No one’s said anything about Franz Caulder: PWP. I’m kind of worried that they hate it D:
He has a very distinctive “voice” and some of the things he thinks aren’t very nice. Like he realizes he’s mentally ill, but that doesn’t mean he truly accepts it as part of his amalgamation. He still separates things into him and into Other-Franz. He takes his medication and follows the rules as they’re given, but at the end of the day mental illness is not a part of him. It’s something he has to deal with, like acne or the scar across his face, but it’s not him.
I guess someone could say his big ol’ scar could be the physical manifestation of the mental illness affecting him. Or it could be the Kid Nitro/Franz Caulder persona overlaid atop the remnants of Other-Franz, in which case it’s hard to tell which is the scar — the ruined flesh of his face, or the body it’s carved out of? He’s this guy dealing with a life he doesn’t remember while his delusion is so strong he’s literally become someone else. Delusion Franz has taken him over, and he doesn’t want to go back.
Other-Franz had immense issues stemming from torture he experienced in childhood. He’d practiced self-harm and had shut himself off from enjoying his life. He’d been suicidal, which led to his institutionalization. Meanwhile, Franz is strong, capable, and has been a superhero for years. Finding himself in the body of his AU-self doesn’t even phase him. It’s perfectly natural that he take over and replace Other-Franz. It’s just unfortunate that he has no memories of Other-Franz. He’s winging it.
So right in the middle of Franz’s psychodrama, I threw in Franz Caulder: PWP. Which is exactly as advertised — he takes a trip into the city to visit a club and have his first sex since he found himself in a new world.
Yes, this is basically a chance for him to have a one-night stand. It’s also a sign that he’s becoming acclimated to life outside of the mental hospital. He’s accepted that he won’t be going back to his old self. He needs to keep moving forward.
Timeline B –
Franz Caulder: Slipping through the Cracks
Franz Caulder: PWP
Timeline A –
Franz Caulder: Behemoth
Franz Caulder: Crimson Blade
