#but we know there’s something drastically wrong and something big will happen

[whatohitsonfirewelp]

So like,,, we’re not just going to ignore the fact that the hellhound getting into camp was a key point in the book, right?

[trippinsorrows]

without you + one

authors note: hi, friends! so this is a foundational first chapter, meaning its intended to lay down a blueprint. there may or may not be some foreshadowing.....

but let me just say this. i have no intentions on drastically changing anyone's characterization from book one. e.g. joe has always only had eyes for reader. that won't change. he's all about his family.

do not read this story if you haven't read 'with me'. it won't work as a standalone.

warnings: language, some angst, fluff, and suggestive themes

song inspo: be without you by mary j. blige

words: 5k

Two weeks.

It’s been two weeks since your life was forever changed in a night of pure magic.

Two weeks since the love of your life proposed to you in the most beautiful way in the most beautiful place on earth surrounded by the most beautiful people.

Just thinking about it still brings on chills and goosebumps. It might just be one of the happiest nights of your life. 

And even returning home, being with your family, enjoying your pregnancy has continued on the theme of love and contentment. 

It’s almost nearly perfect except for one little thing. One tiny little human you just so happened to have created who seems to think that she has first dibs on a certain fiancé of yours at any given point and time.

Callie has been loving every single second of Joe being home on indefinite leave, and while you’re happy for her, happy for him that they have the time to spend together, it’s like she wants to spend all of her time with Joe.

And that’s fine, except for the fact it’s like she doesn’t want you around at all.

They’re playing tea party and she hits you with the, “mommy, it’s for daddies only.”

He’s having her help him cook, and she hits you with, “mommy, you can’t cook.”

She’s suckered him into watching Moana with her for the 18th time, and she hits you with, “mommy, I wanna watch it with daddy.”

Sis is beyond possessive. It’s gotten to the point where you almost feel jealous of your own damn child. An absolutely asinine thing to think, let alone feel.

It’s why when Joe jogs down the steps after getting her down for her nap, you grab him by his shirt and yank him into the office. 

He’s understandably confused. “Y/N, what the hell?”

You bring your finger to his mouth, silencing him. “Not so loud. You’ll wake her up.”

“And?”

Lord, Jesus. This may be harder than you thought. “And she needs her sleep, and we need time to talk.”

That seems to help him reason a bit better. “Okay.”

Pouting, you take him by surprise, shuffling into his chest as his arms naturally move around you. “I miss you.”

He chuckles, kissing the top of your head. “I’ve been here, baby.”

“You know what I mean.” Pulling back, he brushes his thumb across your bottom lip. “I miss spending time with you. Just the two of us.” Realizing how that could sound, you quickly clarify. “Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing you spend so much time with Callie, and obviously, she loves it too. But your lil’ bodyguard doesn’t seem to want mama to have any time alone with daddy.” 

And it’s the truth. It fills your heart with so much joy to see the beautiful bond and relationship they’ve developed in not even a year. They’re inseparable. 

But that doesn’t negate the fact that you miss spending time with him too.

“And we haven’t had sex since in over a week. A week, Joe. I can’t go that long without your dick. You know this.” He smiles, big hand laying on your baby bump. Like this shit is funny. Like it’s amusing that you’re going through dickdrawl. “That’s not funny, you asshole. If I have to make myself come one more time instead of you, I might just lose my shit.”

“I get it,” he finally shares, hand moving along the small of your back. “I miss you too. Miss my pussy…”

His voice drawls into something teasing, and it makes your pussy flutter. See, just his voice alone has you feening. Groaning, you mutter, while trying to settle yourself, “and it doesn’t help that she’s been sleeping with us.”

Calista is only four-years-old, so it’s natural for her to want to sleep with you and Joe. And you don’t mind that, don’t mind giving her that comfort. It’s just that it’s been every night since you returned from Disney. Not only that, when Joe gets up, she likes to get up. Even to the point where he'll just be working out in the gym, and she still wants to be around him, sitting on the floor talking to him or just playing on her tablet.

She’s even fallen asleep one time in the gym, with him having to stop his workout to bring her to her bed that she woke up from and managed to scamper her cute self right back into bed with you.

It’s just been…..a lot in some ways.

He nods, suddenly suggesting, “maybe we can try talking to her.”

“And what are we supposed to tell her, huh?” You’re legitimately all ears for any recommendations on how to word it. “Callie Bear, you’re spending too much time with your daddy.” Even saying it in a mocking tone feels wrong, giving you a sort of itch. “I’m not trying to have our child in therapy because of shit we caused her.”

“And you say I’m dramatic.” He rolls his eyes, emphasizing his point. “She’s a smart kid. I think if we just talk with her about how we have to share time with each other—”

“Ha. Share. That’s funny. That girl don’t wanna share you with air, let alone another human being.” It’s a partial joke, partial truth. A frown suddenly falls on your face as you think this over more. “You think something’s going on with her?” 

If you didn’t have his attention before, you definitely have it now. “What do you mean?”

Shrugging, you do your best to explain what you don’t quite fully understand. “I don’t know. She’s always been super attached to you, but it’s been more intense lately. Like she’s holding on even tighter. Like—”

“Like she’s scared to let go,” he finishes for you, deep voice settling into something almost despondent. “You think she’s scared I’m gonna leave or something?”

It’s a bit of a stretch but also something you can’t entirely rule out. “Maybe.” With a new sort of determination, you advise. “You’re right. We do need to talk to her.” And for completely different reasons than when you first dragged him in for that conversation. You just want to make sure your baby girl is okay.

That’s the only thing that matters.

On the topic of Callie, you’re reminded of something. “Oh my god.” Gasping, you move away from him. “I didn’t get a chance to show you.”

Curious, he asks, “show me what?”

You reach for his hand, walking over to the desk that’s almost entirely done with being set up and open the first drawer. Grabbing the still unopened envelope, you reach it to him, a small smile on your face. “I wanted to let you open it.”

Joe is understandably confused until he flips the envelope over and sees the sender. His expression immediately softens. “Is this—”

Nodding, you share, “it came in the mail yesterday, but it just slipped my mind to tell you.” He doesn’t say anything, instead focused on opening the envelope as he carefully pulls out the certificate.

Callie’s new and updated birth certificate. 

Moving closer to him, you snuggle yourself into his chest as he uses one hand to open and read the document you two have been waiting on for nearly a month now. Everything has stayed the same except for one section, that one section bringing on all of the feels for him. For both of you. 

Father/Parent’s Name.

The section that was once blank now reads in printed, black, unerasable ink: Leati Joseph Anoa'i. 

You can just feel the immense love and happiness emanating off his big being. He doesn’t need a piece of paper to tell him that he’s Callie’s father. You know that. But this is the piece of paper that gives him all the legal rights as Callie’s father, the rights he should have had from the very beginning. 

Holding onto him just a little tighter, loving him a little harder, you murmur against his chest, “now it’s always as it should have been.”

—---------

“I’m thinking strippers. One on each side of the aisle. Shawty throwing ass to the left, and shawty shaking titties on the right.”

Any conversation with Alexis is bound to venture into the deepest parts of fuckery, but this has to be a new level. “You want me to have strippers at my wedding?”

She’s looking at you like she can’t understand what’s so crazy about her proposal. “Yeah, what’s wrong with that?”

Eyes widening, you lean over the counter that’s littered with countless bride magazines and her Macbook Air. “It’s my wedding, Lex.”

“And?” She shakes her head, stirring some of her chocolate pudding. “You love strippers.”

“I do, but that doesn’t mean I want them at my wedding.”

She’s rolling her eyes, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she murmurs, “if you wanted to have a boring ass white people type wedding, you should have just said that.”

You laugh. Wedding planning was always something you imagined doing with your closest friends, and while you’re thankful to have Alexis here as your support and interim wedding planner (because you’re still very much on the fence about that), her tendency to do the most is definitely obscuring her view of logic and what makes sense.”

“I don’t want a white people wedding, per se. I just don’t want anything too crazy.” That’s the best description you can give, because this is all so new to you. You naturally play with the stunning engagement ring on your finger. Part of that confusion is because you’re still a bit stuck on the fact that you’re actually engaged.

To the literal love of your life, at that.

A dream that’s become a reality.

It still feels a little too good to be true.

“Fair, I guess.” She doesn’t seem to agree that it’s fair but won’t push either. “Well, have you at least thought about where you want to get married?”

That, you actually have. Once upon a time, it was in your hometown. Now, you’d rather not get married at all if that was your only option. “I’m thinking here.”

“Florida?” You nod. “Wow. Okay, any particular reason why?”

Shrugging, you answer, grabbing a chunk of pineapple from your fruit bowl. “I don’t know. Joe’s family is already here. It’s easy for my mom to catch a flight out. And anyone else I’d like to attend would have to fly here too anyway. Plus, this place is really beautiful.”

The fact that life has only been up since moving here to be with Joe is a major plus too. But, that doesn’t necessarily feel like it needs to be outright stated.

“Got it.” She starts typing on her laptop, and you have no doubt she’s already created a Google Doc to track everything. It’s one of many things you love about Alexis. She may be crazy as hell, but when she’s on it, she’s on it. “Now, the biggest thing, maybe the most important thing, is gonna be the date.”

“Date?”

She nods, “yeah, like when you want to have the wedding.” 

Fuck. As silly as it may sound, you hadn’t even thought about that. Still so caught up in the high of actually being engaged to your soulmate. 

Alexis continues, “I’m guessing after the school arrives.”

You roll your eyes. “What did I tell you about calling them that?” 

“Okay, the brood.”

“Alexis!”

She throws her hands up. “Don’t get mad at me cause the freaks freaked too much and now ya’ll starting your own little tribe.”

A heavy sigh leaves your mouth as Alexis continues to go in on you over your multiples pregnancy. For the most part, you’ve really come to accept and be okay with it. There are times though where your mind gravitates toward the childbirth portion, and your vagina literally starts to ache at just the thought of that trauma. 

Shaking your head and pushing away those thoughts, you return to the conversation at hand. “That’s a good point. I don’t want to walk down the aisle big and pregnant.”

“Exactly.” She types some more. “When is Joe going back to work?” Another great question that you don’t have the answer for. “Oh my god, Y/N, girl, just what do you know?”

“He just said it was indefinite leave!” You throw out in defense of your lack of knowledge. “Definitely not before the babies get here, so after September?”

“And you know he’s not gonna leave you alone with three newborns to take care of, so I can see him staying off air for at least a couple more months.”

That makes sense. “But, he’ll have to be back in time for WrestleMania, I’d imagine.”

“Most definitely. Didn’t you see that one promo he did? Roman Reigns is WrestleMania.” A smile falls on your face. You most definitely did see that promo. It’s one of your favorites that he’s cut. “But the next one isn’t until April, I think.”

“So maybe January?” The smile shifts into a scowl. “He can’t be gone that long though. The fans would lose it.” Thinking back to the Smackdown clips you saw on social media, you point out, “they’re already chanting ‘we want Roman.’”

It’s a bit bittersweet seeing Smakdown clips without Roman, seeing someone else hold his championship belt. But then you think about what that sacrifice gave you, what Joe giving up his title has awarded you, and it takes away some of the sting of it all.

You also feel a bit better knowing Joe is still playing an active role in the Bloodline, just behind the scenes. 

She sucks her teeth. “Ain’t that about a bitch? They fake asses acting like they weren’t the main ones wanting Cody to finish the story.” Alexis' borderline anger makes you laugh a little. “Oooh, Joe nice, cause the way I would give them the middle finger, retire, and live out my life with my fine ass wife and 12 children.”

Your eyes widen. “Don’t even put that out there, please.” You've definitely learned now about the power of the tongue. “If I was carrying any more than three children, I might just die.”

“Naw. Childbirth would do that for you.”

“Alexis!”

“Shit, sorry, too dark?” Lord, this girl really has no filter sometimes. “Do you guys want more kids after this? Like, forreal?”

Alexis, despite all of her shenanigans, seems to be on point with the questions. “I don’t know—”

“You don’t know?” That seems to be the answer that actually has her floored the most out of anything else ya’ll have discussed this afternoon thus far. “Bitch, this man put three children in you. Three. You really trying to risk that happening again?”

“Of course not. I just—I don’t know. I don’t think I can really answer that right now. Maybe once we learn the sexes, cause what if they’re all girls?” The likelihood of that happening has to be slim to none, but just like multiples of this quantity can be an anomaly, so can all of one sex. “I want to give him a son.”

Truthfully, you’re praying hard that at least one of them is a boy. You know Joe will love the kids the same. Fully and without inhibition, regardless of sex. But, not only do you want to have a little boy for your own reasons, but being able to continue on Joe’s lineage, maybe even passing down his name to your son would mean even more.

Of course, Alexis is quick with the dumbass suggestion. “Make one of them a tomboy.”

You close your eyes, forcefully stabbing the next chunk of pineapple. “Alexis, I swear to God.”

She leans back in her seat, adjusting her top. “All I know is if you think I’m babysitting four kids, you are sadly mistaken. I’ll take care of my little Cal Gal, but these other newbies are gonna have to prove themselves.”

“Newbies? They’re gonna be literal babies, Lex.”

“And? My beef is rated E for everyone, newborn babies included.”

Lord, this woman is giving you a headache. “I guess there’s a lot I still need to discuss with Joe first before we actually get into planning.”

“Agreed.” It’s a conversation you’re almost not looking forward to simply for the mere fact you don’t want to start thinking too much about Joe’s leave ending. Just wanna enjoy the here and now. But, you know it’s something that needs to be done. “Make sure to ask him about the strippers too.”

“Alexis!”

—-------

As he has almost every day since the start of his vacation, Joe handles dinner for you and Callie. Well, mostly you, since little Ms. ma’am insists upon helping Joe cook, and he insists upon you resting when you make the mistake of telling him you’re experiencing heartburn. It’s a common symptom given you’re about two weeks away from hitting four months and something you experienced when you were pregnant with Callie.

However, he takes all necessary, or maybe, unnecessary precautions, having you sit and rest in the living room, watching some random station while he works in unison with your firstborn to prepare dinner. 

He makes grilled fish with a side of rice and broccoli for the vegetable. It makes you laugh every time he encourages and tries to convince Callie that she needs to eat her veggies or else she’ll never grow. Sis looks like she doesn’t entirely believe him but takes the plunge anyhow. Plus, better him than you trying to convince her.

You’ll let him take that battle gladly.

And while he cleans up the kitchen, handles putting all the leftover food away, you tackle Callie’s nighttime routine, specifically her bubble bath, hygiene, and hair. Her bath takes a little longer than usual, somewhat because of your bump, but mostly because with her new disney princess themed bedroom came an attached disney princess themed bathroom. This includes a shit ton of bubble bath additives that any kid would love, many of which she suckered her daddy into buying during your Disney trip.

You don’t even want to know how much that man spent on Callie in that one week timespan. It seemed like everything she saw she wanted, and he wasted no time in pulling out his black card, buying it for her.

You can only pray she remains sweet and humble with a daddy like Joe who’s seemingly hellbent on spoiling her rotten. 

Getting her in her pajamas and securing her bonnet over her head after putting her curls into a pineapple is the easy part, and she’s nearly bursting at the seams to get out the bathroom door for a reason you already know and don’t need to ask. 

Cause as soon as you’re done, she’s like a speeding bullet, rushing out her bathroom and room, straight into yours.

“Daddy?”

By the time you get everything back and put away, she’s found her target. Joe is sitting on your bed, Callie tucked into his side with her chosen bedtime book in hand. She surprises you though when she looks up and smiles brightly. “You can come too, mommy.”

This has to be your first invite in at least a week, and it makes you genuinely smile as well. 

“Thank you, baby.” There’s not an ounce of hesitation as you move over to the other side of the bed, climbing in with them. A brief shared look with Joe gives you the signal you need to jumpstart the conversation you’ve been thinking about all day. “Callie, daddy and I actually wanna talk to you about something.”

Instantly, she’s frowning, pouting almost as she snuggles closer into Joe’s chest. “I don’t want to talk.”

This makes you frown, as Joe also looks taken back by her response. He rubs gentle circles along her back. “Callie Bear, what’s going on with you?”

You pick up on her hesitant reply the same way you’re sure Joe does. “Nothing.”

Placing a comforting hand on her arm, you softly point out some of the things that have led to this conversation. “Calista, I’ve noticed you’ve been spending a lot of time with daddy. And you sometimes don’t even want me to spend time with ya’ll.” Licking your lips, you do your best to keep your voice as calm and soothing as possible. “Are you…are you maybe scared about something?”

And it’s when she looks at you for a second, that fear flashing in her eyes, you know that’s what it is. Something has her nervous.

Hating that something is bothering her and especially that she’s keeping it in, you whisper, “Please tell us, baby.”

And it’s Joe holding her a little tighter along with your gentle coaxing that seems to do it, seems to break down that wall that hides her truth. She sniffles, “I don’t want daddy to leave again.”

“Calista…” You hate seeing her so sad, but you especially hate seeing and hearing the pain in Joe’s face and voice at the fact that he’s indirectly the reason for her sadness. “Baby girl, I’m not going anywhere right now, remember? I’m staying here with you and mommy.” 

You’re thankful he doesn’t really highlight the fact that he will eventually have to go back to work. Callie isn’t stupid. She knows this, but it’s not what she needs to hear right now.

And your chest tightens as she sadly points out to Joe a trauma you still haven’t had the space to fully process. “But those people took me from mommy, and I couldn’t see her.” Eyes glossing over, it breaks your heart to hear that she still thinks about that. That being separated from you the way she was is still impacting her. “What if they take me and I can’t see you or mommy?” She adds on in a way that twists the dagger in your chest, “or they make you leave me like they made mommy leave me?”

At that, he pulls her onto his lap, carefully lifting her chin to make her look at him. “Calista, listen to me, sweetheart. No one could ever take you away from me or your mom. Ever.” He speaks with such conviction and determination. He needs her to believe what she’s saying. You both do. “You’re our little girl.”

“He’s right. I know…I know that scared you, but your daddy and I aren’t going anywhere. We promise.” Reaching over to cup her face, you ask in a way that’s more telling than questioning. “That’s why you’ve been wanting to sleep with us.”

She nods, quietly explaining. “I don’t want you to be gone when I wake up.”

“Oh, baby.” you reach for her and she climbs over to you, hugging you tight, head against your chest. “Daddy and I are gonna be here for you, always, okay? No matter what.” Chuckling a bit, you wipe the tears from her eyes. “Even when you’re all grown up and don’t need us anymore.”

She looks between ya’ll, almost wide eyed. “Noooo.” She reaches for Joe who moves closer to the two of you. “You’re my mommy and daddy. I’ll always need my mommy and daddy.”

Her innocence warms your heart. You love this little girl so much. More than words.

“We love you, Callie.” Joe kisses her forehead as she holds onto his arm. 

“I love you guys too.” Her voice is less laid down with that big weight she was carrying around, and it makes you happy to know she feels a bit better, a bit more secure. “Can–can I still sleep with you guys tonight?”

“Of course, baby.” The answer is easy. Knowing now why she’s wanted to stay so close, it would feel almost cruel to deprive her of that comfort. “Of course you can.”

—-------

Megan Lowery is having a shit day.

Beyond a shit day, really.

The first issue being that her stupid alarm didn’t go off. A classic nuisance that almost everyone has experienced at one point or another. 

Except for her.

She’s never had her good old faithful iPhone alarm not get her up in time to tackle the day, until this morning, which has since only gravitated from bad to worse.

Because of course her coffee machine decided to act up. Any other time, she’d have zero issue brewing her morning cup of Joe, but not this morning. No, this morning she was forced to forgo her addiction of almost twenty years nor did she have the time to stop and buy a cup due to already running late because of her dumbass alarm glitching.

And the shitty day couldn’t be completed without some asshole bumping into her and spilling their deliciously smelling coffee all over her Free People blouse.

Put plain and simple, it’s a bad day, and she’s already over it before it even hits 1pm.

It’s why she sits in her meeting, doodling on her legal pad instead of listening to what probably could have been an email.

“Lowery!”

Megan jumps in her seat, eyes scanning the room of coworkers who sit watching her carefully. She clears her throat. “Sir?”

Luke, her boss, crosses his arms. “Am I boring you?”

Yes. “No sir, of course not.”

“I think I am.” Megan has never liked Luke. A product of nepotism, his father created the casting company she works for back in the eighties where he grew it to the major success it is today, only to pass it down to his son a few years ago after ailing health. And while Luke isn’t a bad CEO, per se, he’s not the funny, down to earth type like his old man.

No. The man is a Grade A asshole sometimes.

And this seems to be one of those times.

“Then what was I discussing?”

Fuck. Megan has always hated looking stupid, and she’s usually pretty good at both paying and not paying attention. But without her coffee, it’s damn near impossible to achieve that feat.

“Actually, sir, Megan was just whispering some ideas to me for how we can get Reigns to sign on.”

Megan shoots a vicious look to her work bestie, Paige. She smiles, her perfectly white teeth a stark contrast to her tanned, freckled complexion. “She’s got some great ideas too.”

Luke is smirking, and she knows that he knows Paige is blowing air up his ass. That doesn’t stop him from having his fun though. “Perfect, then I suppose you won’t have any issues taking on the assignment.”

Megan swallows. She doesn’t even know what this assignment is. But the thought of letting her asshole boss get one over on her literally makes her nauseous. With a steel smile, she accepts, “Of course not.” 

“Perfect.” He smirks. She has to stop herself from rolling her eyes. Smug bastard. “I’ll forward you the file and contact information for his reps.” Luke looks around at the rest of the employees. “Meeting is over.”

As everyone empties out, Luke being the first, Megan waits impatiently for everyone to depart before turning to Paige and punching her on her arm.

“Ow!”

“What the hell?” She hates being put in situations where she has no idea what’s going on, and this just so happens to be one of them. “What did you just get me into?”

“You could just say thank you for saving my ass, you wonderful goddess.” Paige adjusts her glasses and opens her laptop, typing away before sharing her screen with Megan. “This is what you’re getting into.”

Megan is still annoyed as her eyes land on the screen, but that irritation easily drifts away when she sees who is on the screen. “Holy shit, that’s Roman Reigns.”

“Duh.” Paige says with all the sass, explaining. “Universal wants him for an upcoming film they’re doing, but WWE just announced he’s taking an indefinite hiatus, so it might be a hard sell.” 

Paige, of course, selected a photo of the former champ in the ring, shirtless, hair down. Looking literally like the Gods put all of their talent into one pot and poured out him. Megan then asks, “why is he on hiatus?”

“That’s the sad part.” Paige does some typing and pulls up an article. She points to the several headlines that all say the same thing just in different ways. 

He’s engaged. 

“I swear, all the good ones are taken.” Paige pouts. “There was actually some drama he was in a couple weeks ago but it’s all died down now, I think. I’ll have to send you the tea. Nevertheless, he’s engaged and expecting another child with his now fiancé.”

Megan clicks on one of the articles that show Roman and who she’d guess is the fiancé. A frown falls on her face. “Seriously? Her? He could have done way better.” Exceptionally. Megan could never see someone like him, body sculpted by Zeus himself, with someone like her who looks like she’s never even seen the inside of a gym.

“Regardless, that’s his lady, and they already have one kid together, so he’s really off-limits.” Paige shrugs, closing her laptop. “Thankfully, all you need to do is get him to agree to do this film.” She snorts. “Baby on the way, planning a wedding, how hard can that be?”

Megan rolls her eyes and flips off Paige who laughs while standing up. “Wanna go get lunch? My treat.”

Shaking her head, Megan politely declines. “No thanks. I’ve got a few emails I’ve gotta get caught up on. Raincheck?”

“You bet.” Paige winks and walks out, closing the door behind her to leave Megan alone with her many thoughts.

Paige is right. It’s going to be a challenge to get Roman to sign onto this film when he has so much going on in his personal life. Some might even see it as DOA. Megan, however, has always been intrigued by challenges. She’s never encountered a situation where she didn’t get what she wanted. Where she didn’t get who she wanted.

On a film.

Of course.

Pulling out her phone, she googles his name, scowling when one of the first photos is of him and the fiancé and their kid, she’d guess. She easily pinches on said photo, eliminating them and filling her screen with only him.

Head tilted, twirling a piece of her hair, she says to no one in particular. “You and I are about to be very good friends, Mr. Reigns….”

[elizakai]

I like thinking about their more canon adjacent dynamic (character wise)

MINI ANALYSIS TIME

Because while I love the soft interpretations, even WITH those let’s be real; that’s not how they’d act off the bat

Horror would be extremely judgmental (fair) and hate Dust for what he did. He’d despise him and probably be very passive aggressive. Making jabs and making his disdain apparent when they have to interact. I think getting a read on Dust is also difficult and would piss Horror off. Horror is unpredictable and has a sadistic streak, if he was mad or manic and had Dust in a corner he’d have no qualms about manhandling the guy. (And Dust probably wouldn’t do much to stop him.)

Meanwhile, Dusttale’s creator was asked once how Dust may feel if he met Horror, to which they said he feels bad for Horror. He likes him, sees him as someone who went through something horribly undeserved. In my mind Dust is somewhat protective of Horror.

I interpret these clashing of dynamics as Horror’s just utter disdain for this guy, and Dust’s resigned acceptance of Horror’s judgment. He’d agree with him if he were to judge himself, but I think a part of him wants Horror’s approval. He doesn’t EVER expect to get it, but Horror is….

While he’s seen hell, he’s almost a less tormented version of Dust himself. Deep down they are the same. Horror has suffered greatly, but even still hasn’t hit the deep end dust has, and I think he’d want to protect that sort of innocence he’s granted. One could think of it as him protecting a piece of himself he himself has already sacrificed. And wanting APPROVAL from him, wishing to be forgiven, craving that small piece of validation or understanding as he tries to reconcile with himself.

Horror’s formed opinion makes sense, he agrees with it, and simply wishes he disagreed, that he could have proof of himself being a FRACTION worthy of forgiveness or understanding.

The judge in both of them has both formed an opinion of the other, and they happen to differ greatly. Horror sees Dust as an abuser and Dust sees Horror as a victim.

I like to imagine that, while reluctantly thrown into the same general vicinity, Horror would grow to be more understanding (again if we are going with a PROGRESSIVE plot line) and come to understand that, yes, he wasn’t WRONG, but there is nuance to the situation. They both have a very grim understanding of what it’s like to be trapped. I think he has the capacity to understand Dust better if he was given time. His hands aren’t clean after all, and he knows what it’s like to be forced into a situation and to feel backed into a drastic decision. He knows what it’s like to lose your autonomy and to feel your mind break itself under pressure.

I think the simple fact that Dust wouldn’t TRY to change his mind or justify himself would be part of why Horror could come to understand him. He’s devestated by his actions, he is by no means a sadist.

Horror coming to understand Dust and sort of reconcile/forgive him I think would be rather BIG for Horror, especially if you factor in other situations he now has to consider. (For example, his Undyne and her drastic attempt at freeing the undergroud…) reconciling his OWN arguably cruel decisions he has made with pure intentions, when he feels there’s no other choice (like his Papyrus and tricking him into doing something so outside of his beliefs, to protect him)

It would also be healing for Dust to get that reconciliation with Horror because again…Horror’s opinion actually may MATTER.

And in the same way that Dust may see Horror as a sort of person to be protected from further harm, Horror would probably pick up on all of the VERY bad habits Dust has that (in my observation at least) are EXTREMELY similar to his own habits/past habits (isolation, obsession, deprivation, paranoia, bringing harm to self etc) and I could see him being sensitive towards those and trying to prevent it worsening (it’s a sore subject💔) Horror is shown to prioritize taking care of those he cares about, even when he’s a bit mad, and he has the capacity to grow an understanding for someone he doesn’t like initially :))

I think they have potential to be VERY good for one another, Horror (while being fucked up) encourages (and maybe forces) better habits and actually has an opinion that matters to Dust, and Dust is inclined to be VERY loyal (Horror needs someone to show him loyalty.) to anyone who cares to give him the time of day, as it’s far beyond what he’d expect, and he’s got the sympathy/protective streak towards Horror as an actual in character detail.

And from there it would be wonderful to explore their dynamic in whatever way you like to interpret it🤫💥

I could go on but I’ll stop here, if you read this all CONGRATS!!!

Share your thoughts I love it

[kasayugi]

UNFORTUNATE WISH

Kim Dokja x Hanako! Female Reader

Chapter I ; Hanako the ghost bathroom

Sypnopsis: Kim Dokja heard about "Hanako-San the ghost bathroom" who can make your wish become true. He's curious and decided to go to the bathroom and make a wish to Hanako. But will his wish become true?

Warning!: Bad grammar! English is not my first language!

Note: This is my first time i make a story in English and yk i'm really bad in English when i write it with myself, because English is not my first language. But i'll try with my best!

How does it feels like to have a friends? That was Kim dokja feels like right now

He's a lonely boy with a pathetic life, his mother is murder and everyone see him as a trash. Without a family or friends who care about him.

Kim Dokja life is so dull. Always being a bullied in his school, even the teacher doesnt care about him. He was desperate to have a friend, even just one.

"Did you heard about Hanako-San of the bathroom?"

"a Japanese ghost girl? Why she's in the Korean bathroom school?"

"We don't know why she's in our school, but she can make your wishes come true!"

"Really? What's the rumors?"

He entered the boys bathroom, slowly he walked to the one of the bathroom stall, his hands shook and tried to gather his courage.

"She's indeed in our school bathroom, but she's in the boy bathroom!"

"are you sure she's a Hanako-San not a pervert ghost?"

"hush! Don't say like that! She will be mad if she hear about that!"

His mouth trembling and closed his eyes. Why he should be scared? He just wanted to make a wish, nothing wrong right? So why he's scared?.

Surely Hanako wouldn't do something scary to him, or even angry because he called her just to make a wish to her. He just doing like the rumors say!

"To called her, you should knocked the door three time"

His hand slowly knocked the door with his all courage, and then say, "Hanako, Hanako, are you here?" Just like the rumors said.

Nothing happened, he's slowly open his eyes and looked at the door and raised his eyebrow. Is this some kind of jokes? Really? Why didn't Hanako answer what he said?

If this is a jokes, so what's the point of him being in this bathroom after school!

"bullshit" Walked away from the door and feeling annoyed and disappointed, he can't believe if it was just a jokes! He shouldn't have believed it if it was just a jokes, what's the point?—

Forget about that, he took his words back when the door slammed hard and wide open. Quickly his whole body was filled with fear when he realized that the atmosphere in the bathroom had changed drastically.

That's a lie, right...? He thought like that, looked at the toilet seat with a look of fear and horror, even though it's just a sitting toilet, for some reason it has an unusual and scary aura.

"you call me?" Without realizing it, the apparition asked him right in front of his face with a big smile clearly plastered on her face.

His eyes widened and started screaming while pointing at the apparition who's in front of his face. "A GIRL!?" He can't believe the apparition in front of his face is a girl!.. how could it be a girl in the boys bathroom!?

"why? Of course i'm a girl! What do you think i am?" The apparition look at him with confused face. Does he really heard the rumors clearly?

"no! I mean.. why you in the boys bathroom? Are you really Hanako?" He shook his head in disbelief what just he see. What a strange.. yet pervert ghost? Isn't she?-

She snorted with annoyance and rolled her eyes, what a kind stupid question she got today. Isn't clear this is her home- no, her workplace.

"this is my workplace. You really heard the rumors about me from whom?" She asked him. Looking at him who like an idiot person.

"what?" He titled his head, not understand what she's saying.

"well, forget about that. Now, what is your wish?" The apparition took a deep breath and looked at him with a big smile on her face, in her hand she already had her notebook.

Kim Dokja gasped when he came back to reality and realized his intention of being in the boy's bathroom at this time after school. He stared at the apparition who was waiting patiently for him, the apparition waited for Kim Dokja to make his wish.

Kim Dokja fiddled with his fingers nervously, he thought back to the wish he wanted to say to Hanako. It seemed he was still nervous and hesitant about his wish.

Realize that Kim Dokja not saying anything, the apparition look at him with confused and raised her eyebrow, she spun her pen. "What? You don't have any wish?".

"actually, i have.. but.. are you really Hanako? Not a pervert ghost?" Oh, boy...

Her face darkened and became gloomy hearing his words. She walked back into the bathroom feeling gloomy, "forget about that, i'm done with this".

"Huh!? No! No! No! I mean, Hanako is a cool girl!!"

Cool.. girl.. cool.. girl..

"Then, state your name!" The apparition turned back towards Kim Dokja with a big smile appeared on her face again and it sparkled when she was praised by him.

What an innocent girl, Kim Dokja stated his name, "My name is Kim Dokja, 1st grade".

"m'kay, Kim Dokja, right? What's your wish?" the apparition wrote his name in her notebook while occasionally glancing at him to make sure his name was correct or not.

Kim Dokja fell silent again when he heard the apparition's question, he looked gloomy again. There are many wishes in his mind but he can only ask for one wish to became true.

The apparition was confused again when the human in front of her seemed hesitant again to express his wish, she understand that.

"i don't know..This is complicated, there are many wishes that i want" He shook his head uncertainly and stared at the bathroom floor, the apparition humming softly, "Then tell me one of the wishes you want most".

One of the wishes you want most, One of the wishes you want most, ...One of the wishes you want most..want most..want most..

Could it be, he can ask for anything, right? Right!

He found it!

"hmm?~" The apparition hummed softly and seemed interested when he saw Kim Dokja's eyes sparkling like he had just found a treasure, what a cute guy.

"Kill them!" With a big smile, Kim Dokja stated his wish, making the apparition become petrified, oh.. what? He stared at the apparition in confusion when it just stayed still and stared at him.

Kill them? Kill? KILL!? Kill who?.. She looked at Dokja with a look of horror and scared to hear Dokja's statement, she didn't expect the many wishes that he was doubtful about. He chose to make a wish to her to kill someone..

What a terrible wish

©kasayugi This story is protected by copyright! reposting or translating on other platforms without my permission is prohibited! Jshk only belongs to ©Aidairo and Orv only belongs to ©SingNSong.

[ganondoodle]

still thinking about how even just the decision to basically act like the shiekah tech never existed is just ... so baffling to me

bc again you could have done all the sonau tech does with shiekah instead, and they were perfect to be explored more in a sequel, why wouldnt you grasp that potential, the literal building blocks for more??

if you are that tired of shiekah tech .. dont make it a fuckign sequel to the game prominently featuring it???? totk doesnt take place generations after botw in which things could have changed drastically, its just a few years afterwards??

you want to reuse the map and get rid of shiekah tech? ok fine take LINK into the past then and the focus is for you to find a way to return; do some neat twist where its revealed that link was the one who sealed gan bc he couldnt defeat him without zelda or something if you dare (they wouldnt)

want less work than that and still reuse the map and get rid of shiekah tech AND reuse characters? ok then make it some alternate universe thingy like majoras mask in which everythign is the same but also isnt, its weird and creepy how characters you thoguht you knew suddendly dont act like themselves, shiekah tech doesnt exist, malice is now miasma, etc, it would give reason to why you feel so much like something about this world is familiar yet also very wrong

as far as im aware every "sequel" we have had so far were either generations apart from the first one, some alternate universe or a different location altogether- in all of which its plausible that things are different, things seem weirdly familiar but also wrong, or that another continent just works different from hyrule

but totk does none of that, its supposedly just a few years after the first game, same world same character, but its BUILT like some strange jumbled mess of stuff from botw and new stuff out of nowhere that just .. doesnt fit, but feeling a strange sense of otherness, a déja vu of something you know but it acts off, like an imposter, thats NOT intentional and it shows, its a mess of botw stuff, from stuff that people missed from the old games and entirely new stuff; i dont doubt it CAN work but the way it turned out is like a mix of 3 different puzzles forced together and being told 'see it fits!' even tho you can clearly see the pieces dont look right in these places

again it feels like a sequel that desperately wants you to forget the first game happened, that anythign from it mattered at all

and that isnt really ... the sense of a sequel? why insist on it being one when it only creates problems? is it marketing?? just like it was marketing to call age of calamity a telling of what happened before botw but then it wasnt that at all and that is still the sole reason why i dislike it? bc i was lied to? totk is like 10000 times worse than that, its a main title and doesnt even have the excuse of yeah its basically an excuse to play all your fav characters in fun ways and the game beign well aware that being its main appeal; what is totk appeal? a toybox with botw aestethic and none of the flavor?

(on a sidenote; the sonau tech doesnt even .. matter? in botw at least calamity ganon was made of shiekah tech parts and him overtaking other tech is a big point, the sonau tech doesnt serve anything but .. idk minerus useless mech? gan doesnt even aknowledge it, he doesnt care, all it is is toys for the player, not link, but the player. the monsters mining the tech materials? what for? gan doesnt give a damn and they dont work for the yiga either??)

i said it before but it gives me the feeling that the way botw invited you to theorize, to look beneath the surface, the way it intrigued you and laid the groundwork for so many interesting things without denying anything.. was accidental? or perhaps put in the game without the directors noticing? i cant stop thinking about them saying sth like "after botw zelda wondered if the kingdom of hyrule needed to keep existing the way it had been before the calamity, but then totk happens" bc it just feels like they realized too late that botw naturally led into questioning the status quo and they scrambled to fit it back into a flat and boring road we have seen so many times before (or even worse really) with totk

zeldas character naturally leads into her questioning and reexamine their history and set of rules? we gotta teach her a lesson of why she is importante god given monarchy girl that has to keep it bc what if evil brown man shows up again for no reason

maybe im grasping at straws here but looking at it this way the sonau .. make more "sense"; the shiekah were a group that was under the rule of the royal family, and misstreated before (oh no look soemthing interesting) so they dont lend themselves well to be used for teaching zelda that lesson- the sonau however are tailored really to be just that; they are a supposedly godly race from the literal sky that founded this version of hyrule, that had tech even more advanced and better than the shiekah, she gets put in the past to meet the perfect god king of goodness personally, also his very fridgy wifey that zelda later replaces in a way, shes put there and treated like family and then gets to see just how evil that evil big man from the desert is, sonia is falcon-punched to death solely so zelda can feel obligated to take over her role, have her new, better 'family' hurt by gan; similarly so raurus sacrifice, look what a noble and good king he is, he payed the ultimate price to lock that evil man away, now zelda you cannot let their sacrifice go to waste, rebuild that divinely good kingdom like it was!!

and even though they go so much out of their way to put the cart back onto the rails of black and white-good and evil in an even flatter way than the old games, it still doesnt feel right, at least to me, it still feels like zelda shouldnt have gone along with all of that, it feels like even her character from botw was walked back entirely, except for the intro, it made her feel like a stranger to me-

because this is a sequel, i know this zelda, she wouldnt act like that after all that shes been through, this feels ... off

and it all just insulting to anyone who cared about botw more than surface level, or the zelda lore in general, i dont even care much about the timeline, but theres alot of lore and themes beyond it that felt ignored, especially so given that .. its a damn sequel, non AU, not generations apart, directly part 2-

but its not.

it even feels very "corporate", put zelda in a dress again, people liked that, put crazy abilities in the game to flashbang people with how insane it is even if its not the best for the gameplay or the story, put a new asthetic into it out of nowhere bc its 'new' and act like its been there the whole time, put gan in there bc people miss him and find him sexy even if his role is just as flat as that of an evil cloud monster-

*sigh*

you know, i saw a post that said aoc was like a bad fanfic (affectionate) and totk was like a bad fanfic (derogatory) and tbh thats like one of the best comparisons/summaries i have seen ..

[kingmagnificoofrosas]

Further proof of Our King's anxiety and trauma: His body language. He has a habit of putting his hands behind his back. It's a self-soothing and self-preservation gesture. But then when he's more relaxed, he doesn't do that.

Case in point: Look when he meets Asha. At first you don't see his hands. They're behind his back. When he does bring a hand out briefly, it goes behind his back again. But when he warms up to her, his hands come out.

The same goes with when he's addressing his people about the magic. His hands are behind his back, and they stay there unless he brings one hand out to do something and then he puts it right back. He's uncomfortable, he's guarded and it shows.

Which is why his people should have known that something was VERY wrong when he came out on stage possessed. His body language was VERY different. He was stumbling around drunk, but his hands were both visible. His body language had drastically changed because he was essentially inebriated on dark magic. That should have been a BIG clue in that something was WRONG, not that the king was suddenly evil.

YES! THIS! 🤌🏼

I've been stressing from the beginning about this! While hands loosly clasped in the back can be a sign of confidence and relaxtion, Magnifico's way of hiding his arms is different most of the time.

Now, I have always been good at reading people but then I studied psychology for a while and trauma conditions, the mental impact it has and how it shows.

Magnifico oozed trauma the very first minute I saw him. And when he mentioned what happened, plus the burned wall-rug, I knew it was deep! All his behavior clicked for me.

That is also a big part why haters villanizing him gets me fuming mad. If I was to follow their logic, then Elsa is a villain for running away and leaving her kingdom to freeze die, or Maui, who stole Tefiti's heart and caused destruction, or abuela Alma, for treating Mirabel like trash, or Imelda for forbitting music in her family, Abuela Elena for smashing Miguels guitar!

The hypocrisy is off the charts!

And the worst thing is exactly what you mentioned last. The people of Rosas not being able to see that something was horribly wrong with their king. He was so clearly not himself and no one gave a toot. It's easy to explain though. The didn't know their own king and nor did they care. All they cared about was their wishes. Their needs. Their desires. Magnifico was just their source for favors and when that well ran dry, they dropped him like a stone. Talking about selfishness!

Magnifico was never evil. Did he make some wrong choices because of his trauma? Yes. But nothing he ever did made him a villain. The only villain there was, was the book! The book, or rather, the evil force/entitiy in in! And yes, we saw that demon-thing drawn on the page. Not to forget the green clawed hands! No, magic itself isn't a conscious living, thinking being, it's a supernatural ability used by a fessel. And as a christian I can tell you the only thing behind "dark magic" are demons.

You will see this whole topic deeper explained in the upcoming cooperation post "the Magnifico case". But here is a little thing from it.

This isn't Magnifico

This is!

This isn't him

This is!

The fact that people cannot differentiate between this and understand what a possession is ...

Anyway. Anothing very interesting thing I wanna draw attention to is what comes out of Magnifico's mouth once he is full on possessed. He says things that are 100% contradictory to everything he stood for and fought for.

See the reflection thing in the fountain? It's where the quote "I win!" Falls! Why is this so deeply unsettling? Because there is nothing he won! All Magnifico ever truly wanted was happiness and savety for others around him. Magnifico's trauma had caused him to be immensly fearful and paranoid when it came to the savety of others because what happened to him left scars in his soul as deep as a canyon and he wanted no one else to ever have to suffer like he did. He didn't want power, he didn't want fame! He only wanted what's best for others and in return get some love and respect for what he did. Which, yes, he deserved anyway!

Back to my two cents of my christian opinion. It's pretty clear that the evil side does nothing but steal, kill and destroy. It's all it ever wants. To hurt and wreck. That thing that has been trapped in that book must have waited eagerly for who knows how long to get a victim it can use to destroy and use to destroy. So when that thing had taken control over Magnifico's clear consciousness, it obviously said "I won!"

Even sadder is that we could see the exact moment, the entity leaves Magnifico and he is left with confusion and panic because all he sees are the wishes floating away into the nightsky.

Also, where did the green enter and leave? Into and from his heart!

This is the same fear only increased!

And NO! God NO! It is not "Ah, no, I don't wanna lose my power and control over the people because I'm a malicious beast and I wallow in their suffering and enjoy them not being able to make one of their wishes come true!"

No. Just. No. This is ignorant, this is stupid nonsense. This is seeing evil where there is none. This is villanizing trauma!

And then some people go "Oh God, what a monster! What a evil man! Poor kid! It deserves to swim! How dare he not let the kid swim!"

Compare this to a father, who previously had lost a brother or even his first child to a drowning accident. Now the next child is old enough to swim and is running towards the water. Everyone knows the kid will jump in, swim and have fun, but all the father can think of is the potential danger of his child drowning as well. Maybe it will get a cramp, or a shark will bite it, or it gets stung by a jellyfish, steps on a venomous sea urchin, gets a heart attack, gets pulled away by a current ...

You see where I'm going?

And then the father runs, sweaps the child in his arms and forbids it to go near the water and swim because it is too dangerous. He tells his child.

"You stay here with me, as long as I deem it saver! I'm your father, it is my responsibility to keep you as safe as I can! I only want the best for you!"

And of course the child is pouty.

"

"Well, if there is a shark, it can be stopped. I might just bite one leg off of the child ...oh well...The father clearly doesn't know what he's doing! And I must know, I don't even have children!"

"Everyone call the police! Let's put this father behind bars! He's so cruel and abusive to his poor child!"

"And good heavens! He snapped at the child for saying it is old enough to decide if it wants to swim or not! And he replied that he decides if the child swims or not! What a narcissistic psychopath! He needs to be stopped!"

Anyway, I'm very excited to soon share that big boy of a post with you, where I dive into each and every aspect as deep as ever with the help of Magnificolover from instagram. 🎶

How does that sound? And now imagine one of these judgemental, entiteled, selfrighteous, ignorant people calling the police. And the police arrests the man and no one at the beach does anything. No one thinks "wait a minute! This is wrong!"

I can already smell the haters cooking new arguments 😂 feeling snubbed at their toes cause we defenders are right! And you know what? We will only get louder! We are already the vast majority! Including children!

They're mad at us and our defense? Good! Maybe then it is time to ask themselves why it is that the majority is on Magnifico's side! Or why children starting by the age 5 (my cousins son for example) can clearly conclude that the only reason Mags went nuts is because of the evil book. Better yet, they see that Asha and the people of Rosas are in the wrong how they treat their king. And children are brutally honest.

Stay loud my fellow defenders! 🔥

[lazycats-stuff]

Hello, hope you are having a good day/night?

I was wondering if I could request a Batfam x Male reader who is Bruce's son (adopted or biological your choice) while out on patrol he gets either attcked by a strangely large dog or some villain injects him with some weird serum? He ends up with a super high fever as his body makes adjustments/changes (example his senses suddenly and painfully heightening) he's becoming a werewolf. Once reader is past the fever/beginning of the curse and are going back to normal life things are drastically different they feel more agitated, aggressive, stronger, restless and oh god the fear what has happened to them? What if they hurt someone they love? (You can decide if their eyes, teeth, claws change with moods)

I can and I will. Oh, this felt so amazing to write. And also a different gif for this oneshot. Maybe I will even write a part 2, who knows?

Summary: (Y/N) didn't believe in vampires and werewolves, but with from a bite of a big dog, he is forced to think about it.

Warnings: Mentions of rabies, blood, (Y/N) being sick and in pain, Bruce being in pain too, shifting, Bruce being scared for his son, medical inaccuracies, swearing

(Y/N) huffed as he watched over the city. Jason and him were perched over the roof, simply resting and eating the snacks from their pockets.

" What is the huffing for? " Jason asked his younger brother. He could tell that something was bothering (Y/N).

" I'm just worried about school, that's all. "

" School is a pretty wide term, you need to narrow it down. "

(Y/N) looked away for a moment, then blushed.

" There is someone then, " Jason said with a teasing tone, patting (Y/N)'s shoulder.

" If I tell you, you can't tell anyone else. If you do, sleep with one eye open. " (Y/N) threatened Jason.

" My lips are sealed. "

" Pinky promise? " (Y/N) asked, knowing that Jason was weak on that promise. He extended his pinky to Jason, who curled his pinky with (Y/N)'s.

" Pinky promise. " (Y/N) nodded and then they let go.

" Okay, so there is this guy... I'm sure he is straight, but he is so nice to me. And he didn't become my friend because I'm Bruce Wayne's son. "

Jason nodded. (Y/N) was good at reading people and their intentions. He was just a natural at it, didn't need much pointers.

" So the problem is that you think he is straight? "

" Yes. But I'm not sure. There is no evidence that he has been with guys. Just girls. And it makes me feel frustrated. "

" I think that we are all allergic to this, but how about talking? " Jason proposed the idea, making (Y/N) roll his eyes.

" Okay, normal conversation is out of the question. "

" And since when you are the one to talk about communication? "

" Since you are the most normal one. We all have high hopes for you. " Jason responded, wiping a fake tear from his eye.

(Y/N) crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head.

" Sometimes I wonder what's wrong with this family. I truly do. "

Jason cackled. (Y/N) huffed and looked down once he heard sounds of struggle down there.

" You got it little bat? "

" Yup. " (Y/N) responded, jumping down, making his landing softer with his cape.

The alley was dark and he couldn't really see into it. He froze once he heard growling. What the hell? He didn't even had the time to blink before a big dog jumped at him. He fell down with the dog, who was biting his arm. He could hear his gauntlet breaking. He tried to push the dog, but he grunted once he felt the sharp teeth breaking his skin. He managed to kick the dog away and the animal ran.

(Y/N) was breathing heavily from the excitement and the adrenaline running through him. He shakily brought his uninjured arm to his ear.

" B? "

" (Y/N) what's wrong? "

" I just got bit by a dog... He broke my gauntlet. "

" Shit. Hang on, I have your location. I will call Alfred. Stay put okay? "

" Okay... "

Jason landed next to (Y/N), freaked out of his mind.

" A dog bit you?! "

(Y/N) nodded, feeling slightly dizzy. Does he has rabies? Is he going to die by rabies? He has heard about the symptoms of the this disease and it was fatal. There were rare cases when somebody made it out alive from rabies.

" Okay, lean on the wall, you don't look steady. "

" Hood, what if I have rabies? "

" Don't think like that, be more positive. "

(Y/N) laughed. Jason was slightly worried about (Y/N). More precisely, he was worried about (Y/N)'s sanity. Laughing in this situations was not really normal.

" Thank God you are here old man. Get him tested for rabies immediately. "

" Will do. I will call Superman to help you with patrol. "

Jason nodded, watching with worry as Bruce picked up his son, knowing that (Y/N) will be to unstable to walk. He put him in the car, before turning to Jason.

" Tell your brothers the plan. "

" Let me know how the test turns out. "

Batman nodded and got into the Batmobile. (Y/N) had managed to stop the bleeding, but it was hurting. There was no adrenaline going through his veins right now and the pain was still taking it toll on him. He didn't even pay attention to what Bruce was saying. At the moment, he could care less. He closed his eyes and tried to relax. He tried to ignore the pain, but it wasn't successful.

" Hang on tight (Y/N). We are almost at the manor. "

" Bruce, before I die, I want you to know that I love you. And tell my brothers the same. "

" You won't die. Calm down. We will test you and give you the proper treatment. "

(Y/N) readjusted his arm, hissing in pain. Bruce stopped the car and he stepped out to help (Y/N). Alfred was there to help him too.

" Okay master (Y/N), just relax. We will patch you up in no time. "

(Y/N) was laying on a bed as Alfred was patching him up. There was 10 million pounds lifted of his shoulders once he didn't have rabies. But the wound was still throbbing and it was still bothering him. He was feeling weird.

" And we are done. The scarring should be minimal. "

(Y/N) just nodded. He was far too tired at this point. Without a word, he dragged his ass up the stairs. Bruce watched with Alfred.

" What is wrong master Bruce? "

" Something is wrong with (Y/N). And it's not about the bite. He usually shakes this type of thing off. "

" Maybe it was the fear of rabies. That fear kept him awake and excited and once the test was negative his body relaxed. "

" It may be, but I'm still worried. " Bruce admitted to Alfred.

" (Y/N) is going to be okay, he just needs to rest. "

(Y/N) is not okay. He was feeling as if something was stabbing him all over his body. On top of that, he was shivering from the called. What in the actual fuck is happening to him?

He whimpered in pain as he turned around. Why does this hurt so much? He needs to get Bruce, but he doesn't think that he will be able to even stand up, let alone walk.

Across the hall, Bruce opened his eyes. Something was wrong. He kicked the covers off and went to check on (Y/N). The others were getting back now.

Bruce opened the door to (Y/N)'s room and his heart sank once he saw his son in pain. He didn't see (Y/N)'s face, but he could guess from the body position and from the twitching of his limbs.

" (Y/N)? " Bruce asked, going over to check on his son.

He was shocked by the mere paleness of (Y/N)'s skin. He looked like death warmed over. Bruce put his hand over (Y/N)'s forehead. Bruce removed his hand, shocked by how high it was. He called Alfred who was going upstairs.

" (Y/N) has a fever, a high one. Should we give him an ice bath? " Bruce asked quickly.

" Let me check. "

After checking, Alfred ordered an ice bath for (Y/N). They need to bring this fever down now. Jason stopped by, confused as to what was going on.

" What's going on? "

(Y/N) winced from the sound of Jason's voice. Why is his hearing so sensitive? Why is everything so damn sensitive?

" (Y/N) has a high fever. We need to bring it down. Can you bring the ice? "

Jason nodded, quickly running to get the ice.

" Can you hear me (Y/N)? " Bruce asked, moving some of the sweaty strands of hair away from (Y/N)'s face.

(Y/N) nodded, trying to comprehend what was happening. He heard the word bath and he could an idea what that would entail. He muttered a soft no, shaking his head softly. A bath would entail the cold.

" I know you aren't a fan of cold, but we need to bring your fever down. "

(Y/N) let out a noise of protest.

" I have the ice. Tim help me out. " Jason said, taking a glance at (Y/N)'s pale face. He looked dead. Tim was also unsettled by the state of his younger brother. Bruce heard the water running and he gently removed the pajamas of off his son, leaving him in his boxers. (Y/N) was mumbling something incoherent and Bruce was sure that that was the noise of protest.

" I know, but we need to drop your fever. "

Jason peaked his head from the bathroom, telling Bruce that it was ready. Damian and Dick also came into the room.

" What is happening? " Dick asked.

(Y/N) felt that his ears were bleeding. Can everyone stop talking?

There were way to many voices in the room. And far too many people. (Y/N) just wanted to die... He was startled when Bruce picked him up and carried him to the bathroom. (Y/N) groaned when the far to bright light hit his eyes.

" Brace yourself son. "

(Y/N) hissed at the cold water. He tried to get out, but Bruce was having none of it. He gently pushed (Y/N) back to sit.

" Lean down, dunk your head. "

Bruce helped him out, gently lowering his son's head down. (Y/N) closed his eyes as his head was dunked. He gripped the edge of the tub with all of his might. He was shivering and chattering. Bruce sat down next to the tub watching his son.

" You boys can go back to your rooms. He is going to be fine. "

" Call us if you need anything. " Dick said as he ushered the others out.

Now it was just Bruce and (Y/N). Bruce watched with worry as watched his son. (Y/N) never had such serious fever. Everyone gets sick every once in a while, but this one tops the cake.

" What made you so sick? " Bruce murmured, gently removing some of wet strands from (Y/N)'s face.

(Y/N) was in a daze, feeling dead. He leaned his head towards Bruce, enjoying the contact. Bruce didn't know what to think about all of this. First there was fear that he would lose his son, but now there was worry. This is not normal.

The stayed there for 10 to 15 minutes and Bruce was then helping him out of the bath. He brought (Y/N) some clean clothes. (Y/N) had managed to change with shaky hands. He barley opened the door as he collapsed into Bruce's arms.

" Okay, come on, lets get you into bed. "

He tucked his son in, making sure he was warm. Bruce glanced at the alarm clock. It was 4 am. Bruce sighed before laying down next to (Y/N). He wouldn't be able to go to his room and sleep peacefully knowing his son was so sick that he couldn't even think straight.

He closed his eyes as his son was sleeping already, clearly exhausted.

(Y/N) was doing slightly better. The fever was still there, but it wasn't as bad as it was few days ago. He was still in pain, but it wasn't as bad. And they tested him again for rabies. Negative.

But (Y/N) felt differently. His vision was good before, but now it seemed to be even better. But what bothered him, was his hearing. He doesn't remember it being this good.

And there was something about his sense of smell that bothered him. What the actual fuck? He was eating fruit that he got from Bruce and Alfred, but the smell was way to intense. He scrunched his nose, but ate the fruit anyway. It's the only thing he could eat without feeling nauseous.

His brothers were popping in from time to time, making sure that he was okay. Although, they weren't going to admit it, they were scared for their youngest brother that night. First it was the dog bite and the fear of rabies and the fever on top of that? Jesus Christ.

He coughed while taking his laptop. He was in the mood for some Golden Girls. He needs something fun to lift him up.

After 2 more days he was healthy. 100% healthy. But he didn't feel like it. Everything was enhanced. He now knew that his hearing was better, alongside his eyesight. But the smell freaked him out more then anything.

His stomach way turning all the time from the intense smells. Sometimes he couldn't stand Bruce's cologne. And Jason's cologne too. What the fuck? He never remembers it being so strong.

And that wasn't the only thing. He got way more restless. He had to workout in the gym longer then usual just to feel slightly tired. Just slightly. Usually when he worked out he was tired and aching, but now it didn't feel like anything, it was just... Nothing. And it made him afraid.

He had to investigate what the hell bit him. That was not a normal dog. It was bigger than any of the breeds he has seen. He was brought back from his train of thoughts when he heard somebody in front of his room. Judging by the footsteps, it was Jason. Woah... There was a knock and Jason peaked his head in once he got the permission.

" Do you want to spar with us? "

" Sure, give me a minute. "

Jason nodded and left the room. (Y/N) sighed. He should have said no, but he didn't want to be restless anymore. He changed his shirt and went to their gym. Everyone was there too. This is not good.

" Come on (Y/N). " Jason said, moving towards the mat.

(Y/N) wrapped his knuckles to protect them. He moved on the mat too, getting ready. Bruce whistled and Jason and (Y/N) went at it. (Y/N) was quick and far more aggressive then usual. Bruce tilted his head while he was watching. Something got into (Y/N). What? He doesn't know, but he will figure it out.

Everything was going fine, until he kicked Jason too hard and there was a crack. Jason gasped for air as he gripped his ribs. (Y/N) watched his hands with wide eyes. Everyone circled Jason, worried about him. (Y/N) couldn't move. What? Oh God what is happening to him?

His vision went blurry as he ran from the room, his father shouting his name. He ran out of the manor, stopping at the edge of the yard where the woods started. Something was wrong with him.

" (Y/N)! Wha- " Bruce stopped once he saw (Y/N)'s eyes. They weren't (E/C) anymore, they were blood red. His eyes widened at the sight of his son in that state. He needs to call Zatanna or Doctor Fate. Maybe both of them.

Bruce froze once he heard the bones breaking and (Y/N) turning. (Y/N) cried from the pain he was going through. Bruce felt his mouth drop as a big gray wolf replaced the place of his son. (Y/N) looked down to look at his paws, whining and crying. Bruce tried to approach his son, but (Y/N) ran. Bruce cursed. He wasn't going to catch up with him. Fuck.

(Y/N) ran for a long time. He stopped by a small lake, moving to drink some water. It got dark and he was exhausted. He laid down on the ground after drinking the water, ready to go to sleep. He will think about his return in the morning.

He looked down at his front paws. So a dog that bit him was a werewolf. But a bigger question is, how is he going turn back into a human? How? His ear twitched when he heard rustling. His lifted his head up, before quickly standing up. He tensed at the thought of somebody hunting him. But there were no hunters here in this forest.

He sniffed the air, smelling nothing. He felt something prick him at his right side. His eyes widened once he saw a dart. A tranquilizer dart. He was afraid. He felt dizzy, falling to his side. He whined before he lost consciousness.

Bruce sighed as he lowered the gun, walking towards his son. Zatanna and Doctor Fate approached the wolf. Zatanna knelt down next to the wolf's head.

" And he had a high fever before this? " Zatanna asked Bruce.

" He did. Why are you asking? "

" That means that his body was preparing him for turning. Well, shifting. And I have to say, he was lucky. He was bit by a werewolf that can control his shifting. "

" So (Y/N) can shift whenever he wants? "

" Yes, but the shift is tied to his emotions too. Werewolves learn to control their emotions too, so they don't shift based on their emotions. "

Bruce nodded. He gently petted (Y/N)'s wolf head, feeling the soft fur under his hand.

" But he will be able to have a some what normal life? " Bruce asked, trying to control his voice.

" Yes. " Doctor Fate answered, observing the wolf.

Bruce sighed in relief.

" Lets get him back. He needs to shift. We know a person that can help him learn all he needs to know. " Doctor Fate added.

Bruce picked the wolf up, walking with Zatanna and Doctor Fate back. He was somewhat relieved that (Y/N) will be able to leave normally. For now, they need to learn how to deal with this.

[pacificwaternymph]

"Stop worrying, Petal. Come to bed."

"Can't, my love. I have to finish this. I'll only be a minute longer."

"Yeah, you said that an hour ago. Go to sleep, Scott. It'll all work out in the morning."

"But what if it doesn't? What if something happens?"

"Nothing will happen. You've made just about every preparation in existence. You've created like- fifteen failsafes for literally every possible scenario. And I'll be right there if anything goes wrong."

"No offense, sunflower, but how much would you actually be able to do if it really does go to shit?"

"HEY!"

"Oh, you know I'm only teasing."

"So does that mean you'll join me in bed?"

"I never said that."

"Oh come on. Tomorrow's a big day. You need your rest."

"...Dearest?"

"Yes, darling?"

"Promise me that when it happens, you'll stay far away from it."

"What? Why on earth would I miss something as big as this-"

"Just- promise me. Please."

"...Okay. Okay, I promise. Now let's sleep. We can worry about these things in the morning."

"Alright. I love you."

"I love you too, you enormous dork."

~

Scott awoke when the gray sunlight hit his eyes, pulling him from sleep. His arm was lain across an empty pillow, as if trying to cradle someone who wasn't really there.

With a sigh, he sat up, pushing back the covers and sliding out of the bed that was far too big for just one person. He padded across what was supposed to be their bedroom, the decorations on each side so drastically different despite only one person even living in it.

The single potted poppy was wilting despite sitting in direct sunlight, its roots digging into soil that was never left dry.

Oh sunflower, he thought bitterly. Why couldn't you have kept your promise?

[spider-chris06]

¿Peter was Gwen's first love?

This is something I've been seeing or hinting at very recently because of certain things Gwen says in ATSV, so I wanted to go a little deeper into this topic to see if Peter was really Gwen's first love:

As everyone knows, Gwen and Peter were childhood friends until he, to being someone weak who wanted to be special just like Gwen, turns into the lizard and dies because of it. Something that is made quite clear is the fact that Peter was clearly in love with Gwen but, did she feel the same?

During the flashbacks, one can see how the two of them seem to have a genuine friendship and there actually seems to be no sign of Gwen's romantic relationship with Peter... yet

Although it is presumed that they could have gone to the high school dance as a date, I don't think so since they could easily have gone as friends and that's it.

She always makes it very clear that he was his childhood best friend, and nothing more.

The only real clue that Gwen may have liked her friend deep down is this little scene where Gwen, after Peter's death, sees a couple holding arms and she gets upset about it.

Taking all this into account, the most logical thing is that she started to like Peter just before he died and that's where the thing stayed, it never progressed, it never evolved, nothing. It's like an uncomfortable backpack you wear on your back when you meet your soulmate.

That this would explain her unstable and impulsive personality during ITSV and the ATSV prologue that she ended up changing thanks to Miles.

Adding to which, thanks to Miles, during that time in the Spider-Society, Gwen has not only drastically improved and progressed, but she can truly get over Peter's death.

However, here is something that caused some doubt, and that is that in the ATSV prologue she mentions that, before she met Miles on Earth-1610, there was Peter, however, taking into account that at that time she was not really honest with her feelings, she was surely referring to the weight that both had in her life at that point in the story, since if we talk about friendship itself, it would make sense for Gwen to say that, but if we talk romantically, things change completely.

"Ok but Gwen refers to Miles as the first friend she's made since Peter died" Yes, it's true, but because it was Miles who wanted them to remain friends at the end of ITSV and she respected his decision, however, inside, they already liked each other since they met for the first time, and Gwen fell in love with Miles by the end of the first movie, she didn't say anything at her farewell to ITSV, so Gwen never saw Miles as a friend, she always saw him like something much more than that from the beginning, and that's, surely, the big difference from Peter.

And as a plus, she never said ANYTHING about being in love with Peter or anything like that.

Let's also remember that Gwen tries to hide her feelings in the same way that Miles does too so this should not be a surprise to anyone at this point.

We also know that Gwen refers to Miles as her "Friend" as a curtain, contradicting herself at times because she basically doesn't think things through before she says them, because the romantic feelings are painfully obvious and because also wants to go unnoticed.

Besides, she herself says at the end of ATSV that she gathered her old and, obviously, true friends to save Miles, which in itself says a lot.

More importantly, the fact that Gwen is head over heels in love with Miles and loves him so much more than he loves her, which is insane in itself, should automatically rule out any possibility of the Peter thing having any comparison, romantically speaking.

To make a comparison, Gwen barely knows Miles for 2 or 3 days and fell in love with him, something that did not happen with Peter even though they have known each other for years.

And I know that some may disagree with this, but the truth is that one can love one person much more than another and there is nothing wrong with that.

And one can also realize this when there are thousands of different Peters in the Spider-Society but she's obsessed with Miles, talking about him all that time she was there.

There are other clues to that, too, like when Gwen and Miles are eating on the terrace and she's surprised to realize that romantic feelings make her hungry, as if this was the first time something like this had happened to her.

Or how affectionate, cuddly, flirtatious and playful that she is with Miles (Another big difference from Peter)

Also, the creators made it clear that Beyond The Spider-Verse will have the most satisfying conclusion to the romance between Gwen and Miles, and I can't think of a more satisfying conclusion to the relationship between Gwen and Miles than leaving that message that those little feelings that she may have developed for her dead friend would be nothing compared to what would come her way after that, and her telling Miles that he is the love of her life, being Miles the person who changed her life forever, would be the perfect climax.

In conclusion, while Gwen began to see Peter as more than just her friend shortly before he died, that's basically incomparable to all the love, care, and adoration she has for Miles, and it's grown considerably ever since the ITSV ending until the ATSV ending where, if Miles was truly in love with Gwen, she's Triple as madly in love with her soulmate. So it actually couldn't be said that Peter was Gwen's first love due to that since nothing has been developed regarding Peter, the thing remained in nothing.

I clarify that this is an analysis that I did based on what I have been collecting and researching from MY point of view, some may have a different opinion or disagree on certain things and it is perfect.

[bereft-of-frogs]

I'm so glad I have actually stuff to analyze now to defend Indara and I don't have to just keep being like 'um that's not really how narrative storytelling works' and 'I suspect you guys just don't know what to do with reserved female characters who aren't evil' and 'not everyone who isn't a ray of sunshine is a secret Sith lord babes' this is even MORE fun than my reddit crusade over the last few weeks now that I have substance.

anyway, hopping back on the Indara defense train as I have been for a full month, but also talking about her 3 big missteps first:

Mistake #1: not putting her foot down and insisting on going in to talk to the coven alone the first time. Yeah, this was the last moment things could have gone well. I think she was right and going in alone would have looked less intimidating. Also given what she does at the end, she's a pretty strong telepath and wouldn't have had the weak point of Torbin to be exploited. I think if her level head had met Aniseya's level head they could have talked some things out, and the crisis wouldn't have escalated that quickly. There are definitely still some issues - what did Aniseya do to create the twins? why was Koril so afraid of the Jedi finding out? - and things might have come to blows anyway, but I don't think they'd have been as explosive if Indara had had the chance to initially diffuse some of the tension.

Counterpoint: they might have killed her or at least not let her leave actually. If it had JUST been Indara and Aniseya we're talking about, yeah, the fastest solution is a friendly chat between the two of them, I actually think the Jedi would appreciate some of Aniseya's philosophy, they have a nice little cultural exchange and part ways maybe agreeing to disagree on some of the specifics of the Dark vs Light side of the Force, but at least everyone lives. But there's the rest of the coven to consider. Koril particularly. She is DOWN to murder pretty much immediately, as we know from the advisor scene from episode 3, when she's like 'who would miss them?'

Aside: **Book spoilers, I wish tumblr had spoiler tags like Reddit or Discord, don't read this point if you don't want Path of Deceit spoilers** And eep, yeah who WOULD miss them? I sort of jokingly said this after episode 3 like 'lol well it did work for the Path of the Open Hand, that's not that crazy an idea', but now we have the context and oof, they're even MORE off grid than Zallah and Kevmo were. At this point they haven't even contacted Coruscant about finding the coven, right? So while the Council knows the planet they're on, they still think it's uninhabited and evidently the witches are pretty well hidden, they'd just vanish. Jeez, the Council knew the town and precise location of the Path compound and it still took an absurdly long time to figure out what happened after Zallah and Kevmo started missing check-ins, long enough for the Path to escape. I bet they don't check in as much on a peaceful survey mission vs an active investigation too, the four Jedi really could be missing for a long time before anyone realized something was wrong.

But yeah, Koril seems pretty down for murder, so while one Jedi going in alone doesn't look like that much of a threat and might set Aniseya at ease, Koril might have seen it as a weak point available to exploit. Fearing what Indara would report back to the Council about their presence and the twins, Koril might goad the coven into making an attempt on her life, and while Indara is clearly a formidable fighter, she is drastically outnumbered, fighting all the witches alone might have been too much for her. And of course, that makes things so much worse immediately. The leader and the most level head is gone, the Jedi are now grieving and rightfully fear for their lives, tensions explode even earlier. But that's really not much more than an interesting AU idea lol a slight counterpoint though.

Mistake #2: not being the one to go after Torbin when he ran off. This one is just going to come down to clunky writing, I'm sorry. Because there is zero logical reason for her to trust Sol to bring him back. She should have gone herself. Torbin was her responsibility, she's been reticent about how Sol's imbalance was feeding his the whole time, she should have known Sol was never going to deescalate and was only going to drag him further into trouble. But we can sit here arguing over her thought process and blame her but at the end of the day, it was just that the writers needed it to be Sol for the plot and...I don't know, didn't workshop other reasons to divide them like this. But yeah, in universe, there is no reason for it to have been Sol. Things still might have been escalated due to the events inside the fortress and Sol likely sensing Osha's fear when Mae starts the fire, but Indara could (and should) have stopped Torbin's part in it, that was her direct responsibility.

Mistake #3: suggesting the cover up. Yeah this one's not great. I think most of the 'wow Indara did nothing wrong' people are like '.....ok until the cover up'. And like this maybe also is going to get filed under 'clunky writing' but I'm willing to be argued around on that, I just can't quite figure out why they had to lie about the fire to protect Osha's dream of becoming a Jedi? That's the sticking point for me. They're going to have the same arguments with the Council to let her join, I'm not sure what the difference is whether they tell the truth or not.

On the characterization side though, I can also see where it's like....maybe Indara shouldn't have been making decisions at that point because she did just kill at least a couple dozen people with her mind and is probably kind of freaked out. It was an accident, yeah, but I could see being pretty unnerved by what she'd just done and not wanting to reveal that to the Order. I think a big point has been the way each of these characters (on both the Jedi and the coven's side) act out of fear and that being what dooms them, and this is the moment Indara acts out of fear. She's afraid of revealing this frankly kind of frightening telepathic power, she's afraid the Order will blame her as the leader and call into question her ability to lead, or maybe even to have a padawan. I could see in this moment her being like 'well this is technically true and upsets the status quo the least, let's just go with it.' And then gets locked in once Sol tells Osha, so she can't change her mind after she calms down a bit.

ok back to defending her against two things: 1) breaking the spell and killing the coven, 2) her teaching style.

The issue with the conversation around her breaking the spell and killing the coven that I'm having is I think one of 'authorial intent vs what comes through on screen'. Because in the Nerdist interview that confirmed Indara did not intentionally kill the witches, Headland also said that her mistake her was acting out of 'selfish attachment to save her friend' and not worrying about the consequences. And I just...my brain does not make that logical leap. You could maybe argue that if like...a bunch of other things weren't going on. Like the alternative to Indara not breaking the spell is: Kelnacca continues on his puppet rampage and she has to fight him essentially alone (Torbin is knocked out and Sol's tiring) and probably kill him, which could have also killed the witches, she doesn't know that.

I guess if she 100% knew that breaking the spell telepathically would kill the witches and killing Kelnacca physically would not, you could argue she was stuck in a trolley problem and maybe should have just killed Kelnacca, but even then it's like. Eh. So she kills Kelnacca. She's still vastly outnumbered by hostile witches who could just turn their attention to someone else. Maybe they go for Sol next and she has to do the same thing, then Torbin, until she's alone and Koril can re-form from the mist and kill her. (Nerdist interview all but confirmed Koril is not dead.) I think this is where writers get mired in the weeds of attachment, pacifism, and the greater good. Yes, the philosophy of the Jedi asks them to sacrifice possessive attachment to others so they are not fueled by those emotions and they try to find a nonviolent way to resolve conflict first, but this doesn't equal 'you should just lay down and die immediately rather than fight back against someone who's hurting you'.

TWO the teaching style thing. I've seen so many people over the last couple days be like 'wow she's such a shitty teacher' and call her style 'sink or swim' and imply she's letting Torbin drown. And I agree it's not perfect. Seven weeks is a long time to be stuck in a stalemate with your homesick student over whether he understands the grander purpose of your mission. But also I think it makes perfect sense if you consider that she's trying to teach him patience and also not influence his own line of inquiry (...unlike someone else which I'll get to). But first off, this seems like the perfect mission to teach this sort of patience. I'm even hesitant to call it 'sink or swim' which I'd apply more to like, if she brought him into a high-stakes, dangerous environment and was just like 'good luck.' Up until the last 36 hours or so (or less lol we don't know how long the day-night cycle is on this planet, but from when Sol sees the twins to the fire starting is about a day and a half), this was a safe, low-stakes mission. They're essentially doing a mystical ecological survey, on a planet that seems mostly uninhabited and without significant predators or other dangers. Finding the vergence doesn't seem to have any sense of urgency to it. Part of being a Jedi is listening to the Council, even when you have to do something boring or that you don't want to do. You don't really get to choose your assignments, especially when you're an apprentice and are expected to go wherever your master's work takes you. I think it was a fine situation for her to wait out. Yeah, she maybe underestimated how badly Torbin wanted to go home and should have interrogated those emotions earlier but still this is a pretty low stakes mission, I think without the sudden acute pressure of the situation with the coven and Aniseya exploiting that homesickness, they may have found a healthier resolution to those issues.

And, given what she tells Sol about not wanting to give Torbin answers but teach him to seek them for himself, that she might not want to influence his ideas. The masters clearly know what they're looking for is probably a vergence, but Indara might not have wanted to tell Torbin because he's young and inexperienced and then he might start seeing a vergence everywhere, rather than listening to what the Force is really telling them. (This is another thing where like, yeah if they were on Earth in our time with no psychic powers I think it's fair to criticize her for withholding answers that long...but they're psychic space wizards who are supposed to be able to sense things normal people can't, I think some of the pedagogy for that is a little different than what we're used to.) I think Sol was wrong to step in like that, especially considering the outcome, that Torbin does get so fixated on finding the vergence and going home he loses perspective. And I think Indara was right: this wasn't about what Torbin was feeling or needed, this was about what Sol was feeling. It seems like he was done with their stalemate (that exchange around the fire sounded like a conversation that's been had before, and like, not really faulting Sol for that, I would also probably get fed up with a moody teenager) and he thought he knew what Torbin needed better than Indara, so decided to override her and just spill the answer.

I think it's interesting that before Osha even comes into the picture, Indara has already accused Sol of projecting his feelings onto someone else. It does seem like he's feeding into Torbin's anxiety just as much as Torbin's feeding his, I kind of wish they had used that more in the scene where they head off for the fortress, honestly just a couple sequence changes would probably have fixed a bunch of that. (Indara comes and tells them the Council said no, they go over the results of the blood test, Sol says he thinks something is wrong and the girls are in danger, they decide to head off together, would eliminate the nonsensical 'Indara suddenly trusts Sol and Torbin to be alone together and not cause shenanigans' issue.) But yeah, that feels like foreshadowing of how he's projecting his own feelings onto Osha, like his was projecting his own feelings of being imbalanced and restless onto Torbin.

Anyway. Indara was a fine teacher probably, not perfect, but I wouldn't go as far as to say 'she sucks' or even that they were poorly matched. This was just...a long and tiring mission that ended with a literal explosion. Can't wait for the finale! Especially because ack, the 'Indara is the secret Sith' people have not quit on Reddit and there's still like the absolute remotest chance they pull something stupid like a double reverse twist - because for SURE in those early episodes she was being set up to be the 'mean one' vs Sol, and the twist is that she was actually levelheaded and willing to listen and sweet with the twins - and the final shot of the season is a cloaked Sith figured revealed to be Indara. Like there's NO way but...there is the tiniest way so I will not be fully comforted until the finale's out and that theory can be laid to rest. Though I don't think it will be, they could literally show her decaying corpse to definitively prove she's dead and show her spending the 16 years between the flashback and the present cuddling puppies and saving babies and being the lighty-est-side light-sider in the galaxy and I guarantee Reddit would still be like '...ok but here's how that really just proves she's the Sith...'

[sgiandubh]

Hello, good afternoon! Yesterday I read your post about James Morrison and I was thinking about the other fragments of himself that Sam eventually shows - a few hints here and there that he collects something, etc. Then I remembered the parts we've already seen of his house (the new one and the previous one) and I was wondering where these things are? There doesn't seem to be anything as delicate or sophisticated as these paintings. Could it be, just could it be, that those portions of his houses that he shows us are some kind of staged set?

Dear (returning) Greeting Anon,

I am very glad to see you back, always a pleasure, but just so you know: my James Morrison post is a shameful flop, because I was wrong and had to edit & explain. But you know, it's ultimately fine, because: a) it sparked comments & debate and b) I do hope it somehow helped to show that it could happen to anyone. And when it does, I think it's way worse (and toxic!) to play the ostrich game, than to step forward and openly own it (you'd need balls for it, though). One thing I am very sorry for: all those readers who never peruse the comments and take it as is from the people who share it first just took it for granted. Edits happen and they are sometimes (like yesterday) drastic.

That being said, along with my deepest apologies, onwards to your question. Yes, he showed us one of his James Morrison paintings and, unlike my idiotic speculation, that is a documented fact:

The painting very probably being Bergs, Otto Fiord (1992), from Morrison's Arctic cycle:

... and we even have a very personal, BTS photograph of it - fascinating, eh?

[Source: Apollo Magazine, March 2021: https://www.apollo-magazine.com/james-morrison-scottish-painter-film-review-anthony-baxter-bbc-iplayer/ - gracias a ti, siempre, ❤️]

We all know that his house is rather a big, sprawling affair. I don't think we ever saw anything he was not ready to show us with a very specific and calculated purpose in mind. And that purpose might just be to promote the idea of a rather dull non descript bachelor pad, filled with meh, neutral furniture, naive memorabilia and a haphazard assortment of books on a shelf, that tell us strictly nothing about the real S.

If anything, C's recording cupboard didn't seem to fare better. Same flair & inspiration, or rather lack thereof, that made all those rooms look like storage spaces for luxury nomads. That Mordor ass-kissing fan art and the church sketch seem way too much in your face to be credible, especially when compared with her Queen of the Arctic public, uxorial appearances. But what do I know, Greeting Anon? And perhaps not knowing is exactly what These Two really want. Her bookshelves were way more talkative - but then the idiots across the street immediately screeched it 'was staged' (as if there was an urgent need to stage a corridor!).

Life is always elsewhere and more interesting than on social media. And it is quite alright, Anon. Trust me - this story is not for us and not ours to tell.

[yn-barnes]

Exploring Explosions ~

Bucky x reader

: ⚠️ warnings mentions of Sharon, coma, memory loss, and brain stuff ⚠️ :

Summary - While on a mission, something happens to bucky while on the journey to recover, he fines something he wants more than life itself.

(I know I used this before, but look at him)

(And ik these and short and kinda move fast but other wise imma dragggg this out and ain't noone wants that! 😭)

Part 1

Your heals clicked and clacked as you make your way to the living room, as you entered the room Steve stood up and gave you a look of concern look then sat down when he didn't see any distress on your face. You sat in the armchair, looking at your papers, biting your lip, making sure there was nothing else you could do at this moment.

"Good news first.. bucky should make a full recovery and there's no long term damage, the rush surrounding his face will die done duo to the super serum and cream we can provide him-" you were about to get to the not so good news when a irritated voice pipes up from the back. Sharon. "Can you get on with it, like we get it you 'saved him' just tell me what's wrong with him" She states as everyone just stares at her in disbelief, you blink a few times before ignoring her statement completely.

"As I was saying, the issue is the substance sprayed in Mr Barnes' face - well, uhh - to put it simply, it would affect how and what the brain releases chemically. So far, his brain has produced more dopamine, and we have a fair guess that it could also produce more oxytocin at an alarming rate."

You got some nods of understanding, some blank faces, and some straight out confused about what's going on, you were about to explain more but you got a notification that you were needing back at medical. Excusing yourself you quickly left the room and made your way down the hall to the medical ward and started praying on the way that no one died, you cursed under your breath for being stylish and wearing your heels and not your crocs or boots.

You slip through the Automatic sliding doors and went to Barnes door scanning your card and finger, the door opened and you quickly went inside locking it behind you, confused as to why you were notified that his vitals changed drastically becuase they looked normal. Then it hit you, They shouldn't be this normal. You unhooked, then sleeping soldier and grabbed the front of his bed, pulling him to the door, unlocking it and dragging it out, yelling for help, and to get the MRI machine ready. Once he's in the machine and getting scanned, you whip out your phone to inform cap that his best friend might be a lot worse than thought to be.

Cap entered just when James was being moved from the room and was being put back. He looked for you and saw you at the desk looking puzzled by his results. Before you could even speak, he knew you would have some big words and to give it to him so simply that even thor would understand.

"The stuff he was sprayed with was so old that it took time kicking in, and now it has the body got so almost stressed it thought its best way to survive was to just go black." You said with a straight face, and Steve understood but also knew you left parts out you couldnt dumb down. "Steve.. if worse comes to worse, he could be in a coma for years.. and the best outcome is memory loss, " which hung in the air for quite some time before he just started nodding and walking around, pacing back and forth. He sat on the ground and just looked shocked and in denial.

@unaxv @sapphirebarnes

(Idk if it worked)

[wrotelovelytears]

We r family

Mommy. sorry. Mommy. Sorry-

🦨Scorpio children tend to be very clingy.

🦇I don't mean this in a bad way, they tend to get very attached to family members, friends and even objects that bring them comfort

🦨On that note they also really sociable when young. These kids while quiet, always like interacting with others and learning about the world around them

🦨Capricorn children tend to be really reserved. They like to stick to themselves and figure out how things work through observation and trials.

🦇Its not until they being adults they start to loosen up

👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦

🦨Cancer kids, while "close" to their family prefer to learn more about things outside the home and how others home life is as a comparison.

🦨9 times outta ten if a Scorpio, Gemini, Sagittarius or Aquarius child gets really quiet they doing something they know they aren't supposed to

🦨This could be completely wrong, and I'm pretty sure that pica (in children) might be more common to Pisces and Taurus.

🦇Its the psychological comfort of chewing (oral fixation) that takes them a little longer to out grow.

👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦

🦨That being said Venusian children might end up with a long term oral fixation.

Ex Chewing gum, nails, Thumb sucking etc

🦨Virgo kids the type to eat their veggies, yet also hate certain veggies

🦨Virgos might have hypochondriac parents, they care a lot about the wellbeing of their child due to things they've gone through/witnessed

👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦

🦨Taurus children might enjoy watching their family cook and try to help out when they can

🦨I honestly think you grow into your moon sign and live out your rising when younger.

🦇I'm a Pisces rising who: wanted to be a mermaid, had a big head and spent too much time imagining things. Libra moon who likes aesthetic™, thrives in harmony and kinda maybe a flirt (idk that's what others say, I'm just being nice)

🦨Pisces kids have big heads. I'm sorry 😭 you gotta grow into it

👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦

🦨4th house- your moms rising

8th- your dads rising

12th- your grandparents (both sides) energy/ what you have in common with them/also could be linked to the planet that rules both(or one) parents moon sign

🦨I don't think Aries children are naturally competitive or really forward, they learn in order to get what the want they have to be really brash and self focused

🦨Same goes for about every sign they act like the sister sign until they have a life changing experience (more with people around their age/caretakers) then they embody the stereotypes we associate with them

👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦

🦨Having eighth house synastry with a family member is tough, especially parents. This can result in an almost codependent bond between the two. Also constant underlying tension with whatever sign and planets fall there.

🦨Still think 12th is worse because you enable behaviors in each other. With grandparents this isn't as much of a problem due to willingness to change being more prominent

🦨 South Node can also talk about things your family is known for.

🦇Aquarius- Being different from most of their societal peers and starting new traditions. Around when drastic societal changes and upheavals happened

🦇Gemini- New commutative methods or being well known in their local community. Around when new local communities popped up

🦨 North Node is things your generation adds to the family collective. Yes I'm aware not everyone will have the same North Node AND Nodes are collective energy not individual.

🦇Cancer- importance of family, national/ethnic pride, and nurturing. New family structures and emotional acceptance

🦇Pisces- re-incorporating old traditions, focus on spiritual/mental wellbeing, and patience. New spiritual movements and collective ideas

👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦

🦨I feel like despite what many say Virgo Moons can make really good parents. Its more so the aspects they have to their moon that makes them either more naggy or more sensitive.

🦨Another reason is that kids born now will have a Capricorn Pluto (opposed to the Sag from the current young adults), Virgo and Capricorns energy matches up a lot more than Sag and Virgo. Those kids are more willing to listen and observe situations rather than jump into them and play off consequences.

🦨I also believe Scorpio placements can make great parents. Not only do Scorpios actually really like kids, they understand the world isn't rainbows and butterflies yet independence is something needed.

👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦

🦨Sags might be a little too excitable for kids. What do i mean?

🦇Sagittarius, unless a circumstance has happened in which they mature (no offense), tend to act more like teenagers (regardless of age). Having someone who sees life as optimistic or pessimistic isn't healthy for a child. Children need middle ground.

🦇Yes a sag parent would constantly encourage their kid too explore, and sometimes they wouldn't curve behaviors that need to be curved before they become problematic.

🦇All in all they a little to free in terms of parenting and only give advice after they have gone through something themselvess.

🦨Aries parents might work well with younger kids, its when they become teens that issues start to come up.

🦇The clashing ideologies would cause the teen to feel like their parent is trying to limit them while the parent would feel like the kid is trying to grow up too fast or question them as a person.

🦨I think that Saturnian parents get along more with their kids when they are adults. After they have their own responsibilities and have experienced life a bit more. We have to remember Saturn (and Aquarius) are both ruled by time over long distances.

🦨Pisces parents are always active in their child's life, one way or another. They tend to try to keep their family together or at least be present in some way

👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦👨‍👧👩‍👦

(If you learned something new or would just like to support me you can leave a wittle tip via the tip button or one of the links in my masterlist. Kofi: nymphdreams🧸)

[galaxyshine24-7]

Just thought of something angsty, so how would the NRC staff + the overblot crew react to MC overblotting themself? Now they didnt use any of the drugs (why would they? They’re already strong themself without it) it’s more like they were forced to overblot. Like a sniper shotting the drug to them, but the drug isnt any normal drug. The drug instantly cause the user to overblot and become monster like, something akin to mara struck from HSR. And correct me if im wrong but when someone overblotted they’re aware on what they are doing right? Let’s have the MC be mindless :) again something similar to mara struck.

Since we have already establish that MC is honestly much stronger than all of the mafia, their teachers are going to have to fight them because with the overblot making them much stronger, they’re a damn powerhouse. Wonder how that would turn out..

Also you can decide if MC dies or simply just in a brink of death ;)

Hope you like the idea ^_^

(I honestly think that at the end of the Twisted Wonderland game, Yuu overblots some way somehow.)

Silver Bullet Yuu would overblot in a self-sacrificing sort of way. Things are going down in Grim Court and Yuu takes the most drastic measure to get everyone out alive. Someone shooting Yuu with a gun would be very interesting maybe they jump in front of it to stop the big bad from powering up and Yuu overblots instead.

Also, I wouldn't say Yuu is more powerful than the other mafia leaders, but they do know how to give people a run for their money.

Thank you for this ask it's going to be so much fun.💖💖💖💖

Overblot Silver Bullet Yuu

Ash falls from the sky as the gangs raise their weapons at the threat. Everyone has undergone a beating, but nothing like the wounds the threat has pouring down their body. The ruins of NRC have become a battleground, small fights break out over the campus, but the main one is soon to come to an end.

The threat backs away as the current gang leaders and leaders of old old close in. Yuu stands to the side clutching their wounded arm as Grim hisses beside them. Sweat rolls down their brow looking back and forth from the two forces. It's finally coming to an end all the bloodshed and pain is finally over. What was this all for? Power? Fame? Is the cost of lives this insignificant? Yuu's stomach twists in knots anger and sadness fill their being. One thing is for sure this life can never be for them, but seeing the eyes of their friends fill with determination to protect this broken home is something they can't turn away from.

That is when the notice a glim in the distance.

A sniper.

The threat smiles wickedly as wisps of magic surround them. They open up their arms like an embrace, proclaiming the end of all those who stand in their path. Yuu's body moves before they can think, jumping in front of the line of fire as they feel something pierce their chest.

"Y/N!" Crowley cries, It's been years since he has called them by their real name but before they can take it in the world turns black.

Overblot Crew Reaction

Riddle Rosehearts🌹

It happened so fast that the Heartslaybul leader didn't even get time to blink as he watched Yuu's form get covered in black ooze. For once the dorm leader was speechless. He takes a step back feeling fear creep up inside him. Yuu's cries of pain ring through his mind. Ace and Deuce yell for the bartender, but Riddle orders Trey and Cater to hold them back. Yuu's form grows as he watches it towering over the threat. There is no rule on how to handle this situation, but Riddle is determined to do anything to get Yuu back.

Leona Kingscholar🦁

Leona sees Yuu race across his field of vision already knowing what will happen. Jack yells over the noise trying to tell Yuu to hold on.

"Herbivore!" he cries knowing a person who has never interacted with the magic drug can't handle an overblot. By that point, Leona is sweating trying to figure out what to do. It will only take seconds for Yuu to lose control and he doesn't know what will become of them after. Leona readies himself and his members for anything. He can tell the real fight is about to start.

Azul Ashengrotto🐙

Azul is always one step ahead of his opponents, but to think the threat would try to cause themselves to overblot is something he never would have imagined, and Yuu jumping in front of the bullet is something he can't even fathom as he stands in terror. Azul doesn't even care that he heard the bartender's real name. At this point he could learn all about Yuu, but he could lose them altogether, and that is something he won't allow.

Jamil Viper🐍

Jamil raises his weapon jaw clenched. Kalim stands by his side eyes full of tears as Yuu starts to overblot. He can't let it end this way, he still hasn't thanked them for all they did for him. He won't let it end this way, he will use every power he has to see Yuu alive at the end of the day. He owes them that much.

Vil Schoenheit👑

It takes Vil so much strength to hold Epel back watching his friend forced to overblot. His experience with it is the worst he could ever feel, and he can't imagine what it must be like for Yuu. The potato he has watched and grown with writhing in pain and anguish does something to Vil. He knows Yuu will lose control and he won't stand watching his precious potato become rotten.

Idia Shroud🎮

Idia will not let another person he cares about fall to an overblot. He gets his weapons ready telling everyone to prepare themselves for what's to come. Ortho stands next to him holding his hand tightly. Back then he had no power, but now he knows what he can do. Whatever it takes he will cure Yuu once this is all over.

Malleus Draconia🐉

He wasn't fast enough. He should've seen through the threats plan. How can he lose one of his only friends? His anger is unimaginable, a lighting strike hits the sniper burning them to a crisp. Nothing will stop Malleus from destroying all those that hurt Yuu. They have given him nothing, but kindness, and he can't imagine losing them ever. For once in his life they treated him like a regular person even after finding out who he is. He owes Yuu a life debt as he steps forward in front of Yuu's overblot form as he hears the sound of Sebek screaming behind him. Till the very end, he will never turn his back on his friend.

NRC Staff Reactions

Dire Crowley🎩

He falls to his knees. He has failed again to protect those he cares about. His poor friends and now their dear child. Tears stream down his cheeks watching Yuu succumb to the overblot. How dare he call himself a headmaster when he can't even protect his dear students. It takes Crewel to get him to snap out of it. He at least needs to see this all through. He owes his friends and he owes Yuu that much.

Divus Crewel🩸

No, this can't be happening, not his puppy. That he helped raise, it was like yesterday when Crowley introduced them and how small they were. He will not lose them! He almost kicks Crowley for falling to his knees. Right now they need to snap Yuu out of this overblot whatever it takes. It is time for these stray pups to prove themselves worthy.

Mozus Trein📚

It pains Mozus to see the small child he taught how to play piano, and to dance, and sing become a beast from overblot. He stands his ground trembling, he sees Yuu just like he did his daughters. He helps Crowley off the ground encouraging him to continue fighting. He knows they are the only people Yuu can call family and it is their responsibility to help their child in times of trouble.

Ashton Vargas🧤

He isn't one to dwell on emotions, but seeing Yuu sacrifice themselves stirs something unimaginable in him. He cracks his knuckles clutching his fist as he steps up to overblot Yuu.

"You better give me a challenge kiddo. Otherwise, we are going to have some serious training after this."

Vargas was always a man of action not words.

Sam💀

He always knew his little imp was full of surprises. Now it is time for him to get serious. He supplies the group with his arsenal of gadgets. Even getting help from his friends on the other side. He made a deal with his little imp long ago and he plans to keep his end of the bargain.

[smytherines]

Extremely specific neurodivergent curtwen headcanons that crack me like an egg:

ADHD Agent Mega is practically fan canon at this point, but I feel like we focus on him being bored & fidgeting more than other ADHD issues. Like I imagine so much of his macho guy bluster is 1. from being gay in a homophobic society, but also 2. From Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria. I dunno, something about the way he gets so flustered and defensive when people criticize him (which happens constantly)?

I've been thinking about maybe Curt being dyslexic? Like maybe he doesn't read briefings because they're already difficult to focus on, but also they're literally difficult to read? He mixes up information no matter how hard he tries. He's learned to stop trying and pretend he's just too cool for that nerd shit, but whenever someone gives him a hard time for screwing up he takes it really really personally? He has big emotional outbursts, which is especially tough as a closeted gay man in the 1950s-1960s

I have a lot of headcanon about autistic Owen Carvour, but it's kinda weird because he's canonically the villain of SAF, and that tends to stray uncomfortably into "he was always a monster" OR "the fall made him into a monster." So with autistic Owen headcanon it veers too close to saying that being autistic made him a monster (yikes, no) or that becoming disabled (no way in hell he doesn't have chronic pain issues after all that) made him a monster (also yikes, no).

So for me, the way that I frame it is like... okay so Owen is literally masking in the show, but I think about what that says about him that one of the major details we know about him is that he is very good at pretending to be other people. I'm a heavily masked autist myself, so this really resonates with me. With autistic men there are some very specific stereotypes like math, bad at social interaction, etc. But I think Owen would have a profile more stereotypically attributed to women: being hyper aware of everything around him, using "movie talk" or just remembering interactions with others and having a script. I don't know how to explain it exactly, but it's like you enter a situation and you can more or less suss out what people are expecting from you in that situation, so you just flip through your mental rolodex of phrases and deliveries and ways to stand and hold your face that align with their expectations of you. You become adept at blending in.

I would fully believe that Owen reads every briefing multiple times and has charts and diagrams, and maybe before the fall part of why he does that is that he knows Curt is a talented agent but just struggles with that part of the job, and Owen feels protective of him. Like he gets that Curt is impulsive and feels the need to be a counterweight to that. It feels like Curt blocks out information and takes in stimuli, and Owen blocks out stimuli but takes in as much info as humanly possible.

Then there's all the villain shit obviously. This is extreme headcanon territory, but one part of being autistic is what they call the "autistic sense of justice." That absolutely does not mean that autistic people have some preternatural ability to be eternally on the right side of history, we all have our individual identities and experiences coloring what we consider "justice," but just on a personal level being autistic and becoming disabled radicalized me. It led to me becoming anti-capitalist & anti-imperialist. It drastically changed my perception of right and wrong because I had to interrogate my own understanding of power, the way the concept of "crime" is created (like you get jail time for shoplifting, but your boss doesn't get punished at all for stealing money out of your paycheck).

I've already done ridiculous long posts about the political stuff, but I do think that an autistic person, especially one who has gone through a massive trauma, might come through it with a new understanding that the US/UK governments are actually pretty awful, that ignorant brutes shouldn't be in charge of politics and information.

I dunno I probably have more but I've already dumped too much here

[mythtakens]

here are my Eddie Diaz specific wishes for the beginning of season 8 because the only way out is through and if I think too hard about where this season as a whole ended up and that bizarre lackluster finale I’ll have an out of body experience:

have this Eddie and Chris storyline actually mean something. if you’re gonna do this drastic traumatic thing in such a rushed way you have to do something with it. Could some time apart be good? sure! maybe! but don’t just have Chris gone and offscreen not speaking to his dad and never seen at all until they arbitrarily decide Eddie has done enough penance that he can be narratively rewarded by having his son back.

as good of a dad as Eddie is and as much as he wants to give Chris the space there’s still a big difference between not breaking down the door of a bedroom and a distance of 1000+ miles for months. let him go to Texas as the PARENT. bring Chris into the narrative. he’s older and more aware now, so have his decisions matter. have him face the reality of living with the Diaz parents who historically are probably not going to give him the freedom and respect he’s used to and let it become clear how different Eddie has always been in his approach to him… show us some flashbacks of Eddie’s own childhood, let Chris come to a deeper understanding of his father! let them actually talk about Shannon and what happened with Kim in a real way… let him fully realize his dad isn’t perfect but he tries so hard and let Chris recognize him as human and the value of what Eddie gives through that. if it’s about Gavin’s availability something like this can still be achieved in an arc of a few episodes if it’s given actual time and focus

let Eddie have a real confrontation with his parents about all of this. They flew from Texas to California in the middle of the night without a word to their own adult son and acted like it was their right to let a 13 year old make the call about his own parenting while Eddie was vulnerable and panicking. Without prior knowledge of the situation, without letting anything cool down. Let him tell them that was THE WRONG THING TO DO! Don’t have him get interrupted, don’t let them talk over him about how they know better, don’t let one of them drop dead while he’s letting his emotions out. Eddie always feels like he’s being punished when he does something for himself because, well, the narrative punishes him. DON’T PUNISH HIM.

let him tell Helena how deeply it hurt him when she said he was dragging Christopher down with him all those years ago and how this felt like a second instance of that, let him feel betrayed by the way Ramon handled this situation regarding HIS fatherhood and HIS son after all the time they’ve spent working on their own relationship, let him tell them they DON’T know better than him because he makes mistakes because they did too! let him tell them he’s a good father! let him feel like a good father! he is one!

if you want to explore who Eddie is when he doesn’t have Chris and only has himself to look after then actually do it. let him look after himself. For himself. don’t have him only be miserable and still feeling like a failure months later, don’t let him keep circling the drain just idealizing what he and Shannon had. Devin is great but my god… we need to let Shannon rest. As nuts as it was I tried to roll with the doppleganger storyline because I thought well, at least this will lead somewhere and ultimately be a catharsis even if it’s wild. but like then even that wasn’t fully formed and was twisted into a punishment and fresh trauma so?? whether he finally goes to some sort of grief group or gets to heal his inner child or whatever else, let him actually get something out of also making himself a priority in his own life and quit repeatedly destroying the ground under his feet and blaming himself with no end in sight

does Eddie deserve to get to a more mentally healthy place (especially after whatever the fuck all that was)? yeah! is healing linear? absolutely not, and I do love that this show doesn’t shy away from that with everyone’s respective trauma. but mental health is also not a game of punishments and rewards where keeping his own son around is what he gets for whatever passes for model behavior as decided by his parents and an emotional teenager. nobody has to earn the right to love or happiness or to keep raising their own child by sanding down all of their jagged edges and they’re usually very good about showing that so give him that same grace

okay this isn’t Eddie but literally fucking stop… repeatedly torturing Hen and Karen and their children. Stop it. stop. Right now. Stop.

kill Gerrard in a sharknado