gaines

[gainesha]

I feel like I would be a perfect offline bf to an online gf, if only I wasn't terminally online.

[gainesha]

updated due to a recent revelation: I feel like I would be a perfect Tom Holland to a Zendaya.

[cozyhobbit07]

Matt and Alex hitting the stressed spider stance.

[gainesha]

this resonates. a lot.

[gainesha]

fave Brennan C4 NPC's, ranked:

15. Cyd Pridesire 14. Gaya Seremai 13. Hannan 12. Romina Rountree (protect her at all costs!!) 11. Shadia 10. Winifred Cosgrove 9. Dr. Talter 8. Demodus Blix 7. Aranessa Royce 6. Ulbid Morn 5. Hero 4. Hawkins & Morgaine 3. Emnity & Agony 2. King Gus 1. Ingrid Einfasen (PROTECT HER AT... nah, she is more than capable of protect herself) best Brennan little guy:

Skinner

scariest human villains of C4:

all of them

best Tsul'rekshi:

Tsul'rekshi

[gainesha]

I have to gush a bit longer about Critical Role Campaign 4, because it is SO MUCH MY SHIT and it is right on the doorstep of the conclusion of its first arc, and the anticipation is GOLDEN

the thing is, while I get my daily lifesaving nourishments from lots of different things (movies, books, music, dance, comedy, I can go on), there is a special thing about certain kinds of longform entertainment that can scratch a very very specific itch, and gets me to obsess and hyperfixate and submerge myself into a world like nothing else.

these all have some core similarities: they are longform (meaning, years of overarching storytelling); genre; a wide and rich assortments of characters, with multiple conflicting viewpoints; tonally not grimdark, but also not fluff (bonus points for sorrow and melancholy), morally complicated and thematically heavy, but also, deep in the core, about everlasting hope and resilience against immeasurable forces of dark.

i love a lot of stories like this, but I think the main ones from, let's say, this century, were Battlestar Galactica and A Song of Ice and Fire in the 2000s, and then the Krakoa Era of X-Men comics in the early 2020s. And now, it's Aramán and Campaign Four.

I'm not sure why this one clicked for me and not Campaign Two (which I also started watching way back, and then fell off quickly). maybe it's because Brennan DMing dramatic stories is my sweet spot (his three EXU minis are also in the pantheon) - even though I adore Matt, and I really enjoy the animated shows. maybe it's the Wire-esque byzantine plotting and the expanded cast, or the base motifs of rebellion and resistance.

whatever it is, these last few episodes (the culmination of the Schemers table, and now these last two Convergence eps [the first one was kind of a mess]) are just firing on all cylinders. it is SO satisfying to see the characters (and the cast) putting together all of these puzzle pieces into solving the great mysteries, and also reaping the fruits of so many character arc developments.

SPOILERS Just from this week's episode, it's a multitude of emotionally rich moments - the farewell of Demodus Blix, who wasn't even one of my favorites, but Marisha's fierce attachement to him made it so so beautiful; the Vaelus and Hannan conversation's deep sense of loss, Hal's astounding monologues - and brilliant plot high points - Thaisha's idea of conversing with Thjazi's soul took me completely by surprise; the SAM SPEECH -, and Brennan's countdown clock drive of the story towards the play and the big Sundered House meeting is paying dividends now. like, I can't stop thinking about how they will do the performance: my secret wish - even if it seems like an even bigger logistical nightmare than the Convergence in itself - is that they bring in recurring guest stars from earlier campaigns and minis to enact some part of KoTher'ai - just imagine Abu, Lou, Celia, Erika, or others jumping in for an hour-long dramatic enactment with Hal shadow-narrating the action, I WANT TO SEE THE ORCISH HAMLET before all hell breaks loose. SPOILERS END

I am so invested in all of it, Wick and Tyranny, the recent comic relief antics of Kattigan, emo undead Occtis (and I need more of him and Thimble), Azune being an absolute wreck, Hal being an absolute dad, each and every sarcastic Bolaire barb, Murray's zeal, the faes and the hounds and the demons, and this is just the FIRST arc?! goddamn!

just wanted to record this exhilarating moment, the final big inhale before the storm, before the season finale, when everything is laid out on the table and every possibilty is still shimmering on the horizon.

[gainesha]

it's kind of astonishing that between Worlds Beyond Number and CR Campaign 4, Brennan has created, first, the most sweet and wonderful grandma of all time, and now, the most terrifying and vile one.

[delusionalbestie]

who wanna come over and have floor time

[obibail]

there's regular daddy issues and then there's "i use alter self to mold myself into what i would've looked like if thjazi had actually been my father and fall asleep like that." congratulations azune that's the most mentally unwell anyone's ever done it, bud

[gainesha]

and I am sorry, but Luis is SO FINE

[gainesha]

SPOILERS for the Schemers Table, but in hindsight, this already glorious moment is even more brilliant

[gainesha]

I love my sad broken boys so much

[jonnyrig]

It's SO interesting just how much the Soldiers and the Seekers parallel and contrast each other in terms of the character archetypes and dynamics.

Like, obviously there's Wick and Occtis who are SO similar. Each a scion to a sundered house who sided with the shapers, both extremely isolated by their families, both 5'11", etc.

But while Occtis was isolated because he was "useless" without magic, Wick was isolated in order to serve as a perfect tool for his family to use. And while Occtis knew his family sucked, he still wanted to become something like them. Wick, after learning the truth of his family, is put off by even his own natural magic and its origin. There's so much going on with them as parallels it's insane.

Vaelus and Tyranny are both (technically) nuns, both serve a powerful being who is also a parental figure, both are ancient but also new to the world, and both are attached to Occtis/Wick because they represent something important to them (rebirth/redemption).

Where they differ is that Vaelus sees a renewed hope in Occtis while Tyrrany almost resents the fact Wick believes she could be good when she knows she can't.

Thimble and Julien are connected to house Royce and driven by vengeance. They have an inherent dislike toward Wick/Occtis due to their families being responsible for destruction falling upon their people. But Thimble's vengeance is just an excuse to run from her grief while Julien's is a step toward closure for what happened.

They also differ in how they treat Wick/Occtis. Julien (at this point) only sees Occtis as a means to get to his family for the sake of his revenge. Thimble doesn't see Wick as a means to take down the Halovars, but she still wants him to be better and take down his family. And in return he wants to prove himself to her that he's actually good.

Thaisha and Kattigan are the least similar, but both are the most worldly members of their party and the most down to earth. They are empowered by nature and understand the natural order of the world more than the others. Both also showcase very maternal/paternal instincts.

Then there's Teor.

Only Teor is Teor.

[gainesha]

"I think I'm going to throw my life away, and I'd just feel less scared if you were with me."

almost every episode of c4 has at least one line that destroys me, but this one especially... damn...

[gainesha]

[gainesha]

[gainesha]

[gainesha]

since I don't have a cultural obsession unfortunately at the moment (bring! back! The! Pitt!), you can only expect intermittent posting about the unbearable weight of life, the impossibility of love, and the immeasurable yearning that envelops my soul

[gainesha]

guuuys guys guys guys

i have a new cultural obsession / hyperfixation and it's EXACTLY what I was looking for and it is going to last for years, it feels sooo nice :)))