#does this make things better or worse?

[wrath-ruin-reddawn]

OH GUYS I JUST MADE A HUGE REALIZATION

So, the thing about Sauron is that he's a masterful liar in that he very rarely actually lies. He merely implies by stating half-truths, and allowing others to come to the wrong conclusions on their own. In light of this, I've been marinating over a few of his lines that felt the most "off" to me, the closest to being uncharacteristically outright falsehoods. And I think I've hit on something.

Come down the rabbit hole with me!

Alright, so the first thing I clocked upon rewatch was the odd specificity during Sauron and Galadriel's chat in the prison. He warns her that “the heir to this mark is heir to more than just nobility, for it was his ancestor who swore a blood oath to Morgoth." Not just an oath, but a blood oath. This calls back to the conversation between Arondir and his captain, where Revion mentions that "the blood of those who stood with Morgoth still darkens [the Southlanders'] veins." It's also notable that the key-hilt relies on blood to form the blade of its sword.

During this same conversation, Sauron also says that "it was [his] family who lost the war." Again, another odd turn of phrase. It's hard to imagine that Sauron is speaking as himself here, given that while he may have loved Morgoth I doubt he saw him as family. But, it also doesn't track well from the Southlander perspective-- they weren't particularly influential in determining the outcome of the war, one way or another. (Or at least, I assume that they weren't, because the Southlanders aren't mentioned in any of the canon texts the way that other humans who sided with Morgoth and fought in important battles were.)

Next is the argument that he and Galadriel have in the forge. I find it very interesting that he leads by saying something objectively true-- that Galadriel doesn't know "what [he] did before [he] ended up on that raft," alluding to his time serving Morgoth. But, curiously, he follows that up by saying that she doesn't "know how he survived," and he seems to believe that it's a sin egregious enough to contribute to them "cast[ing] [him] out" as much as being allied with their enemy-- and not just Galadriel, but the Numenorians and presumably the Southlanders.

And then it hit me. Who is Sauron, besides the Lord of the Rings? Sauron the Deceiver, yes, but Sauron the Wizard, Sauron the NECROMANCER. Sauron, who will go on to start up the cult of Morgoth and perform human sacrifices! He didn't just take the heirloom from the dead heir of the Southlands-- he straight up TOOK THE HEIR OF THE SOUTHLANDS.

Think about it-- Sauron clearly hates being seen as lowly or less than. Why, then, would he choose the form of a "low" man? Unless... he had no other choice. Because his previous form was so badly damaged by Adar's attack that his spirit had to latch onto that of another to survive, a body whose blood was already sworn to Morgoth because of an ancient pact. Halbrand's family really did lose the war, because Sauron is still alive because of them. The war isn't truly over because of them.

Look at this carving from Ostirith! That is human sacrifice right there.

Halbrand isn't just a mask that Sauron created, he was a real person at one point in time. And that is what guarantees that, even if he could be forgiven for his past transgressions, Sauron would never be accepted. If Halbrand is dead, then every word from Sauron's lips has been him puppeting the corpse of a man he murdered, and if some part of Halbrand is alive in there... well, it doesn't bear thinking about. It does make this line much more ominous though:

"Halbrand, I thought you had died."

YEAH I BET SAURON YOU SICK FUCK

God, I haven't even touched on the Mystics yet.

They also lend credence to this theory, because although they misidentified The Stranger (aka Gandalf, he's probably Gandalf), they did seem to have some knowledge of both his and Sauron's re-emergence. Perhaps they're operating under the information in a prophecy about the comet-- it would track with Sadoc's comment that the star fall does "not bode well." However, I do find it interesting that they weren't surprised to find "Lord Sauron" confused, and indeed expected him to potentially resist their help... say, like someone who had come back from the dead and was in a different, unfamiliar body?

And lastly, there’s the music. Oh boy, let’s talk about the music!

The original soundtrack for Lord of the Rings by Howard Shore is famous for its use of leitmotifs, pieces of music used to represent a character, place, or idea. Bear McCreary, the composer for TROP, is following in his footsteps. I’m biased, but personally I love leitmotifs— giving a character a signature piece of music or musical cue makes moments so much punchier. If you’re wondering why the track that plays when the Numenorian fleet departs for Middle Earth, titled “Sailing into the Dawn”, makes you feel like you’ve had jet fuel injected straight into your veins, it’s because in addition to just plain slapping, it’s emotionally satisfying! It’s the grand unification of multiple leitmotifs in a beautiful triumphant tapestry: there’s the Southlands theme, the Numenorian theme, Elendil and Isildur’s theme, AND Galadriel’s theme.

But, that’s the kicker: because leitmotifs carry so much narrative and emotional weight, it’s a huge no-no to use them carelessly. If Theme A has been associated with Character A, you really shouldn’t use it for Character B unless there’s a clear reason for it, like if Character A is taking up Character B's mantle or is being influenced by them. Think of how upset an audience is by cheap twists in writing: it works the same way with music.

This is actually a HUGE portion of why I spent so much time going back and forth on whether I thought Halbrand was Sauron or not-- because Halbrand's theme IS the Southlands theme. "Surely," I thought, "they would have composed an entirely different piece of music for Halbrand if he was Sauron." Because Halbrand is tied so strongly to the Southlands theme, the Sauron reveal would basically tarnish its emotional weight moving forwards, which is a very bold move to make.

And then, again, realization hit me. All of the leaders in TROP share the same leitmotif as the nation they rule. So, Tar-Miriel's theme is the Numenor theme, and Durin III's theme is the Khazad-Dum theme, while their subjects have themes of their own: Elendil and Isildur have the track called "Father and Son" and Durin IV has a track that's named after him. Bronwyn and Arondir also have their own leitmotif separate from the main Southlands theme.

In this way, Halbrand IS the Southlands. And what happens to the Southlands? It's taken over and twisted by the enemy into something unrecognizable... which is the same thing that happened to the real Halbrand. They share the same fate, and so the musical connection is entirely appropriate.

I'm not saying that I'm 100% convinced that this theory is true, but the textual evidence is there. And man, what a great plot beat it would be! To reveal that, the entire time that Sauron has been talking about redemption and recompense, he's been using someone else's skin to do it, callously exploiting the hopes of an entire nation of downtrodden people for his own personal benefit... it would really cement him as a villain in a deeply personal way to the Southlanders, to Galadriel, and to the audience. What a twist of the knife to learn that the bright future and hope that Halbrand represented to his people, the friendship and camaraderie that he forged with Galadriel, were possibilities that had been denied to them because of Sauron and his selfishness.

[inkskinned]

oh you know it's all latestage capitalism but the thing is. how are you supposed to be a person inside of this. a person trying to be a better version of yourself.

oh, you started working young, which was kind of hard, but it's just the way stuff works sometimes. and it was 2008 and your family couldn't afford heat. but it's fine, you grow a spine and get used to the professional world and besides it was the suburbs we're talking about here, like, your life could have been actually hard, so what if your father lost his job and you can't afford to move or turn the lights back on. and once you start making money, it's good. you keep doing that. because now they're relying on you. so you have to do that.

oh you were in thousands of dollars of debt at 17 years old so that you could go to school, because you have to go to school if you want to get a "real" job. you even did it "right", you worked parttime and attended community college before you transferred to a public school. you were under so many merit scholarships.

which is fine. you pick yourself up and you say like, okay. i graduated college. i'm holding down a job. i'm doing the Adult Thing, which looks and acts like this, according to all the books i've read. you start with the shitty job and then you climb that corporate ladder.

but the shitty job doesn't cover rent and you stretch yourself too-thin so you get sick. good luck with that. the shitty job no longer pays for your meals. everyone asks why you don't just move, but there's nowhere to move to. and with what money are you going to be moving? and then the loans come back, because they were never going to forgive them, because you were 17 and trying to do the right thing, which was stupid. people are now saying you shouldn't have even gone to school.

which is fine. but because you have no other option, so you do the shitty job, and you apply every day for like 5 new ones, and despite the fact everyone says "there's no one who wants to work!" it's actually just that nobody is fucking hiring so you can either work for 13 dollars an hour in the shitty place you know (where at least you have a passingly friendly relationship with the manager) or you can start from scratch again with a different 13 dollars an hour without knowing how much abuse from the new job you'll be taking.

and if you quit you lose your insurance. if you quit you lose your housing. if you quit, you'll be another burnout kid. the lazy ones. these assholes, look at them!

and you come home to a family dinner and you hear from your father the same old thing. how he worked hard at his job and yes it sucked for a while but he was able to provide for the family and then the house and the dog and the rest of barbie's dream vacation. how the insurance did cover some of it. how you just really need to start speaking up more in manager conversations so they know you're a go-getter. you want to tell him - did you know we're actually doing more now hourly than any previous generation? - but you can't remember where you heard that statistic, and you're far too tired for the fucking argument. and then he starts in on his usual bit. where's the house? where's your kids? where's your ambition.

the same job the same money the same hours doesn't do it anymore. the same nose-to-the-grindstone now just shreds your face off. there's no such thing as upwards mobility, not really. and as far as you're aware, the money certainly is not trickling. you do the soulless stupid shit you signed up for because you fucking have to or else you literally risk your life (food, the apartment, the insurance), but it's not getting you anything. you download the stupid "save more" app and you budget and you do every right thing and then the price of eggs is 7 dollars and you say - oh great! another thing i have to fucking worry about now!

and you go to your stupid job and everyone in your father's generation just tells you to be better about being an adult. they have their homes and their savings account and their bailout and they say. well have you tried not drinking starbucks. well your generation just spends too much on clothing. well you might just be too addicted to travelling. and you - because you need the job - you bite your tongue and don't say i am being held prisoner and you're suggesting i stop pacing my cell if i don't like the scenery and you don't say what the fuck do you think i've been doing with my money and you don't say i haven't spent a cent on something nice in literally forever much less coffee you arrogant asshole. you open and close your bank app and check your loans and check your credit score and check fucking zillow and ziprecruiter and apartments.com just one time more. and still they give you that demeaning little grin and say - see, what you need is -

what you need is for your meds to stop being so fucking expensive. what you need is for the housing bubble to explode into dust. what you need is for billionaires to choke on their wealth. what you need is actual help. what you will get is more economic advice from people who are older-and-wiser.

and above you, almost in a glimmer, you can see the wedged smile of your debt getting toothier, wider.

[turtleblogatlast]

I think a lot about Leo’s tendency to push his way into the spotlight despite clearly being a natural in the shadows. Hell, you could argue that his worst moments are when he’s forcing himself onstage, and his best are when he does things no one notices until it’s already been done.

[senseearly]

For a moment, imagine yourself in Mithrun's brother shoes.

Your brother - stronger, prettier, more charismatic, but also distrustful and disdainful of everyone especially you - is to be sent to the Canaries. It is the rule, it is the duty of all noble houses. But you know what goes on there, Mithrun knows what happens there. Yet you see him off, bidding a temporary farewell as you do, because someone from the House has to go and it won't be definitely you. Mithrun knows this, you know this. And you wonder, very briefly, if Mithrun hates you now more than he does already.

Your brother - powerful, agile, a good soldier just as he is as an heir, if he could only be an heir - suddenly disappears. The unit he belonged to suddenly disappeared. And you're speechless because - how? why? No one wants to answer you; they will instead try to bring back a body, they promise to you. But that is not what you want. You grieve for your brother. but your own family doesn't grieve with you. Wasn't Mithrun family too?

Then you found out: MIthrun is alive.

Your brother - now weak, despondent, his eyes always looking for something that is not here nor there - is to be sent home where people can take care of him. It is not your first choice, you want him home. But he is - sick. Not quite there. He needs someone who can look after him and you look at yourself - your gait, your constitution - and you know it can't be you. So, you follow the advice of your family and pour out all your resources to find him the best of healers and caretakers. You ask yourself, almost daily, if Mithrun would ever return to who he once was.

Your brother - strong, pretty, uninterested of anything and anyone else aside from what he calls 'the demon' - is now better. He can walk on his own now, eats without throwing up on himself. The color on his skin is back and the scars of his injuries have faded into thick bumps and discolored skin. But he still isn't quite there; still needs help and probably will for the rest of his life. And you can live with that. You can provide that. Just as long as he comes home.

But doesn't. Your brother - now a husk of his former self, and you hate thinking of him that way, but you can't help yourself, the Mithrun you knew is gone - runs straight back to the Canaries. His mission is not over, he says. He doesn't care how long it takes, he says. And you see him off, again, because someone from the House has to go and it still can't be you. Mithrun knows this, you know this, and you can't help but wish, very briefly, if things would've been different if you went instead of him.

[98chao]

yall i drew these back in may when i finished the devils playhouse and just forgot to post them so im doing that now

also obligatory shitpost:

[mumblesplash]

ok but it was a LITTLE funny of me to draw mean gills making out underwater exactly one (1) time and then nothing ever since. like you need to understand that was my first time drawing a kiss Ever. not first time posting, first time *drawing*

[chemdisaster]

i suppose in a strange way, the lifers are lucky that it's a death game. that the world doesn't stop moving when the first few people die. because if it did, then the allies of those who died would have time to process what happened, and that - well.

as it is, the world won't let them pause, not even for a moment. instead of dwelling on the dead they have to keep moving, keep moving, do what it takes to survive. bloodthirst and the urge to survive distracts them from the grief, and that is perhaps the only blessing they could ever ask for in a world where everyone is permanently cursed.

(isn't it fucked up that after needless death, the only thing that would protect these people from all-consuming heartbreak is more death?)

[worstloki]

Thor tries to pick up the designated driver pilot role after feast parties and off-realm adventures following Loki’s death but it soon becomes apparent that the only decent pilot left on the team is Fandral and he’s insufferable if you drink excessively and don’t let him join

[rotisseries]

rick riordan dickriders on here will be like "why are you complaining about the pjo tv show, go watch the movies and see what a bad adaptation really looks like" ok well listen to the musical watch it on youtube and see what a good adaptation looks like bitch. it can be done. as a fucking stage musical. what did that 15 million per episode do for disney that chris mccarell couldn't

[novelconcepts]

the truly problematic thing about having insanely vivid dreams just about every night--and i mean the kind of vivid where you remember details days or even weeks later, like it's just another normal-ass memory--is that you wind up losing track on an emotional level of what's real. like. i know that was a dream. obviously it was a dream. but some part of my brain misses it like it really happened. i am painfully, achingly nostalgic for people i've never met, places i've never been, shit that literally could not ever happen--but i feel as though i remember. which is just the most unhinged thing, right? like, i remember going on a run that took me over a fence into Disneyland, and i remember having to take a shortcut through a Chinese restaurant, but it was fine, because Erika Ishii was there, and they'd done this before, so no worries. right? no! obviously not! why do i remember this with such visceral clarity three weeks later?

oh, what's your favorite episode of this TV show? the one i dreamt. yeah, don't worry about it, it didn't make coherent sense, but it was in the feelings, right? my ship had the best fucking scene. no, of course i can't explain it to you, that's madness. it involved a rocking chair. don't worry about it. it's fine. it's super important i don't accidentally reference this in a fic someday, though.

this shit is deranged, dude. missing people who are quite literally my own brain's invention with an actor's face. missing places that are a meld of a movie i saw once, my childhood bedroom, the second floor of my high school, and inter-dimensional space. like. no! no, this shouldn't be a thing! is, though. the clarity of it. just fucking bananas. this has been happening to me my whole goddamn life.

[melobin]

i do believe you all followed me because of writing sorry you have to deal with the deeply mentally ill girl that comes with it.. slight rant in tags ? i guess ? ily all anyhow

[lycanr0t]

the thing about aplatonicism is that just like aromanticism and asexualism, it doesn't inherently mean you don't want friendships, every individual apl person has different needs and wants in regards to friendship and each person will go about it differently.

I for example am aplatonic and don't specifically feel platonic attraction as in, i don't feel a drive to befriend people. I don't get "friend crushes" or ever get the desire to befriend specific people. I am personally, very open to the possibility of friendship if someone else approaches me and we vibe. I am not platonically attracted to them, but I also do get enjoyment from socializing with others in that way and can become attached to them, etc. Platonic attraction does not equal caring about someone/being good to them. Attraction is not moral in that way. it just is.

Just like how some ace people still enjoy sex, even without sexual attraction. Some aplatonic people still enjoy friendship, and some don't. And that's okay! There are so many types of relationships out there that people can form and explore what makes them happiest and it looks different for every person and that's such a wonderful thing.

[bogkeep]

watched berserk (97) on a whim after reading someone's tags on a writing advice post on how to justify Big Fucking Swords in stories. have started reading the manga. there's a lot of triggering visuals to me so i imagine this is what it's like to be lactose intolerant and decide to eat so so so much ice cream

[wall-e-gorl]

something something the dichotomy of light and dark something something atelut stepping out into the sun in full confidence to lie at the end of arc 11 something something 11.5 ending with atelut stepping into a bedroom at night with rian something something truth of self, reversal of light good dark bad imagery, being who you are in the safety of the dark and putting on a mask when you are in the spotlight, something- something like that

[altra]

Another nugget for Vlad tries to redeem himself and more or less accidently adopts a new halfa Jason coupled with my personal headcanon.

I see lazerus water as a disgusting version of ecto. A corrupted Version of what it should be. A bit like what Vlad got in his face.

Perhaps different grades of corrupted ecto, but eh.. Close enough.

So a halfa Jason would definitly have a ghost Version like Danny and Vlad, but it would be closer to Vlad.

A bit more fruitloop Vampire instead of teen hero.

A bit more fangs and stuff.

So when vlad teaches him to control his powers and how to change back and forth, they would find out that Jason resembles Vlad in a few features.

And other ghosts would notice as well as soon as Plasmius shows Jason the infinity realms.

Word would go around that Plasmius has a son, which vlad would not deny at all.

So everyone in the infinity realm thinks someone actually made a kid with Plasmius and that Jason is his biological child.

And somewhere in Amity a young ghost King hears about the rumors and screams into the void at the thought of 2 fruitloops.

[cephalonheadquarters]

can’t take it anymore I need to hate