me realize some more things about the story.

My favorite thing in stories, even above wizards, is when the story can make you feel empathy for anyone and everyone in the story. The story can allow you to see from every angle and understand it completely. The most dissatisfying thing to me in a story is coming away from it feeling as if I didn't quite understand why someone was acting the way they were, or if a story seems to discard an entire viewpoint or person as evil or not worth exploring. I dislike it when especially fantasy stories invent and introduce a faction as pure evil, it just seems very pointless or masturbatory to me. I understand that a lot of people enjoy those kinds of stories, but I'm personally not out there exploring alternate worlds trying to encounter an enemy that just makes me feel righteous. I just want to Understand Everything. I want to understand things that are not understandable and things I will never experience. I want to understand the full spectrum of human experience.

And so the way this actor described his experience of playing both of these characters is fascinating to me.

Clair Obscur spoilers

Aspects I find fascinating and keep turning over in my head:

the fact that Maxence simply played HIMSELF as Gustave, how Gustave moves just like Maxence, how he simply played Gustave as he would play himself. How he didn't have to study or prepare in any way for Gustave because he simply played himself as he would, and leaned into being surprised by what was coming in the way that Gustave did in the story. Gustave's lovability and gentleness just came straight from this actor's open heart and his personality.

that Maxence knew from the very beginning that Verso allowed Gustave to die. How Maxence struggled deeply when he had to say goodbye to Gustave and how he resented Verso extremely for letting him die, feeling the same feelings that the audience felt (and probably on an even deeper level than we can understand).

that Maxence had to study and prepare and grill the directors about Verso's motivations because he's always lying all the time. So he played Gustave so naturally and so easily, but he had to put so much work into doing justice to Verso and understanding him

The way that Maxence's gentleness and kindness and caring still came out through Verso, giving him this wonderful depth. You get this feeling that Verso is a truly good person underneath, a feeling that I had playing that was so strong that I literally ignored all the foreshadowing (and only realized the true extent of his actions like long after the game was over) because I felt so strongly that in his heart he was good and that he cared. I think this was a combo of Maxence and Ben Starr's incredible delivery of the lines, but I don't think that it would have been nearly as successful without Maxence's generosity of heart.

So my favorite thing in the world, when you have to understand your enemy and learn what drives them, when you have to become the one who kills you and learn to feel their feelings, the actor actually embodied this. That he actually struggled and did his best and even at the end Gustave is STILL his favorite, but he came to understand and feel for Verso enough to portray him so honestly, and put himself into Verso and Gustave as the emotional core of the entire game.

And then the director also made him play Renoir in the epilogue scene as well, to borrow again from his subtle, expressive body language to portray Renoir's love and mourning to close off the story the way it began with Gustave's love and mourning.

It also helped so much to draw the parallels between the characters, since Gustave obviously dies to allow the audience to experience the loss of Verso in a visceral way, so we can actually understand what it's like to have that loss so we're all on the same page. And the ideas that the story has of bringing the dead back but it not feeling quite right because they're not the same, to see Verso's body language changed from Gustave but played by the same man is so brilliant. I want to watch Clair Obscur as a stage play where one actor plays both Gustave and Verso (and Renoir in the epilogue).

I truly think that this actor and his large heart was a huge key in the success of this game and the success of the storytelling. The way that he played Verso so honestly and put his soul into his eyes after feeling betrayed by Verso and feeling like Verso killed Gustave, who was a part of him is so wonderful to me. And then to do the same thing for Renoir, who killed Gustave and Sophie. Idk it's so hard to explain, but this contrast and coming to terms and understanding and drawing very deliberate parallels is my favorite thing in the entire world.

So yeah this knowledge of how the actor felt playing both characters is so key to my understanding of the story now and I'm always thinking about Maxence now when I'm watching any of these cutscenes.

[actualbird]

im 100% sure ive made a post like this before but my biggest tot conspiracy theory is that the NSB cannOTTTTTT be as good as they make themselves out to be.

my evidence is:

the fact that luke contracted his illness while in the NSB. the medication he was being given to recover from toxic gas attack mission was tainted by the NXX substance somehow. INFERENCE: that just seems so fucking suspicious, theres no way the NSB's tight security just failed on monitoring their best agent while he was recovering. it just smacks of intentional foul play from the inside of the organization.

the fact that luke's recruitment was such a huge change in his life. we learn in his personal story that he was recruited to the NSB after he got involved in a transnational case as a civilian, and we get more background on this period of time in SSR Journey Beyond: luke was in a prestigious research group but then he willingly but extremely abruptly dropped all of that to join the NSB. INFERENCE: he was 16 years old at this point in time, young and impressionable, and there's the possibility that the NSB convinced luke to join by appealing to luke's already existing traits (protectiveness, service, etc etc etc) which just feels nasty to me like. that is a BOY and you used his HEART AGAINST HIM so that he'd join your organization.

the fact that in later main story episodes, there's occasional canonical friction between the NSB and the NXX Investigation Team. INFERENCE: these conflicts of interest cant be a coincidence, and it feels like theyre setting this up for a reason.

the fact that luke has several AU SSR cards (notably: SSR Overflowing Thoughs and SSR Dreamlike Drama) where in the story, he breaks off from his prior institution or from the law to go rogue and act as a vigilante. INFERENCE: WHY WOULD THEY DO THIS IF NOT TO FORESHADOW LUKE BREAKING OFF FROM THE NSB IN MAINLINE CANON???? and the only thing that would make luke break off from the NSB is if the NSB turns out to be shady or doing things that goes against luke's strong sense of morals

like. do you see. do you SEE. it's subtle but there are so many details that point in the general direction of "NSB might not be the good guys somehow"

aside from the evidence i presented, if i turn out to be right, it would be such a damn interesting story to explore.

luke's character is so deeply entrenched in service to the greater good. wouldnt it be so interesting if the institution he swore his loyalty to turns out to be malevolent? that would shake luke to his core, that would make him question his entire life and the choices he's made, that would make him doubt his sense of morality (which is something VERY important to luke), that would push luke to do drastic choices in reaction

what would a loyal knight do when he realizes he's been on the wrong side the entire time?

[miwiheroes]

Dropping Byler Evidence Every (Other) Day Until Season 5

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁ Day 22: The Flowers . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

Ah yes, I can finally start analysing one of my favourite scenes heehehehe (the airport)

I have decided to split this analysis up into two sections lmaooo, um you can read under the cut down below the first part of the analysis if you want something that is very speculatory, and isn't necessarily evidence, more like something interesting.

First of all, the act of getting your girlfriend flowers is a classic, 'I know how to be a good boyfriend!' act, while still showing that there are problems underneath the surface. In this scene, the point of the flowers is to be a symbol. Otherwise, what would it be? Something to further show that Milkvan is cute and endearing? That doesn't line up with the rest of the airport scene which conveys their problems (all the lies and pretending).

The flowers are in this scene to be a symbol of Mike and El's relationship.

At first this seems like it sheds some positive light on Milkvan because it's obviously a nice gift, and she would appreciate it because they are her favourite colours. However, the things that Mike says in relation to the flowers seem extremely out of place and specific. Now, saying that he 'hand picked' them for her in Hawkins is a nice gesture that a lot of shippers really appreciate, but it is really important to the overall symbolism that he is the one who makes the choice about the colours. (more on that later)

He says some really 'random' stuff:

"I know you also like purple so I got some purples as well so I kind of did a 70/30 split kind of thing"

The 70/30 comment is so specific. The writers really like to put subtle foreshadowing into their dialogue, and being that this scene is at the beginning of the show, i believe it must be talking about how much he puts into the relationship versus how much he's getting out of it. An inequitable relationship is unsatisfying (x, xx), which may show that it's probably either Mike or El putting in the effort while getting less out of it. (Mike puts in the effort to seem normal and functioning while not getting true happiness out of it, El puts in the effort of lying and doing romantic things while not getting an expression of love out of it, which is what she thinks she needs.)

As for him handpicking them in Hawkins.... well....

The same flowers that El, EL, picks up and inspects are the ones that Mike picked out himself in the same town. By the end of the season, their relationship is extremely different than it was at the start, the 70/30 split is no longer a split, it's simply a 0, because the flowers are dead.

So these are 2 instances so far of the characters calling upon flowers for symbolism and.... there is a third one, which is right at the beginning of S4.

See this is why I truly believe that these must be a symbol of Mike and El's relationship. Mike picked spring flowers for El, which are a symbol of their relationship being inequitable, and later on, they are used to symbolise their relationship literally dying (damn). But this here is what shows that El will be fine on her own. Time and time again, Millie and the writers have said/written that El needs to find herself and who she is without the men in her life.

So: "At first I missed [my relationship with Mike], but now I [can find happiness]."

Flowers = Mil*ven. And it's also interesting that yellow flowers symbolise friendship and purple flowers symbolise admiration, and as we know, admiration for her powers is one of the main things that Mike ends up referencing when he admits his 'love' to her.

Now, the yellow flowers being in the bouquet is interesting because, as stated very importantly by Mike himself, he was the one who picked them. Meaning, he would have made the decision, however subconscious, to put 'too many' yellow flowers into the bouquet. And another thing we also know is that yellow is Will's colour.

This colour symbolism is emphasised during the season, when Will wears the colour yellow for the majority of it, and is placed under the yellow light in this scene^

Another funny thing that I noticed is that Mike says:

"I know you like the colour yellow, but now I'm realising that it's too much yellow."

Rewatching this scene makes me think it's kind of odd for him to say that he's just now realising that it's too much yellow. As if he accidentally put too much in, and kind of realises it in that moment like he's saying sorry to her about it?? But then he just takes that realisation and turns it into a 'romantic' thing, acting like he'd intended that the whole time with the '70/30' split.

That means he didn't actually mean to. The writers are trying to convey through symbolism that Mike has been thinking of Will subconsciously the past few months, which is then confirmed by the Rink o Mania scene and the Cool Cool scene. He only regrets the fact that he did it in retrospect. Aka as soon as he sees El.

SO: The flowers are a symbol for Mike and El's relationship, showing that they put in a lot of work into the relationship, but do not get an equal amount out of it, which is unsatisfying. The flowers also are shown to be dead by the end of the season. El says that at first she missed the flowers, but in the end, she's fine without them.

NOW TIME FOR THE STRANGE STUFF

So this is at the end of S1, and if we assume that there are no, throwaway lines in Stranger things, we should be able to also assume that this is meant to foreshadow something. In my opinion, this has to foreshadow S4 and S5.

In this scene, it's clear that the kids (symbolising the audience of stranger things) are talking about something that Mike (symbolising the writers of stranger things) has left out or not explained. This is what happens in S4.

What about the lost knight? -- This refers to Mike, whose DND character is obviously a paladin, but Will draws him and paints him as a knight in shining armour. He is clearly 'lost' because he does not know what to do about his relationships with Will and El at the end of S4. He has just said he loved El, but he still wants to help Will and doesn't really know his feelings until the painting is revealed. Therefore he is lost.

And the proud princess? -- It doesn't take much deducing to know that this has to refer to El, whose arc in S4 is to realise that she is not a monster for having her powers, making her proud of who she is. The audience are worried about her and her fate, because she seems at a crossroads.

And the weird flowers in the cave? -- Obviously, I've already talked about the flowers being a symbol for Mike and El's relationship. The 'weird' part about them is that they are so inconsistent and out of place on a show like ST, because of how conformist it seems in comparison to their nonconformist message. 'In the cave' refers to the fact that the flowers are dead, and now part of the UD, which is the 'cave'.

In This LAST SCENE:

El is stood in front of the others, now with her powers that she is proud of.

Mike is stood with Will, lost in relation to his feelings towards both El and Will, not truly understanding them.

The flowers are rotting. In the 'cave' (UD)

Just something to think about <3

[dc-gotham-instincts-wild]

City Marks AU

I know i said i'd explain the Brother in all but Blood AU first, but i'm still working on that one. In the meantime, have fun with this one that i came up with!

EDIT: OK YEAH I EDITED AND UPDATES THIS BTW

In this AU, a city, or a place, or just… an area can sometimes develop a consciousness, or a spirit. No one knows how. They just do.

Sometimes they 'claim' a person, as their own, their child, theirs.

To show this, at some point, a faint birthmark-looking thing will appear on the person's body, usually their hand or wrist, in the shape of the area's symbol.

At some point, often during an extreme moment, the 'faintling' mark, as it is called, will suddenly darken, turn black or close to black, it will feel like burning, for some it hurts, but mostly it just feels intense.

This is a Claiming. The city/town/area has Claimed the person, Marked them as his/her own.

Double-Marked can exist, people who have been taken by more than one city. Actually, there is no limit to how many Marks one can have. Are are triple-Marked, quadruple-Marked, and so on.

Marked of the same area can sense each other if they learn how and concentrate hard enough, and some can even sense those Marked by other areas, too. If a Marked is in danger, the other Marked, usually the ones close to them or at least the others Marked by their area will sense it, many times even experiencing pain on the Marked area of their body.

Many Marked have subtle abilities from being Marked, usually related to whatever area they're from. Most Gothamites have more survival-based abilities like good memory or good athletic abilities and some Metropolians will have more fun stuff like being really funny or good at cheering other people up.

They don't count as Meta or powers, really, just subtle abilities.

Often in many areas, Marked often have a meeting or gathering every month, or every two weeks, or there is no pattern or regulation, they just meet up when they feel like it. Not even they know how they know, they just know. Everyone will somehow get it in their subconscious, 'there's a meeting tonight' and that will be that. This is the way it is with Gotham.

Not many non-Marked know of the Marked. Oh, there are legends and rumors here and there, but they remain a secret and they keep it that way. Also Alred knows, because Alfred.

The SoG somehow extends to Bludhaven. I like to think that modern city boundaries don't count as boundaries for their spirits- the Spirits are ancient and took root long before the cities were built, instead the Spirits came at the same time or even before humans first came to their areas.

Not sure what the Mark of Gotham, of Metropolis, of Fawcett, of Star City, and of the other cities would look like though… i don't think it'd be directly representing their heroes though, since the Spirits are ancient and were there before the cities were built.

(I also think that some of the cities' Spirits, Gotham included, would have this premonition thing, they can see or sense the future. IDK i just think that if i write the AU out i'd include foreshadowing from showing the Spirit doing stuff idk.)

However, it'd still connect to the city, it's personality, the way the city is.

Anyway, each and every single Bat has been Marked.

Bruce got the 'faintling' when he was around four, it just showed up on him and got a little darker each year. Thomas and Martha (and Alfred) all noticed it, but Thomas and Martha were also Marked, so they knew what it was and decided to wait till the boy was fully Marked before explaining.

Fast forward to when Bruce is seven and he sees his parents murdered in front of him.

His wrist, it starts to hurt, but not like his whole wrist, just where the faintling is, each line and curve hurts and where the faintling isn't it feels fine. It hurts and it feels intense, and as he cries over his parent's bodies, it feels like it's burning and as he clutches his wrist, it seems to burn its way onto his skin. there, dark, to never be gone, is the Mark of Gotham. He hears the wind whispering, and it almost sounds like someone saying something.

Later some random other Marked explains to him and he shows up to the meetings and they hang out, chill. The meeting also serves to explain new Marked and trade stories and such surrounding the mystery of Marks.

Dick gets his faintling the day his parents are killed, t he never sees it, but Bruce does. Bruce waits. A few nights later, Dick comes to him, clutching his wrist, and Bruce explains. A week later is Dick's first Marked Meeting.

Jason's faintling was there for as long as he could remember. His Marking happened one night not long after Bruce adopted him, after a nightmare.

Cass's faintling appeared not long after she first came to Gotham, and her Marking happened one night during patrol.

Tim's faintling also appeared at some point when he was young. He noticed it, but never thought much of it. Later when he became Robin, Bruce was quick to notice it but again, said nothing. Later sometime during the whole Red Hood drama his Marking happened.

Steph, much like Cass, got her faintling a little later than the others, but her Marking happened during patrol once right after taking down a gang of thieves. The Spirit of Gotham is dramatic that way.

Duke's appeared sometime after his parents were taken, and he got his Mark during patrol.

Damian's faintling appeared as soon as he set foot in Gotham. Bruce spotted it fast, but once again said nothing. Only a few weeks later, Bruce woke up to Damian, confused and bit spooked, in his room, clutching his wrist. Bruce explains.

Since they are vigilantes, their subtle abilities and sensing is partially taken to the next level. AKA the Spirit of Gotham favors them.

All of them can sense when the other is in danger even before other Marked do. They are stealthy by nature and are more feral than they let on.

They all tend to blend into, melt into shadows and foliage and anything faster and better than most people can. They seem to fade into the dark, appear and disappear from thin air, make no noise as they step- Red Hood is a large man but quiet as an owl in flight. This goes a few steps further with Batman and Black Bat, because duh. They are the most stealthy and to some criminals they seem to fade into the background in front of them. They are also faster and all than most humans. Each Bat can be a living shadow when they want to be.

Besides that, Bruce has the stealth and strength factor, his memory is really good, he notes every detail, even the small ones, and he sometimes has this sixth sense of things.

Besides the stealth factor, Dick is flexible and fast, agile and light on his feet, more so than even other acrobats.

Besides the stealth factor, Jason is scrappy and strong, fast, and slightly enhanced hearing and smell. Also he's an extremely good marksman (though they only saw the full extent of it when he became Red Hood and somehow got a bulls-eye without even looking).

Cass is a living shadow. Enough said. Similar to Bruce, she also just knows things sometimes.

Besides the stealth factor, Tim has a really good memory and sometimes gets information and facts from the literal aether. He doesn't know how he knows these things, he just does. Also he was fast as heck from the start. He can blend into the background and fit himself into small spaces too.

Besides the stealth factor, Steph is deadly good at reading people and coming up with ways to get back at people. Frequently uses this to get back at anyone who messes with the others at school. Fast and quick reflexes.

Besides the stealth factor, Duke could hear and smell and see better after his Marking happened. He also became faster and stronger.

Damian became even more stealthy and observant, was faster on his feet and now his way with animals is even better. Now he also is a living shadow.

Anyway, no one in the JL knows about the Marked or that the Bats are Marked. The Bats often hide their Marks by wearing long sleeves, using finger paint over the area, or wearing armbands.

I don't think many of the JL would be Marked by their cities besides the Bats, but I think Billy, Mary, and Freddy would bear the Mark of Fawcett and Oliver would have the Mark of Star City.

[sleepy-ghoul-ghost]

The Room Where It Happened

The Room Where It Happened - Sleepy_Ghoul - Ghost (Sweden Band) [Archive of Our Own]

Hello there! This is my second Ghost fanfic! Hope you enjoy and please be kind!

Emotional Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Violence, Aftermath of Violence, Non-Graphic Violence, Implied/Referenced Torture, Body Horror, Reference to birth, Reference to death in labour

Swiss couldn’t recollect what exactly happened that day, or even what happened in the days leading up to it. He couldn’t tell you what the building looked like or how he got there; couldn’t tell you what the false worshippers looked like or what he did to them; he couldn’t even tell you how he ended up covered in blood that was anyone’s but his. 

All he could remember with reverence was the rage. 

It hadn’t even started on that day, though, It had started when Phantom scrambled out of his bunk on the bus near the end of the last tour, screaming so hard you could swear his lungs were being ripped out of his chest. The pain the younger ghoul was in, however, would be proven to be much worse. 

Swiss had clambered out of his own bunk and crouched next to his bug, eyes frantically searching for an injury under the grey and purple spotted hand Phantom had clawing at his own chest. There were tears streaming down his face and he flinched at every gentle hand that tried to soothe him. He’d been mumbling through and in between sobs, sobs that wracked his whole body in spasms, and it had taken what felt like hours just to interpret what he was pleading for. 

Ara. 

Ara. Ara. Ara. Ara. Ara. Over and over again Phantom sobbed the name of the human girl he’d left back at the Ministry, the girl that he’d sworn before the Dark Lord himself was the love of his life. His soulmate. His mate. His everything. He chanted her name through hitched breaths like a prayer, like it was the only thing keeping him sane. Swiss and the others would find out eventually, once they’d coaxed a few more words out of the young ghoul, that it was. Because the only proven thing to break a ghoul to his core was the severance of the bond with his mate. And not only had the bond been cut, but Ara had completely vanished from existence. 

Phonecalls were immediately made back to the Ministry, who were little to no help at all until Papa Copia stepped in and made some calls of his own. While all the commotion happened Swiss sat with Phantom and rocked him, letting him soak his pajama shirt in tears as he desperately tried to hold him in one piece. The words ‘she’s gone, she’s gone, she’s gone’ echoing throughout the bus like a knife in the heart. 

Ara was a person that all the pack knew well. A new Sister welcomed to the Ministry around the same time Phantom was summoned, which should have been enough foreshadowing in and of itself. Everyone had watched and teased as Phantom developed his little crush like a wildfire, then reassured and consoled him when he thought he’d scared her off. Ghoul and a human, who was he thinking. Could never work. Turns out Ara hadn’t cared in the slightest about his in-human nature, but was only extremely shy in herself. And once that bridge had been jumped over, it was a rare sight to see one without the other. Phantom was either sneaking over to the Human Wing of the Ministry to help with chores that of course needed two pairs of hands, or it was Ara cutely sharing her stash of snacks and DVDs with everyone in the Ghoul Wing as a not-so-subtle excuse to have a movie night. The two of them were adorable together, everyone had thought so. 

And then Ara was given an opportunity from another Ministry. She’d volunteered in the library since day one and within months had known it inside and out, being able to tell you where books were without checking once. Ara had a curious mind that loved to learn as much as possible, and that curiosity had gotten her promoted to researcher in the Abbey, which had clearly caught the attention of a brother Ministry looking for more Siblings. 

This Ministry was known for its research, for presenting answers to Satanic magic that even the eldest of Ghouls didn’t know. It was rumoured that the Emeritus Abbey had donated bodies to this Ministry for study, but it was only a rumour. 

Ara had been requested to transfer the same day that they would all be leaving for tour with Papa Copia; Phantom’s very first tour, and his very first time away from the girl he loved. They’d all allowed the couple to spend all of their time together before everyone headed out, and in those last few days they’d gifted each other stuffies to remember each other by and promise rings, so that no matter how far across the world they went they’d know that they had each other. But as the tour had ended, those two things had been all Phantom had left of her. 

The Ministry that Ara went to could not be contacted, and it took half the pack to stop Phantom from marching off to find it on foot in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere. They’d find out what happened, Papa had promised, and they wouldn’t stop until they did. 

The last few shows of the tour went by in a blur, with everyone performing off of fumes and pure frustration. They all loved Ara. Without meaning to she’d carved a place out for herself in their pack, and now that it was empty they all felt how big of a hole it was. Everyone was surprised that Phantom could even stand, let alone perform, but Dewdrop kept a particularly close eye on him at all times, always within arms’ reach in case- well, in case of anything. He hadn’t lost Aether completely, but he knew how much distance could eat you from the inside out. 

Phantom was the first out of the bus when they finally got home, sprinting his way up the path and through the Abbey doors with Papa and everyone else hot on his heels. Omega had called while they were on the plane, with news that had stomach’s twisting and bile threatening to rise. The rumours of bodies being sent to this mysterious Ministry weren’t the only ones floating around, it turns out. 

It’s at this point in the story that Swiss’ memory starts to blur. Words like torture and experimentation swim through the haze like fish, little dots of certainty quickly dashing away back into the realm of dread. Because that’s what Swiss can remember clearly; the dread. The rage. It’s only the feelings he can comprehend, not what became of them when they all lept into action. 

He knows that they stormed the Ministry in the dead of night. All of them. Every Ghoul and Sibling that was capable ripping through bolted doors like something wild. He knows that what they found was horrific, something that even Lucifer himself would call disgusting. Ghouls strapped to tables or chained in cells, phials of blood and skin and bone lining shelves, floors splattered with all kinds of gore it was slippery. He knows that they found Ghouls that had once been humans, some catatonic from whatever Hell they’d been put through and others far beyond any semblance of help. He knows that Ara had been found amongst them, thrown in a terrifyingly small handful labelled successful. He knows that Phantom had cried over her barely conscious body, unable to tear his eyes away from her face that had had one eye socket emptied and replaced by fresh, glistening amethyst geodes. He knows he remembered how geodes are made and swallowed his own sick to keep quiet. 

Swiss knows that the Siblings of the Ministry tried to run. He knows they all failed. He knows he watched people die and helped slaughter others. He knows he enjoyed it. 

But all of that is barely important when he thinks about what he found. Who he found. In the arms of a young Ghoul who was barely standing, on the verge of collapse, was a baby. The tiniest Ghoul Swiss had ever seen, sound asleep and wrapped in a blanket stained with blood. He remembered the Ghoul holding her telling him that the mother; a human woman, another victim of sick experimentation; had died in labour, her body not capable of surviving the creation of the Dark Lord’s children. 

He knows he took the baby to allow the older Ghoul rest. He knows he wrapped his arms around the little creature and swayed her from side to side. He knows he took in her dark purple skin and teeny tiny silver horns and ruffled, curly black hair. He knows, in that moment, he swore to protect her for the rest of his life. He knows she became his, and no one even thought of arguing differently. 

Every single time without fail, the rage comes back with a bite when Swiss thinks about that day, that damned Ministry that they burned to the ground. He felt it when he found out Terzo Emeritus had been resurrected as a Ghoul, his memory barely there and only recovered with thanks to Omega, whose heartbreak was visible on his face. He felt it when Ara remained in a coma for weeks, Phantom never leaving her side until being carried to bed after he passed out. He felt it when she woke up believing she was still there, and when the pain of having half of her skull carved out hit her and bent her double. He felt it when he saw all of the other victims limp or flinch or throw up or sob. The Ministry was obliterated and it still didn’t feel good enough. 

But it did, slowly, start to get better. Ara learned to walk and talk all over again, using her first words to tell Phantom how much she missed and loved him, words that he sobbed back into what was left of her hair as he hugged her. Terzo’s memory came back piece by piece, a feature that he liked to flourish with the element of surprise to get Omega to smile. And then there was the baby. 

Swiss had named her Somnus, since sleeping was her favourite thing to do. A tiny, fluffy ball of pure quintessence so strong that her little body could only process it all by napping almost 24/7. The first time she opened her eyes for longer than 3 seconds was weeks after he’d found her, and he was giddy to see that they were orbs of pure stardust. 

There was one thing Swiss knew for certain after all of that-

Nothing would ever hurt his little Stardust. 

Ever.

[moattemptstoarticulate]

"We need more complex characters!" You guys couldn't even handle Gale Hawthorne.

This is going to be a controversial post and probably very long, but I am and have always been a Gale Hawthorne defender. Not necessarily an apologist but I am a firm believer that the amount of hate he receives through-out the series is largely unwarranted.

I do think this is partially due to the fact that a lot of people who read the books did so when they were too young to fully understand the message. It being marketed as a young adult uprising story, similar to other dystopian series released at the time meant that the critique of politics and war theory wasn’t something entirely comprehensible to the audience it was aimed at. This is partially why Gale versus Peeta is minimised to a simple love triangle when it holds so much more nuance than that. 

As I said, what a lot of people seem to do when we look at Peeta versus Gale is treat it entirely as a love triangle and minimise the nuance of the two characters and how they work against each other. Both are symbols of the two sides of war and in my opinion are meant to show Katniss a middle ground in her morals and what are the "justified" lengths someone is willing to take in order to achieve relative peace and freedom.

From the beginning of the trilogy we get an idea of the society that these characters live in which I believe is best shown through the tesserae system. Immediately it is apparent to the audience that district twelve is in extreme poverty with food being used as a manipulation tactic by the capitol. Gale, with his father dead and three younger siblings, is forced to have his name in the reaping forty-two times. This sets-up the world view that will shape these two characters and their paths for the rest of the books. They live in a system where you must pick between starving to death or increase your risk of dying in the arena. Gale is quick to condemn the capitol and suggest a way to rebel, saying he and Katniss should run away. Katniss at the beginning of the books has become complicit in a system she cannot change. She doesn’t think that voicing her anger will change anything and so she opts to stay quiet, this causes her to turn down Gale’s wishful request by pointing out the lack of practicality in his plan. Suzanne Collins, with this unsuspecting conversation, foreshadows Gale’s role in the books and in Katniss’ life.

Inherently Peeta serves as Katniss’ moral compass or conscience. There are a lot of subtle ways this dynamic is shown with Peeta. His hope, altruism and kindness shows Katniss one outlook on war and oppression during the course of the books. We see it first when he gives Katniss the bread from the bakery. A small but kind offer with no expectations which isn’t often seen in district twelve due to the society they function in. I also find it interesting that everyone Peeta kills through-out the books is either out of self-defense or mercy. He refuses to engage in violence as that’s what the Capitol wants. This mindset is persistent throughout the books. Peeta isn’t opposed to the revolution but he is firm in his stance that they should always do everything in their power to do the right thing and he believes that violence and sacrifice is not the right thing.

If we look at Peeta as Katniss’ conscience/moral compass, we can look at Gale as her sense of justice and rage. Gale, like Peeta, actually seems to be a very loving character, raising his family after his fathers death, Putting his name into the reaping a multitude of times in order to feed them and his love for Katniss (which he definitely had even if he didn’t do so in the best manner) The first real thing we learn about him past being Katniss' friend is that he is sacrificing his safety to feed his family. From the beginning we know Gale hates the Capitol and wants to rebel and after Katniss goes into the games he is forced to play along with Capitol propaganda, get brutally punished by Peacekeepers and watches district twelve get destroyed. His disdain is only amplified as the books go on and the tyranny of the Capitol persists. He believes that the ends always justify the means, even if it means extreme violence and sacrifice. He is incredibly angry and having not met anyone from the Capitol like Katniss and Peeta, struggles to humanise the casualties of the war.

Both of these outlooks are shown very clearly in the Mockingjay. Despite Peeta not agreeing with a violent rebellion, what I feel convinces Katniss to partake in it is when she sees Peeta on TV after being kidnapped by the Capitol. As I’ve established I feel Peeta is representing her conscience and what is considered the “right thing” to do. Katniss is convinced to join the rebellion in order to save her conscience, Peeta. Joining the rebellion, which Gale is a major part of, is the first time I think we see Suzanne Collins trying to convey that neither side is “right” and that to win a war there needs to be a middle ground.

Katniss is us as we watch both viewpoints and decide where we fall on this spectrum. We are shown the downsides of both ideologies. With Peeta getting hijacked and Gale getting dubbed the "Prim Reaper" by fans. As I’ve said Peeta isn’t un-political, but contrary to Gale he tries to rebel without violence but manipulation of the media. We see Peeta waving out the window of the train trying to charm Panem and again in the interview he plays along with Caesar's jokes. He aims to humanise himself and Katniss to Capitol citizens when he mentions the crush he has on her. He does so again when he says his infamous “if it wasn’t for the baby” line. Now I could give an in depth discussion on the commentary behind this line alone but not today. The main point I’m getting at is that Peeta knows how to play the media. We see that after this line, suddenly the Capitol citizens no longer agree with the Quarter Quell or the idea of the hunger games.

Peeta becomes a beloved figure because he does not blatantly voice his rebellion. It’s so subtle that the Capitol Citizens see him as complying to the regime with a joking smile as he discusses something as mundane as the smell of the showers. He talks about how the showers in the Capitol are much nicer. He is playing up to the idea that Capitol citizens believe, that they should feel lucky to be where they are and be treated so nicely. They are not aware, unlike Snow and the other tributes, that everything Peeta says in an act of subtle rebellion. He comes across as humble and charming and a little cheeky. In TBOSAS Snow comes up with ideas to get more people to watch the games. A quote directly from him explains why Peeta’s tactic works so well.

“If we need people to watch we should be letting them get closer to the tributes before the games. To make the stakes personal.”

Peeta never clearly insults or condemns the Capitol making it so no one can recognise his want for a revolution. He becomes personable and likable in order to plant the seeds in the minds of the viewers by being outwardly complicit yet lacing it with a message. When he says that he can never be with his crush because they’ve both gone into the arena together, it saddens the citizens who are rooting for him because even if he does win, his crush dies in the arena, and if he doesn’t he never gets to be with her to begin with. To the viewers it's a movie and you root for a character (much like it is to us as the audience) but in their world, their favourite tribute dying doesn’t hold weight in the same way it doesn’t hold weight to us because at the end of the day they are fictional characters. This perpetuates what we already know, that the Capitol citizens are so desensitised that the tributes aren't real lives or people. There is definitely a message behind this but this post is already ridiculously long so I’ll save that for another time.

We know that the citizens don’t react well to condemnation when Johanna and Beetee speak negatively upon the Quarter Quell and we hear the crowd getting angry. Peeta takes the same approach that garnered him sympathy and love in his first interview when mentioning his crush on Katniss. In "Catching Fire" he says  the line “We’ve been luckier than most. I’d have no regrets at all.” This is him once again playing humble and lovable and he makes sure never to blame or speak negatively about the Capitol or the Games themselves. When he says “if it weren’t for the baby.” it doesn’t come across as rebellious but as a genuine unfortunate coincidence. Peeta is an adored undercover Rebel who the media and Capitol Citizens trust to be loyal and well-meaning and also put on a good show

Whilst this tactic worked well in Catching Fire, with Capitol Citizens needing to be mollified, not because of someone speaking negatively about them but because they are genuinely enraged at the circumstances, it is used against him when he is hijacked and he is forced to ask for a Ceasefire in an interview with Snow. Because he is now seen as a trusted Capitol Darling who is known to perform well on TV, no one suspects that he might be saying these things under duress. Seeing this interview pushes Katniss to be the symbol of the revolution. Her symbolic conscience is having his own non-violent form of rebellion used against him and also getting tortured and in order to save him she realises that sometimes violence is necessary.

SOMETIMES being the key point and why Gale is there to show that the other side of the spectrum is not good either. I feel like a lot of people like to point out that Peeta also lived in district twelve and didn’t react in the same way that Gale did. I need to point out that whilst both of them grew up in poor conditions, Peeta lived in the Merchant’s village as the Baker’s son. This is not to say that he didn’t have a hard life. Katniss learns that they couldn’t afford most of the ingredients they baked with and lived off of stale left-overs but we can also infer that the family was never so poor that they were on the brink of starvation like Katniss and Gale have faced. (The way I’m speaking implies that I think the food conditions for anyone in twelve or the other districts were okay. They were not, I’m speaking relative to the world and characters in this conversation.) Gale, in order to put food on the table had to sacrifice his chance of safety from the arena and have his name in the reaping forty-two times and I think this gives an interesting differential between the two when we’re discussing why they took such different paths in their reaction and stance on the rebellion.

Gale believes that anything they have to do in order to take down the Capitol is necessary, even if that means sacrificing people along the way. He is one of the leading voices of the rebellion and chosen to be Katniss’ right hand when she agrees to become the symbol for it. He is the total extreme of the measures one is willing to take and we see Katniss struggle with this a lot. Suzanne Collins took Peeta out of Katniss’ life in the books as a way to explore Gale’s ideology more. With her conscience gone, it leaves Katniss to decide on her own what she deems just action in this fight. The longer Peeta is away the more violence we see Katniss use. When the rebellion goes to district eight, we see her fighting as the circumstance permits. The difference between Katniss and Gale is that Gale doesn’t see the Capitol citizens as people but as numbers to win the war. I honestly don’t think this is absolutely crazy for him to do. Gale, unlike Katniss and Peeta, has never met anyone from the Capitol, and hasn't had the opportunity to humanise them like they have. Given that the Capitol are the people who view the deaths of the children from the district as entertainment and who put them in that environment, I find it hard not to be sympathetic to his outlook. It is not to say it is the right outlook but one I think can be understood.

There's a point in the book where Katniss comes across a Capitol citizen and when she goes to speak in order to warn people of their arrival. Katniss shoots her through the heart. She does this to the woman because if she doesn’t, they will almost certainly be caught, tortured and killed. Before she does this she describes how the woman looks. She isn’t just a number to Katniss, she is a human who she has killed. This is one of the best examples of the middle ground of the book and poses a question. Was it morally justified for Katniss to kill this woman? Most of us would say yes given the alternative. This is Katniss straying towards Gale’s view where the ends justify the means but the description of her beforehand, the humanising, that’s Peeta pulling her back to the middle. Yes, the woman had to be killed in order to protect Katniss and the rebels but she also acknowledges that it was A PERSON she killed, not a just another tally mark in aid of ending the Capitol.

It’s now time to discuss what we’ve all been waiting for. Prim Reaper.

Now, this is one of those conversations that I don’t think I’ll win anyone over if you don’t already agree with it to begin with. I do not think that Gale is the person to blame for Prim’s death. He was definitely complicit in it with the creation of the bomb, but if that’s the reason everyone blames him for her death, why not blame Beetee too? I also think it's worthy to note that Gale did not authorise the attack that killed Prim. We learn that he didn’t even know it was a plan, and it places doubt on whether it was actually Gale’s technology that killed her in the first place. The reason Suzanne Collins killed Prim was to show, like with Peeta getting hijacked, that too much of one ideology will eventually result in failure. Killing Prim, a character we know, rather than a group of random healers, portrays this enough for both Katniss and us as the audience to entirely rule out Gale as a plausible option in both his war tactics and as a love interest. Prim’s death is when Katniss, through personal loss, realises that whilst violence is necessary, sacrifice to the extent that Gale views as sufficient is no longer justified but rage fuelled vengeance.

To me, blaming Gale for Prim’s death is like blaming the gun rather than the person who pulled the trigger. Gale is as much of a victim of the Capitol as anyone else in the books. He becomes a ruthless revolutionary not because he is a horrible bloodthirsty monster but because he is a teenager raised in a society where he’s always been forced to make sacrifices in order to keep himself and his family alive. If the Capitol and the games did not exist, Gale would never have been in an environment where he had to become so desensitised. Is he a good person? No, but is he a bad one? Definitely not. He is there to show how any extreme ultimately results in disaster, as is Peeta.

The scene where Katniss shoots Coin and leaves Snow to be mauled to death by the citizens is where this attitude is best shown. The suggestion of a game for the Capitol children is completely obscene to Katniss. She knows that Coin is extremely similar to Snow. One could say they’re two sides of the same coin…! She chooses to kill Coin in order to achieve peace. These are the two ideologies finally settling in the middle ground. Ending the cycle of violence to achieve peace with one final violent act. It’s hard to predict how the books would’ve concluded without Gale. Would Katniss have rebelled so publicly in catching fire were it not for Gale’s influence? Would she agree to be the Mockingjay? Would Peeta’s rescue mission be successful if Gale hadn’t been the first to volunteer for the team? Would Katniss have shot that citizen or let their location be given up and have it ultimately result in their death and torture? Would she have killed Coin or let the tyrannical cycle continue? Obviously I can’t answer any of these questions because we simply don’t know what the books or Katniss would look like without Gale’s presence because he is important. He is fundamental in the war efforts, whether his actions are ethical or not.

I think the final note I want to leave is what Katniss thinks the final time we see Gale in the trilogy. Katniss, right before she goes to kill Snow and ultimately decides to kill Coin, speaks to Gale in the aftermath of Prim’s death. He hands her the arrow she’s meant to use, which I think is symbolic, the final act of violence handed off to her by her sense of vengeance before they never see each other again. After he leaves she thinks. 

“I want to call him back and tell him that I was wrong. That I'll figure out a way to make peace with this. To remember the circumstances under which he created the bomb. Take into account my own inexcusable crimes. Dig up the truth about who dropped the parachutes. Prove it wasn’t the rebels. Forgive him. But since I can’t, I guess I’ll just have to deal with the pain.” 

Katniss can’t forgive him because it’s just too personal, but she understands why he did what he did, knows that he did what he felt he had to do in the situation he was dealt. Do you really think Suzanne Collins aimed to villainise Gale? I don’t think so. She is too complex a writer to make us hate a victim of oppression. Katniss’ thoughts after their final interaction doesn’t scream to me that she thinks Gale is a villain of the story. Just another victim who ultimately went too far in their attempt to reach their goal. The line “Remember who the real enemy is.” is so consistent through-out the series that it baffles me that people have decided they hate Gale more than Coin or Snow. Gale Hawthorne is by no means a perfect person, no one in this book is. But he is not a bad person either, he’s simply a boy who couldn't see the middle ground through his need for vengeance against an oppressive power.

All that being said I may have completely missed and I am entirely open to hearing opposing opinions of this discussion. These books are so complex and there is no way I could do an entire in depth analogy of Gale or Peeta or their environment. That being said I hop you enjoyed my attempt to articulate my thoughts on Gale

[zqnl]

Compiled some thoughts/observation/analysis of Vol I, Book 1!

Les Misérables Vol I, Book 1: A Good Man

Victor Hugo starts everything off with essentially the life and times of Bishop Myriel. Even though he says it has little relevance to do with the rest of the tale, the book not only touches on some major themes (and personal points of conflict for Hugo) but also has some foreshadowing that I already know will make some future scenes hit so much harder.

Less importantly, but more entertainingly, Myriel throws so much shade and gives so many backhanded compliments for a short, happy, elderly guy. Sometimes he's subtle about it and it flies over the head of the person he's talking to, but other times he just goes out of his way to make his disapproval known in very comical ways. Nothing I saw before reading the brick prepared me for this guy having personality, but I'm so happy it's there.

Notes on themes & foreshadowing/parallels under the cut! Would love to read about alternate opinions/things I didn't catch, especially as a first-time reader 👀👀

Themes

When is a violent revolution justified?

Down with the death penalty

What makes a person good?

Nobody's perfect, or why Myriel is a staunch royalist

Hedonism as a privelege for the rich

The importance of education

When is a violent revolution justified?

Myriel seems to have a very micro approach to goodness — he uses most of his own funds for the benefit of those in need and chides the bishops who hoard individual wealth, but repeatedly shies away from political change. It’s both pacifist and very cure-over-prevention, which is what makes his clash with the Conventionist G so interesting.

Their conversation really felt like Hugo’s own internal dialogue, attempting to address the conflict between the progress won through revolutions and the violence wielded to get there. Despite some back and forth, there was a clear ‘victor’ in the debate. G states “I voted for the end of the tyrant. That’s to say, the end of prostitution for women, the end of slavery for men, the end of benightedness for children. In voting for the Republic, that’s what I voted for.” Since this is extremely reminiscent of the preface, it’s clear that this is the voice Hugo endorses. He also appears to give his own definition for when violence is forgivable when G concludes his speech with “Yes, the brutalities of progress are called revolutions. When they are over, what we recognize is this: the human race has had a rough time, but it has advanced.” It’s therefore quite intriguing that he chose to centre Les Misérables around the 1832 rebellion that didn’t succeed. Maybe future chapters will reveal a tighter definition for progress that will include the aftershocks (if any) of the June Rebellion?

Despite ending on a pretty unambiguous statement of philosophy, some of Hugo’s misgivings (previously published in his public announcements regarding past revolutions) are also voiced in this passage, like when Myriel says “You’ve brought about destruction. Destruction can be useful but I distrust destruction compounded with anger.” G responds by listing what that first revolution gifted France (though “sent tides of civilisation sweeping across the earth” could be referring to Napoleon’s conquests which is somewhat unbalancing), but I think the true rebuttal is when he responds with a crime against the people for every crime against the monarchy. This is particularly enjoyable because it mirrors Myriel’s own attitude in rejecting artificial divides between normal people and ‘higher powers’ back from when he wittily rebuked Napoleon.

Down with the death penalty

A vivid part of France’s violent revolutions is of course the use of the guillotine (or more broadly, the death penalty). Hugo uses some pretty unambiguous language to describe and personify the guillotine, leaving us very clear on his personal stance towards the death penalty; namely, that he’s extremely against it. Myriel himself says “I didn’t realize it was so monstrous. It’s wrong to be so deeply absorbed in divine law that you become unaware of human law. Death depends on God alone. By what right do men meddle with this matter of destiny?” Again, lines from the preface incorporated into the text, highlighting how this section is not in fact without bearing on the rest of the story, at least thematically.

However, Myriel’s actions after this revelation are quite interesting. While his exclamation appears to denounce the use of religion as a band-aid or distraction from material, man-made horrors, Myriel henceforth avoids the guillotine and continues to avoid interactions with changing the law. Later, he even says “Whatever his fellow man does, God allows it.” This is in-line with his character, which so far seems to primarily advocate for mercy and mundane acts of kindness, and avoids questioning the religion he serves. He even writes (of god) “Solomon names you Mercy, and of all your names this is the most beautiful.” in one of his books.

This also comes up in his conversation with G, except here it seems Hugo’s stance on the death penalty isn’t part of the debate. Instead, G is a Conventionist who voted against killing Louis XVI. Personally, I get the feeling that Hugo is drawing a line here. It seems like had G voted for Louis XVI’s death, Hugo would have found him unfit as a mouthpiece for his ideology.

What makes a person good?

Certainly not success, or a good social standing. The section where Hugo says “success is a fairly hideous thing. Its false resemblance to merit deceives men.” feels like one side of the coin to one of Les Misérables’ main tenets, with the flipside being that poverty does not imply weakness of character. I have it on pretty good authority that Les Misérables is very much about the goodness of the ordinary or lower class individual as opposed to the greatness of powerful figures, which was clear from Myriel’s very first snipe at Napoleon.

Hugo also describes Myriel as “Infantile if you will, but these sublime infantilisms were those of St Francis of Assisi and Marcus Aurelius.” I have a vague impression of childlike innocence being present in Cosette and to some extent Fantine (given her name). Hugo might not point to it as the primary or sole example of goodness, but he definitely props it up as one of the examples.

Nobody’s perfect, or why Myriel is a staunch royalist

It’s quite paradoxical for Myriel to believe that as a bishop — advisor to the people — he should live close to poverty, but simultaneously be a royalist and therefore implicitly accept that the king — leader of the people — can live in never-before witnessed splendour starting from the reign of Louis XIV.

This character flaw is again emphasised in the passing of Conventionist G, where Myriel (without much given reason) looks at a man peacefully accepting his death and thinks “He did not think there was any sense of God in this manner of dying.”. This is especially jarring since he’d said “Let us fear ourselves. Prejudices are the real robbers.” a couple pages prior.

I guess no character can have it all?

Hedonism as a privilege of the rich

I don’t think I need to make too many notes here — his speech at the end of 1.1.8 speaks for itself. As an excerpt:

You fine gentlemen, as you say, have a philosophy of your own, for yourselves. An exquisite, refined philosophy available only to the rich

But you are kindly princes and you don’t mind that belief in God should be the philosophy of the people, rather in the same way that goose stuffed with chestnuts is the truffled turkey of the poor.

The importance of education

I imagine this will be touched on more later, but for now we have the quote:

Society is to blame for not giving free education. It’s responsible for the darkness it produces. In any benighted soul – that’s where sin will be committed. It’s not he who commits the sin that’s to blame but he who causes the darkness to prevail.’

This is obviously still relevant to us now, but unsurprisingly, the issue of education was even more important in the 19th century. Literacy rates are still quite low, and new scientific/philosophical/political theories were often spread via the written word. You can't convince the illiterate with writing! If the people who are most marginalised are the ones least able to engage with ideologies made to help them, the vehicle that might enable them to connect with new ideas is naturally extremely important.

Foreshadowing/parallels

Myriel’s silver

I think the following quotes speak for themselves, and add so much significance to Myriel’s later actions:

It must be acknowledged, though, that of his former possessions he was still left with six silver forks and spoons and a large soup ladle that for Madame Magloire were a daily joy to see gleaming splendidly on the white linen tablecloth.

… he had more than once been heard to say, “It would be hard to give up eating off silver.”

In the bishop’s own bedroom… was a small cupboard in which Madame Magloire locked away the six silver forks and spoons and the large ladle every evening. It has to be said, the key was never removed.

This little old guy just likes his one material indulgence, but gives it away to Jean Valjean anyways!

Jean Valjean’s future arrival

Myriel writes in another one of his books:

Don’t ask the name of anyone that asks you for shelter. It is especially the person whose name is a burden to him that has need of shelter.

Castles in the air

I’m not sure if this was just common imagery at the time, and I’m also not sure if the wording is similar in the original French, but in 1.1.12, “blushing choristers… young priests, like Perrette with her pot of milk, build castles in the air!” is used to describe those seeking to advance socially via the seminary. As far as I’m aware, Cosette doesn’t really have any ambitions to do with the church, but still… castle on a cloud in the air mentioned!

Baptistine’s family is rich!

We obviously find out in her letter to her sister, but previous sections foreshadow this by connecting Baptistine with some nicer material goods:

Mademoiselle Baptistine also had in her room a very large bergère of wood that had once been gilt, and upholstered in a flower-patterned Peking silk.

… first a very nice armchair…

However, as we shall see, underneath the whitewashed paper Madame Magloire had recently discovered paintings that decorated Mademoiselle Baptistine’s room.

… and second, a plain exterior peeled off to expose art or luxury.

Honestly, when I first read those sentences, I almost thought she was being set up for like… a villain arc? Or at least a secret reveal arc? But nothing I’ve heard in fandom seems to indicate that so. I just suspected a wealthy background a couple chapters in advance, I guess.

A sentence in Baptistine’s letter

I don’t know if this leads to anything, or if it’s just an excuse for Hugo to shout “[Myriel] is still a true royalist”, but why was Baptistine’s sister asking about a De Faux family?

Facing death with radiance

This one is definitely more of a stretch, but when Myriel accompanies the man sentenced to death onto the scaffold of the guillotine, the criminal is described as such:

So crushed and despondent the previous day, the man facing death was radiant. He felt his soul have been reconciled and his trust was in God.

I’m not very into canon Enjoltaire, and the context here is a believer comforting the wretched by following them instead of the wretched following the believer, but I'll stretch to get the parallel anyways. I also just think the general concept of taking happiness and comfort in not facing it alone is very nice.

[firefightersgobrrr]

Ok y’all. I’ll be so honest. Something about Bobby’s death STILL doesn’t sit right with me. Like, I seriously think the government might be hiding him. They were being so weird about the virus and how they needed to contain it.

In the whole beginning of this last episode, they were being very VERY weird about the word “body”. The word just kept coming up, they said it like half a dozen times. “They still haven’t released his body” “lay his body to rest” etc etc. And you know what we still haven’t seen?

A body.

This show is many things but subtle is not one of them. This feels very reverse chekovs gun, they keep freaking mentioning it but we’ve yet to actually see it on screen.

Also, the B plot?? Very very weird, very anticlimactic if Bobby is truly dead (same for the episode as a whole tbh). I’ve seen an analysis of how it was a way for Athena to overcome her avoidance for planning the funeral, but that doesn’t sit right with me. They are many ways to do that, many ways that don’t involve opening an empty casket after a long line of subtle clues and foreshadowing as to why Bobby might be alive this season.

ESPECIALLY after the buried alive “leak” followed immediately by a verbal conformation that there was a 2 week time skip 30 seconds into the episode. This is all feeling extremely deliberate. You know what I’m reminded of? The bank heist episode, whether the chemical attack was a distraction for the robbery which was a distraction for the diamond heist. Like, we’re being told “look over here” to distract from what actually happening.

The whole episode led up to Athena standing alone with Bobby’s coffin, and I feel like it can’t be only fandom/chronically online people feeling like there was something we were waiting for, whether it be her opening it to see it empty or some other dramatic turn of events. Again, it was very anticlimactic for this show. I feel that the GA had to have been also feeling that, right after a whole B plot of digging up a grave only to find it empty. Again, this show is not subtle. Never has been, never will be.

So yeah, I do seriously think they’re dropping hints Bobby might be alive and for a cliffhanger going into season 9. Maybe it will be a police investigation plot line for Athena, about getting her husband back from the big bad military. I think that would be a really fun way to keep going with the show, and then everyone still has that life-changing experience of Bobby being gone and grieving him. And we get to see that anger chim and Athena had fully fleshed out and turned on Bobby (their acting was the best part of that episode full stop). All this to say, the whole thing of “Bobby’s death is the only way the characters don’t go static” isn’t true. The boat has been rocked, and Bobby coming back doesn’t mean the waves aren’t moving anymore.

[deception-united]

Hello, I love your blog. I'm writing a story about cheating and I was wondering how you write the person finding out and the couple breaking up making it clingy and annoying?

Hi, thanks for asking! Writing about cheating and the fallout can be emotionally intense, so it's important to approach it with sensitivity and realism. Before you reach this point, though, make sure the dynamic of the couple is established. One one hand, you might want to create a strong foundation of trust and intimacy between them before the cheating happens to make the betrayal worse, making it as much as a shock for the reader as it is for the character; but on the other, there might have been factors here and there that made it expected, or at least lessened the shock. In this case, you may want to drop subtle hints or foreshadow events that hint at what is to come.

Though this is a very general mould, the scenario might typically go something like this:

It all starts with the discovery—the moment the person finds out about the cheating. This scene will likely be extremely emotionally charged. Consider different ways they might discover the truth—catching the other in the act, finding incriminating evidence, or hearing about it from someone else, for example. Show the character's initial shock, disbelief, anger, heartbreak.

There may be a confrontation, or the person being cheated on might decide to keep this information private for the time being, for whatever reason that may be. The former scenario will likely be intense and dramatic, with raw emotions pouring out on both sides. It's important to use dialogue that reflects the feelings of betrayal and hurt in this moment. As the truth comes out and emotions run high, the situation may escalate, leading to a heated argument or even a physical altercation. Remember to be mindful of realistic consequences and character reactions.

After the confrontation, show the aftermath of the breakup: the emotional fallout for both parties involved, any collateral damage to friendships or family relationships, the process of healing and moving on (or not. Revenge and resentment is good, too), and how the experience changes the characters. This will add depth and carry the story forward.

Here are some tips to keep in mind:

Show one or both parties overreacting to the situation. This could involve exaggerated emotions, dramatic accusations, or unreasonable demands.

Focus on the insecurities of the person who discovers the cheating. This could involve them constantly seeking reassurance or displaying jealousy even in unrelated situations.

Adding miscommunication will fuel the high-strung emotions present in the altercation. Perhaps the person who discovers the cheating misinterprets innocent actions as signs of further betrayal.

Show the person exhibiting obsessive behaviour. Namely, stalking.

Have the person who discovers the cheating guilt-trip the other person, making them feel overly responsible for the situation and manipulating them emotionally. This could also work the other way around.

Include meddling friends or family members who exacerbate the situation by taking sides, spreading rumors, or encouraging certain behaviour.

You can depict the person who discovers the cheating as overly dependent on the relationship for their happiness and sense of self-worth, making the breakup even more devastating for them.

Showcase extreme mood swings, from intense anger and resentment to desperate pleas for reconciliation, creating a rollercoaster of emotions that can be exhausting for the other party, though keep in mind that this could put off the reader if taken too far.

The two characters will probably not be having a logical conversation in this moment. Keep it filled with emotional outbursts and irrational accusations rather than rational discussions, preventing any resolution or closure.

Try to drag out the breakup process with unnecessary confrontations, repeated arguments, and attempts at reconciliation, making it feel drawn-out and tiresome for both characters and readers alike and making the resolution or aftermath all the more satisfying.

Again, all this depends on your story and characters, but I hope this is helpful nonetheless. Happy writing ❤

Previous | Next

[allmannerofmalady]

In continuation of my clownery, I started a new DATV playthrough because my beloved Inquisitor looked so jarring I had to remake her and replay like 20 hours of the game. But hey, I made peace with the fact that I am playing DATV to wrap up Inquisition and get an ending scene at this point, I'm not currently foreseeing a second playthrough, so I gotta do it right, y'know?

Spoilers, and me complaining at extreme length, yet again, about my own personal expectations vs reality into the void. Please ignore if DATV negativity is something you prefer to stay away from, protect your peace & what you enjoy.

So I replay HOURS. I'm having fun killing everything as fast as I can - I don't know what it is about playing as a rogue in this game that has tickled my ADHD brain so much, but I'm surprisingly really good at the arrow bonanza and relentless enemy aggro?! This turn based bitch? I digress.

I see my bb Inquisitor Lavellan - she still doesn't look like herself, but I can live with it. She got some ill-advised fillers in Tevinter, she's been through a lot, let her LIVE.

This time around my strategy is pure lore hunting. I'm getting every codex, I'm SQUEEZING this playthrough for whatever lore/easter eggs I can get because idk if I'm going to play again. I got all of Solas' murals early on, got Mythal's essence before Weisshaupt even, I think. BUT WAIT! I have one more treat! The locked room in the Lighthouse! Solas' study! There must be something juicy for all the effort, right? RIGHT? :'D

I know it's been beaten to death, but PERSONALLY, the game still feels incredibly flat to me, jarringly so. If I'm in the Dreadwolf's home, I want to snoop. I want Rook to look through his library, his books, his garbage bin. I even remember the devs saying they wanted being in the Lighthouse to feel an old friends house, or something? I could be wrong, my brain is fried. It's not just a Solas thing - I'm playing this game because I'm desperate for info about the characters I love, but as Rook, we are IN Solas' HQ and I want to rip open the floorboards. I'm trying to RP as much as I can RP in this G.

Anyway, I was so thirsty for something more, something deeper than just these lovely environments I cant do much with, and notes on how Solas hoards raisins - so I collected the wisps and did all the things to unlock the second door in the Lighthouse, forever booboo the fool, thinking I would get some juicy content or something. Trying to stay positive.

No. NO. I got some gear, another empty room Rook has no comments on, and fine, some of Solas' observations on the anchor. It does seem to confirm he kept the Inquisitor’s arm aaaand I love him your honour.

Back to backflipping and shooting arrows in the air, and wanting to grab Emmrich by the beautiful lapels to shake him and ask about the Pentaghast family. Where's my WIFE --

On to the Weisshaupt mission, which was actually ridiculously fun to play - until I was told Weisshaupt is gone haha wow great love that at least the Inquisitor & gang are keeping Southern Thedas safe *subtle foreshadowing* 😃🤞 weeee

I was SO MAD at myself for expecting more like the clown that I am, it was something dumb but just annoyed me all over again and got me all… opinionated 🫠

So, I'm mad again. I cannot begin to articulate my feelings about the incredible amount of storylines and lore we've lost with the decisions made in DATV's writing - they've already been written so eloquently by much greater minds than myself. SO I'm just laughing my way through the pain 🤡

People pleaser that I am, I see other creators I've followed and loved for ages defend the game's choices, tell others they lack media literacy, that your criticisms mean you have rose tinted glasses about the previous games - whatever, your opinion can be valid without tearing others down. So, I genuinely thought something was wrong with me for being so hung up on details. But I can't even engage in fan theories anymore because I'm so jaded at this point. When I see new deep dives into lore-based theories on the game, 99% of the time my mind goes "There is no deeper meaning. They just wanted to wrap it up." Why do you think this thing happened? What do you think that thing is hinting? Nothing. And this is coming from someone who played all the games, owns all the novels, art books, World of Thedas I and II, the bloody Inquisitor lamp from the BioWare store LOL, I was primed and ready to engage in these conversations, but I can't. I have nothing to say that won't end in a cynical answer, and maybe that's because I'm also jaded by working in the game-adjacent VFX industry.

The factions are, yet again, fun but shallow, the logic confusing, and lack much of a backstory for Rook (I think Grey Wardens and Mourn Watchers seem to be the best developed from other reviews and playthroughs, I've only played extensively as a Shadow Dragon, to be fair). Why are you a mage in this one faction? Why are you a rogue in another when it doesn't make sense without a story to support it? It's all this beautiful candy floss that melts away the minute I stop and think about it. And then the cynic in me thinks - these are probably vestiges of the live service part of the game that EA was pushing for. I have to slap myself and stop looking for deeper meaning within corporate decisionsssss there is no swimming pool behind that closed door you needed 7 wisps for 😃

I desperately did not want this to be the case. I was hyped. I preordered the game and organized vacation around it, I'm too old and dealing with way too many crappy personal things to just be a hater for the sake of being a hater. Gaming and Dragon Age are my comfort spaces. But for the LIFE of me, I can't imagine playing DATV again once I finish, let alone more times than I can count like the previous games. Or imagine listening to 4 hours of Youtube videos of party banter to analyze, or even imagine how companions would react to certain things because they feel so stiff. Everything is beautiful, but sterile.

I do love Emmrich - I'm enjoying his storyline and romance, it's like the loveliest most whimsical Vincent Price Pixar romance, but still, something is always missing with the characters even as some do grow on me. I can't imagine anything close to just the party banter ALONE between Solas and Iron Bull. Cole. Fenris and Anders. And to be clear - the whole DA was GRITTY and DARK, DAO supremacy - NOT ME. I love all the games but they have always been whimsical and silly, cringey at times, and did not take themselves seriously. I remember doing the quest where Hawke is running around trying to keep Aveline's date with Donnic from going south, cracking up at how ridiculous it was, and just thinking - gods I LOVE this game.

Speaking of romance, while I'm enjoying how sweet the romance with Emmrich is, when I see others complaining about lack of spice... ahem. I still cannot get over the art style when it comes to characters. This is subjective, and a me problem - I still find it jarring. I don't like the proportions, the bloom, how smooth everyone looks. They still mostly look like cartoons to me, with no body hair and the big heads, and I find everyone's hands so distracting because they look like plasticine. I'm ok with no spice between these characters with their current designs lol let me leave it at that. Ok, except for Felassan and Solas, chef's kiss, no notes.

Solas and story elements directly around him still mostly hold the familiar weight, for the most part. I think credit goes to his amazing VA and the strength of what was likely written for his arc from the very start, before the rewrites and dev hell the game went through. I still have opinions, obviously, but even as a ride or die Solavellan I don't like having the Solavellan angle hijack conversations, so I'm not going to go there. If I'm going to criticize stuff I'll do it as a gamer/DA fan first, egg lover and apologist second.

As I reach the end of Act 2, the game continues to makes me feel like I'm stripped of all agency after a lifetime of playing choice-based games. I talk to companions when it allows me to, then they are relegated to set dressing. My conversation choices all feel the same, or don't match what I'm choosing sometimes. The Lighthouse does not feel like the vibrant hub it was sold as. I am on quests I mostly cannot accept or reject. I cannot interact with my surroundings unless it is gameified (light a candle, move a crystal). The companions abilities are all just - platforming? I know I sound hyperbolic, but it's all I can see currently.

I played Persona 5 from end to end, twice. I played FFXVI. I loved both, had no issues with their linear storytelling, and how the game led you to their end points. Those games are not DA, they did not have the expectations you would have from a BioWare title 10 years in the making. You were not lured in by tales of an incredible character creator, teased about what might be coming from previous games, told this was a sequel to an immersive fantasy RPG series in a beloved fantasy world where the defining studio mechanic was CHOICES MATTER, even when they changed a lot of other things from title to title. In P5/FFXVI you were Clive, you were Joker, you were playing out their story. They were not direct sequels to anything. I'm loathe to be seen as a mindless critic who just wants to shit on things, but a part of me does feel emotionally manipulated for $$$. I still resent how much hype was built for the game by maligning the previous ones (we're fixing Inquisition's mistakes!!).

I'm back to my mission of finishing the game I paid for, enjoy what I can, and get my Solavellan ending scene cause I'm down BAD for literally the only ship I have ever shipped🧍🏻‍♀️I appreciate that it was included. But also - wow does it exacerbate what wasn't included for everyone else's choices.

Something I hate is how everyone immediately jumped on the Baldur's Gate 3 comparisons - BG3 was a life changing game for me, but it's not perfect, and the comparisons are not fair. The one thing I will say is that when I first played BG3, despite its issues and the later criticisms of how Larian reacted to pressure from fans, I remember my earliest impression was - it feels good to be respected as a player. I didn't feel the game was talking down to me, and I got SO much for what I paid for (700 hours baybeee). Jaheira and Minsc were included as companions in homage to the previous games. Yes, they did Viconia dirty, nothing is perfect - but for example, Jaheira would tell you about her husband Khalid from the original games, which came out in 1998 and 2000. There was a lot of world building/easter eggs that not everyone was familiar with or even noticed, because not every player played BG1 and 2, or were familiar with DND 5e - but it was included. Drizzt Do’urden was mentioned ffs, they didn’t overthink about who read those books or not. I’m aware of my biases and I may very well be looking through rose tinted glasses, but I did not feel like the information was presented like I was dumb, or "ah they'll never understand this - SCRAP IT". It just feels like it’s there to honour the past and out of love for the world Larian were playing in.

—> edit to say that I do notice and enjoy the codex entries, callbacks to Tevinter Nights, Masked Empire, the older games. I wish that care and detail was woven into the main story and overall end product and not just background fluff. I know others are satisfied with those additions, wish that were me. I saw a tweet saying that every callback to a previous game or storyline actually pissed them off even more lol, I relate.

I don't feel that respect for the player in DATV, I'm sorry. There is love there, but as hard as I try, it feels like it's there despite of the overall design of the game, not part of it. I keep remembering interviews before the game was released and things that were promised, and I don't see it. At all. No more meaningless fetch quests!! Most companion-focused game! The quests are largely boring or formulaic, but addictive and fun because they are so packed with mindless combat that my brain enjoys. Sometimes it feels like filler - we didn't know what to add here, FIGHT! You unlocked a poignantly named gate in the Crossroads? NO STORY MORE FIGHT! And I'm eating it up, let me not be a hypocrite, I have 80 hours in the game. But personally, it feels designed to pad out this beautiful, sometimes fun, but bitterly shallow game. I can't even go into companion specifics because I have nothing to say, no story I want to analyze. Some have grown on me, but there is no bite or nuance to the writing that compels me and I have no urge to know more. In the previous DA games I would take the long route wherever I went just to get more banter from my companions, and I was instantly interested in them, even if I disliked them. I've seen the comments, I tried, I don't think it's because "I haven't spent enough time" with the DATV companions.

The level design of long narrow corridors, which do remind me of DA2 and FFXVI, has become so predictable to me that I almost always know exactly where I'm going to find loot. So it becomes this admittedly satisfying run of grabbing and fighting to the end point, getting the dopamine hits of collecting pointless stuff, but not really taking in the environments and enjoying the adventure. The level design is not immersive. These do not feel like real cities or real people, and that was intentional. It feels like “levels”, not a World. No one reacts to a single thing you do. Even in the ultra minimalist style of Zelda BOTW, townspeople would react to things you did. Sometimes I walk up to yet another obvious fight arena where the enemies are just chilling, waiting for me while standing still - almost like they're on shift at a haunted house LOL. I can imagine the Venatori stubbing out a cigarette, "C'mon guys, she's here, showtime". The funny part is this has all been seen before in older games, and it never bothered me. My own expectations and overhype might be to blame, but it feels like a big step back when so many games are stepping forward. Me = clown

I keep going back to my first reaction when the disappointment hit me. It feels like being given Persona 5 Strikers or Hyrule Warriors, and told that it's the sequel to the actual RPG. It's fun, it wears the skin of the thing you like that makes you happy, but stops there.

Other things I shake my fist at

Cheap ass The 6th Sense ass Varric death. Yes, yes, Solas villain arc whatever - it was cheap. Way to honour a multi-game beloved character and the player, even if the time had come for him to die in the story.

No, I cannot find a single redeeming reaction from a companion that makes Varric dying make sense in hindsight, except that they are all made of cardboard. I saw comments saying on a second playthrough it's clear Harding is in mourning - sorry, I don't see it.

So. Dorian, the Inquisitor, Charter, Harding, your party, Maevaris, Isabella, list goes on - not a single one of them asks about Varric or mentions his death? Expresses condolences? Nothing? Cheap. Even if Solas was playing with your mind, doesn't it make the overall characters in the game seem even more wooden and unrealistic to the player? It was not the gotcha they seem to think it is.

When the novelty of the cameos and the emotion associated wore off, they were just flat and felt random. Cassandra should have been there, doing Seeker shit (my WIFE). Ok no cameo? Casual dialogue with Emmrich about having a Nevarran in the Inquisition (or as the Divine?!) Lucanis info dumping about Josephine as an Antivan, Zevran as a Crow, nvm, time for a coffee joke. Merrill, eluvian queen, how is she a nonentity? Habibi Fenris should have been in the Shadow Dragons, spitting on the ground after being approached by Solas to join his uprising (lol what uprising amirite). Ok I'm cooking hire me Bioware 🍳 but at least they can remain untainted by the Isabella Treatment (tm)

This leads into the yeeting of the Keep, world states, choices, and hypocrisy around claiming to want to level the playing field for new players. No, all I can see is - it was treated as a buffet that they picked from as it suited. This is the one disappointment I will never let go of. Facsimile's of beloved character cameos were tossed in, you could not really talk to them outside of what limited dialogue you were allowed. Certain world states are now canon apparently - Dorian being recruited in the Inquisition, Morrigan drinking from the Well etc. You want a reboot and you've committed to tossing the choices and burning down Thedas (literally)? Go down with GLORY! Have all the previous main characters/companions alive. Have them all mentioned, even in passing. A portrait on a wall. Say goodbye to them, get your reboot. Honour what you built your business on. But yeah, Emmrich and Harding get to have their picnic in Fereldan fml bye

The argument of: well, the games are old now, it shouldn't matter. Ah - not too old to capitalize on the IP and DA name? Not too old to use some cameos to lure old players? The argument of - it was too many choices to track. Ok cut them down, but don't go scorched earth? 3 choices, mostly irrelevant to those who don't care about Solas (could never be me), and then literally telling you everything else in the South and Weisshaupt is now razed to the ground. But also the illuminati did everything.

FINALLY - the Inquisition should have been in charge of the hunt for Solas, hill I will die on. Fine, have Rook, but Inquisitor should have been the other protagonist. The people... who knew Solas best and betrayed by him... who were in an organization to save the world... Why did we have that cunty dagger stabbed into the map of Tevinter cliffhanger to have the Inquisitor reduced to a pyjama wearing husk BIOWAAAAAAAARE

It's this stuff that builds up, and makes me think - does this game hate its fanbase and source material that much? I very obviously need to go touch some grass 🤠

I keep engaging with Reddit, Tumblr, Twitter - all to my detriment because it makes me feel like there's something wrong with me for not loving it, all over again. I also desperately have a fic in me I would love to write, an ode to the story in my head from years of loving the world of Thedas, a love letter to my Lavellan and others - but idk what to do with the post-DATV world atp. I just want to get through Act 2/3, get my Solavellan smooch, ignore the ~secret Illuminati ending, and be grateful I'm not a Mass Effect fan so I don't have to go through this again 🐣