Bruno-calasans - Sem Título

FCG’s heroic sacrifice

“I am alive. I am alive for the first time. And I am alive, not because I was made by D or Dancer or even the Changebringer. I’m alive because they made me alive. And it’s the connections that I made with all of them. And it’s a feeling of joy. And I’m happy to do this, because they saved my life and I’ll save theirs.” - Fresh Cut Grass

Part 1/2

This one wouldn’t let me go until I got it out. It hit me as soon as episode 114 ended, and I’ve worked on it in bits and pieces since. I wish I had the time to make it true to what’s in my head, but other projects demand my attention. A lot of artists have been doing fan art of that episode, which is a testament to how powerful it was as a whole. But this part was what hit me hardest. I took a lot of liberties with combining IC and OOC stuff with my own personal take on it, but I hope it comes across as at least a fraction of how the moment hit me. These characters are amazing and I will deeply miss them, but it’s the players and GM that make everything special. I can’t wait to see what’s ahead, both the bitter and the sweet. Oh, and as a note, I don’t ship Vax and Scanlan, though if you do that’s cool. But one thing I love about Vox Machina is the open, raw love they have for one another, both platonic and romantic, that makes them family. Their expressions of that (and especially the players’ affection outside the game) reflect something we all need more of, and I think that’s part of what makes it all so compelling. <3

Sam/Scanlan giving up his plan to use his ninth-level spell to save Vax.

So I was rewatching Nott and Caleb’s conversation in e27 — the one where Nott talks about Molly’s impact on her and how much she loves the party. And there’s a couple of parts where she talks about her (and Caleb’s) life before the M9, how she was “in the darkness,” “hiding in the shadows and ducking into alleys to get away from people,” safe but “not really alive.” 

And it struck me, given recent revelations, that Nott probably is probably talking about her life before she became a goblin, too. 

Because yes, of course, Veth was happy with Yeza and Luke. But it’s clear that even in her happiness, she struggled with heavy self-esteem issues, heavy enough that when she became a goblin — after heroically saving her family — she saw her situation as a projection of her worst insecurities. Veth, as a halfling, was anxious (though maybe not so much as Nott); she suffered emotional scars from years of childhood, both from neighbours and her own family. Even before she became a goblin, Veth must have ducked into alleys to get away from people. She must have spent time hiding in shadows, out of breath, waiting for her bullies to stop chasing her. Maybe, when she was older, avoiding all the people who had bullied her as a kid.

And speaking as someone who was bullied as a kid and is still dealing with that as an adult: that shit, that anxiety and low self-esteem from being ridiculed as a kid, it really does feel like darkness. It does feel like you’re not really living. It’s really hard to live to your fullest potential, when you’re barely coping. And I think that, as happy as Veth was at the apothecary, with her family, that she was probably going through a fair bit of that. 

The situation that eventually led her to the M9 was horrible, of course, and it’s awful that she’s been separated from her family. But her experiences with the party — “having fun and winning contests and killing bad guys and rescuing children,” as she tells Caleb — are really good for her, in many ways. Veth ran from bullies, but Nott stands up to a blue dragon. Veth didn’t have many friends, but Nott has a whole new group of people whom she loves and would protect with her life, a group of people who rely on her and care for her. She’s a successful, brave hero, and sometimes, when she’s delivered the killing blow, she even feels that way. Something Veth never felt, probably could never imagine herself feeling. 

Nott’s newfound happiness with the M9 was touching before, but now, it’s even more touching knowing that she did have some happiness before, and this is still a new, wonderful experience, something she’d never have gotten back in Felderwin, something that may help to heal some of her childhood trauma. And I hope that she does get to settle back down with her family someday, but I think that if she does, she’ll be so much better for her adventures. 

Batman & Robin #20 - "The Gotham Cycle" (2025)

written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson art by Hugo Petrus, Miguel Mendonca, Juni Ba, & Marcelo Maiolo

Jester sings “Popular”

Matthew Mercer’s beautiful singing 

Official character art for CR has been on my dream work list for a long time and now it is real. Thanks for all the love already, I gave it my all ❤️

Thursday By Night #2 | Laura and Sam Have a Dance Battle

Bonus: