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withthewindinherfootsteps · 6 months ago

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Wei Wuxian and Narrative Agency – Part Three

For Xiantober Day Five: Past and Present, in which the author gets very unhinged about what parts of the past are shown and how that’s affected by the present!

(Part One | Part Two | Full version on AO3)

The Power of Agency: Shaping the Narrative

When I've discussed Wei Wuxian's agency previously, I’ve talked about how what’s shown and omitted tells us about a character, and we’ve talked about the character himself. Though this is a niche topic, it’s not necessarily something out of the ordinary to analyse, and we can assume everything up to here has been in some way intentional.

This? Linking structure to a character’s in-universe preferences?

This is where we get unhinged.

Before I start, let’s quickly establish something which will be important later: although Wei Wuxian is the central character, MDZS isn’t strictly from his POV. While omitting events a character doesn’t like to dwell on and concealing things the character wishes to hide is common in books with only one narrator, MDZS has multiple narrators which it switches between relatively quickly. This includes Wei Wuxian, but it also includes nearly every major character that appears in the story, and omniscient narrator as well. As a default, this format doesn’t lead to this deliberate shaping and omission because of one character’s preferences, since we have many other sources of information and events – which is what makes Wei Wuxian’s influence over the narrative and structure so interesting. We could have access to a lot more information, and access to it at different times, than we do (and that’s not an insult, quite the opposite!).

To begin: we’ve established that times such as Wei Wuxian’s time on the streets, his three months in the Burial Mounds and his loss in the Siege aren’t shown because Wei Wuxian has little agency there. But that’s not the only special thing about them. They’re also the three most traumatic times in his life, and so moments Wei Wuxian himself either can’t remember, or doesn’t like to dwell on.

This is why discussing Wei Wuxian’s treatment of tragedy in his life was important. Firstly, it shows he doesn’t focus on the tragedy in his life, so the idea that the narrative not focusing on this tragedy relates to his character has merit; secondly, it affirms that this is not a passive trait, but a choice. Therefore, when the narrative omits events due to this aspect of Wei Wuxian, it’s respecting not only a character detail – which would be cool by itself – but also an active decision. One that shapes the story it’s made in.

In other words, its very structure is respecting Wei Wuxian’s agency!

Now, of course there are flashbacks to other moments of his past he probably wouldn’t like to dwell on, too. But within the structure, they’re only shown when Wei Wuxian is thinking about them (or when he has reason to)!

Wei WuXian hadn’t woken up yet. His eyes were still tightly shut, yet his hand didn’t let go either. He seemed to be dreaming, muttering, “… Don’t… Don’t be angry…” Lan WangJi seemed somewhat surprised. His voice was gentle, “I am not angry.” Wei WuXian, “… Oh.” Hearing this, as though he finally felt assured, his fingers loosened. Lan WangJi sat beside Wei WuXian for a while. Seeing that he was motionless again, he was about to stand up when Wei WuXian grabbed him with his other hand, hugging his arm and refusing to let go. He shouted, “I’ll go with you, quick, take me back to your sect!” Chapter 63, EXR translation

Which, of course, is him dwelling on…

Lan WangJi spoke one word at a time, “Go back to Gusu with me.” Hearing this, both Wei WuXian and Jiang Cheng were surprised. Quickly afterward, Wei WuXian laughed, “Go back to Gusu with you? To the Cloud Recesses? Why go there?” He immediately seemed to realize, “Oh. I forgot. Your uncle Lan QiRen hates crooked people like me. You’re his proudest disciple, so of course you’re the same as him, haha. I refuse.” Chapter 62, EXR translation

…the painful flashback immediately preceding this. The third set of flashbacks (which are also painful) are a similar case. Look at the contex:

He lifted the bottom of his robe, revealing a prosthetic leg made of wood, “This leg of mine was destroyed by you, that night in the Nightless City (…)” (…) “Wei WuXian, I won’t ask you if you remember or not. Both of my parents died by your hands. You owe too many people. You definitely won’t remember them either. But, I, Fang MengChen, will never forget! And never forgive you!” (…) “In the fight at Qiongqi Path, my son was strangled to death by your dog Wen Ning!” “My shixiong died by poison, his entire body festering due to your cruel curse!” Chapter 68 (immediately preceding the flashbacks), EXR translation

And Wei Wuxian’s own thoughts and words:

Wei WuXian looked at the cultivators before the Demon-Slaughtering Cave. Their expressions were the absolute same as those of the cultivators from the night of the pledge conference, pouring their wine on the ground as they took the pledge to scatter the ashes of the Wen Sect’s remnants and him. (…) Wei WuXian, “Now it’s time to ask just whom it is that treasures it so much. It’s like Wen Ning. Back then, some certain sects or so were scared to death of the Ghost General. They said they’d kill him on the surface, but behind their backs they hid him for over ten years. How strange. Who was the one that said his ashes had been scattered back then?” Chapter 79 (immediately succeeding the flashbacks), EXR translation

Once again, Wei Wuxian’s own thoughts relate to the flashbacks we’ve just been shown. And, as I previously mentioned, though all the events which are shown are tragic, they’re also events which Wei Wuxian’s own choices and actions shaped – which he has this to say about:

“The things I did, not only do you remember them, I remember them too. You won’t forget them, and they’ll stay even longer in my mind!” Chapter 82, EXR

Admittedly, this applies more to the third set of flashbacks than the second (which is still fitting as the third set was the most recent), as in the second, although he still had agency within and influence over his circumstances, the majority of the pain was caused by others’ actions (excluding, of course, the Golden Core transfer… which is something we know stays for a long time in his mind, albeit with a caveat we’ll soon discuss). But it’s still important to note – especially considering that otherwise, focusing on this very painful time in his life wouldn’t seem like something very in-character for Wei Wuxian to do.

Of course, this can all just be explained by good writing. It is best to insert flashbacks when they’re relevant to the characters and events in the present day! But it is interesting to compare these to the start of the (not painful) Gusu flashbacks, which open this way:

At a later time, Wei WuXian pondered upon the reason why his relationship with Lan WangJi wasn’t good. Getting to the root of the matter, everything started when he was fifteen, coming to the GusuLan Sect with Jiang Cheng to study for three months. Chapter 13, EXR

Again, considering the circumstances around which these flashbacks take place – returning to the Cloud Recesses for the first time since the lectures, and meeting Lan Wangji once more – it makes complete sense for Wei Wuxian to be thinking about these events*. So it does fit the pattern of Wei Wuxian dwelling on something, thus leading to the narrative dwelling on it, too (and being shaped by his thoughts)… but there’s another layer to this. Importantly, it is the only flashback where Wei Wuxian’s present thoughts don’t lead to this happening, with his thoughts at an unspecified future time leading to it, instead. I like to interpret this as the text saying that, since these events aren’t something Wei Wuxian wouldn’t focus on in normal circumstances, he can dwell on them at any time. Therefore, they’re free to come up in the narrative at any time as well, even if he’s not dwelling on them in the present moment!

So, to summarise: Wei Wuxian’s decision not to focus on the painful times in his life directly influences the narrative to not focus on these times. When painful times are brought up and shown to us, it’s in the context of him thinking about them in the present day, and even then, his most painful moments still aren’t shown to us. His agency in this regard is still respected by the narrative structure.

This is the main way his agency influences the structure of the narrative, but I’d like to talk about the revealing and concealing of information, too. For example, I said I’d talk about the Golden Core transfer – though Wei Wuxian does think about this many times, as evidenced by his internal narration in Chapter 103. But unlike everything we’re shown through the flashbacks, this is something Wei Wuxian is actively trying to hide from others. And the narrative respects this choice (Wei Wuxian’s agency, again), never reveals it even when it would be relevant in the flashbacks, and we find out not through narration, but through a character’s dialogue!

And to clarify – I know these aspects may not be in the book for this exact reason. Showing flashbacks in relevant moments is good writing, concealing an important plot point you want to do a reveal for is necessary writing, and MXTX has said she didn’t want to write about Wei Wuxian’s time in the Burial Mounds, due to not liking to write transformation sequences (and also because it would not be pleasant at all, which likely also applies to Wei Wuxian’s death). That doesn’t prevent it from also being intentional – MXTX’s intelligence is shown in many aspects of this book, and there’s nothing disproving it – but there’s no proof for either option, so I won’t pretend there is. I bring this up because I know this feels like I’m overanalysing, as I feel that way as well.

But, whether it’s intentional or not, it exists in the text, and I adore it – so, regardless, it’s something I’ll explore. Because taking this into account… We aren't just told about Wei Wuxian having agency, we aren’t just shown it in the text, we aren’t even just shown it through which parts of his past are shown and hidden in the structure of the text (as I talked about in Part One). The parts of the past that are shown and hidden also have an in-universe reason for being shown and hidden, this reason being the choices he makes! Agency is the ability of a character to influence the story they’re in, but Wei Wuxian’s agency, as a property of a character who only exists in-universe, shapes the out-of-universe structure as well! That’s how we’re shown its importance! How cool is that?

At The End Of The Road: Summary and Final Thoughts

In this essay, we’ve covered how important Wei Wuxian’s agency is not only to the events of the plot, but to the structure of the narrative as well. The narrative omits periods in which Wei Wuxian has little or no agency, in favour of showing us periods in which he does, even when important events happened in the former. This indicates that who Wei Wuxian is without agency isn’t important enough to be shown to the audience, and therefore that his agency is an integral aspect of his character in MDZS. We’ve discussed how both in-universe and out-of-universe, tragedy does not define him – out-of-universe, the tragic events in Wei Wuxian’s life are used not to build sympathy but rather to show his strength of character and who he still is despite going through them; and in-universe, he chooses not to focus on the negativity and resentment caused by his circumstances or others’ actions, instead staying true to his moral compass and enjoying his life in the present day. Finally, we’ve also explored how this choice is another reason for the omission of certain events from the narrative, resulting in his agency shaping the story in a very literal way – it affects the out-of-universe structure, as well.

It’s quite fitting, for a story whose essence is about defying a conventional narrative – that of righteous clans rising up and defeating a great evil – and about a character who defies many conventional narratives on his own – that of status defining how skilled you could be, that for a golden core being necessary for cultivation and other paths being unavailable, that of a tragic but complete story of someone killed for staying true to their moral code (instead, that character returns to life and has a happy ending) – to have its own narrative play a role in such an important and interesting way.

(Or, if an image would be preferable:)

Thank you for reading!

(Part One | Part Two | Full version on AO3)

*This strong relation to the present day circumstances is another reason I love the flashback placement so much (and why I think it’s such a loss both screen adaptions altered it so strongly)!

#get ready for tag thoughts because there are a LOT of them #it’s for THIS reason that fanon wwx bothers me so much (didn’t want to get negative on the acual post)#bc so often all the changes are changes that woobify him!#self-sacrificial idiot wwx?? only doing things because… poor him he has so many internal issues and values himself so little-#-so of course he’d sacrifice everything before thinking of another option? woobifying #(whenever he sacrifices something it’s a deliberate choice to act on his morals because he values his morals so much – and he’s also very-#-capable and DOES often find ways for no people to get hurt!)#wasn’t aware that what happened to him at lotus pier was wrong and needs lwj to tell him that for him to have any idea if it?#woobifying (as we see in the lotus seed pod extra he KNOWS it’s unfair)#(he downplays it retroactively in his memory (links into not focusing on the bad things in his life))#(but that’s the actions themselves that are being downplayed not their fairness!)#he chooses to act! he is defined by acting! not tragedy – all the more impressive in the face of the amount of tragedy that’s happened #he could SO EASILY have been a woobie but instead he’s the opposite of one: defined BY his agency instead of the absence of it #that doesn’t mean he’s not impacted by tragedy or trauma – he is! but it’s not the most important aspect of his character (bc he doesn’t le #it’s also something that bothers me about the changes cql made #by making qq path and nightless city the fault of someone else it means he IS someone who’s more a victim of circumstance than anything els #he had no control over the tragedies of his first life at all #apart from ig his death being controlled by him? because he just leaps off the cliff during the nightless city siege?? but in THAT case it’#i watched that part recently (i’m getting through it very slowly) and yeah it reaffirmed my love for this aspect of the book even more #despite. having these exact thoughts for two years already #he also dwells on the past events a lot more than book wwx which adds to that version of him BEING defined more by tragedy rather than who #anyway over 7.3k words total (and 400 more in the tags apparently)... it'll be posted to ao3 in its completion this evening!#mdzs meta #my meta #wei wuxian #mdzs #mo dao zu shi #魔道祖师 #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #gdc

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sweetlikehoneystingslikeabee · 4 months ago

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"Halloween Theme Park" Pt. 3 Rogues Party

Sorry, I know it's late but better late then never, lads! We're going to do a series of asks based on the same prompt of going to a theme park that does horror mazes in halloween (see: HHN at Universal Studio, Knotts Scary Farm, Fright Fest at Six Flags, etc). LAST ONE. then back to normal asks I swear.

TW: Horror mazes, theme parks

Riddler

You didn't have to convince him much. The moment you said anything about animatronics and the level of theater involved, he was into it. Will get a disability pass for his knee (and other injuries he's gotten fighting batman over the years). Will play it up that he has a brace for his knee AND a cane, too. Why yes, the two of you shouldn't have to wait in the hour to hours-long-throng of people who might get too close and breathe on him.

Is he petty enough to look at the prices of things and hack into the park system so you get a massive discount? Pffft. Yes, yes he is. It's one of those things no one is going to see unless they're looking. And by the time they look, he'll be long gone out of the system without a trace. If they didn't want things like this to happen, they really should up their security. Needless to say, whatever you want sweetheart, it's on his tab.

He does jump when the scare actors get him and it's all in good fun. Will get his feathers ruffled if someone gets him good or in a way he considers a "Cheat." Won't cause a fuss, however, because this is your thing and shockingly he doesn't want to make any of this about himself. The ones he won't be as gracious to are guests of the park making fools of themselves or being obnoxious. At best, he'll trip them with his cane. At worst, he'll sneak photos of their faces for later Riddler trials.

Favorite themes are sci-fi which is such a shock no one could have ever guessed. If it has ARG, interactive or "secret" elements, he's going to be the one to find all of it. He found a button to press and has a child's sized bead bracelet now and he's very proud of it. If he sees larger animatronics or SFX, he will try to pause to get a look at the mechanics. Something fascinating for him to see the gears so to speak. Will even pay extra for an entire behind the scenes tour.

Penguin

You do have to convince him to go, but it's not a hard convince. Mostly, it's just not his fare. He's seen plenty of awful things in Gotham that border on real-life horror. Plus, there's a lot of disfigurement used as the "fear" element in these kinds of things that leaves a poor taste in his mouth. However, if you ask and make it clear you really want to do this with him, he will.

Does not look at prices. Whether it's the ticket or food or souvenirs... He's got the funds. If there's a possibility for VIP tickets with something like hotel or a spooky dinner included, you don't even have to ask, that's what he's getting. You deserve it. If there's food the place is known for that's good, he's getting it.

There's a fair chance some drunk at the park will make a comment on his stature or looks. It's dark, not everyone can tell who he is in these settings. It can almost be forgiven. Almost. At best, he'll pull them close by the collars and remind them just who he is and what he can do to them. At worst, he's going to remember their face for later, colder revenge. Head under the ice at the lounge, for example.

His favorite mazes would be ones with historical themes, gangsters, that kind of thing. It's familiar. Like looking at a twisted fun-house mirror of his own life and interests. Might even tip his metaphorical hat to a scare actor that banters with him in that kind of outfit.

Mad Hatter

You need to convince him. Several of his crimes border on horrific and genuine terror, but he doesn't seek out horror himself. If anything, he sees things of that nature and sort of... doesn't. He sees Wonderland instead. So going out of his way to be in a horror maze is a bit- you mention costuming and he perks up. Costuming?

Oh. The outfittings! The dedication to details in a scare actors look! He's quite fond of getting closer to the actors in a respectful manner and complimenting their aesthetics in hopes they'll pause and give him a better glance. If he has a sketch pad with him, he's already scribbling and drawing haphazardly. Not of the actors per say, but the ideas they give him. Inspirations... How he can twist it to his perfect world.

Low-key is asking you to take photos of souvenirs you like because he very well might be able to just... make it without it costing 50 dollars. He's absolutely anti-paying this kind of money. It's practically highway robbery! ...However he will pay a little extra for something sweet the two of you will share. Funnel cake, that kind of thing.

So much nervous laughter when he's in the mazes. Lots of "oh! hehehe yes you got me! AHAHAH oh very good!" This is so different then when Jonathan scares him! This is... Not nearly as fun. Still somewhat enjoyable just different. Good thing it's with you!

Scarecrow

He got his own post :)

Music Meister

The biggest wuss on this list. Phantom of the Opera and Frankenstein are about his levels of horror and even then, it's mostly the musical/stage-play versions. If you get him to go on the basis of set-building and the fact that each maze is like a contained live play, he'll find it much more interesting. That's the ONLY reason you convince him to go.

Listen. Clarence is a great guy. He would defend you and protect you through fire if need be. That said, in horror mazes, he does threaten to sprain your arm with the way he twists it close to him when an actor jumps. You aren't a body shield or anything, but you'll notice he shirks behind you on a particularly good scare.

Doesn't really plan on buying anything because the tickets were already kind of expensive (says the man who would pay insane prices for a theater seat)- But if there's something in particular that you like, he either buy it orrrrr do a quick song and dance routine for it at the cash register (it's fine). It's not dissimilar to what he'll do to a rude guest. Except the rude guests will be convinced to walk behind a roller coaster fence :)

If he can get over his fears long enough, you'll catch him ogling the props and set pieces. Standing in one spot a little too long to look at something. What does this contribute to the visual storytelling?

Victor Zsasz

If you mentioned it as something you like to do, he's already bought tickets for it. Maybe even earlier than someone should have been able to. You aren't really sure how he did that and maybe it's better you don't ask. He's just pleased that you're pleased. He's flirting with the monsters/slashers and/or asking which ones you'd let pin you and- quietly! Only to you.

He acts rather nonchalant about prices of things. Doesn't seem to pay much mind to them either way. And yet those dark eyes seem to linger on you as you look at things. If you express interest in something, he'll offer to get it for you. That's what boyfriends do, right? Whether it's a new shirt or some obscenely cute plush with fake blood.

If he could fuck you in the mazes without any consequences, he would. Seeing the fake blood and gore gets him going. The more the better! That's his favorite type of maze. This is all giving him some roleplay ideas... At one point he's definitely going to make out with you either just after a maze or sometime during the night when he can sneak you to a dark corner.

Rude guests? Who would be rude to a man physically covered in tally marks from head-to-toe? Maybe if they were stupid, sure. He'd give them a moment to apologize while staring. It's your night, so he'll try to behave. If they're rude to you, however... He leans in close to their ear, whispering. You can't make it all out but he's smiling in that way of his- The guest leaves in a rush. You're not sure if Victor will do whatever he just threatened... but considering it's you there's a fair chance that's a yes.

Killer Croc

He's uncomfortable with the idea, at first. What if someone confuses him for a scare actor because of how he looks? You find that it's something he's always been curious about but didn't go for that reason. It does happen, but not as often as he feared. Occasionally he does startle an actual scare actor and he feels bad.

Funny enough, he's probably not the one handling a rude guest in this scenario. Someone DOES start to harass him based on his looks (entitlement plus liquor) and he's doing his best not to bash on the guy. He doesn't want to fuck this up for you because of his temper- And then you see another guest jumping in. Are you harassing his man because of how he looks? Are you some ableist prick making fun of him because we're at a horror event? Oh it becomes a thing. What many people don't realize is what a draw these events can be for people who are differently abled whether it's physical or neurodivergency- Someone would be on the rude guest before either of you had to really step in.

He will be disappointed in 90% of the theme park food because he knows he could make this better. You both know this. He'd rather make food before or after and snack on things. Souvenirs? All they do is collect dust like an old ladies knick-knacks huh? He guesses if you want it- Holy shit how much do they want for it? Some of these people need to be in Arkham for these prices, he swears. But he'll get it for you if you don't get it yourself.

If there's a voodoo/hoodoo based maze, he's steering clear from it. He's heard enough offensive stereotypes about that sort of thing for a life time. It's just annoying at this point. He actually doesn't mind circus or freak show themes because of his moonlighting back in the day. Yeah, maybe they should kill all the gawkers, actually.

Harley Quinn

You don't have to convince her at all. You mention date night at a horror theme park and she jokes about if Crane is in charge of it. Apparently he did a haunted house last year that sent people running out. But she supposes a whole park dedicated to it would probably be okay ;P . Of course she wants to go, it's going to be fun and thrilling! And if the scaring doesn't get her heart going, she'll run to a roller coaster!

Lowkey loves being chased. She will instigate a scare actor by running and squealing if someone actually gets her. Is she truly scared? Fuck no. Then, Harley gets downright goofy if there's a clown maze or scare zone. Big "you see your cousins at the store" kind of energy. So much banter, especially since she's somewhat plainclothes and they might actually not recognize her.

Doesn't seem to pay much attention to pricing of food or merchandise unless it's particularly egregious. Then she's hands on hips "Whaddya mean you want that much? Highway robbery, that's what that is!" Do you want her to steal it? She can steal it and they probably wouldn't notice (they would).

She'll fight somebody if they're rude to you or employees. Tiny but mighty that's absolutely her. You wanna say somethin'? If you have any strength, there's a chance you can pick her up before she actually hurts someone. Because she WILL hurt them, especially if they physically harmed an actor.

Poison Ivy

This was the kind of thing she never got invited to do when she wasn't "pretty." Group night out or dates... and she never saw the point of going by herself. So it's on when you bring it up for a date night. When she goes she's in full spooky fashion. The woman could be doing a modeling session for insta if she wanted. She's giving beautiful decay and rot, babes.

In the spirit of behaving and not making a scene, any rude guests will find themselves trapped in place by plants as you and Pamela walk away at a moderate pace. A wave of her hand and suddenly they're tangled in the grass of all things. Wow. That sucks. Guess it's a good thing for them she can't feed them to her carnivore plants.

Will absolutely use her powers of charm and plant-based pheromones to get discounts on stuff in the park. Oh, was there some shirt you wanted or a stuffed animal and it's too expensive? She's got this. Either that or she pulls out one of those premium credit cards that she absolutely did not con off of someone.

For the most part she barely regards the scare actors with a glance unless they specifically target her. If a scare actor manages to surprise her particularly well, she'll give a few well-placed curses and plants around her grow in a spurt. She'll give a dry laugh and walk it off, mostly based on your reaction. She's a good sport about it. For themes- Literally any kind of theme set in nature or about nature taking over? That's her bag, no notes, everyone deserves it. Creepy crawlies count, too! Club settings with electronic noise and grinding machinery are less to her taste.

Two-Face

Both of them are very tentative to going. Harvey doesn't want to be confused for a scare actor... and Harv has a similar feeling but in the sense of not wanting to be gawked at. They'll go if you REALLY want, but it's completely for you. Might even try to be low-key and in disguise.

Harv complains about every single price. With what you paid for to get in here, the drinks should be free, at least. Harvey has no problem shelling out just because this whole thing is focused on you, anyways. Harv may eventually join in on the prospect of spoiling you considering that's his bag.

If someone was brave (read: stupid) enough to actually comment on Two-Face being there with their looks? "It'd be a damn shame for me to take out your eyes-" and a lisping growl from Harv as they get far too close to whoever said it. If it's you, they're lifting the person off their feet and there's a need to get them to cool off.

HATES asylum bits. Especially if there's poorly done plot-lines with DID in them. "Been there!" Harv exclaims. "Done that-" Harvey finishes. It's just tasteless and insulting at this point, especially given the large amount of press given to the rotating door residents of Arkham. Similarly to Penguin, he'll like historical themes, especially mobsters and the like.

Black Mask

Honestly? You convince him and I'm not sure it would go well. The park doesn't want to let him in due to the "mask" on his face and he's threatening staff members. You have to remember his medical documentation or else NEITHER of you will be getting into the park. Then someone asks if he wants a disability pass and he's throwing another fit. The semi-ableist toxicity is real if it's towards himself. To be clear, if you needed accommodations he'd fight bare-knuckled for you. The next realistic thing that I could see happening? Someone jumps at you and Roman, on instinct, knocks their lights out and you get kicked from the park.

We'll pretend that didn't happen though. He's cocky and refuses to be scared by anything. Someone jumps at him, he just glares at them in some strange macho way of trying to intimidate them. This results in some fun interactions where there's just. a stand-off. The scare actors might even know who he is and they know he can't do shit about it here. He's forced to play into it until you pull him away. It goes about the same for rude guests, although he might actually have those guys killed off screen later.

He will not comment on prices of anything because he's better than that. Also, I mean, it's one banana, Michael. What could it cost? 10 dollars? He does have that... rich people blindness to what something should cost vs. mark up. So yeah you'll be leaving with plenty of things you absolutely did not need but it caught your eye and he wants you happy.

He's dead-set on none of it scares him when you ask him what he liked. Not the question you were asking but O-K. In truth, he doesn't like incredibly low-light mazes because he doesn't like being unable to see what's in front of him- nor does he like grasping his way around with his hands. He doesn't mind body horror, especially face action. Makes him think of his start...

Mr. Freeze

You have to convince him to go and you pretty much have to promise to be at his side the entire time. It isn't because he's cowardly or anxious, he just doesn't like jump scares. If it's at you or at minimum both of you, that takes some of the edge of it off. It's an activity for the two of you, not... random people trying to scare a man in a full breathing apparatus.

The funny thing about this is that scare actors typically will not go for him. He's tall, broad, and he's recognizable as THE Mr. Freeze from a distance. Some people might even think he's a scare actor until they're right up on him. This does work to his advantage to rude guests, though. He just sort of... looks at them. Doesn't need to do much and they back off.

He doesn't really eat. Not... in public anyways. He has his nutritional lines that pumps directly into his system allowing a perfect ratio of needed calories for the night. He also doesn't see the joy or interest in merchandising. He won't object to you partaking, however.

His feelings on scare actors does transfer to the whole of mazes. It's just... not really his thing. He will like themes related to the arctic or freezing, predictably enough. Sort of a happy place. It's what his perfect world would look like, except for you in protective gear yourself. Perhaps more theming related to science fiction? He did always like those comics as a young boy...

Ra's al-Ghul

Why would you pay to get scared? That's the first thing he asks. Then when you try to explain it, he goes off into a ramble about the state of the world. People used to have problems- things they were really frightened of! Yes, ghost and horror stories always existed but this is taking it to an entirely new level- He's going to sound like such an old man about this. Yes, you have to convince him.

When people jump at him, he just rather... blinks. Unlike Black Mask who is trying to keep an image, Ra's is truly unphased. He will compliment a scare actors makeup and is pleasantly surprised when they pose mid-snarl for him to get a better look. Ah. It's theatrics. The people who do this are proud of the artistry. Interactive play... Hm. It puts it in a different, more enjoyable light for him.

Will not be purchasing any expensive merchandising. The whole thing is gauche and reeks of capitalism. Outside of the people actually working the event, he feels surrounded by entitlement and rude behaviors. He is one drunk guest bumping into him and saying something before he contemplates Actual Crimes. He'll opt to glare into their soul instead but they don't know how close he was.

Gravely insulted by any kind of theming about indigenous cultures (not done correctly/thrashed) or "ancient spooky religions oooo." He feels a deep hostility that turns him into a bit of a Karen, I'm ngl to you. However, will appreciate a well-decorated set that fits a theme. It has to make sense.

Bane

No. Very politely, just no. It's not about how you ask him or how you convince him, this is a hard no for him. He does not like people jumping at him, he does not like the tight spaces. Nothing about scare actors or mazes appeals to him. Plus, he knows his instinct in fight, flight or freeze is to fight. He knows he would lash out at someone on instinct and that would be irresponsible of him to go to an event like this.

Take him trick or treating. Hell, take him trunk-or-treating. He'd love to go to a pumpkin patch with you! He'll gladly try to go to a theme park with you outside of a horror event. He might have a hard time fitting in on rides but... He'll go! Just, please, mi amor, don't ask him to do this one thing.

He would absolutely support you going. Pick you up and drop you off, even just so you're not driving late or having to pay for a hotel. If you need extra money for a ticket or for merchandise to go with your friends, he's more than happy to help out. There's nothing in him that wants to ruin something you genuinely enjoy.

You can tell him all about it once you're home with him. Fun stories or your favorite mazes and why- Let him share this with you in a different way.

#the demon in my brain: you can do a whole detailed rogues write up on haunted houses just do it it'll be fun #screaming from the other room: WRONG HOLIDAY #riddler #penguin dc #mad hatter dc #music meister #victor zsasz #killer croc #harley quinn #poison ivy dc #two-face #black mask #Mr. freeze #ras al ghul #Bane #rogues party

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