#some spoilers for my campaign so can't tag everything

[utilitycaster]

(this might be a silly question, and please take this in the best possible faith, i don't mean it to be any kind of a gotcha or a trap, okay now that that's out of the way) i'm a cr fan who hasn't started c3 yet (still trucking through c2 and loving it) but i've been a quiet observer to whatever tf has been happening in the tumblr tags for it and have enjoyed your takes/opinions. so, asking this as someone without context who's not trying to comment on any recent ship developments (don't worry about spoilers though, not trying to avoid any), are there parts of c3, either characters or plot or backstories or whatever, that you do really enjoy/find compelling? (you might have already answered this, i've only been following you for like. a week and a half.) thank you!

Hi anon!

Yes, there definitely are! I completely get where you're coming from for this question, too, but I appreciate the context because I have gotten questions before where I feel like someone is trying to corner me and say CAN'T YOU BE POSITIVE??? Anyway, more on that at the end because I want to get to the things I do like, because there are, in fact, a lot. Also, because you've been vaguely following stuff this is chock full of spoilers just FYI.

Ashton, Chetney, and Fearne are all great characters. There is a lot of thought put into all three by the cast members who play them, I find their backstories and their inner lives rich and interesting, I am actually pretty patient with the Hishari plotline because Ashton has so much else going on that while I'm curious, I don't feel deprived. Chetney is just a great concept (for real people need to play older adventurers more often) and Travis is perhaps an unparalleled generator of interesting plot hooks, and Fearne constantly surprises me with her emotional depth and mischief - after two campaigns of Ashley playing characters who were often more, if not subdued, restrained or thoughtful, it's wonderful watching her let loose and be chaotic and cause problems.

Imogen is tricky because she's a character archetype I love, but her closest relationship does nothing for me. I would really love to see Laura lean into the darkness and moral ambiguity more. With that said her relationships with most of the rest of the party are great and I'd like more of them, and her family dynamics are also fascinating. With Imogen...I do want payoff but there has consistently been enough to keep me going.

Orym and FCG are interesting cases because I always liked Orym well enough but he was extremely Just A Guy - he delivered consistently but never wowed me - and I could not stand FCG earlier on. However, Orym's current arc is phenomenal. Liam's style doesn't always work for me but when it does, it really does, and the past few episodes have been top-tier Orym content. Similarly, after FCG learned of their history and met Dancer, they have been on an upswing that has not ended. I have never before turned around on a character to this degree but I love what Sam is doing. So if you're early on and FCG pisses you off: valid, but he gets good around episode 31 and then keeps being good.

The party split arcs are great. I love Uthodurn, I love Molaesmyr, I love getting to see some of Issylra, there's some great combat, the guests are all fantastic, it's a standout Laudna arc (quite literally part of why I've been recently frustrated with Laudna is because it's like every scrap of character development vanishes when she's within 15 feet of Imogen, like the dumbest paladin aura, but episodes 59-63 Laudna you will always be famous.

Earlier on, everything while Dorian is there is a fun time. Eshteross is precisely up my alley as are the Green Seekers. I also love the Twilight Mirror Museum heist.

The Bassuras arc is rough because there's a lot of good stuff going on but the plot is all weird and slow and I did not enjoy the guest arc. That said: some great interpersonal conversations, and also the Deathwish Run is a fun time if, like me, you love combat.

Yios casino episode, also a good time. The best way I can put it for someone watching through is that like...episodes 1-23 are typical finding one's characters/figuring out what's going on early campaign stuff, enjoyable overall, and the flaws within them can be attributed to that. 24-38 have plenty of bright spots within them (some of which I talked about) but it's a real slog at times. 39-42 are great. 43-45 are nonstop lore dump time, which isn't to say they are bad - there's some good stuff in there - but after 24-38 being lore dump and weird setup city it's a bit exhausting. Once the party goes to the feywild in 46 things get good and stay good. Like, for all the current romance isn't doing anything for me it's also, at this point, literally 2 minutes in an episode that otherwise fucking rules.

So just to get back on the bit about positivity: I tend to talk a lot more about what isn't working than what is. Some of this is because I firmly believe complaining is an art and a skill and is more fun to write. Some if it is also because I think if I like something, I just...like it! I can probably figure out why I like it if I want, but there's something very enjoyable about, well, just enjoying something. But if I don't like something, it's important for me to try to tease out why. Sometimes it's just that it doesn't work for me. There have been past CR characters who, while I can talk through the things I find I don't like about them, in the end it really comes down to "I think this personality is annoying, and that's valid and also a personal opinion." But sometimes I can frame it in terms of lack of narrative weight or momentum, or mechanically suboptimal builds that don't fit in with the character, or what have you, and I think it's valuable to be able to say that instead of just "wow this sucks." Like, there's meta to be had in why I don't care for something, whereas, for example, Fearne's incredibly clutch moves in the most recent episode were things I called out in my liveblogging but I don't have much to say other than "Ashley made some baller combat choices."

[shadow0-1]

After the campaign…are you, are you okay

I'm doing a lot better than my friend kjbdgfjb

Honestly, it was better than I expected but that's just because I came into it with my expectations on rock bottom and was hoping for the worst in everything. I had fun and uh. yeow

Thoughts, gripes, etc about the campaign below, MEGA spoilers, you've been warned (in no particular order)

This could just be me being insane about Graves but honestly I thought that they would touch into the Konni infiltrating Shadow some more since they did an entire event about it but they just got name dropped? Maybe they'll touch on it more in the next game or whatever but that was quite disappointing for me personally.

Graves, my wife, the light of my life. Cried when I first saw heard him and then I cried more when he was still in kahoots with Shepherd. Love him for lying to the court and love Price for finally stepping up to the plate and taking care of a loose end (Shepherd.) BUT that just leaves the question of what would happen to Graves. Would the courts believe him, or would they pin the blame on Graves (← more likely option)

Loved seeing Farah more, no additional notes

Gameplay was Fine, gun sounds were disappointing but movement overall felt a lot better compared to the beta, but tbh. You can still tell that this was originally supposed to be a DLC. Felt pretty short too but I played through it all in (mostly) one sitting. Not at all surprised at them reusing assets and animations but they could have tried a little with making new campaign outfits. The "open mission" played out a lot better than I had expected tbh. I personally only experienced a handful of bugs (other than the servers breaking) but again, to be expected

Julian did a good job as Makarov IMO. As a friend put it, he turned the game into horror any time he appeared on screen. I had wondered how they were going to handle no russian in this day and age and WELP. They made it way more gut-wrenching to play and sit through. Can't forget the casual racism too, "Are you a terrorist?" "No" "You look like one" LIKE OKAY WHAT THE FUCK. YALL CAN SAY THAT SHIT?

Very fun to see Nik again and play as Kate, but I'm mad that Kamarov isn't in it. Xitter has been a minefield and it seemed no one knew how to flag or tag their spoilers so I ended up seeing the Big Death™ and honestly, kudos to them for having the balls to off one of the main characters. Maybe it's just my delusions talking but Ghost was definitely super fucked up about it. Wonder if Soap is gonna be added to the multiplayer still and how they'll explain it if they do. CoD seems to have a habit of making everything canon so who knows

[shadowuponstorm]

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Munson!Reader

Age Range: I would like anyone 18+ to be reading this since this story involves a character being of legal age, so minors, please scroll on. (Although I can't stop you from doing so and since I warned you, not my fault for what you read)

Series: Stranger Things (S4, Pre-Vol. 2)

WC: Over 1.5K

Chapter 2 , Chapter 3

A/N: Slight spoilers might be included, and I ask that you please have some courtesy and not spoil or post spoilers in the comments! Thank you, and I’m still a bit new to Stranger Things so if I get something incorrect, I'm sorry and will go back to revise as best I can. Also please don't translate, repost, or copy under any circumstances, I prefer my original work to be on just my page.

Pregnant. Pregnant. Pregnant.

No matter how many other tests I could take, no doubt all of them would have the same result. There’s no denying what is being shown, I’m pregnant and my twin brother & his friends are going to freak, especially the one who is the love of my life. Steve and I started exploring more of our relationship after he confessed his feelings for me after claiming he should’ve done it long before he & Nancy were a thing as well as his venture into the Upside Down to save Will from the effects of the Mind Flayer, to which I couldn’t blame him and the others for keeping me in the dark about that, considering it regarded safety and protection. I set the tests on the counter before I released a breath I was holding in anticipation of what the results were going to be. I tried to keep the negative thoughts at bay, but they’re like a flood, overflowing my very mind.

“Steve is definitely going to leave you now that he has a reason to,” I hear a voice say before they scoff and add, “If given the chance, he would’ve left you earlier than now for someone better.”

I’ve always had insecurities about the reasoning why a guy like Steve, who’s very much a ladies man, is with someone like me. I try to keep quiet about my fears whenever I’m around him or the others, but it sometimes lead me to dive deeper into them, causing them to question if I’m okay. I always answered I was when I knew it wasn’t entirely the truth and it always seemed to work.

“Hey sis,” I hear Eddie say from behind the locked bathroom door, “Everything alright? You’ve been in there for a while”

“Y-Yeah, I’ll be okay, don’t worry about me,” I respond, mentally cursing for stuttering.

“Oh o-okay, well, I have a campaign with The Hellfire Club tonight if you want to tag along, I’m sure they’d love you to. You can even invite pretty boy if you want,” Eddie says as I softly laugh at the nickname he deemed Steve and respond, “Maybe some other time, and I think he’s busy tonight. I might give him a call later or head over to Family Video before his shift ends and hang out with him.”

“Alrighty, just stay safe if you go out,” Eddie says before I hear him step away to then come back to mention, “And don’t go into my memorabillas, I got a customer coming over later tonight after campaign.”

Don’t worry, I won’t. I never did in the first place.

After I hear the trailer door shut, I let out a shuttered sigh and start to let the tears fall, scared of how much my future could change once I tell Steve of our baby’s existence, I wish I could keep it a secret for a long time, but he has the right to know and it wouldn’t be fair to do that to him. Off to Family Video I go, no more waiting.

-At Family Video-

The bell on the door chimed as I walked in to see Robin at the front, reading whatever the latest issue has been released, pulling her attention away to see who has walked into the establishment.

"Oh, hey Y/N," Robin greets me with a smile on her face as she closes the magazine to move it to another space on the counter.

"Hey Robin, do you know if Steve has checked in for his shift yet or not?" I asked as I return a small smile her way before she turns her head in all directions of the rental before shrugging her shoulders to say, "He might be reorganizing the VHS tapes behind the beads, want me to call for him?"

I raise my hand up to almost say no to then remember what tapes lie beyond the beads, prompting me to put my hand down and respond, "If you would, please."

"Hey Dingus, your future wife is here!" Robin yells as I softly laugh at the mention she said future wife before hearing Steve shout back, "Coming!" to then see his body come into view.

"Hey, baby," Steve says as he comes up by my side to wrap his arm on my shoulder before placing a kiss on my temple, causing a fake gag reaction from Robin and a "Get a room" comment from her, before he asks, "What do I owe this visit from you for?"

I took a deep breath and started to say, "I wanted to see you, and to tell you we need to talk about something." causing his smile to sink and fear showcased in his eyes. Before he could get a word out, I then ask, "Is there a break room or somewhere we can have privacy?"

"U-um yeah there is, I'll take you," Steve responds as he then leads the way after he asks Robin to cover for him as long as this conversation will take to be heard.

After we entered the break room and Steve locks the door, I turned around to face him before seeing the worry on his face. This time, he beats me to cut the silent tension in the air, by asking, "Is it me?"

"Wha-what?" I ask in confusion why he automatically would think it's his fault. Well, which it is, but that's not why we're having this conversation, to begin with. It involves both of us doing what has brought me pregnant in the first place.

"L-look, I know we haven't been spending a whole lot of time together lately. With me working a lot of shifts as well as keeping an eye out to protect Dustin and the others, with you tagging along with Eddie to make sure he stays out of trouble and helping him with studying," Steve responds before running both his hands through his hair before continuing with tears brimming his eyes, "God, time really hasn't been in our favor, but just know that my feelings for you have never diminished. I still have so much love for you and I still want to spend my future with you wherever it may lead us. So I'm sorry if I unintentionally did something to you that made you feel the need to talk to me like I'm the biggest disappointment in the world."

I walk to be closer to him before putting my hands on his face and whispering, "Don't think for a minute that I'm anything like your parents, I could never be disappointed in you like they are. You are never a disappointment, you are something to be proud of. All those kids, especially Dustin, are the luckiest ones in the world to have you as their protector, babysitter, and role model. And I'm the luckiest girl in the world to call you mine, just like our child will have the best dad ever."

Steven then laughs and smiles to say, "I would have to try my best in that department, but I definitely can't wait for that day to come."

"How about months from now?" I asked as I reach one of my hands to pull out the test in my back pocket to hold it between us, "I found out just a few hours ago, felt it was best not to wait. You're the first."

I thought Steve would show some reaction immediately after hearing the words exit my mouth, but he just took the test from my hand and stayed silent while staring at it. I place my hand on his shoulder and nudge him a bit to whisper, "Steve? I'm sorry, maybe I should've waited until, ah!" to let out a squeak of surprise from being lifted off my feet and hugged tight into his chest to feel him kiss the top of my head. I pulled away an inch to look up at him again to ask, "I take you're happy about this?"

"Are you kidding?" Steve responds as he scoffs softly and smiles, "Yes, while I'm nervous, scared, and frightened about what could happen, I'm also excited about this journey and being with you every step of the way."

"Not unless Eddie has something to say about it," I say as we both laugh out loud before he responds, "Oh, he'd be too distracted from the excitement of being an uncle to our little boy or little girl."

"Now I know you're dying to have a boy first, Harrington," I mention as Steve nods his head and smiles before looking down at the test again, "I can't believe you got a plus on a single test."

"That's one of three," I respond as he looks at me baffled, "What? I had to make sure it wasn't a false positive. Besides I was late so."

Steve sighed before saying, "We'll discuss more of this later, but I have to get back to my shift before Keith or Robin kills me."

"Of course, get back to your job," I respond as Steve unlocks the door to let me by, but not before I whisper his new title in his ear, causing his breath to hitch and raise an eyebrow at me as I wink at him. I was almost out of the door to head over to his place before I hear him call my name and make me turn my head to see him mouth my new title, ending it with an “Love you”, making me smile and blush. Makes me excited yet nervous about what is to come for us or what else this day or night could bring us.

[vodoriga-art]

And the sun rises in Barovia.

A few people were curious, so I wrote down the 6 hour fight and condensed it as much as I could. The ending was not what I expected at all and I don’t think I’ll ever have a campaign like this one or character like Kaspar again. Many thanks to everyone who during these two long years and 22 sessions entertained me with tags on all the art of my poor guy 🖤

✨🦇 !! EDIT: if you're reading this now , I made a page with super condensed OC info with no campaign spoilers and links to longer posts such as this one, in case you want to read about the whole situation. 🦇✨

Major CoS spoilers below!

(The way DMs did Strahd is they made him a two phase fight, first lvl 20 battlemaster fighter in full plate + greatsword and later lvl 20 wizard)  

The party went into the crypts to find the tome and the Sunsword. They fight some zombies and two of the brides in Strahd’s crypt. They find the items in his coffin, Ireena reads everyone the whole tome (8 pages that the DM wrote) and gets a headache as her memories come flooding back, fighter picks up the Sunsword because Ireena can’t handle the emotions coming from it. They go over to Sergei's tomb where Ireena prays and they finally head to the chapel.

Meanwhile Kaspar has collected Rahadin's corpse from his office (sewn his head back on and put his guts back inside etc.) and brought him to the chapel. Strahd is there in gorgeous dazzling gothic full plate minus helmet. They have a funeral. During this Strahd is crying tears of blood and is so angry, furious, but mostly keeping it in. Facial muscles twitching. Short replies through gritted teeth. It's becoming clear to Kaspar that he has little chance of getting Strahd to care for him now that Rahadin is dead but he accepts that he deserves it. Just a few hours before his demeanor and talking to Kaspar was completely different and made him feel understood and comforted and safer than he felt anywhere in a while, and this was a total flip of mood.

Strahd wants the whole party, including Ireena, dead. Kaspar feels like shit because he did everything he could to please Strahd (murdered the party wizard earlier) but this wasn't enough (losing Rahadin tilted Strahd too much for him to be the sweet caring kind of manipulative that would 200% work on Kaspar), and Kaspar is terrified and also realizes he can't back out of this even if he wanted to, believing that Strahd is now the source of his cleric powers, and he needs Strahd in order to look for a vampirism cure.

The party, including Ireena and Ez, finally all arrive to the chapel through the main door and find Strahd and Kaspar standing over Rahadin's cold body on the altar. There's incense smoke everywhere and the two of them turn to the party at the same time.

The party tries one more time to try get Kaspar to ditch Strahd. The artificer gives him a syringe full of his blood that he prepared before for Kaspar to drink if he needs to feed. He makes a little slideshow projection of all the not completely horrible times they've had in Barovia together. Warlock and wizard are still convinced Strahd has done this to him and it’s not just Kaspar’s selfish choices that led him to this point.

But Kaspar doesn't trust them not to kill him and he's deluded enough to think Strahd actually values him a little, or at least more than the party does, and that he would let him look for a cure if he pleased him tonight. Ireena and Strahd are having a staring contest inches away from each other.

Every door slams shut, all of the stained glass windows shatter inwards, glass shards rain down around us, mist begins to seep inside replacing the incense smoke Kaspar was burning for the funeral, and we roll initiative.

During the first or second turn Kaspar when called a traitor and questioned why he did this says he "is doing this for love." And Ireena is furious "You think Strahd loves you??" and Kaspar says "I'm not talking about him!" and the whole party is like ????? then who??? (he meant Kelemvor ofc)

Ludmila shows up to try and redeem herself after she failed to protect the heart. Kaspar actually gets teleported outside because the artificer thought the windows overlooked an abyss and not a courtyard but it's actually convenient for Kaspar to be out of everyone’s melee reach.

The fighter crit fails on a swing and the Sunsword flickers out completely as Strahd parries the sunlight with his pure black blade. He can't get it to turn back on even on his next turn (DM treated the Sunsword's sunlight blade as a dragon’s breath recharge when it goes out).

Strahd then charms the warlock who spends two turns doing nothing, except unsuccessfully casting Banishment on Kaspar to temporarily put him somewhere safe. Kaspar, even though he still intends to kill everyone, feels some sorrow for the warlock because he has just minutes ago felt the the first inkling if pure cold dread of being in Strahd's clutches against one's will.

Kaspar commands the fighter to toss him the Sunsword hilt while standing on the edge of one of the shattered windows, instead of catchin it he moves his hand and thr sword lands way outside in the courtyard. Soon after this, Strahd isn't happy with what the artificer is casting and completely slaughters him in one turn. Ludmila scurries up to drink blood and it costs the guy a death save. Strahd finishes him off. Artificer is dead.

Ireena, in full plate, does a cool running jump and gets up to the window to demand from Kaspar the diamonds he was given by Ez before as the remains of the shattered stained glass cut into the one hand she’s using to hang from the window. He left them in Strahd's study and tells her as much. No one is casting any revivifies this time. Fighter also shows up to retrieve the Sunsword.

Now the fighter and Ireena are both armed and close to Kaspar basically deciding which one of them wants to obliterate the traitor.

(at this point a symphonic metal cover of Hopes and Dreams is playing)

Eventually Strahd runs out of superiority dice and rips all the armor off as Bucephalus appears and Strahd goes into caster mode. Across the room in the window, a flying Mordenkainen finally shows up and looks down at Kaspar all disappointed like "Really lad?" (Scottish accent, very important)

Ludmila is vaporized by Ez. Then Ez goes down. Artificer has been fully dead for over a minute.

Right now Kaspar is back inside the chapel and the wizard is actually trying to talk to him instead of swinging weapons and spells like everyone else because of the earlier exchange about love that left everyone puzzled. But especially her because she’s all about love 💗 He tells her he is selfish and not ready to die because he wants to keep loving Kelemvor even if he isn’t loved back. Tries to convince the wizard that she, being a clever wizard and great alchemist, could help him find a cure for everyone with this curse. If faith and magic aren't enough, then science and medicine might be the answer. But he has to survive this for that to be possible. With 9 CHA he is not very persuasive, mostly pathetic and pitiful.

Ireena is fully yelling at Kaspar now that “there IS NO CURE for vampirism except death and that it's the best they can do to free him from Strahd and from being this thing he’s become” and he's like "NO, I CAN DO IT OR I'LL DIE TRYING, just because van Richten couldn't find one doesn't mean it's impossible, get away from me, I have no choice anymore" etc.

And of course everyone in the vicinity is like BUT YOU DO HAVE A CHOICE!!!

And he's explaining to them he refuses to die before he can find a cure and die outside of Barovia where his soul can go to Kelemvor’s plane and he doesn't trust them not to kill him, because unlike Strahd none of them could understand what he is (deranged blood drinking human meat eating monster) and they've looked at him as a feral monster since the moment he got turned even though he never asked for it.

Ireena says "Do you think that he (Kelemvor) would love you now?"

And by now Kaspar is baring his fangs, eyes glinting red in despair, "No, but I still want to stand before him so he can tell me that himself," through gritted teeth.

Anyways Strahd almost Finger of Deaths Mordenkainen. Level 7, 8, 9 spells are flying.

Ireena, the wizard and the warlock are now surrounding Kaspar, Ireena's hand firm on his shoulder, weapon ready in her other hand, trying to convince him to help them and to snap out of it, that he can have Strahd's whole library and everything else he needs to look for a cure, but to please help them. Freaking Ghost Love Score starts playing as he stands there speechless for a while and they're all just exchanging desperate looks while the music plays. And he just disengages out of Ireena’s grip, and backs off against the nearest wall to spend his turn sobbing and nothing else.

The wizard and Ireena actually did really good irl persuasion here, I was SO conflicted as was Kaspar I thought I was about to start crying fr bc Kaspar was so scared and torn like I don't want to be in this prison but I don't want to leave either I don't know what to do I'm just an awful human being and a traitor either way. Had Strahd not been so cold and threatening earlier this would not have worked. But seeing as his anger made Kaspar feel nothing but rejected and useless despite his best, cruelest, unforgivable efforts, he considers the people he spent the last few weeks with, and all they did together. And what Kelemvor would want him to do even if he is undead now.

NEXT ROUND Kaspar, scared as shit that it might kill him instead, shuffles a few steps and feeling like throwing up casts flame strike on Strahd to get that radiant damage in. The pillar of holy fire descends on Strahd, scorching him along with the wizard’s wall of fire.

Ireena, now with the Sunsword, and Ez who got healed in the meantime, both run up to Strahd, and both whiff horribly. The sword completely flickers out AGAIN. Strahd is looking a little worse for wear but still disarms Ez.

Mordenkainen is nearly dead as a shadow keeps draining his strength (he was down to 3 STR). The fighter just can't make his CON save to end Strahd’s Power Word Pain 4 rounds in a row. Strahd gets caught by Bigby’s Hand, but breaks out soon after, casts Maddening Darkness which fills the whole chapel. Nobody can see anything and we're all taking tons of damage, and Strahd vanishes without a trace.

When Strahd finally appears again, only Mordenkainen can see him (with Truesight). He appears directly behind Kaspar. Leans in and whispers "You were always a traitor," grapples him and drags him back a few feet like a meat shield. Pretty much nothing happens until Strahd's next turn bc everyone is stumbling around the dark and chugging potions casting magic missile into the darkness because even the Sunsword is struggling to make more than a few feet of visibility. Strahd again leans down to Kaspar’s ear and whispers "Why am I letting you cast all those spells?" (insight check 21, why indeed??) and he casts silence around Kaspar’s head.

Kaspar's turn now. Crying. The deafening silence feels horrible. He's freaking out bc he knows Strahd could just rip him in half, and he can't cast anything. So he does the only thing he can do well, apparently. Twists around and bites into Strahd's neck, hard.

(Fear Not This Night playing as the following is happening)

The darkness and mad cackles filling the room begin to quiet and dissipate. Finally, everyone can see Strahd, Kaspar's fangs in his neck, as they’re both in a grapple, wisps of mist pouring in from the windows above them.

Strahd, with the hint of a grin in his voice whispers "Even without me, you won't ever be able to resist biting…", then slowly fades into mist and vanishes. Complete silence. Kaspar slides onto the floor w Strahd's blood dripping from his mouth. The fighter FINALLY snaps out of the pain. Everyone, except Strahd and the artificer, is alive even if just barely.

Ireena is actually the first person to go up to Kaspar and pick him up. She offers a formal handshake which he hesitantly accepts, and then just pulls him into a tight hug (both Kaspar and me irl trying to not start bawling).

We all hug and cry it out (also irl) and we march to Strahd's study to get the diamonds we need for Raise Dead. In Strahd's study we also find the holy symbol of Kelemvor that Strahd made Kaspar hand over earlier. Ashamed to look at it or hold it, Kaspar shoves it in a pocket, but not before reviving our sweet tortle artificer (muttering really quietly ”My Lord, Great Guide... I pray you guide this soul back to us, as it was not yet his time. I love you. I am so sorry.”).

We all go down, Kaspar hanging back, looking at the floor in shame, and find Rictavio / van Richten (???? bruh??) just about to stake Strahd. He and Ez hug it out. Everyone’s hand on the stake, we finish Strahd together.

Kaspar’s epilogue:

Kaspar doesn’t feel like he can go back. And he likes Barovia without the mist. He wants to help those who haven’t left the land and sets up in the abbey in Krezk, with Vasilka and Pidlwick II. He offers medicinal and healing services free of charge while also researching a cure and such with Ez and van Richten who also stay in Barovia. Van Richten takes a while to get used to the huge fangs on Kaspar especially when the guy can’t hold back and be a fanboy (he read all of Rudolph’s books of course). Occasionally he gets letters from the others who all left separate ways soon after Strahd's death.

He definitely does surgical experiments on himself since he has the benefit of regeneration. Convinces himself it's for research and not a horrible, elaborate form of self harm for his crippling guilt. Healing and all other cleric spells cause him discomfort and best and severe pain at worst, as does spending time at the abbey. Casts Commune often just to have some contact w Kelemvor (if it even is him responding...). Mental health in shambles but he's surviving. I wouldn’t call him redeemed, or a good person, but he’s trying to do some good because what other choice does he have?

He also travels to Ravenloft to cast Gentle Repose on Rahadin's remains, as he promised (to Strahd) he would. At some point he starts talking to the corpse and looking forward to these "meetings" just because he starts going bonkers from the isolation and fruitless cure research.

Secret Extra Saucy Actual Ending which the DMs last second decided to not tell everyone because our epilogues were so wholesome it might have soured the mood if we were all present, but I assume it to be canon because of course it is and my lord the sweet, sweet grimdarkness of it:

Barovia. About two decades later. It’s a cold, foggy night. The mist is thick. Familiar, you could say. Kaspar is at the abbey, maybe cleaning up in the surgery room, or praying, when he hears a door creak. Hears footsteps, approaching. And finally hears a familiar voice behind him.

"Did you really think you could kill your deity?"

Kaspar proceeds to have a miserable, painful remainder of his long, long unlife fit for someone who betrays Strahd after swearing loyalty. Maybe eventually a new group of adventurers finds their way into Ravenloft and finds him either an obedient, mindbroken servant, or a feral creature begging for death. But at least Ireena and the rest of the victorious party will never hear of the fate that eventually caught up with him.

extra: final battle playlist

extra extra: kaspar's corruption arc playlist

[moss-and-marimos]

this is a Free Rant Pass. please share anything u want to please pass go and please collect 200 dollars

oh my god I need to go feral about jrwi right now

(spoilers for jrwi riptide up to episode 95 bc thats where I am right now) this is going to be a long nonsense ramble that jumps around a lot just so you know

godddddddd I love albatrio, they make me really happy, but also really sad vbhjhdj

seeing like how much they've grown over the course of the campaign makes me really emotional, and like learning about their backstory stuff and their similarities and differences from eachother. gill and jay understand eachother more than like chip and gill for example, because both were raised to be weapons and to see things very black and white. jay went undercover because she wanted to find out who killed her sister, under the idea that all pirates were evil. gill was raised to think that all humans were evil and must be killed, but as soon as he comes to the surface he finds out thats not true, even if he second guessed sometimes like after the things with episode 15. and seeing how differently episode 15 chip handled their fighting to episode 86 is so much character development, he knows how much it meant to gill and he stayed up all night to build an arena so that they could fight, and it was a much more fair fight, because he knew he shouldn't have kept the secret about edyn from gill and im rahhhhhh

also when theyre just having fun together, I love them a lot, theyre so ridiculous /aff like theyre a pirate crew and they make a waterslide out of ice like its a cruise ship, they have the worlds most intense game of tag/hide and seek because one of them can fly, the other is a fish guy, one has such wild stealth or persuasion or something I forget which rolls that he automatically gets at least a 25, in the weirdest way possible they are very evenly matched, and theyre doing that to make the small boy they keep on their ship happy, who also happens to have a belt of giant strength and so chip is very outmatched here as the only like normal human besides his high rolls vbjdfd

at the carnival when we got to see flashbacks to how they were as kids it makes me really emotional, gill was covered in bruises, wearing armor too big for him, holding a sword he could barely lift. chip was incredibly malnourished, he looked like he hadn't eaten a day in his life, and jay looked like the more 'normal' kid of the three, but knowing her family her childhood wasn't great either.

theres so much depth to all of these characters and it makes me go wild, and like everything is connected even if we dont know it at the start. chip was one of the black rose pirates as a kid before it crashed, drey, jays uncle, was too. so was Finn, gills grandpa.

chip has said before that he didnt believe in destiny until he met gill, but now he can't imagine a life without them, and I think about sometimes how different things could have been. if jay hadn't taken that undercover mission, or if they left a day earlier or later. if they left at any different time they might not have found gill, freshly exiled, just floating in the sea.

they mean so much to eachother and its so so clear. they find out their best friend might be doomed to destroy the world in some capacity? "I would drown the world for you" is chips response. they are the trio ever. "we're not just friends, we're a crew"

they are simultaneously the worst and best pirates in existence, they dont know the pirate code, the only rule of it they know is 'dont piss your pants' yet somehow they manage to follow it better than most pirates, because they actually care about helping people and being honorable and things. they were a crew held together by trust for the longest time, rather than any actual oath, and when they did make an oath it was sitting on a rooftop, comforting chip. and the oath they came up with was "I do solemnly swear to fuck shit up, to help those in need, and to be the best goddamn pirates anyone has ever seen."

something something about cycles, about how chip keeps nearly breaking down realizing that hes been trying to recreate what he had as a kid and the guilt from that

something something gillion realized because of his friends that the teachings of the undersea were wrong, that he was raised as a weapon, that he didnt deserve the awful awful things they did to him, that hes worth more than what he can do for other people, that hurting himself, throwing himself into danger all the time, hurts his friends too

something something jay, realizing that not all pirates are bad, and that she gets to be her own person, defined not by her family but by her choices, and that even when she betrayed her friends they didnt give up on her, even when she quite literally shot them

its gill hyping jay up when she has to call her grandma, its jay comforting gill when he had to face the council again when he was stuck in the dimension bc of the deck of many things, its chip trying to sand out the 'millennium chipper' from the ship, thinking they don't need him, and jay carving it back in because they need him more than he knows. things like that

also the less interaction-ey things, like them all making deals with Niklaus to save other people, considering themselves to be worth less than the crew even though theyre supposed to all be equals. its chips seal with Niklaus being where a tramp stamp would go vjbhdfjbh and also having a constantly updating tattoo across his ass of how much debt theyre in from the goldfish loan, its gill constantly showing their money off the ship to appease said goldfish and pay their taxes- theyre a pirate crew who pays taxes. what the fuck guys. one of chips pranks was literally just drawing boobs on their pirate flag. its jay getting bit by Anastasia and gill, asexual icon, stopping drowning just to go "what the fuck." when she was into it vdbjhbdfhj, also for some reason jay is into mimes. actually no she broke into a maximum security prison in a clown costume. theyre ridiculous vdbjhfvh

aaaaaaaa i dont have the words for the rest of this but just the way they comfort eachother and stuff, like chip knowing he wont be good at comforting gill so he asks jay to do it because of her similar background to gill and stuff, I just rahhhh theyre co-captains !! theyre closer than friends !!! co-captains or a crew really is just the best way to define how they feel about eachother and I like them a lot and they love eachother a lot and yeah I rotate them in my mind

[bomblethebee]

So I finally bit the bullet and bought Baldur's Gate 3, but only after hearing from literally all my friends about how amazing it is and how it's even worth its asking price of 70 dollars. And yall, it is the first game I've felt has deserved that price tag in idk a DECADE.

It really does feel like a dnd campaign you can play through and I can see myself doing multiple playthroughs just to TRY and see everything. The characters are so fun and varied right off the bat and there's so many ways to get shit done.

What really made me go WOW was the combat tho. I'm playing on normal difficulty and not easy, something I don't usually do, but I wanted to see how the developers felt their game SHOULD be played. And you know what? Both of the times I got a team wipe, I felt like it was my fault, not the game's. Rushing into a 3v2 with a sorcerer and a cleric obviously wasn't going to work. Hanging back and taking shots with fire bolt, then finishing off the ones that got close DID work.

The next fight was the one that really wowed me though. Very mild spoilers for the first dungeon you come across:

I managed to break through the ceiling of an underground ruin and hesitated a moment at the top. Jumping down would undoubtedly be a one way trip and there was no telling what awaited me at the bottom. I could try lockpicking the nearby locked door to attempt a safer route, but that was no guarantee and I had no idea if there were any other routes into the underground ruin. Against my better judgment, I leapt.

Before I can get my bearings, the door to the room I've ended up in opens and I'm suddenly faced with 5 bandits who are very pissed that I've managed to collapse the ceiling and end up in their little base. One runs off to yell for help from a 6th bandit in another room while the rest begin to rush me. I'm woefully unprepared as archers take shots at me through the open door and one by one my team falls.

I could just reload an earlier save and come back later when I'm more prepared, but I have a plan. I jump down, door opens, bandit runs off for help, but thankfully my initiative is high this time and I position my sorceress to the right of the doorway and cast chromatic orb, creating a pool of fire that spills into both rooms through the open door. I position the rest of my party on both sides of the doorway and hope that the enemy ai is dumb enough to run through the pool and whittle off some health before I have to face them. Funneling them like this should help me too.

The first bandit uses dash to travel twice the distance, running through the flames and taking cover behind a crate further in the room to take shots at me with a bow. The next one is the one with the most hp, the tankiest of them all. He doesn't mind the flames and strolls in to take a swing at my sorceress. The next one, a magic user, leaps OVER the flames and starts attacking me. Still another runs in and dips their sword in the flames, preparing to strike at me with a flaming sword. The others are hanging back, trying to get an angle on me through the door, seemingly more wary of the fire.

And isn't that wild?? Each enemy responded in their own way to this new threat, even responding to it in creative ways such as jumping over it or using it to their own advantage. I was blown away. I'd never seen enemy ai respond this way in a game before. What I would've expected is for them to either refuse to pass through it or act like it wasn't even there. I hadn't anticipated such a varied response to what I'd done.

I still managed to beat them (just barely) and stood for a moment as I processed the fight. Even though I was barely an hour in at this point, I was amazed. I can't wait to play more of it.

[all-thestories-aretrue]

Me: *talking in circles on your posts to not spoil you for cr1 or cr2*

Also me: *forgetting people actually follow me, reblogging cr1 ending things with no tags*

You: *reblogging my reblog* ‘man I can’t wait to experience these relationships for the first time’

Me coming to the realization of all the thing I must have spoiled you for in both campaigns:

It's fine!!! It's really fine!!!! I don't expect anyone to tag spoilers for a media that's like over 5 years old at this point. And I'm not even trying to stay spoiler free for c1. I don't have any of the relevant tags blocked so it wouldn't matter and the cast talk about some of the stuff sometimes on Talks anyway.

The things I know that happen in c1 either because of tumblr or the cast referencing it.

Vax dies???? Something something Raven Queen.

Vex dies??? So Vax dies???? Not a clue what happens there.

Keyleth launches herself off a cliff, potentially as a fish? Yet to be determined. Also dies. But doesn't! Because I see a lot of fanart of her getting old (mainly without Vax).

Vex and Percy get married and have a little tiefling baby!! How cute!!! (I hope that is canon. I see it often enough that it better be)

Scanlan leaves the party at some point. Why? No clue. He is also a father and divorced? Him and Pike get together but maybe also get divorced? Could be wrong about all of that.

Scanlan drug addiction? I could not tell if that was a joke or not so I am including it.

I think those are probably the big spoilers that I know of. But I am clearly missing context for most of the stuff that happens, so there is still plenty for me to discover along the way. And honestly, I'm a little relieved I know at least what happens to Vax. I can't imagine experiencing that in real time with no idea what was going to happen. I can emotionally prepare myself this way. The same sort of situation happened with Molly and boy am I glad I had like 2 episodes to prepare before it happened. I feel like a detective piecing everything together very poorly and then I will be immediately proved wrong on all my theories as soon as I start watching.

[eaglewind13]

I've started doing Tarot Cards for my DnD campaign, starting with some of the NPCs.

[twh-news]

'Loki' Star Sophia Di Martino on the Season 1 Finale, Working With Jonathan Majors and What She Knows About Season 2

[Editor's note: The following contains spoilers through the Season 1 finale of Loki, "For All Time. Always."]

Since her introduction at the end of Episode 2, Sophia Di Martino's depiction of Sylvie, the female variant of Loki introduced midway through her campaign of vengeance against the TVA, has been a defining aspect of Disney+'s Loki. And, as we learned in the season finale, the story of Loki isn't over yet — though what's in store is pretty nebulous, following Sylvie's betrayal of Loki (Tom Hiddleston) after what was their first and what might be their last kiss.

In a one-on-one conversation with Di Martino via Zoom, Collider asked about working with Jonathan Majors in his MCU debut, what it was like having both fight scenes and more romantic scenes with Hiddleston, and of course what the conversations around Season 2 have been like.

Collider: To start off, when did you have a sense that there would be a second season of Loki?

DI MARTINO: I mean, there'd been rumors for a while, but I still haven't heard officially if it's happening, like officially, officially. I only know what I know through reading the news. And I know, because you guys know, because of the tag at the end of Episode 6.

I was going to say, that feels like a pretty official thing, but it doesn't sound like anyone has shown up at your doorstep with paperwork.

DI MARTINO: No, nothing. Nothing like that.

Now, does that mean that when you watched it, were you given a full script of the sixth episode?

DI MARTINO: Yes. We got one episode at a time. So I wasn't given Episode 6 until like midway through shooting Episode 5.

So in that situation, what was your initial reaction to reading, especially like the last, say, 10 pages or so.

DI MARTINO: Just like, holy crap. This is massive. How exciting. Woof. And then also, "who's going to play He Who Remains, I need to know because it's such an amazing part and such incredible speeches he has. I wanted to imagine who would play him, but I couldn't have ever imagined the way Jonathan would have done it. So brilliant.

In terms of working with Jonathon Majors, what was that experience like? Just because I feel like he brought such a different energy to the role than I think anyone would have ever expected.

DI MARTINO: Yeah. He just exploded onto that set with so much energy and nothing like we could ever have imagined. It was a lot of fun and he was brilliant. You know, people were saying this is going to be something really special, whispering behind the camera. He was so eccentric and fun and kind of terrifying. Very easy for Tom and I to just sit and listen to him for a few days. Very entertaining.

Yeah. In rewatching the episode, it's still so striking to me the way that, after Sylvie stabs him, he makes barely any noise.

DI MARTINO: Because he knows that it's a possibility, I think. So maybe he's had a long time to sort of imagine every scenario. Yeah. It's kind of creepy, isn't it? The way he does that.

When you were breaking down the script for Episode 6, were you talking about Kang the Conqueror? Were you talking about the comic book backstory there?

DI MARTINO: I don't remember talking about the comic book backstory of Episode 6. But you know, to be honest, it was all very quick. Especially with Episode 6, we got the script pretty late in the day. So there wasn't that much mining to be done, to be honest. I'm not sure about Jonathan's experience, but for me, it was sort of pretty late in the day, just in the case of learning my lines and trying to make sure I didn't mess that up.

Of course — and it makes sense in terms of where your character is coming from.

DI MARTINO: Exactly. So I just need to know at that point, I just need to know what's going on for Sylvie.

In that case, in your head, what was going on for Sylvie in those scenes?

DI MARTINO: Oh my goodness. So much. I mean, so much happens in like 30 seconds. Doesn't it?

Definitely. But even before the final sequences, it's very dialogue-heavy and there's a lot of listening. In playing that, what was important for you?

DI MARTINO: To really listen and to really take on board what he was saying to us at that point, and then to choose not to believe him. For Sylvie, she's just on a revenge mission from the minute she walks into that building, she knows that she wants to kill someone. When they're in the elevator with him, she's already taking swipes at him. She just wants to get him with her machete. And I think she's just so laser-focused on that goal, that he could have said anything to her and her priority wouldn't have changed.

So you don't think there was ever a moment in that whole sequence where Sylvie was tempted, not tempted by the possibilities presented, but tempted to believe him?

DI MARTINO: I think there's a moment that he really pushes Sylvie's buttons when he's talking about you have been on a long journey and it's been really tough for you, hasn't it? And you can't trust anyone. You think you can trust him. And he starts playing mind games with them, playing them off against each other. And I think at that point, he plants a seed of doubt in her mind about Loki, but I think her mission to want to kill him doesn't change. She's absolutely married to that idea. And that feeling is so strong that she chooses it over Loki in the end.

From your perspective, where does that come from?

DI MARTINO: Just revenge. Like having her life taken away from her, her life ruined, spending her whole life on the run, this sort of anger. And if you want to think of it in these terms, her "glorious purpose." I went there.

I don't think you got to say those words during the show, so I'm glad you got this moment now.

DI MARTINO: Yeah. I'm saying it as much as I can now.

Later in the episode, this wasn't the first time you had a fight sequence with Tom Hiddleston, but did it feel different from the episodes you shot earlier?

DI MARTINO: Yeah, it did. This scene was far more emotive. There was a lot more going on for both of them. It was the breakup scene. It was the fight that you have when you are leaving someone. And it's so painful because you care about this person, but you just can't be with them for whatever reason. And that's how that felt.

Which is so interesting because of course what happens at the end of it is that there's a kiss and it's given the whole big Hollywood romantic music treatment.

DI MARTINO: Yeah. I mean, but that often happens when you're splitting up with someone, doesn't it? Just one last time, a sweet goodbye. It's kind of like a goodbye kiss in a way.

Of course. But it was also, unless I'm missing something, the first kiss.

DI MARTINO: Yeah. It was. And it had been building up for a long, long time. I think it was ultimately a goodbye kiss and a clap away for Sylvie to physically turn him around so she could get hold of that TemPad and zap him back to the TVA.

Yeah, of course. In terms of that, in general, I feel like there's a temptation to just kind of look at the Loki and Sylvie relationship as a straightforward romance, which of course it is very much not. From your perspective, what was it about that you worked hard to lean into.

DI MARTINO: I think it's about sort of self-love and acceptance as well as being a romance story. And for Sylvie, she's sort of shedding everything she doesn't need before she gets to He Who Remains so she can kill him. She gets rid of her cape, she gets rid of her horns. She ultimately gets rid of Loki. It's just not serving her in that moment. And it's so cold to think of it that way. But I think that's what was happening. That and the fact that she wanted him to be safe. So, she's kind of saving him by pushing him through that time door as well.

And if you're going to think of it as like an exploration of self-acceptance and self-love, that's also interesting because she showed sort-of, I don't know, getting rid of a part of herself that isn't serving her anymore at the same time as keeping it safe.

It's really interesting to hear you talk about it that way, because it makes me think about how the one thing that came out, especially I think in Episode 5, is the idea that knowing Sylvie made Loki a better person in some fundamental ways. And I'm wondering about the opposite of that. What did knowing Loki mean for Sylvie?

DI MARTINO: I think it's slightly different for Sylvie. I don't know if he's made her a better person. I don't know if she's allowed herself to change yet. Loki's been quite brave and he's changed. He's a changed person by the end of that series. Sylvie is still hell-bent on her mission and she still chooses it over caring about someone else. So maybe she's yet to make that change.

So in talking about the scene like it's a breakup... Season 1 ends with the characters being very separated and of course, Season 2 is very much a nebulous thing at the moment, but people break up all the time and get back together. In your head, do you see there being still some sort of future for the characters as a couple?

DI MARTINO: It would definitely be fun to see them in the same room together again, wouldn't it? I'm fascinated. Yeah. After that, I'm fascinated to see what Loki has to say to Sylvie after doing that to him. Who knows? Never say never. I'm really excited to see what they come up with because it could go in so many different directions, but surely they have to come face to face again at some point.

It's like that awkward party after you've broken up with someone and you see them again. And that first conversation, whether it's in public or not, it's sorts of awful, but such a relief once it's been done.

Something that's been kind of a topic of discussion when it comes to talking about romance on screen is a quality that a lot of leading men have — for lack of a better term, the ability to give their love interest a Look. I've consulted with others and we feel like Tom Hiddleston has the look or has the ability to deliver the look. And I'm curious what it's like to be on the other side of it.

DI MARTINO: Tom's a very charming man and he could definitely make people go weak at the knees by just giving them a look. My reaction to that is always to sort of make a joke and run away. So there was probably a lot of that on set, breaking the tension by being a goofball.

I just had to react as Sylvie. And Sylvie's got these walls up. She doesn't let anyone in and that includes Loki. So sure there's a sort of, oh, this person is not as I thought they were. I'm warming to them. But Sylvie's not an easy nut to crack.

Is it fun getting to play that kind of strength?

DI MARTINO: Yeah. It's awesome because when her defenses do come down and she's vulnerable, it's really interesting. And you start to see all of the stuff that's buried underneath and that's what makes her a great character to play.

So, how do you feel about there being a second season? Do you feel like if there hadn't been a second season, you would have gotten the closure you wanted to from the story?

DI MARTINO: Probably not. I want to know what happens just like everyone else. I'm super excited and I just can't wait to see which direction they're going because it could be infinite directions.

Do you have a sense that there might've been different aspects to it, had COVID not been an issue?

DI MARTINO: I think COVID actually probably made it a lot better. We had a five months hiatus and Kate and the producers and writers worked a lot on episodes five and six during that time. And as far as I've heard, a lot changed for the better. They could rewatch what we'd already shot and just carry on working on the scripts and developing them. So I think it was great to have that time actually, as awful in most ways it was, that was the silver lining of it.

Very. Yeah. So looking forward, I imagine if there's a second season, you're on board if you get asked.

DI MARTINO: Hopefully. Hope so.

By the way, I was really excited to see the story about how your costume was designed to allow you to breastfeed during shooting. That seems like it was a really special detail.

DI MARTINO: Yeah, really, really. I'm just so grateful that that happened. It made my life so much easier and it was important to me that I carried on doing that. So it was just the little things and it's just saved a lot of time. Practically, it was a godsend.

Of course. So looking forward, what's next for you?

DI MARTINO: Lots of interviews. Lots of being able to talk about episode six finally, and then, who knows? An infinite possibility. So yeah, I'm excited to see what happens and to see people's reactions to the series because people are still catching up. People are still watching and rewatching it and probably go on.

Yeah. I mean, I imagine that you're going to be cosplayed at various conventions over the next several decades probably.

DI MARTINO: Do you think? That blows my mind.

I mean, cosplaying has a long legacy to it.

DI MARTINO: It's so cool. The way that people are already making Sylvie horns and crafting them from scratch and spraying them. And there's one woman that's just sewn a whole suit together and it looks exactly like my costume. It's so impressive, the love and attention people put into it.

Are you getting an action figure?

DI MARTINO: I don't know. Hopefully. What would I do with it? Maybe I could use it as a cake topper. Who knows? But that would be a very cool thing to have, wouldn't it?

[utilitycaster]

How to welcome new fans

This is obviously incredibly subjective/influenced by my personal experience, but it's something I've had bouncing around in my mind since well before all the D20 nonsense and which I think is a useful starting point!

The golden rule is let the new fans decide what they want and need. If your enjoyment of something depends on whether other people enjoy it the same way you do, that is a you problem, to be remedied as quickly as fucking possible. Or at the very least keep your whining to private quarters.

Some conclusions from that are:

Assume new fans are as smart as you are if not smarter. Once you were new to this fandom too, and you (presumably) picked it up; why can't they? Do not hold people's hands unless they explicitly ask for it. It is probably intended as a kindness, but it is also immensely condescending and irritating when unwelcome. I personally like the experience of not quite knowing what's going on and picking it up as I go, and it sucks when I make an idle wondering post and some random person I've never seen before starts explaining it to me like I'm 5.

Be thoughtful when interacting with their posts. If it's not maintagged? Think about why they may have made that choice. I often do not main tag post for works I'm new to both to avoid spoilers and because when I have, I've gotten somewhat swarmed by people excited by new blood or spoiling things for me, and I do not want that.

On the flip side, don't speak for new fans among older fans. Do not tell people what and what not to spoiler tag. Do not position yourself as the fucking ambassador. (I've been harsh on D20 fans so I want to be clear this is a HUGE problem in CR; I've gotten wild asks from existing fans telling me to spoiler tag plot points from 2015 because of new people in the TLOVM fandom, and with every new campaign or EXU there's a barrage of obnoxious ~*you don't need to know all of CR to watch this!*~ posts that are I think less presumptuous but just as annoying as the shit we're seeing from D20 fans.)

Honestly everything else I would say is covered by the above. Don't push your opinions on new fans who literally didn't ask, especially if they're your long-nursed grudges. Believe me, I love being a hater but I make an effort not to be a hater in the replies or reblogs of other people's posts. Don't ask people who join the fandom and provide particularly interesting commentary to go faster. Generally ask yourself "do I sound like I am asking this internet stranger to join my polycule and/or vampire cult? Do I sound like I'm asking for their TPS reports except the reports are art or meta?" and if the answer is not a resounding "Nope", stop what you're doing.