#just yk the ones i used the most

[sleepy-achilles]

The Family of Destruction- The Bone Street Krew

Baby Leon? Yes please.

Also baby bloodline members. Timeline? Gone. None of their ages would match up with their current ages so I don't mention any age at all in this. Just either ignore the fact cassie should be born but obviously isn't and yeah. We love screwing up timelines just to get ideas outta head.

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Leon shovels in another mouthful of cereals as the others rush around behind him. Everyone's in a rush, but Leon? Leon isn't. Leon is quite happy in his skeleton pj's eating his black and white cereal.

John looks over at his baby brother as he shovels another colourful mouthful of cereal into his mouth. "I thought he hated those sugary things?" John asks. Shawn pauses with a piece of toast hanging from his mouth as he looks over at the youngest boy. This causes taker to bump into him. "Jesus-shawn!" Taker huffs as he spills his coffee and shawn drops his toast. "He does.." Shawn whispers confused. "What?" Taker grumbles as he tugs his, what was a nice clean white t-shirt, off and uses it to dry his skin. "Leon's eating those cereals you both hate" Shawn states. It's takers turn to pause and look at the boy.

He frowns before moving into Leon's sight. "You alright?" Taker asks. Leon looks up at him confused. Taker watches as he lowers the spoon and brings his hands up. 'Yes, why?' His small fingers sign. "You told papa you hated those" Taker states, nodding at the nearly empty bowl. 'Wanted the energy for today' Leon signs. Taker smiles as Leon does his child version of rolling his eyes. The boy had seen Shawn doing it so many times at taker that he decided he also wanted to roll his eyes whenever taker did something worthy of it. Problem was, Leon was a kid and hadn't developed thr skill of rolling them yet, so instead he just moves his eyes all around. Taker chuckles and tickles the boy causing him to giggle.

"You need to hurry and get changed if you want to meet with daddy's friends" taker tells him as he throws his t-shirt into the laundry basket. Leon nods and finishes his last few spoons before running off. "So?" Shawn asks holding out another t-shirt. Taker kisses him in thanks and pulls it on. "Wants energy for today" taker states looking at John who's cleaning the floor. "Are you coming with?" Taker asks. "Can we spar?" He questions. "Of course, with us or the kliq" Shawn hums. "Okay" John smiles.

-----

Leon rests his chin on top of takers head as they move through the arena. Papa and John went off to find the kliq. Leon closes his eyes as his dad hums a tune and taps his fingers gently against Leon's legs. "Hey hey hey!" A voice booms, causing Leon to jerk upright. He opens his eyes and smiles at the group of men. "If it isn't little Leon michaels" Rikishi smiles as taker lifts the boy off his shoulders. Leon rushes over and allows the man to lift him up. "I've got my twins with me today" Rikishi tells him. Leon frowns slightly. He didn't have a problem with the twins really, it's just when grouped up with their other family members they liked to single Leon out. Especially Roman. Leon always got on with Solo though, no matter if the others were around. Both were quiet aloof boys. It was easy maths to them.

"What is it? Bring your kids to work day?" Taker jokes. "Why? Shawn bring his boy too?" Paul mumbles. Leon frowns at his so called grandfather. "Oi, none of that now" godfather warns. "You damn well know John is as much my son as he is shawns" Taker snaps. "Look at you, stepping up when..well its a strange one isn't it? Normally you'd be stepping up in the fathers spot but he has a father. The mother ended up being a deadbeat" yokozuna comments. "Aye..none of this infront of Lee." Taker mutters. "Well, Romans also here too Lee, plenty of boys for you to play around with" Rikishi states lowering the boy. Leon's frown grows deeper. He would not be having a fun evening anymore.

---

John sticks close to shawn as they walk through the halls. He knew randy was around after the harts stopped to tease Shawn. Owen, he was always kind to John, stopped to let him know what other kids were running around. He couldn't wait to see randy. They got on great, but first he really wanted to meet with his uncles and go a few rounds before the show.

----

Leon tilts his head back and watches in awe as his daddy throws Mideon around. Fuji looks at the small boy with a slight smile. He was going to do great things for this business. "That could be you one day kid" godfather states. Leon looks at him with wide eyes. "Talk or not. Your daddy basically doesn't talk so it can be done." He adds as Rikishi, Godwin and crush get involved in the fight. "See the way he already has taker under his thumb? This kid will be the top of the company before any of us can even blink" yokozuna chuckles. Leon smiles and looks back at his father to see him handing out chokeslams.

He then spots his Papa with uncle Kevin and John. Leon pushes away from the table and runs towards them.

Kevin chuckles and picks the boy up. Leon hugs him tightly. "Always know just what I need don't ya?" Kev mumbles rubbing the boys back. "Cmon boys! We promised John a sparring match before the show" Shawn calls. Rikishi smiles at the blonde. "Your lucky you're takers boy" he tells him. "Aw and nothing to do with me being a pretty face?" Shawn teases with a pout. Taker smiles. "Yeah, you've gotta give him credit. His pretty face has been a gift to us since we adopted him" godfather teases. Taker groans and rolls out of the ring. "Stop making it sound like your his pimp" Taker huffs hugging shawns waist. "I wouldn't complain, he'd be a great pimp" Shawn admits. "You know it. I'd actually look after him unlike his current pimp" godfather states moving closer.

"Vinnie ain't all bad. Especially with the hell I give him" shawn smirks. "You need us to stick around and show John how to really fight?" Yokozuna asks. "Nah, me and kev have it covered. Besides like you said, we want him to learn how to really fight" Shawn smirks. "Cheeky" godfather huffs. "Just the way we like him" Rikishi chuckles climbing out of the ring. "I will be taking that though" godfather states pointing at Leon. "Yeah? Who you using him to scare off this time?" Kevin asks handing the boy over. "Paul. Love how he makes the big guy tremble" godfather smirks. Taker rolls his eyes and kisses shawns cheek. "Have fun and I'm warning you, stop teaching him your dirty tricks" Taker warns Shawn. Shawn smirks and kisses the tip of takers nose. "Never" he whispers before moving to the ring.

Taker chuckles and shakes his head as he moves up the ramp.

---

Leon tilts his head as he examines the cards. "Give me a little bit of luck Lee" Rikishi huffs. Leon smiles at the man and tilts his head to the side. "Oh really?" Rikishi asks. "Im all in baby" he adds. Taker looks down at Leon and groans. "Leon I swear if you don't quit giving me up" it's impossible to play cards when your own son enjoys watching you lose. "Go find some of the other kids to play with" Taker sighs dropping cards. Leon frowns and shakes his head. "Cmon, gotta teach them poker young" godfather states. "Ah, are my boys being shits again? I'll sort them Lee, just give me the look" Rikishi tells him. Leon just shakes his head again before jumping down.

"So where are you going?" Taker asks. Leon looks at him and raises his hands. 'Canteen. Water.' He signs. They've been working on full sentences with Leon. Both in speech and sign. Ones going a lot further than the other. "Alright, you know the rules. Grab me one too, okay?" Taker asks. Leon nods before moving to the door. Vega opens it for the small boy. Leon looks at him and smiles. 'Thanks' "Anytime squirt" he chuckles.

"Hes a smart kid" godfather states as Leon waddles off. "Too smart." Taker huffs leaning back as the boys start to light up now the kids gone. "How's child number three coming?" Rikishi asks. "Shawn's excited. Just have to arrange it all. He wants a girl, has a name and everything" Taker answers. "You know, a girl might be the missing piece you both need" Godfather tells him. "Yeah? You reckon?" Taker asks collecting the cards. "I do. Don't get me wrong, John and Leon? Great kids, I love them both to death, you are also amazing with them both. But I have a feeling you are made to be a girl dad" godfather explains. "You never know. Anything can happen" Taker shrugs. "You sent your boy off to get drinks and didn't offer us any? The disrespect" Rikishi suddenly speaks up. "Oh come off it, you have two running around, you expect my small boy to carry enough drinks back for us all?" Taker teases. Rikishi rolls his eyes at the other. "Them? Do anything I ask? Please, I have more chance winning the lottery" he huffs.

---

Leon stares at the fridge. He knows the others will want water but how is he supposed to carry basically eight bottle back? He frowns but begins to take the bottles out and group them up. He could atleast stick two in his short pockets. The shorts shouldn't fall down and if he walks carefully enough the bottles won't fall. He could fit one under each arm and hold two in his hands. He thinks about those in the room.

'Daddy, Rikishi, godfather, yokozuna, fuji and Vega. That makes seven I need. Eight if I count that John will be joining us soon.' Leon thinks to himself. John always ended up joining them as the show started. "You alright there Lee?" Goldust asks kneeling next to the small boy as he grabs another water bottle. Leon nods. "Would you like help carrying those?" Goldust questions. Leon shakes his head. "Alright, well, I'll be sat at the back table with manny if you do need help, okay?" Goldust asks. Leon just nods and smiles at the man before he walks away.

Leon can do this. He sticks two in his pockets. He sticks two under his arms and then looks at the remaining four. This shouldn't be difficult. He shuffles the bottles into a slight curve and leans down, carefully scooping them up into his arms before standing. As long as he's careful, he should be able to do this.

Goldust smiles at the small boy as he begins to make his journey back to the lockerooms.

-

Leon keeps his eyes focused on the bottles, especially when he feels the ones under his arms begin to slip. It's times like this he wishes he did wear a hoodie.

Leon's too focused elsewhere to spot trouble coming. A foot sticks out infront of him causing him to trip. He lets out a soft grunt as the bottle fly and he hits the floor face first. "Oops" a familiar voice laughs. Leon lifts himself up slightly to see the twins laughing at him. He can't fight the way his bottom lip wobbles as blood bubbles in his sore nose. "It was too good to resist!" Jey laughs tilting his head back. "What idiot would carry all those and not ask for help?" Jimmy questions, kicking one of the bottles. Leon lowers his head. He was doing so well. He can practically hear his father and uncles laughing from here.

A new pair of shoes appear infront of him and the twins laughter dies. Leon slowly looks up confused to see Roman stood with his hand out. Roman doesn't say anything as he leans forward, forcefully grabbing Leon's hand and pulling the smaller boy up. "Roman?" Jey asks confused. "Hes bleeding." Roman states. "So?" Jimmy asks. "You took it too far." Roman snaps. Leon feels confused. A emotion he'd find out he'd always attach to Roman reigns, even as they grow old. Leon watches as Roman picks up four of the bottles and holds them out to Leon. "Are these for your papa?" Roman asks. Leon slowly shakes his head. "Dad then? Cmon" Roman tells him.

It throws Leon off. There's not positive emotion towards Leon or the twins. It's almost like Romans being forced to do this. Leon remember last time Roman taught the twins how to do the old foot out thing, that's when Leon realises, the difference was Leon could lessen the fall as his hands were free. He couldn't do that this time. Leon accepts the bottles and watches as Roman picks up the rest. "Go annoy someone else." Roman barks at the twins. "Whatever" jey huffs before walking off. "Actin real weird today Roman" Jimmy mutters before following jey. Roman doesn't say anything as he turns and leads the way.

-

"Ah I don't know I think their just tryna impression either Roman or dwayne. You should both of them in the ring, it's good." Rikishi states. "I bet. Doesn't excuse the fact your twins can be real assholes sometimes" vega points out. "I know that. I've been speaking to them about it" Rikishi sighs. "Must be nice. I speak to Leon about anything and he just sends me a death stare" Taker mutters, and he quite literally means a death stare. Too many times his throat has tightened. Takers just glad Leon follows his rules about the powers.

Speaking of Leon.

The men look up as the door is pushed opened. In walks roman with water bottles and behind him Leon. "Jesus, what happened?" Taker asks standing and rushing to Leon. Roman looks back at Leon who begins to move his fingers. 'I tripped.' "You tripped?" Taker asks taking the water bottles off Leon and pinching his nose. Leon nods as best as he can. "Is that true roman?" Rikishi asks. Roman stares at Leon shocked. Why would he defend the twins? Leon just glances at him. "Yes. He was trying to carry all these bottles on his own when he tripped over a bunch of cables. He could protect himself and hit the floor face first." Roman states. "And here you were calling him smart" yokozuna teases. Godfather shakes his head.

"Why didn't you ask for help with the bottles?" Taker asks. 'Wanted to do on my own.' Leon signs. "You don't have to do everything on your own though Lee." Taker sighs. He's hoping Leon doesn't bruise. Shawn will kill them both. "What do you say to roman?" Taker asks. 'Thank you' Leon signs. "Than-" "I know." Roman mutters glancing down. Roman couldn't lie, he studied Leon like he was some freak show. Like he was big foot and he just needed to know more. He asked his Grandpa to teach him some basic sign after figuring out that's what the smaller boy used to speak.

Taker examines the taller boy before nodding. "Have you seen the twins?" Rikishi asks. "No sir" Roman mutters. "Can you go find them for me please?" Rikishi asks. "Of course" Roman nods before putting the bottles down and moving back to the door. He stops next to Leon and looks down at him. A act that would change as they got older. Leon would go from the runt of the litter to the biggest. Roman would only grow to 6'3 whilst Leon would get one up on him and be an inch taller at 6'4. Not that it mattered to roman. He would always have the years before when he was bigger than him.

Roman doesn't say anything as his gaze leaves Leon's and he leaves the room. "I mean, future enemies or what?" Yokozuna asks. "Will you quit it with your dream universe that our kids will all fight each other for top dog" Rikishi huffs. "Hes not wrong. They probably will" godfather huffs as he hands taker a tissue. Taker thanks him and places it against Leon's nose, tilting his head forward. "What are we gonna tell your papa.." Taker sighs. "What did you lot do to him?" John asks walking in. "You see Johnny, takes wasn't pay attention and opened the door straight on the runt" Rikishi jokes. "The least shocking thing, but papa will kill you if thats true" John admits kneeling next to Leon.

Leon frowns at them. "Its just teasing Lee." John tells him. "Thats what you think" Taker whispers as he checks Leon's face for swelling or broken bones. "Roman says he tripped." Rikishi answers John's question. "How? The least clumsiest kid you'll ever meet" John asks. "Trying to carry eight water bottles will do that" vega comments. John looks at Leon who's frowning. Taker lowers the tissue to see the bleeding stopped. "You good bud?" Taker asks. Leon nods. "Good" Taker huffs brushing Leon's hair from his face. "Thats good" Taker repeats causing Leon to roll his eyes. Taker chuckles and stands. "I've got a match, can i trust you lot with my kids?" Taker asks. John smiles slightly at the question. It always made him feel whole when taker referred to him as his kid.

"Of course we can" vega huffs as Rikishi picks Leon up. "Yeah, since when couldn't we look after them?" Godfather asks squeezing John's shoulder. "Last time I came back to a complete mess" Taker states. "Not our fault" yokozuna huffs. "Whos fault was it?" Taker asks. "Look, your kids are pretty convincing kids. They could tell us to Rob the big man and we'd do it" Rikishi admits. "Dont give them ideas" Taker warns. He kisses Leon's cheek and ruffles John's hair before walking out. Godfather smirks and looks at the boys. "So what shall we get up to first?"

---

Taker finally gets backstage and is greeted by a very unhappy looking Shawn. "Oh god what happened?" Taker groans. "We have a nice fine coming our way. That's what." Shawn snaps crossing his arms. Taker whines and tilts his head back. "Not only have they ruined the harts ring gear but they destroyed many things in the arena whilst playing their own version of go karts." Shawn tells him. Taker sighs and looks to see the bsk peaking at him around the corner with his sons tucked with them. They all look guilty but taker can't be mad when he sees the genuine smiles on the boys faces. The play glint in Leon and John's eyes. Taker smiles softly and looks at shawn. "Its worth a few fines if you ask me." Taker tells him softly as he takes shawns hands into his.

Shawns frown fades into a soft smile. "Im telling Kevin and Scott this information" Shawn whispers before kissing him softly. "Oh god I can already see the competition for the highest fines" Taker groans.

Leon looks at John with a smile. John nods and looks at Rikishi. "Leon has a idea" John whispers. "A good one?" Godfather asks. "A wicked one" John smirks. The boys look at each other before back at the two troubling boys. "Ah screw it, tell us" Rikishi smiles.

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NOTES

I think I focused too much on the children here but I've been writing a lot of adult family of destruction stuff and I've been focusing a lot on Leon and Roman. So obviously I remembered the fact the bsk and the bloodline are really connected so that means if taker brings his kids to work, so does Rikishi, sometimes even cousins and stuff. The rock eventually brings roman instead. But you get what I mean.

I just adore the idea of roman and Leon being childhood rivals and growing up to be adult rivals. Which I keep writing about and never posting. I apologise.

Enjoy :)

[taeiris]

in honor of our first byler set leaks and pride month

i present to you: the romantic goth byler i was yapping abt

[raiiny-bay]

the kids released a new album

[read-write-thrive]

there are all of 6 fics on ao3 that come up when you search the word “disabled” in the dead boy detectives fandom. I’m dealing with a fibromyalgia flare up rn so I’ve decided to come up with some (potential!) disability/condition/syndrome/etc. headcanons. enjoy!

(oh and just to note: I stayed away from conditions with obvious facial / appearance difference as no actors with facial / appearance difference were cast in the show and I was unsure if it would be appropriate. while I have experience with a lot of the following diagnoses, I do not claim to be an expert on any of them and do not intend for this to be used as a diagnostic tool. if you feel any of these are offensive/inappropriate, please message me and I’m happy to talk about it :) this is more just to encourage broader disability representation within the fandom!)

Edwin: autistic, PTSD (from hell), chronic pain/fibromyalgia (from his death/hell), minor visual impairment (not enough to need the hard-to-come-by testing needed for glasses when he was alive and so assumed the various limits/effects were normal. was told otherwise by Niko), would’ve had shingles if lived long enough

Charles: ADHD, PTSD (from his father/growing up in an abusive household), dyslexia, Reynaud’s syndrome (either already born with it or as a result of his death—both angsty), was in the beginning stages of an ED prior to his death, post-concussion syndrome, near-sightedness (never given glasses bc he wasn’t about to tell his dad the board looked a little blurry sometimes)

Crystal: cPTSD (reminder that neglect is also abuse :), bipolar 1, IBS, endometriosis

Niko: autism, depression, POTS, hEDS, anxiety, sprite-induced agoraphobia, epilepsy, lactose intolerance

Monty: Depersonalization-derealization disorder, selective amnesia (this is not the first times Esther has messed with his form/killed and revived him, but the experience is traumatic and so his brain decides not to remember it), recurrent arrhythmia, synesthesia

Jenny: OCD, BPD, ED recovered, Celiac’s disease, diabetes type 1, anemia

TCK: autism, NPD, lactose intolerance, colourblind

Esther: chronic pain (I’m choosing to believe that the cane isn’t just for show!!), NPD, endometriosis

Tragic Mick: cPTSD, depression, HoH, arthritis, diabetes

(The Night Nurse , the Dandelion Sprites, and various other characters felt either too supernatural and/or not developed enough to assign anything to lmao)

[wu-wakfu-undertale]

Re-watching wakfu for the first time in years and s1 Yugo was so silly???

dude discovered he could make portals at will and his first thought after actually acknowledging it is "i can do so many cool pranks with this"

[necrotic-nephilim]

What's so fun about BruJay as a ship is Jason's sheer obsessive devotion to Bruce. Jason is possessive over Bruce, to the point he doesn't care about the deaths of others so long as he has Bruce's attention. A part of the UTRH arc this isn't talked about enough is that Bludhaven fucking explodes mid-way and Jason won't let Bruce see if Dick is alive.

batman (1940) #650

A lot of discussion about UTRH paints Jason as this anger-driven cold, calculating machine up against Bruce when it's so clear that his love for Bruce is what drives him at his root, even if he won't acknowledge it. He says it himself, he would've done anything if it was Bruce who'd died instead of him and his anger is rooted in that possessive devotion not being reciprocated.

batman (194) #650

BruJay as a ship always to be, to some level, unrequited. Even if Bruce loves Jason back in that way, he'll never be that obsessed with Jason. Jason will always view Bruce's love for Dick or Tim to be a distraction, proof that Bruce isn't dedicated enough to him. Jason has the need to always have Bruce's attention, even when it could come at the cost of Bruce's other loved ones. Something something cannibalism as a metaphor for love in how Jason wants to consume Bruce's whole existence. He can't let Bruce leave him again, can't let Bruce love or grieve anyone else. Forcing Bruce to choose between Jason and the Joker isn't just about confronting Jason's killer, it's about confronting the other person who exists as this duality with Bruce and consumes so much of Bruce's life. That's the role Jason wants to fill, calling himself Red Hood and forcing Bruce to look at what he's become. But still loving Bruce and wanting more than anything for Bruce to reciprocate that love in the way that Jason understands. I just think it's good soup and rife with Dynamics that are underexplored with them.

[jacksprostate]

Treatise on why No, the doctor just giving the narrator of Fight Club (full name) his requested sleep medication or sending him to therapy would not have Fixed Him

Firstly, saying giving him the insomnia meds would’ve fixed him ignores the reason he has insomnia in the first place. He is so deeply upset by his place in society that he literally cannot sleep. Drugging him to sleep would not change that. That, of course, is the easy, quick response.

But with regard to therapy? The biggest flaw is that it ignores a central tenet of the book. Part of what tortures the narrator and drives him to invent Tyler is that his feelings about this collective, systemic issue are constantly reduced to a Just Him thing. His seatmates ask what his company is. He’s the only one upset at the office. He gets weird looks if he says the truth of what he does. People will do anything in their power to pretend he is the issue, as an individual, because it is far scarier to consider the full implications of the systemic issues implied by what he is saying. Everyone treats it as if the issue is him, so he goes insane. He does anything to get someone to say, holy shit, that’s fucked up, what you’re a part of is wrong. In an attempt to feel any sort of vague sympathy and catharsis, he goes to support groups to pretend to be dying, because then at least people don’t habitually blame him for his anguish. 

Saying therapy would fix him ignores that his problems are not individual. They are collective. It’s the reason the entire story resonates with people! Something deeply, unignorably wrong with society, where people would rather blame you for bringing it up than try and address it, because it feels impossible. I don’t blame people for this, really, because it IS scary. It’s terrifying to sit and feel like you’ve realized there’s something deeply, deeply wrong, but if you say something, people will get mad at you since it’s so baked into everything around you. Or, even if they agree, it’s easier to deal with the dissonance by pretending it’s individual.

And it’s not like that’s not the purpose therapy and medications largely serve, anyway. Getting into dangerous territory for this website, but ultimately, the reason the narrator was seeking medication was because it’s a bandaid. A very numbing bandaid. For these very large, dissonance causing problems, therapy does very little. Medications do what they always have, and distract you with numbness or side effects. It’s a false solution. He is seeking an individualized false solution because he has been browbeaten with the idea that this is an issue with him alone, when it's plainly clear it's not. 

Don't get me wrong. Obviously he has something wrong with him. But it's a product of his situation. It is a fictional exaggeration of a very real occurrence of mental illness provoked by deep unconscionable dissonance and anguish.  There is a clear correlation between what happens and his mental state and his job and how isolated he is. 

The thing is, even if he were chemically numbed, I do think he would’ve lost it regardless. Many people on meds find they don’t fix things. For reasons I’ll get into, but in this case because even if numbed or distracted, once you’ve learned about deep, far reaching corruption in society, it’s very hard to forget. Especially if, in his case, you literally serve as the acting hand of this particular variety. He’s crawling up the walls. 

So why do people say this?  Well, it's funny I guess. Maybe the first time or whatever. But also, often, they believe it, to a degree. Maybe they've just been told how effective therapy and meds are for mental illness, they believe wholeheartedly in The Disease Model of Mental Illness, maybe they themselves have engaged with either and have considered it successful. Maybe they or someone they know has been 'saved' by such treatments. 

But in all honesty.... What therapy can help with is mentality, it's how you approach problems. For issues on a smaller scale, not meaning they are easier to deal with my any degree, but ones that are not raw and direct from deep awareness of corruption; these are things that can be worked through if you get lucky and get an actually good therapist who helps build up your resiliency. But when your issue is concrete, something large and inescapable? It's useless. At best it can help you develop coping mechanisms, but there is a limit for that. There is a point where that fails. To develop the ability to handle something like this requires intense development of a comfort with ambiguity and dissonance and being isolated and a firm positioning of your purpose and values and and belief in wonder and all the other shit I ramble about. The things that the narrator lacks, which lead him to taking an ineffectual death knell anarchist self-destruction path. Therapy, where the narrator is, full of the knowledge of braces melted to seats and all the people that have to allow this to happen? It fails. 

And meds — meds are a fucking scam. We know the working mechanism of basically none of them, the serotonin receptor model was made up and paid its way into prominence. We have very little evidence they're any better than placebo, and they come with genuinely horrific side effects. Maybe you got lucky. I did, on some meds. On others? I don't remember 2018. The pharmaceutical industry is also known for rampant medical ghostwriting, and for creating 'off-label' uses for drugs that have gained too many protests in their original use, then creating a cult of use to then have 'grassroots' campaigns for it to be made a label use (ie, legitimize their ghostwritten articles with guided anecdotes). 

The DSM itself is basically a marketing segregation plot. It's an attempt to legitimize the disease model by isolating subgroups of symptoms to propose individualized treatments for subgroups that are not necessarily all that separate. But if the groups exist, you can prescribe more and different medications, no? Not to mention, if you use the disease model, you can propose that these diseases are permanent, or permanent until treated, considered more and more severe to offset and justify the horrific side effects of the medications. Do you know why male birth control doesn't really exist? Same reason. They can justify all the horrible side effects for women, because the other option is pregnancy. For men, it's nothing. 

And they're not bothering to invent new drugs without side effects. When they invent new drugs it's just because the last one got too bad of a name, or they can enter a new market. Modern drugs don't work any better than gen1 drugs. They still have horrific side effects. At best, the industry will shit out studies saying the old one was flawed (truth) so they can say this new gen will be better (lie). They're doing it with ssris right now. 

Fundamentally, the single proposed benefit of any of these drugs is that they numb you. To whatever is torturing you. It's harder to be depressed if you can't feel it, or if you just can't muster the same outrage. Of course, there is people who find that numbness to be helpful, or worth it. But often, it's stasis. For the people who have problems that can be worked on, it serves as a stopgap to not actually work on said problems. The natural outcome of the disease model is stagnation for those whose need is to develop skills and resiliency. It keeps them medicalized and dependent on the idea that they're diseased and incapable. Profitable. Stuck in the womb. 

I’ve been there. It’s easier, to wallow, and resist growth because it’s difficult and painful and unfair and cruel and you can think of five billion reasons to justify your languishing. But don’t listen to anyone who tells you you’re just permanently damaged, no matter how nicely they word it, no identity or novel pathologization, no matter how many benefits they promise, especially if they swear up and down some lovely expensive medications with little solid backing and plentiful off-label usage and side effects that’ll kill you. Some days it feels like they want us all stuck in pods, agoraphobic and addicted to the ads they feed us to isolate the markets for the drugs they’ve trained us to beg them to pump us with. Polarization making it as easy as flashing blue light for go, red like for stop, or vice versa. I worry about the kids, for fucks sake. That’s a bit dark and intense, and I apologize. But I want you (generic) to understand, there is a profit motive. Behind everything. And they do not mean well. They do not care about your mental health or your rights or your personhood or your growth. They care about how they can profit off of you.

For those struggling with immovable, society problems, like the narrator grappling with how his job fits into and is accepted by society while his rejection and horror in the face of it does not, it can work about as well as any other drug addiction. Your mileage may vary. From what I've seen, recovering from being on prozac for a long time can be worse than alcohol. They put kids on this shit. They keep campaigning for more. Off label, again. A pharmaceutical company’s favorite thing to do has to be to spread rumors of someone who knows someone who said an off label use of this drug helps with this little understood condition. Or, in the case of mental illness, questionably defined condition. And like, damn, I know I'm posting on the 'medicalization is my identity' website so no one will like all this and has probably stopped reading by now, but yall should be exposed to at least one person who doubts this stuff. Doesn't just trust it. Because I mean, that's the thing right?

It's so big. What would it mean, for this all to be true? Yeah, everyone says pharmaceutical companies are evil and predatory and ghostwriting, but to think about what that really entails. Coming back to the book, everyone knows the car lobby is huge and puts dangerous vehicles through that kill people. What does it mean if the car companies all hire people to calculate the cost of a recall and the cost of lawsuits? No one wants to think about the scale that means for people allowing it or the systems that have to be geared towards money, not safety like they say. Hell, even Chuck misses the beat and has the narrator threaten his boss with the Department of Transportation. And shit, man, if every company is doing this, you think Transportation doesn't know? That they give a fuck? You're better off mailing all the evidence to the news outlets and hoping they only character assassinate you a little bit as they release the news in a way that says it's all the fault of little workers like you, not the whole system. Something something, David McBride, any whistleblower you feel like, etc. 

So I don't blame you, if your reaction is "but but but, that can't be right, people wouldn't do it, they wouldn't allow it" or just an overwhelming feeling of dread that pushes you to deny all of this and avoid thinking about it. Just know, that's in the book. That's all the seatmates on the flights. That's all his fellow officemates. It's easier to pretend, I know.

But think about, how the response fits in with the themes of the book. The story, as a movie too. What drives the narrator’s mental breakdown? How would you handle being in his position? How would you handle being his seatmate? It’s easy to say you’d listen. But have you? Have you had any soul wrenching betrayals of how you thought society worked? How about a betrayal by the thing that promised to be the fix of the first? Can you honestly say you wouldn’t follow that gut instinct, saying follow what everyone says, that person must just be crazy, evil, rude, cruel, whatever it is that means you can set what they said aside?

For a lot of people, they can do that, I guess. Set it aside. Reaching that aforementioned state of managing to cope with the dissonance and ambiguity and despair is very hard. The narrator made the Big Realization, but he couldn’t cope. He self-destructed. Even when people don’t make the big realization consciously, they’re already self-destructing. It’s hard to escape it when it feels easier than continuing anyway. When it feels like the only option,

Would therapy fix the narrator of Fight Club? Would meds fix the narrator of Fight Club? No. He knows too much. All meds will do, by the time he’s in the psych ward, is spiritually neuter him. A silly phrase, but really. Take the wind out of his sails. 

Is he fixed if he doesn’t try to blow up town? If he just shuts up and settles in and stops costing money? If he still can’t cope with the things he’s unearthed? Do you see how this is a commentary in a commentary in a commentary?

Fight Club is an absolutely fascinating story because of this. The fact that it addresses the fallout of knowing. The isolation. The hopelessness. The spiral that results from a lack of hope. This is, I think, what resonates most with people, even if not consciously. Going insane because you’ve discovered something you wish you could unknow. It’s a classic horror story. Should our society be lovecraftian evil? I don’t think so. 

Do I think changing it will be easy? No. Lord knows a lot exists to push people who make these sorts of Realizations towards feelings of individuality and individualized solutions and denial and other distractions and coping methods. And to prevent people who make One realization from expanding on it and considering further ramifications. Fight Club itself gets into this; the isolation of men being a strict part of the role society shapes for their sex leaves them very vulnerable to death fetishes, in a sense, and generally towards self destructive violence. It helps funnel them away from substantial change and towards ineffectual change. Many things, misogyny, racism, serve to keep people isolated from one another, individualized, angry, and impossible to work with. Market segregation; god knows even appealing on those fronts has become such a classic ploy that companies do it now, the US military frames its plundering that way, etc. 

I’ve wandered a bit but ultimately, my point is this: Fight Club is a love letter to the horrors of critical thinking, and the importance of not falling into the trap of self destruction and hopelessness in the face of it. The latter is why Tyler was an anarchoterrorist instead of anything useful. The latter is why it was a death cult. It’s important to work through the horrors of critical thinking so you can do it, and stand on the other side ready to believe in each other. It’s worth it.

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

some alien fish concepts for my headworld. well. one of them. the dragon one! well. one of them-

tiny note that these are not to scale compared to each other <3

[kaiserouo]

puppies go shopping

idk if that color makes it better or not so im just leaving the normal version here

[starii-void]

something something jason piper parallel with jason medea

-both couples influenced into being somehpw by hera (both turn out. badly)

-both jasons die a horrible death

-piper and medea morally gray powerful sorceresses (w/ charmspeak according to HoO) x jason and jason the basic 'hero' archetype

-neither of the women truly wanted to be with the jason (dangit hera)

-tragic in general

[bookinit02]

ran into my first student using chatgpt and honestly i was gonna be mad until i thought harder about Why he was using chatgpt and i was like well. that part of the assignment was kind of useless bullshit anyway so yk what that’s on me. consider it gone.

[moretheta]

without you

[girlthativealwaysbeen]

it's not sinking in that today might be the last day in my house and town for many months to come

[demonwebs]

fiy: vhaal supports the 'trust the emperor' route, if you were wondering.

[suntraitor]

that scene with cyn/the solver and uzi at the very end where the solver/cyn is still a part of uzi.... so OSSDID/System coded fr fr.... im going insane abt it. im so autistical abt this

please please PLEASE send me asks abt this i am so eager to talk to ppl abt it

(rambles in tags)

[faunandfloraas]

Full offense but fans who get to go to fanmeets or performances and get close enough to take pictures and then proceed to whitewash the boys or maybe even face app their features so a nose looks smaller or sharper, skin texture is non existant, etc etc. Are literally bastards to me. You don't deserve to be there.