#I didn't even say she was wrong I legit told her her feelings were valid and that it was just hard for me to see it from the same

[rose-tinted-nostalgia]

.

[thoughtfulfoxllama]

So, appearantly I can't be screened for Autism because I'm an adult, and only kids can recieve a diagnosis. At least that's what my psychiatrist told me

Like, why? Autism isn't a Childhood Disability, it's lifelong. So, am I supposed to go without the accommodations I need because no one cared enough to get me tested as a kid

Actually, I'm curious about that. I had an IEP from Elementry onward, for "Emotional Disturbance," but not once did anyone ask me what was wrong. People who knew me when I was young are either ableist ("you don't look autistic," from my Bio mom), or say I should've been tested, because it's obvious (one sister in my ward asked my grandmother, and she said I was, but my Bio mom says I never was, and I think she would've known, because that's when she was still around). So, that begs the question, why did none of my teachers say anything. I've had bad teachers (my Sped Teacher in Middle School straight up told us that "students didn't deserve rights," and that she'd send us to the principal for not saying the Pledge of Allegiance), but I had legit awesome teachers who cared for me so much, and did everything to help me (even going beyond what the IEP said & just asking me what I needed). Were they just powerless, or did they assume I was diagnosed, or did they just never notice

Actually, that's one of the reason I loved the Church. I'm weird about it now (I can explain later, but let's simmer it down to Sensory & Social Issues). Sure, no one said "hey, maybe you should get tested" (except the RS President who's son would later adopt me, and my Best Friend's Mom), but I was noticed & accepted (which is all I really wanted). My friends were almost all Neurodivergent, and I just had a place where I belonged. Ironically, everyone says the Church pushes you into a box, but it helped me come to terms with myself. I am Autistic, I am Bisexual, I enjoy myths, have tarot cards & runestones, I am untraditional in basically every way, but the Church gave me the courage to say "I'm following my own path," taught me how to listen to the Spirit which says "I will guide you safely & comfort you when people don't understand," the ability to see myself as a God in Embryo & realize I am valid, as an Autistic Bisexual Mormon Witch who has questioned my Gender Identity on a number of occasions (it's weird, but I don't really feel any gender (what's gender even feel like anyway). I use he/him because it's easier, as I am a Bio male, but I don't care, and think I look slay in either genders clothes (although, I do prefer Androgynous Style, but T-Shirt & Jeans works as well))

I'm actually reminded of Elementry School. I did awesome in classes, straight As until 4rd grade. But my 4th Grade Teacher noticed something odd. When I was away from the board, I would play with my eyes. I was Nearsighted, and for 4 years, no one noticed (for a number of reasons, including because I did the eye thing, asked questions, read the book, and always sat at the front of class). Now, that teacher was Awesome (she even inspired me to get my first pet, a Guinea Pig named "Fluffy"), and she saw a problem no one else did. I am going into education, and I wanna be that teacher. I want to be the teacher who not only cares, but notices things other people don't. I want to do everything in my power to make sure no one goes without what they need: be it new glasses, a diagnosis, or just a few minutes alone with an apple (because school's hard, and sometimes you just need quiet time & a snack)

TL;DR- I can't get screened on my insurance, someone should've noticed when I was a kid, my 4th Grade Teacher & Mormonism both rock & helped me realize my validity (so has my awesome wife, but I didn't mention her in there, even though I met her at church, and she's most likely also ND), and I wanna be better when I'm a teacher so no one goes without

[idontbelieveyou-butthenagain-idc]

Debunking Byler Bullshit

A run down on why Bylers obviously haven't watched this series at all and are just parroting the rubbish that Bylers repeat to each other in their echo chamber of nonsense. Had they watched with their eyes open, volume turned on, and with working braincells, they wouldn't of played themselves (and continue to do so).

"Mike was jealous about the painting." and/or "Mike was awkward at the airport".

Bylers can not be serious?? None have had any human interaction in their lives?? It's called small talk!?

Mike: *Greets Will and asks about Will's interest/hobby*

Bylers: Okay so obviously Mike is in love with Will because there's no other way someone asks about their friends interest unless they're in love with them. If not Mike's an asshole. Also bad writing.

At this point it's beyond delusional. There was no indication that Mike even realised that the painting Will took to the airport was the same painting Will did for the girl El said. I mean why would he? Will can paint more than one thing at a time, and in Mike's mind why would Will be bringing the painting he made for his supposed girl crush into the airport? Even in the pizza van there's no indication that Mike realises that the painting Will's showed him is the same painting El mentioned in her letter, honestly Mike hasn't been shown to remember that part of El's letter at all (however it was shown he remembered some things from El from the letters: Hawkin's flowers for El).

They'd known why it was "awkward" had they bothered to listen because Mike and Will literally told us! Will and Mike hadn't spoken much to each other since the Byers left Hawkins, in fact Will said they'd only spoken "a few times" in the months past. They explicitly told us between the roller skating conversation and later on in Will's room, that Mike and Will felt their friendship had drifted apart hence the previous awkward-ness.

Mike wasn't jealous and he certainly wasn't an asshole either. In Bylers eyes anytime Mike doesn't validate their ship he's an asshole.

"El needing Mike to tell her he loves her was bad writing and ruined El"

Bylers gotta hang it up with: 'I didn't like it so it's bad writing'.

Firstly, we were told in S4 Vol 1 that Henry taught El her powers are strongest when she's angry/upset (negative), until she remembers her one happy memory of her mother telling her she loves her (positive).

Secondly, it tied up Mike and El's fight in the beginning of the volume, because she was struggling to feel a sense of belonging.

Mike telling her all that stuff (including the I love you) hits two birds with one stone. It circles back to her time in the labs, solidifying that Henry was wrong, El's power comes from love and happy/positive emotions. It also ties up El's issue in being insecure/ not belonging. After being arrested, kidnapped by her abuser, going through NINA, getting shot at, she had a lot of new information about herself and time to realise what she wanted for herself. Mike helps confront any residing insecurities, that she does have a place she belongs, and with that knowledge El uses that love (that Mike has for her and she has for Mike) as her strength and saves Max.

And why Mike and not Will or Jonathan?

El hasn't shared all that much screen time with either of them - Will and Jon don't have the kind of onscreen connection to El that Mike does.

Mike is literally her day 1. Mike and El meeting is what kicked the entire story into gear. Mike and El have a special bond that they share with no one else.

It's a show for entertainment, a big declaration of love during a dangerous situation is what romance is built on in TV.

"Mike's an asshole for saying his life started the day Will went missing"

First off, Mike didn't met El the day Will went missing so ??? Mike met El the night after Will disappeared. Also Mike wasn't wrong at all. Meeting El is literally when the life he knows now started, one filled with alternate dimensions, legit monsters, humans with powers, russian spies, and getting chased by the government. Bylers acting like Mike said, "I suddenly sprang into existence the second I met you and never liked anything or anyone before that. Also I hate Will."

Next, Bylers have got to stop acting like everything and everyone revolves around Will because it doesn't. Mike was literally helping El fight for her life and Max's, to then spin it around and be like, "oh but what about Will??" Yeah? What about him?! This ain't got shit to do with him.

Mike's an asshole for the "it's not my fault you don't like girls"

To start off, Mike has yet to realise Will is gay so he wasn't specifically saying it to target Will. Mike shouldn't of said it, but everyone has said something they regret in the heat of the moment. Will in fact did the same by insulting El, calling her a 'stupid girl'. Will and Mike both said things they shouldn't, yet Mike's the only one who gets hate despite the fact Mike was the only one of the two to actually apologise.

Funny how Bylers forget Mike's apology and Will's acceptance and conveniently wave off Will's own insensitive comment. Double standards much?

Mike only likes El because of her powers

Oh boy. When Mike first brought El home he had no idea she had powers, during vol 4 he was the one trying to create a plan so El wouldn't have to use her powers, and as Mike literally said: "I love with your powers and I love you without your powers". How can this be anymore clear, Mike spelt it out!

Mike calling El a superhero wasn't him loving her abilities, it was about who she is as person, someone who imbodies the traits of a superhero (eg, brave, fearless, determined, etc) Mike was clumsily trying to say her powers isn't what makes her a hero, she one no matter what. Obviously El misunderstood and Mike's declaration made her realise what he actually meant.

Finn hates Mileven and actually ships Byler

Finn Wolfhard said his favorite scene he shot for Stranger Things was the scene where Mike was trying to tell her he loves her:

Millie and Finn talking about how much they enjoy their characters being together for all these years:

Mike didn't actually mean the 'I love you' to El he just said that for her sake

Beyond the fact it would make Mike a total douche to say all that and then turn around and say: 'psych! Didn't mean it lol ✌️'. There's no indication that true considering that Mike tried to tell El he loves her before she piggybacked off Max, but was interrupted by Argyle. Had already declared his for her in vol 3 in the cabin, and tried to tell her in the grocery store. Even Lucas in S1 said Mike was in love with El! It's not 'sudden', 'random', or 'rushed'.

It would also make no sense narratively? Mike's love for El helped her save herself and Max, love overpowered Henry. The reason El saved herself was because Mike was being truthful and honest, that's why it worked! For Mike to suddenly say, "I was lying. It was meant for your step brother", would absolutely ruin the narrative message. Not to mention would legitimately make Mike into the asshole Bylers already think he is.

Lastly, the creators of Stranger Things, The Duffers, literally called Mileven 'star crossed lovers'. Finn and Millie have said many things supporting Mileven, including but not limited to:

"He's been in love with Eleven since the first season. Since he laid eyes on her." Finn Wolfhard, BravoTV, 2019

"Mike started season 1 leading the search for his missing best friend, Will Bylers. And he ended up finding someone else when he ran into Eleven. He fell in love with her." Finn Wolfhard, El Planeta Urbano, July 2022

"I don't see them really like, breaking up after they've gone through all this stuff". Finn Wolfhard, Entertainment Tonight, 2019

"She [El] loves Mike - I want them to get married. That's what I need. I need a wedding scene in Stranger Things. Period." Millie Bobby Brown, Glamour UK, 2020

"Mileven is real. I promise you that. Mike and Eleven? Ship it til the end 'cus it's happening." Millie Bobby Brown, Instagram Live, 2018

If the literal creators of the show and both cast members of the relationship say Mike is in love with El and El is in love with Mike, who the fuck do Bylers think they are to say otherwise?? Lmao jealousy really is a disease I guess. 🤷‍♂️

[fumiko-matsubara]

Expectations and Fantasies

“You know…” Kaho suddenly started, absentmindedly playing with the bending straw that she had used for her now finished iced-tea.

Sitting across the table before her, Ryuunosuke perked up at her voice, tearing his gaze off his phone screen. He slightly tilted his head in mild curiosity, with his usually sharp eyes opened wide, blinking owlishly after. “Yeah?” He gently prompted, his initially surprised face slowly contorting into a soft smile.

Kaho bit the insides of her left cheek as she silently stared back at him. It had been a few months since they had formally met, and yet, she couldn’t really see herself getting used to the stark contrast between DREAM’s wild lead guitarist Ryuunosuke and the Ryuunosuke who was softly smiling at her as he waited for her to continue.

They began hanging out outside the live house every other day after the rain had stopped pouring. It was surprisingly Ryuunosuke’s idea, saying something along the lines of “wanting to stray away from the stress of school and having to constantly put up with Eiji’s bullshit,” which was totally valid and she completely agreed that he really needed to take a break. But she couldn’t help but to wonder why he wanted to spend his break with her, as delighted as she felt when she first received the offer. She supposed that he had plenty of friends outside the band that he could’ve asked instead. Like Miki, for example, as they seemed to be close enough to casually hang out together all the time.

Speaking of Miki, the stylist had been particularly excited when she heard the news (which also made Kaho wonder why Ryuunosuke felt the need to inform her about it, but she decided that it's a concern she could ponder over at another time), that she took it upon herself to pick out outfits for both of them, even having them pose together for a picture once she was done. The memory of Miki going over to her home and practically raiding her closet was still fresh on Kaho's mind. She assumed that Miki was just enthusiastic since the hang out was just a rare opportunity for her to style two people who she (legit) made her personal models in the same setting.

But the way the stylist came about it made Kaho think it was for a different reason, and the thought itself made her feel extremely giddy the first time she realized it.

Who could blame her though? Spending the whole day together, with Ryuunosuke planning where they would go, while wearing seemingly matching outfits to boothー if the whole situation was taken out of context, it almost looked like they were on a date.

Kaho blinked, snapping out of her thoughts. Now is not the time to start fantasizing! Especially since she had yet to know the reason why she was the one who Ryuunosuke invited of all the people he knew.

Her eyes briefly darted between Ryuunosuke's eyes and the straw she had been playing with. Perhaps he wouldn't mind it if she asked him, right?

"For some reason," she finally continued after a minute of pausing. She leaned towards the table, resting her chin onto her free palm, as her other hand was still preoccupied with the bending straw she's playing with. "When the person I had a crush on also began to take interest in me and asked me out, that crush I had just vanishes completely as if I never had one in the first place."

Wait, what?

Kaho immediately lifted her head, her eyes widening in alarm. 'Idiot! You're supposed to ask him why he's interested in hanging out with you, not talk about people who're interested in you!'

She mentally sighed, her lips slowly contorting into a tight smile. 'Whatever, the topic's not too far off. I can just find an opening to ask him later.'

She returned her gaze back to Ryuunosuke, only to see him eyeing her in surprise. He probably wasn't expecting that crushes would be the first thing they would talk about to strike up another conversation, thirty minutes after their last one.

"It's weird, right?" Kaho nervously laughed.

At her voice, Ryuunosuke suddenly blinked, as if he was just snapping out of his reverie. "I don't think it is." He answered.

He then gave her yet another soft smile. "You probably just enjoy doing the chasing and that's not weird at all."

"Probably…" Kaho trailed off, staring down at her bending straw in thought. She didn't think of it that way and, in a way, it does make sense. After pondering over it for a few moments, she locked eyes with Ryuunosuke once again.

"There's also the fact that, once that person began noticing and showing more of their personality to me, I tend to get disappointed because they're usually far from what I've fantasized about them," she explained softly, proceeding to twirl a lock of her hair with her index finger. 

"And that really rubs me off the wrong way for some reason…" she sighed.

It took Ryuunosuke a few seconds of staring into space before he mouthed a big 'oh' when he understood what she was saying. "Ahh… it's that kind of disappointment."

"But romantic fantasies are usually just like that, especially if it's towards a person whose personality is what you've hardly known about them." He briefly quirked an eyebrow at her in mild confusion, likely wondering why she was making a big deal out of it. "And that's pretty normal, actually. Nothing weird about that at all."

"I see…" Kaho trailed off. Somehow, that made her feel slightly better, even when it wasn't her main concern in the first place. She discreetly smiled at that.

Ryuunosuke leaned back to his seat and faced the ceiling. "Though, it makes me wonder why you dated Maehara…" he softly muttered, but mostly to himself.

However, Kaho managed to pick that up and let out a gasp, her eyes wide opened in surprise. "Huh?"

"Ah w-what?" Ryuunosuke suddenly jolted when he realized that he said that outloud and was heard. He quickly tore off his gaze from the ceiling and looked at her in alarm, his eyes opened just as wide and in panic.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to say that!" He hastily apologized.

Kaho quickly snapped out of her surprise and shook her head in response. "Ah no no, it's okay! You're not overstepping anything since it's not that personal." 

She then smiled at him reassuringly. "Also, we're both on good terms now, so you don't have to dodge the topic."

Ryuunosuke hesitantly eyed her, his eyebrows furrowed. "...are you sure?" He gently asked.

Kaho let out a hum with a smile in response, nodding her head almost eagerly.

That seemed to reassure him enough to relax his tense posture. He let out a long relieved smile. 

"I see… That's good then."

Kaho smiled at him in mild amusement. Sometimes he can be too caring that he tends to worry for the smallest reasons, but she supposed that it's one of his charms. "So what were you about to ask?"

"Ah, it's just that…" Ryuunosuke slightly shifted in his seat. "I don't want to make it seem like I was trying to get something out of you…" 

Kaho shook her head. "I'm telling you, it's fine."

"Well, if you insist." Ryuunosuke sighed, leaning towards the table. "Now where was I..?" He rested his chin onto the back of his hand, briefly looking up at the ceiling in thought. "You had a crush on him first, right? And he was the one who asked you out?"

"Uh huh!" Kaho answered, but mostly to confirm that he remembered it right, as she had already told him that herself a while back.

"Since that was the case, he must've felt the same way as you do then." He then returned his gaze towards her. "So why did you date him?"

For a brief moment, they stared at each other's eyes, unblinking.

"Well…" It was Kaho's turn to look up at the ceiling in thought, breaking off the eye contact. "In Maehara's case, when I used to have a huge crush on him, even with just watching him from afar, it didn't take me long to figure out the general idea of what kind of person he is," she answered truthfully, letting out a giggle. "It's mostly because he's very upfront."

Ryuunouske chuckled in amusement at that. "You're not wrong. That guy's personality just screams loudly even from a distance." He mused.

Kaho grinned. "Right? So when we began dating and that I'm seeing more of his personality, I wasn't even the least disappointed since he's exactly as how I imagined him to be." Her grin then softened. "Like even just when he suddenly asked me out, I was already seeing parts of his personality at that moment. So I said yes."

She returned her gaze back to Ryuunosuke, only to see him gazing softly back at her, the softness in his smile matching his eyes.

"That's really nice… you must've had a great time with him then, huh?"

Kaho nodded. "Yeah, he's a really good guy." 

"Even with what went down last month, which sadly didn't end well at that time, it doesn't change the fact that I genuinely enjoyed his company when we were still together." She admitted with a small smile.

"Good for you, then." Ryuunosuke's soft expression then brightened. "I'm glad you're taking it well."

After a few seconds of comforting silence, Kaho also leaned towards the table. She then also rested her chin onto the back of her hand, a rather mischievous glint evident in her eyes. "So, what about you then?"

Ryuunosuke stiffened. "Eh?" 

"It's kind of unfair if I'm only the one who talks about things like this, you know?" Kaho mused, smirking.

Ryuunosuke faltered at that. "W-well thats…"

"Oh, come on! Don't be shy~" Kaho grinned teasingly. "What's Ryuunosuke like when he has a crush on someone?" She prodded further, leaning towards him.

Ryuunosuke leaned away and turned to the side, avoiding her gaze at all cost. "The thing is… I don't really get crushes…" He hesitantly admitted.

"Really?" Kaho's teasing smile quickly turned into a confused frown. That was very surprising. "Seriously? Not even once?"

Ryuunosuke turned back to face her again, albeit a bit slowly. "Perhaps I did…" He finally said after a moment of hesitation. "But then again, I could just be confusing it with admiration or respect." He gazed downwards, stroking his chin with his fingers in deep thought.

"Wait." Kaho raised an eyebrow at him. "Who are we talking about here?"

He looked up at her. "It's Ayaka." He nonchalantly admitted.

"Ohh!" Kaho mused at that. It makes sense if she thought about it. They've known each other for three years and have been working together to keep the band going. Surely there are plenty of things that Ryuunosuke would notice about the older girl. "Well, I can't blame you on that. That senpai is hella pretty and smart."

"Hell yeah, she is." Ryuunosuke almost immediately agreed with her and Kaho had to briefly wonder why he sounded so passionate just then. "To be honest with you, it's kind of pissing me off actually." He then admitted.

Kaho chuckled in amusement. "And why is that?"

"Like, think about it. She's pretty, she's smart, fairly popular, and she can pull off any kind of clothing no matter how questionable her fashion sense is!" He exclaimed frustratingly.

"Anything about her personality, though?" Kaho asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ryuunosuke quickly dropped his frustrated expression, staring at her dryly instead in response. 

"That's not a good trait." He deadpanned.

"Oi, don't let her hear you say that!"

He waved her off, though. "Not to mention, she's good at biology. That one is really unfair."

"Well, I'm not that good at biology myself, but is that really something you should be mad about the most?" Kaho asked, resting her cheek onto both of her palms.

"Yes?" Ryuunosuke raised an eyebrow at her incredulously. "You know what? She's just probably on my mind because I'm jealous of her." He decided.

"Oh really?" Kaho mused.

Ryuunosuke stubbornly nodded. "Yeah! I mean, of course, I still have my respect for her. But every time I think about Ayaka, the first emotion I feel is always jealousy." He crossed his arms and let out a small huff. "I'm probably just jealous."

Kaho just chuckled at him in pure amusement.

The topic had swerved off enough that there's no point in trying to find an opening to ask him that question, anyways. But Ryuunosuke was becoming more talkative, so Kaho couldn't really bring herself to suddenly switch topics, which can clearly throw him off, as evident as what happened earlier. 

For now, she should just enjoy the passionate performance that's being presented right in front of her, seeing as there's not a hint of when Ryuunosuke will stop rambling at this point.

She can just ask him at another time.

My other ChiHo works: Masterlist

[xplrsquad7137]

How I Met Your Mother-

Colby Brock × Reader

Chapter Eleven is here...

Chapter Twelve: Room 333

**disclaimer** in this story, Y/n goes with them to the Langham hotel, the one that they filmed for their channels.

Word Count 1,653

Warnings: light angst and cussing

_____________________________________

Sam and I have been planning this trip for a long time. We have been wanting to go to this haunted hotel for what feels like forever! I want to take Y/n along with us because she has never been to anything actually haunted before. She has been to events for Halloween before but this is different, it is actually real. 

"Baby, do you want to come on this trip with us?"

Y/n "I'm down, where is it?" I told her where the hotel was and how far away it is from Los Angeles. "Yeah! What time do we leave?"

"In a couple of hours, it is still pretty early so we can stay in bed for a bit if you want."

Y/n "mmm yes please." She climbs back on top of my body and falls back asleep for another hour.

___________________________________

It is now 12:23 p.m and we are all eating before we hit the road. 

Corey "Are you excited?"

Y/n "Hell yeah I am!"

Jake "You're not at all scared?"

Y/n "Not really. I mean I'm sure it'll be scary if shit happens but if nothing happens then what's so scary about staying in an old hotel?"

Sam "She is your soulmate, Colby."

I blush and start laughing, "I know this! She is like me but a female!"

Y/n "It's the best, isn't it?!"

"It's pretty cool, baby girl." 

Sam "Well this place seems legit. Everything that I have read about it is all haunting stories. Shit flying off of the walls and dressers. Blankets moving off of guests while they sleep...it's insane."

Y/n "great….not at all scared now, thanks Sammy."

Sam "Hey, don't shoot the messenger!"

"Don't worry baby, I'll keep you safe." She leans into me so that I can kiss her forehead. This is going to be so much fun having my girl tag along with us!

….

I drove my red Corolla while Sam sat passenger, Y/n sat in the middle between Jake and Corey. The drive was three hours long, straight shot. Once we got to the hotel, we got all of our cameras and the rest of our belongings and headed to the front desk. 

Corey "This place just screams haunted..jesus!"

Jake "Really Corey? Already? We just got here."

Corey "Sorry Jake...I can't help that this place just screams demonic!"

I grab Y/n's hand and start laughing at Corey's crazy response. Even though he was being dead serious, it was hilarious the way he said it. 

Y/n "I will have to agree with you, Corey...it looks way scarier in person."

Corey "THANK YOU! We should bring her more often, now I can have someone to agree with me that this is a fucking bad idea!"

Sam "brother….it's only for the next...12 hours."

Jake "Oh yeah...only 12 hours...easy peasy!"

…

The front desk Manager "Hello, welcome to the Langham hotel!"

"Hello, yes we have a reservation for room 333 and 334"

The Manager "Oh yes, under Cole Brock and Corey Scherer?"

"Yes, that is us!"

The Manager "Very good, I'll just need a way of payment and then you all can be on your way." I handed him my credit card and then he handed me the room key.

Jake "Bro..I have to ask you, is this hotel really haunted?"

The Manager smirks "Well you will find out sooner rather than later."

Corey "Oh fuck this bro! Are you kidding me?!" Y/n's face dropped and I could see the little bit of nervousness in her face. 

Sam "This is gonna be a fun night boys!"

Y/n "haha! Yeah..super fun boys!" I wrap my arm around her shoulders to keep her close to me. 

I whisper to her, "You good baby?"

Y/n "Yeah..just creeped out."

"It'll be fine, I'm sure that nothing will even happen. It's just for fun okay?" She giggles and agrees with me. Oh I was so wrong...so wrong!

____________________________________

As soon as we got in the room, our equipment started going off the charts. The meter spiked red immediately.

Corey "I am not staying here, bro."

"Yes you are, I already paid." 

Jake "These meters are a joke. Anything electric can set it off, this means nothing." I hate how negative Jake can be sometimes during these trips. He isn't completely wrong but it has to be more, right?

Sam "Wow! Did y'all hear that?"

Y/n "I heard it! It sounded like a little kid screaming!"

Sam "Yeah! You guys didn't hear that?" We all say no.

Y/n "Babe..that was so loud, how did you not hear it?"

"I wasn't really paying attention."

Jake "I never pay attention."

Sam "Yes, we know Jake."

That made her laugh a little bit. I hand Sam the camera and go behind Y/n and wrap my arms around her waist. 

"I'm not gonna leave your side, okay baby?" She nods and relaxes a bit. She can fool the other guys into thinking that she isn't scared but not me, I know her better than anyone and she is terrified. 

The night goes on. We walked around the whole hotel, getting some spikes on our meter and heard some voices that we couldn't really pinpoint where they came from. I didn't let go of Y/n's hand the entire time, even when I filmed so that Sam could have a break I either had her hand or she had her arm latched on to mine. Once we got back to our hotel room, Y/n laid down on the bed while Jake and Corey got their room set up for the night and Sam charged the camera. 

Sam "That was spooky, huh?"

Y/n "yeah..some of the voices I heard were really strange."

"Do you think we caught everything on camera?"

Sam "I don't know here," he hands me the camera so that I can look through the footage of the night. As soon as I started scrolling through the videos, we heard a soft moan come from the bathroom. I looked up at Sam for validation and he looked at Y/n and we all heard it.

I immediately got up from the bed, pulled Y/n into my side and we got our belongings and headed to Jake and Corey's room.

"Dude, dude, dude, dude! There was a moan!"

Corey "what?!"

"There was a fucking moan coming from our fucking bathroom!"

Sam "We all heard it."

Y/n "it sounded like one of us made the noise but we didn't...that's how clear it was!"

Jake "Alright...I am kind of freaked out guys."

Y/n "can we please leave?"

Sam "We only have 4 more hours to stay here...why don't we just all go to bed?"

Y/n looks up at me with fear in her eyes, I grab her face and kiss her quickly. 

"Everything is fine baby...let's just go to bed." That's where I regretted it...we should've left when she wanted too.

____________________________________

Sam slept on the left side of the bed, Y/n was in the middle and I am on the right side. We fall asleep after a few minutes of chatting. In the middle of the night, Y/n jolts up from a dead sleep and screams.

"WHAT? WHAT BABY?" I look down and the blanket is completely ripped off of the entire bed.

Sam "Oh my god! Go, go, go!"

We all got our belongings packed up and we walked towards the door but before we reached it, the door bangs. As if someone is trying to break into it. We all scream and Y/n falls into me. 

Sam "WHAT THE FUCK?!"

"HOW CAN A SPIRIT DO THAT?!" Sam walks up to the door and looks through the peephole.

Sam "there...is no one there."

Y/n "Oh my god let's get the fuck out of here!" Sam yanks the door open and we run out of room 333. The boys heard all the screaming and they packed up in a hurry and we got out of there by 6:52 a.m.

We got in the car and everyone is out of breath and really shaken up. I told Jake and Corey everything that happened and they almost didn't believe me.

Corey "I heard a loud bang..I thought it was one of you using the bathroom or something!"

Sam "No brother! That was the freaking door!"

Jake "I think that this was the most evidence that we have ever caught."

"Just wait until you all see the footage, we caught more than ya think."

____________________________________

Once we got home, we immediately went through the footage of tonight's events. We got all of the whispers and moans that we heard throughout the hallways. We got bangs and creeks that we didn't even hear! We caught the blankets being ripped off of our bed and the loud moan. Lastly, we got the bang on the door. 

Corey "I'm so glad I didn't stay in room 333 dude...that shit was crazy!"

Jake "Yeah..nothing happened in our room."

Y/n "Awesome."

Sam "Well we got the proof that we needed! I say we edit it later on today and we all shower and go back to bed." We all agree and Y/n and I go to our room.

….

"Wanna join me in the shower babe?" She sleepily agrees and we both wash each other. Once we got into bed, we melted into the mattress like it was butter.

Y/n "That was scary...I didn't believe in the supernatural until last night."

"Yeah...I haven't experienced anything like that before, are you okay?"

Y/n "Yeah, I'm good. Thanks for not leaving my side babe."

"Never."

_____________________________________

@moriartysringtone7137 @multistanimagines @kid-that-likes-to-xplr @azurebrock @taradummy @daddydobrock

[bat-lings]

Is Bruce a good father to Damian, specifically? I mean, he seems to have learnt from past mistakes... but in preboot, does he even care about Damian at all? Didn't seem like it most of the time (especially in Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul, where he didn't even seem to care that Damian's life is in danger). Do you think he cared about Damian preboot?

Well, you are both right in that reboot!Bruce puts his preboot counterpart to shame where Damian’s concerned. The thing is, the reboot gave a much bigger place to Bruce and Damian’s dynamic than preboot ever did. Those two actually don’t have that many scenes together in preboot, and said scenes were usually part of a bigger plot/narrative that left little room to focus on their relationship.

I’ll answer this in three stages in order to address everything our Anons mentioned:

Bruce & Damian’s dynamic as portrayed by Morrison

The Resurrection of Ra’s al Ghul

Conclusion: does preboot!Bruce care about Damian? And was he a good father to him? (spoilers: yes and no, respectively.)

The conclusion summarizes everything so jump there if the argumentation part is too long.

A) Morrison’s Damian & Bruce

Disclaimer: I really, really hate Morrison’s writing. I’ll try to be reasonable when criticizing it but be extra aware of that bias. It makes me put most of Bruce’s action on the writer rather than the character and while I have my reasons & probably won’t change my opinion, it’s still a pretty categorical take.

Honestly I think Morrison’s Bruce does feel responsible for Damian. I’m even sure he cares about him too:

[Batman (1940) #657]

Actually, the whole issue is pretty good where Bruce & Damian are concerned. Must be my favorite thing Morrison has ever written. He installs interesting things character-wise, like Bruce making an extra effort to make Damian comfortable in the Manor & be patient with him, or Damian being an insufferable brat up until Bruce snaps at him, at which point he immediately switches off to “yes sir” in front of that new figure of authority.

Those are interesting bases to construct a dynamic upon. Problem is, they’re not gonna be exploited.

Here Bruce shows clear intent to provide guidance to Damian. But rather than give Bruce the occasion to follow up on that intent, and to develop a real relationship with Damian, Morrison gives us the incident Anon mentioned in the next frickin’ issue : an explosion set by Morrison’s godawful “““Talia””” that should’ve killed both her and Damian, and Bruce staring dramatically into the distance.

Does Bruce investigate their disappearance while Damian is being hardcore abused by his mother? Nah, he’s too busy skiing with one Jezebel Jet– a relationship Morrison needs to install since Jezebel has a notable role in Batman RIP.

My point is: as of #658 Morrison considers this arc finished & that there’s nothing to add. By that logic it’s valid to forget Damian until he’s relevant again plot-wise. It’s not (i think?) a way to tell us Bruce doesn’t care about Damian.

Let’s fast-forward to the disputable editorial & writer choice to launch Batman Inc/Leviathan  just after Bruce’s return from the “dead” without A) leaving room for a  confrontation/closure scene between him and Damian beforehand; or B) letting them actually interact more than the strictest minimum in said arc. From a strictly in-universe POV though, it’s not ooc for Bruce to decide unilaterally that Damian doesn’t need him or to focus on the crisis to come without talking to his son first.

I guess I should be talking about Batman Incorporated Vol. 2 too, ‘cause while it’s technically N52 it’s very much in the continuity of the storyline Morrison started in preboot. It also has a few Bruce & Damian moments where despite terrible miscommunication Bruce seems to worry for Damian… But then the plot requires Bruce sending Damian back to the mother who, in this dumbass version, abused him all his life.

[Batman Incorporated (2012) #4]

If I got that right this is a “Hero must make Big Sacrifice for the Greater Good” moment. The fact that Bruce loves Damian isn’t put into question: it makes the sacrifice more significant.

And that’s kinda my problem. First we’re told that Bruce wants to provide for Damian, but then whatever affection he feels for the boy is sidelined or even sacrificed to other narrative considerations.

So basically Bruce’s love for Damian has no significance in itself. It’s a given that doesn’t particularly need to be illustrated or expanded on; it’s stocked until we need it to breed impact in some scenes. Like the one above or, you’ve guessed it, Damian’s death. So yeah Bruce loves Damian. He loves him so much he’s sad when he dies. Ahem.

All in all it’s not a father-son story: else there would be more banter, slice of life sequences, time for the dynamic to develop, etc. It’s a hero-who-loses-stuff-in-war story. One story isn’t better than the other, they just appeal to different types of audiences.

“Does my father love me” is a personal thus small stake. Batman Inc/Leviathan or “Can I keep this future from happening” are world-wide to city-wide thus big stakes. I think a marked interest in the Big Ideas is what characterizes Morrison’s writing. Thus the portrayal of character relationships has a very specific place in his stories.

Anyway: I don’t think Morrison ever wanted to imply Bruce doesn’t care about Damian. It’s just that he’s a plot-driven writer and that both characters’ interactions & smaller stakes, although somewhat present in his narratives, will always come second in the big schemes of things.

If you consider that Bruce behaving like he does under Morrison’s pen proves he doesn’t give a damn about Damian though, I sure as hell won’t fault you for it.

B) Bruce & Damian in The Resurrection of Ra’s al Ghul

(God re-reading an in-character Talia these days is an oasis in the desert. Gotta love that arc all the more for that.)  

Not gonna lie fam. Our two Anons are right when they say Bruce is pretty cold in that one.

But A) Bruce is also dealing with a crisis, which means he’s emotionally removing himself from the situation; B) he’s not treating Damian differently than he is Dick or Tim… which we’ll see is the problem tho.

It doesn’t excuse Bruce’s behavior (I think he’s out of line myself), but I just don’t think it implies he doesn’t care about Damian.

You’ll notice that his apparent aloofness applies to Tim too (and Dick although he’s not mentioned), and that it equally unsettles Talia.

[Nightwing (1996) #138]

I want to stress the apparent in aloofness. On several occasions during RoRAG Talia reproaches Bruce that he’s not confronting his feelings what else is new. I believe he’s worried about the boys, all of them, but he also trusts them to handle themselves. He also thinks that if he so much as voices his worry, he won’t be able to focus and do what he has to. So he represses them and goes fully in Batman-mode.

Fast-forward. When Bruce is barking at Damian to pick up a sword and fight, it’s his way of protecting him– he needs Damian to defend himself.

[Detective Comics (1937) #839]

Because it’s not fair to show this without context: 5 seconds before Bruce legit bites Damian’s head off, chill out dude, he goes all protective batdad upon seeing Ra’s trying to steal Damian’s body.

So yeah. I have reasons to believe Bruce is scared out of his mind here. Hence the very aggressive way he tries to shake Damian into action.

So far Bruce gets a pass. It’s afterwards that he deserved to be punched in the face imo, and that’s probably the scene our Anons had in mind:

In fact, Bruce is expecting the same from Damian than he’s expecting from his two other sons. To be precise, he’s not treating either of them as sons— they’re on the field, they’re Robin & Nightwing right now. Aka soldiers/partners/teammates rather than family. And Bruce is putting Damian on that exact level when he shouldn’t be.

It’s harsh, and that’s emphasized next to Talia (who is actually written like a Talia). She’s all aggressively worried mother and Bruce’s all cold commander, the contrast is off-putting.

Talia reacts like a mother first by fleeing to save herself and her son. But Bruce can’t let Ra’s to his own devices, and he expect his sons to fight beside him.

It’s unfair to Damian ‘cause he’s not Robin yet, he’s not part of Bruce’s war the way Dick and Tim chose to be, he didn’t choose to be dragged into Ra’s schemes: he’s snapping to attention at Bruce’s order out of a childish need for validation, not out of a conscious & thought-out choice to make this his life. Also he’s ten. Yet those considerations fly over Bruce’s head: right now and unlike Talia, he’s not thinking like a father.

Do I think Dini balances the Greater Good vs Familial Attachment dilemma better than Morrison does? Hell yeah. He took the time to show Bruce ripping Ra’s apart at the beginning of the issue to prove us Bruce cares. And for all that Bruce’s wrong here, Dini has him fighting beside Damian, not sending him off on his own. Talia’s fleeing with her son gives the reader a reality check & puts the validity of Bruce’s choice into question as it should be. The stakes are also so much more concrete that “distant dark future to avoid”.

Next is probably my fave line ever written about Bruce & Damian ‘cause it gives so much sense (or depth) to Bruce’s hands-off approach.

And like. Everything that Bruce says here is true. That’s exactly what Damian’s character arc should be about. But dude maybe try to have a relationship with your son outside of the Batman legacy? The thing is Bruce built his relationships with all his kids through vigilantism and I think he just. Doesn’t know how to do it differently. The idea doesn’t even cross his mind for god’s sake.

By my understanding it’s not that Bruce doesn’t love Damian. It’s that he genuinely believes Damian’s better off without him.

It’s low key confirmed in Bruce Wayne: The Road Home.

[The Road Home: Batman & Robin]

((Don’t trust anything Bruce says about Dick’s “casualness” or whatever in this issue tho. Nicieza just… doesn’t know Dick’s character all that much.))

So Bruce is basically taking the easy way out, yeah. Both in ‘Tec and in choosing it’s not worth trying to work with Damian as his partner. He decides Talia is a better parent & Dick is a better mentor than he could be, and he’s off fighting the good fight against Leviathan.

We can stretch it and say Bruce probs decided he’ll take care of his relationship with Damian after the Leviathan thing is dealt with but tbh I don’t know if DC or Morrison thought that far ahead.

Conclusion

Morrison’s narrative installs that Bruce does feel morally obligated to care for Damian. And although I get why it can feel uncertain, I’m not sure we’re supposed to doubt Bruce loves Damian.

Bruce not looking for Damian after the explosion is is more due to the writer’s choice to consider the “Damian issue” closed for now so that he can focus on his next plot/installment. I guess.

When Bruce has the idea to send Damian back to fake-Talia, I guess his love for his son is a tool used to show how much Bruce is a selfless hero*. and a terrible dad but he’s a Hero™ so it’s okay.

Bruce in RoRAG doesn’t come as indifferent to Damian’s safety to me, he’s being his dumbass self in a crisis situation. He’s got no excuse for sending Damian alongside Dick & Tim when he did though.

On two occasions Bruce unilaterally elects that Damian is better-off without him. First with the in-character Talia who actually loves her son, second as Dick’s partner.

* Actually it’d be very interesting if someone who liked that comic-book could explain me wtf I didn’t get about its narrative significance. Sometimes our personal tastes just render us blind to some things guys.

TL;DR: Does preboot!Bruce love Damian? Yes. Was he a good father to him? No.

And I’m feeling way more comfortable giving a categorical answer here than when I was asked if Bruce is, in general, a good father.

To be fair Bruce does try to step into a fatherly role in Morrison’s Batman #657, aka just after he meets Damian. Afterwards we get sidetracked; and later storylines just. Don’t really give Bruce & Damian the opportunity so share father-son moments.

His behavior in RoRAG is just plain bad. The fact that it’s not due to indifference doesn’t change that. The ten-year-old who didn’t ask for shit should be treated differently that the seasoned vigilantes Dick and Tim are, period.

Obviously leaving Damian in fake-Talia’s clutches or wanting to send him back to his abuser goes under “bad father points” too. If you consider the whole of Morrison’s run should be integrated into your personal understanding of the character, that is. woops look at that terrible bias showing its ugly face again

In later episodes, it’s tempting to give Bruce a pass by saying that he just didn’t get the chance/time to be a good father to Damian, and part of it is true. But again, failing to invest in that relationship is completely in-character, and tbh it’s the part I find the most interesting character- and narrative-wise:

It’s A) self-depreciating (”Talia or Dick can provide my son what I can’t”); B) self-centered, in that Bruce doesn’t stop to consider what Damian thinks or wants; and C) cowardly, in that the second there’s someone else available to take care of Damian, Bruce stops trying to be a father and to invest himself emotionally because gasp, feelings!

As a comparison, think of how long it took for Bruce to go from mentor-protégé-e to father-child in his relationship with Tim and Cassandra; and to admit that’s how he felt about those kids. He didn’t adopt Dick until he was an adult either. Batdad needs time to un-constipate. It’s a Bruce thing, not a Bruce & Damian one.

(Jason is the only kid with whom Bruce immediately builds a wholesome relationship and that’s where you cry because if Jason didn’t die Bruce wouldn’t have half as much trouble getting close to his kids.)

Hope this word-vomit answers that. Thanks for the asks!