#I am reading if we were villains and oh guys how this book is about to change my entire life narrative I fear | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

nighttimeebony · 1 year

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I just got into the Percy Jackson series, so here is a collection of my actual thought process while reading the first book that I bothered to write down. So, spoilers for Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief under the cut. I guess.

EDIT: part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5

Aww, Percy. Neurodivergent rep, I am fed

Is Mr. Brunner Dionysus? I think Dionysus is a major character in this series. But then what’s the wheelchair for? And Dionysus in mythology doesn’t have a beard like that. Oh! What if he’s actually Hephaestus? That would explain the wheelchair and the bearded old man look.

HOLY FUCK IT’S THE MINOTAUR

HOLY SHIT SALLY’S DEAD WHY

Is that tree on the property line the Olive Tree from the founding of Athens myth? Because Percy is the son of Poseidon?

Percy’s dream has got to be some kind of foreshadowing about Poseidon and Zeus fighting each other. Zeus would be the bird because he’s a sky god, and Poseidon would be the horse because in a really really old myth, Poseidon turned himself into a horse to chase down Demeter. Also, the voice from underground egging them on is definitely Hades, because god of the underworld and all that

Also goddammit, Hades is the villain?? Why????? Goddammit, not again…

Mrs. Dodds was definitely a fury, but she’s called a Kindly One. Wonder what that’s about

There’s some Thing about characters dissolving when they die. Wonder what that’s about

Oh shit. I was wrong. Brunner is Chiron. Interesting. Now the whole teacher thing makes sense

Wow, Dionysus is an asshole in this one. He’s more like his older Orphic version than the newer, modern Dionysus I’m familiar with

Everyone is so in love with Luke it's embarrassing

I just adore how casually neurodivergent Percy is. All the jokey references to Dyslexia and ADHD, I just—I love it so much. And I love that it actually is dyslexia and ADHD. And that apparently all the half-bloods are dyslexic and ADHD too. We love to see it.

Oh my God, I love all of these children so much.

HOLY SHIT AUNTY EM IS A GORGON

I WAS RIGHT

I find it amusing that Hermes named the activation password for his magic shoes after his mother

I wonder what Persephone's like

Grover's gonna be the friend to betray Percy, isn't he? He better fucking not be. I love him. If Grover's the Traitor MHA-style, I'm gonna riot

One difference between Harry Potter and Percy Jackson (the characters) is that Harry marvels at every new instance of magic. But after Percy learns about the magic system, he just stops giving a shit. Once he learns that magic is real, he is surprised by absolutely nothing and does not question the irrelevant stuff, like Annabeth's invisibility hat, or how the fuck a ballpoint pen can turn into a sword.

Percy is such a sassy, sarcastic little shit and I love him so fucking much.

ECHIDNA

"Isn't that a kind of anteater?" I love this child

*Percy wondering what all the mirrors are for in the Tunnel of Love*

Me: "It's gotta be a kink thing."

*While Ares and Aphrodite were smooching with each other they could look at their favorite person: themselves*

Me: "Called it."

Wait……. Is the traitor Luke????? He's like the only other "friend" Percy has

Thank God Hades isn't the bad guy

Aw, I wanted to see Persephone. Don't worry, Percy, I'm disappointed too

You know what, from now on, anytime a protagonist has to live with an abusive parent figure, the only resolution I will accept is turning that bitch to stone and selling him on the black market.

Thank God Percy can have a nice, stable home life with his mom in between rounds of risking his life.

I'm so on-board with Percabeth, and this friend group as a whole

I FUCKING CALLED IT! LUKE WAS THE TRAITOR!

Thank God the characters in this book have a fucking brain. Percy's an impulsive little chaos gremlin, but he's not an idiot.

I'm kind of curious to see what the shipping side of the Percy Jackson fandom looks like, cuz Percabeth is great, and I'm pretty sure that's the main canon pairing, so I'm curious….

Honestly, I can't wait for Percy and Annabeth to start dating. I'm so excited to see what their relationship will be like in a romantic context

I love this book and I want more immediately.

#percy jackson #percy jackon and the olympians #the lightning thief #pjo #pjo spoilers #i guess?#percy jackson spoilers #annabeth chase #grover underwood #luke castellan #chiron pjo #percabeth #sally jackson #percy jackson the lightning thief

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faterpresources · 9 months

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Sᴘɪᴅᴇʀ-Mᴀɴ : Aᴄʀᴏss ᴛʜᴇ Sᴘɪᴅᴇʀ-Vᴇʀsᴇ (2023) - Pᴀʀᴛ 2

A collection of random lines compiled from the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) Feel free to change the pronouns in order to better suit the parts involved.

❝ Kid's an anarchist. ❞

❝ Oh, what the heck? ❞

❝ Wanna see pictures? ❞

❝ "Chai" means tea, bro! ❞

❝ You're saying "tea tea!" ❞

❝ Would I ask you for a "coffee coffee"? ❞

❝ Yeah, actually, stop talking. ❞

❝ I don't see anything, boss. ❞

❝ This guy/girl is killing me. ❞

❝ You're welcome. Shut up. ❞

❝ You never made a mistake? ❞

❝ Why don't you have 8 arms? ❞

❝ I don't believe in consistency. ❞

❝ Neither was I! I'm in the zone! ❞

❝ It's a metaphor for capitalism. ❞

❝ You disrupted a canon event. ❞

❝ Do you wanna hold my baby? ❞

❝ Oh, I thought you hated labels. ❞

❝ I told you he/she was a liability! ❞

❝ This is what I love about heists! ❞

❝ Can you not talk for a second? ❞

❝ Did you go see your little friend? ❞

❝ Wanna go easy on the penguin? ❞

❝ You're not supposed to be here! ❞

❝ Baby... you're really not helping. ❞

❝ I was gonna try and ignore you. ❞

❝ Yeah, and how did that work out? ❞

❝ Look, I know I messed up, okay?! ❞

❝ How many sweaters do you have? ❞

❝ Why does the horse need a mask? ❞

❝ I don't always like what I have to do. ❞

❝ Of course I'm right. I'm always right. ❞

❝ I've given up too much to stop now. ❞

❝ No, no, no! I did not mean it like that! ❞

❝ Oh, I'm very good at reading people. ❞

❝ That's a sports metaphor, by the way. ❞

❝ This romantic tension is so palpable! ❞

❝ You can't ask me not to save my ___. ❞

❝ Could this day get any damn weirder?! ❞

❝ How can you guys even concentrate? ❞

❝ Do you know how bad this is for you? ❞

❝ I'm coming up to get you! Here I come! ❞

❝ You weren't expecting that, were you? ❞

❝ I promise I will not let you down again. ❞

❝ I always taught you to do it by the book. ❞

❝ I'll do it, but not because you told me to. ❞

❝ I didn't know they made those for adults. ❞

❝ We are supposed to be the good guys. ❞

❝ Cuz I think it's gonna change our vibe. ❞

❝ Running is the least crazy thing going on! ❞

❝ What are you talking about? I'm helping- ❞

❝ He/She just wants to be taken seriously. ❞

❝ I have never seen him/her so emotional! ❞

❝ You blew another hole in the multiverse! ❞

❝ I know you know I've been lying to you. ❞

❝ I had a nightmare about that once. But no! ❞

❝ Why do you wanna be a part of this stuff? ❞

❝ I don't follow orders. Neither does he/she. ❞

❝ I think maybe we got off on the wrong foot. ❞

❝ We all want to live the life we wish we had. ❞

❝ You gotta promise nothing's gonna change. ❞

❝ Look, he/she's just some villain of the week! ❞

❝ I'm not following what's happening right now. ❞

❝ Man, what does it look like I'm trying to do?! ❞

❝ You got an hour to fix this, or I can't help you. ❞

❝ Wait! You don't know what you're doing, man! ❞

❝ Actually, we need you here, for some reason. ❞

❝ Stop pretending you know what you're doing! ❞

❝ How much trouble could he/she get in tonight? ❞

❝ You realize how messed up that sounds, right? ❞

❝ And this is where the British stole all of our stuff! ❞

❝ Are you talking to him/her, or me? Or... him/her? ❞

❝ Bit of advice: use the palm, not just your fingers. ❞

❝ How many missions have you been on together? ❞

❝ What am I supposed to do? Just let him/her die?! ❞

❝ Taking a crap on the establishment. I salute you. ❞

❝ You're both equally terrible. Does that settle it? ❞

❝ I don't even know what the right thing is, anymore. ❞

❝ I'm not a role model. I was briefly a runway model. ❞

❝ Oooh, you weren't invited, and you came anyway? ❞

❝ I'm trying to hold a serious adult conversation, here. ❞

❝ Do I, uhh... have web on my face? What's the deal? ❞

❝ You and me are finally gonna live up to our potential. ❞

❝ You let him/her leave, he/she'll only do more damage. ❞

❝ I'm about to be so much more than a villain of the week. ❞

❝ You made me feel empty, like I had a hole inside of me! ❞

❝ I'll make you pay for everything you took away from me. ❞

❝ I wouldn't call it a mess. More like a... success in progress. ❞

❝ Everyone keeps telling me how my story is supposed to go. ❞

❝ If I hadn't said it before, by the way, you're a terrible mentor. ❞

❝ Come on, go easy on the kid. He/She had a terrible teacher! ❞

❝ Please, hold your questions until I'm done breaking this thing! ❞

❝ Is this where... like, you dress up like your favorite character? ❞

❝ Where's the... the bad/girl guy you were supposed to monitor? ❞

❝ I just saw where you went, and went there without you knowing. ❞

❝ Ha! I knew I was gonna regret making him/her that web shooter. ❞

❝ It's because I thought if you knew you wouldn't love me the same. ❞

❝ This should work! Or vaporize me and everything in this building. ❞

❝ Do... do you want us to do something, or do we just stand here? ❞

❝ You don't get to have a heartfelt conversation with me right now! ❞

❝ I just need enough to get me somewhere with a full-sized collider. ❞

❝ Since I leveled up my game, I'm on a journey of self-improvement! ❞

❝ I can do all these things, but I can't help the people I love the most. ❞

❝ The hardest thing about this job is you can't always save everybody. ❞

❝ Hey, you! Could you please deactivate this wonderfully strong barrier? ❞

❝ You have a choice between saving one person and saving an entire world. ❞

❝ Don't be afraid of my friend ___,he/she just looks scary. He/She's got no bite. ❞

❝ Look bad things are gonna happen. It makes us who we are.But good things happen too, you know? ❞

❝ I hate labels, I'm not a hero, 'cuz calling yourself a "hero" makes you a self-mythologizing, narcissistic autocrat. ❞

#rp meme #roleplay meme #roleplay ask meme #rp ask #ask meme #sentence starters #writing prompts #dialogue prompt #original #marvel rp #spider man #spider-man #into the spiderverse

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tainoidiot · 1 year

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Rogues x Rogue!Reader headcanons

Maybe the reader was friends with them ( and also had a crush of course) when they were sane, and stuff happened and now they're a new rogue and met each other again at Arkham asylum!

I love how this took me forever to fucking post. (Also look I learned how to add color ooOoooOo)

Rogues x Rogue!reader finding eachother in Arkham.

Jervis Tetch

You used to work alongside him before he went.. mad.

You both were pretty close, friends even. Took lunches together, laughed at inside jokes, Hell it was a real Jim and Pam relationship!

Of course, you hadn't told your friend everything about your life. By day you were a secretly pining coworker of his, but as soon as you clocked out..? You turned to a life of crime.

It was thrilling! It was a revolt from society! (Because we do live in one) It was you having the time of your life. Still, you wished you could've told your friend.

When the news broke out about his crimes, you were only half shocked. The city does fucked shit to its citizens.

Time passed, you never really saw him. Besides a warning on the tv, that's about as close as you guys got... till the GCPD fucked your shit up.

Because of your latest stint, GCPD thought it'd be best to get you some help. Hoping to change your ways.. jk they sent your ass to the Arkham Asylum.

After finally getting settled in, you made your way to the common area. You were bored out of your mind, unsure how to deal with being here. Should you read? Color? Craft? Sit there and look pretty?

Last one sounds good. You took a seat, the lunch table seating wasn't too uncomfortable. It's not like you'd be here for a while anyway. Remembering this, you decided to take in the various characters of the Asylum. Killer Croc playing chess with the Riddler, Harley Quinn learning how to embroider her clothes, The Mad Hatter reading a-

Holy shit, it's him. Jervis!

"My my, look what the gcpd dragged in." You laughed, walking toward him. His eyes glance up, not recognizing you. "Please go away, I'm reading right now." He grumbled, turning a page. "Wow, I would've figured you'd be more excited to see your old coworker." You teased. Jervis placed the book down, looking at you fully now. He got up and laughed, holding you tight in his arms. "You're here! Oh my goodness.. wait how are you in here? You must tell me everything!" Jervis dragged you to sit on his lap, telling him about your adventures as gothams newest villain. With every time he looked at you, your heart grew more and more. You never wanted him to look at you any different again. Perhaps he'd like a sidekick?

Johnathan Crane

Your relationship with him was.. complicated.

University work was tough, but so were you. Him not so much. You often found him in his office squeezing the shit out of a stress ball.

Being that John was a nerd man of intelligence, you could only imagine how many migraines he got grading tests and preparing assignments for his students.

You made his life easier though, buying him lunch and talking about the students.

"I'm sorry, he asked what?" You laughed, almost spitting out your food. "He genuinely asked me why he couldn't pick up the specimen tube with TONGS. As in the utensil for grabbing salads!" His laugh was infectious, you had to admit it. You could listen to him for hours, God this crush was unbearable.

One night you were awoken to your phone buzzing, a call from Johnathan? This late? Nothing good happens after 2 am.. maybe you should leave it.

Besides, if it was so important he'd call again.. which he did.

The call consisted of breathy rambles which were kinda hot, to which you asked what was happening. "Listen. You probably won't hear from me again, I'm sorry. It's my fault. I hope we see eachother again." And then he hung up. No answers, and you were left with more questions.

You became a gotham Rogue, looking for your lost friend in any possible scenario. It wasn't till you saw a broadcast on TV about the Batman finally putting the Scarecrow in handcuffs, charting him off to Arkham. Horrible as it was, he was finally in one place. Time to get arrested!

Fairly quick, they scoop you up and shove you into a cell. That was easy, All you had to do was blow up an apartment complex. What? They're rich, they'll be fine! You take a quick look at the people around you in cells. Poison Ivy, some dude, Johnathan Crane WAIT-

Wow.. it's him. After all these years, he looks different. His hair is longer and unruly, and the dark circles under his eyes have gotten bigger. What a cutie. "Professor Crane!" You yell, hoping to get a laugh out of him. His eyes shot up, looked around, then saw you. Johnathans eyes got as wider than saucers, and you swore you saw his lip curl into a smile if only for a second. Did he miss you? Was he happy to see you? God, all you wanted was to run into him and hold him close. You'll have to wait for recreation time.

Edward Nygma

You had met him at a support group for individuals with trauma. No matter what it was, if you had to get it off your chest and couldn't afford a therapist you went there.

Was it the shit coffee? The stale donuts? The odd smell in the air you're pretty sure was from the carpets? You weren't really comfortable here.

It wasn't until you had a group activity had you actually said something to him. He was fiddling around with a pen and paper, nervously bouncing his leg.

You sat next to him, sipping your water as he wrote. Curious, you tapped his shoulder, causing him to jump. "Sorry! Looks like you were deep in that.. whatever it is you're writing." For some reason, Ed didn't snap at you. He didn't tell you to leave, or fuck off. "It's a puzzle I'm designing."

As Ed explained the ins and outs of the puzzle, you couldn't help but notice how cute it was. You had never met a man so focused.

So you kept in touch with him. A text now and then, meeting up for dinner or lunches, a shoulder to cry on. You were there, it didn't bother you.

However, things changed after he had not texted or called after an entire week has passed. You were scared, so you rushed to his place as quickly as possible.

You slammed your fist onto the door, panicking as you could almost feel the echo it gave off. "Ed? It's me.. Please open the door, I'm worried!" No answer.

"Was it something I said..?" Just like that, you noticed a green glow coming from the door. That's odd.. you grabbed the doorknob and turned, surprised at how easily it opened for you.

From the walls to the floor were papers upon papers of different symbols and mechanical equations. "What the fuck?" You whispered, going further and further into the studio. The green glow, as it turns out, was a large neon sign in the shape of a question mark.

What Ed didn't realize was long before he changed career paths, as did you. So this entire change, though surprising, wasn't beyond you.

There's no telling where he was now, so maybe that chapter of your life closed.

Except that wasn't totally true. The cops thought you were a part of this, as your fingerprints had been found in the area. Dammit, into the Asylum you go..

A few days into your stay, you hear some commotion in the common area. Yelling, no, ARGUING. "I am the smartest man in this room! You fucking idiots wouldn't know what I'm trying to get through your thick skulls!" That voice..

Oh my God it's Edward. And he's changed. Once the crowd dies down, you hop over to his side and tap his shoulder. "I'm WORKING." Ed growled, looking at you as he prepares an insult. But he doesn't. His gaze softens "Its.. you?"

"Yeah.. can we talk?"

Harleen Quinzel

You and Harleen were the best of friends.

Inseparable, and that's the way you liked it.

All you wanted to do was spend time with her. Needless to say, you had a massive crush on her.

How could you tell her about your life of crime though? Would she understand? Would she pull away? It scared you, you didn't ever want to lose her.

However, your worst fear would come true in the form of a clown.

It wasn't long till she'd stop answering your texts, which broke your heart even further.

It was late. 2 A.M to be exact. You couldn't sleep due to the sirens, but you swore there were more than usual.

Nothing good happens after 2 AM. You should just go to bed and sleep it off.. okay a peek outside the window wouldn't hurt. As you stared out the window, you realized it was much more than sirens. It was so much worse. The Joker had invaded your neighborhood, and was doing his usual shit. What an amateur, smiley faces everywhere. We get it, you're a clown.. wait a second. Under the sirens and blaring weapons, you swore you heard a familiar voice. But it couldn't be, could it? You get your gear on and decide to investigate, sneaking around behind the shadows.

It's confirmed. Harleen, now going under the name Harley, was partnered up with the Joker.

And by partnered up, He was frenching her right then and there.

You held back hot tears as you tried to run, but alas, you're a known criminal in a crime scene.

Of course you're taken into custody and eventually thrown into the local Asylum.

While everyone is supposed to be asleep, you found a way to escape your cell and roam around. God this place is dilapidated, we really need more funding.

As you walked the cold empty halls, you could hear two things. Guards playing poker and.. was that sniffling? Crying? Hm.. wouldn't hurt to see who it was. Further investigation led you to a bright blonde wailing into a pillow, occasionally snotting up her tissues. Poor thing. "Psst, hey." You whispered, the blonde stopping to wipe her eyes and look around. "Over here." You replied, waving at her.

The blonde gasps, as do you. She's covered in bruises and cuts, most looking man-made. "Oh my god.. You're here." She cried. Wait a second.. "Harley? Holy shit what happened to you?" You asked, attempting to break the lock as quietly as possible to comfort her. Harley just shrugs, not sure how to answer "Oh you know.. Puddin' got a little mad one day." She attempted to get out, but this just made her cry harder.

After successfully breaking in, you rush to her side. Holding her close and wiping tears away. "Hey its okay.. I got you now. You're safe.." you whispered into her ear.

Pamela Isley

Ah, STEM classes. The ones that tests a students will to live, with the right professor of course.

Why anyone takes this major is beyond me, but hey you didn't mind. The exams were awful, but you had a friend at least.

Pamela Isley. Pammy. Always has her nose in a flower and her head in an equation. A brilliant woman. God you adored this woman.

Pam was quiet, sure. But when she was with you she want on and on about everything.

"You know, when I'm with you.. it's like I can tell you anything." Pam told you as you both sat next to eachother in the campus rec room. You blushed, taking her hand as you smiled. "I feel the same way." You both came to an understanding. But you hadn't told her everything, like what you did after 7 pm.

After she had told you she would be meeting with a professor on who knows what, you just brushed it off as help with a certain question or maybe an upcoming assignment. But afterward, she stopped texting. Completely. You were upset, sure. But if something happened to her? You could never forgive yourself.

You were getting ready for your night on the town, when you noticed something odd growing on your windowsill. Is that.. a Lily? You gently take the petals into your hand, it reminded you of your old.. ahem.. friend.

"It's almost as beautiful as you." You heard from behind you, causing you to jump and turn in fear. The voice came from a young woman, smiling at you with admiration and a bit of fear. "Oh, what? Don't you recognize your old friend?" She cooed into your ear.

"Pam?" You whispered, taking her hand. Before she could get a reply in, GCPD bust down your door and arrest you both on the spot. Apparently just before, Pam had murdered a local businessman because of the harm his buildings construction did to the native plant life in the city.

"How long have you been in crime?" She asked you, sitting across from you in the dining hall.

"I could ask the same for you, Ivy." You teased, taking her hand.

#gotham rogues #batman #jervis tetch #edward nygma #headcanon #johnathan crane #jervis tetch x reader #johnathan crane x reader #edward nygma x reader #harley quinn #harley quinn x reader #pamela isley #poison ivy

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kbrick · 1 year

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What do you think about the Draco haters? Personally I don't get them. I don't get how you can feel hatred for a child who was raised by fucked up people and then had to do awful things that he obviously hated to survive and keep his family safe too. All as a minor. Where has all the empathy gone? It's like they think they're talking about a hardened criminal lol. Why are people like this?

Okay, I'll be honest with you, nonny, I'm of two minds about this.

The thing that I feel in my gut when I see this sentiment out in the wild is irritation and maybe a little flare of anger. Because I love Draco. He's my favorite. I empathize with Draco, with what he went through in canon, and I also associate him with the thousand redemption character arcs I've read about him at this point. Have I argued with people on reddit over whether Draco should have been sentenced to life in Azkaban? Yes, I have. Am I proud of that? No, I am not. Looking back, it kinda makes me feel like an idiot.

I try to remind myself of two things when I feel this way. One, Draco is a character, not a real person, and we're talking about literature, not real life, and so it's really not that serious (please note - this is not usually effective in talking myself down off the ledge, but it ought to be mentioned).

And two, I used to hate (well, maybe strongly dislike) Draco.

I came to the fandom late (as a full-fledged adult!), but in my younger years, I was a big HP fan. I had all the books on a bookshelf in my room, I had a poster, I had pencils with big erasers on the end in the shape of the house mascots. I had my favorite Harry Potter mug (which just recently met an ignoble end on my kitchen floor, RIP favorite mug - and now I can't buy a replacement because I no longer buy HP merch because JKR is such a terrible human being and I refuse to support her...but I digress!).

And let's be honest: Draco Malfoy is a complete asshat in the books. He's the villain. He's petty, he's mean, he's arrogant with nothing at all to back it up. He says horrible things to Hermione, who was my very favorite character back when I read the series. And I was young enough to accept characters at face value back then, so yeah, I kind of hated Draco. I wasn't ranting about him online or anything, but if somebody would have asked me what I thought of him, I'd have probably blown a raspberry and given them a thumbs down.

It wasn't until the later books (Half-Blood Prince, specifically), that I began to neutralize on my view of Draco. Even back then, I felt bad for him in that bathroom scene. But it wasn't until I started reading Drarry (as an adult) that I looked back at Draco as a character and realized what a fucking delight he actually was (not in the sense that he was 'good' or whatever, but he was an excellent foil for Harry and was incredibly entertaining).

And part of this is maturity, I think. As a full-fledged adult, I no longer take characters at face value. I no longer think- oh, this character is being mean to the good guy, therefore they are a bad guy and I hate them. Instead, I think - wow, something is going on with this character, to make them act this way. They're so desperate for attention, or they're so insecure, or they were hurt so badly when xyz happened that they're lashing out. I look for the WHYS in characters. And Draco has a lot of whys, especially in fanon, and so it has become easy to empathize with him and like him.

Another part of it is that I have become a writer, and I appreciate complicated, compelling characters, and I'm no longer interested in Mary Sue good guys who are always noble and do everything right. Because let's be honest: people are not that way. We shouldn't write them that way. That's not truth, and I want to read and write truth.

But for readers who do not value characters beyond the hero, or who have chosen not to look more closely at character whys, Draco is a bad guy. He's not insecure; he's arrogant. It's not hurt feelings; it's a mean streak. And to be frank, I think JKR herself viewed Draco in this way (for the most part). Yes, she gave him some depth towards the end of the books, but I honestly think that was due to pressure from fans who wanted a redemption arc for Draco (and really, it's a half-assed redemption arc at best). I think JKR is a mostly black-and-white thinker, and I think she wrote a mostly black-and-white series. Harry and his friends are good, Draco and his friends are bad. Voldemort is evil. The end.

So I suppose what I'm saying is that I understand why people don't like Draco as a character. I think it suggests a bit of closed-mindedness on their parts, and maybe a lack of empathy, and that they're horribly boring irl (ha, had to get that dig in there). But the truth is that people are allowed to feel how they want to feel about characters. I'm not the interpretation police.

Does that mean I no longer get fired up when somebody on reddit says Draco should've been sentenced to life in Azkaban? Nope, I'm not that mature, come on. Will I continue arguing with them about it? I hope I'm beyond that, but we'll see. Do I still love Draco with all my heart? I do, and so you know what? I'm going to keep writing about him and enjoying him.

That's about all I have to say about that. Which was a LOT, actually. Who knew?

Thanks for the ask, nonny :) It was an interesting one.

#drarry #ask #my answer is way too long #Draco Malfoy #villains #bad guys #character analysis

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softness-and-shattering · 3 months

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Two mini reviews, partly brought to you by tumblr autosaving - Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas. I wasn't sure what to expect; I really liked The Sunbearer Trials (Ive not yet read the sequel), and DNF'd Lost In The Never Woods because it was the wrong type and intensity of dark and spooky for me at the time. Cemetery Boys is a freaking delight. Maybe my least favourite part was the villain reveal, it made sense but either it wasnt foreshadowed enough or I just wanted better for that character? idk. But this isnt primarily a plot book, its a romance, and its a story about community and acceptance, and figuring out how you fit into the world when you're not the shape you're expected to be. And it did really well with both those aspects. I also appreciate that with so many stories, real and fictional, about people who have to leave their communities to find themselves, I appreciate a story of someone who never once thinks maybe I need to leave, and instead forges on to create space for himself in his community and his heritage. That's not everyone's story and thats totally fine. Our experiences are diverse and we deserve diverse stories. Its all good. As for the romance, its really believable. Its quite an opposites-attract situation, from Julian's aggressive queerness and non-issue with Yadriel's transness making his albeit and unexpected presence a breath of fresh air to Yadriel, to their growing understanding of each other's lives and admiration for the strength of each others convictions. (When Julian is upset about his friends and Yadriel nevertheless pauses to set that boundary about ghost-safety, that was hot.). And the ghost aspect! (this is not a mini review anymore lol). I was not really sure how that was going to go, and then cheering for them, and then wondering what the heck they were gonna do about ongoing ghost-itude and the finiteness of that situation, and actually I really liked how it went. The romance and how they push each other and grow to understand each other is fun, romantic, sexy, heartfelt. Remarkably sexy given that one of them is a ghost who cant be touched. (Spoilers for a sec - the scene on the car where Yadriel reaches for Julian's jacket to pull him closer and there's nothing there to grab? Oh that feels like grief.) The book is quite a bit about grief. Missing parents, missing support networks, missing opportunities to be yourself and be accepted. Its about a guy who can communicate with ghosts and its set around Dia de Meurtos, there's grief themes.

I also really love Maritza, showing off another aspect of (gender) non-conformity, that its not only trans people who have trouble fitting fairly strict defined roles. (Julian's friends do so similarly). Almost all the Spanish I picked up from context, but how Julian refers to Yadriel at the end I knew I had to look up that word specifically and oh my heart. Overall really enjoyed. probably 9/10 second, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. I havent read the books/comics, I have seen the movie. This show....for at least the first half I had no idea what the rules of the universe were or what exactly was going on or what themes exactly were being explored. I was definitely entertained though. The last few episodes manage to make sense of the first few and deliver on those themes in ways I quite liked. I liked that Ramona is the "manic pixie dream girl" and then almost immediately gets upstaged for that role by Envy Addams. I normally am annoyed at stories in which some boring guy "gets" the manic pixie dream girl and certainly doesn't appreciate her - you know the kind who goes on reddit and complains that she wont stop talking about slugs or decorates their whole house in anime? And I know scott pilgrim is a comment on that trope. I like how its about scott but its not really about scott. Largely its about Ramona and her friends (and her exes). And the others recognise that scott isnt so great, or so smart, and also that if Ramona likes him thats cool. He can be a "lovable idiot" and shes not automatically making a mistake with him. If they're happy they're happy. (and of course the ways that *could* go wrong, but arent destined to). Plus the music is fun, the visuals are bright and pretty. It might lean overstimulating for some people, I had to stop and think about my spoon levels between episodes. Thats what I got for today. Two very different fun stories I recommend like 8-9/10, not perfect but a damn good ride.

#review #mine #scott pilgrim takes off #cemetery boys

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boxleitners-return-au · 1 year

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Becky woke up the next morning leaning against the window with her cape wrapped around her like a blanket. She noticed that while she still felt like she was drowning in oil, it wasn’t as bad as yesterday.

She looked behind her at the doctor, who had seemingly taken her spot on the couch, still fast asleep and snoring in an incredibly undignified manner. She wondered for a second if he was doing it to annoy her, but she quickly put out that thought.

He was her best bet at getting back home and getting back her powers, she had to play nice. Besides he was probably really stressed out too, if that mouse brain was even capable of any emotion besides hunger.

Home, back to her family, back to her sidekick. She’d been worried sick about him ever since she woke up. When they were knocked out midair Huggy had been thrown in the opposite direction that she had, there was no telling what happened to him.

She comforted herself by imagining that he got all their family and friends and hid away, perhaps a secret bunker or something. She giggled to herself as the image of her family blissfully misunderstanding a frantic Bob trying to tell them to run with some sort of monkey charades.

Her fantasy was short lived however, because when she looked back out the big window she saw two familiar shapes, creeping hauntingly behind one of the dead trees that littered the warehouse’s lawn. Joy overtook her, her friends had come to save her! Now they could- oh, oh no. She recognized those swirling red eyes.

Mind control.

(Continues below)

It wasn't because Mr. Big, his whole schtick generally had a green hue. This was something brand new.

That new alien super villain got to them.

Letting her instincts take over, Becky dove down out of sight from the window. She whisper-yelled at Twobrains to wake up.

“Hey!”

“...”

“HEY”

“Agh! What- what is your problem! Will you stop waking me u-”

She pointed aggressively outside

He followed her finger and froze. She grabbed him by the collar and with some effort managed to pull him to the ground below the window sill with her. She had to take a moment to catch her breath, frustration overtook her as she realized that an action as simple as that was now enough to wind her a bit.

Twobrains’ eyes flickered with anxiety as she tried to even out her breathing, but he shook his head and looked out the window.

“They’re looking for me. They have to be.”

“Oh come on, give me a little credit. I’m sure Amazo is just dying to catch up with me”

“What could he possibly- wait. Amazo Guy? Like- Like in your book?”

“Yeah. Did you seriously not recognize him?”

“No! I mean- he looked familiar, but I thought he- the book guy- was fictional!”

“You think I just made up some dude to feature on the cover of my book? What kind of scientist do you take me for!” “So wait. This was an actual dude that you knew. And now you’re both evil?”

“Well we don’t know if he’s evil evil-”

“I cannot believe you never mentioned him before!”

“I had! In my book! Which apparently you hadn’t read as thoroughly as you said you had!”

“Yes I did!”

“Appaaarently not. I’m hurt, Wordgirl, I am.”

“I did so! I read your book so much, I can recite any passage from it, just try me.”

“You expect me to believe you’re that much of a fan?”

“Yes! I am a huge fan! The biggest fan in the world actually!”

Becky crossed her arms with a smug expression before her eyes shot open and she realized what she said. Twobrains was holding back a laugh behind his hand. “Yeah? Yeah really? Yeah tell me how much you love me. I’m your favorite author right?”

Becky’s face went red as she proceeded to sock him in the arm. He flinched in pain despite the lack of super strength.

“Shut up. So you got one hit, big whoop.”

Twobrains patted her shoulder with another laugh. Both of their faces fell and they instantly crowded back against the wall as they heard a twig snap outside.

“Now how are we gonna get out of this?”

They sat there for a moment before Becky got a sheepish look on her face.

“Well… we could always try plan 208…”

Twobrains groaned. “Is that really the best we got?”

Becky sighed “I think it is doc. Now let's not dilly-dally, we have to get out of here as soon as possible.”

“You did not just say ‘dilly-dally’”

“Would you just get on with it!”

________

Hi! *Taps on mic* Anyone here? So! I disappeared for a little bit but I have an update here if anyone's interested

I want to update more but I have 0 motivation to draw i'll be completely honest, so if I do update it will probably come more in writing form like this, would that be okay?

Anyways here's the next part! The sillies are silly, and Huggy and Rex have been captured >:D

First Part

Previous Part

#wordgirl #becky botsford #dr twobrains #boxleitner's return #wordgirl fanart

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jadejedi · 7 months

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Fantasy Book Review: The Tarot Sequence (Books 1-3) by K.D. Edwards

JJ’s rating: 4.5/5

How feral did it make me: 5/5

My book reviews

Okay, I read these kind of randomly, not really sure what I was getting into, and oh my god. Oh my god!! Okay, so most of the sci-fi/fantasy books I have read other than these were written by AFAB authors in their 20s and 30s. Which is great, and fine, but that’s a fairly limited perspective. These novels were written by an asexual man in his forties (sorry Keith, just sort of guessing on your age here lmao) and is it weird to say that it’s kind of refreshing to read a mlm romance actually written by a queer man? No, I don’t think so. These books, despite the dark topics they sometimes cover, feel like warm coziness to me. Reading these books feels like following along with a group of your beloved friends. God. I love them.

Summary time! In a world in which Atlantis was a secret society of demigods called the Arcana (all named after tarot cards) before being destroyed in a civil war with humanity, the remaining Atlantean society has relocated to the island formerly called Nantucket. Rune St. John is the last son of the Sun Court, the rest of the Sun Court destroyed in a mysterious attack that left Rune with emotional, mental, and physical scars. Rune and his Companion (think platonic soulmate meets bodyguard), Brand, hire out their work essentially as mercenaries to scrape by. When a son of Lady Justice goes missing, Rune and Brand are hired to find him. Also, they acquire an orphaned teenager? Are they fathers now? They might be fathers now.

These characters guys. Holy shit. They are perfect to me. K.D. Edwards was really out here like, what if I just… smash every toxically masculine stereotype out there? What if I make a snarky bodyguard character who unabashedly loves his best friend? What if these two men who have known each other all their lives are not afraid to be open about how important they are to each other and how much they genuinely LOVE each other? What if I make a romantic interest who is patient and kind and loving and not at all threatened by the relationship between his boyfriend and his boyfriend’s oldest and most important relationship? What if I create a relationship between these three men that blurs the lines between romantic and platonic?? What if I create an urban fantasy society in which queerness is normal and accepted, and where polyamory is normal and accepted? What if I make a group of characters who need a family and then FIND ONE WITH EACH OTHER???? WHAT. THEN????? (then we all cry, that’s what)

FUCK!

These books are fun, witty, full of monsters and villains, but also some of the most heartwarming characters and relationships I’ve ever read??? Like, god. These are some of the few books that I have bought both audio book and e-book copies because I could not put them down. I *had* to be reading them, if I were at home, or at work, or in the car. And as soon as I finished them, I picked up the first one and reread them.

This series is planned to be a trilogy of trilogies, with books 1-3 currently finished, and book 4 being written right now. I am so excited for more of this series, I can’t even tell you. Dear god.

There is some dark content covered in these books, specifically based around what happened to the Rune on the night when his father’s court was destroyed, so if you have any questions about trigger warnings, don’t hesitate to ask.

These books are an absolute DELIGHT. They are the queer fantasy I’ve always wanted to read, because Edwards understands that what makes the queer community special is the COMMUNITY. It’s about finding and CHOOSING your family, bitch!

Here’s a meme I made a while back to convince people to read these books (yes I spelled dinosaur wrong. oops):

READ THEM!!!

#the tarot sequence #fantasy book review #mlm #soulmates #guys i just finished reading these for the third time #SO GOOD #book review #urban fantasy #alternate history

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lampmanliveblogs · 7 months

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Nevermind, the kids are happy, so I’m happy!

But jeez Luise Gus, you’re not even trying to be subtle about it anymore, huh?

You just know that if Gus wasn’t trying to out/support Hunter, he’d insist on going dressed as a normal human. And when people would ask him about his costume, he’d be like: ”I’m dressed as a completely regular, ordinary, normal human!” and they’d be like ”Whoa dude, that is scary.”

”Funny how things just show up in basements, right? Without you hiding or you putting them there. Life sure is full of surprises!”

And on tonight’s episode of ”Things that can be said by moms with secret nerdy hobbies, or serial killers…”

I guess those Not-Star Trek books really were Camila’s, huh? We got ourselves a closet nerd here!

I kinda get it though. I hate it when people ask me what my hobbies are or what I do on my free time. Because if I answer truthfully and say that I like to write, they’ll inevitably ask what it is I write, and then I’ll have to explain what fanfiction is, and there is just no un-awkward way to explain that to someone who doesn’t know.

Which is why my new tactic is to say ”I guess I like to write stories, like adventure stories. Oh, and I also like to bake!” and hope they focus on the baking part. The downside to that is when they respond with ”Oh, you’re good at baking? You should be on one of those baking shows on TV then!” and I’m like ”No, I didn’t say I was good at it!”

Another tactic is to mention that I have a (this) blog where I talk about cartoons. Most people seem to understand that, even if they don’t ”get it.”

Now, to be fair, they’re probably as interested in hearing me talk about my favorite cartoon as I am hearing them talk about their favorite football teams: not at all.

Speaking of explaining fanfiction though, I do remember in high school, we had this book on literature history. It had a (very) brief blurb on fanfiction with a picture of Lara Croft next to it? For some reason? I recall the teacher skipping over it so we could talk about ancient Greece or something.

I’m sorry, I started rambling there, what was I doing? Right, watching The Owl House, I’m a bit rusty, as you can tell. Let’s get on with it.

Let’s see, we’ve got a Nontendo Swap, what might be either a DVD box set or a VHS tape (ask your parents, kids) called Rage Ron, another VHS tape called… Jen or maybe Den? I think? I’m no good at reading cursive. I can also see that someone let their intrusive thoughts win and took a bite out of a DVD. Which of the kids do you think it was?

Hold up a second… does the bad guy(?) in the movie have a scar over their eye? Like Luz? I also notice Bad Guy(?) wears multi-colored clothes like Luz did at Hexside, and the tip of their staff kinda looks like an egg, like Luz’ palisman currently does. That… feels like it might be significant, especially considering the movie is called ”The Betrayening.”

And on tonight’s edition of ”If The Lampman had just waited a few more seconds…” the show explained it to me.

Villainous Lucy (GET IT?!?) betrayed their friends and now everyone is gone. Villainous Luzy says it was for ”the greater good.”

So, obviously, Luz feels like she let down her friends, betrayed them in a sense, and now everyone in the Demon Realm is lost to them.

The thing that’s interesting to me though is that Villainous Luzy says it was ”for the greater good.” That phrase… doesn’t really describe Luz, I think? I mean yeah, her motivation is to do good and help people and save the world and all that. Certainly, a greater good. But the phrase ”for the greater good” is almost exclusively brought up when someone wants to justify an evil action. You see it in villains all the time. They’re looking at ”the big picture” and find that they can justify atrocities for what is (in their mind at least) a greater end result.

To use one famous example from pop-culture, Ozymandias from Watchmen. His big masterplan would kill millions of people… to bring peace to billions, by preventing the impending nuclear war between the US and the Soviet Union.

My point is (and follow me here, I swear it makes sense), ”for the greater good” is not a phrase I would associate with Luz. But… there is a character that I would associate with that phrase. Someone who has a facial scar, a magic staff with a ball-shape, and betrayed someone close to them.

Philip.

I’m not sure where it’s all going but… Y’all remember that fanfic I wrote after Clouds on the Horizon? All that’s at stake, which you can read HERE. Well, to quote myself:

”I-I hate you,” Luz said slowly, her voice as shaky as her legs. Those words were like poison on her lips. They hurt her more than anyone else. ”We are nothing alike. And I don’t want to be anything like you. Not in any way.”

Hey, kinda random, but I just remembered back in Yesterday’s Lie, I theorized that Vee slept in the bottom bunk and Luz in the top bunk.

WELL. Actually, this doesn’t prove anything, I could still be right. Luz switched to the bottom bunk to be at level with Amity.

I do think it’s weird that Vee is lying on her back. That cannot be comfortable, right? I was even thinking of making another Vee headcanons post, where one of the new headcanons was that sleeping on their backs was uncomfortable for basilisks. I guess this smashes that to pieces.

Tag yourself, I’m Luz. I’ve slept next to walls my entire life, I’m not about to stop now. Also, we both have horrendous sleep schedules. Most of the time I’m fine, but if I get just a little off-centre then I’m out of tune for the next month.

#the owl house #liveblog #the owl house liveblog #toh s3e1 #thanks to them

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therealvinelle · 2 years

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do you have any tips on writing Aro? I love the way you write him, and i want to do a better job than i am. he only has a small part in this fic but i feel he could easily just take over when Carlisle shows up lol

Oh that's hard to answer.

There's no official process to it when I decide how to characterize someone, it all just happens rather automatically, which makes it tough to explain to others.

Though, with Aro it's actually simpler than it is with a lot of other characters, since there are so many thing that make him unique.

The man is over three thousand years old, and he has a gift that means every time he touches a person he knows every single thought that person has ever had. His vampire brain makes it impossible for him to forget a second of his own life or even of the minds he has touched. He has ruled the vampire world with for over a thousand years, enforcing a law he came up with where breaking it means your death, no second chances and no alternative punishments (not counting those who are made to join his guard). Rather than brute numerical force, Aro decided to conquer the world with gifts and strategy. He killed all those who would stand against him, refused to yield, or who in other ways were an inconvenience to him. He killed his own sister even though he loved her, and when he thought his friend Carlisle had harboured an immortal child he was ready to kill him as well.

So, even before my interpretation of the character enters the stage, there are a few things we know about him.

He's intelligent

Too often I see Aro dumbed down to the point where it's unfeasible this guy could ever have conquered anything, nevermind the world. He's made into a comic book villain and easily outmaneuvered, usually by the Cullens even though the Cullens have zero military experience (save for Jasper, but Jasper's field of expertise is newborn armies. He knows how to use brute strength and quantity strategically, when outsmarting that entire school of military philosophy is exactly how Aro got to the top in the first place. Jasper's out of luck).

Of course, Aro had Caius and Marcus with him, taking over the world wasn't a solo mission, but if one of those three had been a weak link, the Volturi would not have succeeded. They each contribute, and more, Aro is the one who realised what talents were needed and held the group together.

You're looking at a man who understands people and sees their strengths and weaknesses, sees opportunities where others don't, who understands how best to utilise the tools and advantages he has. He is calculating, analytical, and can inspire others.

He's highly intelligent and a force to be reckoned with. If you want your characters to get the better of him you'll have to sell me on it. Either they outsmart him, or he makes a mistake, or both - the important thing is you can't sell him short.

Here's a post @thecarnivorousmuffinmeta wrote on writing intelligent characters I believe would be useful. And while the second part is about writing Tom Riddle, it's generic enough that you could apply it to Aro as well.

His gift colours his relationship with everybody

If he can read every single thought a person has ever had, then he knows them more intimately than anybody else ever will. The person you are when you are with friends, when you are at work, when you are with family, when it's just you, and all the things you won't show to anyone, Aro sees it all. He sees the best and the worst of you.

More to the point, his every relationship has an innate power imbalance where he knows everyone he meets better than they know themselves from the start, while they know only what he chooses to show them. That is, in turn, extremely isolating since most people aren't going to put up with that.

I think Aro likely allows those close to him a set of boundaries. If someone doesn't wishes to have their mind read and he disrespects that, he's signalling that there is nothing they can do to shield their mind and, in turn, themselves from him. A very effective way of establishing dominance against criminals, to be sure, and the members of his guard can't very well refuse their leader to know what they know, but when it comes to personal acquaintances such as Carlisle or the wives, he would be shattering the trust between them by forcing his gift upon them.

Aro is living in a strange world of his own where he knows everyone around him so much better than anybody else does, but that very gift is isolating and means he can't ever have a normal interaction.

His gift also gives him a unique vulnerability. Unlike Edward, he can't be blocked, which is great when you want as much information as possible, but it also means he can't be blocked. He's getting every goddamn thought. If he touches Rosalie, he'll see her rape from her point of view, and know exactly what was going through her mind at the time, and he will see her decades of grief and bitter regret at all she will never get to have. I know we all joke about Aro having canonically read Midnight Sun, but he really has seen all the years of Edward knocking his head against a wall muttering, "Angst. Angst. Angst." to himself, just as he has seen the inside of countless of other mentally ill or traumatized people.

The man has to have incredible strength to live with a gift like that. More, a gift like this will shape who is as a person.

And here you can headcanon, as I do, that he is at times reluctant to read a mind he knows won't be pleasant, or that Marcus will use his gift to filter out minds Aro really, really, shouldn't read (such as if a prospective recruit is having funny thoughts about Jane).

I also headcanon that reading a mind can be overwhelming, especially if it's his first time reading someone's mind, and that Aro has to figure out how he's going to navigate this particular person's mind before he can get anything worthwhile out of it.

He's immortal

More often than not, within Twilight or in other fandoms (pour one out for Master of Death!Harry), ancient characters will be portrayed in a way that feels mundane and narrow in scope.

You will get a lot of mocking the mayfly humans who so foolishly believe their blink of an eye time on Earth matters, or that their short-lived empires impress anybody. The immortal character will be too worldly to function, and think very highly of himself simply because he is old. He may or may not have a god complex.

It's a valid interpretation, the world has no shortage of people who are too worldly to function in their teens, and who would get a thousand times more insufferable if they lived to be three thousand years old. The fact that vampires don't mature physically is another factor working against them.

(... and I think I just made myself realise that the way Aro is frequently characterised is in fact what Edward would become, if he got to be that old. Edward talks as if he's much older than he is and considers himself to be very worldly when we meet him, give the guy another three thousand years and you'll be looking at fanon Aro.)

I personally choose to characterise Aro as one who has seen history repeat itself too often to think he's an exception. All the world's most brilliant thinkers, the most well intentioned laws and conscientiously executed governments, it has all fallen, one way or another. It is the nature of things. Aro is not the first man to become an emperor, and while his empire may be the first of its kind, his rule will one day meet its end, and while he can do everything in his power to thwart those who would be his usurpers, he would be a fool to believe it won't happen eventually.

I'll admit that @theoriginalcarnivorousmuffin and I have a very specific type when it comes to how we want our immortal characters. We're both fascinated by the perspective you would get on the human race when you get to watch it for long enough, and how little trifles that seem so important to the contemporary mind would cease to matter.

I think Aro views immortals as no bigger than mortals, and that being ancient has been humbling, rather than the opposite.

I like to think I have proof of my interpretation of Aro in his love for human culture and arts. If we were ants to him, he wouldn't see the point in commissioning Solimena- why bother, when he could simply touch the man to learn how he performs his craft, and then teach himself to mimic it? Why be an academic, when our philosophies and scientific findings are the products of lesser minds?

By all accounts the man appears to be perfectly sane

Why I think Aro is sane is covered in this post.

Essentially, while all parties agree that the man is eccentric, I frequently see him characterised as insane (usually a nebulous insane where he's either a childish and infantile man, or he's a neurotic mess, or he's just... Insane™ (think Joker)).

Your fic, your decision, but... I'll just be blunt. I've yet to see insane!Aro done well. I'm sure it could be, I'm a firm believer in "anything can be pulled off if the author is good enough", but I've yet to see it.

I see him as someone easily perceived as mad, and not particularly bothered by that fact. If he was, he wouldn't be so openly himself. If anything, he seems to intentionally cultivate that perception.

A note on writing Dark™ characters

Frankly, this is worth a post of its own, just as the "How to write intelligent characters" bit, but I'll give it a shot.

For lack of a better way to explain this, I shall confess that when I was 13 I was one of those edgy kids who liked dark characters because they're so much cooler than the boring good guys. They hurt innocent people because they're edgy like that. God help me, I shipped Bellamort.

Why do I bring this up, you may wonder, and it's because a lot of the time when I'm reading Aro fic he acts like something 13-year-old me would have found very impressive. Sadly, this means we're now back to Aro being a comic book villain, because in order to have your Dark Aro™ you have to dumb him down and make him edgy (I don't want to give examples of this publicly since it's a small fandom and the examples that come to mind would be from specific and easily identified fics, so you'll have to forgive my being vague. I hope it's clear what kind of characterisation I'm describing, though). He becomes a flat and uninteresting character.

With a character like Aro, who murdered his sister for power, you can't ignore the man has a dark side, but don't write a Dark™ character.

Aro is ruthless, there is no denying that. He can kill anybody, no matter how much he loves them or how much it will destroy him, if he perceives it to be necessary. He killed god knows how many vampires on his way to power, and continues to rule not as a king, but as a judge and an executioner. He has made sure the vampire world knows he will spare no one if they break his law or try to rise up against him, and that is the kind of lesson you can't teach without making examples of countless of covens (And yes, I know Caius exists, but again, if Aro was a weak link here then the Volturi would be known as "those guys who can kill you, but won't").

In spite of this, we see he is capable of being both generous and fair to his subjects. There's a distinct lack of bloodlust, and his admiration for Carlisle points to a sincere appreciation for goodness and morality that you're not going to get from Darky McDarkety Dark.

I view him as a man with demons. He has done unforgivable things, he has to live with the eternal reminder of what he did to his sister in the form of Marcus, and I interpret his choice to present his warm and sincere side to those around him as one made because he is deeply private in his own way, and this seeming openness is a good way to keep the parts of himself he doesn't want to broadcast close to the chest.

Lastly, I'm a nerd

There's no denying my interpretation of Aro is largely inspired by several fictional characters I adore. Examples being:

Emiya Kiritsugu from Fate/Zero, a man who will destroy anyone and anything in pursuit of a cause he has devoted himself to entirely. He kills the only mother he has ever known because saving her would have meant the deaths of hundreds, and he marries the woman he loves even though they both know he will have to kill her to save the world. In the end, when he learns that his cause would only lead to greater destruction, he abandons it even though this means his wife died for nothing and his daughter will die as well. Does he hate himself for these things, yes, does that stop him, no, because he's living a life where it keeps being him who has to make these awful decisions, and every time he tries to choose the one that will save as many people as possible- or kill as few as possible.

Livia from I, Claudius, who is incredibly intelligent, ruthless, will kill her loved ones off, her biggest problems are dealing with fools, and who's ultimately recognised by Claudius as a stabilizing force after she's dead. She is hated by those who recognise her for what she is, save for by Claudius who, though he fears her, grows to understand her.

Claudius from I, Claudius, who doesn't wish to be Emperor, but he remains on the throne to Rome because he knows that the world will fall apart without him.

TL;DR: Write Aro as an intelligent man whose outlook on the world around him is shaped by his gift, one who has attentively watched human history unfold in front of him and learned from this. Make him ruthless because he has to be.

Good luck, I hope this was remotely helpful.

#yeetbean #writing #aro #twilight #twilight renaissance #twilight meta

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clay-cuttlefish · 7 months

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Forging ahead with 52. #19 to #38. It's so much.

#19

The Evil Skeets plot is great. According to the omnibus it was a very late change away from a generic broken-time story, and I can kinda see that with how some of the earlier evil Skeets behavior doesn't seem super purposeful, but it all works for me.

#20

Mostly spaceguy plot that I don't care much about. The fight's cool at least.

I have no idea what fan speculation was like at the time but the idea of Supernova Jason Todd conspiracy theories is extremely funny so I support the intentional red herrings here.

#21

I keep changing my mind on which storylines I like more as I go. How could I not love Natasha?

#22

Dr. Magnus is back! I wish him being bipolar was handled more sensitively, the whole "oh the medicine keeps me from going ~crazy~" thing is :/, but I'm willing to read it charitably as his own perspective because I like him. He's a psychotic DC character who's heroic and not spooky or magical, just a guy who really doesn't want to have another depersonalization episode and has some internalized sanism about it, it could be so much worse.

#23

I like that Vic's more jaded to the horrors he can't stop than Renee is. He's had a lot of time to get used to the idea he can't save everyone - back in his own book he would've thrown himself in harm's way just like she wants to, but he's gotten better at not starting fights he can't win.

Hate to give Geoff Johns credit for anything but "What the hell are you doing?" "Seeing if it's contagious." is really good.

#24

"We were both guilty of ignoring Ted" Pretty sure Booster nearly died because he dropped everything to help but okay.

Osiris is just a kid...

Introducing a First Nations hero just to kill him off and give his stuff to a white dude sucks.

#25

Alan's out of the spaceguy zone and doing his own thing.

Almost halfway and the threads are still only starting to link up.

#26

I cannot get enough of Vic and Renee being friends with the Black Marvels. It's very sweet!

Tot my friend Tot :)

This is just a nice moment for them.

#27

I'm very into how Evil Skeets is drawn. He manages to be expressive despite having no moving features, it's a good trick.

Ohhh no it's now. I thought I had another issue, but no, this is the turning point.

#28

THE QUESTIONS!!! Love how they're heckling Kate together.

Kate is so cool.

Oh right, the spaceguys are still here.

#29

The way the mad science island handles mental illness generally sucks, but it's almost hitting at something interesting with Will being forced off his medication for the sake of "creativity".

#30

Get out of here Bruce.

I am going to cry!

#31

I don't even dislike the spaceguys really, but cmon, more of Ralph or Nat would've been better.

Ralph's still a detective even at his lowest! Strong foreshadowing.

#32

Uh oh, Ralph.

#33

Ohhh Charlie.

Him hallucinating Myra? Only able to admit he loved her at the very end?? It takes me out!

Almost all of his dialogue is straight from the O'Neil run. Rucka describes rereading the entire run just to write this issue because he had to get this right, and it shows.

There's a reason I consider O'Neil and Rucka the essential Question writers, and all the other takes to be interesting sidenotes.

#34

The kids aren't doing so well.

aaaaaaaa

#35

Hands you a picture of Nat. Hands you a picture of Nat. Hands you a picture of Nat.

Lex is the best villain in 52 and it isn't even close to a competition.

#36

AAAAAAA

Fuck dude! Nothing coherent to say here! Look at them!

#37

Wild emotional roller coaster for me as I go from Renee agony to cheering about Booster. My first read of this was a Time.

It's such a fun mystery. I can confirm it works if you know nothing about comics and are just along for the ride, and it comes together so well on the reread.

Mayor Ollie!

#38

AAAAAAA

"I'm afraid of who I'll become without you..." How am I meant to be normal about this!

I had to read this in two pieces because it made me need to get up and pace. It has done this every time I have read it. I am physically incapable of being normal about this.

Head in my hands. Comics are good and worth reading actually.

#clayposts #clayreads #the question #vic sage #renee montoya

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jackstheprinceofhearts · 2 years

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my very opinionated review of TBONA by Stephanie Garber

WARNINGS: I'm a person who rambles a lot and I will be trying hard not to in this review (and I'm using Grammarly lol) but I make no promises.

this review contains spoilers for tbona! (i am writing this review on Monday night {the 12th} the official release date is the 13th but I was lucky enough to get an owlcrate edition and I will be posting this review a few days after then.)

i will also be discussing my opinions on some debates I've been seeing about jacks's character in TBONA so if you can't handle my opinion then this isn't for you.

strap in because this'll be a long one lol

_________________________________________________

first of all, i do have some criticism for this book so let's get that out of the way.

i felt as if tbona was incredibly fast-paced (just like the first one) and I'm a binge reader so it felt like getting thrown all over the place because of how fast I read it lol so I would recommend this book more for slower readers then I would binge readers if you want to absorb the plot more. but i honestly like how she gets straight to the point with it so that's why i love all of her books!

i also guessed a few of the plot twists from some theories I've made and discussed in the Magnificent North discord server but I do that a lot with books so it doesn't ruin much (it just makes me feel smarter than everyone lmfao)

another thing, I didn't really like how towards the end eva kind of gave off the "I can change him" vibes which I mean makes sense in some ways but still I'm not a huge fan of that BUT I like how Evangeline actually listened to him.

I also wasn't very happy that it wasn't really acknowledged that she made his heart beat??...we're ignoring this again??? homie???

and the scar wasn't really a plot point at all which I found to be a bit weird.

but besides that, i don't really have any more criticism for it.

________________________________________________________

here were some of the things i liked a lot:

the ending was IMMACULATE it had so much emotional depth and feeling???? oh my god???

I also liked the backstory we got on Jacks because damn it all makes sense now! and it was interesting to see how he was connected to the north, but now I'm curious about how he got to Valenda and how he ended up in the card.

also, can we just talk about how beautifully tragic that ending was???? like yes it was sad but CAN WE JUST APPRECIATE IT FOR A MINUTE LIKE OMG

moment of silence for jacks......

honestly 5/5 stars. this is definitely my new favorite!

______________________________________________________

alright now to get into the stuff about jacks's character that I'm seeing posts about a lot.

so i've seen a lot of people say that they "hate" him or that he's "toxic" or that evajacks is a toxic ship and honestly I disagree and here's why:

the entire point of jacks's character is that he's a heartbroken VILLAIN, not a hero. and he keeps saying that throughout literally every book he's in. he says to tella "I'm the villain, even in my own story." in Finale. we are told over and over again that he's not a hero. "I hurt everyone, little fox." there are a lot more quotes of him literally saying he's the bad guy in TBONA and OUABH 😭 "you need to stop holding me to human standards," jacks drawled. "I'm a fate." and then again with; "I'm not your enemy, little fox. I know you're still angry with me, but you've always known what I am. I never tried to pretend otherwise, you just let yourself believe I was something I'm not." and once again; "I'm not your friend. I'm not some human boy who will tell you pretty lies or bring you flowers or gift you jewels."

(collectors edition of OUABH) him saying he's a bad guy and he'll do whatever it takes to get what he wants.

the entire point of TBONA and OUABH is people making bad choices because of their broken hearts.

also, i don't see how you guys aren't saying anything about LaLa when she betrayed eva as well, like where's the logic??? and what LaLa did was worse in my opinion because it put eva in danger of DYING jacks never did that.

and don't give me the whole "oh she's a fate she doesn't understand human emotions" BUT YOU WANT JACKS TO??? HOW IS THAT FAIR??? if you don't like jacks that's perfectly fine but let's be fair 😭i'm not saying jacks's actions were okay BUT HE'S A VILLAIN YOU CAN'T EXPECT HIM TO COMPLETELY CHANGE IN TWO BOOKS!!!

overall, you can't expect a character to completely change and I'm glad he didn't get some rushed redemption arc in this. you need to look into it a bit more before you just give it a bad review because "jacks was a bad guy"

______________________________________________________________

believe what you will about TBONA but that's my personal opinion on this book. i think Stephanie did an amazing job writing this and I'm excited to see what's to come next. thank you for reading my review/rant! have a good day!

also, the pumpkin chocolate chip cookie I was eating while writing this was really, really, good.

#tbona #tbona spoilers #jacks prince of hearts #evajacks #the ballad of never after #evangeline fox #jacks x evangeline #stephanie garber #ouabh spoilers #book review #just ranting #LaLa tbona #tbona ending #jacks #ouabh

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incorrectwutheringheightsquotes · 2 years

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When people say Heathcliff doesn’t have a sense of humor I am like 🤨. Like, he isn’t a comic genius, but he definitely has a sense of humor and he is witty.

““Unhappy in your conjectures, sir,” observed my host; “we neither of us have the privilege of owning your good fairy; her mate is dead. I said she was my daughter-in-law, therefore, she must have married my son.”

“And this young man is-”

“Not my son, assuredly.”

Heathcliff smiled again, as if it were rather too bold a jest to attribute the paternity of that bear to him.”

(Chapter 2)

“‘My young lady is looking sadly the worse for her change of condition,’ I remarked. ‘Somebody’s love comes short in her case, obviously; whose, I may guess; but, perhaps, I shouldn’t say.’

‘I should guess it was her own,’ said Heathcliff.”

(Chapter 14)

““God! what a beauty! what a lovely, charming thing!” he exclaimed. “Haven’t they reared it on snails and sour milk, Nelly? Oh, damn my soul! but that’s worse than I expected—and the devil knows I was not sanguine!”” (…)

“Nelly, if you be tired you may sit down; if not, get home again. I guess you’ll report what you hear and see to the cipher at the Grange; and this thing won’t be settled while you linger about it.””

(Chapter 20)

“And the best of it is, Hareton is damnably fond of me! You’ll own that I’ve outmatched Hindley there. If the dead villain could rise from his grave to abuse me for his offspring’s wrongs, I should have the fun of seeing the said offspring fight him back again, indignant that he should dare to rail at the one friend he has in the world!”

Heathcliff chuckled a fiendish laugh at the idea. “

(Chapter 21)

““I was not aware there were eavesdroppers,” muttered the detected villain. “Worthy Mrs. Dean, I like you, but I don’t like your double-dealing,” he added aloud. “How could you lie so glaringly, as to affirm I hated the ‘poor child’? and invent bugbear stories to terrify her from my door-stones? Catherine Linton (the very name warms me), my bonnie lass, I shall be from home all this week; go and see if I have not spoken truth: do, there’s a darling! just imagine your father in my place, and Linton in yours; then think how you would value your careless lover if he refused to stir a step to comfort you, when your father himself entreated him; and don’t, from pure stupidity, fall into the same error. I swear, on my salvation, he’s going to his grave, and none but you can save him!””

(Chapter 22) (bolded part mine)

““I shall,” said Catherine. “Linton is all I have to love in the world, and though you have done what you could to make him hateful to me, and me to him, you cannot make us hate each other. And I defy you to hurt him when I am by, and I defy you to frighten me!”

“You are a boastful champion,” replied Heathcliff; “but I don’t like you well enough to hurt him: “

(Chapter 29)

““Is there same new reason for this banishment?” I enquired. “Tell me why you are so queer, Mr. Heathcliff? Where were you last night? I’m not putting the question through idle curiosity, but-”

“You are putting the question through very idle curiosity,” he interrupted, with a laugh. “

(Chapter 34)

Am I dying of laughter? No, but I am smiling, and I wonder which book you must have read to think that this guy doesn’t have a sense of humor and takes himself entirely seriously. Half of what makes his character for me are these lines.

#wuthering heights #tbf Nelly’s narration is also a factor in making these quotes great #muttered the detected villain

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nalyra-dreaming · 12 days

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I look forward to seeing Cyril and Thorne so much. I love their dynamic and commitment to the job. I remember someone said they want to see the two dorks as a couple and I can get behind that! Also I personally see Cyril and Santh being a thing too (or the three of them 💕). I also hope to see Louis having his dear friends/defense squad. “he asked for no pickles” and you look up and it’s a redhead viking bear, a buff blond jock, and an Egyptian powerhouse.

I thank fanon for adding to the existing personalities of the three. Cyril being a goofball but taking his assignment seriously. Santh being a himbo. Thorne being a gentle giant who towers over everyone and isn’t the most brilliant dude ever but still a force to be reckoned with if you hurt his friends…

I love them, obviously. Heh. Not gonna lie, I’m probably going to get a little self-indulgent here, but these guys are precious to me.

In the case of Santh, @fofoqueirah wrote a fic where there’s a background event of Louis and Santh going to the Burning Man Festival together and I just 🥺 Louis needs that.

Thorne, I hope for him to be portrayed as strange but amicable, just as he is in the books. His as-matter-of-fact attitude makes me laugh. Marius’ tendency to greet with bloody kisses? Sure? Maharet has had enough and decides to chain up Thorne? Cool. I honestly imagine Lestat fussing over Thorne every time Thorne gets hurt trying to protect him or stop Lestat from accidentally starting another turf war lol 💕💕

Cyril. Cyril! Louis’ bodyguard and “friend” (historians will say as such, ahem 👀). I hope they get to read together and get into trouble together. I hope the show builds on their bond. It will hurt soooo bad when Louis gets taken by Rhosh. It’s never mentioned in Blood Communion, and I am certain Cyril was DEVASTATED. Because he’s supposed to be protecting the royal couple and one of them just got nabbed.

And I didn’t forget about Mitka! He’s so cute and awkward. He can read with Louis and Cyril. I hope there’s a sexy little blood-sharing scene where Lestat watches them make out or whatever. 😏

What I don’t understand is how Anne Rice added like, 60 new OCs in the last three books only to do very little with most of them. Accidental minor villain potential of Gregory comes to mind, as well as expanding on the vampire counsel and the inevitable infighting

Haha yes. :))

*sighs*

I mean Anne noted at some point that she was planning on three more books, but... she couldn't finish them.

So I also always felt like there were hooks in the last books, hooks that she might have taken up in those planned books. (I do feel as if the show has taken some of those hooks up, like Fareed wanting to get the "day" back for them, and the sex itself, and so on?! You know?) But I agree, it's a lot of new characters in the last trilogy, and not all of them are as fleshed out as they deserve to be.

I also hope that we will get to see this particular trio, and what the Rhosh-situation does to them... I'm not a 100% sure we will (on the show), because it really is a lot of new vampires, but... I mean, Fareed is there^^. Gimme, Rolin^^.

And oh gosh, I have to read that!! Because yes, Louis needs these kind of things *g*

Ahhhh, I cannot wait.

There is SO MUCH yet to come.

And AMC actually seems to be in for the long run.

Fingers crossed^^

#silvervinespiderwebs #asks #ask nalyra #cyril #thorne #santh #gregory #fareed bhansali #louis de pointe du lac #the vampire chronicles #vc #vampire chronicles #mitka

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roblingoblin285 · 1 year

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Day 90: New, clean clothes (Fall From Grace)

Media/universe: Fall From Grace (OCs)

guys, i cannot stress this enough, as soon as my finals are over i swear i am going to grind these god-forsaken prompts until i am fully caught up. (and then i have to stockpile nearly a month of them for july because i'll be out of the country but that's neither here nor there)

“Here.” Rob handed Sage a folded pile of clothes, shooting them a warm smile. “These might be a bit big on you, but it’ll work until we can get something else.”

Sage took the stack carefully, as if they were precious; Rob knew they were precious to them. “Thank you,” they murmured, staring at the clothes with foggy eyes. “Thank you so much.”

“No worries, pops. I’ll leave and let you get changed, alright? Let me know if you need help.” Sage didn’t look up as the hero spoke, vaguely comprehending the sound of the door shutting behind him. They stood slowly and slipped into the fresh shirt and pants, and the only thought they could muster through their exhaustion was how soft the clothes were. There was a sweater, too, and Sage pulled it on over their head. They winced as the movement strained the wounds on their chest and arms, but the pain subsided back into a dull ache after a moment.

They automatically stepped toward the door, opening it to find Rob sitting on the couch with a book. He looked up as soon as Sage came out, standing to meet them.

“Everything feel okay?” he asked, straightening the hem of their sweater nervously. “It looks like it fits okay, but- oh, what’s wrong?”

Tears were streaming down Sage’s face, running unnaturally around the marred scar tissue. “Sorry-” they gasped, quickly rubbing their face. “Fuck, I’m so sorry, I don’t-”

“Hey, hey, it’s alright.” Rob dipped his head to meet their watering eyes, rubbing their back comfortingly. “What can I do?”

“Just-I’m sorry, can you-?” They gestured vaguely with shaking hands, unable to fully articulate. Rob seemed to understand anyway, pulling the villain into a tight but gentle hug. Sage just about collapsed into his hold, wrapping their arms around his waist and squeezing back. The villain’s shaking subsided as the pressure seeped into their skin, and their tears slowed to a stop.

Rob made no moves to pull away, gently rocking back and forth between his feet and resting his chin on top of Sage’s head. He let the villain pull away on their own, keeping one hand on their shoulder.

“Better?” Rob asked, giving them a concerned once over.

“Better,” Sage assured. “Thank you, kid.”

“Of course.”

thanks for reading! please comment/submit an ask if you would like to be added to or removed from the taglist. Asks and questions about characters or plot are always welcome! 365 writing challenge taglist: @stabby-nunchucks @sapphobugz Fall From Grace taglist: @thekittyburger

#villain whumpee #hero caretaker #whump #writing #whump prompt #whump scenario #whump writing #365 writing challenge #ocs #ffg!rob #ffg!sage

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performing-personhood · 2 months

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Yall already know I'm An Old™️ but join me now because I'm indulging in a little foray into my Oldness.

I don't think "hipster" has been a thing for a while, but I assume we all understand that hipster is defined as "someone who is a pretentious snob about something innocuous." It's the sneering superiority of a "I liked it before it was cool, you hadn't heard of it". Right? Ok so now that we've defined our terms, we can move on.

So, I allow myself the luxury of being a hipster about precisely two things, and two things only. Because I actually did like them before mainstream culture got a hold of them, and I never won't be a tiny bit giddy when I think of where we started vs what it is now.

Good Omens is the first one. I wouldn't be diagnosed with adhd until my mid-thirties, which I mention because it should carry some weight when I say that this novel remains the only book I ever read cover-to-cover eight times. If I had to shortlist five my favorite novels, Good Omens would easily make the cut. The show is the ultimate book-to-screen adaptation of all time, including Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings," and I've got a little tent and plenty of rations and I am ready to die for my cause on this hill. My beloved first edition and its crumbling dust jacket are prized possessions. I am so proud to have known her when.

But the second one, oh I'm proud of that one too.

When I was a teenager, I read a book by an author named Gregory Maguire. I couldn't put it down. It was captivating, painting a picture of an innocent life borne of a drug-using, neglected and neglectful mother. A life lived as best they could under unending prejudice and cruelty, which produced a person so misunderstood that even their attempt at social good was painted as evil, even when they were only trying to protect their paraplegic sister. Whose oldest friend put ambition and homewreckery before a friendship that stretched back into adolescence. A person who lost absolutely everything and then their life, only to live on in the infamy of a twisted and maligned legacy. The story of a girl born with horrible birth defects: deathly allergic to water, and skin the most peculiar shade of green.

I had never before read a story told from the villains point of view, especially not one that corrected me so firmly on my definition of "villain." It changed me.

Anyway, Wicked is finally getting its movie after easily a decade of murmur and rumor. I wish I could tell you all how giddy and handflappy and feet-kicky I got when the trailer aired unexpectedly. I don't even care if the movie is hot trash, I will be happy to see its evolution regardless. Because after all, I know the truth, I was there at the beginning..... I liked it before it was cool.

By the way, and I'm sorry to be This Guy, but if you've only seen the musical then you have missed half the story, because the original ending could not be fit into the format of a stage musical. They had to Disney-fy it in order for the story to work (a choice I do not begrudge them.) The original ending ripped out my soul through my teeth. I still think about it.

#good omens #good omens the book #good omens the show #wicked #wicked the book #wicked the musical #wicked the movie #hipster #xennial #gregory maguire #neil gaiman and terry pratchett #neil and terry #hipster brag #waxing nostalgic #nostalgia posting

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