A lost friend. A found fandom. A happy video. A sad fic.
As you all likely know already, vagabondage passed away Friday night. I'm grateful I had the chance to get to know her better these last couple of years, as (as I said on Twitter) she is the nicest scary person I've ever met. She lived so big, so confident in the people and things she loved, and I am trying to take that part of her with me, because I admire the hell out of it. And in her honor, I'm gonna talk here about a few of the things I have loved recently. Because I miss LJ/DW and y'all, even while Twitter continues to be the easiest platform for me to use regularly.
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I played Dragon Age: Origins and DA:2 when they came out, and when I heard there was a new Dragon Age game coming out again, I was REALLY excited but there was just no way I was gonna be able to play it on any of my elderly machines or with a tiny baby around, so I waited. This year for Christmas I got a PS4 and a charming toddler, and so last month I FINALLY started playing Dragon Age: Inquisition and TL;DR: IT SWALLOWED MY LIFE.
DA:O is maybe my favorite game of all time, but DA:I is running a very close second. For this first time through, I played a female Qunari warrior and while originally she had her eye on Cullen, I ended up romancing her with Blackwall. I was completely unspoiled for the game, so while Blackwall was awkwardly charming I was a bit 'meh' on him, particularly at the beginning. My character was kind of keeping her options open. Then, as someone on Tumblr said, he becomes all Warden-Constable McHandsy once you kiss him the first time and then it's like "...ohhhhhhh I see your value now." And now I'm like the most strident pro-Blackwall fan in fandom.
My core traveling group was Kaitala (my character), Blackwall, Dorian, and Varric and man they had the beeeeeest group banter. Also relationship growth! Dorian and BW hated each other and then by the end they were buddies! And Varric wants to go on a jousting roadtrip! This game just makes me so freaking happy. After staying up way too late way too many nights in a row (and shirking otherwise important house duties AND spending a couple of rainy weekends holed up in the house while the kids watched movies), I finished it, all the way through the Trespasser DLC. What's particularly hilarious is how AHH and I both got to the Haven battle and said "well, I hope this isn't it, because it's been a fun game but I can't say it's the best Dragon Age game ever, or even top 2"...and then Skyhold happens and it's like an extra 100 hours of gameplay. DEFINITELY got my money's worth on this one.
I'm very appreciative that the designers genuinely seem to love the game - and the fandom - as much as we do. So now I have a vidsong and am going to start the game over so I can capture some of the early cutscenes I never thought I was going to want because WHO VIDS VIDEO GAMES ANYWAY? *cough*
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Via settiai, this music video is amazing. Worth watching. The song is also extremely catchy.
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And finally, a fic rec for my fellow Hamilton fans:
Everyone who loves me has died (3199 words) by belmanoir
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Hamilton - Miranda
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Relationships: Aaron Burr/Alexander Hamilton
Characters: Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton
Summary:
Burr is haunted by Hamilton's ghost. Alexander has been talking for eight solid days about the importance of an independent judiciary. He doesn't have to stop for breath anymore.
This fic is everything I ever wanted in a ghost!Hamilton fic - AND MORE. Run don't walk to this one.
This entry was cross-posted at my Dreamwidth account. Please comment here or there. (
comments at DW)
**********
I played Dragon Age: Origins and DA:2 when they came out, and when I heard there was a new Dragon Age game coming out again, I was REALLY excited but there was just no way I was gonna be able to play it on any of my elderly machines or with a tiny baby around, so I waited. This year for Christmas I got a PS4 and a charming toddler, and so last month I FINALLY started playing Dragon Age: Inquisition and TL;DR: IT SWALLOWED MY LIFE.
DA:O is maybe my favorite game of all time, but DA:I is running a very close second. For this first time through, I played a female Qunari warrior and while originally she had her eye on Cullen, I ended up romancing her with Blackwall. I was completely unspoiled for the game, so while Blackwall was awkwardly charming I was a bit 'meh' on him, particularly at the beginning. My character was kind of keeping her options open. Then, as someone on Tumblr said, he becomes all Warden-Constable McHandsy once you kiss him the first time and then it's like "...ohhhhhhh I see your value now." And now I'm like the most strident pro-Blackwall fan in fandom.
My core traveling group was Kaitala (my character), Blackwall, Dorian, and Varric and man they had the beeeeeest group banter. Also relationship growth! Dorian and BW hated each other and then by the end they were buddies! And Varric wants to go on a jousting roadtrip! This game just makes me so freaking happy. After staying up way too late way too many nights in a row (and shirking otherwise important house duties AND spending a couple of rainy weekends holed up in the house while the kids watched movies), I finished it, all the way through the Trespasser DLC. What's particularly hilarious is how AHH and I both got to the Haven battle and said "well, I hope this isn't it, because it's been a fun game but I can't say it's the best Dragon Age game ever, or even top 2"...and then Skyhold happens and it's like an extra 100 hours of gameplay. DEFINITELY got my money's worth on this one.
I'm very appreciative that the designers genuinely seem to love the game - and the fandom - as much as we do. So now I have a vidsong and am going to start the game over so I can capture some of the early cutscenes I never thought I was going to want because WHO VIDS VIDEO GAMES ANYWAY? *cough*
**********
Via settiai, this music video is amazing. Worth watching. The song is also extremely catchy.
Click to view**********
And finally, a fic rec for my fellow Hamilton fans:
Everyone who loves me has died (3199 words) by belmanoir
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Hamilton - Miranda
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Relationships: Aaron Burr/Alexander Hamilton
Characters: Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton
Summary:
Burr is haunted by Hamilton's ghost. Alexander has been talking for eight solid days about the importance of an independent judiciary. He doesn't have to stop for breath anymore.
This fic is everything I ever wanted in a ghost!Hamilton fic - AND MORE. Run don't walk to this one.
This entry was cross-posted at my Dreamwidth account. Please comment here or there. (
comments at DW)