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agirlinthegalaxy · 15 days

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It's been rolling around in my brain the last few days for some reason, but I still hate the family backstory reveals for Sophie and Eliot. I've seen some of the meta for it, but quite frankly, it still makes no sense. If it had been something actually thought of and intentional in the original, I think it could have been so fascinating. I mean, Sophie's willing abandonment of Astrid to contrast with Nate's loss of Sam or Eliot's adoption in contrast with Hardison's and Parker's? Could have been excellent! But they came out of nowhere in Redemption and don't work with these characters.

Sophie was still actively using the fucking alias that she met Astrid under! She met with someone from her past on the show! Like. Quite frankly, that one is unequivocally bullshit that they made up and threw in and pretended could fit with the established canon. (And I'm sorry, but the idea of Sophie abandoning Astrid and never telling Nate about her just... So much of Nate's trauma was rooted in the loss of Sam, and I think that introducing this element after he's gone and unable to respond to it taints Sophie and Nate's relationship in a way bc I'm not exactly sure how Nate would've responded to learning about this but I think that it's something he'd have needed to know. I don't know how to fully express my thoughts on that but yeah.)

As for Eliot, I don't like the adoption aspect literally at all. The way that he would interact with his family and the memory of his family would be different, and I think that it's flat out ridiculous to think that he'd have never mentioned it to the team in the original show, especially when dealing with the kid cases. (I also dislike the biracial adoption as its own element because if Eliot was actually raised by Black parents in the... idk what 80s/90s? That just. doesn't feel congruent with how they write Eliot interacting with PoC, not necessarily in a bad way, but babe, he's written like a white southern man raised in a specific kind of culture that does not jell with that. It also makes Eliot look... really bad that he was apparently raised with the knowledge of how fucked up the military was and his parents' history and made the choices that he did.) Like the show may not have explicitly stated it but the implication of that relationship was vastly fucking different throughout the original show.

Just. These were not backstories that were congruent with their depiction and characters in the original show, and they're also just moves that I don't particularly like or find interesting directions for those characters. There's also something to be said about how it was apparently unacceptable for a woman to not have kids or someone not reconciling with their biological family when that was something that the original show handled a lot better. Out of all the directions to take Sophie and Eliot's stories, that's just not really one that I think was a good idea.

#i'm not sure if i worded this v well tbh which concerns me #bc like. like i said i dont like the adoption plot anyways but part of my problem with that storyline IS that billy is black #bc i don't think that the way eliot is written makes sense if he was raised by a black couple during that decade #bc the way that he would have engaged with his family and community and the world around him would've been different #especially bc he was raised in the fucking south in the 80s #bc i dont think eliot was ever racist in the original show but i dont think that he really knew #how it was different for poc in certain ways that dont make sense if he was raised by a black couple #like the previous implications of his childhood and specifically his father were v much in the stereotypical v pro military be a man cultur #that culture is also v rooted in toxic masculinity and whiteness #God i hope that makes sense bc i feel like that sounds v bad #but i'd love more black characters on the show and i think that for pretty much any other mc that'd have been fine #it's specifically eliot with the space that he occupies that i feel like it's a problem with his backstory #which also is why i dont like that he's adopted at all bc that's an influential part in how you first view your place and family and all th #that i dont think makes sense with eliot's character. like literally nothing about that reveal really feels like it makes sense with eliot #and to move over to sophie for a second i feel like bringing up the abandoned stepdaughter would have been pretty damn important #when sophie was struggling with the idea of who she really was beneath the aliases and the grift #and especially when she's in a relationship with nate who WAS a father like #and that she used the charlotte alias to meet with someone from her past but there wasnt anything about the fallout #which still makes no fricking sense either way #also insert something about sophie being an older woman without kids #(i know there's the ot3 but they're not actually in a position as her kids bc theyre still equals in a sense)#and needing to actually go no no she was a mom! and then bailed and did all this and blah blah but she's always been a mom in her heart <3 #and adding in this relationship as if an older woman cant be satisfied or complete without kids #and i know that ppl might bring up parker but like lbr parker is positioned in a v different space narratively than sophie #ofc parker doesn't have kids she's positioned in a space as the Odd one the kinda broken one #her defying the expectations narratively doesnt necessarily work the same bc of her place #idk i kinda hope these dont end up in the main tags bc idk how ppl will respond nor how well i actually got across my points #but i do wanna tag them for my blog so #leverage #sophie devereaux

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trentcrimminallybeautiful · 5 months

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you know if we do accept the last epilogue-esque sequence as a sort of dream/wish of ted's and therefore not necessarily canon, very funny if we then simply go "yeah, trent's book is called 'the lasso way' actually. he didn't change that. nope."

#listen on one hand #i think that like #i don't think ted actually changed trent's mind about the title #i think trent changed it because ted asked him to #and like that's especially interesting bc he even made a point of being like #'tell me if you disagree with anything and i'll tell you why you're wrong'#but he respects ted; more than that he likes him and he wants him to like the book--like him #anyone else and trent would have told them to fuck off but ted? ted asking him to change the title? yeah #i think he didn't agree with 'it not being about him'--and not bc of any feelings he may have for ted--but if we accept that him changing #the title is canon then like. he did it because ted asked. nothing more nothing less #maybe he felt he owed it to ted as the subject of the book; maybe he just respected him too much not to #maybe it's partially bc of his feelings; maybe it's because he just couldn't say no to ted #but it's ultimately just. because ted asked him.#and trent respects him; trusts him; cares about him #and that's pretty heartwrenching #but like on the other hand if we say 'no that was ted's wishufl thinking trent definitely went 'sorry ted it's called the lasso way''#also like.... him being like. like quietly not changing it and if ted said something him just. being like #ted. i respect you. i care about you. i trust you. but with all due respect absolutely not #yes it isn't ONLY about you but YOU made this happen. YOU are special and YOU have a place here whether you can stay forever or not #yes it's about the team and the coaches yes you aren't a one man band but ted. TED. you touched lives. you changed lives. and that was YOU.#that was you and your philosophy and your attitude.#you made richmond what it is today. yes the team deserve credit too for the kind of bond they have now but YOU facilitated that #none of the coaches currently here woudl be coaches if not for you. the diamond dogs wouldn't exist. literally every single one #of our friends--OUR friends--wouldn't be where they are and probably wouldn't be as happy #you got through to people over and over again who were hurting and lashing out. to rebecca. to roy. to jamie. to nate. to me.#and you can be humble but there's being humble and there's acting like you don't matter to any of us like you didn't have an impact #like you can just leave without a trace. we don't blame you for leaving--i especially don't--but acting like we won't miss you and like #your time with all of us--our time--meant nothing is more insulting than it is humble because we /love you/#and yes. it was the goddamn lasso way that built this place #this community.

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geekynightowl1997 · 11 months

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There are quotes that the Leverage Team is defined by. And it's something I hadn't realized until I was reading a quote that I wrote down. (I'm not sure yet what quote defines Harry and Breanna-so their gonna be excluded... unless of course you who reads this know! Please add!)

So far this is what I have;

Nate: "Your an honest man."

Sophie: "When you can't tell the truth, tell *a* truth."

Parker: "I'm not crazy!"

Hardison: "It's okay to grow up, realize you aren't the person you used to be."

Eliot: "Because you were suppose to."

I know it's silly- but each of these quotes define them in someway. (Obviously.) And I know I could be wrong- but each of these quotes tells them about their personality in a way I don't think most people realize.

At the beginning, Nate has only ever been an honest man. He knows only of the crimes because he's chased these people around the world. Always ready to catch them. He doesn't know how to be a criminal. At least- not at first. As the series progresses though- he learns the appeal of crimes. He understands what his dad loved about having a certain control and plan. Nate was a good, honest man. And even at the end of the series- he still was, even if he was a criminal.

Sophie has spent years telling *a* truth. Just not the truth. She's a well versed in playing her cards and knowing when people have reached their limit. That's her con- telling people exactly what they want to hear- or at least enough to get through it. Her life is full of lies- but what she tells people is the truth. Even if it's not the truth.

Parker has (had) a reputation of being crazy. Jumping off buildings, learning to steal cars and how to drive them, and she says the wildest of things. She lives in a warehouse (and probably other weird places.) Yet, Parker isn't crazy. Really she's not, she's just an adult who had to grow up. She watched her brother die, spent years in and out of foster homes. Learned how to steal to survive. All she really wants is to be seen and to be a child. And that's what the team gives her. The team not only gives her a family- but a chance to be a child. They don't criticize her for her love of Christmas or Santa. Yeah, sure they panic when she goes to a Chocolate festival alone- but they don't really chastise her for being hyper. Nate doesn't even reprimand her for poking Eliot. They allow her to be a child- she got her childhood to back.

Hardison has only ever been one thing; A geek. He's hacked countries, banks, corporations. He's a foster kid- who got the better end of the stick. Yet knows that not everyone is so lucky. Since joining the team; there are days where he wishes he could do more. And he tries- and he certainly is way over his head. And I think that's why Eliot and Parker's relationship/friendship is SO important. Unlike Nat and Sophie, Eliot and Parker keep him level headed. Eliot calls him out in a way that doesn't hurt his spirit, but his will. Parker reminds him that it's okay to not know things and his mistakes are important. It's a base to fall on. Hardison grows a lot through the series and he learns to lean on the team.

Eliot has a broken heart and I think that is something people don't really consider. He tries his hardest to improve. He knows he has blood on his hands and ever since then- he has tried to wash it off. I know I've mentioned this before multiple times; but Eliot is a Teddy Bear. He's soft, gentle, and kind. And maybe Damien Monreau took that from him for a while- and when he got out from under him- he slowly got that back. So here he is, trying to do what others won't do. That quote I mentioned? He was talking to a dirty cop. Cops are suppose to save people. Their suppose to care for people, protect them. That cop didn't and it fell on Eliot to protect those people- because the cops weren't doing their job. It breaks my heart- knowing that Eliot thinks he has to fix the injustice by himself.

I know there is more quotes that define their personalities- but for me those fit perfectly. Let me know if you agree/disagree. I'm always wanting to know what y'all think.

#leverage #eliot spencer #parker #alec hardison #nate ford #sophie devereaux #quotes that I think define the characters #i know its silly #but i couldn't stop thinking about it #especially the 'because you were suppose to #they all grew up honestly #they are not the same #i love them all #tell me what y'all think #agree?#disagree?#i'm willing to discuss

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kvetchinglyneurotic · 10 months

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i don't know if anyone is still having this debate but i found the outline for this in my notes app, so: i do actually think it was a good idea to have roy rather than nate as the manager post-season 3 — not because i necessarily think roy's a better coach; they're both shown to be good at their jobs and to each have their own strengths — but because part of the job of manager is much more public-facing than being an assistant coach.

roy clearly doesn't like the press poking into his private life and has had some bad experiences with them, but while he's grumpy about having to do interviews, he's also established to have a bit of an ego and part of the reason he's upset about retiring is that he feels like he won't be roy kent, famous public figure, anymore. in essence, while he complains about doing press, he ultimately seems to like being in the public eye at least some of the time, in addition to being pretty good at it when he's putting in the effort.

nate, on the other hand, is just starting to overcome very severe social anxiety that was clearly aggravated by being in the public eye, and dealing with that kind of attention, especially on social media (understandably) still seems to stress him out even when he's in a much more stable place at the end of the series. i could see him becoming manager again at some point in the future — either at richmond or somewhere else — once he's had more time to work through that, but i don't think that kind of progress would happen in the couple of months between him rejoining the team and the start of the next season

#ted lasso #roy kent #nate shelley #meta #this is also why i'm ok with nate coming back to the team as assistant kitman for the end of the season #especially since we know he's a coach again the season after — part of it is making amends with will but i think part of it is also #him developing the valuable skill of like. recognizing when you need a mental health break from a high-pressure job #also i think roy just enjoys a bit of recreational complaining and doesn't necessarily hate doing press as much as he claims #i say as a recreational complainer myself. a recreational kvetcher. one might even say.#kvetch oc

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my-thoughts-and-junk · 1 month

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thinking about fallout 4 against my will

#random thoughts #fallout #unfortunately nora compels me #the fact the 'hi honey!' tape specifically mentions her 'shaking the dust off' her law degree is interesting #like she gave up her job to stay at home with her husband and kid. why?#like that's a whole year. at LEAST.#love the idea of nate pressuring her into it <3 maternity leave turns into 'isnt it so nice being with sean around the clock?'#'too bad you won't have this quality time when you return to work'#turns into 'you can always return to work if you feel like it but we DO have a lot saved up . . .'#and it's like. okay so fallout 4 would be so much better if it were set in the 1960s. literally no reason it shouldnt be #yknow beyond complying with lore which. it isnt that faithful to in the first place #i just think it's weird the game is like 'here's the FUTURE' and then it's like 'here's the FUTURE FUTURE'#anyway make it the 1960s. give me time-appropriate fucked up family dynamics #and nora's a laywer and a feminist who promised herself she'd never compromise her career for a man #and nate seemed so NICE and like he understood until uh oh. frog in a slow cooker #and he makes everything seem like it's her idea until she's barefoot in the kitchen with a screaming baby on her hip and burnt food in a pan #and she doesn't even realize she's trapped until it's too late. isolated from friends and family #idk ill do more research later to make it more time-accurate (ESPECIALLY interested in second-wave feminism)#anyway i think she cheats. with a door-to-door salesman selling places in the bomb shelters #(honestly probably the only adult social interaction she's had in weeks beyond her husband)#i like to think at some point she had a bit of a car accident due to the stress so nate took her keys #probably just a minor fender bender he blew out of proportion but she believes it because oh god what if she hurt sean #her feelings toward sean are complicated. i dont think she quite loves him which she feels guilty about so she overcompensates #with trying to keep him as safe as possible and she feels like he KNOWS and HATES her #(honestly when the bombs drop everything happens so quickly and when she's in the future and registers sean's gone she feels. so relieved)#(followed by heavy shame)#nate sabotaged her birth control btw. love evil 1960s patriarchs #never outright stated but heavily implied!#anyway nora in the future (while she felt very progressive for her time) feels very out of place #like her ideals have no place. like she has no place

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outcastpack · 7 months

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AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST FOR RN A SNIPPET FROM ONE OF THE FICS

It is but also isn't Thiaac.

For @transdunbar bday

Theo waited, nerves spiking as he waited in the office for Liam to bring Isaac to him. Picking at the collar of his jacket, smoothing over his jeans with the palm of his hand. The door opened and for a body was forcibly shove in the room. "Hey!" Isaac shouted at a smirking Liam before the door was slammed shut and the lock clicked leaving.

"What the -" Isaac's mouth clamped shut, realising who was in the room with him, staring wide eyed at Theo. Five years it had been since they were in a room together. Four years since Theo stopped trying to find out why.

"Theo." Isaac whispered, sounding shocked and nervous as his eyes roamed Theo's face while Theo did the same to the blue eyed boy. God, this bastard was still just as fucking pretty as he had been back then.

"I know you have questions, I-"

Theo's feet moved before he had any time to even think about his next move, hands latching on to the taller boys cheeks and dragging him down. "Shut up, stop talking." He growled, mind made up and smashing their mouths together.

Was it probably rushing things. Definitely. Did Theo care- fuck no. Not when he was finally able to feel Isaac's lips against his own, moving fast and trying to force themselves closer to one another. A moan escaping the taller boys lips, swallowed into Theo's own while Theo's hand's pulled at those curls atop Isaac's head.

Theo's body pushed back, walking them towards the desk and Isaac hoisted him atop the desk, squeezing Theo's ass as he went.

"Fuck." Isaac whispered, breathless and lips red before attacking Theo's lips again with renewed vigor.

#teen wolf #theo raeken #isaac lahey #thiam #thiaac #thisaac #WIP #my writing #had to do a thisaac/thiaac for you too.#especially because of TWL #btw everyone go read TWL of nates

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oh-meow-swirls · 5 months

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was looking through old posts and i'm surprised to see that i seemingly didn't have any commentary on anything in 3 in chapter 7, 8 or 9, the posts related to 3's story go from "my first reaction when i saw yopple-bot was 'i love you. but also you are definitely the boss for this chapter-'" to "i have been in hell all day. hell being bada-bing tower." funny to me cuz those chapters are like, the best ones sdfkljsdfjfsdkjlfsdjkl-

#puppy rambles #yo-kai watch #yw3 #i love dukesville. yo-kai watch wild west. though also everyone in bbq talks like they're in the wild west-#i don't blame myself for not having any commentary on hazeltine mansion tbh. it sucks ass. i mean it's kind of fun but like #god is it annoying. i think using the mechanic of switching between nate and hailey for puzzles is a cool idea but. bad execution #very bad execution. it is so annoying #especially the section where you're in the basement and have to use the drill a bunch #... why are there prison cells in the basement anyways??????? i just realized how fucking weird that is-#i'm mostly just annoyed by the dining room puzzle tbh. i KNOW the fucking answers but verygoodsir is an ASSHOLE for some reason #and won't let me choose the FUCKING CORRECT DOORS #3's so fucking amazing tbh. i really wanna replay it soon. don't wanna have to delete a save file though #wish 3 had three save files like 1 and 2. i get why though i mean it's the biggest 3ds game klsfdjfskjfsdjksdf-#i wanna like. actually use my originyan for once. i might just end up using nyases ii instead tho fsdkljjdsfjskd-#i love every chapter in 3 after nate and hailey meet tbh. the bestie moments are so good #though also i don't think it was an amazing idea tbh. it means there's six main characters after that point #sometimes one character will go several cutscenes without talking at all. it's usually buck #he doesn't have any dialogue during any of the key quests in new yo-kai city. which is pretty amusing admittedly #i think the writers just forgot about him or something fslkdjdfslkjfsdljkdf-#i think my favorite thing related to that is like. during the stuff in bada-bing tower komasan and komajiro are there too #but they don't have any dialogue. which makes it seem kind of pointless #i get why they're there plot-wise but like. at that point you should either have them leave before you go to bada-bing tower #(esp since they don't end up in the ufo with everyone else. idr if there's a reason for that there probably isn't-)#(i think i slightly blocked out everything in bada-bing tower cuz it is so grueling)#or just. give them dialogue???#i love 3 and all but it definitely has some problems-#which is why i'm so excited to rewrite it <3 for both of those reasons. i can fix things. and also it's the best game #just. full-stop. not just the best yo-kai watch. i just think it's the best game ever #that title changes based on my current biggest hyperfixation though sfldfsjdkslfdjkfdj-#i think i'd say my overall top 5 is like. yo-kai watch 3. deltarune. ummmm. fantasy life is up there

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coachbeards · 4 months

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nate and beard hugging in the background...if i cry

#beard pointing at him like......... look at you!!!#especially since he was proud of nate for the locker room roasts/speech

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stewykablooey · 1 year

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just re the ask about kendall sleeping with older men: im a bi kendall truther but imo kendall's general attraction to men is 100% packed tightly in the big box in his mind where he puts all the shit he compartmentalizes. i truly think the only guy he believes he's ever been attracted to is stewy and that's just because he rationalizes to himself that "it's just stewy and it's undeniable that stewy is hot". i find it hard to imagine that he would feel remotely safe or comfortable enough to allow himself have sex with any other men (even while high/drunk), let alone someone who could have the tiniest potential to remind him of logan. your point about it traumatising him is spot on

totally heard, i flip flop between the two a lot. i feel like i can definitely see kendall compartmentalizing gay sex so much that he PEMDAS’s himself into some weird ‘this isn’t gay sex because im not gay. im just getting off’ thinking. but also kendall would aaaaaabsolutley love the brand of homophobia that is ‘im not gay i just like ✨you✨’ or ‘im not attracted to stewy because he’s a man im attracted to him because it’s stewy’

#i dont think kendall’s one to shy away from gay sex when he’s actively desiring it #but he does avoid it like the plague in the aftermath or when he ‘comes to his senses’#like (to Me) kendall Was tryna fuck dodds #there’s a high chance if the night played out differently kendall wouldve slept with him #and in the moment he wasn’t afraid of the possibility because he’s fully in the zone of actively chasing pleasure #especially with how much the situation was tied to drugs #and almost all of kendall’s gay sex potentials are tied to drugs (him and stewy him and nate even the ‘techno gatsby’ moment)#but as much as kendall’s sobering from drug use turns him into an extremely sober version of himself #kendall’s sobering from gay thoughts turns him into an extremely straight version of himself #sure the dodds incident was sobering for Very different reasons but the implications of how that night couldve gone are present #but also.#its hard to imagine a world where kendall slept with a man and doesn’t spend every waking moment terrified that logan would find out #but ALSO. that’s kinda the vibe you get anyway #ask #anon #m

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nikkiruncks · 21 hours

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Riverdale (TV 2017-2023)

That 90s Show (TV 2023-present)

#riverdale #that 90s show #otp: i always felt that it would be you and me #otp: it'll be us against the world babe #jeia #barchie #het ships #jay x leia #leia x jay #betty x archie #archie x betty #my gifs #my stuff #parallels #i was going to parallel barchie with Jeia’s first kiss initially b/c cheating legends lmaoo #but barchie’s kiss here wasn’t even their first one #plus both of these had a romantic slow song and it was so clearly ~their moments~#jeia is so barchie coded to me #the only diff is that they didn’t know each other since childhood (even tho they should’ve)#and that they didn’t live next door #but like friends to lovers obviously destined but they have obstacles (nate and serena/veronica and jughead)#archie and jay would do ANYTHING for betty and leia #also both guys are depicted as 'players' or 'womanizers' or just aren’t trusted (especially by Alice and Red at first)#leia and betty are both the 'sweet nice girl next door'

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deva-arts · 5 months

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Has Vincent ever truly broken down and admitted to having real feelings? Every facade's gotta crack at some point.

Vincent likes to pretend he's uncaring and unempathetic (especially regarding Sera,) but he's surprisingly protective of others, regardless of who they are.

...

...In his own way, of course.

Teehee so I wrote something about this um I never post any written oc stuff so enjoy

Sunlight wafts through the curtains where the couple lay peacefully atop the bed. Nathaniel was finally home from a long shift at the medbay, and Seraphina had decided to take a break from tuning her weapons to stay with him for the day. Birdsong filled the room, and they savored the soft, sleepy embrace they were in; life pried them apart far too much to be wasteful with quiet moments.

Nathaniel pulls her a bit closer, then freezes, mental gears whirring. Seraphina noted the pause right away.

She pries her eyes open to squint at him. “What’s wrong.”

He still has the face on- the face that says he is trying to understand something absurd yet concerning. “I-…” As if trying to prove himself wrong, he feels for her ribs again over her shirt, following the curve as his hands enveloped her torso. Oddly enough, he even motioned to count each one, only to halt in yet another worried pause, lips pressed into a thin line.

Seraphina quietly observed him, raising an eyebrow. “…Hugs exist, Nathaniel. No need to reinvent the wheel with whatever this is."

Nathaniel stops, nonplussed, then he breaks into laughter, forgetting his previous alarm. Success. "Hah... Ahah.. No, it isn’t that…” His face falls back into a placid smile, and he pulls his hands away to sit up beside her.

Blast it all.

“It’s just that… Something is-“ He makes a vague motion with his hands. “-Different with your bone structure, but I wouldn’t be able to tell just what without proper scans.”

She blinked, sitting up to meet his expression. Were they really going to talk about this now? “Ah. Well that was kind of obvious, wasn’t it? I wouldn’t be able to function if I were a normal human with wings slapped on me.” …Was that wrong? Did he have some odd hope dashed regarding her skeleton of all things? Was he weirdly fascinated about skeletons???

He gave her a concerned, humorless grin. “I know that… But… Ser…”

Seriously? He was weirdly fascinated about skeletons?

Seraphina was unimpressed. “I fail to see how this is important at the moment, Nathaniel.” And right when they got some quality time...

Nathaniel didn’t respond. He looked away, his expression unreadable while he softly wrung his hands in thought. …She never liked when he got quiet like this. It always tugged her heart wrong.

Well, whatever it was, it was certainly worrying him to this point. Might as well hear him out. Sera gave his shoulder a light squeeze in an effort to be consolatory. This usually helped, right?

“… I was being... Harsh. What’s wrong, Liebe?”

Nathaniel hugs an arm around her shoulders, keeping her close by. So it’s a hug that works in this situation. Duly noted. She hugs him back, sweeping a wing over his shoulders.

He hums. “I…I don’t think I could practice on you and your brother with the same confidence as before.” He pauses. “All this time, I’ve been working under the assumption that you were just atypicals... But… No common atypicals have genetic variations that run that deep. They usually follow similar ‘rules’, so to speak.”

He drops his gaze to look at her. “I don't know how I've missed this, but I found something entirely different with a cursory check. Which means that I was operating on you with no clue about your bodily composition. All this time.” …Oh. Nathaniel remains ever pensive, even a little guilty.

…That...

"It also means that you've got a more heavily manipulated variation. At least enough to alter things to this point while still retaining humanoid anatomy."

“…I see.” She says, hugging him a little tighter. His face softened a bit, which Seraphina took as a win as she considered his words. This was certainly a cause for concern... But… She also knew Nathaniel had a tendency to bear his responsibilities on himself rather harshly. He was probably beating himself up about it even now.

"You couldn't have known, Nathaniel." She says, trying to keep her tone easy.

He exhales. "That's the point."

Sera rests her cheek against his shoulder. “…Well. Even then. We’re alive, aren’t we?” Something told her this wasn’t the best way to lift his spirits. And she was right- he frowned in record time.

“You’re alive, until the next time you two inevitably get yourselves hurt, that is.” Nathaniel muttered. “What would I do then? Improvise if I encountered a new organ? use my imagination?”

“I doubt it’s to the point that I have new-“

“You doubt, but you don’t know.” He looks at her again. "And I don’t either.”

“…”

“…Can we please take a few scans in my office?”

They remained silent.

…

"...You won't let up about this, will you?"

"It's kind of important, Ser. We can cuddle later."

Seraphina huffed and kicked away the covers. “Never a dull moment…”

Nathaniel followed suit. “Let's be honest, who’d want a dull life, anyhow?”

---

“You aren’t doing shit to her.” Vincent sneered.

Nathaniel sipped some of his tea. Wow. So much for asking him for reference. He decided to waste his breath a little more. “For the nth time Vincent, I’m trying to see how her anatomy works, and that info would be really useful so I-“

Vincent loudly interrupted him. “So you can what, you lanky fuck? see how different you are? Find excuses to— to break her down? Gut her like a fish?”

Sera walked into the room in some light sportswear. "Vincent, what are you talking about-“

“NO.” He snaps at her, then turns back to Nathaniel. "Fuck you, Sasquatch. You. Aren’t. Doing. Shit. To. Her. I’ll make sure of that.” Nathaniel kept watching on as he continued the insults. Hum. Sasquatch was a pretty genius insult, actually.

Seraphina rolls her eyes. “While I appreciate your sudden and unneeded sense of protection, I’ll remind you that Nathaniel is my partner.” She said. “I don’t need your approval. Stop harassing him.”

Vincent rolled his eyes. “You don’t know— You don’t know this. You say it’s okay but then they—” Seraphina interrupts him."There is no they, Vincent. There’s only one person here that will be doing this, and you’ve known Nathaniel for years-“

“I knew them for my whole life.” Vincent balled his fists until his knuckles popped. “My whole life. They only got worse, their ‘questions' became worse, and they never stopped, even though they knew me. There was always a reason to… To…!” He looks down, making a strangling gesture with his snarled hands, eyes filled with emotions she's never seen him express.

“So don’t blame me for seeing this as another obvious excuse. That’s what they all say- that— that they need answers, and then they WRECK you.” Vincent’s usual rasp of a voice almost seemed shaky for a moment.

Nathaniel sets his mug down. "I'm not doing any of those things, Vincent."

"YET."

This was new. It was odd to see any sort of empathy displayed by Vincent, especially towards her of all people. Sera didn’t know what to say. Where were his complaints about her? the out of pocket comments? the impromptu call to something she’s inferior for?

…Why did it almost seem like he cared?

“It should’ve been you." He says between bloodied coughs as she pulled off the last wire relays. He had no more energy to keep fighting, nor stimulants to keep him moving. He sucks in another ragged breath to speak, eyes brimming with pure hatred. "All this time… You got to have everything. Everything, when you should’ve been hacked apart with me. You should've been in hell with me. I wish you were. Then they would have realized you’re nothing special, 02. Nothing worth missing. You’ve always just been a cheap replacement.”

...Right.

Seraphina scowled. There was no way in hell that this cockroach was going to act chummy with her of all things. That bridge was burned the day they met.

“Look, you—“ Sera started to respond, but was met with Nathaniel’s “cut it out” face. Bother. She crossed her arms and let him handle the rhetoric.

“Alright Vincent, are you really convinced that I’ll hurt your sister somehow?” Nathaniel asked, crossing his arms with an odd, almost knowing glint in his eyes. So he did have a plan... But what was it?

“…There’s always an opportunity. ” He said lowly. If looks could kill...

“Fine, how about you stay in the room, then? You’d be able to see firsthand that it’s nothing to worry about.” Nathaniel gave him a bright smile. It was almost enough to make her forget what he just offered. Seraphina glared at him. “What.”

Vincent eyed him, judging him under criteria she couldn’t guess if she tried. “Alright, Sasquatch.”

WHAT.

"If you do something funny I’m destroying your clinic. Then you.”

Nathaniel didn’t hesitate to reply. “Sounds good.”

Sera gripped her crossed arms while Vincent took a seat on the opposite side of the room. Nathaniel grinned at her, shooting her a goofy two-eyed wink.

“Relax, Ser. It’s only some scans, your privacy won’t be violated if he’s there. I'm also making sure my clinic doesn’t get destroyed.” She hated how casual he sounded about this.

“I’m starting to hate your improvisations.” She grumbled.

“You forget that he lives with us.”

—

Vincent was… Honestly surprised after everything was wrapped up. It was like being shocked— no, wrong word— surprised, but in a good way- he didn’t have the term for that feeling yet.

His idiot knockoff was perfectly fine. Sober. Painless. Not even the slightest bit uncomfortable. Possibly a little awkward since he was there, but he had to be there, otherwise-

…

Otherwise…

…Really, what would that beanpole have done?

Vincent really didn’t know what he was so upset about. He did know Nathaniel for a long while, but... He also didn’t know what separated their coats from his. He wouldn’t risk it either way. Ever since the first day he looked into Sasquatch’s eyes, he knew there was something fucked up underneath.

...It didn't sit right with him.

Hell, he didn’t even have a word for a check this boring. Nice words? Gentle handling? No shoving into scanner machines? no electrocution? No VAST tech remotes? Not even the slightest threat or restraint? As Nathaniel promised, she was okay and unmoved as ever, staring at him with the sort of look that said “I told you so.” What she would never know is that he had no grounds to believe him before this. He’s never seen tests like these before.

It was eventually finished in around three hours time. Nathaniel had made a catalogue of important scans, cross-referencing whatever he found with some basic physical inspection that culminated in checking her range of motion, doing a modest external examination, and being overall professional. Vincent thought that being professional meant being extra good at heartlessness, like knowing how to keep working for hours to the sound of blood-curdling screams. Or making deep, precise cuts even when the subject is moving.

...His chest aches.

Vincent was certain that Nate was going to pull out earplugs at some point and was ready to wring his neck like a towel.

...

But he didn't.

He didn't do any of those things.

It was there that Vincent realized another thing. If this was all Sasquatch needed to piece together what was going on inside of her, then why did they do so many procedures to him under the pretense of doing the same? He expected force, vivisection, grueling trials, and humiliation. He expected to see suffering, gritted teeth, and uncaring faces. But none of that was supposed to happen. Only a light exam with happy words, full consent, and a sunlit room.

Vincent felt something overwhelming for a moment- the sort of emotion he would’ve immediately attributed to harrowing jealousy. But no, now he finally found the word for it. The word he never understood how to convey, since he felt it all the time and no one would listen.

Vincent felt hurt; unbelievably so.

Was he just dealt a shit hand at every turn in life? Why couldn’t he have nice things? Why was everything so fucked for him from day one?

Why could no one care?

He realized at that moment, that everything he was forced to learn was a mere casualty.

—

Seraphina stepped out of the scanner’s range and walked up to him. “See, Vincent? There was nothing you needed to break into histrionics about. I’m fi-“ “Shut up.” He cut her off, and shoved a data-port into Nathaniel’s hand. “You’ll find a better use for this.”

Nathaniel briefly looked it over. “What is-“

“You two proved me wrong. Good. I’m out, now.”

Before Nathaniel could even call for him, Vincent was already out of the circular window and speeding between the clouds. A trail of mist was left in his wake until his silhouette was too far to be seen.

Seraphina took the port from Nathan’s hands and observed; on it was a familiar logo- Venus Inc.

The organization that had apparently made them both. Whose existence Vincent loathed acknowledging, even in passing. The ones that nearly got ahold of her too, had she not been taken into hero work.

“Nathaniel.”

Nathan looked back at her, still looking out the window. “Yes?”

“Your insistence on him being there… You knew there was substance to his fear, didn’t you?”

“…More than you would think.” There was something unidentifiable in his eyes. She already knew it meant nothing good.

Sera held his gaze for a moment, then pocketed the port herself. She would have to look into this later. But for now…

She rubbed Nathaniel’s back a little, offering a small smile. “Tell me what you learned from these scans of yours.”

The wave of darkness lightened up a little, and he smiled back. “Well… It’s… I can’t say I know everything yet, but for one your arterial mapping is entirely different.”

Oh.

Oh no. She legitimately could not care less.

He was bursting at the seams to speak about it though. His eyes were twinkling about the wondrous joys of… Anatomical function…?

…Perhaps it would benefit from a tactical perspective…

“Arteries? Do tell.”

"See, when we were still getting to know each other, I patched you up under the assumption that you were an atypical or something of that nature-“ He starts, activating the hologram projector in the ceiling.

“Yes, you’ve said that.” She says, eyeing some of the scan results that come out.

...Hm. Maybe it was a little interesting.

Nathaniel smiles at something, and starts to gesture towards some of the stills. “But in truth-"

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