#leverage fan theory

[dispatchvampire]

Alexis is the entirely competent but sexy disaster in Eliot's past. They've never dated officially, but crossed paths so many times & helped each other out on so many occasions, it just kind of happened. Neither of them was in it for a long time, but they definitely had a good time.

She & Sophie always just missed each other, all over the world, but everyone always assumed they were related because of vibes. Like cousins separated by continents.

Parker & Nate knew who she was by reputation & whispers but neither interacted with her.

Hardison is the audience surrogate who is, by equal turns, charmed & vaguely horrified by her stories.

She & Tara do not like each other for professional reasons.

Quinn has lusted after her for years, & she for him, in both a personal & professional context but they've never sealed the deal.

Chaos & Archie knew of her but their paths never intersected.

I didn’t go missing, David. The FBI knew where I was the entire time.

[kitkatt0430]

Two good ol'boys behind the wheel Chasin' down bad guys in Lucille

Anyway, my theory is that Eliot's fleet of food trucks in the sequel series are all secretly Lucilles - both Eliot and Hardison have dubbed them as such, but have not admitted it to anyone. Including each other.

[goodthingscomeinthrees]

what i love so much about leverage (and now redemption), is that the creators and showrunners are so deeply aware of how people in fandom consume and appreciate media. they understand the power of the little in-jokes (the doctor who references alone lol), of genre homages (and turning character blueprints on their heads), of respecting their fans and their theories (see the "are we a poly—" fade to black this season).

they give us those nods, but tptb is still firmly in the drivers' seat, creatively. it's not at all pure fanservice, but it makes for a deeply satisfying "we're in this together" viewing experience that i haven't had with practically any other media.

it's a dialogue! the creators respect the fans and the fans respect the journeys the creators want to go on. and it doesn't hurt that the show is just so goddamn fun.

[ponett]

I have this theory about what works attract fandoms, and it's basically the uncanny valley graph. there's a certain point where things are Too Good, and so no one ever makes fanwork about them, because there's effectively nothing you'd want to change. I mean, look at Leverage, most of the fanfic on AO3 is fixit fic for other fandoms.

and then, on the other side of that valley, you have the stuff that was ... almost good. and that's where all the fanfic lives. because god it would be so good if it was good

I don't think this is a universal truth or anything—it's not hard to think of counter-examples of excellent, widely acclaimed things that also have big fandoms—but there's definitely some merit to this train of thought. That fandoms latch onto things that have good ideas, but also room for improvement, or at least a foundation that can be expanded upon in obvious ways.

The example I always think back to is how the production on the music in Touhou remains kind of basic and rough to this day, but the tunes kick ass, so fans take those songs and do covers of them with more elaborate production. That vibrant remix ecosystem might not exist if the music was more polished to begin with.

[hyperfixatedbastard]

do you write hypnosis stuff?? it's not specifically against the rules but idk it's kind of an iffy era for a lot of writers-

if it's okay with you, could you write some Vox x Singer!Reader who he uses his mind control on to sell their soul to him so they remain under the VoxTek label? (im sure remaining with him is an ulterior motive of his as well lol)

thanks :]

I can absolutely do that! I’m a little iffy about NSFW hypnosis, but I can do a SFW oneshot :)

siren songs

Obsessed!Vox x Singer!GN!Reader

Word Count: 1.4k

WARNINGS: Yandere-ish behavior, hypnosis, manipulation, toxic behavior, all that good stuff

A/N: I told y'all I'd be back with some toxic Vox!! I wasn't entirely sure how to end this one, but I've spent enough time rewriting it to stop caring. This one is only romantic in theory - nothing actually romantic happens between Vox and Reader, it's more mutual pining than anything else This is also my first time writing obsessive behavior, so I hope I did it well!

Dividers

You’ve been working with the Vees for years now. You were originally recruited by Velvette, who’s like a bloodhound for new talent. She saw some popular videos of your singing online, and she made you famous.

But you don’t work with her that much, oddly enough. Over time, you gradually started to see her less and less. Vox was the one to take her place. By the time you noticed, there wasn’t much you could do about it—you’re certainly not an equal to the Vees, so there wasn’t much you could do. Sure, you could’ve quit then and there, as you’d never signed a soul-binding contract, but you really liked your job. You were getting to do what you loved for a living! Who wouldn’t want that?

Well, you. You don’t want that anymore. You’re getting burnt out. You feel like you’re out of creativity for writing songs, and singing no longer has the same appeal it used to. It feels like a chore. Getting on stage doesn’t get you excited—it just fills you with dread.

Then you saw the videos of the annual clown pageant down in the Greed Ring. How Fizzarolli, Mammon’s favorite little jester, just…quit. Just like that. 

Can you do that?

You don’t have backup like Fizzarolli did. There’s no Prince of Hell to protect you if the Vees lash out in response to your resignation. But the Vees aren’t Mammon. They’re powerful Overlords, sure, but they wouldn’t kill off an easy cash grab like you. And they don’t have any leverage to use against you—you’re a fucking superstar, you learned to stop keeping secrets a long time ago.

Yeah, you can totally do this!

You spend the next week making a plan. You currently live in V Tower, so finding another living arrangement is a priority. Luckily, your standards are just as low as before you got famous, so snatching up an apartment doesn’t take long. You’ve been building up savings for some time now, just little bits here and there that wouldn’t look suspicious among your bank withdrawls, so you have enough money to last you a while. You’ve made a go-bag, but you’re not too worried about bringing anything with you, as you have enough cash to just buy new shit. By the time the end of the week comes around, you’ve got your escape plan ready to go. All that’s left is to actually quit.

You decide that directly speaking to Vox is your best option. Velvette and you don’t have the same rapport that you used to, and Valentino is just… no. During your time working with Vox, you like to think there’s some sort of friendship there. The two of you chat amicably, and he always makes sure you’re okay when it comes to creepy fans and the like. You feel like there could be something more than just friendship, but you don’t plan on staying long enough to find out. As much as you like Vox, you’re not willing to spend the rest of your afterlife hating every second of your job just for him.

You stand outside Vox’s lair, mentally preparing yourself for this conversation. You take a deep breath, and right before you can knock on the door, it opens.

Okay, here goes.

⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

You aren’t as sneaky as you seem to think you are.

A normal boss wouldn’t have noticed the small transactions in your bank account, or the little trips you’ve been taking to go look at apartments. But Vox isn’t a ‘normal boss’ by any means. And he noticed.

From the moment Vox set eyes on you, he knew he wanted you. You’re beautiful, and fuck, your voice—he just can’t get you out of his damn head, no matter how hard he tries. And he really fucking tried. But he couldn’t avoid you, thanks to VoxTek being such an integral part of your performances. And you’re like a damn siren with that voice of yours, even though he’s supposed to be the hypnotizing one here. Eventually, he just gave in and accepted that he was more than a little obsessed with you. That’s why he started drawing you closer to him, pushing away Velvette and taking control of your brand. He doesn’t like sharing.

Obsession isn’t a particularly new feeling for Vox. He certainly has… tendencies. But this isn’t like whatever the fuck he’s got going on with that deer-headed, old-timey bastard Alastor. It’s not a lust thing, either. You’re certainly attractive, and Vox most definitely would sleep with you, but that’s not the main factor at play here. This is a deeper obsession than any of that bullshit.

Vox knows that he doesn’t own your soul. He’s well aware that he can’t truly stop you from quitting. Even if he managed to trap you inside V Tower, he can’t force you to keep up the performances. If he had you under a proper soul-binding contract, though…

He would own you.

Now, he’s not Valentino. He doesn’t plan to take that kind of advantage over you. He doesn’t want to change a damn thing. He just wants you to stay.

And he will make you stay.

He knows when you approach his office, and he opens the doors with the touch of a button on his desk. He plasters that casually perfect smile on his screen and turns to face you as you enter. The doors shut behind you.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you today, my dear,” he lies easily, the charismatic mask fitting into place like it was never absent in the first place. “How can I help you?”

You hesitate, your anxiety starting to get to you. But you’re determined to do this. You clear your throat and step forward. “I’m resigning.”

Vox’s smile doesn’t falter, nor does his screen glitch. His demeanor is…unnerving, to say the least. You’ve known him to be temperamental, emotional. You expected some kind of reaction. But he’s just smirking at you like he always does.

“I don’t suppose there’s anything I can do to change your mind,” he replies smoothly, tilting his head to the side just slightly.

“No,” you confirm, trying to sound confident in your answer. You’re not sure if you succeed. “I’ve already made my decision.”

Vox sighs, though he doesn’t sound very defeated. His smirk hasn’t gone away, either. “Well, then. It’s been a pleasure working with you, darling.”

He holds his hand out for you to shake. The gesture immediately worries you, as it’s the well-known sign of a deal. But you reassure yourself that there’s no deal being made here. Hell may be chaotic, but there’s rules when it comes to these kinds of things. Neither of you have offered anything, therefore there’s no harm in shaking his hand. It’s just a respectful gesture of a boss wishing their employee farewell. It all feels too easy, but you’re too relieved to think too hard about it.

You go to take his hand, but as you lift your head up to meet his gaze, everything goes fuzzy.

Vox grabs you by your wrist before you can shake his hand. He’s not rough with you. He’s careful of his claws, ensuring they don’t put too much pressure on your skin. Not that you’d notice, either way—your mind is far gone at this point, thanks to those spirals in his eye.

“In exchange for your soul, you’ll remain under the VoxTek label and continue working for me. Your work will remain the same as before. You’ll forget about leaving. You will want to stay here. You will want to stay here with me.”

A golden scroll appears out of thin air, and it floats in front of you as it unfurls. “Sign it.”

Your body moves on its own. You sign your name on the line at the bottom of the page.

Vox releases your wrist, and takes your hand in his own as his eye reverts back to its normal state. When you come to just moments later, he’s shaking your hand with calm professionality.

“I’m glad we got that sorted out,” Vox remarks smoothly, his smirk looking almost proud now. “I look forward to your next performance, my dear.”

You blink a few times as you become more lucid and aware. “Uh, yeah. Can’t wait!”

You smile, and Vox releases your hand, seemingly satisfied with your answer. You don’t remember what exactly you came in here for, but you’re happy with the outcome.  “Perfect.”

[another-goblin]

After 2.2, many people noticed that the first part of Ratio's "Doctor's Advice" isn't just a vague encouragement (to think about it, that would have been a bit out of character for him); it actually foreshadows certain revelations about the Dreamworld we only discover in 2.2.

It can't be a coincedence that the words "Death" and "Dormancy", capitalized and placed in quotation marks, are the exact words used to refer to that "Death "meme when we discover the truth about it.

It's safe to assume that he knows more about the Dreamworld than he lets on, and that note is partly a hint to Aventurine about what's going on. And it probably helped, judging by the fact that Aventurine somehow ended up in Dreamflux Reef after that.

So first, that really reminded me of what he did on Herta station. He basically slips into his teacher mode: "I'll make sure nobody dies. I won't disrespect your cognitive abilities by just telling you what's going on. I'll just direct you towards the truth because I know you are smart enough to ultimately get there by yourself"

And secondly, if that's true, if he really knows a lot about the Dreamworld, that would finally explain why the IPC sent him as a technical consultant.

The question is, what's in it for him.

At first glance, he doesn't have a horse in that race. I don't think he gives a damn about the IPC's claim on Penacony. He doesn't strike me as a fan of the IPC in general (his philosophy is "people should have access to education," and money never factors into it).

And they can't directly order him to go; the IPC bosses are not his bosses. The Intelligentsia Guild is affiliated with the IPC and probably sponsored by it, but they are not the same. (I had a little theory about the IPC financing his educational projects. So theoretically, they could use it as leverage. But it's an unsopported speculation on my part)

One of his goals could have been to study the Dreamworld, but I don't think that's the case because he could have just visited it as a tourist for that purpose at any time.

So, why would he agree to go on that mission, taking his valuable time away from teaching and potentially risking his life and reputation (by getting involved with the IPC's shady affairs)?

He's only there to help Aventurine. Currently, that's the only explanation.

[twopoppies]

https://www.tumblr.com/twopoppies/775565357490569217/part-of-me-thinks-sometimes-that-one-of-the-main?source=share

I had thought something similar because Harry loves performing, touring, and making music, and I think he's a workaholic, so it does seem odd that he'd take such a long break, even though he totally deserves it. But I discarded that theory because the last stunt (hussell) happened during his break, and he was seen with Stringer last year.

I wonder what his plans are. I still remember the insta story he posted and then deleted ('why do I like chess?'), and I think a big part of his life is like a chess game. I hope they're winning.

I really think Hussell was to help repair his image after Holivia. It was all the things fans pointed out that made the others seem fake (although they really can't help themselves, and they still follow the same dumb playbook, so it still looks fake to anyone paying attention).

And I think being seen with Stringer is part of the game. Just like when we got that photo in 2015 of Harry at Irving's office. I think it was posted in order to send a message to Simon/Sony/whoever was working against Harry that he had big guns behind him. I don't know what he's thinking or planning, but after giving them three successful albums, winning AOTY, winning three other grammys, winning a bunch of Brits, mounting a hugely successful tour, and generating millions and millions of dollars for everyone, I think he's got some leverage to negotiate with.

I could be totally wrong, and he just likes not working, but it's very unusual for him. The chess post (which, for some reason, I don't have. Can someone please send it to me?) wasn't a mistake, either. It's all a chess game, and I really hope he's winning.

The deleted chess video can be found here.

[faguettism]

Byler Parallel in Barbie : Diamond Castle?

Okay before you call me crazy just hear me out.

I was listening to old Barbie songs earlier today when I was doing the laundry and I suddenly realized that Will and Mike were kind of similar to Liana and Alexa from Diamond Castle.

Now this was originally supposed to be like a short funny Lesbyler post.

But then, I also realized there were quiet a few scenes in the movie that reminded me of season 4 and some fan theories for season 5. I'll try to explain what went down in my head as best I can.

So.

Alexa (Mike) and Liana (Will) are childhood best friends, who are shipped as a lesbian couple in the Barbie fandom.

They have rainbow imagery of the two of them in the movie (they literally get on a rainbow together and get away from their love interests lol).

In the beginning, they find a strange girl with magic (Melody/El) at the side of the road.

Later in the story they fight over Melody's (El's) problem. Liana (Will) says that Melody (El) needs help but Alexa (Mike) gets mad at her.

Lydia (Vecna) uses this as leverage to seperate the two and hypnotizes (possess) Alexa (Mike), and then Liana (Will) saves her by singing their special song (maybe Will helping Mike by talking to him through the possession?).

In the end, they all defeat Lydia (Vecna) with the power of music and "friendship" (more like love lol).

That's all, which isn't very much I know. Take what you will from this post, it's very unserious and something I shared just for funsies.

Although I would love the idea of Duffer Brothers having Barbie on the referance board lmao.

PS : This is a part of Liana's dialoge from the movie

"Miss her? Why would I miss her? We've only been friends for as long as I can remember. She's been with me through the best and worst times of my life. She knows me better than anyone else in the entire universe. I feel like a part of me is gone."

[adventuringblind]

Hi, I noticed (mainly bc u read a lot of your work) that you write a lot of dark/ self harm based/themed fics so I was wondering if you would be comfortable with writing a lestappen x reader with an Ed. It’s totally fine if you don’t want to so ofc feel free to ignore

(Your work is always very well written and I look forward to reading what you post next)

One for you and One for me

Lestappen x Reader

Genre: Angst/hurt comfort

Summary: Nobody is immune to the toxicity of social media, Charles and Max help their girl through it

Warnings: HEAVY ED, toxic media, body dysmorphia, sexual acts are mentioned but nothing happens

Notes: You must be psychic because I you sent this while I'm struggling with my own ED. I hope this helps you as much as it did me! 😊

Masterlist

Social media is something that everyone seems to revolve around. In theory, it could be great. Getting to see photos of friends and family and updates from celebrities you wouldn't otherwise interact with.

But here's the catch: in practice, the entire thing falls apart. People are left with images of things that are unachievable. Photoshop and filters have become everyone's new best friends. People put only their best foot forward and try to look as perfect as possible.

And those who don't? The ones who are criticized? The ones who will never meet that expectation? They are left trying to swim to the surface of a never-ending ocean. Drowning under the weight never being enough.

So, they do what they can. Nothing can be that bad if it makes them feel better, right? What's one meal skipped every day to cut back on calories?

In her case, she'd cut it all out. The idea of perfection and control weigh heavy in the pit of her stomach. The one that is currently growling as she weighs herself for the fifth time that day alone.

It's addicting, really, the feeling she gets from having gone another hour without a meal. The elation of seeing the scale drop in number.

The media and fans had been all over her appearance after going public with Max and Charles. She'd tried to ignore, but there was a piece of her looking for an excuse to dive back into the habits of her teenage years.

Her mother said she never looked like she had an eating disorder. Her father only started compliment her on her appearance once she was significantly underweight.

Max and Charles had been there for the fall. Her habits finally catching up to her when she started working with Redbull. She didn't have the energy to keep up with the schedule and one day had simply collapsed.

She'd gotten better. Promised the two boys they would never be on the verge of losing her like that again.

Now here she is, breaking that promise over the triple header by not eating at all. She'd started slowly, but now she has a chance to speed things up before the two boys notice anything. Too busy to really pay attention to her weight.

Maybe it would've been better if they hadn't been caught eating together. The fans might have a little less leverage to use on her. Maybe if she wasn't wearing something more revealing to a party in Monaco then they wouldn't have noticed how she looks.

The number on the scale is far from perfect, but it'll do for now. She slips on her teamwear that is looser than it was a few days ago. A satisfied but tired smile plays on her lips as she walks out the door.

The paddock is busy prior to the race. cameras are everywhere and she does her best to avoid them. Thankful her job is away from the majority of people. The less the cameras see of her, the better. A small part of her wonders if it would simply be better to disappear or become invisible. Maybe if she's thin enough, she'll be invisible from the side.

The day seems to drag on. The race is good and ends with both Max and Charles on the podium. It's the last race of the triple header meaning they will want to celebrate properly tonight. Maybe they will compliment her more now that she's lost weight. There is a prominent gap in her thighs and maybe will even be light enough for them to carry. The though makes her swoon.

The cheery conversation in the car quickly turns to logistics. Plans for dinner are made and she claims to have eaten while finishing up her work. To hungry to wait any longer.

There is a hesitant pause. They like knowing she ate with visible proof. That being the reason they eat together or at least someone is there to tell she ate if asked. Even if it's a bite.

They don't mention it. Charles orders in while Max drags her out of ear shot. She assumes it's because he is pent up, nothing surprising after a race. But nothing happens and she is left mildly disappointed.

Max cups her face. "I'm sorry we've been so busy."

"That's not your fault."

"No, but-" Max looks hesitant. "We know you haven't been eating. You're exhausted and your clothes don't fit. We can feel your bones when we hold you at night." She looks at Max in horror. "We thought maybe if we just made sure you felt comfortable that you would come to us but it's bad again."

Charles puts hands on her hips. "We'll take it slow, like last time. But please, we love you too much to see you become a shell of yourself again."

They say in that embrace until there is a knock at the door. Max is quick to answer it. He comes back holding their dinner. An extra box sits on top. One she assumes is for her.

"We got you a small salad. Nothing massive, no dressing, just vegetables." Max sets it all out on the table. They keep up casual conversation, so she doesn't feel horribly uncomfortable. Until they notice she is just playing with her food.

"How about, we continue talking, but we take turns taking bites? If you manage three, we'll call it a night," suggests Charles. Goal setting was helpful last time around. One week she took one bite of every meal, the next was two, and so on.

She manages three bites. Each of her own followed by one of theirs.

They all clamber into bed afterwards. Exhaustion hits her hard.

No, it's not perfect or straightforward. Relapses happen but healing is full of ups and downs. But she has people who care and who love her for who she is, not what she looks like. They'd rather her be healthy then bringing herself to the brink of collapse. And she loves them enough to try her best which is all they can ask for.

[toesucker416]

the funny man

Hokazono, I appreciate you for making this image so much. Obviously, it's hilairious, but it also helps me in my quest for understanding Kuguri. Let's talk about what I've learned about the funny man.

Kuguri, in this chapter, is defined by a split between duty and desire. He's been given a job by the Hishaku: capture Seiichi Samura's daughter to use her as leverage. But what he truly wants, more than anything else, is a good sword fight. But let's take that one step further.

"A sword fight is a conversation"

This provides connective tissue between Kuguri, and the member of the Hishaku we currently understand the best, Hiruhiko. The thing hiding at the bottom of these terrorist's heart, that dream that they want most, is genuine human connection. A human connection that they only know how to express through violence.

Here we see Kuguri hitting the Bachi Geeked Out Eye Roll, signature technique of Hiyuki and Sojo. It's a humorous face, but it's also Hokazono's shorthand for murderous rage. And we can see why.

As previously established, swordsmanship is important to Kuguri. It's communication itself, and the closest this strange hot topic man has ever gotten to human connection. It's also something he's gotten quite good at - the chapter's action is sure to tell us he's developed his sword skills, but even if it didn't we saw him use the Advanced Pedestrian Technique to 236 a bus.

So in step these two kids. Well, 18, but practically kids. Fresh off the block and getting into the world of murder. And they're both treating it like it's so easy. No interest in studying, or learning.

"How can I wage a decent sword fight with a moron who disrespects the art?!"

But then, something changes. Chihiro learns from the ass beating he just got, and puts the skill of master swordsmen he's seen before into practice. This continues Chihiro failing to beat the plagiarist allegations, and thus, failing to beat the Sasuke allegations. But more than that, he defeats Hiruhiko, at least from Kuguri's perspective.

This is, in my opinion, the first real chink we've seen in the Hishaku's armor. John Hishaku is obviously playing favorites with Hiruhiko, in a way that's stunting his growth. Hiruhiko's arrogance is going to leave him underdeveloped when it comes time to put Kumeyuri into practice. Chihiro, though, had recently been humbled by his battle with Samura, and as such, was able to bring himself down to the level of learning and getting stronger.

This favoritism isn't just hurting HIruhiko's growth, though, it also neglects his other soldiers. Kuguri's been left with lingering doubts and regrets, things left unsaid. He's unbalanced on the job.

As an epilogue, let's analyze the other wants in his mind.

Hunger, Duty, Sex, Money, Sleep, Kinship. We can see that these brain segments are roughly the same size. That implies that, on some level, Kuguri puts Duty and Kinship on the same level as Hunger and Sleep. We can also see that, to Kuguri, Sex and Kinship are not the same, and that neither are his thirst for sword fighting. Is that it, then? Did my "Hishaku as isolation/the isolated" theory just die in the womb? Fool. I am a Jujutsu Kaisen fan. I have access to levels of delusion and mental gymnastics you couldn't imagine.

I believe that each of those three desires correlate to a character. Duty represents Yura, his boss, the one he answers to. Kinship represents his allies and contemporaries in the Hishaku, the ones he fights with. But as we can see in this chapter, both of them have been dismissive. Neglectful. Disrespectful. So who's that thirst to sword fight? Well, who do you think?

Chihiro, the swordsman who represented his heart's desire since the first page of this chapter. Chihiro, who listened to his words and his blade alike, and responded in kind. Chihiro, who has, as his enemy, shown him respect. This is, in my opinion, why he is abandoning his mission to fight Chihiro: he's doing it in pursuit of respect and understanding.

[thelovetheystole]

I said I was going to write some thoughts down about that interview from last night, so here we go, for my followers only, not gonna tag it Emmerdale.

I'll start here simply to get it out of my system that I can't agree with this statement. It would have been if he had given Nate some painkillers after he asked for it, and then ended up having an allergic reaction to them.

I don't know what was in that syringe, what it was supposed to do for the "patient", why he gave it in the neck or why a former medic working as a farm hand even had the stuff... But I know he administered it intentionally while saying really creepy shit. So yeah, not intent to kill, but intent to harm. Which brings me to the next part.

He didn't stop after Nate's "accidental" death did he, he kept intentionally inflicting harm on people. To make himself look and feel good. No amount of saying sorry to someone in his sleep will convince me he feels genuinely bad about Nate when he keeps on doing it... (And I have to laugh at the article calling it a murder, despite the earlier statement...)

Then we move on to speculating if he will be "forced" to kill again. Forced by his desire to 'hurt and save' or forced to cover up his previous acts, just like our Lachlan had to do? (RIP Gerry 😔)

When I read this, my first thought was coma guy. I think he could be one of those pieces that he has a plan for in the back of his mind. I have a feeling Anthony's body is another one. He holds all the cards there, and he knows it. Leverage?

This was the most interesting part for me. His mother passed away last year and he told Victoria he had a stepdad growing up that cared about him, so no need to feel sorry for him missing out on the great Jack Sugden.

I can't help but see my theory in this statement; that he resents/envies the family Robert had in the village, both growing up and later with Aaron.

It fits perfectly with his outburst about how Robert only had himself to blame for losing everything that John now has... 👀

Also, if Aaron is the love of his life, what exactly is Aidan these days?

And finally. The backstory that's been created from day one is so deep. So definitely not a change in direction because of fan complaints or lack of popularity. Not that I ever thought that.

I can't help but hope that within that backstory is the very reason they made him a Sugden in the first place and that it really is significant after all... "So deep" has to mean more than whatever happened in the army, you'd think.

[knaveumineko]

Umineko Episode 7 Blog: The End.

After a long reflection on the themes of Umineko, I realised that I have an increasing disgust for Ryukishi as a human being. The way he mocks his own fans for bothering to try and solve the mystery that he presented, boorishly comparing us to "intellectual rapists," is unacceptable for an artist in any medium. Umineko is no longer a story I wish to understand, but one I wish to see torn apart. Therefore, I will think about what Erika Furudo would do: the only believable and sympathetic character that Ryukishi has ever managed to portray without cynically exploiting his former position as a social servant to repackage other people's trauma for mass consumption by weebs. In keeping with this new principle, I have decided that thinking about the Love Trial is a complete waste of time, and it would be more productive to simply move on to Episode 7, so I can rip apart whatever third-rate closed rooms Ryukishi has prepared this time.

Umineko's 7th Episode is a dramatic shift in both tone and structure. I knew that Ryukishi was never much of an artist, but now he's completely abandoned the "visual" part of "visual novel" in favour of packaging his work as a traditional book. Is this a sign that Ryukishi has grown sick of being forced to pander to weebs to keep the lights on, and now has ambitions of leveraging his niche fame into a career as a serious author? It's certainly in-keeping with the metafictional nature of Umineko that he chooses to introduce such a jarring change in genre 3/4 of the way into his story.

Indeed, we can see that he intends for his audience to think of Episode 7 as, in some sense, seperated from the rest of his work, simply from its title, which eschews the traditional "of the Golden Witch" suffix (I'm told that this was actually the result of some kind of controversy over the original title, but regardless I can only review the work through the lens of my own experience with it, post-name change, so I won't harp much on that point). It was surprising to me that, despite how far into the story it is, Episode 7 is somehow the most popular Umineko episode by a mile, to the point where most of its readers have not even read any of the episodes preceding it.

"And Then There Were None" offers a very different perspective on the events of Rokkenjima, shuffling around the setting and reinterpreting many of its primary characters. In Ange's words, seeing from multiple perspectives allows us to get closer to the truth. In that sense, Episode 7 is the one that truly deserves the name "Answer Arc," as it more or less gives away the entire plot, once properly interpreted. I'm sure you all had a good laugh at my ridiculous Shannon/Kanon theory, but with the reveal that there were only ever 10 people on Rokkenjima, even I'm not dense enough to continue denying Nanjotrice. In hindsight, all of the foreshadowing is there. We knew right from Episode 1 that Kinzo and Nanjo were "good friends," and with Ryukishi commenting on self-insert fanfiction in Episode 5, it was only ever a matter of time before he explored mpreg, thus explaining the existence of Beatrice II in the secret mansion.

(spoilers for And Then There Were None, if you haven't picked up on it by now)

It's sort of fascinating to see the idea of a closed circle mansion murder mystery from first principles. The preface in my version of the book indicates that the author was greatly motivated by the challenge of executing such an extreme premise without making the killer obvious, and while still keeping the sequence of events believable once revealed. I think when you read from a naive point of view, the book is very effective in this respect. The cleverest trick it pulls off is making the character's slow realisation of the situation they're in, and their growing suspicion toward eachother, gripping enough to carry the story by itself, to the point where a casual reader can simply enjoy it without worrying about what the solution is. Once you're invested in the story as a thriller, the culprit can sneak in false assumptions that have even the reader nodding along. Probably the most enjoyable part of the solution is looking back in retrospect and seeing how the culprit plays the characters psychologically (establishing the idea that someone who has already died can't be guilty, gambling on the idea that his victims would do his job for him once there were few enough left, smartly being honest about his lack of an alibi because lying will just make things worse).

Perhaps this represents something of a contradiction at the heart of the mystery genre: they're usually more fun if you don't really think about them. The original murder mystery, The Murders In The Rue Morgue, has a solution so insulting that I fear it may have launched the orthodox mystery genre simply because the readers' outrage inspired a desire to see "fair" mysteries. From the "along for the ride" perspective, the reveal can still be exciting from the sheer drama of it, and there's a dark satisfaction in seeing the plan play out from the killer's point of view, which I imagine is why people play Among Us. You might say that the real innovation Umineko makes is in turning the genre on its head. Instead of presenting a mystery with the false promise of a satisfying solution, only to frustrate the audience with a worse answer than the one they thought of themselves, Umineko's surface level story manages to be so stupid that the reader is forced to actually think about it in order to salvage the experience.

As for the reveal of the killer, I must say that while I was able to predict the killer without any real issue, I was frustrated by his alliance with the Doctor. My joke about Kinzo and Nanjo being secret lovers would legitimately have been a better answer than "The Doctor is an idiot who blindly trusts a complete stranger when he knows someone is killing them off one by one, and gets everyone killed as a result, instead of grouping up or staying locked in his room until the storm ends." In the earlier episodes, this is justified by the pre-existing relationships between the characters. Jessica isolating herself with Kanon in Episode 2 is not a 100% rational thing to do, but it doesn't feel frustrating because we know enough about her to understand that it makes sense from her perspective. Ryukishi cares enough about his characters that it generally doesn't feel like they're just doing whatever for the sake of the plot.

It's possible that the author's insistence on keeping to the structure of an orthodox mystery genre held it back. The first half of the story is packed with social commentary, but it ends up being reduced to set dressing for the game between author and reader. I acknowledge that I'm probably biased by how much I loved Episode 1, but I can't help but think the story would be better if it didn't reveal the answer at all, and instead the story became a kind of Rorschach test, providing some kind of payoff to the theme about prejudice. I suppose it would have made a lot of readers at the time angry. Still, the ending we got was certainly better than the alternate ending in the stageplay, where the last two survivors turn out to be innocent of their crimes and then survive and get married. Awful.

In conclusion, it's clear that Ryukishi has completely lost the plot. It is no surprise that he has been totally unable to rebuild the reputation that he squandered when he wrote Umineko. I have no faith that he will be able to deliver a satisfying conclusion in Episode 8, and as such I will be officially dropping the story and refocusing this blog on a visual novel that's actually worth reading. The first part of the new blog will be out in 10 seconds.

[jubileemon]

Vaggie's Fallen Angel Theory

Vaggie being a fallen angel and former exorcist was a popular fan theory, going all the way back to the original pilot. The episode "Welcome To Heaven" is where Vaggie's past is finally brought to light.

This episode unveils Vaggie's past as a formidable Exorcist, an angelic being tasked with the elimination of sinners. Her journey from a celestial executioner to a fallen angel is marked by a pivotal moment of mercy that forever alters her destiny. Vaggie's decision to spare the life of a demon child leads to severe consequences, including the loss of her eye and wings at the hands of her fellow Exorcists, Lute and Adam.

The narrative took a darker turn when Adam attempts to leverage Vaggie's secret history to undermine Charlie's altruistic endeavors with the Hazbin Hotel. This act of blackmail sets the stage for a dramatic confrontation and the potential unraveling of Vaggie's carefully guarded new life in Hell.

The emotional weight of Vaggie's past transgressions and her self-loathing is palpable, as evidenced by her reaction to Charlie's care when her wounds are tended to, revealing a deep-seated fear of being exposed and the consequences that might follow.

The episode 'Masquerade' previously hinted at Vaggie's internal struggle, with Husk's rant exposing her tendency to judge others as a reflection of her own self-hatred. This self-judgment stems from her years as an Exorcist, during which she destroyed countless souls she now believes could have been redeemed. The revelation of her status as a fallen angel, one of the most skilled Exorcists, adds a layer of complexity to her character and her interactions with others in the series.

Alastor's behavior towards Vaggie can be seen as a strategic power play, as he is known to treat those he perceives as weaker with a veneer of courtesy, while actively undermining those who pose a real threat. Vaggie, as a former Exorcist, represents a unique challenge to Alastor, prompting him to target her insecurities more aggressively.

Her relationship with Charlie, born out of a chance encounter and a shared vision for the redemption of sinners, stands as a beacon of hope amidst the chaos of Hell. Vaggie's role as the manager of the Hazbin Hotel is not just a job but a symbol of her commitment to a cause that offers a second chance to those deemed irredeemable.

[slythereen]

Tbh I think the most logical and realistic theory to why RBR is pushing the lestappen agenda so much more than Ferrari is that it just benefits Max more than it does Charles. Charles is already like an angel to the F1 community. He’s EXTREMELY well liked across all fans. No one genuinely dislikes him (there are trolls that hate on him to annoy the lecfosi but otherwise). Unfortunately Max doesn’t have that same luxury. He’s seen as an evil jerk by probably a good half of the F1 community (although it’s improving). Being seen having such kind and gentle interactions with Charles helps soften that reputation. And the only drivers whose interactions with Max get this much attention is Charles and Daniel. However, I don’t think Daniel has the same positive effect on Max’s reputation that he used to, or at least not as much. Not since he got his seat again at another’s expense, and even more so after he got the contract renewal instead of Liam Lawson. The general view of Daniel is still positive I’d say, but not nearly as much. Plus, when Max and Daniel interact on behalf of RBR, it just excludes Checo and looks more like a different agenda, which pisses some people off even more and doesn’t help anyone. Charles on the other hand, there is literally no negative side effect to their interactions to be widely seen, so RBR is going to take advantage of that.

yes, this is also a strong theory in my mind! the added baggage around doing it with daniel these days is a good point. charles is unproblematic and has great star power on the grid and that’s why all the top teams like to flex their charles interactions on social media (not just rbr).

i think charles comes with the added bonus that he has never really spoken badly about max and clearly approves of his (controversial) driving style. last year, the friendly rivals “full of respect” narrative that rbr was big on was a dig at lewis for sure, but it was also about max being seen as friendly/fun at the height of a (brief) title battle. especially when rbr (or christian) still gets some good press for “defending charles more than his own team” (every time ferrari fucks up, the chrisrian horner quote goes around? great staying power for rbr). yes, there was the austria 19 scuffle (and the great lestappen unfollowing) but everyone talks about that in a fond way now because of the change in their friendship since. and austin is a good example (“no i don’t mind max trying to punt me to dallas, i - an angel! - would do the exact same”).

i think it also benefits rbr to suggest that they might be able to get charles. yeah, it’s unfortunate for the Look if they can’t get him (and suggests that even the best car can’t lure whoever they want), but this is charles. the suggestion that they’ve even been able to get him to consider it for longer than a second is powerful, precisely bc no one thinks charles will ever leave ferrari (and many think rbr would be the last place he’d go, because of their “bad” rep).

charles benefits from it too, imo. rbr was definitely driving it and charles seems more passive with it (liked the merc tweet, but not rbr — which i think is more about the “mr russell” joke than merc). the padel date is new buy in. for him, it’s useful to suggest he has options elsewhere — but i also think max’s reputation benefits him for the exact opposite reason (suggesting he’s not just a “soft” angel and is in fact as brutal and deranged as max on track, given the chance).

so. yeah. there’s also a very strong plausibility that this is all just rbr capitalizing on rehabbing max’s reputation and charles taking the extra bargaining leverage with ferrari.

[theunsinkableship1]

Papgate : Who did it?

DISCLAIMER: This is LUKOLALAND only. Do not read if you're not a shipper. This is PURE SPECULATION. No harm intended.

June 13th, 2024, should have been a day of celebration for the cast of Bridgerton, marking the end of a successful PR tour and the release of Season 3 part 2. However, the night took an unexpected turn when the focus shifted from the highly anticipated Polin storyline to LN's private life, leaving fans bewildered and disappointed. Since then, speculation has run rampant in the Lukola fandom: Who orchestrated this media storm? Let’s explore the theories.

Theory 1: Luke Newton and/or His Team

Career Strategy: Some believe L might have sought to boost his career or gain publicity by being in the spotlight, even if the attention was controversial.

Image Management: Another possibility is that L wanted to separate his public image from NC’s, perhaps feeling pressured by industry standards. By calling the paparazzi, he could control how he was portrayed in the media, possibly to quash rumors of their relationship.

Appease His A: L’s situationship partner other might have pushed for a public display of their relationship. This would give L a reason to stage the event, ensuring the media captured their connection, potentially to manage the situation on his terms.

Theory 2: A and/or Her Team

Publicity and Career Advancement: A could have sought to boost her own visibility by being photographed with him, leveraging his fame to enhance her career opportunities.

Strengthen Relationship Image: If she felt insecure about L's close relationship with N during the PR tour, calling the paparazzi could have been a way to publicly solidify her relationship with him, showing the world and N that they were united.

Theory 3: A + L's friends

Increase L's profile: Close friends of L and A might have believed that a well-timed paparazzi moment could benefit L's public image by redirecting attention from N and focusing it on his relationship.

Misdirection: If L was considering breaking things off with A, she could have collaborated with friends who didn't want to lose their influence over L and they could have orchestrated the event to complicate his situation with N, ensuring that his relationship with A remains intact as it would be extremely difficult to pursue things for L and N after the papgate.

Social and Financial Gains: Friends might have seen an opportunity to raise their own profiles by being associated with L, gaining attention and possibly financial benefits from it therefore N could have been seen as a threat to eliminate.

Theory 4: DM

Exclusive Content: DM could have tipped off the paparazzi to secure exclusive content for their platform, driving traffic and engagement.

Amplifying Buzz: If DM was aligned with A for whatever reason, calling the paparazzi could be a strategic move to create or amplify buzz around A. By ensuring that certain moments are captured and shared, DM could spark conversations and speculation that keep followers engaged with their content.

Personal Vendetta: Given N’s vocal stance against DM in the past, it’s possible that there was a personal motive behind the choice to highlight this particular narrative. Their choices of stories and angles have been questionables in this situation.

Conclusion: Who's Really to Blame?

While the true instigator behind the Papgate remains a mystery, it’s unlikely that L himself would have jeopardized his career and relationships by orchestrating such an event.

I don’t think that a professional PR agency as his, would make such a mistake, they know that they would lose money and opportunities over it and that’s what they’re about. He worked really hard over the two last years and particularly during the 6 months of the PR tour, all that to blow it up in one night ? And remember there was no hard launch. Was the mission aborted or there was no mission to begin with ?

I can’t believe that he wants to detach himself from N, we know that he loves her, he knows that he loves and if he doesn’t his body knows for 2. The only reasons he could have called them may have been to be petty or because he was overwhelmed and too indecisive over his needs and wants, and that would a horrible mistake.

L may not be entirely blameless, especially regarding his decision to attend the premiere with his A. However, it’s clear that there are many players in this drama, each with their own motives.

We may never know.

Which theory is your favorite?

What matters now is how L addresses the fallout. If he hasn’t already, he owes N a proper apology and should work hard to rebuild their bond. After all, fans of Lukola are rooting for a happy ending, on and off the screen.

[nightcolorz]

I am sooo frustrated by how a lot of the fandom talks about Louis in a way that always centers his victimhood. Jacob Anderson has put so much effort and talent into portraying a nuanced and complicated character, and people steamroll right over what he has to say about Louis's motivations to portray him as this totally passive person with no control over anything. He absolutely uses Armand's sexual trauma to gain emotional leverage, and we should be able to talk about that without having to excuse it or constantly reinforce that Louis is the BIGGER victim, so his own boundary-crossing or manipulative behavior is irrelevant.

YESSS!!! A THOUSAND TIMES YES!!! omg thank u anon god ur so right I’ve been sayyyying this!! It’s genuinely fucking weird and icky to me that just because Louis was a victim of abuse fans act like he is only ever capable of being a victim of abuse without any agency or capacity for harm. He is such a varied complex character and the fact that he was abused is a piece of a huge puzzle, not the entire picture.

I’ve said this before, but I think that part of this as u perfectly put “constant reinforcing that Louis is the bigger victim” is because it was a huge theory/interpretation that Armand was going to be the even more abusive even more manipulative “lestat part two” after his reveal in season one, and there was a ton of fanfic and meta written with this assumption, and now that season 2 is out and the portrayal is wayyy more complex and Armand isn’t an unambiguous evil but also like an abuse victim himself who is being manipulated by Louis, these people who were attached to their post s1 one theory that Armand was gonna be the ultimate bad and Louis was going to be trapped in victimhood r still clinging to that interpretation and finding absurd hoops to jump through to still justify it as correct. It’s rlly annoying!! 😭😭 as an Armand obsessed freak who has been insisting that he is more sympathetic and complex then he was being given credit for after his reveal, it’s insane to me to witness the show justifying my interpretation and fans r STILL sticking to their shallow read of two amazingly varied characters