#brennan Knows what he's talking about and wants to talk about it | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

thepringlesofblood · 4 months

Text

the vibe im getting from FHJY is that this is the season where they really lean into the high school aspect. that probably sounds bonkers since its called Fantasy High, but like. hear me out.

Freshman year, they come at high school from the "John Hughes" "80s teen movie trope" vibe, which is to say different from the real-world experience of high school.

it works great! operating in that frame of reference makes everything flow really well, and hits all the high-school-related-media notes in a very satisfying way while putting its own spin on it and not getting bogged down by the actual slog that is high school in reality.

there's still a lot of more modern inspo, but it stays in the kinda expectation-suspension-tropey area of how 80s movie high school works.

Sophomore year is spring break! I believe in you! They're not at school! They're on an adventure!

They lean into being a teenager and coming-of-age themes a lot (obvs), but the only big reference point to the institution of high school is that it'll be worth 60% of their grade.

A huge point, to be sure, and the exact kind of objectively unfair but somehow not against the rules shit that happens in high school, but not the main driving force of the season.

arthur aguefort also does a bunch of wack shit but it's more fantasy than it is high school although its a lot of both.

they lean into adventuring as a set career path much more, with the school giving money for hirelings and offering a basic incentive for other students to go, so that's a loose connection to the real-world career counseling high schools have, but again, not the main thing.

VERY Important though: we are now very much in the present. The viral shrimp party, livestreaming Kalina, online banking, the epic of Gorgug building a cell tower? this isn't john hughes 80s town anymore, this is now. (at least in Solace).

Junior year

almost everything in the trailer is about academia

we've got the cool doodles-in-the-margins style art and intro

in the interviews and BTS (so far), the cast have talked a lot about what they were like in high school (not the 80s)

and the precedent that The Seven set where the MacGuffin was getting their GED? It's time.

we're getting into what is actually hell about high school - the institution itself. the arbitrary standards that academia in the US holds, and how it leaves behind, punishes, and fails its students in its extremely important role of preparing them for life as an adult.

i could talk about this all day, but personally for me the quote from the trailer that shot me back to my junior year of high school was "You have perfect grades, and it still might not be enough for you to graduate"

riz's arc this season is shaping up to punch me in the academia trauma and personally i can't wait for the catharsis

Brennan has shown time and time again that he Gets and wants to tell stories about the ways in which the US education system affects, hurts, shapes, traumatizes, changes people, and how they survive and recover from it and make their own lives. I for one am so so ready to see that reflected with the bad kids.

#original post #fhjy #fantasy high #fhsy #d20 #dimension 20 #dropout #brennan lee mulligan #look i just have a lot of feelings #and opinions about how people just accept that high school is hell and don't ask why? who benefits?#tbh evan kelmp being like 'this is tracking' is what made me first notice that like #brennan Knows what he's talking about and wants to talk about it #the seven really dove deep into it and I fuckin loved it

348 notes · View notes

shyvioletlife · 7 months

Text

I'm now five episodes into the wizard the witch and the wild one and gods if I don't have so many questions. like: spirits. how? there's such a massive variety of otherwordly beings and how they present, how the pcs interact with those same beings, and how npcs might interact with them. somehow spirits are a common everything around ame and maybe also eursalon, but its also crystal clear that the common person thinks of spirits and maybe also witches as something akin to old wives tales.

and yet, the Stranger showed up within moments of Grandma Wren's death, the 'random' captain of the ship they took to port talon very specifically had...signed over her body to act as a vessel for spirits with a contract written in her flesh (?)...and port talon itself has been established as actively burning salt fires that seem to be very specifically targeting and burning away the presence of spirits a la ame's gut churning reaction to connecting with the spirits of the fountain.

for sure ame is being specifically targeted by malignant spirits because between the curse and her inheritance she is suddenly the sole recipient of a currently impossible to fathom amount of power or knowledge or duty, which explains the encounters she specifically has had. especially since she is a witch away from her sanctum. but then why the salt fires and the [unintelligible screaming] of the spirits in port talon.

#I have more questions but I didn't want to just sit here listing them for forever when I can just go listen to the next episode #Truly I'm just so excited that we get to spend as much time as needed fleshing out the magic systems and the how and why of spirits as we g #I knew I was excited about this pod from the get go but man is it worth the hype I built up for myself over the year #I was inspired to type out my questions because of the talk back on patreon #brennan said he can't say what the alternative to failing that wis save would have been #because ame might still be affected by it #now obviously I have no idea what the timeline of pre-recorded stuff versus current content is and if this ground has been tread or not #for all I know there are answers in the interim 13 episodes I have to go so I'm just gonna get on that #the wizard the witch and the wild one #worlds beyond number

8 notes · View notes

odd-kid-42 · 11 months

Text

Listening to the post-s1 Talking Dads, and I swear Brennan Lee Mulligan needs to come into contact with Anthony Burch. They need to both be waiting on a crosswalk and Anthony can sigh wistfully about how he never asks players what they imagine as the long-term arcs for characters because he 'is actively playing against them'. I whole-heartedly think Brennan "I believe in railroading players to allow characters to grow in the directions I as DM and the player see fit while keeping the game interesting" Lee Mulligan could advise on the kayfabe.

It is just so obvious that they are operating off a false understanding/self-imposed rule about how D&D is supposed to work that doesn't actually help storytelling and DM-player satisfaction. Like, idk guys! I feel like you can talk about intentions without ruining anything. It's not like Dimension 20 is suffering under Brennan's approach to storytelling. He has a whole podcast about it.

#dndads #dndads critical #the disclaimer that Brennan owes no one anything #I just listen to his interviews and wonder what would happen if Anthony and he spoke #I know Freddie knows/is acquaintances w Brennan and has discussed dnd with him #I just feel like Anthony and co were operating under a self-imposed rule that left Anthony at minimum unhappy #bc Anthony explicitly was saying how unhappy he was with s1's ending #and Matt was going 'Darryl had no arc haha but that's dnd :).'#like no it's not #where are you getting that from? no it's not #not listening to s2 + don't care to discuss s2 #but based on Anthony's self-flaggelation it doesn't have to be this way dude #you can cool off and talk to your friends about what they want #you can feel like you are making narrative progress in a productive way as the backbone #and let them goof throughout wo getting frustrated at yourself #also Anthony get your bpd treated the suicide jokes aren't great expressions of those feelings okay?#I don't need to be unintentionally finding the /public reddit posts/ about how you feel + s2 listening friends commenting on the s2 #DMing doesn't have to be agony dude you haven't done anything horrible enough to justify these feelings #least of all in public with teenagers listening jesus #got distracted but anyway

8 notes · View notes

callixton · 2 years

Text

this is *for sure* parasocial of me but it’s really comforting to know that brennan has also never drank or done drugs in both like a. it’s possible to get that far way and also a he still clearly has access to those. hmm what’s the right word. he has the range.

#and he’s not othered by his friends for it #not that my friends have been weird about it but like. i go to college i have to explain myself a lot #also i don’t know his reasons but it’s clearly a personal decision and not something projected onto other people #and weirdly the thing i feel that comes up most often is me being like yeah but idc what u do #anyway. parasocial moment over i’m better now #<- he is lying the idea of drinking makes him want to throw up #what’s the maintag limit now. for like. getting pushed onto peoples dash not the search #5? idk i guess we’ll find out #ted talks #brennan lee mulligan

7 notes · View notes

glitteringobliteration · 12 days

Text

Something bugged me about what Brennan said about Fabian’s new gold maximum legend tattoo: he’s now immune to Dragon Madness.

Why would that matter? Yeah, it’s probably great for Fabian’s future adventures but why would it be relevant now? The Bad Kids already got rid of all the gold they received from Kalvaxus’ hoard, right?

Please bear with the red-string bulletin board-making side of my brain while I talk through my theory:

It’s always struck me a bit odd how much attention is being paid to Fabian’s finances this season. I totally get that it’s partially due to his parents being gone all year/turning 18 and gaining access to the funds left by his papa, as well as the general arc Fabian is going through of navigating going it alone for the first time, but it feels like there’s more to it than that. Fabian has never wanted for money before, and it hasn’t really factored into this season either (for him. points about Adaine being broke are irrelevant rn.) beyond the handful of conversations (and one altercation lol) we’ve seen between Fabian and his banker, Alston Hughes. A couple of things that Brennan has mentioned feel very much like breadcrumbs, and I’m not sure if the Intrepid Heroes have clocked any of it yet (as of Ep 15: The Last Stand).

Fabian banks with KVX, which Alston Hughes tells him has gone through a shift in management since their board of directors were smote by the Council of Chosen. Their branding and logos have changed from Kalvaxus red, to blue.

I also find it worth noting that we did discover Alston Hughes to literally be a member of The Harvestmen. 👀

This brings to mind the subject of Oisin.

Oisin is a blue dragonborn in his junior year at Aguefort, the conjuration wizard of the Rat Grinders. We learned at the shrimp-jump party that he’s descended from a blue dragon, who’s said to live atop a great hoard of treasure.

Oisin offers to help Adaine get some of her much-needed spell components, and she turns him down.

Aelwyn tells us that Kipperlilly can’t use Oisin to get the material components she needs - hence why she’s using Aelwyn. Kipperlilly says she needs to protect Oisin.

Why?

I’m willing to bet that his family has something to do with the new management at KVX. I’m also willing to bet Kipperlilly knows exactly how to protect herself from Dragon Madness.

And Fabian’s new tattoo is gonna save everyone’s asses. True Maximum Legend.

445 notes · View notes

18catsreading · 2 months

Text

Koda: I am better than horse. I will carry you.

Katja: wmWhat. Did. You. Fucking. Say?

Koda: I am Better than Horse.

Rekha: Katja squares up.

Aabria/Antiope: I immediately grab Katja like 'nope, nope!'

Katja: let me take him don't you hold me back!

Antiope: Bear back up, back up! You don't want me to let her go.

Koda: okay.

Becca/Penny: I hug the bear. Just don't say, we know it's true, don't say it again.

Katja: what?!

Koda: oh yeah, what, what, what?

Antiope: Girl you wanna get let go?

Katja: Am I gonna fight a bear?

Antiope: go fucking get him! Aabria/Antiope: I let go and push her forward. Kill this bear!

Izzy/Ostentatia: can I cast enhance ability and give her beat shit?

Antiope: smoke this bear, Katja!

Brennan: I'm gonna pull up bear --

Becca/Penny: no, not Koda, please, I'll give my life for Koda!

Sam: Koda, I believe in you. And I give Koda bardic inspiration.

Katja: what! Against me?!

*overlapping chatter*

Brennan: okay, so you have enhanced ability, I'm gonna need an athletics check with advantage from you.

Sephie/Sam: my first time bardic inspiration!

Brennan: what did you roll?

Rekha/Katja: I rolled an 18, which plus my athletics is a 27.

Aabria: let's go

Becca/Penny: come on Koda

Brennan: I'm gonna roll.

Sephie/Sam: remember that bardic inspiration!

Brennan: yes, bardic inspiration.

*overlapping chatter*

Rekha/Katja: Absolutely psychotic

Aabria/Antiope: I want Hunter's Sense on this bear. What is his weakness?

Rekha/Katja: fuck yes

Antiope: I'm whispering in your ear like, 'go for his nuts.'

Becca/Penny: I get an acrobatics check as I spin the bear on my feet?

Rekha/Katja: this is unreal you created, and then brought back this bear.

Penny: Koda is a circus trained bear and I have acrobatics.

Brennan: so I'm gonna roll. Here's, here's Koda's athletics check.

*math happens* Katja: 27, Koda: 24

Erika/Yelle: before this resolves --

Katja: and it will never resolve!

Erika/Yelle: everyone hears a voice in the back of their heads that says: 'Everybody knock it off and grow the fuck up.'

Rekha: gasps

Penny: yeah, Koda

Yelle: you too Koda

Sam: especially Koda

Brennan: Katja you've got --

Ostentatia: who just fucking cursed at me?

Brennan: so you all -- so Danielle just communicated telepathically. You gently release Koda from the arm bar that you have Koda in.

Rekha/Katja: yea it was an arm bar and I was about to grab him like *gestures with a clenched fist* like this is his shirt and put him up against the --

Izzy: shirt?

Rekha/Katja: yea, but this is fur, against the thing. And go like a 'why I oughta!'

Becca/Penny: no Koda wears a tiny T-shirt, that's right.

Rekha: *something I can't catch* really small.

Izzy: is it Paddington?

*overlapping chatter and laughing*

Brennan: a talking Kodiak Bear with an enormous rain jacket and hat. Less cute that size. Cool. So, so Katja you were clearly about to tie this bear in a knot.

Aabria/Antiope: kick this bear's ass.

Brennan: and Danielle grabs everyone's attention. Zelda looks at Yelle and goes [as Zelda]: cool. Yeah, we need to head to the Baronies. We should go.

Katja: yeah, yeah. Are you cool, Koda? Are you fucking cool?

Koda: if you are cool, I am cool. We have no problem. Maybe next time we go there's no sucker punches, and we sort of, you know?

Yelle: okay, you know what. This is what we call, in the industry, bear baiting. And you're not going to fall for it.

Izzy: what industry?

Aabria/Antiope: we're getting baited by a bear that's fucked.

Katja: I am not falling for this

Penny: the nature industry

Katja: I am strong, I am strong, and you are weak

*overlapping chatter*

Brennan: uh, amazing. So it kicks off a little bit again, and you guys head off from here. Katja and Koda, the tension is palpable.

Rekha/Katja: and we're sitting next to each other!

Penny: I hope on Koda's back

Izzy: they're gonna fuck!

Penny: I'm whispering to Koda what a good boy he is, and how he's better than a horse.

Katja: I'm whispering to cinnamon "you know there's nothing on earth that's better than a horse, you know that right?

Cinnamon: I didn't let that bear get to me. I didn't let that bear get to me.

Brennan: so you all move along

#brennan lee mulligan #dimension 20 #the seven #ep 6 belles if the baronies #aabria iyengar #rekha shankar #becca scott #erika ishii #persephone valentine #isabella roland

399 notes · View notes

peopleareaproblem · 1 month

Text

"It's the only name I can say."

So last ep, Kalina dropped this line after saying "Ragh Barkrock" again. She's really trying to get the Bad Kids to deduce who she could be referring to via Ragh. We've found out about the Spy's Tongue Curse since she last dropped Ragh's name, so it's clear that she's implying that she cannot say the names she wants to say and is dropping Ragh's name as a clue. I've been seeing a lot of theories about this line that are convinced it's implying Lydia Barkrock. I disagree: I think she is referring to Arianwen, Jace and Porter. Here's why.

First of all, and most obviously: Kalina says Lydia's full name in Sophomore Year episode 6.

Kalina: But you do have some time to talk it over because I'm gonna head out and kill Lydia Barkrock. So take care.

I don't think Brennan or the D20 Lorekeeper would have missed this. Kalina doesn't have a Spy's Tongue Curse with Lydia.

Secondly, the gang already investigated Lydia and got relevant clues from her, and Brennan did not encourage suspicion towards Lydia in any way. This repeat of the clue really feels like a "you guys didn't get it yet" type thing. Last time they assumed Lydia and that wasn't it. Try again.

Thirdly, Ragh's only real interaction with Kalina is about a single time he saw something he shouldn't have: Jace, Porter and Arianwen talking to someone invisible (Kalina) on Prom Night. I believe that if the Bad Kids just asked Ragh what Kalina could possibly have meant by "Ragh Barkrock" and "It's the only name I can say," he would absolutely bring up this fact. But they haven't!

That's why I am convinced that Arianwen, and to a lesser extent Jace and Porter, are who Kalina was referring to.

Below the cut are some bits of the trancript from Episode 4 of Sophomore Year, where Ragh reveals this to the Bad Kids.

Ragh is describing the aftermath of the fight with Kalvaxus:

Ragh: I ran into the school. And I went and I saw there was this conversation, and I was going, 'cause a lot of the teachers had been trapped in the crystals and had come out again. And I saw Jace, the sorcery teacher-- Adaine: Mm-hmm. Ragh: Talking to this woman that I didn't recognize. She was an elven woman, she was wearing sort of like black, dark robes, it looked like, they were very light. She was blonde, she had glasses. Adaine: She look like this? [points at her face] Ragh: She look like you? Adaine: Mm-hmm. Ragh: I mean, yeah. Yeah, she looked like, yeah, she looked like you. But older. She didn't look like-- Adaine: Right. Ragh: Um, you know, I mean, elves never look that old, but she looked like, you know, not a high schooler. Um. Jace and them were talking, and they were talking to somebody else who I couldn't see. I just assumed somebody was like, invisible. Um. Later, um, Jace and Porter came and talked to me--

Ragh goes on to describe Porter healing him, despite Ragh not feeling "that injured, honestly", and after that he can see Kalina despite not being able to see her moments before:

Ragh: And after that, I was like walking home, and I saw this cat woman, this tabaxi. And she came up, and told me all this stuff about my mom, and she said if I ever talked to anyone about it, she would kill my mom.

This indicates that Porter infected Ragh with the curse, on purpose. Probably to allow Kalina to threaten and manipulate him so he wouldn't tell anyone what he saw. She really doesn't want him telling anyone that he saw Arianwen there.

Ragh: She told me if I ever mentioned to anyone what I had seen about that elven woman-- Adaine: Mm-hmm. Ragh: That she would kill my mom.

They have a short conversation about wether Jace is suspect, but dismiss it. Adaine shows Ragh a photo of her mother and he confirms that it is the woman he saw.

#fhjy #fhjy spoilers #dimension 20 #dimension 20 spoilers #fantasy high #fantasy high spoilers #fantasy high junior year #fantasy high junior year spoilers #ragh barkrock #lydia barkrock #arianwen abernant #jace stardiamond #porter cliffbreaker

339 notes · View notes

cartograffiti · 2 years

Text

If you want to run a Court of Fey & Flowers Game, dnd isn't what you need

...because it's not what the Dimension 20 cast played, either.

I talked about this a little bit once before, very early in the season, but now that it's done, it's really clear to me that they played Good Society by Storybrewers with a few Dungeons & Dragons elements hacked in, not the other way around. Aabria Iyengar loves Good Society, and it really shows. She merged the systems really beautifully to suit the expectations of D20, and that's why I think players at home will get a better experience by starting with GS materials than by trying to reverse engineer the mechanics Iyengar showed in action.

Things they got from DnD:

-Skill levels/stats.

-Rolling dice to determine success.

-The game master/facilitator (Aabria) playing most characters.

-Some creatures and spells (the dog that has an old man's face, the telepathy spell I can never remember the name of).

-Aabria giving out Inspiration.

Things they got from Good Society:

-The principle of having a character goal that may be kept secret. (In fact, some of D20's specific goals were probably even chosen from Good Society materials. The player character with a secret spouse? There's a card for that.)

-Social reputation tracked by degrees, conferring descriptions and perks. (They did not use GS's exact system. Whether it was a hack or a mix with a game system I haven't played, I don't know.)

-Trading tokens that can be burned to make strong moves. (Again, not GS's exact mechanic--GS uses tokens throughout instead of dice. That game lets you decide what your character is capable of. Tokens make sure everyone has fair chances to act, especially when players have conflicting goals.)

-Additional guidelines and mechanics for agreeing on how the table wants social events to work, as well as how to navigate the varying dynamics of relatives, friends, and rivals.

-Rumors and epistolary phases. (There's a fun post going around about Brennan asking about these because "he wanted to get a good grade in dnd," but I think he was sincerely curious how they worked, because they aren't dnd!)

-The overall cycle of play, dictating the order of phases and pace.

-Some mechanics for the reputations and interactions of fae courts as entities were taken from Good Society's Fae Courts mini-expansion.

-Monologue tokens. (D20 has Aabria as the only one who can use these, GS allows anyone in the game to ask someone to monologue.)

-Additional guidelines for determining world state, character creation, and keeping the story within a consistent style and tone that feels like a recognizably Regency story...even when giant owlbears can get gay married.

-Other flavoring and approach details.

Things Good Society has that Dimension 20 didn't get to show off:

-The ability for players to also choose a secondary character to control, allowing them to participate in more roleplay and experience multiple personalities or social roles in the same game.

-A really rich and thoughtful collaboration phase, before the story begins.

-The ability to share facilitator duties among the table, and to allow the facilitator to play a main character as well as supporting cast.

-Advice and expansions for adjusting the game to various tones, genres, and other historical periods.

So you're looking at buying Good Society:

What you need is pdfs. Definitely grab the base game for $21.00, that has most of what I just described. If you're excited to see their Fae Court specific materials, it's included in the Expanded Acquaintance bundle with many other pieces of content, or there's a bundle of the base game and every expansion they've produced. You do not need to buy the more expensive bundles that include physical books and cards unless professional physical versions delight you, the pdfs are designed to be printable. Storybrewers also made and provide spreadsheet templates for sessions meeting online, so you can all see your worksheet choices.

Good Society is a really fun and flexible system, and it's most of what we loved about how A Court of Fey and Flowers was structured. It's your best route to a recreation, and well worth playing in its original form. I love that it doesn't have stats and dice--if you've never played a ttrpg that doesn't make you do math, this is a great introduction. I'm so glad Aabria featured it on the show!

#Dimension 20 #A Court of Fey and Flowers #D20 #Dropout #Good Society #ttrpgs #Aabria Iyengar #Storybrewers #acoff #acofaf

4K notes · View notes

eldestsiblingsyndrome · 1 month

Text

Okay so we've finally gotten certain confirmation that the reason Kalina said Ragh's name is because she cannot say the actual names she wants to say.

Siobhan in the Adventuring Party took it as if Kalina couldn't say any name other than Ragh but that seems excessive. It's most likely that Ragh is the only name she can say that is involved in whatever Kalina is trying to point the Bad Kids towards.

The way Brennan phrased this implies there is more than one name that Kalina cannot say. And Aelwyn said the Spy's Tongue Curse "had to do with some contacts" it was "for some conspirators" of Kalina, contacts and conspirators plural.

I don't know how I didn't put it together before but the main connection between Ragh and Kalina is when Ragh saw Arianwen, Jace, and Porter talking after the prom fight of freshman year.

Arianwen is lost, God knows what she's doing out there. (Although if Arianwen is one of the primary names Kalina wanted to say she could also say something about Adaine or Aelwyn I think, in her case Ragh isn't the only name. Maybe she wants to communicate it's specifically about whatever happened between these people)

Jace as vice principal has been painted as somewhat incompetent, not used to the amount of responsibility the position brings. However, Agueforts rules are flimsy and contradictory to each other. He could have used that to his advantage and very well stopped a lot of things if he tried. Weirdly enough a lot of things seem to be going according to the plans of Rat Grinders who are most likely trying to rise Ankarna.

Porter has been pushing everyone he can towards rage while a dead rage God is being risen back. And swaying Fig away from helping Cassandra. He was also the one who infected Ragh with Kalina while healing him, after which Ragh was threatened.

#dimension 20 #fantasy high junior year #fantasy high #fhjy #d20 #d20 fhjy #d20 fantasy high #d20 spoilers #dimension 20 spoilers #fantasy high spoilers #fantasy high junior year spoilers #fhjy spoilers

252 notes · View notes

little-diable · 9 months

Text

Twin Flame - Dean Winchester (smut)

Inspired by the song "Twin Flame" by Brennan Story. I love love love this fic, and I hope y'all will love it too. Please like and reblog if you enjoyed reading this, your comments keep us writers motivated! Enjoy my loves. xxx

Summary: Months ago Dean had broken the reader's heart, a desperate try to protect her. But he no longer manages to stay away, needing to find his way back to her.

Warnings: 18+, smut, unprotected piv, slight breeding kink, makeup sex, some heartbreak in the beginning, a very very happy end

Pairing: Dean Winchester x fem!reader (2.8k words)

Well this road don't get no shorter, I would've drove the whole thing for you, my tank down to a quarter, and it'll be gone soon

„What is up with you lately, Dean?” Sam’s voice filled Baby, worried eyes watching his brother. No reply left Dean as he kept driving on, caught in his memories like a fly trapped in the web of a spider set to kill. He was stuck, without a way out, and yet, deep down inside he prayed that he’d never be able to leave those memories behind.

Whenever he got a moment to let his thoughts wander, he had to think of her, the one who still holds his heart in her hands, even after all these months. Being with her had been something he had never experienced before, a new sensation he longed for like a man dying of thirst dreaming of any water he could drink. Loving her had been everything Dean wasn’t, it had been sweet, easy, it had been too good to be true.

Whenever he was lying awake at night, eyes staring at the dirty ceiling of the motel rooms he and Sam found shelter in, he imagined her laying next to him, head resting on his chest, listening to his calmly beating heart. Dean still felt her weight on him, if he closed his eyes he could feel her right there with him, murmuring sweet nothings into his ear, words that had been etched into his mind.

“Dean?” Sam tried again, worried eyes flickering back to the dark road ahead, knowing that it would take them at least a couple more hours to make their way to the bunker. “Hey man, c’mon, talk to me, I can tell something is going on.”

“It’s nothing, Sammy.” His voice told Sam everything he needed to know, exposing the hurt, the sadness flushing through Dean’s system. Dean’s green eyes were hazy, no longer filled with that special glint spurring him on whenever they were on a hunt, it felt as if he was no longer in the car with Sam, just a body without a soul tied to it.

“Is it about her? Dean, you should just call her, reach out, it’s never too late.” A sharp inhale of cold air was forced into Dean’s lungs, teeth grazing his lower lip to stop his angry words from rolling off his tongue. He couldn’t reach out, couldn’t call the one whose heart he had broken, leaving her behind without looking back once, choosing the life with his brother over her, a hunter just like him and his brother – a woman Dean wanted to protect from being hurt because of him.

The cold words he had spoken to her were still ringing in his ears, how he had pushed her away, nothing but a stupid spiel Dean stuck to, in order to save her from a life filled with uneasy times, with hunts that would leave their marks on her. Dean Winchester would do everything to keep her safe, even if it meant breaking (y/n)’s heart, and his own.

And my drink been feelin' lighter, 'cause I'm a lover not a fighter, and I seen that you caught fire, when you put me out

“Sammy, wake up, we’re home.” Dean’s rough voice filled the dark night, hand shaking his brother’s shoulder. It took Sam a moment to wake, hands rubbing his tired eyes. Slowly did the younger Winchester brother undo his seatbelt, halting his movements as he noticed that Dean wasn't moving.

“What’s wrong?” Worry dripped from the tip of Sam’s tongue, watching his brother’s gaze flicker between the steering wheel and the phone Dean kept clinging to.

“I have something to do, I’ll be gone for a few days.” Silence filled Baby, a silence so loud, Dean started to shuffle around in his seat, waiting for his brother to speak up or to start moving, already annoyed with the time they kept wasting just now. Dean was feeling antsy, nervousness filled his system, a sensation so unfamiliar he couldn’t help but curse it.

“Dean,” Sam whispered his brother’s name, hand finding his shoulder. “Get her back, stop worrying about dragging her down with you, she’s stronger than the both of us combined, she’ll do just fine being around us.”

Dean couldn’t reply, throat too tight, mouth too dry to produce any sounds, unsure what to say to the brother of his that looked at him with so much hope swimming in his pupils. Sam didn’t know much about the night where Dean had left her, he didn’t know of the words he had spoken, hurtful words that have left their scars on his and her soul, it’d be a miracle if she’d take Dean back. But he couldn’t breathe without her near, couldn’t live on without her by his side.

……

“Absolutely not.” (Y/n)’s eyes met Dean’s desperate ones, body turned from him as she tried to close her door, without any luck, wood caught by the boot he had pushed past her entrance. A string of curses left her, jaw ticking in anger as her eyes found their way back to his, reading the pleading swimming in his pupils before she slowly took a step back, inviting him back in.

Dean followed her through the all too familiar four walls he had once started to call his new home, the house they should grow old in, the house they should raise their children in, nothing but mere dreams that have evaporated into nothing but a hazy dream both could no longer recreate.

“I always knew you’d step low, but turning up here is ruthless, even for you, Dean Winchester.” (Y/n) had her arms wrapped around herself, eyes not daring to leave his once. Slowly he sank down on her couch, right next to her, not giving (y/n) a chance to move away. Without thinking he reached for her hand, moving faster than she had anticipated, catching her fingers before she could move them away as if he was a flame she burnt herself on.

“I wasn’t planning on coming here, hell, I wasn’t planning on ever setting my foot back in this house.” His whispers were torn between sounds reminding one of cries for help and a voice so quiet one could have problems understanding what he was saying. An angry huff left (y/n), glassy eyes focusing on the calloused fingertips stroking the back of her hand, pushing an all too familiar sensation through her body. She was trembling, begging for whoever was listening to relieve her from the pain she had never been able to let go of, and yet she had tried to keep on moving, without looking back once.

“You broke my heart, you left me without an explanation, just your awful words. One day you were here, and the next you were suddenly gone. It took me a while to give my life a new meaning, to adjust to hunting on my own, but I managed just fine for the past months, Dean. Why do you have to return the second I’m finally okay on my own?” Her tears started rolling down her cheeks, dripping from her chin like a once dry waterfall regaining its impressive strength. With his other hand finding her jaw, Dean started drying her tears, heart clenching in his chest as he was once again reminded of the pain he had pushed her through.

“I know, and I’m so sorry for being so fucking selfish, but I can’t stay away. Every second without you by my side is pure torture, you’re the only thing I can think of, no matter when or where I am. I’m sorry sweetheart, I really am. All I ever wanted to do was keep you safe, after watching you getting hurt because of me, because I couldn’t step back from a hunt we should have called backup for, I knew i had to get away from you. I can’t be the reason you get into any more danger. But as much as I hate myself for saying it, I can’t live without you, not any longer.” A heavy sigh left (y/n) as she looked at Dean, focusing on the pain filling his green pupils, on the lifeless expression tugging on his features. He was no longer the Dean she had once been with, no, he had changed, their breakup had left its marks on him, as much as it had left its marks on her. And yet she still longed for him, after all the sleepless nights she had cursed him for.

“I need time to think this through, you have hurt me so much, Dean, so much. But I still love you, a lot. You can sleep on the sofa and we can talk in the morning.” Slowly Dean let go of her, pulling his hands away to give (y/n) enough space to rise to her feet. With one last glance thrown his way, she disappeared down the hallway, letting the door to her bedroom fall shut with a soft thud.

And as Dean sat on the sofa he had once put together with (y/n), he couldn’t help but give into the tears welling up in his eyes.

And I'd set fire onto, these boots running from the hard truth, that you don't need me the same way I need you

……

Dean woke with a groan leaving him, back aching from the uncomfortable position he had been sleeping in. It took him a few seconds to remember the past hours, how he had turned up at (y/n)’s place, how he had cried into his hands as she had parted from him. His green eyes shot open, finding a pair of all too familiar eyes already staring at him. (Y/n) was sitting on the edge of the sofa, wearing the same shirt she had worn hours ago. Only now did Dean realise that the shirt had once belonged to him, pushing a very welcomed heat through his aching body.

“I made some coffee.” Her soft voice left his heart skipping beats, needing to cherish these moments should she ask him to leave in the upcoming minutes. Slowly did Dean sit up, stretching his neck and arms before he murmured a “Thank you, sweetheart”, taking the cup of warm coffee (y/n) pushed into his direction.

“I didn’t catch any sleep, but I got enough time to think.” Dean braced himself for the words she was about to speak, teeth grazing his lower lip. His heart was racing way too fast for the early hour, and yet Dean didn’t manage to calm his system, palms growing sweatier with every second. He struggled to look into the eyes he’d see whenever he closed his at night, desperate to feel her close, pupils that were once so familiar, so loved, pupils that felt like nothing but a fever dream now. “I love you too much to push you away, but it’ll take me some time to trust you again, Dean. You have to accept that we’ll both get hurt on hunts, with or without Sammy. And you’ll accept that I’ll join you on all hunts I want to join, you won’t get a say about my decisions. Are we clear?”

He looked at her for a few more moments before his hand found the back of her neck, pulling (y/n) in for a bruising kiss. With a gasp leaving (y/n) she moved closer, arms finding their way around his neck, allowing Dean to pull her into his lap. The kiss was fuelled by their longing for one another, hearts begging them to never part ways again, unable to endure another wave of heartbreak.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to get you back, whatever you need. I love you so much, sweetheart, I don’t want to live another day without you by my side.” Dean murmured his words against her lips, pulling her in for another kiss as his hands disappeared underneath the comfortable shirt of his she was wearing. Her breath hitched in her chest as Dean shuffled them around, pressing (y/n) against the sofa with him nestling between her thighs. Moans clawed through the two as Dean began to roll his hips, rubbing his hardening bulge against her damp panties.

“Been dreaming about you touching me, as much as I hated myself for it, I couldn’t help but miss you, your lips, your fingers.” A soft, throaty laugh rumbled through Dean as he pushed her shirt up to expose her chest to his hungry eyes, lips finding her hardening nipples almost instantly, leaving his marks on every inch of her warm flesh.

“Fuck, no matter what I tried, my mind always wandered back to you. I imagined the words you’d moan, how you’d wrap your fingers around my cock. Can’t believe I’m getting another chance to love you.” No longer could she reply to his words, (y/n) had almost forgotten the loving words his mouth and mind were able to create in moments like this one, set on making her feel the love his heart pumped through his system. “I need to be inside of you, it’s been too fucking long. Do you have a condom?”

“No, but I’m clean, I didn’t sleep with anybody but you.” She was almost scared to ask Dean if he had touched another woman, struggling to form the question that now rang through her mind, leaving her breathless. Dean pushed another kiss against her lips before he shuffled out of his clothes, exposing his twitching cock to her wandering eyes.

“Good, you’re mine to touch only, forever mine. I didn’t touch anybody else, just the thought of it made me sick, no matter how much alcohol I needed to try and forget about us.” With her hand finding its way back to his neck, and with her legs slowly wrapping themselves around his hips, (y/n) chased his slightly swollen lips.

The sound of their moans leaving them in unison was drowned by their kiss, Dean moved slow at first, needing to hold back before he’d cum right there and then, no longer used to feeling her tightness wrapped around his cock. Both clung to one another as he fucked her into the sofa, with one hand placed on the arm rest and the other on her waist, leaving marks with his fingertips digging into her skin. (Y/n) arched her front against his, trembling legs not daring to loosen their hold on his waist, wondering if she was only stuck in a dream, or if Dean was truly fucking her, reminding her that she was his.

And no matter how hard I try, I'll never learn to say goodbye, you say it's okay to cry, baby that river done ran dry

“God, how I missed feeling you, feels so perfect, so fucking perfect.” With his forehead pressed against hers, Dean added more speed to his thrusts, growing rougher as her walls fluttered around him, tensing every now and then. Dean had lost count on the amount of times he had dreamt of feeling her again, of loving her just like he had always promised he would.

“Same, fuck, don’t ever leave me again, Dean.” (Y/n) choked on his name, hand disappearing between their bodies to circle her sensitive bundle of nerves. Both knew that they wouldn’t be able to hold back for much longer, it felt as if they hadn’t been able to let go for months, unable to touch themselves without thinking of one another. But both had tried to make themselves cum for weeks on end, unable to do so, since their minds painted pictures too painful, pictures they could now finally leave behind.

“Where do you want me to cum, sweetheart? Fuck, I won’t be able to hold on for much longer.” Another moan left (y/n) as Dean’s lips found her jaw, kissing their way down her neck. It took her a moment to reply, choking on her breaths, unable to think clear with her thoughts growing hazy.

“Inside of me, please, Dean, fill me up.” She felt his cock twitching inside of her, forcing her to add more pressure on her clit, crying his name as she came. Dean followed her down the edge, eyes rolling back into his head as he came with a “Fuck” leaving him.

Both were heavily breathing, not daring to part with their bodies still joined, just like their jumping hearts. (Y/n) murmured his name as she combed a hand through his hair, eyes finding his, “I love you Dean, no matter what will happen between us, I belong to you, as much as you belong to me.”

#Dean Winchester smut #Dean Winchester imagine #Dean Winchester x reader #supernatural smut

887 notes · View notes

callsign-rogueone · 21 days

Text

study season

fourth wing characters (Aaric, Bodhi, Brennan, Dain, Garrick, Imogen, Liam, Mira, Rhiannon, Ridoc, Sawyer, Sloane, Violet, and Xaden) x reader the ways our faves help you study for exams. words: ~900 🏷: no book spoilers, no triggers. gender neutral. and I included the girls this time!! some of these can be read as platonic and others mention kisses / cuddles, implying you’re a couple. idk, I just work here. I’m really liking this format lately, and it’s (fairly) quick and easy so you can expect more of these in the future while I procrastinate all the girlfriendverse chapters and smut I have to write lol

First, the more studious of the bunch:

Brennan is all-in, no hesitation, pulling up a chair next to you and learning this with you for moral support, but also for fun (can you believe this guy?) though you suppose it’s easier to enjoy this if it doesn’t count for a grade. Either way, he’s a very nice study partner, and he encourages you to take breaks every hour / chapter / etc. Brings snacks, too.

Violet somehow already knows all of the material, and explains it better than the textbook or the professor. Walks things back if you don’t get it and gets into the why and how, which so many teachers skip over, even though it helps explain the what (pet peeve of mine showing here lol).

Aaric’s study skills are unmatched -- years of the best private tutors money can buy really paid off. Teaches you new strategies that you’ve never heard of in your life, and when you ask, he admits a bit shyly that he came up with it himself, but it works, and you get it done in half the time you would have before. (work smarter, not harder, baby)

Rhiannon gives you the pep talk of your life (we all need a Rhiannon in our lives) and convinces you that you’ve got this. Packs you a little snack for the day of your exam with a little note reminding you that you know this, just breathe and think.

Xaden sees you struggling and forces you to take a break. During said break, he’s reading the book himself and figuring out what exactly has you so stressed and exhausted. Breaks down the tasks into smaller, more manageable steps and guides you through it -- “find three reasons why XYZ happened.” done with that? “Now make them into paragraphs.” etc etc, and an hour later, you have a passable essay.

Dain is taking this more seriously than you are, and his discipline is like no other; you’re not stopping until the work is done, or until midnight, whichever comes first (because sleep is important for the brain, or whatever. Definitely not just because he misses you and wants to cuddle).

Garrick may have no idea what you’re talking about, but he suffers through it with you, offering to let you explain things to him, because teaching is a good way to test if you understand something. Though you get what you pay for -- he’s a total smartass about it, asking questions about the littlest details even if they’re common knowledge -- he’s gotta be thorough, right?

Ridoc may be the class clown type, but he’s smarter than a lot of people think. He comes up with a bunch of jokes that actually help you remember things. Somehow manages to relate the most complex topic in your book to a sandwich, and it actually works. He’s incredibly smug about this for the rest of the week, especially when you get the highest score in the class (he’ll take payment in kisses, thank you.)

Bodhi makes flashcards with you, quizzing you and giving you a kiss if you get it right (this definitely is not a distraction, and things definitely don’t escalate from here, nope.) He’s also really good at proofreading essays, and gives excellent feedback regarding the structure and the order of the information.

Liam sits there with you all the while, completely silent, working on one of his wood carvings at the other end of the table, but you know he’s there and he’s watching -- and that provides a healthy amount of peer pressure and keeps you on task. He’s an incredibly observant person, and he can see the stress building; he knows when to intervene and suggest that you take a break.

Sloane is the best person to commiserate with. She doesn’t want to be doing this either, but she’s also incredibly stubborn, and she doesn’t give up; after a healthy amount of complaining, she’s forcing you both to keep trying until it works / until it’s done, and then you’re treating yourselves to something for getting it over with, because you deserve it.

Sawyer is gentle and supportive, having a heart-to-heart conversation with you and reminding you that yes, this is important, but the world will not stop turning if you fail one exam. He knows how it feels to be compared to his peers, especially in how long it takes you to accomplish something (poor bb) and doesn’t want you stressing yourself out about that, either.

Imogen is the opposite, all tough love, giving you gentle but firm reminders: “you didn’t make it this far just to give up,”, “I know you can do this, so do it,” but she balances it out with tender affirmation when you’re done. She’ll even let you skip out on training for the day since you’ve been studying so hard (and she takes training seriously, so this is more of a reward than it seems).

Mira’s default approach is similar to Imogen’s, but she can see that you’re reaching your limit and dials it back, being more gentle with you and doing whatever you need -- encouragement? someone to just sit there? help / explanation / etc? she’s got you covered. herds you into bed at a reasonable hour so you’ll be well rested for the classes and exams.

And all of them are incredibly proud of you for working so hard and getting good grades 🤍

121 notes · View notes

figscigfigs · 25 days

Text

my favorite moments of episode 13 of fantasy high junior year!!!!!!:

harold and the purple crayon mention!!!!

fig running around cleaning up hell bc she didn’t know her friends were coming over

“hey man!!! i’m in charge here!!! (and i pay him)”

BILL SEACASTER IS BACK!!!!!!!!! HIS BOAT IS GETTING A TRAMP STAMP BUMPER STICKER FOR HIS OWN DARLING MAN BOY!!!!!!! (cait may’s art continues to be the best thing to happen to me bc gd he looks so so rad)

the multidad curse just got a little confused!

“i’ve got this asshole trying to win president over me” “KILL ‘EM!” “i’m this close”

FIG AND ADAINE GET GUNS!!!!!!! (deserved and overdue)

tattoo in roboto is the scariest and worst decision fabian has ever made

*talking about fabian’s nemeses* “one’s my girlfriend”

“what vandalism did you do” “i… i helped clean up”

baby’s music (“move your head, torso still”)

"¡ got a gun!!!" :) (concerned sigh) (ally perfectly mimics pok's concerned sigh)

“it is too many blessings to ask for to have good luck and the most wonderful daughter in the world” (BRENNAN IM SOBBING THATS TOO GOOD!!!!!!! I WANT TO SCREAM I LOVE YOU GILEAR AHHHHHHH)

“you have made it snowy… strange”

ankarna just being the raddest. (“she took artifacts from other pit fiends about conquest”)

adaine’s cousin’s girlfriend’s nepotism and her friend’s dance ability being the reason she makes enough money to pass her wizard classes

nara’s dad just being absolutely devastated by the loss of fleek

“i’m roma childa” “KEEP MY FUCKING BUT OUT OF YOUR MOUTH”

“sup?” “sup?” *ONSLAUGHT OF NOs* “everyone stop talking except for adaine!!! and maybe me” “oh please the ball!”

the goddess of sun and clarity married the goddess of nighttime and doubt

LOU MF WILSON PERFORMING MORE UNTRAINED SURGERY?!?!??!?!?!

fig and fabian’s field trip to the bank in matching suits (sibling bonding!!!)

143 notes · View notes

thesezombiestastelikeashes · 7 months

Text

Normally I post about Dimension 20 on my main blog but a thing happened on Adventuring Party and I'm gonna talk about it

So watching through the Episode 2 Adventuring Party, something really amazing happened at 2:15 ish. And now I'm gonna talk about consent and content in Tabletop and how @quiddie and Izzy (and everyone else at the table) absolutely fucking nailed it

Edited because I cannot believe I spelled Aabria wrong so many damn times in a row I'm so sorry

Specifics below the cut for spoilers and content warning: parasites and squick

The notes for DMs (and players) to take away from this:

Look for soft no's, even if you know your players. Make space for a no, even if you are excited. Once the no has been said, move on and no complaining that someone's comfort level isn't the same as yours.

So Brennan asked a question about the parasites, Chipmunks, and bear in Adventuring Party to clarify if Chipmunks and Parasite were one in the same or different entities (it was just the chipmunks being massively fucked up)

Aabria, as DMs who put their entire heart and soul into making a campaign often do, went to start explaining the basis for the parasites (link to ribbon worms, very content warn, dead dove do not eat). The table reacted. Brennan does a very physical ick response, Erika's face was very "I am listening to something gross", while the rest of the table looked interested in that way nerds do when they don't know what they're walking into. And Izzy said "I want you to stop."

Aabria just said ok, told the camera/audience to google it, and they moved on.

And I wanna talk about what a baller move that is on Aabria and Izzy's parts. (And Quiddie if you see this please tell Izzy she's an inspiration and I adore her and all of the compliments)

So first and maybe least controversial: Aabria

-While giving the explanation of the fucked up thing she slows down her talking (I'm not sure if it was intentional but it seemed it so I'm gonna talk about it) Instead of rushing through the explanation the way people excited tend to do she said everything slowly, gave lots of pauses to be interrupted, and really took the time to let the party know what she was describing was icky

-While doing the describing, she looked around the table. Not just at the person with the biggest visual reaction, but you can watch her make the rounds with her eyes to look at everyone and make sure they all know she is still engaging with them and checking in on them

-Her "ok" is so pleasant. It's not just polite, it's not just kind, it's upbeat and pleasant to listen to. There's no judgement in it, there's no "but I wanted to keep talking about this thing" its just "ok"

-And that's the fucking hard part, letting someone know you've heard them without any judgment or disappointment when they want you to stop talking about something

And now Izzy

-Most people aren't going to applaud someone for saying "I want you to stop" to a DM explaining something but I will. A+ Izzy

-She found her boundary and enforced it and felt comfortable with it

-She did it in such a specific way "want" instead of "need"; "I want" instead of "You need", not to mention the full firmness of it where it couldn't be misinterpreted (A+, hardest part)

-The flick of her eyes to the rest of the table, I can't tell if she's checking in with other people's comfort level or just watching Brennan's arm thing, but the way she looks at her fellow players is just such a Thing that I cannot Words about, whether its checking in for their comfort or looking for support for hers its an important look that I might be reading too much into.

Now some other important beats

-No one comments that Izzy made Aabria stop.

-Brennan says he can connect with Aabria later about it, without mentioning any of the content, and Siobhan and Jasper make the note of "maybe don't google it" but no one mentions the content after Izzy says it

-They just move on. Like even if it briefly sounds like they might hit back onto it (we'll never know what Erika was leading to with their "I've always been obsessed with") they just move on immediately

It's a goddamned masterclass of consent at the table. Aabria checking in and looking for soft no's and giving space for hard no's and then once a hard no was thrown immediately shifting the entire direction of the conversation was amazing.

#dimension 20 #adventuring party #burrows end #quiddie #aabria iyengar #brennan lee mulligan #izzy roland #siobhan thompson #rashawn scott #jasper william cartwright #consent #content warnings #burrows end spoilers

379 notes · View notes

malachitebeck · 26 days

Text

This season of Fantasy High seems to be dealing a lot with perception. The Bad Kids are perceived negatively by the Rat Grinders for some reason or another, and they seem hellbent on vindicating that. Adaine is being perceived as someone in a position of financial comfort that shouldn't be struggling to fund her own wizard classes and thus shouldn't need help where up until this last episode she really did. Riz's conversation with his mom seems to be about his perception amongst his friends; how it doesn't sit right with her that they call him "The Ball" and take advantage of his desire to succeed so much that he will often help them get work done... "Riz is the only person who can take stress tokens for someone else." Fabian is being perceived as the "Maximum Legend", party house extraordinaire and Owlbears star who is coasting along without any worries; when in actuality he is deeply lonely in his mansion by himself day in and day out, struggling to meet his needs, and clearly missing his father and fearful of what his mother's relationship with Gilear is going to mean for him.

Gorgug is literally being forced to fight against Porter because of how the man sees him; demanding for so long that he be allowed to pursue what makes him happy, but being countered by someone who perceives him a certain way, who thinks they know what's best for him. Fig... Fig is going through an entire identity crisis. Her perception of herself is in shambles and she seems to be hitting roadblocks just like Gorgug in how she wants to be seen and what she wants to try versus what the adults in her life think she should try. And then there's Kristen. Kristen is fucking going through it. In large part she's being treated the way she is because so many people seem to see her as flippant with her faith because Cassandra is her latest god in a line of many; and it feels like her self-perception is also struggling to be defined.

Baron was destined to come back this season somehow, someway, as Brennan has explained in Adventuring Party -- and Baron's whole thing is literally mirrors. The surfaces we use to perceive ourselves.

Gods can be altered due to how they are perceived. Bakur seems to outright address this; asking if Adaine was talking about Sol himself corrupting Ankarna, or his followers. Gods are bureaucratic, Gods can be standoffish to those they share domains with-- and followers, it seems, can change the course of a God's perception, can shape how they are remembered and corrupt them through denying what they are: like calling a Goddess of Conviction a Goddess of Conquest.

And if the responsibility for a God's perception can fall onto its followers? If you want to keep that God centered around rage, burning fires, horrible conquests? ...Then maybe that's why it's a bad look for one of your friends to go back out into the woods to resurrect rats after you've killed them. It can't be a conquest over helpless forest critters if someone is bringing them back, is holding to their personal convictions and showing them mercy.

Convictions don't have to be driven by greed or pride. Your convictions are your morals, are what defines you. And maybe whoever killed Lucy Frostblade didn't like what she stood for.

#I'm thinking a lot of thoughts about this show in case you couldn't tell #dimension 20 #d20 spoilers #fantasy high #fantasy high junior year #fhjy spoilers #lucy frostblade #ankarna

125 notes · View notes

adamsmasher · 4 months

Text

Okay it's after 1am and I've had a lot of wine so obviously it's time for a late night wall-of-text post, but this time it's less likely to piss off your weird uncle or whatever because once again, I gotta talk about the best $4.99 a month I've ever spent.

Please, if you haven't yet, I'm begging you to look into all of the incredible content available on the Dropout.tv streaming service (formerly known as College Humor) . Not only did Whose Line Is It Anyway's Wayne Brady say that the Dropout crew are the only ones doing improv comedy on the same level as Whose Line, but they were also one of the only studios/streaming services allowed to work during the writers' strike because their contracts went above and beyond industry standards. (And, from my own observations, Dropout LOVES hiring queer, trans/nonbinary, and BIPOC performers + crew. Obviously I don't know much about the industry, but they seem like one of the most inclusive companies in Hollywood.)

"Alex, thanks for the recommendation! What shows do they have that you think I'll like?" Oh, you're asking me to gush about my favorite tv shows? Don't mind if I do!!!

Are you D&D curious, but took one look at actual play shows like Critical Role and thought "6 hours an episode? and there's like 750 episodes or whatever? oh baby not my adhd ass..." Don't worry, me too (sorry CR I love you I promise). But Dropout has a show called "Dimension 20" where comedians play Dungeons and Dragons with emotional, immersive storytelling, gut-busting laughs, and spectacular set design that makes you forget it's a fully improvised series controlled by the roll of the dice. They even did a miniseries perfect for D&D beginners called "Dungeons and Drag Queens" where absolute novices and Drag Race royalty Jujubee, Monet X Change, Alaska Thunderfuck, and Bob the Drag Queen embark on an adventure full of mystery, intrigue, and stupidity. I mean, Alaska plays a muscle-bound, axe-wielding, caveman-grunting Orc named Princess, what more could you want? Plus, the primary game master Brennan Lee Mulligan is so easy on the eyes. Oh, you're not into dorky ginger dudes? How about Aabria Iyengar, a 6 foot tall goddess who's equally as nerdy as Brennan but loves basketball. that's right, if nothing else, there's eye candy for every person in every season.

"Oh, why aren't there any good game shows on TV?" you wonder, wishing that the Game Show Network could come up with something that isn't a lame remake of a free-to-play phone game. Well how about Game Changer, "the only game show where the game changes every show (except for [...] Game of Games, Taskmaster, and a few others that have come to light AFTER [Game Changer first aired]. That's right, [the] players have no idea what game it is they're about to play. The only way to learn is by playing, the only way to win is by learning, and the only way to begin is by beginning." And yes, I did sit there and watch the beginning of an episode to make sure I was accurately quoting Game Changer host (and Dropout CEO) Sam Reich's description of his flaghship game show that has THREE separate spin-offs. (for context, he only mentions the other shows that copied his in the one episode I pulled up to get an accurate quote. could you imagine how uncomfortable it would be if he said that every episode? hah!)

Are you more of a traditional Whose Line fan? Look no further than Game Changer spin-off Make Some Noise, where contestants act out "improvisational prompts that [they have] never seen before, isn't that right contestants?" ("We won't know if we've seen them before or not until we see them!" Brennan insists every time he's on...)

You like musicals but wish they were less... ya know, scripted? Check out "Play It By Ear", a fully improvised musical! (you may be familiar with its primary cast members Jess McKenna and Zach Reino from the podcast that inspired it all, "Off Book: the Improvised Musical Podcast with Zach and Jess")

Or maybe you're more into trivia, cuz you're a total nerd like me (and every single performer that's ever appeared on dropout.tv). How about "Umm, Actually" where contestants are given an incorrect statement and have to buzz in to correct it - but you have to say "Umm, Actually" first!

Straight up, you can't go wrong on Dropout. Please, check it out. They're nearly doubling the amount of original shows they have in 2024, and no other streaming service is doing it like them. If I haven't convinced you yet, get the 7 day trial and give em a chance. There's no referral code I can give you that gives me some sort of kickback or whatever, I genuinely wrote what looks like a thousand word essay about Dropout at 1am just because I love them so much.

youtube

#dropout.tv #umm actually #dimension 20 #make some noise #game changer #brennan lee mulligan #aabria iyengar #for a late night wine-fueled rant on a broken keyboard i think this went well #actually i feel so guilty about my CR dig because i loved Exandria Calamity so much so please dont yell at me #also google said quiddie is exactly 6 feet i hope i did her justice

193 notes · View notes

critgoblin · 2 years

Text

i just finished my first watch-through of dimension 20 fantasy high, and man—all i want to talk about is riz gukgak and his bloody hands.

riz and his bloody hands. his white-knuckle grip on control. little freakazoid insomniac wound too tight. “i’m a harsh guy,” he says, but he’s got so much of a heart in him that he leaps into hell to save his father and charges blindly off into the nightmare king’s forest to save the world. he’s a harsh guy, but his greatest fear in the world is being left behind by his friends.

i love watching brennan and murph. because brennan is truly an extraordinary dm, and murph is THE plot-hound player. his characters move forward, ever forward, only ever onward. riz cannot sit still, he cannot lay fallow. the three days they’re aboard a ship in the open ocean, he wigs out and spends it spiraling below deck. he cannot relax. not even for a second, not even to sleep. because if he does--what? what will happen to him? what will happen to the teenage goblin kid with no father?

riz and his bloody hands.

and brennan knows murph well enough that he knows how to turn that into a character beat. he pits riz’s drive for knowledge against him. you love the truth. you seek it so much that you cut your hands upon the insides of crystals. what a metal and underrated line. because riz would destroy himself for the truth. he can’t handle anything less. he’s like one of those dogs that chews its own paws to shreds if it doesn’t have a job to do. it’s always the next mission and the next job and the next adventure. no time for slowing down because the world is perpetually ending and there’s only so much one little goblin can do on his own--even if he never sleeps. there’s no time for slowing down because if he has a moment - even a moment! - to breathe, to rest, what would he do with it? what does riz have, if it isn’t the mission? what does he offer the world, if it isn’t his brain and his bullets and his bloody hands?

at the end of the day, riz gukgak is just an empty little kid in a room full of empty mirrors. he’s just the kid who sleeps clutching his sword. that’s why kalina preys on him the way that she does. she’s the queen of masks and reflections. she sees right through to the fear inside of riz--that he isn’t good enough, that he is nothing more than some kid playing detective who gets his friends hurt. she toys with him, but i imagine she also sees some of herself inside of him. they are both in their own ways, empty shells.

and of course, the ironic truth is that riz is far from empty. truth-seeker, paranoid, whip-smart and frantic, riz tries so hard. he tries so hard that he dies for it. he’s the reason for their little team you know, he’s the instigator. he went after penny, and he went after the nightmare king, and he will keep going and going and going, tearing his hands open again and again and again until he gives out. the ironic truth is that riz has one hell of a heart on him, and it beats him bloody. it drives him forward, ever and onward. it will not let him rest, and so he will never feel how big it is. how much space it takes up inside him. how un-empty he truly is.

all he has are his hands, and they do not stop bleeding.

#sorry but i fucking love him so much #i wanted him to take a level in paladin after meeting his father soooo badly #but that would mean admitting he's got more inside of him than empty mirrors and cracked palimpsests #riz gukgak #dimension 20 #fantasy high #the bad kids #dimension 20 meta #riz gukgak meta

1K notes · View notes