#tragic villain dynamics my beloved

[ice-mage]

ICE MAGE READS 2024

This year, I joined a book club in an effort to read more actual books. I’ve always enjoyed reading, but over the past decade or so, I would only read a handful of books in any given year. Well, even though I didn’t read anything in the month of April, I’ve managed to read 26 books so far this year (and one I did not finish that I didn’t list below). I’m hoping to add a one or two more before the end of the year (while I’m visiting family over the holidays).

Full List (in the order I read them):

New Adult by Timothy Janovsky

The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins

The Parliament by Aimee Pokwatka

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

Sun of Blood and Ruin by Mariely Lares

Ocean’s Godori by Elaine U. Cho

Wolfsong by TJ Klune

Ravensong by TJ Klune

Heartsong by TJ Klune

The Stardust Grail by Yume Kitasei

Surrender Your Sons by Adam Sass

Brothersong by TJ Klune

Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis

Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Time’s Agent by Brenda Peynado

Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

The Back Passage by James Lear

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal

The Secret Tunnel by James Lear

Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik

The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik

Godkiller by Hannah Kaner

The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch

Favorites

The Library at Mount Char: I don’t know what to say about this one other than that it’s wonderfully weird. A (sub)urban fantasy that begins with a murder mystery, with characters that would fit right into a horror movie, this book is fucked up in all the best ways. I don’t want to say too much about it because the way things are revealed throughout the book is one of the reasons I enjoyed it. Definitely give it a try.

Sorcery and Small Magics: A mixup with a forbidden spell results in Leovander Lovage being bound to obey his rival, Sebastian Grimm’s commands. Leo and Grimm endeavor to find a counterspell that can undo it and set Leo free again. This book is the beginning of an enemies/rivals to lovers tale. It is so expertly written, you’d be surprised to learn it’s the author’s debut novel. The book does a wonderful job at pacing; you get a great balance of character moments and plot. The magic system is intriguing, requiring two people, scrivers that write spells and casters that cast them. The magical creatures are imaginative. But what really grasped me was the evolution of the relationship between Leo and Grimm. I highly recommend you give this one a read.

Honorable Mentions

Heartsong: This is the story of Robbie Fontaine, my beloved. We learn about Robbie’s tragic backstory, and then get thrust into angst, angst, and more angst. It is my favorite book of the Green Creek series (I don’t care that Jon with his @bigassbowlingballhead has a different opinion). Given that this is third novel in a series, I don’t know what I can say about it without spoiling the first two books, so I’ll leave you with the author’s own words when this was rereleased earlier this year:

Ocean’s Godori: This is a cozy space opera set in a universe where Korea dominates space travel. I really liked all three main characters: Ocean Yoon, a space pilot; Teo Anand, second son to a tech empire; and Haven Sasani a Mortemian and a medic. The dynamic between parent and child is a theme of the book, and each of the three main characters have unique issues with their parents that shape them as characters. The relationship between all the characters, these three and the rest of the crew on the ship Ocean pilots, is a high point of the book. And the actual plot, once we get into it, is really interesting. Unfortunately, the book just ends suddenly. It doesn’t have an Act III, and I’m not sure it finished Act II. It’s like the publisher took Cho’s book and chopped it in half and only published the first part. It feels incomplete. That’s why I can’t recommend this book to anyone yet, at least not until the sequel, Teo’s Durumi, comes out in August 2025.

Most Disliked

Sun of Blood and Ruin: Seeing this book as the March pick was a big factor in me deciding to join my book club. The book promised to weave “Mesoamerican mythology and Mexican history two decades after the Spanish conquest into a swashbuckling, historical debut fantasy with magic, intrigue, treachery, and romance.” As someone of Mexican ancestry from all sides of my family, I was really excited to read this one. Boy, did it disappoint. The protagonist, Leonora de Las Casas Tlazohtzin, is the half-indigenous daughter of the Spanish viceroy in Mexico. She is also La Pantera, a masked, magical vigilante. Although Leonora living a double life is a big part of her character arc, she is by far the worst at it, two other characters are introduced that do it far better than she does. One of those characters also does magic far better than she does. The writing is stodgy at best. And there’s a gay relationship thrown in that feels slapdash and inauthentic, like the author only inserted it because it’s the thing to do these days. This book is by far my least favorite book of the year, 0/10, do not recommend.

Dishonorable Mention

Time’s Agent: I’ll start by saying that this book was nowhere near as bad as the previous one. This book features pocket dimensions, or pocket worlds as they are called here, that people can enter from our own world. Only, these pocket worlds aren’t necessarily co-synchronous with our world. What feels like days in a pocket world could only be minutes in our world. And conversely, only seconds in the wrong pocket world could be decades in our world. Which is what happens to the main character. This book had a really intriguing premise, and seeing the main character work through her grief was interesting. Unfortunately, I think this book suffers from being a novella. The short length means the author doesn’t have room to really explore the pocket worlds or the other characters, meaning you end up not caring about either. If it had been twice as long, I think this could have been a really good book.

[08melancholie]

I've just read your “Micah is not 'just another bad guy'” post, and I think I understand your frustrations with the willingly shallow understanding so much the fandom exhibits towards Micah. But I'm curious, what is the appeal? /gen

I can agree with the sentiment that he is a good villain because we hate him, and that he's decently fleshed out enough to hold some sort of depth. Despite that he's still very intentionally static. There's a small amount that the game depicts about him to be sympathized with. His morals and motives do not change nor is there a dynamic shift in his character. He is not just an antagonist but a villain. He is a bad guy, not just a catalyst to our beloved Arthur's death, but a character with purposeful, very common malicious intent. I don't believe it as much of a 'defense mechanism', because that seems a little apologetic, but simply that he is just not a good person. He is selfish with the disguise of 'survival' and that is a moral choice. Sometimes whatever distinctions exist in that context don't need to be addressed. Besides his writing, how do you find the room to like him? Is it the potential of his character beyond the bluntly written malice? Does his tragic backstory explain his behavior or simply excuse it? I think holding appreciation for a character's place in the story is different from appreciating the character themself. The choices he makes aren't really slip-ups caused by a nature he can't help or struggles to. His manipulation and interactions are calculated. He is still human, yes, but placed into the story as merely an ignition to the gang's tragic downfall, it shouldn't be surprising that people will hold shallow feelings towards a shallow role. His curse is arguably inevitable, and it was intentionally made to be.

But of course I understand the nature of fanon. I think Micah enjoyers (not apologists) are justified, but I also think those who flat-out do not like him and don't care for his depth are also. Neither should be warring because it's a waste of energy in my opinion, but sometimes people just will not spare room for a bad person or bad actions, and that's plenty acceptable.

I don't think nor ever claim that Micah is a good person, I agree that he's horrible and that his actions in the game are unforgivable, considering all he's done to mess up the gang and their lives; getting a good 40% of them killed as well. Micah holds a generous amount of depth which can explain, but not excuse, his actions. I always make sure to mention that, because you can't find excuses for Micah.

P.S.: In my "Vengeance" post, which I have yet to finish, I talk a lot about Micah's past; childhood relationships, possible trauma etc. Once I finish that, I'll make sure to link it at the end of this post.

The reason I used the term 'defense mechanism' is because, while yes; he is a villain, I do think the jabs at everyone is an attempt at staying 'above' everyone, hence why he calls people 'cowpoke', which is by definition "the lowest ranking member of the cattle drive hierarchy, usually given to the very young, incompetents and drunks." The reason I called it a defense mechanism is mostly because he'll pick on all of the more 'liked' members; so Arthur, Charles, Javier, for example. Charles and Arthur especially—these are two big, strong men that could probably twist him in half if they so pleased, like how Charles effortlessly tosses him in one camp interaction. But that's how I think he thinks he stays, so to say, 'above' the others in the gang. I don't exactly know how to explain it, so please bear with me if this doesn't make much sense😭.

To answer the question about appeal, the reason why I like Micah is the writing, not much else. There isn't much else to like, in fact, without it being questionable what the person's views in life are. I think that sometimes you just don't need a reason to like a character. If they appeal to you, thats just that. You don't have to justify why you like every character with a dozen different reasonings. I like how he was written, his purpose in the game was pretty straightforward and well thought-out to still be original and not like the generic story villain and I think he's attractive, but thats past the point LMAO.

I don't expect people to not hate him or not hold shallow feelings for him either. I myself don't like him in the story, I've said so before many times. Most of his choices throughout the story are bad, no denying it, however it just feels wrong to see people claim he was a bad character, when he truly wasn't. When he's framed as just another story villain, I feel like the work of R* and the writers is just swept aside as well, which I feel bad about.

Finally, if you want to understand more why I like Micah, these two posts will help. They're a little long, especially the second one, but if you're willing to read, go ahead!

"Why Do I like Micah?" — "Micah Bell (ASK)"

p.s. sorry if none of this makes sense, i just woke up for school

[best-supermassive-character]

Sam Giddings x Hannah Washington

1. Best friends to lovers dynamic? perfect. Sam was the only one (except for Beth) who was nice to Hannah in the prologue. And their relationship stats are very high. Sam would be very protective gf for Hannah

2. In your "Nothing bad ever happened ever" AUs, you've got some classic best friends (even childhood friends) to lovers. In canon, though, the tragedy of it all makes you want to chew through wood. Thinking about Sam having been in love with Hannah all that time when she was pining for some guy, and then losing her tragically because she couldn't find her in time to stop the prank. Also, right at the end of the game, as Sam makes a break for the light switch, you could easily assume that Hannah is lunging for her and ended up tackling a miner in the process, but a better idea, a *gayer* idea is that deep down, Hannah recognised Sam, and wanted to save her when it all came down to it. It's tragic. It's heartbreaking. It's kinda beautiful, to think, even in that altered state, Hannah loved Sam too, but only came to realise it at the last possible moment, and used that clarity to save her friend. Maybe she loved her that whole time, before the prank, but latched onto Mike as a way to seem 'normal'. Heteronormativity is the real villain in this game and that's that on that

Jamie Tiergan x Erin Keenan (Jerin)

1. my beloveds okay, i was in pleasant shock when saw a "young love" plot line (i didn't know anything about TDiM when i started it so didn't expect to get lesbians)

2. Jamie and Erin already have such a wonderful dynamic to begin with, having bounced around each other before taking the leap after enough flustering and teasing. They care so deeply for each other, and one losing the other is beyond heartbreaking. Erin even admits how much she doesn't want to lose Jamie, which makes my heart scream and yell and cry and oh my god

3. They're sweet, they're cute, they're canon! Supermassive finally gave us an official queer couple that can get together and Jerin deserves some recognition for that. <3

4. I mean, its Jerin! They're relationship is so cute and interesting even if they don't get together, its so clear when they don't they still very much love and adore each other and have so much more to say. And when they ARE together they are just so cute and gentle to each other. The perfect couple <3 (also they are a very rare non-white biracial lesbian couple that aren't toxic or weird so the representation they hold is just <3)

[mythcreantsblog]

Reading this article and comparing it to the show is very interesting, and it serves as a case study in what happens when you abandon a good/evil dynamic but don’t have anything to replace it with. 

[Mild spoilers for the first three episodes of Dune: Prophesy]

Whatever subversions do or don’t come later, the original Dune novel begins with a clear reason for readers to care about what happens in the big political struggle: House Atreides are the good guys. They have noble ideals and treat others with respect. They are much better to their subjects than the Harkonans are. 

Even when the politics get fuzzy, we can fall back on this as a reason to invest in the story’s outcome. We want the people who do good to triumph. When House Atreides is destroyed, we want Paul and Jessica to survive so they can get justice and/or revenge. Also, the Harkonans are gay, evil, and gayly evil, but that’s another conversation. 

Prophesy doesn’t want that dynamic. Its major characters are all, at best, ruthless and Machiavellian. The selfless ones have little power and are largely at the mercy of the morally gray antiheroes. 

Sounds good, so what are we giving viewers as a reason to care what happens? It’s hard to say. Maybe the stakes are that regardless of how moral the leaders are, their political moves will have ramifications for regular people, so we should care about that. 

Unfortunately, the show gives us almost no context for how the political maneuvering will affect anyone beyond the people at the very top. So that’s a bust. Maybe instead, we should be invested in the characters despite their ruthless amorality? Humans are often ruthlessly amoral in real life, after all. 

This has a bit more traction. We get a bunch of flashbacks that establish very tragic backstories for our two main Bene Gesserit sisters, which writers often deploy as a way to build sympathy. But for this approach to work, where we invest in a character despite them being awful, they usually have to be either relatable or funny. Think either Always Sunny or Succession. 

None of the Prophecy main characters are either. They’re all stoic, power hungry elites who make grand political moves the likes of which normal people can barely comprehend. The closest any of them come to being relatable is when one of them has to sacrifice a beloved pupil for some information (or maybe not, with the latest twist). 

That’s much easier to understand and at an emotional level, but it’s also not much in the face of so many flashbacks and grand political maneuvering. It’s just not enough. 

Reading the interview, I think the showrunner’s actual goal is to portray the main sisters as making hard choices to avoid something even worse happening. I’m basing my interpretation largely on this quote: 

“But at least some of that is their trying to guard against a greater, more devastating tragedy down the line by doing things that, in the moment, might be looked at as evil or criminal.”

If that’s indeed what they’re going for, this is actually a pretty straightforward concept that a lot of stories have employed before. The problem is that Prophesy gives us nothing about what this later tragedy might be. There’s vague foreshadowing about a disaster, but nothing about what it means in real terms. 

This makes it very difficult for us to invest in the protagonists as gray antiheroes. We have no idea what they’re making all these hard choices to avoid! It looks like the show has three more episodes left, and I hope it uses that time to better establish what the stakes are.

[108garys]

Enthralling

Oh what a terrible shame when the beloved hero tragically fails their quest against evil and much worse is the tale of Ser Nestor, a traitor and oathbreaker, not only failed to defeat evil but ended up wrapped around the villain's little finger... Literally

@unhingedlesbear Has activated my "heck yeah! Baffle people with the rare pair!" and Du'mark is Du'lie's lesser known younger sibling with like, triple the age gap and I feel a much different dynamic to explore if we try(pre pen sketch undercut because I was straight up falling asleep until I was struck with this and didn't want to take risks)

@kassiekolchek22 @delurkr @tatjana-fantasy @qusok @blubary @kindheartedgummybears @mybrainrotforreal

Is this not the fantasy version of what the ultimatum made him be? Idk I've been up for too long lol

I made the enchanted ring super glowy because I worried it was too small

[idrilka]

in which i'm telling everyone to go watch my country: the new age

so if you've been here or on my twitter at all during these past few weeks, you might have noticed my unhinged yelling about my country: the new age (and woo dohwan's beautiful, talented face). i finished the drama two weeks ago (immediately started rewatching from the beginning), and i honestly still haven't recovered. it flattened me like a pancake and left me just like that.

it's been a while since i got so invested in a piece of media (the last time was 2ha, and then i went on to write nearly 300k of ranwan fic, so this bodes well), and it took me completely by surprise. you know how sometimes you come across a piece of media that, completely out of the blue, rearranges you on the molecular level and you just know you'll never be the same afterwards? this is what this drama did to me, and i'm not exaggerating. i honestly went into it with zero expectations, thinking i was just going to watch it for woo dohwan's beautiful face, but, regrettably, it's just really fucking good all around. it might be my favorite kdrama i've ever watched?

*stefon voice* this drama has everything. do you want olympic level gay yearning? incredible antagonists? interesting plot and themes? fantastic fight choreography? an outrageously talented cast with excellent performances across the board and a host of fascinating supporting characters? a clever fucker with a fan? two protagonists who are absolutely unhinged about each other and love each other so much even as they practice stabbing as a form of foreplay? a searingly hot older woman with the richest voice you've heard? complex (if underutilized) female characters? costumes and styling so pretty it makes you want to chew on your arm? do you like to be made to feel all emotions known to man in a single moment? do you want to stay in a fetal position for two days after watching the last episode? do you want to think of nothing else for the rest of the week/month/year? WELL, THIS DRAMA IS FOR YOU THEN.

it's a historical court intrigue drama set against the backdrop of the fall of the goryeo kingdom and the rise of the joseon dynasty (~14th century), following two friends, seo hwi and nam seonho, who find themselves on the opposing sides of a political conflict. i can't even begin to express how good the central relationship of this drama is. it's a love story, and they fucking know it. the chemistry is sizzling. the knives are exquisite. there are so many layers to this relationship, and the lead actors do a phenomenal job with that. yang sejong gives a wonderfully understated yet extremely emotional performance as hwi, and the transformation hwi goes through is incredible to watch. woo dohwan as seonho is superb - intense, tragic, horribly misguided. the way this man acts makes me want to chew concrete.

and then!!! i usually don't gravitate towards antagonists/villains, but holy fuck, jang hyuk's performance as bangwon is such a tour de force. he is phenomenal, and he brings such nuance and complexity to bangwon that you literally can't tear your eyes away. (he also has a fan.) all three of them are absolute chemistry machines. all three could probably generate chemistry with a brick wall if needed, and this 100% shines through on screen. the strange, intense dynamic they're locked into is beyond delicious. the chemistry between bangwon and hwi is truly beyond. the "in love, divorced but still fucking" energy that seonho and hwi give off is everything. the parallels between seonho and bangwon are delectable. the complex nets of interpersonal dynamics make me want to weep with joy at how wonderfully nuanced they are.

and as if that were not enough, there's a whole cast of truly multidimensional supporting characters! (park chido, my beloved!!! munbok! jeong beom! sungrok! madam seol! hwawol, my baby!!!) honestly, there's not one weak performance across this entire cast - everyone gives it their all. this drama features also the worst father in the history of fiction, and i'm including shi mei's dad and jin guangshan in that. nam jeon is the worst is so, so many different, despicable ways, but his actor sells it so, so well. i loved every minute of absolutely loathing him.

the weakest point of the drama is, in my opinion, the obligatory but ultimately pretty secondary attempt at a romantic plot, which would be much better served by focusing on the other aspects of hwi and huijae's dynamic, because there's a lot of crunchy stuff to dig into, and i love huijae otherwise and wouldn't want to see her cut from the story in the slightest. her conflicting loyalties are so compelling, and that's where i feel like the character shines the most. the romantic plot also falls flat when confronted with whatever the fuck seonho and hwi have going on at any given point in time, but i think the drama knows that, too, and isn't trying to fight it particularly seriously (or at all).

(i also didn't love all the music choices in this, but that i can still live with.)

and, to close this giant wall of yelling, this drama is just so pretty. the cinematography is beautiful, the costumes (which i admit i besmirched a little after the first episode) get progressively more and more stunning as we go on, and i would like to personally thank whoever did seonho's wig/extensions, because that's one of the best examples of hair work i've seen in a while, and also to congratulate the makeup artists on the excellent sculpting job they did on seonho - he gets progressively more snatched the older he gets and this is very good for me, personally.

oh, and if, after all this, you're still wondering what it's like to watch woo dohwan act, then thank you, tumblr user @jekkies, for providing this excellent quote, because it's exactly like that (except there's nothing to steal here because yang sejong is also stellar):

thank you for your attention, and please, go watch this drama. i will love you forever.

[coffeewithcutcaffeine]

are there any parallels that fascinate you while working on voievod?

(missing you like hell my beloved lin, hope life's treating you well ❤️)

My beloved Lizzie, thank you endlessly for sending this question my way, it definitely made me sit down and think hard about it! I am not sure if I mention all the parallels (more will definitely appear with time), but I will try to elaborate on at least a few that occupy my mind at the moment. ❤️ I am sending the biggest hug your way, my dear, and I hope you are taking good care of yourself! I miss you so so much! 🥰️

Now that I finished reading Mehmed’s biography, I was struck by the remarkable similarities between his and Vlad’s personalities. Both were natural rebels, active and restless souls, brave visionaries. They both displayed a paradoxical blend of cruelty and generosity. What sets them apart are the subtle nuances, the different shades and hues of their personalities, that shape these similar traits into something uniquely their own. This is a fascinating thing to explore in writing because typically when two figures stand on opposite sides (as enemies, opponents, rivals, you name it), they are often portrayed as respective polar opposites. In media, the “hero” is typically portrayed as the antithesis of the “villain”, and vice versa. This is different because both men are viewed as heroes and villains simultaneously, their perception shifting based on the observer’s perspective. I also find it fascinating that, from their initial encounters, the tension between them stems not from their differences but from their similarities. Had they ever chosen to collaborate, their combined strength would have made them unstoppable. It is the core values they both strongly stick to that leave them no choice but to stand in opposition to each other.

There are delicious parallels in the family dynamics of both Vlad and Mehmed! This is so much fun to work with because the events within both royal houses show how we often unknowingly echo the missteps of those who came before us. Without giving much away so that I do not spoil the crucial moments, Vlad’s father was sent away from home as a small child. As a result, he retained few memories of either parent. When he becomes a father, he chooses to shield his children from such a life and consciously strives to be a more present parent. Nevertheless, circumstances compel him to send his two sons away from home, forcing him to retrace his father’s steps, no matter how much that decision torments him. When Vlad becomes a father himself, he is determined not to repeat the mistakes of his grandfather and father and also consciously strives to be a better parent, yet circumstances once again force his son to be sent away from home. The fatalism in this is so powerful because each generation tries to undo the wrongs they suffered in childhood and, while they do make progress and become better, life’s circumstances (though vastly different in each case) inevitably push them to do what they have sworn to avoid at all costs.

In Mehmed’s case, it’s the tragic deaths of the favourite sons. His father, Murad II, abdicated and left the throne to the then twelve-year-old Mehmed because he was so stricken with grief over the death of his son, Şehzade Alaeddin Ali (who died at eighteen), that he simply could not bear the burdens of ruling any longer. Mehmed deals with the situation in his own way, viewing his father’s response as a weakness throughout his life… until he faces the same situation and must lay his own son Mustafa to rest. Unlike his father, Mehmed did not abdicate, but Mustafa’s death reportedly wrecked him. It shows life’s cruel irony that is imposed on us sometimes — Mehmed could never connect with his father and scorned him for many things, only to finally sympathise with him when struck by the same horrible tragedy his father experienced.

As for more universal parallels, it is interesting to see how many of the themes I explore in Voievod are still present in our lives today. Six centuries later, we still witness nations bleeding just to carve out a path toward self-determination. Not all countries are treated equally, some people still face being looked down upon, while others continue to fight for the right to shape their future course and their destiny for themselves, without others dictating to them what to do and what not to do. The methods have changed, we do not live as violent times as the Middle Ages were (but Vlad’s methods must be taken into consideration through the context of that period), but it is not difficult to relate to Vlad’s dreams and objectives, to loving your country so much you would die just so the future generations can live in freedom of being able to choose, of being able to decide for themselves, of prospering on their own. Also, power continues to leave its mark on people’s character today, much as it did then — if not outright corrupt them.

[ladymorghul]

It may sound funny, but I've noticed recently a fair amount of Aemond hate coming from one part of the green fandom, mostly Aegon, Daeron and Helaegon fans. And the main reason is, believe it or not, that the show made Aemond more complex/grey, not a cartoon villain like in the book. I don't understand how anyone in their right mind could wish for the carbon copy of the terrible book version. I get that there are people who are frustrated with how they depicted Aegon in the first season or that Daeron wasn't included, but what does it have to do with Aemond's portrayal? That's literally one of the best things the show did in season 1 and him being as popular as he is caused many people to change sides. Anyway, if Aegon was done dirty, I doubt that was to prop up Aemond because he is far from being a saint. He is still full of hidden anger and resentment, an impulsive young man who is trying to hide that part of him just to be the son his mother needs, but isn't always successful in that, as we saw in Storm's End. And after B&C and everything that will happen during the war, that side will probably be more and more revealed. He was only given a great backstory which, if done right in the future seasons, could make him a really tragic and memorable character, not a one dimensional psycho villain who is inherently evil and cruel like in F&B. Idk, it's not a good thing that the green fandom is becoming more divided because of things like these and should actually be happy that any TG character is given more depth and importance.

i agree with you, anon, even though i don't blame the ones who are critical in good faith. i say this because season 1 portrayal of aegon ii was bad enough that in private circles, even some tb stans agree to this. and so for many who were expecting to see aegon in the show, having aegon being portrayed like that + the abscence of supposedly the most beloved of alicent's sons (daeron) made them a bit bitter. a concrete example of this is the feast scene. in the book, aegon takes offense to jacaerys dancing with helaena and whether or not this was a moment of jealousy or rather of ego, i've seen some people say they would have liked this to be portrayed as it was in the book.

i guess i can see and agree with all sides. yes, it's absolutely great that aemond got enough character depth to make him a proper multi dimensional character and not just a one dimensional evil character, but it does also suck to see this development and depth come at detriment of aegon ii and daeron.

i think there's also 2 other points here:

a) the writers knew aemond would sell. targaryen prince who wears an eyepatch and rides the largest and oldest dragon alive. aemond is practically ryan's babygirl and aemond is cool enough that even some team black stans will ocassionally agree that they enjoy watching him. gp also seems to have a "he's an asshole but it's fun watching him and he looks cool" take

b) ryan and other writers are strictly telling the dance of the dragons to relate to the misogyny alicent and rhaenyra face in the patriarchy (even though they really do a poor job of it sometimes) and thus it focused on how the men around them negatively impact them. aegon is the one rhaenyra's fighting for the throne so the way he's depicted isn't just related to the idea that they necessarily only cared about giving aemond depth and more about this dynamic and his place in the plot with rhaenyra.

it does suck that people have started fighting but i do have to say that sometimes aemond stans can be a bit overbearing to deal with. in my experience anyway.

however yeah, unfortunately we didn't get enough character development or screentime with the rest of the green kids and the hope is that they too get development like aemond did not that aemond gets less of it.

[consceleratuswrites]

Hi Hi hi ANOTHER ANON HERE (I just wanna be private) I just wanted to say I love your work and your writing rocks!

I was wondering, despite the obvious voice lines and what we kinda get from Galactic Emperor Sigma's depiction (for the crumb it was - thanks Blizzard) how do you go about characterizing him? I kinda like how you aren't afraid to make him into a bit of an asshole (lol) do you have a headcanon you go off?

There are quite a few of you guys! And it's all cool - as long as you're all comfortable! Never wanna force anyone x

This is an interesting one as it relates to my personal views on Sigma as a whole, which I could go on for HOURS ABOUT. Mainly because the trailer makes him come across as this maniacal hubris-based scientist who is incredibly intimidating and self-interested in his own research. Then you have the in-game characterisation which is this rather tragic figure being manipulated by an organisation that uses him as a weapon. 

There is this beautiful dichotomy in his character (which is why he's so beloved, as he has this depth on a self-referential level). I do not doubt that he is equally as gentle and a tragic anti-hero as he is an egotistical and (at times) a vicious-mad-scientist force to be reckoned with. That's due to the in-game Canon!Sig voice lines range from quite endearing to being quite callous (to me at least). And I could go on and on about my personal feelings about the mental health allegories that can also be gleaned from him (I'm someone who has pretty bad anxiety and PTSD, so the drifting in and out of thoughts is something that got to me).

So for Emp!Sig, I wanted to magnify those aspects and dial them up to be more ruthless and more arrogant. And I loved that we got this antagonistic-bad-guy version who will call you a "pathetic worm" if you get in his way. But then I like the thought of him being multifaceted here too (I have this saying that I talk to my friends that I think of 'salty and sweet' when I write him). And I like giving him these little anxiety-fuelled moments where he's painfully vulnerable.

I have a lot to thank @akoiromanticstudent for (I tag her a lot as it's her help that's made her indulge this hard, and I love how she writes sig in his professor ways).

I have a literal page-by-page list in my notebook (because I'm crazy and do this for fun HAHA) of who I've taken some inspiration from for his characteristics so here we go I shall list a few (and this isn't even all of it so - lmao YOU ASKED)

Game of Thrones' Tywin Lannister is a massive influence on me as well. His dialogue is excellently written, and he was my favourite character in the series for being this rather diabolical yet magnificent bastard. I love how Charles Dance plays him as this character hardened by the world around him and too far gone with using violence as a means to an end. He's undoubtedly cruel and has this stubbornness that is fun to emulate and spar with.

I also take some inspiration from Hades - the Hellenic god (being a bit more of a neutral yet incredibly threatening force within ancient Greek polytheism). And his representation from the HADES game series and the Disney-fied version (for the back and fourth in his dialogue and dynamic).

I also really loved Peter Stormare's representation of Lucifer from the 05' Constantine film - I love how terrifying and threatening he is with his presence and invading personal spaces. Stormare plays him as this ancient, wise, sinister force, and I just adore it. Despite the film being of typical noughties-popcorn-movieness (but I love it for that too). So I've taken little pieces of that there as well.

Obviously, Star Wars plays as an influence (Darth Vader/Anakin being the tragic villain he is and Palpatine because I just love that silly evil old man.)

There's obviously a few Lovecraftian cosmic horror elements in there as well.

Also adding loads of representations of various Gods, Kings, and Emperors in history, Leonidas being one of them, Ceaser, Odin, Ra the list goes on and on all of which are in the mixing pot.

Thanks for reading this if you did I hope it was interesting - I get started on something and then it grows and grows because, as I said, I'm crazy.

[league-of-starlight]

favourite character of each region? :)

Here we go.

BANDLE CITY: Hm… Corki in the yordle cinematic has a lot of charm.

BILGEWATER: Sarah Fortune, easy answer.

DEMACIA: I know that Technically, Lucian and Senna aren’t considered Demacian champions, but they’re from Demacia originally and this answer makes me look less basic.

IONIA: Jhin, for reasons that everyone has already said. Ahri is also really good.

IXTAL: Nidalee, specifically LOR version. Milio is cute too.

NOXUS: Call me basic, but the Katarina comic really did a lot for her. Annie also has a nostalgia spot for me. I love Rell as well. (Hey, bars.)

PILTOVER: Including Arcane: Vi. Excluding Arcane? Heimerdinger is such a little guy. Camille and Renata are good villains too.

SHADOW ISLES: Thresh is such a fun villain.

SHURIMA: Taliyah. I love earthbending and I love the way she surfs on rocks instead of just making cliffs out of the ground. I also love that she has wide character dynamics. K’Sante is very cool too, he’s neat.

TARGON: Soraka. I like the caring mentor character.

THE FRELJORD: Braum. My guy. Big heart. Big door, love this guy.

THE VOID: Kai’Sa and Bel'Veth for different reasons. They’re really good thematic parallels. Kassadin is cool too. Tragic dynamics, my beloved.

ZAUN: Ekko is very good. I love the time travel and his personality. Jinx is great too for obvious reasons.

Demons: Fiddlesticks is such a good fear based character.

And the best character of all time, Shaco- *dodges gunshots* Okay, okay, kidding!

So, yeah.

[idyllic-affections]

Oh gods, the new year's just starting and you're already cooking? And it's MORE ANGST?! You scare me, Aphe..../j/lh

On a more genuine note, I find that concept quite interesting. And since they'd be a Yaksha, imagine what they're relationship/dynamic with Xiao have the potential, one other member of their, living, but with the enemy 🤔

OOOOH! What if they (Yaksha!Reader) blame ol' Rexxy boy for the destruction of their race? Like, they feel he didn't try hard enough to save the Yaksha's from their Karmic Debt? Or something like that?

Also, damn you sure have a thing for found family harbingers, don't you XD?/lh

-🐉Anon

going into my evil and horrible villain arc this year 😈😈😈 /hj /lh

NO YEAH I WAS THINKING ABOUT THAT SO HARD. i like to think that they're among the oldest living beings on teyvat--probably somewhere between 4000-5000. they've lived a very long time (and are tragically, chronically plagued by erosion and karmic debt) and i like to imagine them as older than xiao, because perhaps they had some kind of sibling dynamic with him (and ofc with the other yakshas my beloveds 🫶🫶🫶🫶). it makes it all the more devastating. i've been thinking about whether morax's perceived betrayal should happen before all the yakshas gradually succumb to their fates (because this would make it so that [name] finds out through word of mouth that all of their siblings have died off one by one until only xiao was left; and, further, how the hell are they supposed to know he's even still alive, since they rarely dare to set foot in liyue? maybe they also try to investigate bosacius' case and encounter xiao in the chasm.... hmm), or after? both routes have their own appeal.

(elaborating on the chasm concept: it would be so devastating, i think. because after so long they have finally been reunited with one of their own... but now they sit on opposing sides of the same war. not opposite sides, no; the enemy is the same. rather, they sit on opposing sides. the goal is ultimately the same--that being ridding teyvat of the heavenly principles--and while the seven do largely seem to support the tsaritsa's goal, her methods are foul. so, despite being reunited with one of their own, their brother, the reunion is far from gentle. because xiao is on morax's side [much to their disdain, because they feel betrayed by rex lapis and the wound is still fresh, despite this having happened thousands of years prior] and they are on the tsaritsa's.)

and i've been debating what might warrant a "perceived betrayal" on morax's behalf, but that would make a lot of sense i think.... i think that would contribute to it. perhaps its that in combination with guizhong's death--he did not try hard enough to save her. and maybe, just maybe, this was just meant to be their fate. yakshas are prone to losing their minds. maybe [name] is holding on by a thread at this point.

it's bittersweet, because even as they slowly die over thousands of years, zhongli can't help but think fondly of them. i mean, look at them. they are still fighting for the world, even if their ways have become jaded and twisted. he only wishes they would come home. how well can the tsaritsa treat their karmic debt? he doesn't know how long her methods will work.

also don't call me out like that bro 🙏🙏🙏 the fatui harbinger found family worms its way into my fics one way or another. Sighhhhhh

[one-strugling-bean]

DSMP Fanfic Rec List because I’m bored - part 1

(IF YOU READ ANY OF THESE, DON'T FORGET TO COMMENT - even a simple "great work" or "this was a lot of fun" suffices, just  comment)

Manburg vs Pogtopia Era (lots of Manburg cabinet, Pumpkin Duo, and Schlatt studies)

depressing final moments for an equally depressing man by cottageaddict

Your chest aches, a twinge you can’t quite place shooting through your ribs, and all you can do is sigh and lift the bottle to your lips once again.

“Are you- Are you drinking?!”

-

I’m a big fan of 2nd person narration and this particular work delivers it beautifully. I also adore the way they wrote Schlatt - the fear of death, the understanding and semi-acceptance of all the wrongs he’s done to everybody, and his response to it all being just Well fuck *proceeds to drink more* - he’s so very much in character.

That very specific, and honestly pretty fucking sad implication at the end hit me in a way I wasn’t expecting too, actually-

___

I Will Sing No Requiem by Rjeealdleyr 

"Fundy wouldn't cry for Wilbur."

-

#cfundydeservesbetter

I second the author by saying we don’t have enough Fundy fics in this fandom, so here is one. Be prepared for angsty angst!!

___

Exorcise My Fat Old Heart by orojiratsu

On the day you die the sun is beaming.

OR: The death of a villain.

-

More of Schlatt’s POV for November 16th and more 2nd person. This one is written so tragically and in such short sentences, it feels like a poem. Needless to say, I like it a lot.

___

Welcome Home, Theseus. by orojiratsu 

Schlatt is their president, and they will stay by his side. 

-

Aka, an AU where Schlatt tries to get over his alcoholism with the help of those around him and the Manburg Cabinet actually works out. Sooooooo, basically S1 heaven for me.

You get it all: functional pumpkin duo, dadschlatt with Tubbo and Fundy, Tommy getting away from Pogtopia!Wilbur, a happy, hopeful ending- 

When I say that in the DSMP, Schlatt is the character that could have had it all and changed the course of the the story towards a much brighter future, this fic is what I mean.

That last chapter always gets me, i swear-

___

The Nation That Got Better by lb1412 (WIP)

In one world, L’Manberg is no more, its citizens are divided and its enemies reign supreme.

In another world, however, there is still hope.

In another world, a traveller comes with a message, a warning, an omen.

In another world, everything depends on Schlatt.

And maybe, just maybe, there is hope left for him too.

Come, gather around, everyone, for I am about to tell you the tale of the nation that got better.

-

OR, Schlatt gets a visit from a certain time traveller the night before the election and that changes a few things in the lore’s future.

Basically, it's just more Manburg Cabinet working out, although slightly differently and taking longer. I love the broship that Pumpkin Duo has in this.

The lack of heavy angst in here is a real breath of fresh air for me, btw.

ALSO, kids are treated as kids! I repeat, kids are treated as kids!

___

Swagtopia AU by PrincessLunaLover 

It was supposed to just be a secret rescue mission. Tubbo was going to get his father free from prison and let him run into the wilderness, voter fraud charges be damned. But then Fundy found out about the fake charges, and went to Quackity for legal advice.

It wasn't supposed to end with Wilbur publicly executing his own son.

-

Ahhhhhhh Swagtopia AU, my beloved :,)

The title speaks for itself no? An AU where Wilbur cheats to win the elections and it’s all dandy and good until Fundy finds out and decides that justice should prevail.

Schlatt and Wilbur basically switch roles and with them, lots of other things change. (I love this idea so much.)

Dad!Schlatt is a thing and the Pumpkin Duo dynamic reminds me a bit of an edgier Happy Duo - that married couple who can't stop bickering. They’re great.

Fundy gets a lot of spotlight, Quackity is really intelligent and gets to show it, Techno and Schlatt are old friends, and Sweater Duo angst is a thing, so really, what else could you want??

(Also, this fic is finished, I'm not sure why it’s marked as WIP, but it might have to do with the hints to a possible sequel that just never came to be.)

Think thats it for now - happy readings :>>>

[grimalkinsquill]

Copy pasting my own propaganda from Discord:

It's not the point of Doofenshmirtz's character to literally be tragic; he is comedically tragic in the same way One-Punch Man is comedically strong. They're only tragic (Doofenshmirtz) and strong (OPM) when it's funny for them to be. Every time Doofenshmirtz brings up a new faucet of his "tragic villain backstory", it's a punchline. Every time OPM beats somebody, it's a punchline (well, until the show and manga jump the shark). They're comedy characters at their core. You can analyze them with a serious, non-comedy lens, but it's not their natural habitat or intention to be thus

Phinease and Ferb is a fun show to have on in the background, because by design, it is very easy to identify every character and what they're doing, because the creator very intelligently sat down and made everyone extremely unique and dynamic, both in visual design and in voice design. He wanted every character to be able to be drawn, so every character is subtly based off of a basic shape to be drawn by children (some being letters as well, to help with writing development). The voice direction was handled similarly, with every character actually having a voice actor that is extremely distinct and easy to follow, especially for kids (which is why Doofenshmirtz is so beloved; his VA is friendly and extremely distinct)

But like. At the end of the day, Doofenshmirtz is part of an animated sitcom running B-plot that got elevated to main cast member, one who has a consistent punchline that is a subversion of modern "tragic villain backstory" tropes that makes a running tapestry that results in something that, if I did recount it to you, barely makes consistent sense (ala: he was raised by ocelots, so the secret agency that Perry the Platypus works for says Doofenshmirtz is legally an ocelot and cannot be punished by human law)

The ocelot thing is just one thread in that tapestry of comedic punchlines, it's just the one I remember most staunchly because...well, it's *funny*

Like: when I promote Antigone for this, this isn't me raising my nose and going "Ugh, ancient literature is better than children's media", it's understanding the assignment and looking at both sides and going *"I see the argument for both, but Antigone is sincerely a tragedy character to her core, with every line and action, while Doofenshmirtz is a comedy character who is designed to subvert tragic sexy villain backstory tropes at every turn, including being fake divorced to his wife just for benefits while also being legally an ocelot and thus unable to be punished by human law, despite literally being human"*

Both have depth, it's just one is freshwater and the other is saltwater and this is a freshwater fish tournament, so I am voting for and promoting the freshwater fish 😂

MOST TRAGIC TOURNAMENT: FINAL ROUND! [ROUND 8]

ANTIGONE

VS

DR. HEINZ DOOFENSHMIRTZ

WINNER WILL BE DECLARED TUMBLR’S MOST TRAGIC CHARACTER!

[sunderingstars]

❛❛ in the immense sea of stars, we too will leave our mark. ❜❜

✩ ‧₊˚ ⌞ 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐌𝐄 ⌝

𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄: sunder / alex

𝐀𝐆𝐄: 20s

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐒: they/he/she

⟢ genshin impact ➜ ar 60 ➜ kaeya main

⟢ honkai: star rail ➜ tl 70 ➜ welt/sampo main

𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐒:

⟢ men ➜ men ♡

⟢ cats ➜ they are cute and fluffy and mean everything to me

⟢ writing ➜ i have a bachelor’s in english/creative writing, and have been writing ever since i can remember

⟢ daydreaming ➜ although i do it maladaptively, that doesn’t mean i don’t love it. four-hour escapist fantasies my beloved ♡

⟢ michael distortion's laugh ➜ something about it scratches my brain. it works better than my antidepressants

⟢ kite ➜ my beloved. my beautiful meow meow. if i had to pick one character to be stranded on an island with, it’d be him

⟢ favorite foods ➜ grilled cheese, tomato-basil pasta, chicken salad sandwiches, chobani flip

⟢ favorite drinks ➜ lemonade, hot chocolate

𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐒:

⟢ wasps ➜ i do not think this is an unpopular opinion. wasps scare me

⟢ fatigue ➜ i’ve had pots for 8 years and yeah, it’s not fun

⟢ discourse & drama ➜ it makes my obsessive cycles cycle faster than a broken washing machine. 0/10 would not recommend

⟢ hot weather ➜ it is gross. and sticky

⟢ soda ➜ i have a fizz intolerance so soda is kind of like the bane of my existence

𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐀 & 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒:

⟢ genshin impact ➜ pantalone, kaeya, neuvillette

⟢ honkai: star rail ➜ welt, argenti, sampo

⟢ hunter x hunter ➜ kite, kurapika

⟢ the magnus archives ➜ jon, martin, michael distortion

⟢ fear & hunger ➜ cahara, enki

⟢ additional media ➜ arcane, tgcf, ohshc, tbhk, omori, lord of the rings, the silmarillion

⟢ additional characters ➜ silco, viktor, howl, hua cheng & xie lian, mitsuba & kou, basil & sunny, gandalf & the nazgúl & aragorn & legolas, morgoth & annatar & glorfindel

⟢ past media i may revisit from time to time ➜ fairy tail, the x-files, mha

𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐑𝐎𝐓:

⟢ parental kite ➜ please talk to me about mentor & found family kite !! i am begging !!

⟢ pantalone ➜ literally anything and everything about that man. i am soaking up what little information we have like a sponge

⟢ fatui harbinger dynamics ➜ what can i say, i love villainous organizations & i love shitty people who get on each others’ nerves. this goes for the phantom troupe as well, btw

⟢ tragedy ➜ i will take a good tragic narrative any day, as long as it’s well-executed

[hyperfixationspam]

THOUGHTS

-RHJEDJRJEKDJDJEJDN YIPPEE YIPPEE YIPPEE

-I CANT TELL WHAT THE FUCKING SONG IS IT SOUNDS SO FAMILIAR BUT GOOGLE IS NOT HELPING

-izzys face looks weird is he dirty or bruised up or something??? ed pls do not abuse this man ive been defending you

-all i can get from this is villainous pirate murderer thrice over i cant read the rest 😭😭

-i thought the "hes a fucking madman" line was minnie driver doing an american accent but anne bonny was irish so why would she do an american accent it might be ruibo it sounds a little deep for her voice but im not sure???

-LIL ED WEDDING DRESS FIGURINE IDC THAT ITS PROBABLY BEING USED FOR NEFARIOUS OR AT LEAST INTIMIDATING PURPOSES ITS CUTE HES THINKING ABOUT GETTING MARRIED TO STEDE (IN AN EVIL TRAGIC WAY)

-ivan replacement?? maybe?? if it is i feel conflicted cus i want ivan back but if they fired guz just to recast him im gonna be pissed but it might not be related anyways so

-i know this is like two pixels but it kinda looks like madeleine sami to me lmao

-FANGS NEW COSTUME YES YES YES

-FRENCHIES NEW COSTUME YES YES YES THE CLAWS THE BLACK CAT AESTHETIC I LOVE THAT ALSO GO CRAZY GO STUPID ARC??? bestie are u ok

-JIM!!!!!!!! SHORT HAIR GOTH ASS OUTFIT PAINTED ON BEARD YESSSS I WAS HOPING FOR THE PAINTED ON BEARD THE THEMES ARE THEMING THEY LOOK SO GOOD AHHHHH potential halloween costume idea for this year i wanna wear it

-anne is so pretty also why is she towering over stede

-STEDES NEW RED JACKET IS SO CUTE

-STEDE AND IZZY ALLIANCE REAL???? IS IZZY GONNA REALIZE HE WENT TOO FAR AND JOIN UP WITH HIM TO HELP ED????? YES YES YES YES IM SO EXCITED FOR THIS DYNAMIC

-STEDES LIL TWIRL HES SO SILLY

-buttons doing magic???? idk whats going on there but hes certainly vibing

-izzy fighting candles shirtless?? okay?? get that energy out productively i guess??? good for him??

-susan probablyfakename my beloved. also shes always next to oluwande are they besties ive decided they're besties

-are these the same setting or am i tripping

-JACKIE GETTING SOME 😏😏 (why did it turn red when i tried to brighten it) (but seriously whats going on in the back there)

-probably not lucius (im not even sure if these are the same scene??) but hes fine

-WEE JOHN DRAG WEE JOHN DRAG (why he look like ursula)

-the clips at the end make it seem like eds hitting stede with the barrel even though its very obviously not the same scene 😭 but that only brings up more questions who tf is ed hitting with a barrel??? and at that angle??? and why is stede moaning 🤨

-OCTOBER FIFTH YIPPEEEE

-THE COVER WITH THEIR FACES AS A HEART SFSGFDD

[lesbiansanemi]

I haven't read Bleach but I can't stop thinking about your lesbian ulquihime post /pos, so would love to hear you talk more about your take on their relationship if it isn't a bother

Aaaahhhh, Orihime and Ulquiorra have one of my favorite relationship dynamics in the entire series. It's just so interesting.

(Mind this, it's definitely a very unhealthy dynamic, but it's interesting, nonetheless).

I love Ulquiorra. He's one of my favorite characters in the series, and I thought that him being "emotionless" was really fucking cool, especially because most of the Hollows we'd actually seen at that point (that had coherency at least) were very wild and feral and rage-filled. Basically they had become frenzied due to missing their hearts, but instead Ulquiorra was emotionless. It was neat.

And then it got even more interesting seeing the way that affected his interactions with Orihime. Him being literally completely unable to fathom that her friends were coming for her after she had been taken hostage, or her faith in them to save her, or that she would give herself up for them, was so... cool? Like he literally couldn't process it, so he was fascinated by her.

And then his whole "What is a heart?" speech? ACK! I'm pretty sure I have that monologue memorized. Emotionless characters usually aren't done very well because they lose a sense of depth but Ulquiorra wasn't like that. His sense of emotionless is what gave him his depth.

So all of this in tandem with the fact that he was so desperately trying to understand Orihime, who is one of the most emotional characters in the series? It laid the ground work for one of the most interesting dynamics in the whole series.

His attachment to her was definitely very unhealthy, and he absolutely viewed her as an object to learn from. And then Orihime sympathized with him because she's such a kind character. Like I said, it was a super unhealthy relationship dynamic, but interesting and "romantic" within the context of fiction.

And then finally, the fact that just before Ulquiorra died he was reaching out for Orihime, and admitting that he wanted to learn more about the concept of a heart and that he might be starting to understand it again? Oh my god. It was so perfect for him, and solidified how hopeless his existence was.

And then this would just be made even more fun if they were lesbians because I'm a lesbian and I think that makes anything more fun lol