#my dad never believed me so i will be the only one to believe you

[mortalityplays]

5 years ago I was dirt broke and closeted and destroying my body working full-time in hospitality. 10 years ago I was unemployed and catatonically depressed, living out of a storage closet at my mum's place because I'd expected to leave home after graduating & my insane abusive stepmother didn't want me at my dad's. my sibling was homeless rather than live with either parent. the only thing that eventually stopped me drinking was the critical dose of psych medication I was put on to keep me from walking into traffic.

guess what, there are still times and places and feelings from those years that I miss so bad it hurts, that I mourn like someone died, because I was dead inside and out and couldn't focus on the things that kept me going. my sweet cat who used to wedge himself between my knee and my busted laptop and purr while I was job hunting. he passed away last year. the late night walks I used to take with my sibling just for a reason to be out of the house, when we would talk about art and tag up the walls on the half-constructed tram line at 3am. they have long covid now and can't walk more than a few minutes without getting exhausted, and we live in different cities, and we'll never be that angry together again. sometimes we're both online at the same time in the small hours of the morning and get on a phonecall together, and I know this is another temporary version of our relationship that I'll miss when circumstances change.

I'm sorry you don't have good memories of the bad times in your life, and I am really, truly, genuinely happy that you're in a better place now, but I resent the assumption that this post was written by and for someone who has never suffered. 10 years ago, at my absolute lowest, nothing made me want to blow my brains out more than the condecending You 👏 Are 👏 Valid 👏 tumblr culture of the time that told me everything would be okay and it gets better and I don't know who needs to hear this but you're lovable just as you are. Obviously a lot of people did need to hear that. Fine! But what I needed to hear was what I'm writing to myself from 2025: that the tiny moments of peace you find in the warzone matter, and you don't have to wait for life to get better to appreciate them. pet your cat and memorise the smell of his fur. take a walk, tag a wall. write your name on memory lane.

please can I talk to the people like me without being talked over, without eliding my words into 'the nightmare is 100% intolerable but it eventually ends if you wait it out, just trust me on this one' or 'buck up idiot, do some breathing exercises and be thankful'. believe it or not I have also lived a life, and I know what I'm saying because I said it on purpose.

btw you will miss this in 5 or 10 years. memory will smooth these circumstances down like a river stone, and you will find yourself longing for a shade of light or a moment of this particular innocence. you don't know about what happens next, and one day that will be the most alluring thing of all. don't leave it all for nostalgia. have a nice night now, whatever night it happens to be.

[dcxdpdabbles]

Holiday request: single dad

Bruce admits that he is unsure of the seriousness of his relationship with Daniel Fenton. He had never meant to run into the man after the parent-teacher conference. Yes, his introduction had a breath of fresh air, but Bruce was not naive.

It may have all been a trick, and Fentong was merely waiting to try to get closer to him or his money later on. He has always been optimistic about the good in man's hearts, but Bruce is also familiar with the equal darkness there.

That's why spotting the man in a busy cafe was such a shock. Bruce had gone on a walk between meetings, wanting something sweet to tie him over for the follow-up one.

He walked into a random family-owned place with a spicy smell. Bruce had been browsing the menu when he heard the soft melody for Fairy Tale Ending by Dumpty Humpty. Looking around a pillar, he found Daniel Fenton bobbing his head to the music while tapping away on his old beat-up laptop.

The cashier sees him staring and smiles apologetically. "We don't usually have people here, so we let him play his music. If it bothers you, I can ask him to get his headphones on."

"Oh no. I actually like the band." He assures her, paying for his drink and dropping a ten in her tip jar. He glances at Fenton again, then points, "What is he drinking?"

"Gingerbread Latte and a chocolate croissant," She responds easily, and at that moment, Bruce knows she hasn't recognized him. Not that he expects everyone on the street to point him out in a crowd, but it does mean she won't take pictures of him.

She doesn't know the photos could get her some money from down-on-their-luck gossip rags. He considers Fenton a little longer before nodding at her. "Can I have a gingerbread Latte? The exact same as his."

"You got it."

Bruce doesn't know what urges him to approach Fenton with the two drinks- though the cashier giving him a wink might have clued him in and clears his throat just as Fenton gets to the chorus. Blue eyes blink up at him. "Oh, Mr. Wayne. Hi."

"Good afternoon," Bruce starts, which causes Fenton to snort. With good-natured humor, he grins up at Bruce, and Bruce feels his intrigue rise just a few notches higher.

"Good afternoon to you as well, milord." The man says, one hand over his chest, bending his neck a little in a mock bow. "Has thy golden carriage brought to thy to me?"

"Having a golden carriage is a privilege for only the Roayl family. My carriage is made of silver, I assure you." Bruce laughs, stepping closer. This is different from the cashier. Fenton knows who he is, but he simply doesn't care.

Bruce is merely Bruce to him instead of the wealthiest man in the city and the country. It's....well, it's liberating, like being reminded that there are good and wonderful things still left in life. If this is how Fenton makes him feel only after the second meeting, what else could Bruce experience if he formed a bond with him?

Fenton's eyes catch the extra drink Bruce holds, lighting up when the other man offers it to him. He accepts the cup, offering the chair opposite from him. When Brue sits down, he asks about what he was writing where. Fenton admits to being a fantasy novelist and moves the conversation to what they enjoy reading.

Bruce arrived late to his next meeting but felt lighter, and a phone number scribbled on the back of his hand just like when he was a teenager and traveling states away to attend Dumpty Humpty Concerts.

The rest, like they say, is history.

Danny had quickly become a part of his life. It was odd how giggly the other man made him feel. Danny was a good balance to Bruce's brooding. Ironically, while Bruce believed the best in humans, keeping a calm center persona, Danny was cynical and bubbly. He assumed people were terrible, but there was no reason to give them any mind, and he was unapologetic for being himself.

After their third date, Bruce has worked up the nerve to ask Danny to be his boyfriend, only to have the other man laugh. "I thought we were boyfriends?"

"I didn't want to assume."

"Well, aren't you a gentleman? Look at those soft hands. You've never seen a day of work. Gentle-handed man," Danny teased while watching the people around them. Bruce knew there wasn't any real danger, but Danny had a habit of watching their surroundings in public places.

He didn't like being caught unaware. Bruce thinks he's in love. The thing is, Bruce has thought that before, and every single time, his relationship had fallen through.

He had a hand in it, but that didn't mean his partners never broke his heart one way or another.

But this time, things would be different.

Dick had pointed it out when he ran into the two at the grocery store. Danny had invited him to help pick out dinner while Dani had been on an overnight field trip at the planetarium. His eldest had cornered him when he returned the next day, smiling widely.

"Danny seems excellent. He's like an undercover goth dating an undercover prep. You both are literally the opposite of each other and seem to like spending time around each other."

Bruce wasn't entirely sure whether it was a bad or good thing, but he was happy that his kids approved of him dating again. He did get a little nervous about Damian, only to find out his youngest had come to idolize Dani, and that only made him hope the relationship would work out even more.

He could see it now, Danny tapping away on his laptop while Dani painted next to him in the Wayne Manor yard- Both preferred to be in nature- on cozy weekends. His children crowding the breakfast table while Danny sang songs from bands he'd never heard.

Birthday candles are being blown out with the cheering family. Christmas mornings followed the candle lighting of Hanukkah on the previous eight nights. Graduation ceremonies that will bring Bruce to tears despite claiming he has trained too hard to do so. Boyfriends and girlfriends, the two could tag team into scaring while their children regretted ever bringing them over for an introduction.

Danny would be the last thing he saw when he closed his eyes before bed and the first thing he saw in the morning light.

Bruce wasn't sure how their relationship was going, but he hoped, oh, he hoped.

[steddieas-shegoes]

a stranger's advice

for @corrodedcoffinfest popup event 'Good Fortune'

using prompt 7: a single kind word can keep one warm for years + mouth + 48, 13, 46, 27, 31, 18

rated m | 1408 words | cw: implied sexual content kinda | tags: modern au, different first meeting, flirting, eventual famous corroded coffin, eventual rock star eddie munson, sound mixer steve harrington, strangers to lovers

🎚️🎚️🎚️🎚️🎚️🎚️🎚️🎚️🎚️🎚️🎚️🎚️🎚️

Eddie’s giving up.

They’ve done all they can do.

Jeff’s dad is threatening to cut him off entirely if he doesn’t go to college and Gareth’s mom calls him crying twice a week, worried he’s gonna end up homeless or in rehab. Gareth’s never touched a drug or more than a single beer in his life and works harder than any of them, but he’s tired of telling her that. Frankie doesn’t have the same passion they have; He’s just there as the guy who answered an ad for a bassist.

No record label wants them, most larger venues don’t want to pay what it would cost for them to get there, and the smaller venues are getting less crowded as more people flock to arenas and stadiums to see big name bands. They aren’t as good as they thought they were and Eddie has to accept that.

He’s feeling sorry for himself in the hallway of this record company first, though.

The other guys already shook hands with everyone, patted Eddie on the shoulder, and left. He’s alone now, and he’ll be alone for the rest of his life.

“Waiting for a ride?” A man asks from in front of him.

Eddie looks up and sees someone he vaguely recognizes as the assistant who sat in on their unsuccessful meeting 18 whole minutes ago. He’s stunning in the way that someone way outside of Eddie’s league usually is, but damn if he doesn’t get stuck looking anyways.

The man raises a brow and crosses his arms.

“Uh, no. Sorry. I have one. Just needed a minute.”

The man nods and then uncrosses his arms, sighing.

“You want some advice?”

“Not sure if it’ll do me any good. My band’s done. I’m nothing without them,” Eddie lets himself sound as pitiful as he feels.

“A 13 track demo is too much. Most places aren’t listening to more than five songs at all, and that’s only if they’re impressed by the first two. You guys sound great, and clearly have passion, but it’s not heard by the people who need to hear it,” the man says despite Eddie’s warning.

Eddie is a bit distracted by the way his mouth forms words, like he’s trying to hide an accent. This is LA. A lot of transplants from the south and Midwest don’t like people to know.

“And you know this as the assistant?” Eddie asks and wishes he didn’t.

“I’m the sound mixer. The assistant is out and they asked me to fill in. But I’ve seen how this goes enough to see that you guys have everything right except the part you need,” he gives a small smile. “Cut down the tracks and you’ll be set. You’ve got an amazing voice. Don’t give up yet.”

The man walks away before Eddie can say thank you or ask any follow up questions like ‘do you want to come home with me?’ or ‘does your hair naturally swoop like that or is there product doing the job?’

Eddie decides to head out, waits nearly 31 minutes for an Uber, which is ridiculous when he’s staying in a hotel less than 10 minutes from the building. The guys are at the hotel bar when he arrives, sipping on sodas instead of mixed drinks like they deserve.

“Give me one more shot,” he begs.

They look at each other. They look back at him.

“One more,” Jeff agrees as they all nod.

~~~~~

“Can’t believe there’s 46,000 people here!” Eddie yells as he’s running off the stage.

There aren’t exactly 46,000 people watching them; That number is closer to 27,000. But there are 46,000 tickets sold for this particular event, which means that 46,000 people have seen Corroded Coffin’s name on a ticket stub or event guide. It’s more than he ever expected to know about them.

He’s so excited about the set they just played, he nearly runs right into a guy in nice jeans and a sweater. It’s too fucking hot for a sweater.

The guy grabs Eddie’s arms to steady both of them and Eddie looks up and his jaw drops.

“Holy shit, it’s you.”

“It’s me,” the man replies, smirking at Eddie’s surprise. “Had to see what our label missed out on in person.”

The other guys are rushing past him, probably to get to the green room for drinks and snacks. They never eat before a show, and when they’re done, they’re ravenous.

The man hasn’t let him go yet. He could. Eddie’s balance is fine, his initial adrenaline is crawling to a normal level, and he isn’t gonna suddenly run into anyone else.

“Your advice worked,” Eddie says.

The man nods, knowing smile on his face. “I’m glad you listened to me.”

“It wasn’t just your advice though,” Eddie admits. “I mean, it definitely helped! But you actually saw talent. We were feeling kinda down about how good we were and you made me realize that it’s probably not our talent that’s the problem. We’re good. We’ve been good. We just didn’t know how to show that to the right people.”

“There’s 48 bands here this weekend, you know?” The man asks, as if that’s a normal response to anything Eddie just said.

“Um, yeah. I know.”

“We represent 47 of them.”

Eddie’s brows practically leave his forehead. “But…”

“I insisted they get you guys on the lineup when I saw the options available. And I couldn’t pass up another opportunity to talk to you.”

Eddie feels like he might pass out, which could definitely be from dehydration or overheating, but could also be the very hot man in front of him kind of flirting with him?

“Sorry, I think I’m having a stroke. I don’t even remember your name. You’ve just been Hot Man in my head for four years,” Eddie manages to get out, feeling his cheeks heat up at the embarrassment of his outburst.

Hot Man laughs, throws his head back and everything, like this is the funniest thing he’s ever heard.

“Steve. I’m Steve,” he says when he’s calmed down.

“Steve.” Eddie likes the way his name sounds coming from his own lips. “I’m Eddie.”

“I know,” he laughs again, quieter, more fondness sneaking in.

“Well, Steve, would you like to join me for a drink in the green room? I hear the lead singer of Corroded Coffin requested only the finest PBR,” Eddie gestures towards the steps leading off the stage. “Or perhaps you’d enjoy a vodka soda.”

“I’d love to,” Steve giggles. Eddie feels like he’s won something. “But I am technically working for a few more hours.”

“Oh,” Eddie swallows around the disappointment. “Right. Okay.”

“But I’m staying at the Marriott down the road. If you wanted to meet for dinner later?”

“Yeah, absolutely. Definitely. For sure.” Eddie groans at his awkward excitement, but Steve is giggling again. Hearing a hot man giggle like this just does something to his brain.

“Great. Here’s my number. Text me so I have yours,” Steve hands over a business card and Eddie ignores his dick twitching in his too-tight pants. “See you tonight.”

Eddie’s mouth feels dry as he nods.

Steve is already gone when he finally thinks of something to say, so he groans and makes his way to the green room, where the guys are all spread out across the couches placed haphazardly around.

“Where’d you go?” Gareth asks him before he takes a sip of his water. He’s still a one and done drinker and Eddie loves him for it.

“Got a date,” Eddie shrugs like it’s no big deal.

“A date?!” Frankie asks, nearly spilling his beer.

“Don’t act so surprised, man. I date!”

“You haven’t ‘dated’ anyone since high school.”

“Haven’t felt like I needed to. I was busy getting us famous,” Eddie smirks, finds a beer in the fridge, and settles on a chair. “It might just be one date anyway. He’s probably a busy guy and I’m not sure I’m really his type.”

“Yeah, right. If he’s here, you’re his type,” Jeff laughs.

Everyone moves on quickly, which is a blessing for Eddie because he gets lost in thoughts about Steve pretty much immediately.

In the years they spent trying to make it, only one person ever gave him helpful advice. Only one person spoke of his talent and made him feel like they could still make it.

And now he had a date with him.

[twopoppies]

Hi Gina. Happy New Year ! ( hope I won't offend anyone with my message and my poor english).

I was here during BG and I was firmily convinced of Larry and that Louls was not the father. Like many people, I'm back now, after the news about Llam - and I still have very strong falth in Larry (especially after studying the recepts of recent years). What I want to say as a BG witness in real time: It was complete nonsense, full of contradictions and idiocy, fakes and lies. And I (like many people here) had only one thing beating In my head: Louis would never let his child go through this. But now, after years ... the biggest shit Is that Louis would never allow himself to use the kid the way F is being used, to make him a target on social media, to make a movie, to bring him to family, whom he protects, and I really think they are kind of simillar.

That's the fucking shit. It's just killing my mind.

I know, I believe that Louis is a wonderful person who could make mistakes, but he is a very, very good person. And all of this shit together just doesn't work in my head.

Neither of the two theories - Louls Is the father, Louls is not the father - just doesn't work for me. Although there are only two options: he's dad or he isn't dad (LOL) But both options are pointless for me.

So now I'm taking a step back from BG, I think (an you said) that Louls' fatherhood and Larry is olny Indirectly related to each other. I believe that Louis and Harry are finding ways for each other, that they are still strong. And everything else... well. I don't know the truth and just hope we will find out one day.

And YES, I think Louls - is one af the best people in the world with heart of gold. I'm not going to lie, it seems to me that some things need to change, and I hope it happens to both Louis and Harry (and already changing right now).

I think, darling, the very sad part of all of this is we just have to admit that Louis has made some sort of peace with using this child for whatever purpose he needs him for.

Whether it’s to avoid getting into legal trouble, to stop people investigating, to raise his profile… I truly have no idea. But it’s very clear something changed a few years ago.

I don’t think Louis is a bad person. But he and his family are using this child just as much as the Clarks are (more, if you consider that he has a much bigger audience).

As a parent, myself, I don’t understand any of it. Why do they have to drag the actual child into it? Post a photo now and then. Talk about him if you want. But don’t put the child into your documentary and don’t parade him around on your social media. We’ve never seen Bear. We’ve never seen Khai. It’s not necessary.

I’m so revolted by the whole thing.

[eclipsen-smiles]

Consequences of bad parenting like this:

Option A: a quiet, shy, opinionless child who thinks that they can’t ask/do anything without express permission.

Option B: loud, opinionated, less likely to listen. Will do things that don’t affect you, without you. High chance to actively avoid.

Or a different way to explain,

Option A: easily manipulated, not likely to grow mentally very well.

Option B: more likely to manipulate. Likely to grow up to fast.

(I, am option B, btw. I speak from experience. I’ve only ever seen two outcomes. Where one can’t listen to themselves, and where the other will never listen to others. It’s damaging for both sides.)

Sad bitch ranting:

I get it. The whole “they won’t get to ask for things” idea. But it’s just.. not.. accurate?

Especially the very common mentality of “you won’t get ___ when you’re older.” Sure, dad. Maybe you didn’t. Did you ever ask, though? In your “era” where you admit YOURSELF, that your own parents barely recognised you were there?

Had to be reminded that you existed by your tv?

Believed that they were so much better?

The only difference I see from my generation to yours, is that we actually have the confidence to stand up for ourselves and actually SAY something.

From where I’m standing, your sob story sounds like it’s your own fault.

Im not about to sit around waiting to be listened to. If you won’t listen to me, then I won’t listen to you. An eye for an eye, an ear for an ear.

Normalize apologizing to children.

[st4rgirllv]

𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐭. 𝐑𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐨 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐚

And you keep on falling, baby, figure it out Just drive slow, straightforward, or I'm walking around And your dad keeps calling, tell him, "Cut that shit out" Just keep steering, keep steering now

Synopsis: Late night drives with your bad influence boyfriend, Rintaro Suna

cw: fluff, angst cursing, not proofread, sh mentioned, abusive dad, 3rd year hs suna, mention of sex

"Hello?" Suna picked up his cell phone and sat up, rubbing his eyes. He looked for the time only to see how late it was. "It's 3 a.m., who's this?" He tried to check for a contact, but the screen was blinding him.

"Rin? D-do you think you could... uhm, pick me up?" you asked your boyfriend. He knew something was wrong because you were sniffling and whispering during the call. "Rin?" you panted, trying to calm down. "My- my dad's kind of.. uh, upset and I just don't wanna be here right now."

"Yeah, sure. I'll come by the back. be there in five, okay? Just lay low 'til I get there." Suna reassures you. Okay, well now he's fully awake.

The car drive was silent. Although he's your boyfriend and should ask stuff on why you wanted to be picked up, from the bruises on your face and arms, he thought maybe you'd want to talk at your own pace. It'd be fucking stupid if he asked if you were okay after seeing you like that.

So, he helped you sneak out and get into his car and drove around the neighborhood for at least 30 minutes while you looked out with your hands in between your knees before you spoke.

"Sorry, I had to call you up this late..." You did everything not to look the brunette. "My dad was acting up again and he just had a drink and I happened to be in his way when he threw a baseball so I got a bruise and everything..." you rambled.

"Fuck that," Suna cut you off, turning the corner. He sounded pissed for the right reasons.

"Sorry?" you asked, confused.

"I can't stand you defending your father again and again after he keeps hurting you like this," Suna parked on one of the sidewalks and looked at you. "Have you seen yourself? You're covered in bruises and all you're thinking about is justifying your asshole dad's action." He gestured at you, rolling his eyes.

"I'm not saying that what my dad did was fine! I was saying that it was an accident and that it wasn't his fault because he was drunk!" You explained, tears forming in your eyes.

"Who are you fucking kidding? Look at yourself, you look like you just left a gang fight." He opened the car mirror. "yn... I'm tired of answering your calls just because wanna escape your dad," you looked at each other in silence

"Look," Suna grabbed your arms, bruised with cuts and scars. "Every time you call me I always hope that it's because maybe you miss me or- or that you wanna have phone sex or something, I mean I'd be down to do that," He kept on talking, making you chuckle.

"But I seriously don't wanna hear you say you need me to pick you up while you're sobbing after your dad hit you because that would mean I'd have to see you hurt. That hurts me too."

You were so glad you never believed those dark rumors about Suna because he's quite the opposite. "I'm sorry," was all you could say.

"I told you, you should've just lived with us. My mom loves you so much, God knows why. She probably loves you more than me," your boyfriend cringed at the thought as he restarted the car. "I mean you are living in scholarship, you can totally live with us."

"Do you want anything? We're gonna pass by a 24/7 store here, I'm gonna buy you some bandages for your bruises, then we're gonna go to the beach so you can rest." Suna repeatedly looked at you to see how you were doing.

You couldn't help but smile. You didn't know how lucky you were that Suna was here. Maybe he's all you needed. "Hmm.. I want M&Ms with peanuts, snickers, iced tea, and did I mention M&Ms with peanuts?" you pretended to be curious.

"Yes, you have. What a way to spend my money but you know what they say, "happy wife, happy life."" The brunette shrugged.

"Really? I'm your wife now?" You asked, giggling.

"Yes, you've always been my wife, just not officially yet, you know." He reached for your hand, intertwining them together.

You wanted to stay like this forever.

Ring... Ring... Ring...

"It's my dad..." you looked at Suna as he parked near the 24/7 store.

"Look, just ignore it. If your dad keeps calling before I come back, just tell him to cut that shit out, you're not going back there." He left the car and walked over to the store.

You did what he said, your dad had called at least 5 times before Suna could come back. "Is he still calling?" your boyfriend settled in the car.

"Yeah, Rin, maybe I should just answer it. Maybe he's gonna apologize, you know-" you tried to argue back

Ring... Ring... Ring...

"Maybe he's just checking up- Hey!" Suna suddenly took your phone and left the car "Rin! RIntaro, come back here! Ugh!" how dare he put you in child lock?!

After 10 minutes of pouting, your boyfriend finally went back into the car. He seemed proud of himself until he saw your face after he gave back the phone. "Oh, c'mon don't pout. I just told him to fuck off."

"Rintaro, I swear I'm gonna hit you." You pointed a finger at him.

"Okay, I just told him being an alcoholic isn't an excuse for being a bad dad. I just protected you, is that so bad?" Suna's eyebrows furrowed.

"I guess not..." You looked to the side.

"See? Now let me treat your bruises," His lips met yours, moving at a slow pace. "Mmh... then maybe we can have a little car sex, that's kinda one of my dreams-" After he pulled away you hit him on the shoulder, with a smile on your face.

"Oh, my- stop that!"

"Okay, I'm sorry! Now let's hurry so we can head to the beach." Your boyfriend said, pulling out the medicine.

"Thank you, Rin. I don't deserve you, I swear."

"You deserve the world, you should know that."

ᯓ★ I liked this, it's not that bad. Anyway, thank you for reading<3 | Masterlist

[purpleheartskies]

In my post Johnny, Robby, and the "family" (s6 part 2), I talked about Johnny still not being ready to fulfill the needs of his biological kids. I said the following:

Johnny is not codependent in his relationship with Robby, so Robby doesn't get the open "love" and "caring" that Miguel and Carmen get from Johnny.

Johnny is incapable of healthy relationships. He's caught between two extremes: He's codependent with the Diazs, while he neglects and abuses Robby. These relationships also aren't independent of each other. Johnny is still choosing Miguel/Diazs over Robby, as part 2 continues to show.

In s6e10, when Chozen said to Daniel and Johnny that Sam and Robby need their senseis and need their fathers, Johnny's expression was one of worry or self-reflection.

Johnny keeps failing to be there for Robby as he needs.

In fact, Johnny's not ready for this baby plot device either. When Carmen said that she's [the baby's] so lucky to have him as a dad, he had the same reaction.

This was just a few hours after Miguel had called Robby "messed up" because of Johnny's behavior. Carmen and Miguel are aware of Johnny's flaws, yet never encourage him to get better.

It's also important to mention that Devon is already set up as the "daughter" that Johnny will choose over his own.

I came across this post, and it reminded me of Robby’s story with Johnny and these two moments:

"I want... I wanna be a father to you. I really do. I try to protect you. I try to be there for you. I just suck at it. I really suck at it. But I want to so bad... I love you too Robby." --- Johnny in s4e8 Like Robby had said in s5e4, some of his and Johnny's issues are too big to solve.

People say the family is all "bad writing", but the family is actually realistically written. The whole point is that the family itself is "bad". It's dysfunctional and unhealthy. Johnny hasn't grown, and he won't as long as he stays in his codependent relationships with the Diazs and doesn't actually get the help and healing he needs.

Like I said in that other post:

The writers have made this Johnny-Robby-Diaz situation an "either/or" situation this whole time, and this situation is meant to cause Robby more trauma. They literally set up Johnny's decision in s1e4 as a "do over". All of Johnny and Miguel's heartfelt conversations about their own relationship are in the context of Johnny's failures with Robby, Miguel's belief in his entitlement of Johnny over Robby's, and Johnny using Miguel to feel better about his own failures with Robby. In s5, Johnny talked about the baby only in terms of Johnny's failures with Robby. Robby is treated in the writing as not a member of this "family", which given the circumstances in which he was forced into it, is telling.

I wonder what will happen between Johnny and Robby now. Like I said, I'd always believed that Johnny and Robby only would be endgame, but after part 2, I'm wondering if Johnny and Robby are meant to be endgame at all. Regardless, there is no setup that genuinely includes Robby in Johnny's "do-over" "family". Given all the setup, no ending for Johnny and Robby's relationship will be satisfying. I just hope that, by the end of the story, Robby is no longer stuck in this abusive situation.

Overall, I get people being upset about the story. I am too. But, I also see so much nuance in the story that I wonder where all this will lead.

(As always, please don't comment or reblog with dismissive comments about the nuance in the story. The nuance is part of the story, and the story is exploring important topics like trauma, bullying, neglect, and dysfunctional relationships. I'm aware of the part 3 leaks, but I'm also aware that people shut down conversations about other theories for the leaks that can also be possible. I’m just going to stick to analyzing canon here.)

[witherby]

Omg hi!!! I love your mer!reader series and I was wondering if you take request? If so could you do batfamily headcanons in squid game? (You don't have to of course.) I just finished season 2 and im really excited for season 3.

Love you and keep writing❤️

Hi there! I can sure try!!! I only ever saw season 1 and that was like two years ago but I'll do my best!

( This is operating off the assumption that they are not all in the game together, otherwise they'd all make it out very easily. )

BRUCE WAYNE:

He's killing it. Not literally — moral code and all — but he's crushing this competition. Bruce Wayne's picture is in the dictionary when you look up "Strategist." He got into the games voluntarily and he will get back out alive, no question. He's doing what he can to help other players survive, but he didn't go in as Batman so he doesn't have any of the gear to help as effectively as he could've. He's gotta play it creatively and in a way that doesn't get him or anybody else disqualified for cheating. It doesn't take long for him to find any loop holes in game rules that allow for multiple people to get out of it alive.

Bruce entered the games, not for money, but to find out who is behind them and bring them to justice, so that no other financially disparaged people have to consider putting their lives on the line in order to clear their debts and start fresh.

DICK GRAYSON:

I feel like he didn't end up here on purpose. I really think he either signed up for something and thought it was a silly lil competition, or that the organizers of the game kidnapped the wrong guy and Dick just went with it because he had nothing better to do. Either way, he's here, he's intrigued, and he's gonna save everybody he can while keeping your spirits up.

The jokes never stop. He never stops. Motormouth is what the other contestants end up calling him. Dick makes one of the masked guards snicker once before they get whisked away, and that does make him feel quite a bit bad. Dick's not immediately looking to destroy the system from the inside out (he'll come back and do that after the games are over). Instead, I think his goal would be to convince all the surviving players that they should vote to end the games and go back home. He'd try to be their voice of reason, to convince them that there are better ways to pick themselves up and rebuild their lives than risking death just to get some fast cash. And I think it works.

TIM DRAKE:

Tim is the opposite of Dick. He was not invited to play but he did deliberately steal another contestant's spot to get put into the game. Like Bruce, he's already out-logic'd most of the competitions to create the most amount of survivors, but he also came prepared. The deadliest competitions are suddenly sabotaged not to be as deadly, or not to work at all. Hidden weapons being offered to other players to start a riot and dwindle the numbers have all suddenly been replaced with soft foam bats and nerf guns.

He already knows who's behind the whole thing, he just needed an in so he could tear it all down quickly and cleanly. When Tim is done, he'll be missing for 48 hours at the absolute max, and leaving that place with justice done and a huge, smug smirk on his face. What, like it was hard?

DAMIAN WAYNE:

Damian is tough. I think he caught wind of the whole operation and went undercover as one of those masked game monitors/referees so he could also dismantle it from within, but with less computer hacking and sabotage, and more slashing. I think this method works best as early Damian, who has barely been introduced to his dad for like a week, before he just drops off the face of the planet for a couple days and comes back blood-soaked.

"Hello, father. That suspicious money scheme you had your eyes on? I solved the problem. What do you mean, what am I covered in? Would you believe me if I told you it was ketchup? By the way, your No Killing rule is stupid."

JASON TODD:

Post-resurrection, he's not doing anything with any subtlety. At least Damian took the time to work his way in with a disguise. Red Hood is finding out where the whole shindig is taking place, gathering a crew, kicking doors down, and setting it ablaze. He doesn't have time for games, and the longer he waits to act the more innocent people are dying. He shoots the giant money ball down and lets the players collect it freely, tells them how to leave, and peaces out without looking back. In and out, job done, on to the next one.

[sparks9793]

Sneak peek of my new AU fic 🤭coming in 25'

The tiny redhead steels herself to get over it, to be okay with just being his friend. And she has convinced herself it worked. Hayley has met his girlfriends over the years; no longer tearing herself apart in comparison as she blossomed into that confidence that comes with getting older and finding your place in the world. Falling into relationships with some really great guys, guys that she really cared for, who made her laugh and met her family on birthdays. But no matter how hard she tried, those relationships always seemed to fizzle out because she never felt that spark. That once in a lifetime spark. That spark she felt the second she saw him yesterday - a smile blooming across his face as his arms lifted up in a cheer when he locked eyes with Hayley. All that hard work shot to shit in an instant.  

She snaps back to reality, shaking her head more fiercely, desperately trying to get those memories to fall out of her head forever. “That’s not how he sees me, Justin. It’s not - this is just something I have to get over. But I can’t do it here.” 

The older York’s face falls, before he takes a deep breath and steels himself. “Okay,” he says, looking at Hayley with new determination. “So, what’s the story? Work emergency? Appendicitis? Stomach virus? Uncontrollable pooping?” 

“Justin! Oh my god!” 

“What?!” he shrugs, his brown eyes glowing with a playful twinkle as he watches the smile grow on his little sister’s face. “I just feel like the more details we provide, the more believable it will be.” 

“Whatever you have to do,” Hayley says, rolling her eyes as Justin pulls her into another hug. 

“It’ll be okay, H” he whispers in her ear. “This pain won’t last forever. He’s not the be all, end all.” 

“Why does it feel like it then?” the tiny redhead says softly, tightening her arms around the older York brother, unable to stop herself when more tears begin to fall. “I really have to get going, I don’t want anyone to see -” 

Suddenly, the sounds of the party gets progressively louder as the doors swing open. Hayley’s stomach sinks as she hears the last voice she wanted to hear. “There you are! Been looking all over for you two. J? - Oh. ” 

“Yeah?” Justin turns to face his little brother, blocking Hayley from view as she furiously wipes away her tears. 

“Dad’s been looking all over for you. Something about a bet involving tequila shots…” 

“Ah, was hoping he’d forget about that. Tell him I’ll be in in a bit, just need to help this one -” 

Hayley clears her throat, keeping her head down as she nudges Justin forward. “No, it's fine. Go in. I’ll be okay.” 

Justin turns to look at her, eyes searching. “But you’re not feeling. well.” he emphasizes his point by placing his hand on Hayley’s forehead. Oh, God. No Oscar in his future then.  

The tiny redhead looks at Justin, feeling his eyes on her, shaking her head. “It’s okay. Really. Have fun”. 

“Love you.” her older brother kisses her on the cheek as he squeezes her hand, whispering, “Be brave”. 

Hayley keeps her eyes to the ground as she hears him walk inside, closing the doors behind him. Enveloping the two bandmates in silence. She looks up, taking him in for the first time all night. He knocks the wind out of her. 

His black suit is tailored to perfection, the dress shirt open in a deep v down his chest, revealing some chest hair that she swears is only there to tease her, the view perfectly maddening for her current state of mind. His hair, curls tousled just the way she likes it. The smattering of scruff along his chiseled jawline, held tightly as he takes in the scene in front of him. He looks good.  

Hayley can’t imagine what she looks like. Tear tracks streaking down her face and hair messy from how often she’s been nervously running her hands through it. Dressed for a cocktail hour while wearing her sneakers for the quick getaway. She has to get the fuck out of here. 

“Thought only the bride was supposed to turn heads. That’s quite the look.” The words slip out of her mouth before Hayley has the chance to stop them. This was not the time for banter. She should be in the car already, leaving all this behind. She sneaks a look at his face, his brown eyes locking with hers, brow furrowed in confusion. 

He looks right at her, his deep voice rumbling as he shoots back, “Wanted to be dramatic. It’s my day too.” 

“Classic T.” Hayley counters. She cannot get her feet to move. The car is no more than 10 paces away and yet here she is, frozen under his questioning gaze. 

“What’s all this, then?” Taylor asks confused, as he takes in her suitcase, the car keys fiddling around in her hand. “You’re leaving?” 

“Yeah. Uh, an emergency with the hair company came up.” 

“Bullshit.” 

“No it’s not -” 

“Justin just said you weren’t feeling well.” 

Shit.  

“Both things are true. T, please just - I have to go.” 

“No, I think I have the right to know why my best friend is leaving my wedding weekend early. Why you’re standing out here with my brother and - are you - were you crying?” He looks desperately confused, eyes searching Hayley’s face. “Need you to talk to me Hayley.” 

***Not sure when this will make it into my ao3 account but so far i'm two chapters in and is getting super messy and there's lots of drama and angst 🤭. know I've played with the idea of the wedding a lot, but uggh, that's like a recipe for a good story in my books and hey, what if we twist it for once and T is the one that's getting married??****

[1-8oo-wtfbro]

Shawn Spencer is such a guy who gives second chances, and that probably because his dad never gave him any

[blackbatcass]

listen I know it’s kind of corny and inaccurate to act like every single person in the dc universe knows each other and is besties but it IS endlessly funny to me to follow the web of connections and see how many degrees removed from each other everyone is.

like look at the arrowfam okay. ollie and dinah are together, ollie is homoerotic best friends with hal, dinah is homoerotic best friends with babs. roy is dating dick, has a kid with jade, and is basically an adoptive father to both grant emerson and rose wilson. connor is dating kyle and is constantly followed around by eddie fyers. mia is friends with a lot of the second gen teen titans kids, had an on-again-off-again thing going on with steph for a while, and is currently dating sienna. emiko is besties with courtney and some of the other recent teen titans. sin has a small army of protective aunts from the birds of prey. the real question is how far does it go before ollie puts a cap on the number of people who are invited to family brunch on sundays

[please-read-the-manga]

I don't mean to upset you, but I assumed you were referring to Itachi Shinden because a lot of the claims you're stating as fact are not directly supported in the OG manga, at least as far as I've seen, and I've been checking repeatedly as I go through this (because there's always new things to learn, for sure, and I'm open to coming across them).

I've been scouring to try and source a few of your thoughts, like Shisui being tasked to spy on Itachi, and that seems to either be tied to a random databook mention (I tried but could not find a link to validate) or it could be implied via the Itachi-Shisui anime filler that I believe is based off of Itachi Shinden. Otherwise, I went through and tried to reread each chapter that mentions Shisui and didn't come across this - it was a quick scan though, so I could have missed it. If you have it, please send it over and I'll save it to one of folders for future reference.

Again, I want to reiterate that I'm a manga reader first and foremost and have only bothered to watch the anime through twice, sans filler (there are a few arcs, however, I'm a bit more familiar with wrt to the anime depiction). I generally revisit the main manga canon once or twice a year whenever I'm fiending for some nostalgia. But as I said, there are always new perspectives to check out and things that can be missed, so no worries on offending me there if that's the case.

I'll start by saying that I'm glad we ultimately agree on the Uchiha being underserving of their fate. It was a gross injustice and it serves as a core, central motivation for Sasuke that I personally care deeply about.

Again, I've never said Itachi is entirely to blame and I'm confused where you're getting that from as I would never imply that Itachi was 'as bad' as Hiruzen or Danzo lol.

The 'true' perpetrators of the UCM are Danzo, the Elders, and largely Hiruzen for his inaction and failed responsibility to do more. If we really want to tally up 'mistakes' that built up the issues within and outside of the clan, we can also call out Tobirama but that's a whole other mega post I don't really have time for right now (maybe one day).

You're correct that Obito engaged in the physical act of the massacre alongside Itachi, I never debated that so I'm just agreeing with you lol. However, I still don't see your arguments for trying to shoulder Fugaku with the same degree of blame as those actually responsible for the genocide (Danzo, the Elders, we can toss Hiruzen in there too). We'll just have to disagree on that interpretation.

This post, again, is not and was never intended to be about Itachi or the 'hate' he receives in comparison to Fugaku - I never wrote about that until it was brought up. I really intended this to just discuss Fugaku and Hashirama lol. I promise to never tag Itachi again if he's not the central character in the post I'm writing haha (I jest).

I can only speak to my own experience and what I see/what partially inspired this are takes that involve Fugaku getting compared to someone like RASA lmao, which is insane to me. Fugaku often gets dropped into these 'Worst Dad' contests alongside characters like Butsama, a grown man that actually hit their child, and I find him being alongside those characters to be a really poor interpretation of who he is. Now I'm sure you may disagree with my take on that and it's all good, man, that's your vibe. I've also seen Fugaku called vulgar words and he's frequently portrayed as the cruel hard-ass boogey-man who refuses to love Sasuke under any circumstance in certain Sasuke fan works. In this, he mostly serves as a device to distance Sasuke from his family which is a wild take to have (to me) as we know that Sasuke loves his family more than anything.

Regarding your take on that scene with Mikoto and implying that she is lying, you're absolutely free to have your own interpretation of it but that's not what I see at all. We're going to fundamentally disagree on that one too, friend.

This, to me, is a knowing smile (Mikoto's) and it comes after Mikoto reaffirms to Sasuke that his father does love him but struggles to show it (re: the 'awkward' descriptor). I use that to interpret that she wasn't lying for Sasuke's sake, that it is true, and here is evidence of Fugaku trying (in his socially awkward way) to faithfully answer Sasuke's question. She is happy here that both Sasuke and Fugaku are trying to grant a little more grace/openness to one another. It's not surprise that Fugaku is actually taking Sasuke's question serious, it's very knowing and in that, I think telling of the truth.

It's implied in the manga that Fugaku's attention turns to Sasuke only when the rift between him and Itachi grows greater. When Sasuke asks his father about Itachi's cagey (from Sasuke's perspective) behavior, I personally see a stressed man who is saddened he cannot connect to his own son as he tries to answer the question. To me, he's at a loss of what to do in the midst of all his overwhelming responsibilities as a Leaf Shinobi, as a clan head, and, importantly, as a father. I'm not offering excuses to Fugaku - a father should, ideally, find a way to connect to their child... but this seems to be a major point of struggle for Fugaku at this stage in the manga. I'm sure we disagree, but that's my take. Nothing here (to me) says 'I'm giving up on my son and throwing him away'.

As for children being seen as adults and being given adult expectations, I already discussed that in the last reply. It's wrong and it's further proof of Konoha's inherent flaws and the greater flaws of the entire shinobi system.

Okay, I'll admit to laughing with friends and (sometimes drunkenly lol) arguing that 'Sasuke did nothing wrong' for fun, but I think most fans are pretty honest about the characters in Naruto and their flaws (at least, I hope so). I'm quite indulgent with Sasuke personally, as he's unashamedly my favorite, but I'd like to think I'm fairly open-minded when it comes to well meaning/intentioned critiques of his actions... unfortunately he often gets unfairly villainized for things he never did/said, which does sound similar to your Itachi experience, maybe. That being said, as someone who frequently engages on Naruto discussions on other forums, I can assure you that Itachi is quite popular to the extent (and this is not tied directly to Itachi as a character or how I view him) you have people writing entire essays trying to excuse genocide in favor of state hegemony that can have harmful implications for the real world when normalized/painted as heroic and 'good'. Oy, but this is not about Itachi OR Sasuke's supporters/haters or whatever lol... keep getting distracted.

I kind of hesitate to mention this because it really strays so far from what this post is actually about, but we agree that Itachi was offered very little choice and he was manipulated by the adults around him to carry out the massacre while being an unwell, child of war that should have never been a child of war in an ideal/better world. That being said, he did make a few choices that no one asked him to make - namely in the way he handled Sasuke. I am critical of those actions, though I always acknowledge what had led Itachi to those conclusions/actions and he does outright reflect that he was wrong to do so (in the end). It doesn't negate the harm caused, but it's important to see these elements in tandem of one another. Yadda, yadda, no character is infallible - I think we've been here on this point already haha.

Re: Coup. Oh, I understand the consequences of a coup, my reason for positing that to you was rather to ask why you seem to believe the Uchiha didn't also consider those factors? I would actually love manga panels here and to see how the clan addressed this in their meetings. None of them are new to war/conflict, especially not Fugaku's generation and older, I'd imagine there were very strong opinions made weighing the pros/cons of such action. It is never one taken lightly, particularly not by an oppressed class, and I think knowing that adds to the gravity of this being framed as (essentially) their last resort. If they are to be discarded by the village (which Danzo was keen to jump on), would they rather go out together, on their own terms, or stolen from their beds under the guise of betrayal from within? We don't know lol, we don't get those insights sadly but I would have loved to read them.

You're still losing me a bit on the argument that Itachi 'had' to torture Sasuke in the way he did. I've heard the argument many times before from Itachi stans/glazers on other forums (not calling you this, that's just how they self-identified) and I personally don't vibe with it. I don't hate the character or anything, but you're losing me when it comes to this. I do not think there is justification for the torture Itachi inflicted upon Sasuke. Was there character motivation? Yes. Was it justified? In my opinion, no... never. To be clear: I'm not saying Itachi's involvement in the massacre was avoidable. I'm not saying Itachi is an inherently bad and evil character. I am saying the torture is something Itachi did of his own free will and I dislike what his actions forced Sasuke to endure. I understand why he did it, no need to belabor this further, but I personally find it wrong much in the same way I believe you likely find Fugaku's actions wrong. It's another impasse, haha.

And finally, we're going to have to agree to disagree again on Hashirama. I really like Hashirama and find him fascinatingly flawed, just like Fugaku (again examining the two of them was the whole point of the post hahaha).

Sorry we couldn't come to more agreements, but we got a few in there. I appreciated looking into your point of view and that you voiced it. It seems like you may have had some bad experiences with poorly intentioned fans in the past, and I'm sorry for that. Just know that I am way too grown to strongly 'hate' a character or anything, I promise. I simply find the analysis relaxing (most of the time lol) and it gives me the chance to dip into an old childhood favorite for a bit. :)

Hm, been contemplating these panels lately and thinking about which character is constantly demonized within the fandom/fan works involving them and which is frequently viewed as the ultimate loving and moral person...

And:

One is a man bearing the supposed 'Curse of Hatred' who loves his children so much that he is continuing to parent and offer unconditional love to his son even after said son has already participated in the brutal state-sanctioned genocide of their people/culture and is about to end his (and his wife's - who, btw, is on the same page as him) life.

The other is a man from the supposed 'Clan of Love' who boldly holds the conviction that he would cease his compassion towards even his own child if they stood against him and his dream (the village), regardless of the fact his dream (the village) is a corruptible entity that does not maintain personhood.

Interestingly, I think there is something to be said for the fact both Fugaku and Hashirama are also shown struggling to understand Itachi and Madara (respectively).

Fugaku is actually quite honest regarding his issues in relating to Itachi and while we're not always privy to all the conversations they've had about the state of the clan/sentiment of the Leaf village towards their people, it's clear that those discussions have been had. While the panels where we do see more explicit conversations taking place show Fugaku reiterating to Itachi that his role in ANBU is to serve as a pipeline between the clan/village (which could be argued as an unfair burden foisted onto a child, in my opinion) there are also moments that indicate Fugaku is willing to defer to Itachi (at least on some topics) when his son offers a contradictory viewpoint (like attendance at Sasuke's entrance ceremony, for example).

Side note... this also reminds me of the very short (unfortunately) interactions we see between Madara and his father, Tajima. Tajima clearly respects his son as well and defers to him when Madara insists that they not fight Hashirama and his family on the river - Tajima accepts this from his son without pause.

Alternatively, we also see Madara trying to explain his perspective to a skeptical Hashirama before he commits to taking more drastic actions. Madara is trying to articulate his frustrations with what is happening in the village/how it is progressing with regards to his clan and (even though we never really get Madara's own unfiltered perspective on this time period) we are shown instances of Madara's grievances holding water (ie. Tobirama advocating for Madara not to be made Hokage, but instead pushing randomly for a democratic system that never seems to actually be cemented or made precedent within the village afterwards but absolutely benefits Hashirama/the Senju in the short-run, Madara 'overhearing' Tobirama's continued bias against the Uchiha in private conversations between the brothers, Hashirama continuing to scold his brother -someone who had ample power within the system of governance since its inception- for his bias against the clan even when they're brought back via the edo tensei, etc). Hashirama tries to (weakly, in my opinion) defend the village status quo/way it is progressing and seems to want to better understand Madara, but isn't willing or is unable to go that extra mile for his friend - and, perhaps in some ways, Madara too was unwilling/unable to articulate himself in a more digestible way once their divergence of opinion on their shared village came to this new crux.

Ultimately, I just find it interesting that Fugaku, this character who is often portrayed by fans as a demon of hatred and cruelty, would (in reality) stand by his son even in his darkest hour, even as he is unjustly slaughtering their family, and continue to reaffirm that he is proud of Itachi/loves him - and this is directly counter to Hashirama who asserts he would absolutely kill anyone (including a child) that stood between him protecting that which he loves the most (the village).

And, of course, we also have this to chew on lol...

Sasuke explaining to edo Hashirama that Itachi inherited his 'Will of Fire' jingoism.

Mandatory disclaimer that Fugaku is not infallible and all the characters here (but Fugaku and Hashirama in particular) are their own people/the circumstances do vary (especially as one relationship is framed in the context of father-son and the other as two friends/peers)... I should also note that I still enjoy Hashirama as a character, I just think his flaws are often under-examined and that the hypocrisy inherent to the 'Will of Fire' philosophy/the Leaf Village (and by extension the shinobi world) is equally neglected especially when it comes to this fandom's love of tearing down the Uchiha to their worst traits/moments. But, man, something about these two panels and character portrayals in particular have just been eating at me the past few days, so I figured I'd try to work out some thoughts on them.

[skibasyndrome]

.

[skunkes]

not an ask, but I saw ur post and relate a lot to it.

anticipatory grief sucks. people will tell you not to think about it, not to let it steal from today, but some days are just so hard. sometimes it feels unavoidable, like it’s some goliath mountain in the distance or even the sky and you can’t not look at it. it’s like you have to keep trying to distract yourself not to think about it, and it’s exhausting, and you’re so fucking scared of the inevitable.

like how does anyone even function? the idea of the world continuing to spin when there’s this terrible, horrible thing that will happen some day is unfathomable but it does, and it’s horrible. Some day will mark the before and the after. nobody can ever be ready for it.

I hope the love you have keeps you strong. wishing you the best.

this is literally it. i know thinking about it Now wont make the actual day it happens any easier. but it's impossible to not think about it, especially since there's no tangible way to preserve memories or feelings or the like forever. i cry easily and get emotional over most anything and everything, which is another layer of difficulty wrt it because I spiral. I want to squeeze out of my body. im not meant for any of it

[rmbunnie]

Red Hood Characterization

This is really long so I'm putting a cut here, I've been thinking about Jason Todd's character motivations and the question of whether or not his actions are based in a Moral Code (I don't think so, not to say he's without any morality) and I talk about that in more depth here.

I saw someone say on here that Titans: Beast World: Gotham City was some of the best Jason Todd internal writing they'd seen in a while, and I've been a Red Hood fan for 8 years or so now? pretty much since I read comics for the first time, so I went and checked out and I thought it was good! The way the person I saw talking about it as if it was rare and unusual made me wonder though, because as well-written as i thought his stances on crime were, there wasn't really anything in it that went against the way I conceptualize Jason?

This kinda plays into a larger question I've been thinking about for a while with Jason though, which is that, do people think that the killing is part of a fundamental worldview that motivates him a la batman, and that worldview is the reason he does the things he does?? Because 8 years ago i was a middle schooler engaging with fiction on the level that a middle schooler does, so I simply did not put much thought into it beyond "poor guy :(" but ever since I actually started trying to understand consistent characterization, I don't really see Jason as someone who's motivated by a moral code in his actions the way batman or superman is!

tbh my personal read is that he's a very socially-motivated guy, his actions from resurrection to his Joker-Batman ultimatum in utrh always seemed to me like every choice made leading up to his identity reveal was either a. to give him the leverage and skill necessary to pull off his identity reveal successfully, or b. to twist the knife that little bit more when he does let Bruce find out who he is. Like iirc there's a Judd Winick tweet like "yeah tldr he chose Red Hood as his identity because it's the lowest blow he could think of." And I think that's awesome, I think character motivations rooted so deeply in character's relationships and emotions are really fun to read! I also think it's where the stagnation/flatness of his character comes from in certain comics, because if his main motivation is one event in one relationship that passes, and he is not particularly attached to anything in his life or the world by the time that comes to pass, it's a little harder to come up with a direction to go with the character after that, because there isn't much of a direction that aligns with something the character would reasonably want? But I do think solving this by saying "all of the morally-off emotionally driven cruelty he did on his way to spite Batman was actually reflective of his own version of Batman's stance that's exactly the same except he thinks it's GOOD to kill people" isn't ideal. To be fully honest, it seems to me like he never particularly cared one way or the other about killing people to "clean Gotham of crime," he just did everything he could to get the power necessary to pull off his personal plans, and took out any particularly heinous people he encountered along the way (like in Lost Days.) Not to say I think the fact he killed people keeps him up at night anymore than everything else in his life events, I just never really thought he was out there wholeheartedly kneecapping some dude selling weed or random guy robbing a tv store for justice.

Looping wayyy back to my question, Is this (^) contradictory to the way he's written/the overall average perception of the character? Because like I enjoyed his writing in Beast World i have zero significant issue with anything there, I just didn't believe it would be a hot take, like yeah, that is Jason. It's been a while since I've read utrh and lost days, but I don't think my takeaway directly contradicts either of those too bad iirc. Idk all this to say I think Jason killing and being alright with killing is an obvious and objective fact, but i guess i've always seen it as more of a practical tactic than a moral belief, and I think taking the actions made during the lowest points of a character's life where he is obsessively focused on this ONEEEE thing and trying to apply it as a Motivating Stance to everything he's done after that, doesn't really follow logically for me.

[moe-broey]

GOD I would HATE to be stuck at a family dinner with them 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 I would NOT fucking survive, the vibes alone would do 1000 points poison damage to me 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Also JUST. JUST.

THE VIBES. ARE RANCID. SHARENA DARLING YOU DESERVE SO MUCH BETTER THAN THIS (ALFPNSE TOO BUT DEAR LORD. Sharena LITERALLY was just told to Don't Speak Unless Spoken To RANCID. RANCID FUCKING FAMILY)