Face your daylight horrors!
(Except acorns, it is totally fine to avoid those whenever possible. Seriously, they bother me.)
I am an emotional and enthusiastic person, so here there will be feelings! Mostly good feelings, but awkwardly expressed. That is just how I do things.
Something crossed my dash today that started me wondering about expectations and their possible intersection with perception. So I went and peered at characters in-game in as close to identical lighting conditions as I could manage; obviously there will be some variance.
I realise that this is a sensitive topic, and I would therefore like to start off by stating I have done my best to phrase things as well as possible but as a mostly self-taught non-native English speaker I simply do not have the same grasp of vocabulary/tone as a native speaker would, so there are times when I phrase things in a way that does not work in English. If this is the case somewhere and I come off as hurtful or offensive in any way I sincerely apologise and ask if you could please point it out so I can correct the mistake and not repeat it.
Secondly, I am white, and this is in no way intended to be me attempting to speak for or over someone. I hesitated over posting this, but as I have not seen it mentioned in the other reblogs, I thought I would mention how I have viewed him.
I sculpt, so my observation comes from what I have learnt during my time studying anatomy (with a focus on faces). Not just by staring at books but doing a lot of literal hands-on exercises of touching a lot of different faces to feel the many differences in bone structure encountered in different people, some very subtle, others less so. And from looking at his bone structure and not exclusively focusing on skin tone, I had always thought he was meant to be of indigenous people of North America heritage. There is so much variety when it comes to bone structure, especially in the case of people of mixed background, but there are still some general outlines that are more typical for people descending from a certain area.
So looking at Sebastian, that was what I thought, and considering the history of indigenous people in NA I really liked the fact that he was the party member of royal blood.
…if Garrett actually turns abomination and just eats everyone, I am not sure how I will feel. Unless he eats everyone and then Paxley kills him and gets glory and hero status, I suppose. Then it will probably be kind of, “well. Hey. Well, okay. Go Pax!” or something, in this sort of confused way.
AAARGH! HOW COULD YOU KNOW MY PLAN!!!
I will not write any more, because my Paxley-moustache-boomerang-hero plan has been SPOILED!
The treasures one might find while casually tag-browsing instead of sleeping! Paxley-moustache-boomerang-hero plan, such glorious words to stumble upon! I shall casually act like I had nothing at all to do with any of this, and instead just mention to the world at large that it is my firm opinion that Hero Paxley (and his boomerang moustache, naturally, it almost being a character by itself) ought to be more of a thing, because Paxley.
This fic’s Paxley is the Paxley of my heart, and whenever I see him at the Gallows I have to smile because Pax. Pax is the best. I wish to bake moustache shaped cookies in his honour, and possibly find him a date.
I suggest Barker can it be Barker I also love Barker how do I love these templars so much what is even happening to me also would Barker swoon for Hero!Pax these are things I need to knowBiscuitMoustache!anon? Is this YOU?
I … would totally be okay with Pax/Barker. I mean, it sounds so awkward. I love awkward!
*puts on mask to hide eyes and holds up a cookie moustache on a stick, the very image of suave mystery* Well now when faced with such a direct question— wait we do not have a what happens on the meme… rule, do we?
I have shipped Pax/Barker for the awkwardest long time - it would be so, so awkward and I also love awkward! Especially awkward romance. Awkward whoops I accidentally touched your hand times, and awkward wait are we sitting too close, awkward “wait we are friends, sort of, would this be weird, but oh does weird or not even matter anymore what do I do what are these feelings”, and awkward fumbles in the dark and super awkward first time tumbles, and—
well everything would be awkward, and that would kind of make it perfect because youthful budding romance is often awkward, it is part of the appeal. Also Paxley/Carver and Carver/Barker and actually why not just Paxley/Carver/Barker because threesomes and now I also ship Carver/Cullen? Is the next step Cullen/Paxley? I have no idea! Templar type peoples, get together!
Act I:
Alain: I wonder if Grace and the others have made it to Ferelden by now. I wish I was with them! [The Gallows: less pleasant than hanging out with blood mages who summon the dead?]
Alain: The templars won’t let me send mail out. I found a letter to my parents that they burned in the furnace.
Alain: Starkhaven was never like this. The templars beat us and no one says a thing.
Alain: Ser Karras said if I tell anyone he’s been in my chambers, he’ll make me Tranquil.
Thrask: The mages here were all told the Starkhaven mages were killed during escape. It only makes them more determined to follow.
…am I confused by the wording due to not being a native speaker, or did he say that the fact that they all died makes the whole escaping thing more attractive? Or does he mean that hearing of the terrible odds for survival has made them more determined to beat said odds? It feels like the latter should be more logical than a sudden increase in lust for suicide by templar, but this is Kirkwall.
Act II:
Tranquil: Ser Alrik rescued me from my sins.
Tranquil: I am fortunate to be Tranquil. So many mages are plagued by unrest.
Apprentice: I’ve been searching for you everywhere. You weren’t in your rooms, the libraries…
Tranquil: We have no scheduled appointments at this time, apprentice.
Apprentice: No! Helena, it’s me. Don’t you remember me?
Tranquil: Of course. You are Apprentice Jaken. We were once involved in an illicit relationship.
Apprentice: Illicit? I love you!
Tranquil: I am Ser Alrik’s now. He is the only one who can command me.
Mage: I heard Ser Alrik place the order for me to be made Tranquil. I passed my Harrowing! He can’t do that!
Tranquil: Ser Alrik says the Rite of Tranquility is the only thing that can keep the souls of mages from the Void.
Mage: Don’t talk to me. The templars will give me thirty lashes for speaking to a civilian.
Mage: People talk about the Circle [by which I suppose she means this particular one?] like it’s a prison. It’s no different than anywhere in Thedas.
Mage: I don’t understand all these complaints. The new knight-commander’s no different than any other templar.
And then I decided I would not even bother going into the Act III parts of the screenshot folder, this is enough to give me nightmares tonight :| DAII was a survival horror game, right..?
A while ago I did this commission for the lovely combo. I wanted to post it at a later date, but now is a good time, I think.
I believe in you, sweetheart.
I think it is the perfect time - not only because it is beautiful, beautiful, beautiful and being reminded of that there is still plenty of beauty around when one is trapped in ugly feelings is something good, but also because… it is like a personal reminder to me that there is always more, since it is an illustration for M as in More.
I forget it, sometimes, when too many problems pile up at once, how there is more to life than those bad things that drag me down, and that I still have a lot of things left to do (like finishing editing that particular chapter, for example). It is good, to be reminded. Of the good things, of friendship, of support, of… everything that becomes so difficult to focus on when relapsing.
Thank you (everyone).
Senga tries to get Aveline a date, but dates are hard. Donnic is brave though, having drinks alone with Hawke, seeing as her response to things going wrong tends to be to stab something or someone. Or everything.
I joke about it, and I should not because it is very, very inappropriate and not something to joke about, but Hawke is kind of one of Kirkwall’s Top Three Most Prolific Serial Killers, Ever. I tried to put together a proper kill count, but I lost track somewhere around two hundred, I think. Her motives are a bit fuzzy, usually along the lines of “they looked at me funny”. She even takes their stuff to keep as trophies and everything. Senga, that is creepy and you should stop.
Cullen is probably hanging out in the Gallows at all hours because he is scared. As he should be.
This is Senga Hawke, again. And look, she is smiling this time! She must be thinking about something that makes her happy—
wait Senga are you actually just thinking about stabbing Cullen again, that is so inappropriate, I know he kidnapped your sister and all but those violent fantasies are not healthy okay.
Eluvian by *SmaiLika07
I will never ever tire of seeing this picture, and I wish it it could be something that happened. I wanted her to fix that mirror, and to go through it with her. I wanted it to work, I wanted to watch her succeed, I wanted her to be right. I wanted her to have that moment of quiet glorious triumph. She would treasure it in a way that would be beautiful to see, and I wish we could have had that.
Me too. So much. More than any story in the games, it’s Merrill’s failure that I think strikes at me the most. She had such a big dream, one no one else dared to dream. And no one was surprised when she failed. But think of would have come if she’d succeeded. And she was the one with the courage to pursue it.
I am really saddened by how the game sort of reduced her struggle and sacrifice to a cautionary tale about the dangers of blood magic (the extent of it depends on which path is taken, but to me there is always this feeling of “a lesson to be learned” over it), and never focused on her success. Because she did make progress; she cleansed the mirror of the taint, and that is such a big, big thing to marvel over, and the knowledge of how to remove the taint from something could be used for so much good and ought to be studied and built upon further. That was such a big step, cleansing it, and then putting it back together. I believe that given time, she could find out more. Unearthing lost knowledge is not something you do quickly; it is going to take very, very long, and the disoveries made might seem small when compared to how much there is still to learn. And she is doing it all on her own, and I think she is so brave and strong to leave everything behind to persue her dream, and I do not think it has to be over. I think she could go back to it later, having had a break to reflect, and then continue her work and find out how to make it work. The knowledge of the workings of the Eluvians has been lost for so long; what is ten years compared to all that time? I think she just needs more time. Just because she did not get it to work does not mean it is broken; it could just mean that she has not find the way to make it work yet. Morrigan walked through one, but Morrigan had access to more knowledge, and more power. Merrill had to repair hers, first. And she did not turn to blood simply because she was seduced by its power - she said she could have used lyrium, but she had none and so she used what she had. She literally poured her own life into that thing. So I just… I am pretty much just rambling, now, but one day I will make my head work well enough to put everything down neatly to explain why she is so important to me and why I can never see her mission as foolish. I still believe in Merrill, and I like to imagine that one day this image will happen.
I like to think of it as taking place after more years and that is why she looks so weary and wistful, but any minute now she is going to realise that yes, she is no longer dreaming and this is truly real, and she will smile in quiet triumph.
Yes.
She got the taint out of that thing. Taint stains are the worst. Usually, to cleanse something off the taint, you need to have mysterious sex magic rituals to trap the soul of whatever is tainted in a foetus or something. I am just saying, it is kind of a huge deal, and should perhaps be seen as rather amazing when you live in a place that is all tainted and blighted and you might want to get that stuff out.
And no need to sacrifice gazillions of people, just use cows or something and then have a huge barbecue to celebrate, cow blood magic or pig blood magic should work, might as well do some of that instead of using the blood from slaughter to make blood pudding okay I might need some sleep WAIT WHERE IS EVERYONE GOING—
(via ladythorn)
Eluvian by *SmaiLika07
I will never ever tire of seeing this picture, and I wish it it could be something that happened. I wanted her to fix that mirror, and to go through it with her. I wanted it to work, I wanted to watch her succeed, I wanted her to be right. I wanted her to have that moment of quiet glorious triumph. She would treasure it in a way that would be beautiful to see, and I wish we could have had that.
(via ladyintegra)
Senga just caught someone (YOU? no well it was me Bethany is a honorary awkwardly attractive cousin okay) checking out her sister and she is not pleased.
The constant threat of having templars drag her little sister away makes for an overly protective big sister :|
Part of her was slightly disappointed by how she never got to stab Cullen, at least once.
