#finally this is out of the drafts Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[aler-ii]

Lower LOD Ankle Distortion Fix (Tutorial)

I've noticed this problem when I was making CC dresses a while back, and noticed it in some other CC clothing packages in game. The problem is about the amount of vertex bones exceeding the amount the game can handle (60) which can cause problems in packages where creators forget to remove excess bones before importing their mesh.

Sometimes this problem can manifest without CC/Mods present (which unfortunately, I don't know how to fix), so this tut is only if you've noticed it with certain pieces of CC or your own.

Programs Needed: Blender 2.79/3.X+ and Sims 4 Studio.

This is what worked for me! (Instructions below.)

*****BEFORE YOU START*****

Download the free addon "Remove Unused Vertex Groups" and install it to your Blender version using the instructions. This is essential for the tutorial.

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

Instructions

Start a new package. The old bones are already introduced/ corrupted. I usually use a swimsuit since the texture is just painted onto the body. For this example, I'm using yfBody_EF01SwimsuitOnePiece. Save it on your computer as a package, then export your desired LOD (I recommend 2 and 3.)

2. Press TAB button to go into Edit Mode. Separate dress and body with P.

3. Delete body.

4. Select all of the dress by pressing A and remove unused vertex groups from dress under the "Vertex Data Properties" tab.

5. Append new LOD x body through File > Append > yourfilename.blend > object > and select all available s4studio_mesh_X. If there is more than one, join them by selecting all of them and pressing CTRL J.

Press CTRL V and remove doubles (ver 2.79) OR press M and merge by distance (ver 3.0+) from it.

6. Delete unused vertex groups from the body.

7. Delete any part of the body that is covered by the mesh (like how the old mesh was before). Toggle x-ray mode to make this 10x easier.

8. Join dress and body with CTRL J.

9. Remove unused vertex groups one more time from the joined mesh.

10. Assign cut numbers (GEOMS) and save. Check in game if the issue is still happening by scrolling out really far.

11. Import back into S4S and save.

12. Load into your game and see if it still occurs! (LOD2 + LOD3 zoom outs respectively).

[robo-writing]

Cockwarming with Logan is one of those ideas that sound good on paper, but could never work in reality. Listen up, and I’ll tell you why. (18+)

The heat of you enveloping him is nirvana itself, your hands on his body sending him to cloud nine. They linger on his chest, pawing, caressing, blazing a trail from his collarbone to his face, nails burying themselves into the darkened locks as you stare at him with nothing short of pure adoration.

“Feel good?” You ask, and he’s so drunk off you that he can only bring himself to nod, breath hitching when your hips circle themselves in his lap. Your laughter is nothing short of melodic, pressing yourself into the broad length of his chest.

He feels everything like this—the heat of your nude body against his, the scent of your body wash, your shaky breaths—every sense on overdrive. It’s there you sit, unmoving, unwavering, every movement causing your pussy to clench around him, and in turn, makes his chest rumble appreciatively.

“Should listen to you more often,” Logan mumbles, biting his lip at the feeling of you nibbling at his neck. “Just full of bright ideas, ain’tcha?”

“Full of a lot of things,” you sigh, and the sound makes his cock twitch.

But, there’s something missing.

Your quiet whimpers, your doe eyes staring at him from above—the way your pussy clenches in response to every touch, pulsing around his cock—it’s good, but it’s not enough.

Tugging at him, an itch he can’t scratch, it gnaws away at his mind until he finds himself searching for more, and the realization hits him like a wave.

It’s patience he lacks, an epiphany that has his lips curling into a smirk. It’s a lesson soon learned when his fingers dig into your hips and lift, surprise evident on your face. His downfall, as with most things, is his lack of patience. When it comes to you, he could even go as far to call it greed.

“Logan?” You ask, not a word given in response. His palms run up your back, large digits squeezing at your flesh, and yet the feeling does little to settle the sudden flare of nerves that build in your core. The calm before the storm, the impending sense of doom, women’s intuition—or maybe it’s because you’ve become intimately familiar with the devious smile that spreads across Logan’s face.

“Logan? What are you—“

You’re soon cut short, interrupted by the feeling of him slamming you back onto his cock, your short gasp making ego soar to new heights.

“Sorry doll, change of plans,” he grunts, bouncing you on his lap without a care in the world. The sudden change of pace has you scrambling for purchase, hands clamoring around his neck as you struggle to keep up.

“Logan, wait—ohmygod—“ you whine, and the sound is like music to his ears. His attempt at soothing your worries is his hand sliding across your ass, the sharp sting of it making you jump, but lucky for you Logan’s there to pull you back onto his cock.

Up, down, up, down. A constant rhythm that finally satiates the beast within him, the dull thud of skin on skin enough to have him melting into his chair, a wave of content spreading through every vein of his body. In contrast, you feel your own becoming more tense by the second; toes curling, breath caught in your throat, an incomprehensible string of noises leaving your lips as Logan watches with bated breath.

He tuts at you, the sound nothing short of mocking. “No runnin’ away sweetheart, this was your idea.”

“Not like this,” you moan, hiding yourself in his neck. “Wanted to relax…”

Your voice trails off, unable to speak when Logan’s practically fucking every rational thought from your head. Slowly but surely, any idea of protest is drowned out by the heat that burns inside of you, a dull ember that builds into a blaze, unable to focus on anything that isn’t Logan or his cock grinding inside you.

You can hear his laughter bellowing deep within his chest, amused at your brainless state, right before he quickens his pace. “Trust me sweetheart, I’m real fuckin’ relaxed right now.”

[shouyuus]

We need some vi sub being overstimulated!!!

─── Ⅵ NO, MORE, MORE

18+, mdni, sub!vi-shaped, overstim ur vi, bitches

sub!vi getting all whiney after a long day, just needs you to do something, anything -- needs to feel you, your hands, your fingers, your lips, to have you pushing her down onto her knee, you tugging on her hair, forcing her between your legs, talking her through it -- god she loves that -- and is always so pliant for you, so desperate to please, isn't she? so eager for your praise, your validation. and all it takes is a single smile, a single "good girl" for her to clench around nothing, flooding her boxers, rutting against your leg like a bitch in heat, keening as she laps at your cunt, eyes wide and glazed over with want.

sub!vi who doesn't know her own strength, so you have to tie her up, hold her down, pretty ribbons around her wrist and ankles, kissing along her biceps, murmuring into her ear about how bad she's being because she just can't hold still. and it's not like either of you really think that she can't break out of the ribbons' hold but just the pressure, the touch of silk against her skin, is enough to remind her not to pull too hard, to keep still (or as still as she can), to be good for you.

sub!vi who makes the prettiest noises when she's close, high little cut-off keens in the back of her throat, long, drawn-out whimpers, her head digging back into her pillows as you tease her with your fingers stuffed into her sopping cunt, her juices slicking down to your wrist and staining the bedsheets -- she can't help it -- it just feels so good -- and your fingers are filling her up just the way she likes, the tips teasing against the gummy spot inside her that has her seeing stars -- her thighs clamp down around your arm as she fucks herself on your fingers over her 2nd (or is it her 3rd?) orgasm, her voice breaking, her stomach a riot of heat and pleasure.

sub!vi hiccupping when you soothe her through her high, tears lacing her thick lashes as she grips for your hand, lacing your fingers, squeezing you even as you coo at her and lean up to kiss her through it, slowing down but never pulling your fingers out, cocking your head and watching as she slowly comes back to herself, her gaze fractured and unfocused.

"think you can gimme another one?" you ask.

you feel her cunt flutter first before she groans, a frown burrowing itself between her brows as she wars between nodding and shaking her head. you can feel her trembling, but you know she can take more -- she always does.

"f-fuck -- i don't -- i dunno --"

"mm... i think you can."

sub!vi nearly blacking out as you tease her, edging her till she's begging, even though her clit is oversensitive, and her abs are starting to get sore from how hard she's clenching around you (your fingers have long since pruned, but who cares about that when you get to take her apart like this?) --

"please -- i -- i'm so close -- i've been -- been g-good for you, ha-haven't i -- ah -- ah -- ha..." her hips bucking up, the air in the room almost thick with the scent of her and you.

"yeah? c'mon then... come for me, vi --" you, flicking your thumb against her clit just the way she likes till she's keening, her whole body arching off the bed as she cums around you for the 4th (or is it 5th?) time that night. you groan, reveling in the sight of her, the feel of her -- all sweat-slicked sink and pulled-taut muscles.

sub!vi who turns to you with a sleepy grin, reaches out to cup your cheek even as you wipe her down gently with a baby wipe before dropping a kiss on her lips, who pulls you in till you're nearly on top of her so she can bury her face in the crook of your neck.

"thanks... i needed that."

you laugh, the sound muffled against her skin even as you right yourself and curl into her, your bodies settling against one another on the bedsheets (they're stained, but you were planning on doing laundry tomorrow anyways).

"yeah, i know," you say, leaning up to kiss her proper, "i know you did."

[epiaphany]

nessa's 911 rewatch - 3x18 What's Next?

[vechter]

a guide on being cassandra cain

batgirl (2000) #6 // so i locked myself inside a star for twenty years, jeremy rodin // batman: gotham knights (2000) #2 // quote by @ojibwa (x) // batgirl (2000) #25 // what my bones know: a memoir of healing from complex trauma, stephanie foo // batgirl (2000) #9 // batgirl (2000) #65 // my dark vanessa, kate elizabeth russell // detective comics (1937) #734 // i used to be a hole in the ground, katie maria // batgirl (2000) #34 // batgirl (2000) #73 // unfinished duet, richard siken // things you wanted to say but never did, geloy concepcion // detective comics (2016) #976 // a primer for the small weird loves, richard siken // batgirl (2000) #17 // house is an enigma, emma bolden // batgirl secret files and origins (2002) // batgirl (2000) #45 // cassandra: a novel and four essays, christa wolf // batgirl secret files and origins (2002)

[bunnyboy-juice]

🔔 fat femme tummy! come get ur fat femme tummy here! 🔔

[messiahzzz]

it is a conscious choice of mystra to initially present herself as this benevolent, courteous, and merciful being. a practiced and perfected approach she knows will compel gale to follow her demands with the least amount of resistance on his part. he already refused to follow her instructions when she sent elminster to request his death — his effective father figure, gale’s self-proclaimed hero, mentor, and the one who plucked him from obscurity in the first place — so another appeal is in order.

narrator: "elminster's visit weighs heavy on your mind. his face you did not expect to see again." narrator: "when you last saw him, you were in your prime. no orb, no tadpole. a mage of growing renown, all power, pride, and potential - beloved by the goddess of magic herself. narrator: "it's one thing to have fallen from such heights, but to have elminster himself now witness your humiliation is almost unbearable." gale: [his disappointment cuts deeper even than mystra's. he was your hero.] narrator: "while most know of elminster the legend, few know him as you have. he plucked you from obscurity. offered you his guidance. his faith. and most recently, his pity."

yet it is curious how quickly she changes her tune once gale doesn’t readily agree to her demand to return the crown of karsus to her, no questions asked. or even dares to impugn, or criticize her reasoning for leaving him to die.

gale: "a great ask indeed. you've given me much to think on - as you always did." mystra: "so be it. follow the needles of your own wisdom. we shall see how truly it leads you."

gale: "because i disobeyed you. you punished me for it." mystra: "how so? you think i should have cured you? erased the consequences of your actions?"

gale: "you break up with me, cut me off from the weave, leave me to die, and that's all you have to say? 'you look well'?" mystra: "i did not come here to suffer a mortal's admonitions. certainly not yours."

gale: "you were threatened. you realised you couldn't control me." mystra: "you were many things to me, but never a threat. and never a saviour." nodecontext: sharper, almost a warning - don't entertain such thoughts, gale. you won't like where they lead.

gale: "i don't know. i need time to think." mystra: "so be it. follow the needle of your own wisdom. we shall see how truly it leads you."

particularly interesting to note is how she uses his surname as a tool to chastise and taunt him. only referring to him as "gale dekarios" in the context of him displeasing her, when he doesn't readily obey, whether he simply wavers (needing time to think) or outright declines her instructions. she uses the very name he had actively discarded and refuses to be referred to at this point in time. a deliberate reminder of his fallible humanity, of the flaws he tried to distance himself from. she knows this.

gale: "i won't let you down again. when the absolute is vanquished, i will surrender karsus' powers to you. you have my word." mystra: "thank you. may the weave's light guide your purpose, and it's wisdom guide your hand." mystra: "the future of magic rests on your shoulders, gale of waterdeep". mystra: "i promise you - it is a burden you are strong enough to bear."

gale: "i don't need your forgiveness. the crown of karsus will be mine, and the karsite weave will obey me." mystra: "crown yourself, gale dekarios, and you will learn what it is to carry such weight upon your shoulders." mystra: "if it does not crush you, i will." nodecontext: an icy edge entering her voice - a hint of a challenge gale will face if he pursues this course. nodecontext: here we glimpse the true, unimaginable power of mystra. she's still in control of herself, but her anger should be palpable.

i have already addressed the overall topic of mystra & gale's relationship in several posts i wrote some time ago [x] [x] [x]. however, since then we have received new snippets of information with patch 5 that shed more light on the progression of their relationship as a whole. this post is intended to be an update of sorts, containing a more comprehensive list, as well as lore excerpts for added context and proof. i will split this essay into several sections for coherency — buckle in, cause this is going to be a long one!

✧ mystra's history of manipulation ✧

one of the epilogue letters revealed that elminster first sought gale out when he was about 8 years old. which according to gale's canon age being 35 (as listed on his idle champions character sheet) means that their first meeting occurred around 1465 DR. although elminster's wording suggests that this may merely be an estimate on his side.

furthermore - in the ending where gale dies in the attempt at ascension, raphael has the following to say:

raphael: "you were the spark of ambition that rekindled gale's ambitions, after mystra had so cleverly put them to rest."

insinuating that mystra did make an active effort to keep gale in line, to temper his ambition, lest his thirst for more knowledge would eventually prove bothersome for her. keeping an eye on him at all times, keeping him close, placating him, and urging him to be patient.

what distinctly stood out to me is how this also aligns with some of azuth's quotes in the temptation of elminster, while he gives advice to a then-young sage of shadowdale.

we are her treasures, lad—we are what she holds most dear, the rocks she can cling to in the storms of wild art. she needs us to be strong, far stronger than most mortals ... tempered tools for her use. being bound to us by love and linked to us to preserve her very humanity, she finds it hard to be harsh to us—to do the tempering that must be done. she began the tempering of you long ago; you are her 'pet project', if you will. [...]

"you serve mystra differently. she watches you and learns the human side of magic in all it's hues from your experiences and the doings of those you meet—foes and friends alike. yet the time has come for you to change, and grow, to serve as she'll need you to, in the centuries ahead."

and yet again, there is a reoccurring pattern in her relationship with sammaster, another of her chosen, as well:

sammaster fell to his knees and wept upon mystra's feet. they ended up spending ten days together. this made him the first chosen of mystra since the seven sisters. when he asked for the reason that mystra had chosen him, she replied that she had foreseen that one of her chosen would be killed in battle, and he would be the replacement. he left this encounter feeling as though he and mystra were in love.

mystra is no stranger to fostering feelings of boundless devotion that weren't present before. observing her potential chosen, appearing before them, promising them power. luring them into service without the knowledge of what this may entail. where other gods may instill fear, mystra instills the notion of love. practicing seduction while mirroring her chosen's humanity. intentionally portraying herself as someone sympathetic and approachable. syncing their language, highlighting mutuality, making them feel favored and seen. mystra sees no need in the act of divine separation, a display of godlike grandeur — inimitable, menacing, larger than life, towering above her chosen. instead, her manifestation is purposefully unassuming. she meets them in the form of a woman in her early 30s, conventionally attractive, palpable, and appealing to the masses — a human figure. the very embodiment, the very ideal of traditional beauty an impressionable, young wizard may have.

gale: "i can't quite describe it, the need i sometimes feel to see her - to draw the filaments of fantasy into existence." gale: "no sculpture or painting could ever do her justice, only the fabric that she herself is and embodies."

gale: "in her likeness, i used to read a thousand stories. she was beauty, wisdom, elegance, power... she contained universes."

player: “what did mystra’s attention feel like?” gale: “love. [...] perhaps it was not quite love, but you see, the wizard was but a very young man. it was most certainly love to him. [...]"

how we see her in the game is very likely the same form she chose to present to a young gale. beauty, wisdom, elegance. perceived perfection, yet humble in her divinity.

the mystra of now (1490s DR) retains some of the memories of all of her earlier selves, and the relatively young and inexperienced midnight is “in there,” but wholly subsumed. mystra could generate an avatar or seeming that might fool some mortals into thinking they were meeting midnight, but it would be an act. [x]

generating an avatar in the form of a mortal she subsumed. purporting mutuality. midnight was just another mortal added to mystra's long list of "human stock" — vessels intended to preserve her power. favored, chosen, and ultimately suppressed by the very essence of mystra herself. midnight is no equal piece of mystra, the deity, there is no conscious part of the mortal that remains. [x] the mystra that currently exists is a union of the original mystryl, as well as all the other reincarnations of her that melded into her being. fragments of their minds that linger in the weave, scraps of humanity that could perhaps aid in her knowledge and understanding to prevent further betrayals in the future.

mystra's approach has always been indirect, instead of being outright menacing and portentous. the fact that mystra isn't written like the other gods in the game doesn't mean she's more sympathetic to gale's struggles or more inclined to understand human nature. her concern will always be the preservation of her domain and her hold over the weave — to do as the gods do.

gale: "you're one to talk. how many innocents were you prepared to sacrifice if i detonated the orb?" mystra: "such eddies are unexceptional. souls arrive and depart your plane with every tide, in circumstances just and unjust." nodecontext: matter of fact, not interested in these kinds of specifics

ketheric thorm: "who decides what is right? the gods did not care for right and wrong when they dismantled my life piece by piece." ketheric thorm: "and when i tried to buy it back, it cost me everything - everything." ketheric thorm: "we are copper pieces in their belts. tokens to be traded for scraps."

it is often mentioned that mystra makes her attention known by brushing against her potential chosen. whispering to them, touching their skin, eliciting a tingling sensation. which is also how mystra chose to reveal herself to ariel manx (midnight) in 1353 DR, while she was 21 years of age.

gale mentions feeling a similar sensation if he chooses to destroy the summoning circle in balthazar's office at moonrise and thereby receives her blessing.

gale: "did you feel that?" gale: "if i wasn't surrounded on all sides by the darkness of the shadow-cursed lands, i'd think it was mystra herself brushing against my skin."

mystra isn't above using manipulations to get her way. once again evident in her instigating dornal and elué silverhand's union in the first place, as well as intentionally withholding information from dornal that she actively took possession of his wife, elué. to ensure that they would indeed produce her offspring — the seven sisters — her chosen and the vessels to house her power.

where elué had previously been reluctant to acknowledge dornal's advances, he found them suddenly returned with great fervor once mystra took possession of her body. [x]

"by the time elué was carrying her final child, she was in effect a lich - a crumbling shell kept alive only through mystra's power. dornal was shocked at her deterioration. he sought magical aid to cure his wife, and when he learned from the most powerful priest he could find that his wife was possessed by an intelligent force of great power, a sickened dornal tried to slay her. he struck off her head one moonlight night as they walked together in a wooded glade. mystra was forced to reveal herself. dornal was shattered by what he had done, and aghast at how he - and especially elué - had been used." [x]

dornal, who had been kept in the dark throughout, abandoned his lands and children after slaying his wife, traveling to the north, with the plan to seek his own death. he repeatedly tried to poison himself, yet mystra wouldn't allow him suicide and magically neutralized the lethal doses to keep him alive against his will. after his death in 797 DR, mystra turned him into another servant of hers: the watcher — one who wanders the realms, seeking out new potential chosen to this day.

which brings us to...

✧ mystra's foresight and her "death" ✧

mystra possesses a degree of foresight - she foresaw the time of troubles and her own passing at the hands of helm in 1358 DR for defying him and her attempt to converse with the overgod ao without the tablets of fate. the very reason why she sought out mortal vessels to house her power (the seven sisters) — to avoid disaster should another entity win control over her in the chaotic period of wildly fluctuating power struggles that was the time of troubles. this divine power slumbers within these individuals, which she can call upon.

in 1385 DR mystra (midnight) was struck down by cyric and shar, which brought upon the spellplague.

in 1479 DR mystra was located by elminster inside a cave in cormyr, guarding her mortal body. she survived cyric's assassination by inhabiting the body of a bear, while still able to contact her chosen. she returned to her full power in 1487 DR.

the important part, that i've often seen outright ignored or misinterpreted by fandom altogether, is that mystra wasn’t actually “dead” for over a hundred years. at least not in the way we perceive it. we can’t equate her death with our mortal understanding of it. her powers were diminished to an extreme and she was weakened, yet she was still able to communicate. it was in her power to contact her chosen and to guide them. evident by her calling for elminster through her telepathic link and directing him to recruit other chosen for her to restore her power.

the plot of baldur’s gate 3 takes place in 1492 DR. meaning gale's actual year of birth would be 1457 DR. while elminster likely sought him out around 1465 DR, when he was only 8 years old. however, i once again want to emphasize that “couldn’t have been more than 8 summers old” indicates that this may merely be an estimate on elminster's side. he could’ve possibly reached out to him even earlier than that, or perhaps later. gale was 22 year old at the time when mystra was found in her diminished state by elminster in 1479 DR.

✧ mystra's awareness✧

gale: “so, all it took to get mystra’s attention was to learn how to reforge an artifact that once destroyed her." gale: "it's obvious, when you stop to think about it."

even if you may personally be skeptical of elminster’s insertion into gale’s life at age 8 (as well as mystra's ability to contact her chosen during her death) to be enough evidence of mystra’s attention — she had to be aware of him for his talents alone since he was a mere child. there is no way around this.

player: "how could she possibly know we read a book? hasn't she got more important things to worry about?" gale: "the weave is a highly sensitive magical network threaded through all life on this plane. any shift in magical energy, no matter how small, is akin to a beacon, alerting mystra to its cause." gale: "opening a book like the annals of karsus was akin to us shooting a firework spelling 'look at us, mystra!' directly into the skies of elysium. she knows."

mystra IS the weave, as gale himself has stated several times. it is an extension of her being, threaded through all life. by touching the weave one is directly touching the goddess of magic herself. mystra is aware of any magic user, able to deepen this contact at her choosing.

shadowheart: "isn't it so, that every time you speak as you cast a spell, you're endeavouring to call upon mystra?" shadowheart: "i'm surprised she still listens to you." gale: "she has no choice - she's sworn to hear all magic users. even me." gale: "i'm sure she at least stuffs her fingers in her ears to muffle my invocations."

gale described himself as a child prodigy. a virtuoso that was able to manipulate and compose the weave at will from an early age.

gale: "magic is... my life. i've been in touch with the weave for as long as i can remember. there's nothing like it."

gale: "i'm what one might call a wizard prodigy, who from an early age could not only control the weave, but compose it, much like a musician or a poet."

gale: "such was my skill that it earned me the attention of the mother of magic herself. the lady of mysteries. the goddess mystra." gale: "she revealed herself to me and she became my teacher. in time, she became my muse, and later, even my lover."

someone who was able to perform feats way beyond the skillset of his peers. he managed to wield the blackstaff itself, accidentally facing an irritated death slaad, and lived to tell the tale. he summoned and befriended tara, as well as the magma mephit, k'ha'ssji'trach'ash. we also know from elminster that he was able to cast fireball — a 3rd level spell — at age 8.

it is indisputable that mystra must’ve taken notice of the precocious young wizard during this time, even in her diminished state. much like she had once observed midnight. she began to whisper to him, drawing back the veils, revealing herself bit by bit, urging him that he was special — chosen.

gale: "he fancied himself much more than that. he fancied himself favoured above all others. [...] mystra showed him the secrets behind the veils. the gossamer veils first, draped across the weave. the delicate veils next, draped across her body. ‘chosen one’ she whispered, as she slipped them off completely."

✧ final part: power imbalance & exerting control ✧

gale: "the weave is still here, all around us - inside of us too. as long as the goddess lives, magic is a tangible thing for those who know how to touch." gale: "i've studied magic for many years, and in as many ways i am still a more than capable wizard." gale: "it's just that i'm no longer able to perform those feats even arch wizards would marvel at." gale: " to have one hand on the pulse of divinity." gale: "you have to remember that the weave is a living thing, both the embodiment and the extension of mystra herself." gale: "she can give and she can take away. i'm afraid i'm still very much on her naughty list."

gale: "mystra commands all magic. salvation, if such a thing exists, is hers to bestow or withhold." gale: "and yet, even now, more than i fear losing my own self and soul, i fear losing my command of her art."

player: "he sounds like a very talented individual." gale: "he was. even though it was in mystra’s affections that his true power lay."

even apart from their innate different forms of existence as a mere mortal and the literal goddess of magic, mystra is in full control of gale's power at all times, able to grant and withdraw her favors at will. claiming that such a power imbalance doesn’t exist, that it doesn’t apply to their respective relationship, that it might’ve been “healthy” at one point if gale was indeed of age at the time their relationship transitioned into a sexual nature is —pardon my french— fucking insane.

this stance disregards everything we know about the gods, about mystra’s involvement with other mortals and her chosen. it disregards the level of authority she wields over any magic user. it carelessly and naively disregards the implicit difference in power. mystra is the goddess of magic, his goddess. the very object of his worship and adoration since childhood. the goddess he devoted his life, his work, and his unyielding loyalty to. it is ultimately irrelevant at what exact point their relationship underwent its final transition from muse to lover. this discussion is redundant. mystra has been a constant presence since his early childhood. his worship of her began with the practice of his first spells, even if it wasn't conscious at the time. every practitioner of magic inevitably honors mystra, regardless of their faith in her. magic is his life, in the same way that mystra is pure magic. she is in total control of the tools he wields.

✧ summary ✧

mystra possesses a degree of foresight, already knowing about the time of troubles & her subsequent passing. this being her reason to seek out mortal vessels to secure her power.

mystra feels any shift in magical energy no matter how small, immediately alerting her. gale was able to cast a third-level spell at age 8.

mystra has a history of instilling feelings of love that weren't present before and using her chosen/other mortals for her own means. (elminster, khelben, sammaster, the seven daughters, ariel manx etc.)

mystra's manifestation is a conscious choice. midnight has been wholly subsumed by her.

mystra wasn’t actually “dead” in 1479 DR, but merely diminished. she was inhabiting the body of a bear and was still able to communicate with her chosen. she directed elminster to recruit other chosen to restore her power.

elminster sought gale out around 1465 DR when he was about 8 years old, as stated in the epilogue letter.

mystra first functioned as gale’s mentor, then his muse, and later his lover.

gale’s relationship with her was indeed of a sexual nature, he has explicitly stated so several times. their intimacy wasn't restricted to incorporeal interactions either, even though they were preferred.

during the ending where gale fails to ascend raphael states during the credits that tav has “rekindled gale’s ambitions after mystra had so cleverly put them to rest”.

azuth describes mystra's chosen as "tempered tools for her use". being bound to them by love and linked to them to preserve her very humanity.

mystra's intention to shape gale into yet another loyal, devoted asset to her portfolio has been there from the very moment she chose to reveal herself, to instruct elminster to seek him out. it was a conscious decision to directly insert herself into gale’s life, sowing his conviction that he was favored above all others. singling him out among his peers, isolating him with subtle promises of his greatness, his uniqueness, and all he could yet accomplish to be under her guidance. offering him her teachings, her inspiration, and eventually her love. yet all the while tempering his perceived greed and thirst to reach for even greater heights, unless it acted in her favor. keeping him close — lest his growing ambitions should ever prove to be an outright challenge to her rule.

the groundwork has been carefully laid from the very beginning.

gale: “goodnight. and thank you for your patient understanding. [...] try not to think too poorly of me. a cat can look at a king. a wizard can look at a goddess.”

[oathkeeper-of-tarth]

Are you all right? I will be.

The hand kiss gets me every time. As does Isobel taking a little moment to think before she answers - not just yet, but she will be. They will be.

[fauchart]

Meet the More-Or-Less 'Housewives'

@birbwell's Barb Welles 🤎 - Channel 6 Reporter @salcreus' Sally Cruz 🧡 - Zoo Worker with her own Fox Sanctuary @bluebeerg's Cherub Berg 🩵 - Flanders' housefiancée And my own Ann-Doreen Dale! ❤️ - My loser diner girl

Originally all members of Helen's Housewife Association - even Barb, her journalist status making her an invaluable source of gossip to Helen, earning her honorary guest status despite being single... But that bliss did not last for long. Petty squabbles end up blowing everything up into a full out housewife cold war - with Helen's original group on one side, and Sally's on the other.

Thus is created the opposing 'Housewife' Association, with a much looser definition of the term... But really, more of a group of friends borne out of pettiness to support each other. Though they still poke at each other too from time to time... What else are friends for?

[sgt-dignam]

David Alpay as Jade Herrera in From (2022-Present) | Season 2

[zylphiacrowley]

A Heart to Heart

<previous - next>

[randlemartin]

old hollywood type affair

[cellgatinbo]

i know it's just because the music he put on wasn't saved to the vod but just. him being like this in complete silence is so funny by itself. man has coffee for the first time in weeks and his soul leaves his fucking body as he ascends 🙏

[stormypip7]

About Grand Fest,

It is not a 'pick your favourite idol group' splatfest.

You can do that, but that just tells me that you don't care about the outcome for the next game.

This isn't necessarily the Final Fest, but it can still have important repercussions. (It could simply be some Anniversary Fest with an important effect!)

It is exactly what it says on the box. Past vs Present vs Future. That's it. Not a scrap between fans over their preferred idols. The community loves boiling almost every fest down to 'wHiCh iDoL dO YoU PrEfEr?' instead of the actual theme.

Past could give lore-hungry fans more insight into the world of Splatoon. Present could explore other regions of the ingame universe. Future could introduce changes and shiny new playthings with more detail.

We are not fighting over the Squid Sisters, Off the Hook and Deep Cut.

(Also, tumblr is my only source. If people want to add to this with thoughts or extra info, feel free! I'm just stating my opinion on the topic, and if your idol matches with the theme you like; you don't need to listen to this rambling fool!)

[captainsjack]

team hunt goes bowling:

luther: utterly dominates by far; solely gets either strikes or spares; refuses to answer when everyone asks how he’s so good at bowling

jane: gets what would be considered a pretty good score if weren’t for luther; still gets second but it’s not even close

brandt: mediocre at best but looks like he’s trying too hard; completely oscillates between gutter balls and spares

benji: also decent; is neck in neck with jane for second place but loses to her by 3 points; the only source of rivalry in the entire game is between them

ethan: knocks down one singular pin over the course of three games despite everyone letting him put the bumpers up after the first game; in the last round of the last game they let him use the little purple dinosaur ramp to push the ball and he bumps his score up from a 1 to a 9

ilsa: thinks bowling is lame and refuses to go; she makes jane wash her hands at least three times before fucking later that night

[proffbon]

He turned everyone into cats again.

(source)