#THAT is what makes the betrayal tragic

[florenceafternoon]

war shows character and James Potter proved his

[goldencorecrunches]

on the one hand i know the lans probably tried to keep lan sizhui sequestered away from the rest of the world for several years bc of wen yuan reasons on the other hand I think it would be very funny if lan wangji tried to teach him to hate jiang cheng, specifically, for petty reasons, and wee lan sizhui just. refused

[echoesofcamelot]

This shot takes my breath away.

It’s… I don’t know how to explain it.

It’s the discarded sword, forgotten because there’s no longer any fight.

It’s the wound, dark and fatal, clearly visible on Arthur’s side.

It’s Merlin’s leg, pressing tightly against Arthur’s.

It’s his left hand, clinging to him desperately.

It’s his right arm wrapped protectively around him, his right hand cupping his head tenderly, his fingers tangled in his hair.

It’s the way Merlin is holding Arthur, as if trying to merge with him and become one.

Or maybe it’s just the way this image alone tells a story, or at least the end of it. The way you can tell it was a good one, epic and tragic and filled with love and loss and all those things that make a story worth telling.

Yeah, that must be it...

Love and devastation and everything in between, all condensed into this very moment and captured forever in a single frame of a TV show.

[devilemon]

me when queequeg gave ishmael one last pained look and asked her to tell her her name once more

so when she finally died, she could look at HER sunset because she could never do it outside the whale in a future with her lover

i'm gonna be sick canto v was so good and ishmael is now attempting to grapple with a second loss of queequeg but now with an emotional support system

(gif by me, just ask to use it if you want 🫶)

[mars-ipan]

danganronpa is so fucking crazy bc it’s like “hi. this is a game series with a fucking amazing premise. unfortunately the writing sucks and is bad and you will spend half the time going ‘eugh why did they write that’ but you will play the whole thing anyways and get attached to your favorite characters and cry when they inevitably die. also it is filled with romance subplots that will stay in your brain forever” HUH??????

[ayda-agueforts]

one week out and personally I think it would’ve been more compelling if armand had directed the play AND saved louis bc it would give armand more agency and loumand more complexity and still wouldn’t change the fact that armand built the last 50 years of his and louis’ relationship on a lie but maybe that’s just me

[landfilloftrash]

If I told you there was a series of games created before I was born, developed by Capcom, and that I was obsessed with a pairing of middle aged men within; The pairing being comprised of a someone around a decade or so older than the younger, lighter colored hair, stern and serious with a very deadpan sense of humor, along with “this is my job. I shall do it perfectly” demeanor about his work— very cat-coded in general, if you can think it, it will most probably apply— and the younger being very a determined brunette with firm morals who goes toe to toe with the older man and is frequently one of the only ones who can do so with their hell-bent insistence to do good and defend those who cannot, no matter the cost, who is quite dog-coded in reverse. They spend a few years in each other’s company, learning about each other (even if it’s at a distance and professionally) and then. Something happens. The older one of the pair betrays the brunette — his strings being pulled by a higher power, but it does not excuse him— and in the process reveals a cowardly and vengeful side after the event, causing the entirety of the franchise we play to happen. And then only a bit later in the storyline, one murdered the other, in cold but passioned blood, because destiny deemed it this way and they only heed the call of it. And whether or not it was intentional, leaving said murdered man’s child an orphan completely alone in the world as a side effect. For years after the event, they are satisfied with what happened, if burdened by guilt. But they were right to do so, weren’t they? They proceed to be metaphorically haunted by the man they killed for the rest of their life, however. And that will come to a head for them.

Now… am I talking about Chrisker (Chris Redfield/Albert Wesker), or Shingou (Mitsurugi Shin/Karuma Gou) ?

[mars-is-me7]

i have!! so many thoughts! about the eclipse federation!!! I just-

Things could have gone so much better- If only they had continued to talk it out! Zam saw it as going in a circle and that nothing was going to be changed, but Vi was literally willing to listen! They’re a team, obviously it’s important to get each others feedback!

But Zam doesn’t see it that way!!! As much as he says he wants to trust Vitalasy, the truth is that he just doesn’t. Zam only points out the flaws in Vi, saying that he wouldn’t change or listen. but like, Zam is at fault for that too! He had made up his mind about leaving them before even talking to them to get their thoughts and input on things!! like, of course he was going to leave them when the people he’d been talking to for the past few days had all been saying to do that- Also, the fact of the matter is that Vi / was / willing to listen and change!! He says it multiple times!! but Zam is just so blinded by the thing he’s already chosen that he doesn’t really listen! like, after Zam’s input Vi literally did change a lot of the prison design as a compromise

i just- gahhhhhhh!!! Things could have been good, but Zam only knows a life of extremes. either he stayed silent and felt miserable in going along with their plans or he cut them off completely! at least, that’s his point of view of the situation that had found themselves in. but like, from a viewer perspective, right, if they had just continued to talk i think things could have worked out. yeah, it would have taken effort to compromise, but that’s what having a conversation is all about. but Zam didn’t see it that way, he’s convinced that what he did was the only good option he had.

idk what point im trying to make here, i just have so many thoughts and feelings about today’s stream-

[woolandcoffee]

As I'm finished a reread of The Magicians (which will be followed by a reread of the other two books in the series), it occurred to me to finally look up the plot of the TV show. Even just going through the synopses for the first couple episodes, I'm blown away from how different it is from the books. Like. That's certainly to be expected when you're adapting for a different medium, but hoo boy that's more deviation than expected.

I'm very glad that people like the show, and I'm certainly glad that Lev Grossman is getting a payday, but I don't think it's ever something I'm going to watch. Love the books too much, me.

[marquisecubey]

Thinking about my görls again, I like to picture Helianthe and Rhiannon coming across each other on the road pre-nautiloid and having this cute, unlikely yin/yang friendship that blossoms along the way as they travel and bond over their connection to nature

Helianthe is one of the rare people outside of Rhiannon’s circle to stand up for her because she’s very cool and strong like that, and she encourages and helps her to be a little more confident in social situations. Then in turn, Rhiannon shows Helia how to survive in the forest and educates her on all the creatures and plants that a ranger would know about so she doesn’t accidentally poison herself (again).

Unfortunately, you’ve still got an oath of ancients paladin and a bhaalspawn, and nine times outta ten that relationship is definitely going to end with them trying to kill each other LMFAO

hello tumblr may I introduce you to my tav and durge because I think about them a normal amount

[therevengeoffrankenstein]

been playing with the idea of a sequel to the w wip which was something that has been in my mind since i first made the w wip but like originally it was as a joke. because it's so counter-intuitive to the message of the w wip to have a sequel. lenny isn't supposed to win. what lenny is doing is bad, and actively making them unhappy. letting them continue to pursue their hopeless goal (which is the only thing the sequel(s) could be) would be counter-intuitive to the message of 'being stuck on things that are bad for you is bad for you in the long run' and ironic for me to literally be doing to myself by continuing the series.

len would obviously be ridiculously over aged up (and the only character significantly aged up in the entire cast) and even more unhinged. there is an homage to frankenstein and the monster from hell in this. there is a great classic horror tribute in having a series with increasingly out-there sequels.

i could do an entire series of the w wip but i kinda don't think that'd be healthy for me. the film already loops in its own way. but what would hurt to do another film. and another. and another and another? it's all one big looping tragedy that lenny has trapped themself in by refusing to move on, and an entire series of them just trying and trying and trying and trying and FAILING FAILING FAILING FAILING! but still continuing to try would just further drive that cyclic tragedy home even more so than just having the first film end similarly to how it began. insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, after all.

[writers-potion]

The classic betrayer

This is where everyone subtly knows that this guy's going to turn the other way.

The betrayer puts on a show for our heroes - kind, compassionate and supporting at first.

it just so happens that the villainthinks the heros are the bad guys.

make them actually likable.emotionally ruin the hero upon betrayal.

The remorseful traitor

whether he had bad intentions from the start or was deceived by others, the betrayer regrets his choices.

when he realizes his mistakes, it's too late to stop the evil, which introduces guilt.

throw the guilt and shame on the character.

even the protagonist can be a traitor! will others forgive him?

The Double Agent

this type of traitor will keep the readers wondering whether this guy is truly on your side.

keep your readers guessing. is that an evil smirk or a genuine smile? does he really love drinking, or is he just trying to get the hero drugged?

Snape in Harry Potter is a great example.

The guy can be good or bad - just keep balancing the two

Unrealiable narrators

these characters are not entirely betrayers, but horribly misinformed. they can make others appear like traitors - when in truth, they just have it wrong.

pit your narrow-minded narrator against his allies.

these characters are great for misunderstanding plots.

have your narrator do irreversible damage to the hero. would they forgive him?

Tragic betrayers

these are characters, due to their past wounds and trauma, cannot help but betray the group.

they confess the hero's secrets under physical/mental torment and doesn't have the backbone to do otherwise.

these characters can either be pitiful or frustrating would the hero still fight for the betrayer?

Play around with pov

you can have the readers know about the upcomong betrayal by switching points of view, building up anticipation to the moment of realization.

on the flip side, you can change povs in a way that the reader doens't see what's happening at the hero's back.

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[ariaste]

i want to see Daniel make Lestat ugly-cry like in the teaser. Daniel says all the same kind of snarky things he said to Louis, but where Louis got mad and grabbed him by the throat (and Armand gazed at him with either affectionate amusement or Absolute Hurt And Betrayal), Lestat crumbles immediately into a pathetic wet meltdown.

daniel's like "jesus christ he is made of tissue paper, what the fuck is this???" Where are the guys who at least roasted him back about his divorces??? Lestat has not brought up his divorces even once. Lestat does not seem to know one thing about him except that he wrote a book. Lestat does not seem to have even peeked inside Daniel's surface thoughts. Lestat has not even asked Daniel who his maker is bc he assumes it is not relevant and it's not anyone he'd know anyway.

IF Lestat asked at all, it would only be like "Louis didn't turn you, right????? [shaking with jealousy]" and Daniel would manage to get out "What? No, it was--" before Lestat interrupts like "THANK GOD" and immediately changes the subject back to other things he cares about, ie: the beauty of Louis' entire being, the glory of Louis' thighs specifically, the top 10 times Louis let him smash, the top 50 times Louis let Lestat hold his hand, all the very sad and tragic things that have happened to Lestat in his life, the ways Armand is a conniving bitch and Lestat is glad Armand never made a fledgling because it would be a garbage bitch of a fledgling probably, etc

[rbrownillustration]

I don’t know how to give a spoiler alert on this website but if I can warn you here it is. This is vague enough though it’s not too much??? Maybe????

Anyways, I saw Transformers: One yesterday and have been thinking about it nonstop ever since. It’s beautiful. Almost perfect. Sensational. 10/10 would recommend please go see it if you have any Transformers love in your bones and even if you don’t. It’s just a good story.

As for the spoilery part, don’t read ahead as I talk about this piece if you don’t want some spoilers.

What kills me about this movie is, yes, Orion and D-16’s friendship, but also Bee and Elita coming together as a team as the four of them. Bee particularly, as it would be assumed he is the youngest and the least experienced in their little group and needs them potentially the most.

I would say there’s a direct parallel you could make between Bee and D-16 throughout the movie. As both of them move from blind loyalty in the status quo to having to accept that the system they live in is set up against them and the power that they trusted is false and vile.

D-16 is a fascinating case of losing trust in anyone and anything because of that betrayal. The movie does a fantastic job of justifying (not excusing) the rise of Megatron and truly emphasizes how tragic of a character he really is, beyond just the violent rebel we’ve gotten used to.

Bee on the other hand shifts quickly to lean on the support and trust of his friends (maybe he is more inclined to as they are literally his only option), and to still hold his faith in Primus and the true Primes, ultimately following Optimus.

Anyways, this illustration I whipped up this evening is in the climax of the film when Sentinel Prime has captured much of the High Guard, as well as D-16 and Bee. D pulls the ballsy move of refusing to kneel to the false Prime. They discuss Megatronus Prime for a bit, Sentinel drawing attention to D’s Megatronus decal. Then Sentinel decides that D-16 should always have a reminder of that dead Prime, and brands a crude likeness of Megatronus on his chest with a laser gun.

Above all else I think that this is potentially the final turning point for D-16. This isn’t the point of no return (see end of film when Sentinel gets his due) but I see it as D-16 losing faith completely in both the true Primes of the past (Megatronus), and the false Prime of the present (Sentinel), leading him straight to the point later where he won’t trust his future to anyone but himself. Not even Orion. I wanted to explore this moment visually so while I was at work the composition for this piece slowly started forming in my head and I knew I wanted to bring both D-16 and Bee into the focal point.

[bourgeoisiebirdie]

Agatha All Along Episode 5 Theory: Why It’s Weird and Short

So Episode 5 was by far the shortest episode we’ve had so far for the series. It feels different from the other trials so far which causes it to feel…scrambled in a way. Now you could blame poor writing for the craziness of this episode (along with the abrupt ending), but I usually reserve that judgement for after a series ends.

Here’s what I think is going on. SPOILERS AHEAD!

Agatha’s trial being in this episode was a bit of a surprise, but let’s be real, the show is called Agatha All Along…do we really believe that our favorite dramatic sad backstory mommy issues-filled witch only gets ONE episode for her trial?

The Ouija board makes the objective for this task clear: Punish Agatha. A task that some of the coven clearly have no qualms carrying out. But let’s think about the sequence of events after that message is delivered.

The coven tries to tie up Agatha which fails after Agatha becomes possessed by her mother. Agatha’s mother says Agatha must be left behind which causes her to freak out. Alice tries to save Agatha which results in Agatha accidentally(?) killing her. Agatha is only stopped when Teen says her son’s name and the door to escape opens after Teen says Goodbye on the Ouija board.

Notice anything?

Agatha is never *technically* punished by her coven. Each trial so far involves a task that 1. is specific to one witch’s ability, 2. involves a clear objective that the coven eventually recognizes and reaches together, 3. ends with growth, both power and character wise, of the witch/coven. This episode feels off because the formula is off. And the formula is off because none of it’s real.

Episode 5 IS Agatha’s punishment. Every trial has stirred up unwanted tragic memories from the witch it’s related to. It is no coincidence that this episode hits every. single. one. of Agatha’s problems.

It starts with an Ouija Board - Agatha has killed a lot of people, not all of them on purpose. We already know Agatha loves to pretend to not feel anything, but now she is forced to directly interact with her victims.

Punish Agatha - The coven turns on Agatha surprisingly quick to carry out the trial and surround her while she is on the floor…just like her old coven betrayed her. She fears betrayal.

Evanora Harkness - Self-explanatory, she not only forcefully possesses Agatha (which could tie in to fear of lack of control thanks to Wanda), but tells her she was born evil, something that Agatha looks devastated to hear. Mommy issues galore.

“I’ll be good” - upon hearing that her coven may leave her behind, Agatha freaks out and begs for them to not leave her. Fear of abandonment.

Alice’s Death - Agatha seems horrified after killing Alice with her powers (just like she killed her mother and coven in the past), and the rest of the present coven, especially Teen, are horrified by her actions and don’t believe her.

Nicholas Scratch - A devastating name to hear. And his voice calling to her is just the cherry on top.

And after she leaves the trial? Teen turns on her using magic similar to Wanda’s and then throws Agatha off the path to kill her. And Rio is suddenly nowhere to be seen? Another tumblr user made an interesting point that the aspect ratio doesn’t return to normal like it usually does after a trial. Because all of this has been the precursor to Agatha’s actual trial.

This may be all in her mind and it’s up to her coven to help her, guess we won’t know for sure until next week.

[mythmerth]

Merlin is just such a compelling show (and character) despite being so silly and full of physical comedy. like what do you mean it’s about human error, about loving so hard you lose yourself, about betrayal, about looking back on your life and thinking about everything that could’ve been changed to prevent tragedy but realizing it couldn’t have been any other way. because you are human. because you loved, and you feared, and you gave in to those fears, because you tried your best to protect but became warped by a love so great that it doomed you. it’s so compelling because it’s both inevitable and so preventable. it makes you look back on it like you look back on the regrets in your own life and the things that haunt you but couldn’t have happened any other way because of your humanity. it keeps you up at night, it makes you look for its cracks, and it makes you think over and over again about the what ifs. it’s so compelling, its so silly, it’s so tragic, it’s so beautiful, its larger than life, and it’s so human.

….this is why we will never escape, just like Merlin can’t escape his memories of his king at the end.