#As each brother process JD’s death

[lulu101]

Continuation of my Hook AU, background info here

How Brozone reacts to JD’s death:

Bruce

“John Dory is dead,” Branch spit out. “That’s his son, not him.”

Bruce stared at his newly revealed nephew, heart hammering hard. John Dory was dead. He was dead. And he had a son.

“How?” He wanted to ask, but didn’t. Couldn’t. Suddenly, the joy he had felt at seeing his baby brother again was smothered by sadness, anger… guilt.

Hook, John Dory’s son, the only thing left of John Dory, turned around, those blue eyes piercing right through. He inhaled deeply, memories of a young JD flashing through his mind.

Hook looked just like him.

Clay

“He’s not here because he can’t stand to face you, Clay!” Baby Branch snapped. “He’s dead! Gone. Never coming back!” His voice cracking at the end, and Poppy, Viva’s little sister, rushed at his side, hands intertwining as he rested his forehead against her.

Clay froze, mind processing his baby brother’s outburst. John Dory… was dead? He was really… gone? At his side, Spruce- no, Bruce, he wouldn’t be like John Dory, he would respect his wishes dammit- laid a hand on his shoulder, eyes looking at him in understanding.

“He’s gone, Clay,” Bruce said solemnly, gaze settling at something in the distance. Out of instinct, he followed and spotted a younger troll that looked just like his… deceased older brother. No, not just looked, they were exactly identical. The only difference was their fashion style. But that face, those eyes…

Anger boiled beneath the surface, but Clay squashed it down, only uttering “How?” blankly. He felt so angry all of a sudden and he couldn’t do anything about it because none of his brothers or the rest of the Putt Putt trolls deserved to be lashed out against. He wouldn’t be like John Dory.

John Dory is dead.

Bruce grimaced, “I haven’t been directly told but based on what I’ve gathered,” his eyes never strayed away from the John Dory look-alike, “something went wrong with Hook’s hatching.”

Hook. John Dory’s son.

He lost a brother and gained a nephew.

But he lost John Dory way before that, didn’t he?

Floyd

“What if one day… you die and I’m still here?” They had been hiding from the Bergens that night, John Dory and he had accidentally separated from their family. He had been freaking out all night, scared of the possibilities that might happen. That’s how their conversation had started.

John Dory had been silent at his question, an unusual exhaustion haunting him that Floyd couldn’t help but notice, his eyes drinking in the sight of his older brother looking older than he was.

“Then you’ll be all grown up, and you won’t be needing me anymore,” his voice shook a little, arms squeezing him tightly for just a brief second, before his grip grew lax.

Floyd shook as big, loud footsteps walked passed them, the screams of trolls faintly being heard. He squeezed his eyes, shifting in JD’s grasp as he buried his face in the crook of his neck, arms clinging onto his with all his might.

“I think I’ll always need you.”

Floyd stared at his hands, tears quietly trickling down his face. His brothers were scattered on different sides of the room, conflict etched on their faces. None of them came forward to comfort, none of them knew if they still had the right. Branch had walked out with their nephew, JD’s son.

John Dory was gone, he mourned. Floyd had almost died.

He died in the arms of his brothers. John Dory had died around a bunch of strangers.

Floyd came back to life… John Dory was gone.

Forever.

Branch

“Branch,” Poppy begged. “Talk to me.”

Branch stayed curled up in bed, hiding underneath the covers.

“Goodbye forever”

Those were the last words he ever heard from John Dory.

His eyes burned, tears threatening to spill but they didn’t. He was gone. John Dory was gone. He had been dead for 17 years.

He had planned to come back. He had planned to introduce the egg to his family. John Dory had wanted to come back.

How different would life had been, he thought bitterly, if John Dory had actually made it back? Would he and Hook have grown up together? Would they have been the best of friends? Would Grandma-

He cut that thought off.

Branch had unknowingly lost a brother all these years. A part of him had always hoped his brothers had been dead because that meant that they couldn’t come back of their free will. That if they had been alive, they would’ve chosen to come back. But to have it confirmed that one of them was in fact dead?

What did this mean for his other brothers? Had they also been dead this whole time?

[partywithoutsmiling]

what does JD think of rock beast branch in general?

Hi!

Well to begin with, he doesn't know that the 'Beast' that is dodging Poppy's steps is Branch.

When they first met, it was entirelly by accident and neither pair (Poppy and Branch, JD and Rhonda) were expecting to meet each other, so the confrontation was rather unpleasant and tense.

Branch felt Rhonda was a threat to both of them, and the only thing JD saw was an injured Pop Troll being pushed down by a monster/critter/predator.

So it took a moment for all of them to calm down, with Poppy doing her best to convince JD that Branch is not a threat and in fact helped her escape from Rock Troll territory.

JD does react to Poppy calling Branch 'Branch'- but this JD thinks all his brothers are dead (meaning that Poppy is at first startled because JD's colours are very muted, closer to gray than she is at the moment, which had her mistake him for a Rock Troll at first). Anyway, JD thinks all his brothers are dead, and he especially feels guilty about supposed Branch's death, so hearing Poppy call her big scary friend that name really makes him feel raw.

But it also makes him more easier to deal with, his guilt being enough to turn away neither of them, helping treat both their injuries too.

So at first, JD's opinion about Rock Beast Branch are not all that positive; he's wary, and he is watching him closely- he had too many intimate calls with dangerous predators and RB!Branch sends all his senses aflame.

It doesn't help that Branch glowers of him all the time. Like yes, meeting JD was a shock- seeing his colours was even bigger one. He considers JD at the moment a tentative ally, but his personal hurts and bitterness is rearing their head, and his form hardly gives him the means to process all of those in healthy way. So the vibe JD gets from RB!Branch are pretty hostile, so it takes a good while before JD is able to even relax in Branch's presence.

Branch in the meantime is treated to an in on his Brother's emotions, since JD has a habit talking to things and critters that cant talk back- and once JD trusts Branch enough to relax around him, I imagine he'd mention something hinting at his true beliefs about his brothers' fate, and Branch cant do anything but listen really.

When JD finally realize that Branch is actually his baby brother, he is for a moment absolutelly stunned and elated- and then immediatelly horrified and angered. Learning- with Poppy's help and some guessing- of the possibility that his other brothers might be alive as well, he is determined to find them all too- and find them mostly for Branch's sake as well, since no way he is letting his brother stay a dangerous beast forever.

[mirkwoodshewolf]

TCATC Chap. 32; The story of Cain the Wrathful

*Author’s note*

Okay folks this is the last update I will have for this story for awhile, you all are FINALLY caught up. Now I’m thinking of at least 2-3 more chapters after this and a couple of separate oneshots that I will just post under each character that’ll be important (you can choose to read those oneshots or not, I won’t force you) before I finally start posting up what I’ve started on the LOTR sequel.

ALSO PLEASE WATCH THE VIDEO DOWN BELOW BECAUSE THE SONG REALLY FITS WITH IT!!! Esp. with Cain’s story that he will share with Hela. So until next time my dears, enjoy this chapter.

Warnings: angst, some fluff, more angst, character deaths, body part missing, more angst and a dash bit of fluff. This chapter is pretty heavy ya’ll so just bear with me.

NEXT CHAPTER

Taglist:

@plethora-of-things​

@ixchel-9275​

@waddles03​

@psychosupernatural​

@queensdivas​

@queen-paladin​

@peter-parkers-cullen-nerd​

@jd-johndeacon-or-jackdaniels​

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*Cain’s POV*

I felt the warmth of the sun disappear from my skin which gave me a sign that nightfall was not far behind and I still have yet to find Hela. I know I could’ve used my enhanced hearing to find her by following her heartbeat but I’ve already lied to her once, I don’t want to scare her away for good in her knowing how exactly I found her.

The sound of wings flapping soon came over me and I could smell the scent of earth from the Misty Mountains and dried blood aroused my nose. Icarus had found me.  I turned towards him and asked.

“Have you found her?” he let out a few trills and his wing extended outward to his right.  “Lead me to her Icarus.” He walked closer to me and I felt his body lower down in front of me allowing me to mount on top of him as he took off flying.

I heard the sounds of the river creek just below us as Icarus flew downward, flapping his wings accordingly before he landed safely on the ground.  It was then Hela’s heartbeat rang fast yet would skip a couple of beats, like when you splint a wood when hammering a nail into it.

There was no need to have Druig’s ability to read minds for me to tell how Hela was feeling, even her voice alone earlier today spoke of betrayal, heartbreak, shock, confusion, and anger.  Slowly I approached her, the sound of the water growing louder with each step I took closer to her.

“Hela.” I spoke her name.  I heard the fabric of her clothes adjusting as she was probably huddling herself closer trying to become invisible (even though that wasn’t possible). “Hela we have to talk.” I told her softly.

*My POV*

Talk? Talk about what?  All this time, all these years…..these past two Ages I’ve walked Middle Earth, another Celestial existed and he did nothing to help me or our brothers and sisters.

“All this time. You’ve been here. Hiding in the shadows while our kin—” I trailed off harshly wiping away my tears.  “Another Celestial has been alive all this time. How am I supposed to process this?”

“Hela…..” I turned to face him, rage boiling within me as I snapped.

“No! You abandoned us! Abandoned your kin! How could you ever live with yourself with all this. And you knew I was out there suffering! Alone! Living with the guilt of not being able to revive my family from the Deviant’s sting. Living with the sorrow of seeing their stoned bodies every day for this whole Age. Living with—living with loneliness. At the fact that you made me believe to be the last of my kind.” I rambled on in pure rage before trailing off and finishing off brokenly.

I couldn’t look him at his blindfolded gaze any longer. I turned and sniffled as I tried to stop the tears from falling but I couldn’t stop them.

“Not a day goes by where I don’t think that. Knowing that I was forced to never have contact with you or any of our fallen kin.”

“Forced? Wait-what? What do you mean forced?” he didn’t speak a word as he reached up and took off his shirt and from the light of the full moon I saw just above his heart the Mark of a Betrayer.

In our kin; if one commits an act so heinous or vile of our laws, they are marked with a symbol just above the heart in the shape of what would look like an X.  However it was more broad, like a star put sideways with one point going down longer than the rest of the other three points.

“That was curtesy of our sister Thena.” He didn’t speak her name with any bitterness as he put his shirt back on.  “The reason you could not know of me, was because I was already marked as a Traitor amongst our Kin. And as such…..”

“No Celestial could speak your name. Unless in a curse.” I finished softly.  He nodded softly but grimly as he walked up and sat down by the lake.

“If I didn’t do what I did, I would’ve given anything to stay with you. To have gotten to know you, along with Druig, Makkari and Sprite.” I looked down nervously picking at my nails debating whether or not I should even continue to speak with him.

But Galadriel’s words came back into my head.  How I deserved to know who he was.  And as I’ve learned in the world of Men, there are two sides to the story.

I walked over to him and sat down beside him, a deep frown was on his face and his jaw clenched with regret.  And if I could see what was underneath the blindfold, I’m sure his eyes would be brimming with tears and regret.

“Cain, who are you?” he took a deep breath before turning his head upward and asked me.

“Tell me, can you see any stars in the sky yet?” I looked up and saw that there were some starting to shine along with the moon.

“Yes. I can see a few.”

“That’s the one thing I miss. Seeing the stars shine in the sky. Being up with them and holding them in the palm of my hand.” I turned to him and responded.

“You were a Celestial of Starlight?” a bitter smile came at the corner of his mouth as he looked back down.

“Once. Yes. In fact I was the first Starlight Celestials born. 50 years before Ikaris was born. Out of all my brothers and sisters od Starlight he came the closest to gaining my spot of the High Celestial Council. Had his ego not gotten in the way.” I softly chuckled.

“He was rather cocky. Spent more time with Elves than any other race.”

“Hadn’t changed a bit then.” Cain chuckled.  “I told him he could one day surpass me, if he showed compassion and kindness to the lives of the Mortals like he did with the Immortals. If he didn’t, then he’d always be one step behind me.”

“In a way he did give it to them. But he never formed a strong connection with them. Always told me to be weary of forming bonds with Mortals. For their lives are brief and losing them can only bring about heartbreak.”

“While that is true, but is it not better to have formed connections with them, rather than—”

“To have not formed any bonds with them at all.” I finished. “I say that to myself all the time whenever my mortal friends question why I continue to return to them.” Cain smiled as he turned in my general direction.

“It would seem we both share the same philosophy.”

“I suppose so.” I said with a small smile and rubbed my injured shoulder.

“It still hurts, doesn’t it?” I looked at him and asked him.

“How exactly can you tell that?”

“What I’ve told you about my senses is true, to a degree. I’m able to hear the friction of your bones in your shoulder grinding together.”

“You-you can actually hear all that?”

“That’s not all though. I’m able to stretch my senses far beyond any mortal capability. If I wanted, I can hear and tell you exactly what is happening with your Hobbit friend Bilbo Baggins. As well as what is happening in Dale with your human friend Bard.”

By the Valar! He can hear and see all of that?! How is that even possible?

“I suppose you wish to know how that’s possible?”

“Oh don’t tell me you can read minds too without Druig’s power?” he softly laughed, the corner of his eyes crinkled under the blindfold as he said.

“No. I just get asked that a lot when I tell people of my true capabilities.” It was then the smile dropped from his face and his body language turned sad with his shoulders lagging and his head down.  “However it…..it brings up to why and how I got this scar.”

“I want to know. Cain I—I want to hear your side of the tale.” He swallowed hard, his adam’s apple bobbing a bit before he turned to me.

“First, you need to see this.” He lifted his hands and reached for his blindfold.  “I warn you, this—tends to make people uncomfortable. That’s why I hide my eyes from the rest of the world.” Once his fingers touched the blindfold, he slowly untied it and allowed it to fall into his lap.

“By the Valar.” I breathed.  In place of where his eyes should be looked to be two stars that had been taken from the sky, shrunken down, molded into circles and then placed into his eye sockets.  They shined a pure white glow with a hint of light blue around the rims.

“I wasn’t born this way. I—lost my sight when I—when I lost……” he slowly lifted his hands towards my face.  I slightly flinched but he told me, “I won’t hurt you. It’s……it’ll be easier to show you what happened, through my memories.”

“I trust you.” I told him after a brief pause.  I then took his hands and pressed them on each side of my face.  His thumbs at first gingerly stroking my cheeks while his index fingers felt for my temples and I felt a warm sensation come over me as a flash of light came over me and I found myself before a gorgeous waterfall.

It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before in Middle Earth. And along it was a small house of wood and stone.  A crowd gathering outside with gifts and lantern lights in their hand.  I even saw amongst the crowd Ajak, Thena, Gilgamesh, Ikaris, Phastos and a young Kingo.

‘It was the birth of Elwing, and we Celestials gathered to celebrate the birth of who would grow to be an important figure in the future to come. And it was here that my life would change forever.’ Cain’s voice rang out to me.  Soon walking beside me was Cain.

However he looked younger, more vibrant and confident in his stride.  His hair was longer, about midway down his neck and his eyes were a deep brown mixed with green.  He walked around holding the power of a Starlight Celestial (which was the glow of the stars themselves) at the palm of his hand.

PLAY VIDEO

He walked towards the waterfalls just a bit away from the house when he stopped and came across a beautiful young woman with long blonde hair. She was fair in face but she was no elf, in fact she was human.  A mortal. Her long blonde hair was as almost as golden as Lady Galadriel’s, her skin white as snow and her eyes reminded me of Haldir’s.

She turned around to head back when her eyes caught sight of Cain and the two of them just stared at one another like a rabbit freezing in fear. It was then Cain smiled nervously and gave a gentle wave at the young woman all the while looking down at his hand and tried to dim the Starlight from his palm, with little to no success.

The woman softly laughed behind her hand before coming up to Cain and I saw her mouth out ‘May I?’ Cain awkwardly and nervously smiled again and nodded as he held out his starlit hand and she was in pure awe at the stars Cain held in his palm.

‘Her name was Yvaine, daughter of Yalanna and Korath. Korath was a family friend to Elwing’s father. Though they were elves who chose a mortal life, they remained friends and were invited to celebrate the birth of Elwing.’ As Cain spoke I saw the memories of him and Yvaine together.

Taking long walks along the forests, him showing her his powers and abilities, riding horses together and watching both the sunrise and sunsets together.  The two of them reminded me of Haldir and myself just shortly after we became more than friends.

Cain was so in love with her in fact, that I saw as he stood before both Yvaine’s father and Ajak to discuss what may have been a marriage proposal.  

I saw as Ajak’s lips spoke some words to him but Cain stood firm and I could tell he had said to her that he’s willing to give up his immortality and his Celestial power just to be with Yvaine.

With that, the next image I was shown was their wedding day. Yvaine and Cain standing together side by side in their wedding clothes, her family on one side and ours on another.

As they kissed, the crowd cheered and I saw Gilgamesh, Thena and Ikaris bow before their new sister in law, while Ajak, Phastos and young Kingo embraced Yvaine with open arms welcoming her as a part of the family. And Phastos was willing to gift to them a special gift that Ajak believed wasn’t quite ready yet, he called it a photograph.  Said to be like a painting but more realistic and smaller and it was that gift he gave to his younger brother and new sister in law.

I now stood before a castle that I’ve only seen pictures of back in Rivendell.  The large castle and Elves everywhere told me that I now stood before the once great Kingdom of Gondolin, the very place where Gandalf’s, Thorin’s and Bilbo’s swords were made.

I stood before a quaint little house and I peeked inside to see Cain sitting on the bed with his eyes closed and Yvaine pulling something out from a small jewelry box.  Cain kept trying to peek through his fingers, but Yvaine laughing would tell him to stop peeking and Cain would tell her that he wasn’t looking.

That was when she pulled out a small baby bootie and held it out before Cain and I saw her lips tell him to open his eyes.  When Cain opened his eyes, he gasped and a wide smile came across his face.  But his smile dropped when his jaw dropped and she revealed two more baby booties of a different colors.  The first was white, the other one was blue and the other pink.

Cain then fainted on the bed which caused Yvaine to hover over Cain in a brief panic but Cain launched forward and brought her down to lay beside him.  He stroked some wild strands out of her face as Yvaine laughed happily behind her hand and Cain kissed the top of her head before peppering her face with kisses. After kissing her, he pressed his forehead against hers and the two of them kissed each other passionately and ever so sweetly.

I saw them together with their new babies, seeing their first steps, the first time they spoke, playing together, and being a family. However not all things end happy, and from what I’ve read in the first Age, a lot of terrible things were going on at the time.

Like what I was witnessing now.  Fire had spread throughout the kingdom as Orcs, dragons and Balrogs attacked the great city of Gondolin.  From inside the house I saw Cain fixing his daughter’s cloak while Yvaine was helping out their two sons with their cloaks.

Glorfindel, whom I remember Ikaris telling me was a good friend of his, came to collect them and together they along with anyone they could find in the wreckage escaped into the mountain passage while the city was left to burn, and thousands of Elves perished in the fire.

Suddenly they were ambushed as Orcs came riding up behind them. Everyone in a panic began to run, mothers and children running as fast as they could.  Through the panic I saw as Cain, Yvaine and their kids briefly stopped and Cain turned to his family.

He knelt down before his children and kissed them each on the forehead before looking up at Yvaine.  He stood up and gave her one last kiss before telling her to take the kids and run.  She shook her head, refusing to leave without him but Cain wouldn’t take no for an answer. As he saw some of his former Starlight brothers and sisters flying along with the great Eagles of Manwë, he called out to sister Vers, Ikaris and brother Orion to take his family and go.

Vers, Ikaris and Orion tried to hold back Yvaine and his kids who were trying to break free and be with their father and husband.  Cain then took out what looked like to be Orcrist and charged towards the orc army to fight alongside Glorfindel and some other Elves who were willing to hold off the orcs, allowing the others to escape.

Cain fought exactly the same way I’ve witnessed him fight, the ferocity yet precision in the way he wielded Orcrist and how he used his body to take down the orcs.  Suddenly he took notice of a bright flame just ahead of where Ikaris, Orion and Vers had taken his family and where the others had tried to escape to.

Terror came about Cain’s face as he fought through Orc after Orc to get to the top cliffside of the mountain.  Glorfindel racing right behind him and I followed right behind to see the Balrog that was also said to be there, the beast that Glorfindel took down and sacrificed himself to save hundreds of others before being resurrected.

I saw as Cain screamed out in pure heartbreak and horror as he raced towards his family who were hiding behind some rocks while his brothers and sister tried to handle the Balrog but were failing.  I watched as the Balrog summoned his whip and send it down right towards Yvaine and the children and soon a flash of light from the whip blinded my entire vision.  

When the light dimmed, the battle was done and I saw the corpses of Yvaine clinging onto her dead children, and just a few feet away from them, Cain with his eyes completely burned out from the light of the whip that ended his family.

Vers, Orion and Ikaris landing down beside Cain but it was Ikaris who held Cain in his arms crying and pleading to the Valar to spare Cain.

As the picture faded and I was left in darkness until another image was brought up.  Cain was lying on a bed and Ajak stood over him with Ikaris holding his hands together anxiously, his leg bouncing up and down nervously.

‘Ajak, at Ikaris’ desperation, gave me a second chance. My immortality and Celestial strength restored.’ Cain’s voice rang as I saw Ajak reach into her chest and she actually took out a sliver of her very soul.  The pure whitish-blue energy was within her palm and she placed it over Cain’s eyes.

After a few minutes she removed her hand from Cain’s eyes and for a brief moment, Cain remained still until I saw him let out a gasp and his body shuddered as his head looked around frantically.  His lips repeating out his wife’s and children’s’ names as well as the fact that he couldn’t see.

‘But I would forever remain blind. Not just in the physical sense, but also by my rage.’ Cain’s voice said as I now saw another flashback of Cain walking with clenched fists and a furrowed, angry scowl on his face.  ‘So blinded by my rage in fact, that I took it out on the one Celestial who couldn’t say goodbye.’

Ikaris soon came into the picture and Cain let out an angered yell before pouncing on Ikaris and the picture went black.  I stood there in the blackness until Cain suddenly appeared before me again.  This time his hands were completely covered in blood, bits of blood splattered across his face and his body trembling in both rage as well as sorrow.

‘And—I would give…..anything to tell him how sorry I am.’ Cain’s voice sounded so broken with nothing but regret and remorse for what he had done.  ‘You and the future Celestials couldn’t know of my name Hela,’ the vision went black and I was now back in the real world with Cain in front of me. Him taking his hands back as he turned away from me in disgrace, “Because I will forever be…….Cain the Wrathful.”

I saw as tears fell down his face and dripped down onto the lake which caused some ripples in the water.  I sat there in shock at hearing his tale but before I could say anything, Cain stood up and walked away in silence.

I felt a soft nudge at my back and turned to see Icarus who let out a couple of sad squawks, and even his permanent furrowed brow was raised up in sorrow as he looked at me with pure sad eyes.

‘You are not the only Celestial to suffer Hela. Both you and Cain may have different stories, but you both share the same pain. You not only need him.’ Lady Galadriel’s voice rang in my head.

“He needs a sister. He needs me.” I softly replied out loud.  Icarus closed his eyes and gave a small nod.  I got up and Icarus lowered himself down so that I could get onto his back and he immediately took off back towards Cain’s cabin.

I got back to the cabin and I waited along the front porch waiting for Cain to return.  All night I waited until dawn was just moments away.  My head perked up when Icarus’ lifted his head and tilted his head after hearing something.  Soon coming toward us was Cain, he paused for a moment sensing my presence was close to him.

I stood up and I walked towards him.  He remained still but his starlight eyes refused to look at me. I took a deep breath and finally I stood before the exiled Celestial that was is my brother Cain.

“Brother Cain.” I softly spoke to him.  Hearing him being called Brother after so long, it got him to raise his head up in shock as he looked at me.  “I can have some understanding.”

I slowly reached out and took his hands in mine, I felt his hands tremble within my grasp but I eased his worry by stroking his knuckles as softly as I could.

“You lost your family. Lost—both families. You’ve suffered so much…..all on your own. Something that…..I myself have only known. I thought that—no one else could know my pain, until I was told about your story. In a way, your exile is worth it. You’ve helped the people of Harad from Sauron’s forces because of your exile. You’ve kept the South under control of Deviants because of your exile. Because of your exile I—I have a Brother. A living Celestial brother who knows my pain. And maybe—while I’m here being trained by you, perhaps; there is a chance, even just a little, that we both can be healed. Together.” I spoke as I would tighten my grip on his hands trying to give him as much comfort as I could muster.

A solemn yet broken smile came across his face as tears once again fell from his eyes.

“Every night; I pray to Yvaine for help. And little sister,” his hands reached up and came to my shoulders before gently guiding up towards my face.  Once again his thumbs gingerly stroking my cheeks as I smiled at him.  “She and the Lady of Lórien have sent me you.”

And for the first time, I embraced a brother that was neither Elf, nor of Man or even Dwarf.  I was embracing a Celestial of Starlight, my brother Cain and he was embracing me back with as much love and strength as I was holding onto him.

The rays from the rising sun shined down upon us as Icarus let out a few prideful screeches before flying over our heads several times before taking off high into the sky off into the sun’s rise.

[simping-on-the-daily]

Trains

TW: Implied suicidal thoughts (character wants to stay dead), suicide, death, alcoholism (Schlatt duh), self destructive thoughts, poison, mild injuries but nothing too descriptive, I think that's all?

A/N: Basically my headcanons of the Afterlife, and the intro fanfic for Whisper. Whisper was not involved in any plot, her ghost on the other hand-

Summary: One by one, the station slowly grew.

Whisper had been dead for a very long time.

Before the wars, in fact. Before anything, she really. Whisper travelled to the server, hung around for a few days before eventually dying. She never even interacted with any of the SMP members. She moved, so death's axe did as well.

And she accepted the creature watching her as she died, the mixture of soup falling to the ground. She didn't know the mushrooms were poisonous. But she didn't really care.

It was for the best, she said. She couldn't love herself. She couldn't be there for everyone, she said. This was her punishment, she said, This will make everyone happy, she said.

No-one had told her how uneventful the Afterlife was.

The train station was simple. It appeared to be made of stone and a very dark spruce (she didn't know much about wood), with numerous pieces of furniture lying around. Summoning stuff was a thing, but it took a lot of energy. Trains came and go, but they never stopped. You could go inside the train station, and the interior was that of an actual train.

The logic here was weird. The time here was weird.

Apparently each server had their own limbo. And she heard rumors (don't ask from who), that people from this server, but from other times, also had their own limbo.

When the train first stopped, she was really confused. And then when Schlatt popped up, she was even more so. Schlatt was a good friend, being part of the same server for an incredibly long time. Through him, she learned about Connor (his dad never failed to give her creeps).

Apparently Schlatt was joined the Dream SMP as well, got banned, became a president of a country (she knew he went to law school, but wow), ending up executing his son (that was quite a shock, he had a son?), drowned himself in alcohol to forget the fear that everyone was going to leave him, everyone did leave him, and then died from a heart attack surrounded by his enemies.

That took a while to process.

And then a new person came in.

A wannabe JD lookalike with a red beanie came in, with the sleeves of his trenchcoat uneven. The man didn't exactly seem stable, and from the rants she got, after Schlatt's death, Schlatt's son became the president, while the guy who was apparently called Wilbur tried to blow up the country he created. Then, his father came in, tried to get him to stop (he didn't stop), ended up blowing up the country, before begging his own father to kill him.

Yeesh. And she thought she was the one who wanted to die.

After the two new arrivals, it was actually pretty calm. Wilbur chatted and played Solitaire a lot, and thanks to him, Whisper learnt how the time worked in the Afterlife. And the fact that there was a ghost version of her quite shocked Whisper. The ghost that Wilbur discussed was said to still keep the self sacrificing and people pleasing attitude, but ultimately more innocent and kind then the actual real Whisper.

That was what death did to you, I guess. It made one bitter.

With Schlatt, the two were able to recollect the old times together. As spirits, the ram hybrid was upset to find that alcohol didn't have an affect on him, but he still did drink it. The two were able to discuss the old kayaking sessions and the drinks at the bar. While Schlatt couldn't stop Whisper's unhealthy addiction for praise, they could have a good time here-

Oh wait, the bane of her existence had arrived.

A while later, a new train popped up and left a guy wearing the Mexican flag and a smiley face mask that had it's tongue poking out. Apparently the guy looked very familiar to some other guy, as Schlatt and Wilbur loudly let out a "Dream?!", before the guy explained that he was Mexican Dream, not Dream (apparently that guy killed him).

He was the entire reason Whisper used up her energy to summon earplugs. The main just wouldn't shut up. The guy never had an off button and would end up loudly declaring his love to a guy named Mamacita (apparently the girl version of the original Dream, so MD was basically dating himself?) whenever she trying to chat with Wilbur or Schlatt.

However, the guy did end up growing on her. Whenever he was down due to losing his girlfriend or his death, it felt empty without the Spanish screams. Whisper was annoyingly fond of him, to put it.

Then, a literal teenager arrived.

She wasn't sure if MD or he was worse. He constantly talked about his 'Primes' whatever the fuck that was, and he just kept screaming. Whisper was never sure if his hatred for Americans was joking or serious, and the most annoying thing was that Wilbur seemed to like the kid. Apparently they were like brothers when they were both alive. Calm solitaire sessions with the beanie wearing spirit turned to a loud blonde idiot messing with the Cards. Apparently his name was Tommy. And he was the reason Whisper used up her energy to create bigger earplugs.

Unlike Mexican Dream, however, Tommy never had time to grow on the wolf hybrid. After two months of being in the Afterlife, a new train came up and took Tommy away back to the living world.

One by one, the station slowly grew. And although the actual Afterlife was boring, the people in it surely weren't. Whisper was never a fan of getting all emotional, but MD, Schlatt and Wilbur eventually became like a family to her. Though, Whisper did learn to never roughhouse with a ram hybrid. His horns dug right into her pinkie and after that, the blood never stopped pouring. It didn't hurt, but Whisper had to wrap some toilet paper around it top prevent the train station from getting stained.

The Afterlife wasn't so bad, after all.

[thankskenpenders]

Yeah, this is the big one. Grab your popcorn

Sally finally gets a moment to talk to Sonic after being ignored all day, and tells him what’s up. With her being put in charge, and Sonic being her royal consort (basically, the guy who’s committed to marrying her someday but isn’t quite her fiance yet), Sally wants Sonic to stop going on away missions and lead Knothole by her side

Look. Let’s set aside all of our preconceived notions about what a Sonic comic should or shouldn’t be. Ignore the fact that we obviously want to see Sonic go on adventures. Forget it. Let’s look at it from Sally’s perspective for a second

Yes, this is the post in which I explain that “The Slap” isn’t that bad. It’s certainly not great, but it’s not The Worst Thing Ever like it’s been made out to be. I wish I didn’t have to spend my evening writing this, but 15 years of hyperbolic fan outrage (note: some Wikia rando added that “reception” section this year) have forced my hand

First of all, again, Sonic is formally committed to marrying her and ruling alongside her someday. This was established ten issues ago. He was already committed to this. Then, Sonic went and died. Sally still spent an entire year of her life thinking her basically-fiance was dead, and had to deal with shit in Knothole without him as things continued to get worse and worse. No one can just bounce back from that unscathed. After his return, she WANTED to help Sonic and go be a Freedom Fighter on the last mission, but her parents forbade her and the royal guards kept her in the castle. (That SUCKS, but is a whole ‘nother conversation.) She wants to fight by his side and keep him safe, but her parents are forcing her to stay home and be the princess, which only makes her more distraught. Last issue, she broke down into tears when she saw Sonic get shot by M over Eggman’s video feed, and her mother had to console her and reassure her Sonic wasn’t dead

Sally very clearly has PTSD over Sonic’s “death” a year ago. She doesn’t want to lose him again. She’s outright said as much

And also... when she says Sonic isn’t the only hero around, she’s got a point?Sonic barely did anything in the last arc! Tails was the one who outsmarted ADAM. Shadow dealt with Eggman. Bunnie did most of the damage to M and took out an entire fucking aircraft carrier on her own. Knuckles, the Chaotix, Rouge, and Amy took out the robot horde. All Sonic did was land the final attack on M--which, honestly, someone else could’ve done. And he got his arm injured in the process

Add on to this all of the chaos of the last few days. Sally’s barely had a free moment to see Sonic since she found out he was alive. They nearly got nuked by Eggman. They’re being harangued by the paparazzi. It sucks. And hell, it goes back WAY further than this! She spent years as a kid trying to save her parents, and now all they do is belittle her. She found out she had a secret older brother, and then her parents decided he was the more important child. She went through all sorts of relationship drama. She nearly died a few times herself. And now, her parents have decided to leave her in charge of their whole kingdom at a time of war, while she’s still a mess from the trauma of losing Sonic. The idea Bollers had was apparently that Sally had been bottling up her issues for years (which she totally had been), and this was just the breaking point

I know Sonic’s desire to keep being a hero is understandable. I know he’s right. That’s all he really knows how to do, and he feels useless in times of peace. And obviously, we the readers want to see Sonic go on adventures. But Sally’s concerns are valid. We don’t have to agree with her plan to have Sonic rule by her side for her emotions to be understandable

Sally’s been on the verge of a breakdown for who knows how long. She should be mad at her parents, but they’ve worn her down to the point where she thinks she’s unable to confront them. (It would be very, very easy to make a case arguing that Sally’s parents are emotionally abusive. Max especially.) She thinks that Sonic is the one person who will listen to her and have her back. They’re betrothed, after all. This is literally what he signed up for. After trying to get his attention ALL DAY, she finally gets a chance to talk to him. But he wants other things in life, and refuses. In front of a crowd, no less

So she lashes out at Sonic and slaps him

Then they both start yelling at each other and crying. Sally asks Sonic if she’s more important to him than fighting Eggman, Sonic can’t answer, and Sally runs away in tears. For all intents and purposes, Sonic and Sally are now broken up. (For now.)

Should Sally be lashing out at Sonic? No. Could this scene be done better? Oh, absolutely. This is not the direction I would want Sally to go in as a character, and if you ARE gonna have them fight, this wasn’t written with the care required to make fans sympathize with both parties. The fact that we’ve seen everything from Sonic’s perspective with barely any insight into Sally’s certainly doesn’t help. But as the several lengthy paragraphs above explain, this does not come out of nowhere. It’s easy to find lots of fans online calling Sally all sorts of names (sometimes very misogynistic or ableist ones) because they think she just flipped out on Sonic out of nowhere. But she didn’t. Sally having some sort of breakdown had been foreshadowed for several issues, and the reasons why make sense. No, she shouldn’t have lashed out at Sonic, but this isn’t just her going “Oh no, my period! Let’s nuke England!” as so many have made it out to be. (And hell, the comics already had a lengthy history of treating Sally even worse than this, with Gallagher making her the nagging girlfriend who bickered with Sonic all the time and Penders sympathizing more with her shitty dad.)

Again, this was supposed to be a turning point in which Sally bottling up all this crap and carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders finally leads to her breaking. It’s a dramatic low point to build back up from. The problem is that Bollers left the series only a few issues later, and Penders and “Chacon” never did much with this. So in hindsight, many view this as her randomly snapping “for no reason,” because the followup stories that would have explored how she’d been bottling up her feelings were never actually written. But it’s not hard to figure out what’s supposed to be going on in her head if you actually go back and look at the preceding Sally scenes

For the most part, this is just run of the mill relationship drama for Archie Sonic. You see this kind of shit all the time in serialized media. Characters date, but the writers need to keep things ~spicy~, so they break up, see other people... then inevitably end up back together, and the process repeats ad nauseum. You ever watch Scrubs? You know how JD and Elliot are obviously love interests from episode one, but they had to do that will they/won’t they shit for years and have flings with other characters to keep up ratings? Yeah, it’s just that. For Sonic, there’s also the added pressure from Sega, who never allowed Sonic to be in any stable relationship for very long. Several writers have talked about how this limited what they could do with Sonic and Sally. Do I like that this cycle of drama is the norm? No. But after over 200 of these comics, I’m used to it

(And hell, at this point in the comics, they had literally just broken up Bunnie and Antoine, and Rouge was starting to get in the way of Knuckles and Julie-Su’s relationship. Between Julie-Su and Knuckles’ first kiss and them actually dating, Penders had Julie-Su get mad at Knuckles and go out with some random other guy. They do this shit all the time)

The worst you can really say about this scene is that Jon’s art is a little too goofy and undermines the drama a bit. In his own words from his website’s FAQ: “I’m sorry. Like I said, I was an overeager noob and I drew what I was given.” But really, he had been drawing these sorts of exaggerated, frantic expressions throughout the entire issue. Not just with Sally. Look at all the panels of Sonic wigging out in the previous pages. I still think his work is fantastic. If anything, it was a bad call on Archie’s part to give this somber scene to a brand new artist with a very exaggerated, silly art style. He just drew what was in the script

You know what really blows about this whole thing, though? Jon Gray is still, to this day, over 15 years later, getting harassed for drawing The Slap

That is so utterly ridiculous and shitty. People have made up all sorts of conspiracy theories about the slap, saying that Jon had some sort of “anti-Sally agenda” and that it wasn’t in the script. (This is completely false.) People are so stuck in the past and bent out of shape over this one panel in a pretty run-of-the-mill Archie Sonic issue that Jon has to block people who come into his Twitter mentions accusing him of “sabotaging” the series on a regular basis. Y’all, Jon’s a good guy, and he doesn’t deserve to be treated like that

And lord. There’s so much nastier shit within this series. Penders hooking a 15-year-old Sally up with a dude in his 20s (and later saying that he wanted her to lose his virginity to said dude). Gallagher making Barby Koala have a creepy crush on Tails. Penders rephrasing a poem about the Holocaust to be about hedgehogs. Penders having Sally rationalize her dad’s attempt at genocide. (I could go on and on with Penders, can you tell)

This whole thing is just, so blown out of proportion. It’s not a great scene, but it didn’t “ruin” Sally’s character. Neither Jon nor Bollers had some sort of “anti-Sally agenda.” They weren’t out to ruin your fucking ship. And for god’s sake, quit yelling at them about it. This was 15 years ago and all parties involved have moved on. It’s just more melodrama in a series that’s always 90% melodrama

It’s a single panel in a comic about Sonic the Hedgehog. Can we move on

[violethowler]

The Winding Detour: An analysis of Shiro’s Character Arc in Seasons 1-7

A common accusation I’ve been hearing ever since Season 6 came out is that the EPs didn’t know what they were doing with Shiro. That they never wanted to bring him back in the first place and just kept shuffling him around to give him something to do.

Not only is this contradicted by several interviews with the EPs, but when you actually look at Shiro’s story over the course of the series, particularly with the added context of his backstory that we get in S7E1 A Little Adventure, there was a clear arc in Shiro’s character from Point A to Point B. It’s not immediately obvious because there were a few unplanned zigzags in the middle.

In a Den of Geek interview in August 2017, LM and JDS say “We weren’t allowed to from the executives. That’s it. He had to come back. That’s pretty much it. We wanted him to be gone for a much longer period of time and we weren’t allowed to.” He was going to be gone longer. Not that hey never wanted to bring him back. JDS also later in the interview adds “Concessions have to be made and we’re still happy with where the story has gone, it just wasn’t our original idea.”

Leaving aside the fact that they’ve said they’re happy with where the story has gone even if it wasn’t their original idea, the biggest indicator that they knew what they were doing with Shiro was the fact that when you look back at Seasons 3 – 7 and connect all the dots not just in the show itself but in the similarities and references to the original 80s cartoon, there is a clear trajectory in Shiro’s arc that led to him serving as the captain of the Atlas.

Debates on the ethics of the clone merger aside, the end result of the Clone Shiro storyline, when combined with the revelations about Shiro’s illness in Season 7, presents his story from Seasons 3 – 6 as meta commentary on how DOTU adapted two similar-looking GoLion characters into a single person via the character of Sven Holgorsen. (Credit to radioactivesupersonic for that analysis, I did not come up with that): The GoLion version, Takashi Shirogane, died and was replaced by his previously-unknown to the audience identical brother Ryou Shirogane. The DOTU version, Sven, survives and returns to the team after a long absence. Voltron: Legendary Defender manages to combine both versions of the story into a single character with all the relevant memories.  

And I want to expand on the DOTU/GoLion connections some more. In Beast King GoLion, Takashi Shirogane serves as the mentor for Akira Kogane, Keith’s original GoLion counterpart, and pilots the blue lion before his untimely death. Following his introduction later in the series, Ryou Shirogane serves as a key leader in the resistance against the Galra. In DOTU, both Shirogane siblings are adapted into the character of Sven Holgersson, who instead of dying as Takashi did, was sent to a hospital planet to recover, before being recaptured by the Drule (Galra). He escapes with the help of Romelle, and together they lead a significant rebel cell in the fight against the Drule Empire.

And in Voltron: Legendary Defender, Shiro starts off piloting a Voltron lion, before outside circumstances force him to step down from the role. Clone Shiro cannot initially pilot the Black Lion, and so becomes a leader of the Coalition, helping to coordinate between multiple rebel factions. Then Keith leaves the team, Clone Shiro pilots the Black Lion for a while, and then everything in Season 6 happens, and Shiro and his clone are fused into a single consciousness. After returning to Earth, Shiro quickly rises to become one of the highest-ranking people (if not the highest) at the Galaxy Garrison and serves as one of the leaders of the Coalition following the liberation of Earth in Season 7.

Whether other possible storylines for Shiro would have been better, or how well this storyline was pulled off, is a matter of individual opinion. But it is inaccurate to say that the writers had no plan for Shiro when his arc so closely mirrors that of his DOTU counterpart. 

Popular interpretations of the line “I don’t see what’s more fulfilling than being a Paladin” assumed that this meant either Shiro was supposed to be the Black Paladin permanently, or that Clone Shiro would find something that would help him form his own identity. But there are multiple different ways that line can be interpreted, and a lot of fans have interpreted it based on what they wanted to happen, rather than what did happen.

In the context of the finished show – not in hypothetical early season 7 drafts with Black Paladin Shiro that the showrunners alluded to in a post-S7 interview, but the show we have on screen – this line is a type of foreshadowing known as Tempting Fate: where a character makes a hypothetical or rhetorical comment or question and is soon proven wrong.

Lines that typically tempt fate include:

“__ is just a myth” and variations thereof. The myth soon turns out to be completely real.  

“Nothing could stop us now”. Something comes along to stop them.

“That sounds easy”. It turns out to be a lot harder.

“What’s the worst that could happen?” Do I even need to say it? 

“What could be worse then __?” Something turns out to be worse than __.

“Can this day get any worse?” Yes, it can. 

To break down a specific example, let’s take a look at The Incredibles:

On their wedding night, Elastigirl tells her husband that if their marriage is going to work, they need to be ready to support each other through thick and thin, the good times and the bad. To which Mr. Incredible responds:

“We’re superheroes. What could happen?”

We then immediately cut to a newsreel announcement detailing how the lawsuits levied against Mr. Incredible for injuries inflicted in the process of saving people’s lives resulted in the government legislating all superheroes into retirement and forcing Mr. Incredible and his wife to give up crime fighting. 

While the line is typically used for negative consequences, there are examples where the character being proven wrong is a good thing. A common example would be someone saying, “it can’t get any better than this” and then quickly find out that it actually can get even better.

So, when Shiro says “I don’t see what’s more fulfilling than being a Paladin,” narrative convention dictates that by the time the series is over, he will have found something that is more fulfilling to him than being a Paladin.

And in Season 7, he does.

S7E1 A Little Adventure reveals that despite his fame as the youngest pilot to fly a solo mission to space, the Garrison staff had repeatedly doubted him because of his illness. He was seen as a liability, as not being capable of flying the Kerberos mission despite the records he’s broken and the things he’s achieved. Sam Holt had to argue with Sanda on his behalf just for him to be allowed to fly the mission, and even his then boyfriend was telling him, “you can’t do this. You’re too weak. You’re not capable enough for this.” Though Adam didn’t put it in as many words as Sanda did, the message Shiro received was the same.

But S7E11 Trial by Fire is where things come full circle. He’s back on Earth, his illness healed, and he’s literally come back from the dead. With Sanda’s betrayal and Sendak going on the offensive, everyone around him is scrambling and panicked, but when Shiro starts giving orders everyone immediately follows them. No one makes any comment about his rank or his age or his health or his fitness for the job. The man who left home sick and doubted is now the person they all look to for leadership.

At New York Comic Con 2017 a few weeks before the release of Season 4, the showrunners spoke of Shiro’s role in the coming season, saying that with Keith now flying the Black Lion, Shiro needed to adjust to a support role where he isn’t always fighting on the front lines in the thick of the action himself.

Unfortunately, Keith’s VA had schedule conflicts that forced the writers to pause Keith’s leadership development and write him off the team until Season 6 to accommodate the limited time Steven Yeun could make it to the recording studio. As a consequence of Keith’s arc being put on hold, so was Shiro’s, as Keith’s absence forced the writers to put Shiro back in the Black Lion until Keith came back in Season 6.

But what we see of his tenure as the captain of the Atlas in Seasons 7 and 8 lines up as an organic culmination of that arc. And in addition to that particular arc, a recurring theme we’ve seen throughout Shiro’s character development is learning that like Sam Holt told Admiral Sanda in The Last Stand: Part 1, you can’t control every situation. There is repeated pattern across the first seven seasons that because of his illness and his trauma, Shiro has difficulty accepting help from other people and allowing himself to be vulnerable:

S7E1 A Little Adventure: In a flashback to before the Kerberos mission, he tells Adam, “You don’t need to protect me. This is something I need to do for myself.”

S1E9 Crystal Venom: Shiro only starts to grow agitated and directly question Sendak during the memory transfer once Coran and the other Paladins have left. One of the taunts he hears from Sendak is “The others don’t know what you know. They haven’t seen what you’ve seen.”

S2E1 Across the Universe: Compared to his optimism when leading the rest of the team and the way he constantly encourages everyone, Shiro is more flippant and vulnerable with Keith in this episode, particularly in how casually he treats having a glowing wound from Haggar in his side.

S2E3 Shiro’s Escape: When the team questions his decision to look for the mysterious Galra who helped him escape, he overrules their objections and insists that his memory of the event is real despite the Paladins’ valid concerns.

S2E7 Space Mall: Tries to work with the Black Lion to strengthen their bond and drive Zarkon out. When the Lion apparently takes off on its own, he panics at the lack of control and starts demanding the lion turn around. When Zarkon attacks him on the astral plane, Shiro wins by realizing that he needs to trust the Black Lion as a partner instead of using it as a tool.

S3E6 Tailing a Comet: After the trauma of escaping from a Galra laboratory a second time, Shiro is more closed off with Keith compared to their solo interactions in S2E1. He asks Keith “How many times will you have to save me before this is over?” His tone sounds exhausted and resigned, as if he feels he shouldn’t need someone to save him. 

S4E1 Code of Honor: Despite saying S1E4 that “People have to want to be part of a team. They can’t be forced,” Shiro continues trying to force Keith to continue as the Black Paladin despite Keith’s clear reluctance.

S5E3 Postmortem: Shiro argues with the team and leverages his authority as the Black Paladin when they question him about the risks of taking Lotor to the Kral Zera.

S5E4 Kral Zera: When the rest of the team won’t support his decision, Shiro flies Lotor to Fayiv by himself.  

S5E6 White Lion: Shiro attempts to open up to Lance and admits that he hasn’t been feeling like himself lately. 

S6E1 Omega Shield: When the mental link between him and Haggar causes him headaches during the missing, Shiro brushes aside the team’s concern, repeatedly telling them “I’m fine”. Later, he pretty much has a panic attack when Honerva forces her way into Oriande and the backlash reverberates through the link, distracting the paladins at a crucial moment when lives were on the line and their plan required Shiro’s prosthetic hand in order to succeed.

S6E3 Monsters and Mana: Shiro admits at the beginning that he’s “trying to take a mental break”, and says at the end that after playing the game with the team his head “feels so much better.” 

S7E6 The Journey Within: When Lance comments on Shiro just now bringing up a way to recharge the lions, Shiro sarcastically comments that “I guess having my consciousness transplanted from the infinity of Voltron’s inner Quintessence into the dead body of an evil clone of myself has left me a little out of sorts these last few weeks.” This is the most open he’s been about anything bothering him since the end of Season 5, and he’s saying it to the entire team at once and not just Keith or Lance. 

There is a noticeable pattern here: Shiro started the series suffering from PTSD, but kept it hidden from the team, only attempting to deal with his trauma when he was alone. Because of his disease, he had already developed a mentality of “I have to be strong. I need to do this by myself,”by just bottling up his problems so that others don’t see his pain. And once he’s the Black Paladin, expected to be “in control at all times”, he simply continues with that pattern of behavior. The only person he ever allows to see past the level-headed mask he presents to the rest of the team is Keith.

But the events of S3E5 bring further trauma, tearing him from a place of safety and security back into the hands of the people who violated him. After his escape not even Keith is allowed to see past the walls he puts up. From there, his behavior in Seasons 3 – 5 is driven by his need to re-establish that feeling of safety and security that he had back in Seasons 1 – 2.

It’s fitting that the ship Shiro now commands is called the Atlas. In Greek Mythology, Atlas was the titan who held up the sky on his shoulder. Nowadays, it’s used to refer to anyone who carries a heavy burden of any kind. Shiro has been carrying the weight of his trauma since the first episode, channeling his need for control into his work as the Black Paladin. But as S6E1 demonstrated, bottling up his pain and dealing with it alone only created more problems. In order for Shiro to truly heal, he needed to learn to share the burden instead of stoically going it alone.

It reminds me of the stigma that still surrounds mental illness today, but in particular, it reminds me of the damaging idea that someone who has mental health problems is somehow weak for seeking help and not dealing with it on their own. And that is the underlying principle of Shiro’s character arc: that you don’t have to deal with your personal demons alone. That it is not weak to seek help and rely on support from the people around you. I believe a verbal acknowledgement of this was cut from Season 8 amidst all the other edits, but the arc is still there even though it unfortunately wasn’t addressed out loud.

So, despite a clear – albeit tangled in the middle due to circumstances beyond the writers’ control – line for Shiro’s arc leading to where he is in Season 7, why do fans continue to insist that LM and JDS didn’t know what they were doing with him after they brought him back early?

Part of it comes down to the fact that, as I mentioned once in a brief post, the main flaw of the show’s writing is that is sometimes relies on the “show don’t tell” maxim a little too much: all of the details are there, but you don’t always notice them because the narrative doesn’t call attention to them.

The other part is that this fandom has an unfortunate habit of making quick judgements about characters and storylines based on first impressions, building theories and head canons around those impressions, and then dismissing anything that contradicted those theories and headcanons as bad writing or a character being OOC. (Remember all the Lance-obsessed antis who acted like he was so fragile and underappreciated he’d drop dead if he wasn’t constantly being praised? Because I do). And the gaps between season drops didn’t help matters.

Due to the way Seasons 3 – 6 were structured and released, we had almost a full year to get attached to our own headcanons and theories as to what was happening with Shiro and Operation Kuron. Fans who believed that S3-6 Shiro was a clone wrote theory after theory where the current Shiro’s status as a clone was discovered and the clone was deprogrammed and allowed to live his own life and develop into his own person separate from Shiro. While fans who didn’t believe the clone theory dug in their heels and continued to argue against Shiro being a clone.

In the end, both sides were wrong, but everyone came together to cry foul because they thought their respective interpretations were better than what the writers ended up going with. While I guarantee that with this fandom’s history there would almost certainly have been backlash no matter what (and I’ll grant you that the ethics of the clone merger are a little iffy), I think that if Seasons 3 – 6 were released as two full 13 episode seasons in 7 months instead of 4 half-seasons over the course of 10 months, it would have been a lot less severe because both sides of the Clone or Not Clone argument wouldn’t have had as much time to become entrenched.

TL;DR: Contrary to popular belief, the writers and EPs knew what they were doing with Shiro. They managed to combine three different characters across two different versions of the IP into a single character with an arc that mirrored the story of the DOTU character that he was based on. His character development in relation to his PTSD was meant to reject the stigma that people with mental illnesses are somehow weak for needing help and support from the people around them. I don’t speak for all Shiro fans, and we can debate about how well the arc was handled and the quality of it until the end of time. But it’s inaccurate to say that the showrunners were just making stuff up as they went along where Shiro was concerned when there is a clear, if tangled, trajectory from Point A to Point B for his character arc. 

[spiftynifty]

How come it seems like lm and jds can talk more candidly about their intentions regarding other ships like allurance and even k/l but not sheith? I don't understand why they can clarify things like allurance and how it was there from the beginning or flat out state that they never intended for k/l to be a thing, but when it comes to the topic of shiro and keith they won't just clarify what they did or did not intend/want their relationship to be? I'm confused by it. :(

Ooof this is an excellent question and I suspect a complicated one. 

First off, they can be candid about Allurance because 1) it’s a hetero couple (and therefore “acceptable” to executives and conservative parents) and 2) it was strongly implied and built up for almost the entirety of the series before they officially, canonically, became a couple. There’s no ambiguity there. They can be candid about kl because Allurance technically “kills” the ship by virtue of existing, but more importantly kl is the fanship that they have been directly asked about on more than one occasion and probably straight up badgered about it more times than we’re aware of. When your production studio gets blackmailed in the hopes of making k/l canon, that ship is being brought to your attention. 

Also, Afterbuzz is run by kl fans who have anti-like tendencies. They angle kl questions in nearly every interview, and I was pretty miffed by the way in this interview they heavily, heavily implied that only Sheith fans hated s8 “because their ship didn’t become canon” and yet in the same breath talked about how Allurance wasn’t good and came out of nowhere (something JDS delightfully shut down). In the live chat for the recent interview, people from all ship alignments kept begging the hosts to ask about why SK’s friendship wasn’t included in the final season. In the saltiest tone you can imagine, one of the more vocal kl hosts decided to answer the question (”they helped each other grow and evolve and since they’ve done that, we don’t need to see their friendship anymore, it got lots of screentime in other seasons”) and never let the showrunners actually speak on it, instead moving swiftly to another topic that aligned more with the hosts’ own interests. It was almost like she was afraid of what the answer would be. Was she afraid they’d say “well actually, on the matter of that, Sheith was our intended endgame” or was she trying to save them from having to talk about something NDAs prevented them from talking about? 

So why CAN’T they talk Sheith? I have a few theories. This gets long and a little rambly, so I’ve thrown it under a cut. 

1) Don’t ask, don’t tell. Except for post-s7, the showrunners themselves have never been asked about Sheith’s relationship in an interview. I think most Sheiths were afraid of rocking the boat and potentially upending a SK endgame by drawing too much attention to it. We were/are definitely the quieter side of the primary vld ships and honestly most of us were not expecting our ship to be canon. 

But vld ships and the ship wars are notorious across geekdom for vitriol and death threats, and the creators didn’t want to add any fodder to either side. In the middle of production it would have benefited no one for the EPs to say, “yeah sheith is meant to be viewed romantically” or “no, we can’t go back and change the story to make that true”. Either one would have resulted in an uptick of harassment from antis towards them, towards other fans. And nevermind the production side where DW/WEP weren’t ready for even a hint of m/m until right before s7 dropped. It was only AFTER they got the greenlight on gay Shiro that showrunners could finally be vague and say “some people will interpret [sk] as brothers, others will say it’s 100% confirmed they’re in a relationship”. Which is, in my opinion, a pretty interesting way to respond to that question. But again, if that interviewer hadn’t been brave enough to ask it, I highly doubt it’s something that the showrunners themselves would have ever brought up.

2) Sheith was actually intended to be romantic, but was blocked. We know now that Adam being greenlit as Shiro’s boyfriend happened right before (like a week or less) before s7 dropped. This was a show that had been in production for almost 4 years by this point, and the showrunners stated they picked Shiro to be their rep early on in the process. When they planted that idea in executive’s heads is anyone’s guess, as is when the proper fight for it began. I suspect their immediate team of directors, writers, and in-house producers were well aware and supportive, but kicking that up the chain was another story. I also have a suspicion that it wasn’t until season 6 was complete that the matter was brought up because greenlighting everything we got in s6 knowing Shiro was gay the whole time puts a lot of eyes on Keith. 

And really, it was Keith who was the problem all along. 

In every version of Voltron, Keith is the main protagonist. He’s the leader of the team, the primary “image” of Voltron, and thus, certain things about him need to be maintained. I’m not sure if this is sheer coincidence or not, but he is the only person on the team who stayed visually the same to his OG counterpart. All of the other paladins have gone from white dudes (and a white lady) to POC, or have had a genderswap. There is much debate about Keith’s race with people creating their own headcanons but ultimately Keith can pass as white. While the handbook states Lance is Cuban, Hunk is half black-half Samoan, Shiro is Japanese and even Pidge gets “Italian”, Keith is just listed as... human. Which is a surefire way to not upset fans who have HC’d him as POC while also not-NOT saying he’s white. Everybody “wins”. 

In addition I’m confident a major stipulation of the OG Voltron owners (the “gatekeepers”, as a few of the VAs and the showrunners themselves have darkly alluded to) was that Keith could not be LGBT. We know now he was meant to end up with Acxa, a fact that was already obvious to many of us from their Weblum meetcute. But that relationship was never scripted. 

Setting aside the fact that the OG Voltron owners (WEP) didn’t want Keith to be LGBT, I’m sure executives at Dreamworks would have struggled with the idea as well. Shiro stans can come at me all they like about this but Keith was always meant to be the primary protagonist of the show, of every version of Voltron, and making the main, masculine hero of a well-trodden, oft-rebooted franchise gay/bi would have been an ENORMOUS move for animation. Making him end up with the other main, masculine hero would have honestly broken the internet and the minds of countless conservative executives, and been a major benchmark not just for cartoons, but ALL media. Animation often trails behind TV and movies in terms of social progress because something something “protect the chillllldrennn”. And right now I’m struggling to think of a popular live action TV show, or movie, with an older audience, where the main masculine hero is lgbt, and in a relationship with the other main masculine hero. Feel free to offer me examples in replies but the fact that I’m struggling to think of anything is pretty telling. In short, if this revolutionary move still isn’t happening for the live action 13+ audience, asking for it to happen on a cartoon with a 7-11yo boy demographic is like asking for the moon. Keith couldn’t be gay, because immediately it would have been obvious to anyone that he was already very much in love with the other LGBT character on the show. Hell, it’s already pretty obvious in canon that this is the case, and dodging the question about his sexuality is dodging the confirmation that he’s in love with Shiro. 

I’d like to believe that one of the solutions to the Adam Problem that was proposed was that KEITH ends up with Shiro, but they were laughed out of the office. The pair’s incredibly close bond aside, it would have been the absolute easiest fix production-wise. They already have their shared history doing most of the legwork, all that’d have to be changed is:

-adding Shiro to the L/K scene in 8x01, just sitting there as Keith encouraged Lance.-Re-recording a couple of Shiro’s lines in 8x05 to make him seem at least somewhat upset that Keith was kidnapped-Showing Keith and Shiro hanging out in the video episode. You could just use the shot of Keith and Pidge but replace Pidge with Shiro.

And the best part is, you could change just one or two of these and then do the wedding epilogue you always intended (but write something that doesn’t insist Shiro retired) but with Keith instead of Rando. Not to mention, there is a slight, slight possibility there was a S/K scene (or two) cut along the way. I strongly disagree with the theories that have floated around about the “massive edits” done to s8, but I think there could be truth to the idea that a Sheith scene was cut to make room for Crew Member, or an effort made to downplay the Sheith friendship that comes off way more intimate than any interaction Shiro has with [man]. It’s more likely that SK scenes never existed at all in this season as the showrunners had to cave to pressures to “have more action”, had no idea what to do with Shiro besides relegate him to a stiff cardboard general, and perhaps had to follow strict instructions about the kind of friendliness an out & proud gay man could show to the men he’d enjoyed good interactions with before. 

All this to say, the Sheith battle is messy. It’s fine for the showrunners to say “getting the greenlight for Shiro was a battle” because it’s a battle they won that makes everyone look pretty good. It makes Dreamworks look like they Learned Something and are going to be more open to LGBT content in future properties. It makes WEP look not-terrible because they can add “allowed a character who wasn’t really an OG Voltron character to be gay” to their list of “generous” things they allowed for this re-envisioning of their property. It’s self-congrats all around.

Blocking Sheith has the opposite effect. It reveals that WEP is homophobic because they could allow Pidge to be a girl and Allura to be black but making the hero a non-straight man? That’s TOO FAR. It reveals that Dreamworks higherups are homophobic because they weren’t ready for two LGBT protagonists, just one plus a background character with 3 lines who is literally never named. No one wins, and to be asked about Shiro and Keith and be honest about it could potentially be the showrunners saying, “god, we wanted to, but we were blocked at every single turn”. And thus DW and WEP are the outed villains of the story.

3) Shiro and Keith were never meant to be read as romantic. The showrunners don’t say anything because there’s simply nothing to say. Sometimes the most incredible ships are happy accidents. Sometimes people genuinely don’t realize what they’re doing. I felt a little disheartened watching the AB interview because the way they talked about wanting to include more [man], or how they “hoped viewers would read between the lines” re:Shiro/Curtains, was so casual and flippant it was like they genuinely thought most people would be fine with Shirando if only there had been more scenes between them, as though completely severing Shiro’s relationship with Keith and instead only showing scenes of Shiro bonding with a new character would come off as a good move rather than a baffling (and somewhat hurtful) one. 

I do believe that certain directors were absolutely fans of the pair and angled in what they could. Chris Palmer is behind the famous “shiro loves you baby” art and responsible for the eps that include Shiro’s gay panic, the Sheith hug, “As many times as it takes”, Shiro falling into Keith’s arms, and “We have to stop, Shiro’s out there!!” among others. Steve Ahn was the director behind 2x01, 3x01 with heavily grieving Keith, Blade of Marmora, and the episode where Keith screams Shiro’s name so loud he astral projects and then Shiro holds his hands over the controls. He also got really soft when he talked about the pair in an episode of Form Podcast (before JDS kinda hastily shut him down). And even Eugene Lee, he directed The Black Paladins which is an episode so Sheith I still can’t believe it’s real, and 7x01, the other episode so Sheith I can’t believe it’s real. All three of these guys were the original series directors, which is pretty inchresting. 

But that doesn’t mean the showrunners were necessarily onboard. Maybe it was really important to them to show a positive male friendship since that never happens in media, just as they felt having Allura sacrifice herself was a powerful feminist move. However the thing I keep circling back to is JDS’ early interview about The Winter Soldier and how if he ever got the chance to do that, he hoped it would be in the future when things could be more progressive, hinting that he wanted to throw more overt romantic undertones if he himself ever got a fight like that to write or direct. It’s pretty interesting that he wrote the Black Paladins, which mirrors the Stucky fight in Winter Soldier so much that it actually rotoscopes one of Bucky’s moves. I’d also point out that JDS’ favorite characters are Shiro and Keith, and I find it impossible to be a fan of both and not also be a fan of how much they love each other, and how much that love straddles the line between romantic love and friendship.

This got long, but I hope it was helpful. The likely final-ever showrunner interview will be on Let’s Voltron sometime this month, and I do hope that now that the series is over someone is brave enough to ask them, “so... what was going on between Shiro and Keith? In a perfect world, what would have happened there?”. In a way it doesn’t matter though. There is always the risk of them saying “nothing was going on there” and us agonizing over whether that was a lie to protect their careers or bald-faced honesty in the face of an NDA or fucks-given that might have expired with their contracts. 

But I think the best we can hope for is the same situation that happened with the Avatar creators and that live action movie: 3 years from now when the NDAs are well and truly expired, JDS & LM may come out and say, “SO, on the matter of Shiro and Keith, it’s time to come clean.”

[kinetic-elaboration]

September 10: The 100 1x06 Fog of War

Mmmm watching another ep and it’s been less than six months since the last one?! * jinxes self *

Bellarke date at the outside cafe. (WHY IS THIS OUTSIDE CAFE NOT IN MORE FICS? WHY IS IT NOT IN MY FICS?)

I don’t always love Clarke’s art tbh but I do love her Mount Weather sketch.

“You won’t be by yourself.” They are canonically Soft with each other.

I have a hard time believing they would wait two days just sitting on their hands, Abby or no Abby. YOU GUYS WERE THE LEADERS. JUST LEAD STUFF.

“We’re at war. We’ve all done things,” is, like, first, beyond the point, because even in war, one doesn’t usually attack civilian villages. (Unless one is a terrorist.) And second, it’s weird that Bellamy would be defending Finn? Not really sure how to read that. Unless his hatred of Grounders is truly that intense, which is possible. And third, are they really still at war? Because after attacking the dropship, the Grounders have done... literally nothing? Like it’s a semi-war scenario.

“Next round’s on me.” Do they have to.... pay for things...? With what lol?

“Salvaged Monty’s still. Now if we could only salvage Monty.” Someone here has a sense of humor. Also lol @ everyone at Camp Jaha using a teenager’s illegal still.

Really, the “pardon for surviving” should not include time on the ground, because pardons aren’t forward looking. Also they bring back the idea of trying Finn later. They just don’t want to deal with Murphy and Finn, and don’t really see the massacre of Grounders as a big deal, which, I am a Sky Person partisan to the last, does not reflect well on them. I think also they still haven’t figured out what tf their judicial system on the ground is, and just don’t want to deal with that yet either. Which isn’t a great excuse but it’s of a piece with how this show deals with society-building questions in general. (By... not.)

And Finn still doesn’t even feel bad.

And Murphy thinks Clarke and Finn are still together...? I guess that makes sense given how long he was away. He’s ALWAYS behind on delinquent gossip.

Clarke to Murphy: “Just because they pardoned you doesn’t mean I have.” Another line that should be iconic.

If Mount Weather is the reason they never heard from any other Ark Stations then they should have heard from more of them after S2 just putting that out there.

Raven is so beautiful.

And I’m sorry but she’s completely in love with Clarke here.

“You and your friends are not soldiers...” Hmmmm except in a certain sense they kind of are. Love this s2 adults versus delinquents conflict though.

Anyway I realize this is just to get them going back to Mount Weather but they were apparently doing this radio mission to get more Guards from other stations, which never happened, which sort of reminds me of Day Trip and the ‘winter supplies’ excursion when apparently winter doesn’t exist in the future anyway.

Literally only now at the credits.... Why am I like this?

So Maya couldn’t survive on the ground, obviously, because blood isn’t good enough, it has to be bone marrow, which, fine, for plot purposes--but what if she could???

“I know the plan was to assimilate them into the gene pool.” COMPLETELY forgot about that. So they did have a reason for being so nice to them. That is a rather long term plan though...

With the delinquent blood, they’ll “live longer and feel better.” I wonder what the sickness rate is, then. What the quality of life is, low vitamin d aside.

“If I agree to harvest those kids, then I won’t deserve to see [the outside] again.”

That Finn is a good tracker is, like, not a retcon in the sense that this was true in season 1, but still a semi retcon in the sense that nothing in the very early episodes implies he’s Mr. Earth Skills. (Unlike, say... Wells.)

Privileged Ark people really do just throw rules around and up and down however they like. Like, Abby clearing her daughter’s friend because “he was trying to save his friends” even though what he did was objectively much worse than pretty much anything the 100 were imprisoned for? Or other people killed for? Hmmm,, yeah, okay.

Jaha’s death wish transformed into a lazy acceptance that he is invincible is truly one of the best character arcs on this show imo. Infuriating but amazing.

“How many times on the Ark did we go two days without water?”

He recognizes the prison as a train station, which is not objectively surprising but I bet the Grounders don’t know what it is. Somehow. Since memory isn’t a thing in the future either.

On the one hand, it’s reasonable to think that Finn’s attack was coordinated from above but on the other hand, these two prisoners literally could not have ordered it, because they have been... imprisoned... the entire time. And I mean truly putting two Sky People who could not themselves have been involved in another Sky Person’s murder spree into some sort of Saw scenario in response to that murder spree really isn’t “justice” in any sense of the word. Like truly the JD in me is just SCREAMING. There is no nexus between the people you have and the person you’re angry at, other than “Sky Person” but the thread is so tangled you’re just.... throwing around bloodshed for lolz. (I know it’s a test and that part isn’t dumb but the scaffolding of the test is DUMB.)

I am still not over that someone gave Jasper a stuffed toy bear as a thank you for giving Maya blood. Also, it looks like... an alarm clock?

I like Dante but every time he says “Jasper” it just creeps me out. Maybe it’s the way he’s, uh, playing him.

It is 100% true that Mount Weather was not meant to last that long. At least not in the sense of ‘as a closed facility.’

Ridiculous as it is to pardon Finn AND take him adventuring AND give him a gun, I like the tension between him and the others, that they have officially forgiven him, and want to still love him, but are wary of him, scared of him, for good reason. For all that people are constantly ‘doing bad things’ and yelling at each other about it, this scenario doesn’t really have a parallel anywhere else in the canon.

“According to Clarke, before the bombs, there were buildings everywhere here. I’m guessing some of the had access to the bunker. So we’re looking for ruins. Anything man-made.”

Bellamy says he and O aren’t under the Guard command. But in a way, aren’t they? Like aren’t the Guard basically in authority over all Arkers? I know I’m overthinking but does he see himself as more delinquent than Arker? Especially with the “our people” are in Mount Weather.

All those mice.... Or rodents....

What a scenario: Clarke and Finn hiding from the acid fog in a weird little personal bunker where they once fucked, and now there’s a dead body in it, and Finn put it there. Not even Olav can top this.

Raven playing with the radio is my kink.

Parking garage as tomb. Who would protect a parking garage with a big-ass steal door that protects cars from radiation? If it does lead to Mount Weather (no recollection if it does) I guess it could be... part of it? Idk. Nice aesthetic though.

Bellamy is very comfortable calling people Sir. Polite young man.

So Clarke’s Dad’s watch returns to Clarke. I can’t remember what ultimately happened to it. Is it basically tainted now?

Monty’s obscene jealousy of Maya just gets me every single time. Makes up for the horrendous second hand embarrassment I’m getting from the rest of this scene.

“Hey, it’s pizza day! Who’s hungry?” uhhhhhhhhhhmmmmm So natural. Cute dress though.

How did she figure out the breach wasn’t an accident? Or that there is surveillance? Anyway now that she knows she was experimented on, and that Jasper was experimented on, one would assume she is pissed. One would assume that’s part of why she shows them the Grounders. Also to stop Jasper perhaps from embroiling his people even more with (her own) untrustworthy people. Because truly it is in part to save them, but it’s also a real risk to herself, admitting this terrible thing she’s been a part of.

“To get you to agree to be her blood brother.” He’s not wrong but that language is sooooo jealous--both revealing the threat he feels (because Jasper is his ‘brother’) and diminishing the JasperMaya relationship (which he knows to be romantic, and is turning familiar.)

Why did the show ever try to top the pure horror of the Grounder Torture Prison?

“What are we supposed to do?” / “Die.” Another Iconic Exchange. This is Monty’s morality: uncompromising. Are the standards he sets for himself hypocritical or consistent? Also, some foreshadowing lol.

I wonder what Monty’s allegiance is to the other kids... Would he have irradiated the Mountain for them if Jasper were safe? Legit question because he defects to his mom’s side pretty fast in S3, and he would 100% leave Mount Weather through the side door just like Clarke, at this point, which Jasper refuses to do even if it were possible. I am intrigued by this scene and the switching of plans/different points of view.

So this is the revelation that the acid fog is a Mount Weather weapon. I always really liked that twist.

Okay so this explains why they didn’t get to the other stations, because they choose to keep the tower up to listen to Mount Weather, but it’s actually not a tough call bc if you defeat Mount Weather and take your people back, then you can get rid of the blocking signal, and then find your other people, so win-win, you just have to go in order and on that note, why did it take 3 months to find only one station??

Is that a....hand crank mp3?? Got a lot of juice from just a little bit of cranking.

There are a hella lot of storylines in this episode. I completely forgot about Jaha and Kane and Lexa.

Kane’s continuing death wish makes him utterly unreasonable. What in a million years makes you think that the Grounders value sacrifice as opposed to just being sadists? I mean, you don’t know. You’re imposing your value system and also your thought processes on them. You’re also assuming that if one of you killed the other, the survivor would actually get something, like a chance to negotiate, which is probably not true--in fact, Gustus basically told you as much with “We’ll hear the terms of your surrender form the survivor.” Winning means nothing except you get to surrender!! And probably die!! They are not coming to you in good faith is what I’m trying to say and having watched the whole season I know I am Right.

“You didn’t order the massacre.” / “Not that one.” Honestly dude get over it lol. Interesting that Jaha, although he has transformed in some ways, keeps to the old lines, about survival, the human race--and our people, if the human race is broader than just the Ark, which it is, and no big deal. So in some ways his morality has not changed at all, at its core.

Look, I’m sorry, not to be that person, but he probably would have been better off killing Lexa there. I mean, I know he’s choosing ‘an innocent’ in his mind but... what a power move to behead the Commander WHILE you’re her prisoner. Good old Jaha, smart and quick and sure of himself.

Just uh not quick enough at murdering I guess.

I’m no Lexa fan but that was an excellent entrance and it remains an excellent entrance. Also while I never thought she was as smart as people said, because name me another tactical decision she made that was actually good, this was a smart ploy. And probably the most subtle thing any Grounder character ever did, even if it does end with her basically beating Jaha up ‘as a message’ as if she were a gangster.

Is this the episode that introduces Blood Must Have Blood? Already Tired of it tbh.

This Clarke and Finn scene is so sad. I realize that they  purposefully made him unredeemable at this point, that this story line was always intended to be the method by which he was written off, and that there’s only so much awkwardness you can write around this scenario, but nevertheless it would have been interesting to see Finn in the long term, in a way. Not redeemed.. I don’t know. Whatever I’m thinking it’s not in the range of this show, though, for sure.

Did Jasper and Monty tell all of the 47 everything? To get them to volunteer? (Answer: No, but they told at least Harper and Miller, maybe a few more.)

“How high are you right now?” We were SO robbed of more intoxicated!Monty scenes.

Jasper and Dante: creepy creepy creepy.

“There’s been a Wallace in this office since the bombs.” So glad to know we immediately reverted to some sort of pseud-monarchy post-nuclear war. That said it’s only been 97 years so that’s like 3 Wallaces tops.

Prioritizing the radio also means of course admitting that getting the 47 out of MW is a priority for Abby/Ark PTB, which wasn’t exactly clear before.

I’ve never been a fan of the “Build a brace for yours” line and I’m still not, because I think conflating physical and mental injuries is not exactly helpful, but I guess I appreciate it as a look into Raven’s mind--Raven, who has never really understood mental scars and never really does--and the soft way she says it is a sort of forgiveness. Not really forgiveness she has the right to offer, and in a way a very brash thing to do, because this was literally a war crime that her best friend committed, but nevertheless.

Jaha: appears. Everyone else: what the absolute fuck.

So on that mission they accomplished... literally nothing they set out to do lol.

What is that random shot of Camp Jaha doing there? They’re not within sight of it. They’re still where they set up tents.

I want to point out that this is the FIRST time the Grounders have demanded that the Sky People “leave” or implied in any way that they consider the Sky People to be on “their” land, and that this was never an issue in Season 1, when their beef seemed to be for things like crossing the river at Mount Weather, accidentally dropping their flares on a Grounder village, and torturing a Grounder spy. But I guess at this point the narrative needed to focus on something because the actual reason for the feud, which is roughly, we accidentally pissed each other off and then kept on retaliating, doesn’t play very well or make the Grounders, who were rehabilitated this season, very sympathetic. (Guess who still has zero sympathy lololol?)

[shirleydazzle]

Exercise, Eat Healthy and File Bankruptcy

If you find yourself deep in debt and are desperately trying to avoid bankruptcy, it might be time for a paradigm shift.

Not only does bankruptcy provide relief from debt, it provides relief from chronic stress that can lead to poor health. Constantly worrying about bills and your financial future is far more toxic than a negative line on your credit report.

It is rarely, if ever, discussed, but filing for bankruptcy could actually improve your health and prolong your life

How did I reach this conclusion?

For starters, I’ve represented clients in numerous bankruptcy cases and have seen firsthand the relief that starting over financially can provide. People generally don’t regret filing bankruptcy, they welcome the opportunity to begin anew, and many are able to successfully turn their lives around. Unfortunately, the reason for personal bankruptcy success stories is often lost in more technical discussions of the amount of debt that was discharged, what chapter the debtor filed under or whether tax debts were eliminated.

The real value of bankruptcy is stress relief.

Arnold Palmer famously said that golf is 90% mental. Well, the same is true of debt.

It’s never the actual red in the ledger that causes debtors to suffer, it’s the worry about supporting a family, collection phone calls, lawsuits, foreclosure and the myriad of other mental beatings the seriously indebted are forced to endure. Whether it’s fear of having a credit card rejected at the grocery store or concern over a pending wage garnishment, consumers who find themselves in debt are constantly reminded of their predicament. They can’t escape mentally. The debt follows them wherever they go, becoming their constant companion, causing incredible stress that breaks up marriages and ruins friendships.

Make no mistake, this debt stress can make you sick.

According to the Clinic, the following conditions are caused in whole or in part by stress:

Heart disease

Sleep problems

Digestive problems, such as irritable bowel syndrome

Depression

Obesity

Memory impairment

Worsening of skin conditions, such as eczema

Heart disease is still the number one cause of death in America today. Over time, digestive disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome, can lead to cancer and other more serious conditions. Depression robs its victims of their desire to use their God given talents, taking the very meaning out of one’s life. You get the idea, the implications of stress caused by debt reach well beyond your checking account.

It’s not just about debt, it’s about your health.

Consider your daily thought patterns. If you’re deep in debt, they will be consumed by plans to pay back creditors, stave off lawsuits, keep your children from finding out how bad things have gotten, keeping up appearances with neighbors, and on and on the nightmare goes. Although the mental aspect of health doesn’t get as much play as more “scientific and provable” diagnoses, the toxicity created by debt stress is very real.

How can you properly focus on a child’s sporting event, or a project at work when you are consumed by stressful thoughts about debt?

How can you and your spouse enjoy and support each other when your interactions are constantly blighted by fear and uncertainty?

Bankruptcy is not anyone’s first choice, and it is certainly not a process to be entered into lightly, however, it does provide an opportunity to start over spiritually as well as financially.

For some, the benefits of that opportunity do far more than merely eliminating debt.

Free Consultation with a Utah Bankruptcy Attorney

If you have a bankruptcy question, or need to file a bankruptcy case, call Ascent Law now at (801) 676-5506. Attorneys in our office have filed over a thousand cases. We can help you now. Come in or call in for your free initial consultation.

Ascent Law LLC8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite CWest Jordan, Utah 84088 United StatesTelephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Additional Bankruptcy Resources

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Contempt of Court in Utah Custody Parenting and Visitation Cases

Utah Divorce Lawyer on Divorce in Utah

Call a West Jordan Car Accident Lawyer

Things You Need to Know About Prenups

The Attorney’s Role in Commercial Transactions

Source: http://www.ascentlawfirm.com/exercise-eat-healthy-and-file-bankruptcy/

[jimmiekiser]

Common Law Marriage

Probably any family law attorney or divorce lawyer in Utah will tell you: there is no such thing as a common law marriage in Utah. There is a such a thing as a marriage like relationship in Utah. You have to go to court to get this done. You need evidence that you have held yourselves out as a married couple. Call us to talk about how it’s done.

Unsealed Court Records Reveal Insights

The high-profile case of death-row inmate Ron Lafferty just got cracked wide open, with records and court documents from the trial now available to the public thanks to a federal judge’s ruling.  The article in the Deseret News explains why case details, professional opinions and psychiatric evaluations were originally sealed and why opening these records to the public helps to keep our judicial system transparent.

Last fall, several local media filed a petition to unseal the records that would open dozens of documents to the public and lawyers in Utah alike. The federal judge in the current case agreed to unseal the records because he believes that Lafferty is indeed of sound mind and does not suffer from a mental illness “that impedes his ability to communicate and help his lawyers in Utah prepare his case. ” Many of the documents contain medical and psychiatric opinions about the condemned criminal’s mental health and legal arguments over whether he was fit to stand trial and competent to move ahead with a federal review of his case. Sixty-nine documents and 17 formerly secret docket entries have been sprung wide for all to see.

Salt Lake City media attorneys argue that access to the records and documents  promotes accountability and confidence in the judicial process – ideals that are integral to a working justice system in the US, especially in cases such as Lafferty’s, where the penalty is death. With such high stakes, it is imperative that these decisions and rulings not be held in a vacuum of closed courtrooms and secret meetings between privileged judges and lawyers in Utah.

The petition to open the records was filed last October on behalf of the Deseret News, KSL-TV, the Salt Lake Tribune and the Utah Headliners chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. The records had been sealed in 2009 at Lafferty’s attorneys’ request when questions about their client’s mental competency began. The attorneys argued that they shouldn’t be forced to disclosed attorney-client information and that Lafferty’s privacy concerning his mental health should be respected. At the time, the judge agreed to seal the records. Salt Lake City media attorney Jeff Hunt didn’t necessarily agree with the move, noting that closing the court records as a default position runs contrary to the First Amendment, which assumes that court proceedings will be open to the public. Lawyers in Utah may claim attorney-client privilege, but the proceedings brought out in a courtroom don’t necessary fall under that designation.  In a case where the defendant’s life is at stake, Hunt saw opening the records as a way to promote responsible decision making. He also said that it would hold the judicial system accountable for its proceedings – a very American ideal, indeed.

Lawyers in Utah look on as this case and its records can now be unpacked by the media, your next door neighbor, and anyone else who wants to weigh in – and most everyone wants to. The case itself is one of extreme notoriety. Claiming that they were directed by God, Lafferty and his brother have been found to have been responsible for the deaths of their sister-in-law and her fifteen-month old daughter in 1984 by slashing their throats. Having exhausted his appeals in state court, Lafferty and his attorneys will prepare for a federal review.

Free Consultation with Divorce Lawyer in Utah

If you have a question about divorce law or if you need to start or defend against a divorce case in Utah call Ascent Law at (801) 676-5506. We will fight for you.

Ascent Law LLC8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite CWest Jordan, Utah 84088 United StatesTelephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

More Divorce Information

How to Get Custody of Your Child in Utah

Collections and Bankruptcy

Contract Drafting Basics

FLP vs LLC

Grounds for Divorce in Utah

Expunging Records in Utah

Source: http://www.ascentlawfirm.com/common-law-marriage/

https://realestatelawyerwestjordanutah.wordpress.com/2018/03/31/common-law-marriage/

[dunkcarlton]

Salt Lake City Lawyer Talks About Innocent Shooting

Recently, the story of a Utah police officer shooting a dog in its owner’s backyard went viral, and perhaps with good reason, Salt Lake City attorneys say. Beginning with a video posted to Facebook, the story gathered steam via social and news media, and the resulting outrage by the public has raised questions over the series of events that led to the death of the innocent, reportedly non-aggressive pet. According to the article in the Salt Lake Tribune, police officers were searching for a missing 3-year-old boy in the Sugar House area when one of the officers entered a private backyard and shot a Weimaraner in the head, killing it on the absent owner’s property.

The video that went viral shows the owner of the dog, Sean Kendall, confronting the Salt Lake City police officer upon arriving at his house and learning that his dog had been killed. He reports that he received a phone call from Animal Control informing him of the situation, and asks the question the public has since been demanding an answer to: “What was the cause for an officer to shoot and kill my dog?” It has not yet been reported whether Kendall is looking into getting legal counsel from Salt Lake City attorneys, and the city’s police department “has revealed little information about the shooting except to say that the dog acted aggressively when the officer entered its backyard as he searched for the missing child.”

The officer who pulled the trigger remained on duty and was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing, but the comments on the news articles and in social media about the incident demand that the results aren’t good enough. The executive director of the Humane Society of Utah speaks for much of the public response when he queries, “Why, when there are so many non-lethal alternatives available (pepper spray, tasers, batons, etc.), that this officer hose to use deadly force as his first go-to option?”

Unfortunately, according to some Salt Lake City attorneys, Kendall may not have any legal recursive action available to him. Litigators for civil suits don’t encourage Kendall to be hopeful about filing a case, as property damage claims will likely be small comfort in the face the grief incurred by the death of a pet.

This has been a big enough deal of an incident that the City Council has commented on it, sending a letter to Police Chief Chris Burbank and informing the police department of an independent review to be conducted by the Police Civilian Review Board, with the request that “both investigations be thorough and deliberate, with the results released to the public as soon as possible.”

But even local Salt Lake City attorneys acknowledge that the results of the report will do little to appease the anger of the community, which is partly why the City Council has requested that Burbank “educate” the public on policies of law enforcement surrounding searching for a missing child. No one wants to see another incident like this one anytime soon.

Free Initial Consultation with Lawyer

It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. Legal problems come to everyone. Whether it’s your son who gets in a car wreck, your uncle who loses his job and needs to file for bankruptcy, your sister’s brother who’s getting divorced, or a grandparent that passes away without a will -all of us have legal issues and questions that arise. So when you have a law question, call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite CWest Jordan, Utah 84088 United StatesTelephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

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Source: http://www.ascentlawfirm.com/salt-lake-city-lawyer-talks-about-innocent-shooting/

[asafeatherwould]

When you need a Mediator and a Lawyer

Thе role оf a divоrсе mеdiаtоr iѕ to hеlр you аnd уоur spouse reach аn аgrееmеnt. Tо perform that rоlе еffесtivеlу, thе mеdiаtоr hаѕ tо be completely indереndеnt.  Thе mеdiаtоr dоеѕ nоt rерrеѕеnt you or your spouse. The mеdiаtоr iѕ nеutrаl. Because I am a mediation lawyer, I understand this process better than most.

During thе mеdiаtiоn рrосеѕѕ, thе mediator focuses on what уоu and your ѕроuѕе each need аnd wаnt. Thе mеdiаtоr will hеlр уоu brаinѕtоrm creative options fоr rеѕоlving уоur iѕѕuеѕ with уоur ѕроuѕе jointly, аmiсаblу, аnd in a wау that satisfies as mаnу оf bоth оf уоur nееdѕ and wаntѕ as роѕѕiblе. The mеdiаtоr iѕ аlѕо nоt a judgе.  A mеdiаtоr does not, and саnnоt, fоrсе уоu аnd уоur ѕроuѕе to agree оn аnуthing.  He/she can оnlу wоrk with уоu and уоur ѕроuѕе tо trу tо hеlр уоu аnd уоur ѕроuѕе find соmmоn grоund аnd settle уоur issues.

Once you аnd уоur spouse reach аn аgrееmеnt, the mеdiаtоr writes up thаt аgrееmеnt intо a document thаt is trаditiоnаllу саllеd “A Memorandum оf Understanding” оr a “Mеdiаtеd Sеttlеmеnt Agreement” or “stipulation.” Yоu can thеn take that document to уоur lаwуеr аnd have it made a part оf thе finаl divorce dосumеntѕ in уоur саѕе. Thе Mеdiаtеd Sеttlеmеnt Agrееmеnt is only оnе оf thе documents you nееd in your divоrсе.  It is аlѕо thе оnlу document thаt thе mediator will write fоr уоu. All of уоur other dосumеntѕ muѕt bе written by a lawyer.

Thе Rоlе Оf A Lаwуеr

The rоlе оf a lаwуеr in the divоrсе mеdiаtiоn рrосеѕѕ iѕ to bе уоur educator and уоur аdvосаtе.  Unlike a mеdiаtоr, уоur lаwуеr is not nеutrаl оr independent.  Yоur lаwуеr represents уоu.

Tурiсаllу, lаwуеrѕ dо nоt attend mеdiаtiоn ѕеѕѕiоnѕ with уоu.  Thе оnlу ones whо аrе in thе mеdiаtiоn ѕеѕѕiоnѕ аrе nоrmаllу you, your ѕроuѕе, аnd the mediator. Thаt iѕ why it iѕ so important thаt уоu mееt with уоur lаwуеr bеfоrе the mеdiаtiоn асtuаllу bеginѕ ѕо your lawyer can hеlр уоu undеrѕtаnd hоw thе lаw works, аnd what уоur rightѕ аnd rеѕроnѕibilitiеѕ аrе in уоur divоrсе.

Yоur lаwуеr will advise you аbоut thе lаw аnd will help уоu tо undеrѕtаnd whаt thе lаw rеԛuirеѕ in уоur саѕе. Your lаwуеr will mаkе ѕurе уоu undеrѕtаnd the kind оf result thаt уоu might hаvе if you tооk your саѕе tо соurt. Of course, whеn уоu gо tо соurt, thеrе are no guarantees about whаt will асtuаllу hарреn. But, аt lеаѕt thе lawyer will givе уоu hiѕ/hеr best opinion about hоw thingѕ might unfоld.

Your lawyer will аlѕо help you identify уоur оbjесtivеѕ for mеdiаtiоn.  S/he will help уоu figurе оut what уоu want tо achieve, аnd аlѕо mаkе a рlаn ѕо that уоu саn rеасh a ѕеttlеmеnt that gеtѕ уоu as muсh оf whаt уоu wаnt аnd nееd as possible. If mediation iѕ not ѕuссеѕѕful, уоur lаwуеr can still соntinuе to rерrеѕеnt уоu in соurt.  Ultimately, ѕinсе mоѕt divorce саѕеѕ ѕеttlе before triаl, your lаwуеr will very likеlу try tо negotiate a ѕеttlеmеnt fоr уоu at ѕоmе роint.  If уоur саѕе doesn’t ѕеttlе, then уоur lаwуеr will trу уоur саѕе.

Free Consultation with Mediation Lawyer

It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. Legal problems come to everyone. Whether it’s your son who gets in a car wreck, your uncle who loses his job and needs to file for bankruptcy, your sister’s brother who’s getting divorced, or a grandparent that passes away without a will -all of us have legal issues and questions that arise. So when you have a law question, call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite CWest Jordan, Utah 84088 United StatesTelephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Recent Posts

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Bankruptcy Lawyer

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Source: http://www.ascentlawfirm.com/when-you-need-a-mediator-and-a-lawyer/

[michaeljames1221]

When you need a Mediator and a Lawyer

Thе role оf a divоrсе mеdiаtоr iѕ to hеlр you аnd уоur spouse reach аn аgrееmеnt. Tо perform that rоlе еffесtivеlу, thе mеdiаtоr hаѕ tо be completely indереndеnt.  Thе mеdiаtоr dоеѕ nоt rерrеѕеnt you or your spouse. The mеdiаtоr iѕ nеutrаl. Because I am a mediation lawyer, I understand this process better than most.

During thе mеdiаtiоn рrосеѕѕ, thе mediator focuses on what уоu and your ѕроuѕе each need аnd wаnt. Thе mеdiаtоr will hеlр уоu brаinѕtоrm creative options fоr rеѕоlving уоur iѕѕuеѕ with уоur ѕроuѕе jointly, аmiсаblу, аnd in a wау that satisfies as mаnу оf bоth оf уоur nееdѕ and wаntѕ as роѕѕiblе. The mеdiаtоr iѕ аlѕо nоt a judgе.  A mеdiаtоr does not, and саnnоt, fоrсе уоu аnd уоur ѕроuѕе to agree оn аnуthing.  He/she can оnlу wоrk with уоu and уоur ѕроuѕе tо trу tо hеlр уоu аnd уоur ѕроuѕе find соmmоn grоund аnd settle уоur issues.

Once you аnd уоur spouse reach аn аgrееmеnt, the mеdiаtоr writes up thаt аgrееmеnt intо a document thаt is trаditiоnаllу саllеd “A Memorandum оf Understanding” оr a “Mеdiаtеd Sеttlеmеnt Agreement” or “stipulation.” Yоu can thеn take that document to уоur lаwуеr аnd have it made a part оf thе finаl divorce dосumеntѕ in уоur саѕе. Thе Mеdiаtеd Sеttlеmеnt Agrееmеnt is only оnе оf thе documents you nееd in your divоrсе.  It is аlѕо thе оnlу document thаt thе mediator will write fоr уоu. All of уоur other dосumеntѕ muѕt bе written by a lawyer.

Thе Rоlе Оf A Lаwуеr

The rоlе оf a lаwуеr in the divоrсе mеdiаtiоn рrосеѕѕ iѕ to bе уоur educator and уоur аdvосаtе.  Unlike a mеdiаtоr, уоur lаwуеr is not nеutrаl оr independent.  Yоur lаwуеr represents уоu.

Tурiсаllу, lаwуеrѕ dо nоt attend mеdiаtiоn ѕеѕѕiоnѕ with уоu.  Thе оnlу ones whо аrе in thе mеdiаtiоn ѕеѕѕiоnѕ аrе nоrmаllу you, your ѕроuѕе, аnd the mediator. Thаt iѕ why it iѕ so important thаt уоu mееt with уоur lаwуеr bеfоrе the mеdiаtiоn асtuаllу bеginѕ ѕо your lawyer can hеlр уоu undеrѕtаnd hоw thе lаw works, аnd what уоur rightѕ аnd rеѕроnѕibilitiеѕ аrе in уоur divоrсе.

Yоur lаwуеr will advise you аbоut thе lаw аnd will help уоu tо undеrѕtаnd whаt thе lаw rеԛuirеѕ in уоur саѕе. Your lаwуеr will mаkе ѕurе уоu undеrѕtаnd the kind оf result thаt уоu might hаvе if you tооk your саѕе tо соurt. Of course, whеn уоu gо tо соurt, thеrе are no guarantees about whаt will асtuаllу hарреn. But, аt lеаѕt thе lawyer will givе уоu hiѕ/hеr best opinion about hоw thingѕ might unfоld.

Your lawyer will аlѕо help you identify уоur оbjесtivеѕ for mеdiаtiоn.  S/he will help уоu figurе оut what уоu want tо achieve, аnd аlѕо mаkе a рlаn ѕо that уоu саn rеасh a ѕеttlеmеnt that gеtѕ уоu as muсh оf whаt уоu wаnt аnd nееd as possible. If mediation iѕ not ѕuссеѕѕful, уоur lаwуеr can still соntinuе to rерrеѕеnt уоu in соurt.  Ultimately, ѕinсе mоѕt divorce саѕеѕ ѕеttlе before triаl, your lаwуеr will very likеlу try tо negotiate a ѕеttlеmеnt fоr уоu at ѕоmе роint.  If уоur саѕе doesn’t ѕеttlе, then уоur lаwуеr will trу уоur саѕе.

Free Consultation with Mediation Lawyer

It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. Legal problems come to everyone. Whether it’s your son who gets in a car wreck, your uncle who loses his job and needs to file for bankruptcy, your sister’s brother who’s getting divorced, or a grandparent that passes away without a will -all of us have legal issues and questions that arise. So when you have a law question, call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite CWest Jordan, Utah 84088 United StatesTelephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Recent Posts

Land Encroachment

Drug Paraphernalia Defense

Asset Protection from Medical Bills

Bankruptcy Lawyer

Probate Lawyer

Trial Lawyer

from Michael Anderson http://www.ascentlawfirm.com/when-you-need-a-mediator-and-a-lawyer/

from Criminal Defense Lawyer West Jordan Utah https://criminaldefenselawyerwestjordanutah.wordpress.com/2018/01/31/when-you-need-a-mediator-and-a-lawyer/

[advertphoto]

Sports Injuries

There are so many sports kids can get involved in nowadays. One season you may be a soccer mom, the next you’re cheering at a football game and finally, you’re in the stands at a gymnastics meet. As your children grow up playing any number of sports, personal injury cases are going to be inevitable.

Do you have any rights when there is a Sports Injury?

As an Injury Lawyer, I’ve reviewed the statistics and there are three and a half million kids under the age of 14 who receive medical attention for sports injuries each year. More than half of these injuries occur during practice, rather than a game. Individual sports, such as gymnastics, usually see more severe injuries. Contact sport injuries occur more often. Children should be aware, in order to stay safer in practice and be able to make it to those games.

Personal Injury Lawsuit

Children are typically covered by their parent’s insurance policy. It is possible to file a third-party claim under the liability of the organization or business responsible for the injury.

If your child does acquire a personal injury, you may want to hire a lawyer to discuss your options. Insurance will typically only cover the child’s medical treatment. That leaves a lack of compensation for any other kind of pain and suffering they may be going through.

Filing for a Personal Lawsuit

If you are seeking compensation outside of basic medical treatment, you will need to hire a personal injury lawyer who will assist you when it comes to filing a claim. They will help you figure out who contributed to your child’s personal injury and what, if anything, they are responsible to pay for.

For example, you can file a lawsuit against insufficiently trained employees, unsafe equipment, inadequate supervision and several other minor factors.

Playing sports can be fun for your kids. What’s not fun is when they have a life-changing personal injury. If your child has suffered from an injury because of someone else, they can receive compensation—contact one of our attorneys to find out how.

ASTHMA TIPS FOR WHEN THE INHALER IS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND

As parents, when you’re considering sending your child to summer camp, many worries come to mind. Will your child miss you? How can you know he or she will be safe?

But when you’re a parent of a child with asthma, that worry increases tenfold. What if your child doesn’t have her inhaler when her asthma is triggered?

Too many people have dealt with a wrongful death lawyer as a result of a poorly handled asthma attack. By staying aware of the risks and teaching your child what to do in case of emergency, you can sleep soundly knowing that no matter where she hikes in Salt Lake or Bountiful, Utah, she’ll know how to take care of her asthma.

ALLERGY AWARENESS

Any asthmatics can tell you that the best tool they have in their arsenal is their awareness. By knowing what sets off an asthma attack, asthmatics can better prepare for when they’re on the trails of St. George.

Summer brings an increase in pollen count. This increase can actually make allergies to peaches, melons, apples and celery worse than usual. Any wrongful death lawyer can tell you that the best way to increase your awareness is by allergy testing. There’s no reason to just “grin and bear it.”

NO INHALER? NO PROBLEM

The “wheezing for air” feeling is a nightmare for asthmatics. When your child is running through the national parks in Sandy, Utah, she can easily forget to pack her inhaler. Through a few tips and tricks, you can teach your child to manage her asthma when she doesn’t have the proper medicine.

The three phrases your child should remember is to move away, breathe and stay calm.

She needs to move away from the allergens irritating her. She needs to remember the proper breathing technique to get hyperventilation under control — small breath in and out, hold her breath until the first signs of air hunger and then breathe normally. Lastly but most importantly, she needs to stay calm.

With these simple hacks, your child will stay happy and healthy all summer long, and you won’t have a need to contact a wrongful death lawyer.

Free Initial Consultation with Lawyer

It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. Legal problems come to everyone. Whether it’s your son who gets in a car wreck, your uncle who loses his job and needs to file for bankruptcy, your sister’s brother who’s getting divorced, or a grandparent that passes away without a will -all of us have legal issues and questions that arise. So when you have a law question, call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you!

Ascent Law LLC8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite CWest Jordan, Utah 84088 United StatesTelephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Recent Posts

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DUI Death of Bicycle Rider

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Source: http://www.ascentlawfirm.com/sports-injuries/

[winniegist]

Sports Injuries

There are so many sports kids can get involved in nowadays. One season you may be a soccer mom, the next you’re cheering at a football game and finally, you’re in the stands at a gymnastics meet. As your children grow up playing any number of sports, personal injury cases are going to be inevitable.

Do you have any rights when there is a Sports Injury?

As an Injury Lawyer, I’ve reviewed the statistics and there are three and a half million kids under the age of 14 who receive medical attention for sports injuries each year. More than half of these injuries occur during practice, rather than a game. Individual sports, such as gymnastics, usually see more severe injuries. Contact sport injuries occur more often. Children should be aware, in order to stay safer in practice and be able to make it to those games.

Personal Injury Lawsuit

Children are typically covered by their parent’s insurance policy. It is possible to file a third-party claim under the liability of the organization or business responsible for the injury.

If your child does acquire a personal injury, you may want to hire a lawyer to discuss your options. Insurance will typically only cover the child’s medical treatment. That leaves a lack of compensation for any other kind of pain and suffering they may be going through.

Filing for a Personal Lawsuit

If you are seeking compensation outside of basic medical treatment, you will need to hire a personal injury lawyer who will assist you when it comes to filing a claim. They will help you figure out who contributed to your child’s personal injury and what, if anything, they are responsible to pay for.

For example, you can file a lawsuit against insufficiently trained employees, unsafe equipment, inadequate supervision and several other minor factors.

Playing sports can be fun for your kids. What’s not fun is when they have a life-changing personal injury. If your child has suffered from an injury because of someone else, they can receive compensation—contact one of our attorneys to find out how.

ASTHMA TIPS FOR WHEN THE INHALER IS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND

As parents, when you’re considering sending your child to summer camp, many worries come to mind. Will your child miss you? How can you know he or she will be safe?

But when you’re a parent of a child with asthma, that worry increases tenfold. What if your child doesn’t have her inhaler when her asthma is triggered?

Too many people have dealt with a wrongful death lawyer as a result of a poorly handled asthma attack. By staying aware of the risks and teaching your child what to do in case of emergency, you can sleep soundly knowing that no matter where she hikes in Salt Lake or Bountiful, Utah, she’ll know how to take care of her asthma.

ALLERGY AWARENESS

Any asthmatics can tell you that the best tool they have in their arsenal is their awareness. By knowing what sets off an asthma attack, asthmatics can better prepare for when they’re on the trails of St. George.

Summer brings an increase in pollen count. This increase can actually make allergies to peaches, melons, apples and celery worse than usual. Any wrongful death lawyer can tell you that the best way to increase your awareness is by allergy testing. There’s no reason to just “grin and bear it.”

NO INHALER? NO PROBLEM

The “wheezing for air” feeling is a nightmare for asthmatics. When your child is running through the national parks in Sandy, Utah, she can easily forget to pack her inhaler. Through a few tips and tricks, you can teach your child to manage her asthma when she doesn’t have the proper medicine.

The three phrases your child should remember is to move away, breathe and stay calm.

She needs to move away from the allergens irritating her. She needs to remember the proper breathing technique to get hyperventilation under control — small breath in and out, hold her breath until the first signs of air hunger and then breathe normally. Lastly but most importantly, she needs to stay calm.

With these simple hacks, your child will stay happy and healthy all summer long, and you won’t have a need to contact a wrongful death lawyer.

Free Initial Consultation with Lawyer

It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. Legal problems come to everyone. Whether it’s your son who gets in a car wreck, your uncle who loses his job and needs to file for bankruptcy, your sister’s brother who’s getting divorced, or a grandparent that passes away without a will -all of us have legal issues and questions that arise. So when you have a law question, call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you!

Ascent Law LLC8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite CWest Jordan, Utah 84088 United StatesTelephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Recent Posts

Automobile Insurance

Premarital Agreements

Divorce Lawyers Near Me

DUI Death of Bicycle Rider

Estate Planning Lawyer

Divorce Lawyer

Source: http://www.ascentlawfirm.com/sports-injuries/

[loreneweiner]

Sports Injuries

There are so many sports kids can get involved in nowadays. One season you may be a soccer mom, the next you’re cheering at a football game and finally, you’re in the stands at a gymnastics meet. As your children grow up playing any number of sports, personal injury cases are going to be inevitable.

Do you have any rights when there is a Sports Injury?

As an Injury Lawyer, I’ve reviewed the statistics and there are three and a half million kids under the age of 14 who receive medical attention for sports injuries each year. More than half of these injuries occur during practice, rather than a game. Individual sports, such as gymnastics, usually see more severe injuries. Contact sport injuries occur more often. Children should be aware, in order to stay safer in practice and be able to make it to those games.

Personal Injury Lawsuit

Children are typically covered by their parent’s insurance policy. It is possible to file a third-party claim under the liability of the organization or business responsible for the injury.

If your child does acquire a personal injury, you may want to hire a lawyer to discuss your options. Insurance will typically only cover the child’s medical treatment. That leaves a lack of compensation for any other kind of pain and suffering they may be going through.

Filing for a Personal Lawsuit

If you are seeking compensation outside of basic medical treatment, you will need to hire a personal injury lawyer who will assist you when it comes to filing a claim. They will help you figure out who contributed to your child’s personal injury and what, if anything, they are responsible to pay for.

For example, you can file a lawsuit against insufficiently trained employees, unsafe equipment, inadequate supervision and several other minor factors.

Playing sports can be fun for your kids. What’s not fun is when they have a life-changing personal injury. If your child has suffered from an injury because of someone else, they can receive compensation—contact one of our attorneys to find out how.

ASTHMA TIPS FOR WHEN THE INHALER IS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND

As parents, when you’re considering sending your child to summer camp, many worries come to mind. Will your child miss you? How can you know he or she will be safe?

But when you’re a parent of a child with asthma, that worry increases tenfold. What if your child doesn’t have her inhaler when her asthma is triggered?

Too many people have dealt with a wrongful death lawyer as a result of a poorly handled asthma attack. By staying aware of the risks and teaching your child what to do in case of emergency, you can sleep soundly knowing that no matter where she hikes in Salt Lake or Bountiful, Utah, she’ll know how to take care of her asthma.

ALLERGY AWARENESS

Any asthmatics can tell you that the best tool they have in their arsenal is their awareness. By knowing what sets off an asthma attack, asthmatics can better prepare for when they’re on the trails of St. George.

Summer brings an increase in pollen count. This increase can actually make allergies to peaches, melons, apples and celery worse than usual. Any wrongful death lawyer can tell you that the best way to increase your awareness is by allergy testing. There’s no reason to just “grin and bear it.”

NO INHALER? NO PROBLEM

The “wheezing for air” feeling is a nightmare for asthmatics. When your child is running through the national parks in Sandy, Utah, she can easily forget to pack her inhaler. Through a few tips and tricks, you can teach your child to manage her asthma when she doesn’t have the proper medicine.

The three phrases your child should remember is to move away, breathe and stay calm.

She needs to move away from the allergens irritating her. She needs to remember the proper breathing technique to get hyperventilation under control — small breath in and out, hold her breath until the first signs of air hunger and then breathe normally. Lastly but most importantly, she needs to stay calm.

With these simple hacks, your child will stay happy and healthy all summer long, and you won’t have a need to contact a wrongful death lawyer.

Free Initial Consultation with Lawyer

It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. Legal problems come to everyone. Whether it’s your son who gets in a car wreck, your uncle who loses his job and needs to file for bankruptcy, your sister’s brother who’s getting divorced, or a grandparent that passes away without a will -all of us have legal issues and questions that arise. So when you have a law question, call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you!

Ascent Law LLC8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite CWest Jordan, Utah 84088 United StatesTelephone: (801) 676-5506

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Source: http://www.ascentlawfirm.com/sports-injuries/