*Paladin Thoughts*

Clark has got to be one of the best-written horror antagonists in recent memory, and the thing I love most about his character is how the film makes you understand his hardships, while at the same time not using them to justify, excuse, or downplay his actions.

You really get a clear idea of how his own hardships inspire the bad decisions he makes. And at the same time, it doesn't pull any punches in showing you the consequences of those decisions, which ultimately resulted in the creation of the Captain Clark entity.

Yes, I don't doubt that he was going through a very difficult time in his life, but it goes without saying that it doesn't give him the right to lash out at everyone and make their lives difficult. And it sure as hell didn't give him the right to take out his frustrations on his spouse or Mary!!!

That's why I love (to hate) him so much! He's not some run-of-the-mill mustache-twirling villain. He's understandable, relatable, and even sympathetic! And at the same time, the film is smart enough to not use those things that make him understandable, relatable, and sympathetic to excuse the harm and hurt he chose to inflict.

As an architecture student, I was fascinated by how Backrooms turned architectural psychology into horror.

A lot of people say there wasn't enough horror because there wasn't a monster constantly chasing the characters and because there's no jumpscares, but I don't think they realize the monster was the architecture itself. And also, it's a psychological thriller and borderline horror. There's a difference. Grow up.

The film uses things we rely on to orient ourselves in space like landmarks, hierarchy, rhythm, daylight, scale, and spatial memory, then removes them or distorts them.

1. That's why Casino's don't have windows. It keeps you occupied and lose track of time. They literally distort your perception of time.

2. That's why shopping malls have looping layouts so you're forced to explore around. Like IKEA, you're psychologically “led” through a curated sequence, minimizing shortcuts and maximizing exposure to products.

3. That's why theme parks have carefully hidden service areas, controlled sightlines, immersive “world bubbles" to make you mentally stay inside a narrative environment where outside cues are eliminated.

But with Backrooms, it's manipulation of space and time and everything. All your senses are manipulated. Every room feels slightly familiar but never fully readable, so your brain keeps trying to build a mental map and failing.

What makes it scary isn't what is in the space, but what the space does to the mind. Humans constantly construct cognitive maps to understand where we are, but Backrooms breaks that process.

The circulation goes nowhere, the repetition erases reference points, and the environment sits in that unsettling zone between recognition and alienation. It creates disorientation, isolation, and paranoia without needing anything supernatural.

That is also why the concept went viral. Liminal spaces, dreamcore, whatever you call it. It feels endless, familiar yet unfamiliar, and deeply convincing in its emptiness. The suspense comes from thinking something else must be there with you, even when there is nothing. That uncertainty is the horror.

Adding paranormal elements often weakens it, because the original fear already comes from space itself, not from what might be inside it.

Hell, even the shot of Mary's "neighborhood" fucked me up because it looks exactly like the ones we see online and how it looks unoccupied.

Backrooms is really just architecture and human perception turned into a mechanism of fear.

Clark has always been like this. We saw his extreme anger at the start of the movie. His disregard for those around him with how he speaks to and about them. The implied breaking of the glass was that he threw it, not knocked it over.

This might be a hot take, but I thought what they did for the "monster" of the Backrooms was ABSOLUTELY GENIUS! How it organically builds upon how the Backrooms work, how it connects to the real world and its people (specifically Clark), and how it creates something that is dangerous and terrifying, and yet at the same time, frighteningly human!

Let me ask you something. Do you think it's interesting that out of all the "people" that were in the Backrooms, Clark's was the only one that was actually dangerous and was actually going around killing people? That's because the Backrooms remembers things in the real world, and "the more times it remembers, the less it does" until it only remembers the details that stand out the most, like how, when you remember a childhood bedroom, you only remember specific furniture or decorations. And the same goes for people!

Because Clark's life is dominated by his anxieties, frustration, fears, and, most importantly, his desire to lash out at everything he thinks is to blame, the Backrooms only remembered those negative feelings. And eventually they all culminated into this dangerous entity. Just like how he lashed out and attacked others that he believes are the fault of where he is, this entity of his own (unintentional) making lashes out and attacks everyone in sight, because, as you can see by the expression on its face, it too is driven by those same anxieties and fears!

seeing clark divorced, struggling with money, no friends, sitting and drinking and festering in his own self pity brought tears to my eyes faster than anything ever had before.

I saw him out off breath hopping around on the peg leg with the pirate impression talking about how you don't even need credit to buy from him and I was so close to sobbing it wasn't even funny. putting on a face when you're breaking down inside with no hope is terrifying to me.

I was so sad during the kitchen table scene because everything Mary said was true, he was lost now. It's like seeing someone you wished would succeed just give up and fall asleep in their grave.

Why did God create a dual universe? So he might say, Be not like me. I am alone. And it might be heard. —–- Mark Z. Danielewski, House of Leaves.

₊˚⊹⋆ ˙◠˙⊹₊⟡⋆

Mikumo punched the bag in UA’s gym. It was routine. Spend one hour building gadgets with Mei, then train here. It was nice. The gym was always empty at this time, barring one other person.

Mina Ashido, his classmate. She’d come here to breakdance after school. She’d usually finish a few minutes after Mikumo came, they’d chat a bit, then she’d go home while he trained for another hour.

Mikumo attacked the bag. He switched between jabs and hooks, shots to the face and shots to the torso. Punches and palm strikes. He fell into a flow, letting his mind relax.

Footsteps approached.

“Hey, Yamikumo,” said Ashido, having finished her breakdancing practice (which Mikumo had absolutely not watched out of the corner of his eye).

“Hey,” he said, not letting up on the bag.

“I’m curious, what do you do after leaving here?”

“What do you mean?” said Mikumo.

“I mean what do you do after you leave every day? I know you hang out with Hatsume before coming here, but I have no idea what you do after. Do you hang out with friends? Do a hobby? Homework?”

“Hobbies or homework,” said Mikumo. “Though the second’s a little harder since someone cleaned the trash beach.”

Ashido’s eyes bugged out. “You liked the trash beach?”

“Of course, where do you think I got half the gear for my old gadgets?” said Mikumo. “It’s fine as a normal beach I suppose, but I miss the trash. Good to find stuff in, kept others from bothering me”

“Wow, you must be the only person who prefers a garbage dump to a gorgeous beach. Hmmmmm…Maybe you’re not emo, maybe you’re a raccoon!”

Mikumo stopped punching and stared at her. “How does that begin to make sense?”

“Well, you’re short-“

“Hey!”

“Grumpy, and like to steal trash. Ergo a raccoon!”

“That’s dumb…” muttered Mikumo, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“Awww, don’t be too upset Mikumo,” Ashido said. “It was only a joke.” She raised her arms over her head and stretched, which, given that she’d diteched the UA gym uniform’s shirt in favor of a tank top, did a good job of showing off her curves.

Mikumo blushed and looked down. In the corner of his vision, he saw a twinkle in Ashido’s eye. She’d totally done that on purpose.

“Awww, what’s wrong Yamikumo? Nervous around a cute girl?”

“Oh please,” said Mikumo. “I think I’d be over that after a few weeks of putting up with you.” He turned back to the bag and offhandedly muttered, “Anyway you’re more hot than cute.”

He punched the bag then froze. Wait. Had he just…

He turned to see Ashido giving him an ecstatic grin. He had said that out loud. And she’d heard him.

Mikumo’s face burned with a flame hotter than any fire on the planet, the fire of pure unmitigated embarrassment. Kill me now. Please.

“Why Yamikumo,” Ashido said with a mischievous smile, “I never knew you could be so forward.” She held her hands behind her back and looked at him with a painfully fake innocent expression. It was like she was expecting something, but what he couldn’t fathom.

“Well?” she said.

“Well what?”

“Aren’t you going to ask me out?”


Mikumo hadn’t realized his face could heat up more. “Wait what?!”

“Well, I figure if you’re gonna call a girl hot to her face, it must be because you want to date her,” said Ashido, her grin downright flirty. “Are you saying you don’t want to?”

“But I- I- What-“

Ashido put a finger to her mouth. “Well, I guess if not, I can get someone else to take me out instead. I’m sure there are plenty of boys willing to go out with a hot girl like me…”

“Alright fine!” said Mikumo. Embarrassment saturated him, making every movement a chore. However, Mikumo pushed through. Closing his eyes, he said, “Mina Ashido, do you want to go on a date with me?”

“Hmmmm…no.”

Mikumo gaped. “Wha-“

“Kidding! Kidding!” she said laughing. Her laughter subsided and her smile became gentler. “I’d love to.”

Mikumo let out a big breath.

“What?” she said. “You think I’d say no after all that build up? You must not know much about flirting.”

“Please,” said Mikumo walking onto the exercise mat. “I barely know how to do basic social interaction, let alone flirting.”

Ashido skipped over. “That so? Well, I guess you’ll have to work extra hard to sweep me off my feet on the date.”

Ashido moved her head until she was right next to his cheek. All higher brain functions in Mikumo’s brain shut down, his mind grasping at the last words it understood.

Sweep me off my feet.

On reflex Mikumo performed a leg sweep. At the last second, he realized what he’d done and caught Ashido’s wrist, stopping her before she could hit the ground. Mina stared at him with a dazed expression, which became a mischievous smile.

“Not bad, points for effort,” she said. She hopped up, leaned in, then whispered into his ear. “Do it the other way during our date, and I might have something for you~”

“What do you mean by that?”

She put a finger to his lips, shushing him.

“It’s a surprise!” And with that, Mina strolled away, swaying her hips as she went (probably on purpose knowing her)

Mikumo watched her leave. Then he fell back on the mat with a dumb smile.

He’d just asked out a girl! And she said yes!

Author’s note:

He only asked when she forced him.

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Today’s prompt is Civilian life for Protos Week. This isn’t a perfect fit, but it does involve Mikumo’s life outside of school so I guess it counts.  

The villain was inspired by Deku (or more accurately, the prototype, Akatani Mikumo), but there's also his blond-haired mini-Izuku:3