Happy belated Valentine's~! My husband and I went and saw Titanic's 25th anniversary re-release in the theater. It's been my favorite movie since it came out! We haven't seen it in theaters since the 2012 3D release, so it was really nice. Of course I own the movie and watch it at least a few times a year, but seeing it in theaters really enhances the experience. This was also the 3D version we saw, which is fine and kind of neat, but I honestly don't think it adds that much. Pretty much every time I watch the movie, I'm so enamored by Rose's hair and clothes that I get the itch to dye my hair red. In fact, I've been telling myself I should go red or pink for months now, but then not following my impulse and just moving on until I inevitably get the itch again. So this time I decided to go straight to the beauty supply store after the movie and I dyed my hair! I mixed a pretty vivid copper with a darker auburn and it came out great! It's super bright right now, but once I start washing it I'm sure it'll fade in no time like red always does T_T

I'm still seriously stuck on Alistair. There are a lot of mods out there to enhance/add to his romance route and it makes me want to play DAO all over again. I'm still working on finishing all the DLC right now (just started Awakening), and I had been planning to play DA2 after I finish, but I don't want to move on ;~; Also, there's so much fan art out there of him that doesn't feel like him at all. Half of them turn his face into generic male catalog model #347 which is so not how he looks. I've even been considering commissioning someone to draw him and my Warden. Also saw this Alistair fancam on Twitter lmao it seems like so many people are deeply sick over this man, nice to know it's not just me.

I will probably end up writing something more about DAO in a more put together form. Part review, part my jumbled thoughts on the game. I'd like to do that for any new games I play that I feel like writing about. A full on gaming log feels like too much, but if I just stick to ones I feel like writing about in a longer form I think it'll be alright. I've been intending to put together the gaming section of the site and just been lazy... I'd also like to share my game collection on here at some point, but not sure how it'll be feasible other than just linking my pricecharting account lol I'll have to figure out how I want to do that.

So you know how in my last entry I was talking about how I just started playing Dragon Age: Origins and "I'll probably go with Alistair"? PROBABLY? Oh god. Me 4 days ago was a big dumb idiot. Knowing what I know now me saying that was like standing in front of a train that's rapidly approaching me and only 5 feet away and saying "I'll probably get hit by a train". I didn't know. Oh my god I didn't know anything. I couldn't have picked anyone else. I am absolutely hopelessly desperate for this man... Usher - U Got It Bad.mp3. If you don't see spoiler tags on this entry, clear your cache :3

I have a TON to say about the game overall, but we're here to talk about the love of my life. My husband (the actual, irl one, not Alistair ♥) kept telling me he knew exactly who I'd pick but wouldn't tell me who until I picked someone. And he was exactly right in his prediction. I didn't know I still had the capacity for this degree of a full-fledged crush. I love him so much ;~;

"How could something so beautiful exist in a place with so much despair and ugliness?"

He is so attractive to me. His personality is... so good. He's so charming, sweetly awkward, funny, loving, and genuinely kind-hearted. He's not stupid or really a himbo like people say sometimes. He always wants to lighten the mood and make you laugh is all. His little speech during the rose scene about the Warden being the beauty and light in the darkness applies most of all to him! He is the most pure goodness and beauty in such a dark world. Someone who has been through so much but has a beautiful, open heart and isn't marred by bitterness. My Warden grew up in an alienage until she was taken to the Circle; she's spent years bitter and angry at the world for how she's been treated, but Alistair's love for her allowed her to grow and see the world and herself differently. The two of them leaning on each other through it all, it's almost too good ;~;.

The first time he said, "my love?" when I switched to him in battle my heart fluttered in my chest. My stomach sank and I felt nervous and sick for like a full day after they have sex the first time and you ask him where this is going. He can't confidently say because he's worried having to become king will tear them apart, but when my warden told him she'd never leave him, he acted sheepish and ended the conversation. I was so scared after that. I was kissing him and inviting him to my tent constantly especially after all that. Every day, just giddy and can't wait to talk to him again.

I got the both survive & stay together as Wardens ending. Picturing them traveling together as Wardens for the rest of their lives makes me so happy, even if the "rest of their lives" might not be all that long in the big picture. My Warden is a female elf mage, so things could've gone horribly wrong. I watched the scenes I could've gotten on Youtube and my heart broke watching someone else's character go through it. I kept an unhardened Alistair, because the things you have to say to him to harden him feel so cruel to me. My warden became more open-hearted and compassionate for others through loving Alistair, how could I possibly try to change who he is?

I just couldn't bear to harden Alistair, I couldn't bear to make him king because he never wanted it in the first place. You could try to make the case that he only feels that way because he's scared, but I don't think that's true at all. Even if you make him king and he dumps you for not being a human noble, the break up is devastating. It's so clear that he's doing this because he "must" and he doesn't want it at all. There's a dialogue option to tell him during the break up that he'll be a good king, and he says, "A good king. A good Grey Warden. A good husband. A good father. But I'd gladly trade all of those things for what I really want." It's devastating. And then he can't bear to say anymore and has to excuse himself, so I think the argument about him just not being scared or not knowing what he wants is a bad one.

I could go on about him for days and I have, and I will. You might find yourself asking, "hey aren't you married?," and the answer is yes, my husband has been on the receiving end of me talking about Alistair constantly for the past week. All day at work today I kept getting distracted working on Alistair playlists on Spotify, looking at fanart, watching videos of him... and it was a busy day too. I don't think I'm going to be getting over this one any time soon. I'm smitten ♥ I want you all to know, that this is absolutely self-moderated Alistair love-blogging here because I'm sort of embarrassed by just how much I love him. I almost can't bear it (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)

"And I love you. Always."

It's already February somehow. I started Dragon Age: Origins the other day, and I spent the entire weekend playing. I've only played Inquisition years ago, which I loved. I've been meaning to play the whole series at some point, and decided now was the time. I'm really loving it so far. I played a female elf mage in Inquisition and I'm doing the same in DAO. In Inquisition, I romanced Cullen *___* I ended up loving it, but I did wish there was a more attractive elf romance option. Sera is not my style, and Solas creeps me out, though I know so many of my fellow elf-lovers who are obsessed with his route.

Anyway, in DAO I was glad to see Cullen again, but man is he ugly in this game. Not sure yet who I will romance, because I don't think I have all of the companions yet. My husband has told me that he feels confident he knows who I'll pick because I tend to have a type for my romance choices in games. He basically summarizes it as: charismatic/flirty pretty boy, but somewhat dark with a troubled past. He also likes to point out that they tend to ride motorcycles lol but he's not wrong, a lot of my favorites do check these boxes. As things stand, I'll probably go with Alistair, but not sure if things will change as I progress, we'll see.

I've been trying to not get swept away in all the hype about Hogwarts Legacy, because I don't need to spend any money on games right now ;~; The reviews are looking good, and I watched a bit of people playing on Twitch and it looks really fun. I know I'll play it, but I'm trying to hold out until the full release to see how the reception is at that point.

February is the month of our wedding anniversary (and dating anniversary)! Years later I still find myself looking at our wedding photos pretty often. If you ever end up planning a wedding, spend on the photographer! It's so worth the money. I want to share so many of my wedding photos, but I'll stick with tiny compressed detail shots because I'm not going to post my face!

I hate crowds and big social events, but somehow, I felt the calmest on that day. It was a super busy day, too: getting ready, photos, ceremony, pyebaek, cocktail hour, dinner, dancing... but I didn't feel tired. I want to reminisce, so maybe I'll see if my husband wants to look at our wedding photos and watch our honeymoon videos this weekend ^^