khaled10-9

[ppulverse]

how can some people be so heartless lol

[motheatenscarf]

Allisaie Leveilleur

is my

GODDAMN

HERO

[drchucktingle]

Mr Chuck, wizard of gay romance, I consult ye. Without knowing a damn thing about the plot of the book I'm writing other than it is gay and has themes of hunger, consumption, joy in spite of suffering, and the fleeting nature of life, how should my story end?

well to create we need to consume, this is how we produce energy and multiply and build. since beginning of time from frothing volcanos to tiny microbes CREATION and CONSUMPTION are linked. in addition an act of creation is an act of love, it is filling the empty void with SOMETHING and that is as powerful and important as it gets

i think what confuses MANY buckaroos is they get caught up by the consumption part. they see this equation i have laid out and say 'well if consuming leads to creation and creation is to point then we must consume everything as a moral imperative.' i mean HECK that is capitalism in a dang nutshell right there. if you trot this path it says the bigger fish should eat the little one, and that war and power are sort of innate. you see a lot of goofball conservative philosophers with melted brains stop here and set up shop to peddle their sad wares

THE PROBLEM IS consuming everything that you can DOES NOT ACTUALLY LEAD TO MORE CREATION IN PRACTICE. maybe sometimes in the very short term, but at the end of the dang trot it leads to destruction on a massive scale. if the biggest fish eats ALL the little fish then it is not just the little fish who dies it is BOTH of them. if you seek power through TAKING AND CONSUMING all that you can you will do more harm than good. you may puff up your chest for a little while but eventually you will go beyond your means and crumble.

consuming yields the best results when you do it in sustainable way, when you share with your neighbor, when you build a community. this is because LOVE is the best fuel and love thrives when buds work together to create a greater whole than themselves. even if you use example of TAKING through violence, ten little cave buckaroos as a team will always take down one big cave buckaroo. COMMUNITY PROVES LOVE. TEAMWORK PROVES LOVE. CONNECTION PROVES LOVE.

fortunately, as much as scoundrels want to convince us that fighting and violence and TAKING is the best way to grow as a dang species, it is not. humans thrived not because of some primal hierarchy (as goofball conservatives say) but because we started villages and societies and systems of working together. the buds who put their chips behind the BIGGEST FISH are only seeing one part of the picture. YES sometimes in the animal kingdom the biggest beast will win the fight, but that is why THEY ARE BEASTS AND WE ARE PEOPLE. we evolved to greater heights as we grew bigger brains for sharing and empathy and love and complexity. WE STARTED COMMUNITIES, BECAUSE WITHIN COMMUNITY CREATION AND LOVE THRIVE. THE 'REAL' BIGGEST FISH IS KINDNESS.

so hunger and consuming are ACTUALLY an important part of creation. they are part of bringing joy to this timeline, so long as you are not endlessly hungry even after you are full, and so long as you are not consuming what could be better shared with a bud.

hope that helps with your story buckaroo

[zvtara-was-never-canon]

I'm not one to police how "dark" people should make their fan content, or to act like there's something morally wrong with making a character go through hardship or with having a kink, but man, there sure is a noticeable pattern in how zutarians imagine Katara.

Every attempt to "empower" her always comes with some for of humiliation, violence, trauma or loss of identity.

No one is allowed to love her and treat her well. Not her dad, not her brother, not her friends, not her canon love interest. She needs to be just babysitter/cinderella to them. She needs to be made to feel lonely, isolated, disregarded and unloved until Zuko shows up to the rescue.

Gone is her strong connection to her tribe, that made her want to honor it even when she was traveling the world like she dreamed of. Instead she'll long to be part of the nation that almost erased her culture, commited genocide against her people and killed her mother. Gone is her right to be mad at them for it, even though she canonically always stops herself from letting that anger cross the line into blind hatred.

Instead SHE is the one who needs to learn a lesson on "not judging people just because they're different", and making them learn basic empathy towards someone they see as "other" is no longer on them, or on the guy that literally stepped up for that role of his own free will. Nope, that burden should be on Katara's shoulders instead. It's her job to convince the racists that she is, in fact, a human being and deserves to be treated like one.

And she should always be wearing red instead of the colors of her tribe, her children should grow up in the Fire Nation palace, preparing to inherit that throne (aka their father's legacy), and any waterbender she gives birth to will absolutely be taught bloodbending as that is supposedly Katara's legacy - even though she never wanted to learn it and refuses to use it 9 times out of 10 because she finds it immoral AND it is a source of trauma for her, as it was used by a predatory adult to violate her body.

She should not be "Just the Avatar's girl" and "Aang's reward" (even though she was always her own damn self before anything and their romance was a "reward" to both of them), but instead should be just the Fire Lady - after all, in their eyes, Zuko "deserves her more" and that's somehow Not The Same.

Gone is her right to remain a kind, compassionate soul. Instead she needs to let anger consume her and push her to do things she finds morally wrong, like murder or bloodbending, because she needs to hate pacifism so she can hate Aang by proxy.

In fact, Aang should be made to be the REAL source of oppression and violence in her life (combined with her tribe and family of course).

Compassion should no longer be something they both believe in, it should be an idea Aang tries to force into her head. The scars on her hands after he accidentally burns her should be permanent, not healed by Katara herself, to make her more of a victim (with "parallels" to Zuko) and Aang more of a bastard. Aang not wanting to let go of her should be a result of obsession and entitlement, not a combination of his own trauma, the natural desire to be with those he cares about, and the very explicit fact that Katara did not want to be let go of (see her reaction to him leaving in The Awakening).

And more importantly, Aang horribly failing to read the room and kissing her when she didn't want to be kissed, and immediately chastising himself for it because he meant no harm, should be turned into him full on forcing himself on her, preferably more than once. The more traumatizing the better, so Zuko looks like even more of a hero when he saves her.

But that is not say that he needs to be a perfect gentleman when rescuing her, oh no. It's totally fine if what "frees" Katara from the "burdens" that are her family, friends and culture is being taken to the Fire Nation against her will, especially if she's not just a regular prisoner, but instead made to forcibly marry Zuko - or be his sex slave. It's totally fine is this "rescue" involves her being beaten into submission and assaulted until she learns to like it. It's for her own good. It's "feminist" when Zuko does it to her. It's only abuse when Aang does it.

And obviously any anger she has ever felt towards Zuko, even when he sent an assassin after her group, is really just her being "mad at herself" because, secretly, she TOTALLY wants him to do exactly that.

Truly the perfect way to "empower" a character. Mutilate them until they fit in the box you designed for them - and then call people "fake fans" who just "don't understand or care about the character" when they say they liked the original version way more.

Zutarians really shot themselves in the foot with that "holier than thou" attitude. It's IMPOSSIBLE to take their version of "respecting Katara's character" seriously.

[hero-israel]

Let me tell you being a former Christian this shit goes so much deeper than a lot of born Jews realize. The Christian worldview (specifically Calvinist/Puritan) seeping into and pervading all of modern leftism is honestly frightening. But also it's very funny.

They believe that there are Good people and Bad people, and that any mistake or lapse in judgment or instance of not being educated is a Mask Off moment, showing who is a member of the Elect and who is not. If you fuck up, that's not just a fuck up, it's Revealing. You are damned, were always damned, you were just good at hiding it, and now we know the truth and are doubly angry because not only are you evil, you lied about it. The only recourse is to shun you, and if that leads to your death, so be it. Anyone who's seen any micro celebrity get canceled saw this in action.

And the only way you can prove you're a member of the Elect is to operate as if you have nothing to hide. You have to loudly and proudly proclaim your righteousness. If you don't have anything to hide why would you be worried? Privacy is suspicious. You Must Speak on everything they deem important or else you obviously agree with the Bad People. There is no room for discussion or healthy debate. There are no loopholes or subclauses or other points of view to consider. You're with us or against us. If you don't constantly go around saying you're with us, you're probably secretly against us. The only way to convince your neighbors, whom you inherently distrust, that you're one of the Good Ones, is to perform righteousness, parrot righteous words. The only way to redeem yourself is by grandiose acts of self flagellation, perhaps being the right demographic, or by accusing others of Heresy.

The goal is not to bring good into the world, it's to recruit more people into the same thought patterns (that's kind of all Christian denominations though). Because if you can convince your community that you're one of the Elect, that means G-d preselected you for Heaven, and you're golden. No repercussions or consequences baby. The only material benefit for you is that you "get" to proclaim you're going to Heaven and everyone has to agree with you. If anyone doesn't they're probably going to Hell anyway. You're on the right side (of history), so why should you ever self reflect or grow? Why should you question anything? Why should nuance or empathy exist? This is about Right and Wrong. We know where we stand, where do you stand?

Every single aspect of American culture and politics, right and "left" alike, was planted by the pilgrims, and it is so fundamentally antithetical to true Leftist thought. Remember all the actually successful Western Leftist movements were started in Europe (and Israel cough cough)... because they kicked all their fucking psychotic Calvinists out. Those people went to America and that's a big big big reason why we don't have any near as much of a robust Leftist movement as even socially conservative European countries (and Israel cough cough). And what's funny is I still find myself slipping into these thought patterns, which is so not compatible with Jewish philosophy or theology. It's been years and I'm still not done.

It's a hell of a drug to kick, so I definitely don't trust white goysiche college kids who've been antitheists for about 6 months since they left their Republican parents' homes to have any great success in unlearning and unprogramming from this. Which is kind of obvious in that I see them acting just like their conservative Christian parents every day on every social media platform, swap out a gun toting white Jesus with some noble savage idea of Palestine, absolving the West of its sins against the Global South.

It is a cult structured around spiritual isolation, antisocial behavior, and it is inherently against any kind of political movement that centers and celebrates the Community. It is designed to tear communities apart and foster obedience to whatever authority can force itself on them. And this has been going on for almost 500 years, there is nothing we can do about it.

Thank you for the insightful look. Their "purity culture" approach definitely had to come from somewhere.

[jackiepackiee]

What if, hear me out, Chuuya wasn't left to suffer alone after Dazai left the PM? What if he had someone that would really be there when he went to hardships/silent breakdowns.

Chuuya xmale!reader (patiënt reader)

𝒞𝒽𝓊𝓊𝓎𝒶 𝓍 𝑅𝑒𝒶𝒹𝑒𝓇

𝒜𝒻𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝒟𝒶𝓏𝒶𝒾 𝐿𝑒𝒻𝓉

It’s gn reader, I don’t do male

Life without Osamu Dazai in the port mafia was different

Not better, but not necessarily worse

Less people died, Mori became self sufficient without the prodigy

But Chuuya felt strange

Even if feeling the same as the general consensus of his absence

He wasn’t better or worse because he felt nothing

Then there’s you

Patient with him, understanding

Throughout every stage

Denial

Chuuya Nakahara was fucked

And so was the port mafia is any larger than life issue happened to come by

He could no longer use corruption safely, not without dying

So when the moment comes when a mission requires that sort of strength, only you can save his life

“I have to! You don’t understand, half our god damn organization will die if I don’t!”

Quick words shot from his mouth to your ears, aimed for you. His gloves being removed from his hands will he glared at you. Why were you so stubborn?

“No Chuuya! You’re going to die! You’re going to die and leave me all alone. What if it happens again? What if you can’t save me?”

That was plain cruel, using yourself to convince him. Making a hypothetical of you in pain, but it was necessary. He wouldn’t listen otherwise.

“Fuck… Fuck! Alright, fine!”

Anger

Why would the one person in this world who felt similar to him leave? Get taken away

One who didn’t feel human

He never blamed Dazai, no

He knew it was for the better, he needed help

But your empathy could only go so far

Verlaine didn’t count, because they weren’t close

You didn’t count because you were fully and wonderfully human in his eyes

But Dazai, he was off the same vine of pain

A creature other than

“Chuuya? Hey, I just wanted to check up on you”

His apartment was the place you knew he’d be in not at work. No more late night motorcycle rides or wine galleries. He let you in, of course he did.

“Well, I’m fine.”

“Don’t lie to-”

He cut you off.

“I’m. Fine.”

“Chuu, this place is a mess. You’re clearly needing help.”

He didn’t even look at you. Still glued to the glass infront of him, sloshing his wine.

“Do you ever just mind your own business?! I mean fuck! You come into my place, and judge me? I’m sorry I’m not perfect enough for your bullshit standards.”

He was being short with you, uncharacteristically so. Usually this rudeness was reserved for particularly stressful days, in which he’d apologize for after. But for now it’s best not to push.

“…I brought you some chocolate covered strawberries?”

Your meek voice caught his true attention. More than that, the kindness of it. The kindness in you. And guilt ran through like a damn train.

Every little thing was seemingly ticking him off, but you weren’t “every little thing.” No, you deserved better.

He walked over to you, took the container of sweets you offered into his hands, and stared.

Why would someone ever be so kind?

He ate one, wincing at the taste of love you had put in. Pain on his tongue from the unfamiliar feeling of care.

“…I’m sorry, thank you.”

Only you could calm that storm of anger now, and calm the storm you did.

Bargaining

Chuuya’s office was soundproof just like every other room in the headquarters

Locked only on certain occasions

But you knew today was nothing special, and he hadn’t answered to your insistence knocking

So with your key, that he gifted you, you entered his office

To find this

Chuuya was looking through every phone number in the most recent phone record kept by the port mafia.

All across Yokohama, he called every one without a name attached.

“What are you doing?”

He snapped out of it, and stared at you. Confused and a bit hazed after such a long time of silence.

“Nothing.”

“Nothing is nothing, this is psychotic.”

You could tell what he was doing, of course you could. You knew him well.

“What?”

He was no longer snappy as he usually would be with one of your insults, but struck. He knew you meant it this time.

“He isn’t come back, Chuuya. He left, for himself. He didn’t leave because you or I, he left because he needed to. You know that, don’t be a fool.”

Your stern attitude scared him straight, and he stood up. Then walking over to you before giving you a hug.

He seemed so desperate for a reason. You gave him that, and he was grateful.

Depression

Late nights sometimes meant sharing a bed

Staying over each others places after a mission if it was closer

So him turning up at 2am was not shocking

But that fact he looked so down was

His eyes looked dead, and his body trembled. He held nothing, not even a wallet or phone.

Just standing at your door, looking abandoned.

So you ushered him to your bed, and let him settle. You never questioned his moods, but were always there. Petting his hair, in silence.

The silence he needed, only from you.

Acceptance

A glass of wine always represented a victory for Chuuya. A celebration of something. This something though was confusing him.

But if you bring him a vintage bottle and say congratulations, he won’t complain.

Half drunk, bottle half gone, night half over. That’s when your conversations always got the deepest.

“Say, why’d you bring this bottle over anyways?”

“To say congrats, duh!”

You laughed, and smiled at him teasingly.

“No no, I mean seriously. What for?”

“For grieving.”

He stopped. Noticing his expression, you continued.

“You got over Dazai, believe it or not. Even if you’ve been a real bitch about it.”

You giggled, drunk. But a certainty clarity reached your mind. And you looked at him happily, with content.

“I’m so sorry. I’ve been terrible”

“Shh, don’t apologize.”

But you let him, he needed to speak.

“I don’t understand why I’ve been so damn wild. He’s a dick, but he’s my ex partner.”

“Because maybe the world didn’t end when Dazai left, it just kept spinning.”

Not proofread

[minijenn]

Anyway some Echoes of Wisdom random thoughts under the cuts (Spoilers beware):

The fact that this Link and Zelda don't initially know each other but she still quests to save him anyway? That's true love right there, Zelink agenda we are so winning

The King of Hyrule is so incredibly kind and based and supportive and he loves his daughter so much finally a good fucking dad after Rhoam's fuckass

Impa is such sweet grandma energy and Lueburry is Link's adopted grandpa prove me wrong

I love every race in Hyrule except the Deku, they're still little shits who tell you you suck and throw you in prison for no damn reason, fucking lil shitty tree people

I kept calling Tri a demon the whole game and I'm still not entirely convinced I was wrong about that (they learned empathy and then they died, just like Fi!)

ZELDA HAS A PET CAT SHES JUST LIKE ME FR FR

YOU CAN ALSO DRESS UP IN A STUPID LITTLE CAT SUIT YOU BETTER BELIEVE I WAS WEARING THAT WHEN I RESCUED LINK SORRY KIDDO YOUR NEW GIRLFRIEND IS A FUCKING CAT GIRL YOU'VE BEEN DUPED

THE TRIFORCE IS FINALLY BACK BUT THEY REFUSED TO CALL IT THE TRIFORCE??? PRIME ENERGY??? HUH? WHY?

Ganon was cucked out of being the main villain fucking FINALLY I can't believe it this game broke Zelda lore right in half

The actual villain, Null gave me some big Majora vibes, fuckin creepy ass but what a fun concept

The Golden Goddesses??? Actually TALK TO YOU???? Unfucking believable I have never seen that happen in a Zelda game before I'm in awe

This Link has gone throug Trauma and that's why he doesn't talk UNTIL THE END OF THE GAME (no dialogue the player can read but he does do the same talking animation Zelda makes so he can talk!!!!)

I stood by, running around in circles and screaming during the final boss while I let Link do all the work smh

I love Conde fuckin cute ass baby yeti I would die for him best side character in the whole game if you ask me, his dad is dead and his brother is missing ain't nobody coping with the trauma like my boi Conde

Water block is the best echo don't @ me

Fire Wizzrobe is the second best again don't @ me

This game is better than Tears of the Kingdom yes I mean it don't @ me

[yellowocaballero]

⭐ utopia, but any other fic will do if you already got a lot of asks about it!

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨💫⭐💫⭐💫⭐💫⭐🌟🌟🌟🌞🌞🌞🌞🌠🌠🌠🌠🌌🌌🌌🌌🌌🌃🌃🌃🌉🌉🌉💖💖💖🇦🇺🇱🇷🇸🇧🇻🇪🇻🇳🇺🇸 heres some more stars so u talk more

This is so sweet I'm dying. I'm deceased. Killed. Rambling it is.

“I get why Sasuke-teme had to leave Konoha, Tobi-sensei. He has to keep walking forward with his precious people, and all the bad people in Konoha just bring out the teme in him. Even if I don’t like it…” Naruto’s expression fell, but resolution rose strongly in him too. “But there’s people in Konoha I just can’t abandon. That means I can’t abandon Konoha, and I can’t give up on it. Somebody has to stay and make it better. I won’t run away. I’ll give Konoha a second chance, and me and my friends are going to make it into a place as great as Sakuragakure. I’ll make Konoha into a place that Sasuke-teme can come home to.” Naruto nodded firmly, implacable. “Kakashi-sensei feels the same way. Konoha’s our home. You and Sasuke-teme really hate Konoha, but Kakashi-sensei and I are going to make it into a home you can like again! So you guys can come visit us! Okay?”

Naruto doesn't have a huge role in this story. Of course, he's also the most important character. Everything in the story turned on his fulcrum - on the actions that he hadn't taken yet, born from the resolve of a man who was still a boy. He saved the day, not through his own actions, but through the ripple effect that his actions had on the world and the people within it. He also has no idea. He also can't read.

Naruto Uzumaki is not particularly interested in a utopia. He's not interested in much beyond ramen and becoming the Hokage and Sasuke. He's not interested in the weight of someone's sins and their potential for redemption, despite being ninja Jesus. I think Naruto only cares about if you want to be a good dude - and if you don't want to be a good dude today, if you'll want to be a good dude tomorrow.

Both Naruto and Sasuke were hurt badly by Konoha. It was important that Sasuke leave Konoha - that he be able to leave the world that hurt him, and find a happier new home. But it was important that Naruto stay too - that there was somebody who was willing to take his crap world by the horns and fix what already exists, to make his world a better place. I think both types of people are necessary, and that the ability to make the choice is necessary too. You can't create a better world by playing by the rules of a broken system, but you can't create a better world by giving up on it either.

I think while reading Naruto you have to kinda go, 'damn bitch stop trying to over perform just to earn the right to exist, their acceptance will always be conditional'. You can't Hokage people into loving you. But you can't create a better world by sticking a bunch of orphans in a tree, either. To me, Naruto is the necessary person who wants to fix what he has.

Obito does not understand that. He's convinced that he understands the gospel of Naruto very well. He does not. At all. He willfully misinterprets it, because it doesn't reinforce what Obito needs to believe. It doesn't let him feel what he wants to feel.

If he did understand it, he would realize something extremely obvious: that Naruto had been able to save Obito because of Naruto's own suffering, not despite it. Obito hypothesizes that suffering creates bad people, but Naruto utilized his own suffering as a tool for empathy and compassion. By Obito's own reasoning, Naruto is a 'dirty person' who wouldn't belong in the own utopia that he inspired. He's trying to build a heaven that Ninja Jesus wouldn't be welcome in. It's a massive logical flaw that Obito knows exists and blatantly ignores.

Why does Obito ignore this? Because it undermines his whole nihlistic, absolutist, deterimistic worldview, mostly. But also because that would imply that people with narrative parallels to Naruto might, hypothetically, deserve to be saved, and would have a place in Utopia. And, like, ya know, can't have that.

[b4tasquad]

✭ JERSEY: GAVI

Authors note: a really short one that just came to my head and i just had to write it out. also sorry because I know most of the people following me are here for the beta squad content… and it’s coming😭

Warnings: none

…

For the past 90 minutes you had been grinning as you sat in the stands of the football match. When being invited to a Barcelona match by your cousin, the last thing you expected was to catch the eye of star player- Pablo Gavi. But exactly just that, you had managed to do.

From the moment he walked onto the pitch, getting ready to start the match, he had noticed you. It first started with occasional glances thrown between you too, but during the last minutes or so, you could see him look at you after everything he did.

Almost like he wanted to… impress you?

It was fun to say the least. He was the golden boy, with dozens of titles to his names, getting girls left and right. But he had for some reason chosen to pay attention to you, for the 90 minutes he played at least. Of course you were going to entertain it.

What you hadn’t expected once the game ended was for him to walk towards where you were getting ready to pack up and leave. You and your cousin were giggling to each other about the whole ordeal when her eyes suddenly widened at a sight behind you, as you were too busy picking up your purse from the seat.

“Y/n.” She for some odd reason whispers, and you look up questioningly. When she doesn’t answer you turn to where she’s staring and words get caught in your throat.

In front of you, a half naked Pablo Gavi was grinning as he held tightly on to his jersey. The barrier stopping the stands from the pitch made it impossible for you to stand close to each other, but he could still throw over the article of clothing easily. You heart was beating like crazy as he tossed it in your direction, a smile on your face as you got ready to catch it.

It seemed as though the universe wasn’t on your side because the jersey was snatched out of your hands the second it landed in them. With the most baffled expression, you whip your head to see a girl around your age, gripping it to her chest, a teasing smile on her face.

“Hello?” Those weren’t even the words you intended to come out, but you were just so shocked at the fact that she would take it from you like that, and smile as if she accomplished anything. “I was holding that.”

“It was obvious he threw it to me. Don’t be jealous.” Her voice almost makes you want to hurl, because it’s so high pitched. The lack of empathy in her tone angers a part of you so much, but you still try to be the bigger person.

“I think he threw it to me.”

She cackles, actually opens her mouth and lets out the loudest cackle you’re sure the whole stadium can hear echo around. “Why would he throw it to you?”

The look she gives you is nothing but mocking. Asking you why he would ever give his jersey to someone like you. Well, damn. No need for that one, you thought.

“Do you have problems digesting the most simplest things? It was obvious he threw it to her, he was legit looking at her while he did it. Stop being an insecure bitch and just walk away before you end up on the news for embarrassing yourself in front of a bunch of people.”

The girl just huffs, but still holds onto the clothing. In the midst of the situation, you had completely forgotten about Gavi. Talking about him, the guy stood with his mouth slightly open in shock, as his plan had totally not gone the way he was hoping it would go.

Seeing his troubled expression, you only shake your head with a motion of your hand to let him know it was okay. As you convince your cousin to just leave, you’re finally on your way out when you hear someone calling for you.

“Wait.” Gavi screams behind you, as he jumps over the barrier, probably breaking a few rules as he does so. He walked up to the railing and you lean down to hear him. “Do you have a pen?”

“A pen?”

He nods. “Yes, a pen.”

Rummaging trough your little hand bag you actually find a discarded pen in there. Giving it to him, you eagerly wait as he just motions for your hand. You’ve lowkey figured out what he was doing by now, but you still find some entertainment in acting clueless.

When he’s done and gives your hand a quick peck, you don’t even have to question what’s written on it. His smug expression alongside his next words telling you everything you needed to know.

“Call me.”

[ellestra]

Not the end of the story

I went to the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 the first night it was on because I was dreading the deaths it could bring so much I knew I couldn’t stay unspoiled if I didn’t. The speculations who will die in this one have been rampant for years. We know Gunn loves to kill off characters and of the starting team neither Groot nor Gamora are the ones we met in the first movie. Rocket was obviously the main suspect and since both Dave Bautista and Zoe Saldana said they are not planning to come back their characters were also likely to die. My longstanding fear was that Nebula would be sacrificed because her revenge and her redemption stories are done and that usually means there is nowhere for a character to go but death.

But this not that kind of movie so we see so many other options for these people to grow. Redemption doesn't have to be the end of the story. It doesn't need to end with death. There is life beyond that.

Sure, there are still big fights and even bigger explosions and there is a lot of death but for the main characters we’ve been following all this time it’s only about connections they built with each other and the connections they share with people they come from. The families they reconnect with and those they found along the way. And second chances that got them there. And sharing that option of second chance with whoever is willing to take it. Even if it sometimes take a long and roundabout way for them to take it.

I’ve said here before that MCU is strongest when it plays on the relationships we built with the characters along the way. When it makes us connect with the characters emotionally and then makes us follow their journey to grow. When it remembers their emotional history so we connect with both who they were and how far they’ve come. And when it’s done well like in this film it is so beautiful.

GotG does it best because it finds the perfect balance between saving that one friend we all love and saving everyone (and I mean everyone they are able to – they even save the animals and abalisks like the big, damn heroes they are). They even give second chance to Adam Warlock who tried to kill them and some High Evolutionary goons who have enough sense not to try. The whole movie is about empathy and compassion over perfection and utility. The people like Hight Evolutionary who only care about the latter see other as tools but the former is what makes you stronger because we are all stronger together. Even the monsters and weird misshapen creatures.

My only small gripe was how callously the Counter-Earth inhabitants are disposed of since we are so preoccupied with other storylines – Gamora saving Rocket, Adam trying to save Ayesha, High Evolutionary ship leaving – that there isn’t time to think of all of them dying. I know High Evolutionary was going to destroy Counter-Earth anyway – he just waited to spring the trap – but it hurt to see all those people including that nice Bat family die right after Peter said how not perfect that word is. It’s like he wanted Peter to feel bad about it but it’s never really followed up on.

This ability to connect with others is why Mantis is the most powerful of them all. She sees what others need and why they are needed. She helps Peter understand he needs to reconnect with his grandfather and his roots on Earth and heal some of his pain. He didn’t lose everyone he loved – he still has time. And she makes Nebula look beyond the superficial to see that everyone matters. Even if your family drives you nuts sometimes when there is love they all matter and have a place.

We see that building connection with people is really Peter’s superpower too. It made him a good conman but it’s also what allows him to save his friends and galaxy without killing people. He convinces others to help. It was really nice to be reminded he too is hyper-competent at what he does. Just like Rocket is at building tech Peter is at this whole thing of finding ways of in and out of both places and people. This is why his plans work so well. Unless, he’s overwhelmed by his own emotions. He still doesn’t deal well with them but that’s what he has friends for – both Nebula and Mantis help him through the worst of it.

Learning to connect to others in ways that are not build on pain and fear has been a big part of Nebula’s journey in MCU – from embracing Gamora through friendship with Tony and Avengers to becoming a Guardian of the Galaxy. We see how Nebula really comes to her own when she cares for others. She is the one who ends up running Knowhere long before the ending. She is the one who defends it. Look at her when she put on her wings to fight and actually defeat Adam Warlock. Look at her finding the information on what Rocket needs and putting the team together to find a way to cure him. And finally shed the last of the toxic thinking Thanos taught her to see who Drax really needs to be – a dad.

She even arranges for both Peter and Gamora to finally confront the ghost that’s been haunting both of them and find peace in knowing that what was, was beautiful but it doesn’t exist any more.

I know for most people the main relationship that drives this group are that of Peter and Gamora and Rocket with family but my favourite is the relationship of Gamora and Nebula. I’ve said it before I wanted more of the sisters’ relationship that isn’t tinged by hurt and distrust. Especially now, after they saved each other (with Gamora saving Nebula from Thanos and Nebula returning the favour and Nebula even killed herself to save her, well a version of herself, but still). Seeing them being there for each other despite being on such a different stages of their healing was great because it’s a lot of what we missed between GotG Vol.2 and Infinity War.

And, of course, Drax connects with the kids and saves them. It’s a perfect pay-off to a man who lost his family to another maniac convinced his pursuit of perfection needs to be paved with other people’s lives. It gives him opportunity to become dad once again. And to become the person who dances. In MCU full of dads who suck he is the best dad.

Groot has grown up with them all and they are the family that he will forever love and one that taught him to give second chances to people. Even the people who try to kill you because they may end up being the ones who save you. This is how they got Nebua when he was little. This is how he got Adam Warlock.

Even Kraglin and Cosmo got find their heroic selves with connection to each other and with help of others. Kraglin remembers the lessons from Yondu and is saved by Cosmo. Cosmo holds on with help from Mantis. They both reach their potential because they have others to help them.

And the whole movie is about Rocket connecting with people through different stages of his life and how much it hurts to lose them but also how beautiful it was to have them in his life. How much they made that life worth living. And how those connections saved his life and allowed him to save lives. He can lead people because he is able to care about people. Because he allows himself to care and be cared for.

I loved how they finally got to the moment their scars healed enough that they no longer need to cling to each other and explore the lives they want to live. Lives that aren’t driven just by the hurt they’ve experienced from others or by atoning for the hurt they caused. These are just their lives.

Saga comics has taught us all that there is beauty in mundanity. We should all strive for the boring life of just being with people we care about. Boring is good actually. They all could use a little boring. I’m sure adventure will be there whenever they are ready.

And they all live. They go each their own way. Like all families they eventually find out they want different things at the moment so they go to explore them but Nebula and Drax make sure they’ll always have home to come back to whenever they need it.

Whenever Mantis feels she needs a break from exploring the universe. Whenever Peter wants to take grandpa sightseeing.  Whenever Guardians need to rest and regroup. Whenever Gamora feels like reconnecting with her sister. For us that means a lot of goodbyes but for them it’s just until we see each other again.

[loraliewritesthings]

Danny Phantom but make him a circus/freakshow attraction headcanons

Maybe he was sold maybe he was captured. Danny couldn't quite remember threw the pain. The lab accident felt like decades ago but time goes slow when your hurting

The blood blossoms were always underfoot. The cage was small his muzzle tight and he was hungry.

So so hungry

Still he didn't look forward to his preformances to the gawking masked people or the salt circle his cage would be placed in or turning from boy to ghost for entertainments sake.

The first time he tried to escape when his box was opened.

That of course only made his capturer mad and earned him more blood blooms.

Dick hated places like this. Cruel hurtful places sullying the name of the circus. Maybe that's why he jumped at the chance to help spy on the freakshow that had recently come to town despite Bruce's worried expression. It wasn't hard to convince Bruce to let him go though. He knew circus lingo better than anyone else in the family after all. Sure his slang MAY be a little outdated but it didn't matter too much for just a few nights.

Dick has seen some horrible things and stayed pretty lighthearted, but because the circus is so sacred to him I think he takes this mission very seriously.

In the end it's him Bruce on the mission.

It wasn't hard to locate where the metas and "freaks" were being kept.

He entered the tent and between a man labeled "the cannibal" and Killer Croc who somehow got dragged into this, there was a young man in a muzzle kneeling on what looked like flowers.

Something about his eyes made him look almost haunted.

He moved on to the next row taking note of every poor soul there.

He was going to get them free.

Sure Bruce didn't like metas, but he wasn't heartless. It didn't take long for him to divide the staff into the willing and unwilling participants. It took him even less time to tie up the willing workers and to call in the Gotham police department.

When batman went to talk to the victims one stood out to him. The boy was muzzled his eyes rapidly switching from blue to green.

He couldn't have been older than Jason.

No one else there was muzzled.

He wondered briefly what made him so dangerous.

The question nagged at him as he asked person after person how they got here.

As expected no one was there voluntarily.

Speaking to an albino set of twins, the last to be questioned, he asked about the boy in the muzzle.

One twin merely shrugged and said he had been there the longest.

It was enough to strike empathy in him.

He approached carefully removing first the lock then the muzzle.

The young man almost pushed past him to get out.

Starting his questioning he asked where he was from and what his name is.

The young man, Danny apparently, didn't seam to remember much outside of the circus though. Where some of the more recently "aquired" captives remembered the older ones didnt

He could only imagine it was trauma holding them back.

Because this place was all he could remember, Danny didn't know what he wanted to do after he was free besides get far far away.

Bruce asked him no more questions.

General headcanons:

Danny is still sassy in this au but he's also bitter.

He doesn't talk much at first cause he's not used to it cause of the muzzle.

It takes quite a while for him to become more like his own self.

Sits on top of Wayne manor staring at the stars he doesn't remember why though.

He has "sad eyes" as babs and steph phrased it.

Bruce didn't mean to keep danny. He's basically a foster fail.

He will never here the end of such from Alfred.

Talking about Alfred he handles the new addition just fine

After all Danny broody and sassy.

He even has the light eyes dark hair combo.

Danny is kinda a foil to Dick. Where Dick is cheerful, Danny is jaded

Where Dick sees the circus as sacred Danny sees it as a trigger

They get along ok weirdly enough.

Jason swore when he first saw Danny.

"Bruce you got another damn kid"

Offers to take him away from Bruce if ever needed. Offer always stands.

Tim doesn't notice the ghost boy for about a week. He was just too sleep deprived.

When he did he assumed danny was a sleep deprivation hallucination

Now he doesn't know how to approach him so he treats him like he's always been there.

Cass understands Danny.

The silence between them is comfortable and amicable

Damian is Damian.

He isn't sure what to think so at first he comes of as aggressive.

That stands until he sees Danny in a fight for the first time.

Now he only wonders now this meta who can turn invisible and fly got caught.

He thinks better then to ask.

Slowly Danny learns to trust again. To live again.

[chuplayswithfire]

I've always seen Ed's robe era as a standard break up response - crying in your room, making sad creative projects, wearing your ex's clothes that are still at your house, eating ye olde ben and jerry's aka marmalade - and I remain firmly convinced that this is what the show is going for, because this is a romcom, after all.

But if I were to take it as a serious cry for help, an experience of extreme mental distress and signs of a man having a breakdown and losing himself... then like damn Izzy fucking sucks. How are the Crew of the Revenge collectively having more empathy, compassion, and care for a man they've known for a few weeks than Izzy is for a guy he at least claims to view as his captain and as a man he respects?

Like fucking hells bells man, the crew are concerned about Ed's well-being, listen to his song with bafflement but offer encouragement when they understand it's sincere, and are more than willing to meet Ed where he is and call him Ed when he asks. They're down for the talent show because they're a bunch of silly and delightful people, but also they're encouraging someone who's going through a rough time and pulling himself out of it. They're being compassionate and they're genuinely eager to share their talents and see if Ed likes them.

If Ed were genuinely having a mental health crisis (which again is not how I interpret these events but if one did), then this is a great way to respond. They're encouraging Ed to reach out to them by accepting the lowering of a previous boundary (call me Ed, not Blackbeard), they're accepting of his interest in trying new things and changing up his old life, they're genuinely invested in and value his opinion of them in a way that demonstrates that they still think he's cool and admirable despite his changing his whole look and ditching the job persona that they all initially looked up to him for. The crew in general are not just hero worshipping Edward Teach who is Blackbeard, but actively like Ed the man and want him to like them too.

We also see that this is effective and healing for Ed, because after lowering his barriers and singing for the crew, having them accept him in this very vulnerable moment and respond encouragement and genuine excitement for him suggesting they do something totally new, after asking them to call him by his name and treat him like a peer instead of an untouchable idol, the next time we see Ed is him being calm, cleaning his living space, letting in the light instead of wallowing away, even acknowledging that he was not living well by commenting that he can't believe he was "living like this".

Being supported and encouraged helped him to get back on his feet and regain his equilibrium, and he gets that from the crew, a group of men and Jim who have known him for a handful of weeks.

Meanwhile, Izzy stews in his distaste for everything that's happening with Edward, and doesn't decide to engage with him about any of it until he sees Ed doing better and yet still not being the man Izzy wants him to be. Izzy's responses consist of telling Edward that he should have been killed rather than be able to live as the man he is right now, dehumanize him as a thing rather than a person, and cap on a threat to watch his step if he doesn't start acting like the man Izzy wants him to be. For some reason, this threat isn't always taken seriously in the fandom, but I'd remind everyone that the only reason Stede, another pirate Izzy doesn't respect and sees as worthless, isn't on the ship in episode 10 is because Izzy went and found the British Navy in an effort to have him killed. He told Ed that having Stede killed by firing squad - the same death he's saying he should have "let" happen to Ed - "is a humane way of ending this". Ed wasn't prepared for Izzy's treachery because he didn't take Izzy's last threat - that he would rue this day - seriously.

Izzy is perfectly willing to follow up on his threats. And he was making a threat, a serious one, right after saying that he should have had Edward killed as part of his last plan.

Like, look, Izzy's response in episode 10 is always wildly off the wall - there is no situation where it's appropriate or even reasonable for him to dehumanize Ed, threaten him, or tell him that he should be killed for trying new means of expressing himself, but if we approach episode 10's robe era as Edward being in a state of genuine mental health crisis and distress?

Then Izzy's fucking abominable. Absolutely horrendous. There's no defense. It would only further highlight that Ed was right to say he has no friends in episode 6 - because no friend would react that way even if you were just going through a breakup, let alone a genuine mental health crisis.

A group of people who only knew Ed for a few weeks have more compassion for him than Izzy.

[justme-1723]

RANDOM ONLY FRIENDS THEORIES/THOUGHTS

- Sand will get tired of Ray’s shenanigans/not coming first in his life and take a step back. I think this might be where this mystery character comes into play (*the one he has a love scene with). Sand is my favorite character by a long shot and I just know he’s going to do something that disappoints me… I’m dreading it because I will call him out even though I love him dearly. Part of me thinks his lack of empathy/straight shooter attitude will get him into trouble. Sometimes he is TOO honest. On the flip side, I also think he feels things very deeply and this will not bode well because Ray is an addict. His heart will shatter. Not excited at all.

- Ray WILL absolutely lose his damn mind if he finds out about Sand sleeping with someone else (*maybe I’m wrong, but he just seems like the jealous type lol) I think he will push Sand away because falling in love with someone who has the capacity to love him back will terrify him. I think he will spend most of the series trying to convince himself and others that he doesn’t have REAL feelings for Sand. Poor babe. It’s okay Ray, I love you anyway. I do think he will be sober/starting his journey to sobriety by the finale too. I can’t wait for this part!

- I think we are missing some very vital information about Boston. I’m not sure what it could be… but I’m so worried about him. I know that may seem silly… sue me. He just gives me “I’m actually so fucking miserable and I hate myself uwu” vibes. Could be very wrong though lol. There is clear tension between him & Mew and I think there is a reason for that. One that might surprise us. Mew has made some shady comments about Boston & Boston doesn’t hold back when he talks about Mew to Top.

- Nick has no idea what healthy boundaries are. From the beginning, he has completely disregarded Boston’s right to privacy. Yes he’s cute and yes he’s young, but he has crossed every line imaginable (almost) and they aren’t even in a committed relationship. Boston isn’t obligated to be faithful. He doesn’t owe Nick any information about his sex life outside of their arrangement. Sigh. I think it will only get worse from here though�� Revenge porn??… I hope not… I also think Nick just wants to be loved.

- Mew. There is something about Mew that I can’t quite wrap my head around. I was VERY surprised that he chose to use sex as a bargaining tool. It seemed very out of character for him. I love that he called Ray out for kissing him without his permission. It needed to be addressed and Mew handled it flawlessly. Which again, is why I was so shocked by his choices at the end of this latest episode… Ray calls him out yet again before he leaves, “Is Top really the kind of boyfriend you want?” This is the second time Ray has said something like this. Is Mew trying to prove something? Does it bother him that Ray of all people, the person he has very clearly said isn’t the type of boyfriend he wants, is the person pointing out that Top isn’t a good option either?

- Top is so complex. They all are really, but Top has so many layers and he isn’t as easy to read. (In my opinion) This ex is definitely important to him. I think he has some scars from that relationship. I also think there is some sort of hidden trauma that hasn’t been shared with us yet. His relationship with sex is all over the place. I can’t even begin to dissect that.

I have so many other thoughts swirling around in my brain, but they get so jumbled up lol. This probably makes no sense either, so have fun reading my nonsense. Or don’t. That’s cool too.

[rosesocietyy]

Brilliant people have said everything that needs to be said about this much much better and I don't got anything substantial to add but I just have to get this off my chest cause y'all I'm still in disbelief

like this is a grown ass person btw oh I simply have to laugh😭

this perfectly exemplifies literally everything cringe af and wrong with these "assigned welcomers". this is just my scapegoat but there are way worse I've seen

First of all, get a job. how, at your fossil age, do you have time to spend all day scrolling through every single iwtv related post and arguing with people who say anything even slightly damning about lestat (which mind you, is literally just objective facts about things he did). I'll dm you a McDonald's application hell I'll even put in a referral for you out of the goodness of my heart.

Second, Lestat is not a real person. he's fake, a made up character, the figment of someone's imagine, non-existent, people hating him will not affect your life in anyway shape or form. He didn't assign you as his PR agent I promise you'll live. "They'll never accept him" ok and?!?

Question, and I'm genuinely asking, is this their first time in a fandom? why is someone having a different opinion about a character they love enough to send them into hysterics like?? 13 year olds on anime twitter have a better grasp on reality that y'all do get a grip!

And like the above posts have talked extensively about, I most definitely noticed whose posts a specific bunch of them love to go under to share their dog shit "explanation" that nobody asked for. When a black person sees Louis being brutalized by his white lover what do you expect their reaction to be? oaur wow this white french slut is so pussy cunt slay period queen? "but louis is flawed too" do you hear yourself? do you listen to yourself when you speak? can you activate the barest hint of brain activity to understand why we would react differently to what we're watching than you would and that knowledge of the source material has nothing to do with it? Just because you read those shitty books and posses no empathy for black people in media doesn't mean you gain some higher understanding of "gothic romance ".

"No but the thing is you don't understand this is a gothic romance and they're supposed to be monsters and lestat has suffered saur much and he's also the real main character so you must love him" so now how exactly does that negate their point about him being an abuser? quickly! sit the fuck down and shut the fuck up when black people are sharing their thoughts on the show cause who the fuck are you fr and what convinced you that you have the right to argue with them about THEIR experiences. that tweet that said white people act like God left them in charge, yeah.

Funny enough, half the people that are so gung ho about him now didn't even fw him at all when they only read the first book. wow it's almost like you were allowed to sort out your feelings about him on your own without insects disguised as people in your mentions calling you slow for not licking his feet.

I despise so much in this fandom. From the bottom of my heart I really truly do. I don't know what I was expecting, I guess more common sense and maturity because the average age in the fandom is quite high compared to other fandoms I've been in but nah, just mfs screaming and crying bc ppl don't jump up and down and scream yipee! everytime their white fav commits abhorrent, disgusting crimes.

I was so caught up in the euphoria of an anne rice property finally being given to skilled creators who'll pick it apart and say something poignant with it that for a moment, I forgot I lived in a world where majority of its audience would sadly be the anne rice crowd.

[byebyebriar]

Azula is such a fascinating character because, yes she is a brilliant child with low empathy and attack first/strike back harder mind set but also

Her mother loves her but doesn’t like her

Her father likes her but doesn’t love her

Her uncle doesn’t understand her or know her*

Her brother isn’t safe to love**

And this all fucks her up! She’s left clinging to the family member who encourages her most vicious behavior because no one in her family loves her unconditionally. Ozai repeatedly uses Azula as a blunt weapon against his family to the point where they are alienated from her!

By the end of the third season, you can see that Azula has built Ozai up in her head as the only person safe to love. He’s the one that likes her. He’s the one that loves her. He’s the one she can depend on because Azula is will always rise to his standards. It’s okay he demands perfection because she‘s perfect. She will never fail him and thus will always have his love. Except:

“You can’t treat me like Zuko!”

It’s not enough.

Every tool in her emotional toolbox fails her. Fear fails to keep Ty Lee and Mai by her side, perfection fails to keep Ozai, mind games drive Zuko away even after she secured his return to the palace. Fire Lord Azula sits on the throne descending into paranoia as she has realized nothing she knows how to do will get her what she wants.

Fourteen year old Azula screams and cries in her chains because she knows she has lost a game she never had a chance at winning.

What else is there to do?

*Iroh’s gift to Azula while he is besieging Ba Sing Se is there to show that he doesn’t know his niece. Which is fair! He hasn’t actually seen her since she was eight (maybe younger) and canon notes that he was gone from the palace on regular campaigns. There’s only two years between Lu Ten’s death and Zuko’s banishment and Iroh was awol traveling the world some of that time. He doesn’t know her and when canon starts, his only interactions with her are her trying to convince Zuko to rejoin the Fire Nation. Or attempting to kill both of them.

“She’s crazy and needs to go down.”

No Iroh, she needs someone to look at all her ugly bits and say they love her anyway. Just like Zuko needed your love after his betrayal.

**Way before Ursa left, Ozai made it unsafe for her to love Zuko. You think he would have taken it well if Azula stood up for her brother? The guy burned his son’s face? It’s not safe for her to do so. It’s not safe for Azula to even offer encouragement to Zuko because they’ve been forced into competition. If he excels, if he passes her, then she loses her golden child status. She can’t afford that because she sees every day what happens when you’re the scapegoat.

Azula can’t let herself love Zuko. If she did she’d have to care every time Ozai insults him. She’s have to care that he considered killing Zuko. She’d have to care that he burned and banished her brother. An eleven year old would have to face that the one person she thinks loves her is viciously hurting someone she cares about.

Azula can only show she cares far from Ozai’s sight (The Beach) or in a manner she thinks Ozai won’t care about (claiming that Zuko killed the avatar) -

(Azula doesn’t know about the spirit water, she hit Aang dead on with an attack that has only been survivable because people deflected it, the Gaang claimed Aang was dead for weeks. Azula damn well believed he was dead when she told Ozai that lie.)

- “I’m sorry it had to end this way brother.” “No you’re not.”

Yeah Zuko, she is. In her mind she’s spent months trying to put back and keep her family together and it all fell apart. You can’t see that because all you can see is the ax Ozai wielded against you. Don’t worry, by the end of that fight you will see Azula exactly how she is. You just won’t be able to help her.

[bluberibear]

Cod oc lore :3

I’m not the best at writing but if u have any tips/see grammar mistakes feel free to tell me :3

Tw- rape, illegal relation ship, underage sex, abuse

{idk what else but if you do think something is triggering and i should add it please tell me in the comments}

???-firecracker(did i call him that because i hadn't decided a real name other than his callsign, yes, leave me alone)

Firecrackers dad-Joshua

Firecrackers mom- Mary

Part 1

His dad was a priest of a cult/church in a very isolated village, not the top dog but still a man who was looked up to and praised by the people of the village. Being a priest meant obviously not being allowed to have a wife or intimacy, though Joshua was a very corrupt and wealthy man. If he did do anything it could have been easily covered up. He was in the good graces of the people, no one would believe some peasant reporting him for being corrupt and if they did they could easily be silenced. He had a lot of one night stands but one night during a church ceremony he saw a beautiful girl praying with her family. She didn't look older than 17… but it was no worry for him, he knew the social classes of people just by the way they dressed and he knew that he could pay the dad to “help teach her about their religion”. Though it slowly turned from one a week to bringing her over to his house and pretty soon he started cutting off her family and friends and not allowing her to leave, putting the leaves of worry and fear of what would happen if she went back out into the dangerous world into her brain. Though Mary had a friend outside the village who she would sneak out to see, they tried convincing her to leave not only Joshua but the village. Start anew with them and be happy, they even gave her little trinkets from the outside world. One night she had gone to visit them, but she had been followed by joshua. You'd think he would have some empathy being a priest but he was a cold man, the second he saw his wife with another person, he saw red. Her friend handed her a small lighter, gray with red markings, a black bear's skull engraved onto it. She kept it with her. “One last gift, to symbolize a new beginning”. She took the lighter and put it in her pocket. Mary's friend had convinced her to leave, to be free though it didn't last long. Joshua took out a pistol and shot them right then and there. Mary couldn't tell if they had died or not as she had been knocked out by joshua. She made a promise to escape and she would be damned if she didnt after this. Joshua took mary home and proceeded to rape and beat her. It didn't take her long to get pregnant… Joshua had said to kill it but Mary simply couldn't bring herself to rid the world of her child so she begged Joshua to keep it, and he agreed. They named the child ???, he looked exactly like his mother. Too much like his mother, if he was allowed out people would know he was hers and then they would ask who the father was and it didn't take a genius to find out what had happened. It could be enough to get the church into trouble or make him lose his status if it got out that he had married a poor innocent girl and kept her isolated like this. Therefore Joshua had decided that ??? was prohibited from leaving the house too. Though Mary knew what it was like to have her childhood robbed from her and she would be damned if she let it happen to her son. She had a new job, escaped with her son or atleast get her son out of the village. she would help him leave when joshua was away though she told him to come back before joshua was home, worried of what joshua would do to her if ??? wasn't home. Now this went on for years before. Joshua knew but when he knew he’d beat ??? and his mom, he also installed cameras to make sure they couldn't leave. Eventually ??? got super sick and Mary saw an opportunity to save herself and her son. She begged Joshua to see ??? and let her take him to a doctor. He obliged but warned her there would be consequences if she tried anything. She took ??? to a local doctor who had been informed about Mary's situation but was bribed into keeping it secret. Once Mary got it ???checked out she walked around, thinking about if she should really do this but she knew she had to do this for her son.