#dnd is my priority honestly
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my humanity in a book series now that I actually think about the premise is so weird.
the original concept is just to prove that all of humanity's pain and suffering and joys and gifts can be shown in just a few books, that a lot of our struggles are shared and a lot are unique but that they're all inherently human.
no matter what experience you go through it's going to be a human experience because you are a human, and no matter how isolated and alone or exiled you feel the rest of humanity you are still infact human and take that part of you everywhere
you will always be a step in some direction of humanity no matter what that deed is
it's not meant to be read as comforting, in all honesty most of the characters find the idea of never not being human to be sort of disturbing. But that's a part of the human experience too. To look at humanity and say "man we suck"
But now I'm looking at it and it's more then that
the book is set in the 32nd century
although because of my lack of imagination I can't think of what the language would be like I did haphazardly put together a culture that I personally felt like matched the common trend of development in humanity
everyone is given a livable space, concept of currency really isn't a thing (but that's less on humanity and just because the space colony is made up of roughly 10,000 people and trade is impossible, there's more reasons too but I won't get into them at this moment) and in all honesty the society is fundamentally different then most societies on earth.
It's what you would call a utopia but it's such an obvious system that no body even considers it good. They talk only about the unfairness of the council members and the inhuman layout the colony is built on to make it relatively fair between all people. (I say fair not equal because they do take children, occupation and just size of person into account, which yes is a nightmare for everyone invloved)
but I dont know if you see it but there's a disconnect
they don't value the things we value, they don't have the same desires the same ambitions the same secret indulges, many conflicts are the same as they are now but they have a completely different context, different reactions from people, different tones and no real recognizable side we usually see in modern debates.
it's worse then if it were completely different conflicts, then you could just do some narrative translation and make it based off of the modern lense but you can't do that because it's the same conflict. ofcourse it's not to a point where your brain thinks "I can't compherehend this at all" but actually that makes it worse, because it is compherehensible it just isn't common
it's a story trying to tell you that all human experiences are inherently human but it's showing you a humanity that you can't really quite connect with
things you think are basic desires exist but they're not considered the core things that makes someone human, there's something alien about these people that you can't really agree with the actions they take and can't make sense of the movements and words they make.
800 years is a long time and I wanted to show it but I made a story that's inherently ironic
it still fits the original theme, it might fit it even better since it's telling you no matter how much humanity changes its still going to be humanity
but I left my audience behind, I alienated them to show them that they are human, that despite the alienation they're still apart of this society that they're reading about that dosent feel quite right
it's a weird thing to do
I really thought this book was going to be simple to write but I'm already adding layers and I don't think I'm going to stop
and also the science aspect behind this story excites me so much
I'm no biology major so half the stuff I come up with for the alien planet's are probably going to be impossible but it's fun to write about
espicially the plants, I found the heat regulated Lilly pads to be really fun to think up of
also fox like creatures that glow under uv light, gosh that took so much research
they're adorable by human standards but they are deathly venomous so please don't pet them
this series isn't even the only one in this universe
there's a second story that I suddenly forgot the name of but it's something like 'Colony 1, Brother Lutangalo' or something similar.
oh and if you haven't noticed yes these books are heavily inspired by the enderverse and I just wanted to go more indepth into the parts of the books that was largely left unexplored. So this series is also inspired by the shadow series, so the humanity in a book is more morality, conceptual and personal in nature the col1 brother lutangalo books are more political and more grounded in the main society (the 2 main characters are sent to set up a colony on a different planet so they aren't really on the main colony themselves) the main narrator being lutangalo which is the son of the 108 year old colony leader Lau. (this society also has a euthanization law that all people over the age of 100 by law must die to prevent over population, but religious leaders are protected so they can live pass 100 indefinitely) and is currently 8 when you first meet him. Actually his books don't start until he's 12, we meet him when he's 8 because that's the year the 2 main characters comes back
his books, and I'm calling them his books because this series is heavily centered on the one character rather then the humanity series which is forced to jump between people in different time and space to get the message across because the 2 main characters litterally don't react to anyone else but eachother for the majority of book one, all of book 2 and half of book 3 (at least that's what my planning says but it may change when I get to writing the drafts)
anyways his books are very focused on the family that he's apart of and how they affect the colony, it also focuses on the personal perspective of this one kid which is honestly the closet thing the readers get to a instinctually relatable character, he has all the impulses and needs a person of the current age would have, because he basically lived in the 21st century because of his obsessive need to research about Mr ari who is notoriously a history nerd.
so you're finally getting a person that lives and breathes in the same patterns as you do.
and he's so miserable
he is one of the most troubled, impulsive people you have ever met
but also the calmest and kindest and gentlest person at the same time
he's a horrible liar until he isn't, he's intelligent and self aware until he's shockingly oblivious
just a ball of horrible contradictions that feels way too unstable and flipfloppy to be consistently relatable
yes of course in several moments you will exclaim "ha, he's just like me!" but it's going to be rather hard to admit that all of his experiences and actions are relatable or even compherehensible
unlike the first series it's not justifiable in any rational way
it's messy, it's complicated, it's convoluted and he's honestly awful in some scenes
but thats human too
#i have this weird thing of trying to write a simple story then making it wayyyyyyy too complicated#THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT A DRUNKARD WHO LEARNS TO GET OVER HIS ADDICTION BY GOING ON A SPACE TRIP WHERE HE CANT DRINK ALCOHOL#AND WHEN HE COMES BACK THE PERSON HE WAS ON THE SPACE TRIP IS LIKE “NO SIR YOU ARE NOT DRINKING MORE”#THEN IT BECAME SO COMPLICATED#also fun thing (?) is that you never get to meet lutangalos mother in his books but she gets an entire chapter to herself in the humanity#series#her name is caroline and yes she was the lady i was gushing about#i often fall in love with the characters i write#fall in love from an aro ace perspective is weird but it basically means im devoted to them?#for me it was less platonic and more spiritual#but then again internally my love for my friends do appear more worshippy then friends but alas thats a different issue#i really love this story and how indepth it is but also hate it because it takes up so much brain storage and im afriad ill forget stuff#its not even very high on my priorities#its below fixem which isnt even a story i really enjoy#dnd is my priority honestly#endersgame#inspired books are really cool but i never saw one that focused on the thousands of years in the future bit#i want to die#but i must write#i swear if i die before i finish my dnd campaign im going to kill everyone
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just saw ur gale/mystra analysis post. im new to the game and dnd lore and honestly… ur take on their relationship feels like the most natural/compelling one??? esp since its all too easy to simplify topics that have many facets and nuance….
thanks for sharing i love analysis and reading people’s takes on narratives : D
My pleasure! (Bee from the future here: congrats, you spawned another meta!)
I love complicated characters, WAY more than I like a clear cut-and-dry case. Flaws, to me, are what make a character compelling and lead to interesting stories about them with choices that can get them into situations. I'm both writing a fanfic and running a campaign where I'm playing as Gale, and in the interest of portraying him properly and in-character, I've gone into SUCH a deep dive into all the decisions and facts that make him him.
It helps to, y'know, also be in love with the fictional wizard, but I digress
The thing about Baldur's Gate 3 is that no character in there is perfect. I've seen a couple analyses about the theme of continuing cycles of abuse vs breaking out of them, but in my mind, in terms of the characters themselves, it goes like this:
The origin characters have just come out of the lowest situation of their lives (Lae'zel being the exception; being tadpoled is a gith's worst nightmare. You're seeing that lowest situation in real time).
Not the lowest point, mind. Gale's lowest was probably the day after he got the Orb. Wyll's was probably the day his father cast him out. Karlach's was the day she lost her heart. But the lowest, accepted normal for them is what they've just left.
They're then thrown out of their depth and forced to rely on you to live. That's #1 priority: living. We get the extremes of these characters before we get their nuances, because they're quite literally at their breaking points.
Then once we get to know them, we see their wants, their hopes, their fears, as they open up to us. Every companion's story is at their own pace, but they all have a moment where they ping-pong between despondency and desire. Sometimes that desire is what we know isn't good for them, like Shadowheart wanting to be a Dark Justiciar. Sometimes that despondency is only for a flicker, like Astarion's realization that he's condemned 7000 people to a half-life of tortured spawnhood for as long as he's been a vampire.
Romance lets us crack all that open more, because if you pursue a romantic partner, they see you as their closest confidant. They WANT to trust you, so they're more willing to explain how they see the world and what decisions they want to chase.
And then their endings. Those often get simplified as good/bad, continuing the cycle vs breaking away from it. But how is Duke Wyll on the same platform as Ascended Astarion? He's not evil, he's not even entirely unhappy. He might even have broken out of his abusive cycle with Mizora, if you played your cards right. And Ascended Astarion is overjoyed, even if he is remarkably more cold.
I think that the endings are less a dichotomy of "this is good for them" vs "this is bad for them," and more one of "bringing out their best traits" vs "bringing out their worst."
Wyll's worst trait is being willing to sacrifice his own wants for whatever people desire of him. His best is standing for what he believes in and ensuring people are safe. Duke Wyll leans into that necessity to turn the other cheek in the name of people who count on him, while the Blade of Avernus has seized that moral compass of his and forged it out of mithral.
Shadowheart's worst trait is blind obedience at the cost of her individuality, while her best is her desire to be kind to things that don't deserve to be hurt. Mother Superior Shadowheart's whole life is defined by Shar. Selûnite Shadowheart's life is defined by her hospitality, especially towards animals.
Karlach's worst trait is how willing she is to accept that things are (to quote her) fucked, letting despair override hope. Her best is her durability in the face of horror. Exploded Karlach would rather die than try to work out a solution in the Hells, because she's terrified of facing Zariel alone. Mindflayer Karlach has accepted her fate and decides to give up her heart and soul to go out a hero, losing who she is. Fury of Avernus Karlach is willing to keep fighting for a solution, and by the time the epilogue happens, she's got her sights set on one.
Astarion's worst trait is his desire for power over people. His best trait is using the tools he has to his advantage. Ascended Astarion has let his powerhungry nature and paranoia lead all of his decisions, with his sights set on dominating mankind. Spawn Astarion has embraced what he is, and carved out a life for himself where he can do as he pleases.
Lae'zel's worst trait is her blind fanaticism, while her best trait is her individual dedication, making her loyalty a marriage of the two. Ascended Lae'zel is a meal for the lich queen, turning a blind eye to all Vlaakith's tried to do to her and literally being consumed by her fervor. Champion of Orpheus Lae'zel has turned her loyalty into something productive for diplomacy. Faerûnian Lae'zel has seized her individuality by the throat and decided her own future.
And then Gale. Gale's worst traits are his hubris and, paradoxically, his low self worth. His best traits are his creativity and wonder for the world. God Gale is the embodiment of ambition, having burned away all but that in pursuit of perfection. Exploded Gale has let his remorse blot out all hope for a redemption in which he does not die, because he thinks he's earned it. Professor Gale leads his life by embracing the school of Illusion and letting his creativity thrive, teaching others to do the same. House Husband Gale has multiple creative projects he's working on, and Adventurer Gale is always finding new sights to see and wanting to share them with you.
There are arguments to be made on which ending the origins are happiest in, certainly, or which one benefits them the most, but each ending represents the extreme of a facet they possess.
So with all that, there's a sort of malleable method to figuring out the ins and outs of a character.
You take their endings—all of them, all variables they can have—and reverse-engineer the flaws and details they carry. Then you start to notice how those work into their approvals for minor things: Astarion approving of your taking of the Blood of Lathander, or Shadowheart approving of standing up for Arabella. Getting a list of approvals and disapprovals is helpful, but having those endings on hand tells you why they react like that to a majority of their decisions.
You take their romance-route explanations of how they act, and apply those to earlier decisions. Astarion's confession to manipulating you and Araj-prompted admittance to using himself as a tool brings to light how he reacts to your decisions, regardless of his actual opinions on them. Wyll's fairytale romance and love of poetic adages speaks to his idealistic nature, and why he takes a sometimes-blinded approach to decisions in which the "right" answer isn't always the smart one.
You take their beginning reactions to stress and use that to measure how future decisions impact them. Lae'zel locks down and gets snappy when she's scared, while Gale immediately turns to diplomacy. Shadowheart has gallows humor, while Wyll turns to quiet acceptance. If they break from these and seem even worse, you know the situation is more dire in their minds than having seven days to live.
And then you factor in all their fun facts and dialogue choices and backstories.
A wizard falls in love with a goddess and her magic, attempts to retrieve a piece of her power for her, is scorned for his attempt and is cursed to die.
Give that backstory to a Tav. Look at how it changes.
A chaotic good wizard fell in love with a goddess, thought retrieving a piece of power for her would be a showy bouquet of love, and was punished for not thinking things through.
A lawful evil wizard fell in love with a goddess's power, snatched the most precious thing she owned, tried to use it to barter his way through to the secrets she kept, and was given a swift retribution.
Same backstory. Same class, same act, same goddess. Wildly different connotations. Wildly different conclusions as to who is in the wrong.
If you take all there is to Gale, all that the game shows us makes up his character, and apply it to this backstory, you get what really happened:
A wizard, enamored with magic, fell in love with a goddess. His desires led him to want more than she was willing to give. In his well-buried fear of inadequacy, he concluded that the reason she wouldn't indulge his ambitions was because he just hadn't proven himself worthy enough. So he tried to prove himself, but he lacked the context for what he was proving himself with. And the goddess, seeing a weapon that had killed her predecessor, saw this ambitious wizard as losing his way and coming for her just like the weapon's creator had. She was angry, she withdrew his link to her, and he didn't know why. So he drew the conclusion that she took his powers to punish him, and let that encompass his fall from grace.
Was he wrong to reach for what was out there?
If you knew that the answers to everything you cared about were not only known, but kept by someone you loved—someone who adored you—what would you do to ask to see them? What if your curiosities were if there were other planets with life out there, or how dark matter worked, or whether or not we could one day travel in the stars? What if it was the potential cure to an illness that's little-understood, or the way to make a program you dreamt up, or the scope of the true limits of your artistic talents? Would your answer change?
Was she wrong to cut him off?
If you were once hurt, and the person you loved—the person who adored you—brought the thing that caused it to your door, believing you'd want it, how would you react to seeing it? What if that thing was someone you thought you'd broken contact with, like a friend or family member you'd been trying to avoid? Would your answer change?
That's the sort of scope that needs to be applied to this, on both sides. You have to take the perspectives of each party, and apply two analogies instead of one.
Gale saw the vastness of the universe, untold wonders, the solution to every question he could ever dream up, and saw Mystra as withholding this from him because she thought he just wasn't worthy enough. To claim Mystra knew his perspective does her a disservice.
Mystra saw a cruel weapon she thought long gone, in the hands of someone who could use it, brought right to her, and thought Gale was willingly following the path of Karsus. To claim Gale knew her perspective does him a disservice.
Should Gale have researched his prize more, so he knew just what he was obtaining? Should he have kept his hands off a cursed book that would devour him? Of course he should have.
Should he have given up on chasing his dreams?
Should Mystra have understood that Gale's pursuit of power was nothing like Karsus'? Should she have communicated when she was angry instead of giving the cold shoulder? Of course she should have.
Should she have given him the benefit of the doubt?
That's the root of their falling out. That's what leads to hurt being inflicted. Understandable, human reactions to the situations they perceive. Unhealthy, unwise choices made afterwards.
You work backwards from this to figure out their dynamic as Chosen and goddess. You work forward from this to understand more of where Gale and Mystra are during the events of Baldur's Gate 3. Gale reached too high, and understands this. His goddess hates him, and he regrets this. Mystra isolated Gale, and understands this. Her Chosen wants redemption, and she wants to make it happen.
Just like we took Gale's character into account, we also have to take Mystra's.
A goddess is faced with a problem. She uses someone who's desperate for approval to solve it, by telling him to kill himself.
An evil goddess is faced with a threat to her reign. She sees someone who's unfailingly loyal and hates himself, and elects to have him tear himself apart rather than do anything about it.
A good goddess is terrified of the future. She sees someone who tried to hurt her, who's going to die anyways, and tells him to use it to save the world.
Same story. Same act, same power, same pawn. Different character. Different perspective. Different outlook on whether or not this is the right thing to do.
Mystra has died, multiple times, to people trying to stake claim to her domain. Someone appears with the very thing that could do it again, right as she's regained her stability.
She does not see mortals the way mortals do. She is timeless. She is eternal. She has a duty to protect billions of people, and one person lost to protect that number is more than worth the sacrifice.
People like to bring up the Seven Sisters as proof of Mystra's cruelty. For those unaware, Mystra asked permission to, then possessed, a woman, used her to court a man (with dubious consent from the woman), and bore seven children, all of whom were capable of bearing Mystra's power as Chosen without dying. The woman she possessed was killed in the process (reduced to no more than a husk, then slain by her now-husband, hoping to end her suffering), and the husband was horrified by the whole story.
Mystra needed Chosen in order to restore herself in the event that she was killed again, to prevent magic as a whole from collapsing and wreaking havoc on the mortal realm, like it had in the few seconds Mystryl had been dead. Elminster, Khelben Blackstaff, and the Seven Sisters contributed to this. The more Chosen she has, the better; what happens if Elminster dies? She can't afford to have all her eggs in one basket.
Mystra has Volo (yeah, that Volo) as a Weave Anchor, imparted with a portion of her power to prevent the Weave from shredding itself to pieces in her absence. All Chosen of Mystra are Weave Anchors by nature. The creation of Weave Anchors was mandated by Ao, the Overgod, and Chosen are the best way to make sure those anchors aren't drained by ambitious people hoping for godlike power. Chosen can, and will, defend themselves, unlike static locations (which Mystra also has). The anchors are why the Weave wasn't completely obliterated during Mystra's last death, when the Spellplague rose up, because they stabilized the Weave around them.
Everything Mystra does is in the name of the big picture, to prevent a catastrophe like the fall of Netheril from happening again. Her restriction of magic, her numerous Chosen, her creation of Weave Anchors, her destruction of those who would claim her power, it's all in the name of the stability she's been charged with. Dornal Silverhand's grief and Elué Silverhand's death, while regrettable, were worth it to bring seven more anchors into existence to save all of the Material.
So someone appears with the Crown of Karsus, potentially powerful enough to try to kill the other gods in the name of the Dead Three. She can't risk being a target of them. She can't risk the destruction of magic again.
Gale is going to die. He lives in fear. He begs for forgiveness.
In Mystra's eyes, she's offering him the best outcome. She'll let him die in service to her, to save Faerûn, and she'll forgive him. He's going to die anyways, and if he does this, she'll give him everything (she thinks) he could ever want in her realm. She's asking him to do what (she thinks) is the right thing.
"She would consider what she considers to be forgiveness."
Notably, she leaves the decision in his hands. She doesn't have Elminster lead him to the Nether Brain. She doesn't activate him as soon as he's there. When he lives yet, she doesn't revoke the charm that keeps him stable. And when he declines, when he lets it go and starts pursuing Karsus' path, she doesn't smite him on the spot.
She is (she thinks) being incredibly patient. If Gale is going to try to be Karsus II, she's ready for him. If he decides to walk off and keep the Orb, he's dug his own grave in the Fugue Plane (those who don't have a god to claim them roam endlessly as husks and form a wall of bodies around the City of Judgement).
From her perspective, she's not being unreasonable. But from the perspective of a mortal, she absolutely is.
"Now, I have a question for thee: what is the worth of a single mortal's life?"
This is a question she cannot answer properly.
I think a lot of characterization is lost whenever someone paints one of them as being totally in the right. But I also think you have to be invested in them as characters to want to see that characterization. If you want to write about Mystra, you have to try to get into her head, analyze the decisions she made, figure out why she thinks she was right, and follow the pattern.
Gale's sacrifice is a very predictable thing for her to ask for.
#bg3#gale dekarios#gale of waterdeep#mystra#long post#like really long post holy hells#did not expect this to go on for this long#swearing tw#< for karlach#oh yeah#astarion#karlach#wyll ravengard#shadowheart#lae'zel#ask bee
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The Blind Bandit
I had honestly forgotten that the Gaang were trying to find an earthbending teacher, so the 'previously on' segment was actually useful instead of spoilery.
Nobody's face is having a good time.
Look at this sweetheart. You go ahead and treat yourself honey. You've single-handedly escorted a pair of earth-shatteringly overpowered tweens around the world for months; the least you deserve is a shopping trip.
"You kids like earthbending?" Has the same energy as "wanna buy a sun dial?" from that animated Hercules movie.
This guy is one of those strip mall karate types.
I take back everything I ever said about Zuko's season 1 haircut. This guy has a dust bunny poop on his head.
Momo's bag now.
My absolute favourite girl power: incredible violence!
The acoustics at this earth rumble place must be great. I don't see any microphones.
"That's what I paid for." Sokka is a simple creature at heart. Likes food and violence.
Something very strange about this guy's face. I think his mouth moves but his eyes don't.
So apparently earthbending gets you mad air.
Oh! I get it. This is a WWE parody. Somebody on the writing team did their homework too. Don't ask me how I know, but this is a very accurate parody.
Sokka thinks listening to big muscles is a very good idea actually.
And here's the heel. Complete with russian accent. And oddly homoerotic anthem. And cowardice when challenged! Yep, total heel.
I LOLed at the zamboni badgermoles and hockey organ.
She's like two feet tall!
I'm. in love.
I could watch little girls beat up grown men all day.
Earthbending sonar?
Omigod it predicts. She can see moves before they happen.
Well it's a good thing Bumi said to look for someone who Waited and Listened rather than Watched.
"I don't really want to fight you. I want to talk to you." Says the guy who just volunteered, in front of a full stadium, to FIGHT her. Time and place, Aang.
Get back on the ground you flighty airbender. She sees with that ground. No fair.
This is about the face I made when Aang pulled that move. Does this boy think at all? I love him, but what part of stealing her well-earned title is supposed to convince her to talk to him?
You messed up.
I love sartorially inclined Sokka. It's a tiny an innocuous little trait, but it rounds out his character so well.
I get to watch two different girls terrorise idiots this episode. I am blessed.
So I'm guessing the two idiots at the earthbending academy are doing that excercise where kung fu people stick their hands in sand (I've seen videos of it) but it really looked like they were in the 'beat back the dough' phase of making bread.
In this universe of plot-convenient clothing blindness, how do Dumb and Dumber recognise Aang as the one who beat the Blind Bandit?
I think the voice actor for the dumb kid with actual hair did a bunch of voices in season 1. The soldier who gives Aang Bato's map comes to mind.
Have I said recently how much I love Sokka and Katara?
These wrestling guys keep switching between first and third person. Too many rocks to the head.
This could be a board for a murder mystery board game. Or a map for a DND dungeon.
It's her hair. I thought the Blind Bandit had a cap type thing with a little brim for her costume, but it's just a pile of her hair? Like a beehive?
A lesson in character writing: if you want to make someone look super dumb, have them earnestly believe in the credentials and authenticity of a guy you have previously set up as a borderline con artist. Lookin at you, Blind Bandit's dad.
"Basic forms and breathing exercises only." That line is just so funny. And they're all so stupid. She snapped like half a dozen spines last night and this guy is preaching breathing exercises.
Wow! I hate her dad!
I hate him more!
Sokka going ham on some rice rather than listen to the idiots. Good priorities.
This passive aggressive fight between the girl and Aang at the dinner table is so fun.
Looking for somewhere to store your meal after you've face planted into it? Try the top of your head!
I need to get a hold of some of those magic napkins. Wiped up a whole multicourse meal in like 5 seconds.
That is indeed the appropriate reaction to this pint sized badass. Glad Aang is learning. (Also this episode needs more Appa. The last couple have been sadly bereft.)
Called it. Earthdending sonar. Or is it more like echolocation? No! Whiskers!
How does this pint sized badass - who if I am understanding correctly, is not known to exist outside the walls of her house - have more emotional intelligence than the entirety of the Gaang put together?
So much for the guards in the garden. They'd actually be useful now.
Sokka. Priorities. Although given how many times Aang has escaped custody/kidnapping he's probably ok to take a minute to fangirl over an autograph.
These idiot parents don't know their daughter at all. That chafes.
"I'm not smiling." I LOLed at that too. Perfect delivery.
Hippo man having a snack before he gets down to business. No wonder he's missing teeth.
All this blind and tiny and helpless and fragile talk is really making me hope someone smacks the crap out of the dad. What an awful thing to say, nevermind saying it where your daughter can hear.
SMACKDOWN INCOMING
This is gonna be good.
If this girl does join the Gaang the writers are going to have to nerf her in every major conflict. She's too powerful. I bet she could take on the firelord now.
And that's why you don't announce sneak attacks.
So remember how Sokka was absolutely losing his shit over the Boulder? That's me right now.
She waits. All these idiots are losing because they're getting impatient and attacking first. Which means that, to her senses, they're telegraphing their moves. That is so cool. And so is this visual.
Here's your chance Dad. Are you going to mess it up?
"I love fighting. I love being an Earthbender. And I'm really really good at it."
me:
I don't have words for how much I LOVE when little girls STAND UP for THEMSELVES and THEIR INTERESTS.
This would have had me HOLLERING if I'd seen it as a kid. It was a message I needed to hear too.
Wow I want to kill her parents.
OH FUCK OFF
COME ON
You made my girl cry.
Get wrecked belt stealer. I LOLed at this too.
Sokka just beaned a blind girl on the head. Not a good look. I laughed though.
Fun fact: everyone in this picture is a piece of shit.
I haven't been this steamed since Zuko's dad burned half his face off.
Final Thoughts
IT WAS SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously, this episode feels like it's movie quality. This show is usually excellent, but this feels like a cut above. I feel like I could sense the love the writers, animators, voice actors, everyone had for this episode. They had a good time making it and were enthusiastic about it. And there were lots of tiny background details in this episode too. I'm sure I missed quite a few. Oh No! I'll have to rewatch it!
New team member! That hasn't happened since Momo. Actually, no wonder the episode was so good. Introducing the first new team member in at least a season's worth of episodes is a delicate operation. I bet they were workshopping this episode since early in the first season.
And Toph! (thank you credits for how to spell that - I was really hoping it wasn't Toff). Be still my heart I love Toph. She may well take Sokka's spot as my favourite character. Strength of character, self-assurance, emotional intelligence, badassery, mastery of violence, what's not to love!!!
How did she get so emotionally intelligent and articulate if her parents have kept her caged her whole life? I don't know but I'm not complaining!
How did her parents get away with caging her for her whole life? I do know (money) and I am complaining. Very much so. And yet Toph can still find it within herself to have an honest conversation with them, including apologising for leaving said cage. I never would have had the maturity to do that in a similar situation. I would have gone the Katara explosive rage route.
A little girl who stands up for herself. Against HER PARENTS. I just. Do you know how amazing that is? Especially in a kids' show? I was ROBBED by not being able to see this show when I was Toph's age.
Does bending work like a muscle, in that you build up stamina? Because if so, then Toph is the strongest human earthbender in the world by default. If she's using it in place of seeing, then she's using it 100% of the time that she's awake, all day every day. By the time she was like 5 years old she'd probably used her bending more than the average earthbender does in their whole lifetime.
My one complaint is Toph's voice. Nothing wrong with it; this is a me thing. It fits her perfectly, but my ears do not play well with nasal voices, which hers is. I had to rewind quite a few times and resorted to subtitles by the end. Hopefully I'll get used to it like I did Zuko's.
Sokka! My soon to be demoted beloved! He shone in this episode. I love that he has fashion sense and is not afraid to show it. I'm thinking, what with how hung up he was on masculinity at the start of the show, that the water tribes have a different conception of masculinity: one that classes fashionability as a masculine or gender neutral trait. Even back in season one it didn't take much to get Sokka into the Kyoshi warrior uniform, and he's shockingly good at applying face paint symmetrically. Which I still cannot do with winged eyeliner.
Katara! Not headed for a career in diplomacy but so satisfying to watch. I would love to have a Katara in my pocket that I could unleash on people. And her and Sokka bouncing off each other this episode was great. Every one was at peak performance this episode, except Aang. Not at his brightest this episode.
Checking for typos before I post this and I realise I'd already forgotten that Toph is blind! Just like in the Northern Air Temple, this is how you do disability right: as just a part of who they are, rather than an entire personality. This show is so good.
In sum, Toph:
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Sweet Child O’ Mine - Eddie Munson
A/N: aaahhh it looks like I’m on a roll for some reason xD I just wanna say that I loved this request however... I really tried to understand D&D but I honestly couldn’t, I did my mest and I just grabbed a few info from the internet insead so please don’t hate me :)
Request - lunamadhatter99 asked: Oohhhh you're the sweetest of them all, I swear!❤️❤️ My request is basically Eddie x shy!Reader (yeah.. I love the thrope😅), the reader is friends with the gang (is the same age as Nancy, so is still in school and all that you know) and it's all set when they're looking for Eddie and when they finds him the reader is sorted to "guard him" You know, make sure he's not wandering around. And like Eddie tries to tease her to ease the tension and at some point he finds out she'd like to play DnD but too scared to even approach the group and... yeah.. too specific? Thank you for letting me send a request hun❤️❤️❤️
Warnings: spoilers for S4E2&3; also my very bad attempt at writing for a reader that plays D&D once again, I apologize; reader wears glasses (mentioned a couple of times) and she had a stuttered when a kid and still does when nervous; I think that’s it :)
Disclaimer: I don’t own Stranger Things :D gif isn’t mine :)
Your name: submit What is this?
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Sweet Child O’ Mine
She's got a smile that it seems to me
Reminds me of childhood memories
Where everything was as fresh as the bright blue sky
“Okay. Well, that's settled. I guess he's not here-” Steve started but got interrupted.
“Eddie!” Dustin yelled, banging on the door. “It's Dustin!”
“Dustin, we’re kind of try to keep a low profile here” you reminded him.
Once again, you were tangled up in this mess. The things from the Upside Down were back. You were still unsure how you got tangled up in all this, really. It was just the wrong place at the wrong time. When you found your neighbor, Dustin Henderson, and his friend, Steve Harrington, haunting demo-dogs. Whatever the hell they were. You were still unsure. But ever since then you became part of the group. Want it or not. You knew some of them, like Jonathan. And you knew Dustin and his friends since you sometimes used to babysit for Mrs. Henderson. Although you had to admit, it gave you a really cool friend, like Steve Harrington, which is something you couldn’t think possible in a million years since he was a jerk in high school. And with Steve came Robin, who was even cooler so… things were pretty good. But this was way out of your league.
Now, here you were once again, looking for Eddie Munson, the lead of Hellfire Club because he was being accused of killing Chrissy Cunningham. You knew Chrissy, she was one of the kindest people in the school. And as horrible as what happened to her was, you knew for a fact that Eddie had nothing to do with it. Not only because you all knew this whole Upside Down thing a little too well. But because you knew Eddie. Kind of. He was one of the only people at school to be nice to you. He may have a very outspoken personality, but deep down, you were sure he was just a big teddy bear. Or you would like to believe that due to the very few interactions you had with him. And the fact that you might have a crush on him had nothing to do with it. Or so you told yourself.
“Look, we just wanna talk, okay? No cops, I swear. We just wanna help” Dustin tried.
“Yeah, that sounds convincing” Steve rolled his eyes.
“Fine, why don’t we split and look for him?” Robin asked. “We can go this way, and you can go that way” she suggested.
Max, Robin, and Dustin went the other way as you and Steve decided to go over to what looked like an abandoned boathouse.
“Jesus, what a dump” Steve complained as we looked around.
“Yeah, I really doubt that a drug dealer’s priority right now is to keep his boathouse clean” you said as he started poking the boat in the middle with an oar. “What are you doing?“
“He might be in here” he explained as if it was obvious.
“So take the tarp off” you suggested.
“If you're so brave, you take the tarp off!”
“Well, what are you going to do? Get him with your oar?”
“You know, I know you think you're being funny, but considering everyone in this room has nearly died a hundred times, personally, I don't find it funny in the slight-”
Steve was suddenly cut off by a loud scream and Eddie jumping from underneath the tarp, pushing him against the wall, with a broken bottle on his neck.
“Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait! Wait!”
“Holy shit!” you muttered, walking slowly closer to them. “Whoa, whoa, Eddie!” you tried to get his attention. “Eddie, stop” you said, getting him to look at you, but he still had the broken glass against Steve’s throat. You felt your heart beating faster than you ever had before. He looked terrified. “Eddie, please, just listen to me” you tried. “I’m (Y/N). You know me from school” you continued. “We have some classes together. Y-you have helped me in Math sometimes a-and you borrowed my pencil in English, and one time you said that my notebook was cool because it had doodles of characters of The Lord Of The Rings, do you remember that?” you started thinking of anything that might get him to trust you and not hurt Steve. But at the same time, you felt a little embarrassed that these were very big moments in your life and he might not even remember them. “W-we just want to help you” you said, nervously. “This is S-Steve” you said, with your hands still up in surrender to let him know you had no intention of hurting him. “He’s not going to hurt you and neither am I” you stuttered.
“Right. Yeah” Steve managed to say.
“Steve, why don't you drop the oar?” you said, and Steve widened his eyes at you.
“I don’t think-”
“STEVE!” you snapped and he quickly dropped it.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, still not letting go of Steve.
“We're looking for you” you told him. “We're here to help” you told him. “We’re here with Dustin, you know him. He’s in your Hellfire Club” you suggested and he started lowering the bottle just a little.
“Henderson’s here?”
“Yes” you and Steve said at the same time. Eddie was about to let his guard down but pointed the broken glass at Steve’s neck again when he heard a noise coming from outside.
“Eddie!” you heard Dustin’s voice coming in. “Holy shit! Eddie, I’m so glad you’re fine! Eddie, we’re here to help you!” he said, getting closer to you. “These are my friends. You know Robin, from band. This is my friend Max. The one who never wants to play D&D. And you know (Y/N)! I know you do because you always know where she seats at lunch” he said, making you feel your cheeks burning a little. “Eddie. We're on your side. I swear on my mother. Right, guys?”
“Yes. Yes. We swear” Max and Steve said at the same time.
“On Dustin's mother” Robin added.
“Yeah, Dustin's… Dustin's mother” Max mumbled.
Everyone was too afraid to move at this point, not knowing if Eddie would believe you. But he locked eyes with you for barely a minute before he started lowering the bottle and let Steve go. Eddie sat down on the edge of the boat and looked down. He seemed terrified and… defeated. Dustin started to walk closer to him and you followed his lead.
“Eddie” you said softly and he turned to look at you. He had tears in his eyes and you felt your heart breaking. “We just want to talk. Okay?”
“We want to know what happened” Dustin said.
“A-and we want to help you” you added.
“You won't believe me�� Eddie said in a low tone.
“Try us” Max tells him.
You noticed Eddie’s hand shaking and you remembered how scared the first time you saw the demo-dogs you were. Whatever Eddie had seen must have been horrible. You had seen the horrible things that these creatures did. You had seen Billy Hargrove die last summer. He wasn’t someone that you were fond of but still, seeing him die the way he did, changed you forever. So you gained all the courage you had in you and you held Eddie’s hand. He looked at you with his deep brown eyes and a few tears escaped his eyes. He then started telling us his whole story. Starting when Chrissy came over to him to buy drugs. How he brought her back to his trailer because she wanted something stronger. And how she died right in front of him. The way he described it made your skin crawled. It sounded even worse than any of you had seen before.
“Her body just, like… lifted up into the air, and uh-” he said, with his voice breaking a little. “And she just, like… hung there” he continued. “In the air. And…” he stopped, taking a deep breath. “And her bones… Uh, she… Her bones started to snap” he said, crying. “And her eyes, man. It… It was like there was something, like, inside her head, pulling” he said, closing his eyes. “I… I didn't know what to do, so I… I ran away” he finished. He then turned to look at all of us with silent tears running down his cheeks. “You all think I'm crazy, right?
“No” Dustin assured him. “We don't think you're crazy” he said.
“Don't bullshit me, man! I know how this sounds” Eddie said, getting up and letting go of you.
“Eddie, we're not bullshitting you” Max tried to convince him.
“We believe you” you said, getting up and looking between everyone in the room. Steve and Dustin nodding at you. “Look, what we’re about to tell you might be a little… difficult to take” you said and he turned to look at you.
“Okay” he said, confused.
“You know how people say Hawkins is… cursed?” Dustin started and Eddie nodded hesitantly. “They're not… way off” he continued. “There's another world… A world hidden beneath Hawkins” he explained, and you were actually grateful he was there because you wouldn’t have any idea of how to explain any of this. “Sometimes it bleeds into ours” he said.
“Like ghosts and shit?” Eddie asked, confused.
“There are some things worse than ghosts” you muttered and he looked at you sadly.
“These… monsters” Dustin continued. “From this other world… we thought they were gone. But they've come back before” he explained.
“That's why we needed to find you” Max said. “If they're back again, we need to know” she told him.
“That night, did you see anything?” Robin asked. “Dark particles, maybe?”
“It would almost look like dust, swirling dust” Dustin described.
“No, man, there was nothing you could see or, uh… or touch” Eddie said. “You know, I tried to wake her, man” he said with his voice breaking a little. “She couldn't move. It was like she… she was in a trance or something” he explained.
“Or under a spell” Dustin said, looking at you.
“A curse” you suggested.
“Vecna's curse” Eddie said, nodding at Dustin.
"Wait, who's Vecna?" Steve asked, confused.
"A spell caster" you told him, but it only confused him more.
"An undead creature of great power" Dustin added.
"A dark Wizard" you finished.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
“Okay, so this seems more fucked up than usual” Steve said as we left the boathouse to come up with a plan.
“Come on… is not that bad” you said, unconvincingly. “Is it?”
“Did you not just hear the same thing we did?” Robin asked.
“Yeah, okay, we’re fucked” you sighed. “So, what do we do?”
“Well, right now, we can go get some things for Eddie while we figure this out” Max suggested.
“Right” Dustin agreed. “Only I think one of us should stay here with him” he said, looking at you.
“I agree, and I think it should be you” Steve smirked at you.
“Second it” Max smiled.
“Third” Robin added.
“What? Me? W-why me?”
“Because you were basically the one who calmed him down” Dustin explained.
“That’s not true, he calmed down when you came in-”
“Not true, he calmed down when you started telling him all about how he helps you in Math and he borrowed your pencil and he likes your doodle-” Steve mocked you.
“Alright, shut up” you rolled your eyes. “Fine, I’ll stay with Eddie” you said and Dustin handed you one of the walkie-talkies.
“That thing’s got batteries in it, right?” Steve asked him and Dustin looked genuinely offended.
“I’m not even answering that question” he said. “Yes, Steve! It has batteries!” he said, as he walked over to the car with Max and Dustin.
“Hey” Steve called you. “Be safe, okay?” he said, kissing your head.
“You too. Take care of your kids-”
“Our kids!”
“Whatever” you laughed before walking back to the boathouse.
“Aren’t you going with them?” Eddie asked, confused when you walked inside.
“Um- d-do you w-want me to leave?”
“No!” he said a little too quickly. “I just… well, I didn’t think you would want to… be around me” he said looking down.
“I d-don’t mind” you said with a shy smile, sitting next to him. “I a-actually um-” you sighed.
“What?”
“Nothing”
“No. What is it?” he asked softly.
“W-well, I don’t really know why I always feel a bit calmer when y-you’re around” you said, looking away, feeling your cheeks burning.
Eddie’s smile was bigger than you had ever seen it when he made you look back at him. “Yeah?”
“Y-yeah” you assured him.
“You would probably be the first one” he said, sadly.
“That’s not true” you told him. “I know Dustin and Mike look up to you” you said with a small smile. “And all of your Hellfire friends-”
“Why do you, though?” he asked, curiously. “I mean, is not like we’re exactly friends” he said, regretting it the moment the smile fell off your face.
“Oh” you said, feeling your cheeks burning even more.
“N-no, I didn’t mean it like that- I just- shit!” he said, closing his eyes. “Sorry, I meant that… I’m glad that you do b-because most people don’t but… I’m glad you do- this doesn’t make sense, does it?”
“It kind of does” you nodded. “And well, to answer your question, you helped me one time that Andy pushed me off a swing when I was like six years old and he broke my glasses” you said, looking away. He obviously wouldn’t remember that.
“You remember that?” he asked, nervously.
“Y-yeah, of course, I do” you said, looking back at him. “And that wasn’t really the only time, you’ve always kind of… made them back off whenever they… did something stupid” you said, shyly. “I wouldn’t really expect you to remember b-but it m-meant a lot to me” you confessed.
“I remember” he said, quietly.
“Y-you don’t” you chuckled.
“Yeah, of course, I do. I thought you were the prettiest girl with glasses I had ever seen... I still do” he told you, making your cheeks burn impossibly further. “And then I kind of wanted to get your attention but you never really seemed to talk back to me so I thought… maybe you also thought I was a freak too-”
“No” you said, grabbing his hand. “I’ve never thought that” you assured him. “I just… I don’t really talk to anyone” you admitted. “When I was younger I had a really bad stutter” you said, looking away. “I’m better now, although it still comes up when I’m n-nervous” you said. “Kids would make fun of me a lot so I just… kind of stopped talking altogether” you explained. “S-sorry if I didn’t talk back, I just… you were one of the few people to be nice to me and I didn’t want you to s-stop because of that” you said.
“I’m sorry” he said, squeezing your hand. “You can give me the names of those jerks and I’d gladly hunt them down” he said, making you chuckle.
“H-how are you doing?”
“Well, all things considered… not that bad” he sighed.
“Eddie” you said, in a serious tone. “I don’t know exactly what you saw but… I know how scary these things can be” you told him.
“You said that… there were some things worse than ghosts” he said. “W-what did you mean by that?” he asked, worriedly. “What did you see?” You sighed, feeling your eyes water. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t-”
“No, it’s okay” you told him. “You know how um… there was a fire in Starcourt mall last summer?” you asked and he nodded.
“The one where Billy Hargrove died?” he asked.
“Right” you said.
“There was no fire, was there?”
“Not exactly” you explained, telling him everything that happened that night and how you had seen Billy die. “I mean… I know Billy wasn’t exactly a nice person and… we weren’t close or anything but… still… seeing him… seeing anyone… die like that” you sighed. “And Chrissy was nice, so I can only assume how much worse it was for you-”
“I left her there” he said, with a few tears escaping his eyes. “I didn’t know what to do so I just… ran and… left her” he told you.
“Eddie, you did what you had to do” you told him. “If you would have stayed there then… most likely the police would have gotten there and… I don’t think they would have believed you” you explained. “But we do and we are going to help you. I promise” you assured him. “I mean, you can think of this as the Hellfire campaign, The Cult of Vecna” you said. “Except you wouldn’t be the Dungeon Master in this one, you’d be out there with the rest of us and we’re just starting. So, we have to figure out our strategy but we are definitely going to stand our ground and fight with you” you told him.
“Wait, how do you know about The Cult of Vecna?” he asked, confused.
“Oh, Dustin and Mike told me about it, it sounded really cool. I heard they got Erica to sub for Lucas and they had a great time” you smiled.
“Wait, you know Dungeons and Dragons?” he asked, impressed.
“Of course, I do” you smiled, shyly. “Who do you think taught these kids about it?”
“You’re shitting me” he chuckled.
“Nope. Bought Dustin his first D&D board for his eighth birthday” you explained.
“Well, what’s your class and level?”
“I don’t wanna say” you said, feeling your cheeks burning.
“Come on, why not?”
“Why not? You’re a Dungeon Master, you’re gonna make fun of me” you chuckled.
“I would never make fun of you. Especially for playing D&D” he promised. “I swear, I would not make fun of you, princess” he said with a smile. That smile that he always gave you whenever he helped you, that always melted your heart.
“Fine. My name is Athena, and I am lawful good, fighter 16 and cleric 16” you muttered.
“Shit, seriously?”
“Yeah” you nodded.
“That is so cool! Athena, like the goddess of war and wisdom?”
“Yeah, I was into Greek mythology when I started playing so…” you said.
“So, how come you have never come to a Hellfire meeting? It sounds like you could beat anyone’s ass” he laughed.
“Um, Mike and Dustin have actually asked me to join a couple of times” you admitted, feeling your cheeks burn.
“Why haven’t you?”
“I don’t know” you smiled shyly.
“Do we scare you?” he mocked with a smirk.
“N-no! O-of course, not” you assured him.
“I’m just messing with you, princess” he smiled and you sighed relieved.
“You all seem really nice… it’s just… like I said… I have trouble t-talking to people sometimes” you explained.
“Well, if you decide to… and for the record, I think you should” he said. “I’m sure everyone would be happy to welcome you in” he smiled.
“R-really, y-you think I should?” you asked, happily.
“Yeah, I do” he smiled. “I meant what I said, princess. I’ve always thought you were the prettiest girl I’d seen” he said. “I still do, and I also really like your Lord Of the Rings doodles, I mean it makes you like one hundred times cooler” he smiled, making you smile too. “That’s why I kind of always tried to get your attention but… I didn’t think you’d like a big dork like me” he said.
“I think I’m a bigger dork” you chuckled.
“Well, you’re a prettier dork, for sure” he smiled.
You could have sworn that he was leaning in, and before you could stop yourself you were too. It was a sweet, short kiss that was interrupted when you heard something outside, making you jump apart.
“Oh, shit” you said, getting up. “Tarp! Tarp!” you pointed and Eddie quickly started getting in the boat when the door opened.
“Fuck!”
“Jesus” you said, placing a hand on your chest when you saw Dustin, Robin, Max, and Steve at the door with bags in their hands.
“Delivery service” Dustin smiled innocently.
“You guys couldn’t think of a better way to make an entrance?” you asked as you helped Eddie out of the boat.
“So we got, uh, some good news and some bad news” Dustin said, walking inside and handing him the bags. “How do you prefer it?”
“Bad news first, always” Eddie replied.
“All right. Bad news. We tapped into the Hawkins PD dispatch with our Cerebro, and they're definitely looking for you” he said.
“Also, they're, uh, pretty convinced you killed Chrissy” Steve said.
“Like, 100% kind of convinced” Max added.
“Subtle, guys” you said as you turned to look at Eddie. His expression was a mix of defeat, fear, and sadness altogether. “What about the good news?”
“Your name hasn't gone public yet” Robin said.
“Okay, so, that’s good. That’s a good thing” you tried to cheer him a little.
“Yes, but if we found out about you, it's a matter of time before others do” Steve said.
“And once that gets out, everyone and their shallow-minded mother is gonna be gunning for you” Robin added.
“Hunt the freak, right?” Eddie said, sadly.
“Exactly” Robin replied.
“Robin!” you snapped a little.
“Shit” Eddie muttered.
“You're not a freak, Eddie. We’re gonna fix this okay?”
“Yes! We are, I mean before that happens, we find Vecna, kill him, and prove your innocence” Dustin suggested.
“That's all, Dustin? That's all?” Eddie asked, sarcastically.
“Yeah, no, that's pretty much it” Dustin replied as if it was no big deal.
“Listen, Eddie, I know everything Dustin is saying sounds… totally delusional, but we've actually been through this before” you said, holding his hand. Something that didn’t go unnoticed by the rest of the group.
“I mean, they have a… a few times, and… and I have once. Mine was more human-flesh-based, theirs was more smoke-related-” Robin rambled.
“But the bottom line is” you cut her off. “Collectively, I really feel we got this” you said, trying to encourage him.
“We usually rely on this girl who has superpowers. But, uh, those went bye-bye, so…” Steve said.
“So we're technically in more of the-” Dustin continued.
“Brainstorming phase” Max finished for him.
“Brainstorming, yeah” Robin added.
“Right” you smiled wearily at Eddie. “There… There's nothing to worry about” you said unconvincingly until you heard police sirens outside.
“Tarp!” Steve said.
“Tarp. Tarp!” Dustin said as Eddie got back in the boat and everyone helped place the tarp on him. But the police cars seemed to continue down the road.
“Are they… headed to the trailer park?” you asked.
“Looks like it” Steve said.
“Let’s go” Dustin said. “We’ll come back with more news okay, just stay hidden” he said, but Eddie walked over to you.
“Go with them” he said.
“What? N-no, I don’t want to leave you here alone-”
“No, I don’t want-” he sighed, sadly. “If they find me, I don’t want anything to happen to you. You’ll be safer with them. Please go. I’ll be okay, I promise, I’ll have the walkie-talkie” he said, grabbing it from your hand.
“Are you sure?” you asked, still not wanting to leave him alone.
“Yes. Please, princess” he said with his huge puppy eyes.
“Okay” you caved. “Just… stay safe, okay? Please?” you begged.
“I promise” he smiled, kissing your head. “Hey, uh-” he said, pulling you back for a moment and placing his hand on the back of his neck. “After this is um- all d-done, would you maybe like to uh- I don’t know, come to a Hellfire m-meeting?”
“M-me? Really?”
“Y-yeah, I mean, if you want to. Although you practically should, you might be better at D&D than any of the members” he chuckled. “And then maybe, I don’t know, we can get something to eat or… something?”
“Like… a date?” you asked, feeling your cheeks burning.
“Yeah” Eddie smiled. “I m-mean, if you would… like that” he said.
“It’s a date” you smiled before he leaned down to kiss you.
The End
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A/N: just so everyone knows EVERYONE in this story lived happily ever after and you and Eddie went on your date... thanks for coming to my tedtalk, I hope you liked it :D
#stranger things#stranger things imagine#eddie munson#eddie munson imagine#eddie munson x reader#eddie munson oneshot
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I got asked to talk about the Dragon Treaty so buckle up folks, we're talking about no-one's favorite subject: interspecies diplomacy.
So, basically within my homebrew dnd world, "Dragon Hunter" is an actual title with pretty strict qualifications, not just some heroic honorific. It comes from a treaty that's accepted by nearly all the lands in the world because the historical events that warranted it were just that bad.
What caused it? Well, like any living creature, dragons are an important part of the ecosystem. Before the treaty, dragons were killed for goods Yes, I said goods. Did you think I didn't have uses for parts of dragons too? at such a rate that it was starting to really mess things up. Not only that, but dragons are intelligent and sentient creatures. Have you ever seen a cow getting aggressive over her calf? Now imagine its a creature capable of wiping out civilizations. So essentially, to avoid the continuation of widespread destruction, the Dragon Treaty was made and it's essentially a very complicated hunting license.
To be "authorized" as a Hunter a person has to prove exceptional diplomacy, fighting prowess, and fluency in draconic languages and customs. Once authorized, most people join hunter groups, though some very brave, or perhaps very dumb, hunters choose to hunt alone (Most solo hunters are usually larger and stronger races like orcs, goliaths, other dragons, etc.).
I've also referred to Hunters as "glorified park rangers" because in reality, despite their titles, their job is not to kill dragons. As I said: interspecies diplomacy. Like endangered animals, it is highly illegal to harm or kill a dragon, regardless of who you are, unless attacked unprovoked and, lets be honest, if you aren't damn good at fighting, you're not making it out anyway. If a settlement is having issues with a dragon, the first step is always negotiation. The dragon's demands take more priority because, again, civilization ending power.
If a Hunter is caught violating the treaty, they can, at best, have their authorization suspended—or permanently revoked—or, at worst, be killed. There's also varying levels of severity to how poachers are treated. Mostly depends on which hunter gets their hands on you first.
There's honestly a lot more I could go into, feel free to ask questions. I haven't talked a lot about my world building on here even though my original intent for this blog was to share writing stuff, maybe this will finally get me too, I've got a lot of characters that I hold very beloved. It's a lot of pirates and my holy character trifecta of tall, strong, and hot women.
(Also thanks to @aspiringwarriorlibrarian for giving me a reason to talk about this in the first place)
#dnd#dnd homebrew#writing#world building#dragon treaty#dragon hunting#dragon hunters#dnd5e#dnd writing#rage writes
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I think it's a testament to how well written the characters of Baldur's Gate are, that I can't bring myself to be evil in any of my playthroughs.
You have to understand, every game I've played since childhood I always choose the most evil and chaotic possible things to do. From Skyrim to Zoo Tycoon, it doesn't even matter what the game is about, I will find a way to play it in the most fucked up way possible and quite literally cackle maniacally at the suffering of little virtual people. I like to push the game mechanics and my own creativity to its farthest limits. I basically play the dark urge in every game I get into, and in games where it's harder to be evil, I download mods that allow me to be worse. One time I was drunk and told my friends what I did to my sims, and they seemed genuinely disturbed by my dedication to simulated sadism. Honestly, the way I played the sims wasn't all that different from what Cazador did to his spawn, maybe worse. I always figured if I ever finally played DND, I'd naturally play an evil character.
But not in BG3. I can't bring myself to be evil in BG3. I tried, and the guilt was unbearable. I can't cut off Karlach's head... I can't let the goblins kill the tieflings... if this were like any other game, these sort of things would be priority #1 for me, and I'd find it hilarious. But I just care too much about this world and all the characters in it. They're too real to me, and I'd never be that cruel in real life. I never thought a game could do that to me.
#dumb shit#baldur's gate 3#i did tell gale to leave camp and go die alone tho and i found that funny#even though now im honestly in love with gale#look im a complicated person okay#i love gale but it is sorta fun to make him suffer#just as a treat
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Tav Loredump Round 2 (Evil Edition): Regan Coleridge
me and @ms-scholars-gown-bnoc have been embarking on our Evil playthrough while we wait for a Act 3 bug to get fixed and they're taking over our brains
LIST (from @tolkien-fantasy )
Round 1 with my good boi Ralxire
This is Regan. Human, Knowledge Domain, Cleric of Mystra. Absolutely gorgeous, but also the most power hungry woman to ever live.
Why did you pick the race you did for your Tav?
Again, I'm trying to play all the races and honestly... I think this was the only way I was ever going to play a Human. It should be the first red flag amoungst my characters - I never play humans. Especially as we'd already established my bud was going to play Drurge, I knew I was going to need to make a really neuanced Tav
Why did you pick the class you did for your Tav?
Listen... I love evil clerics. I love them. I love the idea of piety as not inherently good, but rather neutral at best. Devotion as a force of destruction is my whole shit. I also love the idea of the persuit of knowledge/power as a neutral act.
Mystra is a neutral goddess - not a good one. She is magic. Magic is a tool, something to be understood. Regan does not see magic - or Mystra - as something beautiful. It is a power that can be harnessed and should be harnessed to the extreme.
What is your character’s moral alignment?
Neutral Evil / True Neutral depending on how you look at it
How did you choose your Tav’s name, if you gave them a unique one?
The party Drurge was already called Cordelia and King Lear happens to be my favourite Shakespeare play. Regan had the right vibe for me - plus some of her scenes have been alarmingly close.....
Coleridge is an injoke just for me. I hate Coleridge. I was made to read the Ancient Mariner in a single night and I've never forgiven him for how long it is.
What are your character’s strongest and weakest stats (strength, charisma, etc)?
Highest is WIS at 18 (currently). Lowest is DEX at 8. She's a tank
What is your Tav’s origin story?
When Regan was about 10ish she was given to a clergy of Mystra. Her parents lacked the means (or, in Regan's eyes, the will) to raise her. She would have been a wizard - most precious to Mystra - but she lacked the aplitude. Knowing that ejection from the monestary would spell her doom, Regan comitted herself to reverence instead. Day in and Day out she performed perfect piety. She contented herself to a future of kneeling at Mystra's feet.
Then the mindflayers happened and suddenly kneeling didn't seem so appealing.
What was the most significant moment in your Tav’s origin story?
I think we're in it. But in truth, it's not a single moment that is significant. It's the day-in, day-out subservience of worship. That grated on her.
What deity, if any, does your character worship?
Mystra. As the font of power. In future.... perhaps a more apt god will replace her.
What is your Tav’s biggest priority or goal?
The persuit of power, enough that she may exert it on others.
If your Tav didn’t become an adventurer, what else would they be doing?
I think she'd either still be in that Temple, or she'd become the Main Villian of another DnD campagin
What is your Tav’s most used weapon or spell?
We're still pretty low level, but I think it will be Spirit Guardians.
What is your Tav’s favorite school of magic/weapon type?
Her go-to is Weapon and Shield - ideally spear or mace. She's a radient magic girl
How does your Tav fight in a combat situation?
She is in the thick of it, tanking blows and throwing out healing as she can.
Does your Tav know any other languages besides Common?
Likely several! Celestial at the minimum
If your Tav could/does multiclass, what other class would they choose?
Paladin. Hard to think of an Oath she wouldn't break for her convinience though
Which of the companions does your Tav trust most?
Cordelia/Drurge is cheating, although that's probably true. She sees Gale as imminently manipulateable, so likely him. Everyone else has too much self preservation
Which of the companions does your Tav distrust most?
Shadowheart. Cleric rivalry. Also, she's smarter than she lets on
Who is your Tav’s biggest rival?
Mystra.
Who is your Tav romancing, if anyone?
Sorry Gale......
If you’re romancing anyone, why did your Tav fall for them? And why did that character fall for your Tav?
This is some toxic stuff. This isn't a nice romance. Gale fell for her early - and who wouldn't! She's gorgeous and devoted to knowledge. She adores Gale's long winded explainations. Her relationship to Mystra is almost as complicated as his is. He just... didn't see the red flags until it was already too late.
Does Regan love Gale? I think unfortunately yes. But she doesn't love him to make him better. She loves his aptitude for magic, his boundless ambition that drew him to the Orb. She sees his folly not as a moment of weakness - a moment where his inherent insecurity led him to do something terrible - but merely poor execution. She lacks the moral compass that would make Gale better, in another timeline.
If you’re romancing anyone, who fell first and who fell harder?
Gale and Gale. Sorry, bud
How does your Tav act around their crush?
So confident. In the real world, she'd be the kind of girl to act supremely aloof around her crush and it would seem like she hated them
What is your Tav’s favorite moment they’ve had with their lover?
We haven't got to weave sex yet, but it will be weave sex
What is your Tav attracted to? What are their turn-ons and turn-offs?
Power, bby. Or, more specifically, ambition. The willingness to chase power.
Turn offs are laziness, lack of ambition and extreme morality
Does your Tav have any biases against other classes or races?
Not specifically, only moral stances
What is the most prominent color in your Tav’s color scheme?
White + pink/orange tones. Ideally I want to lean into white + gold for peak High Priestess vibes
What is their sense of humor like?
Sarcasm. A little mean, but not intentionally.
What is your Tav’s guilty pleasure?
Wine and sunbathing. Lounging like a cat. Fine, expensive things - things she's never had
How easily offended are they? How do they act when offended?
Not especially easy to offend, but if you do get on her bad side, you're never recovering
How does your Tav react when someone insults their friend/partner?
It depends what her relationship to them is. She's not quick to violence, but verbal beratement is on the table
How does your Tav dress for different occasions, like very fancy situations?
Regan would have the wardrobe of an empress if she could. Her fashion sense is like... Ethereal Seductress. That dress in Act 3 is going to be a staple
How did your Tav get their scars, if they have any?
Currently, she doesn't have any. That won't last
What is your Tav’s relationship with their family?
Nonexistant and she's going to make it everyone's problem
What is your Tav’s opinion on nobility and authority?
Complicated. She has respect for people who are "self made", but dispises those who are in power by virtue of their birth
How does your Tav react to wearing the Wavemother’s robe? How do they react to their partner wearing it?
She would wear it 24/7 if she could. She would LOVE Gale in it. She's exactly the kind of woman who would have a thing for dressing up their partner
What is your Tav’s favorite type of environment? Like in a tavern, a library, out in the wilderness, underground, etc.
Library, ruins...Surrounded by lost knowledge on all sides
What would your Tav’s Zodiac sign be?
Gemini
What is their favorite season?
Summer
Where in the world does your Tav want to visit the most?
Anywhere and everywhere. She's never really been anywhere
What is the biggest mistake your Tav ever made?
This... is tricky. Unfortunately for the world, she's pretty on the up-and-up rn. She would say something like "not finding another way to apply herself to the arcane"
What animal best represents your Tav?
You and I both know it's a Fox or a spoiled all-white Cat
What flower/tree/plant best represents your Tav?
Angel's Trumpets! Gorgeous. One of the most deadly flowers in the world, actually part of the nightshade family. The symptoms of it's poisioning are....knarly. But it's still widely cultivated because it's just so pretty. Comes in pink.
( This means that two of my BG3 characters have toxic plant connotations btw - my drurge in my solo playthrough is a Spores Druid called Amanita Ocreta )
What does your Tav smell like?
Chanel CoCo Mademoiselle
What song best represents your Tav?
When I was making her, this song came on and it was just perfect
Gale @ her though:
ALSO this is the theme for the run:
What would be your Tav’s favorite music genre?
Pop forever
What role would your Tav play in a highschool AU? (nerd, jock, bully, goth, etc)
Mean Girl. She's basically Regina George already
What is the most important item your Tav has?
Regan doesn't have many! Honestly it's money. She never had money before, she didn't need it. Now it's everything
Where does your Tav feel most at home?
The Center of Attention
What is your Tav’s philosophy on life?
That ultimately the world is merely about power. Regan has the reductive but unfortunately common view that it is the duty of the smart and capable to grab for power, and the weak to suffer. She'd be a hustler irl.....
Does your Tav think more with their heart or their brain?
She doesn't have a heart to think with
What does your Tav want in their future? (domestic bliss, more adventure, a family, etc)
Stability in a position of power. Control.
What is your Tav’s worst fear?
To be forced to serve
Is your Tav easily tricked or deceived?
Yes. Her power grabbing is transparent
If your Tav was granted a single wish, what would it be?
Godhood
How does your Tav feel about keeping secrets, both their own and others?
A necessity. Secrets are to be used and traded like all else
How would your Tav react to a love confession?
Amusement
What are your Tav’s biggest insecurities?
That someone will see her ambition for what it is - fear and insecurity.
What decision would your party have to make in order for Tav to consider splitting off from the group?
The destruction of knowledge. Sitting around waiting to die. All other positions she at least sees as malleable
What is your Tav’s favorite food?
Fruits
How generous is your Tav, especially to those they don’t know?
Regan does not believe in generosity for its own sake. Only for gain.
If an evil character told your Tav that they wanted to change and help them, would they believe it?
Hah... Well, they'd be talking to the wrong girl
What meme describes your Tav the best?
What does your Tav want to be remembered by?
Influential. Strong. Powerful. Awe
What Tarot Card best represents your Tav?
The Magician both upright and reversed
What would be your Tav’s major in college?
Buisness or Economics
Does your Tav consider themselves a hero, villain, victim or something else?
Victim or Hero. She is a Villian though
How good is your Tav at giving advice? How good are they at following it themselves?
Regan only gives advice to maniplulate others into doing what she wants or to earn their trust. She doesn't take advice. She's too self-important
How does your Tav get along with each party member?
Gale -> He loves her. She loves that about him
Astarion -> They're running the same grift. They get along accordingly
Shadowheart -> Tentative. Regan is who she pretends to be
La'zel - > They haven't figured each other out yet
Wyll - > N/A
Karlach -> N/A
Minthara - > Remains to be seen. But something tells me they'll get on
What are your Tav’s other hobbies?
Reading, mostly. I think she learns sections of history for fun.
(Free Spot: Ask any question you’d like!)
Weirdly, I always think about Caeser when I think of her? I think she's also aiming for like taking an obscure religious office and turning it into power.
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Is Baldurs Gate 3 a game that you think is worth buying and playing? This is coming from someone who has never played the game before and I’m not usually into fantasy and things of that nature but it sounds like a fun game.
this is honestly just so subjective i can't give a short answer 😭 but i'll try to help 🩷
do you like rpgs in general? in my opinion, it's always worth trying out games from genres that aren't your usual favorite. i'm personally not drawn to sci-fi basically at all but have loved every game i've given a chance with those vibes, so i wouldn't write it off just bc it's fantasy.
are you familiar with dnd mechanics? they were pretty foreign, intimidating, and overwhelming to me at first, and i can see that putting some people off. but if i can get the hang of it truly anyone can, just go in knowing there'll be a learning curve.
as far as content, i think it's great value. especially in this day and age. it's a huge game, visually beautiful, expansive, and comprehensive. very solid experience for the money.
do you enjoy headcanoning? this has been the most fun part for me tbh, i think i love bg3 so much bc it opened me to the wider world of dnd. i generally prefer the storyline of, say, any dragon age game to bg3's. but those games didn't encourage me to roleplay and flesh out every detail of my characters like bg3 did. 🤷🏼♀️
i personally think it's worth buying and playing overall. gameplay is usually pretty low on my list of priorities (1. characters 2. story 3. setting, list goes on) but i love bg3's gameplay. the mods are also amazing and got me to care about lore and weapons more than ever before lol. i also end up wandering act 3 basically cozy gaming with intermittent quests, just shopping and kissing my love interest and taking pictures lol. the characters are great.
you can always do the steam return thing if you don't like it!
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Hey! I know you haven't been super into SHC lately, but you seemed like a good person to ask for this sort of thing. I'm a double Lion who's thinking of playing a double Snake in DND, and I was wondering if you had any tips--like things I might not immediately think of about his priorities and behavior. For a little context, I think his one and only Person at the start of the campaign will be his brother, and his circle will gradually grow to include the other PCs as time goes on. (1/2)
He's also true neutral (though he might transition into neutral good) and a rogue, ftr. I'm thinking his initial motive will be to earn money for himself and his brother, and his first tactic when faced with adversity will be to try to find out what the person opposing him wants and see if they can cut a mutually beneficial deal. Does that all sound reasonably Snakey? I have to shift my thinking a little to see through his eyes, so I figured I'd check with a real double Snake. :)
You are asking about two of the things I like to think about most, ttrpg and shc, so I'm thrilled about your ask, nonny.
This already seems sufficently snake-like to me, and if that's all the prep you wanna do for him in this regard, you'll be completely fine. But you asked me for tips to build on it, and I have a few things buzzing through my mind.
- You'll be in snake sec face mode with your party when you first start, since they're not your people yet, and I assume your brother is backstory rather than a player at the table. And since role play (e.g. multiplayer) is a big part of the experience, you'll get a feel for the face you'll show your party first. My tip would be that once you get that, start thinking how neutral would be/feel different. Maybe your GM let's you have a scene with your brother to get into it? Because once you got that, and the other assholes in your party slowly get under your skin and into your circles, you can slip in more and more neutral when you play with them. But keep that just for them, because it's special, and others haven't earned it yet.
- For all the snake secs I talked with, me included, neutral feels like our asshole state. It's direct, unfiltered, untailored, and deeply unsafe. So only go there in situations when you feel emotionally safe with whomever you're talking to. And because you're snake primary as well, that probably means safe in the sense that they wouldn't leave you even if they saw you unshowered, in your rattiest clothes, with bad breath and bad attitude and unattractive stubble and last night's make up clumped about your face. Because that's what neutral feels like to us.
- Even if double snakes are not usually the leader, we don't always just go along with whatever our people do. Arguing is perfectly acceptable, especially if they're doing something dangerous and stupid. (Although I do mostly find myself following them, and adjusting to them a lot. That might just be a me thing, honestly.)
- If you have trouble deciding where someone is in your circle, and what you're willing to do for them, you can literally get a paper and draw it out. And the more you get into your character, the more you'll know what each circle means, both in terms of how to get there and what they'll get to see from you.
- Mutually beneficial deals are a great starting point. If you can get people to agree to them without much fuzz, awesome! But don't be shy to use other tactics as well. If you can't convince them with facts and arguments, try to intimidate them instead, or become very agreeable and sweet and appeal to their kinder side, or whatever else you feel might be effective with this person. Don't worry if it feels out of character, or like it's weird to do a complete turnaround in one conversation. It's not you who is doing this but your character, and he is a snake sec, and that's what we do. It's what face changing means.
- Depending on your table, don't be shy to go off on your own occasionally when it's about your brother. This very much depends on your table and your GM though, so I would talk to at least your GM if that's OK. You don't even have to play out these scenes, but even saying 'While you celebrate your victory, I first let my brother know I'm still alive, and join you a little later' or something like that will probably feel very snake primary.
- Depending on how seriously you're playing, having your brother as your first priority can lead to some conflict with the party and/or the main story of the campaign. You can justify a lot in the name of story and staying together, but there may or may not come a time when your and your party's goals might differ too much, and/or they are not high enough in your circles yet to justify staying with them. Since I don't know your character or the story you're playing, I don't have anything for this. Retiring your character might be an option, or finding out that your brother does not need to depend on you so much anymore, and wants to fend for himself for a bit. I don't know. It's probably not going to get to this, but sometimes it's good to know that you got options if it does (hello there, my inner bird^^).
That's what I can think of right now, nonny. Like I said, you don't need any of it to play a good double snake character. And if reading it is making you feel like you don't wanna do any of this, forget it all and just go and have fun. Because I hope you have lots of fun with your character and your table!
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About FACETS:
FACETS is a TTRPG set in the world of Steven Universe. It is currently being developed by @thechekhov, with input and feedback from the people on Discord (currently only available to Patreon supporters).
FACETS works on a d20 system, with many unique mechanics and skills intended to represent various gem abilities. Currently, the game is IN DEVELOPMENT meaning there are many aspects that will probably change, be re-balanced, deleted, or added to. Please be patient and understand that no one has a playbook for how to create the 'perfect' TTRPG. I'm just having fun, and I'm open to constructive criticism.
If you’re interested, check out the GoogleDoc of all the rules
🎲 Why didn't you base the game off of Powered By the Apocalypse or literally any other TTRPG?
The short answer is - because I honestly prefer d20 systems. I know PbtA games are popular for building RPGs, but I am personally not really a fan of their dice mechanics, and I feel that leveling up fits the message of Steven Universe better than a static stat block.
If you dislike the d20 system, you're welcome to go make your own game!
🎲 Why isn't there an option to build half-human characters yet?
Because it's not my priority at the moment.
Currently, I'm developing ERA 1 - it will be focused on Homeworld gems within the system. The gem builds will be relatively straightforward and 'by the book' - as in, following Homeworld rules. There WILL be a guide to developing an off-color gem for your story as I progress.
ERA 2 will focus on developing Earth locations, extra items and - yes! - Rebel gems that will have an expanded capacity for learning Abilities and Skills outside of their pre-determined station called Paths. These will work similarly to Classes in DnD, and will add a layer of customization to your character.
ERA 3, if we ever get that far, will be in a post-Homeworld Universe that will include half-human builds and the ability for gems to choose their own path.
🎲 Will you be developing the equivalent of a monster manual or a GM guide for this system so I can flesh out the world for my game?
Ideally, I'd love to. Realistically - no, that takes WAY too much time. However, you are free to contribute your own ideas and build your own monsters!
🎲 How can I make suggestions on the rules?
Join the Discord! Currently, the Discord is closed to everyone except for Patreon supporters, I’m afraid, but I’m hoping to open it up to the public eventually.
🎲 Where can I find your Patreon?
patreon.com/theChekhov
#facets ttrpg#steven universe ttrpg#steven universe#steven universe dnd#ttrpg#tabletop roleplaying games#su ttrpg
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Hii Lillia!! First of all, that WIP list looks so organised!!! Which app do you use!? (つ✧ω✧)つ
Honestly, I am interested to know about all the WIPs! They all look fun! But if I have to choose then can I ask about Merr, Mystical Mayhem and When Two Worlds Collide??
Hiii! I use Notion for organizing my wips! You can't see it in my ss, but because I use the database function I am able to sort my wips into different tables (priority wips, general wips, possible rewrites, and finished wips (which I hide in this table)). This allows me to prioritize and limit the stuff I am focusing on~
All three of the fics you're interested in are my older wips!
Merr is intended to be a prequel to Braving the Unknown! It'll be a Namjoon x Reader series. Please don't have hope for this to be finished soon though, I started this 2019 and last touched it in 2020. Here is a little bit of a chat from when the reader first meets Namjoon, our siren boi.
“What the fuck?” You didn’t mean to say it out loud, but when it came out as a quiet whisper, the man/thing/creature laughed. God it was such a gorgeous laugh, but instead of feeling comforted, you felt more on edge.
So you took a step back.
“What are you?” You asked slowly, your eyes trained on him in the darkness.
“I’m a siren, but I go by Namjoon. What are you?” He stated so casually that you almost thought that a siren existing was not one of the craziest things you heard. Or saw for that matter.
“I--” You closed your mouth, “I’m human, but I go by Y/N.” You looked down at your arm and pinched it as hard as possible. You didn’t wake up. This is real.
Holy shit, you’re talking to a siren.
“Could you possibly help me?” He asked, a shy smile spreading on his face to show four razor sharp teeth surrounded by blunt teeth “You see, I was watching the crabs… and… then I was too close to get back!”
Mystical Mayhem is another really fun wip I have. Again, last touched in 2019... but it is rly fun and I can't wait to get to it eventually!
Sadly, Yoongi’s inspiration was not enough to keep him up and writing, especially after just spending 38 hours in a row filming for their latest comeback. One second he was working on a new song and the next he was dreaming of playing in a meadow.
The tall grasses were soft on his fingertips and the poppies were practically a bed, calling to him to lay down and relax, the bird songs feeding his want more and more. Instead, Yoongi started walking around the meadow, his bare feet cushioned by the soft moss that seemed to line the floor. The meadow was full of flowers that Yoongi had never seen before. Some of them didn't seem to be real plants. But this was a dream.
“Who are you?” The voice cut through everything in his dream. The bird song stopped, the wind stopped moving, everything stopped.
Including Yoongi.
When Two Worlds Collide is a fun one! It is a Namjoon x OC series and is a MASSIVE ONE! I last touched it in 2020... BUT It was a big passion project of mine and I hope to work on it at some point relatively soon (still trying to figure out the order in which I want to tackle my WIP list this summer so it may be a while). It is also heavily inspired by DND in terms of my OCs. Here's the opening paragraph (I am putting it under the read more as there is light mentions of blood and grief).
The world of his imagination was blurry as he, his mysterious guardian, and the members looked out from some strange vehicle’s windows. The members were a new addition to his dreams, but he didn’t question them. He looked over at the guardian, someone he had grown a good friendship with, even shared some smiles with, only to see her shed a few tears for the first time. Her piercing eyes and many scars were the only facial features he could make out once again. He could see the tears well up and plummet down her face, making lines in a crusty, blood red liquid smeared across the lower half of her face. Her armor shaking and rattling as her whole body became wracked with sobs. Everyone looked on in shock as he scooted closer to try and comfort her, only for Namjoon to come up and try instead. She screamed, shoving his hands off of her before meekly hitting her hands on the glass of the vehicle.
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i have finally found the time to watch through the entirety of a court of fey and flowers and it has left me clawing the walls
a few thoughts, here and below the cut:
aabria is honestly one of my favorite gms to watch work. like, literally watch, i am 95% podcasts for my actual play media, but the visual elements of her games (esp. her npc facial expressions & acting choices) are so compelling. every damn time wuvvy looked at rue i died.
never not gonna be impressed with how smoothly this team integrated dnd combat & magic & skill checks with the good society framework to make a compelling, weighty, primarily social game. the unique tokens! (the significance to burning them!) the many pvp insight/deception checks over sighs and glances!!
brennan being an eternal gm is a crime, hob is The Most Character
like, picture me taking that character art of hob, printing it out, folding it up, and eating it. love him.
he’s a self-loathing emotionally obtuse plothound who claims to be bad with words but gives The Most Austen-style heart-wrenchingly vulnerable speeches. who else is doing it like him.
(seriously, if you’ve got regency media recs with hob-alike MCs I Want Them)
i am imagining some bonkers child creation magic — like, cabbage patch If You Want One It Will Grow stuff, genetics and gametes need not be involved stuff — that gives hob and rue an enormous passel of kids to love on and Treat Right, including at least one Owl With Bug Wings and two or three Literal Bears.
also picturing atla level confusion when the first one of those bears comes along. “just a bear?” “not a bugbear, not an owlbear, not a bugowlbear. just a bear.” “…this kid is weird.” “yeah, but we’re gonna love them like mad anyway right?” “oh yeah, of course, i’m just saying!”
deeply shocked andhera was able to sit through that detect thoughts at the tailor shop scene without blurting out SOMETHING, given his tendencies towards blurting out everything in other moments.
but like. imagine.
hob: the k stands for knickolas!!
rue: i love him.
andhera: oh shit, for real?! you love him for real??
disastrous. andhera fails to keep his mouth shut, four wounded two dead. (rip buddy, you were a real one)
otoh. now i’m imagining a fun little trivia game at rue’s nearlywed shower with questions like “where did they meet” and “who asked whom” that give them an excuse to retell all of these cute stories about their relationship, and one question is “when did rue first realize they loved hob?”
the answer is supposed to be after they danced all night at the masquerade, because rue thinks it’s fine to lie a little for the Romance of it all, but andhera’s like “oh, i remember that! it was when hob told them what the k in k.p. stands for!”
and he’s very :D satisfied with himself for winning his team a point! not noticing rue and hob’s very complex face journeys as they silently have a Conversation about this.
most shocking moment for me, a person who saw a fair number of acofaf gifs on my dash last fall: chirp marriage & child reveal, no question. the cast around her reacting is also very good, but the twist in itself was honestly so unexpected! and it works fantastically to give the lords of the wing motivation to join the larger plot on Our Heroes’ Side, i thought that was very smartly done.
and last but not least, a fun fact!
I did not realize this until the ap episode where omar confirmed ace andhera, but my first dnd character was basically a mash-up of andhera and rue.
like. they were an ace paladin poorly faking charm and coolness, using a normative appearance (“imagine a combination of chris hemsworth and chris evans”) as a facade a scared, nonnormative creature hid behind— unfortunately my BINX-alike PC friend died early in the campaign, and the plot took priority over character exploration. but still: same hat!
also: me now, looking back at that character: [miranda cosgrove ‘interesting’ meme with the nonbinary flag superimposed]
#a court of fey and flowers#dimension 20#brb off to sort the hob/rue tag by kudos and then by bookmarks and then by word count#i want a thousand different canon divergence alternate love confessions…#mundane and/or human AUs where the Duty vs Love tensions are shifted a little but still MATTER#BINX found family-ing every damn person she likes even a little into a room of their own in her house…#pls send fic recs#and asks! send me your thoughts!! if anyone is still out there thinking acofaf thoughts this many months after that season ended#i realize i am Late to the Game but that’s just how i am with stuff#dropout
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A master post of my projects (w/ links to the ones that have been started c:)
On going:
The I Love You Series. It’s also on going and is a comic I’m writing about Mike coming to terms with his very obvious feelings for Will. It’s accompanied by a fic but it’s all pretty slow to update since it’s not my main priority. Still it’s fully outlined so I’m planning on finishing it. (Also sorry in advance for inconsistent drawings, I’m in practice of drawing consistent faces so-) I post this on my main for the most part
I Don’t Think I’m Faking Anymore (fake dating au) This is a fic im writing and what I’ll be updating the most. It won’t be a super long fic (I think) so I want to finish it before I throw myself into my other projects. It’s been on a bit of a break after some family stuff (and eventually the holidays) but I’ll be back to it now that everything’s over.
Yet to be started/in progress/not posted:
Like Sun and Moon (byler dnd au and my biggest project.) this is a WIP and the only real proof of it existing other than my many pages on google docs are the posts on here c: they’re a bit outdated now since I’ve done a lot of revising but you’re still welcome to go search my main account (@existingonanotherplane)for it
Fake dating au pt 2??
Karen Wheeler is a lot of things but a loser isn’t one of them. So when an extended family member calls her bragging about her kids many achievements and how they’re bringing them along to a big family event, can you really blame her for trying to one up them? Aka, Karen tells the wheeler family a bunch of lies including one that so happens to be about her “super successful son dating his roommate and equally as successful best friend”
Byler Band Au (not the usual kind though) Mike is a sax player, Will plays trombone. They attempt to find each other through music. (It makes more since if I were to actually explain it lmbo but I’m trying not to ramble)
WillEl daycare au (more like youth center but they run it out of their house so-) it’s pretty self explanatory but The wonder-twins take care of kids after school and one of those kids happen to be one Holly Wheeler. Maybe Will is closer to getting a boyfriend than he thought.
Will Byers the interior designer attempts to design the Wheeler household. Also straightforward. Will is a popular interior designer and Karen is in need of something fresh in their home. They head out on a vacation and leave Mike to watch over the progress. He wasn’t expecting the guy to end up being his type. (This one honestly has a low chance of being written but I think the concept is silly so if anyone wants to give it a shot then go for it)
Literally send me asks on any of these or just anything in general. I want to talk about them so bad
Edit:
Oh my gosh! A linktree?? Who could’ve guessed :0
#that’s it though#that’s the post#a master list of ideas#I’ll update it as stuff stars to get added#I don’t wanna spam the tag but I also don’t post as often as I used to so-#y’all getting a lil spammed tonight#not that people are paying that much attention to me lmbo#anyways#byler#cause this post is all about y’all#rené’s thoughts
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I’m in a DnD brainworms mood (misdirected as I try to prep a session) and honestly I’m kinda mad that some really fun character concepts I’ve had were squandered on a group where one game just halted itself into hiatus and the other game is the one where I got unceremoniously blocked for reasons that I still don’t entirely know.
They were both so COOL to play around with even with the characters not having a ton of motives on their own. Sometimes it’s fine to have a character go with the flow of the party until they have a big moment and know what they want for themselves. Putting this under a cut because it got a lil long and ranty
Victor was a really fun concept for me of a dullahan with amnesia, dropped into an unfamiliar landscape and time and having to slowly relearn things about himself. He was a Neutral Evil Oath of Treachery Paladin. His top priority at all times was his own self-preservation at the expense of others if need be, but not actively malevolent. He technically had broken the paladin oath from his life that he doesn’t remember, by betraying his comrades with the intent of saving himself. He was in the middle of Barovia tossed in with the party and nobody trusted him because he was SO accidentally shady. There was another dullahan who was missing his head and CONVINCED that Victor’s was his own. Victor didn’t even know if his head belonged to him or not. We never got past the village of Barovia because the progress was at a crawl for some reason despite playing for months and by the time we got to Ireena and Ismark we learned that nobody trusted the non-human and magic using PCs so it was like the narrative was punishing us. Victor could’ve been so cool to explore. He could’ve had a cool arc about realizing the things he did in the past and seeing if the interactions he had with the party up to that point would make him regret the past or not.
Lucio was a backstory NPC turned into a PC just for fun. The entire idea was that the True Neutral Draconic Heritage Sorcerer (who tHAT DM messed up the original concept of by making him half-dragon and then teased me for not making him a dragonborn. Like come on. You did this. I’m keeping him an elf) was only in the city because of a bet he made with his brother. He didn’t CARE about everything else going on. He just wanted to keep his young son safe and make progress on that bet and the party was a means to an end. They knew from the beginning that he was not interested in anything else, that he was not good at socializing, that his father murdered a large group of paladins that one of the other party members belonged to. And yet? It was my fault for seeming disinterested in the group antics in a campaign that I was told was supposed to be more dungeon delving? For involving my son in a lot of interactions because otherwise Lucio would not participate? For showing interest in fighting the antagonist group (even if we knew they would kick our ass) because they badly injured my brother? He was true neutral raised by lawful evil, I’m always fascinated by how a character of that alignment could have their actions influenced by those around them.
well that turned into a rant and I’m so glad I’m not in that group anymore because I really did stop having fun. I want so badly to find a way to repurpose Victor and Lucio without being reminded of that group.
#enjoy my OC character concepts#i got halfway through typing this and realized im in a really negative headspace#so time to disappear til this is gone#the girls are making me tear up a lil by bombarding me with love
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Some thoughts about the Boys finale:
-Noir did not deserve to be done dirty like that, goddamn, but it was very in character for Homelander to do that
-Soldier Boy’s response to getting lazered in the side by Ryan was completely reasonable, honestly, and it’s not like he was focused on fucking up Ryan anyway
-Starlight’s literal glow up was very cool cinematically but it was pretty roughly undercut by the fact that it only managed to knock Soldier Boy back up by like 5 feet, so it was kind of hilarious in retrospect
-Frenchie declaring that he wants healthcare - honestly, King Shit, unionize your workplace my man
-MM getting to fuck up Soldier Boy was very satisfying to me personally, happy to see it, I’m hoping he got some catharsis or closure from that
-Jensen’s acting in this episode was, as usual, Fucking Top Notch, especially him telling Homelander that he was a disappointment and yelling that he wasn’t going to go back in the box
-His new box is badass and i love it, and i cannot wait until he busts out of it to fuck them up again
-Maeve is the one motherfucker i respect for sticking to the goddamn plan and focusing on fucking up Homelander because Homelander was the main threat here and not Soldier Boy, literally everyone else had evacuated and i am almost certain Ryan would have been fine, just powerless, oh my fucking god Butcher i swear to god
-I know Ryan is a child but honestly, fuck Ryan
-I don’t like that Hughie’s whole moral lesson was that he should just stand back and let other people deal with things all the time. Like, cool girlboss moment for the final fight, but he could have teleported everyone out of there and let Soldier Boy explode on Homelander and maybe Ryan. That was an option. Also is the message supposed to be that you shouldn’t try to help save your loved ones when they are in danger if they’re women bc that’s not Feminist (TM)? That men feeling helpless because they’re watching their loved ones in danger is something that men just have to deal with because otherwise they’re misogynists? Sorry but uh fuck that noise? There is a vast difference between “men should be allowed to feel vulnerable” and “men should feel helpless”.
-I respect MM focusing on Soldier Boy, that makes sense, and even Frenchie & Kimiko bc of the whole nerve gas thing. But what the fuck was Starlight’s damage with him? He blows a few things up, with most being targeted and with relatively few innocents involved, and now he’s more of a threat than Homelander, the literal unrepentant mass murderer of many, many innocent people who was personally holding her and Maeve hostage and in constant states of terror and murdered their friends? Like, what? She has the same moral viewpoint of a superhero from the MCU and it’s extremely exhausting. I want to like you girl, give us more ruthlessness and heart, but your Lawful DnD alignment is frustrating to see on the Chaotic Neutral Show. Get Your Priorities In Order.
Anyway, i might add more later but i just had some thoughts.
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had kind of an annoying day at work so i spent most of the day looking forward to playing dnd and then at the last minute one of my players said she was sick and would prefer to play online which is like, fine as a concept, but quite honestly i feel like just sucks for this group in particular, especially because we already played online last session as well, and then we had a resoundingly mediocre session (which is just my experience, idk how anyone else felt about it, and if they did also feel it was mediocre then i fully own it was partially my fault) and then capped it all off with the insane frustration of trying to figure out how to schedule our next two months of dnd around every other thing in the world that gets priority over dnd and now i’m just like 🤪 i’m fully an adult capable of rational thought who knows their friends enjoy playing this ttrpg together, i should not cry because i think they hate how i run my game. it’s actually just going to be fine
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