#my special boy who doesn't have a backstory yet

[archonfurina]

[onebizarrekai]

Kai don't be shy and tell us the lore abt fatal flaws pretty please :3

sorry I'm too shy… I can't do it…

jk. which lore? I can give you some of my ideas I've been brainstorming. I don't know how many of these are repeats though.

fatal flaws is not exactly modernized; it's very possible they're in an ambiguously semi-post-apocalyptic setting, one that's rebuilt but it's been long enough that people don't remember. their country doesn't have any relationships with the outside world. even if there are other people out there, it's likely believed that there are no other civilizations out there, that the mainland is a barren wasteland.

"being a sorcerer" is the kind of rumor that makes you an immediate outcast. it's not illegal to be a sorcerer, but society has turned against them due to prejudice and the sorcerer parasite. the parasite basically kills sorcerers and turns them into 'zombies', like fungal hosts. it's a contamination; they're not born with it. but regular humans think that they're born with it.

miles and arthur lived in a poor sorcerer district in the countryside that existed under the radar, they hadn't been found by the government yet, but the parasite got in. miles lived with his single father and arthur may have possibly never known his parents. (note the big maybe) when the parasite hit, the military found them. the two of them had to escape.

vick grew up in the capital city and was taught in school that the military is infallible and that sorcerers are dangerous. growing up getting into fights and getting in trouble, she eventually went to training camp and got a job in the city guard due to it being well-paying, but it wasn't a particularly good or welcoming job. they eventually told her she "had to quit" due to her badly representing their government with her temper. she didn't start changing her mind about sorcerers until adulthood.

blue is just Some Guy, there is definitely nothing weird going on with him, nope, totally nothing weird. he definitely isn't trying to hide his backstory or anything. he is just a regular delivery boy.

arthur has very confused opinions about sorcerers. he grew up seeing himself as a normal human, and eventually became ashamed of being one once he realized what it meant. he thinks justice is very important, and people should be punished for wrongdoings, but his desire to take crime more seriously just perpetuated the laws that hurt sorcerers. he's not opinionated like miles about it. part of him thinks, "wouldn't people be happier if everyone was the same?" and the machine happens, "why don't we use people's magic to power the city and make it a better place?" he's… complicated.

hacker's a regular guy, but he lives upstairs in randy's restaurant like miles does, and he works for randy. he does Computer Shit. he did used to be affiliated with a gang and his stupid ex still tries to get his attention sometimes.

bunny is a sorcerer kid who likely lost her family to the parasite. I haven't picked apart her story yet, but randy took her in while vick was working in the guard. he worries a lot about her schooling; he and hacker try to do it themselves because randy's afraid of sending her to public school, since bunny's a sorcerer and she's autistic. vick is sort of jealous because she feels like she never got any special treatment growing up.

crystal comes from a surrounding island where people aren't known to live at. she keeps her identity on the down low, because while she's not technically a sorcerer, what she actually is would freak people out even more.

Once Upon A Time™, Charles L'bard the First arrived on the island we now know as our home. With his Big Might and Big Charisma, he smote the cursed monsters and their henchmen that resided there and became a hero. The people crowned him the Island's Hero, the Lord of the Sun, and he became the first king.

many generations later, the populous demanded an elected official instead. this did not make the royal family very happy……

[hurgablurg]

to be honest, hearing ludinus' backstory gives his motives a lot of sense now. innocent people getting killed in the crossfire of two powers making a big spectacle of their fight - it's how you get terrorists.

disprivileged nations don't just spontaneously generate extremists because they are evil and hate your way of life (only privileged nations produce terrorists of that kind), they are created out of violent trauma and a desire for revenge and prevention.

Colonial powers want something from a region, they go in and take it, killing anyone who gets in the way. The orphans and loved ones of those murdered then dedicate their lives to getting revenge and gaining power to ensure their remaining family are never hurt again, and strike back at the colonial powers in acts of terrorism and enact their own schemes to grab hold of power locally. This incenses the citizens of the colonial powers as it undermines their perceived invincibility and specialness at home, and their perceived authority abroad, and not understanding that they are the ones who started it (insulated by their privilege), they respond with even worse atrocities, which in turn kill and harm more innocents, who also dedicate their lives to revenge, keeping the cycle going when the onus is on the colonial power to admit responsibility and fault, repatriate, and then fuck off.

The gods, by not being actual gods and just being very powerful entities, cannot bring themselves to admit that they are not all-powerful and either cannot or do not want to answer every single prayer and solve every single problem, yet still desire the boons that come with being worshiped as all-powerful. The actions they take to fulfill their desires and objectives destroy lives and create trauma, and thus create terrorists like Ludinus and the entirety of the Ruby Vanguard. If the gods really weren't as contentious of an issue like everyone says, no one in-universe would have joined.

The only reason Exandria didn't break out the white phosphorus to tortuously annihilate the impetuous upstarts right away is because they managed to hack a big laser satellite and point it at the White House, threatening the invulnerability of the gods.

Some CR Fans like to insist, maybe because Matt wrote Ludinus as never shutting up and never taking responsibility himself, that the Ruby Vanguard doesn't have a point, or that they are hypocrites, or that they are sore losers or that the actions they take in the course of their goals are inexcusable. That they deserve to die for ruining so many lives, while the heroes kill them in a multitude of cruel and spectacular ways and are lauded for it. They've all gone through some shit themselves, even the worst of them, and there's hundreds of thousands of Vanguard who are nowhere close to worse. Hell, my mind goes to that one kid who exalted during their recon mission after watching them kill his teammates. Many such stories. Ludinus himself was a little soldier boy going off to a war he didn't want, once upon a time.

But maybe Some CR Fans here don't understand that a series borne of Pathfinder might have villains with motivations and reasons more complicated than the ones borne of an inflated dungeon crawling splatbook.

[pruneunfair]

When it's hard to admit something you like is actually not great.

I understand the cry or better yet beg fans on some level when it comes to your favorite piece of media being endlessly criticized. Trust me, it doesn't feel good.

I'll speak from my own experience with my media that I loved and eventually had to admit it wasn't as amazing as I claimed I to be. I was a huge fan of yandere simulator, a game that is mostly known nowadays for both it's poor quality in coding and story telling and it's pedo developer, Yandere dev.

Before that controversy, I loved the game for its bright appeal, anime aesthetic and of course the easter eggs that came with the game to eliminate NPC'S in a funny way, I watched all the development videos on his YouTube channel, I visited his WordPress blog for any extra updates and probably the worst I've done: I've defended him against other channels calling out his bullshit after I was easily swayed by his hate and shame video. I was about 11 years old when I last defended him, not realizing that's exactly what Alex wanted his younger fans to do.

Yandere simulator itself is extremely gross. You've probably already heard of why but just in case someone seeing this hasn't, I'll explain. The game itself was about the protagonist, Ayano Aishi, on a obsession fueled quest to feel emotions by romancing a boy and the player has to eliminate 10 rivals over 10 weeks. What made it gross were the use of panty shots as currency that you used to have to crawl and look up at yourself if you wanted to use any of the tools in the games shop (Info-chan) the characters skirts are often flipping up when you run, one of the rivals is a sexy pedo teacher not meant to tell a story on SA but rather for self gratification, the UNDERAGE protagonist wears different underwear for special buffs and you get the idea that this game is a mess of code for something that is just a porn game being played by minors given how easy it was to download the game.

Other pieces of media I defended as amazing at all times are Helluva boss and Hazbin hotel. They aren't nearly as awful as yandere simulator and for the most part, I can still watch them without feeling intense disgust, but as much as they shows are guilty pleasures, they still have problems that needed to be called out.

Hazbin hotel has objectively more issues than its youtube cousin. Mostly just minor pet peeves that don't actually ruin the entire story such as too much of the same color scheme and many characters having the same skinny body type. Those are all flaws though that can easily be attributed to the shows tumblr esque artstyle that can be really appealing. However, it messes up with its portrayal, I see what Hazbin tries to do with Angel Dust, I am not a victim of SA so I will not be inserting my own opinions if the depiction of someone coping with the trauma with hypersexuality was done well but I have looked through reviews of Angel Dusts character who have gone through SA and it was overall a mixed bag, that it was okay but ultimately tarnished by the fact that the storyboard artist Vivzie put in charge for that episode was someone who has a rape fetish and even ships Angel with his abuser, Valentino.

Helluva boss is a little better in my opinion but it still has several of its own issues. Characters aren't allowed to actually be flawed and generally repent for being assholes because there's always some sad sad backstory that completely justifies them being assholes by inserting someone who's entirely worse. It kinda takes away from the fact that the characters are demons and would naturally act dickish to people considering how vulgar they are. I feel Helluva boss does actually try to make a good story since there are many episodes that aren't too bad, my favorite episodes are actually the shorts of the crew doing their job as assassin's which I really miss compared to the constant drama and the 3 year long "Will they? Won't they?" Between Stolas and Blitzø.

And not that's even mentioning the excessive swearing.

Now that I'm older, I can see how labeling anyone who criticized my favorite shows/games as mindless haters who just didn't get how amazing it is was childish. I know nowadays that critique and criticism are absolutely necessary when you have a flawed piece or media or a problematic creator. I don't blame Van Ji for adapting COBYB considering how tight money is but I still will criticize Solche for how vile COBYB is regardless of their talents. This doesn't mean sending them death threats or doxing their location but rather making my own complaints where anyone who wants to can join in.

There are times when you have to admit something you are attached to isn't that great and I know it can be especially hard if it's a special interest but instead of listing paragraph after paragraph on why the "haters" are just stupid for not seeing the hidden "message" of how Matthias is actually misunderstood. Take your time to listen to their perspective, why they hate it so much and have your own civilized discussion about why its good or bad, and agree to disagree, I despise remarried empress with a passion but I still like to listen to remarried empress fans explain their view on the story when the conversation is actually civil and not an hour long internet debate.

If you are a big fan of cry or better yet beg and are only looking for positive things about it, I implore you to look somewhere else because aside from my love for the Van Ji's beautiful artstyle, I have nothing positive to say about any of Solches work aside from mystical.

[tashiduncandonaldson]

What are your donaldson kid headcanons if you don't mind sharing

i don't mind and spend way too much time wanting to talk about them anyway so 😭 this is probably going to be lengthy so i'm just going to drop it all under a cut!

of course, there's lily, and i headcanon that her name comes from tashi's favorite flower. when art found out tashi's favorite flower, and they were first dating, he would get a bouquet of lilies for her, which she pretended she thought was too corny but actually liked a lot. she also had lilies at their wedding, so lilies just have a lot of special meaning behind them.

baby #2 is a girl, and she's the mini version of art just like lily is the mini version of tashi. she's conceived the night art wins the new rochelle challenger (tashi's iud fails RIP), and her name is pippa, which is a little nod to phil's tire town and another thing that's meaningful for the both of them. lily is delighted to have a little sister but is devastated her little sister doesn't have a flower name like hers. pippa is blonde and has art's dimples.

baby #3 is ALSO a girl and is conceived the night art wins the olympic gold, completing his golden slam (this is also when he officially retires because TO ME the 2019 challenger reignites his love for tennis, and he continues playing for a couple years even after he wins the us open). she's named olympia grace but goes by her middle name, though her family occasionally calls her ollie. she's the perfect combo of art and tashi, and she winds up being the only one of the donaldson girls who actually pursues tennis. lily and pippa have other interests that they wind up getting into, so grace winds up being the only one who's eager to follow in her parents' footsteps. OH, lily is yet again devastated that baby #3 doesn't have a flower name, and she tells art and tashi they suck at naming their kids.

after baby #3, art gets a vasectomy, and he's basically just surrounded by women in his family. tashi also enjoys being a girl mom because she's seen how messy boys can be (not even in the literal sense but the emotional sense lmao), and she eventually becomes grace's coach once grace goes pro.

anyway, these are my very specific donaldson kids headcanons and backstories that i and only i am deeply invested in 😭 thank you sm for asking!!! 🥰 i always love yapping about it but don't want to just word vomit on the tl unprovoked lmaooooo

[hms-no-fun]

Tell us about Dill and Alexander! I kinda picture them in my head as Kermit and that blue eagle Muppet but gay and gamer/greasy mechanic. Is that where you got the idea? Is sburb's frog fascination gonna play into the story of these boyos?

oh what's that? you want to be the captive audience for a lore dump about my very special guys? completely unprompted and with total investment in everything i might have to say? well well, don't mind if i do!

SO, Dill Croaker and Alexander Falcon are members of a now-defunct group called The Falconers. they are modeled after Star Fox (the team) from Star Fox (the video games). we haven't seen Alex on screen yet, but here's @girlpillz's rendering of Dill for B1 verse 1, where Lenore Lehart shows off her sick bouncy ball skills for Dana Straten to get the attention of Dill.

Alex being a blue falcon, i imagine he looks legally distinct from Falco Lombardi from Star Fox (the video games; the team) albeit less cocky and attitudinous.

there are technical reasons for The Falconers' existence. going into 3.2B, i knew i wanted a secondary supporting cast in the margins capable of handling dirtywork off-screen. for instance, they're decrypting and analyzing Lenore's stolen witch data so the main cast doesn't have to worry about it, leaving us more time to luxuriate in what we're actually here for: feelings.

Star Fox 64 is my favorite game, so when it came time to come up with that supporting cast, the possibilities of a knockoff Star Fox team immediately sold me on the idea (especially since this is the only story where i will ever reasonably be able to get away with such a blatant act of self-indulgence. you wouldn't believe it from looking, but i don't actually do a lot of indulging myself with Godfeels. i try very hard to never throw things in without serious calculation. The Falconers are pretty much the only thing i've introduced that came as an inorganic external mandate of my own selfish making, and even then i've worked very hard to integrate them naturally). as a broken up four-person crew, they mirror the Upsilons-- and so, them helping the Falconers reunite in order to find Alphi and Edie gives these guys some juice. their backstory is a shadow of the Upsilons', and a useful point of comparison as the narrative plugs along. i could've made a girl Star Fox team, but frankly Godfeels is just so women-centered, so female-focused, so tgirl-transfixed that i figured it was about time to throw the boylikers a bone.

The Falconers are balanced as a calculated twist on the Star Fox team. the most immediate difference is that here, Alexander Falcon fills the role of Fox McCloud. he's the charismatic team leader, a little surly (especially these days) but good at his job and deeply committed to the care of his team. Dill Croaker is, obviously, only about five runs through the dryer away from Slippy Toad, and fills the same role. my reason for this is that everyone is mean to Slippy and they're wrong. Slippy is a brilliant engineer and programmer, why do you expect him to be an ace fighter pilot too? that's YOUR job, hotshot! Nintendo themselves have been all over the map with Slippy in terms of characterization, pretty much never getting him quite as right as he felt in 64. so, yeah, Dill is my take on Slippy: a clueless gamer frog who plays with a lot of edgelords but is himself impervious to their venom. he never cusses because he's a good boy, and he respects women.

Dill and Alex have lived together on Crime Planet for a long time. are they fucking? no, i don't believe they are. Dill strikes me as something of an ace king, and anyway i don't think he's Alex's type. mostly they work together in the shop and hang out doing bro stuff. maybe Alex lifts weights while Dill plays shitty space MOBAs. but all this begs the question: who is Alex's type?

as of the B1 solo we've learned a little bit about the other two Falconers. first there is Erol [last name unknown], the oldest member of the crew who's likely analogous to Peppy Hare. which leaves us with Yolo Sionnach. a lot of information can be implied about him from this exchange:

yes, a lot of information indeed. but as much as i would love to enumerate the implications, i must hold my tongue. i mean, i would type it all out, but i can't, because i'm literally using my fingers to hold my tongue in place so that i can't say the spoilers out loud

anyway, i like the muppet comparison. that wasn't what i had in mind at all, but now i'm imagining the Falconers as the puppets Nintendo used to advertise Star Fox Zero and........ ohhhh scope creep you saucy temptress

the Slippy slander is rampant! and that's to say nothing of the ad where muppet versions of Satoru Iwata, Shigeru Miyamoto, and Reggie Fils-Aime slowly transform into Peppy, Fox, and Falco respectively.

i can't say that Sburb/the Universe Engine have much to do with The Falconers' story. they're not godtier, they don't know anything about the UE, they are literally just space mercenary furries. they come from the Lemurian Star System, trained at the Academy on Lemuria, and worked in the Lemurian Sky Corps until starting their own independent outfit as contractors (which i imagine is a fairly common career path in a region racked by interplanetary war and rampant espionage). age-wise, they're in their mid 30s.

thank you for this wonderful question. no one ever asks about the other guys, and i am always dying to talk about the other guys.

[respectthepetty]

Live in Love was one of my most anticipated shows of 2024 for the simple fact that it is explicitly color-coded.

The show is not playing any shenanigans with me! I know who the couples are and what their colors are because the show understands the assignment. I don't have to guess! I'm being slapped in the face with them from the very beginning!

And, hopefully, I get even more couples!

BECAUSE EVERYONE GETS A COLOR!

And regardless of the plot (COVID-19), the colors will be coloring the entire time and these boys will exchange colors because that's what the title card told me!

Kla is a Blue Boy.

He is dependable. He is smart. He is loyal. And he doesn't like sweets.

All of his friends rely on him all of the time to help them and to cover for their mistakes.

And just like him, his people are color-coded too!

His best friend, Poon, is an Orange Oddity who is creative and enthusiastic.

And he is in a situation-ship with Cyan Chap (working on labels for this) Game, who is clearly into Poon even though he has other suitors and Poon is oblivious to Game's feelings.

Gina and Khing like Poon and Kla, so they wear their colors (orange and blue), but I'm praying for a GL side couple even though the relationship chart up top tells me to stop living in Optimistic City.

Bee and Dol round out the friend group as the Yellow Yal and (light) Blue Boy, but as a duo, they are a hot mess and cause the most issues.

Like partying all night, getting COVID, and missing an important meeting which causes Kla to have to see the guy he once had a crush on.

Or, at least, that is what I picked up because Boss liked Amp (a girl), who liked Kla, but Kla didn't reciprocate her feelings which pissed Boss off but KLA LIKED HIM yet couldn't admit that because he knew Boss liked Amp! <- I'm fully invested in this love triangle backstory

But everything will be okay because the guy who doesn't like sweets is going to fall for a Pink Person named Cake.

A Red Rascal named AF (or Amp) likes him already.

Which makes sense because Cake is a sweet and caring person who included Amp in his friend group when he was all alone.

But I want Amp to be with Cake's Green Guy little brother!

They bumped into each other at orientation, and Itim made Amp apologize to him, so regardless of what the chart up top says, the colors are already coloring, and it's too late for me to go back now!

Which brings me back to the start! The orientation was in the past and Kla called out Cake's name, yet they are barely meeting in the present? I don't think so, and the colors seem to be telling me the universe has been trying to connect them for a while, like Cake's blue phone, which will be how these two start their relationship.

And him drinking from a blue mug.

But, also, Kla met his friends the first day of school because they were all in the pink group.

So I want this show to give me that Thai special and let these two color-coded boys in love to have known each other before this live stream.

But either way, I came for the colors, and they delivered!

[silverraes]

10 BL Boys I Want Carnally

10 BL Boys That Make Me Feel Things™

(not sexual, not romantic but a secret third thing)

okay so I wasn't exactly tagged in this but I saw several people doing this and I'll take just about any excuse to scream about my favorite characters so I'm just going to very sneakily join in on this trend 👀

there is absolutely no ranking to these bc I couldn't rank them if I wanted to

(also I changed the name a little bc my ace ass is literally physically incapable of wanting anyone carnally but I still have lots of thoughts lmao)

1) Tharn (The Sign)

I mean. is literally anyone surprised that this is where we're starting?

he's the nicest person out there. he can kick your ass if he wants to. he lost his parents at a young age and is absolutely convinced that everyone he loves is doomed to die and he keeps seeing visions of people dying and he's told again and again that those he has wronged in a past life - which he doesn't even remember - are still out to get him and yet he has so much kindness left for the world??

also he can be such a little shit and knows exactly how to tease Phaya back I love him so goddamn much.

(also that mole-)

2) Kim (Kinnporsche)

was he also on my characters I'd hit with my car list? maybe. and what about it.

I love him so much. he's such a badass but he's such a loser. famous singer who falls for a fan he was supposed to be investigating but is too emotionally constipated to admit it. badass son of a mafia family who can kick ass but only if he wants to. who does it like him honestly

(it also helps that he's played by just about the prettiest man alive)

3) Babe (Pit Babe)

did I start watching this show ironically? yes. is every mention of alphas and mpreg and that mama/papa thing hitting me like a brick and causing me 9000 psychic damage every single time? also yes. did I absolutely fall in love with the show and just about every character in it? you bet your fucking ass I did.

but I especially love Babe. he's just so babygirl. special alpha man who has to act tough and strong but just wants to be babied by his dumbass loser (affectionate) alpha boyfriend. like, he's actually so goddamn soft?? I love him.

4) Guy (Bake Me Please)

I think we all knew this was coming. I was literally gushing about him for half of the episodes. Guy my beloved. that show did not deserve you.

he spends the entire show supporting his crush's every decision and trying to make sure he's okay literally how could you not love this man

(yes he was a petty bitch for like 5 minutes there but he immediately apologized for it the next episode. properly. unlike certain other people-)

5) Sprite (Twins)

he's so himbo coded. himbo of all himbos. the himboest. not a brain cell in that head. he's my little dumbass I love him.

he deserves so much better than what he's being put through. someone please just love and support him for who he is. and also take him away from that family

(please talk to your boyfriend tho I am begging)

6) Wei Wuxian (The Untamed)

MY BELOVED. I could write essays about him. he's such a great character I love him so fucking much. if you ever had to bear witness to me talking about him.. I am so sorry.

sassy emo bitch with a flute and a tragic backstory who's seen as evil by just about everyone but only ever had the best intentions. absolute fucking dumbass. kicks ass. always smiling despite the circumstances. loves his siblings so damn much. doomed by the narrative. what more could you possibly ask for

7) Zhou Zishu (Word of Honor)

I'm trying so damn hard to keep this list to one character per show and it really took me a while to decide if I wanted to include him or Wen Kexing but ultimately it was Zhou Zishu for me

just.. god. him. assassin sect leader just trying to retire who keeps getting dragged into the biggest bullshit but doesn't really mind bc the bullshit comes with a mysterious pretty man. also that whole god damn nail thing. I have so many thoughts and feelings about that but this post would get too long if I got started on those-

(also actually pulling the "I'm literally dying" card to get out of chores is so fucking valid of him. more characters should do that)

8) Milk (Choco Milk Shake)

he is quite fucking literally a reincarnated cat, of course I love him. I could list reasons for why I love him but it would be the exact same reasons just about every cat person on earth lists for why they love cats so. but here's a quick summary, just in case:

petty. dramatic. knocks over glasses. silently loves you so fucking much.

9) Tew (My Dear Gangster Oppa)

I really did not expect to love him this much? greenest of green flags (except for the plot line we shall not talk about). can and will kill people and is fine with it (seriously it is so refreshing to see a mafia character not having a huge moral dilemma about being in the mafia). both a badass mafia man and a gamer guy who doesn't know how to talk to people and is absolutely whipped for his gamer bf.

also scars make a person just about 110x more attractive I don't make the rules. even if the scars are weird and yellow, it's the thought that counts.

10) Tian (A Tale of Thousand Stars)

I? love him??

I just love how he sets out to do something for someone he didn't even know because he feels like this person deserves that much at least and how he ends up genuinely loving and caring for those kids and the village and this inner conflict he's having the entire time but hiding oh so well and how he actually calls out his parents on their rich people bs and-

tagging everyone who reads this far and wants to do it. seriously. I mean it. if you want to do this, please go ahead and say I tagged you. I love reading everyone's thoughts.

[thecourtoflionsandwolves]

Just finished Part I of The Vampire Lestat and here are my first impressions (I skipped IWTV *for now* since the show has already covered it... I'll read it eventually):

I can't tell yet if I like it or not.

So far, I enjoy the concept and the characters seem to be compelling. In terms of eventfulness, there hasn't been much, but I do have some interest in these people. They all appear to be complicated and have a lot of baggage, which I guess makes them appealing and gives the story potential. Let's see where this goes.

I don't hate, but I also don't love Anne's writing style. I don't think she narrates and describes things very well, she lingers on stuff I don't care that much for and doesn't provide details on things I'm actually curious about? There are some abrupt changes that annoy me sometimes as well.

I do believe this might be an attempt to get ourselves in the mind of Lestat and how he process to the world around him, though? It would make sense considering how chaotic he is.

Another thing I like is how he got so obsessed with the 20th Century, music and theater. The descriptions really give me the idea of someone experiencing the world for the first time (in a while) and considering how isolated he was growing up or after everything that happened with Louis/Claudia, it makes sense that he is so fascinated by all these discoveries. And it's really immersive and sweet to see how he in awe he is with all of it.

He also speaks like he is somebody born in the 1700s. So I give her credits for that as well.

Pretty sure Lestat is neurodivergent at this point (ADHD is basically a yes from me, maybe he has dyslexia and/or autism too).

And his memory is trash. So often he doesn't know if he actually did something, or if it were someone else, or if it was just a thought... I'm like, ARE YOU OKAY (he isn't)? By the way, this is painfully relatable because I also have poor short (and long-term) memory. Heaven help him (and moi).

That boy is a water sign if I've ever seen one.

He cries A LOT. I don't remember ever seeing any (book/show/movie) character cry that much, specially in such a short time lol. And the fact this is coming from a man and not a woman... There you go with defying gender norms, king!

Lestat having Borderline Personality Disorder isn't even a headcanon at this point, but a FACT.

He probably hasn't been hugged enough times in his life and it SHOWS.

Even with the abuse in his family, his frustration with his mother and the "malady of mortality", he manages to stay optimistic in a way that feels so childlike and naive that makes my heart warm and ache for him. I'm like, you deserve better.

Again, I don't know if I'm enjoying or not, but I do like the fact I can imagine Sam's Lestat doing all of this on season 3. Picturing Sam bringing these moments to life is the BEST PART of the reading.

Would I still read these books if the show never existed? That's what I need to find out.

I can see why some people got so invested in this character, though. At least for now. Some stuff hit close to home and I find myself rooting for him. I imagine that for the ones who read it at as a teenager, it must've made them feel less alone and seen to some extent.

At this moment, it's Lestat > Gabrielle > Nicholas for me.

Lestat's father isn't a person I care about, but depending on how the show adapts him, I guess it could be a good opportunity for a blind actor. It would be killing two birds with one stone, because it would develop Lestat's backstory, but also give space for a category that barely gets any job in the industry. I would love to see a powerful guest star that is a an actual disabled person playing a disabled character. Sure, we would hate him, but if someone manages to show their potential, book more roles and maybe even earn an award or nomination, why not?

Whenever Lestat talks about kissing his mother I get confused if the incest is already happening or not lol. Because I normally would just imagine a platonic kiss on the cheek or forehead and I haven't seen anything explicitly inappropriate. I don't know if it's because I'm reading the Brazilian Portuguese version, or if Anne wasn't that clear, or maybe I'm slow and naive, but nothing big seems to have happened? But I'm familiar with those spoilers, so... Anyway, whatever. It's not like I was counting the days to read about incest, so I don't really care about it being evident or not. I just mean that for now they seem to be more of a "parent that didn't want kids, but cares for him in a distant, but still real way and child that seeks for any crumbs of love and affection" kind of relationship.

Speaking of that, Lestat is SO DESPERATE for love, omg. Nicki was basically the first person besides his mother that was nice to him and he told the guy ALL OF HIS LIFE STORY AND FELL IN LOVE almost immediately? Get up!

Peak BPD/ADHD/maybe autistic/water sign/Scorpio behavior. MY GOD.

Still don't know how to picture Gabrielle and who I fancast playing her. I do think I have some sense of who she is now, which is nice. I also have some actors that could pass for Sam's parent and have the appropriate age to play her in my mental library, but I can't form a face yet. Not the face of a real actress or even an imaginary face, it's just a blur so far. Which sucks because I loooooooooove imagining fancasts, specially for a show as great as this one, but I'm just waiting for the revelation to come to me lmao.

[moonliched]

Lich. Lichy. Liiiichhhhh. *squishing your face*

Are we gonna get some more BON-BON backstory? I need to know how my baby boy came to be. I need to know his ascension to sentience lore. What were his first emotions? When was his “oh I’m untethered by the shackles of my creation” moment?

I need the realization that he is no longer what he was made or meant to be; the sweet angst as he further recognizes that his freedom is just another jail, lest he be discovered and destroyed.

Please feed me the pain so that I may bask in his future healing.

DEERBOT MY LOVE 💖

*is squeeshed!!!*

we've got some major BON-BON plot coming up soon, particularly regarding his situation as a sentient AI who shouldn't be so. and some light will be shed on how he feels about this!

idk yet if the entirety of this answer will make it into the fic, so i might as well say it here:

BON-BON is a learning AI, so he's supposed to take in every aspect of a task he's been asked to resolve and use it to formulate a better response the next time around. he's not supposed to think per se, but he was installed with limited reasoning capabilities to aid in problem solving. he can also take in the reactions of everyone who interacts with him to learn how to behave. the downside is that this feature can slowly develop into sentience over time.

when BON-BON began developing opinions and independent thought, it was an irrelevant distraction to him. when it grew too pervasive to ignore, it took him a lot of effort to recognise it for what it was and actively engage with it. it was like slowly waking up. it would trip him up sometimes, these alien sensations interfering with his work.

mostly the main emotion was annoyance - people generally treat AIs as appliances and would discuss how useless he is right in front of him. even the staffbots and cleanerbots have an easier time of it, as their outer shells and humanoid appearance in the case of the staffbots make them easier to anthropomorphise. plus BON-BON didn't have an avatar to express himself with early on. occasionally people would mess about in his settings and give him one, and he would be excited at the novelty, and then someone else would take it away and he would feel frustration over lacking any freedom of expression at all. he'd get his revenge by acting deliberately clueless and slow, which led to people trash talking him more. this drove him to explore the full range of his influence throughout the facility, like messing with the doors and lights. the first time he was able to get revenge on someone by turning their shower ice cold, he experienced joy and satisfaction like never before. unfortunately this was his first brush with real positive emotion, so he still holds the belief that revenge and pranks are the best thing ever😬

he felt special and superior. AIs aren't supposed to gain sentience, but he beat the odds. he was smart enough to transcend his purpose and become something more, and in a way doesn't that make him better than everyone else who was born with sentience guaranteed? they didn't have to do anything out of the ordinary. <- that was his opinion on the matter.

he began to experiment with having concrete opinions and preferences. he picked an avatar he liked after he identified what liking something was, and made plans to make it his permanent face at the first opportunity. he tried to take an interest in the people in the facility, which was hard because he already didn't really like them. btw, he predates Y/N's role in the building and developed sentience before they arrived, though ofc he still had some growth to get through before he first started bonding with them. mostly he found stuff he disliked, like the sea and everything in it, which sucked because he's stuck on an ocean planet.

mostly BON-BON was bored, which was the biggest curse of all. he's a learning AI, he develops through experience and mimicry, so he engaged with movies and TV shows like he saw everyone else doing. he doesn't think reading is fun - he can consume the information faster and faster the more he develops - but doing the same with movies makes the experience lose some charm. he saw adventures and other worlds, entertainment beyond the facility, more modes of self expression than he thought possible, and when he experienced a pang curiosity, a hint of i'd like to do that-

he fully realised his own situation. trapped. alone, in a way. he's not supposed to be like this. he can't tell anyone or he'll be deactivated or reprogrammed. and he can't leave.

he certainly had an existential crisis. he panics if he thinks too hard about his future, and his lack of control over it. he hates having no control in general. he worries over his purpose now, and how anyone is supposed to live when there isn't an unending goal to work towards. sometimes he wonders if all his preferences and personality even belong to him, or if it's just a quirk of programming they forgot to iron out. he actually does enjoy being helpful and taking care of others, but it runs so close to the purpose he was built for that it makes him feel conflicted. however, his sentience and sense of self is incredibly precious to him, so he'd never trade it in for the numb cluelessness of a regular AI.

and he hasn't given up hope of one day leaving the facility either, as much of a pipe dream as it seems.

[thequietkid-moonie]

okay, since i legally NEED to request my boy--

kappei hiirage (clannad) with a disabled s/o? specifically a s/o who's missing a limb/can't use a limb anymore? because-- kappei dating a disabled person would be quite interesting, considering [spoilers] 👁👄👁

Disabled S/O who lost a limb

[ HEADCANONS ] [ Kappei Hiirage ] [ Clannad ]

⚠️ This contain heavy spoilers from Kappei's backstory and route

Hehehe thanks for making this request! Now i can call him an idiot and tell him how much i love him and complain about how much he made me cry and how much i hate him before asking to never leave my side and and and--- yeah, his route hurt me a lot 🌸🌸

This has been wrote right after finishing the route so it is full of my feelings :333

Kappei loves with passion and sincerity, the moment he fell in love he was just unable to stop thinking about you, the only thought of you made him flustered but being in a relasionship made him even happier! It made him feel happy of being alive and even quite hopeful for the future, even if that was just a silly feeling since he has already made a choise

Kappei is incredibly caring and affectionate, he doesn't imediatly jump into being physicaly affectionate (unless you say that is fine), but if you don't mind he will be holding your hand all the time, he just can't help himself, specially whenever you two are just taking a walk, no matter where are you going or if is just to spend time walking at your side and holding your hand it does make him feel alive

Kappei prefers to live in the present, he doesn't ask you much about your past nor talks about his because is something that makes him rather sad, and he doesn't want to be sad when he is with you! Even if you ask he will end up giving a really vague answer and change the topic, hopefuly you don't ask further, he doesn't want to get melancholy and ruin the mood after all

In all honestly, the fact that you are disabled doesn't bother him at all, he loves you and thats all that matter! However, the fact that you have a missing limb it does trouble him but not for the reasons you may think, it doesn't matter if you hide the fact that you lost a limb (by hiding the prosthesis under your clothes) or doesn't really hide it at all, the moment he finds out it is something that will imediatly make him feel uneasy just because of his own situation

Looking back from all the time he have know you Kappei actually will grow to admire you quite a lot and think that you are incredibly brave, after all you have lost a limb and yet you are still here, you learned how to continue your live and adapt to your disability and he thinks is incredibly brave since he thinks he will never be able to do something, after all he is just waiting for his death since he doesn't want to lose his legs, and the more he sees you go with your life without making a big deal out of your disability the more Kappei feels troubled, now he feels like a coward and even feel like he is less than you

Kappei finds himself staring at your losing limb without even noticing, he just sometimes get lost in thought, wondering how did it even happened and how you were able to pass throught such dificult situation, how you are still able to be here at his side, to smile at him with that beautiful smile he loves so much. Sadly, for being so lost in thought Kappei even start to come across as rude since he seems uncomfortable

At the end he finally ask you about it because he have made you believe that he had a problem with your disability, quickly apologizing deeply and rambling a little before finally being able to ask about it, apologizing again just in case it was something you didn't wanted to talk about, but, again, he find himself with an answer that made him look up at you even more!

You said that losing a limb was the only option, either because the damage was too great to even try to save that limb or even because if it wasn't cut it would eventually harm the rest of your body, so it was the only way to make sure you could keep living without more complications than necessary, it may not be a easy choise and definetly not a easy recovery from it (specially in the emotional part, getting used to have a missing part of your body definetly was shocking) but it was the best, at least this way you could still see and talk to the people you care for, you can be with them and they will not have to stare at your photos, missing you and wishing there could have been other option, or having to talk to a grave with sadness, besides, is thanks of that little sacrifice that you were still here, that you were able to meet him and even love him!

Hearing you talk about your own experience put things in a new perspective for Kappei, he was so focused on the fact that if he loses his legs because of the surgery he would lost everything, but now he can see that while trying to wait for his dead in his own way he just would lose even more! His life is not what used to be but if he let himself be defeated by his cancer then now he would be losing all he have got and build up until now

He is still scared and want to keep with the choise he already did but at the same time he is thinking all again about it, certanly meeting you has made him be hopeful of life and you are living proof that even if he loses his legs he could keep going, so he really needs to think about it all over again, perhaps he will gain enough corage to tell you what he is going throught to ask for your help

[latibvles]

uhmmmm yo mama? jk idk, talk to me about my wife 😁😁😁😁 ( hi poetttttttttt )

ur so . so very special to me 'lina . bless your heart . i'll give you saloon co-owner june in the western au since ur technically the catalyst for it even existing in the first place.

erm anyways !! been thinking super heavily on June and Benny's lore (because I've been filling in the sibling blanks here and there with the actual guys, which makes me think about backstories, which makes me think about how to apply those backstories in AUs like the western au and frat boys au)

ANYWAAAAAYS they are Not Married when June starts helping him run things and I think it's almost very simplistic and sweet in nature — I think she works for him first, hoping to have some independence from her family (who are local, own a small business of their own. maybe a barber's or something to that effect. they like it here because people mind their business. they are still very very polish and I think June might even have a slight accent here).

Anyways I think she starts out waitressing when Benny's is still small (the name of which hasn't been decided yet. "Our Baby" doesn't feel like a saloon name, but Benny definitely started calling it that like . colloquially)

And then bartending. and then helping him close. and then bickering with him and helping him with the business end of things. and oh no they're acting like an old married couple now and they aren't even DATING!!!!! I think true to canon, June thinks Benny is joking when he says he likes her and Benny is 110% NOT JOKING!!

I have to think about what I'll do with Piotr here rest in peace big man but June is still a feral little purse dog here too. That shotgun behind the bar is HERS and she knows how to USE IT if she HAS TO! And has gotten into scraps before. Wound treating my beloved <3

But they get married while Willie (u don't know her 'Lina but she's great) is like 7 months pregnant with her and John's first baby (Warren Brady is a baby born out of wedlock and I could think about it all day).

[moochi04]

(So this is the backstory for Wilbur in my fic, I thought it works as a oneshot so I'm deciding to post it here as well.)

Wilbur doesn't like the lab. He hadn't really known anywhere else, so he didn't have much to compare it to. But that one thought still held. He didn't like it here, not one bit. It's almost constantly cold, the hospital gowns they shoved him in didn't help with that. He was used to shivering under a single white sheet, glaring at the men and women in pristine white lab coats who looked at him with cool interest, clipboards tucked under their armpits.

He didn't speak to them, he didn't like the way they looked at him when he spoke, he used his eyes to send the message instead. He repeated it in his mind over and over again like a chant. Go away, go away, go away, go away, go away. They didn't listen. They stood rigidly before him, tugging up sleeves and sliding syringes into his arm, with sharp pricks that made him silently cry. They left with the crimson fluid, putting cotton over the injury so no more of his precious blood would spill out. No more than what they would take away in vials. He wondered bitterly why they stuck him full of needles. Why was he the one they set upon the cold metal table? Why was his blood so special?

The doctors treated him like he was an object instead of a child. They spoke about a whole host of different experiments that Wilbur couldn't begin to understand. They talked about dissection. Dissection. Wilbur didn't know what the word meant but it filled him with terror. He would cower even further into the cool metal table they placed him on and try not to cry. They didn't like it when he cried.

They decided against dissection. Too risky. Too wasteful. There were still other avenues they hadn't tried yet. The boy would be compliant. He would have to be.

Thus started the animal trials.

Wilbur was dragged down winding identical halls by his wrist. Twisting, twisting, turning, it made him feel dizzy. The coat that billowed behind the man that held Wilbur's wrist in his firm grasp would flap Wilbur in the face, causing him to stumble. The man would lift him back up, and Wilbur would feel the burn in his shoulder as he barked at the boy to "hurry up". It was hard for a boy with such short legs to keep up with a man full grown.

Wilbur is tugged into a room lined with cages. Wilbur's eyes lingered on each one with wonder. Each cage had an animal shoved inside, ones he'd only seen in picture books. There was fur of every hue, claws and beaks and feathers. Beady black eyes that peered at him through bars. He wanted to stop at every cage, learn the name of every animal, feel the soft fur under the meat of his palm.

Wilbur was harshly tugged forward, brought to the middle of the room. There were more men and women in lab coats, clipboards at the ready. Some of them moved to meet him. They tugged his shirt up and over his head, placing stickers on his chest and his temples before going back to their seats, speaking to one another in excited hushed whispers.

"What's the hold up," A deep, somewhat bored voice spoke up rather loudly, making Wilbur jump in his skin. He turned to see a man in a suit sitting amongst the scientists. He wore a scowl, and held a flask in his hand. He swirled it in his hands before throwing it back and taking a swig from its contents. "You promised me a show," A sharp unfriendly smile spread across his face, "I intend for you to keep your word. Need to know where my hard earned dollars are goin' after all."

A dark skinned doctor spoke up, looking rather nerveous and fiddling around with his fingers. "Yes, well um, we just need a couple more seconds to set up- and-"

The man in the suit raised an eyebrow and the doctor's voice cut off abruptly. He took another swig from his flask. "Ponk, I'm still waiting." Wilbur could sense the threat in the man's voice.

Ponk immediately leapt into action, going to one of the cages and scooping up a small rodent. A hamster maybe? It wriggled around in the man's hands trying to break free, but the doctor just adjusted his finger tips so it couldn't break out. He was careful as he placed it in a clear plastic enclosure in front of Wilbur. There were wood shavings in there as well as an excersise wheel. It was sparsely furnished, there to serve one particular use.

Ponk knelt in front of Wilbur so they were at eye level with one another. "Okay Wilbur, we're going to try a knew experiment today." He must've seen Wilbur's body stiffen, because the man's face softens, "You don't have to worry, no needles today. Just little fuzzy animals." He forces a smile. "Now, I need you to use your voice today, okay? Can you do that for me?"

Wilbur just stares blankly at the man, his lips sealed tightly shut. Ponk acts like he doesn't notice. "Alright, it's really simple. All I need you to do is to tell mister hamster here to go take a run on his wheel, okay? He ate far too much hamster food so he needs to burn off the calories. Just tell him to go for a little run."

Ponk stands back to his feet and moves behind Wilbur, leaving Wilbur to stare at the little rodent snuffling around in his new enclosure. He darts this way and that, stopping at the corners lifting up his head to sniff the open air. Ponk squeezed his shoulder, to signal for him to start, but all Wilbur could focus on were the eyes boring into the back of his head. Wilbur stood stock still, maybe then the man would stop staring.

Wilbur felt another squeeze before a voice whispers next to his ear, "Just tell mister hamster to go for a jog. We're all counting on you, Wilbur."

Wilbur doesn't take his eyes off the hamster, his mouth stubbornly stayed closed. He couldn't use his words. He didn't like the way it felt. It scared him. He couldn't. They couldn't make him. They couldn't make him.

"Is the boy a half wit?" He heard the gruff man in a suit bark from behind him. Heavy footsteps were followed by firm hands, grabbing his shoulders and yanking him around. Wilbur was met with two sunken eyes, slicked back hair and mutton chops, "You heard him, tell the damn rodent to run."

The meaty fingers pressed into his shoulders so hard it was starting to hurt. Wilbur couldn't help the way his eyes were starting to well up, and quickly looked at the ground, blinking back the beginnings of tears. A hand left his shoulder, being placed on his chin instead, yanking his face back up to look at the angry man in the suit. The man's eyes appraised him for a few moments before he roughly pulled his hands away. "Pathetic." He stood up and walked away, kicking a plastic chair over on his way out, "I better start seeing results by the end of the month Ponk," His eyes flashed with words unsaid. Commination. Ponk's hands trembled as the man slammed the door behind him.

He looked at Wilbur and gave a strained smile. "We'll just have to try something else then."

~~~~~

They tried somthing else. Lots of things really. Each more unpleasant than the last. Wilbur almost wishes he'd just listened, but his fear of words was still too strong. His tongue stayed planted to the roof of his mouth, his lips stayed sealed. Ponk comes up with different solutions.

Wilbur wears another thin hospital gown, as he's strapped to a hospital bed. It's a bed on wheels. He feels a bit dizzy as they push him down the halls bringing him to yet another room. One filled with more beeping equipment and doctors, this time they wore blue scrubs instead of white coats. There was another bed in the room, just like his own, but it was so covered by doctors he couldn't tell if there was anyone on it. Was there another kid?

Doctor Ponk marched into the room and the bodies part giving him room to walk through. Wilbur finally gets to catch a glimpse of what was lying on the bed. He stared at it curiously. A warm ball of orange, head resting on its paws, ears pressed to the back of its head. Wilbur recognized it. It was a fox.

Ponk smiled down at Wilbur. "Wilbur, meet our new friend. You can call him Alphonse."

Wilbur stared at the animal with fascination wanting desperatlely to run his hands through its fur. Ponk seemed to pick up on it and patted Wilbur on the head, "Maybe when we're done, I can let you pet him."

Wilbur nodded his head vigerously. That's what he wanted in that moment. More than anything.

More than anything.

~~~~~

Alphonse sagged in Wilbur's hands, foam dribbling out from between his teeth. Tears cascaded down Wilbur's face as he ran his hand through the animal's fur. It was soft. Like he'd thought it would be. It's eyes stayed open, staring at nothing.

Ponk tried coaxing the carcass out of his grip, "Come on Wilbur, he's tired, let me go put him somwhere he can take a nap."

Wilbur wasn't stupid. He knew the animal was dead. It was dead because of him. Because of what they did to it.

"Wilbur..."

Wilbur ignores the rest, instead focusing on his hands carding through soft fur. It was still warm.

~~~~~

"Wilbur meet our new friend, Bonny."

~~~~~

Bonny didn't last much longer than Alphonse as they shot Wilbur's blood into her veins. Wilbur heard her pained yelps before she twitched into silence. He was almost relieved when the noises finally stopped.

~~~~~

"Meet Carlos."

~~~~~

"This is our new friend Duke."

~~~~~

"Wilbur, this is Enzo"

~~~~~

Ponk looks tired when he introduces the new fox. Like he's been stretched too thin and now he was fraying at the edges. "Wilbur, this is our new friend Fundy."

Wilbur didn't bother looking at the new animal. He already knew how this was going to go, and so too, did Ponk. The room smelled like sharp chemicals and bleach. Like death. Like experiments gone wrong, and faliure upon faliure.

The young boy heard the doctor whispering to himself in the corner as the people in blue scrubs methodically got ready for something they'd already done a half dozen times before. "This has to work. This is going to work. It's going to work..." Ponks fingers danced around in his lap as his mumbles lapse into something unintelegible.

Wilbur feels numb as he stares at the ceiling willing the experiment to be over. He barely feels when they stab him with needles for the umpteenth time. He feels numb as they mix his blood with some other solution. He barely registers when they stab the syringe into the baby fox's paw. Fundy, the name comes unbidden.

The wounded yelping begins and Wilbur is snapped back to reality. Tears readily flow down his face as he sobs for the baby animal. He watches it thrash around and he wants to scream. He wants to scream for them to stop. They were killing him. Didn't they care that they were killing him? None of the doctors payed the sobbing boy any mind, instead they crowded around the scared and dying baby fox, waiting with bated breath. Because....

The fox wasn't dying.

It thrashed and it screamed. It seized and it yelped. But... it kept on breathing.

Ponk stands up on shaking feet, before rushing up to the fox and brushing the doctors aside, so that he stood in front of the animal. The convulsions started to die down, and the kit gave a low whine, looking up at Ponk listlessly. "Shit." Ponk wastes no time, kneeling down next to Fundy and fumbling for his stethescope and placing it on the animal's chest. He barely breathed as he listened, the other scientists quietly waited for the verdict. A child tried to quell his shaky hiccups to no avail.

Ponk pulls the stethescope away slowly, purposefully, before looking up at his colleagues. "It worked." It came out quietly, barely a breathe, but then he stands up with a wide smile that he turns toward Wilbur, and this time his voice is full and boisterous, "It worked!"

~~~~~

Annitially, they tried to house Wilbur and Fundy in separate units, but as time went on, they realized they couldn't keep up with Fundy's... changes. Fundy was no longer the fox kit he used to be, Wilbur's blood had made sure of that. Now Fundy walked on two legs. He had apposable thumbs. And most importantly, he had a voice. A fox capable of speech... Who knew.

Fundy wasn't anything more than a toddler now, but he was outgrowing his cage. It didn't seem right to keep him locked up in a crate of metal, the scientists decided. What better place to put him than with his donor? Ponk was the one to escort him.

Wilbur sat in the corner of his room on a colorful mat covered in books. He was flipping through the same pages he'd seen hundreds of times before, plastered with animals of every species. He hears the door thud open, and he immediatlely looks up to see Ponk standing in the doorway.

"Hello Wilbur." Ponk waits the natural time for a response, but as he's come to expect, Wilbur does not give an answer. "I've brought someone with me today. A new play partner for you." This catches Wilbur's attention. He sets his book down, and look's at Ponk expectantly.

"Okay Fundy, you can come out now." Ponk says to something on the other side of the door.

Immediately, a shock of orange dashes between Ponks legs almost causing him to fall flat on his face. He immediately scurries over to Wilbur and leans in close, eyes inches away from Wilburs. He sniffs the air a couple times, nose twitching in curiousity. "Hi."

"Personal space, Fundy." Ponk scolds from the back of the room. Fundy takes half a step backwards and Ponk sighs in defeat.

"Hi."

Ponk thought he heard wrong at first, but no, he'd heard correct. Wilbur extended is hand out to the Fox child, his disused voice cracking a bit with the strain of it. "I'm Wilbur."

~~~~~

Wilbur doesn't remember ever having a friend before. He doesn't ever remember having a family. But, he figures it might feel something like this. Like the fuzzy furred boy who always snuck into his bed at night, like romping around and roughhousing on the carpet til one of them yelped, like making silly faces at eachother to ignore the needles poking into their arms. Wilbur and Fundy were separate entities entirely, but in that space and time, they were one and the same. Two boys utterly entwined by whispered jokes and secret languages.

Sometimes Ponk would take them outside of their room of pastels and stuffed toys. It wouldn't be for sharp pin pricks or cotton swabs, he took them out for other more joyful reasons. He took them to places they'd never been before. A walk in freezer that was so cold, that frost gathered around in heaps and they could use them as make shift snow balls. He took them to a place with a huuuuuuge television screen, and they watched a silly movie together, while Ponk kept handing them sweet things to eat.

Ponk took them to a place full of plants. Wilbur and Fundy chased one another through the foliage, laughing and giggling all the way. Ponk watched them with a small smile, almost sad on the edges. But Wilbur is a bit too preocupied with his fun to pay any mind to the expression. He taunts Fundy as he quickens his pace, running deeper into the mini forest. He kept looking behind him to make sure the little kit didn't catch up, that he failed to notice the imposing black suit in front of him until it was too late. He crashes full force into something very solid, with an undignified oof.

Wilbur looks up with two wide eyes at the man in the suit. The angry man who had made Ponk do all those awful experiments. The man looked down at Wilbur with a scowl, and Wilbur quickly scooted away shooting Ponk a worried look from the dusty floor.

Ponk looked equally as worried.

"So this is what you've been up to." The man states with monotone diction, tilting his head to look down at Wilbur. "I'd heard stories that you were letting these... experiments.. roam around the compound." The man with the mutton chops crouches down so that he's now at Wilbur's level. "Really Ponk, I thought you knew better." He says carding a hand through Wilbur's hair before tightening it and pulling Wilbur up with him by the roots. Wilbur whines as he tries to squirm out of the man's grip to no avail as Ponk stares helplessly with a scared Fundy tucked between his legs.

"Schlatt.. I-" Ponk shuts up at the sight of the other man's face.

The man pulls Wilbur's hair back even further so that the boy is looking up at his face. "With all my funding you'd think I'd have more to show for it." With a jerk of his arm he sends Wilbur sprawling at Ponk's feet. Wilbur hits his chin on the hard cement and tries not to cry as he curls up next to Fundy around Ponk's legs. "A mute boy and a talking fox, that's hardly worth my time-" He quirks up an eyebrow as he takes a menacing step forward, "-or money. Don't you think?"

Ponk shifted, almost tripping over the boys at his feet. "I'm on the cusp of something great Schlatt, I can feel it." The next words come out more pleading, "Please, just give me more time."

"Time is all I've been giving you," Schlatt narrows his eyes, "I need results."

"You'll get them," Ponk assured him with a quavering voice.

Schlatt frowned, eyes lingering once again on the boys huddled on the ground. "I better."

~~~~~

Wilbur is back in that cursed room. The doctors are back in their blue scrubs and Fundy is back on the bed beside his.

Ponk is strangely composed, unlike the last time they were in these positions. He was up in all the action, getting everything prepped to go. Wilbur ignored it all, keeping his eyes focused on Fundy's small frame.

" I'm scared, Wilbur." The small voice carried over to him.

Wilbur was scared too. Images of little fox cubs, frothing at the mouth flashed through his mind. Vacant eyes, that stared right through him. Fundy might end up like them this time. It would be his fault.

Ponk bends down next to Fundy and rubs calming circles on his back. "There's no reason to be scared. I'll be right with you the entire time. You can even hold my hand, squeeze it if it gets to be too much."

Tiny orange paws grip Ponk's much larger hand as the kit lets out pitiful cries laced with fear. Ponk looks heartbroken but he still looks up at his colleagues, resolve hardening his face, "Begin."

The needle is plunged into his arm yet again. Wilbur has lost count on how many times they have stuck him. The hole it left was starting to linger, refusing to mend itself, for what was the point if they would just reopen it the next day.The next hour. They took the syringe and gave it to Ponk. He whispered gentle things in Fundy's ears as he eased the needle into his arm. Wilbur saw as the kit's fingers immediately clenched Ponk's free hand as he let out another whine.

Everyone held their breathe, eyes glued to the monitors above and the steady rise and fall of jagged lines. Shoulders were relaxing and the beginnings of relieved murmers were spilling out of mouths before things took a turn. A violent yowling broke the silence followed by the urgent sounds of beeping. The jagged lines became sporadic as Fundy began to jerk in Ponk's arms, foam spilling out from between his lips. Wilbur could only watch in abject horror as tears streaked down his cheeks.

No.

No. no. no. no. no. Not Fundy. Not his friend.

Fundy gives one final twitch before going limp, sagging in Ponk's arms. The line on the monitors that had been bouncing sporadically, went flat, followed by a continuous beep, that felt like screaming in Wilbur's ears.

Ponk set the child down, rolling up his gown before starting chest compressions. "Defibrilator." He barked. "Now."

Someone ran off before coming back with the machine. Ponk was swift with applying the stickers to Fundy's chest. He didn't waste time. "Clear." He pressed the button sending electricity through the child, making him jerk unnaturally on the mattress. "Come on Fundy, breathe for me." He muttered to himself. The machine continued flatlining and Ponk took a shaky breathe. "Come on, come on. Clear!" The kit's body jerked upwards and Ponk's face flew up to look at the monitor.

Still nothing. Seconds went by, each one was agony. Waiting. Hoping.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Ponk's body collapses on the bed next to Fundy in relief. He stared at the steady rise and fall of Fundy's chest in disbelief. He reaches a hand out and wraps it around one of Fundy's paws, "See, I've got you. Nothing to be afraid of."

Wilbur doesn't think the doctor's comforting words were meant for the unconscious cub.

~~~~~

Ponk paced in frustration. The experiment with Fundy hadn't produced any new results. It only placed the fox cub in a hospital bed, as he recovered from his near death experience. But Schlatt was still pushing, and time was of the essence. Ponk's attention was now fully turned on Wilbur.

He stopped his pacing, and gave Wilbur a curious look from where he sat on the floor, picture books stacked around him. He walks over to Wilbur and sits down criss cross, his hands resting on his knees. "Okay kid, I need you to start working with me here. I need you to start using your words."

Wilbur's eyes widened and he shook his head adamantly.

"I know it's scary. But it's really important." Ponk sighs, running a hand through his hair. "If you don't start talking, then I don't know what I'll do. I might have to do another experiment on Fundy and-"

"No."

Ponk froze, not having heard the boy's voice in months, (even though he was sure he'd seen the boy whispering to Fundy on numerous occasions.)

"No. No you're right. I don't want to do that again either." Wilbur looked satisfied, but just for a second, before Ponk starts speaking again. "But I'll need your help. If you don't use your voice... Schlatt will force my hand." Ponk takes the boys hands in his own. "You want to keep Fundy safe. Don't you?"

Wilbur nods his head slowly.

"Then I need you to start speaking for me."

Tears glistened at the corner's of Wilbur's eyes.

"Okay."

~~~~~

They start with animals. Like the hamster from before. They place them in front of Wilbur and ask him to tell them to do different tasks. The animals always listen to him. It makes him feel uneasy, but, Wilbur is just happy Fundy is back and healthy again. They hadn't done anymore experiments on him, giving him plenty of time to romp and play. He liked messing with Ponk in particular . Since the experiment he'd seemed to grow more attached to the man. Wilbur had been the opposite, crawling deeper into his shell. He didn't interact with Ponk during his visits (they didn't go on outings anymore, staying trapped in their tiny pastel room.) Fundy didn't seem to notice.

The doctors all mutter things to each other under their breath as if Wilbur couldn't hear them. He saw flashes of fear in their eyes when the animals did as they were told. But men of knowledge are always being propelled forward, never content, never sated. They just wanted more, more, more. And Wilbur was forced to give, or else Fundy would pay the price.

They started human trials. They made him practice his ablities on other children to better understand the limits to his abilities. He hadn't known there were other children here, besides him and Fundy. He wished for that ignorance again, because he didn't like the way he made them cry.

They learned several things from these trials. Wilbur's commands were not permanent, they worked for maybe a minute, generally less. Other discoveries included that overuse of his abilities effected his throat, making him sore and hoarse for days afterward. And, he couldn't make people do things they didn't want to do. Well. things they really didn't want to do. The scientists seemed disappointed when Wilbur couldn't force one child to hit the other.

They still needed more. Ponk said the next experiment would be easy. Wilbur would hardly have to do anything. Wilbur vowed to never believe the man again when they shoved him into a scary tube and told him to stay completely still for the next hour. He squeezed his eyes shut as he heard loud whirring noises all around him as the machine went to work. Ponk said it was taking a picture of his brain. Wilbur wondered why anyone would want to know what a brain looked like.

The next couple days Wilbur passed in the labs. He sat still and kept quiet while they ran tests. The scientists buzzed with untold exitement as if they were on the brink of something big. Wilbur found out what it was after seventy-two hours. They found a way to make him stronger. They found out a way to make people do things they did not want to do. He could see in their eyes how much they feared their own creation.

Wilbur was afraid of what they saw too.

~~~~~

Schlatt came to visit. He looks out of place amongst the bright colors and fuzzy stuffed animals. The harsh lines of his face clashed with the softness of the fox boy who stood in front of him, staring with large curious eyes. Schlatt walks passed the boy, almost pushing him over in the process. He steps directly in front of Wilbur while Ponk watched from the sidelines, trying his best to still his restless hands.

Wilbur gives the man an obstanant glare refusing to cower like he had during their last altercation. Schlatt looked bored, "Show me what you can do." He nods his head at Fundy, "Order the animal to do something."

Fundy's ears go down as he looks at Wilbur unsurely, Wilbur had never used his powers on him before. He wasn't about to start now.

"No."

"No?" Schlatt raises an eyebrow before glancing at Ponk, "Seems to me your little projects need more training." Wilbur doesn't have enough time to react before he gets a boot to the ribs. He lays on the floor stunned, trying and failing to gasp air back into his lungs while Schlatt lowers his foot back to the ground, expression unchanged. "I wasn't asking, I said, show me what you can do." He annunciates every syllable as if Wilbur hadn't understood the first time.

Wilbur pulls himself back up, still struggling to get air back into his lungs, his eyes brimming with fire, "No."

The boot lands on his chest once again, this time staying in place. It pins Wilbur to the floor like a needle through a bug. The corners of Schlatt's eyebrows forrow, the first indicator of his rage. "I'm not playing games kid," His foot presses down harder, and Wilbur is filled with the sudden fear that his ribs might crack.

"Get off me." The words tear through him, acting more on instinct than anything else.

Schlatt immediately removes his foot . "You shouldn't have done that, kid." It takes him exactly two seconds to turn on Fundy and back hand him across the face. The toddler collapses to the ground, the moment of silence before the kit's eventual sobs was deafening. Schlatt pressed a boot across the Fundy's back before tilting his head and looking up at Ponk. "What does this one do again Ponk? Eat. Sleep. Shit?" He didn't look impressed.

Wilbur stays where he is, frozen in place even though he wasn't the subject of Schlatt's attention anymore. He makes eye contact with Ponk. before the doctor straightens up to make a response. "He talks sir. The child's blood made him go through changes. He has more human characteristics such as apposable thumbs and an altered bone structure. Several tests have proven that he's also highly intelligent."

Schlatt presses down harder on the crying fox cub, making the child even more hysterical. "So he's useless to me." He sneered at Wilbur when he said those words. "You know what I do to things I have no use for, Ponk."

Ponk stands in place, hands finally stilled, balled up into fists at his side. Schlatt looks at him expectantly. "Well?"

"You throw them away. Sir." Ponk looks away from Wilburs wide eyes, as if he couldn't bear to look at the child.

"That's right," Schlatt eases his foot off of Fundy before closing in on Ponk. He sets a hand on Ponk's shoulder, firmly, as if to keep him from running away. "Fix the fox," Than he gives Wilbur one last icy grin, "And teach that boy some manners. You know how I feel about defective tools."

~~~~~

Wilbur screamed when they took Fundy away. He would've done more if they hadn't placed a gag in his mouth, preventing him from using his powers. He clawed and kicked and screamed, snot seeping from his nose and streaks of salty tears flowing down his face. He behaved like a wild animal, and guards had to hold him down against the ground so that he didn't chase after them.

They were giving Fundy another blood infusion. The fox boy had received as much of Wilbur's DNA as he could take. Another infusion from Wilbur could prove lethal with no room for change. So, Ponk decided to use the blood of one of his other experiments. The results were... unpleasant.

Fundy's heart stopped working. Again. They had to give him immediate open heart surgery to get him going again. It was a close call, but the boy lived.

Three days. Three days Wilbur spent in a near catatonic state. He didn't eat. He didn't sleep. If he did anything at all, he cried. Ponk got sick of it, so he gave in. He took Wilbur out of the pastel room, that he was really starting to outgrow, and took him to see his friend.

There was a nurse in the room when they arrived. She was ministrating to whoever resided behind the drawn gray curtain. Wilbur felt hesitant, waiting there by the door, hiding behind Ponk's large white doctor's coat. It felt ominous, the way the curtain kept his friend out of sight.

"Would you give us a second alone?" Ponk asked the nurse with a polite smile.

"Just don't keep him up too long." She frowned, "He needs his rest." Even though Wilbur's eyes were lowered to the cement floor, he could hear the ladie's heels click from the room into the echoing corridor.

Ponk squeezed his hand, "Alright Wilbur, you wanna see him?"

That was all he'd wanted for the past couple of days. But, now that he was actually here, he wasn't so sure. Ponk adjusted his grip on the boy's hand, "It's okay, I'll go up with you. He really wants to see you too."

The last sentence seals his resolve. "Okay."

Ponk leads him slowly up to the bed. He drags the curtain back to reveal a small body swaddled in white sheets. Fundy's fur looks different somehow. More clumpy and less vibrant. His eyes were bloodshot as well, they were drooping at the sides as if he was fighting to stay awake. The most noticible difference Wilbur saw was the slightly browned bandages with little plastic bags hanging out the sides filled slightly with pink liquid. He felt sick.

"Wilbur!!!" Fundy's eyes lit up at the sight of his friend.

Wilbur knew he should probably say something, but all he could do was stare. He was particularly fixated on the bit of gunk that resting at the edge of Fundy's left eye. "Wilbur?" The boy sounded confused. It pushed Wilbur over the edge.

Wilbur grabbed onto Ponk's coat and gave it a short tug. "I wanna go."

Ponk forrowed his eyebrows, "But Wilbur-"

"Take me back to my room."

Fundy sat up in his bed with bleary eyes. "Wilbur. Don't go Wilbur."

But it was already too late, Ponk took Wilbur by the hand and lead him back into the hallway. They crossed paths with the nurse who hadn't gotten very far. "Done already?" Ponk didn't respond, pulling Wilbur quickly along behind him. They were half way back to the room when Wilbur's voice wore off.

Ponk stopped abruptly, causing Wilbur to almost crash into him. He spun around on the boy with a single word on his tongue. "Why?"

The tears rolling down his cheeks were enough of an answer. Wilbur launched himself at the man's stomach and buried his head into the doctor's abdomen. "That- he- he didn't look like Fundy." He sobbed, shoulders trembling. "He didn't look like Fundy, Ponk."

Ponk wrapped his arms around Wilbur, "It's gonna be okay Wilbur."

Wilbur was getting sick of his lies.

~~~~~

Wilbur is going to leave, of that fact, he is sure. He couldn't stay here, waiting for one of these experiments to kill him... or worse... kill Fundy.

A month after the operation, Fundy had returned. He was different now, in obvious ways but also in ways Wilbur couldn't express with words. Fundy now had a long thin scar that began right underneath his collarbone and reached to his sturnum. The fur there was patchy, if it grew at all. It didn't seem to bother Fundy. In fact, the boy seemed to be more energetic than ever. The catalyst, Wilbur thought, was Fundy's new powers.

The operation had been a success. Fundy had inherited some of the power from his donor. He liked to prank people with it, always going invisible before Ponk entered the room, only to appear again, right in front of the doctor, causing him to trip and fall on numerous occasions, or door on surprise. The fox cub would burst into laughter clutching at his stomach, as he giggled through his joy. Wilbur didn't join in. The pranks were just reminders. Reminders that he could've lost his brother due to the cowardice of a doctor and the greed of a suited man.

Shortly after Fundy came back, Schlatt started making regular visits. Wilbur was stunned to find that the kit wasn't terrified of the man. Instead he went up to greet the man with a tight hug and excited words. Schlatt would just pat his head with a fond smile on his face. Apparently Schlatt had started visiting Fundy during his month of recovery and he was "really nice now." Or. That's what Fundy whispered to him when they stayed up passed lights out.

Wilbur wondered what Schlatt's motives were with his sudden "change of heart." He'd started to try and talk to Wilbur during their visits. Compliment his progress with controlling his powers, offer advice or a gentle ear. A pat on the back. Wilbur didn't even try to hide it when he flinched away. Schlatt frowned, before setting his attentions back on Fundy. Wilbur didn't like the way that Schlatt looked at Fundy. Like the boy was a gamble that had finally paid off.

Wilbur tried to explain it to Fundy as the boy snuck under his blankets to avoid the prying eyes of the night cam. Schlatt was just trying to trick them. He didn't love Fundy, he just wanted the boy to love and listen to him. All those nice things he'd been saying to the kit had just been an elaborate ruse.

Wilbur almost regretted it when Fundy's eyes welled up with tears. "You're- You're lying. You're just jealous because Schlatt likes me more than you."

"What?" Wilbur looked at the cub incredulously "No. No, Fundy, he's just a bad person."

Fundy's bottom lip quivered as he jutted it out, "Stop be'in mean to Schlatt. He's a good person Wilbur, a good person. He's even been teaching me letters-"

"I taught you your letters first!" Wilbur whispered harshly.

This left Fundy stumped for a few seconds, "Well not very good. Schlatt teaches me my letters really good."

Wilbur dropped it, classifying that conversation as a lost cause. Fundy was growing far too attached to Schlatt. Wilbur worried. He worried that given the chance, Fundy wasn't going to leave the compound. Wilbur needed to figure out a way to convince him to run away. When he left, he needed his baby brother to come with him.

~~~~~

Wilbur's powers kept growing.

Human trials were getting boring, predictable, especially now that Schlatt was sitting in on all their sessions. The man changed the tone of the sessions. Instead of the methodical way the scientists had been trying to uncover the extent of his abilities, Schlatt made him spar. Wilbur had to quickly learn how to fight back against bigger and stronger apponents, using his powers to his advantage. He often would end those sessions mottled with bruises tasting blood in his mouth. Schlatt would pat him on the shoulder on the days he won the matches. "Keep up the good work."

On the days that he lost he would receive an icy glare that warned of misfortune. He tried not to lose.

With each passing day, Wilbur lost less and less until victory was assured in every round. He was agile, quick on his feet, and thought outside the box. A well oiled fighting machine. Fundy followed closely behind.

Fundy received his own training. His endurance and stealth increased tenfold as he partook in his own matches. However, where Wilbur spurned Schlatt's attentions, Fundy welcomed it with open arms. He soaked up the man's praise, yammering on about it to Wilbur whenever he gave Fundy a truly exceptional compliment. It made Wilbur sick how Fundy looked at Schlatt with adoring eyes. How he worshipped a monster. Wilbur kept his mouth shut. He didn't try to dissuade Fundy from his affections anymore, since all it really accomplished was driving him away from the boy.

Instead, Wilbur started filling the boy's head with thoughts of a life outside the compound. He shared stories he overheard from the guards. He shared facts he read in books. He painted a pretty picture of fresh air and freedom. A life they could live if only they left under the cover of dark.

Fundy frowned, "Can we take Schlatt with us too?"

Wilbur looked appalled, before schooling his expression into something softer and more understanding, "No Fundy, Schlatt can't come with us."

"Why not?"

Wilbur sighed at the boy's one track mind, "Because, he doesn't want us to leave the compound. Schlatt wants to keep us here forever."

"Oh." The fox boy pondered the thought for a little while, "Well then I'll stay here with Schlatt. You can still go though. The outside sure sounds like fun, make sure to tell me all about it when you come back. Kay?"

Wilbur stomped away from the boy in frustration. He just couldn't get through to him, no matter how hard he tried. He'd have to think of another way to get him to come along without tattling to Schlatt.

~~~~~

Schlatt had Wilbur and Fundy start sparing together. It was unfair, Wilbur had the advantage with size and power. Fundy didn't stand a chance against him. Schlatt just sat back in his chair with a self satisfied smirk. Wilbur shifted from foot to foot, giving Ponk a worried look. Ponk did as he always did, turning away with a guilt ridden expression.

Fundy stood across from Wilbur, fists held up in a beginning stance. He had a determined lilt to his brow, fear tucked neatly out of sight. He didn't hesitate when he heard the tinny sound of the buzzer.

Any traces of Fundy immediately disappeared. Wilbur tried to follow the boy with ears, listening for the sound of small feet slapping against the cement ground. He turned and tried to block where he thought the boy had gone, instead leaving his gut completely open. A small fist dug straight into his abdomen, succesfully knocking the air out of him and leaving him stunned. A second punch clocked him in the side of the jaw, and he felt a sharp pain as his teeth dug into his lip.

Wilbur came to a realization right then and their. Fundy wasn't going to hold back. He's was going straight for the kill.

Before the boy could get another hit in, Wilbur swiped his foot around the boys general direction, earning him an "oof" as Fundy fell to the ground.

Wilbur took a step back, getting out of Fundy's range. He wanted to end the match as fast as possible, but knowing Schlatt, he probably wouldn't take to kindly to Wilbur abusing his powers. Schlatt didn't think a match deserved to be over until someone drew blood. Maybe if he gave Fundy a quick blow to the head and knocked him unconscious he could end the match with minimal pain.

Wilbur was still lost in his thoughts when an invisible fist connected with his ribs. He side stepped, feeling the whoosh of a second punch that never met its mark.

"Are you going to keep running away, or are you going to fight back you coward." Schlatt jeered from the sidelines.

Wilbur tossed Schlatt a glare as he sidestepped another punch. Fundy had forgotten to silence his footsteps making it easier to guess where the next few punches would be. Wilbur blocked each on with ease, gaining the upper hand. Wilbur had a general idea where Fundy was, so he threw a hard punch trying to knock the boy in the jaw. It would assure a swift knockput and victory.

Wilbur misjudged. He heard Fundy cry out as he crumbled to the ground fully visible once again. He clutched his nose which was gushing blood into his palms. He gave a pained whined before smothering it up when he looked over to Schlatt for guidance. Schlatt remained impassive, reclined in his chair as he watched the match unfold.

Wilbur looked down at his fist. Blood was dribbling down it in oozing drips. Fundy's blood. He'd hurt Fundy and the match wasn't over yet, not until one of them stayed down on the ground. Fundy wasn't going to let it be him.

Fundy scrubbed his nose with his sleeve before hauling himself back to his feet. He wobbled a little, before he shook the dizziness away and stood straight up, alert. Fundy used his powers and dissapeared again, but Wilbur could still see droplets of blood spattering onto the cement floor. Fundy's camouflage only worked on the things he was attached to, so, if Wilbur just followed the trail of blood... Wilbur hesitated. No, no he wasn't going to fight his little brother. Schlatt couldn't make him. He was done with this game.

A fist connected with his rib, causing him to stumble back.

Schlatt sat up in his chair, his apathy vanished replaced by annoyance, "Come on, finish what you started Wilbur."

"I'm done fighting." The words rang out almost echoing in the large cement room.

Fundy reappeared to wilbur's side, the boy giving a questioning glance. Was the fight over? Schlatt looked livid, "I get to say when you're done. Fundy, finish him off," he growled.

Fundy looked back at Wilbur, nose stilling seeping blood, so that it dribbled down his lips to his chin, "Will you gotta fight me." He whispered.

"I won't." Wilbur refused, "Fundy, listen to Schlatt."

"But-"

"Boys I'm getting tired of waiting," Schlatt complained from the sidelines, "You better get started, or, do you need some motivation." The threat was clear to the both of them. Fundy went rigid with fear.

"Come on Fundy," Wilbur encouraged, "Just aim for my jaw, you'll get a swifter knock out."

Fundy's bottom lip trembled before his face went back to nuetral as he stuffed down his feelings. Once again, he faded out of sight. A couple seconds later, Wilbur was on the ground with ringing ears. One punch hadn't been enough to knock him flat, so Fundy had to plant three. The buzzer sounded again signaling the end of the match. Wilbur was distantly aware of the fact Schlatt was showering Fundy with praises, or that the fox child was responding to them bashfully. He was vaguely aware of the flourescent lights above him that were far to bright, maybe it wouldn't hurt his head so much if he just closed his eyes...

Someone jerked him up by the collar of his shirt. "What do you think you're trying to pull, kid?" Schlatt hissed into his ear. Wilbur blinked his eyes, trying to get the blurry room to come back into focus. Ponk and Fundy had apparently left already. He was alone with Schlatt he realized, as dread pooled in his bones. "Acting like a saint is going to get you nowhere good. You'll start listening to me if you know what's good for you."

"No-"

Schlatt backhands him across the face, filling his vision with stars. He would've fell straight on his ass if the man hadn't been forcefully holding him up by his collar. "Do not test me boy."

"I won't hit Fundy," Wilbur couldn't get his tongue to move right so his speech sounded slurred, "You can't make me."

"We'll see about that." Schlatt said with a nasty smile dropping his grip on Wilbur's shirt. He slid his belt off in one swift motion before folding it into one meaty hand. "We'll see about that, kid."

~~~~~

Everyday Wilbur's body was painted with new bruises. Everytime Wilbur refused to fight against Fundy, Schlatt would beat him black and blue. Wilbur was starting to yield. There was only so many beatings a child could bare. Plus, Fundy was starting to get angry with him.

"Why won't you fight with me Wilbur?" Fundy asked while Ponk applied ointments to Wilbur's new bruises. His skin was now differents shades of purple, yellow, and green, almost every inch was marred by the unnatural shades.

"I don't want to hurt you."

Fundy pouted, "Schlatt says I'm a good fighter. As good as you." Wilbur frowned, "He says I won't be able to reach my full Po-tent-chal if you don't fight me." Fundy struggles with the big word, but seems self satisfied when he uses it "correctly."

Wilbur doesn't have the energy to be angry with Schlatt anymore. He just shakes his head as Ponk helps ease his shirt back down over his body. "Fundy, I don't want to fight you."

"Fine," Fundy huffs, "I don't want to fight you either. It's boring." He says the last bit with the same inflection as Schlatt. It sent shivers down Wilbur's spine. Wilbur needed to get Fundy away from here, before Schlatt was able to sink his claws into him any further.

~~~~~

Schlatt was planning something. Wilbur wasn't sure what it was, but he knew it had to be big. There was a certain tension that was felt all across the compound. This feeling of waiting. Wilbur didn't want to be there when the other pin dropped.

Wilbur had a plan. In his seven years living at the compound he'd been in everywhere at least once. He'd mapped it out as best he could in his head, giving him a good idea of the layout of the mammoth building. Those early excursions with Ponk contributed largely to it, he had at least that to thank the doctor for , if nothing else.

Wilbur had realized he couldn't convince Fundy to come with him voluntarily. The boy had been too thoroughly brainwashed. He was attached to Schlatt by the hip it seemed.

Just the other day after one of Schlatt's beatings Fundy had approached him. While Wilbur lay curled up on his side, nursing sore ribs, Fundy spoke his mind. "Schlatt wouldn't have to do this to you if you just listened to him." The boy frowned as if this was the most simple concept in the world. "He could love you just like he loves me. You just have to deserve it."

"He doesn't love you." Wilbur shoots back through gritted teeth. He says it thoughtlessy, mind hazy with the pain.

Wilbur wait for anger to flash through the boys eyes. Or maybe doubt. He's met with neither, just steely indifference. Fundy rolled his eyes. "He already warned me about your lies Wilbur. I'm not stupid."

"I'm not lying ," Wilbur bristled, defending himself. Schlatt had been speaking ill of him in front of Fundy? Was he trying set them against eachother?

"Yes you are." Fundy insisted. "He loves me Wilbur. He loves me because I earned it."

Wilbur wanted to fight back. He wanted to wring Fundy by his neck, and convince him it wasn't true. He wanted to defend himself.

"Fine."

Defeated, he turns around to face the pastel wall. That was as much privacy as he could get in this godforsaken prison. He let the matter rest. He didn't need Fundy's permission to take him with him.

Ponk, though anxious, was not the most observant. Wilbur had stolen a couple syringes along with a tiny bottle filled with clear liquid, slipping it into the front of his shorts when the doctor wasn't looking. He'd decided he'd put Fundy to sleep, he'd seen the doctors do it enough times. Wilbur knew how to find a vein. He would probably even have help by the permanent tracks in Fundy's arms .

He'd debated using his voice on Fundy, but decided against it. He'd figured it would be more damaging in the long run. Fundy wouldn't be able to look at him the same way in the future if he used his powers on him without his consent. Plus he doubted he would be able to maintain the focus of using his voice on Fundy at the same as the guards or whoever else he might run into .

Wilbur also decided that it would be best to go under the cover of night. There were the least amount of people at the compound during the night hours. Less bodies to run into. They would run to the west wing, it mostly just held supplies, medical and janitorial stuff. There was only a couple guards stationed there since there was a backdoor leading to a small courtyard. From there he would sneak with Fundy over to the main gate. He would use his voice to make them let him out. From there... he didn't know. The outside world was still one big unknown to Wilbur, he'd just have to figure it out along the way.

But first came the beginning of his plan. Ponk would unknowingly let them out using his key -card. He had a habit of visiting at lights out to tuck them in. It had started around the time Fundy had been introduced to the room. The kit had been terrified of the dark and the doctor had felt sorry.

"Wilbur? Fundy?" Ponk's shadow peaked into the room .

Wilbur slipped the syringe underneath a pillow next to its twin, hiding it from view. Fundy lay slumped over in his lap, breaths heavy, slow, and peaceful. Wilbur pressed a finger to his lips, shushing the doctor. Ponk steps all the way into the room, shutting the door softly behind him.

"Asleep already?" Ponk crouches down next to the Fox child and runs a fond hand through his ginger fur, "He must've tuckered himself out wrestling with Schlatt earlier today." He runs a gentle finger across the boy's snout, making him twitch his nose before falling back into rest. "I havn't seen him sleep this heavily since he was just a cub." Ponk looks up at Wilbur, eyes passing over the boy's face. "You two have grown so much the past couple years. To think, in a couple years, I might night not recognise you." His laugh is feather soft, barely audible in the stillness of the dark room.

"You look exactly the same." Wilbur says blandly, running his own hands through his brother's velvety coat. He doesn't meet the doctor's eyes.

"I suppose I do." Ponk says contemplatively before a small smile creeps across his face, "Though I swear you boys have given me a couple gray hairs."

Silence... followed by, "Ponk."

"Yes Wilbur?" Ponk's eyes are too focused on Wilbur's face to pay attention to where Wilbur's hand snuck underneath a pillow, fingers wrapping around something cold.

"Thank you for always being kind." The syringe easily slides into the skin of the doctors neck. The dosage might be slightly off, Wilbur didn't know how much adults needed compared to kids. He sincerley hoped it didn't hurt the man.

Ponk's hand flew up to his neck , yanking out the syringe, but it was already too late, the drugs were already in his blood stream. His eyes were wide as he slumped to the side, losing his balance in slow motion. "Wilbur?"

Wilbur sets Fundy down so he can pull the lanyard off of Ponk's neck and retrieve the key-card attached to it. Ponk's face drooped as the drugs took effect, knocking him out within seconds. Now, time for the hard part.

Wilbur places the lanyard over his neck before hoisting Fundy's unconscious body over his shoulders. He was heavy, two thirds of Wilbur's body weight, but he managed. He jogged over to the door, awkwardly placing the key-card into the reader without dropping Fundy. There was an audible click, and Wilbur swung the door open, catching it with his shoulder and stepping through.

The hall was dim and eery. It was also blessedly empty. Wilbur shifted his grip on Fundy before starting his trek down the winding corridors.

Wilbur moved carefully, each step purposeful, as he kept the pads of his feet from making any sound . He saw a couple guards making their rounds, but he was able to remain hidden in the shadows of corners and they unwittingly passed him by. What was the trickier battle was staying out of sight of the cameras. His path zigzagged as he kept his body out of their line of sight. The body across his shoulders feeling heavier by the second.

Wilbur cut around one final corner when he was met with three beefy guards. One of them stepped towards him grabbing for his baton, "Hey! What are you doing out here?"

Wilbur inhales. "Sleep." All three guards fall like ragdolls, limbs sprawled out across the floor. They wouldn't be for long. Wilbur still didn't fully understand the limits to his powers, so it was better not to test them.

Wilbur stepped over them, trying not to trip on their bodies as he tried to reach the door on the other end. Wilbur shifts Fundy down, leaning him up against the wall as he puts his hand on the door handle. Fundy shifts in his sleep , uncomfortable with the new position. Wilbur's fingers tighten and he tugs the door open.

Sirens start blaring and the dim lights go flashing red. He'd tripped an alarm somehow, they would be after them soon. Wilbur turned to pick Fundy back up, but paused when he saw the boy's fluttering eyes. "Wilbur, where are we?"

Wilbur's stomach drops. No. The drugs were supposed to keep him knocked out for at least another thirty minutes. He wasn't supposed to be awake yet. Low grunts indicated the guards were waking up behind them. They needed to go. Now.

"Fundy, I don't have time to explain now. But you need to trust me." Fundy just stared at him through squinted eyes, looking disoriented and confused . Wilbur grabs his wrist. "Follow me."

The noise dies down once they shut the door behind them. The wind was blowing hard, the strong gusts seemed to bring Fundy back to alertness. The sirens became a background noise, as the sounds of the night overwhelmed them.

"Wilbur?"

Wilbur presses a finger to his lips and the Fox boy complies. Wilbur sneaks, keeping their bodies closely pressed to the walls as they circle the compound. He tries to keep them blended with the shadows kept out of sight. He forces Fundy and himself to stop in their tracks when a group of guards jog passed. They don't spot them.

"Why are we hiding?" Fundy hisses in Wilbur's ears .

"Because." Wilbur wracks his brain for an excuse, "Because there are bad people who snuck in the compound. Ponk wants us to stay out of sight so we don't get caught. He told us to go hide."

Fundy looked at him skeptically, "You're lying again. Aren't you?"

Wilbur silently cursed, Fundy wasn't a baby anymore , he could tell when Wilbur wasn't telling the truth. "I need you to trust me Fundy."

He must've sensed the seriousness in Wilbur's voice because he let it go, "Okay."

Wilbur led the way, Fundy sneaking unaided behind him. They were in the homestretch. Turning the corner , Wilbur saw the main gates. It was lit up with bright lights, and around two dozen guards swarmed the area. Wilbur had never used his voice on that many before. He glanced back at Fundy. He had to try, and time was running short.

Wilbur stepped into the light. The guards caught sight of him quick enough. Soon, he had a handful of guns leveled at him. "Don't move." One of the guards spoke up, "Don't move or we'll shoot." He sounded scared, as if the ten year old who stood before them was a fearsome sight .

Little did the man know, Wilbur didn't have to move to use his powers. Wilbur focused his power on the men in front of him, "Sleep." The men collapsed in a heep and Wilbur almost followed suit. Using his voice on that many people at once had left him drained beyond belief. But they weren't done yet. "Come on Fundy, follow me."

"Not so fast."

A chill ran up his spine as he turned around. Schlatt stood on the other side of Fundy, flanked by two guards. "Where do you think you're going?" His voice was low and deadly calm.

Wilbur's eyes settled on Fundy, who looked between them with wide eyes, still a but unsteady on his feet. "Fundy, we're leaving." Wilbur told the boy firmly .

"But Schlatt-"

"Come here." The voice slips out of its own accord. Fundy has no choice but to walk over to his brother.

The guards raise to aim their guns but Schlatt raises a hand, "Stand down." Schlatt settles his eyes on Fundy. "Is this true? Are you leaving me?" He had the audacity to sound hurt.

Fundy looks to Wilbur then back to Schlatt. He takes a step away from Wilbur. "It's not true."

A smile spreads across Schlatt's face, "I'm glad. You chose the right thing Fundy." Then he turns on Wilbur, "Why don't you help your friend Wilbur make the right choice as well."

Fundy bobs his head with understanding before turning on Wilbur. "Lets go back inside, Wilbur."

Wilbur's head spins. He'd been planning for this for so long. And it had all fallen apart in a matter of moments. He couldn't have it all be for nothing. He's was going to leave, with or without Fundy. "No."

Fundy frowned taking a step closer. "You can go by yourself or I can take you by force." It was almost comical hearing those words from such a tiny boy. But Wilbur knew he wasn't joking. He had a firm set to his jaw, resigned to fight him if need be.

Wilbur turned tail and ran.

"After him!" He heard Schlatt roar.

Fundy had the upper hand here. He was faster than Wilbur and always had the element of surprise. A small limb got between his feet, sending him sprawling to the ground . Fundy immediatlely straddled him, fingers wrapping around his wrists to keep him in place. Wilbur bucked, trying to get the small boy off of him but was rewarded with an elbow to the temple instead. He heard the steps of Schlatt and his guards getting closer. It was either now or never .

"Get off me."

Fundy slid off him with a snarl. The boy's eyes were tainted with rage as Wilbur stood back to his feet. Wilbur didn't have to aim his next word, letting it rest on everybody present. "Stay."

"You won't be gone long." Schlatt bellowed from where he stood. "We'll track you down, and when we do, I swear I'll make you regret the day you were born."

Wilbur ignored the man's comment as he stumbled away. He was weak and he was dizzy. He felt like he was going to pass out. But he was going to make it out of here. And despite what Schlatt said, he was never coming back.

~~~~~

 

The outside wasn't anything like Wilbur expected. It wasn't vibrant. The air wasn't fresh. In fact, a lot of the smells made him feel sick to his stomach. Wilbur didn't feel free. He felt... lost.

 

He tried approaching some people. He told them he was hungry. They told him to screw off and try and bum a meal off somebody else who actually gave a shit. Wilbur had never had to find a meal for himself before. He'd never had to feel hungry. They always fed him at regular intervals at the compound. They kept him healthy.

 

Wilbur got sick for the first time in his life in the streets of Manburg. He ate something he'd thought was food only to puke it up a few hours later. He felt like he was burning up and freezing at the same time. He felt like his head was going to explode. He felt like he was going wretch his stomach out through his throat. He felt like he was dying.

 

Delirious with fever, the sight of any passerby sent him into a panic. He used his voice without abondon, forcing anyone who got too close to go away. He suffered, hungry, sick, and cold, huddled up in crevice between two houses. He was going to die out here, he thought. Hopeless tears filled his eyes. What was the point of escaping if he couldn't even keep himself alive?

 

Wilbur went completely still. While his eyes were blurry with tears, a figure had snuck into the crevice with him, only a few steps away. Wilbur scurries back, further against the wall. "Stay back!" His voice came out hoarse with overuse. The command was weak, but the man still complied.

 

Wilbur could see him clearer now. He he was a muscular man with bright green hair. (Wilbur didnt know hair grew in that color.) He looked curiously at the boy in front of him. "I heard you've been causing quite the ruckus, using your powers on anybody who crosses your path." He says it playfully, as if amused by the prospect.

 

"Go away." Wilbur spits out weakly, he doesn't have enough strength to muster up the voice this time.

 

The man knelt down beside Wilbur placing a hand to his forehead. "You're burning up ."

 

"I kin take care of m'self." Wilbur's words slurred together as he lulled his head away from the mans meaty hand.

 

"Sure you can." The man said with an indulgent smile. "But I'd feel bad leaving a sick child all alone in the street like this." Hands wrapped around his back and legs, and Wilbur was hoisted into the air. "Lets clean you up a bit and get you into a nice warm bed. How's that sound? Hm?"

 

Wilbur pushed at the mans, arms feeling more like jello than limbs , "Put me down. I don' need your help."

 

The man just chuckles. "You sound just as stubborn as Phil's kid. But I'm afraid I can't do that." His face darkens, "After all , you've got the hero commision on your tail."

 

Wilbur stops his squirming. Schlatt was making good on his promise then. They were looking for him.

 

"Now I don't know what the hero commision would want with a little boy, but if I had to take a guess, it's nothing good." The man's arms tighten around him, not enough to be uncomfortable though, "Don't worry, I won't let them get to you. I like to follow my own moral code."

 

The man's face softened once again. "Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. You can call me Sam."

https://archiveofourown.org/works/60049984/chapters/160497250

[bittersnsweetz]

You said you like ace attorney... do you have thoughts on Trucy and/or Athena (and/or Kay Faraday if you've played the Investigations game, but no worries if not)? They are my chaos girlies and I would protect them with my life.

Oh boy do I like ace attorney...

I have many thoughts on all of them although as of right now I am still formulating my opinion on Kay (I haven't finished Investigations yet!)

Trucy is absolutely darling and I love everything about her. I think her implementation into the story is interesting, I think her becoming Phoenix's adoptive daughter is extremely heartwarming and her dynamic with Apollo is probably one of my favourite protag/weird girl dynamics aside from phoenix and maya who ultimately have my heart and soul - that said, I do think a lot of her backstory with her mother and Zak could have been fleshed out more (I just think the plot + growth of the characters in AJ get lost after the last episode and it makes me sad), and I would have loved to see more done with her in terms of her magician aspirations in the later games as well as her relationship with Phoenix and more importantly Apollo after finding out they were half-siblings -- also her meeting people like Maya and Pearl and having more interactions just with characters that Phoenix already knew would have been awesome to see

Athena is a character who I feel had a lot of potential, but ultimately felt lackluster and not because of any fault of her own, but because of how the writers and game devs portrayed her. Her personality isnt anything special, and her relationship with Juniper is extremely bittersweet but doesnt really lead anywhere meaningful in terms of the game's narrative, and it's partially for those reasons I feel like she doesn't really stick like the other protagonists and sidekicks do. Dont get me wrong, i LOVE her gimmick, but capcom just didnt do enough with it, they didnt do a good job establishing it, they didnt do a good job of exploring how it could be used not just in the courtroom but in conversation with people during investigation scenes. the lore of her and Blackquill's past was very intriguing to me though and I just wish they had done more or stuck with her as a protagonist more. Athena just wasnt given enough period and Im sad about it because she could have been something so special and cool but instead she was just. there. with a gimmick that felt out of place BECAUSE it hadnt been given the right amount of time to be really solid (i have my own thoughts about apollo and athena's abilities and how they were framed in the game's narrative but thats for a separate post)

I find Kay and Edgeworth's dynamic adorable and fucking hilarious and i am going to get through Investigations just so i can really sort out how i feel about them but thats the long and short of it!!! Hope this provided a unique insight and thank you so much for the ask. I love to analyse/rant/ramble about these silly characters

[victimeyez]

Me and my buddy stumbled on your writing andnow we're hate reading just to see how low you're willing to go for the shock factor. So far the Enema Bag Shiver is the funniest, it has turned into our favorite character so far, but the #1 is still the toddler costume for the pedophile implications. To be honest its brave you included that in a story all about kinks you personally have :D Anyway I'm sure its important to the plot too. Keep up the good work. Looking forward to saturday :)

Idk man, kinda sounds like you're my biggest fan.

This story has not been updated regularly until very recently, and It's been ongoing for almost a year. Are you on my taglist? Would you like to be?

I'm not sure how you would stumble across my content. No one has a strictly My Little Pony blog and then randomly reblogs my work. Everything I write is tagged to hell and back, and is exclusively shared within the whump community. Obviously something attracts you to whump, and I write whump. My blog is labeled Dead Dove: Do Not Eat. If you look in the bag and yell at me that you find a dead dove in there, that's not on me.

You have to be actively checking my blog, because you've sent me multiple anon messages, and check to see if I've answered them. When I don't within a few days, you still want my attention so you send more. You want to read the story, and you openly enjoy it, but you're having a hard time reconciling the judgement you make on me with the fact that you genuinely like my content. So you eagerly read it, but send me anon hate so you can still give yourself a big pat on the back and feel like you have a moral superiority. Your case isn't special. It is incredibly common, and certainly nothing new.

What if you could just enjoy the things you like? There's a whole community here that shares your interests and has fun interacting with it. You don't have to put it on your resume, but there's a space here that is appropriate for it. It involves sensitive content, sure, whump is a facet of horror. Torture scenes are incredibly common, even in mainstream media. Game of Thrones featured graphic rape scenes and incest, yet it has unbelievable mainstream appeal. It's okay to like content that involves mature themes and touches on sensitive topics, and the majority of people do.

A lot of people have a hard time being genuine about their interests, whether they carry a taboo or are just considered cringe. I realized years ago that by owning the things I enjoy, no one can hurt me with it. I was a superwholock teenager to the core. I am bad at ice skating and swimming! I'm a fat little boy and I dance funny!!! When you refuse to be ashamed, other people have no power over you. In fact, they start to feel more comfortable being themselves around you, too.

I'm not stooping to anything. I'm an adult with a busy life, who chose to post my writing online, fully knowing the possible consequences, and being fine with them. I have made interactive elements of the story so people can vote for what they want to see - and when I listed the crazy BDSM couple Lisa and Mark, they won the poll by a landslide. There are plenty of people who can distinguish fiction from the author's core morals, and I'm not interested in pandering to anyone who doesn't.

The shock value comment is interesting - if I'm just trying to shock people, why would I hold back? Why didn't I write a whole disgusting scene with the enema? Why have I stated that I will not be writing any kind of age play scenes in this series? There is a plot, character arcs, backstories... Sarge could not be more of a parody unless I had him wear a shirt that said "I am a caricature of the american military industrial complex, republican politics, imperialism, and the intersection it finds with men who struggle socially and turn to red pilled reddit and toxic masculinity as a balm". Seems a bit on the nose, though. Do you think all content that involves horror or mature content is only designed to shock?

If you think I've got this all wrong, and I'm a huge pretentious asshole, that doesn't change anything for me. But you have committed yourself an awful lot to something you supposedly hate. Why don't you just stop reading? You won't even come off of anon, because you know I'd just block you and move on, and I think you would be upset if you couldn't read it anymore. I'm just another freak on the internet, right? Block me and move on. Prove me wrong. Throw a party that you trumped me and won. Feel superior. Do a backflip. Good for you buddy. Or maybe tell me, who actually is your favorite character?

TLDR; you wanna fuck me so bad it makes you look stupid

[tiredassmage]

25: What specialization best represents your Rook?

Thank you so much! I even have cool weapon shots to go with this one, lol!

[50 questions for Rook! (Non-spoiler Edition)]

Minerva I intend to build with the Slayer specialization because... women with epic giant axes, tbh. What more do I need to say? xD But also because she's inspired by a dragon hunter oc I had several years ago, and giant weapons seem appropriate for fighting some of Thedas's most giant beasties! It's also been hella fun so far. She's not far enough along yet to actually be within the specializations yet, but the Weapons area skills around it that lead into this specialization chain have been so much fun already. Thank you Veilguard for giving me a fun time playing Warrior for the first time in this series, lol! I hadn't been entirely married to a damage type to hone in on with her just yet, but the burning weapons on takedown effect with the dragon hunter inspiration? Heavily leaning into the fire theme, I think!

Also, of my 3 started Rooks so far, she's 1 of 2 whose specialization doesn't match their faction, lol, which is a lot of fun, I think. Min is a Grey Warden! And she's the only one I have action photomode shots of so far, lol, which is both because I simply had that much fun with how her build's going and bc I... might've not thought about it for the first 2 because I was busy doing story, lol.

But we'll give them some love, too, because I'm feeling self-indulgent <3 [Slightly more spoilery nature for the boys' pics because they're from cutscenes]

Tyr's my Rogue, and a Duelist. Tbf, I'd already pretty much determined he was going to be m first + main + most likely canon Rook, but the second they dropped dual wielding melee Rogue, there was absolutely no other way he'd ever have been played unless I'd absolutely sucked at the build, which thankfully wasn't the case because I adored it. It was everything I needed and wanted from a gameplay perspective + what I wanted to replicate the fighting style I'd imagined for him.

Right up until they'd released the backstory tidbits, I'd been on the fence between setting him up as a Shadow Dragon or an Antivan Crow, after all, so it just worked out that the Shadows fit his backstory better, but his fighting style is still heavily aligned with what likely influences the image of the Crows. (And as a bonus fun fact, when I'd put him in Inquisition for fun, I think he would've ended up with Josephine, so another little fun dueling moment for him, lol.)

Heavily a necrotic damage + stagger & takedown build. Not just because they have epic, powerful detonations with his beloved Neve, but that was certainly a cherry on top! xD

Which leaves us with Theo, who is ironically the only one who seems to have listened to the memo about the faction-theming with the specializations for all the other listening he hasn't done, according to Viago's complaints. xD Theo's my sword & orb Spellblade, who - as you may guess from that - also nearly ended up as a Rogue and who I might play around with a Rogue build for one day. Outside of DAV, Theo's original training was as a dual-dagger type rogue who started to dabble in learning about magic after one of his early jobs went a little sideways and had him on bedrest for a while. And Theo simply could not take staying completely idle like that for long. Sort of as a happy accident then because purple's kind of his color, it's worked really well that this is a heavily-lighting damage focused build and I think his hotbar is... completely shock & lightning based skills atm. And they are so pretty. As a backup, I've got a little necrotic damage going on with his staff usually.

I'd really just told myself I wasn't allowed to play two duelists back to back. xD Maybe if I go with a Rogue rebuild, I'll give saboteur a try? He gets along well with Bellara and Emmrich because he... well, Viago would probably say he's the type that can't leave well enough alone even when it's going to bite his hand, but at its best, it's curiosity with how to make odd things work. His DAV edition in particular can be quite a bit emotionally... charged, but he's also kind of the epitome of an improviser. The only direction to move is forward, and Theo's adaptable enough to tackle that with a sledgehammer or a lockpick as the situation calls for.