#i love a morally grey protagonist

[ecle-c-tic]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[silkenrat]

Jennifer’s Body (2009) Dir. Karyn Kusama

Helter Skelter (2012) Dir. Mika Ninagawa

I, Tonya (2017) Dir. Craig Gillespie

The Substance (2024) Dir. Coralie Fargeat

[sonik-kun]

The only time I character bash is when JC or JGY antis play the "my blorbo is more morally superior than yours" game. I become an instant hater the moment someone pits a character against my babies 😤😤

But jokes aside, debating who is more moral than the other in a story like MDZS is just wild to me, considering that most of the main cast are war criminals, murderers and corpse desecrators. Or, at the very least, would have a GBH charge against them if this was modern times.

None of these mfs are normal and I love them for that 🥰

[littlegaybean1]

Reasons why I hate each of the main 5 Torchwood members (these are the entire list of reasons unless I specifically say otherwise):

Gwen

- cheating on Rhys then retconning him to forgive her for it

- the speech at the end of the episode Meat

Jack

- making Ianto feel insecure about where he stands in their relationship (yeah ik why but he should have told Ianto that)

- trying to force Ianto at gunpoint to execute what was left of Lisa

- not bothering to check on Ianto after the cannibals

- the way he dealt with Mary then didn't comfort Tosh

Tosh:

- the comment in the episode Meat about feeding the world, disregarding the amount of pain that the creature was in

Owen:

- his sadistic enjoyment of trying to make Gwen and Rhys' relationship fall apart

- the stuff he said to Ianto in the episode Captain Jack Harkness

- the way he completely disregards Tosh and her feelings for him, they were obvious and Owen is smart enough to not be blind

- kicking Ianto when he'd already won the fight in the episode Captain Jack Harkness

- his general treatment of Ianto and Tosh

Ianto:

- literally nothing, everything he did that was morally grey/wrong was at least mostly justified

Can you tell my ranking of characters? I'm not sure if my no.1 is obvious at all, most definitely not clear, such a mystery.

[fortune-maiden]

Major kudos to Legend of Galactic Heroes for giving Reinhard a trolley problem where even if he chose to pull the lever he would have failed… but still having him hesitate to pull the lever when he had the chance and now he gets to live with that guilt forever

[evilbitchartist]

i loving seeing people ranking pokemon evil team bosses because piers is always so low and the reasoning is always "bitch why are you even here?!?!!?"

[yoshistory]

unfortunately now want to make an Amnesia Rebirth amv

[musical-chick-13]

I bring a real "Doctor x River OTP" vibe that a bunch of the DW fandom doesn't really like.

[talistheintrovert]

Yes I have:

No 👍

Has anyone here watched it and is it worth the time commitment?

[siriuslyobsessedwithfiction]

Writing YA books about Faes/Faeries: Holly Black and Sarah J. Maas

I’ve started to notice this trend and discussions on how some hardcore SJM fans didn't enjoy The Cruel Prince, whereas the Cruel Prince fans tend to be critical of SJM’s work.

Some of it can be blamed on tiktokification of reading, essentially wanting to just read porn, which would be fine, if people would admit to it instead of shitting on good YA books and making them unpopular, which results in publishing of more mediocre smut with problematic undertones with no consistent plot, which in turn dumbs down the audience. There's no need to turn an entire age category of books into Wattpad fanfics.

I’ve seen ACOTAR fans on tiktok (before I deleted tiktok) say they “didn’t get” Cruel Prince or had to DNF because it was “boring” and "too much politics, no smut”. I had heard all of that before I read either Holly Black's or SJM's work so here's an objective take because I'm not a hardcore fan of either of them.

If you think The Cruel Prince has a lot of politics, you have been tiktokified or don't remember a book that wasn't romance or YA to begin with, so please go read one. It's good for you to broaden your horizons. It doesn't have a lot of politics even for YA. But I will say this: the pacing was slow and the romance was practically nonexistent. You'll have to really look into details and speculate. I wasn't digging it at first at all. I had to come back and reread it again after finishing the trilogy. I fell in love with Jude x Cardan only during the second reread. The Cruel Prince trilogy is not for smut seekers.

However, what some fans don't realize is that unlike SJM, Holly Black doesn't excuse Cardan's or Jude's actions to make them look like great people and leaders or forces the narrative and other characters' pov's to do that. Holly actually writes Fae as what they're supposed to be - actual different creatures from humans with different ways of thinking and feeling. I read somewhere that humans have black vs white morality they navigate, while the fair folk have orange vs blue morality. It's not the same for them, and yet, ones who are actually evil are easily distinguishable. Holly manages to pull that off beautifully. The writing in that regard is masterful. I would also say that Jude and Taryn have adapted to and adopted orange vs blue morality in their own ways. Which translates in them seeking security in the world that's not designed for them, as well as their ambitions.

SJM, on the other hand, writes Fae as way too powerful, constantly horny, conventionally hot people. There is no orange vs blue or even grey morality, they're just selfish people with victim complexes. Their backstories serve as an excuse, not as an explanation. Everyone yaps about how powerful they are but always need their asses saved. PTSD is written unrealistically and the author only whips it out when she needs it. Characters' grand gestures of growth feel shallow since they always go back on their words or ignore the actual root of problems. Faerie folklore is not properly explored, random mythology is tossed in, plot bends backwards to make the perfect ending for protagonists...I would call it porn with plot except the smut isn't even good.

SJM also can't write politics, so instead she feeds her readers propaganda so they won't question the rulers' incompetence and incapacity to make a change in centuries. The whole thing feels like a parody of making fun of filthy rich people. It would be at least somewhat clever if it was.

Lastly, a shout-out to Margaret Rogerson for writing the best and loveliest way I've seen about what it's like to give up humanity to become Fae and grapple with remaining humane in her book An Enchantment of Ravens. Fair warning though, the book is pure fluff, no smut.

[giveamadeuschohisownmovie]

One way to look at the Red Dead series is that the 2nd game is a classic western while the 1st game is a spaghetti western.

The 2nd game starts off with a more friendly, happy environment. Despite the gang committing crimes, they’re presented as a tight-knit family that gets to have fun every now and then. For example, Arthur and Lenny getting drunk at the bar. As the game continues, it slowly turns into a more harsh, unforgiving environment. Gang members start dying left and right and that feeling of comfort you had with your gang family disappears.

So, when Arthur dies and John takes over, the age of the classic western ends and the age of the spaghetti western begins.

That’s why RDR1 is pure grit and sadness from beginning to end. Even if you never played RDR2, there’s a feeling of despair and loneliness that permeates throughout the game. John, compared to Arthur, is bitter and more ruthless. John is the more morally grey protagonist, especially during the Mexico arc where he showed a lack of empathy towards either side of the revolution.

There’s a YouTube comment that I think perfectly summarizes this. Arthur Morgan is a John Wayne cowboy since even though he can do awful things, he’s generally presented as a hero trying to do right by his loved ones. John Marston is a Clint Eastwood cowboy since he tows the line between good and bad. Even though you like him since he wants to do right by his family, he’s incredibly ruthless and more inclined to commit violence than Arthur was. What also makes this comparison works is that it fits with the change in the eras; John Wayne represented the early classic westerns while Clint Eastwood represented the spaghetti westerns that premiered afterwards.

[sonik-kun]

I've seen a lot of people claim lately (mostly JC antis) that WWX performing the experimental core transplant on JC was emergency surgery, and I just have to stop them right there.

This was not emergency surgery by any means. Emergency surgery implies that it is something that NEEDS to be done, or else it would mean imminent death for the patient.

JC did not need that core to survive. He could have very much lived without it. He only needed it for revenge. To get back into joining the war effort to avenge his parents and his sect.

WWX didn't have to do it at all. Sure, JC was miserable, borderline suicidal. But I've seen and read aus where him coming to terms with his new disability is and can be very much possible. Hard, and a lot to work through mentally and physically, but not impossible.

JC did not force WWX to give up his core. It was very much implied that he would grow HIS OWN one via Baoshan Sanren. There was no way JC could have assumed that it was WWX's or anyone else's core for that matter when the concept of a core transplant did not exist at that moment in time. He was the first one to have survived and lived to tell the tale.

Plus, his mental state at that time was questionable. On the surface, he was willing to "consent" to anything if it meant getting his core back, regardless of how and why. But because of his vulnerability, that doesn't mean he consents to being treated like a guinea pig, nor should he have been treated like one for that matter. Although the intentions were good and pure, his vulnerability and naivety was still taken advantage of here. That cannot be disputed.

He also did not consent to having someone else's core (someone else who he cares for deeply, mind) being inserted in him. That possibility was obviously something that would have never crossed his mind in that moment. It is unfair and unreasonable to assume it would and claim he consented to something he didn't even know was possible.

He was led to believe that Baoshan Sanren could successfully give him a new core willy nilly, no questions asked because she was a fabled person with amazing abilities. It was that he consented to here alone, nothing else.

So yes, although WWX's intentions were pure and from the goodness of his heart, he did in fact mislead JC. The whole core reveal and the shock revelation behind it is proof of that. What would be the point in that scene otherwise if it was 100% consensual? And Jiang Cheng's famous "why didn't you tell me?" Break down?

It's okay to accept the moral greyness behind WWX's heroic actions, you know? It won't make him any less of a protagonist, nor does it undermine his HUGE sacrifice. You're still allowed to like him, warts and all. I know I certainly do!

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Worksheets: The Antagonist

Worksheets & Templates Antagonist; Villain; Fighting

ANTAGONIST

Treat your antagonist as a real person. Their sole reason for existing should not be to act as a foil to your protagonist.

It is the framework of your story that sets the antagonist in opposition. What happens when the antagonist becomes the protagonist?

Have you imbued your antagonist with some of your own good & bad characteristics?

Use a real-life antagonist for inspiration, and give them some love too.

My antagonist wants:

Why they want it:

They will sacrifice these to get what they want:

Others judge them too harshly because:

But they act like this because:

I can sympathise with my antagonist because:

They could change if:

They can't change because:

They are good at:

They are bad at:

Who else loves/loved your antagonist?

Why do/did they love your antagonist?

Antagonist - works against the goals.

Villain - a “bad guy” in the story, often working for evil purposes to destroy a heroic protagonist ⚜ Writing Notes: Villains

While there can be villainous protagonists, villains are antagonists when they’re not the main character of the story, but instead the main source of conflict for the main characters.

VILLAIN

Defining characteristics:

General mood/disposition/outlook:

Motivation/s:

Do they consider themselves a villain?

Do they feel mistreated?

Who or what do they blame?

What is their aim?

How do they plan to achieve it?

How does this cause conflict with the protagonist?

Why does the protagonist dislike them?

Why do they dislike the protagonist?

What advantages do they have?

Are they isolated?

Do they have henchmen?

Do they change? Do they succeed?

How do they...

Treat their subordinates?

Unnerve others?

Try to manipulate others?

Try to hurt others?

Try to antagonise others?

Pursue their victims or wait for them?

Create a contrast with the protagonist?

Change the course of the story?

Create drama and suspense?

What made them a villain? Was it...

An event?

A person?

A belief or world view?

Their environment?

Something else?

FIGHTING

Who gets involved in the fight?

Why do they start fighting? Who starts?

What is at stake for each party?

What is the aim of the fight for each party?

Do all parties fight fair?

Why couldn't the problem be solved without fighting?

Are there any onlookers or arbiters?

Is the fight pre-planned or spontaneous?

Does anyone try to flee? Why or why not?

How does the fight end? Is there a clear winner?

What do they do after the fight? How do they feel?

Does the fight end the conflict between them?

Physical Elements

Do they have weapons?

How does the method or choice of weapon influence the fight?

Is the fight part of a ritual or rite of passage?

Where do they fight?

Does the fighting ground play a role in the outcome?

Is anyone injured or killed?

Are they evenly matched in skill? In strength and stamina? In resources?

Do any other factors come into play?

How does the fight play out?

Sources: 1 2 ⚜ More: Worksheets & Templates ⚜ Writing Exercises: Antagonist Fight Scene ⚜ Hate ⚜ Word List: Fighting ⚜ Morally Grey Characters

[bunnibons]

#7

This was genuinely fun to write and I will be snatching all of these at some point, it's also pretty short, but whatever.

I AM CRINGE BUT I AM FREE BABY!

My actual writing under the cut, I love this VERY SPECIFIC (non cannon) INTERPRETATION of my Mafia Bois

Wow I never fucking post what I write. Damn.

Final Word Count; 563

TW/CW(s); (FAKE) Guns (paintball guns), I curse like a sailor and it bleeds into most of my work.

Running, Aris was running. 

Fuck, shit, balls. 

Why had he agreed to this? Why does he keep agreeing to this? Honestly, he had no idea, still doesn’t, actually. He pushed those thoughts aside, suddenly very aware of the leaves crunching underneath his feet. Why did Rainer insist on doing this in the middle of the fucking woods? Because that shit was stupid as all hell! Aris quickly checked behind him, pointing his paintball rifle in the direction he was facing, scanning the visible trees.

Nothing.

He kept moving forwards, still crunching on leaves because his feet hated him. He hadn’t heard shots in a while, which could either be concerning or they’d ended in a draw. He wasn’t risking that second option, he was running out of breath now, so he skidded over behind a tree, pressing his back to the bark. Just for a minute, just to catch his breath, twigs snapping alerted Aris to a nearby presence, he quickly leveled the faux rifle, leaning down to look through the scope.

Shit, “and…Bang,” Aris tilted his head and frowned at the brunette in front of him, who notably, hadn’t fired. Instead, the man who Aris had come to know as Lukas held two fingers up, index and thumb, “honestly, I hadn’t expected you of all people to let your guard down!” He laughed -like actually laughed- at Aris.

After his little giggling fit, he rose up. Why did Aris wait this long? Simple, because Aris wanted to hit him right in the chest, “Lukas, I didn’t expect you to be so dramatic,” Aris smiled, not even having to aim the rifle, instead just blind firing. He did in fact, hit Lukas right in the chest, the brightest possible shade of pink spilling over his vest,  “seriously man, you should’ve fired,” Aris  sighed, faux pity lining his words. 

“Betrayal!” Lukas yelled, dropping to the ground, Aris stood over him for a moment, “how the fuck are you a revered criminal?” Lukas gasped in response, before his tone became more serious, “you know how,” Aris shrugged, extending his hand to the older, who graciously took it. Lukas steadied himself on Aris’s shoulder, “now get to the fuckin grave yard you moron,” Lukas tilted his head, “nah man, it’s over, I got Rao, Rainier, and I saw Mako walking over with like…Eight round on their vest.”

Aris shrugged, “what can I say?”

“That you’re an excellent marksman,” Lukas crossed his arms, “oh, stop it, anyone can hit a target with enough practice,” Aris shrugged, turning on a heel and walking back over to the three ‘dead’ contestants. Rao looked up first, “huh, I expected you to be walking here with green on your face,” Aris shrugged, “somebody didn’t fire,” Lukas rolled his eyes, “I got cocky.”

“Yeah you did.”

“Pride cometh before the fall, Ari,” Lukas warned, to which Aris waved him off entirely. Lukas crossed his arms, the five quickly dissolved into their regular banter. Rainer quickly finds new topics for them to speak about, with Mako cracking jokes of all kinds, and Rao snickering in the background. Lukas occasionally dropped in with facts and witty quips, while Aris just…Watched. He watched, and he was utterly content. 

Yep, this is how it was meant to be. All of them were right where they needed to be. It was beautiful. Aris just hoped it lasted.

Superhero / Villain month prompt list

1: Mentor and Apprentice

2: “Go ahead, hit me.”

3: Glowing Hands

4: “This is wrong.”

5: Thieves In The Night

6: “You’re not who I thought you were.”

7: Held At Finger-point

8: “Am I really the villain, or are you just lying to yourself?”

9: Switching sides

10: “Dodge first, monologue later!”

11: Three Against One

12: “I don’t need powers, I have science!”

13: New Suit

14: “Your a sad excuse for a villain.”

15: Final Stand

16: “I’m a villain but I’m not evil.”

17: Ability Swap

18: “Get down!”

19: Friendly Competition

20: “No more lives need to be lost.”

21: Sidekick vs Sidekick

22: “I think it’s time to retire.”

23: Stitches

24: “I… need help.”

25: Sleepless Nights

26: “Breath.”

27: A Day In The Life

28: “Please don’t leave me.”

29: To Much Blood

30: “You promised!

31: Peace

[insert-witty-user-name-here]

Random Plot Points

A little about me as a writer, I love daydreaming about adventure stories. I usually know the general set up and larger plot points but oftentimes struggle with the how, how do characters get from point A to point B. 

So, I made a list of random challenges for my characters that I look at when I'm stuck.

Sharing in case helpful to others! (intended for adventure, sci-fi, fantasy stories) 

characters are delayed/blocked/experience a natural disaster (storm, fire, flood, avalanche, earthquake, epidemic, etc) (BONUS and forced to take a detour from the original path)

character(s) is trapped (quick sand, fall through ice, in room filling with poison, on sinking ship, in a trash compactor on the Death Star, etc) (BONUS- fall into hidden room and discover something) 

characters go to a festival/ball/party/political summit (where inevitably it all goes wrong)

character(s) overhears a secret (at bar, at party, from a whispered conversation below them in a stairway, etc) 

characters are attacked by an animal or mysterious force 

characters(s) caught in a mob/riot

character wins/loses something in a bet

character is brainwashed or possessed 

character is stranded/lost

character is poisoned 

character succumbs to injury or illness 

characters are chased/ attacked by antagonists 

character is captured or arrested (and needs to be rescued)

character is kidnapped and kidnappers make a demand for their release (financial ransom, exchange of information, prisoner exchange, etc) 

character(s) go undercover to retrieve information

characters decide to steal something they need for their quest (weapon, magical object, money, information, etc). (BONUS- time for a well-planned heist!) 

characters need to protect/ retrieve/ destroy something 

characters uncover a network of spies (up to you if they're unexpected allies or antagonists)  

characters discover hidden passageway, room, ruins etc that leads to an important clue

characters forced to hide from someone/something

characters need to escape 

characters lured into trap set by villain (BONUS if the villain doesn't even care who wins but only goaded them to learn how a magical object works, the extent of heroes powers, emergency response system of a government, etc) 

characters set trap for villain (BONUS- use someone or something important as bait) (if in Act 2, they fail) 

characters reveal critical information to villain in disguise 

a character is mistaken for someone else (and then is wrongfully arrested, receives information not intended for them, etc) 

characters receive help (hitch a ride, get help hiding from captors, get help escaping somewhere, etc) from an unlikely new ally 

characters forced to team up with an unlikely ally/ morally grey character, etc

characters learn something from simple library research (an oldie but a goodie)

characters just literally just stumble upon or witness something important (secret weapon, secret society etc) 

characters uncover a secret map/ coded message on the back of an old unassuming document (time for a classic treasure hunt!) 

someone escapes from prison (an old villain or an old ally) that changes the quest 

someone is being blackmailed (or otherwise forced to act against the protagonists)

someone is discredited (rumor, disinformation campaign etc) 

something stolen from your characters 

something (document, magical object, money) turns out to be fake

OR, something unassuming turns out to have special powers or meaning  

something is hacked (defense system, infrastructure, bank, private records, etc)

something critical is attacked (important bridge, port, bank/ financial system, safehouse, capitol building, character's familial home, etc.)

a computer virus is unleashed 

a biological weapon is unleashed 

a piece of information the characters believed was true, is false 

an ancient myth turns out to be true 

a secret is made public 

A law is changed or a vote on a critical piece of legislation loses/wins 

a political opponent wins an election/ a political ally loses an election 

character(s) help a passerby (from raiders, local tyrant, beast, mystical force, etc) 

characters "follow the money" and realize someone who was thought to be their ally is actually working for... (crime syndicate, villain, local tyrant etc) 

[notebooks-and-laptops]

Why The Veilguard Handles Grey Wardens Better than Dragon Age Inquisition: The horrors of the Blight, the Calling and the Cauldron

Grey wardens are by far my favourite part of Dragon Age Lore. On the surface; knights in shining armor who protect the world against an unstoppable nightmare. Underneath; a messed up and dubious order who recruit from the criminals of Thedas and who are doomed to die the moment they sign on with the Wardens.

And while I have a problem with a lot of the factions in DAtV, I think the Grey Wardens are handled excellently, because they're far less sanatised than their counterparts.

Grey wardens are a dodgy organisation filled with dodgy people who the people of Thedas have to tolerate because they are the only people who can protect it from an unwise unstoppable evil force. We're shown this as early as the first act in DAO where Duncan casually stabs a man because he doesn't want to die via the joining. To save the world they make unthinkable decisions and then because those decisions are so unthinkable, they keep all those decisions secret. You, as the Warden in DAO, can do some truly horrific things in the name of stopping the blight.

And Dragon age the Veilguard gets this so right. Davrin is a hero, a monster hunter who wants to do right. And yet he is confronted with the horror of the grey wardens time and time again in his personal quests. He is made to see how the order hides even from its own members the horrific things they do in order to create an illusion that the sacred oath is valient and worth upholding.

The Cauldron was by far one of my favourite parts of DAtV. The fact that all the griffin bones are just unceremoniously thrown in there with absolutely no regard for the sacrifice; the fact that the griffins of old went crazy after they were blighted on purpose to oppose the blight...its horrific and horrible and maybe it was the only way to save the world but surely there was another way?

Similarly, we reach the end of Davrins quest and the blighted Wessinhaupt...this isn't some horrible devious plan, Issya has been driven mad by what she was ordered to do to the griffins, and she can't stand it. She's blighted by the blood in her veins, just like she blighted her griffins. And the idea that some who fall pray to the calling end up there in this fact Wessinhaupt, their minds so twisted that they can't tell whats real anymore...it's so messed up I love it.

And yet we still have good grey warden characters just like we always have! Antone and Evka were my favourite side characters in any faction in this game. Do I wish the Grey Warden Commander had a little more nuance to him? Yes. But that's literally the only thing I have a big issue with. It's so interesting as well that with Antone and Evka in charge they start to allow people to take the joining without signing up. We know some who have joined before no longer associate with the order (Anders) but this is on a whole new level. It makes sense that they'd make that decision, but the implications about what characters who don't know what to do if they start hearing the calling...its delicious.

But I promised you some juicy DAI vs DAtV on this one, so let me explain. I think DAI's grey warden lore is interesting, but the fact that they're just mindless puppets of an evil Tevinter magister takes the bite out of it. I long for a game where the Grey Wardens are working with Corphyesus of their own violition because it highlights how fucked up they can get. And there's president for it both in The Decent in Da2 AND you as a protagonist might have made that decision to support the archetech in DAI.

In DAtV the wardens aren't morally dubious because they're working with Elganan or being mind controlled or tricked. The wardens are morally dubious because that's what they've always been. They're also heros because that's what they've always been. It's such a wonderful faction and I think they've done incredibly well with it.

In DAI all wardens are hearing the calling but we never really feel the horror of that properly, perhaps because we don't see wardens going down into the deep roads or perhaps because we don't have a (real) warden companion. In DAtV because we go into the deep roads and see these messed up wardens who have been on their calling, it's made more apparent just how terrifying the calling is, how individuals lose their minds and become more and more ghoul like if they don't die first.

And on top of that the Aesthetics! I love the blight boils coming back from DAO, I always found them so creepy and really giving you the full idea that the land is blighted as well as the people, so no crops can grow.

I really loved this part of the game and I'm glad we got it!