#SHE RA BREAKDOWN......

[doodleisdead]

Gay cat has a mental breakdown

But make it

✨Angelic✨

[spop-romanticizes-abuse]

i've seen quite a few fanart and fics about catra meeting hordak post-canon, and still being mad at him. which,, i mean yes, she has the right to be mad at him because he raised her and the other cadets to be child soldiers. but also, hordak has the right to be still mad at catra for what she did to entrapta and also him (yknow, removing his mobility device and everything).

and i just find it funny that fans are fine with letting catra take her sweet time to forgive someone, but everyone else is supposed to forgive her immediately. i've rarely seen fics or fanart about adora, glimmer or anyone else still being mad at catra. and if they are, they're usually painted as the bad guy for not forgiving her.

[manic-sapphic]

clip source:

[antispopausandstuff]

decided that i wasn't gonna die with my ideas, so here's at least some of 'em ( note, they're subject to change )

.

!!! VERY DARK !!!

warnings - severe abuse, death, attempted s__cide, and self-harm

not particularly in perfect order of events.

.

Adora . . .

ever since she was an infant, Adora was a lab rat for a variety of malpractices and extreme experiments. as a result, she has high pain tolerance, is immune to most drugs, and an instinct of danger.

killed Flutterina's mom at age 14 ( based off what might've been a fanmade series of the original She-Ra show ), as the Horde would use their 'disobedient' slaves as 'actual lessons' once a cadet was deemed strong enough. as Flutterina's mother was kind, even in her last words, but was considered an 'easy fight', thus Adora having to kill someone else, Adora attempted suicide the same night. and it wouldn't be the last time this happened.

due to Shadow Weaver's magic, Adora doesn't remember most of the experiments or that she killed anybody at all. this is because mental breaks would be very common, to the point it grew to be expected, and they wouldn't go away if she could remember. in present day ( post-defection ), Adora has conflicting feelings on being mind wiped.

because of her high pain tolerance, she's unfazed by Catra clawing her. if she is hurt, it's on an emotional level, but that eventually doesn't matter, either.

once defected, Adora has intense anxiety, evidence of her sheltered living ( misunderstandings of family dynamics, social cues, always tense with authority figures, culture shocks, etc. ), and nightmares, the former and latter from the fear she'll be hunted down for her betrayal.

can't quite understand how she feels about those she called family, especially Hordak. ( "they've taught me so much, and they weren't... terrible to me. not always. but i don't know anything anymore. maybe i never knew anything to begin with." ) it's these conflicting feelings that trap her in the cycle of trying to save Catra from the Horde, blaming herself for the other's actions, and apologizing frequently, in and out of her relationship with Catra.

after earning Angella's trust, Angella tries to earn Adora's ( it doesn't look that way, though ), wanting to be the mother figure the poor thing clearly never had.

Swift Wind is always, always, looking out for Adora and is very protective of her. he can and will stab a bitch ( and has, guess who it is ) for her.

the disc fucks her up. like, a lot. too many things resurface, and when she's completely aware and conscious, Adora immediately falls into a severe panic attack.

but if she thought the disc was bad, she ain't seen nothing yet ( the Portal, Angella's sacrifice ). i love her, i swear-

when she goes to rescue Flutterina with Peekablue, she's hit with the forgotten memory and almost immediately feels sick. it's disorienting the entire way, but she has to push through. Flutterina has never seen her before.

Adora pledges allegiance to all of Etheria post-defection, but she personally pledges herself to Flutterina after telling her the truth. Flutterina has... a reaction ( leaving it vague on purpose ).

i think Horde Prime's arrival is around the time she confesses, amongst several other things thrown at her, so Adora is suffering a huge mental decline and gets abducted. she doesn't make attempts to escape.

Horde Prime convinces her that she can redeem herself from all the pain she's caused, of the evil she's done, and she becomes part of his fleet ( i'm hesitant to call it a cult ).

this is the BIGGEST if, but maybe Hordak making a temporary alliance with Glimmer and Bow to rescue Adora?

Chipped Adora might be a thing...

.

Glimmer . . .

terrified of change and huge commitments, has been avoiding her aunt's teachings after a particularly bad accident ( resulted in Glimmer's scar on her right eye ). but is considered a prodigy with how effective she is at using her current skillset.

was a child when Micah died, part of her fears stems from that, but she hides it from Angella out of another fear of disappointing or overshadowing her mom's struggles.

hides almost everything from her mom as a result of everything above, and even sometimes struggles telling the truth to her best friend, Bow.

is viewed as the most unserious of the Princesses, as she not only uses humor and excitement to cope with serious situations, thus coming off as if everything's a game, but is impulsive, reckless, and a bit hardheaded. for a time, Bow is the only one who understands this and doesn't get upset with her.

because of her fear of change, she becomes jealous of Adora the closer she gets to Bow ( this foreshadows the whole "i don't want to be left behind" thing ), and is part of why she's hostile when they first meet. though, to be fair, she's justified in being hostile with a Horde soldier, anyway.

though she doesn't entirely trust Adora yet, Bow does, and that prompts her to at least try ( even though her jealousy streak is still kinda ongoing ), with varying degrees of success. however, there's one incident where she really hurts Adora's feelings ( this would happen in whatever would replace the Princess Prom episode, as Glimmer is still kinda using Adora as a prop ), and Bow gets pissed because Glimmer's been acting super weird and is blaming it on everybody else. then the kidnapping ensues.

when everyone gets back to Brightmoon, she has her first completely honest conversation with her mom, even though it's hard, and, while Angella is disappointed, she understands where her daughter is coming from and tells her they'll get through this together.

with Angella's help, she apologizes to Bow and Adora. they make up ( Bow does take a minute to warm up, though ). and she writers a letter to Castaspella: Dear Aunt Castaspella, I know it's been a few years since I last visited Mystacor, and I'm sorry. How is Double Trouble? Are they doing alright? I miss them. I don't really have an excuse as to why I didn't come back. I know you're disappointed in me, especially since you had such faith that I'd be a great sorceress. But I was scared. Even before I burned my eye, I was terrified. I didn't want to mess up. I didn't want to let you down. But I ended up doing that, anyway. I'm really sorry. If you'll have me, I'd love to come visit again. Or, maybe, you could visit Brightmoon? I know you're always worried about the barrier, but Juliet could watch it for just a few hours, right? Miss you and love you. Your niece, Glimmer

it's not quite as easy to bounce back, though, as Glimmer takes all of her mistakes to heart and can't let them go. Castaspella isn't keen on leaving the barrier under someone else's supervision, so Glimmer ends up visiting, partially hoping to heal and improve her magic ( Shadow Weaver still messed it up badly in this vers ). Double Trouble wants to catch up and bond, but Glimmer's too in her own head and ends up dismissing them.

the lessons end up being a bust and, well, Castaspella doesn't take it too well and Glimmer's traumatic memories kick in. it's revealed that, as a result of being pressured and pushed beyond her limits, Glimmer's magic went haywire and that's how she burned her eye. while this is going on, DT helps Adora and Bow get past the guards, and the three of them defend Glimmer.

"i-i'm trying, i'm trying so hard, but it hurts, and you- you just don't care! i thought the only reason i left was because i-i was afraid of letting you down, but... but now, i see that i left because i was afraid of you!"

though Castaspella isn't the best, she still heals Glimmer, but coldly sends her off, breaking her niece's heart. DT tries to say that it wasn't fair, but is ignored. they deeply apologize to their cousin, and the two share a hug. DT says that if she needs anything, to let them know and they'll be there.

Angella has the mind to start a fight, but supports and comforts her daughter instead.

huge time skip, probably, but when Angella passes, Glimmer is completely devastated, unprepared, and her magic is unstable. she's stressed, tired, and has never felt more alone in her life. Castaspella comes to the ceremony, but only DT talks to her. they, including Adora and Bow, spend time talking, laughing, and crying together.

for one reason or another, Shadow Weaver is in Brightmoon and takes advantage of Glimmer's grief and unstable magic. for a while, Glimmer is guarded, the attempted manipulations unsuccessful, but she's worn down overtime. she needs a mother figure right now. the only one she could have, Castaspella, still won't talk to her. eventually, Shadow Weaver is allowed to walk freely.

a manipulative, power hungry woman + three traumatized young adults, with one of them being the one said power hungry woman raised, Glimmer, Adora, and Bow are divided. they're all exhausted, hurt, angry, and are trying to push through to become the leaders they need to be for Etheria, but it feels like everything is falling apart. Bow is the first one to walk away.

Heart of Etheria doesn't exist here ( i cannot make any goddamn sense of it ), so it's mainly Shadow Weaver that is tearing them apart, isolating the three of them in different ways. Glimmer's magic eventually becomes dark, relying on her pain.

Adora ends up leaving, too, but not because of being blamed for Angella's sacrifice ( she believed that long before Glimmer said it ). rather, because Glimmer's dark magic had physically harmed her, reminding her of Shadow Weaver. an accident, but a terrifying one.

now all alone, with Adora eventually abducted, Bow nowhere to be found, Glimmer spirals and Shadow Weaver takes the opportunity. though she's stronger, Glimmer is corrupted.

though it'd be a victory, dismantling a section of the Horde with her magic and her army, it'd be presented as isolating, violent, and depressing. it's not a victory for her, because her best friends are gone, her parents are gone, she has no one. except a certain cousin and aunt.

DT convinces Castaspella to get her head out of her a- i mean, to be give Glimmer the support she desperately needs, and, while Glimmer is in the midst of nearly destroying everything around her, Castaspella apologizes.

things aren't immediately mended. though Glimmer is grateful, she can't trust her aunt again. further cousin bonding, Glimmer thanking DT for their help.

.

Bow . . .

ran away from home after a particularly distressing argument with his dads, relating to failing his studies after complete and utter burnout, being found sneaking out of the house, and engaging in interests that didn't align with their expectations and beliefs, archery and technology.

originally became nihilistic post-runaway in the midst of his wandering travels, and almost succeeded in taking his own life, but he was found by Madame Razz.

co-lived in the Whispering Woods with Madame Razz and the fauna, grew up giving half-truths about his family. it eventually becomes routine. and he tried to be more optimistic.

by the time he's found by Glimmer, he's more or less the Bow we know, but is really confused as to why a Princess is there. because why would a Princess be there? their friendship is sorta on a rocky start, as Glimmer keeps trying to do everything herself and is kinda mean to Bow, but he's insistent on helping.

they talked about their family life and they find a connection in not matching the expectations pushed upon them. and that's what started it all! we love trauma-bonding.

even though he's good at handling conflict ( for the most part ), Bow has intense anxiety about it every time and is almost always on the verge of making himself sick. we would see a scene of him actually vomiting after his argument with Glimmer.

not sure if he'd meet Entrapta early, but if he did, he'd admittedly love her genius, and Entrapta would be soft 'cause why is this strangely adorable child so enamored with her work?

during his imprisonment, Bow has a panic attack because 1. he just fought with his best friend and keeps questioning if he did the right thing, and 2. he has claustrophobia and completely forgot until now. then Kyle comes in.

after the panic attack, Bow would ask how Kyle even knew how to do that, with the boy explaining that it was really common in their sleeping quarters and he eventually learned how to help. then, asking why Kyle would even help him, considering they weren't on the same side, Kyle says "you reminded me of someone." he doesn't elaborate on who, and Bow doesn't ask ( it's Ado- ).

the two talk, relating to and laughing with each other. it's the first both of them have felt relaxed in a while, even though they're both in a less-than-relaxing situation. Bow is a little hesitant, but offers Kyle a space in the Rebellion. "i think Adora would like someone from her old home. might calm her down a bit." Kyle is surprised, but, after a moment, accepts.

when Bow is rescued, he panics, because he realizes that he left Kyle behind and feels really terrible about it. it's the first time he's broken a promise since running away, and the thought brings him a lot of stress.

Angella being his mom 'cause she's gonna be the mom to all of Glimmer's traumatized friends.

i think he should have a solo episode every now and then, so one of them would be him going back to the Horde for Kyle. and Rogelio, because he wasn't going to separate them. it's through them that he discovers someone named Lohni is missing ( this would ensue the Lohni rescue mission ).

there'd be implications or subtle details in the background, or foreground, i think, of when Bow would relate a little too much to a situation ( like Glimmer's relationship with Castaspella ). he's not too obvious about it in front of others, but when it's just him, that's when we'd be able to see everything. the way he has to take deep breaths to calm himself, trying to hype himself up or lower expectations, etc. i want there to be a disconnect from how much we know about him in comparison to the cast. so far, the one who knows the most about his mental state is Kyle, but they're still in the stage of being friends, so he doesn't know a whole lot ( also, my personal favorite tidbit to think about, Bow actually does reveal a little bit of his anxieties, unknowingly, in battle ).

oh, the dads. ohhhh, the dads. while Bow doesn't have 12(?) brothers, he does still have a few, with him being the youngest. and, when he comes back 'home', his dads still compare him to them! fun! /s ( not sure if this would be a solo episode or not, i think both have interesting routes ). and they'd also pretend nothing happened, his brothers would either brag or ask invasive questions, and Bow would largely be dismissed or ignored.

either way, he'd eventually come clean on why he didn't talk much about his family, and Glimmer and Adora would understand.

not sure if i'll actually do this, but like... Portal Bow... literally cracking under the pressure. his body is. cracking.

after Angella's death, Glimmer's reign, this would be near Bow's breaking point. he continues trying to deescalate conflict, keep his friends together, but when he gets kidnapped ( still with Sea Hawk, cuz. ) and, well, neither of his best friends notice, Bow's old pessimism returns and he doesn't return to them with his usual warmth in personality. it's there, but not as vibrant.

soon after Glimmer is in training with Shadow Weaver, Bow gets ridiculed, shamed, and threatened by the same woman, but that almost makes no difference to anyone besides them. not because they don't care, but because they don't know and haven't asked Bow if he's really okay. or, in one person's case, can't find the time. Bow's mental state is bordering on critical, and his fight with Glimmer, her argument about trust, it leads him to explode.

after, Bow disappears. and Shadow Weaver may be the reason.

.

Angella's death being the final nail in the coffin for our three protagonists wasn't intentional, at all, but it works so well.

[roboyomo]

i need to fucking rattle liliosa and agatha together more often.

[canibalistic-brownie]

Me: I'm gonna write a cute little one shot about how Glimmer crochets! teehee!

Me, 40,000 words later: “Was it her fault she was born into a higher income household? Did she actively choose to put down the lower class? Is it her fault or is she just a lottery winner in a classist system of oppression? Your feelings about the system itself are valid, Adora, but is it fair to blame every person who has benefited from that system? After all she had just as much decision about being born into it as you did.”

[steponmecatra]

Me: what, I don't have a type?

Also me:

[neon-in-the-night-time]

will be ending 2023 doing what i love (watching a descendants movie)

[cosmic-dust-poltergeist]

Pt2 of dp x dc au where Danny is the 99th attempt to clone Kon by Tim. Danny is an overprotective 2 year old who hates Ra's Al Gul with a passion.

[Pt1: here] [pt3: here]

Tim is more than ready to leave the LoA and stop having to dance around Ra's. He doesn't feel safe, but he needed the resources. Dick made getting them any other way impossible, with him telling the whole hero community he's crazy and needs help and shit. Tim is more than pissed about it, but he can't help but be amused by the outcome.

Sure, Ra's is trying to wife him, and that's awful and terrifying and all, but watching Ra's try to win over a 2 year old who despises his very existence is hilarious. Aedan, or Danny as the toddler is insisting to be called, goes out of his way to be petty to Ra's and clings to Tim any time the man enters the room. Danny has torn or spilled things on paperwork and clothing, left things just out of sight to trip Ra's, put foods in unexpected places as the man steps or sits in it, purposely and maliciously coloured on and destroyed things he found out were Ra's and Ra's alone, and so much more. Tim is kind of proud of the chaos.

But Tim also has to shove down the anxiety that Ra's might have actually did something to Danny while on his missions. Danny was left on base because it was too dangerous to bring him. He tries to get back as fast as safely possible, just in case, though. Danny hasn't said anything yet on WHY he despises Ra's, but Tim is keeping an eye out.

All in all though, Tim has no remorse as he packs up and leaves with Danny in toe, blowing up every base he knows about and draining their accounts on his way out. He leaves Danny with Tam during his final showdown with Ra's, making sure Dick is in the area to catch him. He's not leaving his baby early.

"So I have everything I need to prove Bruce is alive and how to save him. I'm NOT crazy." Tim tells Dick when he wakes up after his fight with a pissed off Ra's, before remembering Danny and chuckling, "Actually, I'm a little crazy. Not about the Bruce thing, or what I did to prove it, but I did do something else insane."

"I believe you... about the Bruce thing." Dick eyes him in concern. "What did you do?"

"I maaaay have cloned Kon."

"You WHAT?" Steph looks absolutely flabbergasted. All his family members do actually, including Alfred.

"Yeah, so, I had a little bit of a mental breakdown." Tim stares at his hands, picking at the nails. "I was really missing Kon and spiraled and now I have a son... surprise.."

There's so much sputtering before Steph slams her hands on the medical bed, silencing everyone and getting Tim to look at her. She's flung her Spoiler mask off and leaning way too close.

"You have a son?? How old is he?? When can we meet him?? What's his name??"

"Er.. his name is Aedan Drake, he insists on being called Danny currently. He's about 2. And you'll be meeting him as soon as I can call Tam. I didn't want either of them near when Ra's came for me." Tim leans away from her. "Especially because Danny seems to hate the guy and puts himself between us at any chance he gets."

"That's concerning" Dick mumbles.

"Yeah.." Tim blinks hard. "I'm not even sure why Danny hates him. I have no idea if Ra's did something to him while I was otherwise engaged. It terrifies me not to know, but I only have the word of a creep and a 2 year old to go off of."

No one seems to know what to say to that. They all silently agree to keep an eye out for any signs Ra's did something to Danny.

"Can you pass me my phone?"

"Sure, Timmy." Dick hands over the phone. "Who do you think is going to be his favourite aunt or uncle?"

"Fuck if I know, the kid is completely different from Kon when it comes to interests. I love it, but it makes guessing what he'll like interesting. Currently, he's obsessed with space and ghost stuff. He likes watching space documentaries over cartoons." Tim chuckles while locating Tam's number.

Steph laughs. "Of course your kid is as weird as you!"

He sticks his tongue at her, and she does it right back. The call connects.

"Tim?"

"Hey, Tam! Not dead yet!" He grins at her groan. "I'm at the manor. Tell Danny to be careful of my ribs before you bring him over."

"Can do. Be there in 20. Danny? Do you want to say hi to your daddy?" Is all the warning Tim gets before his son screeches.

"HI, DADDY!" He can't hold in his laughter. The siblings closest to him look amused, clearly having heard the yelling.

"Hi, Danny! Tam giving you candy?"

"Nooo" Danny is a terrible liar. Tam says something. "See you soon, daddy."

Tam takes the phone before Tim can reply. "He didn't want to sleep before he saw you. I expect he'll crash after seeing your okay, candy or no candy."

"It's fine, Tam. I don't care so long as it doesn't become a regular thing. Now, drive safe."

"See you soon." And the call ends.

Dick sniffles. "My little Timmy is growing up!"

Steph points dramatically at him. "You're a teen dad!!"

"I mean, I'm a teen vigilante and a teen CEO. Being a teen dad is the most normal thing I currently am." Tim says, raising an eyebrow at her. "Beside, you technically were too. Only difference is I'm just keeping the baby I made... Er.. I mean that in the least insulting way possible. I respect your decision, just respect mine."

"Okay, but you virgin Mary-ed your baby. I, at least, got laid for mine."

Tim flushes. "Dude!"

"I'm sure we can still find you someone our age into dilfs and get your cherry popped." Steph grins at him.

"Steph! Shut up about my sex life!" Tim throws a pillow at her and struggles out of bed. "I hate you so much right now."

"Master Tim, please take the crutches if you're planning to leave the med bay." Alfred calls out, and Tim grumbles, but complies. Detouring to the locker room and throwing on a sweater and some sweatpants that's been sitting in his locker for a year. They smell a little musty, but they're clean and cover the bandages. Hopefully his son won't freak out too bad. Losing his spleen traumatized the poor kid.

He heads upstairs to wait near the front door. Dick, Damian, and Steph following behind him like the worse ducklings he could think of. Dick, at least, grabs a chair so Tim can sit while they wait.

"Master Tim, does Master Danny have any allergies? And what are his food preferences?" Alfred asks as he passes out post patrol drinks. Tim doesn't accept his, he doesn't want it to be in the way when Danny comes flying in. Literally. Danny figured out how to float about a month ago, and his feet have barely touched the floor since.

"He's got the same weaknesses as all the other kryptonians. He's not a picky eater and doesn't seem to be allergic to anything food wise, but he hates toast." He smiles at the looks his siblings send him. "Don't ask me why. He just hates toast. Veggies, no problem, but toast? Toast leads to temper tantrums."

Steph cackles loudly at that while a confused Dick chuckles.

"I shall keep that in mind." Alfred sounds amused.

"I've gained massive respect for Ma and Pa Kent. Superpowered toddler tantrums are rough when you're just a human." Tim knows he has a dopey look on his face, but couldn't care less. "Danny's such a sweet kid, though. He gets so distraught if he accidentally hits me and does everything in his childish power to apologize and "make up" for it when he does."

Tim frowns. "Which is another reason I'm worried Ra's did something. Danny would hit, kick, and bite the man anytime he got in range. It seems out of character and more personal than just not wanting to share his dad."

"That is concerning." Dick shares his worried frown. They wipe the looks off their faces when there's a knock on the door. Steph dances over and opens it.

"Hell-"

"DADDY!" A tiny blur darts around her and skids to a stop in front of Tim. He can hear his siblings melt as this tiny child holds up his arms. "Up!"

"Just remember to be careful with my ribs, sweetheart. They got hurt." Tim says while scooping his son up. "You ran right past your aunt and uncles, think you can say hi to them?"

Danny looks at his siblings, seemingly debating if he vibes with them, before waving a tiny hand. "Hi.."

Steph and Dick being overly dramatic and acting like they just suffered a heart attack from cuteness, spooks the poor kid. Danny hides his face in Tim's shoulder. Damian edges closer, blocking Dick and Steph's view. He makes sure to lean down to be more at Danny's eye level.

"Hello, Aedan. I am Damian Al Gul Wayne. I hear you dislike my grandfather. A valid response to meeting the man." Danny peaks at him, and the teen gives him a small smile. "Ignore Stephanie and Richard, they can be a lot, but they mean well."

"Baby Bat!" Dick sounds like close to happy tears.

"Demon Brat! That's the nicest thing you've ever said about me!" The grin is audible in Steph's voice.

"They are, unfortunately, also idiots." Damian says sagely.

"There it is." Tim chuckles, running a hand through Danny's soft feathery hair. Danny looks between Tim and Damian, there's a calculating look on his face, clearly deciding if he should give this "Al Gul" a chance. "It's fine, Danny. He's very different than his grandfather. If you ask him nicely, I'm sure he'll introduce you to his pets."

"Pets?" Danny blinks and turns to fully look at Damian.

"Indeed. I currently have a cat, a dog, a cow, and a turkey." Danny literally vibrates at the news.

"Can I meet them?"

"I'd be more than happy to introduce you tomorrow." Tim has never seen Damian look so soft. "You and your father should get a good night's rest. You'll have more energy to play that way."

Danny pouts, but agrees. "Okay."

"Thanks for babysitting, Tam." Tim calls out to the woman watching everything unfold with amusement.

"No problem. He was an angel, even while sugar high." She grins. "I'd be more than willing to do it again sometime. I'm going to head out now. Bye, Danny!"

"Bye!!" Danny floats a little to wave wildly at her as she leaves. Damian keeps his surprise off his face and not moving in the way of the tot's goodbyes.

"Aedan, may I carry you?" Damian asks once Danny is settled back in Tim's lap. "Your father unfortunately needs to use crutches to get to his room."

Tim is amused by the calculating look sliding back onto Danny's face. He can only imagine the kid's internal debate; let Damian pick him up and the Drakes can retire and cuddle in Tim's room or stay right where he is. It never ceases to amuse Tim on how Danny can ping pong between normal toddler behavior and being ridiculously serious. He blames himself for forgetting to adjust the knowledge download when making him. The kid knows about more things than he should, and it's made him more jaded than a 2 year old should be.

"Okay... on'y cause it's bedtime." Danny informs Damian while holding his arms out. Damian gently picks him up.

"Of course." Tim can't believe how cute his murderous little brother is being. Guess he can add small children to the things that make the teen loosen up.

Tim struggles a little getting up the stairs, but he gets there. Damian waits patiently with a worried Danny at the top. Tim is positive that only reason he isn't being teased is because his siblings don't want his protective baby to dislike them. It's funny, but actually really nice. He's really tired of his family's culture of making fun of any weakness. Danny's cute baby face and hatred for bullying is really going to change this place, Tim just knows it.

Dick carries Danny's baby bag upstairs after them. Tim can feel Dick wanting to coo, but holding it in because Danny keeps eyeing him warily. Just adding to Tim's amusement.

Once in Tim's room, and after good nights are exchanged, Tim and Danny get ready for bed. Tim cleans himself up by taking a bird bath in the sink, not fully willing to commit to a shower just yet. He mostly just doesn't want to change his bandages. He also wants to cuddle his son, who's patiently waiting on the bed with his wolf plushy. He named it Wulf, which was a hilariously Kon thing to do. Tim nearly died from cuteness when Danny told him the plushy's name.

Tim lays down and tucks Danny to his chest. "I love you, kiddo."

"I 'ove you, too, Daddy." Danny mumbles before conking out. Tim can't help his smile. He dozes off to Danny's tiny snores.

Tim wakes up to Danny wiggling around. The tot waking up, but not wanting to. A glance towards his alarm clock, 10:30. They've actually slept in. Nice.

"Morning, Danny."

"M'ning." Danny mumbles directly before unintentionally smacking Tim in the face with Wulf. Tim huffs a laugh and sits up, his spin cracking as he stretches.

"You hungry?"

Danny flops over, grumpy to be awake. "Yeah."

Tim grins and scoops Danny up. "Let's eat breakfast in pajamas!"

Danny looks surprised. Tim insisted they be dressed in light armor the whole time they were on the LoA, so the suggestion must seem insane to him. He scrunches up his face. "It's safe here?"

"This is probably one of the safest places for us to be." Tim kisses Danny's forehead. "I'll admit, it hasn't always been that way for me in particular, but we're working on it, and I trust them to not stab me in the back... You're allowed to be as petty as you want if you find them dissatisfactory."

"Like wif Rawthy?" Tim takes a deep pleasure in Danny's deliberate mispronouncing of Ra's name. Danny knows how and can say it properly. He just chooses not to. Tim loves it.

"Exactly." Danny is now completely awake and buzzing to cause chaos. It's adorable.

"Yay!" Tim starts carrying Danny to the kitchen, completely abandoning the crutches he was told to use.

"Just remember to play nice first. You don't want to accidentally bully someone who doesn't deserve it."

"Fine.." Danny pouts. Tim kisses his cheek.

"Thank you, sweetie."

"Master Tim. Where are your crutches?" Alfred jump scares the Drakes.

"O-oh! Hi, Alfred, I was just taking Danny to the kitchen for breakfast!" Alfred raises an eyebrow and Tim pouts. "And I didn't feel like using them."

"Oh yeah!" Danny remembers that Tim was using crutches now and is wiggling to be set down. "You're hurt, Daddy! Put me down!"

"Okay, okay, starlight!" Tim chuckles, setting the boy gently on his feet. "Better?"

"No!" Danny drags him to the kitchen's small breakfast table. "You'll never heal! Sit down! We'll get your crontches!"

"Crutches, Danny. And how about we have breakfast first. The crutches aren't going anywhere." Tim smiles at his son. "You can even ask Alfred what my wound care should be after we eat. He can explain everything and you can hold me to it."

"Indeed." Alfred sounds amused, possibly not thinking this 2 year old will hold them both to it, but Danny will.

"O'ay" Danny then blinks. "What's fo breakfast?"

It's all pretty peaceful. Tim just enjoying a lazy morning with his son. As soon as Danny is done eating, he drags Alfred away to get the crutches and explain Tim's wound care to him. Tim can only watch on in helpless amusement.

"He's adorable." Dick grins as he enters the room and sits across from Tim.

"Yeah." Tim is still smiling at the doorway Danny and Alfred left from, but it takes a sad tilt. "Losing my spleen really traumatized him. He polices my unhealthy habits and does his best to get me to take care of my injuries when he's sure they won't be used against us."

"YOU LOST YOUR WHAT??"

"It's been a crazy year."

"Tim, Timmy, my caffeine addicted little brother, I'm going to need more information than that!" Dick is stressed, but Tim is still feeling a little petty, so he answers nothing.

"I forgot my meds, actually. I usually shove them in a pocket after dressing, but I didn't get dressed... oops." Tim shrugs. "It got Danny to feel safer with being here, since I'm not insisting on light armor or anything like on base."

"Tim! I have questions!" Dick is flailing.

"Daddy!" Danny flies into the room (literally) and is shoving his pillow divider case into his hands. "You forgot!"

"Thank you, Danny. I was just realizing that and was planning to grab them after you got my crutches." Tim runs a hand through Danny's hair before dry swallowing his medication. Alfred slides into the room with the crutches.

"It warms my heart to see a youth so dedicated to keeping track of other's health." Danny turns and beams at Alfred.

"I like helping!"

"That's very admirable, Master Danny."

Danny frowns a little. "I'm too little to help a lot yet."

"Any help is more help than before." Tim cuts in, giving a lopsided grin. "Besides, your dad is atrocious at self care. You got to help your dear ol' dad. I'd simply die without you."

"You're not old." Danny mumbles, blushing at how thick Tim is laying it on. Tim noticed early on that Danny needs to feel needed or helpful, or he'll spiral and get depressed. He's not sure why Danny is like that. Tim's 90% sure it's not something Tim downloaded into his brain or said to Danny, meaning it could be something he picked up from Tim's own behavior, or possibly someone at the LoA manipulated into him, or is just something Danny naturally had. Tim has no idea on the why, but makes a point to let Danny help him, even when he really doesn't need the help. He wants his baby happy, and does try to talk to Danny about not having to help. But, ya know, pot, kettle, and all that. Tim knows his own need to be useful is just as bad.

He should find them therapists for it now that he's thinking about it. Last thing he wants is Danny to end up like him. Tim has done some insane and stupid shit to help and/or please people.

"My joints disagree." Tim jokes.

"I feel that." Dick chuckles. "Good morning, Danny!"

"Good morning..." Danny says shyly, floating into Tim's lap.

"Do you have any plans for the day?" Dick asks.

"Dam'n's pets?" Danny looks hopeful.

"Ah, he's looking forward to introducing you." Dick aims his 100 watt smile at Danny, who doesn't seem to know what to think of the man.

"Indeed I am." Damian choses that moment to enter the room. "Hello, Aedan."

"Hi!!" Danny carefully gets off of Tim's lap so he can zoom to his uncle. "What is their names??"

Tim grabs the crutches Alfred left nearby. He spends the rest of the day dodging Dick's questions, watching Danny be delighted by Damian and his pets, and passing on the information on Bruce. It's a very nice, peaceful day.

So, of course, it can't stay that way. It's Duke meeting Danny that unintentionally disrupts the peace.

"Hello, Danny. I'm Duke Thomas. I'm a meta like you." Duke greets Danny cheerfully, but Tim can't help but notice Duke doesn't take his sunglasses off.

"Hi!!" Danny floats about a foot off the floor. "What powers do you have??"

"I have photokinesis." Duke makes a tiny rainbow in his hands. Danny oos and aaas over Duke's explanations before he totting over to Damian to play with Alfred the cat. Duke stares after Danny for a minute before turning to Tim, who's getting more and more worried.

"Duke?"

"Do you know Danny glows?"

"He what?" Tim's ribs hurt from how hard he jolts.

"Okay, okay, was pretty sure I was the only one who could see it." Duke mumbles before finally pushing his sunglasses up and making eye contact with Tim. "He glows the same way Jason does during a pit rage episode. Danny's glow is more stable and constant and a brighter shade of green, but it's definitely the same thing."

Tim can feel himself shaking in barely concealed rage. "That motherfucker. I should have completely destroyed everything he loved."

"Who?" Duke asks warily.

"Ra's. He had to have done something to Danny. There's no reason Danny should be glowing like that." Tim takes a calming breath, not wanting Danny to see him angry.

"I'm sorry." Duke offers his sympathy.

"Not as sorry as Ra's is going to be."

"Are we planning a murder over here?" Jason jokes as he enters the room through the door next to Tim and Duke and sees Tim's face.

"Debating the pros and cons of it currently." Tim takes another deep breath.

"Oh, shit, for real?" Jason looks shocked.

"Danny glows similarly to you." Duke explains. "Meaning Ra's definitely did something to him behind Tim's back."

"Ooooh! Yeah, okay, that's very murder worthy." Tim smiles a little at that, feeling validated.

"Thanks, Jason."

"No problem, I'll help. I got beef with both Ra's and Talia, so I can take all the blame if Goldie or Demon Brat ask." Jason offers. "Before that, introduce me at the kid. Dick has been insufferable all day. Squealing and sending pictures and shit."

Tim chuckles. "Yeah, I do that. Hey, Danny! Can I borrow you for a second?"

Danny pats Alfred the cat one last time before trots over.

"Danny, this is your Uncle Jason."

"Hel-"

"Why do you smell green?" Danny cuts Jason's greeting off. He's staring hard at his uncle.

"Smell green?" Jason head tilts and squats down to be closer to eye level with the kid. There's still a foot of difference between the two, but it's the thought that counts. "What do you mean?

"You smell green." Danny frowns, thinking hard on how to get them to understand what he means. "Like Rawthy. And the weird lake thingies."

"Rawthy?" Jason and Duke both look confused.

"That's his name for Ra's. Danny gives the people he doesn't like awful nicknames to mess with them." Tim smirks at the looks his siblings give him. "He's fully aware of what he's doing, and I see no reason to stop him."

"Oh! He's petty!" Jason grins. "Just like his dad!"

Danny beams at Jason, clearly proud of himself.

Jason preceeds to give the simplest and kid safe version they've ever heard of his story. "To answer your question, I got really hurt by a bad man, and so your uncle Damian's mother dropped me in the green lake to heal me, but the green got stuck."

Danny seems to think about what he was told before holding his hands up to Jason. "Hug?"

"Sure, kid." Jason scoops Danny up into his arms and stands. Jason seems to stiffen as Danny melts. "Huh?"

"What up?" Tim asks, eyeing Duke in a way that demands the picture Duke just took be sent Tim. He wants that picture. Duke smiles and nods.

"Your kid just calmed the Pit." Jason gives Tim a stunted blink. "It's completely silent."

"Huh??"

"Dude, I don't know!" Jason hugs a snuggly Danny closer to him. "I'm pretty sure I could argue with Bruce about his stupid rules and keep a level head right now. I'm hugging your kid anytime I see him if this is the vibe I get each time."

"Only if he agrees to it." Tim flounders with this new info. "I'm still trying to teach him boundaries and consent."

"He's definitely tied to the pit in some way." Duke says, texting rapidly. "It's unfortunate that we won't be able to locate and murder Ra's before Bruce is rescued."

"I should have taken my chance." Tim grumbles.

Damian walks over, eyeing Jason and Danny. "Something happen?"

"Apparently, Jason smells like green, like Ra's and the "green lake", and can calm Jason's pit." Tim explains. Damian looks pissed at the first part, understanding it means Danny was exposed to the Pits, but he looks like he's not sure how to take the second part. Which, mood.

Danny starts wiggling. "Down, please."

"Oh! Sure, little man." Jason gently puts Danny down. Danny slides up to Damian.

"Can I still play with kitty Alfred?"

"Let's go see. He might be done hanging out and we must respect that." Damian takes Danny's hand and leads him back to Alfred the cat. The remaining siblings watch them for a minute.

"He's sweet." Duke turns a smile towards Tim.

"Like sugar." Tim has his own fond smile. "I don't regret making him at all. Best mental breakdown decision I've ever made."

"You terrify me sometimes, Timbers."

"Only sometimes?" Duke jokes, but Tim can see there's some truth to Duke's joke. There's a wariness in his eyes. But Tim just shrugs, not offended in the slightest. He knows he's a bit much, and Duke is the newest to his brand of crazy.

Tim does end up giving Jason and Duke more concrete answers to his year away, unlike when Dick was asking earlier. Mostly because Tim and Jason started to bond before they both left Gotham and can commiserate, and he tells Duke because he's there and it's funny to watch his reactions to what Tim and Jason are saying. It reminds Tim that he's watched his sweet 2 year old troll the hell out of ninjas and Ra's.

The rest of the night is tame. It becomes apparent that Danny prefers the "calmer" family members. He shies away from anyone being rambunctious, so mostly Steph and Dick. Everyone else is just abandoned for a new person if they start yelling or shouting. Tim thinks it's probably because he's not used to Steph or Dick's energy, having not met anyone like them before, and his ears are sensitive. Tim starts looking for noise canceling headphones for him at that realization. He didn't notice because the LoA bases were always quiet, outside of the training grounds, so it wasn't an issue before.

Danny still polices Tim's wound care, much to everyone's amusement. He memorized everything Alfred the human told him about Tim's injuries and takes it very seriously.

It's a fun night, all things considered.

[jessicafnstary]

[orbitalpython]

demon twin clones

Dc x Dp Prop fic starter

Ok like the demon twins au but both Damian and Danny are the clones of the original Damian and Danny. The original Danny died saving the both of them and simply disappeared, so Ra's tells Talia and Damian he sent Danyal on a secret mission

Couple years later after Danny makes his mark as Phantom and after Clone!Damian and him reconnect, Danny and Damian clones bring the slightly decayed corpse of Danyal to the Portal and switch it on to resurrect him. It worked! Slightly! He's back in his former glory, a bit taller even stronger to. But VERY mad. Not at Clones!Damian and Danny but at Ra's Al Ghul. Apparently Danyal had a very weak spirit and heard everything Ra's said about him.

Danyal:What? When? Ok ok. So new Family. Good. Ra's not dead but will be.

Dani: Ooo! True Template is fun. I like him.

Danyal: Little one is good. How did you?

Dan: Fruitloop Godfather. Man Jazz is going to have a field day on you.

Danyal: Who is?

Jazz who is on her third mental breakdown:*Breaking basement door open* SO YOU ARE OR HAVE HAD A TRAUMATIC CHILDHOOD?

Danyal: I like her, she definitely cares about the youth

Clone!Dami and Danny: You have no Idea

[spop-romanticizes-abuse]

(i kept forgetting to make this post for a while and only remembered when i was reading @antispopausandstuff 's recent post; sorry for the tag!)

i have to say this: catra having a mental breakdown basically every single season was pathetic.

usually villains have a third-act breakdown where they realize that they're losing to the heroes or they're losing control over their own allies, and they spiral into anger and desperation.

azula's spiralling in s3 of atla is a clear example of this, as she goes from the level-headed, cunning prodigy to a child who has lost everyone in her life and is desperately trying to use fear to keep people around. it's tragic because yes, she's a horrible person who enjoys torturing people and seeing them in pain, but she's also a 13 year old who was groomed into the perfect soldier by her father.

not all third-act breakdowns are like this though. sometimes instead of feeling bad for the villain, we feel satisfied seeing their downfall, because they weren't a sympathetic character in the slightest and they deserved to have that realization right before getting their ass whooped.

with catra, i get neither of these. i guess i felt a little bad for her the first time and i felt satisfied the second time, but then it just got boring.

there was no need for her to have a meltdown in every single season, only for the writers to use it as an excuse to make catra do even worse shit and hurt more people.

not to mention, her mental state wasn't consistent enough during these breakdowns. let me explain. let's take the s3 one, for instance.

catra is clearly rattled by the knowledge that shadow weaver picked adora over her (which.. wow who would have thought. but whatever). she is dissociating as she walks back to scorpia, there are tears in her eyes, she's devastated.

but then, as soon as catra reaches the horde with adora as her prisoner, she seems perfectly fine. she's calm and smirking proudly as she throws a bound adora to the floor.

and then when entrapta tries to oppose catra's attempts at opening the portal, oh no! catra is not mentally well again and she electrocutes entrapta. and she threatens to do the same to scorpia.

and then she goes right back to being calm and tells hordak that entrapta betrayed him (i'm sorry i don't care how good at lying someone is, i doubt they can deliver such a convincing lie when they are in a poor mental state) and mocks him for trusting entrapta.

and then throughout the portal sequence, catra is oddly calm. not just during the false reality, when she was pretending that everything was normal, but even after that when she starts sadistically torturing adora.

this doesn't seem like a character who finally snapped and is doing horrible things in a desperate attempt to regain control. it reads as a character who always wanted to do horrible things and finally got the chance to do it.

i can't view catra's breakdown in s3 as sympathetic because her actions seemed so intentional. the writers didn't even try to make it look like catra was going through some serious mental health issues and was only making such a dangerous choice because of that.

coming back to my original point, repeating a trope (especially a one-time trope like this) quickly gets stale. and it's even funnier when you think about the fact that catra basically had a dedicated mental breakdown every season and still didn't learn her lesson.

you stop feeling sorry for her and start rolling your eyes, wondering what atrocities she's going to commit this time. it's just the same thing over and over again, and it's funny that the writers used this as a way to keep reminding viewers that catra is a poor traumatized baby who definitely didn't make the choices that led to all this.

it's just bad writing. sure, in real life, people may have multiple breakdowns if they going through some shit. i can certainly attest. but it just doesn't work from a story point of view, especially when the writers refuse to hold catra accountable for your actions. mental health issues or not, you are responsible for your actions and you should work on changing your unhealthy coping mechanisms.

[hijinks-n-lowjinks]

Thinking about how when I was watching She-Ra for the first time and heard the line “you’re more than what you can give to other people” I legit blacked out for like a minute staring at the screen and had silent a mental breakdown

[hello-eden]

-Stopped rebirth-

Pain, rage, work, sleep

pain, rage, work, sleep

a cycle that goes on and on and on.

Jason doesn't know how to say anything to his family anymore. He knows some of it's his fault for how he came back but he also refuses to believe it's entirely his fault. 

Jason knows he shouldn't come back all right; he knows the Lazarus Pit rewrote his original Resurrection. He has no idea how he knows that's what happened but he does. Memories that make no sense that are popping up on the outside of his vision. Seeing people and thinking of names that are not their own. Doing things that feel like a habit that he has never started.

Jason knows something has been wrong for a long time and he tries not to rage at his family for not seeing it. The days where he fakes missions and just lays on his bed in agony. Feeling as though he has been hit by a thousand bolts of lightning only for it to relent then start again.

For him to feel nothing when he sees the glowing green eyes in the mirror but anytime someone else brings them up he feels like he's on the brink of a breakdown. Hitting harder than he should when he confuses the people in front of him for others. The urge to fight whatever is in front of him whether it be Friend or Foe. The knowledge that he doesn't quite believe he's human anymore that he keeps to himself.

The bone deep terror that Jason feels whenever Bruce mentioned something Jason didn't have before. The rage that fuels Jason's very being whenever Bruce reminisces. Insults on the tip of his tongue that Jason feels like are not for Bruce. The feeling of wanting to cry in the arms of the only father figure he has ever felt safe with only for Bruce to show again that he is not safe.

Wanting to scream that he did not want this, that the bubbling green under his veins is more corrupt than even Ras himself knows. The knowledge that Bruce’s obsession with protecting his home city is the one thing that brought Jason back. Unfortunate knowledge that Jason holds that he could never tell Bruce because the self blame he will inflict on himself would slowly drive him to Madness.

The flinches that Jason sees whenever one of his siblings gets a little too close. The knowledge that he can never do anything about it. He will spew insults at Dick but they will never be seen as playful as he means them.

That he will never be able to play fight with Tim as he wants to as those instincts that told him to bond went too far.

He will never be able to get close with Stephanie as all she has ever heard has been his horror stories.

He will never be able to have a sister in Cass as she has been in the middle of his violence for far longer than she ever should have been.

He will never be able to get close with Damien again as every single member of their family has made sure they are never left alone in a room together.

Pain, rage, work, sleep, repeat

[raayllum]

Sometimes it hits just how tonally different The Dragon Prince is from virtually every other kids show on TV and I lose my mind. I'd argue something like Infinity Train gets closest with its emphasis on psychological horror and morality, or even Transformers: Prime (if you know, you know) with its severe focus on war (aka one of the more lowkey episodes is a main character having a suicide bomb forcibly strapped to their chest). Steven Universe Future and Jurassic World: Camp Cretaeceous/Chaos Theory are also probably honourable mentions.

All of these shows have mature content in them, which isn't different from more popular shows like Owl House, She-Ra, or even ATLA, but often times in aforementioned three that content is presented in lighter ways and/or interrupted by bathos (this is true for She-Ra in particular). Most of TOH's heaviness is reserved for S2 Hunter or S3 Luz; ATLA has some episodes that particularly emotionally heavy (The Southern Raiders, Zuko Alone, the Southern Air Temple) or are quite hitting in exploring themes of colonization (Imprisoned, City of Walls and Secrets, Northern Air Temple), but a good deal, I'd say even the majority, are also pretty fun shenanigans, too. To be clear as well, a lighter tone is not a Problem never mind a negative (ATLA has a very strong thematic point to its own about the sanctity of children and childhood amid the horrors of how imperialism strips it away), but it is a tonal difference.

And it's not as though TDP doesn't have episodes where there are fun shenanigans (Callum and Rayla's initial exploration of Xadia in 3x02 is nothing but fluff, Soren and Corvus are a more gay comedic duo in 6x02) but the series more or less operates like "What if every episode was The Southern Raiders?" due to its consistent emphasis on grief and morality. They use words like kill and death and murder all the time.

From the pilot / opening episodes

and to when characters are having breakdowns because they murdered someone (and we're still supposed to like them) or have done horrible things, with the show's heaviness ramping up particularly from S4 onwards.

When loved ones die (and the show has a body count of 20+ named characters who have died, six seasons in, some even being children) the show depicts mourning in all its stages and ugly glory. The sadness, the anger, the revenge, the desperation, shifting blame and cognitive dissonances, thinking you had moved on only for that wound (which never fully healed) to be ripped wide open again.

Characters get tortured by being electrocuted or having their blood frozen in their veins or beaten up (5x08). There are successful assassination attempts (1x03, 3x02). People, even children younger than the main cast of characters, are put on trial with the death penalty (4x06, 6x09). Within the first three episodes, a character is running down stairs and tripping over dead bodies.

Sometimes three different characters in one episode will be having a breakdown or dealing with something absolutely devastating to their emotional state (2x08, 3x07, 6x01, 6x09, 7x01). The magic system is a trolley problem on steroids. Do you kill a monster to feed starving kingdoms, or to save yourself, or to save someone you love? What makes it a monster? What if the monster isn't a monster? What if you have to kill a child? What if it means killing your child? What if it means killing yourself?

There are two characters who canonically have cannibalized other people, one being a blood-drinker / vampire variant.

This doesn't mean the show isn't fun or funny. One character consistently thinks bathroom humour is funny (while being one of the most tragic characters in the entire show). The characters cheer each other up, take care of each other, are goofy, etc. The show is ultimately hopeful.

But the emotional weight afforded to the choices the characters are making, even good-intentioned ones with unforeseen disastrous consequences, the way show focuses on their emotional processing (or lack of) is very unique in the landscape of western animation, especially to this degree, I think. Never mind the increasing amounts of blood. Nor does this make the show inappropriate for children! Tiny me was morbid as fuck at 7 years old, I would've loved it, and I know many kids from ages 7-12 who do in my work as a tutor. But when people say "TDP isn't like most kids shows," I think what that means is sometimes lost in translation in conflating it with what people usually say aren't 'just kids shows,' when TDP... really, really isn't.

The show begins with assassins sent by a grieving mother to execute a father and his child in revenge for the father killing her partner and child, and it never lets you forget it.

[gafurtle]

Amena, Murderbot, and Violence

Thinking today about Amena and violence in The Murderbot Diaries.

Like, Amena is from Preservation, a planet whose murder rate is barely above that of an uninhabited planet, where finding an unexpected dead body is so shocking that they close the entire space station IMMEDIATELY. And the other characters from Preservation tend to...let's say look askance at Murderbot's murdering. There's Gurathin challenging whether Murderbot has the right to kill Mensah's captors or Thiago being really upset at the thought that Murderbot might have killed the raiders who were trying to kidnap and/or murder the survey crew. There's also the moment that Murderbot thinks about how it's never killed anyone directly in front of Ratthi, and how it wants to keep it that way, so that Ratthi will keep thinking the best of it.

And Amena was raised on this planet, and so far as I know hadn't really left up until the survey assignment in Network Effect, who suddenly finds herself kidnapped along with Murderbot. And Murderbot is losing it because it thinks ART is dead, and ends up ripping one of the Target's lungs out in front of Amena while messily murdering it.

And Amena's response is...shockingly chill? Like, I guess she's also in shock and scared and Murderbot is the only person on her side at the moment, but it's still an incredibly violent killing done right in front of her and she never really seems to blink at it. Later, the very second that Ras shoots Murderbot, Amena jumps onto his back and tries to choke him out. Like, that's her first and immediate reaction--and this is like 30 minutes after the "Murderbot rips someone's lungs out" thing.

And there is something touching about how "ride or die" Amena is with Murderbot even though she thinks it doesn't like her. And about how willing Amena is to deal with whatever is happening. How at the end of that day, when they've been in a space battle and kidnapped and Murderbot did some murdering and Ras died and Eletra was almost fried and Murderbot was having multiple emotional breakdowns...Amena is worried that Murderbot is mad because she didn't defend it enough when Ras & Eletra were being verbally mean. Like, THAT'S what she thinks might affect their relationship.

I don't know what I'm getting at, exactly, except that I think Amena is a fascinating character.

Things Amena gets upset about:

Murderbot interrupting her date with a predator

Murderbot forgetting to talk in stressful situations

Casual racism (bot-ism?) from Ras & Eletra

Murderbot & ART not talking

Things Amena does NOT get upset about

Murderbot doing the killing