#limboverse

[mtdbler]

Limboverse

hello tumblr!

we've mentioned limboverse in our posts before, but we've never really explained what it is. so, here's an in-depth history and explanation of this roleplay/au!

long post incoming...

(let me set the scene. it's october, 2022.)

limboverse started as a ride the cyclone roleplay, (that I MADE (in a caffeine induced energy burst) -🌺) which takes place several years after the canon plot (the choir is roughly 20-21). we added fankids from alternate universes into it, as well-- savannah and donnie (spacedolls), amelie (nischa), and river (blackrose)

...everything started going downhill when dhar mann was introduced (11-10-22). it started off as a joke but soon enough, he was integral to the lore (being presumably a god and ricky's lover.) after dhar mann, we started adding other musical characters. spring awakening and falsettos were the first non-rtc characters.

for the next week or so it was extremely chaotic, with real people being brought in as jokes, leading to the creation of the "normal roleplay" channel. (the retired roleplay channel is still used for shitposting.) it was around here that non-musical characters were introduced in a serious manner.

as more characters were brought in, the setting was brought into question. it was impossible for all of these different universes to intersect naturally, so we made it fit. enter: limbo. (first mentioned: 11-14-22. began being used for worldbuilding around 12-09-22.)

and now for the actual explanation of what limbo is and how it applies to the roleplay!

-limbo is a ghost town with no way out. people (the characters) wake up in the surrounding forest and wander in. there are 3 main streets that have houses and a row of shops.

-it regenerates food and resources weekly. despite this, there is only one working fridge. the Limbo Fridge is located at the town center and is used as a landmark. there is an 82-year-old package of edamame in the fridge that has bad side effects when eaten-- also, it respawns/grows when removed. the victims of the edamame claim to have a psychic connection to it post-food poisoning.

-the actual roleplay portion of it takes place within the "limbo neighborhood watch" group chat. everyone who wakes up in limbo automatically has a phone with this installed. dms also exist for characters who came from the same universe-- groundhog day dms, falsettos dms, omori dms, etc.

-buildings within limbo: the store, mendel's psychiatrist's office/dispensary, the cafe, the marriage hall, and the pharmacy

-there is a giant groundhog.

and now, for the most used/iconic characters of limbo!

-MENDEL WEISENBACHFELD (falsettos). i guess you could say he's the antagonist of limbo? he's violently homophobic due to being a repressed bisexual. played by buddy.

-PHIL CONNORS (groundhog day). he is in constant anguish. married to rita. played by mart.

-RITA HANSON (groundhog day). also in constant anguish but more organised about it. played by theora.

-KEVIN PRICE (the book of mormon). got bullied and now he's not an asshole anymore. works at the cafe as a barista. his only friends are rita and 2 teenage girls. played by me (annie)!

-MARVIN (falsettos). hes a little hater. he's also in looooooove. played by sunny.

-WHIZZER (falsettos). sarcastic ass. he has a talking cat named colonel pumpkin. played by me, pt 2.

-ALL OF THE RTC CHARACTERS AND FANKIDS (will be expanded on later).

-OMORI KIDS (omori). sunny, basil, and kel. they are always up to some shit. played by annie, basil, and yuri.

that basically sums up limbo as it stands now! now, i'll leave you with our limbo documents!

limbo map (made by yuri)

limbo pride parade (made by buddy)

[mtdbler]

the entirety of limboverse i think

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Stede, hyping himself up: I am in my slut era!

[simptasia]

otp asks: 10, 48

thank you!

oh, i didn't make this clear, i would like to be sent ships along with the numbers so i personally don't have to pick one

well, you're one of the lost people. my absolute OTP for lost is daniel/charlotte, of course. i hope that's alright for you

Describe their first date

ya know, i'll admit, writing dates isn't one of my strengths as a writer

"and then they hung out and talked about their work and childhoods and maybe some trauma came out. and they had ice cream"

these two going to a museum and/or going out for ice cream seems to be what i imagine by default when i picture them going on dates. which i don't do often because i don't tend to imagine my ships going on dates. just Being In Love really. and angst (and fuck stuff)

Who's the better driver?

charlotte. by default, because daniel doesn't drive

and that's [wiggles my hand] practically canon

[sunnifer]

*looking at mutuals* these poor bastards don't know about limboverse

[mtdbler]

isn't this just limboverse -🕸️

British Falsettos AKA my forbidden fantasy

[mcytblr-limbo]

there also exists @mcytblr-limbos . I found that out because of the prison - heelysboo

Welcome to the limboverse.

[severusdefender]

FaeLily's Ritual still had prettyhigh costs tho, maybe she wandered thru an alt!limbo-dimension in vein of Silent Hill/Bloodbourne but w/ a touch of dark whimsy? Maybe memories were currency/power there? &It took her a while to figure her way out& to connect back longenough to rez. There would be lots of other peeps in the Limboverse 2, bc they lost/spent all their memories until they couldn't remember what they were doing or why or anything anymore, then slowly became monsters of environment.

oh now that’s interesting

[scarletwitching]

you said once that the whole limbo thing with Magik was an allegory for child abuse, i have an idea why but could you ellaborate on it?

This got pretty long (who is surprised?) and deals with a heavy topic so I decided to put all of it under a cut.

Warning: This post deals with childhood sexual abuse, and even though it isn’t a literal depiction of that, some of the language used might be upsetting.

Some historical context for when this story was written: The 1980’s saw a rise in public awareness about childhood sexual abuse in the United States. This increased visibility coincided with a couple of (somewhat connected) mass hysterias. One of those was called Satanic Panic.  

Satanic Panic is what it sounds like: a moral panic centered around the fear that widespread “ritual abuse” (physical and sexual, as well as murder, cannibalism, etc.) was happening at the hands of Satanists. Sometimes, the Satanists were just day care workers, and other times, they were basically the Illuminati, a shadowy, all-powerful cabal who wanted nothing more than to mutilate cows in front of your children. Possibly in the basement of a pizzeria that doesn’t have a basement.

This was tied to the (very fake) 1980 book Michelle Remembers, and it pops up in fiction even today. The first season of True Detective is a Satanic Panic story. (I haven’t seen the second season so I don’t know what that’s about.)

I’ve always read Magik’s origin as a Satanic Panic story with an actual Satan.

Another thing to keep in mind: Belasco was not an invention of Claremont. He was introduced in Ka-Zar the Savage, as a guy who liked to kidnap and rape women. A demon in need of a bride.

Belasco: They also changed my human form to one that more resembled their own, adding horns and a magnificent tail, and gave me the privilege of becoming father to a new demonic race – the race that would soon populate Earth! Yet I needed a bride! I kidnapped the lovely Beatrice and we sailed to the site of this mountain, which the Elder Gods had indicated was the perfect location upon which to carry out the spell. For safekeeping, I made Beatrice wear the incomplete pentagon in a locket…

Ka-Zar the Savage #12 by Bruce Jones & Brent Anderson

There’s also a connection made between the women he hypnotizes and assaults and his locket.

Which brings us to Magik and more specifically, Claremont’s mini-series about her time in Limbo.

Half my lifetime spent on Earth… and half in Hell.. where I was consort to a devil.

Magik #1 by Chris Claremont & John Buscema

The language Claremont uses to talk about Magik and Belasco is uncomfortable, right from the start. Illyana describes herself as Belasco’s “consort.”

Belasco: She is delightfully pure and unspoiled. Even Kitty Pryde wasn’t this innocent when I finally claimed her.

Magik #1 by Chris Claremont & John Buscema

I’m going to go ahead and say this is creepy, especially when you compare it to how Belasco refers to her later in the story (as “flawed and corrupt”).

There’s a broader metaphor at work here, the loss of innocence. It doesn’t necessarily have to be about sexual abuse, but the way things are worded and framed, that connection is very, very easy to make.

And I’m not afraid anymore […] Belasco’s voice is kind. His touch is gentle. He won’t do anything bad to me. He loves me. He said so. I hear Ororo’s voice. Far away, calling frantically. She wants to save me. But there’s no need. I’m in no danger. I’m growing! Getting bigger… getting older! But only this ghost me.

Magik #1 by Chris Claremont & John Buscema

Early on, Belasco corrupts a piece of Illyana’s soul, making it grow older and turn demonic. This is a smaller scale version of the overall story. Magik goes into Limbo as a small child and comes out as a 13-year-old, even though almost no time has passed on Earth. Her time with Belasco is something that makes her grow up too fast. It robs her of her childhood.

“Ghost” Illyana: Consider it a preview of what I’ll be once Belasco’s had his wild, wicked way with me.

Magik #1 by Chris Claremont & John Buscema

Again, the language here is unpleasant. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it. It’s on every page.

Belasco: Does this feel good, my Cat, shall I stroke you more?

Will Belasco do that to me, I wonder, transform me into one of his creatures? Or has he something even more awful in store?!

I’m scared – yet I can’t look away. I feel excited – I want to see him do more, I want to help!

Magik #2 by Chris Claremont & John Buscema

There’s a couple of things to single out here: the emphasis on touch (with Cat in this case, but there’s plenty of focus on Belasco touching Illyana too) and Magik’s mixed feelings about Belasco. She hates him and loves him and wants to please him and knows she should kill him. That bleeds into her feelings about herself. She’s consumed by guilt and shame. She doesn’t understand her own reactions. She feels rotten inside.

This is a common dynamic in abusive situations. Belasco has cut Illyana off from the rest of the world. She has every reason to hate him, but he’s her only possible source of love. Pleasing him is the only way she can get affection. Her sense of isolation continues even after she leaves Limbo. She finds it hard to connect with others after what she’s been through.

Nikolai Rasputin: Our Illyana is a baby. You’re a young woman, almost fully grown. […] No decent child would traipse about in such a costume! What are you really, some runaway wolf-girl from the circus?! Leave us be! You’re not welcome here.

Magik #4 by Chris Claremont & Sal Buscema

When she sees her parents again, they don’t recognize her. They shut her out. And they comment on the way she’s dressed.

Over the course of this book, her clothing becomes more sexualized. She’s only 13 when the series ends, and the last issue has her dressed in a bathing suit, ripped in true Savage Land style.

I’m not comfortable with the way the creators handle this. It helps to hammer home the metaphor, but it’s still bad. The thematic intention doesn’t erase the blatant sexualization of a child that’s happening here.

There are couple of things I do like about the ending, from a metaphorical/thematic standpoint:

1. When Illyana finally gets her mutant powers, they manifest as teleportation. The ability to escape. It’s a small detail, but very clever.

2. The soulsword. It’s one of the most interesting aspects of her character. She keeps trying to make an acorn, like the Limboverse Storm did. She wants to make something pure and good, but she can’t do it. So she gives up on trying to be “pure” and takes all of her pain and makes it into a weapon instead.

Illyana: Remember me?

Magik #4 by Chris Claremont & Sal Buscema

It’s the old Tumblr cliché: Damaged people are dangerous. They know they can survive.

Despite how uncomfortable this story is at points, I love it, especially the ending. It’s about reclaiming. Magik suffers, and then she turns her suffering into power. When we talk about characters being “powerful,” it’s almost always about their ability to kick other characters’ asses. But a fictional character’s only real power is in how they affect real people.

And for me, Magik is powerful.

I’m not trying to tell others how to feel about this series (and certainly, my own feelings are complicated), but as a trauma survivor, the soulsword always gets me. It’s hope. It’s looking forward, carving a new path that is informed by the past but able to look beyond it. That part is a metaphor for all kinds of trauma, not just sexual abuse.

[mtdbler]

this is a metaphor for mtd

(the first gif sent was more of a joke regarding angst in limboverse. i’m not an asshole i promise)

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[mtdbler]

god theyre so silly

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[mtdbler]

i think its 2

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[mtdbler]

this is a normal conversation to have at 6 am -🌒

[mtdbler]

how do i even explain this one -🌒

[simptasia]

i love how in limboverse it takes, what like, four or five flashback bursts to get jack to face the reality of the situation because that man literally took his stubbornness to the grave

[simptasia]

What are some of your favourite lost theories? Like you said once, Jack could be the smoke monster, and I went and looked it up, and you did convert me holy shit makes sense so I'd love to hear what other theories you believe/really like

oooh, fun! thank you!

let's see here... here are some theories i've fond of

you already mentioned it but jack turning into a smoke creature post-finale. because like, yeah, his death is very fucking similar to what happened to turn smokey into... smokey

david shephard being david austen-littleton when he was alive. the theory that when kate and jack banged before coming back to the island, they conceived a baby. they had a son which kate and claire then raise. along with aaron (making aaron and david brother-cousins!). the limbo world just repurposed david's parentage for the sake of symbolism and stuff, since jack and juliet were a couple in that world. okay so, in limboverse, i believe jack and juliet were made a couple, who then divorced, because in real life they were divorcees but it was like, bad soul crushing divorces. in limbo world, the universe saw fit to be like "what if divorced but amicably? as a treat?" so yeah. and david was given to them to fit that narrative. that and it came across like juliet longed to be a mother in real life but it never happened. so yeah, the universe did some shuffling of david for emotional reasons. but in real life, kate was his bio mom. what helps this is that david is a mini-jack so either one of them could be mama kjhfsjhk. also also! the amount of time between jack and kate banging and the finale? two weeks. thats not enough time to even notice a missed period yet let alone know you're pregnant. so she's in for a surprise when she gets home. i love this because it's like beautiful and angsty. oh, as a side note, evie lilly was actually pregnant in season 6 so her noticeable bloating/pudging up is only helping me!

on this note, the theory that juliet was pregnant when she died. i know it's fucked up but it makes sense. i'm basing this on that one scene where bernard offers her tea with a knowing look on his face and juliet has her hand on her stomach. listen, in media language, a woman resting her hand on her tummy = pregnant

daniel was the one who programmed the looking glass code to be good vibrations. they said a musician did it and he was in dharma. it's not that deep, it's a natural leap to make

i've very fond of the idea that richard is daniel's real biological dad. i have done an essay on this, heres a link. this could never be the case in-universe or at least i wouldn't want it to be because jeremy davies is hella white. buuut in the version of lost in my head? i hold fast to it like it's a fact

it's so hard to reconcile the way eloise is in "flashes before your eyes" and the rest of the show, like they may as well be different characters. so to mildly patch this up, i imagine eloise is one of the people in lost who has powers and hers is to do with... time. or something. i dunno. and maybe the reason the others got her in the first place is because she was a Special Kid, like with walt

that's all i can think of right now

oh and theres all the people i consider bi, trans and/or autistic but that's less a theory thing than like, headcanons

thank you for your time

[mtdbler]

Buddy 💥🫃🙏🏻

im buddy (or richie)

im a trans man and i use he/him pronouns

mtd is oh so special to me it convinced me to buy a cardboard cutout of bald christian borle on my first day

some of my super cool interests 😍🙏🏻

falsettos/marvin trilogy

that 70s show

community (thanks sunny)

the book of mormon

my limboverse characters include mendel, constance, lance, dhar mann (discontinued), troy, and many other zingers 😜

my ao3 my blog riding cyclones

okay thats all, sashay away ✊🏻😢🕊