Becoming Canon

Fun fact! Did you know that I, CM Robles, stream on twitch? I stream shiny hunting in Pokémon games semi-regularly (this is a lie, I almost never stream consistently).

I bring this up because if you watch my streams long enough and earn enough Gremlin Points, you can potentially redeem them to become canon in any of the stories I am actively writing. This typically would mean being mentioned off-handedly as either a background character's name or as an obscure lore character referenced in some ancient texts. This typically depends on the sort of vibe I get from the username.

However, sometimes, becoming canon can mean a lot more. The following excerpt is an example of what is probably the best case scenario for becoming canon through my streams.

Void Jumpers Volume 1: Between All Worlds

Chapter 12: Mr. Johnson Spins a Sign

Pages 251 - 253

“How did our message get into a book?” Pel mumbled to themself. Pel pulled a plug, and the screen went dark. They plugged it back in. “That’ll do it.” Pel contorted their face at the screen. “I really don’t understand this magic.”

The screen flickered with static. Exasperated, Pel asked once again, “Name, occupation, reason for contact.” There was no response. Pel looked up from their tablet and squinted at the screen. On the other end was a brightly colored creature, standing absolutely still – though upon further inspection Pel couldn’t tell if it was alive at all.

A bird-like face with wide, knowing eyes stared into the camera, head-on. The stoic stature of what resembled a tall and narrow bird did not move, nor speak. As Pel was about to ask their question again, a notice popped onto the screen. A chat dialogue read: “Greetings. I am called Xany. I am interested in the Void Jumpers. I believe I can help.”

“How… so?” Pel asked, unsure of themself. They glanced back at Sytron. She shrugged, also unsure.

Another message popped in: “I can see into the future.”

“Well, that would certainly be helpful. What can you see now?” Pel asked, waiting for a response.

The creature’s eyes glowed for a brief moment before it responded in the chat, saying: “Oh. I should have looked to the future before calling. I see that I am not accepted.”

“Okay,” Pel cut out the signal and rolled their eyes, exasperated. “This is not going how I imagined,” they mumbled.

“Denied?” Sytron asked.

“Yes.” Pel rubbed the bridge of their nose.