#and also about Sparrow trying to deal with all of the traumas and trying to deal with her past

[redlenai]

So... hear me out, this is my re-do of Umbrella Academy season 4 and also the finale. So, we know Allison made a deal with Reginald and they ended up in a new world without powers and all that, and instead of getting new, weird ones, they get their original powers back, but they took only a sip of the marigold, so they are failing and not always active at will (Otherwise, Klaus, Allison, Laila and Viktor would be too OP again).

Allison got her daughter back, husband left her, I prefer that that way. I also LOVED HER in season two so why not let her be a hairdresser still? With a succesful one amongst old ladies and vintage enthusiasts. She doesn't want any of her clients dating her siblings, she is keeping her business!

Luther instead of a stripper, what about bringing back him being number 1? But not necessarily a glamorous job, but a fullfilling one with people like him who wants team work and maybe start doing some personal healing, so let's make him a Camp Counselor. He is the leader of a group of kids, kids that listen to him better than his siblings, he is nice, he is there for them, he may not be the wisest but he is attentive and sensitive, so I think that would be a good spin for him. Some moms would fawn over him, who doesn't love a big teddy?

Diego and Laila, I love they got twins, I would have liked to see them more. I would have loved for everyone to be more involved to the niblings, so Diego, I would have left him all his fighting techniques, those could had nothing to do with his perfect aim powers so he still had them. I could see him having a Dojo in a Mall and secretly teaching his daughter how to fight. Yes, Laila being totally against.

Laila I really like that growth in the beginning, mom of three, doing undercover. I liked she acknowledged being an assassin almost her entire life then this change its too sudden, yes, secrets aint good but instead of being nasty to her family, keeping that bag out of the house seems correct for me.

Klaus, hear me out, him being a germaphobe, sober, clean is golden. His fear of permament, genuine, death is glorious, and I feel so sad they didn't dive more into him stepping up for Claire, you could tell he loved his niece and even with all his flaws he was there for her and did those changes for her too, not only because of Allison's support. I think his world should have been his niblings now, he'll endure the germs of his niblings and only theirs, his siblings need to wash their hands three times and use some alcohol before touching him.

Ben, nothing much to say. He is Sparrow Ben so yes, to me him doing a bitcoin scam its perfect, I think its the only thing from the beginning of the season that I won't change one bit. I'm also keeping Luther being the one trying to incoorporate him to the family. Still a bitch, but behaves in front of the kids

Viktor, what did they do to my man. Listen, instead of him being a douche with ladies and being so far away and in a damn bar, hear me out. Violin teacher, close to family, simple as that, some of his students are making progress... his ears are no longer bleeding during sessions!

Now, Five. You know, he was in his 60s. Reaching his 70s after this one final timeskip right? (I'm not good at math). I think I would have spin things very differently for him, first, a young body is just that, a young body. He is still older than all of his siblings, he still experienced solitude, trauma and more. So I can picture him not being as sharp as before, mind sliping, stubborn, everyone tries to deny it, but Five is aging, he needs help. Instead of working for the CIA, just an old man in a young body, winning some chess contests for the thrill but tired, maybe sharing a decent apartment with Luther and Ben since the first was the first one to notice these changes.

I wouldn't have changed much of the plot, Marigold and Durango? Having to destroy all timelines? Ok, let's keep that but let's chance the way how it works. Besides, I would have introduced the Fives hanging around in the Subway quite a bit earlier or removed it entirely.

Main plot: Finding Jennifer, Reginald and Abigail come to the conclussion that the clearance IS the monster, IS the end of the world just like how it happened, but it isnt.

Sub-plots: Diego still not trusting Laila or not appreciating what he has, Klaus having a panick attack and afraid of losing all the progress he has made so far, Five's slowly going senile (Getting his powers and being able to access the Subway makes it worse), Viktor wanting closure about all the abuse Reginald has caused them.

I did like the Cult and the Umbrella effect, but lets not involve the CIA, that was a bit just too much. But I liked Abigail sabbotaging her love, I think the gang deserved to get to know her a bit better and see what was that their father longed for so long.

But understanding doesn't mean forgiving.

Laila and Five do get lost for 7 years in the Subway, Laila seeing now instead of Luther how Five IS older, IS an old man, IS aging and NEEDING his family close. I really got this image of the scene being them taking shelter in that green house, nothing romantic happens between them, just Five appreciating Laila is there just to make an odd comment "Wish the others cared to visit", then Laila having to remind him they were lost and needed to get back.

Diego, instead of having his awakening in the CIA, he just goes from sibling to sibling, yes, he does the talking! He still jumps into conclussions but now seeks imput!

Klaus as said is terrified of having his powers back, all his terrors come back to haunt him, he doesn't fall back onto the drugs in an instant, nor the alcohol. Instead of taking that TV, I really wanted Claire to be his anchor, I know, she shouldn't have such a responsability, but who wouldn't want to help the family that choose to keep the closest when you needed the most? He forgives Allison, then instead of the whole medium thing and being buried alive (despite the last being actually a reference to the comic and how originally Reginald trained him), he slowly goes back, sometimes its hard to remember too all the progress you made with your gift/curse, and thanks to not have used too much marigold helped him to gradually get used to it, especially alongside his sister and niece.

Ben and Jeniffer are in the run from Hargreeves and the Keepers, instead of them getting that rash then evolving into a monster, let's go back to my point of interest: Niblings.

Well, instead of a fricking monster, what if Ben and Jennifer just got a baby on the way, one that was growing way too fast, but not as much as the 43 children. Ben doesn't trust nor feel the others are family, he doesn't want them, his real family is dead, that's a fact.

Well, let's say seeing your love at first Durango suffering a weird pregnancy that is causing those weird stuff (I liked the Earthquackes, dead animals, people dead by ink), enemies right and left, not sure if she survives, she dies, there is a baby or monster on the way... kind of makes you want the group of nosy assholes back, especially if something bad happens to you or the mom.

II like that Abigail seemed to care about the gang, I was surprised Reginald even talked about them, so I can imagine her just wanting to care for them, so what if the gang talked during their "visit" about their kids too, wait, does that mean Reggie has grandkids? Are these my grandkids? or step-grandkids at least?

So I think the finaly argument between Reginald and Abigail should have been, yes, he should have left her die, that they were wrong, that's not the end of the world, that is a new beginning. Reggie, do the right thing, that's the 4th grandchild you won't be able to meet.

We have part of the gang trying to help soon to be Daddy Octopus prevent the Keepers, Hargreeves agents and yes, the CIA as its own thing, from entering. Then another half helping Jennifer, the birth happens.

And that is the ending, everything fades to white.

"In October 1st of 1989.... nothing out of the ordinary happened. To be exact, the actual date is (Insert modern time). I'm just watching over a... peculiar family that found each other"

Then we have in said park the whole gang, people that didn't die nor did go to the Temps Aeternalis. Umbrellas and Sparrows as well.

There, happy ending.

[stackofpossums]

Could I get a Hc for how the M6 would react to finding out Mc's past is worse than they thought? Like finding the shop is the point their life goes from awful to okay to eventually great. Before then? You can leave it as vague as you'd like.

(I have an Mc who was an executioner/pet similar but different from Muriels executioner/gladiator role being Their scars are from the person in charge and all their opponents were never given a chance. Another Mc who tried to live up to others expectations for him. Eventually forced to leave his home or die at 10 because his sister tried to murder him for a power he didn't even want. My third Mc who had abusive parents and learned from a passing by sparrow that they need to run away to save themselves.

What if before the shop Mc's life was actually horrible? So like to the point they never told anyone, not even Asra. Only telling stories about after they had moved to the shop to live with their aunt.)

I just finished a big assignment so Mc who has a dark past let's go:

Asra: He already knew MC past was dark and was kind of glad they didn't have to remember that when they lost their memories. Then they got their memory back. And oh. OH. He never knew it was this bad. At first, he's a little upset that MC never felt safe enough to confide in him. He quickly realizes, "No, it wasn't him." He's grateful MC chose to confide in him now, and he's going to do everything in his power to support them. He'll hold them and comfort them while they talk if MC is comfortable with that. The salamander has already lit the stove so he can brew some calming tea. Therapy has been scheduled. He is fully committed to helping MC heal as much as possible, mostly out of love, but there's a tiny part of him that feels guilty for not knowing sooner.

Julian: He thought he had it bad. He didn't know it could be this bad. He may be a doctor, but... for quite possibly the first time in his life, he knows he isn't qualified to fix this. He's gonna set MC up with the best mental health care. Until then, he's going to attempt to theraptize them himself. He encourages MC to talk not only about their past but also about how it made them feel, how they're feeling now, what challenges they are having, and anything and everything else they want to share. He's going to respond with hella words of affirmation, making sure MC knows how much he cares about them and that their safe now.

Nadia: Patiently listens to MC's story, no matter how gruesome the details are. She'll hold them tightly when it becomes too much for them to bear. There are no words to describe the hurt she feels for them to her very core. Afterward, she is setting them up with the best mental health support money can buy. Only the best therapists, medications, if MC wants to try them, or anything else. Anything MC thinks will help them is theirs. No expense is too great for her beloved MC. She's pretty venengeful, though. It'll be tough to convince her not to make the lives of anyone who's made MC suffer hell. She'll relent eventually, though, because she's knows if MC doesn't want that, it won't be helpful.

Muriel: Out everyone here, he understands it the most. It's a little hard for him to listen sometimes because he remembers times in his life where he felt just as hopeless as MC. He's here for MC, though, and makes it his mission to make sure MC NEVER feels that way again. He shares the techniques he's found for dealing with trauma, as well as helps MC find what works for them. He pushes them to keep going when he notices they are struggling. He comforts them when it's too much. He celebrates with them for every challenge they overcome, no matter how "small." It's the least he can do for them after everything they've done for him.

Portia: When MC first opens up about their past, their a bit afraid they're going to get squeezed to death by Portia's hugs. She's the other LI mostly likey to try to go after the people's who hurt her precious MC, she solves problems with fists flying. But that's okay. She's sneaky. She's going to make sure anyone who hurt MC wakes up to a fun surprise. Other than that, MC can always count on Portia for a listening ear. She will comfort MC through any story they need to tell and wants to help them find closure however she can.

Lucio: Oh. Oh no. No one gets to hurt his MC. No one. Who shall he defeat in battle for you? That won't help? Oh... well... what can he do? Lucio would do ANYTHING to make things better for MC. Just say the word. Hugs, he's here. No hugs? That's fine, too. He's here to listen. He knows a thing or two about unpleasant pasts. But you have each other now. MC has had his back despite everything he's done. It would be criminal not to do the same.

[whateverthought]

The Umbrella Academy Seasons Ranked

Season 2. It was weird and wacky, with bright colors and cute moments between siblings. The 60s aesthetic worked well with the oddness of the Hargreeves Siblings. Everyone had their own strong plotlines and character moments while also reconciling in very wholesome and meaningful ways. Similarly expanded on Reginald, Pogo and Grace.

Klaus becoming a cult leader, with his personality and powers makes so much sense! Luther finally making decisions on his own and them being so uncaring of his own wellbeing while also following his trauma in a way that left much to be chewed on. Five dealing with his past actions, all done because of the family and for their safety, while dealing with his siblings' at their most authentic. Ben trying to strike out on his own despite being tied to Klaus and thrashing against those constraints but ultimately loving his family and finally being there for them instead of as an observer. Deigo's obsession with JFK and the Assassination was hilarious. It melds well with his insecurities and need to be a hero, while also reconciling with Luther, an unfortunate object of his problems, and Vanya who he was antagonistic toward despite learning to understand they're both just fucked over by their father and he's the problem. While having an odd relationship with Lila that becomes genuine at least a little. Vanya growing and gaining a human connection and love not tainted by their Powers and Upbringing, learning to stand up for themselves and forgiving and being forgiven by the family. Processing their trauma. Allison fighting for a cause that's selfless, growing to not rely on their powers and only using them for other people. Falling in love with a man that made her better, uplifted her and loved her at her lowest, loving her for her, while breaching the emotional divide from the former season with her siblings. And of course Lila, complex and badass, not a good person not a nice person but one who was only beginning to fight against her abuser.

Season 1. It was good! And it was the closest to a Faithful Adaption. The grim dark aesthetic was odd and weird and it solidified the show as different from others. A very good basis and foundation for the odd characters and World.

That being said I didn't like the grim dark aesthetic as much, not that is was bad but the funky 60s oddness was more fun in comparison. I also understand that the show would need to set up the broken relationships before we can reconcile but I do like the reconciling more. Most of the differences between this and the next is just preference, they're both solid seasons.

Season 3. It had a lot going for it! The Sparrow Academy was a very interesting idea, meeting the other 43 children born was exciting and the heartbreak of getting Ben back but he's not our Ben but he's Ben. Unfortunately it suffers heavily from its 8-episode structure.

There was so much I wanted to see with these new characters and even the other other 43 but they ended up dying in quick succession and leaving me feeling kinda cheated. Not only that but the mothers topic only really being brushed upon was a loss. There were so many What-If scenarios that could have happened with this idea. Who are you if you change your childhood? Your economic living situation? Who could they have been if not for Reginald. I did like the Allison descent, it felt very in character and well done but the follow-through was abysmal. Similarly the way other characters reacted to it felt inexistant. It felt like no one was reacting to Allison's increasingly worrying actions and degrading mental status. Sure Five kills people but Allison is an actress and no one seemed a little perturbed she killed someone important to their sibling without talking about it? She assaulted Luther and no one thinks that's worrying? If my sibling sexually harrassed someone I'd be in their face, asking a million questions. Sure there were other things going on but that's important, Allison is important. I did like her and Deigo beating up racists and trying to connect but its odd that Deigo who arguably had the biggest subplot was checking on her. I did think the Sloane and Luther romance was a little rushed but they themselves were very cute. As were Kalus and Sparrow Ben! So was Viktor's transition! And seeing the Marigold reacting strangely and learning about it was interesting but ultimately everything needed more time.

Season 4. Unsurprisingly the worst. Not only did it have the least amount of time, only 6 episodes, but it felt very disconnected. It felt like someone else made it and they themselves only watched the show once. It had the broad strokes, Lila and Deigo had their kid, Allison had her patchwork family, Reginald had his wife, the Sparrow Timeline happened but it didn't fit.

They did reference something from past seasons, The Jennifer Incident, but it doesn't make sense in context. Sparrow Ben had his Jennifer Incident but he didn't die he was just demoted. So what does that mean? And why didn't He know who Jennifer was? What she would do? What happened to His Jennifer if not a World Destroying incident or Murder-Brianwashing? And the fact that they set it 6 years later takes out things we wanted to see. Luther looking for Sloane, Ben being in Korea for some reason, confronting Hargreeves and Allison, Lila and the baby. I did like the Careful What You Wish For idea for episode 1 but they didn't follow it through with Abigail. She was upset with her husband but we don't see much of it. It felt like something they should have connected more in rewrites, like when you write a story and realize you can foreshadow more in earlier chapters. And that's the overall vibe of the season, its a Rough Daft they didn't work on. The cinematography was amazing but it feels like all their time and money went into CGI and Practical Effects and none into the writing.

The Sparrows all disappearing only to be mentioned by Ben so we get a reason for why he feels disconnected to the others and by Luther, to remind us that he remembers but he never found her. Lila spends the beginning being overwhelmed by her children and not happy in her domestic life but a few episodes later we see her almost let the Apocalypse be rewound so she can spend a little more time with them. The story would have been more meaningful if it revolved around Lila and Deigo realizing they weren't meant for this White Picket Fence life. Not everyone is! Its the reality that everyone gets married and has kids because they think they should not because they want to. Giving Five a romance was unnecessary, it felt forced beyond compare and lazy because they needed someone close to Five, because he's too guarded, to pair him with.

I didn't hate that Klaus became a germaphobe that lived with his richest sibling as he recovered. And Allison who probably felt guilty let him, that makes sense. I was apprehensive about his relapse because despite how odd he was now at least he was clean! And getting better from something like that can take years! Its implied he's only been sober for 4 out of the 6 years which both is and isn't a lot of time. But it didn't matter I guess. Ben forcing Marigold didn't matter I guess.

And the attempt to gaslight the audience into believing that its always been Allison who picked up the pieces of Klaus when we never see it and know she ran off to become famous was frustrating. So was the forced fight they had after the van, it did not have to be Allison she was not the only one with him, but since we wouldn't be getting any real confrontation about the Season 3 finale they gave us this. Because, let's not forget, the follow-through with her descent from last season didn't happen. It was years ago so any lasting hurt feelings feels petty, right? Its similar to her actions in season 1, she did it when she was a child its not her fault even though Vanya/Viktor had a right to be upset and the fact she tried to fix it again with mind control while also implying she always knew and never said anything led to me disliking her but the narrative didn't think that was important. She was punished wasn't she? Why talk about it? It happened years ago, why talk about it? Its forced character development, or maybe forced plot moving? It was something they didn't want to deal with so they didn't talk about it and rushed past it.

And of course Luther, who loses literally everything and becomes just the Butt of the Jokes. No wife, no job, no house, no plotlines, no character development.

God and Jennifer who literally only existed to be a Plot Object. A McGuffin if you will. You could have switched her with a Cursed Ring and nothing would have changed. Ben gets Cursed by a Ring, hears it talking to him, goes crazy. No change. And no reference to Sparrow Jennifer. It wasn't a romance more than it was a mutual delusion. Which would have been interesting if it was played straight.

Much like Viktor and Reginald, it COULD have been interesting. But we had no time! Also, why did he get to live till the end? Why did Reginald get a Good Bittersweet Ending?

The Ending. The ending felt bleak and hopeless, and while the show itself wouldn't contradict a sad ending, the way it was done felt hollow. To be abused your whole life, to struggle with everything you attempt to do, to fight with your family till the end and to have it be said your existence is why all these bad things happen, that you are the cause of all this horror, that everyone you ever met would be better off without you... For a show who's main theme is abuse and living past it and forgiving your siblings for reacting differently than you and fighting you for your abuser's love, that ending sent the wrong message.

[mortal-song]

the relationship between superpowers and trauma + healing in the umbrella academy

in the umbrella academy, each characters’ relationship with their trauma and healing is intrinsically linked to the nature of their powers. their powers start out as a representation of pieces of their own trauma and fears, and every time they learn to heal themselves, they gain not only a sense of personal autonomy, but control and autonomy over their powers as well.

so let’s start by talking about each of the umbrellas + lila, and what the relationships between their powers and trauma were before they began to heal.

-

luther has long dealt with feelings of inadequacy, the fear of being “weak,” of not being enough. after his transformation was forced upon his body, it was almost as if a spotlight was being placed on his weakness, and so he’d hide himself, cover his body up, and when hiding didn’t work, he’d instead make himself loud, make himself something to be intimidated by and listened to so that no one would see the fragility within him. despite his fear of being perceived as weak, his power is strength and enhanced resilience. (his own powers probably felt like a mockery when he felt as if he was anything but strong and resilient.)

then we have diego. his trauma is rooted within feelings of being out of control, and to deal with that, he became a self-proclaimed “lone wolf” -- independent to a fault, shut himself within a cold and sturdy exterior, never letting himself get too close to anybody. people are unpredictable, and if he can’t control the people around him, he’ll suffice for controlling his environment instead. and his power is trajectory manipulation, something that literally allows him to control the objects around him. 

allison, you could say, is diego’s inverse in this respect. she also fears being out of control, because her environment growing up was so tumultuous. unlike diego, she focused her energy more on herself and the people around her rather than her environment alone. she made herself palatable to others, caring, loving, sturdy -- made herself into all of the things other people could adore, and then when she wasn’t, she forced it onto people. if she can’t change her environment, then she’d change the people around her, and that’s exactly what her power -- mental manipulation -- allows her to do. in season 3, after new traumas had shaken her, she’d learned her powers’ greater extent and stopped hiding herself behind the prettier side of them, allowed them to be controlled by her rage and grief alone.

klaus’s power allows him to commune with/conjure the dead and also traverse the afterlife. but he fears his own past, his own experiences, so for a long time he drowned them out in whatever ways he could, especially through drugs. he once said himself that his “demons are literal,” and he was right. he is literally haunted by the ghosts of his past and his fears, and the worse his mindset is, the more the ghosts have power over him.

five’s power is time travel and space manipulation. but his trauma is rooted in isolation, and always feeling “out of time.” he’s constantly up in a battle against time, trying to save himself and those he loves before it’s too late. and before that, he was stuck in an apocalypse, lost and alone with no feasible way out for decades on end. his physical body is stuck at the age he was when his trauma reared its head, and now he is somebody who both grew up too fast, and was never able to grow up at all.

ben is a little different. we have two different versions of him, and neither version really got to heal. umbrella ben was tied to klaus in death, and there’s only so much you can do when you’re in a position like that. that being said, ben’s power relates to “the horror,” a beast inside of him that only he has the power to control. umbrella ben, of course, was terrified of this power. as a child, this fear turned him into someone passive, isolated, the “invisible child” next to viktor. this became literal after he died and no one but klaus could see him. sparrow ben, however, had a different relationship with this experience. he may have felt “invisible,” never good enough to be number one, so like luther, he made himself loud and boisterous, and instead of fearing his power, he tuned himself into it so that he could be admired. 

viktor’s power is essentially converting sound waves into energy. his trauma stems from growing up ignored, never seen and never heard, never valued. but his powers are big. he was never seen growing up, so once he realized his powers, he made sure no one could look away. it’s sort of similar to how luther was, but whereas luther did something similar to cover up his own self-perceived weakness, viktor did it to prove he was never weak, to prove that never seeing him was a mistake. where luther knew he’d be seen either way, so he may as well make himself intimidating, viktor thought that he could ONLY be seen if he was something to fear, and so at his worst moment he utilized enough power to end the world he was in.

lila has the ability to mimic other people’s powers, and her trauma is rooted in being used and manipulated by the one person who was supposed to love her. similar to diego, she became a lone wolf, not necessarily because she wanted to be, but because, like five, she needed to be. there was something fragile inside of her, something lost and afraid, so she did everything she could to fit into a world she felt she had no place in -- mimic other people’s ways of being so she could try to find her own. after meeting the umbrellas, she used their own powers against them for her own self-preservation, and even then, it was only because she was manipulated into it. an unhealed lila can utilize her powers to use and manipulate others the same way she was.

in unhealed versions of every sibling, their relationship with their powers is just as tumultuous as the relationship they have with themselves. some of them fear their powers, some of them use their powers for self-serving reasons, some of them make their powers loud and in-your-face to cover up the weaknesses they think they have, etc... the ways they deal with their own pains are related to the very nature of their powers.

things change when they begin learning to heal, however. this became apparent especially in seasons 2 and 3. season 2 saw the siblings taken away from the place their trauma began -- the academy. for lila, we saw her with others who are like her for the first time. this was the catalyst to their healing journeys.

we saw luther working for jack ruby, and while he was still searching for approval in men old enough to be his father, he was learning self-acceptance. we saw him wearing less sleeves and using his power to his own advantage in circumstances where it wasn’t necessary, but allowed. we saw him drop his intimidation tactics and switch them out for tenderness. he apologized to viktor, he started working with diego, and at the end of s2 he used his strength to protect his siblings. by s3 he’d fully embraced this, he was openly affectionate with his siblings, understanding that carefulness and tenderness did not make him weak at all. he also, for the most part, refused to let reginald control and manipulate him, and was able to even see most of said manipulation tactics for what they were, and his own newfound self-respect never wavered in spite of it all. he was becoming strong and resilient in every sense of the word now.

in season 2 diego was still trying to find his footing and his own place in the world, trying to find control in places that were impossible -- he set his mind on saving JFK, because while the feat was nearly impossible, achieving it would have been -- in his mind -- the ultimate realization of control. like luther, however, he also began opening himself up to his siblings more, and to lila, as well. whereas before he would have been too afraid to hold a serious relationship in both hands, he allowed himself to be vulnerable with lila, even knowing that she may break his trust. we saw him use his powers a little less (holding a knife toward viktor before putting it down), and when he did use them at the end of s2, it was to change the trajectory of bullets that surely would have killed him or his siblings. by s3 he had reached a place where he learned he didn’t have to hold control over every aspect of his life to feel safe, and in turn, he was only using his powers when necessary. he had relinquished control and let things come as they are, choosing to deal with problems head-on. he wasn’t perfect, he had his moments, but he’d come a long way from the diego we knew in season 1.

allison was a little different. we saw her trying to heal in s2, and she made a lot of progress. she was now using her voice alone to make a change, not the rumor within her voice. she was searching for everything she had to offer, despite being in an environment where her superpower could have done a lot. she was becoming self-assured and learning & earning genuine love for the first time. she was still in a very traumatizing place, however, so in s3 she had taken some (understandable) steps back, and will have to begin healing again. that being said, allison’s relationship with her powers is much different in a healing version of her. due to the innate malicious nature of her powers (this isn’t to say she is inherently malicious -- she isn’t. but the nature of her powers are, and always will be), a healed allison wouldn’t have autonomy with her powers like the rest of them, but rather she’d have autonomy despite her powers. a healed allison will always have the potential to control anybody she wants, and would fight the urge, choosing to instead seek understanding within herself and the people around her. she’d realize that she can use her powers whenever she wants, and would still choose not to, unless absolutely necessary. a healing allison would also be able to properly discern whether or not the use of her powers is necessary or not.

for most of klaus’s time in dallas, he was sober. however, he was still indulging in escapist behaviors, doing things to keep him from addressing his fears and issues. he was trying to find control in every area of his personal life (the cult, keeping ben away from everybody). he didn’t make a lot of progress until season 3. when he did, however, it was substantial. in season 3 we saw him looking inward. his powers have always been a much more literal depiction of his trauma + healing journey than the rest of the siblings, and so as he learned and accepted more about himself, he was able to banish the ghosts for the first time (this also tells me that maybe it was never the drugs alone that kept the ghosts away, but rather his mindset on the drugs, but that’s another conversation). as he gained more autonomy over himself and came to terms with his past, he was able to more freely traverse the afterlife, and it grew to be more colorful each time he did, and by the end it was saturated in color rather than just black and white. he used his ability to die to his advantage in the end, meeting death before he was blitzed and then coming back and conjuring luther. like everyone else, he was far from perfect here, but the progress was clear. now, the ghosts still exist, but he gets to decide whether they have power over him or not.

five, in season 2, was still under a lot of stress. still constantly feeling “out of time,” working tirelessly to help his siblings. his relationship with his power grew to be more refined, however. at the end of season 2, he was able to rewind time just a few seconds, and pulled everyone out of death. for the first time, he had time-traveled and hadn’t faced any immediate consequence -- quite the opposite. five had never had the time to heal, his life was a constant race against time. so his healing looked a little different in s3. he resigned himself to the time he had left, stopped using his time-travelling powers, and instead focused on his siblings. he was out of time, and so he worked with it rather than against it in this instance. he bonded with his siblings, sang with them, danced with them, gave them sappy, drunken speeches. he made sure they all knew they loved him in the ways he knew how to show it, and he allowed himself to be loved by them in return.

ben, as i said before, is a bit of a different case. in a trying-to-heal umbrella ben, he used his “invisibility” to his advantage when the opportunity allowed for it. he did have a few moments where (after being ‘conjured’ by klaus), he let the horror loose to protect his siblings. aside from that, he mostly observed his siblings, observed the issues they were facing and communicated with them through klaus, when klaus allowed it. but now it’s sparrow ben we’re dealing with, and he’s only just scratching the surface of the beginning of his healing journey. in my mind, however, a healing sparrow-ben would look kind of like diego and luther. he’d become someone who allows himself to love and be loved for what he is, no longer needing to make himself intimidating to feel seen.

then you have viktor. of course, he ended the world again in season 2, but those circumstances were borne of self-defense rather than the need to be seen. now, he was allowing himself to be seen for what he was, rather than for the power he had. he found love for the first time, found companionship, and learned more about himself, too. like some of the others, he was learning how to use his powers for good. by s3, he was building friendships with his siblings and with lila (and losing one with allison), and he no longer saw the need to make himself something to fear. he no longer resented his siblings, and he was learning to lead. he accepted them, and they accepted him. he gained control over his power, only using it in defense of himself or his siblings, and when he did, he ensured that he wouldn’t go overboard. he was careful, cautious, learning the fine line between power and destruction, and he built relationships with his siblings by trying.

finally, there’s lila. reeling from the truths she learned about her childhood, she shut herself down, reverted back into the manipulative nature she’d grown so accustomed to. she hung around the others just enough to observe them, gauge their intents, but wouldn’t open herself up to them yet. she was desperate to love and be loved but didn’t quite know how. slowly, she began working with them, starting with five. she tried mimicking his powers, not against him, but with him, and when she realized that he had no ulterior motives, she dipped her toes in the water with the other siblings, slowly but surely. she began to come into her own, her truer self. she left herself vulnerable to diego, and this vulnerability was not only reciprocated, but reconciled. she was learning genuine strength, no longer using it as a facade. she used her powers now with the others, not against them. she mimicked viktor’s powers to fend off the guards, she mimicked the others’ powers to consolidate the kugelblitz, etc. by the end, she was accepted as another piece of the whole family.

every time each sibling learns to heal, their powers change with them. whereas in the past, these powers represented the things they were burdened by, they now represent the ways in which they deal with those burdens respectively. we also see them use their powers to defend and protect each other, rather than to protect themselves against each other.

things are a little different now, of course. none of the siblings have any power at all. this could be a good thing, it means they’ll have to do a lot of self-reflection and heal the deepest pieces of themselves, the pieces they’d kept hidden beneath the powers. and if/when they do get their powers back, they’ll be the most refined versions of themselves, no longer seeing their powers as weapons or burdens, but as tools alone, extensions of all they’ve learned.

[gravity-barbie]

How did the Sparrows control their powers? Were some powers more difficult to manage than others?

I haven’t really considered it that much and I can really only guess, but here are some quick thoughts I have on them all, listed from who I think had the easiest to hardest time dealing with their powers.

Jayme

Jayme’s power seems the most tame, I don’t think she ever struggles to control it, and I doubt it’s caused her much angst beyond maybe being jealous that she doesn’t have a particularly brutal power- Though I could see that genuinely being a real issue for her.

Her power is weirdly most similar to Allison’s in that it’s not that hard to avoid if you know about it, but once she’s used it she’s won. We see she doesn’t get the chance to use it on Ben during their spar, so she could of potentially ended up in situations like that often where her power was pretty much rendered useless and she had to rely more on her wits, her character description did say she was ‘smart and sharp as a knife’.

Marcus

So apparently Marcus and Luther have the same power, Marcus is just better at using it. I like to imagine that both of them had to work really hard just to get to a point where they don’t break everything they hold or seriously injure people with basic physical contact, though as neither of them are cautious about getting rough with people I don’t think either had any major power related accidents.

Marcus is superior now because of his speed and technique (which I choose to believe he got through his own dedication rather than Reginald just training him better), but considering how clumsy Luther’s powers make him, I assume that’s something Marcus did struggle with at one point as well.

Sloane

Sloane seems to have the best relationship with her power out of anyone, she’s at the point where she can just have fun with it, using it to sit on her bedroom roof for instance. Seeing as she seems to be a pretty sensitive person I assume she didn’t have any childhood trauma associated with her power if she’s so comfortable with it now.

Like her umbrella counterpart Five, Sloane also has a lot of physics knowledge so I do wonder if she also needs to do the same kind of calculations and things as him to best use her powers, I don’t think thats really implied but it’d make sense and flesh her out.

Alphonso

Alphonso is interesting for being the only sparrow that isn’t in peak physical condition. Alphonso’s appearance implies that besides the pain his body still experiences the effects of any hit it gets, which I assume would take a toll and really wear him down overtime and could definitely be the cause of that sluggishness of his, and maybe even his need for an inhaler.

I don’t think he could accidentally use his power, since it looks like he needs to consciously activate it (and struggles to do so when exhausted), so I’d say he has an easy enough time managing his power, though he might of had a hard time developing the stamina and concentration he seems to need to use it effectively.

Fei

I’m a little confused about Fei’s power honestly, specifically where her vision is concerned, all the scratches over her eyes seem to indicate that her birds were the ones that blinded her, but throughout the show she’s always perfectly in control of them, they don’t seem to have free will.

I have a half-baked theory that she blinded herself. Something along the lines of her being so overwhelmed when she starts to see out of all the different birds eyes that she has some kind of mental break and blinds herself in a panic while trying to make it stop. But it could also just be that there was a time when her birds had more agency but she’s tamed them overtime.

Anyway, Fei seems to be in (I’m assuming physical) discomfort when her birds are hurt, which is a pretty big weakness. It was probably quite a burden trying to keep them all relatively safe mid-battle, which could play into how she became so calculated.

Christopher

So Christopher’s actual power, that ability to induce this paralysing fear, tends to get overshadowed by the fact that he’s a cube, which doesn’t even seem to even be relevant to his power. But yeah, he appears to be incredibly powerful, he’s able to incapacitate half the umbrellas (including Viktor) seemingly effortlessly, and he’s strong enough to temporarily contain a kugelblitz, so I assume it’s not easy for him to hold back which could of been a problem for him when it comes to things like sparring with his siblings.

If nothing else I’m positive that his inhuman physiology would of caused him a lot of angst throughout his life even if he’s comfortable with it now.

Ben

I am so curious about how Sparrow-Ben ended up with such better control over his powers than Umbrella-Ben. It could be a dominance thing, as number one this Ben was trained to be in charge and maybe that carried over towards the monster inside him. Umbrella-Ben also seemed to have a much lower tolerance for causing people pain, so maybe sparrow-ben and the horror were more in sync as opposed to umbrella-Ben fighting against it, which could of made dealing with it easier.

Regardless I still think Ben must of worked really hard to get the control over his tentacles that he has.

[conduitandconjurer]

We know that Klaus would rather stay in a toxic/abusive relationship than be alone. In that context, how are you interpreting Ben's "That's why you're always alone" line in S2?

Honestly I think that line is as much if not more about Ben at his worst than it is about Klaus.

Though understandable given the circumstances, it wasn't Ben's finest hour, tbh: particularly when you consider the sentence that precedes it: "Nobody wants to deal with your shit, Klaus." Because sure, everyone has their own struggle to deal with, BUT: who does that sound like?

I think the intention might have been a tough-love reminder that one's own choices are key to recovery....but lbr, sandwiched in with a hundred other rejections disguised as "I'm worried about you and really frustrated," it begins to sound like Reginald's "You're more trouble than you're worth." What complicates this is that, other than Reginald, the people who have said these things are speaking from their own poor emotional regulation and trauma (the other Umbrellas and some of the Sparrows). And that's incredibly tragic.

People who are (repeatedly) traumatized and ND (neurodivergent--ADHD, autism, learning disabilities, PTSD and C-PTSD, among others) hear those words in a thousand micro-aggressions a day, in a neurotypical world over which they have very little say or control. They can be as small as an angry sigh and eye-roll, a "shut up" or "this is an adult conversation" or "you always say stupid shit" or "you useless pukebag" or "just be the lookout." They begin to internalize the callousness and the projection, and BELIEVE the things others say or do to invalidate them, and make choices that self-fulfill the worst opinions that others have (which is why I get frustrated when I see yet another fan shitting on Klaus for "choosing" to return to bad relationships, or drink, or use, or simply walk away: "you are hopelessly broken, so why bother" is NOT an idea he planted in his own head). That's what has happened to Klaus, and it is why he is reluctant to step outside the methods he already knows how to utilize in order to keep going (including repeated patterns of enduring toxic relationships, with Dave as the sole canonical exception).

Yes, sometimes their own actions reinforce these invalidating remarks, BUT WHY? Because they have grown accustomed to being disregarded and ignored ANYWAY, so best to beat others to the punch and cut out some of the sting of another dismissal.

I don't think Ben understands that, because Ben is built to be a people-pleaser; Ben is traumatically obsessed with making the people he loves and admires proud. He struggles SO MUCH with this, and we see it most vividly in his Sparrow timeline, in which he absolutely despises himself and resents everyone around him just because Marcus, not him, is Number One. Ben, ironically, does not have Klaus's survival skills or adaptability. It's by the book or failure. It's all or nothing.

And his frustration with relying on someone who has been forced since AGE 8 to adapt to intolerable circumstances bubbles over in his third year stuck in the 1960s with Klaus the accidental cult-starter. He resents that Klaus can achieve a sustainable living situation by taking advantage of (frankly very willing and privileged) people. These aren't real relationships to Ben, so he boils over and aims his self-loathing outwards at the sibling he has helped survive for 17 years. "After all I've done for you," etc.

There is resentment for PERCEIVED (but I would argue, not real) ingratitude and there is jealousy: Klaus, "King of the Dead," is better at staying alive (even after overdosing a thousand times) than Ben, who died at sixteen indubitably trying to do something selfless.

Again, I can understand where he's coming from, but it's also unfortunate that Klaus's Jiminy Cricket voice has joined the throngs of "you're a fuck-up loser that no one will ever take seriously and you brought it entirely on yourself."

Which, incidentally, is a core belief that directly causes Klaus's initial decision to just stay dead, in 3x10.

[sparrowsingsstories]

♥ : Does your muse like to cuddle after sex? Anything else for aftercare?

👎🏻-What is an absolute deal breaker in the bedroom?

Alle 3 bitte?

Thank you!

♥ : Does your muse like to cuddle after sex? Anything else for aftercare?

Mercy: Hell. Yes. All the cuddles. Cuddles when sleeping too. She's 100% about the cuddles. She also likes to shower with her partner(s).

Frankie: This is one of those situations where the cuddling happens and she's good with it because it's Beau. Showers are great, wound care for bruising is a must frequently. Beau tends to be very attentive and will give her back rubs, get her food and water, hold her close, and of course - cuddle.

Sparrow: Yes. Sparrow is touched-starved. Sparrow will cuddle with friends if she trusts them: case in point - before anything remotely sexual happens between her and Bean or her and Darcy, she curls up with them to talk. Aftercare probably involves feeding her, showers or baths, and hair petting.

👎🏻-What is an absolute deal breaker in the bedroom?

Mercy: Anything rough. Light spanking is okay but do NOT actually tie her up. Nothing cold - cold play is Right Out. She's also not a fan of melty wax play. Pain play. Name calling beyond things like love or sweetheart. No exhibitionism, either. And if Mac or Deeks tries anything when Jake is over and sleeping with all of them, she gets PISSED.

Frankie: Consent matters. If she says No, she means No. But she hasn't found that limit yet - probably because Beau reads her so well. And she trusts him 100%. And she knows if she safe words, he'll stop.

Sparrow: Sparrow is my least knowledgeable about sex. She moves slowly when her and Bean get intimate. With Bean, it's okay - because they're nonbinary and identify as...well...Bean. And Bean is so gentle and soft with her. Darcy is...a man. And that makes things a little bit more iffy at first, because she's had such trauma at the hand of men (and the slaver who hurt her family is related to Darcy...that's a long story). But she doesn't do pain. At all. Period. No name calling. No humiliation. That goes for Frankie & Mercy too - but for Sparrow, she might kill you if you call her a name or try to humiliate her.

[doli-nemae]

Feminine urge to make a pixel adventure game with my Sparrow in RPG Maker

I`m wondering if this is just another impulsive idea that will go away soon oR IS IT NOT

[rebelumbrella46]

(Part 2) Do you know what I want the plot of S4 to be about...? – The Building Up…

This is a continuation of “Do you know what I want the plot of S4 to be about…? -The Start…"

In the previous post, I mentioned that I wanted Season 4 to start in two timelines, one; flashbacks to when they first arrived to this new world, and two; a time jump of a few years that shows the Hargreeves and Lila already settled in this new world.

So this post is more about world building and potential conflicts.

The World: Since this is a new world/timeline thanks to Reginald's work in Oblivion... I think it would be a perfect way to introduce a more accurate version of the comic book world. What do I mean? I mean a more technological world, I really like the fact that there are no smartphones in this world and I’d prefer that they keep it that way... but I would love to see the Televator, The Levitator and, of course, the reason why Reginald won the Nobel Prize, his work on chimpanzee cerebral advancement... not only in Pogo but many other chimpanzees like in the comics... imagine the Umbrellas walking into a store for the first time and they see a chimpanzee behind the cash register and they think it's Pogo but it's not... actually it's very common to have talking chimpanzees around...

I'm not sure I want to see vampires like in the comics because unless they have a really good explanation for them, it could be pretty wacky even for TUA.

The Conflicts: This I think would be the most difficult part, because it is the last season and they need to give closure to each of the characters as well as to the whole team/family.

But I think the best way to do it is to give each character a separate (internal) conflict that they have to deal with during the season. And then there's a huge conflict (external) for the whole team to deal with, simultaneously.

In the previous seasons they did this quite well, especially in S1 where each sibling had to deal with their own personal issues...

Luther with the death of his father and his conflict over being number one. Diego with Patch's death and having to work with his siblings as a team again. Allison with her relationships with Claire and Viktor (Plus Luther). Klaus with his addictions and traumas and powers. Five with coming back from the future and trying to stop the apocalypse and the Commission. Ben being dead and struggling to help Klaus and his siblings. And Viktor being the outsider, discovering his powers and Leonard.

And aside, the major conflict: The Apocalypse.

I don't think they'll pick an Apocalypse again for the main conflict this season. So maybe the big conflict would be Reginald. Stopping him, or getting their powers back.

Each character could have an internal conflict that they have to deal with and it's not that difficult because they all have some problem or trauma that they haven't completely healed...

Luther could finally deal with the fact that Allison assaulted him, having lost Sloane, and the fact that Reginald killed him. Diego could deal with being a father, a good one, or maybe deal with the loss of the baby (since we don't know what changed by resetting the world). Lila could also deal with those same things, and also the fact that she struggles to have a normal life where there is no mission, no time travel. Klaus, I feel like he might be conflicted with Reginald's betrayal, with him losing his powers after he finally mastered them, and the fact that he's no longer immortal. He might have a hard time not being able to reach the Void again. Viktor, I think is also a character who didn't have time to deal with the bad things that happened to him in S3, like losing Harlan and Allison's betrayal. I don't think he minds not having powers. Ben, his conflict would be the fact that he doesn't have powers anymore, there's nothing in his eyes that makes him special and he might struggle with the fact that he's the only Sparrow left. The family he grew up with is gone. And Reginald doesn't care about him. I have a theory that Umbrella Ben somehow returns but through Sparrow Ben. So both of them are struggling inside of one body.

Allison seems to be the only one in the end that got what she wanted but I don't think she got her happy ending, I think whatever deal she made with Reginald is going to come back to bite her in the ass and I think her internal conflict would be trying to block all the memories of what she did during S3 and eventually breaking down, and all of those things would affect her relationship with Ray and Claire.

I feel like if they want to keep the show's tradition about the Apocalypse, I'd really love for one of the siblings to cause an apocalypse on purpose, just out of pettiness, to ruin Reginald's world, and I really hope it's Klaus. Or even Five, that would be ironic. 

But when/where does the Building Up for the conflict begin? Since it is S4. I think it should be with Number Four. Klaus

As I said in the last post, everyone seems to be settled into the new timeline. It's not such a bad world, it's different, but what can the Umbrella Academy do? No more powers...no more Commission...no more time travel... and no more Apocalypse... there is no reason or way for them to try to change this timeline (yet) But just because it's a different reality doesn't mean they've changed too. So they still have the same traumas, the same problems.

And none more than Klaus. The events of the previous seasons had built up on him and he finally breaks. Ben's second death. Dave's death. The vietnam war. The cult. The powers. The Void. Reginald. And his addictions.

As he usually does, he pretends that he's fine, like the rest of his siblings, no one wants to deal with his shit, he thinks, they're all dealing with something, like Luther or Five. And even the others who seem to be doing better, like Viktor, Diego and Lila. And Allison wherever she is with her family. And Ben has gone to Korea. So he's on his own, he's depressed and he relapses. And then he dies...

And now The Umbrella Academy has to deal with the loss of another brother. Again... except this time there's nothing to do. Klaus is dead. No way to bring it back, no rewind time... ironically there isn't even a ghost to haunt them... Viktor thinks they should try to find Allison, tell her about Klaus’ death, see if she wants to go to the funeral. But they can't find her. So they have a funeral, they mourn Klaus. And then they try to move on. But they can’t. Luther is angry about losing another person he loves, he blames himself just like Diego does to himself. Five is secretly trying to find a way to go back in time, trying to figure out how he founded the Commission in the first place, how to make a briefcase. Lila tries to help him without Diego noticing, just in case they fail. And sadly none of them remember to tell Ben. Who is at the other side of the world... doing God knows what... (hopefully something important for the main plot regarding Reginald or the powers)

Meanwhile, in the Void. Klaus arrives at a desert land. He seems happy at first, relieved. But this time it is different, there is something different, he feels disconnected. And then he feels abandoned and alone. he misses his siblings. and for some reason the girl on the bike doesn't show up to send him back. So he walks and walks... until he finds himself in front of a building... Strangely, it looks a lot like the Hotel Obsidian... or Hotel Oblivion... And upon entering, he notices a long line... very long line to register... When he asks what the line is for. Someone tells him that he needs to tell them his name so that they can decide where he is going to stay for the rest of his death. In heaven or hell... Klaus thinks while looking at the long line of dead people, at least there is enough time for his siblings to find him and bring him back.

Meanwhile, in the Living World, Sir Reginald Hargreeves arrives at the place where Klaus was buried, and orders some of his men to start digging.

I took some inspiration from Klaus Comic (You Look Like Death) 

Since every season is about an obsession, Luther and the Moon, Diego and JFK, Allison and her daughter. I think it would be great if instead of Klaus being obssessed by something (since he usually is, S1 - Drugs, S2 - Dave, S3 - Reginald and Powers) that the other characters are obssessed about getting Klaus back.

Maybe Reginald does. Maybe that’s how Klaus gets his powers back.

(Let me know what you think...)

[in-tua-deep]

Are you into my hero academia? What about an AU or crossover with tua?

UHHHH I am technically, like, peripherally? I watched some seasons of the show like two or three years ago and since then have simply absorbed all content through osmosis, reading fanfiction that has canon events, and my sister telling me about the arcs of her fav characters lmao

so a crossover hmmm

First of all you'd have to like, establish whether bnha is an alternate universe or just The Future If No Apocalypse with quirks being traced back to the descendants of the kids born without mothers

So let's say it's that - the glowing baby was the "first quirk" but the truth is people had powers before that. But - well, the Umbrella Academy was obviously a marketing gimmick to those in the future! There were even comics based on them

In the future, you might find some of those comics in museum exhibits dedicated to depictions of powers in the pre-quirk era, but they're just fun depictions and much less popular than, oh, DC or MCU comics which are also in the exhibits!

End of s2 doesn't happen I guess in this au?? No sparrow academy at least lmao. So, the Umbrella Academy stop the apocalypse (again) and the Commission threat is? Neutralized? Whatever. They decide to jump back to the future

Five warns them that time travel is a crapshoot, that he has no fucking idea when they'll land beyond some nebulous "future" because Five can at least control the direction if not exactly how long

Also, Five is like. Super tired. Incredibly tired. Homeboy still has a healing gut wound, time traveled twice, has been jumping all over the place, gotten even more injured, experienced paradox psychosis, and managed to undo time all in the space of like, two weeks. There actually more than that but we don't have time to get into how fucking tired Five is from his ~Month of Hell

Like genuinely this is like putting someone almost delirious from lack of sleep in the driver's seat of a car and expecting to get to your destination in one piece

But hey, the siblings are like "do it uwu" and Five has sacrificed everything for them already so why not get behind the wheel again

So Five jumps them, and of course something goes wrong because Five has pushed his powers like a great big rubber band and honestly it was only a matter of time before he lost his grip and it snapped back to hit him

So here be the umbrella academy: spilled out into the future like a cup of bad coffee.

Five probably isn't in too good of shape tbh, like they're hundreds of years in the future (but hey at least confirmation of no apocalypse am I right) in a world full of superpowers and Five is like. bleeding from his ears and nose probably idk

Let's handwave a little bit - Reginald made them all polyglots so the squad all speak varying levels of Japanese. Allison is the best at it, Five is second best but tends to use more archaic words bc he had missions in Japan back when he was with the commission, and Klaus is third best.

(Ben is the worst bc he decided when he was 16-and-dead that he didn't have to do anything regarding lessons and maintenance and hasn't given a shit since - but also he's dead so)

So you have a bunch of weird adults with a bleeding child in like, an alley who have appeared from nowhere

so of course heroes get involved

Anyway, the squad get taken in and Five is conscious but like, barely? And he's not going to let himself get separated from his siblings again fuck-you-officer and there is a lot of confusion

anyway detective tsukauchi ends up getting involved and ends up having to hear this batshit story and be like "...truth." which sends all kinds of people scrambling because fucking time travel? Like yeah, it's been theorized to be a possible quirk but there's no recorded cases of any sort of time travel that is for more than 24 hours let alone hundreds of years

"I'm an adult." Five says sourly, "I just happened to be returned to my 13 year old body when I time traveled one time."

"True." Tsukauchi says, feeling his soul leave his body, but like. absently. the way he does when he's called in at 2am after getting off of work at midnight.

"I'm 58." Five says.

"Lie." Tsukauchi says, because this is a headcanon hill I will die on.

"I'm probably 58, but it was hard to keep track. I'm at least 50." Five corrects.

"True." Tsukauchi sighs like these six (seven? they keep referring to another sibling and Klaus said 'ghost' like that was fine and it registered as true and Tsukauchi is not nearly paid enough for this) are not giving him a migraine by just existing

on the bright side there's like, probably protocols in place for individuals who are Legally Chronologically Adults but thanks to quirks are Not Physically Or Not Mentally Adults with tests to determine if the individual needs a guardian or not

though i'm gonna be honest idk if Five would pass the test bc he literally cannot take care of himself at all, has never paid taxes or understands how to exist legally, and also his emotional maturity is stunted as all hell. also like. we don't actually know how much being in his thirteen-year-old body affects his mental state but yeAH Five is vibing

anyway Tsukauchi probably phones a friend on this bullshit because Time Travel Child alone is probably enough for the Hero Commission to be like "find a way to control and use it or nuke it from orbit" and that's not even touching whatever the fuck Klaus is doing (shit gets real once 'dead men tell no tales' stops being true) let ALONE Allison's whole deal

on the bright side like, at least Vanya isn't getting side-eyed that much bc Big Destructive Quirks aren't exactly unknown? if vanya wanted to i guess quirk suppressors exist for that until extensive training on how to control a super powerful quirk happens

Tsukauchi in the group chat: Aizawa please I am literally begging you to take this bullshit on

Aizawa: in this economy? with my class?

RatGod: lol we'll take them ;3c

Aizawa: no

Anyway they probably end up having to live at UA while Five insists on trying to get them home still and everyone else is like "oh hey we used to be child soldiers as well! (:" and Aizawa is like "i hate everything about this and everything about all of you but also like nedzu is making me interact with you so :/"

nedzu is out here vibing like "lol i just don't want the hero commission to get their little paws on these time traveling fuckers, i think you should make then teaching assistants or something"

honestly the siblings are probably like. figuring out how to function in the bnha universe and getting like, legally registered and stuff while Five ferally refuses bc that's like saying he's giving up on getting them home and he can do this

Recovery girl tries to heal him a little when he arrives and he passes out for two weeks like, immediately bc homeboy is running on fumes and spite at this point

also i think on principle it would be REALLY FUNNY if the squad got to tag along with the class bc like. Five is thirteen and the class are all 15. this does not sound like a large age gap. anyone who has interacted with teenagers know that the class would squint at Five and be like "who is this sassy lost middle schooler."

I feel like when I was a sophomore we were still like "freshman... babie" even though we were literally only one year older.

i think the difference between the umbrella academy and school kids would be pretty funny like. objectively the bnha kids are lowkey child soldiers?? like they're 15 and fighting villains but like, there's all this red tape and laws and stuff but,,, deku still be breaking his limbs in a child fighting ring against equally superpowered children for like. entertainment and sponsorships sooo

but also like Five would be like "oh cool when is the experimentation class"

"the what"

"you know, when your powers are pushed real hard by putting you in different terrible situations while your dad and sibling stand by with clipboards writing down the exact voltage it takes before you can't use your powers anymore when being electrocuted"

"hound dog's office is right there. therapy is available to you at any time. i need you to know this."

all might calls Luther "my boy" like one (1) time and Luther just breaks down crying probably because he is starved for positive attention

klaus and midnight get along like a literal house on fire, aizawa tried his best to keep them apart for as long as possible but god damn

(klaus: your name is shimura nana??

all might: immediately dies choking on blood)

i feel it absolutely necessary to point out that aizawa, present mic, and midnight are all like, 30? and the umbrella academy are all between 29-early 30s? they are PEERS but like. the umbrella academy are more chaotic due to childhood trauma

the umbrella academy probably get offered to like. also train to be heroes. i mean,, there HAS to be some sort of track for people who change careers right?? you don't have to cement your future as a hero when you're 15 i'm sure there must be something and the squad already have experience if they want to go be legal heroes

diego probably does at least?? diego just vibes honestly. diego gets momo to make knives during a team exercise and they just go feral on everyone else and it ends with diego highfiving momo and someone getting way to close to being stabbed for comfort

Five might just be. legally enrolled as an Actual Student? But also i think it's funny to picture the entire squad just. all in the back of the classroom with luther trying to fit into a high school desk as they take notes on the laws of The Future surrounding heroics

every word out of the umbrella academy's mouths just make everyone more concerned on principal but like, five and klaus are probably the worst offenders. Klaus just says whatever comes to mind with no filter and Five doesn't get what people would consider to be abnormal anymore like

Five: yeah our dad bought us when we were babies and experimented on us throughout our childhood in order to make an elite team of child soldiers superheroes, it happens

Todoroki: ...have you heard of quirk marriages?

izuku probably has an aneurism bc he's is the only person who might recognize them from the comics because you know ya boy extensively researched the idea of heroics in pre-quirk eras (batman was an inspiration alright???) and might dredge up a memory of a less popular comic series

Five: I can time travel but it is very hard, which is why we are hundreds of years in the future. And why I look like a child.

Kaminari: so are you a kid or not?

Five, serenely: whatever is most convenient for me at any given moment

Mina: hell yeah game the system

they have a brief lesson on astronomy and Luther raises his hand like "ooh! i was isolated on the moon for four years and did SO MUCH research" and then just gets up and starts infodumping like way too much information on the moon

Izuku sitting there like "damn if quirks hadn't popped up we could have achieved so much in terms of space travel. please tell me more giant man who lived in pre-quirk era."

Vanya finds out about the quirkless and is like "oh mood that genuinely sounds like my childhood, being ordinary in a house full of extraordinary people, and then i found out that i did have powers but only much later in life after i had already been emotionally scarred by the experience"

deku: vanya we have so much in common

iida and uraraka: concerned noises

aizawa: hound dog. therapy with hound dog for all of you.

there's probably some conflict with like, the hero commission wanting to get their hands on the time travelers?? but probably especially five and klaus as a) time travel and b) ghosts (the hc def has bodies they would like to stay buried)

five has a pavlovian reaction to anything with 'commission' in the name and hates them on site, probably plays into his age in order to become a ward of UA or something to protect him from the commission a little bit.

(this makes nedzu Five's legal guardian. aizawa has his resignation papers all prepped in a drawer marked 'in case of emergency' but let's be real, if nedzu wants to take over the world aizawa should probably be on the rat-bear's side of things :/)

five: ah, i do recall the inhumane experimentation that we were subjected to

nedzu, who was experimented on: haha same hat! want me to dig up the location of reginald hargreeves's remains so you can spit on them?

klaus: nah no worries we dumped them out in the courtyard unceremoniously like, a while back. how long ago varies for each of us because of time travel!

luther: you said hound dog's office was down the hall and to the right?

on the bright side, Luther probably feels like. way less self conscious about his body, partially bc of his fighting and all that in the 60s but also bc !! now he genuinely doesn't feel like a freak. no one even gives him a second glance. one of the teachers looks like a slab of cement with a face. gang orca looks Like That. there is literally a student with an entire bird head and goth aesthetic. Luther does not stick out at all

allison and shinso bond over having "villainous" voice-based quirks

allison and shinso having worn muzzles at some point in their youth as punishment 🤝

aizawa probably helps train vanya as well with the whole, being able to erase a world ending quirk safely thing he's got going on which makes for a very nice safety net

i don't think vanya would want to be a hero at the end of things though. maybe the assistant teacher in the music class or something?? all vanya wants is to be able to not end the world

i feel like as time goes by, five brings up trying to get home less and less. part of that is because like,,, genuinely what do they have to go back to?? Allison has Claire, but like. I'm 100% sure the first thing she did in the future was try track down Claire's records and found out Claire was like. fine. became an adult, had a family, probably became the ancestor of the first "quirked" kids who officially popped up after light baby. had a good life, died at an old age etc. etc.

they start settling into the bnha world with like, "we can always hop aboard the five express into where the fuck ever" as a plan Z if things go completely pear shaped (again)

i'mma be real, five himself doesn't give a fuck as long as there is a) no apocalypse and b) his family is alive. Like that's it. His bar is so incredibly low and yet his life keeps fucking trying to limbo under it

i just think it would be funny to have like, Five trying to get along with his "peers" and make friends while the siblings do the same but like, in the staff room

also think it would be funny for five to just walk into the staff room and get coffee occasionally.

a teacher: why is a student in here -

Five, sipping coffee: i'm an adult

nedzu like "what kind of guardian would i be if i didn't teach my new son all the tunnels around ua so he can pop out wherever"

five like "hey new dad can i put stashes of supplies all around ua of weapons, money, food, and other assorted things that might be useful if one needed to fight or make a run for it" and nedzu is like "haha just put your list of what supplies you want in your go bags on my desk and i'll critique it later!"

anyway a bnha/tua crossover would be incredibly chaotic but probably very funny

[sepublic]

Marcy’s Condition

           I’m scared for Marcy. Seeing her so wounded, I just-

           I really am afraid. Afraid that she’s going to need not just emotional and mental therapy, but physical therapy as well… Which, we don’t know how successful Andrias’ procedure is going to be, but still. It really sucks and haunts me how Sasha has that scar on her face, as a permanent reminder of what happened in Amphibia, of Reunion…

           But not to compare pain, but Marcy is somehow even worse- Because she might just have that ENTIRE gaping scar on her chest and back, and… Remembering how she almost died, how she THOUGHT she died. The pain, the unimaginable horror and agony at being impaled. The reminder of everything that happened in True Colors, the pain and desperation, the betrayal… I can legit seeing it become an actual, medical trigger for Marcy. Sasha at least managed to cope with the scar on her face, good for her…!

           But Marcy… I can easily see this breaking her. And it just leads to her always trying to cover up that scar and not look at it, which, is easy because she can accomplish that with any regular shirt, but still… It’s just the entire concept of bodily autonomy being violated, of being marked like that, and it worsens with the idea of Andrias turning Marcy into a cyborg, and/or his master possessing her. To already have her body so grievously hurt and wounded, to then be operated on like a test subject, to be controlled and puppeted with this entity inside her… It genuinely sickens me.

           This girl suffered, and there’s always that permanent, visual reminder of it. At least with Sasha, you can argue how she brought it on herself, as a reminder of how she tried to kill Anne’s surrogate father and why this mistake backfired; It’s a learning experience, although trauma is trauma of course, so that is to be said VERY lightly and carefully. It’s not like Anne MEANT to scar Sasha; But Marcy… Marcy didn’t deserve that. She didn’t deserve to be impaled by someone she trusted, who took advantage of and manipulated her… 

          She was afraid of confiding her fears in with Anne and Sasha, and she found that in Andrias; And now, she’s likely to be even MORE terrified of opening up because of this! Especially with how Andrias has the AUDACITY to literally gaslight Marcy in her final moments, as she realizes she’s going to die and is dead, by saying “Look what you’ve made me do.” As if he hasn’t emotionally manipulated her enough, to imply Marcy’s violent death is all her fault, and/or that of the friends she loves and didn’t want to lose, was so afraid of being rejected by. Because I guess her soul hadn’t been crushed enough!

           Not to mention… Getting impaled like that, having a burning blade through your spine… I’m just really afraid that when this is all over, IF Marcy gets to recover and heal; She might be paralyzed. She might be plagued with physical health issues for the rest of her life, because she’s missing an entire chunk of her spine; And, hopefully Andrias’ procedure can give Marcy’s body a full recovery… Ideal scenario, no scar, even! 

          But I can’t help but feel like being possessed by Andrias’ master, THAT could leave its own physical toll on Marcy’s poor body, and it just agonizes me to see this girl be violated like that, emotionally and physically. It’s depressing how Marcy briefly treats others more like NPCs in her game than people, because now SHE’s being objectified, losing her agency, in a way that is so much worse and totally undeserved.

           Marcy doesn’t deserve to have to live with physical health issues for the rest of her life, for what happened; She’s a kid. She doesn’t deserve to be plagued with echoes of pain and physical trauma that constantly remind her of what happened, even when she’s not directly looking at the visual mark it left behind. And I’m just scared that when this is all over… I can see Marcy being bedridden, being in ACTUAL medical therapy, because I have a hard time imagining her being able to function without that.

           What if she becomes physically sick and ill, still feeling the repercussions of her wound or possession or being modified against her will? I don’t want to imagine Marcy looking at prosthetics that Andriasgave her, for the rest of her life. There’s nothing wrong with needing physical aid, or medicine, or therapy to get by in life; But for Marcy, it could serve as a reminder of issues that came as a direct, unfair, result of her time in Amphibia; A loss of carefree health she once had… And she doesn’t deserve to be haunted like that.

          I don’t want Marcy to be plagued by health issues, she’s gone through ENOUGH already, having the rest of Marcy’s life be permanently riddled and restrained because of her wound, it just… It genuinely leaves me in anguish. I don’t want to see Marcy in a wheelchair, as a permanent, haunting reminder that is intertwined in every aspect of her life, of what happened… A reminder she literally can’t escape because it’s her own body, and it’ll affect just about every breathing moment for her.

           I don’t want to see Marcy struggle to breathe from damaged lungs. Or have her struggle with meds –I know that feeling- or constantly need a device for physical aid, something to be hooked up to often. I don’t want to imagine Marcy sometimes lying in bed at night, placing her hand over her chest, so she can feel her heart beating, to relieve and reassure herself that she’s still alive. Not after feeling her heart stop beating when she was first impaled… She’s so young, she has her whole life ahead of her, or should, and she had that violently ripped away from her, barely got to live with that kind of normal life before it was gone for good. She deserves to just breathe, carefree, and feel the sunlight on her face and enjoy life.

           As a disclaimer, I don’t want to patronize people with disabilities or injuries. I don’t want to turn physical conditions into some inescapable tragedy that can’t be moved past, can’t be healed from; There are so many people who have managed to adapt and continue living as always. I’m sorry if I did that… But Marcy’s whole condition could be a brutal reminder of what happened to her, of that horrible thing that wracked not just her heart but her entire body. She shouldn’t have to suffer for that, for the rest of her life…

           And I’m terrified for her mental health. Of her suffering from actual PTSD, being triggered by things that remind her of that moment. Of having nightmares and waking up in a cold sweat, heart racing, as she reaches out for Anne or Sasha for comfort. I can’t handle that thought, the idea of a kid in that sort of pain… It’s so unfair and she doesn’t deserve it. I can genuinely, plausibly see Marcy becoming depressed, becoming somber and morose for a long while, before she can finally heal and become happy and excited and curious in things that open way she does; And GOD, I’d be inconsolable if she felt suicidal, because how do you move on from that? Thinking her life wasn’t worth it without Anne or Sasha, that she literally can’t handle it… Combined with the possibility of abuse in more ways than one from her parents, how THEY won’t help, if they’re even allowed near Marcy after all this.

           Does Marcy have anyone to even turn to when it all ends? I hope she does. I can only imagine her being constantly terrified of being alone, and needing company just to get by… She really deserves a therapy pet after all this, maybe Joe Sparrow could help. It just… It just sounds like Marcy’s whole life has been wracked with this kind of pain, and I don’t want to her pain get any worse, to see it get physically chronic. Any kind of physical pain could easily traumatize and push Marcy to her limits… And, there’s the possibility of good representation for physical disabilities, but also, I don’t want to patronize anyone, or speak over their voices, so again I apologize if I did.

           I guess this just stems from me wanting to see Marcy’s pain be acknowledged and addressed so she can properly heal from it, can be validated and told that it was terrible and should’ve never happened no matter what… But maybe I can find relief in the denial that it didn’thurt her this badly, that Marcy is fine and doesn’t have to deal with that to begin with, because wouldn’t that be better for her? I dunno.

           It’s undeniable that Marcy is going to be emotionally crushed after this… But does she have to stay, or become, physicallycrushed as well?

I just…

           SOMEONE GET THIS GIRL SOME LOVE AND CARE AND THERAPY ASAP FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE AND LET HER BE WELL AGAIN!!!!!

           I just want Marcy to be able to recover and heal… I genuinely hope and wish her emotional spirit will at least be able to move on after this, that she can still find joy and excitable fun, and get to be a kidagain, with her best friends like old times; Only better, because she’s at least grown. God, these girls and their trauma, and the inevitability of how it’ll haunt and hurt them… It leaves me inconsolable.

[disco-tea]

Aight, now that we know filming for S3 is almost done (omg). What are your hopes/fears about S3 realistically? Your theories or anything else, I JUST WANNA KNOW :) You don't have to answer if it's too vague haha

Ahhh thank you! Honestly I’m very flattered you wanna know my thoughts. 🥺💙

I’m super excited and a tad bit nervous but I’ve definitely missed TUA content so I am kinda hyped lol. I think realistically my hopes for S3 are:

That we get to see some different sides of Five.

I hope we get to see Five do a bit more this season than just rush around and try to stop the apocalypse. Whatever form it might takes, I hope we can sorta see him in some different settings/dynamics. Like maybe an arc that deals more with his emotions/trauma or even just getting to see him do something fun that isn’t life or death. He hasn’t really been able to do those things so I hope we see something like that this season 🤞

I really want to see Ben’s room

I know that seems like kind of an odd hope but we’ve never seen his room and I wanna see how he has it decorated and then go over it with a fine-tooth comb and make headcanons about his interests 🤣

I hope we see everyone continue to develop their powers.

I feel like there’s definitely still room to develop them! Like obviously Klaus still has abilities to unlock, which I really wanna see, but I think the others have room for development and exploration. Like Allison, I would love to see her sorta get to a point where she’s at peace with her rumors and possibly even explore the reality-altering aspects of them. And Diego, just how powerful is his projectile manipulation and can he actually breathe underwater?? Then there’s Luther, I mean his powers have had almost no exploration. He’s strong and he’s durable but is there anything else to it than that? Just how fast is his metabolism? What was his physiology like before the accident? Luther definitely deserves some development lol. And then there’s Lila, I feel like there’s still more to learn about her powers and some stuff that could be clarified, so I hope we see some of that.

As for my fears, honestly they mostly have to do with the Sparrows and how the show will handle them. I think my biggest one is—

Sparrow Ben

I’m so excited to have a living Ben but I’m also so scared. We really got very very little development for our Ben over the past two seasons and almost all the development he got was tied in with Klaus somehow because that was his tether. I really want to see more of his character and his powers but...this is sparrow Ben. I guess I just really hope they don’t mess up his character. It’s always sort of been a pet peeve of mine when they do this sort of thing with a character. Plus...like...I personally don’t really wanna see Ben have a new family?? I just want him to be with the umbrellas. But, that being said I am still hopeful that this whole thing is for his overall development and that they’ll do right by him.

The Sparrows

Honestly I’m just really nervous about the sparrows. I’m feeling the sparrow panic lol. Ultimately I guess I just hope they don’t try to do too much with them and it ends up overcrowding the season and impacting the main characters’ development. The sparrows are an interesting concept but I’m personally here for the umbrellas so I hope the show doesn’t lean too heavily into the ‘new team/family’ idea.

Those are just my thoughts. Thank you again for the ask! 💕

[gravity-barbie]

Being a Sparrow and falling for The Umbrellas HCs

Request

A/N: Sorry for the lack of Luther, I did actually start writing one for him but it was basically just his relationship with Sloane. Also the Hargreeves canonical love interests are pretty much erased in this.

Sparrow version

Masterlist

Diego Hargreeves

-Diego isn’t the most agreeable umbrella but since most his attitude is directed at Ben who needs to get bullied more than anyone you’ve ever met, you’re actually cool with him, and even defend him when Ben bites back

-And Diego really doesn’t mind your signature sparrow attitude when it’s on his side, he doesn’t trust you and makes no secret of that but he’ll accept your back up and focus his animosity on your other siblings

-If nothing else, he appreciates the fact that you wear your heart on your sleeve, he can be very gullible and everyone around him seems to be scheming so he feels drawn to you and your lack of bullshit, sort of sparking a quiet alliance between the two of you

-Eventually you get some chances to talk one on one, and before you know it speaks are flying, Diego can hardly believe it, but he realises he’s falling for the enemy again

-He’s a little resistant to these feelings, and tries to keep up his ‘cool guy’ act, but it doesn’t take much convincing from you to melt away his defences and then he makes his move with a lot of passion

-You’re pretty out in the open with your relationship, and you progress quickly, even more so when you learn how limited your time left in the world is

-Your siblings don’t get it at all, Ben in particular is seriously questioning your taste, but you don’t care what they think, Diego seems to though as you have to stop him from picking a fight every time one of them makes a dig

-By the time you two get to the reset universe, neither of you are as invested in your remaining group as you are in each other, so you decide to go off on your own together, and maybe try having your first date

Allison Hargreeves

-You don’t notice Allison much you’re first meeting, but the attitude she brings to your later negotiations makes her very hard to ignore, you’re curious about her because while the rest of the umbrellas are nuisances for sure, there’s an edge to her that her siblings can’t start to compete with, perhaps you or the sparrows could though

-You prod at her, trying to figure out what her deal is, but she’s too defensive and at best you can exchange some vitriolic humour with her, so instead you ask Luther what her problem is, who doesn’t think better of telling you the whole story, and of course losing a child -among other significant traumas- can pull on even your frosty heartstrings

-When you show her a bit of kindness she’s initially suspicious, but once you voice your support over her decision to ice out Viktor -not an act as the way you see it he pretty much killed Claire- she’s so relieved to finally interact with someone who gets where she’s coming from that she ignores the fact that you’re basically the little devil on her shoulder

-You can’t pretend your interest in her is purely due to curiosity or sympathy, and after a few conversations romantic tension starts to bubble between the two of you, which she doesn’t resist for long, because even though it surely can’t be healthy she needs something to sustain her

-Your siblings are skeptical of this relationship, considering Allison has made it no secret that she’ll do whatever it takes to achieve her goals, Sloane in particular is a little concerned for you

-But even if Allison seems like she’s made of steel to them, you get glimpses of the abundant vulnerability she has right under the surface, you two actually open up to each other some, you drop the big bad sparrow act when it’s just the two of you, and she confides in you little details about her daughter and how she’s feeling

-You really start to care about her well-being, so while you’re worried to do so -since Allison seemed to like you because you agreed with her- you bite the bullet and suggest she try to make amends with Viktor, which she obviously doesn’t take well and sparks quite the fight, though you try to explain it’s for her sake not his, and remind her of your experience losing siblings

-Despite the fact that the more you grow to care about her the more disagreements you get into, she still sure as hell isn’t gonna lose you and factors you into her deal with the devil

Klaus Hargreeves

-You are infatuated with Klaus from almost the exact moment you see him stumbling around your house in a cowboy hat, he’s so quirky, and fun, and unlike anyone you’ve ever met, especially around the academy and you offer him some leniency in the big battle

-The next time you see him is on the brink of the apocalypse, when he comes crashing into the hotel with your father, swearing the old basted is a changed man, and you don’t know why you feel protective over Klaus but you find yourself warning him that he can’t trust Reginald, to which he just tries harder to convince you

-Not knowing anyone but the bride and your unbearably sulky brother as Sloane and Luther’s wedding arrives, you decide to seize the opportunity to talk to Klaus, brushing off his attempts to talk about your dad and asking him questions about himself until the self-centred part of his brain takes over and he starts blabbing

-When he realises you’re actually ‘interested’ in him he’s quick to lay on the flirting thick, and it’s quite nice for both of you to be caught up getting to know each other while everyone else seems so distracted

-Except of course Ben who watches your thing unfold with the upmost disgust, though his taunts are futile when you and Klaus are just as quick to mock him back

-Though you’re certainly swayed by the rush of it all, you two actually manage to bond beyond just needing someone to couple up with for a wedding at the end of the world, you both get very confessional and offer each other some comfort over old wounds, and the next morning when the spell wears off your interest in each other remains

-You still don’t want to trust Reginald, but Klaus appeals to you by confessing that as quick as it is, he does really like you and he wants to see if you two can become something, which begrudgingly you agree with

-So when Klaus doesn’t make it into Oblivion you lose motivation real quick which he witnesses in the afterlife, feeling so irritated that he met someone that he’s willing to make sacrifices for but he does just that, returning to you from beyond the grave

Viktor Hargreeves

-You find it very easy to click with Viktor, he’s the only umbrella who tries to mediate from the get go which you really respect, and as you get to see his combination of well-earned confidence and genuine desire to do good you can’t stop yourself from gravitating towards him

-Viktor is cautious, but he’s eager to make peace so when you start showing him attention he doesn’t shy away from it, of course he’s completely oblivious to the fact that you’re flirting with him until you spell it out, after which he’s both flattered and flustered

-He’s a bit slow to initiate anything but he’ll match any advances you make, even though he doubts this thing you have going on is a good idea

-Most of the umbrellas are actually okay with your relationship for the simple fact that you clearly make Viktor really happy, all his inner turmoil and family problems just fade into the background when he’s with you

-The Sparrows are a fair bit more judgemental, as well as weary considering Viktor seems to be the strongest umbrella, Ben just mocks you for being into such a sulk, prompting one of your many fights

-You really don’t have a lot of patience for Allison and you feel compelled to hit back at her on Viktor’s behalf but he always calls you off, so you try to restrain yourself and just focus on comforting him

-You know firsthand how shady your family -especially Reginald- can be, so you quickly jump ship with Viktor in the big to save or not to save the world debate, but while you’re glad you’re spending your last days together, and don’t want to risk another goodbye, you bittersweetly discuss all the things you wish you could do if you had more time

-So when alls said and done, you’re in a strange new universe, estranged from your families, you find joy in the fact that you have each other and all the time in the world

[luckycheesefoodie321]

TUA 3x06 REACTION (SPOILERS)

TUA was on my dash and I remembered I haven’t posted my live reacts. So here they are! Many moons late.

man and here I was feeling sympathy for Reggie, he really pushed out one of the few people who genuinely cared for him. I supposed when Yeehaw!Grace left him, he lost a little bit of that family he’d had with her and Pogo

Nice to see the Sparrows also cared about Pogo

Does he mouth Thank You before he leaves????

Forgot Allison smoked. Look at that

Damn Luther calling it out like it is. Childhood trauma indeed

HAHAHA LUTHER YOUR HIDING SKILLS SUCK

“We share a wall. Your bed squeaks. Kept me up all night” *looks at Luther* “Phew”

Weird to think that technically Harlan has had more time with the power than Viktor

Luther has fully embraced himbo. “Big fan of Yahtzee”

“The Jennifer incident”?!?!?!? What’s this?????? Whomst is Jennifer???

Luther trying to reach out to Ben is nice.

We may yet see a nice Ben emerge!! THAT “don’t forget funny” WAS GENUINE (Or that may come to bite me in the ass)

Damn Grace looks insane

What is the deal with the white buffalo?????

How is this the first time Klaus has said Fuck???

Hmmmm nice Reggie is starting to feel suspect encouraging Klaus with his talk of death and such

WAIT HOLD UP STAN ISNT THEIR KID?!

So the pills made him less of a dick??? Or less likely of a person to experiment on his children???

Alright fine. So I got hooked in to think Reggie might possibly be a sympathetic person but they drugged him up for good reason bc he’s absolutely fucking insane

Aw man I was holding out hope they’d meet old Ray

Danggg. Viktor and Harlan summoned up a freaking storm with their power.

I mean it was a touch patronising but it was nice that she waited for him to work through his stutter

Noooo Allison nooooooo

AH HIS FINGERS GRAB THEM YOU CAN REATTACH THEM

Oh god they showed the monster guy the exit!!

ALL THAT TIME WORRYING ABOUT HIM AND HE GOT KUGELBLITZD RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM?!?!?

Look I wanna believe this is a bait n switch and Allison didn’t kill Harlan but she’s been seriously messed up for a while so I would not put it past her!!

[merrilark]

Thoughts about TUA S3 so far... 3 and a 1/3rd episodes in. Spoilers below!

So far, I have pretty mixed feelings about this season. I definitely like it more than S2, and mmmmaybe even more than S1, but it’s a bit early to tell. I just think it’s been super fun so far. 

The parts I’ve really enjoyed so far are things like: -The dance battle, which was goofy as heck but it felt like serotonin shot straight to my brain lol. I loved it. - I’m LIVING for the sibling energy we’re getting with Klaus and Diego, and Klaus and Five, that’s fantastic. - The soundtrack is always superb. - Five is always superb. - Klaus is delightful in every scene and I adore that the writers are leaning more into his softness and not entirely making him comic relief. - Alphonso is just such a mood. I love how he’s just vibing in every scene. Man just wants to eat snacks, make jokes, and watch everyone fight. - KLAUS IS AMISH!!!! - Viktor and Allison have some really really good moments, and I enjoy how they’ve handled Viktor’s transition. I’m not trans, but I think those parts were really, really sweet and moving.  - Dad!Diego actually isn’t... so bad? He has some moments and while I still don’t like Diego/Lila, Stan is actually pretty charming. I’m not sure if I trust him, though. Something seems fishy about him. But I like him anyway. - I also love that we’re finally getting to see Allison crack and deal with some of her anger and trauma; it’s been a very very long time coming.

And this is great! But there are a few big points that I’m iffy on, and it’s primarily Reginald and the Sparrows.

The Sparrows seem to have an almost dystopian hold over the city, and have completely whipped Reginald through abuse and keeping him drugged. He’s become softer, almost timid under their treatment, and a fraction of a fraction of the cruel, spry egotist that we saw in S1 and S2.

It’s... interesting, to say the least. And Klaus’ desperation to have a loving father even now is painful. He wants a normal, happy family SO badly. This almost seems like his chance to have that, but I’m skeptical.

On one hand, I do want Klaus to have his ideal life with a family, and maybe even Sarah Beth. But I really, really, really do not want Reginald to be included in this family. 

So far, Reginald’s depiction is sympathetic, which could be a problem, but the poetic justice of his situation can’t be ignored. He’s being treated as he treated Viktor, if to a yet seen lesser degree, and... gosh, while he does deserve worse, it’s impossible to miss that this is a clear representation of abusive parents suffering the consequences of their actions. Their children don’t love them, they don’t treat them like parents, ignore them, and, in some cases, abuse them in return, and the abusive parent just doesn’t understand why their kids don’t want to see them anymore. 

Regardless of how soft or even almost likable this Reginald is (or seems to be, I’m still not sure it isn’t an act)... this still feels very realistic and tbh I can deal with that. My only qualm is that I have no idea how OUR Reginald could just take it and be so genial about being bossed around (assuming it isn’t an act). And I really hope some of that is explained, that we have some confirmation that Reginald was abusive to the Sparrows, giving them motive, or some sort of reversion back to our Old Reginald, because at the moment, it feels very OOC.

Like... alright. I am a firm believer that any character can have a redemption arc. Yes, even Reginald Hargreeves, horrible, awful father that he was.

To say that redemption is only exclusive to those who are “deserving” is a dangerous narrative, and I’ve... never really been fond of anyone saying that unironically. People should be allowed to grow and better themselves. ALL people. And, yeah, I know Reg isn’t real, so that doesn’t have to apply to a fictional character, but... if TUA is trying to redeem him, then I think that’s fine. That’s my point.

However, redemption does not and should not necessarily include acceptance or even forgiveness from those who have been hurt. Rather, redemption, especially for Reginald, should look like genuine regret and effort to change, preferably while acknowledging to the Umbrellas that he was not a good father. Then, I would hope, the Umbrellas would only work with him if necessary, and drop him for their own health. They have grown away from the Academy, and now it’s time that they cut off the source of their trauma: Reginald Hargreeves. I want to see him be a better person, but I also want the Umbrellas to know that they don’t have to keep him in their lives. They don’t NEED to associate with their abuser, even if he develops into a kinder man.

I could also critique my problems with Diego/Lila and Stan, or even Luther/Sloan (which btw I don’t have a problem with people who ship them, it’s fine, but I don’t particularly think either are healthy or well-written; they’re just not my cup of tea)... but for now, Reginald is my greatest narrative concern.

I guess we shall see.

[passcridae]

Saturday, 17th April 2021; early morning Clubs territory; Fallon’s clinic @nihtegalc​

‘You need to rest,’ Fallon had told him late the night before, but Sparrow hadn’t really managed. As much as he’d been able to find some precious amount of solace with Asra’s arms wrapped so reassuringly around him, he hadn’t slept more than a scant piece here or there. Knowing Fallon was upset with him but not the full extent as to why -- save a handful of both educated and thoroughly paranoid guesses -- Sparrow ruminated on his worst-case scenarios until the barest edge of a pink dawn crept up over the silhouettes of buildings outside the small window.

Slipping from the bed with soft reassurances that he’d be back, Sparrow crept downstairs with bare feet and feather-light steps, passing a couple of half-open doors with patients resting fitfully inside. He slowed as he approached the kitchen, hearing quiet but telltale signs of the woman he knew he needed to see waiting inside. For a moment Sparrow hovered just outside the doorway, uncertain, feeling simultaneously still part of the resistance and worrying those ties were already severed.

When he finally caught her attention and stepped inside it was with a subdued nod of acknowledgement, crossing to the table and settling into one of the chairs without a sound. His words were almost as quiet when he finally spoke up.

“Are you gonna tell me to leave?” Not the building, obviously; the resistance, over which she carried a good deal of the sway as one of its leaders. Her answer, he assumed, would be a weighty ‘it depends’ -- on what kind of explanation he gives, how well he could defend his choices -- but that didn’t stop the question from tumbling out first. It’d been all he could think about even as he’d tried to rest, even as the comfort of Asra’s limbs tangled in his own had made huge strides in settling the trauma and anxiety that was still buzzing just beneath Sparrow’s skin.

“I-- I can explain what happened,” he added, teeth worrying at the same raw spot on his lip that they have been for hours. “In the Armory, or…” Sparrow shrugged, uncertain. Whatever Fallon wanted him to tell her, he would -- whatever he could tell her that would help him keep this spot he was realizing he’d do anything to hold onto. He also wanted to tell her because he simply wanted her to know. Sparrow still trusted her, even if he thought he deserved not to be trusted in return. But Fallon was important to him, so much so that he couldn’t even try to ignore anymore -- and he’d do what it took to make this right, even if it killed him piece by piece.