#shiningfennec

you can't tell me this wasn't done on purpose. they played with the timing and the camera cut in a way that is never used again and before in the whole movie.

they DEFINITELY just did a "the lord of the rings" reference AND with an actor who was PROFOUNDLY known for playing one of the most iconic popculture bowmen.

Daniil's portrait in Pathologic 2: I'm a respected bachelor of medicine, i'm going to get my anwsers and nobody better get in my way

It's happening a year after the game events. Pacing and emotions are impeccable, the characters are written lovely and very realistically, and my heart and stomach flipped wildly from excitement so often while reading that I've lost count.

Guy is a walking urban legend. He was/is such a great huntsman that people claim he could disappear before your eyes and spoke to animals. He was presented as a spiteful monster by many people (and even as a satan-dealing sorcerer by some), but it is pretty clear very fast that he did not in fact murder anyone and was framed really badly, losing everything (after he already lost everything once).

And when you finally meet him he's so incredibly nice and chill and very smart and kind, and he literally has a resting angelic smile face, despite, despite, despite.

their parents are badly divorced. their brother is gone to college. the weird new skeleton guy is flirting with his mom. their best friend's father is very ill. they just made friends but they are also currently controlled by two different malicious forces: 1. carol, who seems to have something on kris (i don't think it's a willing partnership), 2. the player which takes away their free will and forces them to act uncomfortable at best and cruel at worst.

they rip the soul out of their chest (which seems extremely painful) just to eat or drink something at last - or, in the weird route, to sneak to noelle's house and frantically apologise to her, shaking all the while.

when playing the 'original' game in the 3rd chapter, they are probably terrified being forced to sit in the dark room by themselves, they flinch when we kill susie and ralsei's sprites, they actively try to resist when we approach the shelter and they step back in horror when minikris leaves the screen. and then when we try to attack susie, they notice us and save her, but they are absolutely terrified, breathing hard and clenching their teeth.

and we can literally force kris to harm noelle, their best friend, both physically and emotionally. they beg us to stop ("please don't") and try to resist, they flee in TERROR if we let them - and if not, after forcing the ring on her they are so fucking angry that their vision is swimming and they throw the soul in the bin and repeatedly kick it in blind fury. they hate that they have to endure our control.

and yet, despite this control, we see small gestures of kris's will shining through all the time. they pose. they do faces. they laugh at susie while standing near the lake. they rock the guitar. they blush. they look at susie while sitting by the lake at the end of chapter 4. they howl. they scream and they mumble and they deadpan their lines. they are so full of will even when their will is taken away from them. the second thing after quenching thirst they do when they rip the soul out in the 4th chapter is play the piano (which they can't do while we are in control, which they are pissed about). they resist the player or trick them as much as they can when they don't agree with the decision (sparing ralsei's feeling by pretending to yawn, for example). they are holding back while fighting the roaring knight, but when susie and ralsei are down, they suddenly hit way harder.

I've been playing Minecraft: Origins mod as a merling and I speak with utmost honesty and a burning passion when I tell you I never want to play as anything else ever again. Vanilla Minecraft has lost it's appeal since I can't be a merperson there. I've been cursed and blessed to always feel the longing for the depths forevermore.

Basically as soon as you find an ocean, you're set for life. You'll find ships with treasure and underwater nether portals, and oh so many huge caves. You get rich ridiculously fast by swimming through huge underwater caves and clearing them of diamonds, gold and iron. They're 50 blocks below you? You can just swim down. No fall damage, no monsters. On the ceiling? Doesn't matter, just swim up there. And you can swim FAST. I cannot stress this enough, you are FAST underwater, and that's even before you get Depth Strider III. And there's no monsters nor trees nor terrain nor obstacles that usually slow you down up on the surface, you can just literally swim really fast over everything and see everything from above (and with good vision, as the merling vision underwater is always great, no matter the time of day). It's like flying, but better, as you're more in control. Also building your house is so easy like this, you don't even need any scaffolding.

The only danger you'll encounter underwater are the drowned, but they are laughably slow compared to you (it's the ones with a trident that are actually dangerous, but they're pretty managable, especially if you've got a shield). Pufferfish don't puff up around you so you're in no danger around them (and they make for cute pets). Guardians and Elder Guardians are kind of dangerous, but you'll manage if you know what you're doing (dodging behind multiple columns the builders were kind enough to provide).

Oh you wanted to go on land? No problem. Water bucket is your best friend, but I get it, waiting for your breath to restore can be pretty annoying. So as soon as you can you should look for turtles and get that sweet sweet turtle helmet, which 1. will give you 10 seconds free respiration and 2. you only need to be underwater for a split second for it to restore (yes - everything that usually gives players a water breathing effect, gives you an air breathing effect). So you go on land, have a free 10s, then your bubbles go down for like another 10s, then you pour the water bucket over yourself for half a second and you're good to go for another 20 seconds. Oh and if you enchant your turtle helmet with respiration III, the time period you can be outside of water is more like 1,5 minute. And again, you water bucket for a second and you have another 1,5 minute. Literally rinse and repeat.

Still unhappy? Want to visit your friends but you're tired of your best friend, the bucket? Make a ✨CONDUIT✨. It can be quite the hassle to acquire the materials for it (and I think of the shells [1.21.11. UPDATE: NOT ANYMORE. PRAISE THE NAUTILUS] - the Heart of the Sea is actually very easy to find), but it creates a huge area where you can breathe air indefinitely.

As for the Nether, okay, I agree that it isn't the best place for merlings, as the water bucket trick won't help you there. But water breathing potions will! Getting them can be a pain if you don't play with non-merlings willing to pay a visit to the Nether first and bring you that rod to power the alchemy table (you can offer to your friends that you'll pay for it with diamond blocks you've already managed to collect because digging underwater is, as I've mentioned, broken). But if you don't play with friends it's still possible, as you can find water breathing potions in treasure chests (and you can find one of these by finding a map in a shipwreck chest). And when you've finally acquired the alchemy table, well then congratulations, you're unstoppable, my friend. Just stack up on underwater breathing potions and you have multiple 8 minute periods to go and do whatever you like - even in the harshest conditions.

So basically:

1. Become a merling.

2. ???

3. Profit.