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#if i don't beat you to it lol
archer-antiope · 4 months
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ranking other fantasy high characters by the amount of grudge that kipperlilly must hold (and the reasons for those grudges)
jem peppercorn. 10/10. you had the chance to get in on killing kalvaxus and you just ate the buffet the entire time?! where is the drive?! where is the PASSION?!
ostentatia wallace. 18/10. chosen one of her god, probably insulted kipperlilly to her face like 20 times but kept forgetting who kipperlilly was
max durden. 5/10. mostly rulebreaking but also interrupting during the assembly that one time
antiope jones. 10/10. canonically comes from a family that's been super involved in public service and/or military. there's probably like 200 tragic backstories up in there. AND she keeps being voted leader by her party, but keeps TURNING IT DOWN?!
ficus. 2/10. probably accidentally threw a hackysack in her direction, went "oh shit, my b," then offered her a puff to puff-puff-pass. did not seem to care that it was in front of the druid teacher
katja cleaver. 10/10. canonically very rich old money horse girl with a parent who abandoned her and the other saves the world on an obnoxiously regular basis. prime tragic backstory stuff there!!!! why can't her rich parents be interesting like KATJA'S rich dad?!?!?!?
bud cubby. 9/10. somehow keeps getting himself involved in bad kids shenanigans???? you are supposed to just be the post man?!?!?!?!
ayda aguefort. 100/10. what the fuck. you grew up in a pirate city and made a library and are the daughter of the principal and also you're a hugely powerful wizard and also you're VOLUNTARILY dating one of the bad kids?! grow up?! kipperlilly would want ayda in her party so bad
penny luckstone. 1000/10. previously mostly-ordinary halfling girl whose greatest outstanding quality was the number of her siblings who got mysteriously kidnapped and was looped directly into riz's backstory and why the bad kids saved the world that first time, THEN was a straight-a student who nearly ran for student government, THEN got a super-special way to graduate herself and her party, THEN got an elite invitation to the secret society of rogues, THEN proceeded to wreck that society's whole shit??? kipperlilly HATES her ass. she wants to be penny SOOOOO bad!!!!!!
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sanasanakun · 2 months
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I think my favorite part of the dlc’s final boss is how it (can) directly mirror your Tarnished, and by extension, their relationship with Ranni. Obviously, this is coming from me, your resident Ranni glazer who will make everything about her if I can, so please understand this is my interpretation. 
My interpretation is that Miquella/Radahn act as a foil to Ranni/Tarnished, specifically when it comes to the themes of love, consent, and freewill. Now, I know it’s up in the air about how consenual the pact between Radahn and Miquella is. Personally, I see it as non-consensual; Miquella resurrected and controls a puppet of Radahn and/or bewitched him to be his “promised consort.” Given the theme of control with Miquella, I don’t think FromSoft would turn that around on us at the last second. Radahn’s situation is meant to be the final nail in the coffin; a demonstration of what Miquella’s “love” exactly means. Total control over one’s entire self and mind. Anyway, I digress, let’s get into how I see their situation mirroring, and acting as the antithesis, to Ranni and Tarnished. 
First, we’ll examine Miquella and Radahn. Miquella is presented almost throughout the entire game as a beloved figure. He is literally called “Miquella the Kind,” and his actions at the Haligtree paint him as an even more heroic figure. A demi-god who wants to help the weak, the oppressed, and anyone in between who has been scorned by the Golden Order. As we discover in the DLC, Miquella wants to create an “Age of Compassion.” But there’s always a catch, and Miquella’s plan is no exception. Why? Because his new age would remove the free will of everyone by giving him total control of how they feel, act, etc. He’ll make them happy and at peace because they’ll have no choice; they’ll have no self. This is exemplified in literal form with Radahn. The relationship between the two brothers presents itself as a one-sided obsession on Miquella’s part. Though we don't know a ton about them together, I think it’s safe to theorize Radahn didn’t willingly go along with Miquella’s plan. Radahn is canonically a fan of the Golden Order given his admiration of Godfrey and his father, Radagon. I can’t see him wanting to disrupt the current way of things. Plus, I don’t believe Maleania and Radahn would stage a fake war just to get Radahn into a position where he could be resurrected via Mohg. Too many hoops to jump through, so Occam’s Razor says Radahn rejected Miquella. 
Now that’s great and all, but the real meat I want to analyze comes from the actual boss fight, or more specifically, the twos’ body language during the fight. Radahn is an empty shell. He doesn’t have any dialouge aside from small grunts. He doesn’t address us at all, which is entirely unlikely for how he’s been described. He’s a ferocious warlord who values the strength of both his allies and enemies. At the very least, he would address someone as prolific and talented as the PC Tarnished. Yet, he doesn’t. Radahn is literally there to act as “the muscle;” he is the strong and powerful lord that Miquella admired him to be. However, by making Radahn only act like this, Miquella has erased the true essence of what made Radahn. He lacks his soul. Miquella might be the more interesting of the two when it comes to body language. I think Miquella’s theme of control really shines with how he places himself on Radahn during the battle. He is literally draped over Radahn with his arms wrapped around his neck. Obviously, at first glance this is meant to imitate an embrace, solidifying the two as both a team and lovers. Yet, Miquella’s position doubles in meaning when considering his need to control. The arms could represent a collar, with Miquella acting as the leash. His hovering gives off a “helicopter” vibe (for a lack of a better term). While playing I called him a “helicopter parent,” comparing him to where they are constantly looking over your shoulder and trying to direct you. Essentially, Miquella is caging Radahn in his embrace, revealing his need to control the situation and Radahn himself. Miquella is the personification of control; he won’t allow free will to happen because he thinks it causes too much pain and uncertainties. And Radahn, he embodies the fate of those who would live under the Age of Compassion; he is a puppet. Specifically, he is Miquella’s puppet in both battle and love. He doesn’t have a choice in the matter at all. 
So, how is this the antithesis to our beloved blue wife and the Tarnished? Ranni doesn’t appear to help the Tarnished during their fight with the duo, which I’ve seen a few complain about. While I would love to fight alongside my support princess (and I have downloaded the mod lol), I think Ranni appearing would undermine the character FromSoft has established and her relationship with the Tarnished. Ranni is very hands off. She gives her vassals the tools to work with and then tells them to do what they wish with it. She never forces you to do anything you don’t want to. When you confront her about her role in the death of Godwyn, she willingly admits it and then asks you if you’d like to pledge service to her. She doesn’t say, “You know my secrets, therefore you will be in my service so I can keep an eye on you.” Instead, it’s a choice; a choice for someone far below her in class and power, but she gives it to you nonetheless. For Ranni, the ability to choose and live the way you desire is incredibly important. She seems to dislike outside forces messing with the ability to expereince life (as she says feel, see, taste, etc). 
Therefore, in the final battle with Miquella and Radahn, Ranni is there with you via the tools she’s provided and the faith she has in you (you can interpret this as her blessing with the “we will see each other once more”). She doesn’t need to be hovering over you, arms wrapped around your neck; she trusts the Tarnished above all else to succeed and fight for her. But should they choose not to, she’ll be heartbroken but she won’t stop you. As for the Tarnished, our character is not a shell of a person. They are someone teeming with ambition and the will to fight for their chosen successor. They fight because they want to be there and challenge whatever comes to face them; they don’t need Ranni telling them “go fight Miquella and Radahn for me pls.” 
Their “Age of the Dark Moon” also is the antithesis to Miquella’s “Age of Compassion.” Whereas his is about control, Ranni wants to remove all outer god influence from the world. She wants people to experience their lives without the intervention of any god; to experience life on their own terms, whether they want otherworldly guidance or not. She literally takes her order and leaves the planet (?) with it and you. 
Ok, that’s enough of me rambling about whatever the fuck comes to my sleep deprived mind. I have a flight to catch in three hours, so I’m gonna leave it here. In closing, Ranni good I love her very much mwah<3
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athina-blaine · 3 months
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I think the reason your labru fics managed to keep me hooked when i normally don't like a lot of fan content about them is that it's reciprocal. Laios and Kabru both look out for each other and take care of each other, when normally a lot of content for them is focused on Kabru being there foe Laios without much focus on the reverse. I love, love, love Nourish especially, with Laios not really understanding what Kabru's talking about but trying to engage and pay attention anyway, making him a tasty meal so he'll sit down and let himself unwind, and just showing how he cares about people
Thank you so much! You can assume whenever I'm writing from Laios' POV at any given moment I'm beating back the urge to spoil Kabru rotten. I want to give him a wardrobe of full of nice clothes. I want to make him dinner. I want to find him falling asleep at his desk and carry him back to bed. If there are 0 Kabru simps, I'm dead. The threat of complete and utter derailment looms large with every fic I write and I must tread carefully 😤
It doesn't surprise me that a lot of labru stuff focuses more on how Kabru supports Laios than the other way around, since that's how it largely manifests in the series. Laios, being the main character, has a lot of plates he's spinning in the air, but Kabru is uniquely focused on Laios and how Laios relates to his own goals. I'd be curious to count up the panels that has Kabru referring to Laios, both verbally or mentally, and compare it to other characters outside the main party, because I think the results would be quite funny haha
But while there is a disparity, the scenes where Laios reciprocates this support, in my opinion, are arc-defining. Laios, with zero prompting, realizes Kabru would be hungry after his resurrection and makes him something to eat with his own party's supplies. It's Kabru's aversion to monster cuisine that factors into his emotional bid to Marcille, in that you can't make a perfect menu that looks the same for everyone. And, crucially, Laios promises to share a meal with Kabru that doesn't include monsters. For the entire series, Kabru wanted to know whether Laios could be interested in people as much as he was interested in monsters, if he could prioritize people over monsters, and this is where he gets his answer. This is what convinces him to put his trust in Laios enough to help him escape from the Canaries and to let him try and talk down Marcille. Because Laios demonstrated he was capable of taking people's i.e. Kabru's wants and needs into consideration, even if it had nothing to do with monsters.
Labru appeals to me because of everything they have to offer each other, yes, but mostly because of everything Laios has to offer Kabru. Here you have this character who is routinely seen to have a suppressed appetite, who makes himself smaller in order to be more appealing to the people around him, who makes space for and services everybody but himself, and here you have this other character walk right up to him and say, "You look hungry. Let me make you something to eat."
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dootznbootz · 11 months
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Odysseus was afraid the entire year on Aeaea in the Odyssey.
Content warnings: Rape, Sexual Coercion, Sexual assault, Sex Work, power dynamics, this will also be long as fuck as I talk too much. This is NOT a "Circe the Goddess Hate Post". I call her out but that's it. I tried to keep this neutral but still making a point (Let me know if I gotta put more)
Lots of lovely folks on here have written great essays on what Calypso did to Odysseus as it's soooo blatantly obvious there. It literally states how he cried every day and how he flinched from Calypso, very straightforward on how he was explicitly raped.
But I've noticed that a lot of people are always iffy about Circe's situation (understandably so, it's not so in your face.) She's usually always mentioned in the "Odysseus never cheated! He was raped!" posts but then the evidence is only ever given against Calypso, and then mentioning how you can't say no or disobey the orders of an immortal and how it was in exchange for freeing his men.
WHICH IS ALL CORRECT!!! But!!!
There ARE immortal/mortal couples who genuinely love each other. Dionysus and Ariadne, and Eros and Psyche are examples. Apollo and Hyacinthus. Psyche indeed becomes immortal eventually and in some versions, both Hyacinthus and Ariadne do too. But even while mortal themselves, their immortal lovers still remained respectful and loving towards them and definitely doted on them. There are definitely power dynamics at play here but there's some nuance.
Odysseus and Circe's relationship, however, is very different. We all know he slept with her at the very least once. And that was in exchange for his men being returned to humans. That was the only time it was explicitly stated. With Calypso, it tells you every night he was enchanted and slept beside her. It was the narrator speaking but Odysseus is the narrator now and it's his story. If you think he lied, this probably won't change your mind anyway.
But even if it was a one-time thing, (which isn't the only interpretation and I will have points that talk about others) then why did he stay a year? What was he doing?
I'm doing a deep dive into the year he spent on Aeaea based on evidence in Book 10 and then the beginning of Book 12. Step by step, and honestly I'm writing this for Tumblr, not as a thesis so I will be a bit more casual but still using sources. To me, it's very obvious that he was uncomfortable throughout the text simply based on the language that is used. But it's very subtle and not an outright statement of "He's been crying every day."
BTW, just so we're clear, this is not a "Circe is the root of all evil, etc." type of post.
This isn't meant to villainize her. She's an immortal being and in mythology that changes things. Everybody is morally gray. I genuinely think if we were to ask her feelings on it, she'd probably be like "Oh, yeah! Turned his men into pigs! Strange little man he was." I don't think she gave a flying fuck.
I just simply get pissed tf off when people think Odysseus was fine. It honestly disturbs me how often I'll go on other websites YouTube and see everyone call him a whore and a womanizer. It's sexism at its finest because 1.) "MaN AlwAyS wAnTs sEx" and 2.) women can't rape/coerce. THIS IS SIMPLY TO LOOK INTO HIS FEELINGS ABOUT IT.
This is also only for Homer's Odyssey, using different translations. If you want to discuss this, (I'd be happy to! Just be nice!) DON'T BRING UP ANY OTHER WORKS.
With all that out of the way, come yell with me 🤗
I've read multiple translations, as I know there's going to be bias depending on who's translating. And having done so, each one has basically the same situations described the same so that's nice for consistency. Also, there are some parts in the story that are vague and that we'll never have answers to.
Odysseus first simply sees the smoke from her chimney and then sends his men in, after drawing lots Eurylochus leads half of the men to check out the house. I mentioned here vaguely how the 2 immortals he sleeps with are both introduced while singing and weaving, which could be seen as an enchantment (which to me is most likely. They both possess magic and are goddesses). So I'm just gonna move past that. Just take a peek and come back or just know that enchantment was likely.
Next, I'll see people often joke on Tumblr about how
"Odysseus says that Polites is his best friend yet only mentions him once!"
I think Odysseus mentions his best friend, the one to jubilantly go in first, to show WHY he would go through with this. How much these comrades mean to him. That's his best friend, and there are approximately 20 others who are now pigs as well. Could you knowingly leave one of your best friends to live a life like that knowing you could've done something?
[...]Circe—and deep inside they heard her singing, lifting her spellbinding voice as she glided back and forth at her great immortal loom, her enchanting web a shimmering glory only goddesses can weave. Polites, captain of armies, took command, the closest, most devoted man I had: ‘Friends, there’s someone inside, plying a great loom, and how she sings—enthralling! The whole house is echoing to her song. Goddess or woman—let’s call out to her now!’ So he urged and the men called out and hailed her. She opened her gleaming doors at once and stepped forth, inviting them all in, and in they went, all innocence.
(Fagles, Book 10)
In the Odyssey, it's never mentioned why she turns people into animals. I think they were turned into pigs because, throughout the Iliad and Odyssey, Odysseus is often associated with boars. His men are associated with him, therefore: 🐖 Piggy. From what we know, the lads were just eating her food. With how much Xenia and hospitality are a large part of the story, they probably thought they were safe. They were GUESTS. This is especially welcome after the Cyclops and the Laestrygonians. And it literally says "All innocence". They were simply naive.
Then Eurylochus runs back, so terrified that he couldn't speak at first. He then begs Odysseus to just leave the men behind. Odysseus has shown that he does TRY to save his men when it is truly not reckless to do so.
But I shot back, ‘Eurylochus, stay right here, eating, drinking, safe by the black ship. I must be off. Necessity drives me on.’
(Fagles, Book 10)
Then the famous warning from Hermes. I've seen folks bring this up when talking about this. YES, he is literally commanded by Hermes to not refuse her if he wants his men back in basically every translation. It sounds like Circe was warned as well. When? We don't know, but it sounds like Hermes didn't pick "sides" here.
Strange that he was still like, "Sleep with each other" to both, because he could've been like, "Circe, there's this guy named Odysseus. When he comes to this island, change his men back." But who knows, maybe it was Circe's idea from the beginning and Hermes went along with it. Just food for thought.
Now here’s your plan of action, step by step. The moment Circe strikes with her long thin wand, you draw your sharp sword sheathed at your hip and rush her fast as if to run her through! She’ll cower in fear and coax you to her bed— but don’t refuse the goddess’ bed, not then, not if she’s to release your friends and treat you well yourself. But have her swear the binding oath of the blessed gods she’ll never plot some new intrigue to harm you, once you lie there naked— never unman you, strip away your courage!’
(Fagles, Book 10)
But that doesn't explain why he was there for a year afterward! Nor if he himself was okay with it, which is what I'm trying to delve into as he wasn't.
Also the knife thing? She's still immortal. It was meant to startle her. Her dad is Helios. Odysseus would've been toast, literally.
Also note this exchange wasn't a "Yippee! Hermes says I'm going to get laid!".
...just approaching the halls of Circe, my heart a heaving storm at every step, paused at her doors, the nymph with lovely braids— I stood and shouted to her there. She heard my voice, she opened the gleaming doors at once and stepped forth, inviting me in, and in I went, all anguish now …
(Fagles, Book 10)
Another translation by Ian Johnston, (they all say the same thing essentially but trying to make a point.)
I continued on to Circe’s home. As I moved on, my heart was turning over many gloomy thoughts. After I had walked up to the gateway                                                of fair-haired Circe’s house, I just stood there and gave a shout. The goddess heard my voice.                      She came out at once, opened her bright doors, and invited me inside. I entered, heart full of misgivings.
HE👏WAS👏SCARED! The tone is solemn and suspenseful. He was just told that without Hermes' help with the root, he wouldn't be able to survive and bring back his men. Circe was dangerous.
He made her swear not to harm him.
Straightaway she began to swear the oath that I required—never, she’d never do me harm—and when she’d finished, then, at last, I mounted Circe’s gorgeous bed …
(Fagles, Book 10)
Please note that she NEVER promised that to his men. His comrades did NOT have moli in their systems. He had no way of truly ensuring their safety in any way from Circe.
He then refuses to eat or speak, literally "lost in grim forebodings". If he "just got laid", then why isn't he happy? Not many men can say that a goddess CHOSE to have sex with them. He did it to get his men turned back. It was an exchange. I don't think Circe is "Evil" so maybe it slipped her mind. Or yes, she could've thought, "Hey, I got what I wanted. He's handsome enough. Homer never shuts up about how hot this guy is He hasn't brought up the pigs yet. I'll just let this play out. Maybe HE forgot. I don't have to do anything." We don't know. But Odysseus probably felt like he got deceived.
"Hey, I did my part of the deal. I slept with you. Now do yours."
She pressed me to eat. I had no taste for food. I just sat there, mind wandering, far away … lost in grim forebodings. As soon as Circe saw me, huddled, not touching my food, immersed in sorrow, she sidled near with a coaxing, winged word: ‘Odysseus, why just sit there, struck dumb, eating your heart out, not touching food or drink? Suspect me of still more treachery? Nothing to fear. Haven’t I just sworn my solemn, binding oath?’
So she asked, but I protested, ‘Circe— how could any man in his right mind endure the taste of food and drink before he’d freed his comrades-in-arms and looked them in the eyes? If you, you really want me to eat and drink, set them free, all my beloved comrades— let me feast my eyes.’ So I demanded.
(Fagles, Book 10)
He doesn't trust her despite what she had told him that he should when they sleep together. He has figured out that while she will not hurt him, his men were not a part of that oath, the men he was trying to protect in the first place.
She is then moved by how they rejoice when they see one another again. While turning people into animals for funsies isn't cool and coercion is fucked up, I think she comes to see this group as not quite friends but I think she did find them entertaining in a way.
This is very strange but I've seen some folks say that since Odysseus was pissed at Eurylochus for still not believing him about Circe is proof that "Oh he was trying to defend her!". Which??? Uh, Eurylochus was literally questioning his leadership as a whole. Calling him reckless and shit. He is captain and he's the King, he can't let that shit slide. The text literally says "Mutinous". Also if I had to sleep with someone I did not want to especially if it was to save my friends and I got called names afterward I'd get fucking pissed too.
Only Eurylochus tried to hold my shipmates back, his mutinous outburst aimed at one and all: ‘Poor fools, where are we running now? Why are we tempting fate?— why stumble blindly down to Circe’s halls? She’ll turn us all into pigs or wolves or lions made to guard that palace of hers—by force, I tell you— just as the Cyclops trapped our comrades in his lair with hotheaded Odysseus right beside them all— thanks to this man’s rashness they died too!
They stay a year. Again it's never stated that Odysseus slept with her that whole time. You could interpret that. (Honestly, I feel Circe would get bored with him? She's a goddess, she's got more important matters than mortal men. And she definitely doesn't love him.)
His men DO have to bring it up that "Odysseus has forgotten his native land." Maybe they thought they could sneak out without her knowing??? I am fucking REACHING but hold on as Telemachus did because he knew Nestor would well, be Nestor and try to coax him with "Have a meal with us! Let me tell you about how badass I used to be in my youth." But to sneak away from a goddess? Without her permission? That won't end too well. Aeolus in the beginning kicked out Odysseus when he tried to ask for another bag of wind. If she didn't want him around, she could literally boot him out. While she didn't force him to stay like Calypso did, she didn't "release" him either.
We don't know if they've been asking for a long time. Odysseus does say to Circe that they have been begging him nonstop, but he could also be saying that to try and convince her. He's good at persuasion. I think while he knew he could rely on her for food, shelter, and good advice, he still didn't feel...SAFE with her. I think he was possibly avoiding her personally.
I think HOW he asks her to leave is important to know as well.
...but I went up to that luxurious bed of Circe’s, hugged her by the knees and the goddess heard my winging supplication: ‘Circe, now make good a promise you gave me once— it’s time to help me home. My heart longs to be home, my comrades’ hearts as well. They wear me down, pleading with me whenever you’re away.’
(Fagles, Book 10)
Throughout all of Homer's works, the characters grasp another's knees when they are desperate and are literally at the other person's mercy. Priam did when begging Achilles for Hector's body back. The man who literally killed his son and was defiling his body by dragging it around. Leodes grabs Odysseus' knees to beg for his life before Ody kills him. If he saw her as a friend, and not a captor, WHY DID HE FEEL THE NEED TO BEG IN ORDER TO LEAVE?! No one, who is in a healthy relationship, has to BEG for permission to leave. Or to "Break up", if you interpret them as still sleeping together.
And even Circe acknowledges that he is there against his will!
‘Royal son of Laertes, Odysseus, old campaigner, stay on no more in my house against your will.
(Fagles, Book 10)
[...]Odysseus, man of many resources, scion of Zeus, son of Laertes, don’t stay here a moment longer against your will
(A.S. Kline, Book 10)
This is probably another reach that you can ignore but the whole "they wear me down", could be trying to appease her. "Look, you're REALLY cool, it's actually my crew that wants to leave hahahah please don't kill them"
I mentioned before how Telemachus snuck away from Nestor but that was simply out of necessity because he needed to go home now. Not rest for the night. NOW. Nestor is just everyone's grandpa. Menelaus kind of talked more but Telemachus is very straight up in "Please I have to go now" and Menelaus immediately got things ready for him. He never has to beg and clasp his knees. Telemachus was never afraid. Menelaus is a fun uncle and Helen is your cool auntie.
Back to Circe! She tells him instructions for the underworld, they were in her bedroom. But that might've been the only way to speak with her. As even Penelope is usually away from the suitors when they are in her halls, Circe may have done the same. The text never states she played hostess physically. If she was hosting in the halls during the day, why did Odysseus wait until night to talk to her? He could've just asked her while she was on her throne in front of everyone. (He did so with the Phaeacians)
Or maybe he went alone because she only swore an oath to not harm him and so he didn't want his men near if she decided she didn't want to let them go. I could be missing something here so feel free to say something. Idk if this was a pride thing on how "I don't want others to see me beg".
She has info he needs in order to go home as well. She tells him to go to the Underworld.
She gave him new fine clothes and put on pretty clothes herself but that doesn't mean they had sex. Nausicaa gave him nice clothes as well but he never slept with her.
Then he leaves. Immediately. Not even doing a headcount as he didn't realize one of his men had died. (That was negligence on his part but he wanted out) He booked it, to the UNDERWORLD BY THE WAY. Circe even had to sneak the animals he needed for the sacrifice. Odysseus even basically said "She's a goddess. She can do things mortals can't" at the end of the book. And it almost feels...Numb? Solemn? Neutral? Gives a "It is what it is" vibe.
But Circe got to the dark hull before us, tethered a ram and black ewe close by— slipping past unseen. Who can glimpse a god who wants to be invisible gliding here and there?
(Fagles, Book 10)
She’d slipped past us with ease, for who can see a god move back and forth, if she has no desire to be observed?
(Johnston, Book 10)
She's a goddess. She has magic. She can do whatever the fuck she wants.
NOW ON TO BOOK 12!!! That was long! GET A SNACK AND WATER! LUCKILY THIS'LL BE SHORTER!
In Book 11, Odysseus swears, upon all his loved ones in Ithaca, to Elpenor that he'd give him a proper burial as he's been "unwept, unburied". So in Book 12, he sails back to Aeaea to fulfill his promise.
But you know what's funny to me?
He didn't tell Circe he was there.
He didn't even go to greet Circe himself. He sent his men to go get Elpenor's body.
The biggest clue that he didn't love/trust her is that if she was his "Affair partner" then why not go see her for "one last night together"?
SHE came out herself and pulled him aside to know what happened and then gave more advice.
I dispatched some men to Circe’s halls to bring the dead Elpenor’s body. [...]
Nor did our coming back from Death escape Circe— she hurried toward us, decked in rich regalia, handmaids following close with trays of bread and meats galore and glinting ruddy wine. [...]
But Circe, taking me by the hand, drew me away from all my shipmates there and sat me down and lying beside me probed me for details
(Fagles, Book 12)
In every translation, it talks about how he sits, and she lounges/lies down. That's not sex 🙃 In some translations, it even says he tried to be with his shipmates but she pulled him away!
So we lay down and slept beside our ship’s stern cables. But Circe took me by the hand and led me away, some distance from the crew. She made me sit, while she stretched out beside me on the ground. 
(Johnston, Book 12)
Then, she gives advice about the sirens, Charybdis, Scylla, and her father's Cattle. He tries to ask if he could save all his men. She scolds him for even thinking he could try. He again books it out of there.
I think we all know it wasn't "love". But I think a lot of people think Odysseus was willing and happy with whatever this was. "Friends with Benefits", if you will. I guess you could see it that way but I will say that makes me feel itchy with the whole power dynamic and fear. I don't think folks who have that arrangement have to beg on their knees to ask if they can leave though.
I mean the entirety of Book 10 gives me the vibes of "Laughing uncomfortably because you don't want to upset the other person". To just grin and bear it.
A lot of this was just putting the text here and picking it apart step by step. What you do with this is up to you. It's rambling while banging pots and pans together.
Maybe you see him as drugged the entire year and still sleeping together, as the moli "wore off". Even then, just because her magic can't affect him, there are plenty of natural concoctions that can be created that can affect mortals.
Maybe you see the entire year as sex work in exchange for shelter and food.
Maybe he was just alongside his men the whole time under her roof and was avoiding her after the exchange. After he got asked by his men to finally leave, he would start to walk up to that room only to freeze and turn around, thinking "One more day won't hurt. Should wait until I know she's in a sympathetic mood".
I beg of you, however, PLEASE understand that there was fear and coercion throughout his entirety on Aeaea. He wasn't staying to get laid. While there is so much going on and too many things that are left vague to really know exactly what happened, it is consistent that he was scared/numb. Lots of people go through with things they don't really want to do just to appease others. There are plenty of situations of sexual trauma where one person goes through something and the other has no idea the other person isn't okay. ESPECIALLY WHEN SOMEONE CAN HARM THE PEOPLE YOU CARE ABOUT AT ANY MOMENT!
Sexual trauma is a very complicated thing and while he was scared, he definitely wasn't as traumatized by her as he was by Calypso. Calypso was a torturous hell while Circe was a year of walking on eggshells. Not comparable but I still think it should be acknowledged. It's wild because I read the Odyssey and kept thinking "Y'all are calling the sex slave a cheater? The guy who slept with a goddess to get his men back? The ultimate simp apparently doesn't love his wife??"
Things I'm adding that shouldn't affect the argument as it is not in the Odyssey but I want to mention as it's a "fun fact": Odysseus' dad was an Argonaut. Laertes probably met Circe as well, (or knew of her) with the whole purifying thing and maybe Odysseus heard his dad tell stories of her. Later myths also have Circe with the habit of turning her crushes (or their lovers) into something with Scylla and Picus.
In conclusion, Yeah, he was afraid of her. At least to an extent. And don't pull the whole "Ancient men didn't get raped". Male victims exist and deserve compassion for what was done to them and women are capable of sexual abuse. If you think otherwise, you are not a true feminist and Fuck you. I said in the beginning this'll be casual and I don't wanna write a fancy ending. You can still think Circe is neat but you have to know that this was fucked up.
If you think a lot of this is bullshit or wanna give more context or wish to yell with me but still know he wasn't alright on Aeaea, cool. If you want to point out mistakes or something I should keep in mind with interpretations then feel free to say so but give text evidence. If you try and bring up the Telegony and/or Madeline Miller's Circe, fuck clean off. This is Homer. If you call Odysseus a whore and not the malewife he canonically is I'll start biting. 😤
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s1llydr3amscape · 4 months
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Killing him isn't enough I need to beat him with hammers!
Thanks for the request @camzverse !!!! She is bullying that old man!!!!!
The background is taken from a screenshot I repainted!! I had fun hehehe I've been meaning to draw puppet glitch for a while he's just so gloopy.
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crybaby-bkg · 1 year
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cw: implied dom reader/sub Izuku, humiliation, degradation
“You’re a fucking dirty, rotten pervert, Izuku.” you murmur under your breath, watching how his pretty, curved cock twitches where it lies on his belly. you run a single finger up the shaft, around the bulging vein, until it settles under the head. its flushed a deep red, a pretty contrast to the tan of his skin, the freckles that dot his hip. you look at him from under your lashes, smiling when his eyes flutter and he settles back into the silkiness of the bed sheets.
“Yeah,” Izuku sighs all prettily for you, an almost dopey expression painting his face as you watch his chest rise and fall. its a pretty sight that he makes, with a flush that goes all the way down to his nipples, perky and brown, his pecs wide, and his jaw so relaxed that you watch him swallow every few seconds.
"What would everyone do if they knew what disgusting shit the Number One Hero was into?" you ask quietly to yourself, one hand still toying with that sensitive spot under his head, the other starting to run your nail over the seam of his balls. Izuku sucks in a shaky breath at that, eyes clenched shut as you can almost see how he bites back the need to cum.
"If they knew how much of a little slut you are for me?" you grin now, when his eyes roll open and his mouth drops open in a pant. fuck, he's so pretty like that, when his eyes cross momentarily when you cup his heavy balls in your hand.
"Oh, fuck," he hisses out, hands clenching the pillows beside him tightly. you cock your head at him, can't help but feel like you have to be a little mean to him. but its okay; he likes it.
"Say it. Say you're my little slut." you bite at him, showing him your teeth as you feel a whole body shiver wrack through his body.
"I'm, shit, I'm your l-little slut." Izuku groans, eyes squeezing shut when a drool of precum slides down onto his belly and you scoop it up with that same finger that's been teasing him. you play with the sticky substance between your fingers for a second, almost examining it, before you turn your eyes to him. you smile.
"Good boy."
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misc-obeyme · 5 months
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The bros' reaction when the mc gets hit on in the streets!!! It would be a very funny scene!!
I can't imagine that'd go well at all.
I think it also depends on which streets they are and what exactly happens.
I mean, if it's something happening in the human world, I can kinda see the demons just frowning about it or maybe telling the person off. But not too much more 'cause they don't want to damage relations between the worlds by killing some random humans, you know?
But if it's in the Devildom? All demons forfeit their lives and/or well being the minute they do something like hit on MC in the streets.
Though I'm thinking of it more in a catcall/unwanted kind of way.
Everybody's reaction is going to increase a lot of MC is dating them.
Just imagine wolf whistling at Lucifer's significant other other in the street when he's right next to them. Like that is such a dumb thing to do, I kinda feel like they deserve whatever comes to them at that point lol. He'd be cool and collected about it, but he'd eviscerate them.
Mammon would instantly start a fight. Just immediately throws a punch at whoever even dared to look at you.
Levi might be nervous at first, but I think if you were really upset he'd flip a switch and summon Lotan.
Satan would also instantly start a fight. Demon form in two seconds flat. Might start with fists, but you know this guy has all the spells and hexes. Probably beats them up and then curses the hell out of them.
Asmo would deliver a scathing insult and if they still don't leave you alone, then he'd be in demon form and ready to throw down.
Beel would be upset, but I don't think he'd immediately try to fight them. Might just look at them with a serious frown and like... that might be enough, you know?
Belphie would tell you to ignore them and escort you away. And then forever after that demon suffers from terrible nightmares. OR he might come back and find them so he can take care of them when you're not around.
Hmm I feel like this ended up more violent than funny lol.
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wenningfanclub · 1 year
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Antis will be like “Jiang Cheng never viewed Wei Wuxian as family, he was treated like a servant!!! 😠😠😠” but like… if I showed up day-drunk to work, stopped performing my basic duties, kept skipping out when the most support was needed rebuilding, escalated fights during diplomatic events, and refused to tell anyone why I’d started behaving like this, I would definitely get fired. But instead Wei Wuxian has to quiet quit and then actually quit when even that doesn’t work, because as far as we can tell Jiang Cheng would've let him stay as first disciple forever no matter what. So like, if Jiang Cheng thinks of himself as just Wei Wuxian's boss, he does a pretty bad job of treating Wei Wuxian as just an employee.
Are there complicated class dynamics and internal senses of responsibility and debt and duty and obligation fucking both of them up? Absolutely. But Wei Wuxian is definitely not just a servant or a debtor, it’s much, much messier and more complicated than that--which is kind of the problem.
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northern-passage · 10 months
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i suppose i should do a little check in... i managed to finish ch3 of blood choke for nanowrimo (yay) but i'm still not where i want to be with tnp (boo)
it's been slow going... in general after the blood choke update my motivation kinda dropped more than i was expecting, which was foolish given the time of year. holidays are always a pain since i work retail....
anyways all that to say that i'm currently working on tnp. blood choke has shifted to the backburner - i'm still working on that, too, but my main focus now is to finish the ch2 blackwater route for tnp. i've also relegated my other projects to backburner as well. i really want to finish this damn tnp chapter before anything else at this point lmfao
i'm also going to be hosting a jam (which i'll announce tomorrow) along with some of my pals that will be through jan-feb, and i have a short game planned for that which i don't think will take up too much of my time.
thanks everyone for your patience and for sticking around as always 💗 i know it's been a long time and i appreciate the support you all still show me for this story.
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skyloftian-nutcase · 30 days
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For the prompt event:) pre-calamity link starts feeling very homesick, maybe because something is happening at home ( good or bad) and he can’t go because of his duty, and Zelda picks up on it. Basically: fluff
The trickling of water tickled his ears as rivulets made their merry way along rocky crevices. Pools formed at his feet before continuing their trail across the path and into the nearby stream, the last little signs of the rainfall that had slowed them down earlier in the day.
Link stared at the puddles, trying to distract himself with the sounds of nature all around him. He usually found solace in it, and was desperately trying to seek some now, but it was difficult to ignore the constant beratement in his mind.
It had been a nice day originally, but the rain had paused Link and the princess' journey back to the castle. Link had taken the opportunity to practice his sword skills, while Zelda had grown pensive in the dismal weather. His princess (friend? They were getting there, right?) was usually fairly melancholy, and she seemed particularly so today with the abysmal weather.
Usually, Link just tried to support her as best he could, being a listening ear. But today, she tried to loop him into her musings, and he wasn't sure what to make of it, except that it made him realize something.
"I wonder then... would you have chosen a different path?"
Princess Zelda had posed the question morosely, clearly thinking of her own plight and doubts. It made his heart hurt to see her so lost, and he couldn't even begin to fathom the pressure she felt. But still... it made him think...
If it hadn't been for his father... would he still be a knight?
Link didn't think too deeply about it, honestly - his destiny was fairly straightforward, and he had been perfectly lined up to fulfill it. Or at least attempt to do so - he could only pray that he could live up to the expectations. Sometimes, what he truly did wonder was if he had been so blessed compared to Zelda simply because the goddess knew he would need the extra help, as if he were incompetent in some kind of way. He tried not to ponder it too much.
More than anything, though, it made him realize something. When he'd considered where he would be right now if he wasn't a knight, he'd quickly told himself he'd be home with his mother, grandfather, and sister. He'd then realized his father wouldn't be there, since he was a knight, and Link found that he couldn't imagine living any other kind of life. He loved what he did, truly.
But thinking abotu home... and his mother... he'd remembered...
Her birthday. Her birthday. He'd missed it. Not only that, but he hadn't even sent her a letter because he didn't even remember it until now, days later.
Link was a terrible son. Even if he and Princess Zelda had been traveling for the past two weeks, he could've found some time to at least write his dear mother a letter. Instead, she probably was sitting under the porch as she always loved to do when it rained, wondering if her son even remembered she existed. She was probably sad. He'd made her sad.
The water trickled on, nibbling at his mind, pulling him to reality so he couldn't linger on the heartache and guilt.
"Link?"
Startled, he looked over to see the princess watching him, and he realized he'd just completely stopped walking with no reasoning while they were traveling along the road. Slowly, he moved towards her, as an indication that everything was fine, but the princess didn't seem to take the hint.
Or she just saw right through his attempts at normalcy.
"Link, what's wrong?" she asked. "You... you know you can talk to me, right? I know you... aren't as comfortable, but it's just us. I carry on all the time, I... it's only fair that you speak with me too, you know. Please... tell me if something's wrong."
Link swallowed uncertainly, feeling far too insecure to have such a conversation as this. But... she was trying to reach out, to be helpful. It wasn't as if he hadn't spoken to her before at this point, it just wasn't often.
He didn't want to mention that he'd forgotten his mother's birthday. Not when she had loved her own mother so dearly and lost her. It felt... inappropriate. Instead, he tried for a more general response. "I... simply miss home sometimes."
That seemed a harmless enough statement, right? It was true. He figured that was the end of it.
But the princess watched him, some kind of realization dawning on her, and she hummed to herself a moment. Link shifted his weight from foot to foot, wondering if she would start moving again, but instead she said, "I... didn't think about how little you must see of your home. I'm sorry."
Sorry? For what? This wasn't her fault. It wasn't really anyone's fault. This was just how it was.
"I at least get to return to the castle on a regular basis," Princess Zelda continued, putting a hand to her chin as she considered it. She did love to think aloud, he supposed, but he felt strangely under a lot of scrutiny, clamming up. The princess' analytical expression softened, though, and she smiled at him. "Perhaps... you will at least have time to see your father when we get back?"
Link felt his chest clench a little. He... he did want to see his father. But that didn't change the guilt he felt about his mother. And what if his father pointed that out? Link loved the man dearly and knew he was loved in return, but the captain of the royal guard was not afraid to point out when his son was in the wrong.
Nevertheless, he knew the princess was trying to reassure him. Before he could reply, she insisted, "No, not perhaps - I order you to take time off when we get back. You can see your father, and you can go home as well. I'll be in the capital for a while, at least."
When Link didn't reply, surprised at her words, she shyly added, "...Please?"
The Hero of Hyrule felt his body relax, heart softening and warming. For one, blessed moment, he didn't hide the emotions from his face, smiling. "That... would be..."
Nice. That would be nice.
The princess' smile that she gave in return was so sweet, a rare and beautiful sight, like the silent princesses she loved so much.
Link finally let out a small laugh, feeling like the flood of emotions he usually kept dammed up could trickle out like the water down the stones beside him. "Thank you... Zelda."
The princess' smile faded a hair, eyes widening at his address of her, before she giggled, speechless for once. The pair continued on in silence, a pleasant warmth between them, and sunlight shone on the land, pushing away the dreariness that had weighed them both down.
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smile-files · 15 days
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the alliance........ from left to right: baseball, suitcase, nickel, and balloon!
(i was trying to find a way to represent balloon's name and i came upon a lucky medium: given how he was a jerk in ii1 and nickel continued to see him as such, i imagine he'd just call him "bully" from then on, even after they became friends -- and it sounds like the word "balloon", no?)
#dandy's doodles#inanimate insanity#ii#ii baseball#ii suitcase#ii nickel#ii balloon#ii gjinka#ii humie#ii humanized#i love you casey sue <333 she's so cute#i gave her limb difference by the way. hope i depicted it well#there was this contestant on the great british baking show (bryony's her name i think?). really sweet. reminded me of suitcase#and she has a limb difference. so that subconsciously inspired that part of my suitcase design#i would just call nickel 'nick' but there was this kid in my jewish pre-k named nicky and i want to emphasize to myself that he's jewish#a jewish prick at that!!!! ...nothing against that kid though. the only thru-line is that he's jewish lol#nicky (nickel) is a jewish-middle-school-rich-kid to inferiority-superiority-complex-incel pipeline#<- 'incel' used loosely. mostly because it's funny#i kind of want to investigate how the rich kids from my jewish middle school have changed from then to now. they're fascinating creatures#i wonder if they all still have their stupid stupid perms#and for ben i was thinking about charlie brown#baseball (obvious) + often down about stuff + the 'leader' of the group but not very good at it#oh yeah also you don't see it in his design (cuz he's modest!) but ben has top surgery scars that look a little like the baseball stitches#and then allen... idk the long-sleeves under short-sleeves just works. with the sweatpants#i want him to appear kind of uncomfortable. weirdly warm and clammy#i like to think of him rolling up his sleeves as ii1 balloon to beat someone up lololol...#i need to rewatch ii1 to get the deets on how balloon was. but then i want to rewatch the whole show anyway
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vaggieslefteye · 5 months
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HELL'S GREATEST DAD ↳ from Hazbin Hotel Season One (2024): 1x05 - "Dad Beat Dad"
#hazbin hotel#lucifer morningstar#hazbin lucifer#alastor#hazbin alastor#music vids: s1#dad beat dad#my videos#anyone else think the way he was holding alastor's head twice is foreshadowing? served it to her on a plate then had it as a pic on the cak#i hope it's foreshadowing lol#he was also feeding her his eyes and shadow tentacles as spaghetti and meatballs askjdfakjshdfjkls#bro was SO MAD LMFAO#song: hell's greatest dad#charlie#charlie morningstar#mimzy#hazbin mimzy#hey hey pssst... you know those 3 cards that swing by before the slot machine?#the middle one is lucifer as the king of spades - the same card alastor was in husk's overlord flashback.#DETAILS!! I LOVE THE DETAILS IN THIS SHOW!#RIP VID QUALITY BTW#tumblr really axed this one huh#also don't get me started on the symbolism behind alastor's whole deal in this song there is SO MUCH GOING ON#lucifer is overbearing yes but all his lyrics are ''im gonna help you cuz i love you'' meanwhile alastor's are ''IM SO GREAT AND COOL''#easy. but look at the doorway behind them when he dances with her on the stairs. it looks like spidery fingers reaching out from behind#to grasp/trap her in a dark place. THE ENTIRE ''ASSISTANCE'' PART#LITERALLY PUTTING ALL THAT STRESS ON HER THEN ''SAVES HER'' AFTER#THE ''IM YOUR GUY YOUR DAY TO DAY'' HE'S LITERALLY BOXING HER IN/TRAPPING HER WHILE PLAYING FRIENDLY#and do i even have to point out the obvious ''separating you from your blood family'' thing he has going on and the whole time#WATCH IT ELKMAN I WILL KILL YOU. YOU ARE LUCKY YOU'RE MODERATELY/MOSTLY ENTIRELY LIKEABLE AND FUNNY.
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redraw of my insta pfp which is a redraw of that one sprite!! feat: colors :] (only a little lol)
august 2024 vs february 2024
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officially-other · 3 months
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Loki: god of foreshadowing
Bold can be skipped if you know me from my main since you likely already know this: My mom and I are both witches. We work with Loki, amongst other deities, and most of our deities prefer what I call "direct communication." AKA we get thoughts that aren't our own, words, images, that sort of thing, and we know it's them. This is important context.
So, Loki has been emphasizing a theme of shapeshifting in my + my mother's life lately. Like, we'll be talking about something, and whenever they can one of us will get this quiet "shapeshiftiiiiiiiing" stage whisper in our heads. Sometimes we'll both pick it up, but usually it's whoever it's relevant to most at the moment.
The thing about this is... uh... we figured out why.
Long story short, turns out my mom is otherkin too. She's a polymorph, but specifically a gryphon. (Not sure if she's more of a gryphon who shapeshifts, or a polymorph who's got a few favorite forms and one of them is a gryphon. I keep forgetting to clarify.)
But wait, there's more! /ref I don't have a single draconic form. In fact, whereas I thought I had one and then maybe two (one for land and one for the ocean) I... probably basically had a bunch of traits to pick and choose from as I so pleased. Mix and match. Also, mimicry. Like a cuddlefish or octopus. The reason that I have (privately, I haven't posted about it) been struggling to figure out what my draconic form looked like is because... well, there's no one answer. It looked like whatever the fuck I wanted it to look like.
So yeah. UPG, Loki is now the god of foreshadowing to me.
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sysig · 1 year
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I have an idea for the requesttober, could you make Scriabin like an endermen? I feel that Scriabin would be an endermen if he were in Minecraft's world
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Day 11 - No eye contact >:(
#My art#Requestober#Minecraft#Vargas#Scriabin#Edgar#Scriabin would make a good Enderman haha#I wonder if he'd be a bit indignant since y'know - the Nether is Right There and he's totally a demon! He needs to be from Hell!#But then there aren't really any demonic creatures in the Nether - Nether Skeletons maybe? Haha ♪#Besides Endermen are cool! They teleport and get mad when you look them in the eyes it's very fitting lol#I wasn't sure if I wanted to give him a purple colour palette somewhere - switch out his blue glasses for purple? :0#But I opted to just stick with the classic for greyscale :) You can imagine him as a purpley-grey haha#Man it feels like forever since I've drawn them in Minecraft haha - I have played with my Edgar skin since!#It turned into a performative art piece of throwing Edgar off every high cliff I came across - don't ask I was in a weird mood lol#Man it'd be so fun for them to do one of those modded Minecraft playthroughs where Edgar has to try to beat the game#While Scriabin has the morph mod for example and can just turn into random stuff to get in his way (or maybe help? Nah lol)#Only turns into the ''cool' mobs and then the ones that are the most effective at killing Edgar hahah ♪#''Here I know a way you can win right away >:)'' ''Wait-'' *turns into the Ender Dragon as soon as Edgar gets stone tools* lol#It's fitting for Edgar to stay a human but it'd be fun for him to be able to morph too!#Maybe only into ''normal'' mobs lol - he turns into a sheep and Scriabin immediately dyes him red#Oh no that's a cute imagine of Enderman!Scriabin picking a red flower and then putting it on sheep!Edgar stop me now lol
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hanzajesthanza · 3 months
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this looks like a long time but initially it said 1 MONTH 15 days
#i think i will just have to grab cutscene footage from online... im not waiting for that sh... lmao#this has me admitting that i'm not a gamer and left that identity behind some time ago... which is kind of sad but ok#thoughh when witcher 4 drops... 😈#oh my god i typed witcher 34 instead of witcher 4. i think that already exists on the internet LOL#i'm actually not as excited for w4 as i am for the remaster of the first game#i also don't have any saves and i need footage of like some late-quest stuff (just for a mention of lore inconsistencies LOL)#like what do i do go beat tw3 AGAIN just to get a clip of ciri facing the white frost#...................... well........#ok ngl actually a shot of emhyr in the beginning of the game would be better to explain 'lore inconsistencies'#because that's probably more aggravating to me than the 'we changed the white frost so you can fight it' thing#that thing is understandable. that's like basic video game logic. antagonists can be fought...#and though i don't like that messaging that forces of nature can be fought...#i understand this is a AAA game with outcomes that need to be written as endings. it's not an experiential VN#emhyr in tw3 though has just annoyed me and has actually annoyed me ever since i found out his character from the books#after all that you're gonna take him and pretend he just wanted to be a better dad and have a good heir on the throne...#well ok he did want a good heir on the throne. to be fair. just. not ciri but her child ... ahem#tw3 just dropped that pregnancy plot like a hot potato 😭 because it's so uncomfortable#without vilgefortz to decapitate in the end and the lodge actively plotting around i admit it loses its meaning#also to be fair tw3 does not have that throughline about reproduction and destiny that the books do#like the begetting of progeny is a huge huge huge theme in the books and so ciri's storyline is just one of a few ways it comes up#without geralt and yennefer specifically being angsty at the start about children it doesn't really work as a plot for ciri later on#the elbow-high diaries
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