#before you ask; no. writing an outline for a YJ/FC AU while chainsmoking was not on that list

[nasty-quigley]

Okay no actually, you know what? I'm gonna go into it

The Yellowjackets Fight Club AU one Person asked for

Pre-Existing Roles:

The Narrator | Shauna

Sidenote: Look, I love Shauna as much as the next person and I love her main character syndrome, but I don't fully love her as the narrator in comparison to Tai.

But if I commit to the idea: Shauna as a symbol for social adjust ment- in YJ Shauna is the cardboard cutout housewife and mother (on the surface). If I project this to FC, I'd say she would fit quite well as someone who went through the notions, got the job, got the catalogue-esque lifestyle and choices.

I can totally see her catching insomnia in the process as a symbolic psychosomatic manifestation of her own self-suppression. She buried her dreams to become what she believes to be the expectations- and her dreams bury her in return.

I can see her obsessive nature being an excellent nurturing ground for the dynamic with Jackie.

I can see her violent tendencies being perfect for the base idea of FC, but I do think translating her motivations could be a feat- as it would be with most of them.

I like the idea of Sophie Nelisse's innocent-beauty contrasting with the violence of the media; setting it up to work with the same magnitude as it does in YJ might be a big challenge, though.

Tyler | Jackie

Jackie Taylor already functions as a shorthand for well-adjusted femininity and the struggles that may boil below. Her own struggles in YJ are easily translated into FC if you adjust the framework and core of the work to not examine and discuss masculinity as a societal ideal, but femininity instead.

If I look at Jackie for this AU, I wanna place loving, detailed focus on their homebase. (moving this to a new point)

So, with Jackie as the idol of this work and her symbolism translated from YJ, I think I'd like to see her more constrast-ful.

I'd like to see her clean, tidy, girly, proper in scenes that flash to scenes of her bloodied, sweaty and bare-knuckle-boxing a faceless woman in a dark basement. I wanna see scenes where her pretty, put-together face is spliced with dark, grimy shots.

I want her girlieness to slowly go down as the plot goes on. I want her to sometimes surprise with surprising, feminine and fashionable looks- even in the second half; but I want deteriorated, run-down versions of the same looks in the spliced scenes.

I can see her equally as obsessed with Shauna, but since their core conflict in YJ is separation and misunderstanding; the adolescent strive for individuality and the ups and downs of conformity- I can see this exact core conflict translating well.

I can see them meeting, working together and having incredible synergy, that quickly turns to resentment for Shauna as she struggles with her self-image and the things she thinks she's lacking as she gets more and more obsessed with Jackie. Meanwhile I'd like Jackie to be a very steady beat, with motivations that are just as clear and straightly-followed when looking back, as they were for Tyler in FC.

Since I do think that the social stance of Lottie and Jackie is pretty high in the original work, I like the idea of using Lottie as Angel Face to use dynamics of jealousy, differences in social status and resulting power and the violence of (destroying) beauty. The power in the fight scene between Shauna and Lottie in YJ can be translated to FC, in my opinion, and it could speak even more volumes on the intricacy of femininity, female society and the way urges/obsessions/ideals can drive people to extremes.

Marla | Nat

I just really wanna see Juliette Lewis AND Sophie Thatcher in this role. I think at first glance, this is an eye roll. Ofc I'd translate the druggie to the druggie.

But AUs live off of familiarity and sensefulness.

Both Marla and Nat work as characters because they surprise the viewer. Nat is set up to cause expectations- we are supposed to use every tool in the stereotype box to examine her. She drinks in the pilot, she lives in a trailer, she looks edgy, her adult counterpart is in rehab. It is later that we find out about her depth- her sharp mind, her skills with a gun, her harrowing past and her strength to hold on. Nat is a very clever character whose intelligence is slowly introduced, which gives her more depth and complexity in the eyes of the viewer.

Marla is introduced in an almost opposite way. The narrator views her as a conniving master mind that ruins his only chance for regular relief; and as we see more of her, she seems to get more silly, infantile and dishelved.

I think the three-dimensionality of both characters could be combined in a very intriguing, fun way that could feed off of the unique role and importance of Nat in YJ to achieve great messages.

Sidenote: If Marla really is another split of the narrator symbolizing his weakness, femininity and repression; I think Nat is perfect for that job; really excellent to truly hammer it home. Viewing her as an edgy facet of the whole, she would be the gateway between Jackies hyperfeminity and Shaunas role as the narrators representation of self-doubt and failure to meet her own expectations.

Sidesidenote: If we really add more splits to deconstruct the concept of feminity, being an individual and finding one's own personality and role, then I think opposing Nat and Van would be fantastic. Van as a representation of deep, caring warmth below a hardened exterior functions similiar to the way Nat does, but Vans warmth shines through more and is less openly afraid.

Angel Face | Lottie

Angel Face is obedient, loyal, devout and beautiful.

Lottie is tall. Lottie is pretty. Lottie in the pilot is shown to be popular, viewed-as-2-D-by-the-others. Lottie seems caring, loving, gentle and quiet. As the show progresses, her deep love and loyalty for the group is constantly more explored and emphasized. Her willingness to believe in something bigger to the point of starting two cults is just,,, perfect for this role, what do you want me to say here? hello?

I can see Shauna's growing obsession with Jackie needing to release its energy. With Marla!Nat's sexual connection to Jackie, Shauna's own repression and longing would easily translate into the same desperate, helpless, violent and primal outbreak as it did in YJ- and Lotties role as a canon friend of Nat could easily be moved to the FC Au. Shauna could see a lack of control over her own narrative as more members join, and Lottie is devout enough to once again fall victim to it.

To use Lottie as the representation for beauty- and the beautiful individual: that path is already well-walked. Angel Face as a concept is already perfectly summarized in his name- he is angel-like beauty, the innocence of a doubtless believer; the lamb to bleed out on the altar.

Lottie's canon storyline has been sufficiently analyzed for its religious themes and I don't know enough about that to follow, so I'll make this short:

The destruction of beauty as catharsis for suffering is deeply embedded in both characters.

Narrator's Regional Manager | Randy

I just wanna see him get beaten up; and using Randy as bob seems cheap, uninspired and thoughtless.

The Plane they met in | Laura Lee

lol :)

Housing

While FC has the desolate, run-down beauty of the old villa in an industrial zone, YJ has the shack. I think the juxaposition of primal and societal violence in YJ shines most on the backdrop of the Shack. Meanwhile, the detachment from expectations and society is expressed in FC through the housing situation and the way they use it (the bicycle scene, the constant wetness of every surface, the thin walls and dangerous deterioration of the property).

In an YJ/FC AU I am unsure if I'd keep this. I think they could keep the house for living, but maybe not to base their operations in. I think starting them off in a vaguely fancy, overly glittery workshop for soap might be good to express the focus on polished, perfectioned performances of femininity- and then I'd let it deteriorate over time. In a visual medium through the collection of grime, dirty streaks, clothing and tools being left on the surfaces over time- until near the end, the pink has washed out to brown and the place looks just as ruined as the house in FC.

I honestly only have thoughts on this, and no thoughts on a living environment, and that's OK.

Age and Timelines

I like the thought of using the two-fold timeline for the AU. Maybe delete the crash and leave the soccer. Let them have won, give them cookie-cutter lives that serve the narrative. Let the adults deteriorate, and cut back to their young, tight, pretty, more perfect selves. Interchange these cuts with their well-adjusted adult personas.

I think you'd have to have a long-ass medium to use this in a way that isn't detrimental to the plot. To introduce the full set of characters in 2-3 life stages takes A LOT OF storytime

So unless we're producing a full TV show here, I think I'd go with the adult timeline, and introducing their seeminly-perfect/standarized lives at the beginning. Splice that in in the second half for contrast and effect and you'll be good. A pity, I never get enough of Sophie Nelisse mastering the tightrope of looking pitiful, beautiful and innocent while caked in blood, mud and guilt. Naja

Bob |

Man, I am actually thinking of wither keeping the framework of bob as it is; removing it altogether or using Ben.

I like the idea of using Ben if one elevates the symbolism.

Bobs role is the loss of masculinity paired with a rise in femininity (no balls, massive bazongas).

Bens struggle is is homosexuality.

Using the feminization of gay man as a gateway towards Bob's role feels so incredibly cheap to me. And at the current point, I don't see the full concept of Bob translating well into YJ. I have no inspiration on this matter, and I'm not going to start pulling shit outta my ass.

Chloe (Cancer girl) | Maybe Misty?? just to be mean, really

I just like to see her suffer, oke? I'd like her innate despair to translate into a terminally ill woman that just wants to fuck, but is unfuckable through her despair. That is so Misty. :)

New Roles & Concepts

Organized/Uptight Version of the Narrator | Tai

Taissa Turner as an instance of logic, drive and courage seems like a perfect thing for this AU. If we translate the core aspect of examining gender [roles/expectations/expression/variety] that FC has to this YJ Au, I think Tai could be a great character to symbolize the struggles of a competent, no-bullshit businesswoman, similiarly to the role she already has in YJ. If the core cast is used as a representation of the facets of a single person, Tai could be the organized, driven, aspirative aspect-

And I also think she'd be an interesting character to kill, because the death of order would cause the reign of chaos. I dislike this because Tai already is done dirty enough.

To me, using Tai's unique, beautifully crafted character of someone who loves their peers incredibly much, but uses self-discipline to balance between that love and her ambitions would be something beautiful for this AU. The contrast with Nat would, as always, be delicious for the narrative and dynamics. Just saying.

Nurturing Version of the Narrator | Van

Since I started writing this, I kept thinking about a post-destruction scene where Van sews Angel!Lottie up and murmurs warm, soothing things to her. I want the other characters slightly blurred and shadowed in the back, but visible enough that the viewer can see their disturbance.

I want a moment of dissonance on the first view- seeing this beautiful, warm care Van brings towards Lottie, while everyone (including Lottie) seems a little bit disturbed/outraged/confused/disgusted. (Because that's the narrator. That is Shauna. Shauna, who has Lottie's blood on her face. Who's using threat on Lottie's brow while her knuckles are still split. Shauna who broke her fucking face and is now soothing her; cooing and praising. Maybe singing a gentle little song to make it even more disturbing? Imagine going through this scene the second time around and understanding how FUCKED all that is???? Do you see my vision? No?)

PS:

JARED LETO IS ANGEL FACE WHAT THE FUCK??

PPS:

I think I just got obsessed

A Jackieshauna Fight Club au would go crazy