#Vogel is a precious sinnamon bun

[0verthinking1t]

Still thinking about Dirk Gently not sorry (Rowdy 3 spoilers)

(I wrote out a really nice piece on this a little while ago and lost all of it to bad wifi, so here's a different version)

Am I still thinking about giving Vogel a hug? Yes. Am I going to keep thinking about it for the rest of the day/week probably? ... also yes. Because this headcanon occurred to me and I just can't. Imagine:

When Vogel joined the Rowdy 3, he couldn't have been older than 15. He probably came from an abusive or neglectful home, or maybe he was an orphan altogether. He was experimented on by the government in a strange building, given this weird power, and thrown in with three savages with little to no explanation. He must have been terrified and confused as these three beast-looking older guys approached him, sizing him up like their next meal, until one of them suddenly handed him a baseball bat. After figuring out his story, the others felt bad; the shit that had happened to a kid this young and naive just wasn't right. Even though the Rowdy 3 were barely adults themselves and had no idea how to actually raise a kid, they decided to do the best they could to teach Vogel about being a vampire. They made him feel safe and cared about, tought him how to smash stuff (which was the most fun Vogel had ever been allowed to have), and made sure he was fed. The Rowdy 3 got rowdier after Vogel joined because their kid was so happy beating the crap out of stuff, and damn if they weren't proud of him and happy to do it all together. Martin subscribes to the idea that the family that plays together stays together, and Gripps and Cross sure aren't complaining.

This explains why Vogel basically treats Amanda like his mom; following her around like a puppy, seeking approval from her, hanging on her every word, because she's the boss, but he's comically disgusted at the thought of being her boyfriend, or probably anyone's for that matter. He hasn't had a mother figure in a long time, so he's absolutely mesmerized by her. His drastic reactions to seeing the Rowdy 3 van, his safe haven, and Preist, his worst nightmare, also suggest that his sense of rationality isn't fully developed, and when he's hurt he cowers in Amanda's arms and apologizes to her for messing up. Vogel never learned to grow up, he's still a confused little kid in an adult body looking for his safe place, his family. The Rowdy 3 took him in just like they took Amanda in, but as destructive energy draining outcasts, they couldn't provide the socialization Vogel would have needed to mature.

Tl;dr: Vogel is a precious lost child who needs a house with a race car bed and a dog, a bowl of Mac n cheese, and his loving murder family all safe where he can count them (if he can count).