#<- I loved the rant! I love hearing people opinions

[cushfuddled]

what are your thoughts on the "Arcane Viktor was meant to be ace" that has been said in an interview? Like yes - word of god feel free to ignore - but they said they tried to write him that way. Do you think they succeeded?

Hiya! Thanks for the ask! :D

I was honestly shocked to hear Linke "always" meant to depict Viktor as asexual. It strikes me as a deeply disingenuous comment, not least of all because I want to believe someone who "always thought of Viktor as asexual" and was driven by a desire to make ace people happy would...I dunno...display a slightly better grasp of what "asexuality" even means.

LINKE: I know there are some people who ask this. There is a love. I don't think it's romantic…I remember many, many years ago also thinking about this when we started developing these characters. To me, I can say something here now that would be good for you and bad for me because it will be a wildfire. To me, Viktor was always asexual, and that was always something we talked about from the very beginning. So, a romantic relationship between Jayce and Viktor was just never part of it. There is a love, absolutely, but we also found it a bit... Love and relationships are so complex and take so many different forms. Viktor loves in a different way, and that's okay, no? ...It's something that when we talk to our LGBTQ group within Riot, I remember asking the group many, many years ago, like, "What is something that you never see depicted very well?" And someone said asexuality. They say it's often depicted as, like, emotionless when it's not true at all. It's just that your feelings don't mix with physical. So, to me, that was always part of Viktor. [x]

I didn't feel seen at all by this kind of retroactive ace rep, but I did feel truly, deeply moved by the fandom's response.

Because I know this song and dance. A showrunner or someone with similar "creative authority" describes a character as ace or aro, and the fancops take out their soap boxes and declare,

"All right, everybody! You heard the man! No more sexy fanfic and fan art! This ace/aro character is officially off limits!"

And then aro and ace people like me, who ENJOY smutty fanfic and fan art and want to see our favorite Barbie dolls kiss, are viciously harassed for our hubris. For at least a year I watched my favorite TMA fan artist get dogpiled to hell for daring to draw NSFW art ofJonathan Sims. And yes, this artist was also ace! To fancops, the opinions of aces and aros who like to consume or create smut don't count. We're all "degen" traitors who deserve to be bullied out of fan spaces for the sake of The Good Ones.

So anyway! ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

Christian Linke came out of the hole in my wall and told me Viktor and Jayce aren't gay.

“Was there ever a ship?” LINKE: “It’s strange that people say that’s the only close relationship that two men could have is to be a couple, you know? There’s really close friendships and like, brotherhoods if you will…like, really being there for each other. Um. [That] is something that was…really important for us to explore. So…it seems like there’s no other version, you know? For some fans, they say like, ‘Hey, there must be romance,’ and we’re like…these relationships can be really layered and really complex, you know? I think there is some kind of…there is a love between them. I just don’t think it’s romantic, you know?” [x]

(If I have to hear one more creator clap back at a hopeful "could they be gay?" with a bizarrely defensive spiel about the transcendent magic of platonic bonds and how men aren't allowed to foster close platonic relationships I'm gonna hemorrhage something, but that rant already lives over here so whatever)

First of all...

:3c

...For someone so committed to propping up the ace and aro community with canon rep, this November 28 2024 version of Christian Linke sure doesn't mention asexuality or aromanticism at all. The genergous ellipses from the excerpt above aren't a creative embellishment on my part. Those pauses are very much apparent on the Twitch stream. Linke appears to really dig for the right words here, yet the terms "asexual" or "aromantic" evade capture. But sure, asexuality was "always" a part of Viktor for Linke.

Maybe Linke didn't want to draw fire from fans with a "Dumbledore is gay" moment, so he left any definitive terminology off the table. In any case, I watched the Jayvik community respond to Linke's Twitch stream like so:

This was, to put it mildly, fucking hysterical. I've never seen a community so decisively "...anyway" a showrunner over queer rep before.

This is horribly unfair for me to assume, given I know next to nothing about Linke and his capacity for petty vengeance. His timing could be totally coincidental, his efforts completely genuine. But the fact that Linke dropped this ace Viktor bomb less than two weeks after his Twitch stream smells like a tantrum to me. In my least charitable vision, I see a man who declared Jayvik platonic by order of Authorial Intent, watched his fandom go, "That's nice grandpa. So about that Hextech sex toy fic—", and was so offended by shippers' casual disregard as to "strike back" with something they couldn't possibly ignore. Thus the "Viktor was ace the whole time" card, when

The word you're looking for is "aromantic," Linke. That's the one to do with romantic attraction.

I know it can be difficult to canonize asexuality and aromanticism. If someone tried to kiss Viktor and Viktor pulled back like, "I don't feel things that way"...would that reaction be enough to make Viktor canonically aro? Perhaps Viktor would need to clarify: "I don't feel things that way." "Which way?" "The...romantic way.” “I don't understand." "You are my partner, Jayce. I love you. I want to be with you. But I will never want to kiss you." I’m tempted to champion that second option, but I can see the argument for less stringent criteria. Ambiguity is...organic, I guess. Too much clarification can read as disingenuous and preachy, like one of those after school specials. Still: I've spent too many years dancing for table scraps to ascribe sanctity to headcanons.

At the end of the day I just don't buy Viktor as ace/aro per Linke and Lee's creative vision. Sky felt like such a classic case of "straight key jangling" to me—i.e. a one-dimensional female character who exists to reinforce a male character's straightness. (My favorite example of this phenomenon = the time Cas Supernatural became mortal ((and thus capable of sexual attraction)), met a woman, slept with her, then killed her within the span of a single episode. Why showrunners seem to believe a female love interest invalidates queer readings, I cannot begin to guess). Even as Viktor pulled his hands away from Sky's—even as Sky told him, “No you won't"—I couldn't help but feel like Linke and Lee had a bullhorn to my ear the whole show: "Oh no, these poor lost ships in the night! How tragic, that Sky was so ready to love Viktor with all his faults and cracks, and Viktor could've found love and purpose outside his work had he only stopped long enough to notice! How tragic, that Viktor only came to understand the nature of Sky's feelings for him after his work had stolen her away! How tragic, that the thing Viktor so desperately craved was right there the whole time, from the moment he launched that toy boat to the night he activated the Hexcore!" It felt like Sky was meant to represent potential, a la the limitless expanse of the heavens. In such a complex cast, Sky stands out like a sore (cardboard) thumb. When Viktor lost Sky to his ambition, she was forever frozen as a "what could have been," reduced to a symbol of roads untraveled. With all those Vibes in the air, I'm like...uh...Linke? Tell me again about how you wanted me to read Viktor as aro this whole time???

I'm sure some ace and aro folks were bolstered by this situation, and lord knows I don't want to yuck on anybody's yums. But for me personally, Linke's comments were like a punch to the throat. It felt like Linke wanted to use me as a police baton to beat back the hordes of evil shippers. What meant the world to me was, once again, the fandom's response. NO ONE TOOK THE BAIT. At least here on Tumblr, all I saw were ace, aro, and allo fans A. clarifying ace and aro terminology, and B. creating smut out of spite.

I cannot stress how fucking INSANE this was to witness as someone who's dealt with a lot of shame re: my aegosexuality. I've never felt so seen and supported as an ace person by a fandom community. Every Jayvik fic with a "this one's for you, Linke"-esque note adds another five years onto my life. I seriously love you all. Please keep being your glorious selves.

[kkatastrophic]

Okay omg omg omg I get so excited seeing people reblog and rant away, alg mate. Love reading people's rants especially if it's something they're extra passionate about! So we alg there! :D

it's laughable really, (oh! My dog just vomited on the floor erm... -> just cleaned it we alg, hes fine he ate his food too quick.) anyways, they all fell for that cool guy act, when in his lore it's canon he was a silly nerdy dude who got bullied. Like little bro hid from the bullies, (the fandom in general) then got bullied for the Sonia shtick. Like... danganronpa *sits down at business chair and looks at the ceo seriously* if a character goes to LENGTHS not to get bullied, don't give them an extremely hateable quality and make it their ONLY personality trait in the trials. PLEASE GUYS, you did just fine with Chihiro making him have other qualities!!! (despite the gender discourse which is another story let's be real here...

Like... can. We stop hating on neurodovergent characters for their social skills please fandom? I don't have too much to say about this part, as I'm not neurodivergent myself, and I don't want to say the wrong thing without meaning too yk? But... stop hating on Kazuichi for that! (<- same with my bb Taka, leave em be please "Oh he yells all the time🤓" You're literally in a kg, it's a natural response to be heightened by that mate.)

Just because somebody has bad social skills doesn't make them dumb. Take me for example, I stress about what to say, my brain moves faster than my mouth and I don't have time to think before I speak. Misconceptions happen and I apologise. This fact doesn't make me mentally dumb does it? Nope. Not at all. I feel like the fandom isn't even aware of neyrodivergent characters unless it's completely spoken and spelled put to them, "this character is neurodivergent" has to be stated for SOME PARTICULAR (*not all*) fans to understand. Sometimes, that's perfectly fine, because again it comes down to social skills and if you don't know much about the topic of course you're not going to assume. But the issue is its most of the fandom.

Like I can understand a character like Teruteru or Leon not getting their full potential in development, they died in chapter one. But that doesn't give the creators a right to butcher their Ftes😭😭😭 like let me spend time with Kaz and not bother worrying about Sonia for once in my life☠️ Danganronpa fr be lacking with that one. I agree with all of your points, and your user.

Kazuichi Souda is infact such a gf🥰🥰🥰

Idk bro the Kazuichi nerd thing you mentioned about taking off the glasses reminds me of that meme with Perry the Platypus taking off his hat. Like, idk if yall know the one, I'll find it later. But... "if this character doesn't have glasses how do we know they're a nerd?!🤓" guys... it's in their talent, hidden in their dialogue, for some characters it isn't even hidden bro, it isn't hard guys please😭😭😭

The main reason I feel his arc is unfinished js because of the end of trial 6. Like... all the survivors have somebody close to them that they lost that they're getting back, but.... Kazuichi has nobody?! Like... what😭

We have:

akane -> doing it for nekomaru

Fuyuhiko -> for Peko

Sonia -> for Gundham

Hajime -> for Chiaki and Nagito (even tho chiaki is an ai)

I feel like I missed somebody bro tf- anyways,

Like who is kazuichi imagining here...? The monobeasts🤨

Also, bro did not even get close to a monobeast, I know cowardice is part of his kinda sad character arc or wtv, but after Usami Monomi defeated them wouldn't he want to get close to the dead monobeast which is no longer guarding the island? To see what its made of? Like he'd be super curious. Like even Hiro was curious taking apart monokuma! This could've helped the cast immensely and gave the fandom something else to enjoy without actively searching out facts.

Mfs forget thy even though Kazuichi is a simp he has redeeming qualities.

Like, he's a goddam engineer, he's gotta be REALLY good at math, to get into a course like that at such a young age is worthy of an ultimate title. Like we gonna ignore that in my country there is a 60 paged method in uni to work out complex equations, and that's JUST to get into the course!

Can we stop dumbing down my bb, he's amazing and there's more to him than being a simp.

[ganondoodle]

reminder that my totk rants are me just rambling about my thoughts, ideas and complaints, im not trying to analyze anything, be smart, be right, debate or convince anyone who likes it that its bad just bc i think its bad or simply dont like the choices made, im literally just spilling out my brain so it doesnt keep haunting me

if you think something makes sense that i think doesnt i, and forgive me for being so blunt about it, do not care why you think it works, my opinion of this game will not change and i am okay with that

you are free to disagree with anything i say of course but i really dont care why, sorry

(sth i said only in the tags before but added now in this edit bc i think its important: its not bc i dont want to hear other peoples opinions and live in ignorance or something, but bc im tired and i PROMISE you i have seen 99.9% of those arguments already)

im not trying to be mean, aggressive or dismissive, but again, these rants are just me rambling with no intention of arguing with anyone, the only reason im still posting whenever i think of something thats bothering me (even if it might be dumb or be disproven in game bc i am not all-knowing and might be possibly misremembering something), and letting those posts be rebloggable/interactable is bc i have been told by quite a few people that they like reading them or that they feel validated in their own disappointment

thats it.

[monards]

can a girl ramble aboutthe way you can interpret so many parts of the propaganda and characterization of rhine by other the people/general populace of teyvat as people largely antagonizing neurodivergent traits without being chased with pitchforks and torches.

[badgerbandits]

Hear me out: people are allowed to engage in media that they hate. People can watch certain media for whatever reason they want, even if it's not for the same reason you do. Sometimes it's fun to make fun of what you watch, sometimes it's great to watch stuff you hate in order to see where they went wrong for writing practice, sometimes its good background noise. Unless it's actively bullying the creator, then people can go apeshit over things that they hate

Also hate it when people say this when others have the slightest bit of criticism for what they watch. Are we not allowed to think critically and analyze media that we view

[candlelitcanvas]

Candle !!!! you say Pearl character dissection... I say give us the essay... :D /nf ofc

SDLSLKD I WASN’T PREPARED FOR THIS /silly

I mean, I’m currently rewatching Double Life so…you never know what’s coming. At some point I really want to talk about the, like, misogyny surrounding how Pearl’s character is perceived by the fandom and other characters (nothing negative to say about the CCs or individual members of the fandom of course, it’s just quite interesting when looking at it from a general viewpoint). But…I’m not ready at this moment and I want to respond to this ask so it doesn’t seem like I’m ghosting you lol. Ofc if there’s anything specific you want me to tackle about Pearl’s character I’d love to!

[m4ndysk4nkovich]

i hate it when people have no media literacy and can’t form their own opinions… i don’t understand how you can’t form your own opinions and need to just copy and paste them from other people and if you wanna come on my blog and talk about shit you clearly know nothing about don’t even bother like pls just go back to reddit and leave me alone

[softpine]

whoever the anon is that constantly finds a way to hate on elaine, please stop 😭 you’re entitled to dislike whoever you want, but it’s getting tiring to hear. i don’t want to block you because the other things you say are perfectly reasonable and i would be happy to answer them, but it’s clear at this point that nothing elaine does will satisfy you so i see no point in hashing it out

[queer-reader-07]

i love when people seemingly do everything in their power to interpret what you’re saying in the most bad faith way possible. it’s so fun and nice. (sarcasm)

[justcallmesakira]

lowkey want a bestfriend to agree with everything i say by how many people are continously degrading my opinionz 😭😭😭

[britneyshakespeare]

can’t stop intellectualizing about barbie

[neverendingford]

.

[joshuamj]

in regards to last reblog (specifically my tags on it), very friendly reminder that i would love to receive asks, i promise u will not be bothering me. Just be prepared cuz depending on what u say i may ramble on and on.

[autism-corner]

new day same fucking question

[textingtroublesanswers]

Oh it's ok, I've had much worse pull on my hair than the lil calamari here! *Boops Maria's nose*

I was thinking you could talk to Fritz, doesn't he have a psychology degree? And I don't think he can quite call you crazy when he's seen the truth to half of it himself.

Even if not him, it'll be good to talk to someone you trust. It can't be good for your mental well being to be holding it down forever.

-🦖

"I have no idea what you're talking about. My mental well being is perfect, I am perfectly sane, everyone else is wrong." He says this robotically, like a mantra he's had to practice many times before.

[asingledropofwinter]

So this has been on my brain for a while, but like something I see a lot in fandom spaces is a strong disengagement with canon. Like a hatred towards it? And I don't mean something like in the Miraculous Ladybug fandom where it's a bunch of people enjoying the concepts and possibilities of a show that they acknowledge is poorly written. I mean even in like ordinary fandoms where the canon is completely fine? It's like the concept of fix-it fics? Like there's a difference in them because sometimes the writer is essentially writing a what-if the bad things in canon didn't happen, or a happier ending. But then sometimes the writer is literally thinking "I'm fixing what's wrong with the source material". Two very different mindsets, and I can't wrap my head around the second.

Obviously fanworks are transformative content and stuff, but some of y'all really, really seem to actively dislike the source material and only acknowledge the fanon. Which, I mean, is fine, nothing wrong with enjoying content like that. But as a writer sometimes when I see people talking about the source material of a fandom (source material that isn't perfect but isn't a Miraculous Ladybug disaster level of writing) it's insanely discouraging. Like the discredit to the author because you didn't like the story they wrote even though you like the fanon, only acknowledge the fanon, because you think you can fix it. Like the "who cares about canon, I hate canon, canon doesn't matter" stuff.

I understand that fanworks can be whatever they want. I will literally read anything, the sheer variety of fic I have read cannot be understated. But I also appreciate the source material. If I didn't, to as least some extent, I could never engage with its fandom? Like how could I create transformative content of something if I don't acknowledge what I'm transforming?

So I guess what I'm trying to say is I don't understand the antagonistic feelings some people in fandom spaces have towards the canon of their fandom. And that I disdain the concept of fanon. I don't like how it becomes so ingrained in people that it is treated as gospel when the the actual canon plot line is actively despised by some people.