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[comicaurora]

There's this one interesting variation on the Cosmic Alignment trope that I remember reading in a book during detention in middle school. Where the cosmic alignment/star pattern is one of the keys to the End Of The World or whatever, but the alignment needs an extra star because it's actually not supposed to ever happen. So the bad guy puts a super bright satellite into space to emulate that pattern and enact the plan. The Trope Talk reminded me of it and I wanted to share it.

same energy as David Xanatos putting a castle on top of a skyscraper to break a curse with the stock impossible end condition of "until the castle rises above the clouds"

[comicaurora]

Hey Red what was the website you used for finding Falst's hair color? People on the Discord are curious.

this thing

[comicaurora]

Inspired by that previous ask, is there a specific name for that kinda really specific trope where two allies stage a big fight/argument between them, usually to draw out the villain or because they need to convince the villain that one of them is Super Down To Turn Evil Now? (Crucially, the heroes deliberately set the fight up and both of them are in on the plan and aware it's not a real fight, not any of that miscommunication-enabled bs)

That's the Fake Defector! The trope as written includes the cases where the "traitor" doesn't explain the plan to their friends first and there's a degree of miscommunication, but since its execution often relies pretty heavily on the Unspoken Plan Guarantee, the audience usually doesn't know how much information their allies actually have when they "turn traitor," and will only find out who was in on it when they inevitably reveal that they're actually still a good guy.

[comicaurora]

Is there a name for the trope where the protag is suddenly backed up by an army of allies, when their about to go face a massive threat alone. That trope gives me life but I cannot find a name for it.

This is a variant of The Cavalry! Our severely outnumbered/outgunned hero or heroes need to reach the brink of utter defeat before their allies can show up to even the odds. There's a few variants, but in order for the setup and payoff to not feel like a deus ex machina, the cavalry needs to be foreshadowed one way or another:

One of the heroes went off on their own to Not Endanger The Others, so the audience expects their friends and allies to show up at the eleventh hour to something something power of friendship

Our heroes tried to get outside help from a powerful potential ally before the final battle, but they didn't seem willing or able to divert their forces to help them out. Our heroes have written them off, but they show up because somebody changed their mind

A random background character they helped out once is like "hey I've been rallying some friends offscreen ever since you saved my village" and we get a big cameo fest of everybody our heroes ever hung out with

Team loner was like "this is a suicide mission and I'm leaving" and then they turn up at the last minute with friends and a gunship and probably some apology chocolates

Hey, guess who ALSO doesn't want this apocalyptic threat to win? That's right it's all the previous major villains and they brought ALLLLL their guns

[comicaurora]

Hello! Sorry to bother you but I was hoping you could help settle a furious debate my friends are having. What color is Falst’s hair? Thanks!

"strong orange" apparently

[comicaurora]

oh what.. another one... the Alinua....

sequel to this

(@comicaurora)

[comicaurora]

going well so far

oh good, Pluto TV has added an anime channel showing Inuyasha episodes in the original japanese. I was really worried I might actually get some work done this month

[comicaurora]

Could you argue that Godzilla is a Dragon? No pressure, just curious.

my hot take hardline Tolkien stance is that Godzilla is the ONLY proper dragon in all of cinema

[comicaurora]

oh good, Pluto TV has added an anime channel showing Inuyasha episodes in the original japanese. I was really worried I might actually get some work done this month

[comicaurora]

Kendal!! and patterns.... yippee

(@comicaurora)

[comicaurora]

some good faces in this next chapter

[comicaurora]

since you said you’ve watched Delicious in Dungeon

as soon as I saw Namari my brain went “buff woman, main palette color is red. -> osp red.”

so yeah, every time Namari is on screen I think “THAT’S RED.” haha

She'd like me a lot, I have one of those leg pouches she's obsessed with

[comicaurora]

WHOA

I finally managed to draw more aurora fan art :)

[comicaurora]

If you had to pick a handfull of "must-have" traits for a great villain, what would be your top picks?

Interesting question! I don't really think there's any single way to define a great villain, since so many different villainous archetypes can be great, but I have personal favorites that make me very gleeful whenever a villain shows up with them:

Clever! Villains who scheme, villains who plot, villains who know the heroes well enough to anticipate their moves. A villain who, when talking to their minions about what the heroes are up to, displays a degree of almost fond familiarity by predicting exactly what in-character action they'll take next, or is the first one to realize the hero's been replaced by an imposter. Not my favorite when taken to its extreme of Unstoppably Omniscient, but I like it when they pay attention!

Smug! Smugness is one of the best traits for a villain because it signals that smugness is going to be shattered. Earnest villains or Heroes On The Wrong Side don't get this. Smug villains know they're bad and ask "what are you gonna do about it?" They exist to let the audience see the answer to that question. Their character arc is Fuck Around -> Find Out.

Just Plain Mean! Sometimes it's fun when villains are sympathetic but to be honest I'm a big fan of the bad guys who always take the opportunity to be just that little bit extra cruel. If you've already got 'em stabbed, why WOULDN'T you twist the knife?

[comicaurora]

congrats on appearing in a pm seymour video??

why does this keep happening

[comicaurora]

Some Tarren fanart from @comicaurora, I hope we can see more of them in the future!