#i have never related to a character more than riz

[conderkyl]

Riz going crazy trying to keep his friend group together is the biggest mood

[mytholinerd]

I have never related to Riz more closely than this season, not because of any academic or character reasons.

But because I’m currently trying to figure out what the mystery for this season is going to be

SO FAR WE GOT

- the rat crushes

- GRIX (100% not made by the well known chaotic of Author augefort somethings going on there)

- the festival and the embezzlement.

- ALSO KALINA and as we know cats don’t like rats.

- there was also the thing that pierced Cassandra I’m not sure what’s going on there.

Eventually I’ll get all these clues together somehow.

[greatestwizardofthisage]

assigning each of the bad kids a taylor swift era because i am feeling deprived of tswift content now that she's on break from the eras tour

Kristen: Fearless. I can't even explain why, but to me that album is just so sunny and in my mind it fits Kristen perfectly. I think maybe it's because Fearless was one of the first album I ever really loved, then when I was older the rerecording is what got me back into tswift and I can totally see Kristen going through a similar journey with it where maybe she loves it as a kid but then stops listening to it as she distances herself from her childhood/family, only to fall in love with it again later on. Also I feel like the country vibes fit her well. (She would also LOVE betty but she would pretend it's a lesbian anthem)

Gorgug: Ok this feels controversial but he's a Lover stan. I just fully belive that to his core Gorgug is a lover not a hater and he would un ironically love Lover. Like to me that album is all about having gone through some bad shit and choosing to only carry forward the best of it? And that fits with my perception of Gorgug. ALSO the end of afterglow 'I want to be defined by the things that I love, not the things that I hate, or the things that haunt me in the middle of the night' just feels very Gorgug coded to me dont ask me why. However if you've seen any of my other posts about music and the bad kids you know that I wholeheartedly believe Gorgug loves all music so I think he'd be hard pressed to choose a favourite album.

Riz: Midnights. And not just because this kid never sleeps. Bassically I really couldn't decide which album he would listen to because none of them really fit, but then I started thinking about specific lyrics and I think Midnights has the most that he could relate to. I mean 'no one wanted to play with me as a little kid so I've been scheming like a criminal ever since' is about him. You can't change my mind. I do think though that Riz is definitely more invested in all the easter eggs and firguring out which album is coming next over actually listening to her music. Like he would for sure be among the first to figure out all her clues.

Fabian: 1989 and Folklore. I fully to the bottom of my heart belive that until his sophmore year Fabian would exclusivly be listening to pop music, sea shanties, and weird elven music. So obviously he would love the greatest pop album ever made. He wouldn't listen to Folklore until post sophmore character development. Also he would For Sure learn the choreography for the dance in the background of Dress on the Rep tour and recreat it perfectly using his sheet.

Fig: Speak Now. I mean do I even need to explain this? It's the perfect album for Fig. It's the kind of thing she would have loved when she was in her Preppy Cheerleader phase, but it has just enough of that pop punk influence that I feel like she could still appreciate it when she's older. I feel like she would definitly take issue with some of the misogynistic lyrics used in some of the songs, and would be all for the lyric change in Better Than Revenge. Also as I've mentioned many times before, Fig would love Paramore, and would LOVE Castles Crumbling. Like you're going to sit here and tell me that lines like 'They used to cheer when they saw my face, Now I fear I have fallen from grace' + 'Their faith was strong, but I pushed it too far, I held that grudge 'til it tore me apart' + 'Ones I loved tried to help, so I ran them off, And here I sit alone, behind walls of regret' + 'People look at me like I'm a monster, Now they're screaming at the palace front gates, used to chant my name, Now they're screaming that they hate me, Never wanted you to hate me' weren't written by Figueroth Faeth? I also just think songs like Never Grow Up and Long Live would perfectly fit with her not so secret sentimental streak.

Adaine: Evermore and Folklore. I think theres just a sort of elegence to these albums that really reminds me of Adaine. I also think theres so much vulnerability in them and a lot of the songs touch on feelings of not being good enough for others (mirrorball, tolerate it, this is me trying, right where you left me) that I think she could relate to not from a romantic relationship standpoint but from all the expectations placed on her by her parents. I also think that although these are probably the most low key of tswifts albums, they have some good angry songs (no body no crime, illicit affairs, mad woman) that she would definitly love. But yeah this is mostly based on aesthetics. Evermore and Folklore were albums written with a quill and Adaine is the kind of girl to appreciate this.

[jq37]

On the one hand, the Kids used up a lot of higher level spell slots and resources in this one, so skipping a boss battle was a very good thing. On the other hand, Final Form Baron looked pretty rad. Could've been fun. And I wish we could've gotten a better look at the mini for the Gilear-That-Never-Was. Anyway, great episder. I love these more elaborate Encounter episodes, where it's not just an arena, but also a dungeon or there's alternate win conditions other than kill everyone.

No recap this week because I was out of town (not that much happened plot-wise so I'll roll it into the recap for next episode) but I thought this episode was awesome! One of my favorite episodes of D20 and probably my fave battle episode ever. Like you said, it's great when a battle ep is more than just a slug fest. This had exploration and hidden roles and a fetch quest element. So fun! And everyone had such great moments! Since I'm not doing a full recap for this ep, I'll drop some highlights here:

-GORGUG!!!!! Or really, Zac with an assist from Emily. I had to replay his womping of Brennan like four more times before I continued the episode. What a legend. I totally forgot he had that ability so I was just as caught off guard as Brennan.

-Lou, king of commitment to the bit morphing into Baron to a horrified Adaine and outraged Siobhan was another easy episode highlight. I love Adaine insisting that she's SO nice to Riz and her, "What are you TALKING about????" It was such a fun moment and a great way to change the stakes and keep everyone on guard.

-Adaine was so cool this episode! Sure she got possessed (also very fun) but Kristen came in clutch yanking her out of it and then she immediately used a super sick spell (which according to the AP, she took specifically to get Kipperlilly, lol) and merced Baron before he could touch Riz (she *IS* so nice to Riz). Then, she one-shot fake-Zayn! Battle Wizard! Battle Wizard! Absolutely love that for her.

-This arena was totally made for Riz. It's so great when you're absolutely in your element and your build gets rewarded. This is the first time I've even considered playing a rogue. They're SO GOOD at high levels.

-Poor Fig but, "I would like to roll...a new character" was such a funny line. Also, girl why are you eating the cursed cottage cheese (or whatever it is)? You were JUST told not to do that and Adaine JUST broke the curse on you!!!

-There is something disturbingly endearing about Kalina snapping her own neck rather than attack the party--similar to how it's endearing that Cass tried her best to make a save haven for the group even though she was being corrupted and it came out wrong. Wrt Kalina only being able to say Ragh's name, there are some loose ends from Sophomore Year in the back of my mind that I haven't been able to check on because I've been AFK for the past few days but I wouldn't be surprised if they're related somehow.

-I also wish they'd showed us the thriving Gilear mini in the AP at least.

Anyway! Very fun episode and the Bad Kids have all this useful infernal energy to play with now. Stoked to see what they do with it!

[tenaciousdecapitator]

I’m not sure if this has already been discussed in the Dimension 20 fandom before, but one part of Fantasy High Sophomore Year’s story that I find genuinely interesting is Riz Gukgak’s unknowing creation of, and subsequent encounters with, ‘Baron from the Baronies’. What starts as a simple ‘Girlfriend from Canada’ type lie from a somewhat explicitly AroAce character trying to fit in with his Allo friends later manifests into a vengeful nightmare entity of personified Amatonormativity. Its creator’s vague description forming a eerily blank creature who wants nothing more than to be his true “Romaence Partnaer”. This symbolism is reinforced later, when Riz ventures into the Forest of the Nightmare King, in which Baron summons mirror illusions of Riz’s friends enjoying their own romantic and sexual relationships. Brennan delivers this especially devastating line that summarizes a lot of Aro and/or Ace folk’s internalized fears and worries: "The years will go by, and everyone will find someone that matters more to them than you."  Riz, through a clutch Wisdom roll, manages to rationalize this worry away, but is hit hard by the next illusion: His parents’ wedding reception. Watching them dance together, sharing a unique joy that he will never have the chance to experience, metaphorically cuts him deep. Replace the illusion mirror with a VCR player and TV, and I’ve been in Riz’s situation before. I find it impressive that Brian Murphy and Brennan Lee Mulligan, both Alloromantic, managed to craft this small side-story in the campaign that somewhat accurately portrays a lot of internalized doubts and fears that Aromantic and Asexual people experience. Much like how Critical Role’s Caduceus Clay is an excellent AroAce character through his relaxed yet proud view on his preference against relationships, Riz Gukgak showcases a more subdued and conflicted stance on his identity that nevertheless strikes an important and relatable chord.  

[nclkafilms]

When all leaves are lost

(Review of ‘The Father’)

*Warning: contains minor spoilers*

Having just lost my grandmother, who suffered with increasing dementia throughout her last years, it was with a mix of excitement and grief that I pressed play on Florian Zeller’s ‘The Father’. Zeller has adapted his own play ‘Le Père’ from 2012. The language and location has been changed to English and London, and apparently this was because Zeller always has had his eyes set on Anthony Hopkins to play the lead in the film version. Seeing the film, you understand why; Hopkins is at the heart of this experimenting and brutally honest depiction of dementia and what this disease does to both loved ones and especially the person, who suffers from it. Add to that, that Zeller succeeds in what neither ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ nor ‘One Night in Miami’ fully did: releasing itself from its theatrical ancestry and becoming a full-blown cinematic experience.

At this point in my reviews, I typically go through the main plot lines of the film, but that is neither easy nor meaningful when it comes to ‘The Father’. Florian Zeller uses Hopkins’ Anthony (named after the actor to underline Zeller’s determination to get him onboard) as an unreliable narrator. A narration style that can be both confusing and annoying but also compelling and fascinating. Here it ends up being both and I am absolutely certain that this is deliberate from Zeller, who uses the narration style to give us an experience of the frustrations, confusion and anxiety caused by dementia. Slightly spoiling the experience, I have to applaud Zeller for his daring choices of not only scrambling the order of the scenes but also switching the actors from scene to scene. At first it mainly frustrates as you struggle to realise what is going on and what is reality, but the deeper we get into the film (and, thus, into the mind and mental state of Anthony), it also broadens our perspectives and heightens the film experience. 

This is - perhaps more than anything - thanks to a tour de force performance from the British veteran, Hopkins, who at the age of 83 feels more alive and better than ever. He infuses Anthony with life and a realism, which - having just experienced the disease intimately - was breathtaking in the word’s truest form. I have to admit that the range showed by Hopkins during the little more than 90 minutes shocked me. He manages to capture both the relieving moments of humour and gratitude, the sudden bursts of resentment and subtle, yet hurtful comments, and the vulnerability of losing track of every single aspect of your existence, with devastating precision and heart. While I am full of appreciation for Riz Ahmed’s work in ‘Sound of Metal’ and Chadwick Boseman’s in ‘Ma Rainey’ in particular, I have to say that Anthony Hopkins gives the performance of the year for me - without close competition. This is a master at work and it will be hard to find a better performance from Hopkins when looking back at his glorious filmography. He captivated me for 85 minutes before releasing me in the final minutes of the film, where I admittedly burst into tears not only moved by his heartbreaking performance but also as he had me reminiscing the last years with my grandmother.

The supporting cast is small (one remnant from its theatrical source) and confusing due to the fact that we are never really fully certain what their roles and relations to Anthony are. The one, who shines brightest is the ever so talented Olivia Colman as Anthony’s daughter, who despite caring immensely for her father is struggling with finding the surplus energy to keep looking after him. Colman always guarantees top quality acting and as Anne she makes no exception. Where she surprised Hollywood with her showy and over-the-top performance as Queen Anne in 2018′s ‘The Favourite’ securing her a well-deserved Oscar, she is much more quiet, subtle and timid here. She embodies the emotions of love, hurt and despondency as someone who can only observe the slow disappearance of a loved one. What she does here is the exact opposite of showy acting, but it is nonetheless of the highest order adding another perspective to Anthony’s disease and its influence on the people surrounding him. In further supporting roles Mark Gatiss and Rufus Sewell creates an appalling yet understandable male character who slides in and out of Anthony’s conscience, while Olivia Williams and especially Imogen Poots as Anthony’s newest helper adds further emotional power to the story.

One of the main reasons why Zeller succeeds so well in transforming his play into a cinematic experience is the masterful production design. While limited to more or less one location, the art directors and set designers have managed to create a clever, intricate labyrinth constantly changing the layout and interior design of the flat. This stroke of genius not only creates an interesting visual experience but also adds to the confusion caused by the unreliable narrator. The cinematography and editing also play important parts in this process by framing the locations in the same ways and structuring the chaotic story line respectively. I reckon that the technical aspects of the film will be overshadowed by both other films and the majestic nature of Hopkins’ performance, but with a less imaginative production design, a less observing cinematography and a less daring editing style, I am positive that the theatricality of the film would have taken something away from the experience.

At the helm of it all stands Florian Zeller, who not only debuts as a film director but also as a feature film screenplay writer. His vision is both clear and daring, and I have to applaud the way in which he manages to create a film that respects both its subject and his loved ones equally. It would have been easy to end up with an unlikeable lead due to the often unfiltered and biting nature of people suffering from dementia. Instead, Zeller opens up Anthony’s world and invites us inside by frustrating and confusing us as viewers. Not to fully grasp  the incomprehensible but to give us a glimpse of it, a realisation of the many emotions of losing touch with where you are, what things are and ultimately who you are yourself. Thus, revealing the powerlessness felt by everyone affected by dementia either personally or through a loved one. Here are no easy solutions, no short cuts and no Hollywood ending. Instead we are given a ruthless film about a ruthless disease.

4,5/5

[ihavelovednone]

what do you think will happen with miguel in season 4?

Thanks for the question! This is gonna be a long one ‘cause I don’t have the ability to keep it short.

This is really hard to answer because honestly, I don't know. This season had many great aspects but I found it to also be really messy. To say the least. I had a harder time following all of the storylines this season, more so than previous ones. 

On one hand I think Elgin James wanted to get rid of what he saw as dead weight from season two. It's about making storytelling more concentrated to a few specific people. Elgin James got rid of some people to move the plot forward, that’s clear but I think some were to compress time for the story he actually wanted tell.

Elgin James got rid of both SOA-members and Mayans from other charters to concentrate his universe to a smaller group of people. He also removed Palomo by having Adelita kill her. He got rid of Palo - who was a great villain - by having his own sister kill him - and with that there was a closure to the David and Taza storyline and a path towards an ending to the Riz storyline. He had Antonia move away and gave an answer to why fans believed that she and Bishop had a relationship. And also, the ones relating to your question, and the biggest conundrum of them all, he might've gotten rid of the Galindo family.

This is where I come to on the other hand. Honestly, I'm not sure that's where Elgin James is going. I have trouble understanding why they'd remove Miguel when nothing's really resolved there about his mother's death or the possibility of him being the brother of Angel and EZ. Then there's the Emily and Miguel storyline that hasn't really been resolved either - at least not in my eyes. It's also weird if Elgin James casts Miguel aside and replaces him with the other cartel leader. Was he called the Gardener or something?

This is really hard to answer. I mean, Miguel can't continue living in Santo Padre, or even in the U.S. if he's wanted by FBI, DEA - you name it. Unless they play the whole, they couldn't find anything on him-card. Which I wouldn't mind. Or perhaps he gets a really good lawyer and the charges are dropped. That could also work.

I would love to see Miguel try and fight to get Emily back - which is weird 'cause I despise toxic romcoms a la The Notebook where a guy can't take no for an answer. But (despite my stance on that issue) I really want it. It doesn't really fit into the show since it's not a romantic drama, but I think we need a bit of that in between all of the violence and darkness - and I think that’s a behavior he’d display. I also want them to fight about who gets what and Emily threatening to go public with information she's got about him. Ultimately I don’t want them back together - he’s toxicity personified - but I want both him and Emily to stay on the show. 

Miguel had and still has, in some aspects, the possibility to be a great ally or villain to the Mayans. Without him they’re not getting any heroine. And if the new rising cartel has gone into a deal with the others - well, then Miguel might be needed to keep Bishop’s crew afloat. I don’t know how though.

I also want him to be Filipe’s son because I want to see him interact with Filipe, Angel and EZ. He had no one after his mother died so that could be really interesting - not to mention finding out EZ is the one who killed her, and that they’re brothers. There’s so much potential. Think about all the funny comments that might come of out of Angel.

I’m not sure you got your question answered with this long post. But I hope so. Danny Pino is wonderful as Miguel Galindo and I think he has a huge fanbase that will disappear if he’s not in season 4 and since the ratings aren’t that great, it would be a crime not to let him continue on. Plus, there’s so much to explore about his character. I want more background story, which we’ve never really gotten much of, and future stories with Emily and his relation to the Reyes.

Maybe someone out there have some other ideas of Miguel in season 4?

[sand-rose]

This is super late, but I finally got around to thinking about my answers to Magia Rapport. Between life in general and the announcement of the EN server closing I just didn't feel like doing it before. But I did want to participate so better late than never, I guess!

Day 1: If you could give advice to a new player, what would that advice be? If you could restart the game from the beginning, what would you do differently this time?

Oh boy, does that question hit different now. Well... For a new player, I would say save your gems as much as possible for the fate weaves you really want to pull for. Try to decide what girls you really want, and how many slots you want to try to get for them. I was maybe 80% f2p. I managed to get quite a few limited girls I wanted by saving up, and even though most of them only have one slot that was perfectly fine with me because I just really liked the character. As for restarting the game, I am restarting on JP, and this time I decided I'm going to go my own pace. I'll still play every day to get those bonuses and dailies done, but I'm not too worried about catching up to where JP is in the story or farming for materials. I'll probably only do the story portions of events, and I'm going to try to cut my playing time compared to how long I play the EN version every day. I want to get back to doing other things, and even if I haven't felt like writing or drawing lately because of personal reasons, the game's become a larger part of my daily routine than I intended it to be.

Day 2: What was your favorite event, and why? Is it because of gameplay or the story?

The Tart Magica events will always be my favorites because I just really love the spinoff series. The fact that I got to see the characters animated and hear them speak just makes me smile. I also really liked the map layout for those events.

Day 3: What is your proudest achievement in the game? Is it a character you got from a fate weave? Is it a moment you defeated a really difficult event? Did you get a high ranking in mirrors?

My proudest achievement would be managing to get all the Tart Magica characters. I didn't get Tart or Riz their first run and was so disappointed. So I made sure to save up just for a rerun of their banners and when it came back around I got Tart, and I did have to spend a bit IRL money for Riz but it wasn't too much and I felt it was worth it. Another moment would be when I made S class in ranked mirrors 2nd and 3rd rounds. I was having awful luck this last time especially but thanks to @muffinrecord 's advice I managed to make it!

Day 4: What is your favorite memoria in the game and why? Is it because it's unexpectedly good? Do you like the artwork? Is it the flavor text that stands out to you?

My favorite memoria would be I Made Friends!. Not only is it such a good passive memoria with great effects but I just really like the art too. I always liked seeing Kako, Felicia, and Ayame's interactions in the story and events because these girls have been through so much in their lives, before and after becoming Magical Girls, and it's nice to see them just being kids and playing together. Two close seconds are Hopes Combined and Our Backs Together. They're my two favorite groups of characters and the flavor text really speaks of their bonds and how strong they are together. And the artwork is just cool!

Day 5: What character do you identify with the most? Why is that? Do you have a favorite quote or moment from them?

There's a few characters that really remind me of myself. I have social anxiety like Seika, though it's not nearly as severe. I mostly keep to myself and a few close people like Konoha did. I have a hard time expressing myself to others like Ren. And Tsuruno... When we learned everything she was dealing with and how she tried her best to keep smiling and taking care of everyone else's problems, that definitely struck a chord with me.

Day 6: What character has your favorite wish? Do you think it's the best wish or is it something close to what you would wish for if you could?

I had to think about this one, but in the end I think Mitama's wish is my favorite. It's just very interesting to me. We know growing up in Daito Ward is... not that great. The class difference is bad enough, and I relate to her on that level from growing up in a similar situation. Then to get that chance to have a brighter future, better education taken from you due to circumstances out of your control (in my case money, in hers rumors leading to a ruined reputation)... Of course she would be devastated. Furious, even. In her eyes, Kamihama took her future away from her, so why not wish to take Kamihama's future away in retaliation? Her wish to have the power to destroy Kamihama is a powerful one, and she harbored it since making the contract, hiding her true thoughts from everyone and playing neutral as Coordinator. But the thing is when she made this wish, it WAS granted, though not in the way she thought. When the time came for her to choose a side between the Kamihama Magical Girls and the Magius, she very easily could have chosen to side with the Magius. If she had, that would have been the end of Kamihama. She was a key character during the final battles. She distributed grief seeds, shared vital information, looked after injured girls. If she hadn't been on the Kamihama Magical Girls' side, they would have lost. That was her opportunity to fulfill her own wish, but she didn't take it. During her time as Coordinator she met and became friends with so many Magical Girls, and came to see Kamihama was full of good people too. She turned her back on her own wish to help those that had shown her kindness and friendship and I think that's fascinating.

Day 7: What moment, concept, or character makes you happiest from the game? Why is this?

I think what makes me happiest about the game is that they went for a completely different tone from Madoka Magica... I was so surprised as we went through the story and it was a pretty light-hearted story of found family and friendships with some slice of life thrown in. I love Madoka Magica so much, and the truth about the Magical Girl system was so shocking when I first watched it. It explored so much in so little time, and seeing the girls struggle to survive the system was intense. But I always wondered if more Magical Girls had teamed up to fight Walpurgisnacht, could they have defeated her? And I got my answer in Magia Record. The game focuses on all these unique characters, who still have struggles of their own due their lives and their contracts, but they're not alone. They have teams, other Magical Girl friends, and there's this sense of community between them. And when they all banded together they were able to take down one of the most powerful witches known to Magical Girls. It's a wholesome spin on the Madoka Magica series, and I am here for it!

[conderkyl]

I have never related to a character more than Riz Gukgak in this latest episode holy shit

[titanias-stolen-shoes]

More Fantasy High AtLA AU

Ayda is a firebender

Obviously

I genuinely wanted to make Ayda the previous incarnation of the avatar bc she’s powerful and awesome

But then that would mean she and Fig never meet and I can’t do that to them

Instead she’s King Bumi’s (Arthur’s) daughter from the fire nation who grew up criticized for being a fire bender in an earth kingdom

It got worse once firebenders attacked their kingdom

She practiced her firebending on her own, and kept up the kingdom’s library

She still doesn’t really have a relationship with Arthur

I mean technically Arthur’s there but he’s still, ya know, Arthur he’s got a bunch of other stuff in his field of vision and she never really asked for attention

When the Kristen, Riz, and Adaine got there for the first time she’s not really seen but she notices them immediately

When all the Bad Kids make their way to kingdom, a lot of Compass Points stuff happens

Ayda and Adaine hit it off immediately

Transitive best friends endear her to Fig

She comes with them because they ask and being in the kingdom makes her sad

Tbh the reason Ayda isn’t the teacher is because we need Fabian to join

Ragh is an earthbender

He absolutely does the illegal ring fights

He doesn’t win all the time but he absolutely loved to watch

He knew Gorgug from Gorgug’s trips to the city from his village

Gorgug’s parents are some of the best mechanics in the region

He actually had a crush on him, but let it out in the form of anger (as he did in season one)

Gorgug really helped him start to realize why he was such a shit, but his earthbending teacher Jawbone is what really helped him out

He helps out the Bad Kids when they’re in the area and grows to love them so much he follows when Gorgug joins

Tracker is a waterbender from the swamplands

Do not @ me we all know Kristen would fall head over heels for swampland Tracker

Specifically the swamplands with strong spiritual connections

Her bending is wicked strong at night and still a force to be reckoned with during the day

Tracker helped them out because it’s the right thing to do and also the avatar is there

She came there as a kid after getting kicked out by her mom

She was meant to stay with her uncle Jawbone but got lost on the way and called into the swamp

She joins in order to find him because she remembers him being a wonderful person (she’s absolutely right)

Zelda is a non-bender, but she comes from a family of fighters

Initially they were trained to be Capital Guards of the Earth Kingdom, but her family moved away after the war to settle

They still keep up the practices Just In Case and for Fun

Zelda and Gorgug know each other because his parents are also blacksmiths and help out with weapons

They’re very awkward around each other, but once he met the others and they helped him get over his nervousness, he asked her out and they’ve been together ever since

She can’t come with because her family has been found and is being coerced into serving the guard again

She says it’s an honor but they all know she’d much rather be with him

Penelope, Dayne, and Biz make up for Azula-Mai-Ty Lee search-and-destroy squad

I still stand by Aelwen taking the Azula character arc, but more in relation to Adaine than the search of the Avatar

Not much to say here other than none of them get redemption arcs

Coach Daybreak is Admiral Zhao it just occurred to me so I had to put it in

I’m trying to place Goldenhorde and my instinct is to make him a dragon (like a dead one) but I also know he was a big bad and thus important

One of the spirits? Idk shoot me an ask if you have ideas

[monster-bait]

(1/3) So, I'd read Girl's Weekend a while back and enjoyed it immensely, but I didn't realize there were a whole bunch of related posts like the wintery and haunted royales and inspiration and character asks. One thing led to another and I just had to reread Girl's Weekend and the oneshots with this new knowledge and just... it's so good! I love the repeated lines (Are we both consenting adults?/Are you lost?) and how they change meaning over the course of the story.

(2/3) I ejoyed the theme of overcoming insecurity and reassurance in Lurielle and Khash's story. And I really relate to the struggle Silva has between what she wants and what is expected of her. And Tate! I'm a sucker for trickster characters, and he's giving Silva space to be herself and just 😍 He's still an asshole though lol. Tbh I kind of dismissed Riz as a party girl on my first read, but I'm still /very/ glad she's found Ainsley.

(3/3) Thank you so much for writing it ❤ I adore the story and how fleshed out all the characters are. I can't wait to read Parties! (but plz take as much time as you need to write!!!)

AAAAAAaaaaaaaAAAAAA, thank you so much!!! You have no idea how much messages like this mean to me! I really love these characters, far more than I thought I would when I wrote the main story last October! When I started it then, it was the fulfillment of a silly prompt I came up with when discussing ideas with a friend, I never imagined that idea would have spawned a full novella, and everything that’s come since. Tate & Silva’s story would be a full novel if I actually wrote it all out, and has completely taken on a life of its own in my head. It means a lot to hear that there are people who love this series as much as I do!

If you’ve not already, please sign up for publication updates...I haven’t decided what I’m going to do with GW yet, but I’ll announce it here when I do! 

Thanks again for dropping me such a lovely note...I generally tag all character posts, so if you check  #tate or #khash and bluebell, you’ll find different asks thst I’ve answered! 💖💖💖

[theanimeview]

Theory: Anz is the 8th Guardian Witch of the Wind!

By: Peggy Sue Wood | @peggyseditorial​

OKAY... It’s Halloween, the spookiest day of the year, so I decided to write about one of my current favorite manhwa series that features witches while also remaining not-scary. This is also a series I highly recommend and if Halloween is my vessel to serve you this manhwa, then so be it! Coincidentally, it’s also Saturday, the day ANZ (the favorite I’m alluding to) usually releases, Chapter 55 is probably going to drop on Toomics.com any minute (Link) if it hasn’t already and I am HYPED.

ANZ is a series I started reading right when it came out on Toomics, and ever since then I’ve had this thought... Anz (our aptly named, blue haired protagonist shown above) is the next Witch of the Wind. He, our title-character, is the one who will succeed Cecile, the former Witch of the Wind. Though, there are a bunch of characters in the series saying he’s not the heir--particularly because Iliya, a girl about the same age as Anz, is claiming to be the heir--I am 99.99% sure that Anz is the true heir.

The odds that I’m right might not look so great, but hear me out anyway, because I think there is a compelling argument for Anz to be our Witch. SPOILERS, by the way (if that wasn’t clear before)...

At the start of the story, we learn that there are a select group of special witches called Guardian Witches who are all deeply connected through their magic even if they are not emotionally close. We learn this through the prologue chapter of the series as three of the guardian witches begin to cry over Cecile’s death, despite some of them having never met her or having no understanding as to what is going on. For example, Mule Grace, the youngest of the established Guardian Witches seen thus far, begins crying and asks why she’s doing so despite nothing going on presently to make her do so. Opera, one of the other Guardian Witches shown to be crying, tells one of the people around her that she and, by extension, the other Guardian Witches are crying not out of sadness or personal grief over Cecile’s death but because their bond as Guardians Witches transcends their individual feelings. She can’t help it and neither can any of the others. 

Cecile’s death, the death of a Guardian Witch, is thereby marked by the other Guardian witches crying. Despite a handful of other characters appearing beyond the witches, only one other person seen crying during this time, apart from the Guardian Witches, is our title character, Anz (seen below).

Of course he would be crying. After all, Cecile was like an adoptive mother to him in addition to being his mentor, guardian, and caretaker. She trained him in combat, made sure to help him work through moments when he lost control of his blood-based power that wrecks his mind, as well as provide him with important life lessons and social skills. All of which allows us to make the assumption that their relationship was similar to an apprenticeship and found family as the series progresses. This could explain his crying, but then why are we only shown him and three other Guardian Witches crying? Cecile had other people she was close with--friends and members of her knights that were also like found-family. So, again, why are we only shown Anz in this chapter where we learn of Cecile’s death? 

By featuring Anz as the only other person crying in the opening chapter that depicts the death of a Guardian Witch and by placing so much focus on it through their introduction of the three other Guardian Witches with no one else, we are given our first hint to Anz being Cecile’s heir. 

Next, we have his apprentice-like relationship to Cecile. It would make sense for him to be the heir to her power as Mule Grace comments that each of the Guardian Witches normally takes on an apprentice when they are preparing for death. They slowly pass their powers over to their heir over time and that helps make the chosen heir the next Guardian Witch. 

In the prologue, Riz Abramelin, the Second Witch of Frost and the Guardian Witch of Kelren, speculates that Cecile may not have had a chance to choose an heir. Cecile was the Seventh Witch of the Wind and has apparently died young for a Guardian Witch. However, I find it unlikely that Cecile left this world without choosing an heir--and not just because Iliya claims to have been chosen by her. It would make sense that Cecile had chosen an heir to her role and that the heir would be Anz given their close relationship. (Side note, from what I can tell, a Guardian Witch’s number is their literal number in the role’s line, hence Riz is the second witch of frost, Mule Grace is the fourth witch of strength, Cecile was the seventh Witch of the Wind, etc...). (Another side note, if a Witch does not choose an heir, than a new heir rises naturally over time.)

The only known rival to Anz being the heir is Iliya, the “supposed” inheritor of Cecile’s guardian role. However, Iliya isn’t introduced until several chapters later and, in our meeting of her, we do not learn of her ever crying in the same moment as the other witches despite the bond being established as transcendent between both chosen heirs and the current Guardian Witches (we know that heirs are included because Mule Grace, an heir, cries too). 

One may argue that Iliya isn’t seen crying because she had yet to undergo her “Second Awakening,” which is when the status as a Guardian Witch is made clear through the awakening of their true powers, but if that was the case then Mule Grace wouldn’t have cried either since her second awakening happens much later in the work. One could also argue that we don’t see her crying because she had yet to be introduced as a character, but this event transpired during the prologue that too would not make sense. 

With this in mind, what standing does Iliya have to claim herself as the eighth Witch of the Wind? 

In argument of Iliya being the heir, Well, one of Cecile’s Knights (people chosen by the witches as aides and gifted some of the guardian’s mana), Eddie, says that Iliya must be Cecile’s inheritor since he could feel Cecile’s power coming from Iliya. And lending to this idea Anz comments that Iliya’s wind magic feels the same as Cecile’s magic. However this feeling that both Eddie and Anz have about Iliya’s magic can easily be explained by the very thing that defines Eddie as a Guardian Witch’s Knight—mana. Specifically, Cecile’s mana. Remember that each of the Knights of each Guardian Witch are given a fraction of their respective Guardian Witch’s mana when they become knights, making them feel like the Witch they’re a knight too. A perfect example of this is how Anz comments that he can feel Cecile’s mana coming from Eddie (seen in the image below), much the same way Eddie claims to feel Cecile’s mana coming from Iliya. 

Heirs are also gifted the Witch’s mana but in a larger degree on top of what magic they already posses. 

What is more likely than is that Cecile may have made Iliya a knight by giving some of her mana to the girl when she helped Iliya escape the corruption/corrosion—a place Cecile seemed to have found and saved many people during her time as the Seventh Witch of the Wind as well as a place she found Anz in and kind of raised him in. Cecile making Iliya a Knight would explain why Iliya’s wind feeling like Cecile’s and probably acts like a magical blessing that would allow Iliya to pass or think of herself as a potential heir to the Guardian of Wind’s role. 

Anz being able to sense Cecile’s Knights and how the Knights respond to Anz’s approach when he comes to the Winfred Academy of Magic, thereby leads me to believe that Anz is more likely to be the heir than Iliya who can’t sense the other Knights well, if at all. Meanwhile, almost instantly all of the Knights can sense Anz coming close in the same way he can sense them.

What maybe the biggest factor against Anz being Cecile’s heir is his blood-based power, but within the context of the story that doesn’t seem to be a problem because we know that a person can have more than one type of magical blessing (these blessings are essentially the same as saying you can have more than one type of power—a fire user may also be able to use earth, for example). These blessings have no known relation to the heir’s role as the next Guardian Witch. 

When it is unclear like this, what defines the Guardian Witch is their awakening, but those awakenings seem to happen only when the Guardian Witches needs and desperately wants to protect other people.

Anz will certainly struggle with this since has been cut off from people most of his life and has never been, as far as we’ve seen, in a position where he needed to protect others. Rather, his experience has largely been needing to be protected from himself, from other people, or even protecting other people from his blood-based powers by someone else.

It isn’t until Anz fights the Alpha monster (and a few lesser monsters) that appeared during what was supposed to be the Academy’s semi-safe training session off-campus that we see him really desperate fight to protect others for the first time. It’s then that we see Anz fighting to protect others for the first time and it is also the first chance we see for him to have a second awakening. However, due to his blood-based power, which he is familiar with and will protect him at pretty much any cost, Anz turns to the “easy” answer of using his blood powers rather than searching inward for the guardian power I believe is present within him.  

His blood powers are essentially a crutch that he turns to during desperate times, something another guardian witch heir like Mule Grace who achieves her second awakening during this arc does not have and thereby cannot lean on to avoid reaching her true power as a Guardian Witch. 

There are, of course, other hints too, such as Anz’s ability to use many of Cecile’s moves and attacks which other characters attribute to Cecile having raised and trained him prior to her death: 

There is also Anz’s “visions” of Cecile, such as in Chapter 50 when he dreams of Cecile and begs her to take him with her, which she rejects by bonking his head and telling him to live his life prior to him waking up in the hospital. As with most comics, dreams give us foresight or define a unique/special connection. 

All of this leads me to believe that Anz is the next Witch of the Wind. Though, I suspect that it will take some time before he can fully awaken due to his use and reliance upon his blood-based power. 

So, what do you all think? Could Anz be the 8th Guardian Witch of the Wind? or do you have a more compelling argument in Iliya’s favor as heir to the role? I’d be happy to know! 

With that, I wish you all a Happy Halloween, and I’ll see you next Saturday with another post! 

[jq37]

The Report Card – Fantasy High Sophomore Year Ep 7

Moms, Meltdowns, and Mayhem

Hello and welcome back to Fabian’s worst nightmare, already in progress!

We rejoin the Bad Kids who have linked back up the next day and are on their way to the library of the city Leviathan--The Compass Point Library. On the way there, they see the Crow’s Keep burning but Fabian, assuming it has to do with what happened to him, tells everyone to leave it alone.

Adaine questions why Riz hasn’t had any nightmares (Riz: In a way, my life is a nightmare) and the whole group goes into another round of Shadowcat speculation. Is she protecting Riz from nightmares for some reason? Why can Tracker and Garthy suddenly see her in the picture despite not having seen her irl or had any weird dreams? Is she masquerading as someone else? 

Anyway, they reach the library which is the cool, cobbled together and largely stolen (to Fig’s delight) pirate-y library of Alexandria type place. They meet an old pirate wizard named Rollins with a book of pirate spells that Fig immediately wants to steal and Adaine wants to borrow (or steal, she’s flexible). They all sign up for Compass Point library cards and go up to the observatory to look for Ayda Aguefort. 

In the observatory, they find a huge orange-yellow bird on a perch and this is the part of the recap where I have to inform you that Aguefort had not only banged a phoenix, he somehow managed to procreate with it. Meet Ayda Aguefort, the half-phoenix (shout-out to the anon from last week who called Ayda as Aguefort’s daughter). She’s got wings and arms, bird legs, a plume of red fiery hair, and eyes which are basically just fire.

Fig thinks she’s the creature Aguefort made for her for reasons I cannot begin to fathom. She tries to feed her but Ayda rejects the food, not wishing to be in anyone’s debt. Ayda is kind of intense, abrupt, and anti-social when they meet her. She’s fully is about to fly away instead of helping until Fabian yells that Garthy sent them and Adaine remembers she has the letter from Garthy asking her to help them. After some back and forth, she agrees to give Adaine the spell (which will take 6 hours to learn) for 150 gold. But these are the Bad Kids so, of course, we have several tangents before the plot goes anywhere, during which we learn Ayda is a divination wizard (like Adaine), she asks if her father has talked about her (Fig successfully lies that he has), and Gorgug spouts out some fortune cookie nonsense (“What is a telescope but a spyglass pointed at the stars?”) that convinces Ayda that he could be the greatest wizard of their age (Adaine does a spit take and Fig is loving it).   

Adaine hits the books to learn the sending spell with Sandra-Lynn keeping watch while everyone else splits up suchly:

Fabian wants to go out to check on the Hangman but Kristen absolutely vetoes that. Buddy. System. Ragh agrees to go with him and she lays off. He tries to see what the damage on the Hangman is. Nat 1. As far as Fabian can tell, the Hangman is full dead. Not only that, Fabian is poor people sick which he isn’t used to at all. Ragh isn’t doing much better on the emotional front. He just started making progress with processing his emotions and now his mom might be dead. Saddest Hoot Growl ever (seriously, it’s heartbreaking). Cathilda comes in, loving as ever, with food and kind words and an old lullaby, but that’s not enough to stop Fabian from rolling another Nat 1 and gaining 2 levels of exhaustion (which means disadvantage on ability checks and speed halved). Lou, please burn those dice. 

Kristen and Riz are researching the Nightmare King. They go into a religious studies section of the library and (on a 20+ check from Riz) find texts about a temple to a forgotten god in Sylvere (the forest of the Nightmare King). The god is never named in any of the texts which Kristen finds weird. Riz decides to steal the book and is able to do it, despite Kristen’s “help”. Later, Kristen cross-refs Riz’s info with her world religions book and, on a dirty 20, she finds with frustration that there’s a lot of information but none of it really matches up. The fairies, treants, and especially the unicorns all had mysterious deities but none of them really match with the forgotten god. [Note: Last time we heard about unicorns was in episode one and we learned that the last time people saw the great unicorn was the last time the NK showed up.] At the same time, it seems like there are elements of the god in all five of the cultures in the forest. Adaine checks and there’s nothing magic with the book so it’s just the contents of the book that are weird, not the book itself. Kristen thinks there might be a connection to her weird dream about not being able to draw the face of her god. Adaine wonders if Kristen might have been worshipping this unnamed god by mistake. Gorgug wonders if the god is erasing themselves (a theory backed up late when they talk to Aguefort).  

Fig looks for information on cursed gems and (with a 19) she finds a good amount--no surprise in a pirate library. She finds a book called Breaking the Evil Eye in one of the forbidden sections and learns that it could be possible to planeshift into the gem, dispel magic from the inside and get rid of the trap, before breaking the original curse. She finds all of this out after she steals the book (disguised as Rollins). Planeshift is a level 7 spell though so Adaine has a while to go before she can learn it (she gets her first at level 13). 

Gorgug asks the real Rollins for books about cheering up a friend. He’s brought to a small, dusty section of the library. Gorgug rolls a nat 1 on an insight check and thinks that Rollins must be messing with him. Rollins is confused because he super wasn’t. Adaine takes a break and uses this pointless argument borne from misunderstanding to steal his book. Dirty 20. Rollins instantly skelatizes. She hastily puts the book back. He comes back Wrong and in incredible pain. He begs them to take the book out and Gorgug does. Adaine peaces out to finish studying, leaving Gorgug to deal with her mess. Gorgug decides to keep looking at the friendship books. Even on a 5, he finds a secret door into a HUGE friendship library. Guided by his library card, Gorgug finds a book called Cheer Up Me Hearties. When he gets out, Gilear is being accosted for killing Rollins, but Gorgug is able to get them to stand down. Gorgug Thistlespring, winning pirate hearts and minds. They take the book and Rollins’ bones to get him put back together.   

Adaine finishes up as Ayda comes to check on her. Ayda is about to make another quick exit but Adaine tries again to make friends with Ayda, this time by directly asking and offering to let her hold Boggy. Ayda is immediately obsessed with Boggy (and Adaine’s backpack terrarium AND the backpack she makes for him at Ayda’s suggestion) and extremely impressed with Adaine’s spellwork in manifesting Boggy. It’s a very cute scene and Adaine has made a useful ally. Ayda can’t believe she met the two greatest wizards of the age in one day. Wild. 

Everyone regroups to call Aguefort now that Adaine knows Sending. He sends them back some more powerful magic so he can talk for longer than the 25 word response. Think of it as magic Skype. He very casually tells them that Ragh’s house is a smoking crater and his mom is super dead. He takes far too long to follow up with the information that, a long time ago, he hid Lydia’s real body under the school, made a clone of her, and used the Magic Jar spell to basically hook up her consciousness to the clone body (which held a fake demon shard). The clone body is what got destroyed. Lydia’s real body and consciousness are fine. Way to bury the lede dude! Upon being asked, Arthur says that he used to remember the name of the god of the unicorn but he forgot. Suspicious and troubling. He and Fig also renew discussions on the creature she ordered but never paid for. He says the cheapest option is a pentacorn for 30k gold (which sounds like a unicorn w/ 5 horns and pretty useless but I refuse to get dragged into this insanity, I am just the messenger here).

Aguefort leaves to deal with the situation at home. Meanwhile, Gorgug notices smoke again but he also notices that it’s on the wrong side to be related to what happened to Fabian. After giving Fabian and Ragh oranges to prevent scurvy--a tip from the pirate friendship book--he brings it up to Fabian who thinks it’s probably Captain Wicklaw making a power play and they should probably stay out of it. What? says Adaine. Nah, we should fight him. Yeah, says Fig. You deserve revenge! Fabian just wants to lay low so they can get their C+. Adaine is not here for that C+ and she’s not here for Fabian’s concerning attitude shift. None of the Bad Kids are. However, the cast is very here for absolutely roasting Lou for all of his choices by having their respective characters inadvertently reference every bad thing that happened last episode. When Adaine suggests that Fabian might be cursed, Fabian finally haltingly comes out with the entire story (which Lou has to laugh-cry himself through in one of the best scenes of the episode) and everyone interjects with comments that they (out of character) know will just make Fabian’s storytelling even more uncomfortable. It’s a very wild combination of very emotional (in game) but deeply funny (out of game). Like:

Ally (who knows good and well that Chungledown Bim told Fabian he was gonna shit in his mouth): Did Chungledown Bim help you?

Zac (who also knows good and well that Chungledown Bim told Fabian he was gonna shit in his mouth): Chungledown Bim probably saved you.

Murph (yet another person who knows good and well that ChungledownBim told Fabian he was gonna shit in his mouth) You know what we should do? We should go see Chungledown Bim.        

Amazing. 

Fabian finishes his recounting of the 20 car pile-up that was last episode by repeating his earlier opinion that they shouldn’t go after Captain Wicklaw because it will just end with all of them dead. Kristen tries to slap him back to normal and tells him to lose the Gilear energy. Led by Gorgug and Adaine, the gang tells Fabian that being Bill Secaster’s son isn’t the only worthwhile thing about him (in fact, it’s pretty annoying). He’s worthwhile all on his own. Tracker chimes in and says that she thinks Fabian might have some issues with depression so maybe their well intentioned efforts to get Fabian to buck up weren’t the best way to handle things. Adaine and Riz are skeptical that Fabian is like, capital D, Depressed but Tracker sticks by her read on the situation. The group eventually decides to at least check out what’s going on with the smoke but before they arrive, an interlude:

As they walk to Crow’s Keep, Cathilda walks with Fabian and Cathilda starts dropping information about herself and about how her own children died before Fabian was born and about how she sees him as a son--though she’s tried to keep the proper professional distance. She comforts Fabian on his bad day and then her eyes go full Terminator and she mentally buts Wicklaw on her “People I Need to Murder Today” list (more on this later).

When they arrive at the place where the smoke is coming from, they find that the Ramble (kind of a pirate meetinghouse/Courthouse) has been burned down. Jemina Joy is there and she lets them know that Wicklaw asked what was necessary to become the new pirate king. He was told that all he needed to do was get the crown from the former pirate king (because respect for/fear of Bill was the only thing keeping there from being a new king). He just burned down the Ramble to be a dick. Adaine damn near gets her ass beat by Jemina by arguing politics with her (her point being that she wants to install Jemina as Pirate Queen while Jemina is like, “I just keep this place from sinking. Lay off.”) but Riz, mindful of the fact that this is a time sensitive situation, takes off to Gibbety Square where the pirate king’s crown is (and where Wicklaw is headed).

They make it to Brennan’s latest battle mechanic: The Row and the Ruction.

This is the crazy, pirate bicameral legislative system. The Row is a huge fistfight (no weapons allowed--or really they are allowed but everyone will gang up on you if you use them) at ground level. It’s always in session and has been for 150-ish years. Above that, is the Ruction which is a fight with full weapon and magic usage alone. The idea is that you need enough support on the ground in the Row so you can use them to get up in the Ruction. It’s a king of the hill situation up there and if you can hold your position up there for long enough, you can make laws. Got all that? Good. 

They get there just barely after Wicklaw and his men who haven’t yet entered the Row. Wicklaw starts talking mad trash to Fabian but his friends back him up. They give him back his sword, his eye-patch, and Kristen hits him with a Warding Bond (which means that he gets +1 to AC and saving throws if he stays close to her plus resistance to all damage and, more importantly, she takes all the damage he takes). Fig gives everyone Countercharm. And, to top it off, Cathilda shows up with in an all black, super-badass pirate uniform to say she’s gonna feed him his own freaking brains! Let’s goooooooo!

But, Wicklaw has some new allies as well. Three elves bamf in from Falinel (same people who Kristen felt scrying on them earlier) and they’re there to bring Adaine back, and it doesn’t seem like they’re gonna just ask nicely.   

Detention

Adaine for Unnecessary Theft and (Accidentally) Killing a Man 

Adaine was kind of on one this episode. Not only did she inadvertently kill* a man while stealing from him, Adaine also ghosted at the first sign of trouble, leaving Gorgug and Gilear to catch all the flak for her attempt at pulling a Fig. Bad form, girl!

*She probably didn’t technically kill him but she turned him into a skeleton and he called the pain upon reconstitution worse than death so let’s not quibble about the details. 

Honor Roll

Cathilda for Being a Badass Mom 

Oh man, oh man, oh man. 

I’ve low-key been waiting for Cathilda to go full pirate since we learned that was an option and especially since Fabian got attacked because it was a pretty safe bet that was going to be her berserk button and boy did she deliver.

When did she have the time for a costume change? Is she that stealthy? Did she magic it on? Or did she just manifest the outfit on the power of her rage alone?

The scene where she says Wicklaw is gonna pay? Chills. Not only pledging to eat your enemy’s brains but also saying you’re going to feed him his own brains and describing exactly how you’ll serve it? So raw. 

But I also have to shout out the non-murderous mom stuff she did this ep. The little talk she gave Fabian about no one being defined by their worst day was very sweet and good advice out of game too. 

But honorable mention to Gorgug for being an absolute sweetheart all episode. Zac’s improv about pirates giving their friends oranges to prevent scurvy bodied me.  

Random Thoughts

Some very useful posts from @jamiebluewind: Character Descriptions, Location Descriptions, Transcripts of Cathilda’s speeches from this ep. 

During the initial discussion with Collins, we learn that the transmutation exchange rate is 50 Parrots=10 Bananas=1 Gold. How are bananas more complex than parrots?

Adaine: May we steal books?

Her later actions aside, I think it’s funny that Adaine’s first move is basically always to sweetly ask for what she wants and Fig’s first move is, “Gotta steal that book!” Adaine is like the most polite person in the group but also ready to fight 100% of the time. The role reversal in the Jemina scene where Fig was the one who asked an on point question and Adaine was the one who made it almost spiral into an actual fight was great.

I was just saying this re: Harry Potter in a different context but clearly marked but not blocked off forbidden sections of libraries are more a dare than a deterrent. 

Fig as a horned parrot (done by Rollins for trying to steal his book) is adorable. Please somebody draw that.

I love that when they see the bird that turns out to be Ayda and Murph is like, “I don’t think that’s a bird,” Zac is like, “Yeah, Gorgug doesn’t know that.” Zac (like Travis as Grog in CritRole) has a real talent for playing dumb while actually being really smart.

“My principal scammed me?”

Brennan truly did not have to follow through on Aguefort saying he slept with a bird. He really, really did not have to but he was like, “Nope! I said it so it’s happening! This is happening!” I really wish you guys could have seen my face as I realized in real time that the madman was actually doing that. 

Adaine to Fig who thinks Ayda is her creature: This is a full person.

“I like school.”/“You would.”

Lol at Fig trying to draw parallels between Ayda’s prickliness and her own behavior and getting absolutely shut down. “I think people think you’re really tender.” The running thing of Fig’s perception of herself as this standoffish loner being constantly reality checked by literally everyone she knows being like, “You tell us you love us literally every day,” is one of my favorite group dynamics. It’s even funnier because, besides probably Adaine and Fabian, the rest of the Bad Kids probably knew Fig (or at least had seen her around) before she started going through her emo phase. So they totally remember her in 8th grade wearing preppy clothes and carrying a unicorn backpack and listening to Fantasy Taylor Swift and all that.   

All ep they were calling Kalina a cat and I was thinking, “I feel like—in game—that’s gotta be offensive.” And then Aguefort straight said it. Wild for it to come from him since he’s the craziest person ever but I’m glad it came up.

“You seem simple to me.”/“Thank God.”

Aww at Ayda asking if Aguefort ever talks about her. Brennan, you gotta stop putting little emotional traps into otherwise funny scenes. I can only handle so much!

The gang did some experimentation with the photo in this ep with these results: Ayda and Aguefort both couldn’t see Kalina in the picture. They also took a picture of the picture but that picture had the same properties as the original picture. Weeping Angel rules I guess. 

There’s speculation in this episode about why Riz isn’t having nightmares. I have another question kinda on that topic. In episode 2/3, we see the lie/mirror/Baron thing that happened with Riz. And that was for sure super nightmarish. But it doesn’t match what happened to Adaine and Fabian. Both of them seem to have had more ephemeral experiences that quickly vanished. And they weren’t borne from lies so much as fears. Riz’s monster came from a direct lie and it didn’t seem to be a nightmare. It came out of the mirror and attacked not only him but his friends later. No one saw Fabian or Adaine’s nightmares besides them (although, that could just be because they got away). And no other lie-monsters have showed up as far as we know. I’m just wondering if there’s maybe something else going on or if it was a different NK follower who did that or just a different power of the same dude. Just something I wanted to note because it’s been bugging me a little and no one’s brought it up yet. 

Cool quirk of the sending spell Adaine learned: Because it was modified by pirates, curse words don’t count towards the 25 word limit. What I immediately thought (and what Aguefort actually ended up doing more or less) was that you could easily send very long messages with, say, Morse code. Just designate one curse as a dot, one as a dash, and one as a space, and you’re good to go. It’d be slow, but totally workable. 

Also, after watching Laura as Jester absolutely flying by the seat of her pants with every sending spell, it was wild to see the group take the time to carefully craft the perfect message. 

I said two recaps ago that I wouldn’t be surprised if Gorgug multiclassed into a casting class soon and boy do I hope this episode means he’s gonna do it for real. Adaine’s total disbelief at Ayda’s interest in Gorgug’s wizarding potential was sending me.

Oh also. Ayda has forbidden Gorgug from reading any wizarding books so he doesn’t lose is totally uncomplicated mind. I guess he’s supposed to learn everything the savant way? Imagine Adaine diligently studying her wizard books, trying to master some complicated spell and Gorgug is like, “I woke up and I guess I can use Mage Hand now? Neat.” Absolutely maddening. 

Besides Cathilda, Gorgug was the MVP in this episode. Dude has a knack for making friends that I think will eventually pay dividends. 

Also, speaking of, everything Brennan said during the secret shelf section was so good as to sound planned, however, how could you predict that that was a thing a player was going to ask to find? Brennan is just always 7 seconds of prep time away from giving an elaborate and super specifically themed speech about friendship I guess.  

Big ups to Kristen for not letting Fabian go off by himself again. Like, for the sake of the party of course but also the, “We almost lost you,” was sweet. She also helped buff him going into the coming fight with Warding Bond that means she takes all the damage he takes. I am SO glad they brought another healer with them because that’s such a risky move. Kristen is a LOT but she’s also very ride or die and all heart. I really love that the last time she used this spell it was on Gilear for a joke and now it’s getting used seriously. It’s a perfect establish existence of power to audience/bring back at plot relevant time setup. Improv storytelling is so inexplicably good. 

Technically, to cast Warding Bond, you’re supposed to have matching rings with the person you’re casting it on so imagine Kristen blinged out with a ring for each party member and each of them having a corresponding one in case she needs to cast it on them.  

Little bit concerned that Tracker still doesn’t know about Sandra-Lynn/Garthy. The longer it takes for her to find out, the higher the chance it blows up and becomes a Thing.

Fig: *Meandering philosophical question about why Ayda watches the stars*/Ayda: I study it so I can know where this big city is floating.

RIP to the Hangman. I don’t think he’s gone for good but it seems like he is for now. On my first watch, I thought that, on a 1, Fabian just fully thinks that the Hangman is gone but, the second time it seemed more like he’s just dead. Now, I’m not Brennan, but if I was in this situation, you know what I would do? I would have someone save the Hangman’s soul (or whatever he has instead of a soul) and store it in the Hangvan temporarily. Imagine how much he’d hate that. It’s full of potential for “roommate” shenanigans. 

Is there anything stopping them from just, ramming the Row with the Hangvan? Like, I know it’ll get them ganged up on, but will they be able to do much against a full van?

Also, if/when they hold the Ruction, I wonder what law they’re going to try and make. They didn’t really go in with a plan (understandable under the time pressure) so they’re really gonna have to improvise something on the fly. 

Also, I’m assuming Fabian stabbed the Hangman while he was asleep? I don’t think we were ever shown that scene, but Fabian must have been under some kind of compulsion since he woke up in the river (and the same happened to Ragh). 

Aguefort casually mentions that he has many children and this episode proves that Brennan can and will back up every single crazy thing that comes out of his mouth, so I’m excited to see if there is a single Aguefort out there that isn’t crazy.

Oh, also, the acknowledgement that occasionally that phoenix is a child is appreciated because that was def a question I was going to ask. Squicky to say the least but I guess that’s how phoenixes work so what are you gonna do?

Ally needing to roll a 10, rolling, being happy, checking Kristen’s modifier, and realizing it’s a negative 3 for a total of 9 is peak D&D.

Fig as Rollins: Look at how fast I can run!

I love Fig thinking Adaine could plausibly have 7 level spells. She’s like, idk bro. She’s the eleven oracle. She cares about school. She could know this too. Who knows? Certainly not Fig who thought she could buy wizard spells to use as a bard.

“Please speak more enthusiastically on my behalf.”

“It’s my brain guys.”

Fig mind controls Gilear into believing in himself and he fails his save. I wonder if this is could be valid therapy technique in this world. 

Aguefort mentions that a Wish spell can destroy a Magic Jar just fyi. That makes 3 pretty high level spells mentioned in this ep. Magic Jar is 6th level. Planeshift is 7th level. And Wish, basically the strongest spell in the game, is 9th level. We’re starting to deal with some serious magical mojo.

The whole thing with people in pictures that not everyone can see and memories that you know you once had but don’t anymore and information that should exist but doesn’t is hitting a very specific storytelling sweet spot for me. 

This is a little meta-gamey to be thinking about but I’m kinda wondering, why sideline Gorthalax? Obviously, it’s a good plot hook for Fig and that might be all it is. But I’m lowkey wondering is there something Gorthalax knows or can do that would solve the plot in 30 seconds if he was around? Like, was he roommates with the Nightmare King in hell or something?

Kristen finds it weird that the god’s name isn’t written anywhere but I’m sure that’s gotta be fairly common. Or at least not unheard of. Like, I know in Judaism you’re not supposed to do that. Anyway, watch the great unicorn be the Nightmare King just for the Nightmare/Night Mare pun.

Adaine being on brand no matter the situation: Everybody shut up I have to do my homework!

The, “Do you want a friend?”/“Desperately.” interaction killed me. 

“I don’t have any wizard friends.”/“I’m a wizard.”/(beat)/“I don’t have any wizard friends.”

Arthur cloned a woman, forgot to tell her, and then straight forgot. So business as usual from him. 

Fabian’s, “Nooooooo,” with the rising intonation every time someone made an assumption during his story and he had to correct him was amazing. Also, “He told me he was going to shit in my mouuuuwth.”

Ragh, Fig, and Adaine all crying about their parental issues at the same time. This has been, like, the longest week ever. I wonder if the 7 Maidens are unpacking this much trauma on their quest.

“Absolutely timbered.”

Lol at Brennan dropping the cool pirate sending spell “curses don’t count” detail and then being told from off camera that he needs to keep it PG-13. But then Cathilda needed to go beast mode so, like, what can you do?

Another cool worldbuilding detail is pirate clerics just keep shrines to every deity they’ve come into contact with to hedge their bets like Beni from The Mummy.

I know Lydia was attacked on orders from Kalina but I wonder if they knew about/had plans for the demon shard too. 

When Emily said she disguised herself as Rollins, I fully thought she was going to walk out the door the real Rollins was guarding and not go out the back door like she did. The idea of a back door didn’t even occur to me. I just thought we were in for some classic Axford insanity. 

Riz: You’ve gotta get better at talking to kids.

Riz: This is real Gilear energy.

Kristen: We brought one Gilear. We don’t wanna make that mistake twice.

Everything that happened with Fabian was really funny because there’s nothing I love more in D&D than players having a good time dunking on each other but, in game, Fabian is really going through it. Fabian low key has mom friend energy so to almost die and then for all of his friends to jump into the exact fight that almost killed him (including taunting the dude! Adaine!) against his advice must be giving him a level of anxiety and dread that I don’t even have the words to describe. Like, now is not the time for him to digging into that because things are life or death. Gotta save your life before you can fix it. But he def needs to at some point. Too bad Jawbone’s not around for a quick mid-battle therapy sesh like he had with Adaine during prom.   

Tracker suggested that Fabian might be depressed. I’m not an expert on depression. He could be depressed and, in any case, he definitely needs to see a therapist for a Lot of reasons. But having a breakdown because you saw 14 people die, almost died yourself, and were told that a man wanted to shit in your mouth less than 24 hours ago seems less like a sign of depression and more like the only rational human reaction.

Adaine calls the above, “a vaguely mediocre day”. Michael Scott Voice: Adaine you ignorant slut.

Also Adaine: You got that bike because you won it fair and square because we killed a lot of people.

This is the second time Adaine has said that Fabian’s lineage is actually the most annoying thing about him and these are the kind of tiny continuity details I live for.

Semi-relatedly, Fabian’s relationship with his parents v. Adaine’s relationship with hers is endlessly fascinating to me. Because they have such similar backgrounds but coming from, like, opposite directions of the same spectrum, you know? Can’t wait for those sweet, sweet parallels as we jump into her trauma! (What is D&D but group therapy interspaced with murder?)  

Speaking of Adaine’s trauma, it looks like we’ll be getting to it very soon as those FBI Falinel operatives have shown up to force her (and the plot) back to Falinel. This is Concerning to me for two reasons. First off, remember the Aelwyn fight from season 1? Remember how annoying that was? Now imagine that times three and also 2 separate pirate brawls are happening. That sounds like a Bad Time for our kids. They’ve leveled up some and they’ve been known to make some very clutch battle decisions, but this is gonna be tough any way you slice it. This is like two entirely separate encounters at the same time. A small good point: I looked up the language for teleportation and it can only be used to transport a willing creature. So they can’t just bum rush her and poof out. But they could give her an ultimatum to make her agree. The second reason this Concerns me is that Adaine high key doesn’t want to work with/for Falinel and they know this. The fact that they’ve resorted to kidnapping (fun international law fact: when a government kidnaps someone, it’s called rendition) tells me that they’re done playing nice which opens up two options to them they might not have otherwise used. They could coerce Adaine’s consent to be their oracle by threatening her life/her friends’ lives. Or, more troubling, they could just kill her. I mean, she became the elven oracle when the old one died, right? So, if she died, someone else would get the job. Probably someone less troublesome to deal with. I doubt they’re gonna go straight for that because they seem to want her alive, at least for now. But it is a concern. 

Of course, we’re assuming that what’s happening on the face of this is the whole story, but that’s not necessarily true. Iirc, all we heard was that they found the oracle and they were gonna bring her back to Falinel. For all we know, the elves could be working for Adaine’s mom. Of Adaine’s mom could be working with Falinel. Or she could be working with Falinel just as a way to get to her daughter. We really don’t know. The last person on this show that got kidnapped was Fabian and that was a friendly kidnapping. Anything is possible. 

Something that struck me as a possibility: This fight seems like it’s gonna suck. There is a world where the ideal move for Adaine is to pull an Evy (from the Mummy--two Mummy refs in one recap, did not plan that, I just love the Mummy) and agree to go with the Falinel elves if they help them instead (or at least stop helping Wicklaw) with the faith that her friends will come rescue her. I doubt they actually care much about what happens in the government of this pirate junk city. I’m curious about how they ended up together anyway. I’m guessing the elves clued into what was going on while scrying on the group and decided an alliance might be useful.

Brennan about both Ally’s Applebees Reference and Fig using a Leviathan phonebook: That is nothing.

Shoutout to Fruzzinoid in the chat who said Ally’s alignment is chaotic-chaotic. Accurate.

I love the laughing-squawk that Brennan does for Ayda as much as I hate the fact that he made the Choice to spell it that way.

Truly, the entire scene where Lou is recapping the fight from last episode and he’s laughing uncontrollably but Fabian is clearly crying and he’s expressing both of those things simultaneously is beautiful. 

A Fabian line that really hit but that I haven’t mentioned yet: “I probably have one follower running around. Never mind he’s my father’s just like everything else I have.” Ow. Such a deep cut but so off the cuff from Lou. As a writer, this show makes me so mad because that’s such a good line of dialogue that Lou just dropped out of his mouth like it was nothing. How dare he? 

Another good line I didn’t mention before, this tie from Riz: “We all draw strength from each other. You went in without your crew. What’s a pirate without his crew?” Ugh, Murph. Who gave you the right?

This episode has made me extremely curious about what Cathilda thinks about Hilariel. Because she sees herself as Fabian’s mom--which she essentially has been in a lot of the ways that count since Hilariel has been mentally out to lunch for the past however many years. To be clear, I do think Hilariel loves Fabian. She just hasn’t really been present even though she’s been literally present. The way Cathilda phrased some of the things she said and the way she seems to talk about Fabian’s dad so much more than his mom makes me wonder if she doesn’t...resent isn’t the right word exactly. Maybe, disapprove? It makes me wonder if she doesn’t disapprove of Hilariel’s parenting choices more than she lets on. 

Kristen’s, “Do you listen to music?” in the middle of actually useful questions for Ayda. 

Rich people sicknesses include having eaten too much caviar or smoked a cigar for too long in case you’re wondering.

“You want an orange, pal?”

On a practical note, we have two more episodes to go until the show breaks for the year so prepare yourselves from now people!

Riz, Adaine, and Gorgug each rolled one Nat 20 apiece. Fig, Gorgug, and Adaine each rolled a Nat 1 (but Adaine presumably cancelled out hers rolling with advantage because of Boggy). Fabian, who is still living his worst life, rolled three Nat 1s. Tragic.  

[jamiebluewind]

Fantasy High Characters 2.12

I'll go back to ep 2.11 eventually, but I wanted to get this one out while it's still the newest. As always, let me know if I need to edit or add anything and tag/ask/PM me about art and stories so I can check them out!

Warnings: canon typical violence, gore, blood, gross mention, vomit, fantasy racism mention, disturbing imagery, panic attack mention, threats, murder, alcohol, injury

***

Ally (on the fig/ayda kiss): Two young Sheldon's makeing out XD

Lou (on the second fig/ayda kiss): Yes-ah! Yes-ah! Yes-ah! Yes-ah! I bless this union! Yes-ah!

Brennan (on forgetting to change the music for the arcane crime scene): -this is the wrong music for this moment

***

New Characters

Craf-me Rootdrinker

Gnome and druid

Gave his life 200 years ago to reclaim Arborly from the curse

Was very kind

Avoided "cleric nonsense"

Nuathura (New-ah-thoo-ra) the Fox

Older red fox who was awakened as a pup by Craf-me (was his familiar/companion)

Spry and slinky despite his age

Fluent in silvian, elvish, and gnomish

Runs the town (basically the mayor) and offers the adventurers every resource in their village at their disposal

Appreciates it when he is shown respect and is more open to outsiders and outsider tech than Mira, saying that the Nightmare King was once defeated by a strange band of Solesians and that they were delighted to have them

Likes shrimp and was given one by Fabian and four (one on each paw) by Kristen

Was told the crown of the Nightmare King was kept deep under a pit under a pyramid where it could never be found (and was understandably upset to discover that it was instead kept on a shelf in a dean's office and now in the hands of Adaine's mom who is trying to get into the forest)

Mira Silverbough/Silverbow

Wood elf and leader of the rangers who guard the town (of which there are 40 standing on bolders with arrows nocked when the teens wake up)

Intense angular face with steal gray eyes and long black hair on the top of her head (that might hang down in her face) with shaved sides that appear to be turning gray/salt and pepper

Dressed in dark forest green with leather archer's bracers and gloves with

"Ah. Not TRULY children. These are almost adults grown. Come here!" *gestures for the teens to come over*

Racist against those with infernal lineage, goblins, and orcs, but seems to be racist against all other races in general

Was put off by technology she doesn't understand

Referred to Fig as a troubadour (poet who writes verses to music or specificly a French medieval lyric poet) and the van as very small house of wheels

Furrowed her brow at Adaine being the Oracle

Second to Nuathura and very protective of him

Krumpkin Springbill

Head of the Tinkerer's Hall

Round as a pumpkin with a shiny bald head and a mustashe like a push broom

Dressed in soot covered goggles (which he pushed up) and a leather apron filled with tools

He and the other gnomes come up to Gorgug's mid thigh

Two unnamed gnomes

Person with a huge handlebar mustache and a top hat with gear in the side of it

Woman with folded canvas ornithopter wings

Unnamed Bartender

Works at The Owl And The Harp

Was told by Adaine that she was looking for her mom and was shocked by her crystal (used to show him a picture)

Said Elianwyn was staying on the top floor, but thought the kids couldn't afford the substantial outstanding debt she left behind (after leaving without checking out) of 10 gold

Was paid 12 gold by Adaine, then 5 gold by Riz, then another 5 gold by Riz (which was wet), and shown a very round frog by Adaine

Told them that they were acting very suspicious despite being warned about them by the rangers

Most likely has no idea the damage Elianwyn did to the suite she was renting

Vraz the Mean

Executive Potenti of the Dominion of Avernus (first/topmost layer of hell) and Arch Secretary to Blozo the Undimenished who is the regnant of Sloth

Came through a burning oval doorway opened by Fig's magic (which opens to red firy sky and blasted red plane)

Dressed in black steal plate armor and horned helmet, covering all but her face

Beautiful woman's face with porcelain skin, ruby red lips, and a seem at the edge of her helmet where the rest of her skin had been flayed off her body

Burnt scarred skeletal remains of wings

Carrying a burning scroll to serve to Fig

Killean

Wood elf, resident of Arborly, drunkard, and a cruel man

Worked for Elianwyn and was rude to the tinkerers while picking up wax, ink components, and fiddle faddle for her

Had short cropped brown hair, hazel eyes, and a small amount of facial hair

Seen in scry as a puppet with a slit throat. Not wearing a shirt or boots as he left bloody footprints. Blood dripped from his burning dull red glowing eyes into his beard. His sternum was broke open and a fire was roiling within the open exposed wound where a gem was glowing.

Shone a dull red glow 20 feet ahead of the group which causesd a path to open in the dark, twisted, and grarled forest like a subterranean tunnel

Established Characters

Elianwyn (Adaine's mom)

Stayed at The Owl And The Harp for several months

Kept to herself, save sending Killean  to get things for her at the Tinkerer's Hall (they had spell components that could be used by both them and wizards)

Vanished with Killean and Aelwyn the night Aelwyn arrived

Murdered Killean and did a spell that left him a puppet with Gorthalax's gem in his chest

Went into the forest, using puppet Killean to cause the briars to retract

Was wearing a deep elven traveling cloak and covered in nasty scars related to a curse (but might be due to a Fallinel curse and not the original crown curse)

Aelwyn

Arrived at Arborly a night before the bad kids (and 2 nights before the bad kids talked to the locals) and was still uncontrollably and explosively gassy (which reaked), worse for wear, and started crying

Changed into wood elven travel garb and traveled with Elianwyn into the forest

Dispelled Adaine's scry without seeing it

Calina

Told Kristen that if they make it through the wall, she would kill them all (starting with Tracker) and that the only reason they were alive was because they were a nuisance (not a full problem) and never got between her and what she wanted

"I want you to stay out of that fucking forest."

Riz didn't see Calina despite being right there and the grass wasn't bent or disturbed where she was supposed to have been standing

Pok's sleeve wasn't disturbed where she was supposed to be standing either and she couldn't drink (or possibly hold anything at all)

She gave Riz sleep paralysis, but never hurt him

Most likely doesn't exist anywhere physically

Is in their heads, but still had to ask questions, so she can project herself into their minds but not read their minds

Note: The unmade goddess turned her familiar (a black cat) into a plague

Kristen

Told Tracker she shouldn't be guilty about passing on any kind of sickness because she believed it had to do with both of them due to her secrets combined with Tracker being a carrier

Suggested doing spells through a dental dam as she had a bunch from Jawbone (who kept insisting that she use them)

Found a bag of loose crab meat and used it to make crab nachos (which she always makes when she has the choice as her parents always made it for parties and never let her have any)

Got drunk and tried to make Riz kiss a shrimp when he got upset, offered Fig a "shrimp secret", tried to throw Fig 2 beers (which Gorgug smashes and she thought was awesome), called Gorgug a scientist when he said he was a little crab, and called Riz "king crab king!" when he was down on himself.

Saw Calina when nobody else could and responded by screaming "Fuck you!" at her

Drank a cortada and stayed cool while Calina was there (talking shit about her as Calina threatened her and the group) but freaked out after she left, asking everyone to hold her and dogpile on her before she vomited coffee and shrimp

Was okay once she was pressed into the grass by all her friends

Tried to get Tracker to stay in town and not go into the forest, offering handcuffs and asking as officer Kristen (and even colonel Kristen using an order)

Tracker

Still rocked after the Galicia sister thing saying that the elven church and the priestesses she knows are nothing alike, but they both worship the same goddess and what the elves did was causing her to have a lot of questions for the first time

Took precautions during things like the life transference spell to avoid passing on lycanthropy, but had never thought to protect herself from something coming back the other way

Had a good talk with Sandra Lynn and gave her a solid shovel talk

Translated the gist of what the others were saying in elvish (to Nuathura and wood elves) for Gorgug and Ragh

Got drunk, balanced crab nachos on her head, and told the others to "Let [Fig] use the shrimp tub!" which resulted in a "shrimp tub" chant

Comforted a freaked out Kristen by rubbing circles in her back

Shivered when she entered the Shrine of Thorns, her eyes flashing yellow as she suddenly felt nauseous and generally not good as the shrine basically repelled her until she exited it

Adaine

Had a message chat that's mostly jokes and memes (that Fig wasn't in on due to losing her phone)

Wanted a fluffy robe

Her crystal has meditation and non-fiction (like a hystory on mage hand) instead of music

Found bellinis and caviar to eat (instead of crab nachos) and shared with Fabian

Drank half a beer, got a little drunk, wondered where Fig was (but was silenced by Kristen), wanted to go in the hot tub with Fig, and pretended to be a crab

On rather they should be honest with the wood elves "Maybe? It makes me nervous. Everything majes me nervous. Sure. Why not?"

Slipped behind Fig during the wood elf standoff and held up a fist while saying "yeah!" to support her, but jumped in with her status as the Oracle, saying it was a prophesy and going into the forest was "A thing we have to do." (which made the wood elves lower their bows and whisper to each other)

Admitted that her sister and mother were trying to get into the forest too, but that they were working against them

Started searching for Calina nearby after her sister booted her from scrying

Told the bartender at The Owl And The Harp that she was looking for her mom (with picture) and paid off her outstanding debt of 10 gold for the suite (with a 2 gold tip) before going upstairs to discover the crime scene her mother left behind

Ragh

Found a bunch of kippers for Fabian

Munched on an entire bone in ham

Got drunk, got shirtless and started screaming "More lobster! You're not lobster enough!" at Tracker

Pointed out the obvious (one guy in town has 4 refridgerators) when Fabian was worried about introducing tech too soon

Gorgug

Got drunk, did a "crab stand", made his arms look like a crab, chanted "crab king" at Ragh, became crab king, said the shrimp tub was not for peasants (when Fabian told Fig about it), smashed the two beers Kristen threw to Fig out of the air (followed by a celebratory yell and him pumping both arms in the air while the bloodrush boys chanted "hoot growl!"), said "I'm a little crab." to Kristen, and finally gave Riz the crab king crown and said Riz? *points at him* You're the crab king now.

Walked up to Nuathura to say hello in gnomish when he heard Nuathura mention tinkerers

Told the tinkerers that he repaired the Hangman, but failed to make a working mechanical butt for him

"Showed" the tinkerers his crystal and headphone as well (and by that I mean the were crawling all over him like excited 5 year olds)

Riz

Started setting up a tiny conspiracy board in Hollyhill minutes after getting there

When asked how he got a certain picture of Kristen, he said "You know... you take pictures; you hang um. That's what you do."

Said "I'm gonna snoop around. In a suspicious way, NOT in a party way." and finds Spyre tech and receipts showing that the guy is expensing stuff to his corporate card that have nothing to do with his work, resulting in him telling the others that it was a tax haven and illegal, so he felt less bad about having a party and more like Robin hood stealing his beer.

Got drunk, somehow stated acting/dancing like a shrimp, pointed out that Gorgug was a crab, started crying and got emotional because "Shrimp are so little and sometimes they get caught in the nets and stuff!" and told Kristen "I'm not gonna kiss the shrimp! It's dead Kristen. And we killed it.", cried again before Fabian comforted him, and became the crab king saying "Honestly, I just wanted to be the crab king. This whole time I've just been the shrimp and I feel like I've been the shrimp my whole life and I just wanna be the crab king. It means a lot that you guys made me the crab king."

Is super hung over the next day as well as super sweaty and nervous about being around a bunch of people, but still tells the elves that there is a demonic plot

Saw that something was off with Fig and thought for a moment that she might have kissed someone, but ends up going with "Did you have... good crab?"

Discovered what his fate would have been if the group hadn't rescued him when Adaine scrys Killean

Vomited over seeing Kristen vomit

Didn't see Calina despite looking exactly where Kristen was and checked the grass with his magnifying glass to find that the grass wasn't bent or disturbed where Calina was supposed to have been standing

Gets super sweaty and unhelpful when trying to talk to the bartender

Had no idea when to stop trying to bribe the bartender and said that the money was so wet because he ate a lot of shrimp

Fabian

Got in a small argument with Adaine on rather or not it was okay to touch your dad's butt (he said it's fine)

Still has the sheet with him as well as the sword Faun-drang-goorh

Got drunk, excitedly said Riz was a shrimp and that Gorgug was a crab, said "I'm a little shrimp!" over and over while dancing, tried to explain everything that had happened to Fig (including that the hot tub upstairs was filled with shrimp), tried to comfort a crying Riz by telling him "The Ball, it's going to be alright. The shrimp will be fine.", and wrapped Riz in his sheet, looked him dead in the eyes (with one hand on either side of Riz while gripping the sheet), and told him "I believe in you. *licks lip* Spring break.", before giving Riz his first ever bardic inspiration

The next day, gave Nuathura a shrimp from his pocket

Rebbed engine of Hangman as Kristen tried to give an inspiring speech

Fig

When opening Hollyhill, said "What did I say? Has your girl ever not delivered?" followed by a resounding "Yes!" from the group

Found a ghost white mushroom with a black skull imprint on the top of it while looking for psychedelics and wanted to eat it

Hears whispering coming from the briar wall

"Sometimes one of the fun things about friendship is just being a chorus on nonsense together and you don't have to hear each other; it just feels really good to talk really loud."

Sees nonsense as a good way to escape when things get too heavy or dark

Talked down about her abilities, especially when compared to Ayda

The thorns don't try to attack her, so she used burning hands on the thorns and the vines sucked up the magic, moving it to the Shrine of Thorns and leaving behind a charred handprint

Didn't want Ayda to know she was a virgin

Cast greater invisibility on her and Ayda

Rolled bad on insight checks on Ayda (trackerbees take two! XD)

Is terrified of saying nice things to others and vomits a little in a bush before telling Ayda "I actually think you're perfect the way you are" before skateboarding away and down an 80 foot near vertical tree, coming out of invisibility so Ayda could see her trick.

Couldn't go anywhere on her skateboard in the ferns and dirt

Wrote up a "contract" after Ayda's confession that said if Ayda made fun of her for what she was about to say, she could give her a wet willy. Before Ayda could sign, she took Ayda by the chin, said "Just so you know, I've never done this as myself before', kissed her (as the fire on Ayda's head swelled out and she became uninvisible), and tried to skateboard away behind a tree, peaking out to see what Ayda thought of it.

Slinked out from behind the tree, apologizing and admitting all of it terrified her before Ayda asked for another kiss.

Admited she started the whole party so Ayda would stick around.

Made out with Ayda until a bit before dawn and tried very hard to get Ayda to stay

Gave Ayda the ear cuff from her left ear which has blood on it (Ayda replied that she will treasure it and can use it)

Went back to Hollyhill to find her drunk friends before locking herself in the room with the hot tub and was still kinda pruney the next day

Name drops Grover to the wood elves, explaining that he offered to let them stay there (to try and deescalate things with the rangers)

Shook hands with Nuathura the Fox

Was honest to the wood elves (that the group were going into the Nightmare Forest), resulting in the rangers pulling back their bowstrings (and her backtracking)

Random note: Try to contact your warlock patron Fig!!!

Burned 1 or 2 luck points to keep a perceptive Riz from finding out that she made out with Ayda

Found a charred handprint in the shrine of thorns and recognized it as the same one her magic left at the top of briars and that the vines took somewhere

Lied to Tracker and Kristen, saying she was up by the briars working on song

Used burning hands again, causing the fire to spread into a stretching oval shaped burning doorway

Was served a burning scroll by Vraz the Mean on behalf of the regnant of Sloth

Ayda

Was invited to the party (which the group decided to have immediately, starting at 1 or 2 in the morning)

Stood in a corner looking around awkwardly before/during the party before following Fig out

Thought nonsense was bad, but Fig showed her that it could also be good and made her willing to try it

To Fig about disguising herself "Uh... yeah. That's interesting. I... can't understand that because if I was you, I wouldn't want to be anyone else because you're... very exceptional."

On Fig saying that she was different than Ayda thought she was "Being mistaken about the nature of something and discovering its true nature is my favorite thing in the world to do."

Turned herself and Fig invisible (look like a translucent version of themselves, like a pale outline to each other) and flew to the briar wall to give Fig a closer look.

Lit with Fig in the low looped saddle of two treetrunks that were fused together right next to the briar wall

Ayda's flaming hair and wings still cast a dull glow on her surroundings, even while invisible

Complemented Fig on her magic

Analyzed the wall and saw it was a very powerful and old abjuration (keeping them out but also keeping other things in) keyed to powerful devils (arcons, princes, and monarchs) where even dimension door would cause all roads and pathways to lead them back out.

Thorns tried to attack her

Thinks that everything Fig has done has been cool

"We all have a nasty legacy, in one way or another."

Laughed with a squawk

Spent a lot of lifetimes building Compass Points Library

Is part phoenix, so when she dies, she comes back but with no memory from her previous incarcerations. She left extensive notes and instructions for herself. This incarnation is 17 years old, but an Ayda has been on Leviathan for a little over 150 years

On why she never just reinvents herself when she reincarnates "Every time I come back, I don't know anything and I guess I trust the versions of me that knew more? I don't have a lot of self confidence and I don't... want... to make mistakes."

Said she could die when she goes back to Leviathan attempting to shut down the library as it's a dangerous city.

"The future's never guaranteed. We don't have anything but today and even that might get cut short."

Said she had information for Fig, but would only share it if Fig signed a contract (on ancient wizard scroll held in a binder that turns into bright fire and whips up into her palm when signed) that stated that Fig wont make any inference based on the information or think anything judgemental or critical of her. The information is "At any waking moment outside of combat that you and I have been together, if you had tried to kiss me on the mouth, it would have been received favorably."

Said Fig's contract was less of a contract and more of a threat

After Fig ran to hide behind a tree, she asked if it's normal for people to run away after that (kissing)

Shed firy tears over Fig starting a party so she would stay, admitting parties frighten and terrify her, but she stuck around because Fig was there

"In this version of my life, this is the greatest moment of it."

Enthusiasticly initiated their 3rd kiss

Said the library meant a lot to many past hers (her current incarnation and 3 others)

Offered to research plane shift for Fig at no charge and said that people ask things of her, but even if she cared about them, they never cared about her (save Fig who does care which makes it different and that's exciting)

Pulled out a firy feather with a squawk and handed it to Fig (if Fig holds if aloft and says her name, she will know)

Said if anything happened to Fig in the nightmare forest, she would "... start over" because she would never be able to forgive herself

Said she would go back to Leviathan to research Plane Shift and would return after that, intending to shrink the library later

"Goodbye for now. By the nine winds and the seven stars and all the secret names of the earth and beyond, I shall see you again. This is my vow." (resulting in Fig replying "Fuck yeah [is/that's] my vow." and Ayda saying "God you're great and cool. Goodbye!")

Sandra Lynn

Was more affectionate with Gilear than she had been the rest of the trip

Left Hangman in charge while she slept in the van

Spoke to the wood elves and Nuathura on behalf of the teens (while they slept til 1pm)

Gilear

Was trying to move the van to get ready for the teleport to Leviathan early that morning. Had the van in neutral with the door open when he tried to let his feet skim over the morning dew on the grass. He had put his apple in his mouth to shift when his trousers caught in the axle of the wheel, tearing them and sucking him under the left wheel well (WHY DIDN'T VAN SAY ANYTHING to anyone!???)

Really had to pee even before he got stuck and only made it 10 minutes before he gave up

The apple was jammed into his mouth (and later covered in ants). He couldn't bite through it because it was pressed against the carriage of the van and he couldn't scream to loud because ants would get in his mouth

Overheard the dance and spent most of his day sweating and crying

Was found later that night, still caught in the front left wheel well, covered in rubber residue and oil, with a browing ant covered apple in his mouth

Didn't need medical attention, but admitted that he did piss himself while under there

Got a hug from Kristen, Gorgug took his apple and tossed it, and Fabian tried to be nice to him about Hallariel not noticing him missing until Gilear asked for an honest response, which he answered with "Of course not Gilear, don't be dumb!" to which Riz said "Guys, he's not dumb; he's just pathetic." (Also found out Hallariel ate all his yogurt)

Adaine mended one of the tears in his pants, but then said "I'm not gonna mend your piss pants, here's another pair." and gave him new ones from her jacket followed by a boot cut pair of pants, Chelsea boots, denim vest, chambray embroidered shirt, and a beret. The kids (including Fabian) approved of his new look. His favorite part of the outfit was the beret.

Said he preferred pants with very narrow ankles and a wide front and back carriage to the seat

Fig told him that she loved him and apologized for not realizing where he was

The teens gave him one hot tub to himself

Was given a massage by Sandra Lynn while laying on one of the day beds in one of the public rooms (when she told him that he needed to make it a part of his routine, he responded that he was extremely broke)

Slept in the van that night

Spoke to the wood elves and Nuathura on behalf of the teens (while they slept til 1pm)

Decided to make sandwiches for everyone for their trip and looked a little different than normal, stood up straighter, and was wearing his new outfit

Baxter

Sat on a branch on top of Hollyhill and slept outside

Grabbed Kristen and Tracker in his claws while Fig and Sandra Lynn road on his back to Shrine of Thorns

Van

Left inside fenced in area at Hollyhill (can't cast fly on him)

Hallow extends out 60 feet from him, so the kids camped outside on matresses from the house

Hangman

Was left in charge during the party, but told the kids "No rules."

In the middle of a dramatic speech defending Gorgug, the tinkerers jumped on him (to examine him with their artificers glasses), resulting in him very much wanting to run them over

***

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[alexeishostakoff]

What are your top 10 DC characters & why? Maybe favorite fcs/hcs for them too?

ok so! i did this in alphabetical order bc i just can't do them as favorites from one to ten

bruce wayne, aka the batman

why: im gonna be real with you, i ignore 95% of his canon bc my bruce isn't as much as a dick, go away. he's a really interesting, complicated character, and i like writing about his trauma and the different ways he copes with it bc they're all so fucked up. so fucked up. man needs a therapist

fc: david castañeda

hc: he's bi, but not out to Anyone At All bc it took him a long time to come to terms with it and it's very personal to him

bonus! what verse: comics

dinah lance, aka the black canary

why: i want to BE her. she's a badass with a big heart and honestly deserves the entire world. also im generally a fan of strong women who are soft and kind but also take no shit from anyone ever and WILL fuck you up if you mess with their family

fc: jurnee smollett-bell (im really excited to see her take on dinah!)

hc: she's in love w barbara gordon & also mentored stephanie brown you CANNOT take this from me

bonus! what verse: COMICS

donna troy, aka troia

why: im weak for strong women! she's interesting to me bc she's like diana but she doesn't seem to be as untouchable or perfect yknow? she's amazing but still very human n i love that

fc: madeleine madden, laura harrier, conor leslie

hc: diana was always a lovely, supportive mom/sister/whatever relationship they have in dcs current continuity (THEY NEED TO MAKE UP THEIR FUCKING MINDS), but sometimes donna struggles with living up to someone who was just so fucking perfect all the time, which is part of why she quit being wonder girl

bonus! what verse: the titans tv show,,ik it's incredibly edgy but i love it ok. ive also been looking into her comics

hank hall, aka hawk

why: look i. really did not like him at first and then we got to 'hank and dawn' and s2 and jesus CHRIST. JESUS CHRIST. his trauma is very compellingly written and he's like, a white man but with depth?? DEPTH????? his heart is in the right place and he's been through a lot and i love him

fc: alan ritchson

hc: he's been hit so hard so many times that he's starting to reach the point where he physically can't be a vigilante anymore

bonus! what verse: the titans tv show

harvey dent, aka two-face

why: he's actually got, like, a genuinely interesting backstory when it's written properly. and the idea of gotham's savior, "apollo," the perfect, beautiful, good guy becoming a villain is just. poetic cinema. i adore it. @dc hire me to write a two-face movie hes the only male batman rogue i want to see one for. riddler u can stay but you're on thin fucking ice

fc: riz ahmed, austin stowell (specifically his look as larry king in battle of the sexes)

hc: him and bruce are in love and it was soft and then sad and then sadder. it's practically canon leave me alone

bonus! what verse: comics

john constantine, occasionally aka the hellblazer

why: bastard man!!!! bastard!!!!! he's not your typical comics protagonist, & he's an antihero without just being like, a broody murderous dick? hes reflective and self centered but also like. funny. and relatable. and interesting. he fucks up and fails a lot and it's okay. he's the comics representation of the everyman and relies on his wits more than his power and his og comics are SO fucked up and have a lot of political commentary and i Love Them. also hes been canonically bi since the 90s so that's a bonus

fc: riz ahmed (listen,,,), matt ryan

hc: he lets people lie to him too often. he lets them say "i'll be okay, i know what i'm getting into," lets them love him even when he knows he shouldn't. he wants to love & be loved so badly that he always tricks himself into thinking that maybe this time it'll be different, maybe this time it'll end okay. it never does.

bonus! what verse: comics & legends of tomorrow & the constantine tv show

kendra saunders, aka hawkgirl

why: in season one she was very much like, seen as the storybook princess who was so perfect and sweet and needed to be saved, but then she said 'i can handle myself' and slayed her OWN dragon and goddammit it was beautiful

fc: ciara renee

hc: there are some days where she cannot get the feeling of vandal savage off of her skin and she scrubs her arms raw but she just feels his hands and it's a living nightmare for her

bonus! what verse: legends of tomorrow

leonard snart, aka captain cold

why: he's very cold and ruthless and calculating but he'd do anything for his sister and his friends and he cannot live with the thought of anyone controlling him. he makes his own fate, he has to, he has to be able to be more than what he was made to be. he became one of the good guys while still retaining his character and ice and danger and he is also Hilariously snarky at all times

fc: wentworth miller

hc: he's not dead he's just trapped in the time stream seeing thousands of possible futures for all of the people he cares about and not able to do anything about it and it it his own personal hell

bonus! what verse: cw's dctv, but i've been looking into his comics too

stephanie brown, aka the spoiler

why: god. GOD. steph refuses to let anyone define her or stop her from reaching her goals and she has been through so much and stays bright and kind as an act of defiance and she is so quiet and so strong that sometimes you can forget she is hurting but the shit she's been through has given her a steel core and god she just shines, she's so perfect

fc: sydney park

hc: im not sure if this is actually canon or just a frequently used hc but she's a pre-med student

bonus! what verse: comics

zari tomaz

why: snarky hacker babe!! she's been through a lot and isn't afraid to let herself be hurting and angry but at the same time she's so so good and has a kind heart and she's usually the voice of reason and im gay for her

fc: tala ashe

hc: she's a lesbian and still in love with amaya

bonus! what verse: legends of tomorrow

[fantasticalendeavors-blog]

Venom

Finally got to go see Venom, and I decided to write a little review in an informal way. Spoilers ahead. Seriously thou.

Reasons I like and Dislike the Movie

1. I love Venom

So the voice is awesome, but the character behind the voice is even better. He is basically just a puppy. he is hungry and wants to be fed. He finds a person. he attaches himself to his person. he loves his person. 

I want to make a quick note that Venom is supposed to be this big mean and viscious character. In the movie (2018) he is by no means mean and/or vicious. I know this is going to upset people, because it strays away from the comic, but honestly I like him more for it. Sure he eats people, particularly their heads, but he isn’t maliscious about it. He’s just hungry. So from the very beginning you can root for him! 

I can’t enphasis this enough. You can tell that he cares for Eddy. That he cares for Anne. And that he even likes the earth. He shows honest real emotions, and isn’t caught up in himself. So he’s not a villian, and this isn’t a redemption story, at least not for him.

2. Eddy

I also like Eddie. He is a fun character, and I immediatly liked him. He is honest, and open, and seriously no bullshit. He fucks up when he steals from his fiance, and ultimatly loses everything because of it. But despite this he can still be a good guy. he gives the poor woman $20 for a free newspaper. He is kind to the woman at the convience store, even when she says that he “looks like shit.” He doesn’t get aggressive, or mean to the guy next door, even though that guy is a jerk, turns the music up to loud when everyone is trying to sleep, and keeps him up all night. He is honestly a good guy, he has just made a couple mistakes that he has to suffer for. And he actually suffers. (seriously they spent too much of the movie dewelling on how different his life was after he went from all to not)

But he tries to be a good person. He isn’t perfect, and he doesn’t pretend that he is. He just tries to be a good person. How relatable is that. I mean, we all want to bite someone’s head off at some point. But he is like, “okay, no! well, maybe sometimes... Just the bad ones.”

3. We Are Venom

Okay, Riot immediatly says “There are more of us. They will follow me whereever I go.” notice the “I”. Venom never does that. Riot is thinking only about himself, but from the very beginning, Venom is like “We” and “Us”.

Whatever type of relationship you want to ship them as, it doesn’t really matter. They can be friends, or more than friend, or brothers, or whatever. But you cannot deny the fact that they have a serious bond, that bond makes them stronger, and that Venom is a wonderful little sweetroll. 

They both are “losers”, but together they are strong. Strong enough to defeat Riot, even if it means letting him trap himself in a rocket, and then blowing up the rocket. But they beat him! it still counts!

Venom even accepts his own death at the end, as he protects and says goodbye to Eddy. “We are Venom” are some real relationship goals. It means, we can do this, if we do this together.  It means “We are a team.”

4. It was hilarious

When I sat in the theater, everyone was breaking out laughing at different parts. And some of it was the most mundane and ridiculous Sh*t. 

I love the scene where Eddie puts his arms up (like he is surrendering) and Venom’s response is “You are making us look bad.” And he has Eddie put his arms down. And the two are fighting between each other, arms up, arms down, arms up, arms down. it’s so simple, but It is just a wonderful scene. (I couldn’t find a decent video to show.) And I want to point out that Riot just took control of his host and had them do what he wanted. But from the very beginning Venom is like “I’m going to do some shit, but you have an opinion in this.” So I’m back to the “We are Venom” thing. 

And then there is this scene! I memorized the entire quote and ran around my house telling everyone about it. This movie knows that it’s dark, but it is having a lot of fun! (take notes DC, Batman can be fun. Or any of your characters!!!! Aquaman is already fun. BUT HE’S THE ONLY ONE!!!!!!!)

5. It asked some big questions

So this movie is hilarious. It’s dark. It’s gritty. It’s enjoyable. And it asks some big questions. Who gets to decide good and evil? How far are we willing to go to save the world? to better ourselves? to better humanity? How far should we go, and how far is too far? a lot of fars in these sentences. What makes a good person? When should you interviene with something that you know is wrong? Who’s lives matter? 

And the movie doesn’t answer these questions. i mean, it kinda answers them, but it really doesn’t. It comes down to us. We need to make these dicisions. We need to try and be good people. We need to try to do what’s right, even if it means losing everything. We need to think about more than just ourselves. We need to try. And remember that our decisions don’t just affect us.

Now things I don’t like about the Movie.... I’m sorry.

1. WHAT THE FRICKING FRACK!

(I’m sorry about the poor quality of the video, it was the best I could find.)

SERIOUSLY WHY DOES VENOM HAVE BOOBS! This scene is a bit cringeworthy, but due to the humorous/gritty style it doesn’t bother me that it’s in there. The thing I have is the horrible BS design of Venom/Anne. Seriously, is this the best we can do. “Let’s give venom breast, that will show his host is a woman!” WTF! So venom goes into a female body, and his form changes to have boobs? Why doesn’t Eddie’s Penis show? WHERE IS THE DONG?

I want to see Venom as the dog. Like does his outsides turn into a wolf? I get it, they are trying to ship the Eddie/Anne, but I’m so annoyed that he turns into this skinny frail looking, Breasted Venom. 

And while this is technically another reason, I’m just going to say it. Why is Anne wearing an school girl skirt at the middle/end of the film? Why? I thought she was a lawyer. What is she playing school girl with the judge so she can win a case? 

2. Plot holes?

i put the question mark in because this is just my opinion, and it isn’t necessary to the film, or necessary to enjoy the film.

Why does Eddie hate Riz Ahmed, and his company? like I know that Ahmed is an extremist who doesn’t actual care about human life, is a bit self absorbed, manipulative, and powerful. But it seems that Eddie hates Riz before he has even met the guy. It feels like there is some personal connection, and we just never find out. Once again, not necessary for the film, but I really want to know. 

Riz Ahmed wanted to cement his name in history. He wanted to be remembered for saving everyone and every thing. he was egotistical, and selfish, and didn’t care about anyone. Then he meets Riot, and Riot is just as bad as he is, but worse! And Ahmed, rather than being like “this bi*ch is about to take my spotlight, and wipe my name, and lexacy off the face of the planet” he’s like “Cool, I get to help!” How does that make sense? What is in it for him? He has to know that Riot plans to kill everyone and destroy the planet, right? 

3. Scene distribution

The beginning of the film was a little slow. The car chase was way too long. The car chase was way too long. THE CAR CHASE WAS WAY TOO LONG!!!! And some of the end felt rushed, probably because they took to much time on the CAR CHASE!

I want to see more of Venom seeing the world. He has one scene where he is like “Wow, your world is actually pretty.” I want more bonding with Eddie. “You changed my mind” (about distroying everything and everyone, so I want to stay here with you.) Seriously, like one scene before Eddie had abandoned Venom, leaving him for dead!!! Then he comes back, saves Eddie! Venom is just a puppy, following his owner around!

Venom kind of went from “I’m hungry” to “I’m going to be a hero,” and I just want to see his views change a bit more visually. Venom had this connection with Eddie, that allowed him to know what Eddie is knows or thinks. This is a very internal process, that is mentioned, but I would kinda like a little more visual bonding. Show it, don’t say it.  And a lot less car chase. Again, not necessary to make the film good, but it would have been appreciated. 

I really enjoyed the Film! I like the characters! I like the story! I like how relatable they are, even if it isn’t relatable, if that make sense. It was funny, and gritty, and it didn’t do the All-to-Popular “Superhero” or “redemed Villian” movie. Yeah, he had super powers, but it felt kind of mundane. This story is about screwing up, but still fighting for what’s right, even after you’ve lost everything. No one is perfect, but you should still try! At the end Eddie says that Venom can only eat the bad people. Who should decide who is good and bad? That’s a question that is not answered in the film. It’s not supposed to. The question is, “Are you trying?” 

It’s a motivational movie! 

Personal Review 4 stars out of 5. Would recommend!