#good big brother dion aquato

[brain-bumbler]

Parentified Dion Yes-

I have this Mental Image of Post Game Dion going up to one of Agent Nein And is Basically like "I don't trust you but I think that Frazie has Adhd and Raz has Autism and you're the only person qualified to test for that that we have access to."

And Neins just like ...He should *not* be doing this.

Nein, seeing another traumatized boy in need of help who may start to grow on him too much: I don't get paid enough for this Dion: well I'm not getting paid AT ALL so suck it up Parentified Dion is really good (probably canon) it's this level of angst many an oldest child can relate to. A lost childhood, having to grow up too fast, resenting the responsibility he feels for his siblings, but the absolute love and care that drives him to see that they get the help and support they need. I like this compared to my "Paved with Good Intentions" AU where Dion secretly helps Raz run away- well, more like he notices but doesn't snitch. Dion always going that extra step because he has a good heart and wants his little sibs to do well, but grumbling about it all the while.

I had this headcanon that with his extreme anxiety and awareness of how shitty their circumstances are, because his parents share too much (because he's like a mini grown up! He can handle it) since he has no outlet to cope with the feelings, Dion records all the family's injuries/doctor visits/sicknesses as best he can and keeps it all stored away. Some of it is written on fast food receipts and wrapping paper but it's there! Quiets the voice in his head screaming "WHAT IF SOMEONE NEEDS A DOCTOR BUT NO ONE KNOWS WHAT'S WRONG WITH THEM SO THEY GET SICK AND DIE BECAUSE NOBODY KNEW THEIR MEDICAL HISTORY!!!"

Also, he's totally not also got ADHD and/or Autistic himself. And also not psychic!!! So no tests for him needed no-oh sir! No he's not scared uncomfortable ha h a ha ha! He's there talking to Agent Nein, whose spider sense is tingling, and he's like oh, well just come into my office and we'll talk about getting that all set up, would you like a biscuit? Some tea?

I want to see this conversation play out. Dion jumpy on the edge of his seat, does not trust this guy at all, but determined to advocate for his siblings because his mom may not think they have anything and dad is not in a position to do this work right now. I think Sasha would be impressed by his determination! Do his best to put Dion at ease, and maybe start a conversation. If he handled it well enough- would Dion agree to come back another time? Who knows....

[tinyinvadr]

Next chapter’s up!

Psychoborrower 2

Chapter 17

Right as we left Gristol’s mind, Hollis, Sasha, Milla, and Coach arrived.

“Were you just in the Grand Head of the Psychonauts?!”

To my surprise, Norma stepped forward. Though, maybe it was just to cover her own ass. Hard to say.

“Agent Nein, it’s not what it looks like!”

Milla sighed. “Kids, we just saw you come out.”

“But we weren’t in my Dad’s mind! That’s the mole!”

“No, the mole is Nick Johnsmith! Sasha figured it out, but I always had my suspicions.”

Coach smirked proudly, as if he wasn’t one of “Nick”’s biggest defenders.

They started to move in towards Gristol’s body, but we blocked their path.

“No, his brain’s not in there! It’s in my Dad’s head! Ugh, we don’t have time for this, we’ve gotta find his real brain!”

Lili grabbed Raz by the hand and pulled us both out the door, pushing past the agents.

He tried to keep up with her, but when Lili’s got her mind set on something, it can be tough to rein her in. She had already run far ahead of us by the time the storm started.

A watery cyclone was fast approaching from the Heptadome. Gristol went and did it. He awakened Maligula. Idiot.

“Okay, there’s a big swirling vortex of death behind us and all of the adults are back at the Heptadome, what do we do?!”

“We should get back to the campsite. Maybe my Dad can help.”

That was our best option, but I couldn’t help but be concerned for his mental state. I wasn’t sure how long it would take for his memories to come back, but even if they hadn’t recovered, seeing Maligula again was sure to bring back trauma for him.

When we arrived at the campsite, the Aquatos were all gathered in front of one of the tents. Augustus sat in the center, his head in his hands. It looked like he’d been crying.

Donatella was the first to notice us. She flashed the slightest smile when she greeted us, though there was still a somber look in her eyes.

“Hello, boys. He’s… been remembering some things.”

Raz’s older brother let out a frustrated sigh. “I knew we shouldn’t have come here.”

“Dion, please. Not now.”

He immediately shut up after his mother scolded him, then turned his attention back to Augustus. Raz sat down beside him, wrapping him in a hug.

“Oh, Razputin… I lost them. I lost… everyone.”

It seemed all of his memories came back at once. It was like he was forced to relive that terrible day when he lost his parents and was taken away to the orphanage all over again. And… he remembered my family.

I knew that restoring his memories would ultimately be a good thing, but I hadn’t considered that bringing them back would also bring back the pain. All those years, he never worried about what happened to them because he couldn’t remember them.

Everyone went quiet for a moment, all of us huddling together to comfort him. I was unsure if him seeing Mom again right away was the right move, but then again, there would never really be a “right” time for that sort of thing.

I was about to try and make a telepathic connection with her to ask her to come over, but I didn’t need to. I heard her and Dad approaching.

“Reed, what if he still doesn’t remember? I don’t know if I can handle doing this again…”

“You can, honey. I know you can. You’re the strongest person I know. Now, go.”

After a second, Raz’s younger sister, Mirtala, scooted aside, letting Mom through. The entire family looked down at her, waiting for her to speak. I can only imagine how intimidating it must have looked from her perspective, but she didn’t look shaken by it at all.

“Gus?”

He lifted his head, staring at her for a second until it clicked.

“Sibi!”

As if they’d never been separated, Augustus scooped her up and held her close.

“Oh, Sibi, I thought for sure… You were back in the caravan, and by the time I came back, you were… And I didn’t…”

“It’s okay, Gus. I’m here now. And I’m not going anywhere.”

I stared in disbelief for a second. “Wait, Mom, does that mean we’re staying?”

She smiled. “Of course, Flint. I had my doubts about the Psychonauts, but you and Raz brought my best friend back. I’m confident that they’ll have at least two great agents going forward.”

Raz chuckled, that ego of his seeping through. “Oh, they will.”

Unfortunately, by that point we could no longer ignore the approaching cyclone. We needed to somehow get close enough to Lucrecia to get back into her mind without getting washed away.

“We need to get back in there. Any ideas?”

At that, Dion grabbed Raz by the shoulders and started shaking him. With me still being on his shoulder, I have to say I did not appreciate it.

“What, are you crazy?! That thing’s gonna kill you! Are you forgetting about the curse that’s plagued us our entire lives?!”

“It’s not real, Dion. Ford made it up so Nona wouldn’t remember being Maligula. In fact, I’m pretty sure I inherited her Hydrokinesis. Not sure how to control it yet, but maybe if I figure that out, I’ll be able to stop her!”

I looked around and noticed that Frazie was no longer standing beside the rest of her family. She had to have snuck away when the conversation shifted to the curse. She may not have been ready to tell them the truth, but we needed her help.

“Hey, uh, Raz? Can you put me down? Gotta pee.”

“Really? Now?”

“Yes now! It’s been one thing after another today and I’ve been holding it for hours!”

“Ew! Ugh, fine, just go, but make it quick.”

He put me down, giving me my chance to go after Frazie. Thankfully, she didn’t go far. I found her sitting on her own, staring endlessly at the approaching cyclone as if entranced by it.

“Frazie, come on, we need you to help us with Maligula!”

She sighed, shaking her head. “Flint, I told you, I can’t. I’ll only make things worse.”

“You don’t know that for sure. And Raz thinks he might have Hydrokinesis powers too, but he doesn’t know how to control them. If the two of you work together, it might be enough to beat her!”

“It doesn’t matter. Either way, my parents go right back to being afraid of psychics, Dad casts Nona out of the family and gives up on using his powers for good, and Raz and I are back at square one. We’re all better off just running away. At least then none of us will get killed. And I won’t get written off as a monster.”

I tried to think of a way to convince her, but I wasn’t sure how. I got the sense she wouldn’t be willing to listen to my insistence that everything would turn out fine, and I wasn’t 100% sure myself of what the future held for us.

“I don’t know if it means anything, but I don’t think you’re a monster. Besides, it wasn’t her powers that made her become Maligula. Your Nona was manipulated and pushed to her breaking point. She was alone and vulnerable, and Gzar Theodore took advantage of that. But we can still help her. Things won’t go back to the way they were before, but maybe that’s a good thing. We’ll all get a second chance to start over. To be better.”

She smiled, holding her hand out for me to climb on.

“I’d like that.”

We returned to the group, and Donatello immediately pulled Frazie aside.

“Ah, there you are! There isn’t much time, we need you for the Devil’s Firehose!”

“What? Now?”

“Of course! How else are we supposed to get your brother to Nona?”

I leapt from Frazie’s hand onto Raz’s shoulder, and for a solid minute, he looked back and forth between the two of us.

“Why were you with my sister?”

“Not the main issue right now, let’s go!”

We headed to the edge of the cliff, and from there, Donatella took charge. I was surprised to see the youngest child, Queepie, was the strongman of the group. He easily held up the entire family as they stacked on top of each other.

Raz secured me in his pocket and began his climb up the tower of acrobats. On the way up, Augustus briefly smiled at me.

“Thank you for bringing her back, Flint.”

I gave him a quick nod, and Raz continued to climb, meeting Mirtala at the top.

“You ready?”

Raz and I exchanged a glance. The entire time we’d known each other, we knew we could never truly be ready. Neither of us expected to get to where we were back when he first showed up at camp. And yet, despite all of that, despite how unready we were, I knew we could handle it. We’d come so far, and there wasn’t a thing in the world that could stop us.

“As we’ll ever be.”

With that, Mirtala launched us straight into the storm, and with a swift throw of the psycho-portal, we went headfirst into Lucrecia’s mind.

Right away, I could see that her mental world looked very different in comparison to when we were in it before. The whole place was flooded, and there wasn’t a trace of the quilted forest or flea circus. Instead, we stood in a memory of Grulovia, destroyed in the flood. And in the center of it all was a statue of Maligula.

Raz panicked upon seeing it and PSI-Blasted it, releasing some stray thoughts. He used Mental Connection to pull us along the trail, and we witnessed the memory of his grandparents’ death.

“I really wish I could’ve met them…”

“I saw them in my Mom’s mind. I mean, I know it’s just a memory and it’s not really them, but, maybe she’ll let you see them too.”

He smiled. “I’d appreciate that. But first we need to save the family that’s still here.”

We returned to the main plaza, where Maligula’s massive glowing eyes glared down at us from behind the watery curtain. Taking a deep breath, Raz approached her.

“Um… Hi. I’m Razputin, your great nephew. Ah, I’m not saying I’m ‘great’ or anything, just… My grandma was your sister, and she wouldn’t want you to be evil anymore. I don’t either… because you’re still family.”

She went into a fit of maniacal laughter in response.

“Family? You’re just another unruly peasant that needs to be WASHED AWAY!!!”

This was it. The fight was on. I shifted to human form and stood beside Raz, taking on a defensive stance. I wasn’t sure how, but we had to beat her somehow. Everyone was counting on us. Our families, our friends, the world itself was at stake.

But whatever it took, we were gonna make sure the reign of Maligula would end once and for all.

[doodle17]

Oh, yes, Donatella is definitely putting in the work. But I don't think Dion's parentification was intentional, either—things simply slipped through the cracks, and balancing running a family circus with being parents isn't easy. I don't think Gus & Dona intentionally pushed responsibilities onto Dion (other than chores and the basic "hey you're the eldest so can you watch your siblings"), more that in the stress of adulting they let some of their responsibilities slip, and Dion caught them.

Of course, this is all conjecture, because while Dion and Frazie do show signs of parentification in the games, and while we do have some insight into what the Aquatos' lives were like prior to the games, that's all we have. Hints and insight. We don't know for sure if Dion helped bottlefeed Queepie or change Mirtala's diapers, we don't know for sure if he and Frazie would be left to babysit when Mom and Dad went into town, or if that task would have been entrusted to Nona. We don't know how homeschooling was handled, how much time the family spent as a unit versus how much time they had to themselves. So really, how much parentification Dion and Frazie are facing is up to interpretation—maybe it's just the normal amount of responsibility that eldest siblings get, or maybe Dion and Frazie did have to act as caretakers to their siblings when their parents couldn't. Maybe Dion & Frazie simply got more chores and more freedoms as they got older, maybe they were actively pressured to be a good example for their siblings, to be responsible—maybe they heard lines like "you're going to be a young [man/woman] soon" or "they look up to you as a role model." Maybe they're not dealing with severe parentification. Maybe they are. It's up to interpretation.

All that said, I still think Dion would have a moment where he's holding his babyfied brother, and all he can think about is when he was a small child holding his new baby brother for the first time. I think Frazie would see baby Raz levitating a rock to chew on and remember when they found out they were both psychic, remember the games they used to play and miss them. I think Dion would hold his brother, and manage to untangle the knot of emotions in his chest long enough to tell him he loves him, he's sorry, he'll try to do better, and I think Frazie might say the same.

GOT-DAYUM READING THIS HAS JUST ABSOLUTELY BLESSED MY SOUL

First of all, thank you, I have no idea why you would send an entire gorgeously written essay into lil ol' me's ask box but thanks anyway

And second I WANT TO WRITE MY OWN LITTLE INTERACTION

I could just see him picking up little baby Raz and sitting down. He takes some time to reflect on how he's treated him harshly. He, like you said, remembers when he was younger, and held Raz in his arms for the first time that he promised to be the best big brother in the world. But in his eyes, he's failed at that. He's been cold and mean to his little brother, and ultimately broke his promise.

He holds Raz (who fell asleep in his arms) closely and says how sorry he is, and promises he's going to be a better brother, and then- omg-

W H A T I F someone, I dunno, Otto maybe, found out a way to turn Raz back to normal, but it takes a second to kick in. SO WHAT IF WHEN DION IS HOLDING BABY RAZ- HE SUDDENLY TURNS INTO REGULAR RAZ IN HIS ARMS ABSKSHSISBAOWNSOSN

[sxrrandomfanfics]

Galochio Family Circus I'm so sorry I left you out of the OCs list I didn't mean it.

Galochio Family's relation to the Aquatos - Zalto had a brother. This brother had Sofia Galochio, who was cousins with Lucy and Marona. When the Galochio's were blamed for the Aquato curse, they hated the Aquato family, believing them to be spreading unfounded slander and are unaware of their blood relations.

Dimitry Galochio - Hydrokinetic and Cyrokinetic specialist. Ribbon dances, skates, and has a desire to expand on his own powers. He's the middle child and loves trying to be in the spotlight. Third Cousin to Razputin Aquato.

Gleb - youngest of Dimitry's siblings at age 5. Hasn't figured out his powers yet, though is set to inherit the circus when his father retires.

Lude - second youngest of Dimitry's siblings at age 8. Has a link to most aquatic mammals, like Otters and Dolphins.

Anya - second oldest of Dimitry's siblings at age 13. She's Dimitry's closest sibling and is the one who does the actual sword dances, gender flipping Dimitry's and her roles of the show with Dimitry pretending to be some graceful prince while Anya is a stoic knight.

Andrei - Oldest of Dimitry's siblings at age 17. Quiet. Barely speaks. He's opposite to Dion, but taller and big built. The resident strongman of the Galochio family circus.

Maximus - Ringmaster who married into the family and takes his role in stride. He deeply loves his family, and is more than willing to insinuate that Augustus and Donatella are bad parents with how dangerous arial work is for children.

Maria - Deeply loves her family's tradition and just wants them to be safe while also have fun. If Maximus uses the "sometimes kids need to climb trees," excuse for the kids, Maria is there making all the mattresses for the kids to fall on.

Sofia - Good natured woman who can see the future. She often just uses some generic wording for it, but can get scarily accurate for the lolz. Like her saying: "You will trip on your right shoe's left shoelace at 2:13 and get ketchup on your shirt. There is no way to stop this." She and Lucy enjoy each other's company.

[sewersewersewercouch]

coming in with my 50+ song dion playlist to dump my song thoughts upon your inbox! first song is "Twin Size Mattress" by The Front Bottoms and I just. I just.

"When the floodwater comes, it ain't gonna be clear / it's gonna look like mud / but I will help you swim, I will help you swim / I'm gonna help you swim" and. Dion oldest sibling + Aquato curse vibes. "This is for the snakes and the people they bite / for the friends I've made, for the sleepless nights / for the warning signs I've completely ignored / there's an amount to take, reasons to take more" Dion's psychophobia. how it's affected his family.

"It's no big surprise you turned out this way / when they cut your hair and prayed you would change" how the Aquato's psychophobia hurt Raz and Frazie. "You stopped by my house the night you escaped / with tears in my eyes I begged you to stay" RAZ RUNNING AWAY RAZ RUNNING AWAY. "I'm sure that we could find something for you to do on stage / maybe shake a tambourine or when i sing, you sing harmonies" Dion wanting his brother to just Please Be Normal and Be An Acrobat because that's Safe and he just wants his brother to be Safe. Even as he's hurting him with his prejudices.

"This is for the lake that me and my friends swim in... and it should've felt good, but I can hear the Jaws theme song / on repeat in the back of my mind" THE WATER CURSE. THE AQUATOS LEARNIGN TO SWIM AFTER THE GAMES. omitting the second line of that stanza for,,,, obvious reasons. but the vibe of teenage dumbassery kinda holds up??? like idk dion & frazie swimming with the junior agents. or maybe instead of taking the whole stanza literally we interpret it as the aquato kids all having fun getting into shenanigans at a fair or smth but because of his parentification Dion's got all these worries in the back of his mind.

"Make sure you kiss your knuckles / before you punch me in the face / there are lessons to be learned / consequences for all the stupid things I say" that. that's a Dion line. That's a Dion feeling remorse over "this family will be better off when you're out!" line.

"And it's no big surprise you turned out this way / the spark in your eyes, the look on your face" Raz running off and coming back so strong and so capable. Dion's so proud. Dion's so proud of his little brother and he'll always be proud because of course Raz goes and does great things, Dion's always known his little siblings are going to go and shine so bright.

"I wanna contribute to the chaos / I don't want to watch and then complain / 'cause I am through with finding blame / that is the decision that I have made" That's a Dion line. His parentification, his whole "i'm not a child anymore so i have to be as Grown Up as possible, I am distancing myself from your silly little tricks and games because I can't afford to be a child anymore. I have to Grow Up" complex. Like just. I just. augh

And then I don't really have anything for that final bit of the song but yeah. This is a Dion Aquato Song™

whoa I LOVE having stuff in my inbox!!!! Hell yeah that’s a Dion song for sure

[ask-agent-rapzutin-vodello]

I have a prompt suggestion. A story about Sam & Frazie hanging out, not in a romantic way of course. But it can be a bonding story between friends, maybe have a scene where they talk about the good times they had with Raz and Dogen. I've always wanted to see these two interact in the Canon. I just feel like they would vibe really well with each other you know just two big goofy sisters hanging out.

"You know, I'm happy we get to hang out for once." Frazie stated, as she balanced on the Questionable Area Playground fence. She let herself fall forward, landing on her hands. She grinned as she stretched out one arm, and kept her balance. "I don't think we've done this since I've known you all."

"Well, you're spending most of your time with your favorite Natividad, whenever you have the chance." Sam said with mischievous grin.

"I don't hang out with Lizzie that much." Frazie countered with an even bigger, more mischievous-er grin.

"I was talking about Norma, your girlfriend."

"Oh yeah..."

The two girls giggled.

"Why aren't you with Norma now anyway?" Sam asked, as she watched Frazie dismount from the fence and land with a perfect flourish. "Not that I'm unhappy you want to spend time with me or something."

"Oh, she, Gisu and Lizzie are working together on an assignment, and I got bored watching them."

"We had an assignment?"

"Oh boy ..."

Sam chuckled. "Kidding, I did mine already."

"To change the subject to something completely else than homework..." Frazie began, as she flopped down next to Sam, giving her a curious grin. "I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Shoot."

"Your little brother, Dogen..." Frazie began. "What's he like? I've heard a few stories from Raz, but I'd like to hear from his sister."

Sam smiled. "Dogie? He's great. Kinda reminds me of Raz sometimes, but Raz is way more confident.

"Is it true that he has exploded someone's head?" Frazie asked, apprehensively.

Sam shrugged. "Not really like -" She made a 'pop' sound. "-but more like given someone a splitting headache ...and some mild ...bleeding." She coughed in her hand.

Frazie paused for a few moments, before she groaned. "Okay, I just need to ask: is it safe for Raz to be around him? Raz can be quite ...energetic."

Sam smiled. "Perfectly safe." She assured. "Raz has actually helped Dogen be a bit more confident in his abilities. He used to be such a scaredy cat about using his power." She shrugged. "He still is a bit, but lesser than before. And I think it's good for Raz too.

"How so?"

"So he can learn a bit of responsibility." Sam noted with a grin. "That kid is as chaotic as can be."

Frazie smiled. "That's the Aquato gene."

"From what I've seen from the Aquatos in my life, it seems to be a dominant gene." Sam noted with a grin.

"Not with Dion." Frazie said with an haughty air. "He's got the annoying gene."

"And still, Gisu seems to have fallen for him."

"Fallen on her head while lev-boarding too much, I think."

Both girls giggled.

"So, you got some stories about Raz?" Frazie asked.

"Hasn't Norma told some?"

Frazie smiled warmly. "Yeah, but Raz seems fond of you, so I'm guessing the two of you got some stories as well."

Sam tapped her chin in thought. "Well, I got about half a dozen stories about giving him food poisoning."

Frazie barked out a laugh. "Now that I have to hear."

[thegoodoldcartoons]

Since Lucy can summon rain, as part of their hydrokinesis, the Aquatos can make it rain unknowingly whenever they are sad.

Dion uses hair gel since the Aquatos seem to all have curly hair. This means that both he and Raz must have that same genetic trait. Perhaps Raz uses not only his helmet to keep it down but also just a little bit of his big brother's hair gel so he can look like Sasha? Maybe… or it could just be helmet hair, lol!

My reason why Lili's mother isn't talked about and Truman is very much a single dad is because she wasn't exactly someone a psychonaut would or really should be with. She was a psychic freedom fighter who ran with the Brainstormers.

Brainstormers are a group of rebellious psychics that fight for their kind around the world to be accepted as equals and not to be feared or used. God forbid that you ever look them over and tossed them away like trash. Unlike psychonauts, they do not go for the peaceful options first if possible. They are not afraid to get their hands dirty to make a point. Many people see them as really a terrorist group. Some of their members fully believe that their actions are for the greater good.

I don’t think/know if all psychics are connected to The Worldwide Psychic Network or WPN. But then again, maybe that was how Milla found Augustes. I’m not sure though as it seems like by the term network you have to know about it to be a part of it. Like a discord server. That and the Collective Unconscious seem more like the place for both psychics and nonpsychics to be connected unknowingly or not. Though perhaps it’s possible to still be heard in the WPN accidently. Whether you are in the network knowingly or not. Not fully sure for now though so I’ll go with this idea that not every psychic is in it, either by choice or because they don't know of it.

Mediums are rare. With heightened Clairvoyance, Clairaudience, and sometimes even Claircognizance, they can see and hear the dead. They either hide their ability in fear of hate or use it for money. They don't so much as hear the dead talk, more of they hear their thoughts and can communicate telepathically with them. Many people believe them to be not real. And that their powers are nothing but a lie. The psychonauts have tried to both recruit and do more research on them but haven't been successful.

pls tell me yalls psychonauts headcanons i beg🙏🙏

i love hearing peoples hcs

[maskyartist]

i talk a lot about how good a brother Dion really is to Raz even if he's still pissed at him for running away, but i feel like i gotta mention that Frazie's a good sister to him too. shes upset about Raz running away but when Raz, after seeking Frazie out up the cliff, mentions how she should stay at the Motherlobe with him and you pick the "Just hang out with me!" option, he says he misses her.

and she says she misses him too. shes got that usual big sister "you're such a dork bein all emotional about this" attitude, but she genuinely means what she says.

look all im sayin is that i love Frazie Aquato, i really do and im so glad shes written this way. like a genuine big sister who does care for her dorky lil brother while being caught in the middle of her own worries n fears about all her own Psychic stuff. theres just somethin so good about this family that gets me everytime.

also Poots is a canon nickname for Raz now. do with this information as u will :)

[frankenbolt]

So we know how Raz feels about getting another sibling, but what about the other Aquato kids?

Raz feeling that he's being replaced by and large is the most extreme reaction. But once he's suitably reassured that baby 'Rona isn't going to replace him, they're going to have the strongest bond. The other siblings are sort of in pairs. Raz finally has an acrobatics partner of his own.

Queepie is thrilled because he finally isn't the baby! He spends a lot of time thinking about what it means to be a big brother. No matter how much he pretends to be annoyed by Raz, he also is his biggest inspiration. Hence why he sneaks off so much. So he endeavours to be a good role model for baby 'Rona.

Mirtala is thrilled because she has another new sibling to play with! And she gets to help make baby clothes! (they're covered in fun little embroidery details that take way too long but she's proud of them).

Frazie is trying hard to appear like she's over another sibling...but honestly, babies are cute. And now she and Mirtala aren't outnumbered!

Dion is already thinking how this is going to effect the act and won't stop talking his mom's ear off how another body is going to make the act unbalanced. Dona clips his ear and tells him he's done this every time a new little one comes along. When 'Rona is born, he takes a while to get a moment alone with her and eventually he rocks her to sleep and lets her know he'll always protect her.

[mar64ds]

Thoughts on the Aquato family after Psychonauts 2 cause tbh I'm emotional over funny circus family

oh my god the family drama of this family is so good, it's sad but it's well written and interesting to the characters. I also love their designs and personalities!!!!! They are a great

-I love how supportive Augustus is now it's so sweet, like it's not just that he apologized once and that's it, he's a great dad and now that he has realized his past mistakes he's making sure that Raz knows he supports him and loves him!!!!! I love Augustus, an actually well written parent character development

-I hope Donatella realizes that she needs to be better because man she said terrible things to Raz :( I do understand the family drama so I know she can be better, let's hope they can explore that in the future cause she really should apoligize to Raz like Augustus did

-Dion should apologize as well but he's a kid so I can understand that a bit more, but he still acted terribly, like he was the WORST towards Raz. But it's great writing cause you can tell both Raz and Dion are mad at each other but also don't want to be mad, and they both feel guilty for different reasons, it's super complicated and let's hope Dion learns to be better as well, Raz already apologized and tries his best, the older brother is the one that has to apologize now

-Lizzie is great she's my favorite!!!! She's really funny and even if she messes with Raz she loves him and is a good sister, she's just a bit overwhelmed by change right now but Raz is there for her! She's the only one (of the family members that were still upset at Raz) that seems to forgive Raz, and I hope she joins his little brother in the psychonaut training!!!!!

-Mirtala is adorable :'D No drama with this character, she's just a little baby. Actually my favorite interaction of the whole game was when she was practicing acrobatics and she said something like 'Is grandma watching me? :D' and their grandma wasn't watching because well she's an old lady that doesn't pay attention to a lot of things, but Raz tells her anyway 'yes she is!!!! :)' it was so sweet, wholesome sibling interaction TT_TT

-Queepie is a literal baby but even his storyline has conflict and is super interesting, the actual baby of the family is also upset at Raz!!!! It's a very realistic situation that when a little kid is upset at you they ran away and don't want to spend time with you, but it makes me super sad, Raz is trying his best :( And the 'why do you have to take over everything i like' is a very little brother thing to say but also hey what do you mean by this, kid? :( You need to talk to your big brother about this u_u

-I won't talk about Raz's grandma because of spoilers but she's super sweet and I almost cried at the end when Raz hugged her 🥺 Like you can tell Raz is that kid that is really close to his grandma and always makes sure she's okay TT_TT

I love them all!!!!!! I do hope there is a DLC and they can explore this storyline better

[shielddrake]

Those Who Hurt You The Most Ch. 1 - Lull Before the Storm

Oh boy. So, like many others, I can't stop thinking about Psychonauts 2, and so I write fanfic for it. It's just that simple.

I usually outline a story before I start posting, but I'm outlining as I go for this one. I've got about nine chapters outlined so far, so this story will be at least that long. Suggestions for improvements and/or ideas are welcome and appreciated!

There's going to be quite a bit of family and friend interactions in here, both positive and negative, so be prepared for that.

Usual Disclaimer: I don't own the Psychonauts franchise. Also, I'm not a psychologist/psychiatrist, so I apologize in advance for anything that is inaccurate in regards to anything in those fields. I'm trying my hardest to be accurate, but I could miss things. Constructive criticism on this is also appreciated.

Lastly, spoiler alert for Psychonauts 2! You have been warned.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy!

“Thank you all for coming today!” Truman Zanotto, the Grand Head of the Psychonauts, declared to the atrium of the Motherlobe. “I am pleased so many are here to celebrate the Psychonauts' twenty-first anniversary!”

“Psychonauts is old enough to drink!” Someone shouted from the crowd, bringing about a few chuckles from the rest of the agents.

Truman ignored whoever that was. “Now, we have a lot to go over tonight, and I’d like to start with going over a few advancements we’ve achieved in the past year.”

With a wave of his hand, Truman brought up a screen large behind him. It was big enough to completely cover the doors leading to the classroom, nerve center and agents’ quarters. He clapped his hands and the lights went down, allowing everyone to see the screen more clearly. Truman cleared his throat.

“First, we have Larry to thank for his work in the Telepathy Department,” he began. “His efforts have created a method to increase communication range two hundred percent…”

There was a long speech that went on for a good forty-five minutes, and to be honest Frazie tuned out most of it. While she was sure it was fascinating for the Psychonauts, and certainly for her younger brother Raz, she was not interested in hearing about this stuff. She had spent the last year in the Psychonauts’ intern program, learning a lot about her psychic powers and how to use them responsibly. But that was over and now Frazie was eager to get back home to the Aquato Family Circus on a regular basis.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Truman turned the lights of the atrium back on. Frazie blinked to help her eyes adjust.

“And now, I would like to invite our Second Head of the Psychonauts, Hollis Forsythe, to present our interns.”

There was a round of applause as Hollis took the stage, which was only a few steps higher than the center of the room. She briefly shook hands with Truman before turning her attention to the rest of the Psychonauts.

“Thank you. Now I know you’re all eager to get to socializing—”

“And food!”

Hollis paused, an annoyed expression on her face. “So I will keep this short. I would like to congratulate this year’s graduating intern class!”

As Hollis announced the names of each intern, they joined her on the stage to receive their junior agent badges. There was much more applauding and cheering this time around, possibly because a few of the interns were children of a few Psychonauts. Frazie recognized the name Mikhail Bulgakov, who not only was her fellow intern but also a friend of Raz from Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp. There was Autumn Harper, Gema Ayerbe, Sidney Marks, Barnaby Goldberg and Isaac Wright as well. Why they announced the names in non-alphabetical order was a mystery, but she wasn’t in charge and Frazie wasn’t about to question Agent Forsythe’s methods.

But finally, it came.

“And last but not least, Frazie Aquato.”

Thanking the stars that Hollis respected her request to not announce her full name, Frazie walked up to join the new junior agents. The crowd gave them a round of praise as they all took a bow together.

The noise emanating from where her family stood was particularly deafening. Frazie couldn’t keep the smile off her face at the proud expression on her parents’ faces. It had taken time, but both Augustus and Donatella had eventually (and with much prodding from her brother) had accepted her as a psychic and agreed to let her intern at the Motherlobe.

The applause slowed as they left the stage, with Hollis giving a few final claps once Frazie rejoined her family. She waited until the room was quiet again, or as quiet as it could get, before speaking again.

“Now, before we wrap up, I would like to announce a special award,” Hollis revealed, her hands behind her back. “In acknowledgment of both his achievements in the field as well as recognition as our most improved junior agent. Please give a round of applause for Razputin Aquato.”

The young man in question grinned as he walked up to the stage. Raz stood straight and proud she pinned another badge to his jacket. It was the same one he wore ever since his hazing at the beginning of his intern program a year ago. Frazie supposed that actually made it Sasha Nein’s jacket, but Raz seemed to have claimed it for his own. The older Psychonaut hadn’t asked for it back, so she wasn’t going to sweat the details.

Frazie noticed how her older brother Dion’s support was rather half-hearted. His clapping lasted only a few seconds before giving up entirely and crossing his arms over his chest. Gisu, Raz’s fellow junior agent, was whistling in celebration. She immediately stopped when she spotted Dion sulking.

“Is that really any way to congratulate your own brother?” Gisu asked. “Even Norma admits that the kid deserves it. He’s been working his butt off.”

Dion huffed. “Raz gets enough attention from everyone else. He doesn’t need me fawning over him too.”

Frazie stopped herself from slapping her only older sibling upside the head.

After that, the presentation ended and the socialization began. Most of the other Psychonauts avoided the Aquatos, as they were still quite…cautious about the circus family, to say it kindly. They accepted Raz eagerly enough after the whole Maligula incident, and Frazie as well to an extent. But the rest of the family? They were still an unknown. Frazier was sure their circus attire played a role in that too.

Among the number of cautious Psychonauts was not Hollis Forsythe. She kept to the Aquatos throughout most of the party, conversing with the occasional other agent who came up to them. Or perhaps she was supervising them to prevent another fire from breaking out. Frazie could never be certain.

“Augustus is not allowed in the Noodle Bowl after that incident,” Hollis explained to everyone. “The autumn decorations still need to be replaced.”

“I did offer to repair the painted pinecones,” Augustus protested, but only weakly. He still took responsibility for that. “And I haven’t had an incident like that since then.”

“Dad, what about the—” Mirtala started, but Augustus put a hand over her mouth.

“I don’t think the Second Head needs to know about that, Tala.”

Augustus smiled at Hollis, who rolled her eyes but couldn’t keep the smile from her face. At least she knew he was trying. Augustus was actually one of her more enthusiastic students, as well as oldest. It was easy to see where Raz got it.

“In any case, it’s still good to see two of your children doing so well.” Hollis turned her attention back to Raz and Frazie. “Your family has produced psychics with…exceptional potential. I’m curious to see where they will go in the future.”

Frazie hummed. “Sorry Agent Forsythe, but I think I’m done with the Psychonaut thing.”

Raz spun around to look at his older sister. “What?”

“I’m going back to the circus,” Frazie explained. “I’m happy I’ve learned everything I have, but I prefer the acrobat life.”

“I thought we were going to be going on missions together,” Raz complained, giving her puppy eyes. “Two Agent Aquatos working together!”

“Raz, being a Psychonaut is your thing, not mine,” Frazie insisted.

“Come on!”

“Zip it, Raspy!” Her tone went harder as he opened his mouth to protest again.

“When do I get to join?” Queepie jumped in. Literally. He placed himself in the middle of the circle of adults and teens (and a few children) and started jumping up and down. “When’s it my turn?”

“Not for a while, young man,” Hollis answered. “You’re still too young.”

“How young is too young?” Queepie asked.

“How old are you?”

“Seven.”

“That young.”

“But Raz was ten when he became a Psychonaut!”

Raz’s eyes widened. Was his little brother trying to take the title of Youngest Psychonaut Ever from him?

“Your brother was an intern first, and there were…extenuating circumstances.” Hollis glanced at Raz out of the corner of her eye, and Raz tried to keep the grimace off his face. He knew very well what she was referring to. “An exception I’m not willing to make again.”

“You’ll be doing this soon enough, Son,” Augustus reassured him.

“There are enough Psychonauts in my family as it is,” Donatella declared, speaking up for the first time in the conversation. Frazie found this surprising since her mother was usually the most outspoken person in the room. She suspected it had to do with trying to keep the peace between her and Hollis. “Remember, we still have a show next week, Razputin. If your psychic business makes you late..."

She let her sentence trail off at the warning.

“I remember, Mom,” Raz said with a smile. He’d been doing all right balancing being a Psychonaut and performing in the Aquato Family Circus. Of course, having access to the Psychonauts’ jet made it much easier. “Next Sunday.”

"And don't forget to practice in the meantime!"

"I know, Mom!"

Donatello chuckled. “I hope so, Pootie.”

Raz somehow managed to keep the groan from escaping his mouth at the nickname. Dion, on the other hand, grunted and had to bite his tongue.

Two older guests walked up to the already rather large group. One stood far above everyone, lean as a sapling. The other was her opposite, being very short and barely taller than Raz himself. It never ceased to amuse Raz at their contrary appearances but not contrary personalities. They complimented each other perfectly.

“Congratulations on the award, Razputin,” Cassie said, giving the young man a hug. “If anyone deserves it, it’s you.”

“Yes. Well done, young man,” Compton added. “I must say I’m rather impressed at the progress you’ve made in only a year.”

“Well,” Raz dragged out. “I’ve had some pretty awesome teachers.”

“Brownnoser,” came the voice of Raz’s (Sort of? Maybe?) girlfriend Lili, standing with her father Truman as she gave him a small punch in the shoulder. “You can brag about it more after you’ve perfected the Clairvoyance Jump of yours.”

“Clairvoyance Jump?” Truman inquired. Raz’s cheeks went a little pink.

“It’s a technique I’m working on that I started figuring out at the Rhombus of Ruin,” the acrobat described. “It allows for long-distance Clairvoyance through several brains in a row.”

“I’ve heard of some psychics doing that, but I don’t believe it’s been perfected into a teachable power yet,” Truman acknowledged. “It’s wonderful to see a young psychic working so hard to advance our knowledge.”

“That’s my boy,” Augustus said, rubbing Raz's hair with pride while his wife looked a little exasperated.

Donatella still hadn’t said much during the party, other than her pestering Raz about the future show. Frazie was starting to wonder if her mother was feeling ill. She did spot Donatella giving Hollis a few displeased looks, and according to Raz the two of them didn’t get along very well. Was she trying to keep the peace by keeping her mouth shut around Agent Forsythe? That didn’t seem much like their incredibly outspoken and extroverted mother.

This concern did not distract Frazie enough that she didn’t spot the small cheek kiss Lili gave Raz once Truman had turned his back. She held back a giggle at her brother's flush.

There was a sudden silence in the entire atrium. Raz raised his head to look around to see if he could find the cause, his mind immediately going to a possible threat. His guard went down when he saw exactly the cause of the Psychonauts staring at the entrance. Many of them dropped their jaws open.

Bob Zanotto stood there with a small, nervous grin. He appeared to have gotten around to at least trimming his beard, making him look not quite so old. He finally replaced his broken glasses, making his eyes look larger. He also looked like he had lost a little bit of weight, and he smelled much cleaner than Raz remembered. Raz’s eyes moved down Bob’s arm to his hand, which he kept enveloped by another.

That hand then led up to the arm of none other than Helmut Fullbear. He looked much like he did when Raz had recovered his mind from Otto’s lab. His coat was still as extravagant as ever, and he cut his hair ever so slightly. His namesake sat on his head, looking freshly polished.

Raz ran up to them. “Bob! Helmut! You found your body!”

“It certainly took long enough,” Helmut joked. He gave Bob’s hand a squeezed and the two continued into the main area of the atrium. Helmut's legs wobbled a bit in his stride. “And I’m still getting used to having my body back.”

“Brain re-integration going okay?”

“As good as it can be.”

“Bob! You’re looking well!” Cassie shouted, loud enough for everyone to hear. She gave him a tight hug. “I haven’t seen you look this good in years!”

“Well, turns out that spending months digging in a frozen lake is good exercise,” Bob jested, rubbing the back of his neck. “Lost a bit of weight doing that.”

“Honey, you are perfect as you are, but we’re still getting you that treadmill,” Helmut teased. “I worry about your cholesterol at our age.”

The group laughed at the teasing until a stuttered cough rang out through the still-silent room. Truman slowly walked up to his uncle, looking more embarrassed than Raz had ever seen Lili’s father look. He waited until Bob finally walked over to him and slowly embraced his nephew. Truman immediately returned it, gripping the older man’s back with tight fingers.

“I’m so sorry.” Raz was only able to make out the whisper Bob said to Truman.

Truman shook his head. “Don’t be sorry. I should have done more. I’m just happy you’re doing so much better.”

“Every day is a challenge, but I am doing better.” Bob released his nephew as Helmut walked up to them, and he and Truman firmly shook hands.

With that, the tension in the room dispersed. Everyone returned to their own conversations, which no doubt going to turn into gossip before the night was over.

The part continued, and Raz eventually made his way over to the buffet table. He could practically hear his mother’s voice telling him to eat something healthy and full of protein before he stuffed himself with candy or chocolate. As he was about to reach for the famous honey pepper boar bacon, Helmut walked up to him, followed by his father. Raz’s cheeks hurt from the smile that spread across his face. This was a night of joy, to be certain.

“Helmut! You’ve got to have this bacon!” he announced. He immediately tried to take it back. “But, uh, maybe a small amount at first?”

Helmut let out a big laugh. “Razputin, my boy, you have quite the heart. But I’m actually here for another reason.”

“Huh? And what’s that?”

“There’s someone else who wants to talk to you.” Helmut gestured to Augustus. “Both of you. A couple of someones actually. They’re outside by Otto’s lab.”

Raz glanced at his dad, who shrugged, looking as confused as he felt. Helmut returned to Bob’s side as father and son left the Motherlode. They hopped across the floating platforms to the building housing Otto’s lab. Even now, Raz felt a little uneasy going there, knowing that the inventor kept a vault full of deceased agents’ brains there. And the idea that Otto thought Raz’s brain would one day be in there as well…Ew.

Raz didn’t think twice about that though once he saw Ford Cruller and Lucrecia Mux, his Nona, holding hands. Both of them looked a little nervous, but they did manage to smile as the two other psychics approached.

“Nona! Ford!” Raz sprinted forward to grab Nona in a tight but still gentle hug. She patted the back of his head in response, closing her eyes as she felt her grandnephew in her arms again. Raz gave her one last squeeze before grabbing Ford around the waist. “I didn’t know if you were coming or not!”

“Sorry we’re a little late,” Ford said. “Lucy was taking her time doing her hair.”

“Oh hush, Crully,” Lucy teased back. “I had to spend half an hour convincing you to come at all. Don’t go blaming me.”

Augustus was keeping his distance, glancing back and forth between the ground and the couple. Raz watched his father with concern, knowing he still had a little trouble in regards to how Ford had modified his memories against his will as a child. Augustus had spent the last year on-and-off with the Psychonauts and their available therapists to come to terms with this and what transpired a year ago. Or at least that’s what Augustus told his family. Raz really wasn’t sure what kind of progress he had made, and he didn’t want to push the topic if his dad wasn’t up to it.

The one who finally broke the silence was Ford. He walked over to Augustus, followed closely by Lucy and Raz, and he bowed his head to the younger man.

“Augustus, I haven’t had the chance, or really the courage, to talk to you before now,” he began. He took a deep breath. “But I guess it’s better late than never to say how sorry I am—”

“Ford Cruller.” Augustus put his hand on the old man’s shoulder, prompting Ford to meet his gaze. “I have been through the gamut of emotions over the last year. I've been angry, sad, disappointed, confused, disgusted…and a lot of other things. But I have learned one very important thing: There is no point staying angry with someone who hurt you, especially if they show regret for it. It keeps bringing up old wounds when we should be able to move forward.”

Augustus put his hand forward, and Ford hesitated for a single moment before shaking it with his own. They both let out a breath that Raz was sure neither knew they were holding. Augustus then moved on to Lucy, who had stayed behind to let Ford have his say first. He didn’t even pause in kneeling and hugging her. After a moment of the two embracing each other, Augustus pulled away with a smile.

“Lucy, you may be my aunt, but the memories we made together when you were my mother, or my acting mother, were real,” he described. “You're my aunt-mother, and nothing will change that.”

The tears finally started falling from Lucrecia’s eyes, and she buried her face in her nephew’s chest. Ford hugged her from the other side, with one hand on Augustus’ back. Raz wiped away his own tears, and was taken aback when a telekinesis hand grabbed him and placed him smack in the middle of the family hug. Augustus released his son and grabbed his with his physical hand, not letting go of his family.

Once the four psychics had their fill of hugs, Raz jumped in front of Lucy.

“Nona! I have something really cool to show you!”

“Is it that…you know?” Augustus probed mysteriously.

Raz grinned. “Yup.”

“What’s that?” Ford asked.

“I’ve been practicing with Lizzie on this a lot, and I’ve gotten pretty good at it.” Raz headed to the edge of the platform. “Watch this!”

“Stay away from the—” Lucy began, out of habit, but stopped when Raz jumped over the edge and into the small lake below.

Or rather, he would have landed in the water if the Hand of Galochio hadn’t sprung up and held him in place. Raz did a couple of tumbles and flips with the Hand, followed by a matching handstand and handstand walk over the water, with flourishes of water sprays and streams going all over the place at the same time. He ended his little show a bit of juggling of small balls of water, which exploded into rain with a clap of his hands.

The three adults applauded as Raz gave a bow and used the water to step back down to the dock. He was wringing his hands as he returned to Lucy.

“Whatcha think?”

“That was amazing, Pootie!” she praised.

“A showstopper for certain!” Ford added.

Augustus patted his son’s shoulder. “He’s been working on that show for weeks.”

“You’ve obviously worked hard on it,” Lucy said. “How many hours a week?”

“Um, a lot?” Raz answered with a crooked smile. “I didn’t keep track.”

“It’s comforting to see you using water again,” she continued. “But remember how dangerous it can be, Razputin.”

The preteen nodded. “I know, Nona. I just don’t want water to be a bad part of our lives anymore.”

“We're all performing a few water acts in the circus now,” Augustus informed them. “Would you like to come see? We have a show next week.”

“It would be wonderful to see the family perform again.” Lucy looked up at her elderly boyfriend. “What do you think, Crully?”

“You don’t think they’d mind if I came?” Ford asked.

“Of course not!” Raz asserted. “I know mom’s been wondering about you. And Tala and Queepie have been asking about Nona a lot. They miss you.”

“We better not disappoint them then,” Lucy conceded.

“Even better, let’s go back inside. I think it’s about time our Nona formally introduced her boyfriend to the family,” Augustus teased. “By the way, Ford, we need to have a talk about your intensions towards my aunt-mother.”

“Gussy!” Lucy gave her nephew-son a pretend scandalous expression.

Raz groaned and rolled his eyes. “Now I know where he gets it from.”

Ford levitated the adults over the water back to the Motherlobe, while Raz did a few hops with the Hand of Galochio to join them. As they did so, a figure kept to the shadows as he turned off his psychic invisibility. He kept an eye on Razputin as he watched the boy return to the Psychonauts’ party. The figure bit his tongue to keep quiet until he was sure the psychics were out of both hearing and telepathy range. One he was sure they were, he put his fingers up to his temple.

“Minister, I have news to report,” he telepathically called. “I think you’ll be very interested to hear about this."

[brain-bumbler]

hey. hey. you know that one au you did? where dion got a job in the mailroom? think about it again. think about its wonder and greatness. and gimme deets 🤲

oh that is my greatest work ever. i will forever have so much to say about it.

Dion starts out not enjoying the job or looking forward to it, just doing it since his mom won't stop talking about how proud she is of Raz and Frazie, and he needs something to do to fill the hours. Plus a paycheck is nice.

But despite his reservations, the minute Raz walks into the mailroom Dion has his feet up on the table smirking like his swivel chair is a throne. Big brother instinct to show no weakness.

Raz is torn because this is sort of his brother making an effort to ger more involved in psychic stuff. He genuinely wants Dion to do better and learn to cope with the changes in their family.

But also, he's ten. The Psychonauts is HIS thing in his head. He wants Frazie to join him because she was his secret psychic buddy that he probably trauma bonded with and he wants to heal the divide between them. I think it'd be normal for him to not be 100% stoked about it. Like oh great, maybe the mailroom is where evil villains are made and Dion's gonna decide to turn to the dark side.

At first Dion is jumpy and standoffish with people. But luckily he unlocks the pure dopamine of sorting objects for his repressed adhd-autism brain. He completely zones out during his shift and then snaps back an hour after closing time when the packages stop coming. Holy shit stacking boxes of different sizes into cubes like tetris and then sorting them based on color, he's not showing it but his brain is just enjoying it So Damn Much.

He gets so hyperfocused that he forgets to slack off and act superior and grumpy. He clears out the blacklog in 3 days and then designs a new sorting system. It needs revisions but that just means more stacking and sorting fuck yeah!

Gisu was expecting him to skip work to come see her but he's in the ZONE and its hard to break him away from it. But after awhile it is easier to leave because he needs variety in his day, which makes flipping across the Motherlobe and finding new ways to deliver mail great.

He makes up challenges for himself. Can he sneak packages to people from the vents like a spy, something he'd never admit to thinking was cool? Can he do deliveries while playing "the ground is lava" in his head?

Also he keeps writing letters to Gisu that have to be "hand delivered" so they can meet up. Hollis lets it slip since he solved their budget crisis by discovering Nick was stealing money, and Dion is insanely effective at his work. If only she could get him to wear anything business casual.

Dion's biggest bad habit is skipping meals. He doesn't like eating in the Noodle Bowl without someone he knows, it makes him nervous. So if he doesn't bring lunch he ends up skipping it, or even if he dues he just throws it away without telling anyone.

He makes the mailroom the most popular part of the Motherlobe tour by putting on an acrobatics performance that enthralls all the visitors. Maybe he slips out some pamphlets for the Aquato circus, it never hurts to advertise!

Having the alone time and investing in something not related to his family is really good for his personal mental health and boundaries.

[tuxedokit]

Oh I was waiting for you to get through the lightning round ask first LMAO. Anyway it's not a super long analysis, because it's less me being able to envision a full animatic for the song and more me being able to connect so many of the lines to Dion. Not all of them, but many.

Anyway 💅. The song is "Twin Size Mattress" by The Front Bottoms and I just. I just.

"When the floodwater comes, it ain't gonna be clear / it's gonna look like mud / but I will help you swim, I will help you swim / I'm gonna help you swim" and. Dion oldest sibling + Aquato curse vibes. "This is for the snakes and the people they bite / for the friends I've made, for the sleepless nights / for the warning signs I've completely ignored / there's an amount to take, reasons to take more" Dion's psychophobia. how it's affected her family.

"It's no big surprise you turned out this way / when they cut your hair and prayed you would change" how the Aquato's psychophobia hurt Raz and Frazie. "You stopped by my house the night you escaped / with tears in my eyes I begged you to stay" RAZ RUNNING AWAY RAZ RUNNING AWAY. "I'm sure that we could find something for you to do on stage / maybe shake a tambourine or when i sing, you sing harmonies" Dion wanting her brother to just Please Be Normal and Be An Acrobat because that's Safe and she just wants her brother to be Safe. Even as she's hurting him with her prejudices.

"This is for the lake that me and my friends swim in... and it should've felt good, but I can hear the Jaws theme song / on repeat in the back of my mind" THE WATER CURSE. THE AQUATOS LEARNIGN TO SWIM AFTER THE GAMES. omitting the second line of that stanza for,,,, obvious reasons. but the vibe of teenage dumbassery kinda holds up??? like idk dion & frazie swimming with the junior agents. or maybe instead of taking the whole stanza literally we interpret it as the aquato kids all having fun getting into shenanigans at a fair or smth but because of his parentification Dion's got all these worries in the back of his mind.

"Make sure you kiss your knuckles / before you punch me in the face / there are lessons to be learned / consequences for all the stupid things I say" that. that's a Dion line. That's a Dion feeling remorse over "this family will be better off when you're out!" line.

"And it's no big surprise you turned out this way / the spark in your eyes, the look on your face" Raz running off and coming back so strong and so capable. Dion's so proud. Dion's so proud of her little brother and she'll always be proud because of course Raz goes and does great things, Dion's always known her little siblings are going to go and shine so bright.

"I wanna contribute to the chaos / I don't want to watch and then complain / 'cause I am through with finding blame / that is the decision that I have made" That's a Dion line. Their parentification, their whole "i'm not a child anymore so i have to be as Grown Up as possible, I am distancing myself from your silly little tricks and games because I can't afford to be a child anymore. I have to Grow Up" complex. Like just. I just. augh

And then I don't really have anything for that final bit of the song but yeah. This is a Dion Aquato Song™

-💜

everything you said. if i may.

"she hopes im cursed forever / to sleep on a twin sized mattress / in somebodys attic or basement my whole life / never graduating up in size to add another"

"she" being dion. the part if her that will never, ever forgive herself for how badly she hurt her siblings. she doesnt feel she deserves the love she has, let alone more.

[the-flying-aquatos]

Mirtala and queepie swear they won't tell, sam and lizzie are 3 seconds from the " we have to induce amnesia" meme. Dion makes them swear on their desserts for the next six months not to tell. Dions dragon 100% sees them as his hatchling and whines when they don't come to visit - HB

IJOFDSJIOF YES.

The little ones come along sometimes and it usually ends up with them in danger, the hidden world is a HUGE place with lots of wild dragons that are a 50/50 gamble on if they're friendly or not, because depending on their nature, not seeing humans for about 1300 years can either make a dragon super easy or far harder to train. And this particular group of kids has an unlucky streak of running into the less friendly dragons or just getting into general trouble.

Thank goodness that Dion's companion shares his protective big brother nature, if someone is family to the Aquatos, they're family to the Nightlights, no questions asked. It's an especially good thing because they will not let anything bad happen to the little kids, or Raz for that matter, because Razputin's little siblings aren't the only ones with a knack for getting into trouble.

[sxrrandomfanfics]

Aquato Interactions (Family Swap AU)

[First post] [Second post] [Third post] [Fourth post] [Fifth post] [Sixth post] [Seventh post] [Eighth post]

Practically screaming at how excited I am with this. The Aquato family are all Psychics (though Donatella is a weaker, "non-legacy" psychic) and they are in charge of the Motherlobe. How couldn't they be? Lucrecia Mux and her second husband, Ford, were original parts of the Psychic Six!

The Aquatos are also doing their best to live up to the name.

Frazie Aquato: I've already talked about her interactions with Lili as an intern, but here's a little bit more if you decide to interact with her when she's around her family instead of her peers. Frazie is slightly paranoid around Lili. I mean, a non-legacy psychic who is good at herbaphony and herbokinesis? When they're trying to fight someone who's bringing back Hellebore? Very suspicious. Frazie can be seen sometimes whispering to the other Aquatos when they're not around Raz, but she's able to save face and tell Lili a simple lie: "Family Business. We're trying to figure out Raz's next birthday present, since he usually tries to get things he wants before other people can give it to him."

Donatella Aquato: Oh the matriarch of the Aquato family. She still has some issue with Raz being the runaway son. The one who's usually going around the Motherlobe and helping Otto Mentallis or Sasha Nein. She wishes that he would take his training as a Psychonaut a little more seriously, but becomes lenient during the time that Augustus is out of commission. She is very wary of this new kid, but her darling "Pootie" has a crush on her and she supposedly helped rescue Augustus from the Rhombus of Ruin. Donatella gives her a little bit of special treatment and tells Hollis that she has a new intern. Lili is very intimidated by her and has trouble talking to her, or Raz when Dona is trying to cheer him up.

Dion Aquato: Normally, Dion (the good big brother he is) is with Razputin or Mirtala and Queepie. They need someone to comfort them while his mother's pulling double-duty and father is... asleep. His interactions with Lili are quite wholesome before he talks to Frazie. He brightens up and asks: "Is this the Lili Zanotto? You know, we overheard him telling our dad about you on the call. Looks like all the Aquatos have a type!" And he's ready to accept her the same way the other Aquatos accepted the older kids girlfriends. Of course... as the story goes on and Lili's shiftiness is caught on by the other agents Dion becomes much colder to her. The final words that Dion says to her before Lili goes into Green Needle Gulch is: "Stay away from Razputin."

Raz Aquato: Raz is a lot less isolated than canon!Lili is. He's usually with family, either doing tricks or helping them cope as they are left without their father. So Lili can't really interact with Raz as confidently as she could in the previous installments. It fills her with loneliness because she doesn't have her family with her, she ran away from her family to join the Psychics.

Mirtala Aquato: Mirtala is smitten with Lili. She thinks Lili looks cool and wishes she would hang around more. When she sees Lili grow some vines to climb to get to an area in the lower quarry, Mirtala mentions that plants need water to survive. Lili merely shrugs and states sometimes a helping hand is all someone needs, and it comes in many forms. There are some side quests that Mirtala gives to Lili that are usually just excuses to get something from her.

Queepie Aquato: Queepie's way too tied up with his family to really care about Lili. He's worried about his dad and wants to be near him, and he usually clings to his other siblings because of it. He doesn't know Lili as well as he knows Gisu or Norma.

Lucrecia Mux Aquato: Lucrecia... She is a woman who was too dangerous to be around her own family. But she's such a loving woman. When Lili first finds Lucrecia, Lucy quickly wraps Lili up in a blanket and urges her to get warm and dry by the fire. The rapids must have gotten Lili wet. Lucy and Lili take on a very quick grandmother and granddaughter dynamic, and thanks to Lucy's kindness and hydrokinesis Lili let's out a few tears and tries to tell her what's going on. But once Lucy hears, she has none of it and tries to throw Lili out. Of course... some water plants and water itself is able to take the Psi-Portal and help Lili get into Lucy's mind

[brain-bumbler]

thinks about dion's sadness line. thinks about your paved with good intentions fic where dion helped raz run away. thinks about dion feeling responsible for a lot of things he shouldn't. thinks about dion feeling like his family is falling apart and it's his job to hold it together because he was the one who helped raz kickstart it all. sobs

(I typed a huge-ass thing for this and then tumblr deleted it all LMAO fuck me)

YEAH THOUGH in the good intentions universe Dion is not only kind of responsible for raz leaving but no one knows hes santa's little helper, so to speak.

if dion had just left well enough alone, if he'd done his duty as a son and brother, none of this would be happening. They'd be home, safe, struggling but in normal and familiar ways. His dad wouldn't be up on the mountain having an identity crisis and Nona would still be with them.

Does Dion know, intellectually, he's not solely responsible for this giant complicated mess? Sure. Emotionally? HAhaha ha ha hhhhhhh

I think Dion would work a lot to "make up for it". Guarding their stuff, setting up tents, doing the dishes, any chore he can find. He jumps when his mom asks him to do something because, well that's just how he is, but he also lied to her face and can't apologize. Plus if he's working, he can't stop to think and feel, the two worst possible things to do.

He could try to talk to Raz, but whenever he sees his little brother his feelings get too big and he ends up being so mean. He snaps and lashes out but it doesn't make him feel better.

Do you even realize what you've done? To the Aquato name? Psychics? Fortune Tellers? You let out our worst secret!

Everything is in shambles. Dion's greatest fear is losing his family, and now he has to live in that fear while a little voice in his head chants your fault your fault your fault.