Hey Dets, quick question concerning Good-Guy-Dain/Dain-Ironfoot-Appreciation: What’s your take on ‘Bad by Perspective’ Dain? I’ve read a couple from various viewpoints (usually outside the dwarves) where Dain was perceived as a bad guy but is totally not, sometimes ridiculously so; like Bilbo not knowing Dain and getting protective of Thorin’s position? I remember one where Thorin got hilariously jealous of Dain being friendly to Bilbo. Idk, just wondering what you thought of that subset of fic.

Hey Nonnie!

Personal opinions ahoy: you are not obliged to agree. Only I have been asked for what I think, so I’m answering. 

Well, I’ve seen that idea used quite a lot in Bagginshield fic – I have even recced a couple of fics that use it. Most notably, the amazing Something Blue, by themarchrabbit. It’s a favourite of mine ❤

I’ve seen it used really awesomely – in which we are left wondering ‘uhhhh – so what’s going on there?’ And Unreliable Narration/Perspective is great for that too, particularly when we know our narrator is unreliable and their opinions are shady. Because it reveals so much about that character, and their insecurities. It’s always fab to watch Dain’s actions in those scenarios just confuse the hell out of everyone as they struggle to fit him into the narrow, preconceived role they’ve shaped for him. They try so hard to make him into a bad guy, and he just steps neatly out of it at every turn. 😀 Unfortunately, this is rare as fuck.

I’ve also seen it used in ways that actively hurt me. In these situations, Dain is suddenly revealed to be a good guy all along RIGHT AT THE END. After an unrelenting cavalcade of vitriolic nastiness, slurs and bile directed at him. And that fucking sucks, as a Dain-fan, let me tell you. No question-marks, no grey areas, no hints, not a sign of the real Dain, or even a glimmer of sympathetic behaviour: just endless hatred poured on his head. People have directed me to fics like that – and no. I do not want to read something that spends 99% of the time trashing my furry baby and dragging him through the dirt. Like, turn that around: would anyone who loves Bilbo or Thorin to death want to read something like that?? Never-ending, pounding, relentless, remorseless horribleness about their fave, only for a paragraph of HAHA JUST KIDDING at the end?

Anyway. That’s why I don’t try a lot of new Bagginshield fics. Not anymore.