#i love these parallels and contrasts

[petitprincess1]

"You're gonna die alone, Blitzo!"

"I'll fucking die alone if this goes bad!"

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

In the shape of you, something new.

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[mintytea-exe]

Grace Wilde (aka INK5OUL) having no idea what's happening to them but not minding what they're becoming vs Jonathan Sims knowing exactly what's happening to him and caring very deeply about it

[withthewindinherfootsteps]

I sometimes see the opinion that MXTX took the clichéd tropes she'd critiqued in Scum Villain, and played them straight in MDZS. But though a lot of them appear in MDZS, I'd argue that none are actually played straight at all!

The main point of MDZS's tropes is subversion. Yes, WWX has a 'tragic backstory', even an arguably overused one (orphaned by his parents at a young age, forced to live on the streets with nobody to rely on, etc) – but how things differ in how it's used. Tragic backstories are normally used to build sympathy for a character, to make us care and get invested in them. But... we're never actually shown any of those street days, we're never shown and never dwell upon how much he suffered during them. They're only really mentioned in passing and whenever dogs come up! If the goal was to make us feel bad for WWX, this would be very ineffective writing. But what's actually important here isn't that WWX went through tragedies – it's how he doesn't let the tragedies he went through define him. He doesn't dwell on them, the narrative doesn't dwell on them, it's never used to earn sympathy points... because what defines WWX is his choices and how he chooses to act, not a backstory completely out of his control. What gets us invested in him is his personality and the character writing of MXTX, not tragic events used as a substitute for identity.

And this trope treatment fits extremely well with WWX's personality itself – he's someone who 'forgets the pain as soon as the wound has healed'*, but also who actively chooses to focus on the present because you can't change the past; someone who holds the belief that 'gains and losses [should] remain uncommented on' when choosing what to do.

The use of the tragic backstory isn't the only thing that's subverted, either – the other main thing is the 'blackening' of the protagonist, and its impact on the protagonist's fall. After being thrown into the Burial Mounds, on a surface level it does seem like this blackening has occurred: the first thing we see when he returns is his gruesome torture of the Wen cultivators; he's 'forsaken' traditional cultivation in favour of an 'evil but more powerful' path; and frankly, Sunshot-era WWX is terrifying. But MDZS is not a blackening story, and so the events of the Burial Mounds aren't used as a catalyst for that purpose. Though it's true that WWX's not entirely the same person he was before (because how could be be?), underneath it all, his morals, worldview and core** stay the same. Though gruesome, his revenge is directed towards the ones who wronged him, not those past that and certainly not the entire world. His experience in the Burial Mounds doesn't lead to him being some evil, blackened overlord... like everyone says he is at the start! That's subverted, because again, WWX's values and choices are more important to the story than genre conventions.

But the most crucial thing? What leads to WWX's downfall isn't any blackening! It isn't any vengeance or morally dubious actions***– he was praised for those things during the Sunshot Campaign! No, what leads to his downfall is something completely unrelated to that, something which would've disappeared had the trope been played straight. It's him doing what's right by defending the Wens, it's him following his moral code when it opposes the world's, it's him standing up to the injustice of others – not others standing up to the injustice of him. That's the subversion here.

(Also, once again, the fall of Lotus Pier, the Burial Mound, etc, aren't used for sympathy points – and if it was relevant, they wouldn't have been used to excuse any actions, either. Using tragic events as an excuse for doing bad things is critiqued many times in MDZS, through characters like Xue Yang and Jin Guangyao. And that's not exactly a trope subversion, but it is a critique of badly handled 'excuses'.)

These are by no means all the tropes MDZS subverts – the nature of guidao vs the usual nature of modao being another very major one – but they're the main ones that feature in Scum Villain.

So, though at first glance MDZS seems to play the tropes MXTX critiqued there straighter, it's not a simple case of using them as cliches, and we see that by how they're used to impact the narrative, and how that differs from what they're traditionally used for. MDZS doesn't fall back into clichés Scum Villain satirised – it's the subversion to Scum Villain's exploration and critique.

--

*Which I know is generally used negatively, to describe someone not learning a lesson from a punishment, but it really describes WWX in general, too. He doesn't dwell on that pain, he does his best to move on from it.

**...heh

***And, because it's often debated – whatever the morality/culpability of Nightless City is doesn't even matter! The events happened at a pledge conference against him that was already taking place. WWX's actions there didn't make people want to kill him because that was explicitly happening beforehand.

[wyfy-meltdown]

The apple scene between Kyoko and Sayaka feels both like "a proper introduction between enemies who no longer wish to fight" and "a final invitation to connect with someone and pull yourself back from the edge".

Sayaka tossing aside Kyoko's gifted apple feels like her making a conscious choice to fully go crazy and a denial of Kyoko's attempt to reach out to her.

Additionally, Kyoko giving away to Sayaka something that holds significance for her (food, which she considers incredibly precious) without any expectation of something in return aside from "connection" is an interesting moment for a character previously depicted as "selfish" and constantly against Sayaka.

Kyoko sharing her story TO Sayaka is a moment of vulnerability, later matched by her sharing her story WITH Sayaka by sacrificing herself when she likely could've defeated Oktavia without dying in a effort to ensure Sayaka wouldn't be alone anymore.

[cripplepunkbarbarian]

The contrast of Kipperlilly hiding her plans from Oisin VS Riz trusting Adaine even more so than himself sometimes to take charge of things.

Of Ruben who voted against “High Five Heroes” with the sole intention of hurting Kipperlilly because he knew it was important to her VS Fig stepping back and asking Riz if he was ok with everyone flashing a picture of his dead father around him all the time like it was nothing.

Of Mary Ann who seems like she couldn’t care less about anyone else in the group on a personal level let alone Kipperlilly VS Gorgug and Riz having a joint 17th birthday party and growing closer than ever despite the rising stressors and tension because they love each other enough to keep that bond up regardless.

Btw. If you even care.

[seamayweed]

ALICENT HIGHTOWER + kissing the king (aka the kiss of judas)

[ID in ALT]

[twilights-stuff]

Just finished my art of Stan and Ford for my GFxSW AU. Just to be clear, this au took place during the time of the Galactic Empire and both Stan Twins are in their salt and pepper era. Really loving the whole red and blue thing they have going on.

Bonus art, a wip of Grand Inquisitor!Bill and Ford in this au, The Master and The Apprentice:

[qu4kerider]

become a dictator out of grief, ignoring your true ideals and how much you have fought for people, because you have power to abuse and someone took advantage of your emotions? oh, welcome back, Anakin Skywalker!

STAR WARS: EPISODE III - REVENGE OF THE SITH & ARCANE S02E03

[fumifooms]

"It was something I could fix" Sevika Jinx brotp sooo real i need this i need them I need the "I’m gonna exterminate the family i have left" to include Sevika because of an accident during battle I want the girl Sevika always called a jinx to jinx her and for her to not even be mad, just tough as nails with even tougher love even in her dying breath.

[etoilesombre]

[id: a set of eight images from Black Sails. The first image shows Mrs. Hudson speaking to Woodes Rogers, with the text "She said you should trust that her commitment to you remains inviolable." The second image shows Flint and Silver together in Madi's house after her presumed death. The third image shows Eleanor in the fort firing on Rogers' ship, with the text "and that this is no betrayal..." The fourth image shows Flint taking the cache ashore on Skeleton Island, viewed through a spyglass. The fifth image shows Eleanor and Rogers talking in bed, with the text "...but an act of love." The sixth image shows Flint's face during the Dragons speech. The seventh image shows Eleanor lying dead in Flint's arms, with the text "An act she is determined to see through to its end." The eighth image shows Silver pointing a pistol at Flint on Skeleton Island. /end id]

[sixteenthprince]

you don't die from a broken heart. you only wish you did.

or brocedes + “after the movie” by marie howe

[swan2swan]

Sammy's wrangling the kids again...

[hanafubukki]

I always talk about wanting Lilia or Malleus with wings, claws, and a tail.

Then I couldn’t help but think, what about the Knight of Dawn?

The Knight of Dawn with wings would be beautiful! 🥹💚💞

His amour already has various angelic motif, so him with beautiful wings (especially blessed by the fae) would be beautiful.

I’m imagining white with gold wings on him.

Wings that get scarred and marred in battle. Where you would then help treat him after battle. Treating the wounds and soothing the aches as you handle the wings as gently as you can.

The trust he has in you to allow you to do this when he’s this vulnerable.

And then…his wings turning black due to blot. As the way fallen angels do when their wings go from pure white to the darkest black.

Why else but for those that he loves? He would fall just to protect those he cherishes. In order to protect you.

The Fallen Angel.

Will you be able to bring him back?

[seventeendeer]

hrrr I Saw the TV Glow is still rolling around in the back of my mind. it's hitting me somewhat belatedly that what seemingly starts as mainly an identity story turns out - toward the final act - to also be a love story. two queer kids finding each other (again). the bond they forge (have always had). the feelings that start to grow (were always there) despite the lie they're living. one trying to save the other, and failing. the frail hope at the end that maybe what they had mattered after all, even if they never see each other again. maybe because they knew each other, someday things will be better.

idk. so much of the story feels so lonely. they're awkward with each other at first and they don't really "get" each other and they're absent from each other's lives for long periods and they don't have anyone else. but it's all a lie - they were best friends, they knew each other better than anyone, they are who they are because they knew each other, they were not alone. no matter how bleak the setting is, this fake world can't obscure the truth. they'll never forget each other. it will always have happened, it will always have mattered.

it's so hard to put into words but Owen/Isabel and Maddy/Tara make me so crazy, the way everything in the world works to drive them apart and yet not even losing their memories can destroy the connection between them. and it's not enough to prevent the world from tearing them apart but maybe it's enough to save their lives

queer love portrayed not as supernaturally resilient or invincible (god knows it isn't), but as a precious fragile thing that can and will grow back over and over in some form no matter what ...

[helimir]

Campaign 2, episode 111: First campaign 2 appearance of Widogast's Nascent Nein-Sided Tower. We get to see Caleb's love for the Mighty Nein in intricate magical detail (and I fell in love instantly)

Campaign 3, episode 111: First campaign 3 appearance of Widogast's Nascent Nein-Sided Tower. We get to see the love the Mighty Nein have for each other spreading out to Bells Hells with connection, compassion, and hilarity (and I fell in love all over again)