#guess who watched arcane again lmao

[frenchublog]

dirty little animals

[cookinguptales]

Okay so now that I've had some time to digest and think about Late Night with the Devil, some thoughts.

Sorry in advance, this got really, REALLY long as I rambled about all-male secret societies, who and what was possessing whom throughout this movie, literal and metaphorical hauntings, how fame and fortune tempt us all to give up our humanity, and uh. Family youtubers.

I really enjoyed the film, but I do have to wonder, to start with, if other people will get all the allusions...? I didn't think about it until later when I was reading confused posts by other viewers, but I guess the film does kind of predicate on a lot of somewhat arcane knowledge. Like you can understand what's going on without it, but I do think you get a lot more enjoyment out of it if you have a good working understanding of, like, the Satanic Panic of the 70s, the parapsychology/esper craze, James Randi's whole thing, Anton LaVey, Waco, late night hosts like Johnny Carson, and of course the Bohemian Grove.

The Bohemian Grove is kind of... like, obviously a lot of the people making up conspiracy theories about that recently are alt-right assholes (see: Alex Jones), but it is very much a real thing. It's kind of a modern Masonic situation, imo, where you get these big groups of rich, influential men together and they do silly, juvenile vaguely pagan frat boy shit. It's edgelord stuff. But because they are secretive and they are powerful, people come up with all of these conspiracy theories about them.

(I mean lbr that's kind of the history of the occult in general, isn't it? lmao. People ask me if I was afraid when I was studying secret societies and occultism and it's like -- no, these were by and large just rich assholes fighting over headcanons about rituals that they made up based off of deeply faulty scholarship. But I digress.)

The fact of the matter, though, is even if the actual rituals and stuff are kind of silly, the main focus is really rich, powerful men meeting up with other rich, powerful men and networking like crazy. It does keep the rich rich, the powerful powerful, and political resources focused on men. Like the Masons, women aren't allowed in the Bohemian Grove -- and women in politics have bitterly criticized the way that they're being excluded from this kind of networking.

(God, it's so fratty. It's so fucking fratty.)

So in that respect, it is kind of something to be feared.

And... I do think you see that aspect of it reflected in Late Night with the Devil. The consolidation of power, the networking with shitty people, and the way that women are "sacrificed."

[massive spoilers for the entire film to follow!]

I do think I want to see this movie again to firm up some of my ideas, because I suspect that there are a lot of details that I missed the first time I watched this. (And I really should have watched the open captioned version of this; I couldn't understand a lot of what the demon was saying, rip.) But here are some initial thoughts.

The heart of this, obviously, is the demonic presence at the Grove and the way that men go there to sell their soul for power. In a very literal sense, that's what's happening in this film and it's what happened to Jack Delroy. He made a deal with a demon for fame, and that demon ended up taking everything from him to achieve that.

But... metaphorically speaking, it seems clear that Jack Delroy was very willing to make human sacrifices in his day-to-day life. He may have literally (and I think accidentally) sacrificed his wife's life to a demon at the Grove, but he very consciously and willingly sacrificed her for fame when she was alive, too. I mean... imagine having a spouse who is actively dying of cancer and making her make an appearance on your show two weeks before she passes. For ratings. Imagine how much it must have physically taxed her. Imagine how difficult it must have been for them both emotionally. It even could have hastened her death. But he was still willing to do all that for views. He sacrificed his wife, his home life, and his overall privacy for views.

(Family youtubers, anyone? 🙃)

He's also willing to sacrifice his girlfriend, his crew, his audience, and a little girl for ratings. Gus, his voice of reason. He was willing to humiliate him onstage and wouldn't let him go home when he was scared. His audience, whose trauma he was entirely willing to capitalize on through Christou's act. His gf, who I'd argue was probably using Lilly as well, was totally thrown to the wolves when he realized it'd make good television.

Like -- yes, there were supernatural forces at play. Supernatural forces claimed these lives. But Jack sure as shit wasn't being very careful with them, and these supernatural sacrifices always, always mirrored his mundane ones.

(I mean... he performed a human sacrifice of a little girl on national television while in a hallucination about using the sacrificial dagger on his dying wife. It wasn't subtle. lmao)

Moreover, the producers of the show were also very willing to put people in harm's way and capitalize on tragedy for ratings. So... there's a really unsubtle message here about fame and capitalism and the way it tempts you to sacrifice your humanity to get ahead.

(MAYBE LIKE UNDERMINING YOUR ARTISTIC INTEGRITY BY USING AI INSTEAD OF HIRING ARTISTS, IDK)

I'd in fact argue that pretty much everyone who got on that stage that night sacrificed their humanity a bit for fame, with the possible exception of Gus. Gus was the voice of reason, but I mean... he was still there. Maybe a message about how once you get in, you can't get out. :(

But yeah, Jack's obvious, but also Christou, who was willing to use people's trauma for fame. June, who was willing to use a little girl's incredible trauma to advertise for her new book. Carmichael, who got off on humiliating people just to make himself seem smart.

Like... they all started with a kernel of something good (wanting to help the grieving, wanting to help traumatized children, wanting to stop charlatans) but in the end, show biz turned all those urges into the most amoral, selfish, and cruel versions of themselves.

And all of those people crumbled when they were confronted with something real.

(Side note, our theater was in hysterics when Carmichael tried to offer the demon the check. lmao)

Truthfully, it felt like all of them had made their own individual deals with the devil years ago. Halloween 1977 was just the devil finally coming to take his due.

That's the main message of the movie, I think, but there are still some smaller details I want to talk about.

The Grove itself was an obvious allusion to the Bohemian Grove, which is a secret society of powerful men who meet amongst the redwoods in Northern California. Their mascot has always been an owl, which is why you repeatedly see the owl motif throughout the movie. (Happy Owl-ween, the owl mask, etc.)

Abrasax makes sense as a demon to choose (the strong historical associations with magic and demonology, the reoccurrences in many world religions (and occult groups), the role in Gnosticism, etc.) but there seem to be vibes of Stolas, an owl deity who communicates arcane knowledge to humans in exchange for their souls, as well. I noticed a lot of little allusions to Abrasax throughout the film even before Lilly started manifesting, like the movie being shown after the show being about Abrasax.

Lilly... She was rescued from a cult that seems to be a hybrid of Anton LaVey's Church of Satan and the Branch Davidians who died during a siege by the US government in Waco, TX. (Like the cultists in the movie, their compound caught fire when they were being raided. IRL, it's unclear whether the fire was started as a suicide cult situation or if it was started by the actions of the government as they tried to flush people out.) In this cult, girls were sacrificed at age 13, and all who witnessed that sacrifice would fall under the control of Abrasax.

So... she was rescued at age 10. Three years have passed. So she is now 13, the age at which these girls were sacrificed. She was due, in other words. Who and what was possessing her... that's the question, I guess. Demons, historically speaking, were known to speak foreign languages, speak in the voice of other humans, have psychic knowledge their hosts shouldn't know, etc. So she did exhibit symptoms like that.

I think... there are a couple of options here. There's Abrasax specifically, there's June's theory that she was possessed by a minor demon, and there's Minnie. Or a combination of the three.

It's pretty clear that Minnie's presence is felt throughout the whole taping. You can see her reflection various times throughout the movie, she manifested through Christou, and obviously you see her in the tape playback.

(And when I say my theater YELLED. lmao)

The question is, though... Is it really Minnie? And if it is, what does she want? Has she been haunting Jack all along? Is she there because, as it's the first Halloween after her death, it's her last chance to deal with her unfinished business? Did the demon allow her to manifest? Or was the whole thing an illusion created by the demon all along?

(I'd like to note here that, historically speaking, there was a theory that ghosts aren't actually real. They're actually demons masquerading as the spirits of departed loved ones, and they want you to summon them and listen to them so they can tempt you away from God. You can read this in the writings of a lot of the ancient Christian theologians. Or you could have talked to my grandmother, who also told me this when I was a kid! :') But she's dead now so I guess you'd have to do a summoning and find out for yourself.)

All that said... I come down between two current theories. I'd have to watch it again to firm up my ideas.

The first theory is that she's been trapped on earth for the past year, but because it's Halloween, she can haunt them. They mention at the beginning of the film that Halloween is a recent spirit's last chance to take care of unfinished business. So this could have been the case with Minnie. That said... what exactly was her unfinished business? Was she trying to protect Jack and the others? Or hurt them? Was she angry, or was she just, as Christou said, sad? Was her "an unmarried man wearing a wedding ring" referring to the way that Jack was grieving her and still wearing his ring, or the way that he wasn't much of a husband to her when she was alive?

The second theory is that, when she was sacrificed to Abrasax, she became a part of that legion. She was, like Lilly and the other little girls, essentially raised to be sacrificed, and once she was, she joined everyone else who is under the control of the deity. It's still hard to sense whether she was trying to help or hurt throughout the broadcast, but it explains her presence (she came with Lilly, not Jack) and how she was used during Jack's hallucinations to ultimately get him to perform the sacrifice on Lilly, thus bringing all audience members (both in the studio and at home) under Abrasax's control.

Either way, Minnie, in this film, is literal ghost haunting the stage -- but also a metaphorical one. The ghost of all of Jack's past misdeeds and the humanity he's sacrificed to get ahead. She's guilt and she's shame and she's desperate grief, and I guess it's no wonder that the negativity surrounding her was enough to kill Christou when he touched it.

I do think it's fascinating that all of the women in this movie are, in a very real and physical sense, sacrificed for the aspirations of men. (The little girls are sacrificed, Minnie died of a mysterious cancer, June dies because Jack pushed for her to stay, etc.) But metaphorically speaking that seems to be the case as well. They're constantly expected to put their own comfort and safety aside for the men in their lives, and their own aspirations are consumed by the men's.

Like I said, it feels very telling that women aren't allowed at the Grove. Women are constantly being denied power in this movie (or are only allowed power when it's in service to a male costar/deity) and it's largely because they just don't have the connections that the men do. The deals were made while they weren't in the room, essentially.

I'm not sure if that was a conscious choice being made, but it does seem to dovetail nicely with the strong, strong sexism and male privilege present in real-life secret societies of powerful men that disallow women. Like June only getting to shill for her book because Jack let her, women are only allowed at the real-life Bohemian Grove in very limited areas -- and only as a male member's guest.

Um... back to Lilly, though. What the hell is possessing her? She speaks as Minnie a few times, but that could be because Minnie is a part of their legion or just because she's trying to freak out Jack. Demons are known to lie using the voices of loved ones. Minnie's presence could have been influencing her, but I definitely don't think that's all that was in there.

The question, really, seems to arise from what June said about Lilly changing like a week ago and how she started talking about Jack nonstop. At least one presence in Lilly seems to be the same deity that Jack spoke to in the Grove when he was making his deal with the devil (so to speak) because it mentioned that encounter. But is that the only one in there? Is it the same deity that's always been in there? Or did it come to her only a week ago as a way to get to Jack and complete their contract? ("It is done.")

Lilly refers to her demon as Mr. Wriggles (which feels like an Exorcist allusion) and it seems like she has a pretty good lid on it. And when that demon is brought out of her by June, it seems confused and frightened. But Lilly is pretty clearly possessed the entire rest of the broadcast, so really the two options are that she was faking the entire time just to fuck with them (entirely possible) or there were two different deities, perhaps the original (lesser) one put in her in the cult and Abrasax(?) newly arrived to claim Jack and his audience.

It's fascinating watching her, because you can see her slip in and out of a possessed state several times when people aren't paying attention to her (jerking, spacing out, etc.) but it's hard to tell whether that's different presences coming in and out of control, her "talking" to what's inside her, etc. Again, this is a thing I think would benefit from multiple viewings. I'm really not sure if the Grove creature is new to her body or if it's been there all along biding its time, and it's only changing its behavior now because it wanted to be on tv.

While her recently changed behavior seems to lean towards the former, I am sort of stuck on the detail that Jack said early on, that he read June's book and couldn't stop thinking about it. That could just be normal fascination (and he did end up having an affair with her) but it could also be demonic intervention. That would indicate that the demon was manipulating him into putting Lilly on TV long before a week ago.

What is not really up for debate is that the presence inside Lilly now is one that has connections to Jack through the Grove and promised him fame. Lilly (before she was visibly possessed) alludes to this promise by telling Jack that he'll be very famous after tonight. And once the ritual starts, she is seen taking electrical energy from the set and cameras. She is literally getting her power from the audience viewing the sacrifice. (It's very Ringu.) And after Jack stabs Lilly, the studio audience, audience at home, and presumably real-life audience watching this movie, are all put under Abrasax's control.

("Hail Abrasax" is seen multiple times throughout the film, which might also imply that the documentarians themselves are trying to spread this contagion after watching the video.)

Uh... a few more small things.

Carmichael Haig is obviously James Randi. Like Houdini before him, Randi was also a stage magician who dedicated his life to exposing "supernatural" charlatans. He did indeed offer a huge sum of money to whoever could prove him wrong. Carmichael even looked like James Randi. (Though I'd point out that "Haig" is the name of the man who constructed the owl statue at the real-life Bohemian Grove!) I suppose it makes sense that he'd be such an asshole in a world where demonic possession does actually exist.

The one thing I'd say is... it's hard to say whether this was a case of the filmmakers not thinking through implications or if this really was a nasty joke, but Randi was, IRL, gay. He came out late in life and got married to a man shortly before he died. So the implication that Carmichael, in the movie, wanted to join the Grove largely because he was perverted is... iffy. Carmichael was never stated to be gay in the movie (that I noticed) and it's hard to suss out whether the orgies he was talking about were relating to the all-male membership of the Grove (i.e. a gay orgy) or the women that these powerful men had hanging all over them (i.e. a... less gay orgy) and I do think which they were implying has major implications for what they were saying about a man who was, IRL, gay.

Like... if the implication was that he must've been willing to hurt people in order to have wild sex because he's gay, that's uh! Not great! But if the creators didn't realize that aspect of Randi's life (it was less publicized because, as I mentioned, it happened later in his life) then they might have just been pushing on that trope of powerful men using women.

Really, really hard to say.

Next, Christou. Christou... it's hard to say whether the man was psychic at all. It's clear that he was doing a lot of fake-ass cold reading beforehand (though I do want to go back through it and see if there really was any allusion to a Peter- character involving the skeleton) and was using interviews to find grieving audience members. (Two practices that James Randi talked about a lot IRL.) But he also did have a very real experience when he sensed Minnie and, while overwhelmed, didn't seem particularly shocked by it.

If I had to guess, I think that Christou does have some psychic powers (which is why I want to investigate the Peter thing) but can't control them well and is easily overwhelmed by real phenomena. He plays things up for the cameras (I noticed his accent slipped when he had his real experience, lmao) but I wouldn't be surprised if, like everyone else on stage, there's a kernel of something real in him.

Finally... that fucking skeleton! I want to do an entire watch through just to examine that guy. He was in the flashbacks about the Grove, so I think it's likely that he might've been a member of that. He also is the only one who refuses to take off his mask, which seems to relate to the dialogue at the beginning of the film about wearing a mask to protect yourself from spirits during Halloween. I think he's definitely in on what's going on, to some extent, but it's hard to figure out exactly in what capacity. Was it a Grove member, or maybe a cult member? A follower of Abraxas? Was it actually the personification of Death?

Hard! To! Say!

Like I said, I really do want to rewatch this movie to pay more attention to small details I might've missed in the theater. I'm also looking forward to seeing it with subtitles. It wasn't a perfect movie, but it was intriguing and original enough that I really enjoyed it and want to watch it again to puzzle through it. Really, the one big mark against it was the brief use of AI, which is just -- god, it's infuriating.

It's such a small part, so it would have been so easy to not do. (Apparently it wasn't even IN the first festival showing.) But it kind of pollutes the whole movie, especially when such a large message is not fucking over real people in the quest for success in the media landscape.

Plus, it just kind of looked like shit.

I know it's probably a lost cause, but I would be thrilled if they hired a real artist and redid those images for the Shudder release. It would be so easy to fix, and it would make the movie a lot better. Those commercial breaks were so funny and if they had better interstitials (that didn't make you feel icky just looking at them) then it would boost an already great film.

I just. I don't even know why they did it in the first place. I'm guessing, based on the fact that they weren't in the original screenings, that they were pressed for time to finish things...? But come on, surely you can find some artist who can do something quick for you. It wasn't even a moving image.

So uh... yeah, I guess that's where I'm at. It was an interesting (if slightly hokey) movie pulling together a lot of threads to make something cool and mysterious, I liked a lot of the acting (particularly Jack Delroy's) and set design, I wanna chat with people about it -- but I can't really in good conscience fully recommend it because of the AI thing. It's just such a disgrace to artistic integrity. Here's hoping they hire a real fucking artist.

[milkovichrules]

its tag game wednesday thursday!! thank you for tagging me lovely people ☺️ @iansw0rld @transmickey 🖤

if you could switch bodies with anybody for only one hour who would it be and what would you do? im a shortarse so someone big and tall would be fun... maybe a wrestler... probably baron corbin hes hot

what's your most trivial / dumbest hot take? mmm... maybe that every person should watch at least one animated thing (smth not made for kids like where the wind blows or arcane) and one thing from a non-english speaking country/with subtitles

if you had to teach a college course what would it be in? probably makeup artistry? its my one and only practical skill and I would've been a licensed artist if our teacher hadn't quit her job halfway through lmao

season 12 of shameless is suddenly happening and you've been out in charge! what plot point(s) are you gonna make happen? its the mickey and debbie show now and there will be various wholesome shenanigans but fr get carl outta the police force, maybe into college and that can be a nice bonding thing for him and liam studying together. oh and they definitely keep the house, maybe lip and deb get on good terms by fixing up the place together. debbie maybe runs into alex again and they give it another go? ian and mickey have wacky comic relief with their neighbours (the possibilities are endless) and probably think more seriously about starting a family and definitely get a cat or dog I just want to bake a cake filled with rainbows and smiles and everyone would eat and be happy

who would be your godly parent (can be any mythology)? I took a percy jackson quiz for this one and got Hephaestus, Greek god of artisans, blacksmiths, carpenters, craftsmen, fire, metallurgy, metalworking, sculpture and volcanoes, which sounds cool as shit (roman equivalent is Vulcan too?? hell yeah)

what's something you love about yourself? my eyes are really cool I think, they're mostly green but also have some blue and brown

describe your day in 5 emojis: 🥱👩‍💻☕️🎧📑

what shameless character do you think you could beat in a fight? mmmm either no one or the tiny social worker lady from season 3 lmao

tell us two truths and a lie, we'll try to guess the lie! I'm farsighted, I can speak a bit of norwegian, I love roller coasters

do you have a pet/pets? if so, how did they get their name(s)? I have two cats, artemis and athena, they're sisters from the same litter. my fiancé named them because she loves mythology (I'll put some kitten pics under the cut💕) alternate names were william the bloody and willow (if we got a boy and a girl, from buffy), april and miriam (from coraline), and teacup and lucifer (from the cat lady/downfall)

show us a meme (or picture) that captures your essence: middle one is irl only I love to be Perceived Online

what's your typical coffee / tea / beverage order? oat milk latte, iced if it's warm out

use a song to describe the last five years of your life: I really don't associate the stuff I listen to with my own life so these are just things I was really into that year:

2019: butterfly - loona 2020: lady wood - tove lo 2021: too late - the weeknd 2022: stayaway - muna 2023: hard times - ethel cain / death of me - pvris

Tagging: @softmick @golden28s @m4ndysk4nkovich @abetterdaaye @heymrspatel @stocious @callivich @jrooc @sgtmickeyslaughter @gallavichlover19 @depressedstressedlemonzest 🖤

kitten pics as promised (artemis/arti is the black and white one, athena/aggie is the tortie)

[practically-an-x-man]

For the character thing. Warren Worthington, Viktor from Arcane, and... the Corinthian

Ooh okay!

Send Me A Character and I'll Give You....

Warren

1: sexuality headcanon - oh he's very much bisexual. I'm surprised they haven't made it canon yet tbh 2: otp - canon-wise, him and Psylocke. Though is it wrong to say my own OC too? 3: brotp - I like the idea of him and Kurt making up after the fight and eventually getting to be really good friends 4: notp - I see people shipping him with Bobby and I don't really get it? No harm to those shippers just not my cup of tea 5: first headcanon that pops into my head - hates hospitals and gets severe medical anxiety after what his father put him through in his childhood. Thankfully his healing factor is usually strong enough to avoid it though. 6: favorite line from this character - "Sometimes I feel unimportant, like all I do is catch those that fall. But I look like an angel. People call me an angel. And though I'm not taking names, I'm the one who is most visually saving lives. I'm doing alright, and dammit, I'm an X-Man" 7: one way in which I relate to this character - only one? uhhhhh how about all the rampant unexplained medical issues that first sprung up at age 12 and had me locking myself in the bathroom? among a lot of other things 8: thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character - there's one moment in the comics where he's kinda misogynistic towards Jean? It's from one of the very first X-Men runs from the 60s 9: cinnamon roll or problematic fave? - both, and I mean that genuinely. Un-brainwashed he's a bit more of a cinammon roll, but then there's everything in the Apocalypse arc...

Viktor (fair warning I haven't watched Arcane in a while)

1: sexuality headcanon - gay, possibly ace or demi 2: otp - him and Jayce I guess? I don't really have one tbh 3: brotp - Don't really have one of these either. I guess it could be fun to see him and Jinx make friends, since they're both kinda inventors and that could be interesting 4: notp - none? Look After is literally the only Arcane fic I read right now, so I don't really know who he gets shipped with to begin with 5: first headcanon that pops into my head - uhhh everyone has chronic lung problems from the pollution in the Undercity but it affects him worse because he's prone to asthma/bronchitis/other lung conditions 6: favorite line from this character - "We lost ourselves. Lost our dream. In the pursuit of great, we failed to do good." 7: one way in which I relate to this character - Joint problems babeyyy 8: thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character - none? Been a while since I've seen the show, don't remember any specific moments 9: cinnamon roll or problematic fave? - Cinnamon roll

Corinthian

1: sexuality headcanon - not a headcanon but Neil Gaiman's confirmed he's pan and I like that 2: otp - again, do my OCs count? Nothing compares to Prometheus 3: brotp - don't really have one, but I want him and Hob to dish about Morpheus being a little bitch (/j) 4: notp - Corintheus. I get that it's popular but Dream's technically his creator and that just... gets weird to me. 5: first headcanon that pops into my head - he's got a soft spot for kids and genuinely doesn't want to hurt/scare them, it's the adults he gets fed up with 6: favorite line from this character - "You ever notice that people only ever use your name when you're in trouble? 'Get over here, Jed!'" (it's not the most impactful line of his but I think the delivery is really fun) 7: one way in which I relate to this character - on a simpler note... general Southern-ness I guess? But also the themes of being neglected/seen as inherently flawed by a parent (which... may be a repeat trend for me, just look at Warren lmao) 8: thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character - In the comics, when he gets remade the first time and is first relearning about the Dreaming and what happened. It's a great scene overall, there's just something about the way Dream and Matthew talk to him that feels a little weird to me. 9: cinnamon roll or problematic fave? - Problematic fave, no doubt

[tribadismes]

7, 10, 11, 34 for the tv show ask!

Hey love ! Thank you so much for asking !!

7. have you ever been inspired to start a new show based on gifs or memes it has produced ?

oh definitely ! probably the case for 1/4 shows i've watched !

10. what’s one show you thought you’d love but turned out to really hate ?

There's this show called Work in Progress that sounded right up my alley, it's written & stars a butch with ocd so you know basically my life story, i was really excited about it, but it ended up making me extremely uncomfortable and was a huge disappointment. The premise is already... really icky since it's about this 40 something butch lesbian who starts dating a 20 yo pre-transion trans man, but you know it could have been handled in a good way i guess ? but it wasn't, it really really wasn't, and the main character is so unlovable and, yeah, big flop, wouldn't recommend, oh at all. I was also really disappointed in Dead End : Paranormal Park, it's an adult horror/fantasy cartoon featuring a gay trans man lead and his autistic bestie and talking dog. I love adult cartoons and liked the premise and animation style so i was like this is gonna be good but it's not. I watched it less than six months ago and barely remember it so i can't really elaborate lmao but i remember the plot being both messy and underwhelming (proof : can barely tell you what the plot even is) and also that the worldbuilding was extremely lackluster, which is a huge dealbreaker when we're talking fantasy like ?? Needless to say i dropped both these shows after the first season and never looked back.

11. which TV show has the best musical soundtrack, in your opinion ?

if we're talking serious good original soundtrack obviously Twin Peaks comes to mind... if we're judging by how obsessed i am with it then... Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, oh surprise

34. what are your top 5 shows right now ?

i loooove that question and i will even make a proper ranking for yah ! I'm judging by how often I think about them and how much youtube content i consume around them lmfao.

5. A League Of Their Own : best show of 2022, favorite lesbian show since oitnb probably, actually haven't gone into a youtube rabbit hole about it (yet) but i really wanna rewatch it soon, also my thirst for butches in period clothing is endless

4. Arcane : i am obsessed with this show, watched it twice in like a week, it's amazing truly, so fucking well-written, if you're into fantasy, animation, crazy women and butches with big muscles you should definitely watch it. I don't think a show has ever emotionally scarred me like that and i loved every second of it.

3. Young Royals : i regularly rewatch scenes from this show, i'm just fascinated with the acting... also i love their love, makes me wanna fall in love again (yes i have been using it as a coping mechanism since my break up to remember love is beautiful and shit)

2. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend : i mean what can i say that i haven't already said jjjkjkjkjarf the thing is it's the only show on this little list that i watched for the first time a really really long time ago (4, 5 years ago ?) and that has finished airing (cause my obsession for the other shows is mostly explained by : i'm waiting for the next season/episode) but i'm just obsessed with the music man, i listen to it on a daily basis almost

Helluva Boss : indie adult cartoon (free on youtube), hence why it's almost unknown except if you're an embarrassing cartoon dweeb like me lmfao but it's about to be a lot more famous since a show by the same creator in the same universe was picked up by i believe hbo and is going to air sometime this year. The best way to describe the tone of the show is, it's like Bojack Horseman but in hell. It's. So. So. Good. It has everything i love : really really dark humour, fucked up characters, drama, incredibly toxic gay ships, tons of lore, great world-building, foreshadowing, and most importantly a completely hectic release schedule (due to it being indie) that makes my adhd go absolutely fucking bonkers

[lemonmangosorbet]

Hello, I am back with my hot takes (aka in-depth analysis) of Arcane episode 4 as I rewatch it and pay excrutiating attention to every scene with Jayce and/or Viktor (actually, I rewatched the episode last week, but then spent hours just taking screenshots of every frame, so I forgot everything I wanted to write in this post sdghkjf)

This one ended up being.....long, so I’ve popped it under a ‘read more’ so it doesn’t clog up people’s feeds - I hope you’ll still read it!

* First point: how many years have passed between ep.3 and ep.4? Going by how much both Jinx and Ekko have grown up, I’ve gotta say it’s been at least 10 years?? But I’m mad that they skipped all that time when they could have been showing us Jayce & Viktor working together in the lab! I’d literally pay to see a spin-off series that’s just Jayce & Viktor messing around with Hextech for those 10 years between the two episodes :’)

* I don’t understand anyone who can watch Arcane and think that Jayce is egotistical??? The first few minutes of this episode set him up as someone who is modest - Heimerdinger tells him the council have decided Jayce should give the Progress Day speech and Jayce’s instant reaction is “m-me?!” and he stutters and is flustered. These are not the actions of a man who’s got a big ego (Honestly reminds me of some irl mathematicians who dedicate their lives to solving particular famous problems, and when they do solve them, they do not want the fame or glory)

* I also can’t help noticing (and loving) how uncomfortable Jayce looks in any big social situation, and it happens TWICE in this episode. Both times he seeks out someone he knows (first Caitlyn, then Mel) and end up talking in a 1-on-1 conversation with them to get away from the crowds. This man is an introvert - I can feel it in my own introvert bones

* On my first watch of Arcane, I didn’t think much of Viktor using the Hexclaw during the presentation, but now that I know a bit of League of Legends lore, I’m like (Beyonce meme) THE HEXCLAW???? sdghkjf (I guess Viktor using the Hexclaw now is supposed to be foreshadowing for Machine Herald)

* The way Jayce and Viktor look to EACH OTHER FOR APPROVAL after their presentation to Heimerdinger. brb, just crying and throwing up thinking about it

* Heimerdinger telling Jayce & Viktor to spend 10 years refining the new Hextech portable devices really hurts. I understand it from Heimerdinger’s POV - it’s dangerous to put such powerful devices in the hands of everyone. However, Heimerdinger has a much longer life-span, so to him a decade is a blink of the eye. It’s not like that for Viktor (I suspect he already knows he’s sick but not how sick because they do show him coughing in this episode). Viktor knows his time is limited and he wants to help his fellow Zaunites while he still has a chance to see it. Seeing his disappointment hurts. Seeing Jayce’s big concerned eyes while he looks at Viktor hurts ;-;

* When Jayce has that 1-on-1 conversation with Mel it is yet again obvious how modest he is. She’s telling him he could be a leader of Piltover and he’s like “Me?? Are you sure???” This man never intended on becoming a leader; he just wanted to play science in his lab

* Just before Jayce’s speech when Viktor looks sick with worry because Jayce isn’t there yet, and then Jayce tells him he should join him to make the address and Viktor’s like “in front of all those people?!” If Jayce is an introvert then Viktor is the super-introvert lmao

* Arcane did something very clever in this scene. Jayce tells Viktor to join him to give the speech because it’s their Hextech dream - Jayce is not trying to steal any of the credit from Viktor (he always says they are partners in Hextech). However, there is a frame of Viktor standing on his own and then (due to the forced perspective) when Jayce puts his Man of Progress mug down, it completely blocks Viktor from view. Definitely foreshadowing of what will happen in the future - Viktor will be expelled from the Academy, become the Machine Herald, and the world will forget his involvment in Hextech and assume it was all Jayce

* Mister Jayce “oh god I’m forcing this smile and I hate public speaking” Talis

* When Jayce is giving his Progress Day speech and he says “No one in my life expected very much of me” and the camera immediately cuts to Viktor smiling fondly at Jayce (because Viktor was the one who believed in Jayce at his lowest moment)

* Viktor looked so disappointed when Jayce didn’t reveal the new Hextech innovations they’d been working on and I feel like we were robbed by not seeing how that conversation went down between them after the Progress Day speech

* When they’re brought before the council and Viktor tries to stand and speak up, but Jayce stops him, I know a lot of people have mixed feelings about Jayce’s actions, but he stops Viktor from speaking only so he can take responsibility for the explosion and theft. I am pretty convinced that Jayce is trying to protect Viktor

* This scene is pretty key at setting up Jayce an idealist. He wants to suspend all Hextech use and research to safeguard the population because he thinks it’s the right thing to do. But then the council are like “but think of the economy!” and Jayce is like “what about the safety of the people?”. The man wants to do what’s in the interest of the greater good, and this is gonna keep happening throughout the rest of the series

* When Mel suggests to the rest of the council that Jayce become a new council member, there are two important things that happen: 1) Jayce is reluctant and it’s evident not only in the way he looks, but he actually says ‘no’ out loud. And 2) when Mel is making her proposition, the camera cuts to a shot taken from just behind Viktor and you can HEAR AND SEE HIM take this deep breath, like he is extremely nervous for Jayce and what him becoming a Councillor would mean for them and their Hextech work.

Ok, I think that’s it. Sorry this ended up being so long, but if you read until the end, then THANKS! ;3;

[voidpacifist]

(this turned into an essay about the fandom and how they write viktor lmao oops)

disclaimer I'm able bodied and I definitely don't speak for anyone who is disabled, this is just an observation of other able bodied arcane fans. if there's at all something I'm glossing over please tell me!

something I've noticed (since my very recent entry into the arcane fandom) is how quick people fall into the habit of diminishing viktor into certain archetypes, usually stemming from ableism that treats his character like an infant, or some other characterization that overshadows the rest of his personality.

particularly in fanfiction, it's not uncommon for me to read fanfic or something and then see a post later that spits back out a lot of ideas written into said fics. a lot of it is just the whole "abled savior" thing which is gear grinding enough but then there's also people who portray his character as this insecure person who is in constant need of reassurance and here's the thing. viktor may be an insecure person, but it's not insecurity that stems from his disability. it's in other people, because other people, in his experience, aren't trustworthy.

let me say that again. he isn't insecure because he's disabled – he's insecure in the way that other people are/will be with him because of their perceptions. let me elaborate.

I was watching that series on youtube of the "therapist reacts to arcane characters," and she pointed out that viktor experiences a degree of social anxiety, starting in his childhood, structured by how he interacted with people from a young age. and from a young age, viktor, already outcast due to being from zaun, is further ostracized because kids are judgemental little shits. they refuse to befriend him because he can't physically do things like dive into the lake or play tag.

but he can build toys. and he doesn't verbally extend the olive branch to sky on the rocks but he does show her his boat. he still wants her to accept his gesture of, "let's be friends, I made this kickass toy." whether or not he's the most outgoing person about interacting with the other kids isn't necessarily an insecurity thing in and of itself. he's naturally more reserved, but a lot of people in the fandom attribute that to the fact that one of his legs doesn't work right, rather than the fact that he naturally leans towards introversion rather than extroversion.

and while it's clear to see that he's more of an introvert, it doesn't mean he's not also snarky as hell, or afraid to speak his mind. he's a passionate character with very firm convictions. whether or not he's constantly verbalizing that doesn't mean those traits aren't plain to see. he's a much more rounded character than just "disabled genius who's afraid of talking to people." sure, he's not the face of hextech, nor is he eager about giving a speech to hundreds of people in episode 4, but we also saw him poke fun at jayce only an episode prior about how he signs all of his notes. man is absolutely not stale just because he isn't necessarily the first person to stick his neck out. and him not always sticking his neck out shouldn't automatically be associated with his disability.

because guess what! being disabled isn't a curse! we never see him think less of himself just because he can't walk unassisted. that doesn't mean it won't come with its own frustrations but that also doesn't mean that any of us should automatically hop skip and jump to the conclusion that all of his woes are because of what he can't physically do.

summary: people can be introverts/reserved without it being because of a societally perceived flaw or because of anything in and of themselves. if the mindset is that viktor's insecurity stems from his character being disabled, it's an ableist mindset. I'd love to see more fics focus on other aspects of him that are independent from his body's downfalls. not every bit of his personality comes from that, and it's weird to me to see him treated like that, in and out of fanfic

[oodlyenough]

alright i've seen arcane twice through now, here are my opinion patch notes:

jayce is hilarious i can't believe fandom hates him so much lmao... arcane boldly asks, what if steve rogers shot a child, and i think that's very fun and sexy of them

fr though i do think jayce is one of the more interesting characters precisely because he's -- well partly because i feel like he realized he's bisexual two days ago and is making it everyone's problem, which is already great. but also because watching the square-jawed hero complex guy make a series of terrible decisions and go mad with power is a satisfying thing to witness. the story seems very aware jayce is doing a bunch of fucked up stuff, and i appreciate that. unhinged bisexual rights

i was also more into the political drama once i was following it closer. i think it's handled with relative subtlety most of the time and i like that! i hope it stays that way in s2, please god. also how tf does the council work, are people appointed? i guess? based on status/wealth? it certainly doesn't seem to be a democracy.

also i love ambessa. can't wait to see more of her.

i feel like mel's writing is... kind of underbaked. her words and her actions don't always correspond (eg "i've never been able to give back!" says the single richest person in a city with severe wealth disparity who has been in political power for a decade). i don't say any of this to drag mel, because i'm very interested in who i think she is/could be, but i find it hard to decipher if this is nuanced writing or just the story not really knowing what it's doing with her -- i guess we'll see what s2 does. i'm still pretty confident she'll survive the finale, not so much because i think she'll survive the entire show (doubtful imo) but because i think if they're going to kill mel she'll get a solo death episode and the finale/fallout of jinx's bomb has too much else going on. fingers crossed anyway, lol, i think it'd be shitty if she's just dead now before they did much with her

i understand like 25% more of what happened with viktor and happy fun ball but ... still not a lot. lmao. i don't mind them keeping it vague i guess but i hope future sequences are less outright confusing to me. why did it eat sky? why did it change his hand? was that on purpose? we never saw him having issues with his hand, right? who knows.

still love that dinner scene with jinx/silco/vi. as i was watching with @firstofoctober i was saying how great it is that everyone in the scene is saying stuff they genuinely believe even if that stuff isn't factually true. i know there's Discourse over how genuine silco was being but i really do think all evidence points to him meaning it/believing what he's saying, even if *we* know vi isn't going to betray powder, etc. likewise vi obviously means it when she says she loves jinx and they're still sisters etc... but i really don't think she has a proper grasp of who jinx is now, she's projecting baby powder and expecting she can flip a switch. it's good and sad and i like it a lot.

coming out less flatteringly on rewatch:

ep 1 is so boringgggggggggg these are so many characters and i only have to care about two of them

caitvi moves at breakneck pace lol. slow down ladies it's been 72 hours tops

heimerdinger is just terrible on rewatch imo lmao he literally never does anything to help anyone or anything. i'm pretty sure jayce only deposed him for being mean to viktor, but he was still right. i GET that his whole thing is being immortal and blah blah but like what if: some guy with no perspective on human existence wasn't ruling a city full of mostly-humans. depose him again jayce.

and my least popular opinion: caitlyn i just... i tried man. i dunno. i mean she's nice and stuff... katie leung is funny sometimes. i just feel like she is so uncomplicated compared to literally every other character, with the least compelling arc. and i think the story treats her with real kiddie gloves too, which i find grating. everyone else fucks up and makes mistakes and is punished narratively for it, but caitlyn is always right bc she is a nice good cop. okay. whatever.

[our-hextech-dream]

i'd like to chime in on the viktor post, since it also became a bit of a viktor analysis: one thing that sort of came to my attention re: LoL vs Arcane is that in LoL, i think he's a fun antagonist. but when i watched arcane, i didn't know anything about LoL viktor. i absolutely adored his arc in Arcane; i felt like he wasn't reduced to his disability, he was extremely competent,and while he was definitely hindered by his disability, it wasn’t, like. This horrible, terrible burden he 1/?

suffered from and longed to be free of. He was an intelligent and brilliant inventor, and he also needed to use a cane. and i think that even though he made a mistake with the hexcore, it felt very much like jayce's actions killing a child. in the way that their actions, while they were mistakes, did not make them villains. they were still heroic, even if they made mistakes, because they were humbled due to their hubris and chose to learn from it. which i ADORE. but after reading up LoL lore i'm side-eyeing season two. so far the writing for the characters has been incredibly nuanced and satisfying for me, so i’m not SUPER worried, but i’m hoping that they don’t take viktor to quite the extremes of LoL viktor. I don’t know all of LoL’s lore, but as far as i can tell, Viktor didn’t have the same disabilities Arcane Viktor does -- and i’m a bit wary that they might turn him into a villain on the level of silco. Still nuanced, but certainly not very heroic. And disabled people so rarely get to be heroes! By all means, Viktor creating assistance devices using Hextech until he’s able to basically achieve the same physical feats as able bodied people would be great; but i also don’t want it to be like ‘look he’s cured now ayyy!’ i really hope that instead of that, he and jayce become more like ‘heroes on opposite sides’. LoL Viktor does have some of that nuance (like trying to save the catatonic people with the crystal), but i want that even moreso in Arcane.

i think if the discussion with @hexhomos taught me anything it's that LoL viktor can be a really subtle and multifaceted character! he can also be a mustache twirling villain in some of the 'side' league stories, but given my own comics fandom background i'm perfectly happy viewing that kind of stuff as sort of... dubiously canon. canon when i want it to be to make a point, noncanon when its annoying or breaks my interpretation of a character, lmao.

on the one hand, i wouldn't worry too much (which you said you haven't been) because the writers have done great so far and i don't see any reason that would suddenly change. on the other, arcane was created to tell the story of vi and jinx - everyone else is an afterthought, added because it makes sense for them to be there and they can add to the story, but they're not the focal points. so i can definitely see a portion of fans being disappointed because they feel like viktor didn't get the narrative focus they feel he would have needed to make his turn believable, and this is gonna be the loud portion of 'viktor ooc' fans, if i had to make an educated guess.

(i know i keep bringing up loki in the tags but i'm. so serious. treat the mcu fandom as a case study for this because i have been watching the exact same arguments play out again in real time. 'avengers loki didn't have a believable enough reason to become a villain therefore he's ooc' because we didn't get to see him explicitly tortured by thanos - it was implied, though. they spent exactly as much time on it as was necessary to give us the information we needed without taking the focus away from the actual main characters! i see arcane doing something similar with viktor and the hexcore. the writers are trusting us to be smart enough to pick up on the cues.)

re: his disabilities - we all need to be aware that empowering for me is not necessarily empowering for thee. there are going to be people who disagree with viktor's outcome no matter how arcane chooses to portray it or what they end up doing with his physical disabilities. cure him, don't cure him, lose the focus on his disabilities altogether, continue to focus on them even after his turn, let him keep his humanity, let him go full hal 9000; either way there are going to be people with perfectly valid points who will think they should have done the opposite. i hope that people can come to terms with all possible outcomes before s2 comes out, get cool with the idea that their ideal viktor may not be the one that arcane wants or needs. no matter what we may feel would be 'realistic', we have to keep in mind that he's a fictional character with a role to play in a story, and they're gonna make him play that part no matter how they have to get him there.

[sparrowonn]

CRIMINAL MINDS – VI & CAITLYN Bonus 1

FANDOM: ARCANE (LEAGUE OF LEGENDS)

Characters : Vi & Caitlyn Warnings: Angst, Drama, SPOILERS TO ARCANE S1, thirst trap, Desires Word Count: 770

THIS IS DIRECTLY AFTER PART 3 - but I guess could be stand alone...if you skipped everything lmao

Note: The Story takes place directly after Season Finale of Arcane. THIS IS A BONUS SCENE! READ: [PART 1] [PART 2] [PART 3]

INT – CAITLYN’S BEDROOM – LATE NIGHT

It had been several hours later and Caitlyn had been working on a new map which laid on the floor in front of her bed replacing the older one with updated markings and pins of different entry points and exits into the factory district. She had been working on figuring out the times the security guard of the buildings would pass so her and Vi could enter unseen. Vi was sitting on the floor leaning her back against the bed occasionally listening in on the plan although she didn’t expect to run into Caitlyn today and this would not have been her way to go about running a job…with such a detailed plan…nor did she ever expect Caitlyn to join her….Although it did take her mind off Powder and it almost seemed as if Caitlyn needed something to focus on as well to not think about her mother.

Adding another marker to the map Caitlyn looked over to Vi who seemed to have a slight smile across her face as she watched Caitlyn work.

“what’s so funny?” Caitlyn asked. “nothing.” Vi answered still with a sly smile across her face as she is being entertained by Caitlyn’s work.

“…..” Caitlyn knew Vi was up to something….had she made a mistake on the map? “….you’re up to something…..what are you thinking…..” she asked.

Thrusting her body forward in an aggressive movement and placing her hands on the map Vi leaned in face to face with Caitlyn’s still with a sly smile looking her directly in the eyes. “I think it’s funny-that a criminal like you is planning such a detailed drop Cupcake. heh” she teased her while watching Caitlyn flinch surprised.

Caitlyn felt the warmth of Vi’s breath touch her face but she mustered the strength to get words to come out “I am not a criminal” but they came out just under her breath as Vi grinned with a slight nod and playful wink still messing with her but just in that moment Vi did not expect for Caitlyn to move in even closer in to return the favor. “You know-“ Caitlyn whispered into Vi’s ear with confidence and strength “you aren’t the only one who can toy with others.” Vi froze in shock like a deer in headlights – Cupcake had caught her off guard and as Caitlyn pulled back she had a devilish smile on her face and then she softly flicked Vi in the forehead. “We have work to do.” Caitlyn stood up as Vi was still organizing her thoughts and had never seen this other side of Caitlyn before.

Glancing at the package that they were to be delivering that night, Caitlyn continued on “What do you think is in there?”

Vi sighed while shifted her weight onto her heels dropping back against the bed while sitting on the floor again. Picking up the package she shook it and could hear two objects clinging together….something metal was inside. Was it drugs? Speciality tools? “I don’t think we want to know.” She replied.

Caitlyn took a deep breath she was a bit disappointed to think that in order to figure out what was going on in her family’s factory they had to drop off a possibly illegal goods package. She had to keep reminding herself this was an undercover operation – off books that is. She continued to pace around the room in thought, occasionally leaving the room and coming back in but this time was different….

Upon coming back into the room Caitlyn had been carrying something white……it was a white factory worker uniform and she held it in front of Vi.

“NOPE. I am not wearing that.” Vi growled.

“We need to go undercover Vi. We can’t get caught by the security there.” Caitlyn held the uniform In front of Vi as she pushed it away annoyed.

“There is no way I am wearing this.” She shook her head in displeasure and disagreement “Look how restricted it is in the arms.” Vi responded as a fact. Inspecting the arms of the white uniform Caitlyn then looked at Vi’s arms considering that maybe she was right...but they had no other choice. “I think it’s a cute onesie. Also, there is a hat.” Caitlyn tilts her head with the same devilish smile she had earlier. “No.” Vi stands up as she leaves the package she needs to deliver on the floor. “there is no way-“

15 mins later -

Both Caitlyn and Vi are in white factory worker uniforms and hats ready to complete the job.

However Caitlyn got Vi in the uniform will never be known.

[use your imagination 😉] - END

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

Post Notes: This was written out 1 or 2 weeks ago and I just work out scenes sometimes at different times then fill in missing scenes.

I might change up my writing style sometimes. I’m figuring out what works. A friend of mine told me I’m like half script format half traditional short story narrative. oops 😄 I did not want to focus on Vi and Caitlyn talking about Jinx or the Council Building/Cassandra missing. I said early on I didn’t want to cover the direction where the TV Show might go. I have a different story to tell.

I’ll drop the next Bonus Scene – This mid week or on next Sunday. SEVIKA! Same thing as always - follow for the drops or watch the tags for Arcane Fanfic. Spoiler is….The Title is: Family Ties - Sevika and Soren | Monsters & Traitors I made a little bit of a backstory for Sevika as she is a badass who needs more love. haha.

[stray-tori]

Arcane S1 | live comments compilation

I watched Arcane, and spammed a discord channel so here’s all my reactions.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Finally started arcane and the slow motion beating up makes me laugh more than anything sdyddssxf

Idk if sths wrong with me but it kinda loses the inherent oomf and panic to it, for me.

i felt like it was trying to show intimidating it was for Powder (don't know her actual name yet. unless that is her actual name wheeze) to watch but HHH idk i just have my intuition shdhshsh.

Also holy hell Vi pls put those two strands of hair sticking to your cheek away they and their small constant shadow irritate me so much

these two hairs just stick there for their life help 

I am wrecking my tiny brain about the technique used for this though. I'm guessing a mix between 3d models or at least 2d mapped onto it and 2d puppeting/rigging

"were gonna be fine right?" Yup totally - until the blue stone thingies chilling in the ocean explode on y'all.

Sir could you decide between "it's good that it's gone" and "you shouldn't come back from a job empty handed" What a complete 180 lmao

NOOO NOT THE OVERHEARING ONE PART OF THE CONVO AND MISUNDERSTANDING. MISSCOMMUNICATION HOW MUCH I HATE YOU 

also holy hell the enforcer lady's voice 

Oh boy i sure know who has another piece of evidence and won't show it to Vi and therefore won't know it's good that it's gone bc she just MISUNDERSTOOD *Combusts*

WAIT NO WERE GOOD

Thank god I mean no probably not this will likely go horribly but they talked and she showed the stones THE FUCK whomst is this guy and why does he have berserk-go-potions

WHY DO YOU HAVE THE STONES ON YOU NOOO

Well hello pretty rich lady [Mel]

Whoa i rly love the comp of them searching the bar cellar. We don't know where the kids are hiding and each look he takes is framed from inside the place. Big suspense. Love it

So many victors, no victorias Also oh no

.

= EP 3 =

Nooo vandor :(( enforcer lady is right everyone wants to have war pls don't go sjsjsjsj nvm take him away holy fuck what is happening

NOO THEYRE DOING THE SLOW MOTION THING AGAIN ADAESRSFE this is serious brain goddamn it dxfsfeg

Whoa the shot of Victor writing on the board from the side with him starting a line close to the camera

"... Crack it up..." shdhsjsj I like victor. "wait a minute this isn't my bedroom" VICTOR ILU

[ Tori found a fave ]

ANOTHER VICTOR HELP I mean there's only 2 but it's funny that it happened twice

I also rly like the council lady whose name i couldnt understand yet shshdh Pretty. And i like the way she talks idk

also Nooo enforcer lady :( rip to her voice

Holy hell that violent crying was so good. Like... Intense and upsetting but just... Idk so real? I don't remember seeing something like that from someone in animated media before... esp a main character. Or maybe I'm blanking on it

Eyyy they utilized slow.motion in a way that didn't make me laugh shdhsh

the monster drink is actually terrifying holy hell. He also seemed kinda out of it when he was given it.... Poor guy.

Also oh NOOO WHY DID SHE THINK THAT WAS A GOOD IDEA aaaaaaa

Also thank god for putting Vi’s hair down on the side No more infuriating cheek hairs. I won

Oh shshdh Silco for dad? I hope that's his name i think so sjdhdj Yeah this is no bueno.

It's also kinda the whole miscommunication concept again. Wanted to go back for her but Mr. Enforcer was like Nope. But i mean i guess that's good bc they probably would have died but oh no the emotional baggage

I'm just kinda like. Laying here trying to process all that...

.

= EP 4 =

Dang what a glow up tho

Victor... Why you panicking about the decade... Do you not have the time? My tpn-taught alarm bells are going off.

I actually cried only once yet and it was after Benzos death when Vi hugged the white haired kid.

Say about Silco what you want but he asked for both sides of the situation. I respect that.

NO I HATE BEING RIGHT. VICTOR :((( HE COUGHING. Aaaa TvT

Also holy hell jinx needs help The visuals are so cool though

excuse me where’s my man's victor opinion on all the council stuff happening >:(

ENFORCER LADY WOOO

Excuse me Jason (jup i thought “jayce” (jas) was a nickname for Jason, kill me now) and the council lady?? I don’t feel like he had that chemistry with her so far?? and i dont think it’s that I don’t notice because I think he has good "chemistry” (platonic) with blue hair. And I'd argue victor too, though that’s moreso my fond-ness of their setup and meta-dynamic I guess. ... And they were (science) partners :((( Plus the angst of dying :( sad

OH EXCUSE ME YOU ARE NOT DOING THE CUTS BETWEEN THOSE TWO THINGS OH I HATE THIS I LOVE IT BUT :(((

thank good he didn't fully die though i would have thrown my phone out the window

I will say as epic as this is i do think it's quite jarring to realize that of all the previous main cast, Milo and Claggor died (and Vandor and Benzo). Notice something? No hot girls. Milo and Claggor both had fun non-made-to-be-hot designs, one chubby and the other just... Like he's a nice design and I liked him but he ain't the prettiest guy, just saying. And then they died leaving a cast of majorly super attractive girls and while i awooga at that i also just. Man. Why? Everyone is just seemingly made to be attractive if they're part of the main cast. I just think it sucks that two of the most stand out designs just got killed off. It almost feels intentional or like "well they'll die anyway so we can make them not conventually pretty". Idk, not a fan of that...

.

= EP 6 =

Smol Victor!!

Hold up that's the guy that was with Silco isn't it shdhsjsj oh noo

"She's dying" Well victor can relate to that WHEEZE

(victor talking to the smol council member about legacy) GREAT IM CRYING.

Has my dip into consuming gay Media tipped my scale of het romances bc boi this feels so artificial to me shshshs Like i love them both individually but somehow with them together I'm just like *squints*

[added later:]

I just don’t think it came very naturally, to me. and on top of that it feels very politically motivated. The one genuine moment was when he told her Victor was dying, to me. And with them going into Caitlyn being into girls and the somewhat clear connection between Caitlyn and Vi, but I don’t think the same has held true for a male counterpart? I ackknowledge that there aren’t a lot of men in the main cast, and I don’t want to say that non-het men have to be included; but I guess I just felt that there was a quite good setup for a deeper connection to be explored with Victor and Jayce, and instead both of them got a female love interest (though I didn’t think Victor was interested in her, but still she existed). Now, I know that I’m just seeing things, and I don’t particularly wish for this relationship to have the sort of energy I was hoping it could, but I guess to me what happened there was as if Vi and Caitlyn got their first trip together and then they’d both gotten someone else to be paired off with.

...

Mang i rly love Jayces talk about how he can't do anything now. I'm not sure if i even see them romantically i just rly like the whole setup and dynamic of it... I have this thing where i kind of want to see a "ship" just as... Being each other's special person..not necessarily romantic/sexual but just... Idk. Priority over others,i guess? It's hard to explain, it's kinda like TPN trio for me ig? Tho that leans into romantic sometimes but i guess that sort of weird middle ground between the two.

WAIT THATS HER PAINTING?? I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE BG HOLY HELL LADY BIG TALENT.

okay i know I'm weird about seeing gay things but between last eps cuts between deathTM and the deedTM and now transitioning from her body centered to his? Idk man sus. There's definitely intent to inherently associate Victor with their blooming romance. And i think it's more meant to contrast that he is all alone BUT SHJSSJ.

Hmm. "It's not what you think. She's with an enforcer" i wonder if she rly does think that or just says it like that to mess with Jinx. Because i could see both shsusjsjs. But i felt Vi was pretty obvious in showing she wanted to get her back.

SILCO DONT YOU DARE KILL THE LITTLE GIRL IS2G

Victor is so awkward help i love him when science partner leaves :( sad life.

OOH ITS THE SCAMMED DUDE. HI FRIEN

THE HUG :((( i thought she wasn't real bc they weren't showing her wound sjshs.... Man jinx... Please let her explain... Aww well I'm glad that she didn't want her to be taken away at least.

.

= EP 7 =

Wait is this the white haired kid-

IT IS. IM SLOW

Victor no pls i can't take it if they make him a low-key antagonist or he dies as a deformed creature please :((

"love [and legacy] are the sacrifices we make for progress" "Jayce will understand" HELLO?? OH MY HEART-

NO

VICTOR NOO

Jayce go back to the lab pls

oh my god did jinx just explode sth on herself acfdgfd- if so how did she survive that

Also another cool instance of slow motion

= EP 8 = Silco seems to genuinely care for Jinx it's kinda endearing.

And also i love how now the same thing is happening to Silco. People arent satisfied with how he does things, tho to be fair for different reasons than Vandor - but i think it's interesting how the children thing kinda ties them together. I wonder if Silco will have a moment of empathy or like giving a goal up or sth because of how he grew attached to Jinx...

LMAO IS THAT A HOWL REFERENCE

ECHO'S (im writing every name based on how i hear it forgive me, i can’t hear) ALIVE WOOO

EY VICTORS THING WORKED. POG. UH. Victor why are you doing more- stop there, oh god

also Jinx' braids are cool but holy hell do they look inconvenient

ah yes, let the random BG character who of course likes him find victor doing this thank you

WAIT NO I DIDNT WANT THAT TO HAPPEN TO HER HOLY HELL welp i am in shock.

oh no caitlyn

.

= EP 9 =  wait last episode oh no

hmm i understand that Vi is hardened but I'm quite shocked how unphased she is by the death. despite her own losses... idk oh okay nvm she did seem upset there

tough stuff... im generally always agreeing with "war bad" but in things like these, is there a really a peaceful way to deal with it? give him everything he wants? I mean he just wants to make it better... but it could always backfire later, shady businesses being made, all that... it’s difficult.

try to kill the arcane, arcane will push back

Him putting the ashes and being like “I don’t even know where you’d like it” :((( that is... so sad. poor victor. and he'S STILL DYING ON TOP OF EVERYTHING GODDAMN IT

NO THE PARALLEL SHUT UP. MUTUAL SUICIDE PREVENTION HELLO??? sobs. falls onto the ground.

LIKE I LOVE MEL BUT CAN SHE GIVE ME THIS??? NO SHE CAN’T :/

the way Jayce agreed about the weapon but he actually meant the hex core... the hex core is far more dangerous than the weapon... idk why it obliterated her (bc no runes on her?) but if that gets weaponized holy fuck

oh man look who's getting the same speech Vandor got. i guess there's no appeasing anyone ever ahh

Jinx protecc. this deal would benefit him too, right? but he wont do it bc of Jinx oh man

(council freaking out) NO NOT THE UNINTENTIONALLY COMEDIC SLOW MOTION AGAIN HELPPPPP HAHAHA

listen im not a fan of silco either Jinx, but he didnt rly wanna betray you PLEASE

"we're missing someone" walks up with a plate NO YOU DID NOT. JINX IS2G

HOLY HELL YOU GAVE ME A HEARTATTACK

im :((( can just every other part of silco die and we can keep the dad part? I’m aware he’s not great and not handling her mental state well but they could grow together idk sdhjsd-

is she gonna shoot herself i live in fear.

well thats worse. but i mean the peace wouldnt have happened anyway bc Silco wouldnt have given them Jinx, oh man

.

... i uh

[felassan]

Thoughts on Dark Fortress #2

(This post is under a cut due to spoilers.)

So late with this one! some stuff irl was keeping me really busy and hyper-distracting me lately, but it’s finally over now so I’m back on my bioware bullshit. :D

Overall there were a lot of beautiful or awe-inspiring scenes in this issue, and a lot of great, meaningful / poignant character interactions and moments between characters. It’s pretty impressive actually how much was able to be packed in. I posted some of my favorite panels here. also omg! the action sequences! the big reveal! the ending!! woww

cool scene-setting, panned out shot of Neromenian and behind it, the Dark Fortress, to immediately pull you back into the world and ‘where we left off’. the combination of ruined dead trees, red lights, lightning and fire/smoke is very atmospheric and hints at what’s ahead

“From this... city, if we can call it that” is a sick burn and reminds you that the Qunari are technologically more advanced than most of the rest of Thedas, from their cannons to their aqueducts

more individually distinct Qunari soldiers, sth I again appreciate

! last issue there were big ‘You haven’t seen the last of Tractus!’ vibes, naturally, but I didn’t expect him to escape by stabbing and killing the Qunari using a chair-leg..!!

the last panel on the first page of Karasten is really good. the way it’s colored, the way it’s lit, the light and shadow, the fiery backdrop, cinders floating, the details of his expression.. 👌 it also makes me think to the possible future, to DA4 when mainland Thedas may be continuing to face the entirety of the Antaam

in Vaea’s acrobatics scene on the bridge, I know rationally that she’ll be fine but couldn’t help but worry for her. again I like how they don’t shy away from showcasing Vaea’s specific abilities. also the attention to detail - you’d think some rocks are just some rocks, but it highlights the risk she’s undertaking that if she falls it’s into rough seas which could dash her against the jagged rocks :’S. Vaea, gooooo!

Fenris’ “Enterprising girl” line has big “Clever girl” meme energy :D

my heart can’t take Fran and Autumn leaning over the edge after Vaea in worry ;; or Aaron looking back in concern over his shoulder ;; or Fran’s tender reassurance ;; or Autumn’s Worried expression ;; the care and bonds which have grown between this group of characters ;;

notice Aaron starts drinking when Vaea’s away from them and they’re beginning to grow worried about her safety. the poor man’s nerves and stress levels

Fran touching the vegetation while she’s considering if she could use her magic to open the entrance from the outside is a nice touch

did Marius leap in front of Fenris and Fran there when the entrance opened?? damn, he’s quick. and the three of them look all scary and formidable here ready for combat. notice how the curve of the door and the spikes that go into the ground, and the composition of this panel, make it look like they’re standing in front of an opened dragon’s maw? ‘teeth’, a rumbling ‘roar’.. some nice foreshadowing here.

the reunion panels are so cute. Autumn’s lil tum as she jumps and Fran and Fenris’ lil smiles of relief and at Autumn’s reaction to seeing Vaea, then a rare happy beam from Aaron.. feel.. the love ;__;

red lighting in the tunnel sets a dangerous, dramatic build-up mood

👀 more info on Fenris’ past, on the specifics of the process which gave him his markings. in the panel where he says that it took a long time, his shadow on the wall behind him reminds me of the shadow of his past that has dogged him for so long :(

Fenris and Marius height difference

discussion of the process shows the power difference between blue and red lyrium. blue lyrium took a long time, red lyrium is almost instant

Autumn is such an intrepid little explorer and alert scout, tail and ears up, head forward. good girl!

“I just... worry about you, my girl”  ‧º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )‧º·˚  I’ll be so sad if these are death flags for Aaron and he doesn’t make it out of here. also note Fran in this panel, who recently had to kill her own father and is still dealing with that, watching the strongly paternal moment between Aaron and Vaea :(

love Vaea’s faith in Aaron and her sense of humor. also I don’t know why, maybe it’s because Vaea met Sebastian, but her “Maker, no!”, although in a completely different and light-hearted context, reminds me of Sebastian’s “Maker nooo!” at the end of DA2 hh

the reference again to Hawke, who Fenris saw haunted by what they tried to do - save their mother - and couldn’t :’(. also with the shadow in this panel, here’s another person struggling with the shadow of his past qq. this is later emphasized again in Aaron when he continues to talk about his past and in the panel is a chain and manacle. smart visual metaphors, a must in the comic medium with limited space

mushroom skull 💀🍄

“It isn’t about what I’ve done. It isn’t about my failures. Or my choices. It’s about their impact” - he’s misty-eyed here as he thinks back to Ostagar.. does this line btw seem almost meta to anyone else btw? :D it feels like a meta reference to the experience of DA players and PCs, who are always having to deal with the impacts of their choices

I wanna point out that I was right on reading issue #1, when I said “I’m positive that in panel 2 here, it’s the exact moment when he sees Cailan die” ;;

So Aaron is also a veteran of the Battle of Denerim

reference to the Hero of Ferelden - “Those were someone else’s battles”. I’m being captain obvious here but I can’t help but [heart pitter-patter] at any and all references to the HoF

I like the.. parallel? is that the word? Aaron’s stories were him trying to inspire people to make a change, or him trying to convince himself of that. and now here’s Vaea, inspiring Aaron with her words in these panels. the little guys can make a difference! in the world of Thedas, you don’t need to be a big bombastic hero or a Player Character to have an impact 

lmao Fenris right on cue. the moments of humor/light-heartedness are nice because they break up the tension and are sprinkled throughout without derailing build-up or taking away from dramatic story impact. yknow?

yeah Aaron!! leave it behind. leave it to rot with mr mushroom skull (and hey the mushroom skull was there for a reason). again tho if this is a death flag i 

Fenris straight down to business with the tactics

its cute how close Autumn has been sticking to Fran

Tessa checking in on Fran again, as she did in issue 1

Could Vaea’s “Well, shit” be an homage to Varric? :D they have met

I also wanna point out that I was right on reading issue #1, when I said “My guess is that the thing Tractus shows Marquette and Nenealeus is probably a chained up dragon or similar”

the poor dragon :’( big dragon the Qunari had in Trespasser vibes

the sword has a really cool design, kind of reminds me of something a samurai might be depicted wielding

👀 lore-drop! so ancient elven arcane warriors used lyrium-infused swords. this seems to confirm the sarcophagus is an ancient elven artifact, no? makes sense, wasn’t it said that the sarcophagus’ design was based on the architecture/outfit-design type elements of a specific faction, and that this was done intentionally? it looks kinda ancient elfy in make, right? also about the lyrium-infused swords of the arcane warriors, well well well.. remember that the Evanuris and the ancient elves mined the bodies of Titans for lyrium, for power and to use as a resource. here’s an example of that use

as I read through this portion I became increasingly concerned for my boy Shirallas.. we really are in it now aren’t we 😭

the Qunari are launching STRAIGHT-UP ROCKETS ohhhh

pretty ‘lightshow’ over the wall in the “Let’s hope the fortress is as secure as Danarius boasted” panel hh

protective older brother Fenris, impish younger sister Vaea. love that dynamic, we love to see it. sheepish and exasperated Fenris is so cute

the Bone Pit dragon fight with Hawke and co reference!

I wonder how long the dragon has been captive here, and how Danarius/Tractus was able to capture it

lore-wise what are the implications here? when Fenris’ ritual was being undertaken, the sword and the sarcophagus were bombarded with magic, fire spells. in this one they aim to have the dragon bombard it with fire-breathing. is it just fire that makes it work/powers it, or is there magic in dragonfire, in dragons? it reminds me of “Your heart beats with the old blood, as well. Where do you think it comes from? It sings of a time when dragons ruled the skies. A time before the Veil, before the mysteries were forgotten. Can you hear it?”

purple color for the dragon’s growling sounds/typeset is a great idea

lets.. goooo!!!!

Marquette is such a nerd. later on when he activates the sarcophagus he has mad scientist vibes

the dramatic reunion face-offs begin!! as the prophecy foretold!!!!1

true to form, Marius DOES have nothing to say ahahaha, even at this, his personal climax. maybe Marius dies in the next issue, but Tessa lives and gets to go back to Charter

these Venatori look almost Star Wars

Shirallas my boyy.. nooo... don’t do it 😭

ah ah ah! try casting magic with no ARMS

Francesca a beacon of blue light and goodness

the splash combat page is masterful. everyone playing a part, so much going on, everything happening at once. a thing that sticks out to me about it is Aaron’s outstretched hand and alarm as he watches Fran fall 

Autumn with her lil hackles raised

“The Venatori have returned” dun dun dunn

goodbye Shirallas 😭😭😭

the composition of the second to last page with triangle/diamond-shaped panels and the framing of dragon wings is awesome

the Dread Wolf rises, “the Tevinter Imperium will rise again”.. on-point on-point cohesion

there he is, the red wraith

Super Saiyan Shirallas

what a note to end an issue on

wow wow wow!!

and separate to the above, some speculation based on the cover of Issue 3: the piece of metal looks like a broken collar coming off Shirallas, like the one there was on the cover of Issue 2 coming off the dragon. also he’s all bulky now with draconic talons/claws (reminds me of in-world legends of Reavers who dug too deep of their own power after drinking dragon blood and whose bodies consequently began to manifest subtle reptilian traits actually). I’ll be interested to see what results of this allusion between Shirallas and the dragon!!

[tradingjackbs]

💀 - How do they feel about horror movies?

🧑‍🦰 - Have they ever dyed their hair? Ever cut it themself?

🤡 - What’s something dumb they’re embarrassed about?

🎲 - Pick a random question to answer from this list.

<3

Hi hi!! 💜

🧑‍🦰 - Have they ever dyed their hair? Ever cut it themself?

I have dyed my hair, professionally only :D I've had green, purple, and red so far, and I've done just highlights (I have brown hair!), and I'd like to get it dyed again soon tbh. Something a little more complicated, if possible, cause it's been over a year since I've touched my hair :P

On that, no, I'm not brave enough to cut my own hair :< I've been tempted to shave it all off, especially when it gets long, but I never have. So right now I have over a year's growth of hair lol 😅 (me fuckin up my hair with safety scissors when I was like 3 doesn't count)

🤡 - What’s something dumb they’re embarrassed about?

Ohhhh my god. Oh my god haha uhhhh

I wish I was the type not to get embarrassed easily but I get embarrassed at fuckin compliments so. Most of the big dumb shit that's embarrassing I done, I can kinda just laugh about now.

I guess something dumb I'm still embarrassed about is just the fact I really fuckin like certain league of legends characters right now despite Hating the game with a passion, just cause Arcane was that good :P my friends who know tease me about it 😩

💀 - How do they feel about horror movies?

I'll watch em :D I'm not particularly fond of jumpscares, and tbh I have a bad tendency to pick apart the action and every injury/medical related thing that happens. But I love any good movie, I'm a sucker for a good soundtrack and effects, especially practical ones :P

And there's nothing quite like shitting on a bad or just straight cheesy horror flick with friends, so they're good in my book just for that!

🎲 - Pick a random question to answer from this list (❣️ - What are their love languages?)

Just chose the first one on the list lmao

I definitely do a lot of gift giving and quality time. (Those are love languages right) Both of those are probably the ones I exercise the most just with anyone I love. As far as romantic specifically, I feel like I'd be super fuckin weak to ahhh, touch. And affirmation 🥺🥺 once given I like to return things in full so. I imagine I'd adopt those as love languages as well :P idk. Did I even answer the question? I think I did

I hope you enjoyed my comprehensive fuckin answers lmfao. Procrastinating <3

[fantasy2739]

first: i love your writing! what about Douxie and Krel👀👀 ... all that thing between "magic and technology being compatible" I found it suspicious

Lmao it is a lil sus. And I almost wrote a soft fic. And then I realised that Douxie is like 919 and Krel is 15 I think. And I was like. Ah. So it sort of um..... diverged into angst territory (which is apparently all I can write). The ending is ambiguous but if you’d like an aged up I don’t mind doing it.

Note: there is a mention of how Douxie got the scar on his hand. Which is different to the other fic I wrote. Partially because I realised that Douxie has the scar in the past (which is noted on that fic now, sorry for diverting from canon), but also because i like writing different ideas about it.

I hope you enjoy it and sorry for making it less happy:

Douxie tried not to form too many attachments. He’d live far longer than any mortal and most sorcerers kept themselves hidden away. After all, no one wanted another witch hunt. Not to mention that Douxie had looked 19 for a while. And would keep looking 19 for a long time. All of which left him feeling... lonely sometimes. Sure there was Archie. And Douxie was glad to have him. But there was something to be said about the company of people, ones that didn’t lick their own butts. So he did get attached to people. Some he divulged his secret to, others would just be for a while and he could strategically move on. Krel was the former. The Akiridian boy had managed to nestle himself into Douxie’s small circle. Not difficult considering they had a lot in common already. Music, an appreciation of magic and tech, defending Arcadia, and recently loosing their parents. It helped that Douxie knew that Akiridian’s could live a long time, being energy cores rather than water blobs. So yes, Douxie didnt mind getting a little attached to Krel. And considering Krel had opened a wormhole to send Nari and Steve through to Akiridian V for a bit, it was definitely a good decision now that Douxie could have a little breathing room. His room above GDT Arcane Books had been blown to bits, making him effectively homeless and jobless. Krel had offered his place quite happily. Douxie was beginning to realise it wasn’t just a kindness but also a chance for Krel to quiz him up, down, and sideways about magic, magic tech and the flying ship.

“But where does the power come from?” Krel asked for the millionth time. Douxie smiled patiently despite having explained a hundred times. “If it’s not the gem, how does the staff work?”

“The gems are like...” Douxie trailed off, trying to think of how best to explain it. “Hmm they’re like a conduit. They have the right resonance to respond to our magic.”

“So the magic comes from you?” Krel asked.

“Yes.” Douxie said with a nod. “Sorcerers have magical energy, but it can be difficult to channel correctly. So we use staffs and things to do it properly.”

“Things like your gauntlet?” Krel asked, grabbing Douxie’s arm to look it over. “If I could just get inside it then maybe I could...” Douxie just accepted his fate, resting his chin on his free hand. Krel fumbled around with the gauntlet for a bit, trying to find some way to remove it.

“It doesn’t come off.” Douxie said after Krel tried to pry it off with a screwdriver. “They normally do but mine’s stuck on.” Krel stared at him in confusion.

“But you don’t always wear it. I’ve seen it not be there.” Krel said, gesturing at the gauntlet with both of his hands.

“I cast an illusion spell to hide it.” Douxie explained. “See?” He quickly cast the spell and his gauntlet turned into a watch. Krel’s jaw dropped.

“Just like Mother’s camouflage capabilities.” He said, looking at it from different angles. “How did it get stuck?”

“Magic accident.” Douxie said. “Before I became Merlin’s apprentice. Untrained magic is dangerous. I sort of. Welded it to my skin.” He finished with a wince.

“Must have hurt.” Krel said sympathetically. “Does it still hurt?”

“Not really. It’s over 900 years old.” Douxie said with a wave of his hand. Krel frowned at him. “What?”

“I keep forgetting your 900.” He said, shuffling awkwardly. “You act like a dumb teenager.”

“That’s because I am a dumb teenager.” Douxie laughed. “I guess it’s a little weird that I don’t look old.”

“Not really. Mama and Papa were both really old as well.” Krel said a little sadly, before shooting Douxie a smug look. “But they acted their age.”

“Oh ouch.” Douxie laughed. “Where’s the fun in that? I’ve always looked this young, so I’ve always felt this young.”

“Yes you must have an excellent skin care routine.” Krel joked. Douxie blinked at him.

“Krel Tarron, is that a joke.” He said in mock surprise. “A human joke no less.”

“Hey I make jokes all the time.” Krel responded.

“Sarcasm doesn’t count.” Douxie said cheerily. “Besides my skin care routine is flawless.” He poked Krel on the nose and winked before laughing again. Krel rolled his eyes before joining in the snickering. He looked at Douxie, who was still chortling before impulsively kissing him. Douxie jerked back and stared at Krel with wide eyes.

“Sorry.” Krel said before running off to his room.

“Krel wait!” Douxie said, going after him. He caught Krel’s arm, stopping the boy in his tracks. “I’m flattered. Really I am.”

“But you aren’t interested.” Krel finished, ducking his head.

“Well even if we took out the whole 900 years immortality thing, I’m still 19. And your 15.” Douxie explained, dropping Krel’s arm.

“So if I was 19 it would be fine?” Krel asked. Douxie flushed a little.

“That’s not what I said.” He said quickly.

“Right.” Krel said, slumping his shoulders.

“I’m sorry Krel.” Douxie said softly.

“It’s not your fault.” Krel said. “You’re right. I just... didn’t think it through.”

“I can go if you want.” Douxie said gently.

“Where?”

“I’ve roughed it before and I’m sure I’ll find somewhere.” Douxie said.

“You don’t need to.” Krel said. “You can stay here. I won’t jump you again.” Douxie hesitated and shook his head.

“It’s best if I go.” He said. He started to walk back to his own room to pack but stopped and kissed the Akiridian on the cheek.

“Huh?”

“Something to remember me by.” Douxie said. “I’m sure you’ll find someone who’s perfect for you some day.” Krel blinked but smiled a little.

[eldritchsurveys]

637.

Do you ever judge people based on if they believe in God or not? >> You know, it’s funny -- I’m more likely to make snap judgements about atheists than Christians. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve met my fair share of annoying proselytisers and hateful fundamentalists, have had “exorcisms” performed on me, the whole nine. I am definitely wary of Christianity as an institution, with good reason. But I’m really tired of the superiority complex that atheism seems to encourage (again, just like with Christians, not all atheists are like this -- but enough are). The fact that I dare to interpret my life and my reality in a non-materialist, often-arcane fashion immediately puts me at odds with a lot of atheists because their first thought about anything other than strict materialism is “only idiots believe that”, and I’m not going to let some other equally-in-the-dark human being treat me like an idiot because of something this personal (and this arbitrary!). Somehow, Christians telling me I’m going to hell because I listen to death metal or masturbate or whatever is less deeply irritating to me than that.

Do you ever brush your teeth in the shower? >> No. I can see why you would, though.

Has your printer ever stopped working at the last minute and you had a paper due the next day? What did you do? >> ---

Are you sometimes scared to express your opinions in fear of what others might think? >> It’s more like... I don’t feel like dealing with other people’s baggage, you know? Their inflexibility of mind, or baked-in prejudices, or superiority/inferiority complexes, or whatever. It’s really not worth it all the time. I could be putting my energy to better use than fielding off other people’s contempt. So I wouldn’t say my reticence is fear-based as much as it’s... boredom-based. lmao

Do you have a girl that is strictly a friend that isn’t related to you that you can go to? >> Yawn.

Have you ever painted your nails on only one hand, forgetting about the other one or getting side-tracked? >> No.

Have you ever tried sucrets? >> I don’t think so.

Would you date someone that smokes? >> I don’t date, but in general being a smoker isn’t something that puts me off a person. Being rude about smoking and not accepting that not everyone wants to breathe in their secondhand cancer air would, though. And if you smoke cigars, no thanks. Cigarette smoke is bad enough but cigar smoke is twice as bad.

What about drinks? >> Again, it’s not the act of drinking that puts me off a person, it’s to what extent their drinking affects their life and the lives of those around them.

Have you ever gone to one of those parties where everyone is falling around drunk everywhere? >> I don’t think so. I mean, maybe one or two people depending on their tolerance? But not the whole damn party.

Are you “the good guy”, or “the bad guy”, or somewhere in between? >> Yes.

Do you ever erase the numbers off of surveys just because they annoy you? >> No, the reason numbers tend to disappear off surveys when I take them is because when I paste the survey into this text box, tumblr automatically formats it like a numbered list, and when I unformat it the numbers go with it.

Person you like shows up at your house: you … >> ---

Last person you talked on the phone with? >> ---

Do you think you will have the same best friend a year from now? >> ---

Do you have siblings over the age of twenty-one? >> No.

Will tomorrow be better than today? >> I mean, today’s going to be pretty good. I’m going to play video games for hours to make up for the fact that I couldn’t all weekend.

What do you hear right now? >> Nothing.

What was the last thing to go into your mouth? >> Water, I think.

Do you usually tell people when you’re mad at them? >> I operate under the assumption that most people won’t care whether I’m upset with them or not, so I don’t bother informing them. That might be a maladaptive way of thinking, but so far I haven’t had much cause to question the notion, either.

Honestly, how is your heart lately? >> Beating.

Do you miss anyone? >> No.

Are you waiting for a phone call? >> No.

If an ex said they hated you, what would you say? >> I wouldn’t say anything. That’s their business, not mine.

What would you do if you found out your most recent ex was in a relationship? >> Hope that that person doesn’t go through what I went through. And if they do, hope that they have the presence of mind to leave sooner rather than later.

What do you think when someone kisses you on your forehead? >> First of all, who is doing that...

What do you usually do right when you wake up? >> Look at my phone to see what time it is.

Are you looking forward to anything? >> Yeah, playing WoW.

How late did you stay up last night? >> I got home at around a quarter past eleven, so I think I got to sleep shortly after midnight.

Do you truly hate anyone? >> No.

Would you ever get a tattoo? >> Of course.

In the past forty-eight hours, have you hung out with a girl? >> I hung out with a lot of people on Sunday.

Were you happy when you woke up today? >> Yes, very happy to be back in my warm comfortable bed and not in that janky loud motel.

If someone liked you, would you want them to tell you? >> I mean, it’s not going to change anything on my end, but I wouldn’t act weird about it if someone told me.

Would you rather go back a week or go forward? >> ---

Would you ever smile at a stranger? >> I’ve done so.

Who was the last person to text you? >> Sparrow.

What are you doing today? >> Playing video games, vegging out. Just enjoying being home.

Truthfully, is there someone you used to date that you miss? >> Not right now.

Have you ever gotten burnt by a cigarette? >> Yeah, on purpose.

Have you ever been so bored that you started drooling on yourself? >> What...

Do you brush your teeth right away when you wake up? >> Not right away, but soon enough after.

Do you have someone of the opposite sex you can tell everything to? >> ---

Want to get smashed tonight? >> Nah, I’m good.

What time are you getting up tomorrow? >> I don’t know, whatever time I wake up.

Are you happy with the choices you’ve made? >> Like, throughout my entire life? Some were fine, some were mistakes, some don’t even register in my memory anymore.

Think back to last June; were you single? >> No.

Have you ever made someone laugh when they were crying? >> Probably. That’s my only method of consolation -- distraction.

Describe how you feel right now. >> Neutral.

Would you date someone three years older than you? >> ---

Do you prefer to shower at night or in the morning? >> In the morning.

Do you think more about the past, present, or future? >> The present.

Are you okay with the life you live? >> Sure.

Could you handle living with the last person you texted? >> I do live with the last person I texted.

Was the last book you read for fun, or was it for some type of assignment? >> Everything I read is purely for my own interest/delight.

Have you accomplished any goals you set for yourself this year so far? >> The only “goal” I ever set is that Goodreads reading challenge, lmao. But even that’s just for fun -- if I don’t read 50 books in a year, it’s not like I consider myself a failure or something. Quantity doesn’t even mean anything. It’s just something to keep track of, I guess. (Also, when I do those end-of-year book surveys, it’s easier to just go look at my challenge because then I can see at a glance what books I read that year.)

If you could go forward in time and see your life 5 years from now, what would you hope to see? >> ---

Are there still movie rental stores where you live or have they all gone out of business? >> There’s one down the road from me, like a 10-minute walk. Family Video just refuses to go down without a fight, I guess. They jumped on the CBD bandwagon really fast, too -- revenue is revenue, I guess, lmao.

What was the last thing to annoy you or make you upset? >> When I realised I’d left my laptop and phone chargers in the motel room. *facepalm* Thank god for Amazon one-day shipping.

Do you think you would be a good match for your celebrity crush/es assuming you have one? Why? If you don’t have one, who was the last person you saw that you found attractive? >> There were a lot of attractive people at Elle’s wedding.

When looking for something to watch on TV do you tend to pick shows you know you like, or try new shows that look interesting even though you’ve never heard of them before? >> Either. Just depends on what I’m in the mood for.

Have you ever been ditched by someone only to find them out and about with someone else? >> No.

How old were you when you had your wisdom teeth removed? >> ---

What is the last song you sang out loud? >> I don’t remember.

Where was the last job application you filled out sent to? >> ---

Have you ever been fired from a job? >> No.

What do people tell you your voice sounds like? >> I don’t recall the last time anyone commented on my voice at all.

What financial class are you? >> Poverty class.

What poster is hanging closest to you? >> It’s not a poster, it’s an art print. It’s called “Heimdall” and that’s basically what it is, I guess. But very, very intricate and multilayered. One of those “stare at it for five hours and still see new things” kind of artwork.

What time did you go to bed last night? >> Sometime after midnight.

Do you watch any reality shows? >> Not regularly.

Are you more comfortable with men or women? >> ---

Do you think you’re fat? >> Sometimes I do. It’s all just societal bullshit, though, because I’m technically not fat (and it really shouldn’t even be a big deal if I was).

Have you ever borrowed money from someone and never repaid them? >> Probably.

Do you have a pet cat? >> Yeah.

What is worse: physical or emotional pain? >> I’m not going to rank one as “worse” than the other. Pain is pain.

If you had to get up at 6 AM tomorrow morning, would it be painful? >> Probably. It’s not my normal getting-up time.

How is your hair? >> Fine.

Who was the last person who called you? >> ---

How long does it take you to fall asleep at night? >> Not long, because I don’t go to bed until I feel good and sleepy.

How many people have you had strong feelings for in the year of 2012? >> You know what I had strong feelings for in 2012? Drugs.

What are you doing for your next birthday? >> I have no idea. Probably going to Chicago like usual, although the idea of going to Canada is still on the table if we can get passports by that time.

Would you go on a date with someone right now if they asked? >> Not unless it was explicitly understood that I am aromantic and this is a platonic outing.

Do you believe that if you want something bad enough, you’ll get it? >> Sometimes that narrative is fun to entertain.

Last movie you watched? >> The Nightingale.

Who were you with? >> Nobody.

Who came over last? >> ---

Have you ever wanted to be a ballet dancer? >> No.

Does your family keep tons of leftovers in the fridge? >> I do not.

Favourite FRIENDS character? That is, if you like it. >> ---

Skullcandy headphones, yay or nay? >> Yeah, I like them.

Are you thinking of getting another piercing? Where? >> No.

Do you love when people remember little things about you? >> Sure, it means people actually paid attention to me and cared enough to remember, which goes against some of my less helpful self-talk.

Do you ‘bless’ strangers when they sneeze? >> No.

How many phones have you gone through? >> Too many.

Have you always lived in the house you currently reside in? >> No.

Do you think your future will be a good one? >> ---

[obannthepunished]

uhhhhhh notes HURT WEEK im pains

"They call me eagle-eye fjord where i come from." "maybe raven. i dont know." that theory about Fjord being the Hawker is suspicious rn (Apparently theres a third i missed whoops) sam apparently similar thoughts maybe bc Nott brings it up

Jester finally teaching kiri basic phrases, like "go fuck yourself"

Beau + Fjord taking first watch

Caleb checking out the dodecahedron

(Unrelated odd point: i have a current dislike/distrust for liam, which is bullshit bc... i love liam. and caleb and vax. but apparently smt is wrong.)

Dodecahedron is Very Old, and has been shaped/polished Cay uses the haversack as a pillow

BEAU/FJORD Beau: "I think I messed up. I think I should apologise." I HURT? Oh beauregard. oh marisha. "i wanna try, I guess" F: I think he deserves that. He's been good to us. i regret not writing fic now 8(

"OOH, terrible" "YEP." "five" "five" (collective "ooh")

Nott + Jes second. they roll not great.

Tinkle tinkle "nnhnohfishnott"

Kiri is poofed up asleep aAW

trident goin for FRUMPKIN NOOO (pause whilst they look for range on dismissal)

Kiri wakes up "Go fuck yourself :("

Theyre waiting for fish head they could just reappear Frumpkin tho...

Jester is sacred flaming, Molly has a sword active + stabs, Caleb fire bolt, Nott fires an arrow, Fjord eldritch blast, Yasha stabby

Molly + Nott + Caleb miss Fjord hits, Beau hits, Yasha hits dunno bout jes

frumpkin poofs back but doesn't see anything else.

???? alarm lasts 8 hours, not until triggered yall it should still be up. they need to look up the spells smh

Nott messaging to tell yash to hide the bodies

LAst watch is Yash and Caleb i need to stop shortening names

Caleb asks Yasha for people advice :') He's writing it down... i love him Yashas advice is basically "Fucking Bathe" And cay confirms he keeps himself gross because people ignore him more that way 8( Baby

C: "Do you know what i miss? shaving." Y: "I could shave you right now with my sword. I've done it before, you know, to... not have hair on my arms-" Omg shes doing it omg theyre doing it omg I DONT HAVE TO DRAW FACIAL HAIR IN MY FANART ANY MORE FUCK <3333

cay forgets he has a dagger jesus fucking christ

i love everyone making comments + taliesins just amazed like, borderline heart eye emoji look at this whole scenario

M: (to Caleb) "Well done, she [yasha] likes you!"

Nott is Not Happy About Water N: I'LL STAY WITH KIRI everyone else: Convincing her to come N: I'll stay with kiri, and if there's any trouble... we'll see what happens

Fjord goes first, he sees, with his 60ft darkvision, architeture of room. mistly natural, some bits not.

Fjord botches his stealth roll but matt botches his perception even worse. and my thing crashed im so mad.

Fjord is Not a good swimmer. hes like. 30ft swimming speed. Things being left: Caleb's books (2) Molly's coat

travis willingham going "kiris gotta die" then dragging everyone who gasped through the dirt

beau gets fucking 37 on her stealth check Matt: "That's some vax numbers right there!"

The visual aid is... so extra. lights. smoke. what the fuck matthew. (note: when ur best friend is called matthew this is a phrase you say too much)

Surprise round for erryone but Molly and Yasha (purrsonally, i think they were too busy talking abt how beautiful cay is now ;3c)

everyone rolled shite for initiative tho

Caleb casting haste on molly O:

Fjord is very very adept at everything

everyone on crit role can do maths better than me 8(

the marrow fuck beau and fjord royally

watching call lightning forming + marishas face as she slowly realises :)

jes gets the first hdywtdt + crushes a fish with a lollipop

Caleb is taking blind potshots with the glove of blasting boyy. One even hits!

moll gets 3 attacks i love my beautiful devil child

N: Are you guys alive and do you need anything? you can reply to this message~ C: FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFUCK N: oh,, alright.

Taliesin's relief when ashley actually hits is very good.

Beau goes down! D:

hi unrelated taliesin sticking his tongue out at sam fills me with indescribable joy

NEW: Horny twink gets double penetrated by feisty wet ones.

... which is to say two fish dudes stab molly.

Jes heals Beau, but we all know fine fucking well if she hadn't, Yasha would have done it on her next turn. still might since she's only on 11

Cay using dispel magic O:

Molly gets the second hdywtdt "I'm literally just a windmill at this point"

FJORD gets the third F: "I see Molly loojin' around, give him a little wink-" (murders) M: Fucking arsehole F: (witty comment) PEACE OUT (blinks out again)

"Sevens are scary" - Taliesin

Yash gets the next hdywtdt Xorhasian Neck Tie Jesus christ

I was right tho Yasha was seriously considering healing beau, it just takes her action

Two more fishfucks 8(

More call lightning

Sams flask says "lost my best friend over a bowl" and that hurtie

caleb is boutta die. Yasha is boutta die first lmao oh no. i love taliesin jaffe an inhuman amount. Yash gets pulled OVER beau and marisha makes like grabby hand motions which is VERY cute

ok NOW caleb boutta die. he Shield's, and then fragments "Caleb will remember this"

Beau looks at Yasha, looks at Caleb, and goes to CALEB (sobs) blasts a ki point and everything

Molly gets a nat 20 oh he's such a babe

Nott spending her turn justifying herself to Kiri

Fjord blinks back in and fucks up ANOTHER fishfuck

Yasha casting healing hands on HERSELF good.

"You dont have a printout of your character sheet????" "Oh yeah I do after you asked me nine times" liam wh

both yash and caleb are at ONE hp

B, spening her last ki point: HEYCALEBWESHOULDTALKLATER

Beau gets the HDYWTDT tho

Molly is Very Sick from losing haste

Caleb goes the fuck down Fails his first save

everytime tal says "im gonna try something weird"  i heart eyes emoji shame he cant do jack fuck though

Nott Burning Bolt shoots the fishfuck for 24 damage jeeeeez doesnt die but drops lightning

Fjord: (appears, fails, disappears)

if Caleb permadeaths i WILL cry

PLEASE YASHA PLEASE GOD JESTER PLEASE THEY KILL IT IM CRYING SO HARD no like literally i am actually crying bc matt very deliberately did that so that he didnt kill Caleb

Jester uses her pearl of power to regain a slot, and use it to cast prayer of healing for SHIT rolls.

Jester goes back to Kiri <333 baby. baby bird.

Matt mercer keeps using words ive only ever seen written and im ALWAYS ???? about their pronunciation

Fjord finds some L00t Like boxes and longswords and a pool of water with dozens of metallic objects mostly outlawed diety symols. changebringer moonweaver. others i forgot. stormlord. everlight. asmodeus ooh, bane strife emperor. and tiamat.

"a little black bird that's fluttering to try and get dry" fuck thats so damn cute. Marisha has the :D face

Calebs books are dry

wooden box + pool are magic. like. WITHIN.

Enchantment in the box. Molly collecting the moonweaver pieces

JESTER FINDS TWO SYMBOLS FOR THE TRAVELLER? HOLY SHIT Different make, pure silver one, burnished bronze another door arch with the road

Molly gets 12-13 symbols

Nott mage hands just so good even drunk

in the box is a blade, gold, jewel encrusted Molly shoves Nott aside to get it cause its a scimitar style

Caleb finds the arch-heart symbol? Takes one

Yasha takes 4 symbols for the storm god.

Bane/strife emperor symbol Fjord is curious about chained coffin he throws it into the pool. nothing happens.

JEster goes to pll it out and gets a big catseye yellow gem,  magical, but not a school of arcane magic. it has a line groove in it, very deliberate, an oval.

"something about that [orb] is very familiar"??? (Matt to Travis)

i was right about the orb being familiar

C: (abt the gold sword) This blade is called Summer's Dance C: "Mr. Mollymauk," M: "Mr. Caleb."

Blade allows user to cast Blink basically, and is stronk

official-europa replied to your post: uhhhhhh notes HURT WEEK im pains “They...

i think its probably misty step and not blink 

official-europa replied to your post: uhhhhhh notes HURT WEEK im pains “They...

on the sword i mean

caleb tries to ID the orb

fjord touches it "sky is moonlit + cloudless, clothes not your own, nor body, overcoat + human skin. thick calloused skin. left hand stone. look down, see body of previous owner, dead in blood. natural landmass seawater night. flash. right hand grasps falchion. voice booms. potential. jams the stone into gut, cCONSUME. vanishes into belly. looks into water. REWARD." "Vandrin."

i dont kn ow what the fuck is going on.??? everyone else sees this o shit

oh shit is the eye the symbol of Fjord's patron?

"he was my mentor, a captain of mine. a man named Vandrin." Y: What happened to Vandrin? F: I'm not sure. he captained the ship i worked on for many years, and their was an incident. an explosion, terrible weather, waves, "i was knocked overboard" when f woke up he was back on shore

"how did you survive" "I'm not entirely sure."

explosion was sabotage.

the pool is saltwater.

Molly shoves Fjord's head into the water

comes up "You okay???" "Do it again" "Tap three times when you're done!" Fjord drowns

they take as much as possible up and out and decide to dynamite everything in. dramatic exit..

They take the bodies down and lay them in the swamp to rest and decompose.

Beau tries to pull Caleb aside and he just stonewalls her until she actually apologises.

Caleb "I give beauregard a hug and say 'idont know what im doing. just. go with it." BEau very AWKWARDLY hugs him back Beau consulting Fjord, Caleb consulting Yasha The entire other side of the table clapping.

Beau: UH. GOOD TALK. FRIEND. (awkward silence) Beau: Seriously though. Friend? (pause) Caleb: Uh. Ja. (brb dying)

there is a single yellow eye on the hilt of the falchion.

episode END