It's said a few times.

 

It's not so much the word in so far as how often people want to use it. A cloudy path has gratuitous usage of it, with some chapters racking up more then its entire use in cannon.

It should be noted that Danny didn't use it as his go to adjective of choice when describing Taylor.

 

Kiddo doesn't make me cringe nearly as much as pup or cub. My mind also associates kiddo with Kill Bill, and I fucking loved those movies.

Then again, I have seen it used that much, so it might come with time.

 

Pup and cub doesn't offend me that much because I typically leave the story before it has a chance to. Unfortunately the Worm fanfiction community does not have the established authors that Harry Potter does.

 

Kiddo is far worse than pup or cub for me personally. Then again it might just be the fact it's usually Danny saying it. Never seen a worm fic where him dying wouldn't improve the story.

 

Danny adds a human element to the story and prevents dissolving into pure angst with his death or farce with his complete inability to influence an even well-adjusted Taylor or take part in the plot.

But I'm not surprised that most people prefer him to not be around. Most people read Worm where he was a non-entity so they have no frame of reference, which takes a fandom already inclined more towards trying to wank powers that dealing with the emotional consequences (especially for characters they don't like) to a dark, unfamiliar place. So, for most people, it might actually be better off to kill him since they might just write him unsatisfactorily.

 

Killing him off sort of removes the training wheels that Taylor has. It's done quickly, so that the author can get to the 'good stuff' as soon as possible, much in the way that killing the Dursley's (or getting emancipated) allows Indy!Harry to come out to play. Honestly, I prefer Danny to be a nonentity more than him being 'in the know' about Taylor's identity early on. Most people aren't willing to spend 5 long arcs like Wildbow did before sending Taylor off on her own way.

 

Except even in A Cloudy Path Danny isn't that big a factor because he's not a cape. Even in stories like Weaver Nine where Danny plays a minor role he's not dead and things are great (conflict-wise)

The story did advance and is continuing to advance despite the writer not just outright killing the one family tether Taylor has...because. Shit went wrong for her, it was hard and Danny was alive. Writing off that one relationship because it's not "good stuff" is something this site would usually be all over.

If I would ever say that I'd Danny to be a non-entity it would simply be because there are certain topics I simply don't want to see most SB/Vers deal with and Danny is right there with the PRT and Panacea.

When he's done well though?

 

Danny isn't a big factor at all in A Cloudy Path but he still has chapters devoted to him being a mental crutch for Taylor in a way that's just not needed. Fair enough if the authors want to use him as a way for Taylor to retain some morality, but reassurance isn't delivered in kiddos and impotent rage.

 

Well... Danny is still alive in Goblin Queen... and he hasn't used Kiddo... :3

 

But have you used "broken"? Look to your sins Biigoh, for the fandom is dark and full of terrors.

 

As @Scrib said, SB/SV is a group of authors I don't trust at all to use Danny properly.

In canon I loved the chapters Danny appeared in. His reaction to Taylor's outing, the entire Cell Arc and Danny's role in it, his subsequent Interlude chapter where he goes to Taylor's base and then the little bits and pieces we see of him after that were some of my favourite interactions in Worm.

His story is that of a father struggling to come to terms that the daughter he loves very much has gone down a route he cannot support, and he's no longer in a position where he has any power to have a say in that. It's about him trying to come to terms with what he actually feels for Taylor - he loves her, he's terrified of her. And it's about him readjusting his view of her - the weak, bullied girl who needs his protection, to this warlord who is threatening law and order he probably believes in.

From Skitter's point of view, Danny is the one positive remnant of her old life - the part Taylor Hebert she really didn't want to throw away, but ended up deciding to eventually anyway. She joined the world of capes and changed without looking back - he's the one part of her still standing on the outside with the normals.

I'd love to read more about Danny and explore that interaction and relationship. The problem is, most Worm authors try to change Danny's role into including him into Taylor's cape life. Copacetic had him trigger (speaking of which, new update) and Cloudy Path tried to include him in Taylor's cape activities. Both of them have him playing a role that not only diminishes his potential, but is better played by a wealth of other characters.

 

I think perhaps 'bullshit' is the worst sin, I've seen it a lot more, a SB meme that unfortunately just won't die.

 

"I... I just realized I won. When Sophia pushed me into that locker and made me trigger I got the most bullshit broken power dad" said Taylor, to her father.

"That's nice kiddo".

Poor grammar, spelling errors, woeful interactions between characters, Taylor knowing what "triggering" is months earlier then in cannon, that fucking locker scene, shitty authors projecting their woes onto the world. It all adds up, and the end result is a bunch of awfully written stories with no plot beyond retelling some awful in jokes and copying a character from there favorite shonen manga into the Worm universe.

It's quite sad because Worm really is an excellent story to have a cross over with, it's just done so terribly, so often.

It's probably why I like some stories that realistically aren't that good, if only because they're written well and avoid the memes that are so prevalent on spacebattles. Jacobk writes good stuff, though I don't think he's done anything for Worm in a while, and Go Gently I very much enjoy despite not really achieving anything plot wise yet.

 

Unlike HP the fandom is just super-focused on the one community so if a meme takes root it's probably going to show up in a significant number of your fics. Those are the only memes you'll see, really. I don't even know if the percentage of gold-to-shit is worse than some other fandoms, but noticing memes you hate will always seem to drop it in your mind.

I'm ambivalent about the whole thing. On the one hand the negatives are obvious but I don't know if Worm fanfiction would have taken off otherwise.

 

Also, Ia Ia Shipping Chart fhtagn!!! I hate that shit.

 

I want to write a oneshot with Taylor going home some point when she is in the deep, but before S9. Then Danny says Kiddo every time he talks to her anew. She figures out he is under Master control and runs away to get backup.

 

Wait that's still around? I thought it died a quiet death after that super Worm crossover(7 Taylors)

 

It's not as prevalent as it was with Silencio but it still pops up every now and then.

 

I see it referenced sometimes if I acceidnelly scroll down after an update and read the comments.