#Make him suffer I guess

[serenefountain]

Accidentally came up with a new, incredibly stereotypical (and stupid?!) concept.

I called it "World-Burn"

Look below if you wish to dive into the insanity.

It begins with the four heroes of yore (in this case, it would be three of my OCs I won't talk about here, and Galacta Knight/Aeon Hero), or rather, when they disband.

The ancients are falling, the world is burning and it's all his fault. Faith was put into the four, and he lost it for all of them. We all knew it was impossible to keep hold the fire that was the Aeon Hero, but they couldn't help but try. Nobody would ever take notice that the ancients raised him to be their weapon, and fate has come to collect its dues.

Their society crumbles, mere dust in his hands. He doesn't want this, he never did. He must. It has to be. A dove that will burn in the very flame it was born from. Oh great mercy of the stars,be spared on the poor soul of the hero, or not. Now being played at the mere whims of the galaxy. "Here rests not the soul of the Aeon Hero, the greatest warrior in the galaxy, he who lived."

[vaguely-concerned]

the fact that irving canonically survives through the end of asunder to be at wynne's funeral is so fucking funny to me. nothing but love and respect for MY unstoppable cockroach morally grey machiavellian mage dad!!! he's survived in his position through multiple attempted rites of annulment and blood mage plots popping up left right and center around him. the chantry keeps trying to stamp him out but his dodge game is simply out of this world, divine. civil wars, political machinations and minefields, chantry atrocities, this wily old motherfucker is dodging and weaving his way through it all, not-quite-no-hits-taken-running-it-but-honestly-close-enough-under-the-circumstances style. if solas does succeed in tearing down the veil I would fully believe that one of the like three people still alive at the end of it all would be a very weary 90 year old first enchanter irving going 'oh this shit again huh'. the maker has cursed him for his hubris and his paperwork is never finished (affectionate, it's fine he canonically loves paperwork)

[bonefall]

Hey, what makes a character a 'plot device but not a character'? And how do you not do that? I'm trying to do it on purpose but also I need to still make them interesting because it's on purpose, yknow?

A good skill to pick up is to learn to criticise criticism itself. A "plot device" is simply a thing that moves the plot along, it's a neutral literary analysis term! Usually, when people are angry that "a character has been used as a plot device," it doesn't mean they hate plot devices. It means they're gesturing at something deeper.

Runningwind and Bumble are equally plot devices in their deaths. They are both killed by the antagonist to escalate political tension. Runningwind is rarely "accused" of just being a plot device, and yet, we're talking about Bumble for the same thing.

So, why?

Well, Runningwind is just a background character, but in life, he was a part of the community. He was characterized as impatient but responsible. Yet, he wasn't SO important that he died with a bunch of unresolved plot threads.

He is mostly an extension of the entity of ThunderClan. His killing by Tigerstar, and the fear and paranoia that settles on the group after this, feel like a progression of the story insteas of something forced.

Bumble, on the other hand...

Is hated immediately by Gray Wing, when she's established as Turtle Tail's friend. Bumble's abuse at Tom the Wifebeater's hands invites even MORE investment. The rejection is shocking and upsetting. There's a story there about our main characters being imperfect; jealous, bigoted, and judgemental.

But, she is simply killed off. Everything they set up for this character is gone with little personalized fanfare. It's not a tragedy with a lesson about cruelty, or something anyone regrets.

It's just... plot. Gray Wing whinging that no one will like his shitty brother now that his body count is 2.

More than that, in the discussion of women in particular, "Fridging" was coined to give a name to the way women characters often don't get their stories told at all. There is a CULTURAL trend of female characters facing disproportionate violence, for the sake of advancing male plots.

Bumble has a lot going for her. Petal had a lot going for her. Turtle Tail had a lot going for her. Bright Stream had a lot going for her. When they died, they took their potential with them.

It's not always wrong to kill off a character of high potential, mind you. In Gurren Lagann, Kamina's death is sudden and shocking, leaving a massive hole in the hearts of the cast that never heals. Grappling with that loss, but also letting his memory fuel them, is a major theme of that story.

All that to say... there's no formula for avoiding it. You've gotta identify what the deeper issue is, in your specific narrative.

I can't say for certain what that will look like for your story, but here's some things I keep in mind;

When you make characters who exist to die, make sure they're people before you axe them.

Ask yourself; what about them does the cast miss?

If they just miss them because they were (pre-existing relationship), go back to the drawing board.

Fluttering Bird as an example. Who was she? Dead sister. Why do they miss her? Dead sister. No traits until after her death.

Runningwind was short-tempered and helpful. Kamina was a valuable leader who made people believe in a brighter future. Swiftpaw was fiesty and desperate to prove himself. The better characterized, the more profound the loss usually is.

If this is a female character who is dying just to serve the plot, be aware of cultural bias and tropes. How is the gender ratio looking in your cast? Is this happening disproportionately with your girls?

Note how Quiet Rain's litter had both a boy and a girl, but the girl was chosen to be "weaker" and wither away.

And how most of the time in DOTC, whenever a man had to be upset, a girl would get killed for it.

If you ever feel like the character on the chopping block is NOT a full character, ask yourself why it needs to be a character at all. You don't need to spend narrative time building out someone when a literal object of high value might suffice.

"My sister died when I swore to protect her and I can't face my family" = Old. Tired. Ive seen this.

"I lost my heirloom sword when I swore to protect it and I can't face my family." = Fascinating. Why was the sword so valuable? Will they really not take you back? How did you lose it?

When you do kill off "high value" characters, try to make sure you're not leaving too many plot threads hanging. Or at least make a point of how they will never get closure.

[rynpie]

I tried drawing a nbc Lilia loosely inspired by the vampires

[journey-to-the-attic]

(有点晚的) 新年快乐!

happy (a little belated) lunar new year!! sorry i haven't been answering asks, been a busy week - i'll try to get to that tomorrow ^^

[lord-squiggletits]

One of my favorite parts of phase 2 (and indeed one of the few moments I resonated with IDW Prowl) was when the neutrals were coming back to Cybertron and Prowl said that he refused to let Autobots be pushed aside and overruled after they were the ones who fought for freedom for 4 million years (the exact wording escapes me atm).

And I mean, that resentment still holds true even once the colonists come on bc like. As much as it's true that Cybertron's culture is fucked up, and as funny as it can be to paint Cybertronians as a bunch of weirdos who consider trying to kill someone as a common greeting not important enough to hold a grudge over.... The colonists POV kind of pissed me off a lot of times, as did the narrative tone/implications that Cybertronians are forever warlike and doomed to die by their own hands bc it just strikes me as an extremely judgemental and unsympathetic way to deal with a huge group of people with massive war PTSD and political/social tensions that were rampant even before the war?

Like, imagine living in a society rife with bigotry and discrimination where you get locked into certain occupations and social strata based on how you were born. The political tension is so bad there's a string of assassinations of politicians and leaders. The whole planet erupts into an outright war that leads (even unintentionally) to famine and chemical/biological warfare that destroys your planet. Both sides of the war are so entrenched in their pre-war sides and resentment for each other that this war lasts 4 million years and you don't even have a home planet any more. Then your home planet gets restored and a bunch of sheltered fucks come home and go "ewww why are you so violent?? You're a bunch of freaks just go live in the wilderness so that our home can belong to The Pure People Who Weren't Stupid And Evil Enough To Be Trapped In War" and then a bunch of colonists from places that know nothing about your history go "lol you people are so weird?? 🤣🤣 I don't get why y'all are fighting can't you just like, stop??? Oh okay you people are just fucked up and evil and stupid then" ((their planets are based on colonialism where their Primes wiped out the native populations btw whereas the Autobots and OP in particular fought to save organics. But that never gets brought up as a point in their favor)) as if the damage of a lifetime of war and a society that was broken even before the war can just magically go away now that the war is over.

Prowl fucking sucks but he was basically the only person that pointed out the injustice of that.

And then from then on out most of the characters from other colonies like Caminus and wherever else are going "i fucking hate you and your conflicts" w/ people like literal-nobody Slide and various Camiens getting to just sit there lecturing Optimus about how Cybertronians are too violent for their own good and how their conflicts are stupid, with only brief sympathetic moments where the Cybertronians get to be recognized as their own ppl who deserve sympathy before going right back to being lambasted.

Like I literally struggled to enjoy the story at multiple points because there was only so much I could take of the characters I knew and loved being raked over coals constantly while barely getting to defend themselves or be defended by the narrative so like. It was just fucking depressing and a little infuriating to read exRID/OP

[alicentflorent]

I didn’t sit here for years tryna stay calm and silent while listening to your bad takes on gale (who grew up oppressed, in poverty and then witnessed his entire district getting wiped out then rightly went to fight in the rebellion because it was his inlg chance of tearing down the system the wanted him and his family dead) being a “terrorist war criminal who is single handedly responsible for killing innocent people including prim and who is the REAL villain of the hunger games” just for y’all to turn and start stanning and defending actual facist dictator and child trafficker Coriolanus Snow because you saw a young hot version of him.

[aroaessidhe]

2024 reads / storygraph

Asunder

slow-paced high fantasy

a woman who has a contract with an eldritch entity allowing her to see the dead & survives by taking various jobs

when a job searching for stranded smugglers in a cave goes wrong, she ends up with the soul of a dying stranger bound to her shadow

along with a scholar and her old childhood friend, they travel to his home country to find a way to unbind him and save them both

dark fantasy world with gods, demonic entities, arcane magic, and semi-sentient beasts used as transport

[soup-guts]

theres no way he actually thinks he’s bad — but thinking and feeling are two different things

[mylove-thresher]

imagine getting your period with cramps right before having to take three exams the next day haha that’s so funny right (I’m sobbing.)

[thejasontoddarchives]

Jason Todd, eepiest boy in the dcu

Why’d they add a wig/hair to the robin mannequin …..

Batman: The Adventures Continue (2020)

[pixelatedraindrops]

Yuma Month: Day 10: Memories

…but there were none to think of…

[sillyfudgemonkeys]

First meetings

Setting: Modern day Korra, everyone pulled out of their timelines.

Korra: So I was wondering. What was everyone's first time contacting their past self like! Wan: Oh this is gonna be good. Kyoshi and Yangchen: *grimacing* Kuruk, looking at Kyoshi nervously: Uhhhh sure. Aang: Sure I'm down! Let's go in order! Korra first! Korra: What?! Oh ok! So like, I thought I lost almost all of my bending, and then at my lowest point you came in and helped get my bending back Aang! Aang: Oh sweet! Korra: Hell yeah, really came in clutch! Aang: Ok I'm next. Roku's animal guide told me where to go meet him, so we had to sneak into the Fire Nation to talk to him. Got a bit dicey, but he gave us some incredible advice that we needed! Roku: Awesome! Glad I could help-wait what do you mean "Sneak into the Fire Naiton?" Aang: Don't worry about it. It's your turn! Roku: Oh um, so like. Sozin and I were in the middle of a cave in, partially caused by me. I thought I was dead, and thought my role was to just be a placeholder Avatar. But Kyoshi gave me a pep talk that amounted to "It's not your fault. Quit bringing yourself down, and look within you to harness the power you need." And she was right. Kyoshi, trying to be positive but sounding dejected: Wow, I was right about one thing for once..... Roku: Ummm, what was your experience like Kyoshi? Kyoshi: ................... Kuruk: Haha c'mon, I wasn't that bad- Kyoshi: I can't really say the first time amounted to much, it was choppy. Subsequent attempts left me paralyzed with seizures. Kuruk: ....O_O Huh? Kyoshi: It's because I didn't want to touch you with a ten foot poll. I was able to reach you eventually- Kuruk: Oh that's good! How- Kyoshi: By drowning myself. Everyone: ...............................dude. Kuruk: Did you really have to do that- Kyoshi: I was desperate. It was either I attempt to contact you that way, or I was gonna die and beat your ass on the other side. Either way was a win in my book. Kuruk: ................................did.....did I do something wrong- Kyoshi, grimacing in physical pain: No.....just.....just leave it, ok? Wan: What was it like for you Kuruk? Kuruk: It....it was.... normal? Wan: Oh well.....that's....nice? Korra: Ok well....Yangchen? Your turn! Yangchen: Do I really have to? Korra: Yes. Yangchen: I don't really remember. Korra: What do you mean- Yangchen: Korra, it was probably one of my many dissociative episodes, usually happened when I slept. Spirits knows when I first contacted Szeto. Tbh I was probably 5 years old and unconscious living out one of his memories. Like I did with most of my past lives. Korra: Holy shit. Yangchen: It got so bad that me and the nuns had to develop techniques for when I wake up so I could feel.....grounded again. Wan: Ok, but like why are all the girls' like.....all traumatic. Raava, get us a girlie that's not suffering. TT0TT

[binah-beloved]

i beat the rabbit man.

[thedeathdeelers]

just something about julie automatically assuming that the boys, luke, will be going to heaven, going to the same place as her mom — a place of love basically

vs luke constantly making jokes/comments about them going to hell

[gjsxj0]

mindless rambling in tags don't mind me