New Book of Random NSC stuff

Let's talk about Don

TLDR at end if you don't want to read this

So Don. This guy was created as a clone of Jon: someone who loves life and always smiles. Don came into the world with the sole purpose to kill and nothing else. All he feels is pain and the hallow helplessness of depression. During the time he was alive, he was harassed and abused by the d gang and the regular crew — the exception of Richard and Dashlie being somewhat nice to him behind Duni's back, but for the longest time he thought they just hated him.

He reflects what many people feel, making him a universally liked character. He obviously doesn't understand a lot, for he doesn't have the time to. And how could you even begin to understand yourself when you don't even know what a stepladder is? He literally lived for about two months, and most of that time was spent in a concrete hole. He was berated and reminded of his failures constantly, and when it seemed he found one thing he liked, such as his horse, it was taken away from him. The only gift he ever received was his hat, which Richard got him.

So when he stood in that room, he was fully prepared to die. When the regular crew promised him he could leave this life of torment and join them, where he would be accepted and cared, he became split. He was supposed to kill these guys, but they were being kind to him — something he never experienced. While he wanted to die and was constantly in pain, he saw hope in these people.

And right when he was brought into a welcoming hug by Jon, he was stabbed in the back. Repeatedly. Again and again until he was dead. Right when he gained hope and put his trust into these people, he was betrayed. And while some of the others were horrified, Uni cheered while Jon laughed and called Don a "stubborn loser"

So he got what he wanted... right?

Two months is a cruel time to be alive in that sort of life. So when he was brought into the afterlife, he was with Dick and Dashlie up until they all joined Duni in the void world. There, they expressed their anger towards Duni. And what after? What happened after they were done being angry at Duni?

Well, they had over a hundred years to spend doing whatever they wanted. Don most likely took this time to think, and already by the second time we saw the d gang in the afterlife again, Don was laughing a bit. Meanwhile, beforehand, he reported feeling nothing but anger, hate, and pain. He had felt no compassion, for DDawn didn't put it in him, so he had to learn it himself

And when the d gang were brought back into the real world, Don had already spent centuries with these two losers he has grown to love, one especially more than the other but we'll get back to that. While Duni was busy going insane, Dick, Dashlie, and Don were off surviving, hanging out, and doing who-knows-what. And after all that time being dead, I highly doubt Don wanted to die anymore when he realized how boring it was. How lonely would it have been if he wasn't with his friends? I suppose that's something Jon would know more about, but we're not talking about him

And so began Duni's dumb plans to destroy the world, which the other three already expressed was dumb. In that one VHS tape we saw of Uni and Dawn sneaking out the d gang's house, we saw Dick and Don talking about murdering Duni with a chandelier (couple goals, amiright?). There was awkward flirting between the two as well, though to some it could be brushed off as them complimenting each other when not knowing how to, but now that we know what's in their future, we know it was the other.

According to Don, Duni has reset the world over and over and over again. Don has seen the regular crew fight Duni, sometimes win, sometimes fail. He has lived this life many times, and he was sick of it. So he just left Duni, searching for something better he knows he's worthy of

And wouldn't you know, he found it

For the first time, Don was accepted for who he was. He had already had the time to discover himself and rethink things, and now he was someplace where the people didn't harass or abuse him. Hell, he's the deputy! And for the first time ever, we saw a drastic change in Don's character despite him still being the same Don we know and love. And I will be honest with you guys, it was jarring hearing him laugh and joke around, but I felt so proud of him in those moments knowing how far he has come

When Don was reunited with his friends, they teased him for missing them, but it wasn't them actually making fun of him. That's just the way they're dynamic is: a sibling rivalry, almost (though it is a bit different between Don and Richard). No doubt they missed him too. They are the family he deserved

And when we learn that Dick and Don are boyfriends, it almost... isn't a surprise? Like, we saw this coming and yet we didn't. But right now, we aren't talking about the absolute congratulations that is in order for this ship that so many people love has become real (or the applauds towards our man Jon for seemingly making it canon himself), we're talking about what that means for Don.

Back when Don was younger, he knew nothing. He hated everyone including himself. But now, we see him laughing, hell, he now loves someone. And not only that, but it's a healthy relationship, one where they both know each other's strengths and weaknesses after spending more than lifetime with one another, where they trust each other to do the right thing. Just seeing how far he has come is incredibly inspiring, and this character has probably one of the best arcs I've ever seen

We don't know much about the others, but one reason people must like Don so much is because we have known him from the start. We have seen where he has started and where he is now. His story is, to put it short, amazing. To have a character born from darkness and turn it into a driving motive to turn towards the light and a better life is astounding

This is practically an essay now, so I'll end things here. But I do want to say, even though I've expressed many times that Richard is my favorite character, I still have a love for Don and always will. He has turned from something we relate to: what we are in pain and suffering with no hope — into what we could become. While he still has his struggles like any person, and his life will never be perfect, things are still great for him — probably better than they have ever been

I swear, if we don't get that happy ending for all of them, not just Don, I'm going to go feral, even though it appears Don has already found his happy ending — he just needs closure and for Duni to finally go away so then he can grow old with Richard and spend the rest of his life content and happy with his new friends

TLDR; Don has to have the most amazing story. It's a story of growing and finding meaning and acceptance. Truly a masterpiece by accident