#I would still react like Pam in this situation though

[televinita]

It is so fascinating watching Office season 9 with my husband (who is seeing it for the first time), because he gets the Jim/Pam conflict, but he's also like, "I don't...really see what the issue is? Like, it's just Philly, it wouldn't be a big deal to move there."

And I'm over here going THEY?? HAVE LIVED THEIR ENTIRE LIVES in or around Scranton?? Where their parents are? And they have a HOUSE?? (That Jim grew up in??) It would be such a big deal to exchange EVERYTHING they know!

(Also, hi, have you met us? Who have also lived our entire lives in or around the same town along with our parents???) [that's mostly my doing 'cause I love it here but still]

And he shrugs and says, "yeah, but when I went to college that was fine, and if I'd found a job there I wouldn't have minded staying in that area." And then he reminds me that like Jim, he is also in a fairly boring and soulless white collar job he doesn't like, and will probably do forever because it's stable and decently-paying, but if he had a chance to do something he DOES enjoy? He fully understands why Jim leaped at the opportunity and has done everything he's done since, at least up to roughly where we are (just a couple episodes past Christmas).

Which...huh. He has a point.

The best part about having this perspective is that while I've watched Jim/Pam clips and gifsets, I don't think I've actually watched the season in full since it aired, 10+ years ago. At which time I was not only single, but had never been in a relationship. The view from the other side!!

[lemon-natalia]

Nona the Ninth Reaction - Chapter 28

‘golden eyes like a dead animal’s’ you are sick and twisted Tamsyn Muir, sick and twisted (affectionate). also that is an interesting description of Kiriona's eyes. of course part of it is that she is quite literally in a dead body, but these are also the eyes that John got after he gained his necromantic powers

ohhhh my god. i don’t think my heart can take Kiriona asking after Harrow. she gave up her life for her, did the best she could to take care of Harrow’s body, and now she doesn’t even know if Harrow’s alive or not

oof both Pyrrha and Nona clearly know that she’s Alecto, but Nona really doesn’t want to remember. i wonder how long exactly Pyrrha knew who Nona was, even if she was hoping she was Gideon, i feel like part of her must have suspected since the beginning

hmm i wonder if there’s something significant about Alecto’s name? not in terms of its Doylist meaning i.e. being named after one of the Furies, but in universe. here Nona doesn’t want Pyrrha to say her name because it will make her remember, John (from what i recall) only ever used nicknames like A.L. and Annabel Lee etc. when talking to Harrow, and both he and the other Lyctors had a remarkably strong reaction to Mercy using it at the end of HtN:

'A ripple of ice over the face. A hardening of the mouth. He said quietly, “Don’t call her-” “Alecto! Alecto! Alecto!” repeated Mercy shrilly. The other Lyctors flinched each time she said it, as though it were an aural stab’

oh wow, Alecto’s consciousness (voice?) rising up to speak from Nona is very disturbing. once again, Alecto doesn’t seem like the nicest person. which makes sense i suppose given she is in actuality a Resurrection Beast herself and seemingly very pissed off about the whole ‘killing humanity and putting her in a human form’ thing

‘astonishingly, Pash, helping an extremely feeble and aged person’ i mean good on Pash for helping the elderly, i guess?

it’s gotta be so strange for Palamedes’ mother and the other people in the Sixth to be dealing with the ‘i’m dead and in Naberius Tern’s also dead body’ thing. it can hardly be what they imagined when he and Camilla went off to the First in GtN. speaking of, i do still wonder how everyone’s family members, the Cohort etc. reacted to the news of basically everyone dying after going off to try and be Lyctors

‘Palamedes was acting as though he were a tiny at show-and-tell’ is that not how Palamedes always acts about everything

Pyrrha Dve queen of ill-advised romantic relationships. poor her, she’s lost basically everyone she cared about before (G1deon, Wake, and now Pal and Cam, Nona is dying) now as a result of Lyctorhood to some degree

oh why does everything they’re saying here feel like a goddamn funeral, i categorically don’t like this

'something white and grey and powdery [...] Camilla [...] - to Nona's horror - ate it' i’m assuming that’s Palamedes’ skull goop making a reappearance. ew

ohhh wow this is a lot worse than i thought it was going to be, they’ve actually just straight up merged themselves into a single person. i suspected the whole Camilla-and-Palamedes thing was going to come back but not like this. it’s not like they had a lot of choices, and i mean i guess it’s better on an emotional level than one of them dying and the other having to live with it, but still, yikes

wdym i am categorically not crying about the fact that Kiriona is apparently totally disinterested in this whole situation, but her first instinct is still to want to hand over her jacket to … Cam/Pal. (Pam?)

listen i get what Palamedes is trying to do here, encouraging Ianthe to accept Lyctorhood as a mutual loss & rebirth rather than a sole sacrifice of the cavalier, but quite frankly i think poor Naberius would like being merged into a single person with Ianthe even less than being murdered

[noodlesfics]

It's me again! XD This time it's not an aot request, but I'm curious to try to request something with slashers, here it is: how the slasher would react to a s/o who hid a pregnancy from them like they come back to their lair and find out their s/o gave birth on her own, like they find her with a newborn baby in her arms right after birth and they didn't know she was pregnant.

I know this is weird, you can choose to not write it if it's too cringe for you.

A/N~HI MY LOVE! I LOVE THIS IDEA AND HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT! 🥰❤️

Michael

You were very grateful that your bump didn't show to much, you weren't sure how he would react to finding out you are pregnant. You started having contractions during the day and by the time Michael left for his nightly killing spree, you were left to give birth by yourself. It was horrible and torturous but you managed to give birth to a beautiful baby girl. You cleaned her up after a while and sat proped up against the wall on your shared bed with her all wrapped up in your arms. An hour or so later, you heard the door of the house slam shut as Michael's heavy footsteps came up the stairs. You didn't pay him any attention as you were still to focused on your baby girl. As soon as he opened your bedroom door he just froze. How the fuck do you have a baby? Where did it come from? Who's is it? You ushered him over as to not wake her up. "We have a baby now Mikey! Isn't she beautiful? She has your eyes!" He couldn't wrap his head around the situation. He didn't know how exactly to feel about it either but with the happy smile that was etched on your face as you admired your child was to priceless. He now has a family that he is going to cherish forever.

Jason

Poor baby was clueless when you started to be sick and eat more. He just figured that you were sick and needed to do your own thing to heal. However, Pam noticed pretty much straight away and decided to keep the secret aswell. Jason had been out for most of the day and you were laying at home experiencing the most excruciating pain ever to deliver this baby in an old and moldy cabin. It was horrible but worth it when the struggles stopped and your beautiful baby girl arrived. You decided that you were going to name her after Jason's mother. When he got back to the cabin, he saw the back of your head leaning down whilst sitting on the sofa. He just walked over and froze like Michael. You haven't cheated on him have you? How is this baby hear!? He's so scared bless him. After a thorough examination from you, he understood but was a but hurt that you felt the need to hide the pregnancy from him and that Pamela knew all along. He was as happy as ever though when you told him her name.

Thomas

You are incredibly sneaky if you can hide a pregnancy from him. I don't think it would be possible as you never leave the house and you are stuck with the same people day in and day out. I think Luda would notice after a while and end up telling the whole family. She's just so excited that the Hewitt name is growing! Poor Tomny felt like he was going to faint, he's always been a family man and is beyond happy that you're carrying his child. The whole family is supportive and understanding throughout the pregnancy but Mama Mae thought it was necessary for only her to deliver the baby and be in the room with you. Even Hoyt was excited to see the little bundle! Your screams are the only ones that haunt Thomas but as soon as he was allowed into your room, I was all worth it. Your cradled your baby boy to your chest as the poor man stumbled over. He did it, you did it, he finally has the family he has always wanted.

Billy + Stu

These guys are so wrapped up in other things that they definitely didn't notice that you were pregnant. Much to your relief. Your delivery was horrible, the boys had just got back from a hunt and decided to watch a scary movie. All whilst you were upstairs on your shared bed squeezing a person out of you! It wasn't until your screams echoed around the house that they rushed upstairs. They didn't know how to help seeing as they didn't know you were pregnant, but when your little boy finally arrived, everything went silent. They were actually very happy and excited about having a baby! Sure with their hobby, it can be dangerous to have a kid around but with an amazing mother like you, everything will go well. They got the family They never knew they needed.

[thestupidhelmet]

So, I need some advice. I'm writing a jackie/eric fic, and I'm at the point where Kelso finds out. In your in opinion how do you think Kelso would react? I know he felt angry betrayed, when he found out Hyde and Jackie were together. But I can't help but feel he would feel even worse if it was Eric and Jackie that were together. Side note, I want to write a scene where Eric punches Kelso for calling Jackie a name. Do you think that would be out of character for him?

Hi!

Sounds like you've written a lot of the story already. The main point to consider is this: Eric's motivation for punching Kelso has to be real to Eric's character. Otherwise, it's character manipulation, forcing a character to behave a certain way to fit the plot you want instead of letting the plot arise naturally from the characters' personalities and choices.

For a non-canon, OOC ship like Jackie/Eric to work, everything else about the characters in the story must be in-character for it to be believable -- in my estimation, at least.

Below, you'll find an analysis of the characters re: Kelso reacting to Hyde or Eric dating Jackie and a sample in-character E/J/K fanfic plot that would lead organically to Eric punching Kelso.

I don't think Jackie dating Eric would be worse for Kelso than Jackie dating Hyde. Kelso and Hyde were partners in crime before Kelso dated Jackie and quite close. Once Jackie came into the picture, Hyde and Kelso's friendship / relationship deteriorated rapidly.

That's not to say Kelso still wouldn't feel betrayed, but the sense of betrayal would stem partly from different reasons.

Jackie choosing Hyde over Kelso is a major blow to Kelso's ego and self-esteem. We learn explicitly in "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You" (5x14) that Kelso feels deeply humiliated by Jackie dating Hyde, as if it's a message to the whole town that Hyde is better looking, a better lover, and all-around better person than Kelso.

With Jackie choosing Eric over Kelso, Kelso would be in more denial over it than he is over Jackie and Hyde dating at first. He'd think Eric and Jackie aren't actually dating but that Eric is trying to get back at him for sleeping with Eric's sister (Laurie) and Jackie is playing along.

What makes Kelso believe Jackie and Hyde are together is catching them kiss. Even if Kelso were to see Eric and Jackie kissing, I think he'd still be in denial. "Wow, they're really putting everything into this burn, huh?" he'd say to Fez.

So the first obstacle, if wanting to write Kelso in-character for your fic, is getting Kelso actually to believe Eric and Jackie's romance is real.

Once he does, Kelso's tactics against Eric would be totally different than they are against Hyde. With Hyde, Kelso was always aggressive and violent -- even before either of them dated Jackie. Their friendship was quite physical (not sexual), fighting when they got into arguments, etc. (See the flashback where they meet Fez in "Class Picture" [4x20]). With Eric, Kelso would try "diplomacy" and talking.

Kelso would demand answers from Eric then try to convince Eric that Jackie isn't the girl for him. He'd probably warn Eric against all the negative experiences Kelso had (from Kelso's subjective POV, obviously) when dating Jackie, how it affected his self-esteem, that her controlling behavior and insults "drove him" to cheating.

"She'll make a cheater out of you, too," Kelso would say as a warning, "but that's not you. Don't let her turn you into someone you're not. 'Cause she will."

Eric, of course, would counter that Kelso would've cheated on his first girlfriend, whether she were Jackie or not. "You always had the hots for my sister. Once she ... had her way with you, you weren't going to stay faithful. And you made out with Pam Macy before that! You're a cheater, Kelso. Jackie didn't turn you into one."

Eric walks away from this conversation with Kelso shouting after him, "You just wait and see, Eric. You'll cheat, just like me! You should've stuck with Donna!"

Once "diplomacy" fails, Kelso would do everything he could to have Jackie catch Eric in compromising situation with other women. He'd do this very, very badly with hilarious results.

Eric's motivation for punching Kelso likely wouldn't come from Kelso insulting Jackie. Eric has insulted Jackie in so many ways, so many times that I don't believe this would be enough. Eric is more of a talker than a physical fighter, and he can be very cutting with his words. The times Eric has gotten physical is when he's drunk and upset over believing he'd killed his grandmother ("Grandma's Dead" [1x23]); he's looking for a fight because of his feelings of guilt and shame, and he starts one with a jerk at a bar. The second time happens in "Street Fighting Man" (7x14) when a football fan who'd been a jerk during a Packers game eventually insults Eric's dad.

But Kelso is one of Eric's oldest friends, and Eric likely does feel some sense of responsibility and guilt toward him (and Hyde if Jackie also dated Hyde in your story) for dating Jackie. So Kelso would have to hurt Jackie badly for Eric to get physical. Not just insults. Something that hurts Jackie on a deep level, like actually succeeding in convincing Jackie that Eric isn't in love with her but has been using her to get over Donna, that Eric and Donna reconciled a few weeks ago -- and now he's cheating on Donna with Jackie "for a little while longer, just in case things don't work out with Donna."

Jackie doesn't want to believe him, but Kelso's been hinting at this idea for a while. Even conversations Donna and Eric have had with Jackie separately add to Jackie's insecurity about this. Then Jackie catches Eric and Donna in an embrace. In impulse and anger, she breaks up their hug, shouts at Eric that she always feared being "the other woman," and that she never thought Eric would turn her into one. She doesn't let either Eric or Donna explain. She leaves.

Eric goes to find Jackie only to find Kelso. Kelso is very smug about all of this, saying, "See? I told you Jackie would make you a cheater." Eric, very distraught about losing Jackie -- knowing how badly Jackie's heart and self-esteem was broken by being cheated on by Kelso, how Eric promised her he's a serial monogamist; once he's in love, he's devoted, etc. -- shouts his anger and fears at Kelso.

Kelso, though, reacts entitled and self-satisfied. He's entirely dismissive of Jackie's feelings, which are Eric's main concern (besides, of course, losing the woman he loves). This is what could get Eric to punch Kelso, in Kelso's smug, self-satisfied face. "You son of a bitch!" and POW!

All right, so this is how I would approach this scenario in a Jackie/Eric fic. 😅 Whether I ship a couple or not, I'm all about fidelity to the characters' personalities. What they might actually say or do given a certain situation, conflict, or stressor.

You're free to use elements of the above plot with total permission. I'd strongly recommend using your own dialogue, however because that's writing in my voice not yours (not to mention plagiarizing). If you do use elements of the plot I came up with, thanking me (MistyMountainHop) for the help / advice in an author's note would not be unappreciated. 😊

[those70scomics]

How different do you think things would be if Kelso hadn't told anyone about his affair with Laurie and everyone found out after Jackie caught them? You think they would've reacted differently? You think Eric would've been angry at Kelso and would do something?

I already know Donna would 100% be pissed at Kelso, but while I think things would definitely be different if they found out about Kelso and Laurie via Jackie, I also can't really say exactly how different things would be because I don't understand the characters as much as you do. I like to think that everyone would've been more empathetic towards Jackie, but maybe they wouldn't? I don't know. I would love to hear your opinion on this!

How the T7S writers would've handled it and what the characters would actually do based on their characterization might not be one and the same. 🙄 😂

With that out of the way, Eric would've been in shock about Laurie sleeping with Kelso after years of rejecting him. He would been embarrassed (or humiliated) that one of his oldest friends was sleeping with his sister. His main concern would be the Laurie/Kelso of it all, not the Jackie/Kelso/Laurie of it all. Kelso being a cheater wouldn't surprise him, considering he cheated on Jackie with Pam Macy in "Ski Trip" (1x13).

Donna would be absolutely furious Kelso cheated on Jackie and for so long -- and disgusted by with whom. She's the only one who might possibly get through to Eric that the worst part of this situation is that Jackie was lied to and cheated on for months, not with whom Kelso cheated. She'd tell Eric that, yes, it's gross Kelso's been sleeping with Laurie, but Eric can get over that. Jackie's heart and trust has been broken, and as her friends, they need to stick by her.

Eric would say he's not Jackie's friend.

Donna: Well, I am, and Kelso's basically dead to me now -- except for the fact I want to kick as ass to the moon! He did a horrible thing, Eric. You can't let your friendship with him blind you to who he really is.

Eric would struggle with this, but I do believe he'd ultimately arrive at the right conclusion and that his empathy for Jackie would kick in.

Fez would be delighted in some ways because he'd see his chance to use Jackie's heartbreak to his advantage. Seasons 2 and 3 Fez had an entitlement issue toward Jackie, and he'd (attempt to) put himself in the role as her comforter while expecting an eventual romantic reciprocation. Fez also wouldn't be surprised Kelso cheated on Jackie. He and Kelso weren't true friends until season 5. They went from frenemies to friend-ish to friends.

First and foremost, Hyde would be furious at Kelso for being a cheater, regardless of whom he'd cheated on. Hyde's (step)father cheated on his mother and abandoned him because of it. His loyalty would be to the injured party, and he'd express his solidarity to Jackie -- which would shock Kelso and surprise Eric and Fez.

Jackie, having trust in Hyde because of his treatment of her during "Prom Night" (1x19) would feel safe with him. The development of their relationship would likely be very similar to the show's in S2 and S3, starting with "Kelso's Serenade" (2x21).

The difference here is that when Hyde knows Kelso's cheating on the show, he feels torn between loyalty to Kelso and doing right by Jackie. He does his best to get Jackie to discover Kelso's cheating on her own so he doesn't have to be "a rat". Hyde also enjoys Kelso's suffering at knowing he might be caught any minute -- which goes to Hyde's anger at Kelso for being a cheater.

In your scenario, Hyde finding out from Jackie with everyone else -- after months of Kelso's secret cheating -- would be a jolt. He'd be impressed Kelso could keep it secret so long, but he'd feel no conflict in supporting Jackie since he didn't have to betray his friendship to Kelso by telling Jackie the truth directly. On the show, his loyalty is clearly to Jackie after "Kiss of Death" (2x20). Even though he doesn't want her to cling to him, he still helps her whenever she needs it.

[gb-patch]

Ask Answers: December 11th, 2020

How old are terri, miranda, lee, shiloh and jeremy? Are they all the same age as the mc?

Step 1: MC is 8 and Shiloh is 7

Step 2: MC and Lee are 13 and Jeremy is 12

Step 3: MC, Lee, and Terri are 18, Miranda is 19 (though she just barely turned that age)

How many different personalities are there for Jamie? Does picking one color of dialogue option mark down the personality or is it the choices and actions themselves?

There’s not really any set amount of personalities. You can mix and match traits in different ways and different levels, it’s really up to you. The colored options just give an idea of the tone of what you’re doing (whether it’s serious or more lighthearted or more emotional, that sort of thing).

Hey! Sorry to bother, but I was just curious. Why does MC and Cove react the way they do in the errands moment? It just sorta seems like they overreacted to being left alone in the farmers market. 

I’m a little confused on what you mean. You can choose not to care or to have a good time, your MC doesn’t have to be upset. There are more choices that lead to upset feelings, but that’s because there’s really only one way to say you’re really okay and multiple ways to feel upset (sad, angry, scared, etc). And if someone is upset, there’s nothing wrong with that. Feeling fine is okay too.

As for Cove, he’s just like that. Cove is a sensitive guy and he is especially bothered by parents pulling stunts without talking to their kid ahead of time. If you wanna annoy Cove, that exact thing they did is one of the fastest ways to do it, ahah. And he’s not gonna let it slide just because it was the MC’s parents doing it to them rather than one of his own parents doing it to him.

so if I were to become a one time patreon pledger, would I still have access to the things from that tier after the month is over (such as 18+ pics or access to a demo/beta)?

If you join Patreon for one month you’ll get everything released that month and have access to all our past posts, and you can save the stuff to your own computer to keep it forever. But you won’t get access to things that come out after your subscription has ended. So if you want to join for a specific piece of content, just make sure you wait until that content has already come out and then subscribe.

Why did Noelani and Pamela decide to adopt within the USA when they had previously adopted abroad?

Because we wanted to highlight more than one type of adoption. Both are valid.

At what age was MC adopted in our life?

Only around a year old, but it’s flexible based on what the player wants for their story.

If Pamela is estranged from her family and Noelani doesn't really talk to her's, where did Lee come from? 

Lee is a backer created character, she wasn’t originally part of the cast. Because our main supporter wanted her to be related to the MC’s family, we gave Pam one sibling she still talks to and that sibling has a daughter, Lee. The game was still in pretty early development way back then when we first mentioned the family situation. It’s just kind of inevitable that during the game making process some things ended up changing, aha.

In the relationship DLC’s for Derek and Baxter will there be options for polyamory to include Cove?

I’m afraid not. The way Our Life: Beginnings & Always works doesn’t support developing a poly relationship well, it’d very quickly build up too many alterations to manage. But we do hope to feature polyamory options in future games.

Will it be possible to confess to Cove (or vice versa) in Step 4, if it hasn't been done already? 

Yeah!

are you going to put the credits song on youtube or spotify? i really like it and want to play it for my friends 🙏🥺 ty 

I’m so glad you like it! We have rights to use the song in our game and for our game to be the only game it’s ever used in, but the rights to sell/upload the song belong to the actual creators of the music. We’re happy to let them decide where they’re comfortable posting the track.

Quick question, do you plan on continuing to use MC we can custom? I liked all your games but being able to customize Our Life's MC was awesome 

I can’t say if every game we ever make from now on will have a super customizable MC, but we are planning other projects with that feature. Our Life: Beginnings & Always won’t be the only one.  It’s nice to hear you appreciated the effort to add that.

Can I just express my disappointment that you only get a 'makeout session' in Step 3 if your MC is outgoing? My shy MCs miss out on grabbing the Cove booty... xP

Whether or not you can make out with Cove and how intense it can get depends on how long you’ve been a couple. If your shy MC takes longer to get with Cove, he’ll need more time before he’s ready to do that sort of stuff. And if your confident MC has been with him for years already, then he’s at a point where he can go that far with them. I’m afraid patience is required when it comes to romancing that boy, haha. 

If we played in 1.0 and we updates to 1.1 do we have to start over? Or do save files transfer? I hit the "ignore" not sure if I should have for the game to work properly 

1.0 save files should work with version 1.1. If you’re getting error reports can you send us more details about what the error is saying?

Bug report: At the end of the 'Mall' DLC moment in Step 2, there's a point where Cove says the MC's name, but it's said in his Step 1 voice instead of his Step 2 voice. I don't know if it happens with ALL names, but it happened with my most recent game using the name Devin.

As a follow-up to my earlier bug report about the voiced names (or at least Devin) in the Mall moment, I had the same issue in the Soiree moment as well (with the same name - again, it might just be that one).

Thank you for the report! Can you let me know when you downloaded the DLC files? I think that should be fixed in the most recent version of them.

Dear gb-patch, I'm one of the OL Kickstarter backers (and I had and still have a great time with your updates, it's great to see the project grow and you are great in communicating with your fans 💕).

I want to wait until all steps are complete until I play, I know I'll enjoy it even more if I can experience it all together. Because of that I didn't open the game myself but I just saw your post with the screenshot of the voiced names and noticed that the name that I submitted to you isn't on the list. The name is Mai (or May), will it be available later?

Thank you for supporting us! Mai is one of the names that we’re still working on. It accidentally had a tone missed.

And thank you for all of these asks <3

—————————————————————— We released a new FAQ! It answers common questions and we’ll keep adding more to it. Please check there before sending an ask. FAQ   Also, if you prefer to just see the main posts without all the asks/reblogs, feel free to follow our side account instead: GB Patch Updates Blog

[skyblue-ringpops]

A Deep Dive Into Blaine Anderson

I wrote a six page essay analyzing Blaine Anderson.

Click to read it, I would really appreciate if you did. Keep in mind - it’s long. 

I hope you enjoy, and feel free to share your thoughts!

Warning: There will be discussion of neglect, abuse, homophobia, suicide, self harm, eating disorders, and sexual assault.

When we were first introduced to Blaine Anderson, he was made out to seem like Kurt’s mentor, very confident and open to being himself. It wasn’t long before he changed, and many would say that change was for the worse. As many people say, he became whiny, clingy, and, according to many of his critics, annoying. However, it isn’t hard to see that Blaine was struggling mentally, and these issues were never explored further. This essay will not only determine what he was going through, but explain possible causes and effects. 

We first meet Blaine at Dalton Academy, confident, accepting of himself, someone for Kurt to look up to and be guided by. But why does he suddenly change after season two? He isn’t being himself at Dalton, he’s being the way he’s expected to be. The Warblers all seem to have a similar presence that captures the spirit of the academy - formal, wise, confident. That fits the personality of season two Blaine. Why is he acting this way, though? There’s a few possibilities. One, he’s trying to fit in. Everyone else in the academy acts that way, and Blaine doesn’t want to stand out, he wants to fit in, something he wasn’t able to do at his old school. Two, he could have a mentor at the academy that he’s trying to act more like. Blaine is the head Warbler, but he isn’t the authority in the group. That role would likely belong to Wes or David, one of the members of the council. It’s possible that Blaine admired them or was inspired in some way, and tried replicating their behavior. Three, he could have been ashamed of his actual personality or feared nobody would like his true self, and tried hiding it either to fit in, as I said before, or to make Kurt like him. I personally don’t think this is the case since he took off his mask once arriving at McKinley. I think he was likely trying to fit the image of the academy, hoping it would prevent the bullying he faced at his old school. Although Dalton had a zero tolerance policy, he likely faced some trauma, and a simple policy wouldn’t be enough for him.

So, what happened at his old school? Blaine said that he and his openly gay friend were jumped at a Sadie Hawkins dance at their school, leading Blaine to transfer to Dalton. This affected him quite a bit, and it was shown multiple times. While at the prom with Kurt, Blaine seems protective of him at times and isn’t too sure they’ll be safe. The chance of this being his first dance since the Sadie Hawkins is very high, it’s no surprise that he’d be afraid, especially knowing that Kurt had been bullied in the past. After Tina very awkwardly asks Blaine to the Sadie Hawkins dance and gets rejected, she apologizes, thinking he said no because of his past experience. We know he said no because of his crush on Sam, however, I don’t believe that’s the only reason. He knew Sam wouldn’t feel the same way, and he knew Tina would have been willing to go as friends. Even if it wasn’t the main reason for him rejecting her, his trauma likely played a role in it. 

alton Academy was a place of refuge for Blaine. He went there after the bullying, he made friends, he met Kurt, the Warblers were probably the closest thing he had to a family, he almost went back after his very hard breakup in season four. It wouldn’t be hard to believe that Dalton saved his life, which I’ll get more into later. When the academy burns down in season six, it’s clear that he was very affected by it. He’s brought into the auditorium clearly upset, crying, quiet. When explaining what happened, he seems distant, sort of zoned out. Chances are, he watched the academy burn - many agree it is a boarding school so even if it wasn’t during the school day, it’s very likely he was there. But the fire probably happened during the day, it makes sense since there would be something that could have caused it. Even if he didn’t witness the academy burn, he would have seen the results of the fire, even if it was just in pictures. The academy was clearly important to every student, they did what they could to respect it. Blaine has an extra reason to hold it so close, That would almost definitely add to his trauma, especially since it was a place that meant so much to him.

The Warblers were the closest thing Blaine had to a family. What about his parents, what about Cooper? We met Cooper and Pam, and his father was mentioned. However, in a deleted scene, it is confirmed that Blaine’s parents weren’t present in his life, they were too busy with work. Cooper and Blaine didn’t have much of a relationship, due to their age difference. Blaine’s father and Cooper aren’t even at the wedding, although it wasn’t originally his. There was a deleted explanation for Cooper’s absence, he had a callback for an audition. The only explanation for his father’s absence was also deleted - an implication that his parents got a divorce. It’s hard to say the effect this would have on Blaine, it was deleted so we never saw his reaction, and we don’t know if it even affected him much due to their absence. Also, it’s more than likely that Blaine raises himself. In flashbacks, it’s shown that he didn’t have the best childhood. We see Cooper teasing him and not letting him play, and we see him play Operation by himself. Chances are, he raised himself. He probably had nobody to raise him, no role models. We know Blaine didn’t have the best relationship with Cooper, we saw in the episode Big Brother that, although they seemed to make up at the end, Cooper never really supported Blaine and constantly criticized him, and Blaine seemed jealous of the attention Cooper received. These problems have probably always existed, and could even be traced back to their parents, if Cooper got more attention or praise. Their parents were absent for most of Blaine’s childhood, but due to the age difference, we can’t definitively say the same for Cooper. As for their father, he isn’t talked about much, but Blaine does tell Burt that his father used to fix cars with him in an effort to turn him straight. Now, this is only based on what Blaine says, it’s possible that he just assumed this and his father’s intention was simply spending time with his son. However, even if that is the case, there has to be some reason for Blaine to assume this. Whether his father made homophobic comments in the past, reacted badly to Blaine coming out, or explicitly said he had an issue with Blaine’s sexuality and/or wanted to “fix him”, or if his father never actually did anything, and he assumed the worst because of something done by someone else, there has to be some reason for him to think this. His mother does seem to be the better parent, at least she shows up once and he doesn’t have anything bad to say about her. But that doesn’t mean she was all good, and just observing her behaviors at the wedding shows this. First of all, she’s shown dancing with Puck, which must be weird for Blaine. Imagine seeing your recently divorced (although I’m not sure if we can consider the divorce canon since it was deleted, making this situation even worse) dancing with one of your classmates, who’s only a year older than you. This next point isn’t canon, it’s more of a possible scenario. His mother seems to be acting drunk at the wedding, and is one of the only ones to appear that way. Again, not confirmed. But if that is the case, imagine this scenario - Blaine’s mother hardly being present, and drinking when she is. First of all, this would make it much harder for the two to bond, since she probably wouldn’t be focused as much on him. Second, there isn’t much she would be able to do for him, so he wouldn’t have a responsible adult around if he needed one. And third - again, this is entirely speculation - it could potentially have a negative influence on him. While it definitely doesn’t seem Blaine has a dependence on alcohol (it actually seems to be more of the opposite, since he’s apparently drunk after one beer in The First Time), it could have a negative influence on his coping mechanisms, shown when he and Dave Karofsky are explaining their relationship to Kurt, saying they met at Scandals. This may not seem like an issue, but remember, during season six, Blaine was too depressed to do much of anything, to the point of getting kicked out of NYADA, but still chose to hang out in a bar.

Speaking of his relationship with Karofsky, almost everyone agrees that he shouldn’t have dated his ex’s former tormentor, and many criticize him for that. But what was his reason for choosing to date him? There are a few possibilities. First, he could have actually had feelings for him, which I doubt. It isn’t impossible, but he clearly wasn’t over Kurt, and he knew how Karofsky used to treat him, although he changed. It is possible that Blaine was just taking whatever he could get, like after the season four breakup when he was finally able to move on due to a crush on Sam, likely developed out of loneliness. Also, his feelings for Dave quickly disappear when he realizes he has a chance to get Kurt back. Another possibility is that he chose to date Dave to upset Kurt, out of spite possibly, but Blaine doesn’t seem like the type to intentionally hurt someone he loves. He usually tries to take on the role of a protector, so why would he try to hurt Kurt, even if he was upset with him, especially knowing what Dave did in the past? The third reason, which seems the most probable to me, is that Blaine dated Dave because he was seeking pain or abuse. There’s a few reasons why he could have done this. One, it isn’t uncommon for survivors of abuse, which with his father, Blaine might be, to seek out more pain after their abuser has stopped. It’s possible that, if his father was abusive, he did stop sometime around season 6, since Blaine likely doesn’t live at home anymore and if his parents did divorce around this time, he may not see his father anymore. Two, it could have been a form of punishment. If he blamed himself for the breakup, he may think he deserves pain for hurting Kurt. He also could have been seeking pain in order to feel something. He was extremely depressed after the breakup and likely felt numb, and in his mind, pain would be better than that. Finally, he could have been with Dave thinking he couldn’t do any better or didn’t deserve any better. This could be a result of the breakup or his previous insecurities shown in season 5.

Now, let’s take a closer look at his insecurities. Insecurity is something that has been covered quite a bit on the show, but is typically done poorly. In Blaine’s case, his insecurity makes him jealous and many criticize him for that. When Kurt begins a more healthy lifestyle and gets in better shape, rather than being happy for him, Blaine becomes jealous, tries to reverse his progress, and turns to the internet because he doesn’t feel comfortable around Kurt. There are some suggestions that Blaine may be going through something many characters in the show face - the eating disorder that only lasts one episode. There are many implications that he may be binge eating at the beginning of the episode, and even after deciding he wants to get into shape, continues consuming a large amount of calories, seemingly using it as a coping mechanism. However, this issue was completely overlooked, just like many others throughout the show. He also says to Kurt, ���One day, you’re gonna wake up and realize that ‘I don’t love him anymore.’” He has the belief throughout the episode that Kurt is better than him, and could do better. However, this isn’t the first time he has a mindset like this. When Kurt texts Chandler, Blaine accuses him of cheating despite doing something similar with Sebastian and seeing no issue with it. When Kurt graduates, Blaine worries that the long-distance relationship won’t work for them, he worries that Kurt will leave him. When Blaine meets Elliot, he confronts him for trying to steal Kurt from him, despite both of them assuring him they are just friends. Kurt hasn’t done anything to make Blaine believe he isn’t loyal or wants to leave him. It seems that Blaine has abandonment issues, which could be traced back to his parents’ absence. This would also explain his clinginess and dependence on Kurt. Even when Kurt isn’t around, he always seems to have one person he latches onto. For example, in seasons four and five, he’s hardly seen without Sam, and even in season six, when he seems to go everywhere with Dave and moves in with him very quickly, and the only times he is without them are usually when he is with Kurt.

Blaine’s anxiety is shown in more ways than just his abandonment issues and clinginess. For example, when Blaine is reconsidering his choice to audition for NYADA and instead claims he wants to be a doctor despite having no prior interest, he is avoiding a cause of worry, a common symptom of anxiety. He also shows signs of an anxiety attack during the shooting. He’s shown sitting quietly, crying, and hugging his knees. He’s okay at first, but later panics after being shushed. He most likely thinks everyone is mad at him for making noise, and fears that if anything happens to them, he will be blamed. When Ryder calls “Katie” and the phone rings, everyone tells him to turn it off except for Blaine, who can be seen mouthing “Turn it off please” but doesn’t make a sound, likely because he’s too scared to speak. He doesn’t move and is the only one to not touch anyone during the lockdown. Even when Sam is trying to leave, Blaine doesn’t help, just covers his ears and tries to block it out. This could be signs of PTSD. Throughout the experience, he seems almost childlike, for example, curling up, audibly sobbing, clinging to Sam, and being the only person to call his parents and greeting his mother with “hey mommy”.

Along with his anxiety, Blaine is shown to have severe depression, which is especially notable during seasons four and six, but likely existed even before his transfer to Dalton. He talks about being unable to sleep and eat after he and Kurt broke up in season six, and was even kicked out of NYADA due to his lack of motivation. He nearly transfers back to Dalton after the season four breakup, a place of refuge for him, because everything at McKinley reminds him of Kurt and he can’t handle it. He even shows signs of being suicidal in seasons three and four. Season four has less to discuss, he says a few things that suggest he either is or is becoming suicidal, showing signs of severe depression and acting as if he has nothing left. In season three, though, there is more to look into, and if you aren’t paying close attention, it’s easy to miss. Both examples are from the episode On My Way. The theme for regionals is inspirational, and Blaine chooses to sing the song Cough Syrup. The song is viewed as a cry for help from the band when they were first starting out and unsure what to do. However, the song is not about suicide. It’s about the difficult decision to stray from the norm and do your own thing, or do what is expected of you. In fact, upon viewing the episode, the band said they never thought of the song in that way. However, many listeners do think of the song as being about suicide, and we don’t know what Blaine’s interpretation was. Later in the episode, the club discusses suicide. Everyone makes eye contact, and when they say what they are looking forward to, everyone laughs and smiles. However, Blaine doesn’t. Rather than looking at everyone else, he looks down, rubbing his wrists, suggesting possible self harm or suicidal ideation. He looks sad throughout the discussion, and his only smile, towards the end of the discussion, looks very forced and his eyes still look sad. Due to his past, it wouldn’t be hard to believe he had thoughts of suicide at some point, whether before Dalton, or during seasons three, four, and/or six.

My final point will be discussing this article. The article points out some inconsistencies about Blaine and sex, from his open discussion with Burt, casually bringing up masturbation, his sometimes sexual song choices, the car scene after he and Kurt go to Scandals, and his talk about sexy faces, to his argument with Sam when he says he’s “not for sale”. He shows no discomfort most of the time, until one suggestion makes him become angry and defensive. His character did go through quite a bit of changes, which could be an explanation for his inconsistencies, mixed with Glee’s notoriously bad writing, but there is another way to look at it: some kind of sexual trauma during his childhood. The ability to have a mature discussion about it can be explained by his exposure to it at a young age if this is the case, since, depending on his age, he would probably need an explanation and a discussion with adults, possibly strangers, if he came forward about his experience. He could, depending on the trauma, view sex as a way to gain approval. And if his dad actually is homophobic, this could be directly linked with Blaine’s experience, with his father possibly believing his sexuality is a result of the trauma. The presentation of his trauma could differentiate every day, being perfectly fine with talking about it one day and not wanting to the next. This could also provide a bit more of an explanation for the car scene during The First Time, if Blaine’s experience happened at a young age and that was his first exposure to and therefore the foundation of his understanding of sex, Blaine may not realize when he goes too far. We know that, whether this theory is true or not, Blaine experienced sexual assault when Tina “vaporaped” him. He doesn’t seem too bothered by her, and she even becomes one of his best friends after it happened. However, the response to trauma I discussed earlier seems to be present. Sam brings up the event later on, meaning he knows about it, and since the chances of Tina or Kurt (the only other ones who know) telling him aren’t high (Tina because she wouldn’t want to admit to it, unless she slipped up like she did with Kurt, and Kurt because he wouldn’t want to reveal Blaine’s trauma), and the fact that Sam brought it up in front of Blaine, shows that he was likely okay with talking about it. He wouldn’t tell Sam if he wasn’t okay discussing it, and if they never talked about it, Sam probably wouldn’t casually joke about it in front of him. If Sam thought the comment he made was okay, he probably didn’t think it affected Blaine too much. However, when Sam brings it up, Blaine clearly looks upset. It did have a negative effect on him, and it was more than likely traumatic. And there’s a possibility that it may not have been his first experience with sexual trauma.

There is no question that Blaine had a rough past, and many of those struggles continue to affect him. However, the show, for the most part, ignores them. I hope that through this essay, you were able to learn a bit more about Blaine, understand his inconsistencies and behaviors that seem out of character, to look past the surface level. Blaine is one of the strongest characters, but his issues are hardly ever brought to light. Keep in mind, a lot of this is speculation, headcanons, or analysis of background information that may not have been scripted. Respectful discussion is encouraged, and feel free to share any additional observations, theories, or headcanons, or suggest another character for me to look into.

[emisfritish]

So no offense, but how can you make a post where you say Sarawat's not to blame for everything in that last train wreck of an episode. Especially when all the fandom agrees on something, you don't even see ur in the wrong then ? How delusional are you ?

Hi dear anon ! (I assume that in your eagerness to send me this message telling me how delusional I am, you forgot common courtesy, no biggie ;))

First- isn’t it interesting how messages that start with ‘no offense’ rarely come off that way ? Nevertheless, you’re one of four anons to send me messages about the subject of Sarawat in the last episode I assume following this post, so I’ll bite. This might get long, so I apologize in advance, and it will be my answer to all four anons, sorry.

I think it’s important to note that we’re watching the show through Tine’s perspective, so we know everything that’s going on in his head, we know how hurt and insecure he’s feeling, and we know how down he was this entire episode (and trust me, I was right there with you with my heart breaking for him basically the entire episode.) I do think though that because of that, we’re judging the situation based on what we know and not based on Sarawat’s perspective : 

To understand Sarawat’s perspective, I think it’s important to lay the context : he just came back from a trip where he poured his heart out to Tine and made it really clear (in his pov) how much he likes Tine and everything he did to get together with him, all the efforts he made. And because of that, I truly think he didn’t realize that Tine’s insecurities could be causing issues for a good chunk of episode 12, not until they talked openly about it. This is in no way blaming Tine either because truly, insecurities are a b*tch that you can’t control and it breaks my heart that he still doesn’t believe that someone could love him this much, that he’s not a placeholder. But here’s where I think Sarawat was at for a good chunk of the episode. I also believe that because people were (rightfully) angered by a few of Sarawat’s actions in the episode, those have kind of erased the way he behaved for 80% of the episode, which was supportive.

Sarawat realized that something was off with Tine in the very first part of the episode, and asked him to talk to him and reassured him about the fact that he was there if needed. When Tine said that it was nothing, Sarawat probably took him at his word, or thought that Tine didn’t want to talk about it. I can’t really blame him for either of those actions. And again in part 2, Sarawat realized that Tine was still off and when Tine brushed it off again, he insisted until Tine told him he had stomach ache, after which he immediately went to get him some medicine to help him. I know a lot of people had issues with the fact that Sarawat didn’t say anything when Tine stayed up all night upset and listening to music, and I can understand that. Here’s my take on it, of course that scene was heartbreaking because we know that Tine was upset, Sarawat however, just thinks that Tine has an upset stomach. Add to that the fact that Tine was wearing headphones, which could be taken as a sign that he just wanted to be left alone, I can’t really fault Wat for not saying anything then or staying up during the night. We reach the next morning and Sarawat immediately wants to stay to take care of Tine because he isn’t feeling well, he only accepts to go to rehearsal when Tine insists, and even after that he comes back early because he’s worried. 

Now we reach the one moment of the episode where I was actually mad at Sarawat : I was glad that they talked openly and Sarawat tried to reassure Tine that he wasn’t just a placeholder (a thought that hadn’t even occurred to him). But when Tine told him he stayed up crying all night and Sarawat just kind of made light of it, yeah, I was mad. I understand that he was just trying to lighten the situation, but I still didn’t like his reaction and wish he had said basically anything else than what he did. That being said, I also recognize that he’s a human being and he’ll make mistakes. So yeah, I didn’t like that scene very much, but I’m not going to cancel him for it either. 

I know people also had a lot of issues with Sarawat’s reaction when Tine sees him and Pam, and again, I understand a 100%. Here’s the way I see it : From Sarawat’s point of view, we’ve gathered that Sarawat liked her for a while and there was no sign of reciprocation, I don’t think the thought that she could actually like him now even crossed his mind until this very moment. So while I wish that Sarawat had reacted quicker and went after Tine, I do think he was just genuinely in shock. I also think that he was kind of in an impossible situation here : basically either follow your boyfriend because he’s rightfully upset about something that is a non-issue in your mind and ditch your friend who just poured her heart out to you and is obviously distressed, or the contrary. I don’t think either decision would have felt right, and it was kind of an impossible situation.

As to how I can think that way when most of the fandom doesn’t ? You’re right, it does seem that most of the fandom really disliked Sarawat this episode and I completely get where they’re coming from and understand, but I also think I’m entitled to my own opinion. We all watch shows and interpret scenes in different ways, and I just didn’t share the same interpretations. That doesn’t make any of the opinions less valid in my book.

Now don’t get me wrong, episode 12 was definitely my least favourite episode so far, and I really really wish they weren’t springing all of this on us in episode 12, leaving them very little time to treat the situation and resolve it in a way that will seem satisfactory. I’ll make my peace with it and see what they have waiting for us in episode 13, but yeah... I still wish it hadn’t happened that way.

That being said- I stand by what I said : I think this situation was shitty for every one involved, and that Sarawat unknowingly hurt Tine, which he definitely has to make up for (just like Tine unknowingly hurt Sarawat many times in the past btw). But these characters are human and flawed, that’s what I love about them, and I truly believe that this whole situation was caused by misunderstandings, insecurities and hurt feelings and I can’t really blame either Tine, Sarawat or Pam for it all, as unpopular of an opinion as it may be. 

I’ll stop there, but just a piece of advice which is valid for all four anons that I got- Leaving an anon message where you either call the person you’re addressing delusional/crazy or are a bit agressive is maybe not the best way to get your point across. I also hope I don’t need to explain the irony in the fact that you’re sending a low key judgmental/insensitive message to an actual person to blame a fictional character for doing the exact same thing you did, but yeah... the irony is definitely there.  

That being said, I hope you have a nice day and stay safe during this peculiar period we’re going through

[usertoxicyaoi]

First of all I completely disagree with everything you guys have been saying about Sarawat. Nobody is at fault but the issue here is Tine's insecurities. Pam's text was a hello so how could Sarawat have been lying and texting her? Also Tine was the one imaging scenarios in his head while browsing through Pam's ig, something he didn't need to do. Also Sarawat can't force Tine to talk, he asked him several times to tell him what's wrong and he refused to. Wat also stayed up all night which is /1

how he knew that Tine stayed up listening to music but like I said Tine didn't want to talk so what exactly do you guys expect him to do? Even the next day Tine STILL didn't want to talk and it was only till Sarawat abandoned band practice to take care of Tine and asked him again what was wrong which is when Tine told him how he felt about Pam. Wat explained the situation to Tine even pointing out he doesn't see Tine and Pam as similar to each other and his little joke at the end was just to /2

lighten the mood and make Tine feel better, which he did, not to dismiss his feelings. As for the song, it's probably the same as the video Tine thinking it's one thing and it being another. I don't understand how if Sarawat doesn't completely deal with Tine's insecurities, he's his boyfriend not his therapist, and Tine assumes stuff then that means Sarawat is an evil demon who has wronged Tine in the worst way. No one is wrong here people just need to talk. /3

hiii anon!!! wow okay. urm. so.

firstly, i’m sorry. i hold my hands up and i wanna apologise not just to you, but anybody else who i may have offended yesterday by saying how disappointed i was with sarawat in ep 12 and how he felt written really badly for me to the point where it irked me bc it felt like glimpses of novel! wat were peaking thru him in ep 12. but i’ve slept on it, and i’ve calmed down now. but yeah, i am still really sorry for what i said. 

and its fine that you disagree and its absolutely okay for you to do so. you saw wat in a very different way than i did. thus, my interpretation was a total 180 from yours. 

that being said, its ..... a sensitive issue. tine’s insecurities are a sensitive issue. yes, sarawat isn’t his therapist or counsellor. he is his boyfriend. and i feel like, if i were in that position, it would worry me if my s/o kept on hiding things from me, only for me to constantly find yet another ambiguous thing, and when i ask them for an explanation, they panic and freeze and just ... evade. especially if that happens not just once, but again and again. then, do you really blame tine for overthinking things? lets leave his insecurities out for a second, lets say he wasn’t insecure. even then, would you really blame him for being in the wrong if he overthought? 

now here’s where tine has been a bit more quicker to react, in that he eventually, within that same ep, plucks up the courage to ask wat directly. and within that same ep or directly onto the next one, things get resolved and wat explains himself. so they do communicate. 

but this time, its not just a simple issue. its not just a video, or a song. its a person. a first love. a past thats come to the present of which tine had very little idea on. handling that is a very different issue than to handling a video or a song being hidden from you. and what heightens it for him is that wat referred to her as his “first love”. not even a crush, but a “first love”. and pam says to him “she loves him back”. now obviously, we know that wat doesn’t love her. a ‘first’ love doesn’t mean the ‘only’ love. but couple that with tine’s already failed dating history, where his s/o has left him everytime, due to which he now feels he isn’t worth it, along with the fact that pam is quite literally a reflection of him in many ways, yet different from him too. what else is tine supposed to feel other than “second best yet again”. 

now, like you said. the issue here is tine’s insecurities. you’re right - it is! bc this whole show is from tine’s perspective, so of course, all the issues and faults relate back to him and his way of perceiving and reading things. he either reads too much into it or doesn’t at all. its what insecurities do - they mess up and warp your perception into 2 very radical and polar opposite ends, one thats too intense and deep and one that is hollow and vacant. 

now, i’m gonna say what i said yesterday. though this is sarawat’s first relationship, from what we know and can see, wat LOOKS and APPEARS to be the more secure one in the relationship from the two, partly bc he has had that year to stew over his feelings for tine, and this was when he didn’t even know if he’d see tine again. and now that he’s with tine, its more or less everything he’s ever wanted, given to him. but tine’s not had that time. all he’s had is failed relationship after failed relationship. but also, just bc sarawat has now, in tine, what he has always wanted, doesn’t mean its plain sailing. sarawat didn’t know tine came with such a huge amount of emotional baggage with him. 

and yes sarawat has tried. he tried again and again yesterday to reach out. and i commend him for it. but now is the real crucial time for sarawat to learn who tine is, and help him unload that emotional baggage - not do it for him, but help him. not as a therapist or counsellor, but as his significant other. 

and in doing that, he can’t make light of the situation. which, ya know, you found it as him tryna cheer tine up, but i didn’t. i found it rude and inappropriate. and thats okay. you have your view, i have mine. what also needed to happen here was, not sarawat saying that “he claims tine and that tine belongs to him”. no. go back to ep 11, where sarawat said to tine “i’d like to be with you for longer than 10 years”. something like that was what tine needed to hear then. something that mentioned stability and longevity, something he hasn’t had before ever in a relationship, not possessiveness. but of course, that’s just me being very nit picky so ... feel free to ignore that.

and the thing is, ya know what. in all of this. tine is gonna beat himself up more than anything and anyone else. he won’t even lash out that badly at sarawat, more so than he will beat his own self up for it. for being “dumb and silly and stupid and not enough and just a shadow and a failure”. he’s done it before, he will do it again. he won’t even feel the need to see sarawat as a demon. he loves him too much for that. and thats also another problem. 

he sees sarawat as this entirely perfect person. i dont wanna say that he puts him on a pedestal, but bc other people do, it doesn’t help in his perception of seeing sarawat as being this too good of a person thats somehow ended up falling in love and being with him. that’s tine lack of self esteem speaking. and thats something they’re both gonna have to talk about. 

these things arent just gonna go away. they’ll lie dormant, then flare up, then lie dormant again. what they can do though, like you mentioned, is talk. not as therapist-patient, but as 2 people, as equals, in a relationship. tine is gonna have to learn to open up and trust wat and change his perception and see that wat is human and that he isn’t perfect and that he is just as much of an equal part to this whole relationship, and wat’s gonna have to learn to not keep things secretive from tine and make tine see that he in fact is human and not perfect and just be more empathetic towards tine’s insecurities and low self esteem.

but thats easier said than done.

[xxlying-from-y0u]

41 Truths People With PTSD Wish Others Understood

1. “It isn’t just war veterans who suffer from it. It’s caused by being in any traumatic situation, such as mental, physical or sexual abuse. Car accidents or watching a traumatic incident can also cause it.” — Julianne Parker Jeppesen

2. “Some days are worse than others, but those good days don’t mean we’re ‘better’ or ‘over it.’ It’s really not a thing you can just ‘get over.’ Moving past it takes time and a lot of effort.” — Madison Dakota Chamberlain

3. “We don’t do it to irritate, frustrate or otherwise incur your wrath. If we were able to turn it off or not react the ways we do, we would. Believe that.” — Julie Anderson

4. “Telling me my greatest fears aren’t real or going to happen doesn’t help me. I understand they can seem outrageous at times, but prior to my traumatic experience, had I told you something like that was going to happen, you would have said ‘no way.’” — Monika Schneider

5. “I need all the support I can get at my lowest points because that’s when I feel [the PTSD] is winning.” — Tricia Hill

6. “I cannot just ‘stop.’” — Allison Hart

7. “It has many forms, not all of which look like what you see in movies.” — Carya Cunningham-Sloan

8. “Even though it may be hard to live with my moods and my strange ways of dealing with things, it’s even harder to be me and have to live with my moods and the strange ways I do things.” — Robyn Wright

9. “Even though it’s 13 years since [my sexual assault], when I’m having a panic attack, it feels like it was 13 days ago. It isn’t in my past. It’s in my every day.” — Helen Wilson

10. “I want to be my old cheeky self again, and it’s frustrating and upsetting that I can’t get there.” — Sarah Whelan

11. “Sometimes you simply just don’t want to talk about it.” — Jen Long

12. “I have lost my sense of safety.” — Rebecca Wood

13. “Choose your words and actions wisely. You never know when your words or actions will turn into somebody’s constant nightmare.” — Manda Ree

14. “Just allow me to cry and mourn, and I will regain my composure and be OK.” — Melinda Garner

15. “Don’t corner me and don’t touch me when I’m anxious. I can’t control this. It controls me.” — Cara Pair

16. “It could take you years to actually face what has happened. And numerous more to overcome it. PTSD is not easy to deal with, much less live with.” — Carol Sides

17. “I’m not my diagnosis. I have good days and bad days, but I’m not contagious. I’m just human.” — Patrice Caraway

18. “Many of my decisions today are affected by this condition. I live with bouts of anxiety and hyper-vigilance because of my trauma.” — Michelle Pawson Rotella

19. “He didn’t have to hit me to leave a scar.” — Allison M. Rockwell

20. “I did not ask for the things that I’ve been through, and I certainly did not ask my mind to paint and repaint the pictures in flashback form.” — Michelle Groth

21. “It’s disabling.” — Johan Asketill

22. “It’s real, even if it’s hard to explain.” — Natalie Hyland

23. “It’s exhausting to fight a war inside your head every single day.” — Mickie Ann

24. “I fear everything — what happened and what could happen. I live my life with a constant slideshow of events in my head, and I still don’t know all of my triggers.” — Melissa Cote

25. “You don’t need to be afraid of me. PTSD doesn’t cause me to turn into a monster. When I’m triggered I relive my traumatic experience, but I’m still in control of myself.” — Crystal Malta

26. “It’s a never-ending battle. Sometimes you think you have it beat but then something else comes along to trigger it and you feel like you’re at square one again.” — Kristen Abbas

27. “Simple little things like a song or smell can be a trigger.” — Selina Bonser

28. “I wish society would stop using it as slang. No, you don’t have PTSD because you saw a spider and it bugged you because you saw ‘Arachnophobia’ too young. It’s not something to be trivialized, and by using it in that way you’re diminishing the struggle so many of us face in getting actual treatment and support for this disorder.” — Tia Maria

29. “I wish [others] would understand it’s not their fault and they can’t fix me. And it makes me worse when they get upset or angry about what caused my PTSD.” — Courtney Jade

30. “I hate being touched, but sometimes I’m beyond desperate for a hug.” — Nikki Vee

31. “When I pushed people away it was actually when I needed people the most.” — Cindie Anne

32. “I have scars you can’t see. I have feelings you can’t feel. I have thoughts you could never understand. When you look at me you see the same person as before, but when I look at me I see a completely different person.” — Pam Berry

33. “I’m not being overly sensitive, looking for attention or making it up. I can’t control how certain things affect me. If I could control it, believe me when I tell you that I would.” — Melissa Goodman

34. “I already hate myself, so putting me down for not being normal and judging and criticizing me because I can’t do certain things or can’t control myself does not help not even one bit.” — Jessica Turner

35. “I’m not lazy. I’m just exhausted from fighting my way through every single day.” — MiMi Love

36. “It’s hard to stay here on Earth, but I do for my daughter.” — Nicki Chapman

37. “I’m not angry all the time; I just like to be left alone. I wish there was a magic pill that gave me my patience back.” — Vikki Ob

38. “I’m not being manipulative.” — Angie Rigby 

39. “I wish people would be more sensitive. If they cringe at the thought of my experiences, imagine how I feel, having survived it and reliving it whenever my brain deems fit… I wish people would understand how terrifying it is to attempt to find help. The thought of telling your story is instant panic.” — Sandy Burkey

40. “It’s a daily battle that seems you can never win. But you have to keep fighting.” — Chris Dayy

41. “It has nothing to do with you.” — Susan Leona Winder

[joysmercer]

Brooklyn Nine-Nine 6x12 Final Thoughts

so apparently I’m doing a final thoughts post for this episode too. Maybe I should just make it a regular thing. We’ll see lol

I really, really loved this episode. I loved how they talked about the issue, and valid points were brought up. I have said before that I don’t want them to have kids right away, for the very same reasons that were brought up in the episode (especially on Jake’s part). This is a hard topic for many couples, and I’m glad that they discussed it in a healthy manner, even if it was a little bit over-the-top (but remember that this is a sitcom, and b99 especially tends to get its humor from over-exaggerations). They ended with resolving the conflict, but neither of them felt boxed in – I’m glad that they still left the question of timing open-ended. 

I’ve seen some posts criticizing Amy’s “I don’t want to start over” line, saying that it was out-of-character, out-of-place, or just wrong for her to say. That’s not how I saw it. I really think it was an accidental thing she blurted out because she didn’t know how to put how she was feeling into words. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think she didn’t say that she wanted to start over with someone else – Jake jumped to that conclusion himself, but that was clearly not what she meant. Instead, “starting over” was probably just the first thing her brain came up with when she was trying to say that: she didn’t want to wait forever for children or end up with regrets, but she also didn’t want to force Jake into something he didn’t want, and therefore she needed an answer from him quickly, because depending on what he said, she would need time to process it. If the previous sentence is the logic her brain went through in the matter of seconds, it’s not surprising that she said something that came out the wrong way. Yes, it was wrong, but I can’t see how even a part of her meant it.

The biggest thing I disliked from this episode was that they didn’t discuss children before marriage. Terry’s reaction was pretty much identical to mine when I heard that. Not only is it incredibly out-of-character for planning-extrordinaire Amy Santiago, but Jake has said multiple times that he is interested in the idea of children, although they were mostly throw-away lines. While I was expecting (and hoping) for him to have initial misgivings, him saying he “never wanting them at all” is just wrong, especially since every episode prior and every scene afterwards indicated that he did want kids, but just wasn’t ready yet, and the discussion was just overwhelming him at the moment.

Another thing I wished they addressed was how pregnancy/having kids would impact Amy’s work schedule, but honestly, she seemed to have thought it out too, and there’s time in the future for those conversations to happen on-air. In a half-hour episode, it’s hard to include absolutely everything. Who knows? Maybe they’ll choose to adopt or foster a child instead of having them biologically, for this reason and/or others. I am also on-board with the idea of Jake as a stay-at-home dad, at least until their child is old enough for daycare, so that’s always an option too.

Speaking of Amy, this episode was very focused on Jake’s feelings. I would have liked to see more of Amy’s thought process when it came to her decision to want kids. Was it something she always wanted? Did she decide she wanted them after seeing her nieces and nephews? How important were children to her? 

I’m glad they didn’t have her get angry at Jake with his revelation though. She was taken aback, but she learned in the end that a debate was a bad idea because a decision like this was not one that she could convince someone on – it’s one that they have to arrive to on their own. So, she gave Jake the space to do so, while also giving herself the space to process the news too. This was just excellent writing on b99′s part – we may have not liked how she was acting, and she certainly wasn’t in the right, but she reacted exactly how anyone else in her situation would, and she treated Jake with respect. Had the situation gone the other way, I think there would have been more conversations, but regardless of the outcome, she would have respected his decision.

It was a little weird when Jake said that he didn’t want to watch kids movies. Bro. We all know that’s not true.

Jake’s conversation with Pam was really interesting, and there’s a lot to unpack there. This was a woman who clearly cared for her son/grandchild so much that she would go to any lengths to protect them. Don’t misinterpret me, what she did was clearly wrong, but I think that influenced Jake to want kids more than the actual conversation did, especially since he has shown time and time again that he would do anything to keep his friends and family out of danger. 

Jake’s entire development in this episode was fantastic. He starts off saying valid reasons for not wanting children, but reasons that don’t quite seem true for him. He then acknowledges the real reason he’s shying away from it –  he’s scared he’ll turn out like his father. This is something he’s always had a problem with, but one that he now has to confront head-on. Even so, by the end of the episode, he does seem to realize, at least a little bit, that fear might just be a good thing in this case. This is important: it’s indicative of the fact that he didn’t just change his mind just to make Amy happy, but that he’s thinking about what having children would mean for him, and how he would react to the responsibility. However, and most importantly, he acknowledged that he was still not completely ready to take that step yet – he still has a lot to come to terms with and prepare for, and he made that clear to Amy instead of leading her on. Together, they reached a conclusion, but also a compromise. 

In the end, he realized that having children would never have been a question if it weren’t for the fact that he doesn’t know how not to mess-up like his father did. He knows that he’s not ready yet, but he will be at some point in the future, and he’s excited about it!

Atlas Santiago-Peralta, I hope you’re not announced this season, but I’m excited to hear about you soon. You will be so, so loved.

[common-mushroom]

Consider this angst: bachelor/bachelorettes losing their spouse when a child is young,, how would they cope/remember

I’m assuming “losing” in this context means the death of a spouse, so I’m going to form their reactions accordingly.

PLEASE NOTE that I’m not in any way trying to romanticize or normalize the behaviors that I list below. I’m simply addressing how I think each character would honestly react in the event of their spouse dying.

TW: death, alcoholism, depression, other upsetting things related to death

Sebastian -he  would be completely broken in the early weeks/months of the tragedy, and would have Sam and Abigail help take care of his kid(s) during that time. He may or may not temporarily relapse into his smoking habit, which I think he would have quit for his spouse if not when he had a kid(s). He’d spend more time than usual hiding away in the office on his computer in the initial weeks following the loss. Once he got over the initial shock he would be sure to strongly uphold his spouse’s former traditions and habits so he could pass them on--the best way for him to honor his love.

Sam - assuming his spouse is the farmer, he would move back in to his parents’  place for a little while. he’d crash on the couch and put the kid(s} in his old bedroom. I think once the time is right, he’d move out on his own for a fresh start in a new city. It would still be a suburb, just not Pelican Town. he desperately needs to step away from the source of his pain. he’ll still bring his kid(s) back for visits throughout the year. eventually he’ll have the strength to tell his kid(s) more about their other parent when they get older.

Shane - as much as it hurts to say it, he’d absolutely relapse into some of his old habits with alcohol abuse, although he would take his kid(s) to Marnie’s or to another friend’s house because he never wants them to see him drink. the townspeople would help him channel his anger and sadness in healthier ways and he’d pick himself up pretty quickly simply out of survival instinct. he’d beat himself up afterwards for letting the kid(s) get affected by it. he’d make up for the momentary slip-up by being the best dad the kids could ask for from then onward. he’d stay single for a long time out of faithfulness to his beloved, but when the kids got older they’d encourage him to get back into dating.

Elliott - of course, he’d channel his pain into his writing; in the real world, he would not miss a beat, however, and he would continue to be a father to his children as best he could. he’d have some trouble at first because he’s never had to care for anyone other than himself before (at least not without the help of his spouse) but he’d learn to love being a single father. he’d read his writing to his kid(s) about his spouse so that they’d eventually know them as well as he did.

Alex - he would be openly emotional about the loss, telling his kid(s) that it’s okay to cry and express one’s feelings. the kid(s) may or may not find it strange that he’s so vulnerable, but they eventually realize it was his spouse that taught him to express himself in a healthy way, and they would respect him for it, especially in later years. he would keep a million mementos of his spouse tucked away in the attic/basement so that he can take a walk down memory lane whenever he sees fit.

Harvey - he’d take a great deal of time off from work to focus on being a stay-at-home dad for a while, as he gets the most emotional relief from taking care of those close to him. he’d help the town find a replacement doctor for a few years. when his kid(s) got old enough to go to kindergarten, he’d re-enter the practice. although he’d be really scarred from the loss, he’d be really strong and brave through the whole ordeal. he’d keep a lot of mementos and photos for his kid(s) and himself to enjoy. he’d be the type to re-marry but reminisce fondly about his former spouse.

Haley - out in the real world, she’d put on a strong face, but behind closed doors after the kid(s) were in bed, she’d allow her emotions to take over. she’d continue living her day-to-day life as usual until she’d break down one day, maybe in front of a close friend (alex?) who’d help her emotionally through the process. Alex would come over and they’d babysit the kid(s) together so she wouldn’t feel so isolated and lonely. If Haley is married to the farmer, she’d continue living in the farmhouse regardless of if she remarried or not, because she’d want to raise the kid(s) in the same atmosphere that the farmer lived in.

Emily - Emily is a spiritual person, so she’d do all kinds of cleansing rituals and so forth to help her heal. she may or may not get carried away and get the kid(s) involved in some of her rituals but it’d all be harmless stuff so it’s not a big deal. she’d still be sad about it and spend a lot of time in isolation, either in her room or at a quiet, serene place like the beach. Haley would move back in with her for the time being (if she’d already moved out) and help take care of the house, which would be severely neglected given Emily’s frequent dissociations. I imagine she’d have an item or items that symbolized her former spouse, and even once she moves past the brunt of the pain, she’d cherish that symbol, and god help anyone who dared to disrespect it.

Penny - she would be extremely attached to whoever she ends up marrying, so the loss will hit her VERY hard. the only thing that will get her through the pain would be the kids, who mean more to her than anything else in the world. she would dedicate 110% of her time to being a super mom, partially out of love and partially so she can avoid the reality of her situation. I think she would deny any support or help offered to her by Pam, because once she is married, I like to think she will have come to the realization of her mother’s toxic nature, and she will refuse to associate with her abuser ever again. Aside from Pam, she will welcome and even seek out support from others as she tries to move on. 

Leah - as to be expected, she will channel her experience into her art, and she will slowly start to become famous for the angst in her work. she will struggle to keep herself together, but will feel good knowing that she is finally able to support her family doing what she loves, even if her spouse is not there to see it happen. she will teach her kid(s) to be creative and emotional with whatever it is they are interested in, and I like to think at least one of them will become an artist of some sort when they are older. I think when she makes a name for herself, she will move to a quiet area just outside the city so she can commute in for work when need be. she will remain an isolated person with only a few close relationships; she will work her ass off so that she can keep her promise to her spouse to always follow her dreams.

Maru - like Leah, Maru will get super involved in her career, as if the loss motivates her to do even better. she will be dedicated, but she will always have a good balance between work and home life. she wants her kid(s) to have the best quality of life as possible. she will definitely stay in Pelican town, but she will likely have a place of her own on the outskirts of town (perhaps near the quarry?) where she can conduct her experiments in peace. she will always be thankful for the limited time she had with her spouse, even though after the initial impact, she will not speak of them much. part of her will always harbor a lot of pain from losing them, and she believes it’s healthier to keep it to herself and channel it in her work rather than get emotional about it and let it take over her life. after many years, she will finally have the strength to allow herself to think about it, and she’ll have a belated “breakdown” of sorts. by then, her kid(s) will be old enough to support her through it along with her friends and family in the valley. she will live the rest of her life peacefully knowing that she was able to address the elephant in the lab, so to speak.

Abigail - to me, Abby is the most likely to become self-destructive after the loss of her spouse. upon the initial discovery, she would find a babysitter and then go hide in the mine indefinitely, until one of the townspeople came to find her. I think she’d be very unpredictable and impulsive in the weeks following the tragedy. it’s possible that she would ask sebastian or sam to watch her kids while she went “away” for a couple weeks. i think [SPOILER] that she would go spend some time with her real dad, the wizard, and come back a lot healthier and happier somehow. she’d still be sad here and there about it, and would have bouts of depression for probably the rest of her life, but whenever she felt sad, she’d go on a walk and take the kids down to visit the wizard’s tower. they’d grow up to be as independent, wild, and magical as she is. 

There ya go anon! sorry this took so long. it was just really emotionally difficult to write some of these, as it’s a pretty heavy topic. hope you liked it anyway!

[televinita]

Zoo 3.01

I am rusty and out of practice so bear with me, especially since I spent 2 hours after watching just basically keyboard smashing and yelling "I DON'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING ABOUT ANYTHING THAT HAPPENED."

Anyway, today's review format is subheaders with bullet points that are really more like single-idea paragraphs and only get longer as I go. This review is also based on my live-viewing notes and not fact-checked with a second watch.

Plot Partners: Abe / Dariela & Suspicious Clem

Abe became a doctor? Dariela has sketchy contacts Abe can't know about? They are kick-ass parents on top of all that, despite their own crappy childhoods?? I have no idea what's going on but I'm excited.

Is anyone going to explain how some dogs are apparently unaffected by the mutation or...? Is it because doggos are so Good and Pure?

What is this clumsy retcon that Clementine was obsessed with babies/dolls? She tried to take like 10 stuffed animals and zero dolls with her when they left Boston in season 1. I mean I guess she did risk her life to save a baby from murder crows, but... Speaking of which, looks like season 3 will finally be the year nobody has to rescue a baby after its mother is brutally swarmed to death!

Hot Rugged Action Hero Jackson (& Friends)

Hey so listen I'm going to need you to stop force feeding me this relationship because I am still not there yet. Maybe when I am there, I will enjoy the fact that you threw like 5 different types of my favorite shippy scenes into one episode, but for now I'm saying things like "Ctrl+Alt+Save this kiss for when I care."

I am super excited that Jackson can control lions With His Mind, though. Tell me more.

And give me ALL of the Primeval monsters. That prehistoric rhino thing was my 2nd favorite part of the episode. (and to be clear: when i say Primeval, I am referencing the awesome British TV show and its little Canadian sibling, not just an adjective)

Plot Partners: Jamie and/or Logan

I can't believe Logan is managing to annoy me even more now that he has hair.

This skulking loner Sarah Walker version of Jamie is not really doing anything for me, so if we could bring her warmer side back ASAP that'd be cool. (sorry fandom. please don’t throw garbage at me. /Pam Beesly voice.)

Although I do sort of like that she re-purposed Mitch's lab into her own computer science-y lab. That's something we should probably write stories about. Speaking of...

Backstory Tentpoles a.k.a. Fanfic Prompts

I could let you claim that Jamie banged Logan at some point in the last 10 years, or I could just go "haha cool I guess we're calling that wilderness trek and about 7 days on the plane dating now" and speak no more of this evil.

I love that it sounds like Jamie and/or the Ragtag Band Of Failed Heroes got to keep hold of Clementine for 2 or 3 years, at least, before she apparently got ripped away and spirited off by Max. I will actually die of pain right now if I try to even imagine what that change was like, but it's gonna be gold for someone to dig into. Several someones, actually; there is plenty of room.

Speaking of things that will make me die of pain if I try to think about them: Jamie going on multiple expeditions over the years to try and find him.

Particularly the one where she finds his glasses.

His bloodstained glasses.

#HELP THE DYING IS STARTING

F YEAH ALPHA SHIP

Actual reaction to That Scene: *rolling my eyes* "Jamie has all the opportunity in the world to meet more terrible men" scene right on cu- WHAT, WHAT THE JIMINIY JIGGERS IS GOING ON / NO NEVER MIND I DON'T CARE AND DON'T NEED CONTEXT.

I have too many feelings about this so mostly Imma spend them on other peoples' posts and/or gifsets, but my heart is in roughly 9000 pieces as it finally dawns on me that this being Mitch's dream = Mitch comforting himself with Jamie telling him it's going to be okay and she's going to find him = can somebody please call all the ambulances

...also I keep looking at the deep and somewhat disfiguring scars he’s got, and wondering how Jamie might react to them. These are significantly different from the usual barely-there scars fictional characters fret about; these are the kind of scars that force you to confront exactly what kind of nightmare horror pain this person went through and how maybe it's even worse than you ever pictured.

Billy Burke Proving Why I Spend Every Autumn Transitioning Out of Zoo By Tracking Down His Other Work

I am running out of brainpower and have none left to process this plot, so I will just say: as much as I hate that Mitch is surrounded by strangers upon waking up, and suspicious strangers at that, it is kind of amazing to see him like this. It's Mitch, but it's Mitch stripped of all snark and the command he usually has of any given situation, even when he's just blustering his way through it. It is all kinds of painful to see him confused, mistrustful, frustrated by his inability to communicate or even really understand what's going on.  Mitch looking this lost and withdrawn into mental retreat is quite a gut-wrench.

(it's also really good mental fodder for hospital fic. I'm just sayin'.)

My Favorite Sideshow: Mushy Father/Daughter Moments

So...that girl with Mitch definitely looks more like Young Clem, which is the only consolation prize I have for losing our amazing original actress, and it would line up with Max sequestering her away and/or being involved with shadowy forces. But it would be interesting if they're setting up Badass Clem to LOOK like she's a sketchy Clementine imposter, but actually be the real girl who is angry and embittered by her circumstances, while IADG seems more than capable of making up fake nonsense to manipulate Mitch into giving up info.

That said, my tiny human heart is not big enough to hold the amount of pain there would be if the first thing Mitch found comfort in upon regaining consciousness turned out to be a lie. I need him to recognize his own kid. That bowed head / forehead nudge killed me even more than the dream sequence.

What's REALLY going to upset me is if one of the girls is like a...clone of some kind, so that they're both technically Clem, but not. Or one is part-hybrid. I feel strongly like part-human hybrids are gonna be a Thing. (Mind you, I usually am very wrong when I start predicting.)

tl;dr Mitch + Being A Mess Of Emotions About His Daughter is my actual favorite thing about this show.

In conclusion: I still have no idea what’s going on but I am excited to see the rest.

[thestupidhelmet]

What if Jackie broke up with Hyde when he like started flirting with her mom/seeing her topless, how do you think that would have played out, love your fanfics girlie

Thank you! 😊

Hyde doesn’t actually flirt with Jackie’s mom, even though I understand why people interpret his attitude toward her that way. He’s aesthetically and sexually attracted to her, which he neither goes out of his way to flaunt nor conceal.

He has a polite, initial reaction to her in “Who Are You” (6x15), dresses up for the party in “Man with Money” (6x16) out of his attraction to her -- along with Eric and Kelso -- and admires her beauty (or “hotness”) at the party from afar with Eric and Kelso.

In “Squeezebox” (6x20), he sees her breasts and is confused by Pam’s nonchalance about it. He doesn’t know how to interpret her reaction to him (and Red) seeing her topless, and he and Red -- who are both aesthetically and sexually attracted to her -- indulge themselves in wondering which of them she might be aesthetically and/or sexually attracted to in return. 

Hyde is obviously very uncomfortable about the situation. He doesn’t deny in his subtle reactions or dialogues with Red his sexual attraction to Pam. But when Pam touches Hyde’s shoulder in the kitchen, Hyde has a startle response. He doesn’t necessarily want to be attracted to his girlfriend’s mother this way -- or want his girlfriend’s mother to be attracted to him, either. But his body is reacting biologically, which makes his adrenaline pump out of discomfort and maybe fear.

Hyde and Red’s attraction to Pam is not one either of them would ever act on, but they’re both characters -- especially Red -- who are loyal to the women they love. They’re also written in this episode as needing some kind of emotional escape, and the incident with Pam at the start of the ep offers them one, creating -- especially for Hyde -- a tense internal conflict.

None of what I described above is Hyde flirting with Jackie’s mom. But it does stand in stark contrast with how we might expect Hyde to react to the woman who abandoned his girlfriend, in all ways, to deal with the fallout of Jack’s imprisonment. Jackie, at seventeen, suddenly found herself parentless and without any guardian. 

She had savings of her own, but that must have gone to food and maybe keeping the electricity, phones, and water on at her house. With no access to her parents’ bank accounts, she likely had to let go of the housekeeper because she had no way of paying her salary. Her family went bankrupt, anyway, in the aftermath of Jack’s imprisonment -- hence the bank’s foreclosure on the family cabin, which Jackie had to deal with as a teenager with no parental guidance (except that she went to the Formans, who gave her their support).

Hyde, who’d been neglected, abused, and abandoned by both his parents, would have been furious at Pam for what she did to Jackie. Not shaking her hand politely, dressing up for her, or indulging in fantasies about her possible sexual attraction to him. This, again, is not equal him flirting with Pam, but it’s still bad(ly written and OOC behavior), as is his annoyance at having to comfort Jackie at Pam’s return to town.

So while I don’t know if Jackie would break up with Hyde over all of that, she definitely would have confronted him about it. He’d then be forced to confront himself, his behavior, his feelings -- whatever they were -- and, I hope, would own his actions and make up for them. That’s how I would write him, at least.

If, however, the show’s writers decided to have Jackie break up with Hyde over his attitude toward Pam, she’d probably be depicted as ultimately being in the wrong. That she’s making too big a deal about Hyde being aesthetically/sexually attracted to her mom, and they’d reconcile Jackie and Hyde with a scene like this:

Hyde: If I’m attracted to your mom when she’s in her forties, think about what that means for you, man. You’re hot now, and you’ll be hot when you’re her age, and that’s good for both of us.

Jackie [happy]: Oh, Steven, you just said we’re going to be together the next twenty years! That’s so reassuring! [Kisses him] Thank you.

Hyde: Any time.

[tea-and-skeletons]

The story of Don Decker, who became known to the world as the Rain Man, is arguably one of the most well-documented paranormal events in recent history. Its credibility is based on the accounts of many witnesses who were law enforcement professionals.

This bizarre story began on February 24th, 1983 in Stroudsburg, PA, after Don Decker’s grandfather, James Kishaugh, passed away. While others mourned, Don Decker was finally feeling a sense of peace for the very first time. What the others didn’t know, was that James Kishaugh had physically abused Don since he was a young child.

Don Decker was in jail at the time of Kishaugh’s death, but was granted furlough to attend the funeral and spend a few days with the family. Don’s sense of peace would not last for long.

At the conclusion of James Kishaugh’s funeral, Don Decker was invited to stay the night with Bob and Jeannie Keiffer, who were friends of the family and quite fond of Don. It was later that evening when Don began to sense something was not right.  A deep chill began to grip him and Don quickly fell into a trance-like state.  The Keiffers, perplexed at what was occurring, suddenly noticed water dripping from the living room ceiling and walls.  The Keifers called Ron Van Why, their landlord, and the only one who could possibly understand what was going on with the water pipes. When Ron arrived, he too had no answers.  Ron knew there were no water pipes in the area where the leaks were occurring.  In fact, the leaks became worse and started coming up through the floors as well as the ceiling and walls.

Unsure of what to do, Ron called his wife and explained the situation at the Keiffer residence. He then called the police. It was Patrolman Richard Wolbert who was the first to arrive at the scene. It only took a few minutes for Patrolman Wolbert to become drenched in water after entering the home. Patrolman Wolbert described what he saw the night he entered the Keiffer residence:

We were standing just inside the front door and met this droplet of water traveling horizontally. It passed between us and just traveled out into the next room.  Patrolman Richard Wolbert

Officer John Baujan, who joined Patrolman Wolbert, also witnessed the events at the Keiffer residence. He stated:

I literally had a chill going up my spine, made the hair stand up on your neck. That’s how I felt. This was a situation where things were happening that I never, ever dreamed could possibly happen. And there was no way of explaining what was going on. Officer John Baujan

As the officers tried to make sense of what was happening they noticed Don, who still appeared to be in a trance. The officers asked the Keiffers to take Don out of the home and sit him down at the pizzeria located a short distance from the residence. As soon as the Keiffers and Don left, the house returned to normal. This correlation did not go unnoticed, and Ron found himself wondering if one of the Keiffers or Don was responsible for this incident.

Pam Scrofano, who owned the pizzeria, saw Don enter the restaurant in that zombie-like state. Moments after the Keiffers and Don sat down, they noticed the same thing began to occur at the pizzeria. Water began to fall on their heads and spread across the floor. Pam immediately suspected Don was possessed. She ran to her register and pulled out her crucifix and placed it on Don’s skin. Don reacted immediately and it was apparent that the crucifix had burned his flesh.

At this point, it was no longer possible to stay at the pizzeria. Bob and Jeannie Keiffer decided to take Don back to their home. As soon as they left the pizzeria, the rain stopped falling.At the Keiffer’s residence, landlord Ron Van Why and his wife Romayne met the Keiffers and Don as they returned home. The rain returned as soon as Don entered the residence. But this time pots and pans could also be heard rattling in the kitchen. Ron and Romayne had had enough and confronted Don. They believed he was playing some kind of practical joke – one that was damaging their property.Then things took a dramatic and violent turn.  Don felt himself levitate off the ground and was forcibly pushed against the wall by some unseen force.  Not long after, officers Baujan and Wolbert returned to the Keiffer home with their Police Chief.  Unable to identify any foul play, the Chief told the officers it was a plumbing issue and that there was no need to investigate the matter any further. 

Perhaps due to curiosity, the police officers ignored the Police Chief, and three of them returned the following day to see how things were going.  They included Bill Davies and Lt. John Rundle.When the three officers arrived at the home they were pleased to note that things appeared to have settled down.  Then, Bill Davies conducted his own experiment and placed a gold cross in Don Decker’s hands.  Davies recalled Don stating it was burning him, so Davies took the cross back.  Davies described the cross as “it’s not hot-hot, but it’s hot…”  The police officers then saw Don levitate once again and fly against an interior wall.Lt. John Rundle described what he saw:

All of a sudden, he lifted up off the ground and he flew across the room with the force as though a bus had hit him. There were three claw marks on the side of his neck, which drew blood. I have no answer for it whatsoever. And, I just draw a blank, even today. Lt. John Rundle

Ron Van Why wanted to help Don. He may have sensed Don was not causing this intentionally and Don appeared to be spiritually troubled. Ron called every preacher in Stroudsburg and was declined by most. Eventually one came to the house and she prayed with Don. As they prayed together, Don would enter into sporadic convulsions. But the longer they prayed, the more peaceful Don appeared. By the time it was over, Don seemed to be himself once again. Ron Van Why stated this was the last time it rained in the home.

Don’s furlough was over and it was time to return to jail.

While in his cell, Don Decker had a thought. He wondered if he could control the rain. As soon as he started thinking about it, the cell ceiling and walls began dripping water. His question was answered, Don can control the rain.

The prison guard making his rounds was not happy when he saw all the water flooding the cell. He didn’t believe it when Don told him he willed the rain with his mind. The guard sarcastically challenged Don and stated if he indeed had these powers to control rain, then make it rain in the warden’s office. Don obliged.

The guard made his way to the warden’s office, where the position of warden was temporarily manned by LT. David Keenhold. Keenhold had no idea who Don Decker was or anything regarding what occurred at the Keiffer residence and pizzeria. When the guard entered the office, Keenhold was observed sitting alone at his desk. The guard looked around, inspecting the room until he saw Keenhold. He asked Keenhold to look at his shirt. It was soaking wet. The warden stated:

And right about the center of my sternum, about four inches long, two inches wide, I was just saturated with water. I was startled. I was scared. The officer was frightened at that particular time, and I just didn’t have an explanation why it happened.

LT Keenhold, finally understanding what was going on, called his friend Reverend William Blackburn and urgently asked him to see Don Decker. Reverend Blackburn agreed and approached Don Decker’s cell. Upon being briefed on everything that transpired since Don went on furlough, the Reverend accused Don of making everything up. This accusation did not sit well with Don. His demeanor changed and his cell suddenly became filled with a strong odor. Some witnesses described the smell as that of death, but multiplied by five. Then the rain reappeared once again. It was a misty rain described by the reverend as the Devil’s rain.

Reverend Blackburn finally understood that this was not a hoax. He began praying for Don and he sat in that cell praying with Don Decker for hours. And finally, it happened. The rain stopped and Don Decker broke down into tears. Whatever it was that affected Don, it never manifested itself again. Don Decker, stated he is hopeful this will never happen again. He said his grandfather abused him once and he had a chance to abuse him again. All he wants is peace.

The paranormal incident described above was aired on Unsolved Mysteries on February 10, 1993. Incidentally, this wasn’t the last time Don Decker made the headiness. In October, 2012, Decker was charged with arson after setting fire to a restaurant in Tobyhanna, PA.

http://www.historicmysteries.com/don-decker-rain-man/

[outlawqueenbey]

OQ Puppy Love Verse - 1/??

“No. Absolutely Not.”

“Now Regina, before you say no--.”

“I already said it. No means no Robin.”

“But look at her face!”

“Yes full of mud! She’s already tracked it through the house. Her hair is everywhere!”

“You’re being dramatic love.”

“I am not! I said no dogs.”

Robin pouts, his shoulders sinking as he looks down at the mutt at his feet, one who is staring up at him with big brown button please don’t leave me, eyes. He just needs to convince another pair of brown eyes to agree.

They found her in the forest. Hiding under a bushel of low hanging ferns, cowering away when they had approached. Henry was there first, on his knees calling softly out to the blonde matted canine who only backed away from his hand further. Robin and Roland had caught up by then, Robin searching his pockets for something to coax out the scared dog. It took a long time, all three of them on their knees, slowly being able to touch a paw, then a tail, a scratch behind her ears, and finally Robin was able to tie a bit of rope around her neck gently and bring her the rest of the way out.

The boys had been over the moon at the prospect of having a dog. But Robin had his doubts. He loved animals, had been a dog kind of guy his entire life, but they are expensive, take a lot of time to train and he wasn’t exactly sure how Regina would react to the four legged body invading her home. It had been on their slow walk back Robin noticed the small limp and the rather swollen belly of the yellow lab. She would need to see a vet, and he had a suspicion that she was near about to give birth to a gaggle of puppies. Bringing in one dog was already a feat, but having puppies to take care of...well that was another situation he’d deal with when the time came.

“A dog Robin. You didn’t think about asking me before you brought her here?”

“I know. I’m sorry love. But the boys--”

“Oh no. You don’t get to use them in this.”

“They fell in love with her.”

“They also loved the frog Roland caught in the backyard last week. They are kids Robin. Man up and learn to say no to them!”

The pup whimpers at the high tone of Regina’s irritated voice, cowers and recoils slightly behind Robin who sympathizes wholeheartedly with the animal. It’s no easy feat trying to win over the heart of the Mayor.

“Love.”

“Don’t you love me.”

“Oh be reasonable Regina, it’s just a dog!”

“Yes. A dog. A messy, mud slinging, tick and flea infested, slobbering bundle of hair. Forgive me for not falling head over heels with it.”

“Her name is Daisy.”

“Excuse me?”

Robin takes a heavy breath inward and puffs out his chest as best as he can, standing square in front of the blonde dog at his feet. “Her name is Daisy. Roland named her.”

“Great. So I have to be the bad cop who tells our boys they can’t keep her and you come out looking like the hero who was on their side. We are their parents Robin. That means we have to look out for what’s best for them.”

“What do you have against dogs anyway?”

She stills, recoils slightly at his question and he can see the glossy whisp that fades over her eyes when she is trapped in a memory. It’s pained. This look that dances across her face for a fraction of a second before she shakes her head and huffs out a sharp nothing. But clearly it’s not nothing. Her reaction is far to blunt for it to be a simply, “I don’t like them.”

“You had a dog once didn’t you?”

“I never said that.” She frowns at him, crossing her arms over her chest protectively. “You didn’t have to. I can see it in your eyes. What happened to it?”

“What do you think?”

He sighs, runs a hand over his face and steps towards her, even if she slightly backs away, holding a palm up to stop him. He doesn’t. He never really does anymore. “Tell me.”

“No.”

“Regina.”

“Don’t chastise me. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Was it a girl or a boy?” He grips her palm into his own, forcing her to face him as he looks softly at her. For a second she doesn’t say anything, just huffs and gruffs and it makes her look all that more adorable when her nose scrunches up in that way. It’s hard for him to believe sometimes she instilled fear into people with her cute features. Still he just waits, brushes back a lock of her hair as she scowls up at him.

“It was a girl.”  She relents finally.

“Ah. A little lady love. Did she have a name?”

“Pepper.”

He smiles, finally getting somewhere as he see’s her shoulders loosen at his roaming touch. “She sounds adorable.”

“She was. Brown fur, with white paws and a patch of white over one eye.”

“What happened to her?”

The weight of her exhale hits him hard, he knows the fate of most animals. You get to love them for a few sacred years before their time is up. But what he hadn’t expected was her painful whisper of “My mother happened.” Surely Cora couldn’t have been so cruel as to take away her daughters friend. But then again, this is Cora, and while he never met the woman, the stories are more than enough.

“Oh love. I’m sorry.” He curls her into a hug, combing through her hair she’s let grow past her shoulders, the little curls that wave through it another new attraction he’s found in her. He hears her sniffle into his shoulder, let’s her allow a few tears to stain his henley. She sighs and pulls back, wiping away her tears with a shy embarrassed smile as his thumb swipes over her cheeks.

“I just don’t want them to have to go through losing a pet. It’s awful.”

“I understand that. And you are a wonderful mother for wanting to protect them. But I too had a dog, Gus, a big grey scraggly looking thing, and he was the absolute joy of my life.”

“I know Robin, but you get so attached to them and they don’t live as long as we do.”

“Did Pepper bring you happiness?”

“Of course she did.”

“Aren’t those times worth it?”

“Robin.” She exhales exasperated, looking around his shoulder at the dog that is sitting scared in her foyer, staring at her terrified.

“It will be fine. I promise you.”

Her gaze flicks to his, sinking into the blue of his eyes, the safety they hold. Maybe a dog wouldn’t be so bad? She loves them, in all honesty. Has always had a soft spot for the four legged creatures and the way they just seem to sense all emotions around them. “The boys have to take care of her.”

“They will.”

“I mean it Robin. I am not dumb. I know the novelty wears off the second they have to pick up the first poop. I won’t cave.”

“I know. And I promise that I will whip them into tip top dog caring shape. You lovely hands won’t have to go anywhere near the unpleasant things.”

Huffing out a breath she moves around his shoulders and walks towards the blonde lab, her brown big eyes staring warily up at her. She is….cute. Regina has to admit that as she sinks to her knees watching the dog’s nose pucker and flare as she leans in slightly to smell Regina’s extended fist. Her eyes stay locked on Regina’s as she leans into sniff her, bopping her nose against her skin, wetting the spot instantly.

Her tail wags slightly and Regina smiles. “Hello Daisy.” The lab wags harder, bumping Regina pam with her snout as she claws slowly on the hardwood floor towards her and into her lap, her tail thumping hard on the floor as she curls into Regina’s body.

“She likes you.”

“Of course she does.”

Robin laughs, and kneels down beside them, running a hand over the lab’s head, scratching behind her ears happily. “So we can tell the boys she is staying?”

“I’m not picking up any poop. Or doing any of the 6 am walks.”

“Scouts honour, I swear.” He kisses her cheek. “We have a dog.”

“You owe me.”

“I’m certain I can figure out a suitable payment, your Majesty.”

Regina grins but doesn’t tear her eyes away from the brown eyes that look up at her. She really is cute. Daisy Mills-Locksley.

.

..

…

..

.

Well, just as Robin suspected Daisy is pregnant, very very pregnant according to the vet. So pregnant in fact that they are expecting puppies in little over a week. And Regina is beyond frantic trying to ready their home. Sure they could have left her at the vet to give birth, but Daisy was Regina’s dog now, and Regina wasn’t about to let someone else take care of her. She is more than adept at it...even if she has never been around puppies being born.

Lazily Daisy licks her palm on the carpet they are both laying on. Regina’s hand running gently over the bumping swell of her pink swollen belly. The vet suspects six of them. Six! Not only does she have one dog, but now they are about to have six puppies. Puppies that will need round the clock care and watch. Sure, Robin and the boys are excited and promising that they will help, but it’s going to be more than that. It’s going to be tedious and time consuming.

For all that it’s worth though, the boys have been amazing. She hasn’t had to pick up a single log nor has her beauty sleep been interrupted by Daisy’s morning need to pee. She’s a good dog. Truly. Doesn’t bark at much, love's affection, is happy to sit quietly at their feet by the sofa, and is very very fond of Regina. Almost to an irritating point for the rest of her family. If Regina’s heels click on the hardwood, Daisy is on her heels trotting at her side happily. She even sleeps on the floor beside Regina. Curled up into the soft purple velvet cushion they had purchased for her, refusing to go anywhere else.

“Robin! Do we have the puppy pads?”

He comes walking into the room, smiling at the fact Regina, the Mayor and once reigning Queen is laying on the floor with a dog, “Yes love. We are all set for their arrival.”

“And the extra towels?”

“All ready to go.”

She nods and goes back to scratching Daisy’s belly, wondering what the puppies are going to look like. If they will all be blonde like their mother, or perhaps an array of colors. “Roland has cleaned up the backyard right?”

Robin chuckles as he sits down beside them, patting Daisy’s snout affectionately. “You should have seen his face. All scrunched up and ewwwing every single time. It’s rather adorable honestly.”

“Are we ready for this?” She frowns but continues to gently pattern through golden brown fur.

“For what?”

“To have puppies?”

For all the things in her past, Robin can’t help but laugh, really laugh at her anxiety over their situation. She is utterly precious when she is nervous like this. Something that makes his heart flutter in his chest at her anxiety.

“It’s not funny Robin.”

“Regina,” He kisses her cheek, “We have raised two boys and a daughter together. Surely a bunch of puppies can’t be any more difficult.”

“But what if they are sick, or underweight. What if they need extra attention? What if--”

He shushes her with a gentle press of his lips to hers. “It’s going to be fine. You’re a wonderful mother. The puppies will be nothing but fat, healthy, yipping little fuzzballs.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

Daisy nudges Regina’s palm, and wags her tail cheerfully. It’s like she’s trying to tell Regina the same thing. It’s going to be fine.

.

..

…

..

.

She is a mess. A bloody frantic nervous anxious wreck as she tries to soothe her little baby’s whimpers. It started early this morning, just before 3 am they heard the first pained whine, and Regina’s been frazzled every since. They have everything, the hot towels, the dry ones, the pads and antiseptic gloves and wipes, yet it still doesn’t feel like enough. What if something goes wrong? Her heart aches at the mewling coming from Daisy, the way her spine arches back and the rather unpleasant liquid seeps out onto Regina’s floor. Doesn’t matter though. The staining on her floor the last thing on Regina’s mind, not when her little baby is in such pain.

Fortunately, for the past week, Robin has been “Doctor Puppy”. The amount of hours he’s searched and spent on their computer, his Ipad (he’s finally learned to use) and every other book, has been above and beyond. He knows about as much as he can without going to school for it. The calm he has, is the ying to Regina’s frantic yang right now. Where she panics that they aren’t ready, he is there to assure her they have everything and more than.

Not once in her entire life did she ever think she would be sitting on her bathroom floor, with her soulmate, and a dog, birthing puppies. But here she is, cradling a blonde labs head, hushing and soothing her the best she can, whilst Robin does whatever he is doing at the other end. Daisy keens and whines, “I see one.”, and it’s all suddenly happening. She is sweating, Robin is smiling, and within the blink of an eye, there are five little puppies snuggled into their mother, a blanket warming them from the bottom, and a half asleep Daisy in Regina’s lap.

Robin slings off his gloves, runs a palm over his damp forehead and is beaming brighter than the sun as he looks down at the bundle of fur babies. “They are perfect.” Regina grins through her tears, looking down at two blonde pups, a brown and a black one, all so damn small they could fit into her palms.

In her lap daisy whines again, her back legs arching stiffly. “Appears we have one more.” Robin grins and moves back down to his position, gloves being snapped back onto his wrists. Regina does her best to keep Daisy calm, but childbirth in any form can’t be pleasant. “It’s okay baby girl, almost done, almost there.” She breathes out the mantra quietly as Robin spends an inordinate amount of time trying to coax the last little pup out. “What’s wrong?” She frowns at Robin’s equal expression as he sits back on his heels with a blanket wrapped around a tiny form. “It’s not moving.”

“What? Why?”

“I don’t know.”

“Oh God.” She shifts Daisy in her lap, moves on her knees towards Robin, and peers down at the still bundle of soft blue blanket. “Is it…”

“I’m not sure. Here, you try.”

The blanket is passed between them before Regina can calm her wild nerves. It’s so light. So tender and small in her hands as she turns the flap open and looks down at a jet black pup unmoving.

“Hello little one.” She coos softly, running her fingers over the bridge of his tiny button nose, up across the closed eyes and to the small tiny ears. “Be strong baby, come on. I know you can do it.” They wait, Regina still running her hands over the puppy’s face as Robin cups it’s small behind in the blanket. Daisy beside them whines and tips her head up, and Regina moves the little pup to her nose, letting mother sniff and smell her last tiny baby. “Regina look.”

The bare fraction of a itty-bitty paw stretches out of the blanket, a tiny whimper following as the pup finally yawns and begins to squirm. Well damn the tears being held back, she just cries at the perfect small sound. Robin leans his forehead into Regina’s temple as they set the last part of their expanded family down into Daisy’s belly, between the other five pups who have fallen asleep.

“Six puppies.” He chuckles, kissing her hair as his eyes lock onto her smile. “We are going to need more puppy pads.”

She laughs.

.

..

…

..

.

Ten weeks later.

“Robin! Roland! Henry! Anybody!”

God, of course they would all decide to not be within ear shot during bath time. A bath time that is completely their fault. They were the ones who decided that a pack walk in the muddiest part of the forest was a good idea. And damn them all, she was the one left corralling six hyper puppies into a soapy water filled tub that they immediately decided was both play time and jail.

Her shit is soaked, there is water everywhere on the tub, and her hair...well that is another curly mess of a matter completely. It’s like herding cats. Worse than. They are barking and howling and nipping at every chance they can. Splashing, squirming little buggers. “ROBIN! No, Opal! Stay!” The brown pup makes a run for it, slipping on the wet tile as Regina lunges for it’s soggy wet body. Apparently it’s a jailbreak and Regina is the unaware warden. They thunder over her, paws, tails and dripping wet snouts that clamber over top of her and head for the door.

“Regina!”

Well fucking finally!

He stills at the doorframe, the pups jumping up at his legs, and she expects him to do something...help her...but he just freezes for a second and then bursts out into a heavy laugh.

“It’s not funny! Help me!”

He buckles on the door, reaching out the stabilize himself on the vanity as he sucks in a breath desperate to quell the ridiculous amount of giggling at what he’s just walked into. “Robin!” She barks out, grabbing onto Hickory and Lily, wrangling them back into the tub, her blouse a long lost cause. Fortunately he has the good sense to grab the Opal and Thunder and deposit them into the bath rather quickly, turning on the bathtub tap as a distraction. It works all five pups clamber to the spout. “Why can’t they all be like Miles? He listens.” Miles as it turns out is that last pup they had received, the one who for a minute in time either of them were sure would ever open his bright blue eyes. He is perfect to Regina. Calm and well mannered. He is her little baby. They are never far apart, the two of them. She loves all the puppies but Robin can see the bond that these two have. Has walked in many times on them snoozing together on the couch (where puppies aren’t normally allowed), Miles’ tiny head tucked into Regina’s chest, her hand over his small silky body, both heavily breathing the minutes away.

“They need to get dried before everyone gets here. I am not adopting out messy little brats.”

“Uh Regina…”

“What?”

“Rusty is tearing up the bathmat.”

“What!” She turns on a dime, finding one small brown pup ripping apart (kind of) her creme bath rug. “You little beast.” Her hands swallow him up, tugging the material out of his razor sharp teeth and placing him back into the tub. He is most definitely the “wild one” of the bunch. Robin likes him.

A doorbell rings and well it’s time. She looks down at the six pairs of little colored eyes all staring up at her, sitting like perfect children with tails all a waggling. Her heart clenches. They aren’t keeping them. They can’t. Seven dogs and three actual human kids is far too many. Daisy is staying, but these six fur babies are going to new homes. And the thought has tears flooding Regina’s eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Robin’s hand slides up her back. She shakes her head, whispering out a sad “Nothing.” But he knows her better, knows this look at that tone better. “Come on, tell me what it is that has you looking so heartbroken. I thought you didn’t want to keep them.”

“I….God.” She wipes away her tears, “It’s just, look at them Robin.” She smiles down at her gaggle of pups, “They are our babies.”

“We don’t have to adopt them out you know.”

“Seven dogs is far too many. I am still trying to figure out how you got me to agree to one.”

“Still. The house in the woods is almost done, we will have more than enough space for all of them.”

She sighs, combs through the fur of all their fuzzy wet faces, “Would it be horrid of me to say no to adopting them out?”

“Regina Mills, look at me.” He turns her face to find his, smiling at the hope in her eyes. “You have the biggest heart of anyone I know. If you want to keep all six of them, then that’s exactly what we are going to do.”

“You sure you’re okay with that? It’s a lot Robin.”

He hushes her insecurity with a happy kiss, and the pups in the bath mewl and clamber at the lip of the tub. It makes her laugh into his mouth, tearing their lips apart as she looks back down at the six tiny wagging tails.

“Roland’s going to have a ton of poop to clean.”