#narrative laziness

[girl4music]

The way they introduced that demon that can grant souls to the vampire that comes to take The Challenge is the same way they introduced that Slayer Guardian woman towards the end of Season 7. Never explained any of it beforehand. It just happened because it was a convenience to the writers because they’re lazy and just want a quick way to do something in the narrative.

Inventing random characters and places that have never appeared in the show before and there’s no explanation for why they’re appearing now.

The only time this actually works is with Dawn because the point was for her to appear at random.

I’m not a fan of writing that just drop things into the narrative just for the sake of concluding the narrative.

I’m happy that Spike got his soul back but I’m still scratching my head as to how he was able to do it. That it was ever even possible for him to do it at all. Because if this was an option all along for him, then why the hell didn’t he bloody do it ages ago? Attempt raping Buffy is the only event that pushed him so far as to even consider the thought? Did that whole thing just jog and jaunt his memory of “Oh, I can do this.”

Nah, it doesn’t seem right. It was a convenience for the writers to create this demon that can grant souls. It was a convenience for the writers to create this Slayer Guardian woman that can “pass on” the rights of the Scythe to Buffy or whatever that whole scene was about. I can’t even remember to be honest.

It’s not good writing.

Good writing is not convenient writing.

Good writing is set up and built up properly.

What they should have done was kept to the morally grey route with him and have him be the one vampire where it was possible he could turn good without a soul as that was clearly what was already happening.

What does this mean for all the other vampires?

Who the fuck cares?

What does this mean for Buffy? It means a very compelling avenue to explore for her character since they were going to reveal that her Slayer power comes from a demon anyway. That she was part demon too.

It would have made the entire story of ‘BtVS’ better and Angel could continue to be the only vampire with a soul since he seems to be so bothered about that.

Spike didn’t even need a soul. He got one because they couldn’t justify his grey morality without one. They tried to have it both ways with him and it sucked all the actual interesting parts about his character out because it could be put down to “he has a soul now”. It was dumb because he wasn’t the one who had to change but if this was the only way he would get any respect from Buffy and the protagonists, then so be it.

[inkskinned]

the thing about art is that it was always supposed to be about us, about the human-ness of us, the impossible and beautiful reality that we (for centuries) have stood still, transfixed by music. that we can close our eyes and cry about the same book passage; the events of which aren't real and never happened. theatre in shakespeare's time was as real as it is now; we all laugh at the same cue (pursued by bear), separated hundreds of years apart.

three years ago my housemates were jamming outdoors, just messing around with their instruments, mostly just making noise. our neighbors - shy, cautious, a little sheepish - sat down and started playing. i don't really know how it happened; i was somehow in charge of dancing, barefoot and laughing - but i looked up, and our yard was full of people. kids stacked on the shoulders of parents. old couples holding hands. someone had brought sidewalk chalk; our front walk became a riot of color. someone ran in with a flute and played the most astounding solo i've ever heard in my life, upright and wiggling, skipping as she did so. she only paused because the violin player was kicking his heels up and she was laughing too hard to continue.

two weeks ago my friend and i met in the basement of her apartment complex so she could work out a piece of choreography. we have a language barrier - i'm not as good at ASL as i'd like to be (i'm still learning!) so we communicate mostly through the notes app and this strange secret language of dancers - we have the same movement vocabulary. the two of us cracking jokes at each other, giggling. there were kids in the basement too, who had been playing soccer until we took up the far corner of the room. one by one they made their slow way over like feral cats - they laid down, belly-flat against the floor, just watching. my friend and i were not in tutus - we were in slouchy shirts and leggings and socks. nothing fancy. but when i asked the kids would you like to dance too? they were immediately on their feet and spinning. i love when people dance with abandon, the wild and leggy fervor of childhood. i think it is gorgeous.

their adults showed up eventually, and a few of them said hey, let's not bother the nice ladies. but they weren't bothering us, they were just having fun - so. a few of the adults started dancing awkwardly along, and then most of the adults. someone brought down a better sound system. someone opened a watermelon and started handing out slices. it was 8 PM on a tuesday and nothing about that day was particularly special; we might as well party.

one time i hosted a free "paint along party" and about 20 adults worked quietly while i taught them how to paint nessie. one time i taught community dance classes and so many people showed up we had to move the whole thing outside. we used chairs and coatracks to balance. one time i showed up to a random band playing in a random location, and the whole thing got packed so quickly we had to open every door and window in the place.

i don't think i can tell you how much people want to be making art and engaging with art. they want to, desperately. so many people would be stunning artists, but they are lied to and told from a very young age that art only matters if it is planned, purposeful, beautiful. that if you have an idea, you need to be able to express it perfectly. this is not true. you don't get only 1 chance to communicate. you can spend a lifetime trying to display exactly 1 thing you can never quite language. you can just express the "!!??!!!"-ing-ness of being alive; that is something none of us really have a full grasp on creating. and even when we can't make what we want - god, it feels fucking good to try. and even just enjoying other artists - art inherently rewards the act of participating.

i wasn't raised wealthy. whenever i make a post about art, someone inevitably says something along the lines of well some of us aren't that lucky. i am not lucky; i am dedicated. i have a chronic condition, my hands are constantly in pain. i am not neurotypical, nor was i raised safe. i worked 5-7 jobs while some of these memories happened. i chose art because it mattered to me more than anything on this fucking planet - i would work 80 hours a week just so i could afford to write in 3 of them.

and i am still telling you - if you are called to make art, you are called to the part of you that is human. you do not have to be good at it. you do not have to have enormous amounts of privilege. you can just... give yourself permission. you can just say i'm going to make something now and then - go out and make it. raquel it won't be good though that is okay, i don't make good things every time either. besides. who decides what good even is?

you weren't called to make something because you wanted it to be good, you were called to make something because it is a basic instinct. you were taught to judge its worth and over-value perfection. you are doing something impossible. a god's ability: from nothing springs creation.

a few months ago i found a piece of sidewalk chalk and started drawing. within an hour i had somehow collected a small classroom of young children. their adults often brought their own chalk. i looked up and about fifteen families had joined me from around the block. we drew scrangly unicorns and messed up flowers and one girl asked me to draw charizard. i am not good at drawing. i basically drew an orb with wings. you would have thought i drew her the mona lisa. she dragged her mother over and pointed and said look! look what she drew for me and, in the moment, i admit i flinched (sorry, i don't -). but the mother just grinned at me. he's beautiful. and then she sat down and started drawing.

someone took a picture of it. it was in the local newspaper. the summary underneath said joyful and spontaneous artwork from local artists springs up in public gallery. in the picture, a little girl covered in chalk dust has her head thrown back, delighted. laughing.

[warpedpuppeteer]

It's interesting how Buck's love interests are all written in a way that ends because of the reason they meet/happen in the first place and then of course, we have Eddie.

Abby, who changes Buck's view of a healthy relationship but then turns around and ghosts him, making him wait for months on end and letting him realize she's not coming back on his own.

Ali, who meets Buck during a dangerous situation in his line of work and then leaves him for how dangerous his work is.

Taylor, who lashes out at Buck for using her as a fake date and saying she thought she could trust Buck to be a friend who then ends up using him for her career and chose to put his friends in danger.

Natalia, who's there to help him embrace and deal with his temporary death but it leads to their break up because of the constant talk surrounding death when Buck's not comfortable with it.

We can't confirm for Tommy till it ends but it's important to note how he offers to get Buck into his interests like flying and muay thai yet doesn't show effort with Buck's interests like dressing up according to the bachelor party theme despite Buck being stressed about it. And we also have the fact that the entire reason they got together was due to Buck's jealousy for Eddie which he then claims to be was for Tommy. Makes me think they are either going to end because of differing interests OR because of the jealousy issue popping up again.

Funnily enough, every scene above has an Eddie parallel:

Eddie co-parents with Buck and not only does this not stop after a dangerous event but Eddie also has Buck down as a legal guardian (healthy relationship - Abby).

Eddie is in the same dangerous line of work and they have each other's backs. This happens right off the bat too.(dangerous job - Ali).

The Lawsuit era and The Dispatch era - both where they "betray" each other but manage to work through it (betrayal/lie - Taylor).

Eddie doesn't pressure Buck to talk about his temporary death until Buck's ready and is more focused about him living than in his death (death doula - Natalia).

Eddie who has different interests than Buck (poker, basketball and UFC/MMA) but also manages to show interest and actively takes part in whatever Buck comes up with; he suggests their outfit for the themed party AND ends up staying there for Buck even when others leave (different hobbies & showing interest/taking part - Tommy).

Absolutely fascinating when you start noticing that Buck's relationships keep failing for one reason or another and then we have him and Eddie who face the same sort of situations but they still come out of it stronger together.

It's clear that there's a reason Buck is able to overcome anything when it comes to Eddie (that conversation with Maddie about being there for each other even at their worst 👀) and we've already established that everything Eddie looks for in a partner is already something he has found in Buck. So really, all that's left is for them to realize that hey, the one I'm looking for is right in front of me! 🤷🏽

And yes, it's been said to death (hah) but you don't find it son you make it. And Buck and Eddie have already made it.

[cerasifera]

lesbians? in MY copy of the count of monte cristo?? its more likely than you think

[soadscrawl]

that "keith having to flirt w an enemy alien while lance is supposed to help but hes jealous" trope that i like

[milkbreadtoast]

idk how i want to draw him yet and not ready to make a srs attempt but here's a bad kdj phone doodle lol🚶🏻

[umblrspectrum]

every ship is simultaneously real and non-real depending on whether it fits my narrative at any given moment. schrodingers ship. schipdinger

[knockknockitsnickels]

Themed Slay the Princess Playthrough Ideas

Someone Explodes: Razor -> Fury -> Wild (via Witch) -> Cage -> Happily Ever After

Big Princess: Wraith -> Razor -> Apotheosis -> Eye of the Needle -> Den

Narrator has a Very Bad Time: Princess & Dragon -> Apotheosis -> Moment of Clarity -> Wild -> Thorn

Hard to Draw: Beast -> Moment of Clarity -> Razor -> Cage -> Fury

I would Trust them to Watch my Drink at a Party: Spectre -> Prisoner -> Adversary -> Wraith -> Thorn

Opportunist is There: Razor -> Wraith -> Moment of Clarity -> Witch -> Happily Ever After

I'm out of ideas suggest YOURS in the comments thanks

[momomallowart]

I finally watched Arcane and realized they're just the same character so I swapped their clothes ʕ⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴥ⁠ꈍ⁠ʔ

[sobselpop]

Rick and Morty ! A hundred years !

[countlessofvoids]

Something I often see in discussions regarding Hiccup wanting to change people's minds, is him trying to change Grimmel's being accepted as a part of the story, and it being used as an example of Hiccup's flaws. Except, if my memory serves me correctly, that never actually happened.

Prior to the final battle, Hiccup and Grimmel have three interactions ; when they first meet, when Hiccup & the gang try to capture him, then when Toothless & LF get taken. Not once, or in any of the few times where he's mentioned outside of his scenes, is the idea of changing Grimmel's mind brought up. Hiccup does not attempt to have a conversation about it with neither Grimmel nor the other characters.

In the third movie, Hiccup's motive to change people's minds and get them on Berk's side was removed. It feels like a bit of retcon, because I don't remember anything about Hiccup saying he's not gonna repeat his mistake with Drago.

[o-wild-west-wind]

y’all out here saying Izzy’s death made no narrative sense because it’s a comedy show clearly haven’t seen the Shakespeare post…I’m sorry I really am but death immunity only applies to the romantic leads the genre has not changed babes

(I don’t mean this to be patronizing, but genuinely: critically analyzing and engaging with art is a skill, and an important one. it’s a tool that will help you in the real world, for real current events. use this as practice not to take everything at face value. sad art does not equal bad art!)

[booigi-boi]

Dash and Ford 🔍🐇 Love them 🤍

Anytime Dash makes an appearance, you can hear Maple Leaf Rag playing quietly in the background

[smarbles]

I haven't watched any of campaign three and have basically only been following it through osmosis (following cr blogs) so I may be way off here.

But this campaign seems like it's Avengers Endgame the DnD campaign, and all the bizarre character and narrative choices that comes with being so focused on getting Everyone Together in One Place that anything else falls to the side

[sisterdivinium]

Lazy light seeped slowly in, carving out from shadow the shapes of their entwined bodies.

"I should go."

"You should."

They lay awake in bed, unmoving despite necessity. Only fingers grazed exposed skin — slow, slow, slow.

Suzanne didn't reiterate. Jillian didn't protest. The clock hidden within a drawer ticked the time away.

Minutes passed, held closer.

"I really should go."

"You've missed the first service already. Would it be so egregious to miss another?"

"Sloth is a sin, Jillian..."

A smile.

"Yes, one neither of us ever indulges in. You could stay, just this once..."

A kiss.

"... Just this once."

[borgialucrezia]

lowkey disagree with anyone who labels juan as stupid because of his oversensitivity, impulsiveness and rash personality (the three traits that heavily contributed to his own doom) and while he may not be as cunning as his siblings, he's certainly observant and has been predicting the game before it happens. he's also very aware of cesare's superiority over him which is why he keeps provoking him about being stuck as a cardinal. he recognizes cesare's insidious potential and how he's maneuvering him and their father. he realizes that cesare is planning to kill him and has clocked that there's something twisted going on between his brother and his "angelic sister." as david oakes says, "it proves that [juan] is sort of self-aware and probably hasn't had the best life." which is why i believe he doesn't bother to speak up knowing he'd be dismissed and gaslit despite being right. unlike cesare who's already their father's consigliere and whom their father believes even when he's lying (mostly to seize juan from the position he desires)... this shows that juan is not as naive as his family (and the audience) believes him to be and that he has a strength they don't give him credit for.