#screw the fandom menace

[sjbattleangel]

*Bioshock. Fallout. Metal Gear Solid. Call Of Duty. Halo. Jak II. Final Fantasy VII. Final Fantasy X. Valkyria Chronicles. Tales Of Symphonia. Tales Of Versperia. Fire Emblem. Rachet & Clank. Grand Theft Auto V exist*. Gamergate/Comicsgate/Fandom Menace chuds: YAY!

*Gone Home. Abby and Ellie from The Last Of Us Part II. Spider-Man (Miles Morales) and Hailey Cooper from Marvel's Spider-Man 2. Saga Anderson from Alan Wake II. Vinyl from Bomb Rush Cyberfunk. Mizhena from Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear. Life Is Strange: True Colors. Usual June. Dustborn exist* Gamergate/Comicsgate/Fandom Menace chuds: You Made it political.

[lilyvalerieorchard]

Don't watch Kaiser Shounen.

He likes and follows members of the Gamergate/Comicsgate/Fandom Menace hate group like...

Literature Devil, Manga Kamen, LostChord, Critical Drinker, Just Some Guy...

and E;R, A LITERAL, HARDCORE NEO-NAZI.

These are not "critics" or "media analysists", these are vile hate mongers using "media analysis" as a trojan horse for their white supremacist, misogynist, anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech, all under the guise of "wanting better writing". Gamergate/Comicsgate/The Fandom Menace do not care about "wanting better writing", all they want is to chase women and marginalized people out of video games, comics, animation and film so they can gatekeep nerdom as an "apolitical", cishet male, whites only space.

This has been documented: https://thisiscomicsgate.wordpress.com/category/discrimination/racism/ https://angrywhitemen.org/2014/12/01/neo-nazis-for-gamergate/ https://angrywhitemen.org/2017/12/25/mike-peinovich-and-eric-striker-complain-that-feminists-and-jews-ruined-their-video-games/ https://web.archive.org/web/20180216050304/http://www.wehuntedthemammoth.com/2017/10/06/the-5-nazi-est-moments-from-buzzfeeds-expose-of-the-milobreitbart-alt-right-sausage-factory/ https://web.archive.org/web/20221129035022/https://www.wehuntedthemammoth.com/2015/08/24/weev-gamergate-is-the-biggest-siren-bringing-people-into-the-folds-of-white-nationalism/ https://rewritingripley.medium.com/in-plain-sight-how-white-supremacy-misogyny-and-hate-targeted-the-star-wars-sequel-trilogy-and-2fd0be4b242 https://thisiscomicsgate.wordpress.com/category/discrimination/transphobia/ https://thisiscomicsgate.wordpress.com/category/discrimination/sexism-misogyny/ https://thisiscomicsgate.wordpress.com/category/discrimination/homophobia/

Kaiser Shounen has fallen for their acts, spewing the very same hateful bile they propagate.

Don't give any of these ghouls a platform

P.S despite what these creeps tell you, "Mary Sue" is not and never has been a legitimate form of criticism. It is a sexist buzzword used to bash women/minority characters with agency and gatekeep marginalized creators from telling their stories.

[random-dragon-exe]

So I just had a thought, illusion magic is basically messing with a person's senses, mainly vision right?

So with this in mind, you can essentially give a person sensory overload and use it to disorient and even incapacitate them.

I bet you could even make someone either temporarily or permanently blind by making the illusion too bright to look at.

There's also the possibility to make someone absolutely hallucinate/trip balls.

If we want to go there, it also has the potential to trigger/give someone epilepsy. Heck, even straight-up give someone a seizure.

Now let's take it further.

Remember how Gus essentially mindfucked Adrian Graye with his worst memories?

What if you can prolong it and basically torture the person by making them see their traumatic memories for too long? (Hours, days, weeks, months, a year?)

You'd be giving the person a personalized never-ending nightmare.

It'd probably drive them to the brink of insanity.

Now that's a fate I wouldn't wish on anyone.

With this in mind, illusion magic is just certified mindfuckery and mind rape in its purest form and because of this, it's pretty OP and downright dangerous magic if used by the wrong person.

Or if the person gets a little too creative with illusions.

[dougielombax]

Yes.

Bricks AND screws.

Yes they said it was apparently totally unrealistic to have them in Star Wars.

(Fucking what?)

[cynthiav06]

Question. do you think Percy should have stayed Single? Or ended up with somebody other than Annabeth? I Really think he should have stayed Single. Because I personally don't Like Percabeth, I don't Ship Percabeth and I don't Like Annabeth at all because of the way the Shippers act, or The way the characters themselves in Canon Act, like how Percy just does whatever Annabeth says, or how Percy is scared of Annabeth, Or how fans make it seem like Percy would become an Emo Edge Lord if something happened to Annabeth, Or How much she Belittles and Degrades him (I hate the nickname Seaweed brain), Especially since she acts like Percy cant do anything without her That moment when She and Reyna were talking about how ("Percy Couldn't find his way out of a Paper Bag without you")Made me SO mad it made me Dislike Annabeth even more and Dislike the Percabeth Ship as a Whole, I even hated when she Pretty much Restricted percy of using his powers You Know? "The sea doesn't like to be Restrained" well here it is.. being restrained...Exactly what it hates, and I hate how the Fandom makes Percabeth a Godly Ship saying they are the "It Couple" which they aren't and how They treat anyone who doesn't like Percabeth or Ships Percy with someone else other then Annabeth, but the one thing I HATE the most is how they make EVERYTHING percy Does Romantic for Annabeth like she's the only person who matters to him (Percy Only Remembering Annabeth (a Girl he's Known for only a couple years) Instead of The woman Who RAISED him by a goddess who isn't even the goddess of Love Made me SO MAD and Even when Annabeth made Percy remember when he was in the River Styx when it should have been his Mom made me mad) which is why I mostly believe that Percy Should have just stayed Single (I'm all for an Aromantic Percy) or At least Give him a Love interest who he can be Comfortable around and doesn't have to Constantly walk on Eggshells around her (I wished he Dated Rachel) or Hell Even make him Gay i've saw characters who have Better chemistry with Percy then Annabeth IMO but this all just my opinion.

You honestly don't know how long I could rant on this exact subject.

It's partly Annabeth's fault, and it's partly Rick's fault.

Anyone and everyone who has read the Pjo and HoO series should have noticed how illogical Percy's personality change was.

Percy Jackson, the hero of Olympus and the strongest demigod to ever live, sassy as can be, laid back but scary beyond measure if you cross him and an absolute menace to his enemies and loyal to death.

That's who he is, and Rick remembered that initially, and even till Son of Neptune then he just forgot how Percy someone he himself wrote to be this way is.

It's like Percy has no identity of his own, and he is only significant if he is with Annabeth. Like hello, he's the main character people, is the Fandom seriously going to degrade the main character, especially when the said mc is Percy Jackson???

Percy, despite his own issues, is and will always be foremost in helping people. He would be the first person to help keep the seven together. He would be the first to try and make a bond. He wouldn't have some stupid and illogical and totally ooc beef with Jason. Instead, he would help Jason be more sure of himself to stand up to Jupiter and for himself.

He would help Leo personally to bring back Calypso and they would both shit talk Olympians and how fickle their oaths are.

He would literally do anything to save Nico. Like hello, are you telling me that the boy who at 14 took it upon himself to bear the Great Prophecy, which he thought who end up killing him just to save Nico from that fate????? He would go absolutely madly feral to save Nico from the Giants.

If Piper and Reyna had their screws all properly fit they would see that Annabeth and literally everyone else would be all left to die if it wasn't for Percy. Percy gets himself out of everything by his own efforts and his own strategies. (Annabeth's rarely work). It's time the Fandom acknowledges that the best strategist in the verse is Percy, no questions asked and finally give him due credit for all HIS efforts.

Percy would never ever leave Sally unless it was for a quest, especially not when she was pregnant and absolutely not to go to college, something he hates especially when it concerns New Rome.

Here's a thing about Percabeth shippers they care about Annabeth's plans and her dreams, not Percy's. It is literally so out of character for Percy to want to live in New Rome a place that invests in a child army, a place that despises his father and wouldn't even build him a decent temple, a place so extremely cut off from the sea.

If Percy wanted to live in peace and grow old, he would do it in a place of his choosing close to his mother, Paul and Estelle, and close to the sea. But here's the thing about Percy.

I don't think people get this, but Percy can't just up and leave, nor would he want to. His damned fatal flaw is LOYALTY. He would never ever leave demigods or anyone helpless by leaving Camp Half Blood. Sure he would take less quests on but he would ALWAYS stick around and Rick did him so dirty by making all his thoughts revolve around Annabeth and insinuating he would let others suffer just fine to be with Annabeth.

Percy gave up immortality because he took Sally's teaching to heart as she did so too when she denied Poseidon's offer. He did it for himself for demigods it didn't have shit to do with Annabeth, but of course, he would look at her because she represents his life as a demigod.

Rick making Percy see Annabeth near the Styx and making him remember Annabeth instead of Sally is just him bullshitting. We all know Percy is a mama's boy, and he would do right by Sally always, so him giving a girl who he has known for barely long enough has no basis to it.

And Percabeth stans literally can't take a mention of a single alternate Percy pairing that alone is the biggest red flag. Because they know their ship is toxic and that Annabeth is the root of it.

For the PEOPLE IN THE BACK aka toxic stans:

Annabeth's fatal flaw is HUBRIS, and she is by nature controlling and condescending, and her character had the chance to GROW and CHANGE, and it would have been the most epic character growth sequel but she did not and she is CONTROLLING, DISMISSIVE , DEMEANING.

The newest Read Riordan entry literally has Annabeth saying that she needs to catch up to Percy cause he scores a better grade than her in school (even there Percy is smarter folks there you have it) and she literally says if she doesn't catch up Percy might start calling her SEAWEED BRAIN. So it is a demeaning nickname she gives Percy and continues calling him that even after knowing how Gabe similarly verbally abused Percy.

This is the fandom's IT couple? Wow. Percy literally is going against his own nature of being free and unrestrained like the sea because of Annabeth's controlling nature.

The worst of her behavior is when she blames Percy for his disappearance when she dismissed him when he was talking about his trauma induced by Gabe, her beyond toxic treatment of Rachel, especially when she unreasonably asked Percy to supress the use of the very power that got them out alive (she is scared naturally but she cannot force her own fear on Percy when he did nothing wrong).

So yeah, Percy Jackson with anyone but Annabeth. I am all for aromantic Percy, but personally, I find Perachel to be more appealing.

Trust me, I could rant about this for hours, especially how Rick butchered Percy's personality and made it full of Annabeth, especially how he threw Percy's insecurities and trauma and PTSD out of the gutter post tartarus.

[sjbattleangel]

Aawww, thanks! I aim to please and punch-up!

Credit to my good friend @sjbattleangel for absolutely taking the piss out of that Neo-Nazi chud, TheQuartering, with this edit of a classic memetic panel from Garth Ennis’ Preacher!

[three-realms-archive]

Unhinged™

(inspired by this post by @leniisreallycool. the pure madness of obey me is the reason why I typically write chaotically-comedic slice-of-life scenarios; because i can honestly write these guys doing the stupidest things and argue that it might as well be canon, these dorks. anime canon, tho. the anime is just another beast of its own to the game ahahaha.)

(so while this may not be anime canon-level obey me content, i hope it comes close. if they’ve actually done any of these and i just haven’t experienced it in-game yet, let me know! it only proves my point.)

There was a time when Solomon brought an extremely-long baguette everywhere with him, insisting it was his magic wand. Even as the days turned to weeks, and the bread crust turned to mould, Solomon would still carry it around everywhere; unbothered by the rancid smell and waving it like a idol group light-stick whenever he spoke an incantation. Then, one day, he showed up at RAD with sandwiches to share. Sandwiches… with suspiciously green and white bread. Turns out, this whole thing was Solomon’s interpretation of dry-aging.

Belphegor and Asmodeus have an ongoing vlog series on Deviltube called ‘Beauty Sleep’. They go somewhere trendy, find some inappropriate place for Belphie to sleep, and Asmo takes some #aesthetic shots whilst timing how long Belphie can nap before being kicked out. It’s incredibly popular and sometimes features cameos from the exchange students and the other Avatars of Sin. Once, a subscriber milestone came with a special surprise: a live-streamed episode of Beauty Sleep in the Demon Lord’s Castle! They never got caught, because Diavolo was busy watching the livestream in his room - too invested to realise it was his own house.

The dining table in the main room of the House of Lamentation has its own fandom on the DevilNet. There are multiple fansites speculating the exact materials used to make it; the exact number of fasteners it uses; and, most especially, its exact length. There are posts, blogs and entire DevilTube deep-dive videos centred around the mystery of how long the table is. This is because, in every piece of media involving the table, it appears a different length despite the decorations and location remaining the same. What the Devildom doesn't know is that the table was made retractable shortly after MC arrived in the Devildom. It was a custom job, done solely so that the table could be used as a runway for a makeshift fashion show (Asmo and Mammon's idea) the brothers held with human world clothes one time MC was feeling homesick.

Once, for a whole month, Mammon dedicated himself to creating a new currency. For the first week, he was an absolute menace, stealing metal objects (like small screws or unused kitchen utensils) around the house to melt down and form into coins of his own design. Beel cried for five days over the lack of cutlery and Asmo kept shrieking whenever he realised he’d had another piece of jewellery had been stolen from him. The rest of the month was spent attempting to rope people into investing; then failing; then celebrating because he had so much of his money to himself; and finally crying because none of it would be accepted at stores.

When he had first gotten into reading books, Satan started a website called ‘Ampbook’ where demons could upload personal writing projects, as well as comment on and share them, too. It’s now incredibly popular, especially amongst younger demons, and is well-known for romance. Well. Much to Satan’s chagrin, it was actually better-known for romance… and fanfiction. He’s constantly torn between allowing his beloved site users their freedom of expression, or immediately taking down any fanfics shipping MC with any of his other brothers. He’s also faked MC x Satan as the most trending tag, permanently.

The height of Beel’s appreciation for Leviathan was shortly after MC’s arrival into the Devildom. They had introduced Levi to an anime centred around four students in a high school swimming team; including a protagonist who Beel thought had a dubiously-intimate love of water. Regardless, Levi tried out for the RAD swimming team - got in and won a bunch of gold medals - and then proceeded to quit the team after a new, different anime he had been waiting for came out. All in the span of a week. To Levi's disdain, Beel brings this up at least once a month: by parading a handmade display of Levi's medals and a framed photo of his older brother in a swimsuit around RAD, showing it off to everyone who asked. And everybody asked. Maybe not so much for the medals.

[moonbaby26]

Anyone else get abnormally freaked out about making some canon non-compliant mistake while writing One Piece fan fiction? There’s so many characters, so many details. Literally nearly THIRTY YEARS of content about these psychos out there at present. It’s daunting. 😭

If you don’t know what I mean about this very specific/stupid anxiety, imagine you just got into the fandom yourself. Maybe you’ve seen Law fanart and think he’s neat. You learn his backstory off wiki summaries and reels or whatever and then think he’s tragic. So you fall in love. You decide you’d be safe plopping him into a modern!au while you’re still trying to work through the manga or anime as you can.

You get a cute, fluffy idea of Law trying to propose to reader at a fancy restaurant. Cora is there for support. He’s supposed to film the proposal from another table that he and Doffy are at. Doffy is being a menace, Cora is being a klutz. It’s sitcom level comedy of errors. It’s so fun. BUT you have this whole section in there about how good the bread is at this specific restaurant. They talk about goddamn garlic bread like it was fine art because they’re both super nervous as reader already has an inkling of what is really going on.

But…LAW HATES BREAD. Yes, it’d be hilarious that he spent so much time talking about it anyway because he was that flustered. But you as the author really didn’t know. You didn’t know! Because you have a real life, and a real job, and you didn’t see the memes yet. You didn’t see that scene yet!

Now, does it matter? No, of course it doesn’t! It’s fan fiction. It’s fun and it’s free. But you, as the sensitive author you are will always remember that as the day Law accidentally liked the garlic bread. Because you were still a newcomer to this insane asylum of neurotic pirate lore.

It’s like that. My brain is dumb. Just slap a “may not be canon compliant” warning on everything and call it a day I know.

But I can’t, and it’s always in the back of my mind. Did I just screw up royally? Did I miss that one SBS about character X and how they absolutely wouldn’t ever do what I just said they did?

(P.S. Kuma shouldn’t have been in chapter 1 of my Doflamingo long fic. He didn’t become a warlord until four years after the fic’s current place in the timeline. I’m probably leaving it alone. That fic started as a one shot without a hard place in the timeline. But…I will still be thinking of it. It is now occupying brain space. Wtf. Why!? 🤣)

[valle-de-sombra-de-muerte]

Thank you for your response and reflection. Definitely one of the best analysis I have read about them in a long time. Thank you for being honest and holding the characters to what they actually do, and how the text is trying to guide the narrative of them, instead of the fandom's perception.

I don't think I have encountered this argument for their relationship before (I mean I might have, over the years… but I couldnt remember when) , but it is absolutely valid, because it's reassured by the text.

Later on Equius does mention to her that he 'shudders to think' what he might ended up as, were it that Nepeta was not his moirail.

And this what the text tells us, as in, what the point of moirallegiance is. Trolls are described as an angry race, who need the help of others to avoid causing damage to themselves or their surroundings.

In essence this is a effed up responsibilty. Everything about trolls is messed up but. If you think about it, even this is too. Like "I dont really care for or like that guy but somebody needs to hang out with them or theyll kill everyone". This is the kind of shit Alternian kids need to think about. Kids and fun.

Yes he definitely *tries* to mold her into something of his own image, but fails, because Nepeta is resilient and also because he is a massive screw-up. Like an ineffectual villain that destroys his own doomsday device, and makes himself look like a complete imbecile.

And yes Nepeta is indeed just simply a nice person. As you said, she is an optimist, and because of this, a little naiive. She can detect bad intentions but still wants to give a chance to basically anyone. In the chaotic and cutthroat world of Alternia someone like her wouldn't really fit in, but she still manages to survive and keep being an optimist.

I definitely like this being added to their narrative because it makes them imperfect.

And yes. That is something that is important. Because now, meowrails no longer have this 'pristine perfect model relationship' flag hanging above them, as the fandom so graciously awarded them this honor.

I admit I am a complete and utter hypocrite, because I too was always a part of those people who loved to sing praises about meowrails to the moon and back.

I still do, I still love them. But I think it's important to take them as they actually were. Instead of always living in tooth rottingly sweet headcanonland. So with all this, I feel like this pairing gained some layers as far as my interpretation goes.

It's a complicated matter. He's misguided and doing shit that is morally wrong, but aligns with the stuff he was taught. She thinks he's putting up an unnecessary front, but doesnt have the worldlyness to really dig into it. She's a little disconnected from everything, but can sense the potential goodness in all. He, as a blue blood has privileges that were granted to him, and even encouraged to do, so he tries to single her out and shut her off from the others. Even Eridan had black flirt-flarping sessions with Vriska. But when most trolls would try and completely avoid him, this one, Nepeta, stuck around. He can't let that go. He can't let her hang out with potentially dangerous trolls. He doesn't want to be alone.

She can do without him though. But she's afraid if she's not around he might do something that everyone would regret. So she sticks around. Its scary. He looks really menacing. But then ends up kind of genuinely liking him? Because he is actually less rigid than appears to be.

It seems they're getting the hang of it. All of Nepeta's mannerisms rub off on him. It's real psychology, we all adapt our friends and surroundings way of being in small ways. It really seems like they have made such progress.

And then they were gone.

But the point is, Nepeta is struggling with complicated, multi-layered feelings regarding him. Not to fall off too much into romanticism (because I will like the bleeding heart moron I am), but I think that's great, because it makes it seem more real. It wasn't the absolute most perfect relationship that popped out fully formed from Hussie's head. No. Like real relationships there's a bit of hurt in each of us. We don't always mean to hurt those we love. But sometimes we end up doing it anyway. The question is, if we can learn from these points of our lives.

Him failing at a critical moment, perhaps the most critical moment in paradox space, was all that bad shit finally catching up with him.

That's why I agree with Hussie now. I know him now, like you do Hussie. And yeah a massive force of whiplash was always heading towards him, courtesy of the universe.

But the aftermath is important too. I remember how I always feared that the actual meowrails reunion would be absolutely completely bitter. Just cuss him out and leave him to rot. I always thought, "well that's what he deserves", so that's what he'd get.

But the eternal shining light of friendship proved me wrong. All off-screen of course (nepeta already furgave you for that). Figures. But still. Maybe we can continue after the hurt feelings? After the damage? Maybe we can start over? Maybe we don't have to burn the bridges? Guess we'll never know. It doesn't make it easier IRL neither. I don't know if holding on is a good idea. I don't know if Im letting them 'get away' with stuff, or if Im using them for my own purposes. I dont know if Im holding them back or if its other way around.

But for a small, fleeting moment it seemed like friendship was real and unrelenting. And that's all I cared about.

This is wonderfully put, anon. This might be the first time I've read such a thoughtful reflection of Meowrails that acknowledges the relationship's flaws, yet still comes out with a positive outlook on it.

Though our preferences may not align, I find your perspective valid and I can definitely understand the appeal it holds for you. Thanks for sharing this with me.

[anonymous-existences]

Danny Behind Jazz Sticking out his tounge like the menace the boy is.

Jason is just making fun of Phantom over the phone outside of a JL meeting in the watch tower. He keeps calling him out and taking the piss, saying Phantom won’t do shit cause the JL are there.

The entire League are just staring at each other and Batman silently and awkwardly and they hear Red Hood mock someone saying “shove that in your grave, oh wait you didn’t get one” and losing it.

Eventually Red Hood comes back in still crying from laughter under his hood after that 40 minute call. Just as the JL are about to restart they just hear a banging from the space window(?!)

Everyone turns to see a feral looking 14-15 years cussing up a storm so bad even Constantine flinches(how can they hear someone talking when they are in space how are they just there?!?).

Only to hear Red Hood go “Oh Shit” and dead sprint out the room as the teen phases through the window and chases after him saying something about a Creep Bat (Flash asks if he missed another Bat Kid, Batman refuses.)

[sjbattleangel]

Kitty Pryde says: GAMERGATE/COMICSGATE/THE FANDOM MENACE ARE HATE MOVEMENTS!

[hoodoo12]

At Times Like These--

--we have only each other.

This past weekend was a blur but my exhaustion is worth it.

I splurged and saw the matinee on Sunday and well as the final show.

First, Andrew Kober as Beetlejuice for the matinee. He is AMAZING. It felt like watching the show for the first time again. People have their favorites and fans like us can appreciate the differences all the understudies put into the role, but Kober is the second best Beej. Full stop. He has a fantastic mix of desperation and manic energy, with an underlying menace that, ngl, Alex sort of lost as the show went on.

During the matinee there was audience participation I haven't heard ever happening:

Kober says his line, "All I want is for someone, anyone to look my way and say “Hey."

Couple of audience members say loudly, "Hey!"

Kober continues, "I see you."

More audience, "I see you!"

Kober, "I accept you."

More audience, "I accept you!"

Kober, "And I fear for my safety around you.”

All of the audience, "And I fear for my safety around you!"

Kober, pauses. Then, "Nope. Didn't work."

We, the entire audience, lost.our.minds.

Now. The closing show ...

Fucking hell. I mean that in the best possible way.

Standing ovations from the beginning. For every actor.

It took so long for Alex to even drop the newspaper. He tapped his foot. He leaned back (allllll the way back) to lean on the coffin. He got on the floor. Then, and only then, did he drop the paper to renewed enthusiastic applause.

Every actor played along with their rightfully deserved ovation and applause during their entrances. It was so heartwarming.

I know everyone has seen all the "what happened during the last performance" posts that people are doing, but NO ONE has mentioned these things:

1) at the end of the TBS reprise, Alex ran up the stairs with a clone and started aggressively making out with them as the set changed

2) when Adam stops him from murdering Charles and goes into his "you have groped me, etc" speech, Alex made these increasingly feral, increasingly loud snarling noises like he was getting ready to scrap (. . . or screw)

3) during the Adam and Beej kiss, it went hard. Alex groped David's ass and pretended to dip a finger between his ass cheeks/shove a finger in him, then smelled his finger when David was pulled away. Then he stalked after David for more before Kerry grabbed him.

(I know I am looking at all that though the lens of a smut writer, but hoooo boy.)

Alex Timbers' speech was nice, but not allowing anyone else to say anything?! Fuck whoever made that decision. Alex was actively walking forward for the mic when the curtain stared coming down. He and Elizabeth looked surprised, so they weren’t told about it, obviously, which is unfortunate and understandably upsetting. Here is someone who had been active with the show since 2017 helping to make it what it became plus a new star that embraced (and was embraced by) the fandom, to the point she cracked during the very last word of the show, and they were denied? I'd heard from reliable sources that other cast members had some things prepared as well, and they didn't get the chance to say anything either. It was just abrupt and crushed the energy that had been wild up till then.

This show has meant so much to so many people, including myself. Alex Timbers told us what we already knew: Over a million people saw Beetlejuice on Broadway. That the audience for Beetlejuice was statistically younger than the average for Broadway shows. That Beetlejuice was the first Broadway show for a huge number of audience members. That the fact that fans were so engaged and active that we helped bring it back from the dead. We said his name three times, and Beetlejuice returned for a real send off, one the show deserved, to 1600 adoring Netherlings.

[reverseblackholeofwords]

Hi, just wanted to remind you that I still love all the ego stuff you wrote. I was a big lurker during the time you actively wrote it but dude it was so fucking good.

When I think about the egos, I mostly think about your stuff bc it made the characters come to life. It was so good. I can’t say it enough.

The stuff I’m pulling from memory rn is Anti’s time in The Forgotten. Like my bro, my dude, my homie. That shit pulled at my heart. The fact that he was only gone for like a day or smt in our dimension but he had actually been gone for like 10 years in that dimension experiencing horrors unknown. AND NOBEDY KNEW???? Good shit.

The relationship between the Host and dr. Iplier. Still one of my fav bromances. Like the trust between them and how it was made through hardships. It came to a point where Host even trusted Doc with his name??? Which gave him power over Host, something he was so afraid of. Doc made him a better man. Stopped him from being too cruel. But than he had to forget it bc he went insane. BUT BECAUSE HOST IS AN ASS, HE MADE DOC AND ANTI FORGET EVERYTHING. My guy, that’s your platonic husband and adopted son. Yes I was screaming about that. That still gets me going.

There is so much other stuff too though. Like Anti and Doc becoming family. The egos all getting closer. Phantom being an absolute menace every time he appeared. The Googles becoming more and more human over time.

You introduced me to Wiggles. Didn’t know anything about PJ before I started reading your works.

What it all boils down to, is me wanting to thank you. I don’t know how you look back on those ego stories but it got me through some dark times. You updating it always made my day better. I still carry a piece of it with me everywhere I go and has also inspired me a lot. So thank you!

Oh man, thank you so much for taking time to send this! It's honestly insanely encouraging to hear those stories stuck with you. I still love them a lot myself, cringe or no, because they're such a fun time capsule of that period in my life, and this blog and all the people who followed it (lurkers and all) also helped me get through college in one piece.

Gosh I did put Anti through so much, but in my defense, it was for character development! He and Ollie were always one of my favorite dynamics to write, personally. I mean, the computer glitch demon and the sentient android with a heart of gold? I still haven't made up something that good since. Also the Mare and Phantom dynamic, which they were always managing to screw up somehow. Unhealthy sibling dynamics are the best.

It's also insane that so much of the Host stuck with you because he was always my favorite to write and the one that felt the most like mine at the end of the day. The fact that Mark announced he'd retired him as a character and we all collectively agreed to kidnap him and give him a story is still one of this fandom's shining moments in my mind. In fact, I've kinda snagged Host for different original stories I'm writing now just because I miss writing him so much. I've also kept The Forgotten as a concept, which is definitely getting used in a setting I'm working on now because the angst potential is indeed too good to deny.

Also, while we're strolling down memory lane, what one writer gets to wipe their entire canon midway through and start over again in an alternate timeline whilst using references to the previous timeline to terrorize their readers? Ending one timeline of the blog to begin another was a wild but fascinating experiment on my part to see how I could use it to play with foreshadowing and all that jazz. Plus nothing will ever quite beat letting the audience reach into the narrative and start making their own waves from time to time.

But even though I do mostly original stories now, I'm still loving writing found families and platonic soulmates and maybe the redeeming of one or two villains, so I appreciate all the practice and the feedback I got from these stories! I'll probably keep sneaking Ego references into my stories forever. I'd also be curious to know which story arcs stuck with other people??

[reconstructwriter]

Finally Broken Down and Watched the Prequels

I honestly don't remember if I've seen them all before or just clips. But after a few years of being a Star Wars fan on a steady diet of fandom, I broke down and pulled out the Phantom Menace to cap off my birthday. I’m spoiled to hell and back and a couple decades older than the intended audience but what the hell. So here’s my two cents (or more) arrogant opinion on The Phantom Menace:

Heads up, long post.

Shmi surprised me the most of any character. After reading fanfics about Jedi or Qui Gon pressuring/coercing her…she’s the one who asks them to take Anakin? For education she can’t give him? Okay, fair. And I’m 100% onboard with Shmi as Force Sensitive and/or taught Jedi beliefs cause her lines are peak Jedi. Anakin not only betrayed Jedi teachings but ALSO HIS MOM’S when he went Darth Vader. Congrats, you become not only Galaxy’s Worst Father but also Galaxy’s Worst Son.

Shmi is also clearly enslaved by the plot. Not even Anakin selling the winning pod racer was enough money to free her…but somehow Cleigg Lars has the cash? Is he supposed to be running a plantation here?

Jar Jar was annoying but given how low my expectations of him were set? Eh, the worst thing about him was the blatant racist portrayal (and he’s not alone) in a film whose MAIN THEME is equality. Bad enough to have a bigoted cliche show up but George Lucas are you deliberately shooting your movie’s message in the foot?

This is especially bad when another blatant racist portrayal is Watto and the Jedi are Space Jewish Buddhists! Enough idiots buy the Sith propaganda that Jedi steal children or whatever that attitude does NOT NEED REINFORCEMENT!

Especially not IRL.

Qui Gon harping on Anakin needing to be trained but NOT being the one to train Anakin was also a bit unexpected, given his fanon portrayals. I mean on the one hand I’m glad you’re not screwing your Padawan over completely but on the other hand you found and freed Anakin and now you want to pawn him off? Which he did, in the end.

Poor Obi Wan though, like I get this isn’t an easy solution and Qui Gon is backed in a corner but man you'd think a diplomat would be a little better! But kudos for Kenobi he looked past his hurt and rallied to support his Master for a nine year old’s sake.

Tales of the Jedi seems to imply the Council sent Qui Gon to Darth Maul like a lamb to the slaughter but that was not what I got. No one, not even Qui Gon or Obi Wan, seemed to think they couldn’t handle him. Not entirely certain they didn’t write off his appearance as a 100 on the random encounters table but anyway…

I’ve seen the clip of Anakin standing before the Council and unlike a lot of scenes it feels more open to interpretation – is Anakin cold cause of the Dark Side growing from his fear or cause he’s used to Tattooine? Does he fear for his enslaved mom or for his own pain from losing her? Is Anakin behaving himself better because he’s intimidated or because he has his serious pants on like everyone else? Does he think the Jedi will kick him out on the street or does he know he’ll still be taken care of?

Also the movie ends with Mace and Yoda - The Two Top Ranking Jedi - discussing the Sith Master, so the Jedi are clearly jumping onto that investigation.

[koala-fluff]

Tickletober Day 1: Anticipation

Fandom: Wednesday

-Enjoy!

-----------------------

Xavier knew he was screwed as soon as she let herself in. Actually, he knew when he saw her sitting grumpily at lunch.

"Bad day?" He asked, eyeing her warily.

"Yes." Wednesday replied curtly, gathering up some of his paint and preparing a canvas.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"No." The reply made him freeze for only a moment. He cleared his throat and watched, to his horror, as she set up her space directly next to his.

They painted in silence. To anyone else, it would seem like a nice scene. Just two friends, comfortable in each other's presence without need to speak.

For poor Xavier though, it was anything but comfortable.

His movements were stiff and his face was slightly pink. Every few seconds, his eyes were drawn in her direction. His nerves were buzzing as he waited for her inevitable attack.

During one of his passing glances, Wednesday looked at him slyly. He inhaled sharply, watching her closely. She deliberately reached for a thicker brush and wiggled her fingers before picking it up.

Xavier's eyes widened and he turned away immediately. What was he painting again? It was so hard to focus with her right there.

"Hm…" the evil Addams hummed, tilting her head. "Maybe…"

Her hand shot towards the boy, fingers formed into claws. He yelped and dropped his brush. His arms went down to defend and he closed his eyes, preparing for…

… nothing?

He carefully opened one eye, then his jaw dropped, offended.

She stood there, head cocked in confusion. Evidently, she was just being a little menace, for she had stolen his magenta paint.

"Hey!" He huffed, relaxing only a tiny bit. "I was using that!"

"No you weren't." She said, looking back at her own canvas. "You were too busy waiting for me to tickle you."

He spluttered, his face going scarlet. "Wha- no! I wasn't- why-"

She held a hand up and slowly turned to face him again. She hummed thoughtfully, her eyes going from her canvas to his face, then back to whatever masterpiece she was creating. Xavier peaked at it and saw that it was covered in a light, redish color.

"I've been having trouble with my background." She said, slowly putting her brush down. "I just can't seem to get the right shade of red."

Xavier looked like a deer in headlights. His own eyes tracked between her and her canvas. A shiver ran down his spine as she cracked her knuckles and stepped towards him. He, obviously, stepped back.

"I think," she said, a smirk growing on her lips, "if I can make you blush only a little more, your face will be the perfect reference…"

He gulped.

Yep, he was so screwed.

[anghraine]

I was just thinking about how I tend to really engage with characters who have great capacities for good combined with significant personal flaws. Sometimes the flaws are disastrous—I've loved many a tortured villain (but generally not unconcerned, pure-evil-with-panache villains). Sometimes I like anti-heroic characters who are charismatically edgy, but not only edgy—there's got to be something more going on with them, moments when you can hope for better things (like with Mary Crawford).

Sometimes the significant flaws almost lead to disaster, but after much struggle are overcome before the disaster happens (like Luke Skywalker in the OT). Sometimes the flaws do lead to disaster, or at least significantly contribute to it, but that capacity for something better—either in the future or in the sense of possibility—is essential (like with Anakin). Sometimes the external effects are minimal but the flaw is still significant to the character, at least as far as I'm concerned, especially if it's surprising (like with book Faramir).

But sometimes a character is presented as so overwhelmingly good and right-thinking, with such minimal development or flaws I find so ephemeral or unconvincing, that I'm like ... they're fine, I guess? But I don't really love them. I need some sharp edges, at least in my own perception of the character.

Faramir probably has the least of this of my faves, but his mixture of menace and graciousness in TTT and his lashing out in ROTK sells the virtue for me, you know? It's like when people in Austen fandom go on about why would you choose Darcy as the favorite JA hero when you could choose heroes who don't screw up nearly as much and are therefore more deserving, and I'm just, uh, Darcy's powerful virtuousness (which is very real) works for me because he screws up so badly, and does so in large part because of his personal flaws, and has a whole arc involving them.

Of course, it's not just any personal flaw that makes characters like these appealing. There are definitely characters who mix admirable qualities with significant flaws that I find deeply annoying or even repellent. Generally, there has to be a reason for the development of the flaw/flaws that makes intuitive sense to me and which I find more or less sympathetic (Attolia Irene), or an external pressure that winds up the flaw/flaws dramatically and drives the character on (Denethor). Also, some characteristics are just personally irritating or unappealing to me (or alternately, ones I just like—hard, intense, and determined female characters, to the point of of occasional ruthlessness But There's A Reason, are probably my favorite type of female character).

But yeah, "What about X? They don't screw up in any meaningful way, they're just soft and good" is always going to be a tough sell for me.