Alright… I gotta ask something. Thoughts on Cranky’s backstory?
Because Johnny Cranky is my beloved traumatized child and I have so many headcanons for his backstory.
Like how he and his PIE destroyed their dimension by accident and he’s basically the sole survivor. So now he’s trying to destroy our PIE to keep them from making that same mistake.
And how he’s basically failing because, even though he’s a bit bitter and spiteful towards PIE (all of that just being a reflection of his own guilt and self-hatred), his subconscious recognizes them as the family he lost and part of him can’t bare to destroy them.
Which leads to his relationship with our PIE members. He’s nicer to Spooks because of his guilt and regret about being mean to him before their dimension was destroyed, so he’s (without realizing) trying to make up for that. Idk about his relationship with Colon yet (tbh I feel like he’d be pretty neutral to him or just be nicer because let’s face it, Ghost can be pretty rude sometimes).
And then my headcanon of his relationship with Toast…
Just angst. So much angst.
Because he gets to see this alternate version of himself he happy with the man he loves and it’s eating him up inside.
Because he wants that. But he can never have it again because he’s the sole survivor (that he knows of-). So this self-loathing becomes stronger because he ruined his own life. And why should Ghost, this version of him who doesn’t realize how good he has it and takes his life and family for granted, be happy while he has to be miserable and live with the fact that he’s the reason he lost everything?
Not to mention the fact that he has to return to his void that used to be a dimension every so often in order to keep himself from being ripped apart by glitches, so he has to spend time alone reflecting on his mistakes.
But then also thinking about how Toast, Spooker, and Colon view Cranky. They see him as a threat, not knowing the stuff he’s gone through and what his past was like.
But also thinking about if they did find out… 👀
Oh the possible hurt/comfort or angst that would ensue…
Gosh I just love Cranky so much, he has consumed my brain. I just gotta share. And I’m wondering if other people have similar thoughts or if it’s just me.
Actually funny story— I know I already talked about this awhile ago, and that Cranky being a survivor from a universe that collapsed in on itself was one of my suggestions. I know that isn’t where you got your idea from, but I think it’s funny that we both came to similar conclusions of the possibility. I also consider that he might have had his consciousness fused with Casket, too, but I’m not sure what that would entail just yet since my casket’s mind is mostly instinct. (I’ve also considered what if cranky was “made” by the Housekeeper as a way to kickstart a ploy to come back, but I’ll save that for a fic.)
I think Cranky would relate to the Spiderverse films (the glitching and machine collapsing a dimension moments)
In all fairness to the members of PIE, Cranky does act actively threatening toward them and he founded an organization around destroying their job— which actually, he helped to create originally in his own dimension, isn’t that an example of irony… I do think PIE would be more willing to extend an olive branch once they know who he really is and what he’s gone through.. but they can’t do anything so long as Cranky resents them.
It’s like when a person is drowning, you can’t save them while they’re kicking and flailing or they’ll drag you down with them
