do yall ever think about bruce/batman!clone danny standing in front of his bathroom mirror after finding out he was a clone and silently tracing his face. The slope of his jaw and point of his chin. The high angle of his cheekbones and the shape of his eyes, the curve of his brow bones and the shape of his nose. The volume of his hair and the way it curls and gets fluffy when it gets too long.
His hair is black the same way a crow's wing is black. His dad's hair is black the same way a black bear's fur is black. His dad's eyes are blue like the ocean is blue. Danny's eyes are blue the same way a glacier is blue.
His dad has a square jaw and straight flat hair, and he tans and gets a face full of freckles when he's out in the sun for too long. Danny burns like a lobster and his face remains untouched. Danny has a sharp jaw and tall cheekbones, and Sam says when he's not smiling there's almost something regal about him. You would never call Jack Fenton "regal" when he's not smiling.
Sam says when he's not smiling he looks scary the same way a stone statue is. Jack Fenton when he's not smiling looks scary the same way that german shepherd staring at you across the street is.
Do you ever think he grew up wondering if he was adopted. Because of course, he has black hair and blue eyes like his dad. But having the same color doesn't make you someone's child.
Or, worse, things he's heard from the other kids and the other parents and even some of his teachers growing up; that he was the product of an affair. And that his dad was just too stupid to notice. And Danny would defend his parents until the day he died, because Jack Fenton wasn't an idiot and Maddie Fenton wasn't a cheater.
But doubt comes in with fickle tongue. his parents swear up and down that he is their child when he asks about either. That Danny just had his grandparents' features, but he was their son and they loved him.
But Danny doesn't look like either of his parents. His mom's eyes are blue like an aquamarine and Jazz's too. And they burn like lobsters in the sun too, but Jazz gets freckles on her face and so does Maddie. And as Danny grows up he doesn't bulk up or get stocky like his dad did, and when he hits puberty he doesn't shoot up like a tree like Jack Fenton did.
He stays small, and they say he's a late bloomer (and he is), or that he just has his mom's height. But he's fast and has good stamina, and some days it feels like he's built entirely different from his family. That the things they went through growing up just didn't apply to him. Jack and Maddie Fenton both had acne and breakouts when they hit puberty, and Jazz inherits it and he's seen the amount of skincare products she keeps on her side of the bathroom.
And then he hits puberty and breaks out maybe once or twice, but his skin stays clear for the most part and the problems and changes his dad went through just don't happen to him.
And the truth is worse than all of the lies.
How horrifying.
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i think part of what makes so many people just flock to dungeon meshi as well is that it's also a story involving an autistic main character, who actually IS the main character
Because many stories will have an autistic character in them and then the story is more about how all the neurotypical people AROUND the autistic character deal with the characters autism, and the autistic character ends up as a side-character in a story that's supposed to be ABOUT them.
But in dungeon meshi, Laios especially is so much the main character!
And i know he's not the only one, and not the only autistic character obv, and i know the story isn't about just him alone OR his autism...
But we get Laios' perspective. On just about everything.
The story is, in the roughest terms, about the party venturing into the dungeon in order to save Falin, who got eaten by the red dragon. They're on a time constraint and have no money or equipment except what they literally have on their backs. That's the story.
Another author, a worse author, probably wouldn't have made Laios the party leader. A worse author would've relegated Laios to the "weird, awkward newbie who's excited about monsters but doesn't have the slightest clue or experience with them" who's job would've been to cite fun facts about whatever monster they encounter from some book he carries around, and the main interactions between him and the party would've been them yelling at him or calling him weird, to the point where you're wondering what this characters purpose even is in the story beyond comic relief.
And I'm so glad we didn't get this.
Instead of a story that emphasizes how "weird and unlikable" this weird character is, we get Laios being the partys leader, who, yes, is weird, but also competent and knowledgable and skilled and also is still a full character, with thoughts and feelings of his own, who actually speaks his mind and interacts with others on equal footing, who defends himself when he KNOWS he isn't in the wrong.
Laios and Shuros confrontation is both shocking, and also a huge breath of fresh air.
(Also, i know that "Shuro" isn't his real name but i can't remember his real name and I can't be bothered to look it up rn)
Shuro tells Laios to learn to read the room. A worse author would've had Laios apologize to Shuro for his own incompetence, but instead of meekly accepting that accusation, Laios throws it back in Shuros own face. That Shuro should've just been direct and honest with Laios when he KNEW that Laios wasn't getting it, instead of just playing along and letting that resentment fester.
And Laios is not only shouting it out, speaking his mind, and refusing to be treated as lesser than anyone else just because he can't "read the room", but he's also portrayed as RIGHT!
Shuro would've have had to put up with Laios, whom he didn't like, but whom he let believe that they were friends, if he had just TOLD Laios he didn't like him DIRECTLY.
and look, i know that there's some hints or pages or whatever you wanna call them, that Shuro is also autistic, but comes with a different background, which basically just makes him and Laios incompatible in a certain sense.
But even with all that, Shuro still had no right to fault Laios for his shortcomings, when his own shortcomings played just as much of a role in their eventual confrontation.
And the difference? Shuro KNEW how he himself AND Laios felt, but Laios only knew how he himself felt. Shuro was at an advantage in their situation, and he still faulted Laios and made him out to be this villain, who was purposely trying to make Shuro miserable, when Shuro himself NEVER opened his mouth to correct Laios!
And the thing is, Shuro isn't in the wrong for not liking Laios. Shuro is in the wrong for blowing up at Laios without EVER even giving him the chance to correct his behaviour!
And Laios KNOWS this, and he REFUSES to just apologize for something that wasn't even his fault! How could he possibly have known Shuro didn't like him, when Shuro never gave him any kind of indication of that fact?
And that's just it, isn't it?
Because I know I've experienced this kind of situation, even if exact memories don't come to mind, and I know other autistic or otherwise neurodivergent people have experienced this kind of thing. Of someone whom they were just having a normal conversation with or whom they considered a friend, just randomly blowing up at them for no conceivable reason.
From our perspective, the other person just randomly decided they didn't like us anymore, didn't care about us anymore and wanted to be rid of us, or decided we were suddenly just evil, and they got mad at us, yelled at us, called us names, and then just left.
And we're left confused and sad and, having no other information to go off of, because none was given to us, are bound to come to the conclusion that there's something wrong with us. We're just not likeable and any kindness from other people coming our way is just them being too polite to say anything until they've decided they had enough of us and abandon us. Because they never liked us. They were just too polite to say anything until they couldn't take us anymore.
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The muses who don't think they deserve love.
@effigist asked: "I can't believe you're still sticking around." ash 4 tobias
❛ Oh? Your opinion of me was that bad? What, thought I wanted to torment you too and figured I'd eventually move on to someone else when the novelty of you wore off? ❜ Although framed as an inquiry (quite on the nose with its contents no less, but intentionally so in order to prove he understands where the gang leader is coming from), the question posed is merely rhetorical and the answer to it should be obvious to anyone with a working brain. It would have been more of a surprise had Ash, forever stuck in a violent cycle of misfortunate abuse as he's come to learn during their time together, not viewed the new mafioso's intrusion into his life as a threat, a bomb intended to blow up after its timer had ran out or tossed onto the next unfortunate victim before it could finish its countdown in Ash's life, as all the others had presumably done.
Yet they have met many a moons ago and the time since has steadily passed from one day, to one week, to one month and then to several, and still Tobias' presence in the blonde's entourage remains a constant without so much as leaving a single clue about what his so-called "real" motive for sticking around might be. It's no wonder, then, that his attempts to create and preserve a friendly relationship between them are stared at with increasing suspicion despite his existence being allowed and sometimes even sought when Tobias least expects it. Perhaps he should have been clearer about his reason from the beginning, but he frankly doesn't believe Ash would have taken a stranger's words for granted at the time, considering how as far as he can tell, the other teen is facing difficulties in taking his words as the complete truth even now. It's hard to blame him for it, though, when their interactions remind Tobias of his very own self from a few years past, from back when he'd first been thrown into a fancy cage under the guise of an orphanage with what he'd viewed as enemies, only to untimely realize they were meant to be allies.
If Ash now finds himself in a similar position in regards to him as the perceived enemy or ally, there is little the older teen can do to alleviate his worries beyond offering honesty when asked, and maintaining consistency when possible. After all, aggressively pushing the idea that he has no ulterior motive into Ash's face would only lead to more wariness, and backing away to offer him too much space would only act as evidence that, as Ash had originally guessed, he'd always intended to leave. Which, he wouldn't be entirely wrong about, but Tobias has since grown to find the rush from Ash's daily life to be invigorating rather than alienating, and his personality amusing rather than irking. If that's so, then why should he ever abandon the free entertainment he's found himself enjoying, when it's something so rare to come across in the wild? ❛ Well then, what do you make of it now, Ash? Do you want me to pack my bags and leave you alone once and for all? ❜
So instead of pursuing either of the standardized approaches, Tobias simply glances over at the blonde and grins in no different a manner than he typically does. Though he might be in a dissimilar role to that of Shorter's... that guy has managed to win Ash's trust over despite being a fellow underground leader, hasn't he? Which means a chance, however slim, exists for him to eventually receive the same trust as well. Being subjected to a chase for it is merely an added bonus, not a downside that should dissuade him from pursuing his goal (even though he can bet that's exactly what the other had intended for it to be. Sucks to be Ash, he supposes.)
Essentially, what good is there in receiving something without putting in the work for it, and experiencing a fleeting distraction which will soon fade back into the vexing boredom that's so deeply engraved into Tobias' soul? Why should he care to receive something fast, if it'll only end up diminishing its value in his eyes? The more fun alternative is the one that keeps him engaged for the longest, regardless of how dicey the road to his objective might be on it. ❛ 'Cause if so, you should probably start coming up with ideas to make that wish a reality. I don't plan on leaving your side unless you really force my hand, so you've got your work cut out for you. ❜
What has been said until now would likely only prolong the time until Ash's next internal query into his motives, and therefore what Tobias believes he should do is continue by explaining his reasoning, though not bluntly enough to make Ash overthink it and worsen the situation in another aspect, and subsequently keep steadfast to his words by shaping them into actions. Easy enough in theory, but he's certain there will be surprises along the way nonetheless. Ash has had plenty of those in store for him, and it's doubtful he's already ran out of them this early on. ❛ I quite like you, you know? I doubt you've gotten this into your thick skull yet, but you have a natural knack for making me laugh. Don't you think I'd be downright stupid to leave you to the wolves after realizing that? I might be heartless, but even I can grow fond of people who make my life less bleak. That's why you should hurry up and resign yourself to this oh so miserable fate of seeing my face every day. You'll waste your time and arrive at this same conclusion all over again if you don't, but suit yourself if you prefer making things harder on yourself. ❜
The mafioso raises a hand to obnoxiously ruffle Ash's hair as though physically helping the "news" reach the brain working underneath, and he wonders if he should say anything else or simply allow what's been said to get assimilated while taking the heat off of Ash and putting it onto a separate topic for a while. If this open discussion isn't enough... well, patience is the key to success. He's learned that lesson far more times than he can count, so what's adding it once more to his repertoire. ❛ But speaking of sticking around, I was about to go make use of that library card again and borrow a book or two to read over the weekend. Care to join me and hang out some more? Or was this the nicest way you could think of saying you've had enough of me for today? ❜
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