#this was such a basic bitch list

[aq2003]

I've had a vague urge to get more into Shakespeare for years; what are the top 3-5 plays you'd recommend that AREN'T Hamlet or Much Ado? And what version of each is your favorite?

(sorry for omitting two god tier ones but I've already seen David Tennant in each of those and I surmise that you're insane about both so I'm looking for some new plays)

gonna be some basic bitch answers but here:

macbeth - the tragedy of macbeth (2021) movie adaptation starring denzel washington. this movie is fucking stunning and the way they did the witches was SO good. also i have the throne of blood (kurosawa's adaptation) also on my watchlist since i've heard REALLY good things about it

richard ii - 2013 rsc production w/ david tennant (link). he gives me catastrophic gender envy, i need to become more masculine to become more feminine etc. ben whishaw in the hollow crown series (link) is great too

romeo and juliet - romeo + juliet (1996) movie adaptation directed by baz luhrmann. this is like, the most well known romeo and juliet and you might've watched it already but i'm listing this anyway because there will never be a better mercutio and the way they did the setting is SO fucking funny and inspired

twelfth night - so far only saw this one Outside On The Grass Where They Performed This At My College but i liked it a lot... reccing the 2012 globe production with mark rylance (part 1 / part 2) (his hamlet was one of dt's favorites as an aspiring actor) (i'm putting my faith in letterboxd and david's taste for this one)

coriolanus - 2014 donmar production w/ tom hiddleston (on archive.org). this is directed by josie rourke, who also directed dt/ct's 2011 much ado! the staging and the effects are fucking awesomeeee (also peter de jersey and elliot levey are in this, i love them)

also shoutout to the ones i want to watch:

the 2016 production of a midsummer night's dream w/ ncuti gatwa (i have found nowhere to pirate it and i might just crack and pay the 10 dollars to watch it)

the 2015 production of the love's labour's lost w/ edward bennett (he played laertes in hamlet (2009) and he's REALLY underrated, i love his benedick SO FUCKING MUCH even if that production overall was a little dull)

either hollow crown's or greg doran's henry iv (it's two whole plays i need so much time to watch that. and ideally i want to watch both lol)

kurosawa's ran (1985), an adaptation of king lear set in 1500s japan

vishal bhardwaj's omkara (2006), an adaptation of othello set in india

[m4ndysk4nkovich]

literally my entire personality summarized:

[ranger-kellyn]

was inspired by @skuntank to make my own tier list \ovo/

[dont-offend-the-bees]

Shit bro first hormone appointment in two days hold my hand

[fandomsoda]

Reblog this if you’re fucking tired of Errorink being so popular.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s fun to play around with, but it is overdone, never explored right, results in mischaracterization, and fundamentally way less interesting than a lot of rarepairs.

Low key fuck Errorink for being simultaneously oversaturated and underwhelming.

[lordansketil]

List 5 things that make you happy, then put this in the askbox for the last 10 people who liked or reblogged something from you! Get to know your mutuals and followers!

1) swimming: nothing like swimming, especially in the sea, floating in the water, playing in the surf, it's everything to me. we came from the ocean. the taste of salt. how it carries you, buoys you up, like an act of love

2) colour: art, the sky, flowers, beautiful fabrics, fashion, gorgeous colours, colours are life! take me to all the galleries and museums. i'll wear a rose silk dress and fall in love.

3) poetry and poetic prose; cannot be happy without writing, also good non-fiction... the only people who complain about there being no original plots are people who only read fiction, non-fiction will surprise you every day. give give give.

4) gardening (see number 2); HERBS!! Basil, rosemary, parsley, thyme, sage, coriander! I can just grow them, and they make everything taste amazing? My own little chillis! And also lavender and roses and freesias? I cut them and I bring them inside and then my house smells amazing? DID I MENTION MY LEMON TREE?? owning a lemon tree is a life-changing experience, especially if you like gin.

5) cooking food, sharing it with friends, using things from my garden (see number 4), so relaxing when there's no deadline, just chilling, making a sauce, throwing stuff in, i'm not an amazing cook but mmmmm I had gnocchi in lemon butter with herbs and fresh green beans yesterday with this super dry white and my friends it was blissssss

[enchiiridion]

PAST RELATIONSHIPS

Volo has met ( angered, befriended, and more ) very many individuals in his life. This is a small list of some notable past relations he's had.

ELMINSTER ( of Shadowdale ) AUMAR; his first, wisest, and accidental friend. When Volo began writing his Guide to All Things Magical, Mystra assigned Elminster with the job to keep him in check-- for the most part. He's not technically allowed to stop Volo, but he does get angered and annoyed by them pretty often. Over the years, he's turned Volo into a frog, a statue, and a statue of a frog on multiple occasions, sometimes for months or years at a time. More recently, these occurrences are a lot rarer, because Elminster has grown fond of him and his whimsical nature. Since Mystra made Volo into a Weave Anchor ( and technically a Chosen ), Elminster has had to keep a close eye on him. Whenever Volo ventures out for research, Elminster will often tag along or watch distantly. When they're apart, they write to each other frequently, even if most of their subject matter is about Volo's upcoming books.

RAVITHARA ( and her son, Emmeros ) SILMERHELVE; his first long-lasting relationship. While researching the wealth sources of one of the many noble families in Waterdeep, Volo came into contact with Ravithara. She would occasionally work as his informant, but the two grew infatuated with each other and it wasn't long before it turned out she was going to have his baby. While Volo would've loved nothing more than to run away with her, her family would forever hunt them, and he went missing for a time ( part of that was because a wizard turned him into a bird and forced him to fly into walls for a few weeks ). Any time he has the chance to in Waterdeep, he takes the time to visit both her and Emmeros. They've fallen out of love, but still care for each other deeply. Sometimes, when Volo is short on coin, Ravithara will offer him some ( but he's always declined ). Elminster says Emmeros looks an awful lot like Volo ( but also if the Silmerhelve family ever found out, Volo was practically dead ).

SA'SANI; his first rejection ( kind of ). While working with a merchant company near Neverwinter, he fell in love with Sa'Sani. She disliked him heavily, and often had very cold and dry responses to his advances, so he didn't push it ( despite still being attracted to her ). During their time working together, she did a blood ritual with him; it would increase his alcohol tolerance greatly ( so he often faked inebriation ), but unbeknownst to him, she could drain his life force to return to life if she ever died. An odd side-effect has been that Sa'Sani will occasionally hear Volo's thoughts randomly. It allowed her to keep tabs on his whereabouts, but she inadvertently fell in love with his genuine naivety and aloofness, despite originally being annoyed with him.

NANTHÉ RYDDORN; his most daring rescue. At the time, Volo had been researching underground smugglers and rings. However, he caught the nasty attention of some smugglers in Suzail-- through some daring luck, he had saved Nanthé, a war wizard working undercover to help uncover this exact smuggling ring. She was charmed by Volo, despite calling them a 'loathsome worm', and mentioned he had a 'unique musk' ( which she quite liked ). She offered him a few drinks in return for saving him, and they grew a budding friendship. During Volo's visits to Suzail, they would occasionally meet to catch up, share drinks, and sleep together. Because of her, Volo invested in a few properties in Suzail, finding excuses to go and visit her often. Sa'Sani considers Nanthé as a good ally to Volo and doesn't fear any sort of "competition" between each other for Volo's affections ( to this day, she has yet to inform him that she returns the feelings ).

FLOON BLAGMAAR & RANEAR NEVEREMBER; his first polycule. While visiting Ravithara and Emmeros one night, Volo employed Floon ( who was a sex worker at the time ) for his company when he'd felt particularly lonely. The next evening, he met Ranear, and in a haze mistook him for Floon. In conversation, he found out that the two were actually friends, and thought it would be nice to join them for drinks that night. Floon and Ranear were already together, but found themselves infatuated with Volo's nature. Ranear already had issues with his family being hostile towards Floon ( first for being a man, second for being a sex worker ), but he had additional problems if he were to be involved with Volo ( not just for also being a man, but due to the reputation he's garnered ). This was resolved during W:DH, and they would occasionally travel together whenever Volo is traveling for reasons outside of work. Neither Floon nor Ranear minded Nanthé's involvement with him, and neither did she. Sa'Sani generally dislikes them, but is starting to warm up to them the more of Volo's thoughts that she hears.

[nicollekidman]

can we hear the lyra lore 🥺🥺🥺 pls

omg bestie.... i'm still actively working it out which is why i keep talking about journaling but bare bones.... she's the only child of a powerful elf family in baldur's gate, her mother is a mystery to her and her father is in Money, she's always been weird and withdrawn but like. a Dreamer in some sense.... she learns archery early and spends a lot of time alone. i don't think she's ever particularly happy or emotive but she enjoys exploring (and she's terribly vain... wants to look just like her mother). then she gets a baby sister and dotes on her to the point where she's basically raising her alone in kind of an obsessive way. when her sister is young, things start to get weird with her parents, they're gone more and more, and when they're home they're.... strange. but they want for nothing, and lyra and her sister are happy and inseparable (i'm still deciding on her name). when her sister is 20ish she's murdered, and through some set of circumstances i haven't fleshed out yet, lyra figures out it was her parents, as a sacrifice to bhaal. she kills both her parents and burns down their entire house for good measure, both so that there is no trace but also for herself.

i think she spends the next 40-50 years alone, basically doing bounty hunter work for money and drifting along. she only speaks when necessary, becomes ruthlessly pragmatic and essentially uninterested in the general population. she's basically turned off everything except her Life Functions. she gets a reputation in the lower city as the Ghost and people leave her alone because she minds her own business unless provoked or on a job (and sometimes the kids will manage to get gifts from her... they learn to read her body language and approach on good days). she keeps her rich clothes and facepaints and always looks immaculate (when you look both dead and rich, no one gets close). i think she also sometimes lets herself be bought when she's bored but if she ever ends up genuinely vulnerable or lets anything personal slip to a patron, she kills them. i think probably she's looking for something/someone to make her come back to life but she doesn't know that's what she's doing..... like being so hungry you can't feel it anymore. she's not evil and she's not robotic she's just kind of in an emotional coma, she's not even really seeking revenge bc she knows it won't bring her sister back and she can't bring herself to care enough.

i want to flesh out more of who she was before the murder but i'm waiting for her to tell me lol.

but yes, this is why she is such a freak with astarion + the party, but this post is long enough skdjfghjfkdsl canon timeline lore is insane in a different way but who doesn't want to be murdertwins with a random traumatized vamp you stumble upon, yknow.

[hella1975]

*crawling from debris bloody and breathless with tears in my eyes* hrrngh. my. my assignments. they are completed

[recapitulation]

ok ive thought abt it. here is my personal top 10 symphony list in case anyone is obsessed w me

mahler 2

mahler 5

rachmoninoff 2

bruckner 4

dvorak 9

price 1

borodin 2

mahler 7

tchaikovsky 4

brahms 1

[fivepebblerhehe]

I wonder what would happen if there was a game that took place in ultra space-

OKAY HERE ARE ALL THE CUSTOMS AND RELIGIONS OF EVERY ULTRA BEAST-

[dykefever]

btw !!

[wings-of-flying]

i say things here that i cannot say on the group chat

[eff-plays]

random ask: what is your go-to daily drink? your special occasion drink? detail delightful, recipe spectacular.

∧,,,∧ (  ̳• · • ̳) /    づ♡ I love you drinks [you're pretty cool though]

Honestly I'm not much of a drinker. Or rather I'm not a fancy drinks person. I don't tend to make drinks if I can avoid it. I'm also not someone with a refined palate or the budget to have special occasion drinks.

But my daily drink is coffee and tea, because I'm basic, both with milk, coffee with a spoon of sugar. I also enjoy (lactose-free) cold milk. Used to enjoy regular milk as a kid, before the Curse took me. I have been cutting back on sodas and similar stuff, partly because they're unhealthy and partly because I'm at the stage of adulthood where sugary drinks just taste bad lol.

My special occasion drinks used to be [unnamed but popular cheap coffee producer] and currently Redbull. Which is bad for you, and frankly caffeine makes me sleepy, so why do I drink that crap? Well, it tastes good, esp on a rly hot day. Idk what the taste reminds me of but it's something super familiar from my childhood. So it's like a forbidden treat. Slight TMI but caffeine helps my digestion a lot as well so there's that I guess.

I'm also a SPARKLING WATER enjoyer >:3c Though it has to be mineral water and have a fun fruity flavor. That's probably the healthiest daily drink I have. My current one is a Swedish brand with raspberry and pomegranate flavor. It's like soda that doesn't kill you!

Then there's an involuntary-special-occasion drink which I drink whenever I'm sick with a cold or flu, which is hot milk with honey and butter. It doesn't do anything but taste nice and warm your little heart. (Though it helps with a sore throat.)

I also enjoy chamomile tea. Generally most teas I'm fine with. Green tea with lemon and honey? Woah dude.

I also make hot chocolate/cocoa (idk the difference), though I spice it up with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice scream when I make it. (I melt the ice cream in the microwave, so the drink is thick and creamy but still hot.) I have never and will never use water for that shit so it's always milk. It's a huge treat drink cuz it's fatty and sugary and I only drink it like ... once a week maybe? But it's one of those I grab when I finish some big assignment or task and just wanna sit back and watch a Youtube video.

I had another Ghibli-esque drink I used to make with cinnamon and honey, but I cannot remember the recipe unforch and it was ages ago I last made it :(

Thanks for the fun ask, you're pretty cool too! Sorry for the long yet fruitless reply lmao.

Also, I'm happy to answer more questions that are non-gaming related, but it might be a good idea to send future ones to my personal/writing blog, @time-to-write-and-suffer, mainly because I doubt this blog's Hardcore Gamer Audience are very curious about my hydration habits lol 💖

[eugeniedanglars]

List 10 songs with 10 names in the titles that I like, and then tag 10 people.

i was tagged by @nancywheeeler! i thought i would really struggle with this but it turns out there are a ton of songs i love with people's names in the titles, to the point that i had trouble paring the list down. i limited myself to one tom russell/eliza gilkyson song or else this post would just be an american history lesson lol

jackie and wilson - hozier

the lament of eustace scrubb - the oh hellos

augustine - vienna teng

samson - regina spektor

katrinah josephina - universal hall pass

casimir pulaski day - sufjan stevens

sylvia - the antlers

lily, rosemary, and the jack of hearts - originally by bob dylan, covered by tom russell, eliza gilkyson, and joe ely

christine - lucy dacus

gloria - laura branigan

i'm tagging @gerardnurse @interropunct @nangong-shunu @scareqrow @bardicspiration @charmingpplincardigans and whoever else wants to do this because i don't think i have 10 active mutuals nowadays lmao

[conspiracydawg]

For the "Inbox me (1) thing you want to know about me" post! What are your top three favorite Pokemon?

great question! sticking under a readmore for convenience because the pictures are big

my favorite is unquestionably gogoat:

I mean look at this creature. hooves! horns! foliage fluff! big shiny wet nose! and the previous form, skiddo, is a real cute little creature too (I would feel guilty about keeping a pokemon if I didn't like all its forms; for example I love corviknight, but its other two forms are just. birds, so I have a hard time imagining it as a long-term buddy)

I'm also a big fan of sawsbuck:

deer with plant antlers is such a classic theme, and I love how sawsbuck's change with the seasons (winter fluffy coat is also really good). deerling's pretty cute too which is nice

slot three is a lot harder, but for the sake of not picking another ungulate, I will say galarian farfetch'd:

this little guy has such a personality, look what a standoffish little critter he is. I greatly admire him dutifully going into battle with his carefully-chosen leek. I'm not as big a fan of sirfetch'd, but still a nice pokemon, which makes farfetch'd a good member of a team

thanks so much for the question!