He/They/It, 21
I go by Chronic, Beans, or ChronicBeans online lol. I don't post NSFW but proceed with caution, because my fandoms might include stuff in the source material.
Alright I am FINALLY Making a Fandom/What I'll Write for List
Current Hyperfixation(s): Deltarune, Iron Lung (Movie), Markiplier Cinematic Universe/Markiplier Egos
I'll edit this list as my interests change. Also, there are some notes for each fandom. I'm adding a read more because it is probably going to be long. Some things I write for may not be listed, simply because I'm not taking requests for them. This list is mainly so people know what they can/cannot request.
BACKROOMS MOVIE:
Clark and Mary, maybe Phil. Oh, also The Backrooms, itself. Don't question me I have ideas for it-
THE EDGE OF SLEEP:
Dave Torres, Linda Russo, Matteo León.
MARKIPLIER EGOS/CINEMATIC UNIVERSE:
Actor Mark, Damien, Wilford, Murdock (Murderiplier), Head Engineer, Yancy, Darkiplier, God of Night, Damien. More may or may not be added lol.
In addition to those egos I'll also write for Celine and Benjamin. They are blorbos, okay?
IRON LUNG:
The Convict. (I will write for more characters once the movie comes out on DVD/Blu-ray and I can rewatch it. I just mostly remember The Convict-)
SPOOKY MONTH:
Any adult character besides Roy's Uncle (ofc) and Bob. I just don't have any ideas for Bob tbh, because so many people have already written for him.
KPOP DEMON HUNTERS:
I'll write for Jinu (Joseon Era and Present day), any of the Huntr/x group, Celine, Bobby, and I will try my best to write for the rest of the Saja Boys. The rest of the Saja Boys just have so little characterization in comparison to Jinu, they might be a bit out of character (at least, moreso compared to the others). I MAYBE might also try writing for Gwi-Ma if I am feeling particularly crazy that day.
CANDLE COVE:
Pirate Percy, Horace, and The Skintaker. A heads up that these are not the Wiki versions of the characters, and are simply my own interpretations of them.
WELCOME HOME:
Anyone, basically. Yes, this includes Home.
PERSONA 5 ROYAL:
Adult Confidants (just in case, yes, this includes Takuto Maruki) - I will write for them. I think they need more love, lol. I also absolutely adore Takuto Maruki so like... Please request him-
WHAT REMAINS OF EDITH FINCH (WROEF):
Every Adult Character - same rules apply as the other adult characters. I will Headcanons or stories for them during the time they were alive, of course. I have also had an AU idea where the family haunts the house as ghosts, so I MIGHT write headcanons for that, too.
ANGELS OF DEATH/ANGELS OF SLAUGHTER:
Dr. Danny, Cathy, Reverend Gray - YOU CAN'T STOP ME. I LOVE THEM OMG. ESPECIALLY DANNY. I would write for Zack but like... Sorry guys I just don't really like him enough to have any ideas... (No shame to Zack lovers, btw. I just can't get the groove going for him).
FAITH THE UNHOLY TRINITY:
John Ward
STARDEW VALLEY:
All bachelors/bachelorettes. Especially Harvey he needs more love-
PORTAL/PORTAL 2:
Wheatley, GLaDOS, Caroline, Cave Johnson, Chelle, and Doug Rattmann
THE HEILWALD LOOPHOLE:
All doctors and nurses
BATMAN (in general + my own versions of the characters [Chronicverse]):
Just the villains (including Catwoman and those who play both sides). I personally just can't see the appeal in the heroes.
UNCANNY VALLEY SERIES (House Hunted, John Doe):
Maison Talo, John Doe
ERROR 143:
Micah Yujin
MY OWN CHARACTERS/ORIGINAL STORIES:
I'll write for most every character I create. I probably won't write "Headcanons" if nobody is interested, but I will still write stories for them. Those stories will include x Reader sometimes.
Currently I am working on a story/series called Tales from the Iolite Hospital.
WHAT I WON'T WRITE
No proshipping, MAP, Zoo (I don't count furries as zoo, because they have a human level of intelligence and consciousness), Noncon, Dubcon. Currently no NSFW, but that might change in the future.
WHAT I WILL WRITE
Yandere, chronic illness, specific cultures (It may not be the most accurate, but I will try. I think of it as a learning experience), LGBTQ+, mental health struggles.
THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MY WRITING
Most everything I write will have some sort of horror or heavy topic in it, even if it isn't a yandere story. I LOVE horror. So, if you don't like horror and heavy topics, or can only handle it at specific times, I understand! It is just kinda my thing. If that is the case, then idk if this blog will be for you/be for you all the time. I will always make sure to try to put trigger warnings at the top of the post, though, so that people are comfortable.
Okay so Chapter 5 spoilers kind of, but I had a thought while playing it that I just CAN'T GET OUT OF MY HEAD.
So, what was Asgore's plan going to be if the Roaring Knight was someone he knew and cared for??? Like, I know he said "the creator of the Dark Fountain", which would technically be Kris in this case (and like... this question also applies for them, too), but I do think he could've also been talking about the Roaring Knight. Mostly just because I think Asgore thinks the Roaring Knight created the Dark World from whatever past event he's talking about getting revenge for and proving himself innocent of.
He's talking about parading their body around town once he catches (and presumably kills) them, but he's saying all that whilst most likely assuming it can't be anyone he knows or cares for. Did he even have any like... course of action in mind in case it was someone close to him? Like if it was Kris (which technically in this specific case it IS Kris since he's looking for the creator of the Dark Fountain)? Or Toriel? Or Rudy or Carol? Or Dess or Asriel? Or whatever Knight Candidate that's close to Asgore?
I kind of think this lack of forethought into this is a sign of how desperate he is to both prove his innocence and get revenge. Maybe he HAS thought of this and assumes he's still going to be able to go through with his plan, no matter who it is.
I think Flowery is going to drive me insane. I keep repeating his stupid voice lines whenever he says them. The temptation to say "Glue!" and "HERE I COME SAN FANDISCO!!!" is simply too powerful.
I can't go around saying "Your Dad's my best friend!" I just can't-
Happy to find another rudy knight enjoyer Ive seen wayyy too much hate on the theory. Like guys isnt it a bit strange rudy collapsed at the festival and when the knight appeared they all of a sudden werent fucking around and seemed frantic in their movements? Isnt it interesting how rudy is quite literally in the middle of it all with his bestie being consumed by conspiracy, his daughter disappearing and causing his wife to turn colder than ever, and hes (supposedly) doing nothing about that? Wouldnt you want to do something if you were in that state? It feels like the fandom only really sees him as a plot device that must die for noelles development and plot progression and not an actual character.
Rudy Knight Club! Yippee!
Lol but tbf I am not necessarily extremely big on the theory side of things, so I haven't done extreme digging into the lore. Yet, at the same time, I don't necessarily even believe Toby Fox would put a lot of really hidden stuff to hint at the Roaring Knight's identity, and I've heard a lot of story surrounding Dess is hidden in the code? If anything, I believe Dess might have more to do with the Weird Route due to that then the Roaring Knight.
Anyways more rambles under cut, and extra theories made by someone who is more of a casual fan than a theorist (which might be an interesting perspective since most people I see talking about theories are like... HARDCORE about it)
So outside of the evidence, I think the idea of Rudy being the Roaring Knight is a more interesting idea story wise than people give it credit for. I see a lot of people (both Rudy Knight haters AND some Rudy Knight truthers) kind of believe Rudy would have to be faking his illness in order to be the Roaring Knight, which like??? No he doesn't. We don't even fully know how the Roaring Knight as a being even works. It can compress itself into a tiny floating sphere, and assuming it is an actual person in town, I don't think anybody can naturally compress themselves into a tiny floating sphere with or without any illnesses. It's implied magic doesn't exist in the Light World, yet Susie, Noelle, and Kris all start having magic in the Dark World.
Yet, it also seems like being the Roaring Knight might go a step further, giving people a temporary state of still having those abilities in the Light World? Like, we haven't SEEN the Roaring Knight in the Light World, but considering how fast they must've moved at the end of Chapter 3 to get Undyne from Toriel's house all the way to the Shelter without Susie or Kris getting a good enough look at them to identify them? That's literally across the town, and Susie said she had seen someone before they started immediately pursuing them. I don't think a regular person can drag someone all the way across a town without their pursuers getting close enough to see them well.
I feel like Rudy would also have a variety of possible motivations, too. Especially because, again, we have NO IDEA how the Roaring Knight works. Is the Roaring Knight just a really powerful Dark World form, like how Susie and Kris both change? Is it something more akin to the Titans, where they are more like concepts taken form, but with a Lightner being the catalyst? Did whoever the Roaring Knight is get to CHOOSE to be them, or is this an unwilling person being forced to do this? Are they even aware they are the Roaring Knight, if this is something they're forced to do (like, either blank memories or thinking it's a dream, like Noelle and Berdly were easily convinced).
So like... even if I can think of a few motivations, really fleshing them out for any character, not just Rudy, would depend on factors like this. Just off the top of my head, I can imagine him trying to use it as a way to sort of be there for his family (especially if you believe the Knight is in cahoots with Carol, since like... That's his wife-). Maybe, if it's partially a manifestation of a concept, it embodies his fears, like the Titans being the fear of the dark (which I take literally, like their darkness is from the fountain and their shape is from fear). Of what? Well, he has a lot to be afraid of. Well, one of his daughters is missing, the other is clearly struggling without him at home (partially because of her mom and partially at school), then there's his illness that may or may not be terminal. Which, btw, I don't think we've had what it is even confirmed yet? So like, does he even know what he has, or is it still a mystery? And if the Roaring Knight isn't a willing participant in all of this, then is he even aware of what's going on?
It's also that I think a lot of people seemingly forget that, as Carol's husband and friends with an ex-police chief, Rudy probably knows way more than we know. Like, a grown adult probably isn't going to spill all the beans about the government and the police to a teenager. I can see him being open about his illness or his worries regarding Noelle, because not only is Noelle Kris's childhood friend, but if anything happens to him then Kris might have to deal with the fallout from Noelle's reaction, as well as Kris's parents who knew him. Combine that with Kris dealing with Asriel going to college, and I can see him wanting to make sure Kris is prepared in case anything happens. But like... Telling Kris about whatever his wife is working on or if he knew anything about Asgore's research? Why would he dump any of that onto a teen? I can't even imagine him letting Noelle know about any of that. So, since we see things through Kris's perspective, any information Rudy knows that he wouldn't tell Kris is unknown to US, too.
However, I also kind of just like the idea of what happened to Dess being a mystery in game, thematically (at least for the main route)? So far, my guess as to how the idea of "your choices don't matter" is that it's going to be a sort of grounded subversion of that statement. Your choices matter, even if they aren't changing the course of history, because they're changing the lives of those near you. Even if Dess remains missing and her status a mystery to those in Hometown, the choices she made while she was still mattered, and the effects of them are felt still. Through the choices she made while around, she made friends, had a strong bond with her family, and made enough of an impact on Hometown that it allowed her disappearance to have a big effect. Whilst it's possible nobody will ever know what happened, and her name isn't known across the globe, her impact has marked this small town in a deep way.
As for the idea of her having an appearance or more direct impact in the game, I personally think it'd be more interesting if it was a thing specific to the Weird Route. For one, as I said, most of the stuff I've heard regarding Dess is either from her room or in the code. I don't necessarily think Toby Fox would make a main storyline that would involve a twist that would involve having to have looked at the game's code to have had proper foreshadowing for. I know I can't look at it as far as I'm aware, since I play on PlayStation, and I just don't want to watch a bunch of theory videos to get evidence for a game I should understand by just by playing it. As an example, you can play through Undertale and understand everything regarding the main story perfectly fine, and Gaster is just a secret that isn't necessary to your enjoyment of the game. While Gaster is important in Deltarune, the game isn't finished yet, and if you take the voice in the character creation as Gaster, then he has appeared in an unavoidable section the game! So things regarding him will probably become more clear further on, and if they're still a bit murky, we've at least interacted with him.
Yet, the Weird Route is an alternative route that already involves making choices most players wouldn't immediately think to make. That, and it has themes of breaking cycles, breaking boundaries, and breaking the game, itself. I can imagine a character who is such a secret making sense with those themes in mind! Like the normal route is more focused on the Prophecy and the people still around you, then the Weird Route is more focused on breaking this world just to find secrets, like a completionist... and what greater secret is there in town than what happened to Dess? Not to mention Noelle being a more prominent character in the Weird Route, so far.
That doesn't necessarily mean I don't like the idea of the Roaring Knight having something to do with Dess, however. My own personal theory (outside of Rudy Knight, for if it has to be a character we know) is that it could be a manifestation of the town's worries about her. Like a Darkner that was created through the shared weight of such a mystery being left unsolved, with no answers to if she's dead, alive, or if she ran off or whatever... If Titans are made by near universal fears like the fear of the dark, who's to say that a more personal fear shared by a large group of people (like a town) cannot create something powerful, if not still lesser than a Titan? And because the fear of what happened to Dess involves a real person who has an appearance, the darkness has shaped itself to look vaguely like her.
Anyways, ramble over! My thoughts are a bit jumbled, and I feel like if I continue rambling, I'll just start circle-talking, lmao. Really, I'm not too attached to either of my theories, nor do I really care about predicting the story. I'm sure whatever Toby Fox makes will be great. It's just that, for now, my brain likes turning these ideas in my head until further notice.
Not to mention if I end up getting too attached to Rudy Knight and it's disproven, I'm sure myself and a few other Rudy Knight fans will probably end up making Rudy Knight AUs. I'd actually like seeing people making AUs for whatever Roaring Knight candidates end up getting disproven. The fandom has been making such interesting content with every Knight candidate that I'd be interested in seeing where they'd take them with the freedom being disproven would provide!
Summary: Because I am tired and in a fluffy mood lol.
Included: Actor Mark, Simon, God of Night, Murderiplier/Murdock, Dave, and Darkiplier. Surprise guest appearance from Benjamin because I can and more people need to talk about the silly butler.
TW: Kidnapping (Blame the literal Murderiplier for getting that on here-), Iron Lung Spoilers
Actor Mark
Mark has this thing where he will never, ever ask for affection from anybody, but he very clearly wants it. He tries to somewhat fish it out of people, usually in the form of fishing for compliments. He only ever tries to get any sort of hugs or cuddles if he knows the person wouldn't be weirded out by it if they were to put two-and-two together to realize that's what he wants. So, expect a lot of "God, it's cold in here!"'s and "Woe is me! My day has been horrible! I miss how Celine would hold my hand through times like this..."'s, all while he's giving you some cartoonist side-eyes to check how you're responding. You're not sure why he does this, to be honest. Yet, considering you've stuck by his side all this time, you clearly don't mind it enough to leave.
The second you hold him, be prepared to be squeezed. It almost feels like you're the last life preserver and he's a drowning man with how desperately he starts clinging. Truthfully, he's somewhat scared that if he lets go, you'll leave. So, he needs to hold on tightly to keep you with him. He'll calm down slightly if you reciprocate by holding him tighter, too. Extra points if you ramble some cheesey, cliche, romantic words to him. He really wants that cliche "lovey-dovey" romance.
Look at this man and tell me that he doesn't like... bed rot for half the day from depression. Now, you might not be able to magically give him the motivation to get up, but he is far from complaining if you sit next to him and start holding him close. Or just sit next to him. Or be in the same room as him. Look, he's a bit desperate for anything, okay? Even just sitting and talking to him can help cheer him up a little bit, if you're not in the mood to be dragged down into bed for the next three hours.
One of his favorite things to do is just... nuzzle his face into your neck, loosely wrapping his arms around you. He's not quite sure why. Though, it almost feels like he's burying his face into your neck to hide from the world for a little bit, especially with how panicked he can get if you decide to try leaving his hold before he's ready. AKA: You're his security blanket now, whether you like it or not, so get back here-
Simon
Simon isn't very affectionate. In fact, he's a bit touch-adverse, at first. Living a life where physical affection is rare makes it a new, somewhat frightening thing, at first. So, just be patient with him.
He appreciates it if you wait for him to start any hugs or cuddles, at first. It helps him feel more in control of the situation. He holds you close, and that's your cue that you can do the same. Pretty simple on his eyes, but he can be a bit hard to read at points.
Because of this, physical affection, like hugs, cuddles, and kisses can be a bit sparse with him. However, he does try to "make up" for it in his own ways, like telling you how much he adores you or trying to give gifts when he can. As much as you can try to convince him he isn't doing anything wrong by not being more comfortable with touch, he still feels like he has something to make up for. The best you can do, for now, is just let him know you appreciate him.
Once he's more comfortable, though? He finds he loves having his hand held as the two of you relax under a blanket, with you leaning against his side. It's comfortable, relaxed, and it's just the right amount of contact to be comfortable without being overwhelming.
God of Night
You know how I said Simon is touch-adverse until he gets comfortable with it? This man is just touch-adverse. Do not touch him. Don't make any physical contact with him. No hands on his shoulders or grabbing his hand. Nothing. However, he doesn't mind touching you, though. Don't take it as an invitation, though.
Unlike Simon, it's not that he's frightened or overwhelmed by it. Night just... doesn't like it. He finds physical contact extremely uncomfortable, and anything that makes him too uncomfortable makes him mad. If any physical contact occurs, it's going to be because he initiated it, and you better not try returning it. Because of this, he's particularly partial to hugging your waist from behind, because you can't reach around him to return the hug. That's like... the closest to a hug you're going to get from him, outside of an arm slung around your shoulder for photos or at a council meeting.
That doesn't mean he doesn't have any moments where he wants to hold you, though. It's just that he absolutely despises it if you hold him. As mentioned before, he likes to hold your waist from behind. He mostly ends up doing this if you're doing something and he wants to watch. Night also enjoys locking his arm with yours at any events the gods are holding, leaning over to whisper any comments he has on what's going on to you. If he's feeling a bit more romantic, he'll even kiss the back of your hand.
There's only one time you're ever going to be allowed to touch him. That's when he sleeps, if you're a human. Due to him sleeping during the day and humans... well, sleeping at night, he will relent and let you hold him as he falls asleep to spend a bit more time together. He'll even seek it out, dragging you to bed so he can fall asleep with his head in your lap and your hand playing with his hair. He wants to be able to spend more time with you than he was able to with The God of Day, and she was never able to be there when he fell asleep. So, naturally, he wants you there every time he does, to the point of letting you break his little rule.
Murdock
You'd think that the serial killer would be somewhat distant, but no. Quite the opposite. He's extremely handsy and also prone to clinging. He somewhat takes after The Actor in that way, but it's moreso because he spent so long trying to get you instead of a fear you'll leave. If you leave, it'll be a chore to drag you back, but he's done it once and can do it again. He's tired from all that work he put in to kidnap you help you move in, so he deserves cuddles as his reward.
Now, Murdock isn't stupid. If he were, he would've been caught by now. He's aware you're scared, and smothering you in cuddles is going to make that so, so much worse. So, as much as he adores the idea of lying down on top of you and resting his head on your chest as you both watch a movie, wrapping his arms around you completely... he's going to wait for you to relax. Instead, he'll settle for sitting next to you and wrapping his arms around one of yours in a hug, placing his chin on your shoulder as he watches you. After all, if you're uncomfortable, you can just pull your arm from him.
Just small things that give you a sign that you can leave... even if, realistically, you think he might throw a fit if you tried. It's a 50/50 chance that he does. And he does these things constantly. He's simply holding your hand, but he constantly does that. He's placing a hand on your shoulder as he peeks to see what you're doing, but it's the third time today he's done it. If you sit on the couch, you bet he's immediately sitting next to you, so close that his arm is brushing against yours. He genuinely thinks it's romantic, by the way. He doesn't realize how intimidating it actually is.
Murdock is clingy and he's somehow worse than The Actor on that front. At least The Actor will bait you into giving him affection. Murdock will just grab you and hug your arm, expecting you to be fine with it despite the fact that A. He has just kidnapped forced you to move in with him, and B. He is covered in blood. He, again, genuinely thinks he's being romantic in that moment. What's more romantic than cuddling the man covered in the blood of your enemies?
Dave
Would you be shocked if I told you he might fall asleep if you cuddled him? Like, he does mention having troubles sleeping alone after Katie left, so I can see him passing right out if you're there. He's a bit too tired to reciprocate it a lot of the time, but he genuinely appreciates it.
When he's more awake, Dave likes to pepper your face in kisses. He'll lazily drape his arms around you, talking about his day and such. He's just extremely relaxed, all around, since he feels comfortable and safe with you.
Dave also likes when you lay your head on his chest and listen to his heart, while he wraps his arms around your shoulders. He swears, it always makes his heart rate speed up a little. It also makes him feel like he's protecting you, in some way.
Yet, nothing ever beats lying down next to you in bed, letting you hold him close to protect him from... whatever dreams might pop up. Dave is always willing to fight for you during the waking hours, but he is practically helpless when he sleeps. So, knowing you're there? That you're willing to return the favor? He melts.
Darkiplier
Dark, as always, is way more complex than he shows. Damien, Celine, and The Entity each have their own favorite ways of going about cuddling, specific amounts of affection they want, or how they process it.
Damien adores the idea of simply sitting next to you after a long day, pressed against your side as you both discuss whatever is on your minds. On the rare occasion, when he's in control, he might even tug you into his lap to hold you close. Again, that's rare, though. I'd describe his affection as more physically distant, but in turn, also more sentimental than the other two. He's just not the type to enjoy extremely close contact, since he likes having room to breathe. Yet, it also allows for a peaceful, quiet moment in a way Damien just wouldn't be able to achieve if you both were sharing a blanket and tightly nuzzled together on the couch.
Celine, on the other hand, cannot get enough of physical affection. It's part of what drew her to Mark in the first place - they both are on the same page when it comes to the idea of holding tightly and never letting go. As Dark, she definitely gives off a more possessive vibe than she ever did before, though. She'll gladly take your hand and pull you in to have you sit on her lap when you're walking by the couch. She's also always big spoon. No questions. She's a very physically and emotionally close cuddler.
The Entity, on the rare occasion that it is solely in charge, is an odd creature. It doesn't exactly understand human emotions, even if it knows what to say and when to say it in order to manipulate someone. It understands what it likes and that it has a desire to understand human emotions, though. So, it is a physically close cuddler, but emotionally distant. It'll hold onto you as you sleep, understanding that you enjoy the comfort it provides when it does that, but it doesn't understand why you feel that way. It also doesn't fully understand the love it feels towards you, either, so it sort of... stares with dead eyes at you while holding you tenderly. It does love you, just in it's own way.
Bonus Benjamin (Plz I love him hear me out-)
Benjamin is a butler, and so it means he doesn't have much time for breaks... well, unless he's working for you after Mark dies and you make him take one. That then means he has time to spend with you more casually, if he can drop the air of professionalism.
He's not used to having personal relationships, since his work gets in the way of that. That somewhat bleeds into any physical affection and cuddles he gives, since they're a bit more awkward and stilted. He's seen a lot as a butler, and knows how to handle himself in most situations, but it's not often that he needs to know how to "properly" cuddle someone. Yes, he thinks that's a thing...
An easy way to get him to relax into it is to simply be the one initiating it. He feels as though there's less pressure on him to make sure you're both enjoying yourselves and that it's now in your hands. If you have the time and patience to like... idk sneak up on him and drag him to the couch to relax, he wouldn't complain about it. Well, he'll give a half-hearted "but I'm working and need to do this thing over here", but he's not going to seriously argue.
His favorite thing, though, is getting a warm drink and a blanket, then cuddling next to you on the couch, sofa, bed, or wherever. It still sort of feels like he's tending to your needs with the blanket and drink, which makes him feel fulfilled, while also letting himself relax by enjoying it with you. It's even better if you have snacks, but then there's crumbs... and crumbs means more clean up...
A few things I noticed and thought after watching Backrooms for a second time:
Spoilers btw
The photo Phil holds of Clark at the end seems to be Clark with a censored out Clark Still Life. You can vaguely see a peg leg and regular leg at the bottom of the black box.
Mary's Still Life sitting at the end really unnerved me for some reason on my first watch. On my second one, I think it's because she reminds me of how her mother was sitting in the wheelchair during the one flashback.
I'd noticed this the first time, but the Still Life of Clark's wife running away when Pirate Clark came in has implications. However, on my second watch, I noticed that she was holding her head when she first shows up by the Christmas Tree.
The Christmas Tree almost looks like it's an explosion, with the people/statues stuck in the floor shielding themselves from the light.
Pirate Clark/Still Life Clark stumbles slightly from his peg leg. Which, of course, is similar to when he's filming the commercial. However, if thought about the right way, it's also like he's drunk or tipsy.
Also Clark didn't NEED to have a peg leg when you think about it. His store's mascot didn't have a peg leg. Why did he have a peg leg?
The first room of the backrooms that has all the furniture is empty when Mary steps in. So Clark either moves all that furniture somewhere else, or he took all that furniture out of the backrooms like he did that stool in the beginning.
I personally interpreted that he took that stool as him trying to replace the chair he broke in the beginning, because he first picked up those two connected chairs and tried to disconnect them when he first entered. That and trying to prove it was real, but like... I think that chair was at the forefront of his mind.
The piles of chairs, furniture and clothes are somewhat similar to Mary's Mother's house during the flashbacks to Mary as a child. There's all the hoarded furniture and clothes, the barricaded door, and the rotten food. Which explains why Bobby said it smelled awful in that one section. The backrooms isn't just trying to remember how that house looked, but also how it smelled. With dirty clothes, rotting food, and whatever else might not be visible there? I can't imagine the place smelled nice.
I think the section where Clark and Kat are talking through a wall that's also a one way window was slightly foreshadowing to Phil talking to Mary. The one way window there is much more obvious, but it's still there.
Clark's obsession with the backrooms also feels somewhat foreshadowed? Like, he was already obsessed when he tried describing it to Mary, but it definitely got worse towards the end. However, before that (if I remember correctly), there's a brief scene of Clark doodling some sort of building design. It's pretty nonsensical, and even as somebody who isn't an architect, I felt like it was at least a very difficult design to actually build, and at most impossible. Yet, that's clearly a design he wants to make... And the backrooms kind of remind me of that.
Speaking of the scene where Clark tries to tell Mary about what he saw, I think there's some clever parallels to what little we see of Mary's Mother to him. Which works, because I think Mary's way of going about being a therapist and treating her clients is shaped heavily by that. She keeps mentioning windows, which were a big part of her childhood. Clark seems very energetic and fidgety in that scene, which are common signs of anxiety. Mary's Mother definitely was anxious to the point of being paranoid. Then, Mary's Mother mentions "them" being everywhere, which could explain why Mary specifically asks Clark if there's people in the place he found. I could go on, which I might do in a separate post, but you get the idea.
Another pretty obvious thing, but Kat and Bobby both get missing persons posters. Clark doesn't. Both because he was truly alone, but I also like to think it's because Kat and Bobby were probably the only people who would've cared enough to make one for him, and he caused their deaths. Even if he was just their (or just Kat's) boss, that's still a significant enough part of their lives for them to care. Yet, interestingly, Mary also doesn't? I don't think she was let out by Async at the end. Phil was acting much too shady about it. So, maybe they had a cover up for her?
I think it'd be really cool if we all just started making Still Life versions of our favorite characters. Like... the concept of "this is how the Backrooms remembers you after a bunch of cycles" is really interesting.
Like it doesn't even have to be art either. It'd be really epic to see someone make a written description of a Still Life idea... Like trying to describe a dog to someone who-
Shout out to Phil in the Backrooms movie for just showing up right at the end and immediately getting coaxed into info dumping about the undescribable, with it being slightly implied that he might not have been allowed to.
He's probably the happiest guy in that entire movie tbh. He's seen the horrors and came out with his latest hyperfixation.
My joking goal when I decided to watch Backrooms was to find somebody to ship Simon from Iron Lung with to make more variety in the shipping sphere for Iron Lung. I may not have found that imo, but I found two different ideas I genuinely find interesting-
Actor Mark (Who Killed Markiplier?) x Clark (Backrooms) - WeirdArchitecture.
My propaganda for These Two: They are both really, really mentally ill and neither of them want to improve themselves. Both of their wives also left them, too. Also, both of them have weird architecture as parts of their storylines (Mark has the Markiplier Manor and its Entity, Clark has the Backrooms, which he becomes obsessed with). They both are also very lonely/alone. They both seem to run to their own firms of escapism, as well, with Mark's stories and Clark literally going into the Backrooms.
On top of that, I think the opposites of their lives are also interesting to explore. Mark is super rich. Like "I have a giant manor, a butler, a chef, and five staircases" rich. Meanwhile, Clark is swimming in debt, to the point of living in his own furniture store by using the furniture on the sales floor, as well as having to humiliate himself on TV in a pirate outfit he clearly doesn't want to be in. And, even if they both end up not wanting to improve themselves, Clark still tried to with the therapy. On top of that, Mark seems to be thriving with more power than ever before after the events of his story. Meanwhile, Clark... Well, he got chomped by his own still life, which seemed to be symbolic of his lowest points in life-
Like, I can totally see these two interacting and not necessarily knowing just how different their positions in life are because of both their similarities in personality, and also how the Backrooms as a backdrop acts like an equalizer. Mark's luxurious manor, house staff, and overall wealth are out of sight. Clark's debts and failing store aren't present, either, even if hinted at via some of the architecture in the Backrooms.
So, the idea of forming feelings for another person who you believe related to you more than anybody else, only to realize they have so much more wealth and privilege than you? The sudden feelings of possible confusion and maybe even spite that someone who has so much more could possibly relate to how you're feeling?
Or alternatively (if this is some kind of Clark survives AU, and considering how he seemed to be fine and happy living in the Backrooms), feeling extremely unhappy with your life despite your wealth, then seeing how someone can be content with so little? How, without the worries of money and societal pressure, someone so similar to yourself can find joy in such a macabre and disturbing situation. Then trying to join them, even if only to see if you can find a similar joy for a little while... and losing track of time.
Shipname: I chose it because... well, both their stories involve weird architecture things. Pretty self-explanatory. However, they're also extremely important to who they end up becoming as people. Mark was manipulated by the Entity, this changing him in many ways. While I'm sure he wasn't the most perfect individual before then, either, he almost definitely got worse the longer he stayed in the Markiplier Manor. Meanwhile, Clark stays static for most all of the movie, with maybe a deterioration of his mental state at the end. However, his time in the Backrooms made him realize he doesn't want to change himself, thus closing the door to any and all improvements on himself.
Alternatively...
Ava (Iron Lung) x Mary (Backrooms) - Consolidation
My Propaganda for These Two: Most people I ship Ava with are somewhat similar to her. As in, they're tough, somewhat cold people I can see having a soft side. However, I feel like Mary is almost the opposite? She wants to help her patients improve, and to me, her therapy style seems almost gentle? Like she tries to lead people to conclusions rather than be forward. Yet, she's also capable of defending herself, and in the end, she ends up finally finding her voice to be direct and firm with Clark. Whilst I feel I have more ideas for Actor and Clark (mostly because we know so little about Ava and I'm trying to keep this post mostly canon based), I can definitely see these two meshing in an interesting manner.
For one, Ava's story in Iron Lung seems like it involves a lot of overcoming black and white thinking, as well as realizing the humanity in Simon. Simon isn't just some evil man from Eden - he's actually a human, and even if he's done horrific things, he still has emotions. She has a true desire to save humanity, too, even if it's in a cold and calculated manner. Meanwhile, Mary's story in Backrooms seems to involve the realization that, as a therapist, it isn't her job to save people. It's to help people help themselves, and she can't even help everybody since not everybody wants help or responds well to her tactics. She realizes this through Clark, who she thought she needed to save, only to realize she both can't and that he doesn't want to be saved. Yet, she also wants to help people, even if in a much more gentle manner in comparison to Ava.
I can imagine Mary trying to help Ava in some way, only to realize that she really can't, because she doesn't understand the first thing about what she's been through. While it can already be difficult for people to relate to others that simply have different personalities, we've all at least lived our lives with a planet to be on. Ava hasn't even had that, and has had to send people down to their deaths to try to save what little is left. What is Mary supposed to do? She's already "failed" Clark. Yet, so long as Ava is up to it, she will try to at least get her adjusted to the world.
Meanwhile, I can see Ava assuming Mary is too soft. We've seen Mary's backstory with her mother. I can see Ava hearing it and simply... assuming Mary took the wrong lessons from it? Mary shouldn't be so open to helping people who are "too far", especially since there's plenty of people and a whole planet, to boot. Mary should be more firm and closed off to defend herself. Ava is still in the mindset of limited resources, limited time, and so she thinks some people need to be left behind. Yet, as she spends more time with her, she finds herself calming down and seeing her view of the world. There's so many people in the world, and so much time to spend, yet not many take the time to try to help and understand the people who need it. If Mary was someone with her own mindset, she would've left Ava behind.
I can also see them, if they were both trapped in the Backrooms, somewhat bonding over the areas they find themselves in. Especially if it's after Clark explains to Mary that the Backrooms are "remembering" these places and people over and over. Mary pointing out and making her guesses on what a place might be based on her experiences, only to then describe the original thing to Ava, remembering she hasn't experienced Earth before. Then, if any places crop up that are based on the space stations she's been on, Ava trying to describe her own memories in the Consolidation of Iron.
Shipname: It's Consolidation based on both the Consolidation of Iron, as well as the psychology definition of consolidation, which is sometimes called Memory Consolidation (the process of short term memories turning into long term ones. Mary's part of the story of Backrooms seems to hold a lot of flashbacks to her past, making her more tied into the themes of memory in the movie. That, and she's a therapist, lol. Meanwhile, most of Ava's memories probably take place in the Consolidation of Iron. Her life choices and personality are most definitely based on her experiences there. Then, there's the third meaning of consolidation, meaning the unification of two or more corporations. Which, this ship would technically be the unification of two universes/movies.
Okay, now that I am actually home, here's a little ramble about my thoughts on the Backrooms movie. Spoilers, ofc.
I LOVED IT. It's the first horror movie in a long, long time that actually scared me to be honest. Which I thoroughly enjoyed since it was a pleasant surprise! I go into most horror movies expecting to enjoy it even without necessarily being scared since I have been desensitized to a lot of things in horror media (not a flex, just a fact. Actually kind of dislike that I'm so desensitized-). I still enjoy those movies, but actually being scared by this one makes it even better in my opinion.
I find Clark to be an extremely interesting character (not just because I'm a simp please hear me out). The direction they took with him realizing that he doesn't want to change or better himself, and Mary directly telling him that he can stay the same? Almost as if the concept of simply not changing wasn't something he knew he had? Most movies don't go that route from what I've seen and it fascinated me to see this one do it.
Therapy only really works if you want to change, and I feel so many people go in thinking that they do, but don't actually want to. Like the idea of improving yourself is always good, but once you realize the work that you need to put in, or the realities of what that actually means, you learn you actually don't. And that is okay.
Then there's the other side of the situation, being Mary's side. She realizes that she can't save people. That being a therapist doesn't mean she's saving anyone, because that's not necessarily the job of a therapist. In a way, she somewhat went into being a therapist with the wrong idea of what it truly is: it isn't saving people, and is actually just helping them improve themselves. You can't help anybody who doesn't want it, and a therapist certainly can't help someone that doesn't truly want to change their lives.
I feel like the themes of the movie are very loaded and with multiple layers. There's the idea of cycling, of memories, of mental illness, and (most interesting to me) the positives and negatives of therapy and our mental health system. Yet, after only one watch (with some chatty people sitting besides myself and my friend that I had to ask to be quiet 😑), I could only come up with a small ramble. I might make a more in-depth post whenever I see it again!
Even if you see someone who you can feel sympathy for, despite knowing that they aren't the greatest person, you will never be able to fix or "save" them. They have to do it themselves. Mental illness is a genuine condition, much like a physical illness. Yet, a bit more uniquely, mental illness cannot be treated without the individual wanting and trying to get better. It doesn't just take medication or appointments, but whole lifestyle changes that go down to the very way you think.
You might be able to see the sympathetic points of their lives, like Clark struggling with debt, his habits of pushing people away, and his resulting loneliness - however, he doesn't want to change. His loneliness will not stop until he changes himself to better manage his anger, his blaming of others, and realizes he's the problem. Yet, he doesn't want to change. Upon finding a place where he wants to be, and feels at home in, he realizes that he truly doesn't want to better himself. You might be able to see them living a better life, but... They can't, and won't, if they don't want to. You shouldn't waste time trying to help someone who doesn't want to change.
Then there's the theme of therapy/the mental health system, both positive and negative. Mostly negative, though I feel the movie isn't against the concept lol. I think it's mostly just pointing out the flaws that I believe a lot of people don't necessarily talk about when it comes to mental health services and ESPECIALLY therapy. The people treating you might be well-meaning, but they are by no means flawless. They are their own individuals with their own struggles, and with therapy, their own styles of treating people.
In the beginning, Mary has Clark try the "roleplay" tactic again, despite the fact that Clark says that he feels stupid doing it. Then, there's the whole thing I mentioned earlier with the possible wrong reasons for becoming a therapist. I don't believe she ever had any bad intentions or ever purposefully mishandled Clark and his case, but I do believe she went about it in a catastrophically bad manner. She had him do something he said he felt made him feel stupid, unintentionally made him feel attacked when he tried explaining the strange things he found, and seemingly tried to dance around many issues he had. Especially during the scene where she outright tells him the problems in his life are of his own doing. I personally took it as her knowing all that from the start of the movie, but finally deciding to tell him to his face instead of trying to "lead" him to that conclusion, himself.
And the thing with therapy is that these things might've genuinely worked for another person. The roleplay she has him do, the way she handled him describing the backrooms, and her trying to lead him to the genuinely painful realization that he's at fault for many of the things he's facing? They all could work with someone else as her patient. Yet, they aren't a catch-all solution, and many of therapists seem to believe that their tactics would work for everybody. It doesn't help that a therapist might not know how badly a patient is struggling if they don't tell them or hide it from them, which some may do if they don't feel they trust the therapist and are too anxious to ask to change therapists. She might've genuinely thought he was getting better, or at the very least, not getting worse.
On the topic of getting worse, some people do get worse if they don't have the right therapist or just don't respond well to therapy. Like Clark gets so much worse in the movie during that scene where he is describing the still lives to Mary after LITERALLY kidnapping her. I'd say that's definitely a deterioration of his mental health compared to the start. And he even goes on to repeat the roleplay tactic from before, which I personally interpreted as like, trying to show how some techniques, or maybe even just wording, can unintentionally harm a patient. They might take the way advice is worded the wrong way and be worse off than before, or perhaps a healthy coping mechanism that was recommended to them can become maladaptive and become it's own problem?
Which, what I enjoy is that none of this is shown to make Mary bad, necessarily. She is shown to be trying her best, and her own past struggles are shown off, somewhat humanizing her. Her attempts to help are genuine, and she realizes her reasonings for becoming a therapist might not have been the correct ones by the end. Yet, even still, she does want to help Clark. Even if the only way she knows how to help him is to simply tell him she cannot help him, and that she doesn't need to change, even if many of his problems are because of his own actions.
Another thing I really enjoyed is how Clark is still kept like... human? I don't mean literally, of course, but he's shown to still be struggling even at his lowest. Even when he's fully gone off the deep end and is entrenched in his obsession with the backrooms, having his own therapist held hostage, he's still shown to have emotions. He's distressed, he cries, and he doesn't even argue with Mary once she tells him his problems to his face. Instead, after she tells him that he can stay the same and stay in the backrooms if that's what he wants, he lets her go. You'd expect him to lash out and kill her, like how a lot of movies would treat a character who's "lost it" and is known to have difficulties controlling their anger, but he doesn't. He lets her go, and even tries to calm down the still life of himself so he won't hurt her, introducing him to her and explaining what she said about them being able to stay the same. Even if staying the same would hurt them more, in the end.
I have plenty more thoughts on the movie, but like... I don't know how to put them into words. I wouldn't necessarily call this a review, but more of a ramble and slight analysis. So that's the end of my ramble, for now!
Okay... I STILL haven't watched the Backrooms movie yet (but I have plans to hopefully this week). However, I watched the Capt'n Clark's Ottoman Empire advertisement in preparation to watch the movie to get hyped.
Unfortunately, I have now gotten TOO hyped. Clark has seduced me with his cringe-fail vibes before I have even watched the film. It's even worse because I have this awful feeling that he's going to die by the end of it, like Simon did.
Nobody spoil me because if he dies I want the heartbreak to be catastrophic and unexpected-
I haven't been able to watch The Backrooms, yet, but you bet that when I do I won't shut up about it. That, and I'm making all my faves get lost in the backrooms.
Tbh I'm surprised I haven't already seen fanart of Simon in the Backrooms, considering it looks like a movie Iron Lung fans would like based on the trailers. He's going to be first-
I have nothing to offer the Markiplier Cinematic Universe rn except for the random idea of WKM but Actor Mark went insane after reading The King in Yellow instead of a demonic entity haunting the manor.
Idk I can just see him finding it and going "Ooh... Maybe I can get a director to make this random play into a movie and make me the star! Let's just read this to see what it's about... OH MY GOD-"
