#SoD Analysis

[suchi05]

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[kingofthewilderwest]

Humanizing Dragons and Dog-izing Toothless

Been a while since I've posted HTTYD analyses, so thought I'd pull a clip from last night's stream where we went in depth talking Dragons!

Concepts more or less in clip:

Fandom dumbing down dragons to the point of hapless pets versus treating dragons the same psychologically as humans

The middle ground - treating dragons as a separate species, highly intelligent animals

HTTYD franchise depicting dragons from a naturalistic perspective

Toothless's mannerisms being a combination of creatures in the first film - cat, rabbit, horse, dog, etc. but the balance of those traits shifting to dog-like prominence by HTTYD 2

Shifting Toothless's traits after already being an established character is a disservice to the character we fell in love with

Toothless in the HTTYD 1 era - including small humanizing moments in GOTNF and why everything felt congruent

Toothless increasingly being treated as a cute gimmick for audience appeal instead of as an independent character

[bluerosesburnblue]

I’ve been watching a first-timer playthrough of KH recently for the hell of it, and while going through KH1 it just kind of hit me that I always mentally sort away Ansem Seeker of Darkness as an entity distinct from Xehanort, when in reality he’s just supposed to be Xehanort (well, Terranort) in Heartless form. (Same applies to Xemnas, honestly.) So I made a dedicated effort to pay attention to Ansem and mentally apply what we know of Xehanort to him in whatever scene he’s in just to see if it holds up

(Side note: it actually struck me that Zane’s Ansem tone is very similar to Diskin’s calm Young Xehanort, while Epcar’s Ansem is closer to Nimoy’s and Lloyd’s hammy Master Xehanorts, which is kinda funny)

But what really stood out to me was this scene right at the end, where Ansem is talking about Riku, through Riku

In the context of when KH1 first came out, this line was about Riku and only Riku. “Ansem” didn’t have his backstory changed until later when Nomura felt that the “wise king” and “mad scientist” sides were too at war with each other. When KH1 was written, though, that’s what he was and he had nothing to do with Destiny Islands outside of his appearance at the start. This line was written with the intention of being spoken by a mad king from Hollow Bastion, about some kid that he’d only met recently from some islands

But now, an entire arc later, and this line takes on new context. Because that’s Xehanort saying it and it applies to him as much as it does Riku. Now we have a new layer of ambiguity that hadn’t even been conceived of when the line was first written. Is he talking about Riku? Himself? Both of them? It changes context from him mocking Sora using Riku to, perhaps, genuinely connecting to Sora with some personal information (while also mocking him about Riku). How much does Xehanort sympathize with Riku’s plight vs. how much is he gloating in an “I did it better” way?

It’s one of those instances where a retcon manages to add extra depth to a scene in a really interesting way that wasn’t even a though in the creator’s mind at the time. In the moment while I was focusing on the idea of “this is Xehanort saying it,” I almost forgot that it was supposed to be about Riku initially

And I just thought it was really neat, as an example of retcons being done well and also as to how different KH1 is with the first-timer’s perspective (watching someone who only knows what KH1 gives them) vs. what it’s become now looking back at it

[bestsapservices]

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[shirasmith26]

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[cottoncandysprite]

A Cure For Monstrosity Masterpost

A Cure For Monstrosity is a WWDITS fancomic based loosely on a theory/analysis I had for the ending of season 5! Not quite a prediction, but still follows some of my old hopes for canon events. I will update this post as it goes!

Prologue

1- Poor Sod

2- Unnoticed

3- Procrastination

4- Tall Tales

5- Main Man

6- Brainstorming

7- Someone at the Door

8- The Plan

9- Reasons

10- Leave Him

11- Ambush

12- What's a Girl to Do?

13- Stand Your Ground

14- Come At Me

15- Here To Help

16- Confrontation

17- We're Okay

18 (Final)- Recovering

Epilogue :)

[dufferpuffer]

Hello, I've just read loads of your posts/metas/HCs and I love them - especially your character analysis! I have to confess my favourite has always been Tonks and after reading your post about her and Snape and how they relate to each other, I can't get out of my head how good Tonks/Snape/Lupin relationship might be! Do you have any HCs or thoughts about what a relationship for them might look like?

Please don't feel like you need to answer if this is a topic that doesn't interest you - but if it is, I'd love to know your take!

Severus and Remus both push people away from them. - Severus is a grumpy sod that pushes down emotion. He pushes people away so they can't become problems. - Remus has his grumpy sod moments - but mainly pushes people away so he can't become a problem and hurt them.

Neither of them can trust other people not to hurt them, so they close off their hearts.

Tonks is a magnet that draws people in. She is a worm, a parasite, an expert in squirming into the most protected hearts and softens them. A grumpy-sod whisperer.

- She drags the emotion out of Snape effortlessly. She is someone he knows he can (mostly) trust to be competent. - She is strong enough to resist Remus' pushing and to soothe his worries of being a burden: she can handle him. - She can adapt herself to what people need, she cares about how they feel and she won't easily fold.

Remus 🤝 Dora 🤝 Severus

Normally Severus and Remus repel eachother - but as they are softened by Tonks… they soften to eachother, too. Because deep down they have alot in common, their flaws compliment eachother - once they get past that first hurdle of actually getting to know eachother.

The one thing Tonks cant do for Severus is know what he has been through. Know what his life has been like, what he has had to do, what being naturally despised and a double-agent abandoned by everyone you love is like. What it's like to be alone. To hit rock bottom and scrape against it… and always fear losing everything and falling down there again. Remus knows that… and he loves soothing people. He loves being soft, wise, gentle - and useful.

The one thing Tonks can't do for Remus is convince him he is needed. He thinks she is biased. Capable, strong, intelligent - too good, he is dragging her down. Their whole relationship has been her trying, insisting, pleading - with small spurts of what he would call 'being weak' where he folds. But SHE can't convince him that isn't 'being weak'. Other people need to - it has to come from outside, someone he can't pass off by saying 'they don't understand the reality of his condition and situation.' His depression, anxiety and trauma makes him a little delusional. He can't just be brought to water, he needs to be FORCED to drink. (Harry did a good job of this.) Tonks can't do that. She is in the wrong position for it - and she is just a little too soft to handle him so roughly. Severus wouldn't struggle to grab him by the scruff of the neck and hold his head under. To drag him home.

- Remus is weak willed - supported by Tonks, but kept in line by Severus. Remus can't give Tonks stability in their relationship. Severus not only can - but he can enforce it. - Severus can't give Tonks an open heart, not without her working hard for it. But Remus can. - And they can draw it out of eachother - if not for themselves, then FOR HER.

Like I've always liked Snupin but struggle to see it as particularly 'domestic'. They're both standoffish. In a relationship would be interesting: finding being alone together a comfort. But with a third? With Tonks as their anchor? The foundation? Not only could they both orbit around her - I think it would bring them together better, too.

Going from bickering and only withstanding eachother in the same room for Tonks sake… ...to them both cuddled on the couch, watching a documentary or something, waiting for her to get home. They go from teasing her "What do you even see in that guy…?" To having their own slow-burn romance right infront of her.

Going from: Remus 🤝 Dora 🤝 Severus to: Dora 🤝 🤝 Remus 🤝 Severus

...and like imagine the sex

Anyway I really like poly ships for Remus - because he is such a fucking handful. He needs a whole support structure to just stay with Tonks in canon - so slipping a third, fourth, whatever into their structure just... makes sense. He is a complex guy with many issues that aren't easily supported. He can't just have a mate. He needs a pack.

A little different to the ask: but If you want a cute poly fic between Remus, Tonks, Sirius and a cute OC @black-occamy has a really sweet one on AO3 :) (I hope they don't mind me sharing it)

[fuckyeahbaldursgate]

Viconia - Plot Support extraordinaire

Just to preface this as I don't want this to seem like I am hating on BG3 as a diehard fan of the original series because I really do love BG3. I've completed it twice now and think it will absolutely be joining my annual rotation of BG1/SOD/BG2 playthroughs but it has its problems, much in the same way that the originals themselves have problems as well.

So after my Sarevok post I wanted to treat Viconia to the same critical analysis as unfortunately I think she also gets the short end of the evil plot stick. I get it, evil characters can be hard to get right but again similar to Sarevok, in my opinion, her character regresses to evil Shar mook number one rather than actually being Viconia. Worse still she's entirely at the mercy of being wrapped up in ShadowHeart's backstory.

Anyway this is a bit of a deep dive into Viconia's issues in BG3. Spoiler warning for both BG3 and BG2.

1. No Grey DeLise.

Again, similar to Sarevok, another prolific voice actor that has done recent video game work seemingly not approached for the role. I can't help but think that some of this is down to the rushed nature of act three generally and Larian just having to get whoever they could for the job in the time that they needed it. Unlike Jaheria and Minsc there's no attempt to mimic her original VA or get someone who sounded like her so she ends up sounding completely and utterly different.

This version of Viconia sounds haughty and stuck up which while the original Viconia VA has a degree of arrogance, she is also pretty sultry. Haer'dalis even comments that she has 'the throaty voice of the most expensive courtesan' and Viconia deliberately plays on the stereotype of the sensual female drow with certain male party members for her own benefit e.g the male Bhaalspawn, Edwin, Sarevok and even Anomen (I cover this a bit here and here).

2. Her in game design...just isn't great.

Let's be honest, combined with the voice, Viconia's design basically makes her unrecognisable. She looks like a generic old drow lady to the point that I did have 'Is that meant to be Viconia?' moment when I first met her.

Now I appreciate there is minor controversy with Viconia's original BG2 portrait (which is probably the most recognisable image of her) because the artist actually used a famous porn star as the base for it.

For info, this was a common practice at Bioware at the time as they used to use lots of different images as bases for portraits. They finally got into legal trouble for it in NWN where due to various copyright claims they had to change quite a few portraits.

More recently, I think that Beamdog actually did quite a good job of recreating a faithful adaption of her original portrait in Siege of Dragonspear while presumbably navigating the original copyright issue.

In comparison to her BG3 portrayal, my first impression was she looks incredibly old. Now as far as I'm aware we've never been given a canon age for Viconia but we do know she was around for House DeVir being defeated by the Do'Urden house so she has to be at least 100 years old by the time of BG1... but her character level is between 2 and 6 (depending on the party's XP) so a relatively inexperienced cleric. With that in mind I definitely assumed she was on the younger side (maybe 200-300?). Either way 5e elves can live between 750 to 1000 years although there are instances in the Forgotten Realms books of drow living to over 2000. Now tack on the additional 120 years for BG3 in my mind it would definitely put her in the middle aged category but not necessarily anywhere near the end of her life. Critically she would be aging much slower than Jaheria but with those wrinkles she looks WAY older than her. I honestly feel cheated of an interaction between the two about how hagged and old Jaheria looks in comparison to herself.

In terms of her outfit, although initially she wears the Sharite mask and hooded outfit, which is good for concealing her identity, we eventually end up with Viconia in a spider adorned dress. This seems like a strange choice given the spider motif when she literally stopped worshipping Lloth for Shar - maybe she's being ironic? The lack of armour,when she's a cleric that knows there's a good chance she's about to have a fight seems kind of stupid. If you do choose to fight her, she then looks entirely comical in her light dress accompanied by an enormous oversized shield and mace.

For me though this really identifies her design problem: her leather armour was a critical part of her original design. Given that we only see portrait style headshots of BG characters, the decision not to include her leather corset with the three straps and the head band is really what makes her unrecognisable. It would be like removing Minsc's head tattoo or Jaheria's braids or Sarevok's armour (which even with all the problems I talked about in my post, at least he got to keep that).

My hope is that some enterprising modder out there makes a more BG2 accurate version of her in future. Larian, please give my lady her leather armour back or maybe even a justicar outfit!

3. Ignores her BG1/2 alignment, motivations and twists her original epilogue.

Now I do appreciate BG3 deliberately assumes that the events of BG1/BG2 are a little bit fluid, which Jaheria confirms this when she talks about the bards that tell stories of her slaying gods or bedding them depending on which one you listen to. But the game goes onto confirm certain events in Viconia's history that don't really make sense:

A.) The game confirms that Viconia did travel with the Bhaalspawn but not for the entirety of the game. Minsc informs you that after trying to dissect Boo she was expelled from the group. I have to admit this story didn't gel with me at all because it implies Viconia is some sort of chaotic evil idiot (reminder: Viconia is neutral evil with a 16 INT score and 18 WIS score in BG2) who would deliberately provoke a giant raging berserker man by murdering his beloved pet. Like that's the sort of thing I could see Xzar (who is completely and utterly mad) doing but not Viconia. What benefit would she get out of it? Maybe it would be a good tribute for Shar but that would be a pretty short term benefit. In fact in BG2 Viconia offers begrudging respect to Minsc for his effectiveness in battle, she knows he's powerful and she wants to be on the right side of that. Minsc for his part does what he does with many of the female characters, particularly in BG2 and makes her a proxy substitute for Dynaheir offering to protect her. That's not to say she won't insult people (Aerie and Jaheria or characters who she perceives as weak often get the brunt of it) but she's generally smart enough to stay out of an actual fight. Important to note that in any of NPC conflicts that end in a fight in BG1/2 (e.g. Kivan, Ajantis, Keldorn) it's never Viconia that's starts the fight.

B.) The Waterdeep cult.

In Viconia's epilogue, which you only get if you kept her for the end of Throne of Bhaal and you didn't romance her, Viconia goes on to do a few things which you can see below (obviously massive spoilers for BG2) :

So it feels like Larian has taken the first part of this ending but nothing else, which really leaves a lot of questions. We know Shar isn't entirely happy with Viconia based on her diary entries so why is Shar still giving powers to a woman that basically killed a whole bunch of her followers? Why is Viconia still working for a goddess that hates her? Why is she so accepting of Shar's plot to groom Shadowheart as her replacement? Why on earth hasn't Viconia got the fuck out of dodge, which is pretty much what she has been shown to do in the past? And this comes neatly onto my next point.

4. Viconia is just a plot device for Shadowheart.

I love Shadowheart and I love her arc but honestly Viconia being the Mother Superior just felt like a way of inserting her into the game in a way that didn't really fit especially when Viconia's diaries in BG3 show that she knows that Shar intends for Shadowheart to essentially replace her as one of her prominent followers/chosen. The whole plot ignores two critical points about Viconia and her backstory:

Firstly the reason Viconia left the Underdark in the first place was because she refused to sacrifice a child to Lloth and Lloth turning her brother into a drider after he saved her from being sacrificed. Now Viconia is many things, she's self serving, cruel and dedicated to her own survival at the expense of anything and anyone else (quintessential neutral evil through and through) but at the same time she threw away her position, caused the downfall of her house and got most of her family murdered to save a child. You're telling me she would then willingly go along with Shar's plan to deliberate plan to kidnap and repeatedly torture a child for YEARS whilst also training said child to replace her? My girl doesn't have many lines in the sand but harming children definitely seems like one of them. I actually wandered whether Shadowheart not liking to harm children / prefers saving them is not just about her being a secret Selunite but also a potential a hint of Viconia's influence.

Secondly, that plot seems to ignores Viconia's other primary driver, which is to survive: it's why she leaves the Underdark, it's why she travels with the Bhaalspawn, it's why she worships Shar and it's why she murders an entire cabal of Shar's followers after one person betrayed her. Now if we ignore that she has qualms about children, you're telling me that she would instead essentially train her replacement to be an amazing cleric who is 99% likely to murder her? I'm pretty sure Viconia would have tried to kill Shadowheart way before her becoming a justicar or simply skipped town as she has done before.

The alternative?

Personally I would have liked to have seen Viconia ultimately involved in a plot to overthrow the Mother Superior or maybe doing something even crazier like going after Shar herself out of revenge following her fall from grace after the events of the Waterdeep cult. Maybe she works with the Absolute to get her revenge and keep her divine powers - hell who better to help Ketheric with the Nightsong in Shar's temple then an ex priestess of Shar?

If not the Absolute then Shar's got plenty of enemies and Viconia has converted before. Maybe she could have joined the team to achieve a particular goal while giving fans of the original series the opportunity to have one of the original evil characters to join the crew. I would have loved to see the contrast with Minthara who is still fairly fresh from leaving drow society and a complete blunt instrument compared to Viconia's more subtle ways. Maybe Viconia would take the paladin under her wing, maybe introduce her to a new patron god (something I don't think is ever explained is how Minthara still retains her divine powers given neither Lloth or the Absolute are fueling them anymore). Shevarash the elven god of revenge, would be a fantastic fit for both of their back stories (which would also be a nice little throw back to Viconia's heated / sometimes fatal arguments with Kivan in BG1) presuming that Viconia could get over her disdain for the elven pantheon by that point in the timeline. The fireworks with Jaheria of course would be grand while Minsc I feel would be very conflicted given his mind's tendancy, as noted above, to sub in any female magic user as Dynaheir.

[suchi05]

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[katapotato55]

my theory as to why doomers exist (and how to break that mentality to be a better writer)

yesterday my sibling texted me "hey can you list me what major historical events you experienced in life for an assignment? " of course I listed the big ones like COVID and other depressing shit I went through in my life but most of the ones i listed were not super depressing. here are some of them: -the rise of steve jobs and the popularity of modern OS -the rise of smartphones -new technology completely changing the world that I thought I would never see in my lifetime, like VR and self driving cars. -massive cultural impacts such as spongebob being created affecting pop culture -the start of facebook and modern social media -pluto being declared not a planet yknow stuff on the top of my head that I thought would be interesting to write about.

then my sibling came home to tell me that most of what I sent was not helpful at all and that they meant "world events" And i asked "how the hell is the invention of the smart phone and the beginning of modern social media not considered "world events" by these standards" they said "idk just not that"

I think what they meant to say was "my teacher only wants the really depressing miserable shit the media thinks is headline worthy"

You know, I think this is why my generation is full of so many doomers. God forbid we have a positive outlook on this world and try and look at the bright side of things. god forbid we try to be optimistic for both the future and our current lives. we seem to have this thin veil of maturity that depressing=mature somehow. That the only way to make anything of nuance is to basically spam "look how shit everything is! look how enlightened I am" like you are Steve cutts.

well you know what ?

I hate art like the stuff steve cutts makes, and I hate this redundant "look how shit the world is" mentality

I plan on making an analysis post later on about Mr. Cutts, but for now let's stay on point this mentality is redundant and helps no one. yes. we do need to be aware of the bad parts of life. But being a pathetic miserable sod and ignoring the upsides is just as immature and childish as an aggressive optimist thinking the world is all sunshine and rainbows. you know why I like undertale so much ? Undertale knows when to be optimistic and has a mature take on a happy ending. Undertale ALLOWS itself to be happy. enough with the rick and morty level of writing where everything sucks and "fuck you in particular for being hopeful" only edgy 14 year olds think being depressing is the same as being mature. Maturity is understanding that there is nuance to everything and understanding that things are what they are. Do you want to be a good writer ? stop overly relying on being a sad doomer. Even the darkest writers in history like Edgar Allen Poe knew how to lighten the fuck up, because you need to understand the positives in life to effectively create dark writing.

thank you for reading this ironically negative rant, I plan to expand more on the subject later on.

EDIT

ngl i was honestly scared this post would open me up to harassment. I was genuinely terrified of attracting the psycho political crowd that treats politics like religious doctrine. first of all, shout out to this person:

I feel like this would be the perfect opportunity to talk about my struggle with depression as an artist and the stereotype behind it. the stereotype is that only the best artists are emotionally tortured people constantly struggling in agony and putting that into their art. now as someone who has been battling depression for 10 years let me tell you: that mentality is a load of horse shit. the greatest artists in history such as Van Gogh were not great artists because they were depressed they were great artists because they had a combination of passion and unique life experience. It just so happens that depression is a unique life experience to go through. being depressed does not make you deep, it just makes you feel empty and possibly sad depending on what flavor of depression you have. all the great stories about depression are not great because its about depression, but because its about the writers personal experiences and the love and hard work that went into making it. if Van gogh got treatment for his mental health issues, he would have still created art. Yes he created art as his job, but he also did it because he loved it and put his personal feelings and passion into his work. the biggest reason why I detest Steve Cutts is because there is no passion nor personal experience in his work. yes he is talented but most of his animations are just regurgitating all the bad things he could think of and nothing personal is going into it. (again I plan on making an analysis post about steve cutts sooner or later) What makes the art of Van Gogh deep and Steve Cutts as deep as a dry puddle is the fact that you can tell who put their own soul and personality into their work. heed my warning new artists and writers depression =/= deep all depression does is cripple you. Seek out life experience to be the best artist you can be.

[peliginspeaks]

Circumstances of Encounter: Dola Hallowrove

A list of places Hallowrove frequents and what they might be found doing there. Meant as a helpful reference for anyone looking for a premise for calling card messages or other ingame social interactions, or who wants to let me know that one would work well for me to send to them.

In-game name for social actions: Dola Hallowrove

Wolfstack Docks: Can often be found there gathering monstrous rumours and stories from zailors and dockhands, or maintaining the mechanical aspects of the Hammerhead II zubmarine. Likely to meet: Zailors, dockers, brawlers

The Medusa's Head: A favoured spot for relaxation after a long day, as well as exchanging work talk with likeminded and similarly chewed-on colleagues. (And whoever else chooses to drop in - Hallowrove is personable to a wide range of people.) Likely to meet: Menace Eradicators, Monster-Hunters, anyone else with a reason to be there

The Department of Menace Eradication: Hallowrove has no professional office, but he directs those hoping to commission him to leave a note with the front desk at the Department. He checks back semi-regularly. Likely to meet: See above + prospective monster-hunting clients

Bugsby's Marsh: Hallowrove's place of residence. She lives in a fixed-up cabin in the swamp, a 10 minute walk or so from what could be considered the city. With a little persuasion, she might be convinced to lead a guided nature tour. Likely to meet: People living nearby, tour-goers, any poor sod who got lost

The Upper River: Hallowrove's longest standing commission is with the GHR, primarily improving the stations' defenses against monsters, but finding every excuse for a wide variety of diversions along the way. Likely to meet: Rubberies, artists, railway workers, Discordant stewards, devils, anyone else riding the train

Sophia's Club: While recent attendance is spotty, can still be found on picnics or sitting in on tea meetings with the group on a quiet afternoon. Likely to meet: Monster-Hunters, fellow members of Sophia's

The Bazaar Sidestreets: A place often passed through for shopping or visiting. Likely to meet: Anyone who lives in the area, anyone who shops there

Benthic University: While Hallowrove seldom uses her own lab, she often makes stops at Benthic to deliver monstrous samples to academic friends for dissection and analysis. Her own lab work consists mainly of hobby mechanical fiddling and weapon repairs/improvements, and creation of antivenoms by trial-and-error. Likely to encounter: Correspondents, academics

Calling cards, Menace helps, teas, slights, etc. are all on the table! I have no reason to be stingy with my actions right now, so I will offer whatever helps or lessons in Dangerous I can if the need is there.

[thetruearchmagos]

Considering how common 'Mecha' and 'military mech' stuff is here on Tumblr, you might think I'd like it. But, to be honest, I can't stand that stuff.

Half of it's just my seething dislike for mechs as the prototypical military machine in so much of military fiction without any consideration for how much they suck, which rubs me entirely the wrong way. But there's also the fact that none of them care about actually using those mechs in a reasonable, rational military context. Sod all this analysis of the human condition shit, if you're gonna make a story with a military setting I'd expect you to give half a damn about making the Military side of it mean something!

[thatdisasterauthor]

Are you willing to share your thoughts on the TV show Yellowjackets? I was into it for a bit, but haven't kept up and I love analysis, especially critical kinds because they're often the most interesting and I feel with your experiences you'll have some really cool angles on it. No pressure to answer if you'd rather not!

Sure! But with the caveat that I've only seen season 1, and it has been awhile. Also, I'm going to stick this under my "Disasters in Film" tag because, well, it's on theme even if we haven't specifically discussed Yellowjackets in class.

Now then!

I love the core concept of Yellowjackets. Girls' sports team has their plane crash in the woods and no one comes to get them, and it all goes sideways and falls into the horror genre more than just pure survival? A+ concept right there.

But I don't think a single writer on that show has ever been outside a single day in their lives.

It's just a suspension of disbelief issue for me. You've only got so many SoD points you can spend when you create something, and Yellowjackets is deep into the red. Hollywood has made it pretty easy to SoD things like everyone turning on one another, random murder, people being vicious to one another, etc. etc. even though studies have proven over and over and over again that people really don't behave like that in disasters. But you've still gotta spend some points on those things anyways, because deep down people DO know they're lies even if Hollywood likes to use them all the time.

So your core premise has already cost you some SoD points, but that's fine! You still have some to spend. But that number isn't infinite, and the more outlandish your details, the more points you're going to have to spend to pull them off. Yellowjackets just spent way too many. (A wolf ripping someone's face off and she's fine with zero actual medical care? Really?)

Now part of this, too, is the structure of Yellowjackets. It is a story told by jumping between timelines/flashbacks. It plays keep away with its audience. That is a structure you have to be VERY careful with or your audience is going to get annoyed with you and tune out. It can work when done right, but if you try and do it when you've already overspent your SoD points? You're gonna run into trouble. Plus, if you don't have a strong, solid plan for the whole timeline of your show across multiple seasons--a plan you will not change--it can fall apart in a heartbeat. It is not a structure that works for open ended projects of an unknown length.

A girls' sports team having their plane crash in the wilderness and getting stuck there IS conceivable--it's literally happened in real life with that soccer team. The girls struggling to survive and some of them dying IS conceivable--again, it has happened in real life. The girls growing up into adults that struggle with the aftereffects of that crash IS conceivable. The girls starting a weird little cult is starting to tread into the realm of "eh, maybe, but it does make for a great story so it's fine." Same for them finding a very helpful little cabin full of stuff. Could happen, but less likely. Then you get into the "wait, I don't think that would EVER happen?" stuff. Would a bear really just walk up, roar at you, and then you kill it with basically no real weapon? (Do you know how hard bears are to kill? Their skin is WEIRD.) Wolves ripping people's faces off. A convenient plane that later explodes.

At the end of the day, I think the show tried to do too much in too short of an amount of time to build up the believablity for the more outlandish things, and I think it's structure--and the fact that it doesn't seem to have a solid plan all the way through for its story--just made those things worse.

Now, not all of that is the show's fault! The way TV works these days--with shorter seasons and precarious chances of renewal--played a big role. I think Yellowjackets could've been a great 3 season show with each season getting 20-22 episodes. There would've been a lot more breathing room for the character arcs, especially given how many characters there are (and some of them are doubled given they survive to grow up and be adults). I think it also could've been helped a lot if they had some outdoors/survival consultants involved. The more realistic they made the survival elements, the more they could've gotten away with the weird horror elements because they wouldn't have wasted so many SoD points on things they didn't need to waste them on. Having a more realistic wolf attack (or, even better, a cougar attack) would not have changed the overall story. Having a more realistic struggle to find food would not have changed the overall story. Having a more realistic changing of the seasons would not have changed the overall story. Etc. Etc. Etc.

So yeah. Those are my thoughts on Yellowjackets! Coulda been great, but it got kneecapped in about five different ways.

[anarchotolkienist]

A sign that I am always going to be unable to take a Marxist seriously is if they seriously believe that their political stances are purely dispassionately the result of simple science and that moral judgement simply never comes into it. To start with, it's terrifying as a stance if seriously held and true - what won't a Marxist then do, if it's all in the name of the dialectical unfolding of this ontological good we call History - but for the vast majority of Marxists I believe (and this is simply based on the Marxists I have known myself) that it's simply an arrogant pretention, an air of superiority over all the rest of us poor sods, or the product of a poor self-understanding, an insuffiscient analysis of the roots of your own stances and commitments.

[9leaguesofmirrors]

5 Times Ross and Lisgoe Definitely Weren't In Love (and 1 time they were)

I'm a sucker for "5 Times, 1 Time" fics, so I decided to make one for my current brainrot ship

When you live with someone for long enough, you grow used to seeing them everywhere. Even if you don't spend every waking moment attached at the hip, you'll see them going about their day at the same time as you. It gets to the point where not seeing them, when you know they're in the house, is a little jarring

Lisgoe had to get used to that quite quickly, since Ross likes to bring home work to do on his day off

He isn't clingy but, when they first started living together, when he was downstairs and hadn't heard so much as a shuffle upstairs for most of the day, he started to wonder if he's snuck off somewhere. Eventually, he decides to test the waters

"Ross, are you still there?"

No answer

"Ross?"

Still no answer

"Twat!"

No answer

OK, so he's definitely gone

Deciding to get to the bottom of this himself, Lisgoe got up and made his way upstairs

Once he reached the top floor, he noticed that the door to their bedroom was ajar, which suggested at Ross had either just left or just got back - if he even left at all. Lisgoe decided to take a quick peek through the space in the doorway, and that's when he saw him

Ross was sat at his desk (technically, they shared it, but he used it far more often) with a desk lamp on. There was a stack of books on one side, a laptop in front of him and another book propped open by his hand. Everything was in its place

What started as a "quick peek" turned into something that took a little longer. He wasn't staring, obviously, that's weird! This was just... something that wasn't staring! Truth be told, there was something about seeing Ross so focused that caught Lisgoe's attention and refused to let it go. Maybe it was the stillness of it, aside from nimble fingers flicking through pages and the clicking of keys. Or it was the way his brows furrowed in concentration as his knuckle rested on his lower lip

Yes, there was something about it that made it impossible to look away. And he'd come to the conclusion that it was Ross' fault. It wasn't a bad thing, but it was definitely his fault

"Staring is rude," Ross said, not looking up from his work "can I help you?"

"I thought you'd died." Came the casual response as Lisgoe opened the door and leaned against the doorframe "And looking is different to staring."

"I know. And you were definitely staring."

"Don't wank yourself off, I was just looking."

"What do you want?"

Instead of replying, he left his spot and went over to stand behind Ross to get a better look at the laptop screen. It was full of... there was lots of...

"What the fuck is this?"

"Data analysis"

"Right, I see it now."

"I assume you know what-"

"What do you think I do at my desk all day?"

"I don't know, you don't tell me about your job."

He didn't know what possessed him to ask, but it came out before he could stop himself:

"Tell me about it."

The way Ross blink rapidly and seemed to twitch his head to the side suggested that this was not what he expected to hear

"You want to hear my weekly evaluation?"

"I want to know if you actually understand what you type into that laptop."

Lisgoe knew damn well that Ross understood what he was typing, but it was the one method he knew would explain everything in detail. And it worked! He was completely in the zone, like a lecturer explaining to a keen student

Had he been less focused, he'd have noticed that Lisgoe hadn't looked at the laptop screen more than twice

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There are things you expect to see in Royston Vasey: blood in Edmund Chinnery's veternary, pens in Pauline's office, Dean trying to interest some poor sod in his magic

What Ross didn't expect to see at the dead of night, after waking up randomly and realising his partner wasn't there, was finding him lying on the edge of the pavement a fair way out from their home. He didn't look injured or annoyed, in fact it was the rare sight of him looking almost peaceful, his eyes directly up at the sky

That was, of course, quickly ruined when he realised he was being watched

"Fuck off, Glenn, I don't have to deal with your shite after 4pm. It's clearly past 9."

"Have you been here all day then?"

That made him sit up suddenly, noticing who it was seemed to make him less cranky

"I've only been here for half an hour, maybe, I left the house at 11."

"It's currently 2:30 in the morning. You've been here for 3 and a half hours."

"Have I? Fuck, must've fallen asleep."

"What are you doing here? People are going to think you're homeless!" Ross took his arm and tried to yank him up "Get up, you don't know what people have done on this street."

"Get off, I'm fine!" Lisgoe said as he shook free from his grasp "It's 2:30, nobody's gonna see me. Besides, I've done this before, you've just never realised."

"Are you the newest member of Legz Whatever? Has their director got you method acting in preparation for his newest disaster?"

"Fuck off, you cheeky bastard!" Lisgoe shuffled a little, moving so he was facing the empty road "I come out here sometimes, only when I really hate things."

"What things?"

"Everything. Work mainly; sometimes it's fine, but sometimes I can't stand anything about it. I hate my job, I hate my co-workers, I hate my boss - especially hate my boss."

It was a this point that Ross remembered how little Lisgoe actually told him about his work. He knew he was a debt collector, he knew he had two stupid bozos working for him, but that's it

"I didn't even know you had a boss."

"Not many people do." Lisgoe couldn't help but laugh a little, there was something oddly empowering about the fact people assumed he was the man in charge "I'm Barry and Glenn's supervisor, Hammonds oversees everything. When those thick twats don't meet their target, I'm the one who gets it in the ear. He gave me a right telling off today, the gobshite. He doesn't give a fuck about those two, I'm the one who's meant to be making sure they reach their target each week. What am I? Nanny Mc-fucking-phee?"

Ross waited for a moment, then folded his jacket and put it on the floor beside Lisgoe. He sat down

"I've never met Hammonds, but he sounds like a wa- um, a very arrogant man."

"That's not what you were gonna say."

"I don't know what you mean."

"You were gonna swear!" Lisgoe said with a mischevious smile which Ross did not find handsome at all "I heard it, you were gonna call him a wanker!"

"No I wasn't."

"Come on Ross," Lisgoe teased, moving closer "you wanna call him what he is. We both know that. Nobody's around, let it go."

Ross leaned away slightly, refusing to give into his influence. This was met by Lisgoe laying back down with a huff, hands behind his head

"Aren't you a boring sod!"

"I'm not calling him that because that isn't what he is."

"Maybe you think that, I think-"

"He's a... prick"

At first, Lisgoe was taken aback, then he started to laugh a little

"It's funny when you hesitate before you swear, you're like a primary schooler saying 'crap' for the first time!"

"It's not that funny." Ross replied, but his sterness was weak. He was focused on the man beside him, who still seemed tickled by what had just happened

He had to admit, seeing Joseph Lisgoe's tough shell crack a little wasn't an unwelcome sight. If it happened again, at some point, not that it would, but if it did... he decided that he wouldn't mind

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"You're an idiot." Ross muttered as he held an ice bag to Lisgoe's cheek "I mean it. You're a complete idiot."

"Can you say it again?" Lisgoe snarked "I don't think I heard you the 6th time."

"One week, can you go one week without picking a fight with someone?"

"I don't know, can people go one week without testing my fucking patience?"

It didn't matter what Ross said, it wouldn't change Lisgoe's mind that the bastard deserved it. Actually no, he thought, I went easy on him. I was kind enough to give him a minor concussion instead of snapping his neck. Either way, it seemed that Ross was making sure his message came through, because he was pressing the ice down so hard on Lisgoe's cheek it was like he was trying to dislocate his jaw

"Do you have to press so hard? Or do you just want to give me another fucking injury?"

"If you don't want me doing this, then stop wanting to attack everyone that looks at you wrong. I don't find this enjoyable, seeing you come home with new injuries every day."

"You're exaggerating!" Lisgoe grabbed his arm and moved the ice away "And he was asking for it! I don't care what he had to say about me, he shouldn't have dragged you into it."

There wasn't a response after that. He leaned back on the sofa as Ross put the ice away, not speaking even he was sat back down

"Ross, don't do the 'silent treatment' shite. It annoying as fuck when people pull that-"

He hadn't noticed Ross leaning in until his lips pressed against his own. The first thought that crossed Lisgoe's mind was that asshole didn't let me finish. What made things worse was, as soon as he pulled away to say something, he just pulled him in again roughly

It pissed him off, how easily Ross affected him. The last thing he wanted was to be affected like this, to need this: those hands, that mouth, just... It felt so fucking pathetic every time and yet he couldn't stop himself. It wasn't just adrenaline, it was like an anchor weighing him into place. His nails dug into Ross' back tightly, and he revelled in the sound he produced

Out of everything, that was the one thing Lisgoe hated about the way he felt. Royston Vasey knew him as impenetrable, and he was! Nobody dared to challenge him because everyone knew he wouldn't be stopped. That was who he was, unwavering and authoritative

So why did he react so erratically when that man threatened Ross earlier? Why did the mere thought of Pauline make him want to storm right into that Job Centre and turn her inside out? And why the fuck, whenever Ross kisses him, even for a second, does it make his brain shut off for the duration of it? He wished he could come up with an answer, but his brain was short-circuiting and Ross had his lower lip in his teeth...

He hated it. He truly fucking hated it. But he didn't at the same time

As he felt Ross's hand move up his shirt, he thought this is going to kill me

Then, as he pushed Ross backwards against the sofa, he thought what a fucking way to go!

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The next morning came far too quickly

Neither could remember when they ended up in their bed, but it happened. Clearly. Because Ross had woken up and was laying on his side, looking at the back of a sleeping Lisgoe. Instantly, his eyes were drawn to the tattoo that decorated his back - a large snake slithering up to his neck. Ross thought it made Lisgoe look like a member of the Japanese mafia which, he supposed, was partly the point. Still, it made him look infuriatingly good; when Ross first slept with Lisgoe, he was less disturbed by the fact he liked doing it with guys and was more confused by the fact it was the first instance in which he wasn't massively put off by someone's tattoos - especially given how many Lisgoe had

Before he could stop himself, he slowly reached out and touched his shoulder, running his fingers gently down the black marking... next thing he knew, he's been back-handed in the face by a very surprised Lisgoe

"Fucking hell..." he muttered when he finally realised who it was, still slightly groggy from tiredness "What was that?"

"That was me, you moron!" Ross was clutching his face, clearly feeling the sting

"I know that," he turned onto his other side, facing the man he just hit "what were you doing?"

"Nothing."

A pause. They both knew that was a lie, Lisgoe wasn't accustom to smacking Ross in the face

"I was just looking at your tattoo," he explain, reaching for his glasses on the bedside table and putting them on "I didn't realise that warrented a smack in the mouth!"

"I didn't do it on purpose! You know unexpected touches put in fight-mode, I raised my hand, you were too close, you got hit!" Lisgoe looked at the red mark on his cheek and asked, in an uncharacteristically soft voice "Are you OK?"

Ross was caught off-guard by the quiet, half-whispered tone. It actually made his chest jump a little, but only because it was so unexpected! Yes, it was like a jumpscare... but nicer

"It just hurts," he answered, more confused than in pain "a lot."

"Oh give over. I didn't hit you that hard, you big bitch! It's not like I'm gentle with you when we're fucking, anyway!"

"Thank god," Ross felt himself smile a little upon hearing that familiar, snappy tone "for one horrible moment, I thought you were developing compassion."

"Nah, not a chance!"

Lisgoe was lying on his back now, which meant Ross could see even more of his tattoos. Maybe it was the fact they were just a neutral monochrome that made them look OK (well, more than OK), or maybe, and this was a frightening thought, Ross liked tattoos on Lisgoe specifically

He faced the ceiling

That was the one thing that truly set his teeth on edge: Joseph Nigel Lisgoe was an exception to all his rules. Don't get involved with the wrong sort: the sort with tattoos and vulgar language, the sort that settle disputes with their fists and find books a waste of time

What made things worse is that no only had every rule been broken, but it turned out that they were all based on incorrect conclusions. Lisgoe may not have been good with logic or reasoning, but he could tell you everything about niche subjects like medieval torture methods, famous cults, and serial killers - hell, he'd probably truly enjoy reading a book on the subject if he didn't find the act of reading so difficult. He didn't get tattoos because they made him look intimidating, he could do that without ink on his skin, he just thought they looked cool. And Ross learned that, despite everything, he wasn't a hypocrite; whatever you gave, he gave back. Direspect, attitude, favours: he repaid it in full - maybe not in the way you expect it, but he did. Lisgoe wasn't a kind or even a forgiving person, but he wasn't dishonest

When he thought about it, Ross realised that he really couldn't predict anything about Lisgoe the same way he did for everyone he met. But, for the first time, he didn't want to. He didn't want to look for patterns in his behaviour and try to figure out his next move. For once, he'd met someone he didn't want to analyse - he just wanted him as he was

And that thought alone went against everything he'd taught himself

Joseph Lisgoe, in many ways, was a jumpscare

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First thing Lisgoe thought when he came home from work:

Well. That was shite

It wasn't like he hated his job normally, some days just felt worse than others. This was one of those days; it was as it Barry, Glenn and Hammonds were in cahoots today, banding together in order to make Lisgoe's life a misery. All he hoped for was that he could come and forget it all happened

The first thing he noticed was Ross Gaines, in his dressing gown (this evening seems to be looking up), pouring a glass of white wine (ah, that explains it)

"You've had it shite as well then?"

"What gave it away?"

"The wine, you only drink white when you're pissed off. I don't even think you like the taste."

"Well, you don't exactly look happy yourself." Ross took another glass from the cupboard and a bottle of red "Lucky for you, these came together. Shut up, Joseph."

"I didn't say anything!" Lisgoe grabbed the bottle and took a large gulp

"I saw the look on your face, you were going to make a dirty joke. And stop drinking out the bottle, there's a glass right there."

"I know."

"I can't stand it when you drink out of the bottle."

"I know."

"Then why do you keep doing it?"

"I have free will, dickhead!" Lisgoe retorted with a smug look as he took another swig of wine before putting it down on the counter and pulling Ross towards him "And pissing you off makes my day so much better."

"You're insufferable, you know that right?" Ross' focus darted to Lisgoe's mouth, then back to his eyes "A real pain in the arse."

"And you have the personality of a fucking dish-cloth."

Lisgoe kissed the corner of his mouth (which did not affect Ross Gaines at all), then took a step back to actually pour himself a glass of wine. He raised it up, to which Ross did the same. They then took a sip

Neither could explain why, but they started to feel a little better than they felt a few moments ago

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"I told you, you need to quit!"

"I'll quit on my own terms, Joseph. I don't need you to tell me when to do things."

They were having an argument in their kitchen. Not one of their meaningless, amusing games - they were both annoyed at each other. Ross had come home with a bruised arm thanks to an altercation with Pauline, and Lisgoe had gotten mad and told him to quit on the spot. Of course, Ross tried to explain that finances meant he couldn't, and quitting would mean unemployment - which would mean Pauline had even more power over him. He had to bide his time, make a plan

Lisgoe wouldn't hear it

"Either you enjoy getting used as a punching bag or you're more of a stubborn bastard than I am! There are other jobs, and you're more qualified than any of those incompetant shites!"

"Oh, and I'm supposed to believe that's the only reason you're so against me working there?"

"... What?"

"Those... defamatory and false rumours that I had sex with her." Ross' face was smug, as if he'd cracked the Enigma Code "We both know you have a jealousy problem, are you scared it'll happen again?"

Then there was silence. If looks could kill, Ross would probably have been brutally murdered. Lisgoe could brutally murder him right now

"First of all, wipe that fucking look off your face." His voice was quiet yet sharp "Secondly, don't ever bring that up again."

"Let me live my life and I'll let you live yours."

"Sure Ross!" He snapped, clearly done with the conversation "I'll let you live your fucking life! Pauline can do what she wants with you! I'm going." With that, he was up the stairs like a bullet from a gun

Ross watched him, knowing damn well how screwed he was. When Lisgoe said something, he meant it. He wasn't going to wait for anyone to stop him, if he said he was going, he was going and gone for good. Something about that notion made him want to throw up

Before he could stop himself, he was following. Halfway up the second flight of stairs, he finally caught up and grabbed Lisgoe's wrist

"I'm not letting you leave."

It was stated like a fact, the objective truth

"Is that right?" Came the reply, dripping with malice "And what are you gonna do to stop me?"

"Nothing. I'm just not letting you leave?"

"Why's that?"

"Because I love you."

That snapped Lisgoe right out of his angered trance. His face seemed to glitch into one of shock and confusion. Is this a mind game? He thought Is he trying to mess with me? He studied Ross' demeanour: slightly tense, his muscles were contracted, but his face was earnest - like he'd told Lisgoe something that couldn't be disputed

"Why are you telling me this now? When I'm packing my shite and fucking off?"

"That's exactly it. No point hiding it now, I've been waiting for the right moment to say it for ages. I don't like using the word, it's too dangerous - too much risk of it backfiring. I'm probably not going to say it again for a long time, so make the most of this. But I know you, and I know that you meant it when you said you were going. And I don't want that."

"So you said it to get me to stay?"

"Why else does anyone say it? I know I'm not going to find someone else I can say it to and mean it, you're rare. I'm not going to love someone else the way I love you. Never. And that's unnerving."

What else do I say to that? Was the thought that immediately burst into Lisgoe's mind How does someone respond to that? In spite of himself, he started to laugh - which clearly wasn't the right response

"Joseph, why are you laughing? What are you laughing for? I'm being serious."

"I'm sorry Ross, but I can't believe you. I mean, let's look at this factually - I know you like doing that. What about me is worth loving? What even is there to like?"

What hit Ross wasn't what he'd said, it was the tone. As if he'd accepted that he was so unworthy of positive regard that the very idea of it was laughable. All he could do was listen to Lisgoe and approach it the way he knew best - factually

"You're blunt to the point of rudeness, but I only think that because you say what I need to know not what I want to hear. You have this... annoyingly fascinating way of reading body language and facial expressions that leads you into fights. But it also means you know when I want to be left alone. Basically, your 'bad parts' work in my favour."

Now neither of them knew what to say, they'd gone from being so guarded... to whatever this was

"I like-"

"Joseph, leave it."

"No, I want to-"

"I know it's awkward, you don't have-"

"Shut the fuck up!"

"Alright then."

"I like... fuck, now I've forgotten how to word it! ... you can't here someone's problems without inserting your own opinion, but it always makes sense - you look for solutions instead of bitching. You have a fucked-up, dry sense of humour, but I do too, so we laugh while everyone looks at us like we're sick. And you never like giving me the last word, you always have some kind of rebuttal. You challenge me. It makes things fun, but you always find a way to call out my bullshit. I need someone like that." Lisgoe looked down at his wrist "And I like when you let go of my wrist, which you've been gripping onto for 5 fucking minutes!"

Even more embarrassed, though he tried to hide it, Ross let go

"There's also the physical shite," Lisgoe continued with a shrug "but that's-"

Whatever he was going to say died in his throat, because Ross had pulled him into a kiss, letting his back press against the wall behind him. Lisgoe's hands were around his throat gently

"For the record," Ross' voice came out hoarse "I wasn't thinking about Pauline when I was with her."

"So it did happen," Lisgoe started to bite and kiss along his jawline "you lying bastard!"

"Maybe it did, but my mind was elswhere." He could feel his partner at his neck and tried to keep his voice steady "Some debt collector that came knocking on my door once, maybe you know him?"

"Yeah? What's his name?"

"Barry Baggs."

"Get fucked!" Lisgoe gave him a hard shove, but the laugh that followed showed he didn't take it personally

"I'd say that encapsulates your goal, wouldn't you?"

"After that, you can finish in your hand!"

Lisgoe moved up the stairs, but only made it two steps before he was pulled in again. This time, the kiss was slower, the movements less frantic and the electricity buzzing rather than sparking

Nothing else needed to be said

[wolves-in-the-world]

I think I'm going slightly mad trying to analyse red widow as good media. I could write up a whole thoughtful post about how moreau and schiller are similar characters seen with very different framings because red widow glosses over the gritty reality of the world the protagonist is born into and gets dragged into after her husband's death, and it would have some merit, OR I could just accept that red widow is just very bad and best watched with one's brain entirely disengaged until a nicholae scene pings as interesting.

(which some of them really are. genuinely, nicholae and moreau make the same "there are assets and liabilities" and "please be an asset" points. nicholae gives a lovely little villain speech about money and trust being the only things that matter in business. his casual murder of a poor sod that I and the protagonist had actually come to like, shrugging it off with "there are many [name]s" like that's some consolation, was delicious. the torture joke he made while someone was trapped in an elevator with him, reminding them that they probably shouldn't be wasting his time, made me clap with joy - and the way the actor can differentiate between genuine warmth and the kind of smile that is 100% a predator's warning with, as far as I can tell, only his eyes, is just so good.)

(I just need to avoid falling into the trap of treating the whole thing, or even just nicholae's character as a whole, as something that stands up to good analysis. no matter how much the creators' love for the story shows in some of it. and no matter how much a talented actor clearly thrived in the role.)

(folks I'm going through the five stages of grief about this fuckin show.)