#Club Redheads Who Didn't Get Mindwiped

[fountainpenguin]

I think the funniest possible direction for post-Season 1 Dale is "Clocks something sus, develops a hero complex towards his abuser, and makes time for her while still ignoring his son."

City Lights AU is a cursed reality where the reason Dev didn't know Vicky abused his dad is because Dale refuses to accept that his ex-BFF is a terrible person. I can make them worse... I will make them worse.

[fountainpenguin]

Riddle watches New Wish - Post #31

The Battle of Big Wand

Part 5 of reacting to this episode (spoiler-free)!

And we're back! Anti-Cosmo and Anti-Wanda have run off and Dev is eating his feelings through pudding.

Good to note Wanda says it's been weeks since Peri granted a wish. They're so stressed out...

Their son is dying!!! Their precious baby boy they were denied for thousands of years and have only had for about 22 years!! Whom they left behind to go on vacation through time for 10,000 years!!! oh no, he's got anxiety...

From a story standpoint, I like that Cosmo and Wanda aren't "just" in a cage, and even if they were freed, they wouldn't leave their dying son to interfere with the rest of the plot if they can help it. That works great.

Aw, Peri's mumbling about bringing Dev food from the cereal bar and that's the one thing he told his parents he was excited about at Dev's house. And Dev's affected... He's wobbling...

Dev recently turned 10 and he is dealing with really heavy situations.

I like his "Aha! There!" as he's looking for excuses about why he's not interested in saving Peri.

Dev: Always with Da Rules! Holding me back; keeping me from getting what I want!!

I wish Da Rules had been emphasized more in New Wish because we barely saw them and I really think the weight they carry would make this scene stronger, but I like it!

He is having a ROUGH day...

I don't personally love the art style for Dev's tears... I think it's a bit silly for the heaviness of the scene since it doesn't seem to be dripping off his face, just kinda going into the void... It looks more like light than water, but it has a unique aesthetic and I admire that.

Something something, Dale's tears in "Lost and Founder's Day" were huge gushing fountains as he had a breakdown and Dev has rivers...

Oh, I'd know THAT look anywhere... It's how Timmy looked in "Meet the OddParents" when he was losing Cosmo and Wanda and we got "It's okay, guys... It was worth it. I'll be fine. It's all good... IT'S NOT ALL GOOD; I'M NOT FINE; I'M GONNA MISS YOU!!"

Dev is holding it the flip together if he can mirror the devastation of Timmy torn from his fairy family after 51 years...

... especially since Dale's level of tears exist in this show:

Local billionaire forced into 7 years of underground child labor, starvation, and other abuses has a complete breakdown whenever he's at risk of losing what he has now, more at 11...

And the crown is OFF... Dev once again slipping away to work things through by himself. I expect no less than him seeking solitude when things are hard... It's definitely his pattern by now.

I... didn't know there was a key, so it pulled me out to try figuring out what that item he threw down was. I think it might've been a punchier moment if that had been a bigger deal, but that's nitpicky. Alas, Dev will not be jumping in the pit.

I think it would be funny if Dev panicked and jumped into the pit and then he couldn't get out, and Irep just left him there, so he's yelling for his dad and Dale's just standing there at the top, clearly Going Through It at the sight of "deep dark torture pit hole beneath the lid that swings open like a trapdoor." Dale's been okay so far, but I feel like seeing his lookalike son in The Torture Pit would definitely be a trigger for him... Not necessarily something that would kick him into gear to save Dev, but I think it'd spook him. -> I think the Anti-Fairies should push the cage lid shut after Dev jumps down so he's trapped and screaming for help, and that really snaps something in Dale :)

Wanda still taking shots at Dev, oh no. I... don't love that, actually? He's clearly going through stuff. Hmm...

Okay. I liked the show-don't-tell we had when Dev questioned Irep why the other Fairies were here (and not just "the usuals"). And I liked how he and Irep were arguing and his dad cut in to tell him to "listen to his business partner," leading Dev to protest that they're not partners if they don't listen, etc.

This feels off? It's both a tell instead of show (Wanda telling us "I think deep down, he has good in him," which we literally just saw and have regularly seen throughout the series since he started letting down his walls), and it's kinda victim-blamey tbh?

-> Maybe I'm wrong on that, but it just... surprises me to hear that from the mouth of someone who's been in the godparenting line of work for 50,000 years. She's clearly seen this kid has issues (as early as "Peace of Pizza" when Dev hugged Cosmo who was disguised as Dale and Wanda was disguised as the boot).

-> I get that he's currently taking over Fairy World and that her son is dying on the floor... I just expected more sympathy from her, especially since she's seen Dev at his best (joking around with Hazel) and Timmy caused both her and Cosmo back-up in the OG series multiple times by complete accident and/or Cosmo and Wanda's failure to communicate their needs. That might not be canon here, though... but even if it's not, she's seen Dev at his best when he's kind, playful, imaginative, and generous towards Hazel, so I'm just really surprised.

-> I think it throws me off because Dev just saved her son's life and instead of saying thank you, she's making a point of emphasizing that she doesn't think he's a good kid unless you delve incredibly deep inside him. Oof...

OG series Wanda (actual dialogue from "Playdate of Doom"): You have to learn how to forgive people after they try to destroy you! New Wish Wanda (emotionally): This kid actually sucks. We should spit on him.

To be fair, in my second post for this finale, I did say she tends to have a black and white view of things and I cited her bitterness towards Foop, even knowing he's a baby of a wildfire species who was raised in Abracatraz. She really seems to struggle with people having facets, which was interesting.

Come to think of it, she also did this with Blonda back in the day- She was either furious with her or apologetic and accepting, but then she went full savagery again. I guess it's just her thing.

??? She also totally ripped the gold stars off Poof's Good Baby chart when she thought he was acting out against Foop during their playdate, and she made Poof watch her do it, and she and Cosmo eventually took him all the way down to zero, and... that's kinda messed up, actually. He's a good boy :( Also, something something, Wanda forcing Poof to hug Foop after Poof made it very clear he wasn't comfortable with it, Wanda too afraid to stand up to her dad in "Talkin' Trash," something something...

I think during "Certifiable Super Sitter," Foop told Wanda he was sad that his parents had "moved away without leaving a forwarding address again" and he wanted to play with dogs and fire, and Wanda immediately wanted to handcuff him, then a moment later grabbed him by the collar and yelled at him... hey Wanda. what on earth. he's bein' vulnerable...

-> Wanda stop seeing people as only Good or Bad challenge (impossible).

Cosmo keeps cutting her off about it?? She sees the bad in Dev and Cosmo seems to see the good. That's interesting.

I'm glad Cosmo is once again reaching his magical back-up threshold sooner than Wanda. He did that in "The Same Game," and his magic drains way faster than hers or Poof's according to the meters in "Grow Up, Timmy Turner." It's kind of his thing (to me).

Oh, apparently my worldbuilding notes say male Fairies drain fast and hard because their bodies are designed to release a ton of magic during childbirth, so they can't hold it in well when it's being actively drained out of them.

Yeah, that tracks. Sorry, Poof.

HEY!! I was just joking when I said Anti-Cosmo and Anti-Wanda were slipping off to canoodle and using "chasing Puppet Hazel" as an excuse, but why is Puppet Hazel here and they're not??

She gave them the slip and they really said "oh well; we tried. Time to snuggle" and this is why Irep hates them. sdfkl.

Peri is dying (This IS about him).

I like how they have to power the Big Wand with electricity kind of like how Jimmy Neutron had to rewire it back in Power Hour 1 (and forgot to plug it in).

Although, I do like how in "Crocker Shocker," Fairy World is powered by belief in Fairies... "Battle of Big Wand" AU where this episode goes exactly like "Crocker Shocker," which means Fairy World losing power also removes its ability to float, so it plunges towards Giant Bucket of Acid World and Dev has to do a total 180 halfway through his scheme to avoid a horrific death.

Actually, that's freakin' HILARIOUS. Maybe I'll write that. I just really want him and his dad to be scrambling to higher ground and freaking out. Stupid. I hate it. I need this so much.

?? I may be misremembering, but I think Wanda makes lemonade from Cosmo's sweat / dust again in this episode similar to "Nectar of the Odds" which is... hmm.

Y'know what, now that I think about it... We should never let the man who spent 7 years perfecting his skills of squeezing juice out of things get this close to Fairies. TERRIBLE idea.

[cnt'd - It would be wise to prepare yourself for Opinions (TM), and if that does not sound up your alley, no shame in that]

Ooh, there goes Hazel's rule-free wish! Restoring Fairy World to normal.

... Eh, it's not as funny as my secret hope that Hazel would be too anxious to use it and wish for something silly, but I was right with my "use it to save people when they're dying from magical back-up" theory. I'll take it.

Aw, Dev with his arm on his chair. He looks goofy for someone having a terrible day. He looks exhausted.

Mind-wiping the planet? NO! My Club Redheads Who Didn't Get Mindwiped!!

Oh my flippin' gee, it's a really, really good thing I didn't set Happy Peppy Gary up as under Pixie protection and therefore immune to mindwipes and then write a whole arc about him raging against Fairy World and hoarding all his remaining friends in this club!! It's a good thing I didn't do that!! Oh no...

It's a good thing I don't have to treat New Wish as canon in my 'fics if I don't want to. I think he's suffered enough. He would flip out. skldjf.

... Actually, I guess he's not on the planet during this part of the timeline... So he'd be fine even if he didn't have immunity. but the rest of the club is toast.

Cannot express enough how funny it is that this is the equivalent of Gary coming back with pizza and his entire world is on fire AGAIN... Jorgen stop mindwiping Gary's friends challenge... plz, no more...

They're okay!! Peri looks so tall. He's all grown up!

?? So... Huh. Hang on. Why is Peri okay? Dev didn't get involved. I thought he was dying from magical back-up because he hadn't granted any of Dev's wishes for weeks.

Can Wanda just Do That... Can she do that... That doesn't sound right.

Huh! I cannot believe I was on the right track (in my first theory post for this episode) when I said that the alt ending I thought was funny (but doubted would happen) involved Dev losing his memories and Peri, but how it would probably be a good thing for both him and Peri...

... I just thought he was going to start working things out with his dad (maybe with Dale realizing he messed up in hiring Vicky and regretting he wasn't there) and Dev might be deemed un-miserable, and... not so much because he outed magic to the world :'D

I had high hopes for you, Dev... Sorry, kiddo.

I'm so surprised. I genuinely didn't think we were going this direction?? Did... did we get any foreshadowing for this?

Fingers crossed this means more Daddy Issues episodes for Dev if we get more seasons, as I wouldn't want that resolved too fast considering how deep both their issues seem to go.

omg, is the window design behind him a copy of his game tablet?

But he's ready to face his punishment, taking accountability and accepting his consequences like a mature adult, even though he's young and broken...

... Uh, big yikes for Dev here being like "Well, maybe I deserve [to lose my caretaker and magical memories], Hazel." Big abuse cycle vibes... Uh-oh...

I hope we get a Season 2. I'd really like to see him work through this; it's a dark place to leave off ;;;

Wow. Is this really the route we're going? Dev's slipping towards "I deserve punishment and I'm going home without magic - or Peri - to live with my dad," and Hazel laughs in his face & tells him "Oh yeah, you definitely deserve it." ??

Holy cow, that's brutal. I write dark stuff all the time, but that gets to me for some reason?? Hazel, why would you say that?

Timmy "I forgive H.P. & Anti-Cosmo" Turner & Chloe "I forgive Kevin and Foop" Carmichael & Hazel "get wrecked" Wells. omfg?? I guess Timmy and Chloe making excuses for people who did bad things is also saying Something about them (which is Chloe's Thing in multiple episodes), so it's not necessarily good, but... I mean, H.P. and Anti-Cosmo did leave him alone after this point in the series apart from Anti-Cosmo kidnapping Cosmo while thinking he was kidnapping Timmy after Timmy downloaded critical life-changing info to his brain, and Foop became very fond of Chloe, so...

... Huh. I did not think I was this invested in Dev. Now I just feel... weird? Played.

Okay, so... First of all, kudos to Hazel for not throwing her morals away to chase a guy who wronged her. Respect. I said in an earlier post that I wanted boundary setting and... I guess I got it.

But... are we doing this? So, why didn't Jorgen mindwipe people after Dev became king of America? The news reporter clearly still remembered him. What's the plan if someone greets him as "former king" again? Surely he'll question that.

Why ?? is Foop still allowed to attend school in the main series despite harassing everyone, but Dev gets dunked on ?? Is it just because Foop lives in a world of microaggressions about how people don't expect him to be capable of being a good person because he's an Anti-Fairy? lmao??

It can't be that they're scared of Anti-Cosmo... School straight-up yoinked Foop's summer camp privileges.

- This is hilarious? iirc, Jorgen stopped erasing Crocker's memories after Season 7 because the benefit of him knowing (i.e. Fairies sucking power out of him) outweighed the benefit of him not knowing (which is why we get my favorite joke in Season 9 where Cosmo blatantly tells Crocker he's a fairy), but Jorgen took one look at Dev and said "Bad boy. Dangerous." -> Okay, I guess I'll just be normal about this :') - I feel like Dev would be really mad if he found out how all the other villains have gotten off easy in the past - I'm scratching my head, but the only villain I remember being punished this severely was Crocker, who suffered as a child despite doing nothing wrong (plus his multiple offenses as an adult, but he was trying to kill people) - Arguably the Anti-Fairies suffer by being locked up, so... I guess there's that. And yeah, I get that Norm doesn't like his lamp. - Okay, I guess Foop broke so hard that he developed an alt personality who sticks with him from his second appearance in Season 7 all the way through Season 10, but...

I know Dev took over Fairy World, but he clearly expressed remorse and saved Peri. So I feel weird about him going back to his dad, this time without a godparent to look after him...

... but it's horribly in character for how the Fairy Council - and Jorgen by extension - see their world. Their canon has literally always been "we use humans as a power source and dump them when they get scary," which is heavily implied to be the reason for the hard rule of leaving when they're adults, so idk what I expected...

Like, they booted Crocker to the curb and it literally wasn't Crocker's fault he lost Cosmo and Wanda as a kid. This is extremely in character for Fairy World.

Actually, I should be cautious about saying it's in character for Jorgen, who has huge issues about erasing memories and stress eats his feelings.

Huh. Y'know, this reminds me a lot of the first half of "Timmy's Secret Wish" when Poof and Foop get sent to the Hocus Poconos, but I love that scene; it's one of my favorites in the series. Maybe I'm anxious about this plot point because if there's no Season 2, this is Dev's finale. I feel pretty confident that if we had a Season 2 that builds on this, I'd like it more- It would be a step in his journey rather than the end. It just worries me to know they did this when there's no Season 2 confirmed, because that's a wild thing to drop on us in the final minutes when there's been no memory erasure foreshadowing in this episode (and not much in the series as a whole). Like... I straight-up did not see this coming. This is a total tone shift from the OG series where we had fluffier endings, so I... genuinely am caught off guard. I was not set up to expect this, even with the drama of "Lost and Founder's Day" and "Operation: Birthday Takeback." -> ?? Even with multiple days spent analyzing this episode as I liveblogged, I saw no foreshadowing for this... I don't think. I mean, sure, actions have consequences, but wowza. Maybe I'm just biased because I've been bingeing the OG series again while doing art and there are plenty of episodes that do a great job of foreshadowing (Ex: "Anti-Poof" depicting Foop sleepy and Poof taking naps before the climax where everyone sings a lullaby to put Foop to sleep). This... feels weird after days of analysis. I feel like I've been played? I did not see the set-up for this. Ah, well... can't win them all. I think I'll like this much more when there's a Season 2 that can build on this. But I'm very "Hmm" because throughout my liveblogs, a theme for me has been "I wish they'd emphasize Da Rules and consequences; I'm very unclear what New Wish's lore is" so I feel... irritated that this got dropped on us with so little foreshadowing. Alas... -> Tbh, maybe this is what Dev needs? (To not wonder if he's friends with Hazel only because "she wished for them to be?") A soft reset for him where he remembers their fun and fights without the magic might be a good move for his character to look inside himself and try to solve his problems without magic. but holy flip. holy wow, Hazel. omg, I think Timmy would be stunned if he met you. Hazel confirmed down to torment H.P. and Anti-Cosmo on international TV?? Hazel confirmed ready to dropkick baby Foop into a black hole because he's a bad little boy??

:o We never saw Hazel's mom (a therapist) work with Dev. Is that what we're setting up for Season 2? Because if that's true, I like that part.

?? I think Hazel is trying to communicate that actions have consequences, but her laughing and saying he deserves it just doesn't feel right to me. Dev (for all his many red flags) is one of the nicest bully characters I've ever seen; he clearly regretted snapping at her earlier in the season and apologized to her of his own choice.

He even came to his own conclusion in this episode that he didn't like what Irep was doing (hurting people), AND he realized his dad doesn't care for him and started working through that. No one had to carry him through that. His dad didn't have to monologue about not caring about his son. Dev put those pieces together himself.

If he'd been a harsh bully in front of the audience the whole time, I think this wouldn't feel so shocking, but considering what a loyal friend he's been to Hazel in the past (Ex: Willing to lure his dad's robots away from her & being friendly to her when she came to his birthday), this is a lot to take in right now.

I'm gonna have to sleep on this (and rewatch it without pausing; I've been working through this episode for days).

I feel bad for not loving this, but... ?? Wow. That's... a lot to take in.

So... we're losing Peri; is that right? That... kinda shocks me because we barely got any episodes of them together. Oof :( That's a super engaging dynamic... Just gone? Oh, my heart. I hope they get back together in a future season? I said earlier I liked the idea of Peri realizing he's not ready to godparent, but this doesn't give me that vibe. I wish we knew how Peri feels.

I like that Dev's taking accountability- something I remember him not doing back in "Lost in Fairy World" and stuff, and it does feel right that there would be severe consequences for his actions. I do think he admires Hazel a lot, but he needs to work on how he treats others- I agree I cannot in good conscience say he's "doing well" if we've only seen him be truly kind towards Hazel, and everyone else is unclear (and he bullied those kids in the past).

I understand why it's dangerous to allow him access to magic now that "taking over Fairy World" and "locking up and nearly killing his assigned fairy" are on his track record.

And I'm not really surprised that the Fairies, who are deeply concerned about their personal safety, are willing to take magic from him even if he has to go home miserable. I get it. but holy cow.

?? I think it makes me feel better to think about it in terms of "Yes, he'll go home miserable, but magic is a privilege, not a right". omg tho. holy flip. Actually, Fairy World did also erase Timmy's memories multiple times, both for worse and better things he did than this ("Timmy's Secret Wish" & rude clone in "Fairy Idol," which wasn't technically Timmy but they still dropped consequences on him). So... it is in character. tbh, this is incredibly funny?? It really shines a light on how Timmy's biggest strength was often said to be his imagination and creativity, and he showed this over and over. He'd dodge and weave and spin his little gears like mad, taking down the big players in the magical world left and right, and I honestly like how Chloe, Dev, and Hazel don't do that. -> Chloe managed to win Foop over because reaching out was her strength. But imagination was Timmy's. Timmy was a master at his craft. He worked hard on it. We regularly saw him take the time to think, plan, and outwit his antagonists... but the Fairies mopped the floor with Dev. omg?? that's hilarious? Dev didn't even try to argue his case, or make an effort to appeal to anybody? Incredible, actually. No notes. -> I... hope it's maturity and not learned helplessness. but... considering I said his pattern was that he kept withdrawing and relying on himself without reaching out to others for help... uh-oh..... I don't feel so good about where this is going for his mentality...

I think the Pixies should make a move on Dev and I'm not joking. The Fairies clearly don't want him and the Anti-Fairies have had their fun. I desperately want to see Dev ricochet between the entire magical world.

- World's biggest plot twist: Dev ends up fawned over by multiple species and we bring back the deleted scenes of magical dudes bugging Timmy in "Fairly Oddlympics"... Dev's now the one Anti-Cosmo bothers because he NEEDS to know if he's a good cowboy, and H.P. asks Dev if he's prettier in his dress than Jorgen and Anti-Cosmo are <3 - Seriously though, since Timmy used to play the role of breaking gridlocks when the three races argue (because he knew them all), I think Dev should do the same. Dev and his many weird uncles...

I wish we could see Dev's eyes in this scene. I personally would've liked to see his eyes the whole finale because I think it really would've gotten to me and made it hurt.

I get that he usually wears them when he's being devious or sneaky or closed-off, but it does make him feel more distant. Which is probably the point since this is a children's show and you don't necessarily want him to be seen as "the good guy" to little kids, but I would've liked to see his eyes and connect with him more.

Hm. I guess I shouldn't be surprised this was his ending. I've been told by agents that "you can't have messy moral grays like [my writing] in middle grade," and it IS a kids' show... They probably can't write him behaving THIS badly and let it go unpunished. But... hm. I guess this tracks? Foop is a non-human baby whose evil is over-the-top (laser guns, nuclear warheads, black holes, boxes full of magical spiders), so it's probably okay to play with it and still let him stay in school. Maybe Dev can't be "too relatable" with bad behavior like that. I wonder if that's why they kept Irep's cube head? I know kids' shows generally opt for simplified protagonists and complex villains (often with facial hair) to make it easier for young kids to connect with the nice protag and harder to connect with the evil villain. Maybe Irep needed to be emphasized as non-human and that's also why Anti-Cosmo, Anti-Wanda, and Dale had mild behavior in this episode.

Ooh boy. I'd like to see a Season 2, though. This is one heckuva plot twist and cliffhanger to drop on us for a season finale? For a possible series finale??

AND! HE'S! DOWN!! Memory wiped! ... unless his shades saved him, which be really funny considering how Jorgen's wearing shades to protect his eyes and Hazel had her eyes closed.

I think shades are pretty standard across the series when memory wipes come into play?? I think Jorgen wore those when erasing Crocker's memory, playing into why Cosmo and Wanda (who didn't) also lost their memories of being Crocker's godparents. Is that what we're going for? That would be funny.

No good-bye with Peri? No taking off his shades? :(

Oof. It hurts to hear Hazel write Dev off as a jerk. He IS a bully; I'll give her that. I think he should have to fight uphill to win her over again, but Hazel's thing definitely seems to be blocking out people if she doesn't want to talk (Ex: closing off when she was upset she and her friends scored poorly on the friendship test, annoyed at Dev at the end of "Lost and Founder's Day" and then walking off without giving him the chance to explain, no on-screen decompression after the "Operation: Birthday Takeback" drama beyond her very quick "Dev, what are you on about? We're still friends even though I literally yelled at you and walked off" bit in "Battle of the Dimmsonian"), which is ?? ... I mean, that is a choice for a protagonist. Huh.

-> Can't stop thinking about how in "Battle of the Dimmsonian," Dev recontexualizes what happened by claiming they had an argument, even though we definitely saw Dev being quiet when talking while Hazel snapped at him and walking off without him getting to say his piece... Like, it's been haunting me ever since I saw that episode but I wasn't gonna say it, but now I'm... hmmmm..

When people yell at ME and I don't get the chance to speak, I don't consider it an argument. That happened not long before I watched this, in fact, and I consider it the other person being rude while I held my cool and waited for them to wind down their rant. I don't consider it an argument if it wasn't mutual bickering on some level.

I... I'm sure I'm overthinking it, and I'm maybe biased by that recent yelling experience, but since we KNOW Dev has issues about thinking he's not good enough to make / keep / deserve friends, it's hard not to read this as "Dev accidentally internalized the belief that he and Hazel blew up in a mutual fight." oh boy. I'm dying, squirtle...

-> btw, I think it's fine that Hazel walked away after "Lost and Founder's Day"; proud of her for doing that if that's what she felt was best. I do think she should've told Dev sooner that she was over the fight tho, considering he clearly didn't know and legit thought she broke off their friendship. And meanwhile Hazel was like "??? Friends can fight; it doesn't mean we stopped being friends."

Hilarious. Girl, he cannot read your mind. You KNOW you snapped at him. You KNOW you didn't tell him you were over it. You KNOW you two didn't talk until he approached you first even though you were at the museum from daylight to sunset and may have even had classes together. Super interesting dynamic (and Hazel is VERY justified in thinking Dev relapsed, called her a mean name, and mugged her)...

But also, she did not let him explain the part about how he wasn't part of his dad's brain-zapping scheme or that he saved her from robots with ill intentions by taking her hat and running off, we NEVER see him explain onscreen what actually happened so she might still think that now, and furthermore... oof.

- Fair judgment or textbook case for fundamental attribution error? You decide! (Again, Hazel is allowed to be annoyed... I am just Shook). Oh, that is an INTERESTING way to differentiate her from Timmy and Chloe... holy COW... - Actually tbf, Chloe backstabbed Timmy multiple times, sold out Mark's alien identity for extra credit, and she does hate Kevin's guts, but...

Cry... S1 Dev "Maybe I deserve this" Dimmadome vs. S1 Timmy "I did something bad and I don't deserve sleep" Turner forcing himself to stay awake multiple days... ruh-roh......

I'm probably reading this wrong, but this is setting off all my alarms...

Holy flip, Dev. I've never seen a more "Aliens Exist"-animatic-coded character in my life besides Dib, and I was gonna draw it with the Crockers. I have a new vision... Like this:

... Okay, I actually REALLY want this 'fic now :'D Dev and Dale go home and both hang out in Dale's lab puzzling over the weird notes about fairies someone left behind... Theorizing together... Ya Boix sparkling water cans all over the floor... Dev making progress while Dale is doing work business, then catching him up when he comes back... Youch.

Well, all righty!! Wow. I...... Huh.

The rest of my notes have been split into several subsequent posts. They're very long as they cover reactions to the rest of the finale (Yes, I was very confused to learn the thing I thought was Hazel's rule-free wish isn't her rule-free wish) and then I'll post my reflections on the series as a whole. Enjoy, and thanks for coming on this liveblog journey thus far! Not done just yet... Heads up- If you didn't like the dip into critique this post took, you may not want to see the upcoming posts for this liveblog series, which are both positivity and critique alongside comparisons to the OG series.

Also, if you're interested in a sideblog exclusively for my FOP worldbuilding, detailed character bios, 'fics, and fanart (without liveblogs or this type of critique), you may like my @riddledeep blog.

-> I just finished tidying it after hiatus- My new public announcement (pinned post) is queued for the day after this post goes out, and maybe you'll like it. I'm open to self-advertisement for people's FOP AUs / worldbuilding blogs or AO3 series to follow, so read that post for more info!

-> Here's the sideblog masterpost if you want to browse my character bios and worldbuilding posts.

Thanks again for reading my liveblogs!

[fountainpenguin]

Riddle watches New Wish - Post #29

Jumping off from my previous and pending liveblogs through The Battle of Big Wand -> but this is mostly me talking about Dale headcanons and 'fics

Partway through my next liveblog post, I started rambling about Dale and doodled a joke, and... it got really long, so now it's in its own post.

I'm sorry you have to see this, SDKFLJ...

Mildly suggestive stick figure honeymoon doodles - #ScarletPenguin

why does he still look anxious and pathetic even when he's plotting a takeover... he's the goofiest guy. I love him.

Liveblog Notes

As far as me loving characters with traumatic backstories goes, I do enjoy Peri, but he has way too many blank spots in his lore and things that are making me look at him sideways, waiting for him to say something I can work with.

I would've liked to see more of his backstory come into play... I feel like that would've been a great episode theme focused on the Peri-Dev dynamic (Them figuring each other out, uncovering bits and pieces, struggling to find areas where they relate until they do... like the clinginess or abandonment issues). Hopefully we get that in the future.

- Don't get me wrong- I'm really enjoying Peri, but from a fanfic perspective, I don't have enough breadcrumbs that don't come from the OG series I based my aged-up Poof on anyway. - That said, still love the implication that he brought Dev to his parents' house while he ate too much sugar and Jorgen almost caught him, and I'm deeply interested in his many layers of trauma. No notes.

I can make up stuff for Peri, but... I've already been making up his story beats for 8 years, so I'm personally not excited at the thought of designing a new backstory from scratch if I don't have any springboards like his friends, school life, where he's been living, or what he did while his parents were gone for 10,000 years. The OG series gave me Sammy Sweetsparkle, Goldie, and Spellementary and Steve, my beloathed. I don't have much to go off here.

We don't even know what his relationship with Irep is, like if "Best of Luck" was the first time they'd seen each other since Spellementary and/or if Irep was banned from continuing his schooling. I mean... one would have to assume Irep has his godparenting license if he's allowed to jump in on Dev, but who knows...

Me just now blinking in confusion that Da Rules allow Irep to yoink Dev as a godkid when Irep blatantly disregards all the other Rules. Cherrypicker...

And yes, I can work with it if I want to, but I already write a bunch about their dynamic, teen, and adult years in Cloudlands AU, so... I'm fine letting other people deep-dive into him; I'll probably be surface level on my end <3

So... That's all set-up for why I think Dale is my favorite in this show... He captivates me by having this clearly defined mess I can pick at. Locked up and forced to make lemonade for 7 years? wild. We know what it was like, where he was, how old he was when it started, who did it, for how long, how he escaped, what his family situation was, and we saw Doug's estate in "Engine Blocked," so we have a decent idea of where he lived and how he grew up.

We've seen a lot of clues about how his trauma lingers around him today, how he forbids his son from drinking lemonade around him, he seems to be withholding details from Dev (who has no clue who Vicky is and seemed grumpy that lemonade is presumably a trigger for his dad and thus he's not allowed to have it). We also know how his young self ended up as an adult... We know he has meltdowns when he loses money and he doesn't bat an eye about stalking or hurting children...

We've got a partner missing from his life, so he's got single dad stress in there somewhere unless the O-pairs were there from the day Dev was born... potentially divorce or widower baggage and either of those is funny... I still think Doug might be dead in New Wish and that becomes increasingly likely the more I look at my age timeline compared to how old Doug was when he struck gold, which is canon in New Wish rather than given to us by the OG...

And if he and Vicky are the same age, were they friends when his torment started? You can even mess around with vibes like "Did Dale get a fairy?" or alternatively, "Why WASN'T he miserable enough to qualify for a fairy?" because that gets really dark if you start thinking about Vicky yo-yoing his emotions to keep him on the line above misery. What was she doing to him...

Like ??? unfortunately, the most obvious thing I can think of is that Dale was so blinded by his vision of Vicky being his friend (and/or crush?? idk) that he kept forgiving her, which is... awful.

We never got a confirmed reason why Tootie didn't have a godparent despite Vicky tormenting her daily, though I always felt like age or her blabbermouth tendencies might play into it (or she clung to Timmy for stability and thus wasn't miserable enough so long as Timmy was there to "support and comfort her" (her perspective). ?? Did Fairy World think it wasn't worth the paperwork to assign someone to Dale because they assumed he'd just make a single wish to free himself and then be fine? skdljf... I just can't stop thinking about it. It's not like his father's wealth disqualified him; Remy and Dev both had godparents assigned. Idk! I think about it a lot. Fascinating.

AND you're telling me this kid grew up with the OG cast after his escape?? There's a LOT there I can play with. Did he have to go to high school with Vicky? I want to believe he was homeschooled, but we never see Doug with a partner AND Doug is a busy person running a ton of businesses. The logical assumptions here would be either "Dale went to public high school" or "Dale was shipped off to boarding school" or something like that. Each of those comes with its own implications, which excites me.

As a bonus, this guy's severe trauma is connected to lemonade?? A drink that shows up a bunch of times throughout the OG series because it's just casual and everywhere? That's so funny...

Insert joke about how it's smart to give your protags weaknesses or fears that are commonplace so they'll run into them in a casual adventure or everyday life

And YET... Despite everything we know about him, there's still plenty of wiggle room for me to play with. I like that.

Honestly, I love the entire Dimmadome household... Dale and Dev and the O-pairs and Peri and the weight of absence of whomever else was in Dale's life once upon a time. Dev is a cool character at all, but at the end of the day, he's a 10-year-old bratty bully who's neglected and lonely. I appreciate him dearly, but it's nothing I haven't seen before.

Dale is my favorite. His utterly bizarre backstory has captivated me. I can make him worse <3

I did have a role planned for him in my Cloudlands AU 'fics - have since 2018 - but I was gonna play him as quiet and jumpy... Curious, easily excited, but not as fingers-in-every-pie as his father. But nowhere would I have guessed 7 years of trauma. And that changes everything. I'm extremely excited to play with that.

He's been on my backburner for ages as "one of those characters I want to delve into when Timmy's older and has a reason to cross paths with him, such as in the working world as Dale becomes more involved with the Dimmadome businesses." My plan's always been to make a funny trio of Dale, Remy, and Dale's wife [my very first FOP OC, Hadley] (whom I've been slowly setting up to become Remy's close friend in the 130 Prompts series when they're kids) and they're just... laid-back rich people who hang out and go on silly rich adventures.

Here's a fun Hadley profile, finally digital since I've only drawn her in colored pencils up 'til now!

In spite of me repeatedly mentioning her in my New Wish liveblogs, words cannot express how shocked I've been to see Dale, who was a tiny mention in the OG series, come back as a critical character...

My girl's shy husband in Cloudlands AU canon, whom she was betrothed to when neither loved the other, turned out to be a horrible person in A New Wish who's 99% likely to have divorced her, and I could NOT be more ecstatic to work with that in 'fic. It's like this was set up just for me! :D

- How funny would it be if they had a Season 2 arc where Dev disappears for a while because he's staying with his mom? lol. - If Dev's mom suddenly showed up because she'd just left for an extended work trip or something, would that be silly'd up or what?

Bonus Hadley Facts!

- She's 12 & 13 around Timmy's time period and attends middle school with Remy. They went to a dance together.

- She and Timmy are briefly in middle school together. They vaguely knew each other in elementary school before either had a fairy- I like to think they had multi-grade gym classes, field day, lunch, and stuff like that and sometimes saw each other.

- Never had Crocker as a teacher, but has crossed his path at the grocery store and stuff. She skirts around him.

- Her mom is a professional painter. She also has a blood blossom garden. Leadly keeps making Hadley give them to people he's trying to sus out as witches.

- Very aware of her dad's horrible dating life. Unfortunately knows he's chasing magical creatures because he's getting desperate for "idk, something new and fun" at this point. Bribes Cupid on the regular. Unclear if Cupid is screwing her dad's life up on purpose to keep the money coming in.

- Has been to Texas a bunch of times (Pencil Nexus has a branch there - "The Boss of Me").

- She hums the Pencil Nexus theme a lot, especially if she's waiting in a line or doing chores. She's bad at sneaking around because she'll forget she shouldn't hum.

- At the time of posting this, her two speaking appearances are in the 130 Prompts "Back In Action," where she's at the Jimmy-Timmy Power Hour dance chasing squirrels, and "Trying Too Hard," where Ed Leadly brings her along when he tries shaking Gary and Betty down for the Learnatorium (again); Hadley's very embarrassed.

- Although offscreen, she was heavily mentioned in "End of the World" when Timmy led Remy to her house so she could help with the cure for Juandissimo's fairy flu. She was briefly mentioned in "Opportunity" when Leadly put the pieces together and realized his daughter has a fairy godparent.

- Her surname was dropped in "Entire World," "Solo," and "Looking Back," confirming her as on the Pixies' radar & as a member of Gary and Crocker's Fairy World invasion team.

- I designed her in December 2015! Nearly 9 years ago now :'D

So, there ya go... That's Hadley.

Basically, instead of meddling and buying buildings and stuff, my vision of the future "rich kids" generation is that they're "supposed" to be in the city like their parents raised them to be, but they blow it off to hang with friends. This whole generation is rebelling against their parents. Are they making things worse for the city? I don't know.

My rough plan was Dale and Hadley bringing their kid [His planned name was Dave] on ski trips and yacht adventures and world travels, with Remy and Juandissimo being bonus parents as the kid grows up :) Aroace Remy making peace with living mostly alone, my beloved... BFF Hadley ensuring he's not ignored when she gets a partner, my beloved... And my main idea here was "Their kid is so spoiled, but he's also getting incredible amounts of attention and love... It's the first time in AGES Dimmsdale has broken its "miserable rich kid" curse, and Remy and Juandissimo couldn't be happier. I just realized that probably doesn't make sense out of context- but yes, in Cloudlands AU, Juandissimo and Remy are still together when Remy's an adult. But it was always my "Eh, I'll think about it later" arc, and Dale a "think about him later" character. And now ?? I just want oodles of him... He's so funny. I've already got a whole sketchpage of him on my desk... I probably won't scan it because it's messy as I'm exploring him in my style, but I really like drawing his hair <3

Dale had a bad week or two with Vicky in my head, but he was gonna grow up fine and live with his friends :) Or... Hadley's friends. Unclear. This doesn't really work with the New Wish canon, but I still think it's funny. I think in some way, this still happened in my canon, but only during Dale's early adulthood. He and Hadley split, orz...

Like... I can't even be mad, because in my canon, they were arranged (upper class kids; Doug cared more than Remy's parents) and in Cloudlands AU, they're affectionate but not in love until they slowly grow on each other while raising their kid, but... GURL, you were supposed to carry this for me, SKDLFJ...

Hang on, I gotta draw exactly what I mean by "Hadley didn't ignore her BFF when she started a romantic relationship..."

Bonus context for Remy's arm for anyone curious & here's him in color

They're just so funny to me... Dale and Hadley are each other's comedic straightman somehow. My favorite thing is Remy being a good friend despite actively trying not to be.

There's a secret joke here about how Remy's dad is also aroace in Cloudlands AU, but his whole thing was being repulsed to the point that he was relieved every time his wife had affairs :'D Fortunately, Remy's glad Hadley found someone else to bother and never got him involved in that drama. Remy still doesn't know what's up with his parents' love life or lack thereof, but... he knows what he himself wants (Peace & quiet and 2 hang out with Juandissimo).

tl;dr - I like what A New Wish has done with Dale specifically. It's definitely wowed me, it's way more captivating than anything I'd loosely planned for him, and his layers of trauma, wealth, and negligence really take me back to the OG series vibes, so I like that!

I can't wait to do 'fics with this fascinating, traumatized loser... but Hadley is definitely his wife and/or ex in my works <3 b/c I set my plot up for this 6 years ago and it would make me sad to "boot" her from my Along the Cherry Lane 'fic plans lmao. I will never experience this oddly specific situation ever again; you gotta give this to me.

Also:

He done goofed...

I couldn't decide on dialogue, but I was thinking "In my defense, I never had a health class and I didn't know babies came that fast." (She was there for many hours btw).

Bonus honeymoon panel ft. (/checks notes) - mildly suggestive stick figures (again)

Other secret bonus ending: "Wait a minute, if Hadley's been to Texas a lot because of Pencil Nexus, does she ALSO have fun cosplaying in boots?"

...... :)

[fountainpenguin]

Sunday sketches, ft. Happy Peppy Gary, Poof, and Sanderson <3 Planning to clean and color these later (I'm doing arc covers for each of the 130 Prompts trains... wish me luck!)

I've always wanted to give Gary a better hoodie than just the plain pink or purple one I slapped on him, so he's getting a design upgrade! (Plus a friendship bracelet to match with Betty, since I like to think she kept it despite moving to Brightburg).

Gave him a little pin for Club Redheads Who Didn't Get Mindwiped and I might give him more bracelets for each of its members. We'll see~

"Riddle, is he trying to hide his ankle monitor by pretending it's just 'one of those quirky things' he wears?" How do you know it's not just a friendship anklet from the Fairy Council?

[fountainpenguin]

oh my gosh, I forgot Chompy can be in Club Redheads Who Didn't Get Mindwiped...

[fountainpenguin]

Gary arc out of context

[fountainpenguin]

I know realistically Kevin and Dale would never talk to each because of age difference, class difference, Dale's trust issues etc.

But you can't write two socially inept boys with a passion for robotics and not have them interreact once!

Rip. They could have been besties. Maybe in another life.

I have been THINKING SO HARD on Kevin since I realized Dale is into robotics too- I didn't expect canon would just give me a robotics expert back when I tossed Kevin into that role due to cyborg obsession!

My current Cloudlands AU canon is still set up for Kevin designing the robot babysitters we see in "Channel Chasers" (Maybe Vicky bought one and customized it? Unclear)... I'm not sure if that will stay, but I feel like Dale wouldn't be happy about the Vicky design, sldkfj...

I'm not emotionally attached to the "Channel Chasers" future and I wasn't looking forward to rushing the city to be high-tech in 20 years, so if New Wish can ignore flying cars and stuff, I might too. We'll see...

Anyway, Kevin is practically the only kid in the OG series who told us what he wanted to be when he grew up and it was a dentist... and Dale has teeth issues and also likes robots... Hm. Inch resting.

I mean, Kevin IS a Buxaplenty in my lore...

... it's not out of the question for him to toy more with that side of his heritage as he grows older and closer to Remy...

POV: You're Dale sent to meet a Buxaplenty at a convention:

One of my favorite jokes in Cloudlands AU is that Kevin - an estranged Buxaplenty-Crocker child with witch magic that forces him to see ghosts under specific circumstances - has bizarre relationships with random people, but won't elaborate...

Ex: His job shadow with the Grim Reaper (x), his stepfamily (x) who are definitely not vampires (x), Jimmy Neutron's son despite him not being born at that point in the 2D World timeline (x), he's gotten an email from Danny Phantom (x), the Crocker house talks to him (x), he watches soap operas with his uncle's ex (who is a cat) (x), he knows the Burger World Employee & Bob the Boil & Mikey Munroe through Club Redheads Who Didn't Get Mindwiped (x), he's Foop's foster dad (x), he's caretaker for his undead great-uncle who was reborn as an iguana (x), he's still "alive" 150k years in the future (after he's reborn as a crow) and has met people in Foop's teen friend group (x), he lived beneath the same roof as Anti-Sanderson (x)... List goes on. I also like to think he's met Dark Laser's son. Kevin is the only one who ever knows what's going on with his life.

Canonically in my lore, Kevin has laid eyes on Rudy Tabootie from ChalkZone, Diego and Baby Jaguar from Go Diego Go, Chase from Paw Patrol, and he's spoken to Zac from Shimmer and Shine because they were all at the interdimensional Nick show pizza parlor.

It is not out of the question for Kevin to be familiar with Dale, because Dimmadelphia is heavily implied to be a tech empire (Robotics community is big there), they might've attended the same fancy tech university for a year or two, and it totally fits Kevin's gag. It's the Crocker curse of getting in everyone's way...

I'mma be honest, I think Kevin is Dale's type (Struggling under the weight of the world, daddy / mommy / step-daddy / uncle issues, the town has come to expect A Vibe from his family, is "extra" when the setting calls for it, builds awesome robots, makes money in a stable career)... Dale's type is "As easy to understand and low maintenance as possible; bonus points for same interests."

I think Dale just wants to live by himself tbh. He gets along so well with Hadley because she's very independent, also from a wealthy family (Leadlys), travels a lot, doesn't "need" him, and totally gets his need for personal space and clear instructions on how she wants to celebrate holidays and anniversaries. Hadley tells him exactly what to do and Dale says "Bless this low-brainpower relationship I scored. Whatever you say, girlfriend." They definitely spark each other off sometimes, but they're both good at taking time for themselves (and remember they like existing with each other). I think deep down, Dale is glad to have someone helping him manage his stress and bringing in extra income - plus in City Lights AU, he wants Dev to be his heir and needs a basic "let me show you what Daddy does because this will be you someday" connection to him - so those are the things that stop him from living alone. He gets lonely when Hadley's away, but he also likes fewer distractions and not sharing the bed... They get along fine :)

But Kevin sees way too much of himself in Dale (Big and loud to cover the self-deprecation and anxiety) and he's not into that, so he'd pretend to be oblivious if he ever got hit on.

Kevin's vision of Dale is "only puts in emotional energy when it's convenient." You can pry "I adore you even when you hate yourself and will happily cover extra housework when you're exhausted b/c we're a team" Chloe from Kevin's undead talons <3

City Lights AU Dale would not hit on him because he's Daddy's Good Boy and would probably have an anxiety attack if he had One (1) Fantasy outside his marriage, but y'know... In some other universe, the robot-lovers geek out together. Kevdale tag when?

Alt consideration: Hadley has her QPR with Remy and Dale has one with the Crockermichaels... Crockermichaeldome tag when... Yes, It has to be both of them... Do not separate.

Alt consideration II:

I love the Crockermichaels... I love the Cherrylemons... Please talk to me about them.

Secret Bonus Crockermichael Notes

For anyone unware of the ridiculous size difference between Chloe and Kevin's hands, allow me to enlighten you:

And yes... in the Riddleverse, Chloe and Kevin changed their surnames to Crockermichael when they got married. They miss each other when they blink <3

Bonus Pt 2 - Crocker not recognizing grown-up Chloe, but still being nice to her when the employee sends her to ride with him, which is not his usual M.O.... Chloe and her uncle-in-law... They're important to me...

Bonus Pt 3 - Kevin's wedding ring is a tiny dragon!

It's inspired by these drafts I wrote in 2018:

Her fingers skimmed along plastic containers of strawberries, and she picked two up. “Here. One for your place, one for mine.” Kevin eyeballed the price sticker on the sign. “I dunno. They’re out of season. I’ll pass.” Chloe arched her brows. One offended hand flew to her chest. “Sure, it’s a premium price right now, but what could be more rewarding than maintaining a healthy body every month of the year?” “Your engagement ring, I hope.” Chloe considered this, then set one box down. “It better have a strawberry engraved on it.” “Actually, I was thinking I’d get this neat silver one that looks like a little robot wrapped around your finger.”

&

Chloe bounced on her heels. “I look forward to welcoming all aspects of my pregnancy, even the ones which are, tragically, so often seen as negative.” Molly tapped her nails against her mug. “Let me guess. You’ve already got a dozen baby names picked out.” “I am partial to Chloe Junior myself,” she admitted, grinning Kevin’s way. “But Kevin likes Phillip, after the prince from Sleeping Beauty.” “I like dragons,” he called over his hot chocolate. Chloe waved her hand. “I’m not sure about it since it isn’t super gender-neutral. We’re still working things out on that end. Although it would be a very cute name for a girl…” She stared at the loose change in the change jar, lost in thought.

Along the Cherry Lane - WIP

Fun game called "Can you guess which worldbuilding detail Chloe and Kevin don't know about above? :)"

[fountainpenguin]

I can't believe Gary allowed wine at his party.

Sequel to THIS comic about Club Redheads Who Didn't Get Mindwiped

I was going to joke that he didn't and someone else snuck the wine in, but come to think of it...

... If Gary and Betty wanted to keep Timmy in "Totally Spaced Out" ("You're supposed to stay here until your babysitter returns from Europe" / "But she's never coming back." / "Yay! We're going to be friends forever!"), I don't think Gary would stop trying to abduct children as an adult, send post.

Why are there so many toxic people at this party...

[fountainpenguin]

130 Reasons Why I'm Fairy Trash

💜 Devil's Train Purple Train Arc

(July 2016 - Ongoing)

"I need to start over. I want to be Elizabeth Lovell now. Not just 'Gary and Betty' said all in one breath, like we're just one person who's never apart. I need to build my own identity." "I mean, I get it and I'll support the future you want to have no matter what it is, but I'm really going to miss you, Betty. Really, a lot..."

- Drama, Fluff, & Angst

- Prompts in the Gary & Betty arc. Flappy Bob, Pete the Polar Bear, and Ed Leadly are there too, I guess.

- Wait, it was a Gary & Crocker arc the whole time? (Always has been)

Summary

Happy Peppy Gary and Betty were raised as Pixie tools since they were 10. At age 18, Betty opts to wipe her magical memories, cut ties with Gary, and move to Brightburg. Gary, blindsided and desperate, throws himself down a train wreck of bad decisions in an attempt to retrieve her memories from the Fairy World Archives... and change her mind. Everybody clap for him. <3

Rated Gen and T

Read on FFN | Read this arc on AO3

130 Sums | Full 130 Prompts Series (AO3) | Other Arcs

Cloudlands AU - Detailed warnings & other AU info

#130 arc guides - More posts like this

More Fairly OddParents 'fics

Highlights of this arc:

- What isn't? - The Pixies torment three children at the amusement park to teach them the value of safety. - Gary and Betty get teleported to Florida à la the Season 4 episode "Baby Face." But... how did they get back before the end of the workday? - Betty got her memories erased. Gary didn't. They're still living together. - Tensions rise as Gary and Betty disagree on whether to sell the Learnatorium now that Flappy's left it in their hands. - "You run the daycare center on Strawberry Street." / "A few weeks ago, I ran the world." - Burger World employee comes down to play! ... Forever! - Betty's boyfriend is a polar bear furry. - Gary and Mark go shopping on an alien planet. - Anti-Cosmo stumbles across Club Redheads Who Didn't Get Mindwiped. Wait... are these nerds dating? - Matching house arrest anklets!! Aww <3 - Gary gets hired at a school he has no business being near. I would trust this man because he has never thrown a baby across a room or stuffed a child in a tiny cage.

Read on FFN | Read this arc on AO3

"And you'd never have a need to beg, work, or steal- If all this sounds worth it, then let's make a deal!" (x)