#all the good tropes

[aprill-99]

I always like the “who are they when they’re at home?” dynamic. It’s another point for sidekicks, siblings, love interests, and right hands I think. In stories and in life. I love the POV of whoever gets to see that because they have the ability to go:

“Oh sure, they’re the savior of all man kind/faerie princess/chosen one/lord of darkness/pop star/ pro athlete/aristocrat/wizard/ crime boss/high ruler. No one is saying they aren’t accomplished. What I am saying is that only one of us has ever walked face first in to a sliding glass door, and it sure as shit wasn’t me.”

[spideysensings]

no but zoe and aamir just randomly appearing and joining the squad at school is so funny, i love how strangely connected everyone is,,

[mouseunnie]

reading ‘A Bittersweet Couple’ and couldn’t pass over this delicious panel without sharing it. You’re welcome.

[silveranchor]

This show has taken over my life. I finished watching it for the first time like a week ago, I read the novel, and now I'm in the middle of watching it for the second time lol

I love my power couple so much 😭

[aye-of-newt]

eventually some poor whickber street shopkeeper is going to draw the short straw and be sent over to the dirty donkey to ply info from the drunk and clearly devastated crowley while his defenses are down and they’ll be utterly shocked and horrified when crowley slurs out the explanation that aziraphale has “gone to heaven”

[captainkirkk]

I'm a big fan of hurt/comfort tropes where the hurt is ongoing and escalating. Characters trying to cope with their situation and insisting that it's fine, they're fine, even as things get worse and worse and worse - especially if no one around them knows what they're going through.

Characters hiding their illness, even as they grow sicker and sicker. Characters trying to cope as their homelife becomes increasingly abusive or neglectful. Characters ignoring their injuries, only for them to become infected. Characters being stalked/ tormented by a villain and pretending that everything is fine, even as the villain continues escalating. Characters left homeless as winter approaches and their money dwindles.

I could go on. There's something very satisfying about seeing a character frantically trying to pretend like everything is okay until eventually they can't hide it anymore and get caught (and helped) by the people around them.

[datcravat]

whateverit'snotlikeimadrawingoranything!!!!!!!!!

[taytei]

trios of assholes are my favorite - especially of the sibling variety

[wilchur]

I've seen a lot of people talk about how the game doesn't give you any leeway when you play The Dark Urge, how it makes it very clear that Durge was A Bad Person, but I haven't seen it pointed out that Sceleritas seems VERY well versed in gaslighting the hell out of them and steering Durge away from any doubt or guilt in regards to their actions. Makes me think that they've probably had those types of conversations before because Durge actually always had a soft spot, only it got smaller and smaller in time. I have not had the opportunity to see the Heal cutscene yet, but I've got the butler in my camp now and he had some interesting things to say, like

[Durge: Can you tell me the worst thing I ever did?

Sceleritas Fel: There was one time you gave a beggar some coin while we were en route to the Devil's Fee.

Sceleritas Fel: You didn't kick him or spot on him or anything! I was so shocked I almost fainted!

Sceleritas Fel: I still have nightmares about it to this day. But I'm sure you only did so to lower the suspicions of the Flaming Fist. Surely?]

and it struck me because tossing a coin to a beggar is a bit of a thoughtless act isn't it? You don't put much thought into it, you just see someone in need and you do it. Out of empathy, generosity, something The Murder Incarnate should not be capable of. Sceleritas' uncertainty of Durge's reasoning for it totally convinces me it was NOT intentional. A simple act of kindness that slipped out.

ALSO

[Sceleritas Fel: The only way for a Butler to die is if we are not of use to our Master. But you have always needed abundant assistance.]

They always needed abundant assistance. Why? Because they kept slipping out of Bhaal's grasp? We know they did at least once, with Gortash. Maybe it was not the first time, maybe there are more "Letters of Forgiveness" tucked away somewhere.

To me pre-tadpole Durge is just terribly mindbroken and indoctrinated person hooked onto the sense of safety, purpose and acceptance of their dark side that the cultists and their father give them. Yeah they enjoy murder, gore and all that. That's the curse of their blood, but I don't think they were ever entirely consumed by it. Morality, guilt and empathy have always been there on the edge of their mind. Losing their memories (depending on player choices I know, but bear with me) was what they needed for them to be finally brought forward.

[lazycranberrydoodles]

i do not remember the plot of scum villain because i read it in 2020 and it feels like a fever dream now so my characterization is entirely based off of the fanon on my dash.

hualian are my favorite but i do feel that bingqiu deserve the win. tgcf is VERY yuri, but svsss has gender as a main theme and both characters keep getting compared to maidens. overall there are more explicit references to women regarding bingqiu.

[aprill-99]

The best fictional friend groups are at their core comprised of:

1. A determined trauma bunny surviving on an unknowably proportioned mixture of heart eyes and denial/repressed trauma.

2. An unquestionable ride or die bestie operating on a never ending rollercoaster of total fear and unfounded optimism.

3. One anxiety riddled sarcasm wielding third party the other two tricked into holding the brain cell.

*****Optional Bonus Content******

4. A beam of sunshine who doesn’t know any better whom friend #3 is trying to lure in so they can catch a five minute break.

5. A streetwise genius bestie who should have known better. (Who followed one of the others with only mild, though constant, complaining).

6. A part-time/former antagonist who swears they are there against their will.

****LAST ADD ON*****

7. A side character with immense cosmic power and knowledge (who is not present for at least 40% of the plot because Reasons Tm).

8. A guy who can drive.

Sometimes some combination ends up dating each other. A lot of the time, it looks like a questionably platonic polycule

[bluegiragi]

ghost gives konig a private lesson feat. soap as a very happy spectator.

read updates early on patreon

[andhumanslovedstories]

Love the commonness of the ao3 tag “obligatory gaang finds out about zuko’s scar” and its variants. You can basically hear the writer sitting down and saying, “I KNOW I KNOW BUT LISTEN, I simply had to. This path is well trod because it’s a dope fucking path to tread. Sunsets happen daily and we’re still wild about them. The sunset in this case is the baring of emotional trauma from one teen to a handful of others. Rated T because Toph says fuck”

[foolishlovers]

[insanity-laughs-under-pressure]

Aziraphale and Crowley driving through London during the blitz ready to go on a date while everything is on fire:

[guardianhyren]

Eldritch Nika!!! I’ve always been fascinated with this idea ever since reading those fics where Nika is a separate entity (that may or may not have a an agenda of his own) and slowly influences Luffy to being a facsimile of himself. The You are my Sunshine and At the Gallows… are my favorites of Luffy being… slightly off and uncanny due to Gear 5/Devil Fruit. And all those “Gear 5 at Marineford” fics where everyone is horrified at the reality bending he does (Time Moves Through You being my favorite) are fantastic and big inspiration.