#Team Free Dads

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 126

You know what would be hilarious? 

Constantine comes into one of those meetings as he sometimes does every blue moon. Though the proper word would be storms into a meeting and practically slams a whole stack of papers down. “Can someone bloody explain to me why the American-fucking-government is trying to go to war with the fucking Infinite Realms?!” 

The Justice League is of course alarmed and confused- and also John weren’t you in Hell?! Yeah, he was, where the fuck do you think he found out about this? 

Now if you’ll excuse him he’s going back to the House of Mysteries with his now haunted trench coat. John, John Constantine what the fuck do you mean by that? No don’t just leave, don’t leave this mess just for them- JOHN! 

[valeron99]

Saving people, hunting things.

[moeblob]

No, I don't think I will recover from the VA's growl after Gallagher says he used to bite people. Thanks for checking. (but seriously, was that just a VA choice or is that a direction he was given? Does he rawr in other languages? I've only heard the English line).

[maxwinchxster]

jack kline has an unhealthy obsession with dinosaurs no one can tell me otherwise

[jamiesfootball]

The more I roll it around like a piece of candy, the more I think that the reason for the coaches putting ‘Jamie’ down as ‘Jamie’ was…. as simple as letting Jamie be Jamie.

They’ve had their eyes opened lately about a lot of things lately- one of which was Ted’s belated realization about Zava, and his small acknowledgment that Jamie made the right call about that guy. When he originally brought them his concerns, their dismissal of him was partly rooted in the image they had of Old Jamie.

Which again is one of those things where we, the audience, saw much more of his changing than they did. Not only do we know that he’s not Old Jamie, we also understand that Old Jamie wasn’t really Old Jamie - it’s only ever been Rough Draft Jamie, who has a lot of work left but who’s come so far, and we’re starting to see how fucking bright his future could be.

And now that’s really in front of the coaches’ faces as well. They’re starting to see how much growth there’s been, with the fall out from Zava, and they all know he’s been doing extra training with Roy.

I think they started writing down names, got to Jamie’s, and then just…. Didn’t want him to feel like he was being Zava’d again.

He’s a good kid - for fucks sake even Beard can’t help but be sentimental about him now (talented player; beautiful dumb dumb) - and in their hearts, well? Of course he’s their striker. And no, they’re not worried he’s gonna be a Precious Moments figurine anymore - not in a fragile way at least. Just in a precious and special sort of way.

So what do they do? They give him a signal, this time a note, and tell Jamie to just be Jamie. That’s it’s okay if Jamie is just Jamie. Because this may be a new strategy they’re testing out, but that fact will always be true. They just want Jamie to be Jamie. There’s no problem with that anymore. It’s a perfectly good thing to be. And they’re here to support that now.

“That’s not a mistake. We just figured you’d wanna keep doing what you do best for us. Playing striker and scoring goals, right?”

It’s an olive branch. They thought about what Jamie might want, and they’re willing to offer it to him. No questions asked. Well, one question asked:

“Right?”

Because this is Ted we’re talking about. And just like the quote about leaving room for God, Ted is always going to leave room for people to grow. He is a Coach after all. So he leaves that door cracked open for Jamie. He may not be sure what Jamie’s going to do with it, but he’s gonna leave it open all the same. He believes in Jamie Tartt.

And Jamie takes that in stride, with a sweet befuddled smile at this sudden show of acceptance, and a weird tension in his eyes because he’s beginning to wonder ‘but what if I could be more?’

And by the end, when they’re all crowded around a whiteboard, listening to this kid crack the code on the whole shebang - the strategy, the team dynamics, where every player’s strength is gonna come together and help them win - that’s the real pay off. That’s Beard finally looking at Jamie with the full force of his analytical intellect and having approval in his eyes. That’s Roy, neither surprised nor knowing, giving him the nod like ‘you’re onto something here, keep going’, completely willing to listen.

And Ted. Ted. Ted’s face kills me here. Because he is so quietly, deeply stunned that he looks like he’s wearing his entire soul on his face.

This why you leave the door cracked open. You may not know what’s going to come through if you do - and what shows itself may be beyond your wildest dreams.

You’ve outdone yourself, Coach Lasso.

Jamie Tartt is going to be your trophy one day, mark my words. And he’s already the Son Shaped Trophy of your Coach Shaped Heart.

[emotionally-intuitive-engineer]

Hi engie, I'm back.

How are you doing?

Howdy, Honeybee! Been a while here too, haven't been too active here.. sorry 'bout that everyone, Dadgineer's been stressin' lots more as've late aheh. Medic's workin on some stuff though, so we'll be fine ah'm sure! (Dunno if I should be trusin' him.. but not much of a choice here.)

Missedchya Iris, how've you been? :]

[kazoosandfannypacks]

Favorite ship trope: Awkward Jock X Cool Nerd

(this is not my own idea; shoutout to the mml fandom for making me aware of it)

[soullessjack]

mm ok I have something to talk about finally ! so something I’ve noticed in a lot of discussions/meta around the TFW2.0 family dynamic + cycles of abuse is that it almost always opts to frame jack as a perpetual victim of [sam and] dean’s mistreatment who can’t fight back, and while I don’t mean to say it’s completely without merit, I feel that it does a slight disservice to Jack’s character by always reducing him into a helpless child (even if he is seen as older by the poster) who cannot/should not bear any responsibility in any of his relationships with his fathers.

to start, the cycle of abuse coincides with an imbalanced power dynamic; someone with more or higher power and authority over you (ie parent, boss or teacher) uses that authority to exploit, control, and/or freely mistreat you. i will note that it doesn’t necessarily have to be framed this way to be abuse, like a situation where blackmail grants someone authority over their target; there are also some dynamics that are inherently imbalanced without being inherently abusive (see above examples). the abuse relies on that dynamic being manipulated, not the dynamic itself.

in the majority of posts I’ve seen, the power imbalance between TFW2.0 almost always puts jack at the bottom of the totem pole, in a constant state of victimhood because he’s constantly at the mercy of [sam and] dean [and cas].*boxed these in bc people rarely pick on sam or cas for their transgressions and whether or not they’ll kill him. clarifying again that i understand where this comes from, but I also think it’s a fairly dated perspective on their dynamic that should really be re-examined—especially with Jack’s autonomy more in mind—and i believe @shallowseeker has a post about the exact timeframe of Cas’ death and Dean’s widower arc/mistreatment of Jack that i recommend for it.

but onto my main point, I feel that this representation of their dynamic is inaccurate, and doesn’t really take jack into account beyond the Helpless Child Victim narrative. for the sake of staying on topic let me just summarize a few things:

A) Jack is the most powerful being in the universe and is functionally immortal/unkillable. He is a greater threat to TFW than they are to him, and so he is the one with power in the dynamic, not the other way around. It all hinges on his personal choice to not harm them (because he loves them of course).

B) Jack is and always has been painfully aware of his power, the threat he poses, the dynamic it creates and the underlying tension it constantly causes with his relationships. The majority of his actions and motivations are rooted in his own self-fear, and the determination to prove he’s good/safe.

Another small point I’ll shove in is that Dean canonically never forgave himself for his mistreatment of Jack, and spent almost the entirety of their relationship trying to make up for it (especially in 14x06, 07 & 08). Likewise, Dean’s promise to kill Jack in 13x02 and that scene from Moriah are both often misunderstood as more Textbook Dean Abuse with **Jack’s perspectives (ie: “dean said he’d kill me, and maybe he should,” his admission of guilt and willingness to let Dean shoot him) (also, his choice to forgive dean at some point offscreen) being largely overlooked.

**obviously it’s not healthy or good for Jack to basically consent to being mistreated or killed because he thinks he somehow deserves it, nor does it make Dean’s actions excusable or justified in any way, but i still feel that it’s worth pointing out as examples of Jack’s autonomy and awareness in the aforementioned power dynamic.

Jack’s responsibility is also pretty unaccounted for in these dynamics (especially when it comes to Mary’s death) which I think stems equally from the fact that his soullessness—and by extension, his soulless actions—were caused by Sam and Dean’s actions and the general perspective of him as a child [who doesn’t deserve the burden he carries, and should be carefree], so nothing is directly his fault and nobody can get mad at him either or that’s also seen as unfair mistreatment). I also personally just think it’s odd because Jack in canon is very adamant about being able to take and hold responsibility (as it relates to his autonomy and wanting to be seen as a separate person from his parents). and, going back to Mary, Jack not only becomes psychotic with guilt over killing her, but after his soul is restored in S15, he has a complete breakdown from the sheer horror of what he’s done, and because, in his own words, it’s all his fault.

I won’t go into the worm can of people blaming Dean for how he handled reliving to his root trauma, but suffice it to say: he had every right to be angry, he was well within reason to act unreasonably, and stop trying to fix his conflict with jack by parentifying him with an innocent baby when he already has parentification trauma and that baby is merely an excuse to absolve Jack of any responsibility he had in the conflict.

I will always and forever love the meta side of the fandom, and I honestly owe my blog’s existence to it, but I still think we have a long way to go in terms of how jack is represented/portrayed in these discussions, and likewise, how that portrayal frames/reflects on sam, dean and cas ^_^

[mangk0]

Well gentlemen my dad and I finally finished god of war ragnarok 🥲

By the end he was calling atreus loki, did NOT trust angrboda (no matter how much i tried to convince him), was actively impersonating kratos irl, and lost his mind when thor died

Anyways what a wild ride. I’m glad I got to play it w him :)

[emeraldsummers]

Has someone made a gifset of every time Jack is referred to as Sam, Dean, and Cas' son? (Or refer to them as Jack's dads?)

Bc I need it for reasons. Those reasons are that I get emotional every time it happens.

[hearts401]

Tell me why I'm thinking about the potential friendship between Susie's ghost and Michael.

[radioactivepeasant]

Snippets: Free Day Thursday

The Pokémon au, or, "in which "human" actually means "human" this time"

For context: the Dark Warrior Program in this au was an experiment by Praxis, boss of Team Krimzon, to create a psychic link between trainers and Pokémon that he chose, by force if necessary. Jak had only been on his Pokémon journey for a month when he and his Eevee got snatched. Sig, an agent of the Wastelands Region posing as a social worker, helped Jak and Daxter beat Kor (a Bug-type gym boss who was struggling with Team Krimzon for control of Haven City). He smuggles them to a military base in the Spargus region, and the boys are separated for check-ups. (Warning for implied past experimentation)

Just another sterile, white room. Another cold metal examination table. No electrodes clamped to his head this time, but what was the difference? He could still feel the Pokémon restlessly moving in their pokéballs. He could sense that...thing Errol had made out of that poor Pyukumuku. The thing Praxis forced him to train, no matter how much it tried to kill him. He could sense its pain, its anger.

Jak glowered at the black and yellow Ultra Ball. I have to feel your pain, the least you could do is stop ignoring mine!

The Type: Null was silent, save for an aura that Jak had come to associate with snarling. In his arms, Vivi raised her hackles and growled in warning at the Ultra Ball resting on the counter. She hadn't battled until her legs gave out just to let some stranger's Pokémon push her Trainer around.

I am never taking you out of that pokéball again, Jak thought, feeling a little vindictive.

The doctors came back into the room with the uniformed man Sig had been talking to. Jak didn’t recognize the rank insignia on his lapel, but he could tell it was higher than Errol. There was a Baile Oricorio running back and forth across his shoulders, chirping in alarm the second it spotted the Umbreon in Jak’s arms. The man raised a finger to stroke the little bird's head soothingly.

"Overall, he's in better condition than we'd initially suspected," said the doctor with the ice cold hands. "He's just below the fifth percentile right now for overall weight, and I am seeing evidence of poor nutrition, so I'm referring him to a nutritionist. Personally, I recommend giving him a snack locker for his room, y'know, personally. Something he has control over."

The doctor with the gloves -- or was she a Professor? -- nodded in agreement. "His Pokémon are in excellent condition, aside from the Umbreon's scar, given the circumstances. I believe he was giving them his own food."

The stern man frowned. He took the clipboard from the Cold Hands Doctor and leafed through the pages.

"And these scars on his temples? Do there appear to be any lasting effects from them?"

"We don't know yet, sir." The doctor shook her head. "Please, let us know if he suffers any headaches, dizziness, or anything else you think could be related to his time in the Haven region."

She opened a cabinet and sighed.

"He...seems to have become acclimated to using potions to treat himself. As if he were a Pokémon. They're not as effective on humans, sir. I'm prescribing a multivitamin at a higher dose than usual, and a probiotic for some gut health issues his friend mentioned. You may have some difficulty getting him to take them. He seems to have a very good reason to distrust medical care."

Jak hugged Vivi closer and glared at the doctor and the strange man. Why wasn't Sig here? Sig had said he was going to take Jak to the place he used to live before Thin Man took him out of his yard and Mr. Hagai took him to Sandover Town. Who was this guy? Why would they have someone in charge looking over the doctor's findings?

Vivi hissed at the man as he took hold of the doctor's rolling chair and dragged it over to sit in front of the table. At a single hand signal from him, the doctor and professor left the room. Jak stared at him, and he stared back.

"Do you remember me?" the man asked quietly.

"I don't remember a lot of things," Jak answered shortly. "Where's Daxter?"

"Two examination rooms down," the man answered. "His new foster family will be taking him home shortly, but if it would help, I can arrange for them to say hello before they leave."

Panic flooded Jak, and he felt the Umbreon settle her full weight onto his legs, grounding him.

"You're separating us?!"

The man raised his hands placatingly. "Calm yourself, little one. He's only going to live fifteen minutes from us."

"Us?! What do you mean us?!" Jak recoiled until he felt cold plaster against his bare back.

The intimidating man rubbed his face as if he were exhausted.

"You're coming with me," he explained. "You're. You're coming home, Jak."

"How'd you even know who I was?" Jak demanded.

Several muted emotions flickered across the man's face, and the Baile Oricorio settled against his stubbly cheek with a comforting trill. He let out a long breath.

"My name is Damas. Ruler and Field Marshall of the Spargus region. The...the missing posters Sig showed you? The ones going back ten years? I commissioned those."

He swallowed thickly and looked away.

"I...understand that you don't- you don't remember me. Although I hope one day you will. But I-"

His voice caught.

"I'm your father, Jak. And we've been looking for you and your Eevee for a long, long time."

He blinked, swift and hard, and his next words were almost inaudible.

"I've missed you so much."

_______________________________________

Two Weeks Later

______________________________________

"Ah! It's working, holy crap!"

"Daxter!" Jak squinted at the phone. "I thought the internet wasn't set up in your housing unit yet!"

"Yeah," his best friend shrugged on the webcam. "But Osmo got bumped up in line for dealing with those leftover Shadow Beedrills that tried to nest in the hangar."

Jak settled into the kitchen chair cross-legged. "Oh yeah. That makes sense, I guess. How...is the Drawers family? Everything still okay there?"

"Still the best foster-family I've had, bar none. Osmo let me put a picture of Mr. Hagai on Ximon's dart board, and he doesn't even tell me to "make myself useful" or whatever. And the mom, Xandra? She let my Pokémon sit at the table with me and everything. How's the weirdo they sent you to live with?"

Jak shrugged. "Gone a lot. Government meetings or something- by the way Sig is 100% not a real social worker, you were right. He's a secret agent for my...I guess he's my dad?"

"Told ya. No way a real Haven social worker would get us out of that city."

"Oh. And I have a half-brother? He's three and he's staring at me while eating a ketchup sandwich. Just. Just ketchup and bread. Geez, that's creepy looking- Dude your face looks like a crime scene."

"Want some?"

"Uh...no, no thanks."

"Otay."

Jak made a face at the phone. "The kid has a Totodile, too, and it ate one of my shoes. Damas got real embarrassed and promised to buy more shoes? Which is nice I guess? And he and his wife -- I don't know if she's my mom yet or not -- said they'd let me paint my room- Dax, Vivi and I have our own room. It's weird not bunking with you."

The Umbreon nudged at his hand insistently, hearing her name. She could hear Daxter's voice, and was peering under chairs as if she might find him there.

"Ugh, same. I share a room with Ximon and he snores, but he always falls asleep on the couch playing video games so I kinda have my own room? It is weird though. Junior keeps opening drawers and peeking around the door. I think he's looking for Vivi?"

Mar tugged Jak's sleeve. "Big Kid."

"It's Jak."

"Jak big kid, da schoo' bus is here."

"Crap. Gotta go, Dax. See you in class?"

"Maybe? I don't have my schedule yet-" a muffled voice interrupted from somewhere outside the door, causing Daxter's Pawmo to leap up into his hair to hide. Daxter rolled his eyes. "I'm COMING, Ximon! See ya, Jak!"

The bright red backpack didn't really feel like his yet. He didn't know what any of the books inside were, and honestly he didn't care. All he cared about was that Damas and Phobos had promised that the teachers would allow Vivi to stay out of her pokéball. Jak grumbled under his breath and slung the bag over his shoulder. First day at Cooper Memorial Middle School. Two weeks until they got out for summer. He could survive that, provided the Type: Null stayed in its ball.

[angry-geno-is-score]

Matt Rempe triggers every motherly instinct I have. Like some sort of ancient urge (like when a cat sits in a box but can't explain why).

The need to bundle that boy up in a fluffy blanket after a fight and run my fingers through his hair while he lays his head on my lap 🥺💕

you. you get it.

[cas-coding]

cas, dean, and sam definitely have one of those cheesy “baby’s first!” scrapbooks for jack except its just “baby’s first steps kill!!” like theyve crossed it out and rewritten it in sharpie

[freebooter4ever]

Lol grandma mailed me more old photos so here's proof that i was clearly always a hipster with my terribly 80s patterned red dress and leggings (also the caption written on the back of this photo is 'laura with curled hair' because my stick straight hair being curled was a big deal). And on the right a shot of me in yellow with the white headband to hold back said straight hair looking taller than everyone else at that age in basketball. My dad's in the back probably looking on disapprovingly because I have the ball and am probably about to pass it instead of shoot it (the other girls liked shooting much more than me so i let them).

[shattteredvisage]

kendall's final scene is in battery park - known for its view of the statue of liberty. but as we follow kendall's sight line, it always lies just out of frame and is obscured by the setting sun.