Ask Me About My AUs And OCs

i feel like the problem with this question is best illustrated by a conversation i had with a friend a while back, where i said something like, "i feel very safe with you because you don't do subtle hints and you are always very straight-up with me about what you are thinking and feeling."

Like he tells no one that he's doing that and he definitely doesn't tell anyone why.

And he's controlling and constantly panicking and seems on the verge of attacking anyone who even remotely suggests that maybe immediately pouring every resource they have into [saving Grace's life] isn't something Erid is capable of and surely we can take our time and spread these resources out a bit more? the alien has some form of mass atp storage like we do right? and Adrian has to be the one to correct their math because if they don't Rocky will correct their carapace from being sealed to open. And Adrian emphasizes that no, the time crunch for keeping Grace alive is definitely real and yes Erid is perfectly capable of sustaining the alien because it uses less than half of the nutrients an Eridian needs, but more complicated tasks like repairing its ship can wait until Erid recovers a bit more, and yes even though the dome isn't ready yet leaving Grace on the Mary for longer than absolutely necessary would be torturing it so if we'll turn our attention back to photic layer lab λ where we already have personnel with high-oxygen environment safety training--

And he's running himself ragged to keep up with it all because he's the only one on Erid who understands any Earth language and he can't leave this up to the translation software, he can't, and more than that he can't just leave any aspect of Grace's care to the experts, he has to be there making sure everyone stays on task and isn't secretly planning on dissecting Grace or about to accidentally give him something poisonous, and it's torture. After 50 years without another Eridian he thought he'd be happier. Normal. Instead, too many voices at once leaves him overwhelmed and terrified, and forget joining a thrum. The last thrum he was a part of was with his crew, trying to figure out what was making them sick.

Eridians are full of heavy metals and their cells are protected by a thick, inorganic stone carapace. I think the point at which the crew would have been exposed to lethal amounts of radiation would have been while they were eating, when there's nothing protecting their insides. It would've burned them, and mercury decays and becomes radioactive itself when it's exposed to radiation. On top of the initial dose they got, their own blood would be giving them another dose, either continuous (some mercury isotopes have very long half lives) or some mercury isotopes have a half life measured in minutes (which would be more dangerous).

And if any of that blood got outside their bodies (and it probably did, I don't know by what means the Eridian carapace reseals itself but it's described as like... folding, in the book, I imagine that doesn't go so well after radiation exposure) then congratulations the next person who eats nearby is getting a dose, too, even if they're not in a particularly radioactive part of space (which I don't believe happens much out in interstellar space, but 40 Eridani a's heliosphere would be protecting them somewhat until they left their system). Rocky spent 46 years thinking a novel but otherwise normally behaving space illness took out his crew, because that's exactly what it would have looked like. They probably thought the life support system was broken, somehow, and been desperately trying to fix it. They definitely would have thought Rocky was a carrier, would've asked him to watch them sleep (and be watched in turn) from his workshop, to slow the spread.

Fun fact about atoms, they can emit light when struck by radioactive particles, like the ones coming from an exposed Eridian's blood. Fun fact about Eridian brains: they're crystalline structures and they think using light rather than electricity.

So we can probably add involuntary movement, memory loss, confusion or delirium, false memories, and hallucinations to the list of Eridian ARS symptoms.

Imagine joining a hive mind with your crew only to find that despite the fact that your species has near perfect memory recall, the smartest people on your planet can barely think.

And I don't think Rocky’s talked about What Happened On The Blip-A much but I do think Grace puts a lot of it together based on what Rocky has told him about.

So when Rocky is busy torturing himself to save Grace, Adrian comes up to the Hail Mary because it's the only place they can go where they won't feel awful for being the only one whose loved one returned and "complaining" that it's still not enough. Essentially, she goes to the Mary to cry, since she can do that outside Grace's hearing range. No one has to know.

Except humans might not be able to hear infrasound (look the book specifies lower octaves mean deeper sadness when Eridians cry, it'd be infrasound if you're trying to vent your feelings where an alien can't hear you) but if it's loud enough we can feel the vibrations (and some people report feeling nauseous and a general sense of dread), so like. Grace catches them and asks them what's wrong, freaks out a little bit when they say "Rocky" but eventually, based of what Adrian is saying, puts together "oh Rocky must be self quarantining because he thinks he's still contagious and I'm pretty sure me bleeding from the mouth because of the scurvy and possibly having cognitive symptoms depending on if the beriberi is dry or wet (or sometimes other vitamin deficiencies can cause memory loss) after being on a ship for four years with only him for company isn't helping him not think he's going to get you sick if he gets too close to you"

So Adrian goes to confront Rocky the next time she has to sleep and Rocky has a full on breakdown because he can't lose anyone else, he has to fix it, he has to save Grace and keep Adrian from getting sick too, he can't lose a twenty-third, he can't be the last survivor again, he can save this one, he has to save this one. He wants to save Grace, because Grace is his friend, but deeper than that Rocky is terrified of Grace dying, because unlike the other twenty-two members of his crew, if Grace dies no one will be able to tell him it was from something he couldn't have fixed. If Grace lives, if Adrian lives, then that means he's not poison, he's not carrying a disease, he's capable of protecting the people he cares about the most.

If Grace and Adrian live, then maybe Rocky can deserve to live, too.

Imagine for a second you are Adrian surname The Eridian. Your spouse has been missing and presumed dead for around a decade, and suddenly one day an alien spaceship comes into orbit. And you cheer "Yay alien species have realized we have the same problem and have come to either give us a solution or join or efforts, too bad my mate is still gone."

Except he is not actually gone, because the eridian equivalent of a carebear decided to save them. And he doesn't want anything in return, in fact he is well aware that he might die A PAINFUL SLOW DEATH, shortly after fighting just to get the love of your life back to you. But it's ok :) because Rocky (yes he gave them a silly name) is my best friend! Oh- Are you ok-

note: I (the owner of this blog and maker of wheels) am not into warrior cats! I just thought this would be fun to make

I have a thing for minor background characters, that much is obvious by my fandom track record. Young MacGuffin is a prime example of my love for the characters nobody gives a toss aboot. So! Like I usually do, I’m gonnae explain why. Hold onto your arses.

1: Just look at that mug

Look at it! He’s shakin in his wee boots, bless. God I love the suitors. First we’re introduced to young Macintosh, who’s vain, arrogant and a right arsehole into the bargain (I love him, he’s such a prick). In direct contrast you have young MacGuffin, who’s all nerves and shyness, and waiting for his dad’s queues to act. MacIntosh is a leader, but MacGuffin is a follower. He tries to make himself as small as possible, but for all his bungling awkwardness, Merida actually takes notice of him (this is why I consider the Merida/MacGuffin epilogue in the artbook/deleted scene to be canon, it’s a conclusion to this particular scene).

Side note: I love this scene as a character moment for Merida. She’s not interested in getting married and plans on doing everything in her power to get out of it, but she’s still a teenage girl and she sees something in MacGuffin, despite his …MacGuffinness. Let’s face it, he’s not typical of your male Disney romantic interests (he ain’t no Flynn), which is a very welcome change. But more than anything, I love that it’s Merida who is the one to show interest first, it’s not from his perspective or a romance led by him trying to win her over. I need more female characters to lead/own their romance in fiction full stop. On top of that, this scene exists but it’s not important to the movie, which is why it didn’t make the cut. Even though we know what happens from the deleted scene/artbook epilogue, it didn’t make the film because it’s not important to her story right now. So yeah, thumbs up, I dig it. Go get yer lad, Merida.

Still peeking…

2. The Banter

Cannae beat the Scottish banter! The more indecipherable the better. Plus I’m a sucker for Doric (it’s both melodic and hilarious- Doric speakers can never pronounce my name at all, they always wind up calling me Helga. Fuck knows how they get there cos my name’s Halima.)

When MacGuffin was first introduced I had this horrible feeling they were going to give him a ridiculous, insulting voice, but thank god for Kevin McKidd! People tend to focus on young MacGuffin’s dialect rather than what he says. Can we just for a minute appreciate what a cheeky wee shit he is?

“If he wis a wee bit closer, ah could lob a caber at him, ye ken.”

(translation: If he was a little bit closer, I could throw a log at him, you know.”)

Teasing young MacIntosh and Dingwall about Mor'du.

“Since yer saying it and I wasn’t there to see it myself, I’ll go ahead and take yer word for it.” 

(translation: You bunch of lying bawbags, you can stay here and sit on your tod, nice and safe, while I go ahead and check it out for real)

Ha! Dick.

3. Such a dork

Young MacGuffin’s a massive nerd. Out of the three suitors and the lords, he’s the only one who’s ridiculously excited over joining the hunt for Mor'du. Hell he’s just ridiculously excited about everything. And it makes a hilarious contrast with Posh-tosh MacIntosh (who btw has the kind of wanky accent that would get him chibbed in Glasgow).

MacGuffin: It’s all goin’ tae be settled once we get doon t’ that field!

MacIntosh: What?!

4. His friendship with young MacIntosh

Why does no one talk about this? Hell, why isn’t fandom shipping them, cos goddamn they’re cute (and this is coming from a staunch MerGuffin fan). There’s a really nice progression to their friendship in the background throughout the film. You couldn’t get two more different characters. One’s painfully shy, innocent and eager to join in; the other’s full of his own shite and struts about like a peacock with a stick up its arse. To begin, MacIntosh isn’t much impressed with Young MacGuffin. He rolls his eyes, draws him mocking looks, and makes fun of his thick dialect. But MacGuffin isn’t naive, he knows MacIntosh has an ego the size of his gigantic beak, but he’s not so shy and awkward that he bows down to it - MacGuffin gives as good as he gets. By the end, they’re the perfect odd-couple besties. Bring in Dingwall, who’s cool as a cucumber and couldnae give a flying fuck about anything, and Merida, who is both part dork, part sarky asshole, part capable badass, and they’re the perfect comedy superteam. I just want a million adventures with Merida and the suitors, ok?

Get in the sea!

5. Introspective, observant and cute as a button

I love the kind of characters who are good at reading those around them. Young MacGuffin pegs MacIntosh early on, but more importantly knows how to handle him and deal with his ego (drench it in sea water). And the look he gives his dad when he’s all ‘Let these lads try win her heart before they win her hand, if they can!’ says so much about their relationship. He loves him, does everything he can out of admiration for Lord MacGuffin, but he’s not blind to his dad’s faults (‘christ dad yer so embarrassing’ XD).

The changing expressions on young MacGuffin’ and MacIntosh’s faces are brilliant to watch during Merida’s speech to the Lords- the animation alone says so much- the way young MacIntosh’s face goes from ‘What are these mental old men on about? are they high??’ to 'Hold on. Shit, this could really benefit me.’ “IT’S A GRAND IDEA!” Meanwhile, MacGuffin’s face goes from smiling softly at Merida to looking unbearably sad when it seems the Lords aren’t going to go alone with her proposal -ugh, my heart.

6. And finally, this line.

“It’s jist nae fair makin us ficht for the hand o the quine that disnae want any bit o it. Ken?”

Which translates to:

“It’s just not fair making us fight for the hand of a girl that doesn’t want any part of it, you know?”

Dingwall and MacIntosh, much as I love them to pieces, their comments are about themselves - which fair enough, they want their freedom the same as Merida wants her’s. But young MacGuffin’s the only one who points out it’s a shitty deal forcing them to marry a girl without her consent. (and then panics because he just spoke his mind and hates drawing attention to himself, dkjasdkjdh). Can we just please have more male characters like this full stop?? Also, Merida giggling at him.

Fuck these two, they’re perfect.

TL;DR, Young MacGuffin is an awkward, shy, story-loving, easily excited, kind-hearted, thoughtful, cheeky, teasing wee fanny, and I love him.

Some extras:

Kevin McKidd: (Young MacGuffin voice actor) “…even though he can’t be understood by anyone, his heart is in the right place. He’s very sincere. He’s kind of socially awkward and shy, but he would be the right pick for Merida. At one point in the second year it was on the cards that Merida was going to pick him and that she saw in him something that she really liked, and they were going to walk off into the sunset at the end of the movie, but then that all changed.”

Kevin McKidd said he wanted the follow-up to have a happy ending with a royal wedding. “I feel bad for young MacGuffin that he didn’t get the girl, but it may be in the sequel.”

Personally, I’m so glad they didn’t go with it in the final edit of the film, but I love that it’s still there in some small way, and that it exists in the artbook as “The Epilogue”, which is how I consider it.

Jesus look at these two blushing cuties.

(lines from the deleted scene - I love the mirroring of MacGuffin and Fergus too)

Merida: For the life of me I can’t understand a word he says.

Elinor: Well dear, I didn’t understand a word your father said when I first met him, either.

150% done.

—

gif credit @plixs1​

GET HIS ASS

And Rocky is like.... Who Grace talking to? Oh okay, Grace, when last sleep?

Because Yao and Ilyukhina always show up when Grace is really really really tired.

And Rocky has the human-thinking-machine and he’s reading up on ghosts and paranormal activity and does a video while Grace is asleep like.... Earth ship haunted. Yao and Ilyukhina are obviously around to watch Grace, because Grace is all alone.

O.O