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yaminerua · 2 years ago

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I once read a soulmate AU for a different fandom where the way the connection eventually manifested was that whatever someone wrote or drew on their own skin, it would transfer to their soulmate’s. And I was thinking of the applications of it for Rimster given that time Rimmer resorted to scrawling revision notes on his arms and legs.

Like, Lister’s probably used to occasionally seeing some exam notes and other things pop up on his skin from time to time given how often Rimmer takes exams but usually it’s been within relatively normal boundaries. He’s not gonna judge. He doesn’t know much about the person on the other end of their inked connection but he hopes with all the tests they seem to take that they’re doing well. Sometimes he’ll even scrawl a little ‘good luck!’ on himself as a kind of encouragement to them.

The very first time something like this happens, Rimmer freaks out. Because oh holy smeg he has a soulmate! There’s someone out there for him! A real honest to god person!! Meant for him!! All the years of his brothers teasing him, acting like the universe would just skip bothering to assign him one, are washed away to be replaced by an initially heart-bursting glow of elation, but it’s followed swiftly by a deep-seated dread. Because oh god anything he writes on himself will be seen by this other person. What if he smegs the whole thing up!? He’s already caught their attention with his revision scrawlings, he’s going to have to tone it down to something that won’t be off-putting…

Fast forward and Lister has joined the Red Dwarf crew and it’s like any other day. He’s left his annoying bunkmate to stew in pre-exam nerves and he’s out and about on the ship, maybe trying to flirt with some of the lady officers when suddenly he notices his hand rapidly becoming covered in words, scrawled in a panicked frenzy, first across his palm, then the back of his hand and down onto the forearm. And yeah, sure, this has happened before, it’s no big deal. Except this is the most chaotic it’s ever been, especially since it’s now trailing right up his arm and if he doesn’t get out of public view people are going to notice.

So he runs back to the bunk room, hoping to grab a jacket or something to cover it up but he freezes as soon as he’s half-pulled it on because he spots Rimmer. Smeghead Supreme, Arnold Judas Rimmer, sitting with a textbook on his lap and his shirt sleeve rolled up, utterly engrossed in his pre-exam stress-induced frenzy of copying as much of the text from the book onto his own skin as possible.

The realisation hits like a truck and Lister cannot believe it. He refuses to. It’s gotta be a coincidence. Rimmer wouldn’t be the only person in the universe cramming for an exam, surely! Just because he is doesn’t mean what he’s writing is the same as what’s still being hurriedly scrawled up the inside of his left arm. The universe wouldn’t play that cruel a trick on him! Surely!

Rimmer hasn’t even noticed him come in and he’s muttering out loud each word as he copies it out from the book and Lister can only watch in horror as he sees the exact same words blossom across his own skin and oh this CANNOT be happening!!

So now you have Lister knowing that the universe has somehow, bizarrely, chosen to pair him up with Rimmer, and Rimmer blissfully unaware of the fact that the soulmate he’s yearned for his whole life is the lazy gimboid who just interrupted his revision by tossing an unwashed shirt at his head.

#Rimmer becoming a hologram after the leak makes the AU a bit odd bc why would it still work on him in that form #but suspending disbelief and allowing it to happen that way allows for some fun stuff #where Rimmer is bemoaning the fact he never got to find out who his soulmate was supposed to be and Lister is there awkwardly like oh boy…#last two people in the universe and they’re soulmates and he still hates the idea but it’s really starting to look like it was always meant #to happen this way so he grabs a pen and writes Smeghead on his arm and Rimmer watches in HORROR #just absolute horror and then he goes full on into denial like no this isn’t right #it can’t have been you the whole time! You’re a man (he’ll figure out how he feels about that later) and also I’d have known if it was you!#he tries to convince himself the universe just reassigned them each other bc they’re the only two left #but lister has to reluctantly tell him about the exam revision notes and that he knew it was Rimmer since before the accident #also this only works in ur own dimension so Lister writing on himself will only show on his Rimmer but not Ace bc Ace has his own back home #But it means that lister is able to confirm that it’s HIS Rimmer returning from being Ace by seeing the text he writes appear on his skin #Rimster #Or it could happen during the exam where Rimmer has his I Am A Fish breakdown #lister just sees I am a fish appear on his arm repeatedly and only finds out later #when he gets told about Rimmer’s exam incident #red dwarf

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thelastharbinger · 1 year ago

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I'll preface this by saying OP's points are very valid. Peter B. standing by while Gwen gets forcibly taken back to her universe with audiences placing all the blame on Jess for doing the same is indeed fucked.

But.

We quickly forget that Gwen being sent home is easily the least egregious thing these Spider People have done given that this is an organization with literal blood on its hands. All of them serve an institution that exists to uphold the canon by any means necessary. The Spideys standing idle while Gwen is exiled is standard HQ protocol; standing by while tragic events unfold is literally the job that gets asked of them. We are seeing another variation of the age-old tale that there can be no good apples within a system that is built on the harm of others. That's why Hobie quits after he sees Miles be restrained for what was intended to be two whole days, with no chance of ever saying goodbye to his father. That was his last straw. And it's why Gwen and Peter dissent later because the Spider Society goes from caging anomalies (the ones they can catch anyways) to caging their own who dare to protest to deciding who can and cannot be Spider-Man, all in the name of protecting the canon. But let's be very clear, all the Spider People carry red in their ledger.

If civilians die in a Spiderman-related conflict, and that gets deemed a canon event, even though that outcome can change given the sheer number of Spider persons on deck and vast amount of resources/futuristic technology of Nueva York-2099, those lives are allowed to become dispensable because L.Y.L.A., a piece of A.I. tech, instructs them so. This is the moral-ethical dilemma that Miles argues with them against. Think of all the relatives that are ushered to their very preventable deaths because it "furthers Spider-Man's plot", the Gwen Stacys that are left to die over and over because her role is to only ever be the one that slipped away and nothing more. The majority of Spider-Man villains are just regular people who fall victim to accidents or experimentation, and then their lives forever afterward are altered because of it. Case in point, The Spot, Lizard, Green Goblin, Sandman, Electro, etc. The trajectories of their lives have already been determined (and enforced by the folks at HQ) because they have to play out the role given to them based on the very first ever Spider-Man to ever exist in any universe.

And the Spideys go through with it because they've all been indoctrinated into the belief that the consequence every time is world-ending devastation. So nothing you do could ever be worse than letting billions of people and life forms die, correct? Right before Miles escapes, they are all attempting to contain a quantum hole that is threatening Pav's earth.

A detail that gets quickly overlooked is that Peter B. was right beside Miguel to witness his alternate reality disappear into nothingness in real time, and that is a trauma and weighty guilt that the film doesn't sit with long enough. But an event like that would definitely radicalize anyone into upholding Miguel's flawed philosophy. To add, Pete sees Miguel lose his daughter in his arms so there's an added layer of understanding as a father that keeps Peter loyal at Miguel's side.

Also, for the record, I don't entirely believe that the movie seeks to plant the culpability of Gwen's excommunication all on Jess. To me, Jess' arc is that of a blind follower to skeptic, and Gwen is the test to her faith. Jessica Drew is Miguel's right hand and boldly follows wherever he goes, trusting in his stance completely without yielding, because again, the stakes are high, so everything must be worth it.

I think the movie lingers on Jess in this moment because that is where we start to see her belief crack. (Obviously it's also bc Gwen and Jessica are the mentor-mentee relationship focus in this film, and Gwen idolizes Jess so much from the jump.) It isn't until Gwen rebuttals against Miguel's tactics that Jess begins to ponder the possibility of another alternative. We see this turn solidified when she overhears Gwen talking to Rio and Jeff, saying that what she learned from their son is that "it's all possible."

What makes Spidey such a heartbreaking hero is that even their wins feel like losses. There's always an unfair hand that gets dealt and an impossible choice to make. It's the, do I tell the girl I like who I am and expose her to my double life or refuse any shot of romantic love in order to keep them safe? It's the fact that Spidey can never play a fair game in any sport because they'll win every time and they must act with principle. Do I show up on time for my dad's promotion party or do I take care of the person getting mugged? Do I act on my feelings with the boy I like or keep a distance because I might die and also I'm not allowed to? The concessions Spideys have to take are self-sacrificial. Jess knows this well, telling Gwen she simply "got over it" anytime she got too close.

Because she had to. There's little room for personal pleasure. Jess exchanges personal desires for the sake of something or someone else and will continue to do so because that is what they're called to do. The woman is fighting while pregnant when she could and should be resting, if you needed any other indicator. The world versus this one life is the classic Spidey conundrum just bloated and exacerbated to the largest scale possible. And here, without Miguel present to squash the idea that once in a while you can have two cakes, a jaded Jess is able to accept it as an offering. Ultimately, she'll choose it because I think she wants Miles' version of things to be true.

None of the Spideys are happy doing what they're doing.

They comply because they think they have to and don't believe there is another way to maintain the multiverse intact. Jess needed reminding that what makes a Spider-person who they are is that if there is even a sliver of a chance to save someone, to assume that responsibility, they'll take it. Because Spideys never give up. They don't have to become passive towards circumstance. Spidey always bounces back. That is their core.

The reason why I don't hate Peter B Parker is because where we meet him in this movie, he's resigned himself to the attitude of "that's just the way things go" and "you can't win here."

Peter B. has devolved back into a remixed version of the nihilism from the first film because he knows that there is nothing he can do within the Spider Society to end any of the unnecessary suffering. The only difference this time is the use of "comedy as crutch" so that he can cope.

All the Spideys are forced to create this deeper meaning around their grief, tying it to their character development because if not, how else would they go through with all of it? All of the Spideys go through a conditioning process when they arrive at HQ.

They get told that their tragedies had to happen and that they must commit to a life of actively working to ensure that the cycle continues each and every time. We also don't know how they key these canon events into play in the presence of an anomaly. Do they just sit back and watch to make sure that the people that die die or do they sometimes have to instigate the casualty that is supposed to happen that day? Do they become accessories to murder, and if so, how do they grapple with that? Plus, to top it all off: it all began with Miles.

To be met with this "truth" would be destabilizing for anyone, which is why we see all the Spider People surrounding Miles once he learns of the canon within the Spider Verse. In a way, I think our Humbling Reality Spider Man is more helpless in ATSV than he was in ITSV because his only silver lining is his daughter, MayDay, whom he only had because he met and mentored Miles who he is now being told he has to turn his back on. Peter B only has the life he has now because he formed a connection with Miles, who we know he loves, which he then discovers wasn't supposed to happen. It begs reminding that both Peter and Gwen volunteer to die in Miles' universe because they both feel they have nothing to go back to except their grief. My guess is he keeps MayDay close at all times because maybe he worries she's an anomaly and can be taken away at any moment since she's a ripple-affect of Miles becoming Spidey (or maybe he would have always ended back up with MJ but that anxiety could still be present).

When he goes back and has that conversation with MJ over whether he would be any good at this, I read that line of questioning as him reevaluating whether he can trust himself to make the right calls for his daughter because he's distressed by his inability to show up for Miles. This does further get complicated by my interpretation that Peter B. does garner some sense of fulfillment in being part of the society; he can rely on the fact that he has to take orders because he knows his track record of screwing things up and doesn't trust himself to do his best work alone. Peter needs the security of a team. With the Spider Society, he can be better, do better, or so he thought.

To OP's point about Peter demonstrating no remorse or signs of devising some sort of rescue plan for Gwen: granted that the timeline between Gwen getting kicked out, reuniting with her dad, and going out to recruit all of her friends happens within a matter of hours, I think we can give him a pass for not immediately jumping to action before finally putting his baby to sleep. It appeared to me at least that he was still processing all that had happened. At this point, he does know that he is wrong for how things played out. MJ's line about making adjustments at half-time is just as much advice for raising their child as it is the exact words of wisdom he needs to hear to fix up the situation with Gwen and Miles. I believe that was his signal to pivot, and he would've taken it if Gwen never showed up. Given more time, he would've mustered up the courage to challenge Miguel on his ideology and execution, and would've advocated for Gwen's return. But yeah, Gwen's situation gets resolved all in the same evening, so calling into question the plausibility of his inaction feels like nit-picking to me.

I'll also give him the benefit of the doubt of not knowing that Gwen was homeless given that Gwen would be spending most of her time shadowing Jessica, and he likely entered the Spider Society some time after Gwen given Miguel's reluctance to bring Gwen for the reason they both share, which is their affection for Miles. So who knows if they ever had that conversation, and if they did, maybe he assumed that this is how Spider Woman ends up in the sole care of Aunt May.

But regardless of whether he put up any sort of a fight, it doesn't entirely seem like the Spider Society has any real system of checks and balances to begin with. Miguel seemingly governs with an iron fist and goes unquestioned, as evidenced by the instance where he gave the order to "stop Spider-Man", and everyone blindly listened, asking who instead of why. Whatever he says goes. There is no winning here.

And it isn't until Gwen is forced home that we, as the audience, are freed of any doubt as to whether they are justified. We are no longer in alignment. Their goals are not worth retraumatizing our lead and countless others. The Spider Society as it currently exists is the worst reaction to the Trolley Problem. The big question this movie poses: is loss necessitated for Spidey to be Spidey? Can we remove the hero from its classic tropes, and if so, what are we left with? The answer is, endless opportunity.

Right now, our characters are playing catch up. They are making that leap of faith again. That they can sometimes, in fact, do/have both. Hoping to right their wrongs and save the friend that inspired them all to continue going on in the first place.

Wanna know why I don't like Peter B.?

Because when Gwen was actively forced into homelessness in front of him, he literally didn't help at all. And then it gets framed on JESS.

Gwen asks for help. And Peter says this:

Jess asks him to stop talking.

And from this moment forward, Peter makes no effort whatsoever to help Gwen.

Mind you. This is AFTER Miles' escape. After the whole 'shocked Peter' gif. Peter knows Miguel is willing to get violent.

But that line is his only attempt to help.

Even as he watches Gwen be fully restrained and physically forced into the machine. He stands there and watches.

He doesn't try to web her. He doesn't try to stop the machine or talk to Miguel. He stands there in silence. Watching Gwen get sent home to a universe he knows she is homeless in.

And the movie just lets him. Despite the fact he's known Gwen longer than anybody in this room.

Instead, Jess is the only mentor at fault. We're told to blame her.

During this scene we never pan to Peter, standing there literally motionless as Gwen gets dragged away. He's not panicking, or trying to talk Miguel out of it. We're just expected to absolve him of blame.

It's Jess' fault. Jess is her 'failed mentor' - despite the fact that Peter has known Gwen longer, is shown to have a better relationship with her, and we're given no reason as to why he wasn't her mentor to begin with.

Jess says this, and we're supposed to judge her for it. While Peter said nothing at all. At most he made a joke and then shut up when he was told.

Jess might've believed she couldn't help Gwen - but what was Peter's excuse? Standing there and watching this happen? He doesn't feel the need to do anything, say anything, or even leave the room.

For him, watching this is fine. And Gwen NEVER confronts him about it.

We're not supposed to blame Peter for letting Miles and Gwen down, repeatedly.

Even when Gwen is being physically forced into homelessness in front of him.

We're told to blame the black woman when the white man who has known Gwen longer literally stands beside Jess motionless.

Had Hobie not left Gwen the watch - We're left to assume that Peter would've just... let her be homeless in her dimension.

He watched her get sent home, said nothing, then went home to his wife and kid to ponder whether or not he was a bad mentor.

Not if Gwen was okay. Or whether he should go check on her????

That's NOT OKAY???!!!! THAT'S TERRIBLE!!!!!!! And this is the man we're supposed to be routing for? This, the dude who shows NO signs he was even gonna go and check on Gwen? The dude who lets child abuse go down in front of him TWICE and he just stands there blinking? That's our Peter Parker?

And I'm supposed to be thrilled to have him on the team??? Despite the fact Gwen had to come TO HIM. NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND???? Gwen doesn't see a problem with that?????

I'm supposed to be happy he's here? Forreal???

Oh joy. Thank you so much, Humbling Reality Spider-man. We love you.

I hate Peter B. ALL MY HOBIES HATE PETER B. (Not a typo)

#like no. not all hobies hate peter b. if hobie can stand by gwen after she was willing to let inspector singh die #i think he'll give peter the same grace he's given gwen bc they are all in the wrong here #why would anyone hate on jess gwen or peter b when miguel's dump truck ass is right there???#re op's comment abt peter traumatizing mayday by seeing her go bye in the go home machine: she ain't gone remember that bbg i promise #she 2. she's seen her dad get into actual fights. she'll be alright #but yeah we got bigger fish to fry than to hold it against our good guys for being flawed #that's just me tho. yall can feel however yall want. its all good #atsv #across the spiderverse #itsv #peter b parker #jessica drew #spider gwen #miguel o'hara #beyond the spiderverse #miles morales #if you read all that btw here's a gold star #🌟

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