I am a disaster of a person, you are warned

Stranger things, Harry Potter, Marvel, DC. questions are always welcome

[pashfoxx]

I just finished watching Spider-Noir and honestly, I might be a little obsessed right now, and I swear I want to write a fanfic about it, but I'm about to enter my last few weeks of classes before winter break, so I'm swamped with exams.

[gambitgambino]

I'm back in my batman era

My Riddler design (inspired in various versions of the character) and ofc my own Query and Echo interpretations (very cabaret inspired)

For dessert, riddlebird in collaboration with @cenzi04 who designed her own penguin

[astelys]

paternity test

I have a headcanon that there’s a paternity test in Pierre’s secret stash that he hasn’t opened. He took the test, but when the results came back, he just couldn’t bring himself to look at them because he felt guilty. Because if he really is Abigail’s father, that means he has trust issues. And if he isn’t, he won’t be able to stop being a father to her; he won’t be able to simply forget how he cared for Abby for all this years. In either case, Pierre won’t be happy with the outcome of his momentary folly. Even if this question continues to torment him for years, it’s better that he never finds out the answer.

[super-kame-love]

So, about Pierre...

With today being Father's Day, I've decided to listen to the hair trapped in my butt and write up a little something to defend one of the more contentious characters from Stardew Valley. Previously, I've talked about Demetrius (you can read my commentary on him here, if you're interested).

This time, I want to talk about Pierre, owner of Pierre's General Store.

Yes, his hunger for money and success borders on obsession. Some of his and Abigail's comments during the Luau imply he's got political aspirations on par with Lewis's. Sometimes he'll take crops or forage foods you might sell him for quick money and pass them off as his own work (of equal concern is how no one else in town really challenges it). It's hard to tell if he hates Joja because of the genuine harm it's dealt to the local culture or if it's because he envies its wealth and influence. (There's no reason both can't be true. People can be and often are in two minds about things they feel strongly about!) Sometimes, he neglects Caroline to focus on business, and he has difficulty relating to Abigail.

He may have a secret stash of pornography, as per Pierre's 6-Heart Event. Given the melody that plays when Pierre catches you in his and Caroline's bedroom, "Pickle Jar Rag (Haley's Theme)", I'm inclined to imagine his "secret stash" is meant to be embarrassing but not incriminating.

Then, when you get to at least 8 Hearts with him, he shares the above quote.

Is this an inappropriate thing to share with the farmer? Maybe. But if he won't talk about it with his own wife, who else is he going to tell in a place as small and gossipy as Pelican Town? Who knows how long he's been sitting on this anxiety? That's a hell of a thing to keep bottled up. Look at his expression. The idea that he might not be Abigail's father distresses him.

At least on the practical level, it'd be easy to investigate this on his own. Most paternity tests are done with cheek swabs, are over 99% accurate, and will give you results in days. There are even home paternity tests you can pick up at some drugstores.

But he'd need a sample from Abigail to do the test. It'd be difficult to swab her cheek without her consent. And if he was to ask her for a swab, she's bound to ask why.

We can only assume he hasn't tried for a test. He even urges you not to say anything to Caroline.

Why? Because he's afraid. Of the questions it will open up. Of potential ridicule from his peers. Most of all, of losing his family either way. That he hasn't sought a paternity test by now implies to me he's trying either to convince himself he's wrong or to make peace with the idea. Indeed, there are several hints in the game that suggest his fear may not be unfounded (link to article embedded).

Quoting Caroline, when you get to at least 8 Hearts with her:

I'm not going to argue Pierre doesn't have a problem with jealousy. My problem is that so much of the fandom takes Caroline's word at face value (while willfully ignoring anything positive she has to say about him at other times), painting in their heads a picture of a jealous, controlling, misogynistic man.

As someone whose own father is all those things and has been for as long as I've known him, I can say--at least from personal experience--that Pierre is extraordinarily tame by comparison! Abigail and Caroline are shown to come and go as they please, while Pierre stays behind the store counter most days. He's not tracking their movements every hour of the day. At least in front of us, he never asks where they've been.

Neither Caroline nor Abigail talk about him or interact with him with a trace of apprehension. Indeed, Abigail is comfortable enough with him to occasionally post for help with pulling pranks on him! On the community board in front of his store where he's bound to see, no less! If he was ever a true tyrant, she wouldn't go out of her way to push his buttons--certainly not so openly.

Occasionally, they'll even have nice things to say about him. From Caroline:

From Abigail:

Can't we suppose there may be some other reason Caroline would rather not have Pierre know about her walks around the Wizard's Tower? Seriously, what could Caroline have gotten up to there that would warrant Pierre's jealousy (/rhetorical)?

You know, come to think of it, it's Caroline that delivers the bulk of criticisms toward Abigail's habits and self-expression. The most we get from Pierre in this regard is, from Abigail's 6-Heart Event:

Then again, most people don't like the idea of their kids hanging out in graveyards at night, anyway--whether they're conservative or progressive.

Abigail, true to form, has no trouble telling him off:

Pierre's response:

No violence. No degradation. Just plain ineffectual shock. We get no indication of him chasing after her to force her home. Chances are, he resigns to let Abigail come home on her own.

Notice, also, how he doesn't say, "I want you to come home to make dinner." He says: "Your mother wants you to come home and help with dinner." He's fetching her on Caroline's behalf, not his own.

Also, Abigail is their only child. If they're able, it's not unreasonable to ask your child for help with household chores, no matter what their gender.

Is Pierre traditional? Perhaps, a little bit. But not virulently so.

He is, after all, paying for Abigail's college tuition out of his own pocket. If he fussed over money, or Abigail's lifestyle, that much...wouldn't he just stop supporting her?

He also cooks dinner on occasion even though he admits to you that he hates doing it. He does it to please Caroline.

Indeed, Caroline sometimes wonders out loud if she should "get Pierre to cook dinner tonight". She would not do that if he never indulged her.

He builds a snow-goon with Abigail during the Festival of Ice on odd years and on even years shares that he'd gotten the family matching sweaters (and laments how Abigail refuses to wear hers...though if you talk to Abigail at the same event, she reveals she is in fact wearing her sweater beneath her jacket. "Don't tell Dad!")

If you choose "Let's be reasonable" at the ending cutscene for the Community Center route, Pierre will give a speech praising the community and encourage the others to boycott JojaMart. Call me a sap, but I like this cutscene better! Pierre, of course, would have a strong personal interest in driving Morris out of town, but his speech proves he does in fact pay attention to the community and the people in it when he wants to. Or else his call to boycott would not be nearly as effective! You can't fake that level of attention.

All of this is to say...Pierre is not as terrible a father, and a general person, as I've too often seen him made out to be. He's flawed and complex! Like everyone else in this game.

---

For additional reading, may I suggest my post headcanoning Pierre and Caroline as bereaved parents?

[noodles-and-tea]

I mean, what else was that big ol’ telescope for

[cogentsummoner]

i am always always always thinking abt the last ultra analysis book describing toshi's personality as "unexpectedly playful"

[sunny-knight]

Human Caines first encounter with weather-

[tsurunel]

some drawings that I participated for Gravity Falls con held in South Korea

(Stan wall scroll was available at https://themysteryshack.com for a very limited time and is not for now)

[waitingforthesunrise]

Just realized that the reason I love making friends on tumblr is because it’s exactly how you make friends on the playground as a six year old. No, I don’t know their name but they love mermaids too and built this awesome sand castle. No, I don’t know their age but their imaginary cheetah is friends with mine. You like this show? You like this character?? You can sing the theme song really loud??? Here is a flower crown. Here is a juice box. You can share my time and I might never see you again but part of you stays in my soul forever. In my mind we’re still on the swing set and the sky is blue and nothing will ever be wrong again.

[spam-by-me]

El never really learned how to be shy about crushes so when she realized she had a crush on Dustin she just walked up to him and told him immediately and he got so incredibly flustered stammering over his words in his haste to ask her out afterwards that it took him three whole tries but she was hopelessly endeared the whole time.

[yujateaandpi]

Happy Aromantic Awareness Week and belated Valentine’s Day! Here’s a short comic dedicated to all the romantic aromantics out there. It took me a long time to realize I was aro. Accepting that I loved the idea of love in fiction more than in reality was difficult, especially when confronting the prospect of not having a life partner as people around me have started finding theirs. However, coming to peace with who I am has been a valuable process and I’m discovering that forging a life with an unconventional path just means I get to appreciate the platonic relationships in my life even more. Sharing love with other people doesn’t always have to look romantic to be profound, nor does being aro equate to being alone. That’s why I enjoy the idea of aromanticism not being an absence of feeling, but perhaps cosmic loyalty carried down through lifetimes. Feel free to share your aro or ace spec stories, this is a week for solidarity!

[pashfoxx]

It's been a while since I wrote anything for Wheelson, so here's a little something I wrote; it might turn into something bigger, I'm not sure.

———

Melvalds was packed. Alan would swear he had never seen so many people in the restaurant; he would even dare to bet it was the first time the place had gathered such a crowd.

The teenagers danced to the rhythm of Elvis, celebrating finally having graduated. Everyone except Alan. The dark-haired boy had leaned back against one of the restaurant’s pillars, content to simply watch the rest of his classmates have fun.

Or at least, that was what he told himself. A bitter feeling had long since settled in his chest: watching his classmates and friends celebrate their graduation when he himself hadn’t graduated, forced to leave school just a few months before finishing.

It was just a stupid piece of paper.

So why did it bother him so much?

He gently knocked his head against the wall in a miserable attempt to push those thoughts away before taking a long swig of his beer. Old Melvald seemed to have had a strange moment of compassion and had gifted him a bottle of the precious amber liquid.

He let his gaze drift back to the center of the restaurant, where people were dancing. All night long, he had only had eyes for one person.

He hadn’t taken his eyes off Ted. The now former football player had been dancing all night; it was already the second time he had asked Karen Childress to dance. Alan would swear that the last time he had seen them, they were arguing and yelling at each other about how they would never date one another again.

Clearly, those words had been forgotten.

Alan would bet that for Ted, it wasn’t a problem at all, since he didn’t show the slightest sign of remembering the words he had shouted at Karen just a few months ago.

From where he stood, Alan could see Ted smiling at the blonde as she laughed at something.

Ted looked so happy.

And not for the first time, Alan felt a tightness in his chest. He would give anything to be the one dancing with Ted there.

Instead, he could only watch from a distance.

[spidermannotes]

Amazon Releases 2 New Posters For Spider-Noir

1st trailer drops tomorrow!

[pashfoxx]

God, I can't wait for it to come out.

[benjimatorarts]

Introduction to Alastor's siblings! First two written by @legionsuniverseodoodles!

Nestor and Eliza are @legionsuniverseodoodles 's ocs. While Bobby is mine.

[illusioncanthurtme--art]

Young adult Pacifica! A working woman! I know she still looks small, but she's just a short queen. And she's got a fuller figure now (Greasy's has introduced her to the magic of Carbs ✨)

[pashfoxx]

Seriously, would it be too hopeful of me to ask for a Stranger Things spin-off in the Tales of ’85 art style about the events of The First Shadow?

Because honestly, yeah, maybe it is too much to hope for, but I think I’d go insane if we got that many characters drawn, since there would be so many options to experiment with their designs and with how to show Henry’s powers.

[pashfoxx]

Recently I decided to rewatch Detective Conan from the very first episode, because I wanted to catch up, and honestly, the last time I watched the anime was when I was around 12 years old on cable TV, so it’s definitely been a while.

Also, over the last two years, my best friend and I have been watching Boku no Hero. (You’re probably thinking that’s a long time to catch up on an anime, but honestly, between university and a lot of other things, it’s practically a miracle it’s only taken two years.)

The thing is, my brain won’t shut up about the idea of creating a DC and BNHA crossover AU, which brings me to my biggest problem: I can’t decide what Shinichi’s Quirk could be. At first, I thought it could be something related to his aim or his soccer skills, but now I’m more tempted to make it something based on his deduction abilities.

Because my general idea is that when he runs into the Black Organization and Gin gives him APTX 4869, it doesn’t just rejuvenate Shinichi instead of killing him — it also removes his Quirk, causing Conan Edogawa to be Quirkless in every sense.

So besides the overall plot of stopping the Organization and finding a cure, Shinichi also ends up dealing with the whole issue of having lost his Quirk.

So if anyone is interested or has any ideas about what Shinichi’s Quirk could be, I’d love to hear your opinion.