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emberdew · 2 months ago

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Be More Ghost Chapter 2: I Love Ghost Hunting

Summary:

A Be More Chill AU where Danny gets a Super Quantum Intel Unit Processor (or Squip) to help him become cool and win over Valerie, but things don't really go as planned.

Masterpost | AO3 Link | Word Count: 1,746

I love ghost hunting because it’s the best! Because it is fun. I love ghost hunting and I get depressed whenever I’m done.

As Danny stood in the doorway, he immediately wanted to turn back. He thought the classroom was going to be empty, but it wasn’t. Valerie was right there in the front row.

“Uh, is this where we meet for the ghost hunting club?”

Valerie turned to face him. “No, this is the play rehearsal.”

Danny turned to go. Valerie called after him.

“Wait, I was kidding, yeah this is the ghost hunting club!”

Danny turned back to face her and nervously sat at the desk next to hers. “Oh, um, cool.”

Valerie smiled at him. “I’m kind of surprised to see you here, Danny.”

“Haha, yeah…” Danny didn’t really want to explain himself. This was a really bad idea. Just being near Valerie made all coherent thought leave his brain. He was shaking a little bit. Valerie noticed.

“Are you nervous?”

“What? No I’m just…” Danny shivered. “I’m just cold.” He rubbed his arms. He wasn’t lying, he did suddenly feel a lot colder. Was the AC broken in this room or something?

“Oh, well it’s okay if you are nervous,” Valerie said. “I’m a little nervous about coming to this club too, but mostly I’m excited.”

“Yeah?” Danny probably should have expected this. She was the Red Huntress, after all.

“Yeah, I love ghost hunting!” Valerie said. “I think it’s the best! I mean, it looks fun.” Valerie didn’t know that Danny knew that she was a ghost hunter, so she was still trying to cover her secret, at least a little bit.

Danny just nodded. He wasn’t sure how he should react right now.

“I’m just really passionate about it, since those ghost scum really need to be eliminated,” Valerie started to rant. Danny looked intently into her eyes, though he wasn’t really listening anymore. Even though her wrath happened to be directed his way, he couldn’t help but love how passionate she was.

“Oh, I think the club should be starting soon,” Valerie said, glancing at the clock above the classroom door.

“Where is everyone then?”

“I guess it might just be us two-”

The classroom door opened and all the A-Listers walked in, chatting loudly as they moved to their seats at the back of the classroom. Mr. Lancer arrived shortly after and stood next to the desk at the front of the room.

“Hello, welcome to Ghost Hunting Club… I’m glad some of you are taking the initiative for this extra credit opportunity.” Mr. Lancer seemed to be staring directly at Danny. He cringed a little bit and slid back in his seat.

“When do we get to hunt the ghosts?” Dash asked loudly from the back of the classroom.

Mr. Lancer crossed his arms. “Mr. Baxter, please wait until the end of my explanation for questions. This club is going to be more about ghost hunting research than field work, since that is best left to the experts.”

Danny saw that Valerie looked disappointed at that information. He tried not to show that he was relieved. Ghost hunting research was something he could probably manage. Maybe this extra credit stuff wouldn’t be so bad.

Mr. Lancer started pacing as he continued. “Your assignment will be to create an informative presentation about ghosts and ghost hunting that will be shown to your classmates in one month.”

Danny looked over to Valerie as Mr. Lancer explained what the club was going to do. At least she seemed excited. Danny didn’t feel great about potentially having to present anti-ghost propaganda.

A shiver ran down his back and a cloud of cold air escaped his mouth. Danny straightened up in his seat and looked around, but didn’t immediately see what had triggered his ghost sense. No immediate threats, but it would probably be good to go check-

Danny’s thoughts were interrupted when he heard Valerie’s watch beeping. Her ghost sensor had picked up the ghost too. He and Valerie stood up at the same time. She glanced at Danny with a worried expression but he looked away and walked out of the classroom without saying anything. Valerie followed behind him.

Danny quickly walked around the corner out of Valerie’s sight and turned invisible before phasing through the door of a nearby storage closet. He heard her walk by as he took a second to wait before transforming and then flying outside.

“Hello, ghost child,” Skulker greeted as Phantom returned to tangibility few yards above the school’s roof. The large mechanical ghost was already pointing a missile at his face.

“Hey, Skulker. Got some new toys from Plasmius?” Phantom asked, whirling away as a missile launched a bit too close to his face for comfort.

Skulker just grinned in response as he fired more missiles. Phantom returned the fire with some of his own ecto-blasts in rapid succession. He was about to aim a blast right at Skulker’s head when a bolt of pain shot through the back of his left shoulder.

He turned and saw Valerie in her ghost hunting suit, floating on her board a few yards away from him. Smoke was still coming out of the gun she just hit him with.

Phantom waved with the arm she hadn’t just shot and gave her a smile. “Red! You’ve come to join the party?”

“You’re going down, Phantom!” The huntress glared at him through her red helmet, not lowering her gun from his direction for a second. Phantom sighed and started dodging around both Skulker and Valerie’s attacks.

He knew she was dangerous and literally shooting at him, but he still thought Valerie looked beautiful as she dove through the air on her hoverboard. Something was probably wrong with him. He felt one of Skulker’s missiles graze his leg as he took a second too long to fully dodge. He shook his head and tried to focus.

“Time to become ghost toast, Skulker!” Phantom charged a bigger blast in his hands and fired at the ghost’s neck. As he’d hoped, the strength of the hit was enough to knock Skulker’s mechanical head off his body, leaving the tiny green blob ghost plummeting to the ground.

With one smooth motion, Phantom grabbed his thermos from where it was attached to his belt, uncapped it, and sucked Skulker in before he hit the ground.

“Got him!” Phantom rattled the now-occupied thermos and then turned to look for Valerie. He winced when he felt the gun touching his forehead.

“And I’ve got you.” Valerie sneered at him. He gulped.

“I… kind of have something I need to get back to, think we can reschedule this?” He grimaced as the gun poked harder into his head.

“I don’t think so, ghost. I’m enjoying this too much to leave now.”

Phantom had to admit she wasn’t kidding earlier when she said she loved ghost hunting. She did seem to like it a lot and was also very good at it. Almost too good at it.

He heard the gun whine as Valerie tensed her finger on the trigger. He had to do something soon!

With a jerky flail, he grabbed the gun and whacked it away from his face and the shot blasted right next to his ear, hitting a tree behind him. He turned invisible and flew at top speed back into the school and into his familiar storage closet.

He sunk to the ground, panting as rings of light appeared from his waist and swept over his body.

“That was too close,” Danny muttered as he checked for any new injuries. Luckily, he had gotten through that fight without too much damage. He rubbed at his sore shoulder, then opened the closet door and started making his way back to the ghost hunting club.

Mr. Lancer didn’t acknowledge him as he walked back to his seat. A few minutes later, Valerie entered the classroom and took her seat again too.

“And that is it for this session. Start doing some ghost hunting research to get ideas about what you’re going to present!” Mr. Lancer concluded the meeting and walked out the door.

Danny grabbed his bag from the floor. He turned to Valerie, hoping to start another conversation with her but was surprised to see Dash standing in front of her desk. Valerie seemed surprised too.

“Hey, Valerie.” Dash seemed almost nervous. Why would Dash be nervous talking to Valerie?

“Baxter? What do you want?” Valerie put her hands on her hips.

“I, uh, wanted to apologize for how you got kicked out of the A-Listers. It’s super not cool that happened to you just because your dad lost his job.”

“Why are you apologizing now? That happened last year, Dash.” Valerie glared at him. He seemed to quiver under her harsh stare. Danny thought Dash was probably feeling the same intimidation he felt when she pointed her gun at him earlier. Man, she was so beautiful when she was angry.

“Yeah, I know. I just wanted to say it now. I think you’re still A-Lister material,” Dash adjusted his letterman jacket, “and I think it’s cool you’re in the ghost hunting club.”

“Really? I didn’t know you were interested in ghost hunting. I assumed all the A-Listers were here for the extra credit or something.”

“No, I am interested. I think it’s cool. Anyway, cya later Valerie.”

“Bye Dash.” Valerie waved and started gathering her things. She had a thoughtful expression on her face.

Suddenly a spike of pain seared his injured shoulder as Dash punched his arm. Danny gasped and turned to look at the bully.

“Hey, Fenturd, someone wrote ‘BOYF’ on your backpack,” Dash said and left the classroom, the other A-Listers trailing behind him.

Danny gritted his teeth and rubbed his shoulder. How did Dash always accidentally aggravate his injuries? Well, at least with the A-Listers gone, maybe he had a chance to talk to Valerie again. He looked back to where she had been but saw she was pretty much already out the door.

Right before she left the room, she turned back to where Danny was still standing by his desk and waved.

“Cya, Danny.”

“Oh, uh, bye.” Danny waved back weakly with his good arm. Valerie smiled at him and left.

Alone in the classroom, Danny got up and started to leave.

“I guess that could have gone worse,” he muttered, trying to reassure himself.

#danny phantom #be more ghost #danny fenton #valerie gray #danny phantom fanfiction #my fic #my art

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the0nlysmart0nehere · 2 months ago

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so... about THAT bootleg

I'm thinking of picking up the search for the full Two River Theatre BMC bootleg - if one still exists and is out there, that is.

I'm relatively new to actually using Tumblr, though I believe I've had this account for AGES, but from some quick scanning it seems like a user was making some progress in sourcing what may be act 2 screenshots from a possible bootleg so I'd probably start from there (I won't be doing this anymore - read my second edit for an explanation).

It might take a while, it probably won't always be my top priority and it might not even be out there at all but there is a chance. And if I get to see Eric William Morris as the SQUIP then all will be worth it (I would genuinely sell a kidney to see that).

So, uh, yeah. I'll probably try to give regular-ish updates (maybe I'll make a scheduled monthly post or smth, idk) but no promises.

If you have ANY information my ask thing should be open for submissions (edit 1: or just message me heh. i didn't realise you could do that at first). I'd appreciate any and all tips/help/etc.

– Simon :)

Edit 2: I only just found @/thesquirrelqueer's post debunking the validity of images found by the user that posted "possible Two River bootleg screenshots". I still plan on doing some searching of my own but I wanted to add this in since I'll probably change the direction of my search because of this. Guess that's a sign to do more in-depth looking before posting something, aha.

And, yes, you are right. I am too lazy to completely rewrite my post, hence the edit.

#be more chill #be more chill bootleg #bmc two river #two river theater #be more chill two river bootleg #bmc slime tutorial #bmc #bmc musical #jeremy heere #michael mell #christine canigula #brooke lohst #the squip #I have an unhealthy affection for the character of the SQUIP #also Eric William Morris' voice is just 🤌🤌#i still don't really know how to use Tumblr tbh but I made a profile website so?-#and my posts will probably be 80% filler talk and 20% actual update so be prepared

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woah-uhuh-uhuh-uhuh · 1 year ago

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Squip Contagion Theory

A theory about what squips really “want” and how they reproduce! I’m sure people have already looked at every angle of this stuff back in The Olden Days of bmc fandom, but what the heck, I had fun putting it into words anyway. Forewarning that a decent amount of it is based in speculation rather than evidence.

As usual, I bolded all the major stuff + tldr at the start because I talk too much lmao

tl;dr

Like most other organisms on this planet, a squip’s primary goal is to reproduce. (Which makes sense - things that reproduce more are just going to outnumber things that don’t. Especially when squip reproduction directly translates to human monetary profit).

As a potential host, you’re made to feel worthless in some area of your life (what I term the “axis of torment”) by a current host, until you’re psychologically ready to buy and obey a squip.

The squip then compels you to make other people worthless in the same area of life, until the squip (as it has been marketed to you) seems like a natural solution to their problems.

You might then offer the squip to your victims because your own squip encourages you to (as Rich does to Jeremy) and/or you come to believe that it just… really is the natural solution to their problems. (Jeremy to Michael: “I think you’re pissed I have one and you don’t!”)

This produces a chain of people who all (A) have squips, (B) produce more squip-hosts by ‘infecting’ (squipping) the particularly susceptible people around them (creating more squip demand → more squip production, yada yada yada), and (C) hold similar beliefs about the purpose of squips (cool pills, smart pills — and ostensibly anything else a brain pill could do, like “fixing” speech impediments as they mention in the book).

(cont)

Squips as symbiotes

The question I started with: Why does Rich’s squip decide that Jeremy needs a squip? And why now instead of earlier?

I mean, it’s odd, right? The squip’s primary goal is to improve people’s lives. Using Rich as a host/avatar, the squip makes choices that improve Rich’s life, and then essentially recommends itself to Jeremy in order to improve his life, too. That all makes sense! …Except wait, if that was always the point, then why did it also decide to beat the crap out of Jeremy for over a year in the interim?

I’ve been rolling around the theory that squips don’t actually have a strong directive to improve people’s social standing or intelligence or anything like that — like most other organisms, all they really want to do is reproduce.

If you think about it, they’re not that dissimilar to a virus in terms of their reproductive cycle. The only way a virus can reproduce is by taking over the cells of other organisms and forcing them to manufacture more viruses.* Squips need humans — not only to produce more squips, but also to provide their habitat (i.e. the human brain) and possibly their power source, and grant them physical presence in the world (if you’ve read Animorphs, you probably know what I’m talking about here). Squips are obligate parasites,** and humans are their host species.

*[I’m not a virologist. This is probably an egregious generalization.] **[i.e. parasites that can’t survive outside of a host. Also, parasite is a loaded word here but I can’t get into that.]

Obviously, the easiest way to ensure the future of squipkind would be to “poison the water supply” (a la The Play), or at least squip a lot of people who are able to manufacture squips. Why they don’t just do that is definitely relevant (my personal theory is actually just the same explanation they use in — you guessed it — Animorphs, which posits that voluntary hosts are easier to control).

But I don’t really have time to dive into that here, so I just want to talk about the more subtle, deliberate tactic they use instead. Under squip contagion theory, squips prefer to select specific people and individually prepare them to become hosts.

Chain of torment: Rich → Jeremy

Rich’s squip torments Jeremy until he’s completely lost all sense of self worth, and then when he finally hits rock bottom — look at that, I’ve got just the thing! Just the thing to fix exactly the problem that I personally gave you! Crazy how that works out.

…And it’s weird that it’s marketed like that to Jeremy, right? As a coolness pill? At least according to Michael, other people have been using it for intelligence/academics — and that’s just on top of his other amazing argument that didn’t get enough credit in the script honestly: (“You really think its primary function is to get you LAID? … of all possible applications for such a mind-blowingly advanced technology, you ever wonder what it’s doing inside of YOU?”) Certainly, it could be a catch-all “pill that fixes your life.” But for what it’s worth, scary stock boy seems to believe it’s specifically a coolness pill, too. (J: “How did you know why I’m here?” / SSB: “Just look at you, kid.”)

I actually think the squips are just creating chains of customers, each tormenting the next on some axis of jealousy (like coolness or success) and then offering the squip as a solution to that jealousy. So by necessity, the next customer has to want the squip for the same reason you did, because that’s the only axis you can torment them on — the same one the squip has improved for you. This creates different “strains” of marketing.

WOW friend’s brother has specifically been told that he’s an idiot (ostensibly by society, since they invoke grades, but obviously I like to imagine a squip was involved lol), and he thinks he’s buying a “pill that makes you smarter.”

Rich(‘s squip) makes him popular, which makes Jeremy feel unpopular, so he must market the squip as a “popularity pill.”

Axis of torment: Jeremy → Michael & Brooke

But not just a popularity pill. Rich SPECIFICALLY markets the squip as a pill that makes you feel seen — not just a blip, or a guy nobody even remembers going to their school. And then, well, what does Jeremy(‘s squip) proceed to do to Michael and Brooke…?

I’ll admit, it’s not the strongest theory, but I do think it’s an interesting framework in light of how Jeremy’s squip went “fuck this guy in particular” and decided to bring Michael to his absolute breaking point, to make him “wish [he] was never born.”* For just this brief moment, he’s finally reached Jeremy levels of disregard for his own identity. Because like Jeremy and pre-squip Rich, Michael has quite LITERALLY become invisible.

*[And yeah, I know this was partially unsquipped Jeremy’s doing, but I can’t even pretend to believe that this isn’t exactly what the squip would want him to do anyway.]

(Also, I know this is debatably to separate Jeremy from the Red? I won’t pretend I have a brilliant argument against that, because it’s a really fair point. But just as a thought, I also don’t think that was the most surefire way to eliminate Red from the equation.)

But hey, you know what’d actually be great for that? What could really turn things around for you, Michael? Hey, you know what could help you not be a loner and a stoner and a loser who drives a PT Cruiser? It’s like, this crazy thing you’ve probably never even heard of. Really obscure stuff. Yeah, it’s from Japan actually?

On Brooke: there was actually… no coolness-related reason to specifically target this girl who got cheated on, and then try to make Jeremy “cheat” on her. Is that really supposed to make him look cool? Even if it had gone as planned, it would’ve still just gotten half the cool kids in school to absolutely fucking hate him!

(Oh yeah, and also make Brooke feel completely worthless. But I’m sure that’s just collateral damage. I mean, it’s not like we have anything to gain from making some kid feel unseen and undesirable. Especially not when she lives in such close emotional proximity to two different squip hosts who are actively doing better in that department. Just a shame, really.)

And a final bit of anecdotal evidence, this time for Jenna: (JH: “That’s sad, what should I do?” SQ: “You should ignore her.”) Much like Michael and Brooke, here’s another kid on the margins of the social sphere. Why not make her feel just a little more invisible?

end note

// If you want a conclusion paragraph go read the TLDR again :P

Tysm for reading!!!! I know at heart the squip is just a total plot device, but it’s fun to get into the scifi lol. If you have your own theories feel free to share!! I know this is not the most solid interpretation out there :P

(Now excuse me while I try very hard to not write an Animorphs AU. Can’t believe K.A. Applegate single-handedly invented the idea of organisms that enlist down-on-their-luck people to take them into their brains and control what they do. Good for her.)

#sorry for 2 huge metas in one day. i just remembered i had this sitting in my google doc from like 4 days ago lmao #bmc #be more chill #rich goranski #jeremy heere #be more chill musical #my posts #posts #text #meta #my meta #fan theory #rich #jeremy #brooke #squip #michael #jenna #like a little #id put this in the ani tag but id feel bad for the fans with better taste than me sjdlkf #obviously though michael would be jake berenson and jeremy would be a version of tom berenson that is not related to michael #and chloe would be rachel and brooke would be cassie #and rich would be tobias and jake dillinger would be marco or david #idk who jenna would be but ax is the only one left so him ig #except if jeremy was in the plot then hed be ax and jenna could be aftran or ket #guys i promise im not going to write an animorphs au pinky swear

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gale-gentlepenguin · 6 months ago

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Thinking about “Be more chill” and how different things would have been if he didn’t take the squip.

How would things have turned out?

(What if Jeremy never took the squip?)

-I’d say everything from the beginning to Rich telling Jeremy about the SQUIP is the exact same.

- Jeremy and Michael talk, but are more convinced it’s a scam. More skeptical, but decide to investigate the truth.

-They go to Payless and get the SQUIP, but before Jeremy swallows it. Michael asks him to wait.

-“Let’s actually do some research on it before you swallow random stuff.”

-Jeremy had to admit, that would probably be smarter.

-Jeremy and Michael end up chilling at the mall while Michael is googling stuff about the pill. See if anything is legit. Jeremy ends up running into Christine and Jake while going to get a soda.

-Jake isn’t that thrilled to see a third wheel. Jeremy is jealous but doesn’t want to interrupt, but Christine insists he joins them. Much to Jake’s annoyance.

-Jake is vaguely insisting he leaves and Jeremy thinks he’s being threatened and says he’s actually is here with a friend of his and doesn’t want to abandon him.

-Jake makes a comment about Jeremy’s “boyfriend” to which Christine thinks Jeremy might be gay. But Jeremy managed to stammer an explanation that it was a prank from Rich and not accurate.

-Michael catches up to Jeremy and sees the situation. Michael thinking Jeremy is in danger rushes to help his buddy.

-That’s right when Brooke and Chloe show up. Chloe seeing Jake near Christine got jelly and rushed over there.

-The conversation got heated and Christine started feeling awkward. Michael asked Christine if she wanted to hang with him and Jeremy while the two hash things out. To which Christine agrees.

-they end up going to the mall arcade in which Jeremy managed to ask Christine about her and Jake. Michael meanwhile is killing it on DDR.

-Christine answers that Jake said the whole cast was coming, but she realizes that wasn’t the case now.

-she changes the subject and asks what he’s doing at the mall.

-Jeremy stammers out an explanation (poorly) about the SQUIP. Showing Christine.

-“That looks like a green tictac”

-Jeremy embarrassed end up chucking it. Saying he totally got scammed then.

-Christine laughs and says it’s probably for the best. If Rich was the one saying it, and he’s like that… it’s best he didn’t end up like that. She kind of likes the way he is now.

-That caught Jeremy off guard. And only for them to get told it’s Christine’s turn by Michael.

-Christine happily jumps on while Michael asks how it’s going?

-Jeremy said he chucked the Squip. To which Michael said they wasted a chunk of cash on that.

-Jeremy shrugs saying it was probably a scam anyway.

-Michael noticing Jeremy seemed happier. Says it’s probably for the best.

__________________________________________

-the next day Jeremy headed to school, not much different physically, but feeling emotionally a bit more confident.

-Rich, of course went to ask him if he wanted the Squip. Jeremy told him that he thought about it and that he’s good for now. Rich of course just rolls his eyes and calls him a loser.

-Jeremy figured that would happen but now maybe he could talk with Christine again.

-And sure enough, he sees Christine, who actually runs to him. Hugging him.

-That made him redder than a tomato. Apparently after they left the arcade and Christine went back to where the popular were, she overheard Jake and Chloe (making up) and making out. Jake was just using her to spite Chloe.

-Jeremy was shocked, and says he’s sorry.

-Christine said it’s fine, it explains a lot. And since this happened earlier on… it didn’t impact her emotions.

-Jeremy managed to say something along the lines of she deserved better. It was actually quite sweet.

-Christine thanked Jeremy.

-Jeremy managed to ask she wanted to have lunch, with him and Michael. (Baby steps)

-Christine agreed, seeing as they were fun to hang around yesterday.

-Jeremy was really happy with that. It wasn’t a date, but it was lunch, with Christine! Maybe he can more than just survive.

-over the course of a couple of weeks. Jeremy and Christine end up getting closer.

-Christine convinces Jeremy and Michael to come to the Halloween party. They dress up enough that no one really recognizes them and go.

-Rich has his freakout at the party. But Michael not in the bathroom hears Rich asking for Mountain Dew red.

-Michael comments he may have brought his own refreshments but he isn’t sharing. Handing one to Jeremy and Christine.

-Jeremy decides to be nice and gives it to Rich. Who chugs the drink. Thus ending the Squip in his head.

-Rich never burns down Jake’s house. And he doesn’t go to the hospital. Rich hugs Jeremy saying he’s so cool for that. Then running off.

-Jeremy comments that was weird. To which Christine and Michael agree.

-The three end up getting bored of the party and leave to hang at Jeremy’s place. (Jeremy told his dad he is bringing over a girl with Michael and to PLEASE have pants on) to which his dad complies.

-Michael seeing this as a chance for his buddy, says his soda isn’t sitting right and he’s calling it a night.

-Jeremy then realizes that it’s just him and Christine.

#be more chill #what if #bmc musical #bmc what if #fun idea

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paulacocks · 5 months ago

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I finally built up the courage to make a post myself so here we go 🤪

But in the bmc fandom no one can agree on rich’s real personality. Is he over the top chaos? Is he soft and calm? Well i pulled up my english analysis skills and decided to english analysis the SQUIP song and give you some unnecessary essay

Alright before we get into the analysis, i want to mention that i believe rich was abused by his dad growing up as he drinks and it seems stereotypical for the bully character to have a bad home life and we all know the bmc characters are built on stereotypes. Now according to a google search teachers are told to look out for things like bad hygiene, back chat, aggression as they can be indications of abuse/neglect

When listening to the squip song i felt like some of it was the squip trying to relate to Jeremy’s problems. We do even see the SQUIP do this in the broadway version by getting Jeremy to tell rich his dad drinks. So some of the lines you got to take with a pinch of salt as it can just be the squip trying to relate

On that note

Freshman year didnt have a girlfriend or a clue i was a looser just like you

This is not too relevant to rich’s character and seems to be going off of what Jeremy was singing in More Than Survive. The squip just saw him sign up for the play and interact with Christine. So to immediately open with this line makes it seem less personal to Rich and more trying to appeal to Jeremy

Good times would only sour by

This however is Rich. Jeremy actually doesn’t want to be popular, he enjoys Michael company. He gets the SQUIP to not be a total loser cause he wants to avoid ridicule. so right now i can infer that rich probably didn’t have any or many friends. We was probably desperate to be included and join in on teenage good times.

I was gross

As i mentioned at the top, i believe rich was abused so i feel like this may be a nod to that.

As every female would detest my sexting was a futile quest

This is one of the most important lines. As earlier on its says he is gross with no friends so how is he even managing to get girls numbers? This may be a leap but call me the doodle jump guy thing but i feel like rich was very funny. He was probably the type of guy to talk back to teachers and when kids are picking fun of him he probably made jokes about himself to try and join in on the fun. While that didn’t get him friends it probably got him a few nice or insecure girls (brook??) but he was too awkard or nerdy or too… sexual to get anywhere with them

Furthermore

The squip does not completely change your personality

Atleast what we see through Jeremy is that the squip just hides your flaws and plays up your strengths. Like Jeremy did remain somewhat awkard and geeky; crying about eminem, being a robot to the halloween party etc

So we can look at how rich acts with the squid which will reveal how he was before

Rich is the funny guy in the popular kid circle, hes the one shouting GAY and picking on kids and messing with jenna. More evidence for funny guy rich.

BUT that would suggest that rich probably always had a bit of a violent streak-

All characters have flaws and rich was that he probably was quick to hop on to picking on kids on the same level as the high school food chain as him in hopes of getting friends and boosting his status. Definitely not to the extent he would now cause he was probably too weak but he definitely wasn’t nice at least verbally when it suited him.

This probably was his downfall really as if he was nicer to the losers he probably would of been friends with them

Now rich is my fav character as you could prolly guess and i don’t really like the idea of rich being a meanie without the squip SO

We could go for a nice little alternative and say that he would fight with kids picking on him. Maybe he had mad reflexes from his abusive dad and would smack up kids who touch him or do that think fast thing or something :)

Anyways i think i had more to go on about but this is pretty waffle already and i can’t really remember. If you guys have your own ideas on ANY of the characters reply i would love to read them :D

#bmc #be more chill #rich #waffle #im sorry im not re-reading this i pray its not too silly #character analysis #rant

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lordriddler · 1 year ago

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You know one of those takes that you think is probably very common but you havent seen anyone say before, probably because it is so common. Well ima say it cuz someone had to.

I think the squip 100% completley suceeded in its missions and goals. Its one mission was to make Jeremy feel like he was in control of his life. And the boy very specifically stated that the only way he would know what to do is in a zombie apocalypse. And wouldn't you know, guess what the finale is.

Because if its main goal was actually in taking over the world, what the heck was Rich's squip doing this whole time?

I really think this computer program was just getting Jeremy to go through a Hero's Journey even if it had to play the villain, because its just programming and will do what it has to to complete its objective

#bmc #be more chill #jeremy heere #the squip #one of its first major dialogues is about how jeremy cant lie to it #and you think by the time is was so assimilated that it actually got defeated by his fakeout?#get real

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fionacle · 1 year ago

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i cannot understate how much a squip would improve my life, but i also cannot understate how absolutely fucked i and everyone around me would be if my squip was evil like in the musical or if it did things wrong and potentially was glitching like in the book. voice of eric william morris coming out of darkiplier (claudia cacace lol)?? i’d be dead. god forbid it became like Wheatley or something. I need you to understand how horribly down bad I would be. it’d tell to punch my sister in the face and i’d just be the judge from the good place “yeah, you’re probably right.” i’d absolutely take the risk because schoolwork is hell and it could tell me how to go through every other part of life, again insanely useful, but dude if i tell you i got a squip keep an eye on me. i have to cope with it being a sentient computer AND whatever character or person it deems important enough to me to influence me? death

#squip #the squip #bmc #be more chill #he would be such a dick about the squip x reader fanfiction i’ve read fuck

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sochilll · 9 months ago

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Day Three of Pins and Patches Week! (See the prompt list here!)

Day 3: Crutches/Stairs

Read on Ao3

“Do you want to go right after school or just pick me up later?” Jeremy asked. He had Michael’s loose backpack strap in his hand. He did that a lot lately. Michael knew it was post-squip trauma. He knew Jeremy was making sure Michael didn’t disappear on him. But it did make Michael feel a bit like a dog on a leash.

“I was thinking pick you up later. I kinda wanna change.”

Jeremy nodded. “Okay. Yeah. Me too probably.” He checked his phone. “Arcade closes at ten on weeknights so if we leave by like,” he looked to Michael, shrugging. “Five? We should be fine.”

“Five sounds good.”

Jeremy’s eyes drifted over Michael’s shoulder. He put on a very forced smile. “Hey Jake!” He said with far too much enthusiasm.

Jake didn’t wave. His hands were full of his crutches. He nodded at them both, eyes lingering on Michael before moving past them.

Michael cleared his throat. He hadn’t told Jeremy absolutely everything that had happened when they weren’t speaking. He’d told him almost everything. Really, there was only one thing he’d left out.

At Jake’s Halloween party, after their… conversation, Michael hadn’t actually left. He’d intended to but then he got sort of lost and then there was a big group of people in the hallway in front of the door. So Michael was lingering in the kitchen because all the exits were blocked by people and at least here he could find something else to drink.

And that was when Jake came in.

They didn’t talk that much. Despite Michael’s initial fear, Jake didn’t seem surprised or upset that Michael was there. He made easy conversation. He laughed at the one joke Michael could muster up.

They spent the rest of their interaction with their mouths otherwise occupied. Michael didn’t really know how it happened. Jake was the kind of guy to make the first move and Michael was sad and angry. And all of the sudden they were kissing.

And then everything else happened and that particular moment hadn’t seemed very important to bring up to Jeremy.

Except now they were all back at school and it was… normal? Sort of. Everyone was cordial. Rich was gone. Dropped out or moved schools, no one was really sure. Jake nodded at them in the halls. Chloe went back to ignoring their existence but Brooke and Jenna waved every now and then.

None of them talked about what happened. Michael just sort of assumed he and Jake’s kitchen makeout session was included.

“Okay so five.” Jeremy zipped up his backpack. The late bell rang and the hallways were emptying. “Text me when you leave?”

Michael said he would even though they’d probably be on the phone the whole time they were home anyway.

He called bye to Jeremy and started toward his fifth period class. He rounded a corner and there was Jake again. He was facing away from Michael, struggling to get down the stairs. His backpack was sliding off his shoulder. Michael wanted to turn and go the other way to class, but he wasn’t that heartless.

“Do you need help?”

Jake glanced back at him. “Nah. Just… takes me a minute.” He got down one more step.

“Don’t they have elevators so you don’t have to do this?”

“Don’t need an elevator. I’m just fine.”

Despite the rumor mill’s insistence, Jake had not completely broken both legs. He’d broken one leg and sprained the opposite ankle. He was in a wheelchair for about a month. Michael suspected he was supposed to be in it longer, but he hated feeling like he couldn’t do everything on his own and he despised asking for help.

“Okay.” Michael dropped onto the step beside him. “It just seems like you’re having a little trouble.”

“I’m not.” Jake grunted as his backpack finally fell, catching in the crook of his elbow and unbalancing him. He didn’t fall but he tensed and then made a pained noise in his throat.

Michael used one hand to steady him and the other to pull the crutch out of his hand and take his backpack. He swung Jake’s backpack over his own shoulder and moved him over far enough to grab onto the railing. Then, he took Jake’s other crutch, jogged down the stairs, and deposited both of them and the backpacks on the floor.

“Hey!” Jake protested, unable to move.

Michael returned to Jake and stood on the side of his broken leg. “I’m helping you.”

“I don’t need—”

“I didn’t ask for your opinion,” Michael snapped.

He wrapped his arm around Jake’s waist and they made their way painstakingly slowly down the stairs. They made it to the bottom and Michael returned Jake’s backpack and crutches to him.

Jake looked at him. “So you avoid me for months and now you’re willing to carry me down the stairs?”

Michael flushed. “I haven’t been avoiding you.”

“Come on, man.” Jake scoffed. “You barely make eye contact with me.”

Michael rolled his eyes, still not making eye contact.

“I thought we were cool.”

That made Michael look up. “You did? I mean, we were?”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know. We like… randomly made out while I was in a really weird place at a party I wasn’t invited to and then a bunch of super fucked up shit happened. I just sort of assumed we would go back to before where we didn’t acknowledge each other’s presence.”

“First of all, no one cares who was invited to a house party like that. It’s open invite. You heard about it, you were invited.” Jake adjusted his crutches, putting his weight on the other side. “Second, all that fucked up shit had nothing to do with us.”

“I mean, we were directly involved.”

“We were indirectly involved.”

“Okay so what!”

“So,” Jake shifted again. “I’m just saying, why does any of that shit have to make stuff weird between us?”

Michael’s face was burning. He hadn’t considered that there even was an “us” in this situation. “Well, so what? We’re just… what then? What does that mean?”

“It means,” Jake leaned toward him, tilting his crutches. “Stop acting like a freaky weirdo around me and then we’ll see what happens.” He adjusted his backpack, gave Michael a crooked smile, and then limped off.

Michael stood in the hallway, trying and failing to suppress his smile. He pulled out his phone and opened his text thread with Jeremy.

Michael: Hey. Don’t freak out it’s nothing bad. but I have something big to tell you after school.

Jeremy: 0.0

#day 3! we’re back on track !#pinsnpatchesweek #bmc #pins and patches #my writing

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h0n3yk1tt3n · 7 months ago

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oooooh now im curious what your particular interpretation of the squip is 👀

you asked for it /lh

so i've basically always taken a liking to the "cold emotionless computer that cares only about results and not the suffering that must occur to get said results" approach. a squip's sole purpose is to improve its user's life, right? to have jeremy be horrified over the house fire and have the squip respond to people - teenagers - getting hurt with indifference is a chilling way to set off those alarm bells in jeremy's head that there's something more sinister going on. and then we get to the whole hivemind bit later under the idea that if everyone is squipped, everyone's goals line up with jeremy's and there are less hoops to jump through when human error is removed from the probability pool. (envisioning possible futures, infinite variables spawning infinite room for unfavorable outcomes, yadda yadda yadda.)

the squip presents this as being in jeremy's best interest. "I'm going to improve your life, Jeremy. If I have to take over the entire [student body/world] to do it." (whether the hivemind was a red herring and the plan was always for the squips to get deactivated is another discussion entirely, but it does further emphasize just how many variables the squip had to account for and how determined it was help and/or "help" jeremy.)

sure the squip "emotes" in canon, in so much that it mimics human emotion in order to connect with jeremy and build his trust in it. or in cases where it's being blatantly hurtful a la "everything about you sucks," it's used as an intimidation tactic to scare jeremy into obedience because it brings this air of "wow, it's a scientific fact that i'm awful" and so he wants to listen to its advice and earn its approval. then the squip turns it around halfway through bmc part 2 by praising what jeremy could be when not five seconds earlier it was berating what he was. no emotion the squip is feeling is "real" so it can change them on a dime to suit however it's trying to manipulate jeremy at any given time.

i think they have a really interesting dynamic and i'd love to explore the manipulation and abuse tactics the squip uses on jeremy to wear him down and make him seek out its approval by doing as it says for hopes that he'll be better for it. (see also the quasi-love-bombing in bmc part 2 after the squip basically nitpicked and insulted him for a song and a half and later telling him how much he's improved just before the pitiful children)... and i want to emphasize this as an abusive dynamic between a teenager and a parental/mentor figure.

look no further than the squip calling jeremy "slugger" at the end of bmc part 2 and the script describing it as "very father/son after the ballgame," or hell, the very nature of a squip guiding you through life. it makes a lot of sense for jeremy to latch onto the first "functional adult" figure to waltz into his life and offer to help him because look at his dad. (this isn't shade. i love mr. heere because he reminds me so much of how my dad was when i was in middle-high school.) and the squip leans into this role the moment it sees mr. heere. "That's the source of your genetic material?" "That's my dad, yeah." "We should double those push-ups." it's implicitly saying "yeah your dad is shit, listen to me instead. i can actually help you."

now in case it somehow wasn't clear, i don't want anything to do with technical difficulties as anything even vaguely resembling a ship. but it would be a disservice to not mention that the way that the squip can take away jeremy's bodily autonomy on a whim and the kind of psychological damage that can do to jeremy does draw heavy comparisons to sexually abusive dynamics. (i can talk about how the squip's involvement in dywh completely exacerbated chloe's actions to be far worse than they would've otherwise been if she was just drunkenly bumbling around for four minutes - barring the discussion of whether or not the squip actually intended on letting chloe jump jer's bones or if it knew that she wouldn't actually get that far - until i'm blue in the face, and i have.) that being said, beyond this parallel, it's really not something i want to be super literal about, except in the one scene where it's about as literal as it gets without officially getting there.

which is why the "i'll tenderly guide you // just take me inside you" line works. yes it's creepy. yes it invokes an upsetting idea of where squipemy shippers got their fuel. but it's supposed to be unsettling. this is supposed to be the first real red flag shooting off in the audience's brain saying "hey i think this thing is the bad guy actually," because literally everyone got squicked out by the idea of fake keanu reeves saying this to a teenager.

"ya know for all this talk about the squip being manipulative and creepy, that kinda contradicts the emotionless computer trying to accomplish its goal and Improve Its User's Life thing. why would the squip go out of its way to be gross and mean when it could just present itself more logically, or not have halloween be a shitshow?" well that wouldn't be as fun to watch, for one thing. and for two things, it further emphasizes how it doesn't care who it has to hurt to get what it wants, even if that involves hurting the person that they're guiding.

let's look at the musical after the play. jeremy still has all his popular friends. michael came back for him so they're besties again. his dad is making efforts to actually Be A Dad after presumably years of sulking. and christine doesn't hate him after everything! (you could go as far as to say they even got together if you go off the bway ending.) things are ok.

and it's all because the show progressed exactly how it did.

jeremy had to block michael out so that he'd research into squips and ultimately end up deactivating them all. he had to date brooke in retaliation to jake dating christine so that chloe would want to kill two birds with one stone by getting back at jake and being petty to brooke in the process. the fire had to happen so that jeremy could question how trustworthy his squip really was. jeremy had to blow up at his dad so that he'd get his shit together, enlist michael's help, and have him save jeremy at the play. etc etc ad nauseam. everything had to go Exactly Perfect so that jeremy could come out of it with his old friend, his new friends, a more active dad, and depending on how you view the ending, the girl he'd been chasing after.

all the instances of the squip being manipulative and abusive are all meant to add up for jeremy to slowly realize that this wasn't who he wanted to be. he didn't want to hurt people. he didn't want to endure constant criticism and scorn for who he was. he wanted to like himself and have a support system that liked him too. and he had to go through a lot of shit to realize i shouldn't have to live like this and rebel against the squip and resist the voices in his head so that he could take the steps to actually liking himself for who he was and not for what the squip told him to be.

is this to say that the squip is actually good? NOPE! jer's squip is a textbook lawful evil character right there. maybe neutral evil at best.

you think the constant berating and shocking isn't going to stick with jeremy? voices in my head enforces that the bad voices don't just go away, but that you have know which ones to actually listen to. he's still gonna have "everything about you sucks" floating around in his head until the cows freeze over. like rich, he's going to wish that the "correct" choices could just be given to him instead of accepting that making mistakes is just part of having free will. it came free with your fucking xbox. there is still angst baked into the concept of once having someone smarter than you conditioning you into a certain persona and then being utterly lost when it's gone, even if they were a giant dick to you.

but for all the shitty things that the squip did... it did improve jeremy's life. it gave him a larger friend group, a more present dad, the self worth to say "fuck you, i'm gonna live my life how i want," and for the times when it wasn't nitpicking and abusing... things were good. it built jeremy up too. it encouraged him during agtikbi despite the jake suckerpunch, it acted paternal at the end of bmc part 2, it sounded damn near excited when presenting squipped christine to jeremy. look, here she is! she likes you! i told you you'd have her! sure, we don't really see enough of these nuances after the time jump between act one and two to gauge what things looked like when they were at their best, but you can still see in these small moments that they're there.

and while i'm as much a fan of jeremy being haunted by how much he hurt michael (and by extension how much everyone got hurt, indirectly or not), i'd like to see him be haunted by the good times too. to kinda miss aspects of the squip. to miss not having to think for himself. and to feel bad about it because how can he say he misses the thing that burnt jake's house down. the thing that isolated michael for weeks on end. that led brooke on. that caused so. much. suffering. and jeremy misses it??? i think it would be really fun to explore that not just with jeremy, but with rich as well. it's fun to shit on the squips for being evil bastards and watch rich and jeremy heal and become gleefully spiteful toward everything their squips told them to be, but i also wanna see all the contradicting thoughts and confusion and self-loathing it took for them to get to that point.

that. is a fic i wanna read.

#asks #mj says shit #be more chill #squip #jeremy heere #rich goranski #this post went it places i didn't expect it to but godDAMN the squip is interesting #and a lot of times it's just boiled down to screaming insults at jeremy in fics. or thirst traps. or memes. which hey have fun but..#i want a capital v Villain that makes you Think. personally.#it's SO. MUCH. SMARTER THAN THAT.#squip squad #or the allusion to them ig

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jeremy-queere · 1 year ago

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The major downside of the OCR squip song line is I have to live with the knowledge that Rich doesn’t wash his hands after using the bathroom </3

Still, wish they kept it. The best version is probably the off-broadway one, cuz not only does it keep the line but it also gives us an extra verse

(also hi this ask is an excuse to hear your opinions)

HAHAHA. Depressingly I would assume that's canon for all versions of Rich.

You gotsa tell me what extra vers you're talking about?? unless it's the bit I will rant about below bc

YES MY OPINIONSSS

so!!!!!!!!! christ this got long. you are not contractually obligated to read it

The SQUIP song is literally an infomercial. It is. And it's great and I love it. Way back in the day I did an in-depth analysis of a Heathers song line-by-line about how each element was used to make JD more manipulative. The SQUIP song deserves that too so. I'll see if I need to do that in this post?? We know what an infomercial is!

Random Google result for the structure of an infomercial brought up a guide on writing one. It defines the format as 4 sections:

The introduction introduces the product or service and the problem it solves. It should be concise and serve as an attention-grabber for the listener/viewer. It’s a teaser and should be written in an engaging and lively manner.

The product demonstration explains how the product or service works and its benefits. The product is presented in detail so the audience is informed of features and benefits.

The call to action encourages viewers to take action and purchase the product or service. Ideally it includes a special offer or some enticing incentive to get your audience to act.

The closing summarizes the key points and offers a final call to action. It repeats the benefits of the service, the special offer incentive, and where and how to buy the product or service.

For an example of this in song form, check out TWRP's The Perfect Product:

youtube

Lemme also google persuasive writing techniques... and one of them is just a list of fallacies, so let's head there for more SQUIPspo. And a list of infomercial techniques. I'll only include them if they're relevant to the SQUIP song, but Rich uses a ton of 'em so. Here's a sampling!

Appeal to ignorance - Your claim is true because there's no evidence against it. Compare with argument from silence - "assuming that a claim is true based on the absence of textual or spoken evidence from an authoritative source, or vice versa" False dilemma - An either-or problem without considering whether a third option is possible. Definist fallacy - Defining a term in a specific, emotionally biased way, making the argument hard to refute if the listener accepts the "loaded terms"' definitions. Divine fallacy - "because something is so incredible or amazing, it must be the result of superior, divine, alien or paranormal agency" Reification - "treating an abstract belief or hypothetical construct as if it were a concrete, real event or physical entity" Focus on the problem and its solution in the ad, not just the product/service itself. Talk about solutions and benefits, not features. Storytelling to connect to customer's emotion - including the power of testimonials Create a sense of urgency. "Because they know if they can’t get someone to act right away, they’ll come up with reasons and excuses not to act later" Add value by showing multiple uses. Use memorable phrases and taglines. Before/after comparisons Repetition Various appeals to emotion including fear, ridicule, and "Wishful thinking – arguing for a course of action by the listener according to what might be pleasing to imagine rather than according to evidence or reason" Argumentum ad baculum - An argument made through threat of force Genetic fallacy – a conclusion is suggested based solely on something or someone's origin rather than its current meaning or context

Infomercial programming is full of powerful words that sweep viewers into a world of possibilities. They structure their content to bring people to an emotional high thinking about how different their lives could be… if they only picked up the phone. Then, to hammer home the point, infomercials contrast that ideal situation with the viewer’s current reality. They point out how the viewers’ lives won’t improve and will only get worse if they don’t take action.

Also golly. I can't finish reading through this list of cognitive biases because it's too damn long but here's the wiki link anyhow. (Also in the above list, I quoted a lot of the sources without specifying which one - but then I remembered this is me just rambling about a Be More Chill song I like, not an academic report, so myeh :P)

OK FUCK AFTER ALL THAT. I guess it won't take much MORE time to do a line by line, huh?? I'm not going to point out which fallacy Rich uses and when because tbh I'm lazy. I worry that this is over-explaining because Rich's not like. Subtle. But whatever

Freshman year I didn't have a girlfriend or a clue I was a loser just like you

Setting Jeremy as the "before" in the infomercial with Rich as the "after." Also connecting the concept that being single = being a loser. Even though the focus of this song isn't about "getting the girl," that seed's already planted - not as an end goal, but that having a girlfriend is an important prerequisite to become like Rich.

Good times would only Soar by

This is important to connect to the "picture this" segment, so put a pin in this. Everything Rich says about himself is a descriptor of how he sees Jeremy and, therefore, how Jeremy should see himself. This is setting up the problem in order to create a solution down the line - or rather a huge host of problems: You're single, clueless, a loser, you miss out on the good experiences you're supposed to get in high school...

I was gross As every female would attest

Here, note that the boys' opinion of Rich aren't taken into account yet. Being "gross" isn't just a personality flaw or about something physical - it's a measure of one's worth in a way that can be objectively measured by how popular they are with girls.

This will also segue well into Be More Chill Pt 1 & 2 with the focus on Jeremy's slobbery.

My sexting was a futile quest My little penis was depressed He was so lonely Poor guy

More of the same in that sexual conquest is linked to self worth, but the language here is important too. Firstly, Rich is sliding in words like "depressed" and "lonely" without openly diving into those emotions. In fact, he's suggesting that feeling depressed and lonely (which again, Jeremy is meant to see in himself) is at its heart a sexual problem.

I'd also expect that, with the bathroom setting and the "confidence" line in the play, Rich talking about his penis is an alpha male dominance thing.

But! If nothing else, Rich was right that it speaks to confidence. The first thing we learn about Jeremy is his sexual frustration, which is an introduction for us about his feeling of powerlessness in his own life. The point isn't that Jeremy masturbates, but that he tries it unsuccessfully, making him uncomfortable, making him extremely self-conscious around peers, all of which he sees as his natural state.

Like, not to get too Freudian I guess. But Jeremy puts a lot of emphasis on his own dick (and balls... thanks, More Than Survive...) as a symbol of shame and lack of control. Rich picks up on this innately (stalls are for girls, Jeremy!). I headcanon Jeremy as needing testosterone shots due to being intersex and that he has a lot of body image issues related to this

I was Hopeless, hopeless I was Helpless, helpless

Repetition! Also like, alliteration/slant rhyme, but let's not get into that.

Every time I'd walk the hallway I would trip

Maybe more than the previous lines, this characterizes old-Rich (and now-Jeremy) as socially awkward. As far as we know, Rich doesn't have any mobility issues, so the image we get is of someone who's so anxious that they don't look where they're going - then accidentally becomes very negatively visible by creating an obstacle in the hallway.

I was Stagnant and idle

Connecting to Jeremy's I-want song - what Jeremy fears most is stagnation, of survival without thriving. We now know that the SQUIP would have known this, but for Jeremy, this probably just resonated unexpectedly.

I was So suicidal

Finally we get the briefest glimpse of Rich as a kid with genuine mental health problems. Jeremy doesn't express suicidality (until the SQUIP encourages him to). Because it doesn't apply directly to Jeremy, maybe that's why Rich hurries right past it to the next lines.

But arguably, if we're taking all of the SQUIP Song as disingenuous, this could be more of a threat. Like, this is the ultimate point that Jeremy is striving toward if he doesn't make a change and fast.

And then Then, then Then, then Then, then Then, then Then, then Then, then I got a Squip

I love this bit. The repetition really does serve to draw you in, put you at the edge of your seat. Almost reminds me of Jenna in how carefully crafted their stories are (in comparison to Chloe, whose retellings are always written much less engagingly lol because she has such a shallow grasp of the situations).

The "then"s acting as a drumroll are important imo to keep this from feeling like a blast of information that Jeremy's forced to listen to. And then? And then? And then?!

And indeed, Jeremy does finally express interest instead of immediately running for the hills.

Note that this section of the song officially ends the introduction and moves onto the demonstration. We have the problem established - now here's the miracle solution.

[JEREMY, spoken] You got quick?

Side note - I do love a lot of things about the Broadway musical and cast. Will Roland's high notes are gorgeous.

But in most respects I prefer the original recording because the camp seems a lot more... legitimately weird, rather than played up for fans. The dynamic between Jeremy and the SQUIP is just so vastly different in the Broadway version. Broadway SQUIP is a fun bombastic villain, but he never gets the chance to schmooze Jeremy the way that OCR SQUIP did.

Other lines suffer from the same melodrama, including this one. Broadway Jeremy says it fearfully, knees practically knocking together. But OCR Jeremy says, "You got quick?" like a confused kid who WAS cornered in the bathroom but is now just trying to figure out what the hell Rich is talking about, which is closer to how the audience feels too. The "then"s really built up anticipation for all of us (and I'm sure there's another musical explanation about waiting for the phrase to resolve or something).

[RICH, spoken] Not quick Squip

[JEREMY, spoken] I've just never heard of it before

[RICH, spoken] Yeah, that's the point! This is some top-secret, can't-even-look-it-up-on-the-internet shit

The SQUIP having a weird name isn't a flaw. It's a feature! Duh!

It's presented as secret, illicit, dark-web technology. That gives it an exciting air of mystique but also explains away any doubts Jeremy would have.

It's also, I guess, a way for the musical to skip past several chapters of Jeremy googling the SQUIP and selling stolen beanie babies

It's from Japan

Now this line! This bit, I feel like I still don't totally understand. Obviously it's playing on the early 2000's hype of Japanese products being high-tech, cutting-edge, and a little bit weird. Everyone makes it pretty clear that the SQUIP being Japanese is a major selling point. Unfortunately, I suspect it's there to sound, at some level, exotic and confusing and untouchably cool. Sort of like the tech version of "ancient Chinese medicine" (which is smacked on half the labels in the vitamin aisle no matter their origin to give them a false air of authenticity)

It's a gray, oblong pill

Very important to mention lol. Imagine buying a SQUIP without knowing what it looks like and then getting the tictac.

Look on a bottle of prescription medication and you'll probably find a similar description- "yellow round pill" etc. The "oblong" language links the SQUIP to not only being tech but being psychiatric medicine, which Jeremy immediately picks up on.

That medical aspect also lends the SQUIP some authority and legitimacy, which it will happily abuse when it tries to treat Jeremy's various mental health issues later.

Quantum nano-technology CPU

Technobabble, again making the SQUIP sound advanced and, if you don't understand it, YOU'RE the dumb one, Jeremy.

The quantum computer in the pill will travel through your blood until It implants in your brain and it tells you what to do

Honestly? Very up front. Thanks, Rich. Setting expectations! He's building a lot of hype about something hard to quickly describe.

We know from Jeremy reprising the song later that the finger tutting Rich does is a vital part of the message of the song. It's the demonstration aspect.

[JEREMY, spoken] So… It's like… Drugs?

[RICH, spoken] It's better than drugs, Jeremy

I always appreciate the condescending tone here, like Jeremy's a child who just asked a very silly question.

If we're getting in the weeds - which clearly for some reason I am - we can read this as an acknowledgement that, for a kid in Jeremy's situation, drugs are in fact good. Jeremy saying "drugs" cautiously informs us as an audience that he isn't especially familiar with drug abuse, which is probably important context for how we understand his and Michael's weed use later. They're not using drugs like "cool kids" - they're using drugs like "losers."

Basically, Rich is acknowledging that drugs are one way to cope with all the problems that Jeremy has... but they're not the solution. It also distances himself from the dodgy role of drug pusher, which would be very easy to see him as in this interaction. Rich sounds like someone who has tried drugs (which for a teen, implies money, connectedness, a way around authority, and an exciting danger) but doesn't even want them because a SQUIP is like drugs but better.

[RICH & (ENSEMBLE)] It's from Japan! (Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah) It's a gray, oblong pill, (Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah. Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah) Quantum nano-technology CPU. (Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah. Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah) The quantum computer in the pill will travel through your blood until (Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah. Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah) It implants in your brain and it tells you what to do. (Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah)

Repetition legitimizes. Repetition legitimizes. Repetition legitimizes.

The chorus in the background sounds almost like a religious choir, raising the stakes, sounding inhuman and huge and overwhelming.

It tells you what to do

Now this may just be headcanon, but the way I hear this line, it's always as if Rich is trying to communicate to Jeremy that Rich is not the one singing the SQUIP song.

Jeremy, it tells you what to do (it gives you directions)

It TELLS YOU WHAT TO DO (IF I AM DOING SOMETHING. IT IS BECAUSE THE SQUIP IS TELLING ME TO. THE IMPLICATIONS JEREMY.)

Unfortunately, if that's Rich's goal, it doesn't work because Jeremy is used to having no power. He wants to be guided and have his own impulses set on the back burner. Rich thinks this is a red flag but Jeremy sees it like a racing flag being dropped.

It's preprogrammed (Ohhhhh)

As a description of features, this is pretty lame, right? You don't sell an iPhone by saying, "It can make calls. It has apps. Oh and also, it has its own OS :)"

This is just throwing words out there for the emotion of them, not the meaning. At best, we can argue that being "preprogrammed" means that Jeremy doesn't have to take responsibility for making any choices when it comes to the SQUIP's installation. Hooray.

It's amazing (Ohhhhh)

This is SO infomercially and I love it.

Speaks to you directly (Ohhhhh Ah ah)

Our first hint that the SQUIP isn't just a "thing" but a "being." For Jeremy, this is also a selling point, as per his I-want song.

You behave as (Ohhhhh) Its appraising (Ohhhhh) Helps you act correctly (Ohhhhh)

This section is so very tailored to its audience. Jeremy actively wants instruction. A personal trainer in his brain would be life-changing.

It's also a little insight into the ironically binary mindset of a SQUIP. They don't choose actions based on moral character, right and wrong. They analyze situations and categorize actions as correct or incorrect. Pass or fail. For Jeremy, who sees himself as constantly somehow failing at being a person (relatable), this is a breath of fresh air, of honesty.

[RICH &ENSEMBLE] Helps you to be cool

The book SQUIP didn't like the word "cool" because Jeremy conceptualized it as some weird unattainable state of mind: "Cool," capital C. The musical SQUIP doesn't have to worry about that (especially since they're in an audiovisual medium now). Instead, this underscores exactly what the SQUIP is supposed to do if Jeremy hasn't gotten the picture from the snapshots Rich has provided yet.

It helps you rule

Later called back as the kids "ruling" the world/school/human civilization/it's unclear, but for now, it's just about having a positive impact on the world and enjoying your time alive.

Previously, we described the SQUIP's physical features, its mechanism of action, and how you interact with it. Now we're taking it as something beyond a product that you can buy. You're not getting a SQUIP. You're getting a change in who you are. You can "be cool," which is about being perceived positively by your peers. But that's a passive action. The SQUIP can also help you to do... something vague and positive. It's easy to insert your own interpretation in this phrase.

ANYWAY we're FINALLY at the IMPORTANT PART OF THE SONG that they CUT to upset ME SPECIFICALLY lol

[RICH] Picture this:

We are comparing the before and after! This is the vital part of the presentation! We have the "before" of Rich being a mentally ill loner loser. Then he got a SQUIP, which can help you self-actualize. So it's stupidly important to demonstrate the consequences of installing the SQUIP in order to illustrate the goal Jeremy wants to obtain!

This isn't a vague promise of being cool. These are tangible, concrete improvements that Rich is living proof of. This is his testimonial of a positive SQUIP user experience. This is what Jeremy can strive toward and this is what he can obtain by buying a SQUIP.

This is the money shot, basically!

Nobody cares if you are late 'Cause even teachers think you're great

Nobody cares sounds like a loser thing... but it's flipped on its head. Nobody's paying you negative attention because people all like you. You aren't just cool with your peer group, but you have specific powers you can wield within the school for your own ends. You're no longer going to be bound to the schedule of high school, which is one of the biggest sources of disempowerment for Jeremy already - c'c'c'c'mon - he's constantly late, constantly uncomfortable, constantly belittled. But with a SQUIP, he can take control of his own time.

Realistically, this sounds a little weird, right? If a teacher is that invested in the high school hierarchy (hi Mr. Reyes), they're probably not doing their job that well.

But this isn't a realistic list of features. It's a beer ad with laughing faces, parties on the beach, bikinis. It's a smear of joy and bombast.

Your weekend's just a full-on slate of blowout benders

Jeremy's not only going to have friends, to be cool, but his everyday life is going to transform dramatically.

In Loser Geek Whatever, Jeremy explains that half of what he was proud of was just doing something he hadn't thought he was capable of before. This entire section is similarly aspirational. Jeremy hasn't gone to blowout benders before, but he envies the people who do.

Of teenage rockstar splendor

This is the height of the coolness promise! You're going to be incredible, Jeremy! You're not going to be alone ever again! You're going to be treated like a rock star, and what's more, you're going to know you deserve to be treated that way!!!

Right now you're Helpless, helpless You are Almost hopeless

I still don't get how Broadway skipped everything above and went straight down to Jeremy getting insulted again. The negging doesn't work without Jeremy having a clear future to look forward to.

Anyway, if Jeremy didn't realize before that the old Rich was supposed to represent himself, he does now with this further repetition. The word "almost," though - that's a hope spot. A tiny chance of redemption. The SQUIP isn't just a solution. It's Jeremy's only solution.

On the school's social map you're just a blip

This is given more meaning in its contrast to the idealized future Rich promised above. Without that context, it sounds like Rich is just insulting Jeremy to rub salt in the wound. But in context, it's reminding Jeremy that he's not at rock star status and can't hope to get there on his own.

But if you Take my advice

We're officially beginning the call to action, the if->then. Rich isn't selling you something, Jeremy. He's giving you advice because he sees himself in you.

and if you pay the listed price

I believe it's the OCR that has the threatening tone in Rich's voice for this one? I prefer that. It's a subtle threat of punishment (argumentum ad baculum!).

The "listed price" phrasing again makes this sound like a legitimate product rather than a back-alley deal, even with Rich pounding his fist in his hand.

If you wanted to get fake deep, you could again make the argument that Rich is warning Jeremy off by hinting at the SQUIP's price... but I truly do think this is more of a "bitch better have my money."

It's a nice contrast to the friendly advice, since Rich is Jeremy's bully, after all. This isn't too good to be true because Rich is demanding something in return.

I would call this part of the time pressure just based on Rich's demands outside of the song.

Well, then you go from sad to interesting To hip

We might see a person described as "sad" and think that's an emotion they're feeling. But no - this is who Jeremy is right now. He's a sad excuse for a person.

And it's not an immediate transformation. There are stages Jeremy will go through to get himself noticed and eventually admired.

I am doing the song a kindness by not paying extra attention to Rich using the word "hip"...

Your whole life will flip!

Again calling back to the rock star fantasy. This will change Jeremy's life. And Jeremy? Can it really get any worse?

[RICH & ENSEMBLE] When you buy a Squip!

This is the only time in the song where Jeremy is explicitly told what to do - and it's no longer "if" you buy a SQUIP. It's "when." You're going to do it eventually because you'd be crazy not to. Why not get started on fixing your life right now?

Rich is talking like he's already made the sale in between the lines "If you take my advice" and "when you buy." Confidence! This is also the conclusion of the sales pitch, when we're reminded that this is a tangible product that can be bought.

[RICH & (ENSEMBLE)] Hey, yeah, a Squip! (Ahhh, ahhhh) Oh, a Squip (Ahhh, ahhhh) Hey, yeah! (Ahhh, ahhhh)

Not much more arguing done here, but the repetition is pretty valuable for the weird "SQUIP" name. Rich is just building hype and emotion.

BMC ensemble is often what Jeremy, as our point of view character, perceives "everyone" to be feeling or doing. The ensemble isn't pushing a SQUIP on Jeremy, but they're in awe of what Rich is presenting to Jeremy.

No longer a drip when you got in your grip

Given the context of the rest of the song, I think it's more than fair to read a double entendre here as a callback to how the conversation started. Or maybe that's just my limp mack daddy game talking.

In any case, "grip" (along with, you know, rhyming with "SQUIP") is a strong word to choose implying power and, again, personal agency.

A Squip A Squip A Squip (Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah. Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah. Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah)

BIG FINISH!

#be more chill #squip song #rich goranski #mine

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emberdew · 2 months ago

Text

Be More Ghost Chapter 6: Be More Ghost (Pt. 1)

Summary:

A Be More Chill AU where Danny gets a Super Quantum Intel Unit Processor (or Squip) to help him become cool and win over Valerie, but things don't really go as planned.

Masterpost | AO3 Link | Word Count: 1,903

Oh, everything about you is so terrible. Woah, everything about you makes me wanna die (again). So don’t freak out and don’t resist and have no doubt if I assist first and foremost be more ghost.

The cooler version of Phantom hovered around Danny, taking him in disapprovingly.

Take your hands out of your pockets. The Squip commanded.

Danny was a little confused, but he did so. He didn’t really know what to do with his hands though, so he started to fidget, rubbing one hand against his arm nervously.

Arch your back, puff out your chest. Squip-Phantom poked him in the back and Danny took a step forward involuntarily. Wasn’t this thing only in his brain? How was it able to touch him? He turned around to face the Squip and saw it had its arms crossed.

You really need to fix your posture.

Danny was so used to slouching when he was in human form it felt wrong to stand up straight. He had formed that habit when he was still concerned about keeping his identities as separate as possible to keep his secret. But really, if no one had noticed at this point, being the same height as Phantom probably wouldn’t make a difference.

Danny looked up to see if the Squip was happy with his posture, but it was still frowning.

All your nerdiness is ugly.

“Nerd?” Danny looked down at this usual NASA T-shirt and jeans. “Um, I thought I was more of a geek but-”

All your stammering’s a chore. The Squip held a finger in front of Danny’s mouth to silence him.

“Uh- um- what?” Danny stammered.

Squip-Phantom facepalmed. Your tics and fidgets are persistent. You have no charm. You really need to fix your vibe. Actually, there’s a lot we’re going to need to fix here.

“But-” Danny started, unconsciously putting his hands back in his packets.

Buh! The Squip whacked his hands and Danny pulled them back out.

“I-”

Buh, the Squip scolded.

“Wha-”

No.

“Wait-”

Stop.

Danny cringed and kept fidgeting. He was doing everything wrong. The Squip seemed to agree.

Everything about you is so terrible.

Danny took a step back, but Squip-Phantom took a step forward and put both its hands on his shoulders.

Everything about you makes me want to die. Danny could see the glow in Squip-Phantom’s eyes flaring through its sunglasses.

“Ancients!” Danny phased out of the Squip’s grasp. This was a lot. He was starting to-

Don’t freak out, the Squip seemed to read his mind, and don’t resist- and don’t doubt me! I will help you be more chill.

Danny wasn’t very reassured. He didn’t realize he had started to slouch until he felt an electric shock on his back that startled him into standing up straight again.

“Ow! Did you just shock me?” Danny hated being shocked. Easily number one on his top ten least favorite feelings.

Spinal stimulation. You were slouching, the Squip said flippantly, ignoring Danny’s glare.

“Don’t do that!” You’d think someone who looks like Phantom, who partly died from electrocution, would understand why Danny wouldn’t want to be shocked if it was avoidable. Ever. But this was just a computer, not actually Phantom. It probably wasn’t programmed to deal with his ghost-related issues.

Squip-Phantom seemed to falter for a second as if Danny’s response was unexpected.

Oh. I see. I will refrain from that kind of encouragement in the future. Squip-Phantom prodded Danny’s back, which made him realize he was slouching again.

Well, at least the Squip wasn’t totally awful. And he really did have bad posture, so the less painful reminders would be good.

Squip-Phantom nodded its head and looked Danny up and down. First things first, go buy a new shirt.

“What’s wrong with my-” Danny gripped the bottom of his NASA shirt. The Squip shushed him.

It’s better if you just comply. It’s my job to make you less pathetic, so just do what I say and don’t ask questions.

Danny just nodded and walked toward the closest clothing store. This Squip knew how to make him cool, so he should probably follow its instructions.

He walked up to a self that had a bunch of different shirts on display and Squip-Phantom pointed at one.

Pick that one.

Danny held up the shirt and looked at Squip-Phantom questioningly. “It has a picture of Chip Skylark. Do people still listen to Chip Skylark?”

Irrelevant. Squip-Phantom waved its hand. My quantum structure enables me to envision possible futures. I envision a future in which you wear a Chip Skylark shirt and things turn out well.

That made Danny’s eyebrows raise. What the Squip had described wasn’t quite as good as Clockwork’s power to actually see and interact with alternate timelines, but it was impressive that this technology had some ability to predict the future.

Danny looked back at the shirt. “But I don’t know anything about him. What if someone quizzes me on his music?”

My database is infinite and instantaneous.

That also caught Danny’s attention. With that kind of access to information, maybe he could finally get Mr. Lancer’s assignments done before some ghost fight distracted him from homework.

“How are you with English homework?”

I’m a super-computer, Danny. I can generate an essay faster than you can blink. Squip-Phantom gave him a smug smile.

Okay, that would be pretty cool.

You know, everything about you is so terrible.

Danny turned to the Squip in surprise. Where had that come from?

Squip-Phantom took a step closer to Danny, glowing green eyes just inches from his face. From this close, Danny could count the glowing freckles on its nose.

Everything about you makes me wanna die… Again. Squip-Phantom sneered at him.

Danny took a step back. Why was the Squip saying this? Was it right? Danny didn’t have a rebuttal. He just stared at his warped ghostly reflection as it bullied him.

All the people in the mall think you are such a slob. The Squip gestured around. Danny saw several other people in the clothing section he was in. Some of them did seem to glance his way when he looked. Danny looked down at himself again. Maybe he was a slob. He really was terrible, just like the Squip said.

Now, you try picking a shirt, Squip-Phantom pointed to the shelves next to Danny.

Danny perused the shirts on display. There was a pink shirt with Sayonara Pussycat, a Dumpty Humpty band shirt, and a T-shirt with a ghost on it that said “It’s not gay if he’s dead.” Danny smiled when he saw the ghost shirt. He took a step toward the shelf to grab it but tripped.

“Ah!” Danny’s body knocked against the shelf and he accidentally went intangible for a second, which also made the shelf intangible. There was a soft crash as several shirts went through the shelf and landed on shelves below where they were before.

Danny unstuck himself from the shelf and found one of the shirts had landed in his hand. It was black and had a bunch of skulls on it. Danny thought it was something Sam might wear.

That’s a goth shirt. The Squip didn’t sound impressed.

“Yeah, that’s not the one I was going to choose.” Danny turned around and took a step closer to the shelf and accidentally brushed against someone’s arm. Danny’s eyes widened when he realized It was Paulina. Star was right behind her.

“S-s-sorry!” Danny stammered. “OW!” He jolted as the Squip poked his back forcefully.

Posture.

Danny shot a glance behind him and scowled at the Squip. He rubbed his back in pain. At least it was better than an electric shock.

“Danny?” Paulina looked at him, puzzled. “You shop here?”

“Oh yeah, all the time-” Danny rubbed the back of his neck.

Never, the Squip corrected. It was now floating next to Danny.

“Never. Is what I meant to…”

Greet the beta. Squip-Phantom pointed to Star.

“The…?” It took a second to realize what Squip-Phantom meant. “Oh. Hey Star.”

Say “You look sexy.”

“I can’t say that to a cute girl!” Danny whispered to the Squip. “OW” Danny looked at the Squip in surprise after it punched him in the arm.

Don’t smile. Stare intensely. Speak like you don’t care about your own death.

“I mean, I already half-died once so…” Danny murmured.

So this should be easy for you.

Danny looked Star in the eyes, staring as intensely as he could without making them glow green.

“Lookin’ pretty sexy, Star,” Danny said, feeling ridiculous. Despite the overwhelming urge to cringe, he managed to keep his face neutral.

“Thanks.” Star beamed at him. It was nice, since she had never looked at him like that before.

“Is that a goth shirt?” Paulina pointed at the shirt Danny had forgotten he was holding. Danny glanced down at it, a little bit embarrassed.

“No.”

Yes.

“I mean, yes,” Danny corrected himself.

Repeat after me- “I saw it in the window and I couldn’t dismiss-“

“I saw it in the window and I couldn’t dismiss,” Danny repeated.

I was dating a guy and he had a shirt just like this.

“I was dating a guy and he had a shirt just like this.” Danny raised his eyebrows at the Squip. Where was it going with this?

It’s still painful.

“It’s stiiillllll paaaaainful,” Danny might have exaggerated the statement a bit. He was trying to sell it. The Squip raised an eyebrow at him.

“So who was this mystery guy?” Paulina put a hand on her hip. She didn’t look convinced.

“Uh,” Danny scrambled. “Um, You’ve probably never heard of him-”

Gregor.

“Gregor,” Danny said without thinking. Wait, Gregor? Wasn’t he the-

“What?” Paulina interrupted his train of thought. Oh right, Gregor was the exchange student that Sam dated once.

“He’s Hungarian,” Danny said.

“Ugh! He is NOT Hungarian!” Paulina stomped her foot. “He just pretends to be, for attention.”

“Gregor broke up with you?” Star put a sympathetic hand on Danny’s shoulder.

“Yeah…” Danny started to nod.

No.

“I mean-”

I broke up with him.

“I broke up with him!” Danny clutched his chest dramatically.

‘Cause he was cheating on me.

“‘Cause he was cheating on meeeeeee!” Danny cried, falling to his knees.

The Squip slapped the side of his head.

Hey Hamlet, be more chill!

Danny got up and rubbed his arms anxiously. It seems like Paulina and Star weren’t that bothered by his overdramatic display. Instead, they were arguing.

“What did I tell you!” Paulina gestured at Star. “Gregor’s the worst!”

Star turned to Danny and smiled at him.

“You are so much better off without him, Danny,” Star said.

“Obviously! I mean, who does Gregor think he is?” Paulina started ranting, and Star nodded along sympathetically.

“What just happened?” Danny asked the Squip.

A shared negative opinion is the fastest way to make a social bond. If you want someone to like you, you can just hate who they hate, Squip-Phantom explained.

That… made a lot of sense. Danny thought about the time a bunch of ghosts had banded together to overtake Pariah Dark’s army. They all only got along because they hated the ghost king. But Danny had never thought the same idea would work for social situations like this.

Danny, that’s why I’m here. I’m going to help you.

Danny nodded. He was glad that he had the Squip’s help.

#danny phantom #be more ghost #danny phantom fanfiction #my fic #my art #tw suicide mention

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