Drug use in fic
Jun. 14th, 2023 11:15 pm![[personal profile]](/%20https://www.npmjs.com/package/ocr-https-www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
frogfarmSaw something about this subject and while I won't comment on anything specific to that posting, it did make me go back and look at my own fics.
First, there's alcohol:
- Dexter/Buffy trilogy, book 2: A random hobo in an alley who witnesses a critical moment with a main character, deciding to wander away and hopefully not get caught up in events. Also at a family dinner in the opening chapter, Lumen orders an alcoholic drink to which she surreptitiously adds blood.
- Faith the Vampire Slayer, episode 3: A random nameless drunk rambler provides crucial information to the antagonist. Also qualifies for drug use (see below).
- My one Dragon Maid story: Kobayashi temporarily becomes a dragon; part of her day includes alcoholic celebration, and a resulting brief period of explosive power and emotional outburst.
- One of my Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles stories, focusing on the librarian with cancer we met in the episode "Self Made Man". At one point after his cancer returns, I wrote him getting drunk and having hazy recollections of Cameron. This story also qualifies for drug use (see below). Quote: "He does not throw up."
- Xena, Sleeping With the Enemy (Xena's still in Callisto's body): 'Callisto' (Xena) is taken hostage and forced to drink from a barrel of strong wine. She erupts in drunken kung fu and takes them all out, then goes toe to toe with Gabrielle without realizing who she's fighting until they manage to subdue her. This story also qualifies for drug use (see below).
For "drug use", i.e., non-alcohol, I've never portrayed anything more than pot. Which includes three of the above, and one standing on its own:
- Xena, Sleeping With the Enemy: A main cast character sneaks off and gets high, and is found by another who joins her. An intimate conversation is had.
- Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: The main character is persuaded to try vaping medical marijuana for his cancer. In his subsequent dreamlike haze, he recalls details of his interactions with Cameron.
- Faith the Vampire Slayer 1x03: The new Slayer is nervous and mentions wanting a joint, then expresses concern that Faith is working with police, child protection services, etc. Faith rolls it up and they get high, with initial mistrust eased and some progress and communication made. No problem until she goes back to Willow, who berates her for being irresponsible. Faith seduces her, which doesn't entirely resolve the issue but does so for now to everyone's satisfaction.
- Dexter/Buffy book 3: Astor procures some pot from a friend, hoping to keep her vampire stepmom from going so crazy she tries to eat someone. Astor ends up joining in, and while Lumen can't explain her deteriorating mental state, they remain physically close as well as able to have an intimate and honest communication.
Regarding alcohol, the Dragon Maid story seems like the closest to portraying getting drunk in a negative fashion. The Terminator character doesn't repeat his alcohol or marijuana experiences, but they're not horrid or traumatic, any more than his memories and current situation. Alcohol is forced on Xena, and arguably helps her more than it hurts until Gabrielle gets involved.
Drug use: Pretty low-key overall -- most you could say is it pops up now and then. While I'd never view pot as an unambiguous good, I think these examples are an accurate portrayal of my experience, which is that I think it can be a good alternative to alcohol in terms of being a social lubricant and reducing internal and interpersonal friction. And in closing, this just gave me an idea that I might work into the new Dexter/Buffy short.
First, there's alcohol:
- Dexter/Buffy trilogy, book 2: A random hobo in an alley who witnesses a critical moment with a main character, deciding to wander away and hopefully not get caught up in events. Also at a family dinner in the opening chapter, Lumen orders an alcoholic drink to which she surreptitiously adds blood.
- Faith the Vampire Slayer, episode 3: A random nameless drunk rambler provides crucial information to the antagonist. Also qualifies for drug use (see below).
- My one Dragon Maid story: Kobayashi temporarily becomes a dragon; part of her day includes alcoholic celebration, and a resulting brief period of explosive power and emotional outburst.
- One of my Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles stories, focusing on the librarian with cancer we met in the episode "Self Made Man". At one point after his cancer returns, I wrote him getting drunk and having hazy recollections of Cameron. This story also qualifies for drug use (see below). Quote: "He does not throw up."
- Xena, Sleeping With the Enemy (Xena's still in Callisto's body): 'Callisto' (Xena) is taken hostage and forced to drink from a barrel of strong wine. She erupts in drunken kung fu and takes them all out, then goes toe to toe with Gabrielle without realizing who she's fighting until they manage to subdue her. This story also qualifies for drug use (see below).
For "drug use", i.e., non-alcohol, I've never portrayed anything more than pot. Which includes three of the above, and one standing on its own:
- Xena, Sleeping With the Enemy: A main cast character sneaks off and gets high, and is found by another who joins her. An intimate conversation is had.
- Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: The main character is persuaded to try vaping medical marijuana for his cancer. In his subsequent dreamlike haze, he recalls details of his interactions with Cameron.
- Faith the Vampire Slayer 1x03: The new Slayer is nervous and mentions wanting a joint, then expresses concern that Faith is working with police, child protection services, etc. Faith rolls it up and they get high, with initial mistrust eased and some progress and communication made. No problem until she goes back to Willow, who berates her for being irresponsible. Faith seduces her, which doesn't entirely resolve the issue but does so for now to everyone's satisfaction.
- Dexter/Buffy book 3: Astor procures some pot from a friend, hoping to keep her vampire stepmom from going so crazy she tries to eat someone. Astor ends up joining in, and while Lumen can't explain her deteriorating mental state, they remain physically close as well as able to have an intimate and honest communication.
Regarding alcohol, the Dragon Maid story seems like the closest to portraying getting drunk in a negative fashion. The Terminator character doesn't repeat his alcohol or marijuana experiences, but they're not horrid or traumatic, any more than his memories and current situation. Alcohol is forced on Xena, and arguably helps her more than it hurts until Gabrielle gets involved.
Drug use: Pretty low-key overall -- most you could say is it pops up now and then. While I'd never view pot as an unambiguous good, I think these examples are an accurate portrayal of my experience, which is that I think it can be a good alternative to alcohol in terms of being a social lubricant and reducing internal and interpersonal friction. And in closing, this just gave me an idea that I might work into the new Dexter/Buffy short.
