#alice theorycrafting

[cheshire-alice]

So I was thinking about Nice and the fact that he practiced ballet seems so interesting to me.

As a person with diagnosed OCD, the ruminating and intrusive thoughts become so debilitating that you can function. However, the only time my brain shuts off is when I'm dancing (I enjoy hip-hop).

However, a part of me wonders if he enjoyed it. His eyes look dead in one of the PVs where he's performing. Hands drowning him of being his own person. It's like it's signifying the need to be perfect. The perfect hero.

I haven't done ballet in a very, very long time, but it was hard. It requires so much time and is rough on the body. It's ridged, and a sense of individuality is not encouraged.

However, the we've only seen him his most free when he was dancing with Wreck. The movements weren't defined. The environment vibrant, fun, and he looks happy.

It also made me question the need to use his fist rather than his legs. The only thing I could think of was that dance (whether ballet, hip hop, pop, etc) is so important to him that he doesn't want to damage something that brought him joy.

Ling Lin doesn't think about it because to him "of course a dance would want to fight with their legs. Especially since they would be stronger."

I dunno, I'm prolly rambling at this point.

[pixelkip]

Dolls in pseudo paradise is so so cool and interesting and it pains me every day that pretty much everyone reads it, sees the vague implication that the killer was a blonde girl and immediately decides either flandre or Alice is the killer. Cmon guys. We can come up with way more interesting and convoluted and way more likely to fit the story explanations than that.

Dipp is way more confusing and brain hurty and FUN when you actually try to analyze it instead of blaming an existing character and I wish I saw more discussion about it. Go read dolls in pseudo paradise (well, once the touhou wiki is back up, God dammit cloudflare) and go make weird convoluted theorycrafting and toxic yuri about it. I am starved for my unnamed dipp art girls yuri please god. But also the theorycrafting. Please. I cannot be the only one who has Too Many Thoughts about this.

[otome-com]

Twisted Wonderland Anime: Here’s What We Know!

Excitement is at an all-time high for fans of the beloved Twisted Wonderland as the announcement of its upcoming Twisted Wonderland anime adaptation has taken the community by storm. Originating as mobile game, Twisted Wonderland has captivated audiences with its unique blend of storytelling, rich visuals, and magical experiences. The anime, set to premiere exclusively on Disney Plus in October 2025,.

In this article:

The World of Twisted Wonderland Anime Twisted Wonderland Mobile Otome Game Twisted Wonderland Anime Adaptation Announcement Stage Presentation and "Anime Japan 2025" Return of the OG Voice Actors Expectations for Season One Studio and Production Team Fan Reactions and Speculations Where to watch Twisted Wonderland?

The World of Twisted Wonderland Anime Twisted Wonderland is where fantasy and familiar tales collide. Developed by Disney, it reimagines iconic villains as students in a magical academy called Night Raven College. With a blend of mystery, adventure, and dynamic character arcs, the game quickly earned a devoted global fanbase. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIU-5V_z07Q Each dormitory is inspired by a Disney villain, such as the Queen of Hearts or Scar, bringing depth and delightful chaos to the school’s world. The game isn't just about magical duels and rhythm battles—it's about friendship, growth, and the inner struggles of uniquely flawed characters. Fans have deeply connected with the storylines, expanding the lore through art, theorycrafting, and storytelling of their own.

Twisted Wonderland Mobile Otome Game From its initial mobile launch, Twisted Wonderland captured players with its spellbinding narrative and richly developed characters. It seamlessly combined strategic gameplay, rhythm mechanics, and compelling story arcs. Its vivid art style, heartfelt character writing, and great worldbuilding made it more than just an otome game—it became an experience. The upcoming anime adaptation now marks the next big chapter in this magical journey, promising a tribute to the original while opening doors to new fans.

Twisted Wonderland Anime Adaptation Announcement The official confirmation arrived via a trending X post, revealing that the first season—titled “Episode of Hearts Labyul”—will premiere in October 2025 on Disney Plus. It’ll adapt the storylines from the first three books of the game, beginning with the quirky and rule-riddled Heartslabyul dormitory, based on Alice in Wonderland’s Queen of Hearts. A dazzling teaser visual featuring the dorm leaders under the Mirror of Darkness set fan expectations high. And with confirmation of three planned seasons, the magic’s just getting started!

Stage Presentation and "Anime Japan 2025" Fans will get an even closer look during Anime Japan 2025 on March 22nd. A live stage presentation will feature the voices behind Riddle, Leona, Malleus, Azul, and Crewel, sparking theories and speculation. These voice actors aren’t just performers—they’ve become pillars of the Twisted Wonderland community. Their participation promises juicy insights and unforgettable fan interactions, giving life to the characters in an entirely new way.

Return of the OG Voice Actors The announcement of the original cast returning for the anime brought waves of joy (and a little meme-worthy amusement) to fans. Their return reassures the community that the anime will stay true to its roots, keeping the characters’ voices and personalities consistent across mediums. Fans have built strong emotional bonds with the voice actors through past livestreams and game events—so hearing their iconic voices again is like being welcomed home.

Expectations for Season One The first season will follow the Heartslabyul arc, filled with eccentric rules, unexpected drama, and an overblot transformation fans are eager to see animated. This storyline is a perfect entry point, offering humor, tension, and emotional depth. One hot topic is whether the anime will use a consistent protagonist like the game’s “Yuu,” or introduce different versions as seen in the manga. Fans are also curious about how closely the anime will follow the game’s pacing—and if it might introduce new scenes or expanded backstories.

Studio and Production Team The animation is being handled by Yumeta Company and Graphinica, studios known for their work on Record of Ragnarok II. While not the first studios fans expected (many were rooting for CloverWorks), hopes remain high. With Takahiro Natori as Chief Director, Makoto Katakai as Director, and Yoichi Kato as Head Writer, the series is in experienced hands. Hanaka Nakano and Akane Sato will tackle the all-important character designs, balancing game accuracy with fresh visual flair.

Fan Reactions and Speculations There’s no shortage of fan theories on how the anime will depict fan-favorite characters—especially the dramatic overblot transformations, which reflect inner turmoil taken to magical extremes. Speculation also surrounds how the protagonist role will evolve and whether we’ll see character-exclusive moments that didn’t make it into the game. Everyone’s eager to see how their favorite dorm leaders will be brought to life—and how their emotional arcs will be deepened on screen.

From Twitter threads to Reddit boards, fans are abuzz with theories and excitement. Everyone has a wish list: stunning visuals, faithful storylines, high-quality animation, emotional depth, and maybe even some bonus content! Still, there are a few nerves—especially about animation quality and pacing—but overall, the community is hopeful. The anime offers a chance to relive favorite moments and see relationships grow in brand-new ways.

Where to watch Twisted Wonderland? One of the big questions is accessibility outside Japan. With Disney Plus at the helm, fans are optimistic for simultaneous or near-simultaneous global release, complete with subtitles—and maybe even English dubs. The Twisted Wonderland fandom is already deeply international, and making the anime globally available will only strengthen its impact. Fans are eager to share this magical world with more people than ever before. Read the full article

[tabaciberez]

Alright I see someone mentioned the sword, and I gotta take this up.

The sword

the fucking sword

sword-chan if you will, because "Blarkveld" rolls off the tongue of exactly nobody.

Let me set the stage real quick

House? Wrecked

Friends? Recovered

Wall? Under construction

Risk? High and increasing.

Kirito's in a rough spot. Sinon's out in the desert and needs rescue, but the house is equally fucked if it's abandoned. It's him, Asuna, Alice, Liz, Silica, Yui, and Leefa. Their position is dire: raiders are bound to come, and they need to split the party for this rescue run. Worse, their preexisting equipment is still too high-level for them to use now: a literal deadweight, if it ever comes out of their inventories. In desperation, Kirito makes the decision to melt down Blarkveld to supply the team and the home. As it turns out, endgame ALO gear equates to over a hundred ingots of assorted rarities in UR; more than enough to equip everyone with a few pieces of basic kit.

On the face of it, the scene is strong. Kirito is sacrificing one of his powerful artifacts- and Blarkveld is an artifact in all senses of the word here- to empower his family and his team with the ability to fight both the monsters the game creates and the monsters of humanity that emerge. There's more to it than that, though.

If we read the Progressive Novels, esp. 2, and to a lesser extent 5 and 6, there's a quickly-noticed discussion on 'the soul of the weapon' in which a part of a previous weapon is brought forward and used to craft the next weapon. Just as Kirito takes parts of his bicycle chain and fastenings to use in his next bike to maintain continuity, so to are weapons (and let us not mistake the digital for a place that is not as real as flesh in SAO's internal logic) so too are pieces of the last weapon wielded by himself and Asuna taken forward to continue the cycle.

(someone who is Not Me can thereby write the theorycrafting paper on what Elucidator means in this sword cosmology later)

With this scene, we've not only seen Kirito literally reduce himself to empower his family, but within the sword logic of SAO he's also passed on his memory and spirit to each of them. Lizabeth, the original smith of his blade, is reforging it, thereby transforming the spiritual weight of the tool into a means to ensure everyone has that same power. Most critically, this power (real and hypothetical) has been given to Yui- his daughter. She now holds a portion of her father's strength, and in doing so promises to continue it.

Unital Ring, fundamentally, is a story about love, sacrifice, and the return for the cost of items given. Kirito loses a sword to empower his family; and in return his family is powerful enough to save him from a threat he cannot save himself from.

This isn't the only time this pattern repeats; but it is the first.

Man I love Unital Ring.

Just- the simple symbolism and themes. It's protecting the house and giving back to it that forms the basis of everything else. Kirito and Asuna never abandon their relationship, we all know that, but the addition of Alice and the question of time and damage from the Underworld make the audience wonder. Are the old wounds healed? Are the doubts from Moon Cradle addressed?

Yes. The house is damaged, but standing, and it's the help of everyone to bring it back to it's full strength. Liz and Silica believe in the strength of their friends; and Yui the love of her parents. It's the sacrifice of one of Kirito's swords that gives them the tools they need to go further, and the journey to help a friend that finishes the job as Sinon brings the last ingredients to help and the aid to protect their home. With her coming and completing the home, a cabin in the woods begins it's transformation to Rua na Rig.

We all know the old yarn. For want of a nail, the horseshoe was lost. For want of a shoe, the messenger was lost. For want of a messenger, the battle was lost. For want of a battle, the war was lost.

Here, though? Now?

For love of a wife, the bear was fought. For love of a family, the raiders were fought. For love of a friend, a wall was crossed. For love of a home, a town was born. For love of a town, the witch was fought.

The next book of Unital Ring is coming out soon. I, for one, want to see what else Reki thinks love might build.

[asumofwords]

You know how irl we look back on history and talk shit and theorycraft alternate scenarios without the certain event ending in a disaster?

Do you think in the future of your sf&a world people would learn the history and just go "what the fuck bro, alicent should've betrothed aemond and y/n together and made him king, rhaenyra wouldn't oppose the ruling since her daughter is queen and they could've prevented unnecessary deaths." ?

I sound insane typing that 😨 but idk your story has occupied my mind so much I'm creating unnecessary stuff up 😭

I think a lot of people would be like, why wasn’t she married to Aegon after Helaena killed herself? They would also question as to how Aegon was even trusted with the throne by her mother, even though it’s “tradition” to have the first male heir on the throne.

There would definitely be questions on whether or not the reader gladly and consensually married Aemond or if she didn’t. People would use their bond as an example as to why she wanted to marry him! Because of course, they did not see what went on behind closed doors !!

I hope this makes sense ?

[emmys-grimoire]

Sensei! Your theorycrafting level is over 9000, please let me join your coven :P Joking aside, if you were put in charge of writing a pop quiz/event for OM that focuses solely on the side characters, what would the theme be and how would the short story play out? BONUS: timeline wise it (roughly) takes place one week before MC becomes the demon bros' babysitter in s3, which means she was having an epic adventure while they were having their movie marathon. I'm not salty about that at all, no sir

I have a coven!? We need to set up a meeting so we can finally work our  spells in tandem.

Events don’t normally go over heavy lore bits and are usually just pure fluff, and I can understand why: don’t want fans to miss out on the juicy bits just because they started playing after the event was released.

Buuuut if I were making an event storyline pitch that focuses solely on the side characters, I’d probably have it revolve around the opening of the Angel’s Halo cafe. All of the side characters have an interest in fine cuisine and cooking, and we already have had cafe-centric subnode with every side character in it. An event revolving around what to put on the menu, a menu taste testing, and the grand opening would probably be fun and all the characters could contribute.

If that’s too mundane and you want to get really wacky, you can have Solomon sneak in a bioweapon “secret ingredient” in one of the dishes to give it a bit of kick and it can send the group into another dream dimension. Maybe have an Obey Me! Alice in Wonderland or Wizard of Oz spinoff featuring each of the side characters.

That’d be my off-the-cuff pitch.

[raucous-cacophony]

more magnus protocol theorycrafting below notes

so. the TMAGP universe is a different universe from the TMA universe. Where do the timelines diverge?

I was tempted whenever I started TMAGP to assume that the fears didn't exist in this universe until they were unleashed from TMA's universe in TMA200. But that can't be right. The Magnus Institute existed well before the year the TMA ending happened.

...which means that, at minimum, Jonah Magnus exists in this universe.

Let's work off the (probably not entirely correct) assumption that the only TMAGP timeline split is the Magnus Institute getting burned down in 1999.

Elias Bouchard was taken over by Jonah Magnus in 1996, three years before the Magnus Institute was burned down. Gwendolyn Bouchard being some relative of Elias (sister, daughter, whatever) that was aware of his sudden personality change, the existence of the Fears, and the destruction of the institute gives her a very strong character motivation for being this invested in the OIAR. She wants revenge for Elias and a greater understanding of what led to his change.

Sam said that the Magnus institute was a "blast from the past". I'd guess that he had some sort of relative or friend that worked there, or grew up close to the Magnus institute, and somehow witnessed or was personally affected by the destruction of the Institute. I'm going to lean towards him just being casually aware of the Institute, without having strong personal ties to it. He's investigating the Magnus protocol, sure, but he's not investigating it with the fervor or intensity of someone that's looking for answers about an event that affected them deeply. He seems genuinely surprised when Alice warns him off looking into it more deeply.

and then alice just fuckin works there lmao. i dont think she has any significant ties to the institute, she just wants a paycheck and an easy job

just caught up with the magnus protocol 4, and...

having augustus be the voice of jurgen leitner is... interesting. of course, this COULD mean that leitner's soul was also bound to the fears and pulled into the alternate universes, but... idk. that feels tenuous. I'm beginning to think that all the callbacks to MAG65 Binary are Rusty Quill intentionally being misleading. Partially as a joke, partially because Jony and Alex still wanted to VA, but like, they did mention that they wanted this series to stand on its own, separately from magnus archives. And having a significant part of the overarching plot be immediately obvious to everyone that listened to all of TMA.. well, if I were writing it, the idea of doing that would be boring to me. I'd want to have more fun with it.

I guess I'm saying that there's probably something more interesting going on than Jon and Martin being sealed in the computer. And, don't forget the Magnus Protocol teaser they put out when they first announced the show. In-universe, that was Martin noticing the tape player, and responding "hello, [is the web] still listening? huh". If we interpret that as canon, then Martin can't be trapped in the computer, right?

Changing the subject, though, it's interesting to see how differently the fears are behaving in this. The fears in TMA created supernatural entities that lurked in the background and found victims to trap and horrify. Here, though... it almost feels like the fears are more of a disease. Most of the statements we've gotten have been from people that have been touched by the fears, and, it changes them. The fears turn their victims into avatars, seemingly much much much more aggressively than in TMA.

And, the new avatars seem much less aware of the fact that they've changed than the TMA avatars did. Jonathan and Helen and Michael were all very aware of the fact that they had once been humans, then changed, and they each had to grapple with and rationalize their newfound hungers in very human ways. But, in Protocol, the painter in episode didn't register that reshaping her face was weird or that other people would find it scary. The doctor in episode 3 was talking about the garden growing from his flesh with much more peace than a TMA statement-giver would. He almost sounded like Jared in the flesh garden. The violinist in 4 was most aware of the fact that killing people to feed the violin could conceivably be perceived as wrong, but there was still this casualness about the whole affair that was entirely missing from the victims in TMA.

They mentioned that there were military organizations tied to the Magnus protocol. I'm guessing that the incineration of the institute was, instead of being an internal actor buring the archives down (like Gertrude wanted to do), an effort by the UK government to contain and destroy a rapidly expanding group of aggressive fear avatars that were posing a threat to national security. The Magnus Protocol itself is the protocol that the government developed and expanded upon after the Magnus incident to contain other aggressive fear avatar outbreaks.

Hell, look at the name of the branch that our cast works for! The Office of Incident, Assessment, and Response. Fear avatars cause the Incidents. Our cast does the Assessment. And the Magnus Protocol is the Response.

[loregoddess]

tagged by @lookerdewitt

Rules: Answer the 20 questions in a new post and tag 20 blogs you would like to get to know better.  I’m tagging uhhh.... @organicgold and uh...anyone else who feels like doing this, but you don’t have to if you don’t feel like it.

Nickname: Lore, I guess (that’s what I use on this site at least)

Gender: she/her

Star Sign: Pisces

Height: 5′3′’

Time right now: 4:36pm when I started this, and 3:29pm the next day when I remembered this was in my drafts to post.

Last thing I googled: castlevania wiki

Favorite Bands: Dude, I dunno I cycle between like, 12 different groups depending on my mood and the time of year.

Favorite Solo Artists: n/a to my knowledge

Song stuck in your head: Not sure which song, but it’s either from the Castlevania: Curse of Darkness soundtrack or the Castlevania Symphony of the Night soundtrack, probably the former since SotN doesn’t have as many harpsichord songs and I listen to the former more often.

Last movie I watched: Inferno, unfortunately

Last TV show I watched: Lucifer

When did you create your blog: 2015

What kind of stuff do you post: Mostly fandom stuff

When did your blog reach its peak: Hell if I know

Do you have any other blogs: Nah

Do you get asks regularly: Nah

Why you chose your URL: A long time ago, I thought I’d use this as a place to dump my game analysis and theorycrafting thoughts, but then I realised that nah, that’s not a good idea given how fandom is, and decided just to reblog a shitton of stuff and use this site for random venting and ranting.

Following: 63, but that will go up when I beat BotW and refollow all the Zelda blogs I stopped following because I still haven’t gotten a blacklist app to avoid spoilers and everything is a spoiler to me.

Posts: 13k

Hogwarts House: Ravenclaw

Pokémon Team: I...dunno...??

Favorite colors: Green

Average hours of sleep: 9, give or take

Lucky Numbers: No number is “lucky” for me per se, I just have favourite numbers.

Favorite manga characters: Xerxes Break, Gil, and Alice from Pandora Hearts come to mind, but if you gave me a specific manga I’d have a clearer answer.

How many blankets do you sleep with: 2: sheet and comforter

Dream job: College professor w/ a few years of character design behind me

Dream trip: Scotland’s Loch Ness and anywhere in Japan, but only if if I had like, no travel anxiety

[cheshire-alice]

So I was driving and listening to Inertia and really listened to the lyrics. And it dawned on me that Inertia might be Lin Ling's Hero song. I found it weird that we didn't get a song for him in episode 4 and that Paragon was played at the end.

But then I remembered that Inertia is just the opening of the series.

It's not the actual theme of the series.

Usually, the opening is the song that represents the show as a whole, but on the official To Be Hero X website (the Aniplex one), it states that Jeopardy is the series' main theme.

I found it weird, so it made me pay attention to the lyrics.

So let's analyze this. Look at the first verse:

I always knew where I stood I tried to be so good Look at me now I dunno know how but I'm a real hero

Here, it feels like we're establishing that he's trying to be Nice, living his dream of wanting to be a hero.

No hiding in the shadows Time to strut I'm gonna make a splash to make this cut You've got to believe that I am free So no hesitation

Next, we have him wanting to be the ideal hero or it can signify what his type of hero he wants to be.

Now we get to the chorus of the song:

Jump into the night Cuz I can smell the trouble Don't you miss the fight Just get there at the double I gotta make a difference I'm moving with a purpose I'm feeling my inertia Inertia Inertia Stubbornly I will believe I will believe Keep dreaming Stubbornly I will believe I will believe Keep dreaming Is it my turn to be the hero? Yeah! Cuz I gotta be the hero Yeah! Cuz I gotta be the hero Yeah! Cuz I gotta be the hero Yeah!

Lin Ling, when we first met him, wanted to push the idea that any person could be a hero. To live that ideal hero life. The "I will believe, keep dreaming, stubbornly" is his to the core towards episode 4 when he decided not to live in Nice's shadow.

And then we get the "Is it my turn to be the hero?"

Why would this be the case for any of the others in the series when it is established that they are famous heroes of their own?

However, it's really until we get into the second set of verses that really pushed the idea that this is talking about Lin Ling.

Didn't you know it's enough just to deserve that love? Without a crowd Without a stage You're still a real hero I'm gonna be the last line of defense I'll blow it if I lack the confidence I've got to believe that there's a need for my whole existence

He ended up gaining his Trust value by wanting to protect the person that he cared for the most. He didn't care that his believers wanted him safe or not to fall into The Eye of Truth's trap. While he wasn't a hero then, he rose to the occasion.

[cheshire-alice]

Do you think Hero X believes in himself so much that he just manifest omnipresent powers?

Like he "believes in the me who believes in himself" type shit?

Cause that would be amazing tbh

[cheshire-alice]

I just posed this question to my friend, but

"Instead of going home, why did Ling Lin climb a roof?"

Was he so alone that death was his immediate reaction to losing his job? Why have we not seen any type of reaction regarding his death?

"Did his fate get switched?"

And then it lead to this idea:

We see the screen flicker when Nice appeared before Ling Lin. Nice didn't look like he was actually contemplating death.

We hear nothing about the OG Nice body being gathered.

Did someone mess with the flow of the world to free Nice from his hell of being a hero and grant Ling Lin his dream?

[cheshire-alice]

Also on the same lines of my last TBHX post

Episode 2 spoilers

Moon's situation is a lot more scary than it shows.

She started off as a travel blogger whose popularity grew. So she gained teleportation powers to match what her fanbase enjoyed.

In one literal instant due to Nice saving her, her fanbase shifted from her seeing the sights to keeping her as nothing more than a love interest.

Like, it's a nice touch on how people don't see celebrities as actual real people with feelings and desires. Her own fanbase ended up chaining her and keeping her from what made her a hero to begin with.

[cheshire-alice]

So my friend is watching To Be Hero X and live reacting to it and it made me think....

How much do individual beliefs affect heroes? My friend pointed out that Nice flew down from the roof that Lin Ling was standing on.

But jumped off immediately? So here's my question? Since Lin Ling was Nice's top creative marketing worker and a pretty devoted believer, "did he unconsciously help push Nice to suicide?" With his comments of dying?

Or was it actually his choice?

[cheshire-alice]

Episode 3 Spoilers

Can we talk about "hehe" joke THAT IS STRAIGHT UP BODY HORROR THAT MAKES UP FIRM MAN?!

You're telling me that he was literally made to stand firm and couldn't bend? What the actual fuck?

He's basically been stuck like this for around 15 years.

(34 age to commission to now, which I think is like 50)

[cheshire-alice]

Welcome to my new hyperfixation: To Be Hero X.

The premise so far is interesting. Heroes are people whose ability to gain powers is based on what the world thinks of you.

Going into spoilers

Nice's suicide shows that he was tired of the hero lifestyle because people like Miss J basically capitalize on making everything sellable.

You see Wreck and Moon hate that they're bound to contracts that give them no freedom.

Lin Ling only sees the commercial side of it. Has only been in marketing and was sold the lies of being a hero. Hell, he is currently living the lie because he looks like Nice.

He's enamored because he would've taken his own life if Nice didn't basically hand him a new life card. So, right now everything is a net positive. We saw no one mourning his actual death (or maybe we were also fed that lie), so it looks like he had no one, which makes him the perfect candidate.

Moon's fans allowed her freedom. Nice had Wreck, but were denied access to each other.

So far Lin Ling is on his own, so I wonder how long it'll take for him to remove the rose colored glasses. Or if he even will.

I'm rambling at this point, but if X looks different from his hero form, what caused this salaryman to have limitedless powers? Cause he's so interesting.

[cheshire-alice]

Episode 2 thoughts since it's on my mind

So a part of me wonders if Nice and Wreck were part of a hero recruitment academy. Kinda like how the idol industry works. They take in potential people and train them based on their traits.

Like we see that Nice practiced ballet, and ballet dancers are seen as the perfect dancers. Always poised, balanced, and graceful. His main pose (arms open wide) reminds me of ballet second position. Ballerina's aren't allowed to make mistakes.

Him and Wreck also tutted, which is a style of hip hop. It's structured, but it could be chaotic as well (as we see with Wreck's ability to create structures).

It also makes sense on why they were part of the same Hero agency and why they were "nemesis".