#so I don't have to suffer recasting

[thatnonameuser]

I feel like a lot of yandere can use Lilia's bullying to their advantage if they find out. Like, "oh! That mean old bat from diasomnia? Psh, elementary spell. I can remove it for you, but you'll owe me." Especially the extremely smart ones like the OB boys.

Another note: Platonic Yan vs Platonic Yan! Teachers removing another darn curse placed by Lilia; like maybe Trein who's knowledgeable in history like Lilia is and old spells. Or Crewel who has rare ingredients in his part of the school greenhouse for that nasty ancient potion that Lilia snuck in your drink.

For what I’m about to say, take no offense. 

Insert mocking tone here….You think Lilia ‘General of the East’ Vanrouge would curse you if he knew it could be removed easily?! That’s funny. Mocking tone ceased.

Lilia really wouldn’t waste his and your time with an easily broken spell. Plus, because Lilia’s been around long before the teacher’s grandparent’s parents were born and that the fae have been doing the darling thing for a very long time before it was widespread in the human nations. A lot of the old ways have fallen out of practice with many of the spells, potions and curses being lost to time. Mostly because they were either banned or lost from records. But hey, there are a good few that have survived the test of time. 

Night Raven’s connection to the Great Seven allows for some of the best and strongest spells to have survived to the present day. And along with those spells come cures. Each dorm at NRC has a manuscript of spells, both to entrap and to cure, that are protected under lock and key by the dorm leaders. So depending on the dorm, one might have the knowledge to cure what ails you. But that’s not to say that comes without a price. 

Listen. While it pains them to watch you suffer, they all, cough Azul cough, know an opportunity when they see it. And it would be so helpful if you cooperate with them, and maybe give them something in return? Maybe something you originally said no to?

They might or might not know whoever your attacker was. Some of the ones from more ancient families, specifically Leona and Idia, might be able to recognise it and put two and two together, but once again powerful and ancient spells are hard to come by so others might not.

Either way, you’ll be suffering one moment and severely indebted the next. 

As for the teachers….. Same packaging, different purpose. 

The teachers have an arrangement to all protect you from the yanderes, even if you actually want to be with one of them. So if any one of them notices that you’ve been claimed, willingly or otherwise, they’re all stepping in. 

Crewel, Trein and Sam are especially helpful for this. Crewel teaches you how to avoid or notice them and provides the potion cures. Trein does the research to handle the really old ones and dispels them for you. And Sam, can get you any and every magic charm, repellant or tool that can free you or prevent any recastings. 

Don't go to them too often though, because if they start to think you're in capable of looking after yourself, you'll be isolated in a whole new way.

Also don’t think Lilia won’t wise up to whatever anyone’s plotting. He will find any and every way around it. A lil idea that came up while I was writing this is Lilia negotiating with the teachers to make them stop intervening in the claiming process. Like how often they’ll get to visit, will they be able to walk you down the aisle, et cetera.

[nalyra-dreaming]

it's a weird question and maybe you won't be able to answer it but you have visibility and maybe someone will be able to answer me.

Why it would be weird to have had a black or mixed race Nicolas in the 17th century France but not a South Asian man like Armand? I'm not trying to create conflict I'm just wondering.

I don't have anything against the casting of Joseph Potter as Nicky and maybe Lestat was referring to their similarities in their personalities.

Hey,

not sure if I'm (fully) able to :) (and if anyone wants to add on, please do!), but I think it boils down to the "color conscious" vs "color blind" casting.

Louis could be black (and Claudia) because the time shift to NOLA in the 1910s allowed it for the story to only do this very small time-shift (all things considered!) and keep Louis backstory intact(!) and also keep his "owning people and selling them out" profession also intact despite the change. It's essentially the same character - just more. (And thankfully so!)

Armand the same. Armand can be recast like this because the area he is from was contested back then, and in any case (since we do not know yet if they changed that, maybe) Marius bought a (trafficked) sex slave. The racial change adds more - but doesn't actually change (that) much of the backstory.

Nicolas... I'm not saying there were no black people or mixed race in France back then (of course there were) but for the main story to play out? It probably wouldn't quite work, I wrote about that here re Lestat and Magnus' selection criteria, too.

Because this show doesn't "just" cast color blind - it includes the racial aspects, considers them. They have impact and are important for the story.

THIS (among a lot of other things) IS what makes IWTV so incredibly good.

And to close this - YES - Lestat was referring to their personalities! This is how he compares them in "The Vampire Lestat":

"He had Nicki's grim intensity, his rebelliousness, his tortured capacity to believe and not to believe, and finally to despair. Yet Louis gained a hold over me far more powerful than Nicolas had ever had. Even in his cruelest moments, Louis touched the tenderness in me, seducing me with his staggering dependence, his infatuation with my every gesture and every spoken word. And his naiveté conquered me always, his strange bourgeois faith that God was still God even if he turned his back on us, that damnation and salvation established the boundaries of a small and hopeless world. Louis was a sufferer, a thing that loved mortals even more than I did. And I wonder sometimes if I didn't look to Louis to punish me for what had happened to Nicki, if I didn't create Louis to be my conscience and to mete out year in and year out the penance I felt I deserved. But I loved him, plain and simple."

Nothing about his actual looks in there :)

[boinin]

Been a hot minute since I got egg on my face. Here's a little speculation on the upcoming Blue Lock chapters (293 and 294) for funsies ahead of leaks dropping.

🚨 Blue Lock Manga Spoilers!

The next two chapters will likely round off Volume 33 of the manga, so it's nearly a given that the PXG v BM match will end in that span.

What's been established ahead of the final score?

1. Isagi, Kaiser and Rin are an even match for one another. On several occasions, they've each attempted to score, but have been thwarted by each other. Their head to head battle has resulted in a stalemate.

I don't disregard the input of other players, like Shidou, Charles, Hiori, Yukimiya or Karasu. But this trio are driving every attack. It's their narrative so to speak.

2. Ness is evolving, even though Kaiser and Isagi have disregarded him.

Kainess is over y'all 🙌🪦 It was long overdue, but Ness learned rather painfully that he can no longer serve Kaiser the way he used to.

I'm excited for what this means for Ness as a character, but I'll stick to game speculation for now. In its narrative, this match has all been about determining who the "hero" of the Neo Egoist League is. Two unbeaten teams, the two highest bid players, squaring off for dominance.

3. The fate of the rivals

Without doubt, Isagi and Rin have proven their bid value and then some, but it's hard to envision either one emerging as the single victor with how closely matched they are. Rin in particular has been a force of nature in this game, but... he's too good a character to peak at this point of the overall story. Not to mention, he'll be around for the World Cup arc. My sense is, he needs more setbacks before he reaches his final form. This bad boy can fit so much angst *slaps roof*

As for Kaiser, he's been dragged into the Rinsagi storm and become collateral damage. Winning's no longer a matter of malicious fun for him - Kaiser has been upstaged, and his ego has shattered as a result. His character arc has been resolved for now. In short, my first prediction is: neither Rin or Kaiser will score in the coming chapters.

Instead, I speculate that it'll be teammates outside the trio's bubble that set a goal in motion. Specifically, Ness... and whoever he decides on.

4. The theme of evolution will prevail in this match.

Few characters remain unchanged by their journey through the Neo Egoist League, particularly in this match. Isagi symbolises change and adaptation overall within the series, but let's talk a little about who else in BM has undergone evolution:

Hiori finding his own ego and becoming a "producer" of goals;

Yukimiya asserting his "protagonism" and "beating" Isagi by cinching the final goal against Manshine;

Igaguri having his long-running optimism finally crushed by Noa, leaving him used and benched for good.

Raichi begrudgingly accepting a non-striker position, recast as an integral member of the team's midfield defence.

GOATgamaru suffering from success and dooming himself to the goalposts for the rest of the franchise /jk

Kiyora and Kurona were unknown to us prior to the NEL so it's harder to document how they've evolved, but even Kurona's shown growth in keeping up with Isagi.

As Yukimiya and Hiori both reflect in chapter 291, that's what BM's about: Isagi's relentless change, and their own drive to keep up with him. Not as friends, but as rivals that thrive off the competition.

Really, there are only two characters in BM that haven't changed since the NEL arc began. Let me draw attention to a key interaction of theirs from way back in the Barcha match (chapter 159):

5. Shock factor: Kunigami and Ness?

It sound stupid to present Kunigami as an example of a static character, but bear with me. Prior to his elimination in the second selection, Kunigami was the sole character among the Egoist Four who hadn't experienced either significant setbacks or a moment of explosive growth. Because he's my babygirl, I talk at length about his journey pre- and post-Wild Card in this post. Specifically, I discuss how static his development was under the heading "Inert hero: Kunigami's arc".

Of course, because a great source of angst is to put characters into scenarios that actively clash with their ideals, Kunigami ended up in Wild Card. The pure-hearted hero who believed in teamwork, routine and sticking to his strengths was forced to rethink everything he believed in service of his dream of becoming a superhero. The boy who emerged was not the same as the one who'd entered.

We still don't know what happened to him, so while I hope we'll find out what Wild Card was, I'm choosing to dwell on how little Kunigami has changed since his return in chapter 155.

Kunigami came back quiet... and grumpy, to put it lightly. He's a test subject, tasked with the dual purpose of being a facsmile of the world's best player and a catalyst for his surrounding teammates.

The thing about catalysts is, they're meant to remain inert while everything around them changes.

So that's what Kunigami has done. Scoring against Barcha and Manshine didn't yield any additional growth for him as a character. It showed how he's changed since the beginning, but there's limited evidence of him evolving subsequent to Wild Card. Rather, he's succeeded in driving Isagi forward with each goal.

Chapter 213 suggested that the lovable Rensuke of yore might yet be somewhere under all that hair and muscle, but that part of him hasn't been spotted since. He was ineffective overall in the Ubers match, despite nominally acting as another threat to the Italian defence. So far against PXG, he's succeeded at keeping Shidou at bay and flashing dem WC gains, but little else. Even so, Isagi's all too aware of his talent and skill.

He's a static character that had a significant reintroduction arc who's conceptually at odds with this final match's theme: evolution. And Kaneshiro dropped him right in front of Isagi's nose in the latest chapter:

Seeing Kunigami has prompted a realisation for Isagi: he's gone Gojo-Saiyan and the puzzle pieces are taking off. Now, he could be cooking up anything, but I'll repeat the beats the story has provided until this point in time:

The dominant power of evolution as a theme;

Main rivals Rin, Isagi and Kaiser have reached a stalemate that even their teammates cannot break;

Isagi's awareness is drawn to Kunigami, a character who has yet to experience evolution in this match or throughout the NEL;

Meanwhile, Isagi is unaware of Ness's pending evolution, another character whose arc is currently open-ended;

Every other fielded player for BM's has either significantly evolved during the NEL, been developed in some way, or at least don't function as an open cliffhanger.

For the PXG boys, look: there are open questions for plenty of them. We know little about Karasu, and not one thing about why Shidou's... Shidou. Nanase's story has only really begun, while Zantetsu and Tokimitsu are scarcely more than side characters in the main manga. While I believe they'll all get further development in the manga, EpiNagi or a light novel, I don't see this happening in the next two chapters.

And so, to prediction number two: BM are going to win this match. They've got storytelling armour! Which is why I'll speculate a moment longer.

Kaiser and Isagi are unlikely to part ways with their differences resolved. I'm getting meta here, but there's no way in hell Kaiser isn't making a comeback as a levelled up boss in a future arc. Toxic yaoi sells, after all 💙 So Kaiser isn't scoring, and my sense is, it's about 50:50 odds whether Isagi will score or not. With Rin on his ass at all times, he might not succeed in scoring personally... but the odds of him at least orchestrating the last goal are substantial.

Isagi already pulled off a team-up with Hiori and Kunigami for his two gun goal in chapter 257, and he may well attempt something similar in the next chapter. There are a couple of unpredictable elements though: one being that Kunigami cooperated before to return Isagi's assist in the Barcha match, as I'd part-predicted in my earlier analysis. It's unlikely he'd act so selflessly again, and I can't see Isagi particularly wanting Kunigami to score with his assistance.

The other is Ness and his brewing evolution, which could go two ways: will he seek to become the star himself, or find a new emperor to serve?

I personally don't see Ness scoring. I'd be happily surprised if he did so, and I'm sure Kaneshiro would have good reason for it besides shock value. But Ness attempting to become a striker has the potential to retread what Hiori went through in the Ubers match. Nor does he have the inclination; IMO Ness still lacks the resolve to chase his only glory. Yet, with his time in the manga coming to a close for now, he's due for significant character development.

What I can see is him becoming the key driver of the next goal, possibly as a result of an oversight by Isagi. The real question is, who would he pass to?

If his type is tall, emotionally unavailable fair-haired men, then does Kaneshiro have a treat for him...!

Last prediction: Ness supports Kunigami in making the final goal of the Neo Egoist League... pissing off all of Isagi, Rin and Kaiser in the process.

It just... fits. It would hark back nicely to their exchange in the Barcha match and show how far Ness has come. For Kunigami's part, for better or worse, it would validate his Wild Card ordeal... something to unpack before or during the next arc. But all to be revealed, as we wait for chapter 293 to drop.

---

This started as a crack theory and I am under no illusion that eggs may come my way this week. But I would really enjoy this as a finale to the match!

In any case, thanks for reading... and roll on the leaks 👀

[bbbbbbrilliantly]

I tried telling ppl months ago that Tish or ppl close to her was on here and was called a liar etc. After that whole IG vs Tumblr and posting all the rumors, assumptions, and accusations on fan pages Tish follow, I knew she/someone would tell/show her, and be discussing it. The same ppl mad at IG are some of the same ones on here that have IG accts and follow Tish and a few fan pgs. I wish she hadn't have created another pg, or opened comments. These ppl don't care about her as a person. They're lusting after, roasting her, sexually harassing her, and creating ai sims porn, and other ridiculous edits etc.(Taylor Swift has a lawsuit for fake porn created of her. Yall need to chill.) I've been rooting for Letitia for a while, but it doesn't seem she's as excited, optimistic or professional as she once was. She's been falling for about a yr or so. She really needs to get back to her faith. She's slipped which many Christians do, but that happens because we're NOT perfect humans, nor are the ppl that have so much to say about her, and question her. They themselves can't be the angel they expect and think she's suppose to be.

I still wish the best for her and hope her spiritual discernment and eyes will open.

#Someone that cares about Letitia more than she'll ever know

She’s a celebrity and an attractive human so people from all walks of life have eyes on her. I can confidently say no one from the tumblr space is disrespecting her or putting inappropriate comments on her accounts. Most of us are waaaay too grown for shit like that. And making chats/simulations with cartoons is a different beast than actually using HER likeness to make pornography. No one expects Tish to be perfect and I’m glad she made the dump page because she needs to keep up her exposure and some kind of connection to her fans. I think she’s in here and other sites but I also think she saw how hard her fans rode for her with the movie recasting situation and realized she has a great fanbase and needs to cultivate that more.

As far as the religious stuff, I wouldn’t know. Her spiritual journey is hers and hers alone. I don’t personally support or participate in any organized religion. It’s hard to support something that glorifies suffering while being used to prop up those who oppress us. I cannot pray to the same god who allowed my ancestors to be enslaved, abused and continues to allow these same aggressors to diminish and discriminate against us daily.

At what point does god step in?

At what point is it enough?

People typically believe in a religion because they need to stay sane, they need something to believe in because they are in pain or their lives are disharmonious.

Most people who can wake up and do whatever they want don’t typically believe in higher powers.

Religion is reserved for the poor and downtrodden to keep them subservient to those who are actually currently enjoying the Earth(wealthy people) the Bible claims the “meek” will inherit. 🤷🏽‍♀️

[texasthoughtsaboutnothing]

The Stranger and my thoughts on where each LCB Sinner is at (Long)

Hey, I actually sat down and read L'etranger, Meursault's source novel. I've got some fucking feelings about it, especially relating it to Limbus Company and what it might mean for his Canto in like 2 years.

Firstly, you should read or listen to this book. It's short, surprisingly punchy, and easy to follow. I (probably) don't have autism but I can absolutely see a read of this where the character does or is neurodivergent in some other way; beyond his relationship and evaluation of social queues and norms he also seems to deal with sensory issues. There are better people than me who should talk about this and I'm probably not adding a lot to the conversation but keeping this reading in my head for the climax added an extra layer of discomfort (intentional discomfort for the benefit of the story's message, I should say) to the whole book. But It's worth experiencing even if you disagree with that reading or have a different one.

Limbus Brainrot/Spoiler stuff from here on in.

There's always the question of where exactly each Sinner is in their story as they're on the bus. Their stories have been reinterpreted and/or jumbled in ways that make it fun to guess, so to go over each Sinner and where they are based on what we know or my theories:

Yi Sang - I'm not gonna front, I don't really get The WIngs, but this seems like a Good End AU for him. He already escaped his "Wife's" control and the sunless room and is now flying again (metaphorically, or maybe literally? i dont know help me).

Faust - Likely in the middle of the part where she's using Mephistopheles' power to do good in the world and prior to her being damned to hell. Side note, she's last to get a Canto and I bet it's not a coincidence that (afaik) she and Dante are the only two with Hell in their stories directly. My long shot call is that Faust is also Beatrice and there will be so much DantexFaust ship art in 2026.

Don Quixote - The biggest enigma. La Sangre de Sancho has gripped the imagination of the fandom and I am no exception. She's next after Heathcliff so we'll get her some time in August at the latest and I can't wait. My best guess is she's currently gallivanting and will be forced home in her Canto, assuming Don is Sancho theory isn't true. Praying her Canto is called The Impossible.

Ryoshu - In Hell Screen, the reason the painter is obsessed with torture is that he can only paint what he has seen and is trying to paint the Buddhist Hell. In his quest for his art he destroys his life and those around him, and ends up committing suicide over it. But there is a villain in the form of the Lord who beyond driving the story by requesting the screen in the first place is guilty of SA and murder. I'm expecting we're post story; the Lord is related to the five fingers, the daughter might be recast as a friend or something, and the sword Ryoshu carries is likely the screen. Nothing revolutionary in my guesses here, but it's either going to be that straight-forward or insanely abstract, where she's the lord and the painter and the daughter and the screen and the sword is the monkey or some shit.

Hong Lu - I have not yet read Dream of a Red Chamber, it's next on the list. Forgive me!

Heathcliff - Oh boy. Like many, I expect he is post-spurning by Catherine and is on his journey for his fortune on the LCB. So, his Canto will be about coming home to a beloved who is with someone else. Yes, the beloved blorbo will suffer for my amusement. Let's go 3 hours Heathmael sex scene!

Ishmael - We now know her story already kinda happened, as many expected, making this a bizarre sequel to Moby Dick. I think it gave PM a lot of room to do whatever they wanted to while still sticking to the themes of the story. Already wrote about what I loved about this and the recontextualizing of Ahab as a whale unto herself (which I don't actually know if it's in the original novel, but it wouldn't surprise me).

Rodion - A weird one. Her inciting incident happened, the murdering of the landlord/pawnbroker, but the unintentional death of the innocent sister was shifted to the entire damn block. So if I had to guess she's in the period after her crime trying to avoid being caught, but no police officer allegory has really been introduced yet. I read Crime and Punishment years ago so I can't say for certain but it feels the most loosely adapted and suffers a tad for being part of the intro. Rodya's story is in no way finished so it's up in the air. Praying for a Petrovich just so people can meet the OG Columbo.

Sinclair - Still need to read Demian, but I have a rough understanding of the plot. Also unfinished in his story, Sinclair has a long way to go to his self-realization. This feels more intentional however, I remember someone made an observation of Cinqlair as representative of his drunken college years where he's popular but unfulfilled, and I think we can extend that to all of his IDs. He seems to have the most potential of all the Sinners, so much so that I wouldn't be surprised if there's a mirror world where he's a Color unto himself. I digress, the point is he's pre Frau Eva (who if she turn's out to be the Purple Tear I will lose my mind) who is also called Beatrice at some point so what's up with that PM?

Outis - Another big mystery, especially as she isn't Odysseus but Outis, a name referencing a particular part of the Odyssey with the Cyclops. I have to imagine she's on the Odyssey, journeying home after the Smoke War (which might have some parallels with the Trojan War beyond the obvious). It's interesting all the Greek myth named Abnormalities are Hospital themed, might be something there but nothing I can parse from my limited knowledge of Greek society and folklore. While she' might be a traitor, I'm thinking she's joined Limbus Company to hide while on her journey; she might be wanted dead by something and is concealing her identity after what happened in the war.

Greg - Again, a character post-story. He was locked in a room, he metamorphized, and... well he's alive? So we've diverged from the source novel, as it's taken the allegorical meanings and made them more literal, but Hermann is still around and a major player so who knows where this will go?

Meursault - I have so many thoughts. Meursault could be anywhere in his story, but I'm going to guess it's one of two places. First guess, we're completely pre story. His Canto opens with him getting a message that Maman died today, or maybe yesterday, he doesn't know. So the whole story plays out over the course of the Canto. But more likely, and my prediction, is that he's currently in "jail" awaiting his execution or acquittal. He has already murdered a man (or done some other crime) and instead of being tried for that, he has been tried and sentenced for his peculiarities of character. Bound in the chains of others, the multitudes have tightened their hold (I'm very clever and not cringe at all).

So I have to wonder what light blinded him, overwhelmed him so much that it led to his crime? The Bright Nights and Dark Days are an obvious choice, and I'm not the first to suggest it. Perhaps he distorted? Anyway, his story ends with him having given up on acquittal and instead hoping for a crowd of people hating him as he approaches the guillotine. I'm super interested in how this will play out in Limbus, especially as he must survive for gameplay purposes.

Also, Meursault is so horny. Like, oh my god. Half of his thoughts are of Marie, specifically of wanting her and all the connotations that contains. He spurns God in the face of a Chaplain, saying that He is worth nothing compared to a single hair on a woman's head. Meursault is not a romantic but not just some horndog either, his desire for sex and women and their bodies feels like an extension of his worldview centered on the immediacy of life and not just debauchery or hedonism. It's a part of the idea life is lived as today, yesterday, and tomorrow, and there is joy and happiness in that simplicity. I feel like this will get cut for Limbus but I hope it isn't, I want Meursault to casually admit he desires every Sinner on the bus carnally (yes the men and NB too, probably just a HC but I do believe that the City is a binormative society based on its already loose relationship to gender identity).

So uh, that's the thoughts so far. Merry Christmas, I guess.

[jazzypizzaz]

this false spring weather + the burning down of democracy has me waking up again

back in the fall I was suffering some kind of burnout (spent years integrating myself into my new community and felt like a lot of energy spent getting nowhere)(+ getting sick for like four weeks ugh)(+election). and I think this is the first time I noticed my slip into fandom hyperfixations for what it was... so I feel I've been more self-aware of it than previously, like ok I don't have a ton of obligations this winter, I'll still take care of myself, don't burn bridges, but. let myself intentionally hibernate in fictional worlds and rest a bit

but yesterday I went to this networking thing for work -- happens every year, I see the same random acquaintances at the same event, so it's a good gauge -- and it was fine. Fun even. notably it didn't feel like an insurmountable task like the big event I left early back in November.

also the Anger lighting a fire. there's that.

aaaaaaanyway I do have thousands of words of fic already on the page that I will be publishing :) and I'll be around blowing off steam sometimes, reblog recast death wishes for certain individuals, etc, but. my INTENTION is to step back

*biggest most weary sigh* what a time to be a person in the world

[glow-wine]

Re: Arondir

2x8 spoilers obviously

The Rings of Power generally suffers from having to balance so many different storylines, which also advance at very different paces and aren't always equally exciting. It's a problem that the Gandalf subplot has not at all overlapped with any of the other storylines FOR TWO SEASONS. These characters do not even know of each other's existence.

In Season 1, the most engaging storyline for me was the Southlands stuff. The stakes were high and felt that way, too, since all the characters were original creations, their fate not predictable, the threat was tangible. As this storyline's protagonist, Arondir was pretty much constantly fighting to survive or to save others, and he often failed simply because the odds were so high. His dynamic with Adar was interesting and felt like it was setting up something. Arondir watched Adar grieve for a dead orc and became the first (and for the duration of Season 1, the only) character to see that emotional side of Adar. They were both doing the seed planting ritual before a battle, a deliberate paralleling of the two characters.

In Season 2, those same key moments were replicated with Galadriel, setting up the same kind of dynamic between Adar and Galadriel. Meanwhile, Arondir is ... handled weirdly. Frankly, Season 2 uses him like a cheat code: Isildur needs saving? Arondir! Galadriel needs help? Arondir! He's the action guy, who does action things. Oh, he also wants revenge against Adar for Bronwyn and everything else, but this part of the storyline isn't even half-assed, it's quarter-assed at best. He just goes up against him and gets stabbed in 2x7. But only mildly stabbed, I suppose, because the injury isn't even brought up in 2x8, he doesn't share any further scenes with Adar, does not even comment on his death. He's given no room for his personal feelings, and his character arc is a mere sketch. He's purely a supporting character as soon as he is surrounded by the "important" canonical Elves. It's not very satisfying, not very good storytelling.

And I wonder if the original plans for these characters were anything like this. Supposedly Bronwyn only died because the actress quit, so was Arondir meant to stay with the Southland refugees? Was he meant to go after Adar for some reason other than revenge? I did not think it boded well that Bronwyn wasn't recast; obviously removing this character didn't impact the overall plans all that much, and the writers didn't worry about how her death would affect and change Arondir's story. I mean, he's lost his love interest and his personal antagonist was essentially taken from him and assigned to Galadriel. All Arondir is left with is some badass action scenes and a few nice moments here and there, but it doesn't come together in the end. It just fizzles out. What's his story?

Overall, I don't think The Rings of Power has handled its original characters all that well. Not really a surprise, because the show is telling too many storylines at once, and simply doesn't have enough time to develop original characters as well. But think of the elves who briefly journey with Elrond and Galadriel, how they are non-entities and you do not even learn their names until their "shocking" death scenes. The black guy dies first, too! With that in mind, I guess Arondir is lucky to be alive, even if he's relegated to the status of a supporting character without significant relaionships or goals of his own.

Honestly, I'm not even that suprised or disappointed. I found it hard to get into The Rings of Power Season 2 right after watching Interview with the Vampire, because that show is so much better at writing characters and developing complex relationships. Surely part of the reason is that it's just a much more personal story with a smaller cast. Fallout was another positive example of a TV show handling multiple storylines/main characters more successfully than ROP, again a smaller cast and more focused writing, and a season finale that involves everyone in meaningful ways, which Rings of Power has failed to do twice now.

I'm sorry if this rant was incoherent or if there are typos, I don't feel like rereading and editing it, lol. I could also go on and on and ON! But it's way past noon, I'm still in my pyjamas and starting to feel grimy, so I need a shower.

[alpaca-clouds]

Why it is too late for a Digimon Tamers sequel

Today marks the 24th anniversary for Digimon Tamers and I want to talk about one of those notions, that I see floating around the Digimon Fandom the most: "We want something like tri./Kizuna/Beginning for Digimon Tamers."

I kinda get the notion. After all, Tamers is easily the best written of the seasons. Its writing being quite tight, and the focus of the three main characters making it quite better paced than the other seasons. And while I do not loathe filler episodes these days as much as I used to, I absolutely appreciate how few filler episodes thise show has.

However, I feel that all in all, it just is too late to make a sequel to Digimon Tamers. After all, it has been 23 years now since that show ended. And something that I am fearing is that for the most part making a sequel to it would no longer work for several reasons.

Reason 1: Konaka himself, who originally wrote the show, is just no longer in a good mental place. I will not go too much into details, but there has been a lot of stuff that happened in the last 10 years that made him suffer from mental health issues. If you remember that audio live drama... Yeah, that is partly the place where this came from.

Now, you might ask: "So what? There are other authors, right?" Which brings me to the next issue.

Reason 2: Digimon Tamers has been a fairly Hard SciFi entry for Digimon, which usually tends to balance on the line between Scifi and Fantasy. And I sadly do not have a lot of trust in most other writers who might get handed a potential sequel OVA or movie to do this SciFi-aspects justice. And frankly, a Tamers' sequel that would not do the SciFi stuff would miss the certain something.

Reason 3: Now of course, if you have seen the Adventure-Sequel stuff, you will know that it too tried to tackle a lot of these more high concept conflicts. tri. had the entire Demiurge, Homeostasis thing going, Kizuna the entire Neverland thing, and The Beginning was basically retconning the epilogue centrally. (No matter if Kakudo says different. Because The Beginning definitely went: "Yeah, actually, everyone having their own Digimon partner would be a shit idea.") And yes, Tamers is kinda calling for high concept stuff as well - but the issue is that those high concepts would need a bit more SciFi rooting. I wrote about this before: Yeah, Tamers could easily go into Simulation Theory or something like that. But it would need to be done right. And given how torn the fandom is about anything in regards to the Adventure sequels... Uuuuhm, I don't think those succeeded.

Reason 4: It has been almost 25 years since we got any updates on that timeline. We have not heard anything from the Tamers in a while. In comparison, we got tri. 10 years ago already, priming folks for more Adventure/02 stuff. Which not only makes me wonder if people would show up enough for this, but also... Well, if the actors all showed up. Remember, while Nozawa Masako did some later Voice Work for Digimon, she absolutely did not want to do the work for Guilmon in the Xros Hunters episodes. Also, she is really old, and frnakly might die any time. And sure, you can probably recast, but would people accept it?

Reason 5: Digimon Adventure tri. sucked, and it had lore to work with that was way less complex than that of Digimon Tamers. (Look, even if you like Adventure/02 more than Tamers, you gotta admit that it was a lot more simple in regards to plot and worldbuilding, given it was a very standard Chosen One Hero's Journey.) So, chances are in general, that it would be really hard to write something that would work as a sequel here.

And yes, there are other reasons. Given how few people do right by Ruki in fanwork, I kinda feel like official media also would struggle with it. (I mean, Konaka did in the later audio plays.) I talked about this before. The entire thing about Ruki is that her disdain for "girly things" comes from her struggling with the relationship with her mother. While I do not see her become a girly girl, I also think it absolutely misses the point of her character to have her become a super hardcore masculine adult women.

And frankly, before I have to deal with a sequel-OVA that goes into the same non-sense as tri., I would rather not have a sequel at all.

And yes, I personally will openly admit, that I also just... Look, I spent those nearly 25 years since the show ended coming up with a whole bunch of headcanons (Ao3 Link) of what is going to happen to these characters and this world. And I think so did a lot of others. And frankly, I never appreciated works that after decades went: "Yeah, actually, new canon!"

The same frankly goes for Frontier and Savers as well. While neither of them go quite as high concept as Tamers - removing one of the points - I also would not want to see something that went off the rails with them. With Frontier having the additional challenge, that it is probably the season that has the most definite ending, with the kids giving up the Digivices and what not. While I would argue that it might be one of the more interesting concepts for a sequel (I mean, there are four spirits that never have been assigned), it is also the most limied, given how closed in of itself the plot was.

Savers of course is another thing. Because it has the big difference of Masaru ending the series in the Digital World, which would at least perfectly work as a hook for a movie or anything along those lines. While the general cautions still apply, this is probably the one thing I could see working the most.

Generally though... I think actually for either series I would prefer to just get a couple of shorts that are not that heavy in plot and more heavy on characters. We got those - obviously - for Adventure/02, but for no other season. And yeah, I think just 5 minutes shorts maybe published online... Maybe 5 or so for in fact every season since 02? That would be kinda nice. And I think that could work very well.

[proxylynn]

Blorbo: Chris McLean (TDI)

(I hope this is one of your blorbo. I used to have a big crush on him. i love hate this Psychopath so much!)

{You have picked another real one. Good eye.}

[Originally when Total Drama first came out, I had no interest in Chris and was more drawn to Duncan and later Scott. But as the show started to sour those boys for me, watching re-runs allowed me to focus on others...mainly Chris and my interest awakened. He became my reason to watch and I'm so glad that's the case as he's the most interesting and fleshed-out character. Starting out as a simple drama show host parody to evolving into a psychic remorseless narcissist with a body count of numerous dead interns spanning years of this series and eventually winds up in jail for none of that (which is hilarious) but he's such an icon that people went nuts when he got a new voice actor! (note: Christian Potenza later explained in an interview with YouTuber Corcoran Entertainment that he dropped out due to having faced false assault allegations that made Fresh TV "let him go" and recast him despite recording the reboot without warning, on top of no longer having any desire to continue voicing a character as sadistic as Chris)

Outside of that, Chris as a character is this fun bundle of nuts I enjoy shaking up and watching him go crazy. He has little concern for the well-being of his contestants – and even sometimes best friend Chef Hatchet as well. Chris feeds off the pain of the teenagers (honestly I don't blame him for this), physical and emotional, and strives to keep the drama in Total Drama alive at all times (based). He is a very selfish and arrogant man as he does not care about anyone or anything but money, higher ratings, and personal pleasure gained from the pain and suffering of others. Chris also enjoys messing with and preying upon the relationships of the contestants for his own personal gain as he loves it when contestants bicker, argue, and fight amongst each other (more based). He appears to have gotten increasingly sadistic as the series has progressed, with the challenges turning from humiliating and occasionally dangerous, to being full-on life-threatening. While he continues to elaborate that it is for high ratings, in later seasons it seems he is more concerned with causing pain than actually increasing the popularity with viewers.

In "The Final Wreck-ening", he excitedly explains that the challenge was so dangerous the network rejected the initial proposal - and he lies about shutting it down (this man is awesome). However, in one instance, Chris does actually begin to worry that the contestants may die (but only because this would result in no show, and thus no paycheck to support his luxurious lifestyle). Despite the negative points of being a reality show host, Chris loves his job and the fame that comes with it. He enjoys spending life in luxury, including catching some rays in his tanning bed and relaxing in his jacuzzi. He has tried other activities like hosting a cooking show and being in a boy band, but all of them have been ill-fated. Chris is frequently seen in various costumes when introducing challenges, with Chef often dressed up as well to coordinate with him. He is highly rebellious against the network lawyers. On a few occasions, he has shown to be somewhat childish as well, whining when he is displeased about something.

This guy is so chaotic neutral that I can totally see him secretly being a god or fae just dicking around with mortals for the lols and it would only make him cooler!]

[tumblingxelian]

OK, I'ma say it.

I am kind of sick of how the fandom and even the show recast Boscha as the main mastermind behind Willow being bullied and even has seemingly had this extended to Boscha being the one running the mean girls gang. With fandom going even further with her friends needing to avoid her.

Hear me out.

Willow's bully in season 1 is Amity, its Amity who seeks her out before school to make her miserable, its Amity who tries to undermine her success, its Amity who ends up in a rivalry with Luz because of the Willow situation. Boscha was mostly just there and kind of a dick to Willow and others by proximity, she had no particular focus on her however.

Adding to that, Amity was clearly the queen bee in these scenarios, others didn't tell her what to do she told them and they listened. So much so that even when she turned on them they didn't try to get back at her but went against Luz instead.

I would also add, when Boscha did show an interest in targeting Willow it was specifically because she considered her a threat to her own position in the social hierarchy. It was not part of some longstanding thing.

Similarly, Boscha's own position in that regard is extremely lose given Amity is clearly the power player, but also cos Boscha could get ousted by King of all beings and need to do something wildly dangerous to regain her position.

But it seems like the longer the show went on, the more the bully gang was framed as her creation, under her control and that Willow's suffering was by her design more than anyone else's.

& the fandom seems to have taken that and made it so she's even an antagonist to her fellow bullies to the point where they want to escape her influence. Essentially woobifying them in favor of demonizing Boscha

Don't get me wrong, Boscha is a gigantic asshole and a bully.

She's just one of several however, rather than the only one at the school making everyone else bow down. She was Amity's second & her own position of nominal leadership was anything but stable, & Willow was not her target.

Also, I am aware that their planned seasons getting cut short may have led to this. IE, streamlining and simplifying Willow & Amity's issues and history to resolve it more easily but still, nettled.

[chalkrevelations]

So, I'll tell you what would not convince me to watch 4 Minutes sans Build, and that's trying to guilt-trip me by telling me what a bad Bible fan I am if I don't watch it.

I mean, full disclosure, I honestly can't think of anything that would get me to watch 4 Minutes if Build's role is recast, so that's where I'm coming from on this. Build, himself, could promote the show, and my response would be "Mmm. That does not sound like a good time for me. Thank you and I'm sorry, but no."

I don't expect Bible and Build to be tied together forever - I never expected that. But watching 4 Minutes without Build in it would make me sad. And not in the fun and cathartic way a good drama can do. In a way that I would spend the time thinking about how excited I was when the show was announced, and what kind of great work BBB could do with Sammon, and how it would give me a chance to see more of them working together, since actual VP screentime was what? 90 minutes tops? I would spend the time thinking about how it was supposedly created for BBB - for both of them - and about the ever-present Build-shaped absence in the show. I would spend the time thinking about lost opportunity and how Build not appearing in the show was part and parcel of the abuse he suffered, how it was exactly what his abuser told him she'd do to him if he tried to get away from her, and how she'd succeeded in making BOC and its management complicit in that.

I suspect BOC will have done a lot of financial and social calculus on whatever decision they make - whenever they finally get around to making and announcing it, and I'm working real hard to give them the benefit of the doubt and of cultural differences and of translation issues on the wait for that. But ultimately, it comes down to this: This is a hobby for me, I don't engage in my hobbies to feel bad, I don't owe BOC - or anyone - my clicks and my views, and I'm not going to be guilt-tripped into it. That's my calculus on it. I'm not putting on a Pete smile and pretending everything is fine if I'm actually unhappy - not for anyone. And that's what my experience of watching a recast 4 Minutes would be.

So don't try to tell me I'm a bad Bible fan for not making myself miserable. I would love to support Bible, including in 4 Minutes as well as future ventures, but acting like it's my obligation to make myself unhappy doing it? That's toxic, and it's also just another way of punching down at Build fans who are STILL trying to find space and time to grieve everything that's happened in KP fandom in the past four months. I'd be truly sorry to Bible in the case of a recast, but this is precisely the kind of thing Build meant when he tried to get Poi to understand on that phone call that he wasn't the only one she was going to hurt if she proceeded with the lies and abusive behavior she was threatening him with.

[respectthepetty]

So. I’m watching “the theory of love” and I have two things to ask

1. Does anyone actually like Kai? He doesn’t seem to care about Threees feelings at all or about his actions.

2. EARTH IS ON THIS!!?!!???? I stupidly have been waiting for Mix to turn up but obviously this was Pre?

3. Gun never gets a rear does he. Poor guy has to cry in every show he does.

4. They’re in uniforms a lot so been finding the colouring boys difficult so far.

Is that too many questions?! 😂

Anon, I like how you pulled a me and instead of asking two questions, you asked four! So let me get to answering them.

But first, Khai and Third are IKEA Queers, so . . .

Does anyone actually like Kai? He doesn’t seem to care about Threees feelings at all or about his actions.

Me. I like Khai. We are IKEA Queers, so we have to stick together.

Feel free to judge me, but after episode six, watching him suffer was food for my petty soul. This is what I want from my pendejos. If they are going to fuck up as badly as Khai did (THE FAKE-DRUNK KISS!), then I want them to feel pain. A lot of it. All the time. No relief.

And Khai definitely felt it.

All the time.

The idiot would not take no for an answer (but that's a JittiRain special), yet Third gave him back all the pain he gave to him, and that's what I like to see - revenge. Even in the special, Third was still kind of a jerk to Khai, and was looking even better for it.

I would never believe they would make it beyond this show (even with the four year time skip), but JittiRain said they are still together and going strong in Vice Versa with "RELATIONSHIP" right above Third's head, so . . . good for them?

Gun never gets a rear does he. Poor guy has to cry in every show he does.

Earth, Fluke, First, and Gun. Those are the men you hire if you want them good ass tears.

Amen.

Earth and Fluke had Until We Meet Again while Gun and First had Not Me, and those are both top-tier shows for most people. Imagine all four in one show, just crying, destroying our hearts every week. However, I'm going to put this on the record right now though - - First can outcry them all. I believe this with every fiber of my being. A director would just have to say "Khaotung doesn't want to be your friend anymore" and GAME OVER!

EARTH IS ON THIS!!?!!???? I stupidly have been waiting for Mix to turn up but obviously this was Pre?

The wildest thing to me is Earth played Type in Love by Chance which means he was Type of TharnType before the role was recast. Can you image Phupha as Type?! I have never watched a MAME series, but this seems WILD to me.

And Earth was paired with New in Water Boyy, like New of TayNew.

And of course, we got that taste of him with Papang in Moonlight Chicken.

So I think it's strange that Earth has worked with Mix several times when the behind-the-scenes for A Tale of Thousand Stars seemed as if director Aof was ready to murder Earth because he was playing around between takes, while Mix was crying every two seconds from stress and anxiety (which caused him to pass out). Mostly when White was RIGHT THERE!

Please, GMMTV, keep mixing things up forever and ever. Amen.

They’re in uniforms a lot so been finding the colouring boys difficult so far.

I watched it when it aired and haven't rewatched it since, so I don't remember if there was color-coding, but from my saved pictures, it seems like I had a theory that Third was a Yellow/Orange Oddity

but I have no notes, and the other pictures aren't telling me a complete story, so I think I got upset watching it and stopped tracking the colors. I stay petty.

I'd have to go back and rewatch it to give you a proper answer BUT I won't do that if JittiRain screws me over for the sixth time with Be My Favorite. So I'll make a deal with you, Anon - If Be My Favorite doesn't give me lies, manipulation, and the normal JittiRain (JR) nonsense to the extent her other series have included, I'll go back and rewatch Theory of Love for potential color coding.

But if JR fucks over my baby boy Pisaeng, not even the IKEA Queers can save this color-coding mission.

Pray for us all.

[deliciouskeys]

Writer Tag

Thank you for tagging me, @kosmochlor and @saintmathieublanc<3

How many works do you have on AO3?

47 apparently.

What's your total AO3 word count?

469,180

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1) Attack on Titan rated T fic, macro micro (it was part of the canon there lol), blind character element

2) Zinc Molybdate (rising star but very far behind #1)

3) Another Attack on Titan fic rated T. Anime fans are all under 18 I guess.

4) Negan/Rick mpreg lol. I abandoned it when TWD season 8 deeply disappointed me and hopefully that doesn't happen again with the current fandom D: (I don't think it will unless they do something truly idiotic like kill off Ryan in an inexplicable way)

5) The Selfish Gene

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes I do. It's the least I can do when someone takes the time to write something. Plus many of the comments are so thoughtful and sometimes helpful to the writing process. And I just enjoy responding.

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

Um. Probably an "original fic" set in the holocaust, unfortunately. I've written fics long ago where main characters die, but those are not angsty somehow, just dark/shock value.

What’s the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

I think it might be Zinc Molybdate lol. First of all it has an ending. And I'd say it's very optimistic about the human spirit and possibilities for change.

Do you write crossovers?

The only true crossover I ever wrote was Alex from a Clockwork Orange x Norman Bates. But I never crossposted it to AO3 from LJ. Can't imagine why XD I'm more of an AU where you recast the characters into a different world girl.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Yes, writing bible fic is controversial apparently. Writing holocaust fic is controversial apparently. Mpreg is controversial apparently, although I have never received hate for mpreg on ao3, only on tumblr.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I do..... I wouldn't say it's my forte, despite having it in almost every fic and fic chapter lol. I'd say there's always some element of something being 'off'. Normal people having bad sex, or a fucked up pairing having unsettlingly wholesome sex.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don't think so. In small enough fandoms some ideas become sort of communal, but that's usually just fun 'sharing'.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

YES! And it's in a language that I'm pretty fluent in (but maybe not fic-writing fluent) so it was a surreal, amazing experience. I've translated several fics from Russian and one from French which was a stretch for me.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Only in terms of translating others' fics. I've always wondered if I'd be able to do it with the right person.

What's your all-time favorite ship?

Butchlander. Which probably means my favorite ship is whatever I'm currently hyperfixating on, but I've been on this kick for like 20 months now, so I don't take these things lightly :)

What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

My very first fic, which I started writing at 18 and abandoned at 19 or 20. I couldn't do it, I couldn't give them a happy ending because the pairing was just too messed up, I couldn't give them a sad ending because that's just not within the realm of what I'm willing to do.

What are your writing strengths?

I think I am all about the Emotional Journey, and thus by extension, characterization. I like writing dialogue, so hopefully that's a strength, otherwise the readers get to suffer lol.

What are your writing weaknesses?

I have to remind myself to write even the most basic setting/scenery details. Most of the time I don't think it's very important. I'm probably not a very visual person (although that doesn't mean I don't love art and fanart!). I can write multiple characters outside of the pairing, and those scenes are fun, but I tend to prefer hyperfocusing on just the 2 mains, which is probably a limitation.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

Oh god, I did it in a fic, and ... I shall leave it as I wrote it in my 20s, but... it was ill-advised. I'd say don't do it unless it's a language you know, and even then... why.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Uh. Peter Pan. And I don't mean during the Once Upon a Time craze that happened much later.

What's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to?

Within the Boys, I'll also say Starlander. I like it, and honestly the canon leaves much to be desired, so it's fertile ground. Fandomwise, I read quite a bit of Batjokes and Symbrock, but never wrote anything for them.

What's your favorite fic you've written?

I'll go with Zinc Molybdate. It's got that new relationship fandom energy that is impossible to just bottle up and deploy when wanted. But I like them all.

Zero pressure tags (and sorry if you've been tagged elsewhere) @phoenixtakaramono @eutz @merry-andrews and anyone who sees this and has ao3!

[markantonys]

Maybe Nenya is gonna heal Adar, but his children will turn away from him? I really hope he doesn't die 😭

i was just thinking about this theory, you read my mind! it would be so cool to see adar healed back to his pre-corrupted fair elf form. show us Yassified Adar! but then if his children don't recognize him or think he's betrayed them and chosen to be an elf again...........😭😭😭

adar is 100% going to lose the orcs' loyalty at some point and in some way. but when and how?

on the one hand, sauron seems like he'll be too busy in ep8 to have time to get the entire orc race under his sway and there hasn't yet been any setup for him being able to do that since he hasn't made any contact with any orcs this season to start manipulating, so imo it would feel rushed for the orcs to fall under sauron's control already next week (unless sauron has some quick but effective dastardly scheme up his sleeve, which is always possible). especially since the trailer showed we'll be catching up with some of the non-eregion storylines too; idk if sauron will have time for much next week besides having his big confrontation with galadriel and getting his hands on the nine. and i've heard from source material experts that he might need to go to numenor to do some scheming next season (pls don't give me any more spoilers beyond whatever i say myself, i've already received more spoilers than i wanted lmao), so if that were to happen, it might not make sense for him to collect the orcs at the end of s2 and then leave them unsupervised for a whole season while he's dicking around in numenor. so i could see "sauron gaining control of the orcs" being a slower-burn storyline that won't come to fruition until a later season.

but there HAS been a ton of setup for the orcs being disillusioned with adar and turning on him, so i would be surprised if that doesn't happen next week (unless that is ALSO going to be a slower-burn storyline). so perhaps we get a scenario of the orcs turning on adar, but being leaderless for most of s3 and thus primed for sauron to swoop in and snatch them? or maybe glug and a faction defect from adar next week, but others remain with him, but there's a crack in the family now and the increasing fracture is a storyline in s3 that ends with adar losing all the remaining orcs? either way, 2x07 had very strong "pride comes before a fall" vibes for adar, so i can't shake the sense that he'll suffer a BIG fall in the finale.

but i do feel that having him end s2 betrayed and alone but alive is a viable possibility. the showrunners seem to like his character, and he's been a fan-favorite, so surely they'd like to keep him around longer if they can! and it's good to have an orc-aligned main character since they would otherwise be the only middle earth faction not represented among the main cast of characters, so in that sense adar occupies a very unique space in the narrative that it would be a shame to lose so soon. plus, the recast; in most scenarios, recasting is a last resort when the character absolutely cannot be written out of the show after the original actor leaves, so the fact that they recast adar instead of writing him out like bronwyn gives me a smidge of hope that they have plans for him beyond season 2 (although there are plenty of other unrelated reasons why they might have recast adar but not bronwyn, notably that it's probably easier to recast a character so heavy on makeup & prosthetics since it wouldn't be as jarring or noticeable to the audience, and so it definitely doesn't preclude s2 being the end of his story).

but we also can't ignore that choosing to have adar leading the orcs to turn on and massacre sauron be the very first scene of the season sets up VERY heavy foreshadowing for adar to suffer that fate himself in the season finale as a neat bookend. so i am frightened!!!!

[bossthebicon]

I really don't know how I feel about Mark Pakin being replaced by a minor 😭 especially if they keep the side couple Neo I think is 22 so pairing him with a 17 year old is a choice.

oh wow, aungpao is 17... 😳 honestly no shade to him at all but imo this recast makes ABSOLUTELY zero sense. firstly he has way too much of an age gap with the whole cast, how is he gonna play a cook next to gun who's almost 30?? (yes I know we all joke gun looks 12 but still.) and for the side ship, the age gap with neo is yikes imo, especially since it will be his first role ever... overall I'm really annoyed bc this is something they should've figured out a while ago. having 5 recasts this late in the year just proves gmmtv isn't organized enough. but mostly it makes me mad bc I'm afraid cooking crush as a show will suffer & that is simply unacceptable, especially since gmmtv already gave their oldest most consistently beloved ship a very basic show which was already kinda disrespectful ngl. no hate to aungpao at all, I'm not doubting his acting ability, but I have a feeling cooking crush will become another bullet point on the VERY LONG list of times gmmtv disrespected offgun.

xxx

[nokingsonlyfooles]

Miles Morales & Co. are Fictional Characters Fighting Their Own Narrative Structure, Who Will Win?

Brigitte Empire! She just moved to mainland Europe and could use some clicks and attention, as could I! So, first, let her talk for a bit about how important Miles, and his new take on the franchise are...

And then, if ya got a minute, let me unpack the significance of the plotline he and his friends are stuck with...

And I do mean stuck! There is a literal web of universes involved here, which the Chief Spider Cop has decided is held together only by the sameness of their stories and the commonality of their losses.

All your suffering has a purpose, because if you don't suffer, it all ends, all of it. This web has a lot of spiders in it, and none of 'em are getting out. So what's one father, more or less?

Did you notice how Peter's narrative arc in the Tom Holland Spider-flicks became a cul-de-sac? Like, we skipped the origin story, because we already know it, and that seemed reasonable enough at the time. A good idea, even. Then, in the end, it turns out the whole thing was an origin story, and he's right back where he started, but worse. It's as if the prize at the bottom of your box of Cracker Jack was another, shittier box of Cracker Jack, with raisins or something.

I know a lot of people seem perfectly thrilled with it, but I'm not gonna eat Cracker Jack if I don't like how it tastes, and the MCU version turned on me. These narrative choices were not about telling a good story or being true to the characters we know and love. This was a corporate, profit-driven decision, spurred on by contractual obligations, copyright entanglements and fan reactions.

For a certain (loud) portion of the fandom, Spider-Man is not defined by his personality, or his Spider-powers, or anything intrinsic, but by his circumstances. (To keep this simple, we will be including "has white, male privilege" as part of his circumstances, because any other identity gets parsed as "political" and that's just a mess.) The ideal Spider-Man is a brilliant teenager with a lot of responsibilities, a shitty job, a dead uncle, a hot girlfriend, a guilt complex, and few places to go for help. Any deviation from that isn't a fun new story to explore, it's wrong. And, much like Miguel, they will demand a course correction to get it right - no matter how brutal, stupid, or out-of-character it is.

"Hey, Peter, given how much you love and respect me, you wouldn't break a promise to me and take my agency away trying to keep me safe when I specifically asked you not to, right?" "Ordinarily, no. But Sony needs the option to get rid of you or recast you if you're too expensive, or too ethnic, or too upsetting to the fandom. You get it?" "...Put me down, you Spider-Jerk."

"Listen, Mephisto, I'm not saying 'no,' but could you buy us a drink before we get into anything complicated?" "Honey, he means he wants a retcon." "Oh. That seems like an odd thing for the devil to want. But, OK!"

I could speculate for pages about why that is, but the "why" part doesn't matter much to Miles & Company. Miles is counting down the hours to another "canon event" that will take out his father, and they've all got to decide whether they're gonna risk the fate of the Multiverse or stick to the narrative. There are suggestions that these things are not written in stone, that the story can be changed, but in the end, Miles is trapped in a crapsack universe that he seems to have ruined just by existing in the right/wrong place at the right/wrong time - and he has no way out yet.

This is where Miles' fate changes, when he talks to his universe's Spider-Man, not when he gets bitten by the glitching spider. No more villain colours!

Kinda went too hard on Earth 42 here, in my opinion. It didn't need the grunge filter and the rain. Our Miles' universe had a criminal overlord who killed Spider-Man with impunity, threw a party about it, and invited Peter's widow - who attended! I don't think MJ would've done that unless she didn't have any choice. Two-parent-household and private education aside, our Miles isn't in such a hot place either.

So Miles 42 has braids and a dead dad, and a live uncle, and probably not a lot of options. If his family needs the money, or if anyone in it ran afoul of Kingpin (or whoever's in charge there) for any reason, he's got to fall in line and follow orders if he wants to stay alive. We've all seen what happens when you cross a crime boss.

That's odd, though, isn't it? According to Miguel, Miles was never supposed to be a Spider-Person at all, and yet the canon events are popping up for him right on schedule. Dead uncle? Check!

Dead police captain? Pending!

We've also seen (we think) what happens when you screw up the established Spider-narrative...

Oh, Hobie, my man, you have no idea how right you are, but I think the folks writing your dialogue do. We're dealing with a metaverse, and the meta text is evident. Capitalism eats divergent Spider-Beings. Spider-People exist in movies, comic books, and other products that are sold. If people don't buy them, or if the loud fan faction makes enough noise that it seems like people won't buy them, their universes are toast.

We don't talk about Andrew, ew ew ew. We don't talk about Andrew!

Miles, as a character, doesn't know it, but he's up against interests who only want to see the same story, over and over, forever. His challenge is not to save his dad, that's incidental. He's gotta prove he can be his own person, choose his own path, still tell a good story, and still be Spider-Man. His job is to save the franchise, if he, and the most diverse cast of Spiders ever, can manage it. Because being stuck in a groove like a skipping record in perpetuity will definitely kill it.

No Expectations, right?

Wouldn't it be nice for Spider-Man, and for the people who write, draw and animate him, and for all of us, if we could consume a Spider-story without demanding it land Every. Single. Beat. the same as every other Spider-story, and with no idea what was gonna happen next? Do you remember not knowing what was gonna happen next? Before everything was a remake, a franchise or a reboot? Or, maybe you were just too little to know everything was a remake, a franchise or a reboot. It was nice, though, yeah?

If Miles here sticks the landing in Part 3, he might be able to do that for us. At least, he'll leave open the possibility, and we'll have to see if anyone is able to take advantage of it.

(On a personal note, I kinda feel like these movies are comin' for me. And, like, I'm thrilled - apparently, this is an idea whose time has come - but I'm terrified. Because Sony is gonna deliver its message to a ready-made fandom in real movie theatres with a real advertising budget before my cast of idiots can even figure out The Hero's Journey is tryin' to eat them and their universe too. Oh well, if you like my writing, you might go there and read more. Or at least like and reblog if you want more Spider-stuff. I am paying attention, and I can do a series of deep dives on Spider-choices and the illusion of choice, if ya want.)