#subversion of expectations

[bookmarked-highlights]

"Stealing, of course, is a crime, and a very impolite thing to do. But like most important things, it is excusable under certain circumstances. Stealing is not excusable if, for instance, you are in a museum and you decide that a certain painting would look better in your house, and you simply grab the painting and take it there. But if you were very, very hungry, and you had no way of obtaining money, it might be excusable to grab the painting, take it to your house, and eat it."

-A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Wide Window by Lemony Snicket

[stoopkidlisteningtocsh]

Some objectums in the tag: damn date everything sucks even though literally from the start it was pretty clear the objects would turn humanoid. As seen by. The every single advertisement for it. But i need to be upset!

People into date everything in the tag: uh hey so what does it mean if the object dating games makes me blush looking at the ac vent? Like the real one? Is this what its like??

[sha-brytols]

lord help me people are being obnoxiously obtuse in the david: gaider post it's officially left its target demographic

[shakerula-miczula]

Same time next week

[horse-ff]

Makes your favs old when you aren't looking Enjoy the full-on yapfest in the tags, jeezus

[madwomansapologist]

i see all might as a father figure. i think i want to cry for attention so he can hold me and say everything will be fine because he is there

[creepypastakork]

Ep. 11 made me realize something that I think is key to understanding Machu and Nyaan's behavior, and it's that the viewer base at large has overestimated the girls' capacity to hold a grudge.

Now, the fatal flaw they DO have in that stead is, as we've seen, the tendency to make impulsive, often unhealthy decisions when put on the spot (Machu's ep. 6 outburst, Nyaan's ep. 7 outburst, Machu turning the question back in ep. 7). While these moments show the nasty feelings they're experiencing in those specific moments, I think they both tend to regret them almost immediately. Machu was definitely more at fault than Nyaan for forcing the conflict more, but it was apparent to me that she was already regretting it in ep. 6. Despite everything, they'd like it if things went back to how they were.

All that to say, I liked that they weren't more angry at each other than they were. Once they recognized each other, while still being in the heat of the moment, they're like "No, this is wrong. Why are you here? I wasn't supposed to be fighting you, not like this." At this point in the story, so much has gone wrong for the both of them, and upon reuniting with a remnant of those peaceful days back then, it doesn't take them more than a few beats to remember the connection, fragile as it was, that they once had. Maybe if they can keep that connection, maybe things can resemble how they once were?

[arget-star]

Something I never really noticed before but got my attention with last night’s episode—

So far, the leaders of all the “good” gangs—Bofurin, Shishitoren, Roppo Ichiza—are absolute goofballs. Guys you’d look at and go 🤨 YOU lead a gang???

And I just think that’s really neat! Like Ume’s this silly plant dad who adopted every teenage boy in the school as his brothers. Choji is a hyperactive five year old in the body of a teenager. Kanji leaps before he looks and is a wifeguy without being married.

None of them rule with fear (well. Any longer LMAO) or solely on the strength of their fists but rather by the strength of their resolve and morals and a tiny little bit because of their fighting skills and I love them all very much

[physalian]

How to Subvert Expectations Without Compromising The Story

Whoo boy, is this a contentious topic with the last few blockbuster franchises. To “subvert expectations” is to do the opposite of whatever your audience expects to happen. Your audience expects the story to go a certain way based on the archetypes and tropes your characters follow, the tone you’ve set for your story, and the level of mature themes that tone allows.

It might mean your long-lost princess doesn’t actually reclaim the throne she’s been fighting for. Or the presumed hero (or any of their straight friends) of the story dies halfway through their arcs. The mentor pegged for death actually survives to the end credits. The villain’s plan actually succeeds, or the heroes fail to deactivate the bomb before it explodes. The “will they/won’t they” is never fulfilled.

Supporters of SE argue the following:

It’s refreshing, novel, new, a fun twist on a classic tale

They like that it’s unpredictable and bold

They’re tired of stories fitting within the same wheel ruts of every other story that came before and like to see creativity thrive

It gives audiences something they didn’t even know they wanted

Haters of SE argue this:

It’s only done for drama at the cost of fulfilling character arcs

It’s a cheap gag that only works once and has zero rewatchability with the same impact

Tropes and archetypes have stood the test of time for a reason - to entertain

Plot holes ensue

When expectations are subverted and the story changes in a more positive light (like a beloved character who doesn’t die when we all think they will), the reaction is not nearly as emotionally charged as when the story changes negatively. Thus, the haters have plenty of evidence of bad examples, but minimize the good ones. Good SE is novel, or a pleasant surprise, or a quaint relief. Bad SE trashes the story and spits on the fans and destroys the legacy of the fandom.

What makes a bad subversion?

Like killing any character for shock value, bad SE takes all of the potential of a good story and gambles it for a string of gasps in the movie theater. It exists only to keep the audience on their toes, or because the writer went out of their way to change the direction of their work when fans figured out the mystery too quickly and now *must* prove all the clever sleuths wrong.

So, say your subversion is making the hero lose a tournament arc when they made it all the way to the final round and the entire story is riding on this victory. They may have stumbled along the way and had some near-misses, but they must win. Not just so the audience cheers, but because this is the direction their arc must take to be at all entertaining and fulfilling.

Then they lose, because it’s *novel* and irreparable consequences are reaped in the aftermath. They lose when, by rights, they were either stronger or smarter or faster than their opponent. They lose when the hand of the author rigs the fight against them and everyone notices.

Sure, it’s not at all what audiences expect, but you, writer, your first responsibility to the people consuming your content is to entertain them. So what purpose does this loss serve this character? How does it impact their arc, the themes that surround them, the message of your story?

Even if mainstream audiences don’t care on the surface about themes and motifs, they still know when a story fumbles. It’s not entertaining anymore, it’s not satisfying. Yes, crap happens in reality, but this is fiction. If I wanted to read about some tragic hero’s bitter and unsatisfying demise, I’d read about any losing side in any war ever in a history book. I picked up a fiction book for catharsis.

On the topic of “gritty fantasy/sci-fi anyone can die and no one is safe” – no author has the guts to roll the dice and kill whoever it lands on. Some characters will always have plot armor. Why? Because you wouldn’t have a story otherwise, you’d just have a bloody, gory, depressing reality TV show with hidden cameras.

What makes a good subversion?

Now. What if this character loses the final round of their tournament, but it’s their own fault? Maybe they get too cocky. Maybe it’s perfectly, tragically in character for them to fall on their own sword. Maybe the audience is already primed with the knowledge that this fight will be close, that there might be foul play involved, but still deny that it will happen because that’s the hero, they won’t lose. Until they do.

Then, it’s not the hand of the author, it’s this character’s flaws finally biting them in the ass. It’s still disappointing, no doubt, but then the audience is less mad at the author and more mad at the dumbass character for letting their ego get to their head.

If you write a character who’s entire goal in life is to win that trophy, or reclaim their throne, or get the girl, and they *don’t* do those things, then the “trophy” had better be the friends they made along the way, that they learned it wasn’t the trophy, it was something *better* and even though they lost, they still won. Even when expectations are shredded, the story still has to say something, otherwise the audience just feels like they wasted their time.

A good subversion does not compromise the soul of the narrative. You might kill a fan favorite character or even the hero of the story, but their impact on the characters they leave behind is felt until the very end. The hero might lose her tournament, but she still walks away with wisdom, maturity, and new friends. Heck, sports movies leave the winner of the big game a toss-up more often than not. Audiences know the game is important, but they know the character they’re following is even more important. Doesn’t matter if the *team* loses the battle, so long as the protagonist wins the Character Development war.

Good SE that should be more popular:

The “Trial of threes” – your hero faces three obstacles and usually botches the first two and succeeds on the third attempt. Subvert it by having them win on the first or second, lose all three, or have a secret fourth

Not killing your gays. Just. Don’t do it. That’ll subvert expectations just fine, won’t it?

Let the villain win

Have your hero’s love interest not actually interested in them because they realize they deserve better / Have the hero realize they don’t want the romantic subplot they thought they did

Have the love triangle become a polycule / have the two warring love interests get with each other instead, or both find someone they don’t have to compete for

Mid-redemption villain backslides at the Worst Moment Possible

Hero doesn’t actually have all the MacGuffins necessary at the Worst Moment Possible

Hero is simply wrong, about anything, about important things, about themselves

The character who knows too much still can’t warn their friends in time, but lives instead with the guilt of their failure

The mentor lives and becomes a bitter rival out to maintain their spot at the top of the charts

Kill the hero, and make the villain Regret Everything

More deadbeat missing parents, not just dead parents

Let the hero live long enough to become the villain

—

Why write a crown prince that never becomes king? What’s the point of his story if all he does is remain exactly who he was on page 1 and learns nothing for his efforts? Why write a rookie racer if he spins out in the infield in the big race and ends his story broken and demoralized in a hospital bed? Why should we, the audience, spend time and emotional investment on a story that goes nowhere and says nothing?

Cinderella always gets a happy ending no matter how many iterations her story gets, because she wouldn’t be Cinerella if she remained an abused orphan with no friends. We like predictability, we like puzzling out where we think the story will go based on the crumbs of evidence we pick up along the way, we like interacting with our fiction and patting ourselves on the back when we’re proven right.

Tragedies exist. There’s seven types of stories and the fall from grace is one of them… but audiences can see a tragedy coming from a mile away. Audiences sign up for a tragedy when they pay for the movie ticket. We know, no matter how much we root for that character to make better choices, that their future is doomed. Tragedy is still cathartic.

What’s not cathartic is being bait-and-switched by a writer who laughs and snaps pictures of our horrified faces just so they can say they proved us wrong. Congratulations? Go ahead and write the rookie broken in the hospital bed. I can’t stop you. Just don’t be shocked when no one wants to watch your misery parade march on by.

[thoughtsfromlayla]

☾ The Prince of Stories and his unbridled ability to avoid all possible clichés.

Summary: After kidnapping you into the Dreaming, Morpheus desperately tries to win your favor. It doesn't go to plan, nothing ever seems to go to plan.

Notes: ~600 words -- Hi, welcome to my new series cause I can never complete old ones, just start new ones.

Warnings/Tags: Mentions of kidnapping in passing, Morpheus doesn't know how to smile and it lowkey freaks you out.

Main Masterlist | Series Masterlist

==> Next

“I can’t seem to reach them, Lucienne. Emotionally, I suppose.” Morpheus paces back and forth in the library. Despite the warm and soft atmosphere, he felt on edge and like he was being used as a pin cushion. 

“My lord,” Lucienne sighs and blinks at his audacity. “You kidnapped her and brought them back to the Dreaming.” The librarian doesn’t finish the rest, hoping the obvious was implied. 

It wasn’t. 

“Women go missing and are kidnapped all the time in Greece. Hades was said to have kidnapped his wife, Persephone, and the last I heard they were becoming amicable.” Morpheus continues his pacing.

Lucienne shoots a look at Jessamy, who only shrugs, her wings rising and falling with her breath. The raven was not a part of this scheme. In fact, she was resting peacefully in her little nest before Morpheus grabbed her on a little impromptu trip to the waking world. And then that little trip turned into a kidnapping scheme. She was an involuntary accomplice. 

“What do I do, Lucienne? Help your king.” Morpheus stops before the librarian. His tone was almost pleading, but he would never admit that and Lucienne would never voice it either. 

“How about a gesture, my lord?” Lucienne caves in. “Get her to… I don’t know, like you?”

“A gesture…” Morpheus hums in thought. He leaves the library in a hurry, never bothering to thank the librarian. Jessamy caws before flying after him. 

His sand takes him to your room that you’ve holed yourself in for the past week. You’re staring out of the glass-stained window, the moonlight casting colors on your figure like watercolors and you’re thinking of home. 

Morpheus knew of a gesture, it was novel in the waking world and everyone seemed to be doing it so surely he thought you would like it, too. Jessamy gives a doubtful look at Morpheus from her perch on his shoulders. 

You sigh, slumping and leaning your head against the window and Morpheus had half of a mind to produce some flowers instead. Flowers were safe, everyone liked flowers, but they were boring. If he is going to win your heart, he has to try something new, something exciting, something that shows you that he is not like any other man. 

He holds out his hand and gives a soft cough to let you know he is there. 

You scream. 

And you continued to scream. His image is terrifying in the dark and sporadic. The ruby crystal illuminates his stoic face from the bottom, making it look like he was scowling at you and your heart and mind widely jumps to conclusions. He gives you a smile, one he hasn’t practiced and it only spurs on your imaginations. 

HE’S GOING TO KILL YOU

HE’S GOING TO EAT YOU

YOU’RE NEVER GOING HOME!

Morpheus' hand was still outstretched; the “gesture” was his middle finger sticking straight up. He’s seen many mortals doing it and thought you might like it. Jessamy starts cawing, her cries echoing around in the room and it only adds to the discordant symphony of your screams. Her wings beat erratically in front of Morpheus’ fingers and he looks down at her with a confused look. 

“Put that away or so help me, Lord Morpheus,” she caws, using her body to block his finger—his misunderstood romantic “gesture” — from your eyes. 

The next day, he’s back to moping in the library, preventing Lucienne from doing any work with his more important woes. He doesn’t know what he did wrong, in fact, he was sure you would like it! Morpheus lets out another obnoxious sigh, he can’t even both to fornicate a form, his body turning into a pile of goop the longer he mopes dramatically. 

Main Masterlist | Series Masterlist

==> Next

♡ Yours, Layla

[seventeendeer]

I've always thought asriel's true form back in undertale was such a stroke of genius. like idk if it was on purpose but

he's somehow perfectly situated at that intersection between "dog", "plush toy", "90's cartoon character" and "that whimpy kid you knew when you were little who always got beat up by the bigger kids." it's often said that undertale somehow manages to feel nostalgic even the first time you play it, and I definitely think a ton of deliberate design choices were made to intentionally evoke that feeling. and asriel feels like a culmination of all of that. he hits so many visual cues that different people would relate to their childhoods somehow, and the first time you see him, it hits like a truck

I realized that for me personally, he reminded me of my childhood dog that died some years before I first played undertale, and also of my partner pokémon from the mystery dungeon games I played as a kid ;w;

[mongeese]

Very small piece overshadowed by everything else but I full almost cried at Elgin's line here. Service to others and service to a cause you believe in as service to yourself. Not working for anyone else but dedicating yourself to your work and your community because you want to, because it matters to you. So fucking true. Anyway totally unrelated hc that definitely isn't me projecting I think Elgin's butch

[Image ID: A screenshot of The Silt Verses transcript. It reads

"PAIGE stares at her. She's genuinely touched.

PAIGE: Do you do anything for yourself, Elgin?

ELGIN: (Almost surprised by the question) All of this has been for me. You know that Paige, don't you?"

End ID]

[galaxy-of-me]

oh yea they cooked w this one

[horsegirlhob]

Also huge shout out to Harmony for stopping that old woman from throwing her designs in the fire. I was so worried about that the whole time she was holding them and I am delighted that didn't go the way I thought it would.

[marsbotz]

the prophecy is actually driving me to madness with how it potentially relates to the weird route

[fake-married-my-dead-fiance]

Oh no! I think, it's the "I need to tell you something first when the guy is clearly trying to propose/confess his feelings" trope that always ends in misery

They squabble about whose thing is more important, but then, Orchid takes the lead

And then he gets a turn to blue screen

Also cutest proposal ever! The best trope subversion! Yay!