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#and in some instances why do you have to say it like *that*

raviosnumber1fan · 2 days

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so lots of people talk about how Legend and Fable can communicate telepathically (or at the very least she can talk to him) but I don’t see a lot of people point out that she’s not the only Zelda who can do so

Now obviously, most of the Zelda’s have appeared in their Link’s dreams or in a vision, etc, etc, at some point in time

but I’m only going to be talking about two of them

Specifically Fable and Flora (or Legend and Wild’s Zelda’s respectively)

So the more commonly talked about instance of these two is in A Link to the Past when Zelda -in this case Fable- telepathically guides Link -in this case Legend- to her location in the dungeon

I’ve seen people incorporate this in fics for all kinds of reasons But what I don’t get is why no one ever does the same for Wild

Much like in A Link to the Past, Breath of the Wild starts with a voice reaching out to Link’s -in this case Wild- mind.

A voice that is later revealed to be Zelda -in this case Flora- who was reaching out to him from where she was containing Ganon in Hyrule Castle.

She not only uses this ability to wake Wild but then continues to instruct him to grab the slate and go outside because “Hyrule needs his light”

I guess I would get why it gets forgotten if this was the only time she did it, because like I mentioned, lots of LOZ games start with Zelda communicating with Link in ways like this

But she does it again after you defeat the final Divine Beast

She then tells Wild that it’s time for him to go to Hyrule Castle and fight Ganon

All this to say:

Do you think Wild and Legend would just assume all Zelda’s could communicate telepathically, and if so when did they find out that wasn’t the case?💀

#Like I’m just imagining all the Link’s arriving in like Legend’s world or something #And him just being like #“Oh hold on a second while I ask Zelda to set up some room for us”#And all them would just be so confused cause Zelda’s nowhere close except for Wild who would just be like #“Tell her I said hi”#it’d be so funny #linked universe #lu #legend of zelda #lu wild #lu legend #Or alternatively in Wild’s world:#Wild: oh Zelda says she’s over at Hateno so we should head that way #Legend: Cool. Make sure you tell her you’re bringing company #The rest of the Chain: WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO??

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privatehousesanatomy · 2 days

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hi this is a very controversial topic in the house md fandom i feel like and i'm going to speak on it. feel free to agree or disagree in the comments and reblogs, but truthfully i don't think anything you can say can or will change my view point.

that being said - house was never the "bad guy". is he a great guy? absolutely not. he's deeply flawed and i can understand why a lot of people hate him. it's hard to like somebody when all you're seeing is what's on the surface. he's cold, abrasive, mean, and an entire list of other words i could use to describe house but that's not the point of this post.

i can guarantee that there is not a single person on this planet that could go through even a quarter of the shit that house has gone through and still say that they're not miserable. you cannot expect someone to go through hell and not come out of it a changed person, and you cannot get upset with a person who's gone through hell and is bitter because of it.

let's start with his childhood. it's always been kinda up in the air just how abusive house's father was - the only real instances we were ever given detailing the abuse was ice baths, being made to sleep in the yard, and being given the silent treatment, which are all absolutely horrible things to do to child, however his childhood wasn't something that was ever touched on a whole lot. house even admits that there were good times, and a lot of people overlook that fact. a lot of y'all aren't willing to accept that people can have good memories of their abusers - that's how they become abusers in the first place. especially in terms of abusive relationships - there had to be good memories before the bad ones could be made. we don't know how john house was in terms of how he spoke about his son to other people. he could have described his son as his pride and joy to the general public but behind closed doors shamed house for not being more like him. having a tainted relationship with a parental figure is damaging and it's really no wonder why house grew up with such a skewed perspective on the concept of unconditional love.

chronic pain is a whole other issue. he was forced into a medical procedure against his will and regardless of whether or not it saved his life, it was still a direct violation of his bodily autonomy and to make it worse, the person that did it to him ending up abandoning him when he became too much of a burden. chronic pain is already hard enough to deal with. i deal with it myself and i completely understand why house gets the way he gets when he's in pain. to the rest of the world, they watch him function and think that the pain can't be that bad, and it's the same shit i experience in my own daily life. the pain is incredibly overstimulating at times and despite how good we might be at pretending that it's not, we're suffering inside.

another thing that doesn't help is how many people remind house on a daily basis how horrible he is and how they're worse off for knowing him. do you honestly expect him to start acting like everything is all sunshine and rainbows when people are practically telling him he's better off dead? that the world would be a better place if he wasn't in it? he is the way he is because everything in his life has proven to him that for some god forsaken reason, the universe is working against him and the only way for it to not hurt him is for him to become an isolated, antisocial individual. can't get hurt if you don't let anyone in, right?

while i'm here, i'm also going to touch on instances in the show that he gets blamed for. amber's death and chase getting stabbed were not his fault. everyone wants to sit here and blame him but there's no blame to put on him. with amber, he specifically called looking for wilson. he told amber to find wilson and send him. amber came anyway. it wasn't her fault either. it was no one's fault but the guy that drove into the bus. house risked his life to try and save amber's, and yeah she died but it wasn't his fault.

and with chase getting stabbed, that wasn't house's fault either. house might have taken the blame for it because if the blame has to be pinned on someone, might as well be him, right? but you can't blame him for either situation.

idk maybe im yapping too much and maybe none of this makes sense but it makes sense to me

#house md #hatecrimes md #hugh laurie #gregory house #greg house

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yuurei20 · 2 days

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Idia Facts Part 47: Idia and Ortho (pt4)

Idia’s guilt over Original-Ortho’s incident is hinted at early on, and in Book 6 we learn what happened: seeing Idia depressed by how his future has been decided for him, Ortho encouraged him to go on adventures while he can.

Idia decides to do just that and takes Ortho along, shutting down the security system that keeps the phantoms in check.

An escaped monster attacks Ortho in front of him, in an incident that Idia now says is “a blank” for him. (“By the time I woke up, Ortho was gone.”)

Idia blames himself for Ortho’s death and decides to take him back, spending two years building Robot-Ortho: “the world’s first self-improving technomatic humanoid.”

Idia’s accomplishment disturbs researchers at the facility where he lives, but Idia decides, “Who cares if he doesn’t have some unprovable, immaterial thing like a soul? My brother’s right here.”

Idia reflects, “Maybe if I hadn’t tried to go on an adventure…or maybe if I’d never wished to be a hero…maybe if I’d never been born into this family at all.”

(Idia seems to have complicated feelings about being alive.)

Fairy Gala IF is a stressful time for Idia, who initially refuses to let Ortho participate (Ortho convinces him through fake crying).

Fairy Gala IF is Ortho’s first time making his own gear (it was designed by Crewel).

When Ortho gets called out for his unoriginal ideas by Vil, Ace asks why he just doesn’t go to Idia for help. Ortho insists that he wants to challenge himself rather than have his brother tell him what he should think.

Ortho does not even tell Idia about the plan he comes up with (with help from the other 1st-year students), with Vil and Crewel calling Idia out for his lack of support in the brother he supposedly has so much faith in.

Idia encourages him with, “Your big bro knows you can do it.”

Detour: about Idia’s use of “big bro”: Robot-Ortho and Original-Ortho are differentiated by how they refer to Idia in two different ways, with Nii-san/Idia for Robot-Ortho, and Nii-chan/Idy for Original-Ortho.

This is important in Book 6, acting as the hint to Idia that reveals who he is really talking to after the island gets taken over, and it is used in a symbolic “passing of the torch” way by Original-Ortho.

But there is a third element on EN that doesn’t exist in the original game: When Idia refers to himself as “Nii-chan,” it was changed to “Big Bro” on EN, when technically it would be “Idy” on EN as it is Idia referring to himself in the same way that Original-Ortho did.

This means that every time Idia refers to himself as “big bro” in the English-language adaptation, it is a reference to Original-Ortho (Robot-Ortho refers to him as “Nii-san” both pre- and post-Book 6).

Idia does so in Book 6 and Fairy Gala IF. I thought that this might be a Post-Book-6 trait, but Idia also did so twice before (removed from EN) and in a vignette.

Looking at all these instances together, it seems “Leave it to your big bro” is supposed to be a go-to phrase for Idia, but maybe EN didn't realize it until Book 6, which would explain why Idia's dialogue was rewritten for English speakers at first.

Much like when an anime is being produced based on an ongoing manga, EN might just not know very much information in advance!

Normally it would not be a problem for certain flair to be added to dialogue during the localization process, but if EN does not know what's coming next, there is a risk of something seemingly innocuous being rewritten only to be later revealed as an important character point--which might be what happened here!

#twstidia #idia shroud #twstfacts #idiafacts #twisted wonderland

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anniflamma · 19 hours

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Im seeing post’s of People mixing up the Greek and Roman deities, so they are similar but two separate deities, like I have two views of each one.

it’s kind of angering me a little that people don’t research just a little bit 😭.

but anyway I wanna hear your thoughts

It's a mixture of being neutral and a pet peeve for me. I do understand that there are plenty of people who consume only mythologies from mainstream media, where they get a basic misconception or misunderstanding of the whole thing. Roman and Greek deities throughout history and culture have been very intertwined with each other. So when the Romans were syncretizing their gods with those of the invaded territories, and mainstream media echoes a simple "they are the same thing" message, it's understandable that people would just assume that is how it is. And for most people, they watch and then move on to the next thing.

Heck, I have a cousin who was like, "Isn't Hades the Devil?"

And then I had to explain to them that Hades isn't the Devil, and they were still confused because, well, Disney and every other movie that features Hades say the opposite.

And I don't really mind that to much, that people like my cousin don't bother to look it up. They are not interested in it so why should I expect them to be correct?

This also includes the whole Viking image of wearing tight skinny leather pants and having Native American chin tattoos. Because of movies, TV series, and games, most people right now think that Vikings look like that. And well… that actually makes me more angry than the misconception that Roman gods are Greek gods.

But I do have a pet peeve when people who do like mythology and interact in fandoms that orbit around it still have that line of thought filled with misinformation and don't bother to, well, learn more about the fandom they're in. That is something that I can't really understand: how someone doesn't have the interest to learn more about their own interest.

It's why there is always a debate on which is the "correct" Medusa myth or Athena is a pick me girl or whether Patroclus is a sweet innocent baby boy who cries and shit his pants every time he's in a fight or not.

Like, how can you be a Roman and/or Greek mythology fan and not care to learn more about it? Why are you so stuck with the first info you received? Why do you assume when someone tells you about their headcanon or interpretation of a myth that it is fact and not bother to look it up or ask questions?

This has also happened in my biblical short animatics, especially with the Daniel ones. For instance, some people say that Daniel was one of Jesus' apostles and was married and had kids. Every time I correct them, they get pissy and block me. Like, can you really not just accept that you were incorrect, acknowledge it, and learn from it???

But I acknowledge that people make mistakes and/or are gullible. I do that too! Like that time when I forgot that Pelops is the freaking great-great-grandfather of Menelaus and was definitely dead during the Odyssey. And now there is an animatic with that error. And I will have to live with it! XD

#Guess I have already shot my own foot here haven't I?#asks #pet peeve #headcanons #greek mythology

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nikethestatue · 2 days

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"Well, Gwyn is starting to read sexy books and had asked Nesta about sex with Cassian. Therefore, she must be interested in sex and is ready to get out there and start exploring!"

Okay.

Possibly.

But typically, when something like that happens, a love interest is also introduced--so those sexual interest energies can be applied to him/her.

Yes! you may say. Exactly! That's why Azriel...

And here's where I am going to interrupt you.

Because we know that Azriel's sexual interest and sexual energies are firmly in 'camp Elain's pussy'. No two ways about it.

And that's where we run into a problem. Gwyn's sexual awakening would not happen with a man who is obsessed with another woman. This, my friends, is Romance 101. A woman might be interested in sex. She might even have lovers (Feyre, Elain, Nesta, Aelin, etc.) but a man...nope. He cannot have other EXISTING lovers. He cannot be thinking about another woman. He cannot be desiring another woman. It just doesn't happen. Even in the darkest of romances, this is one unbendable rule. There are no harems. Only reverse harems.

Which brings us back to the most logical conclusion, because usually, the most logical train of thought is usually the correct one.

The interest in smutty books and questions about sex on Gwyn's part is about building rapport with Nesta and Emerie. They are either older or/and more experienced. They are worldly. They've experienced a lot of life. They've lived and struggled, they've been abused and rejected. Whereas Gwyn, other than for one instance of horrific 30 minutes, lived a very sheltered life, with no experiences whatsoever, with no real struggles: she was sheltered, fed and unthreatened.

So, how do you build rapport between three completely different people? different women? You begin by unifying them with their interests. And we already had Nesta and Emerie enjoying some risque lit. It was only natural that they'd bring Gwyn into that. Same happened with Emerie--she was brought into training by Nesta and Gwyn. And then each friend offered something individual to Nesta, the FMC of the book. Gwyn' offered acceptance and emotional assistance, with the mind stilling techniques, with the research about the Valkyries. She offered Nesta a sort of path to the future. Whereas Emerie offered Nesta a 'home' --she invited her to her house, to her shop, she also accepted her, she fed her, she shared her home with her. She cared for her as a sister would.

Gwyn isn't ready to have sex with Azriel because she read a smutty book.

But she is ready to be a friend and find a new sisterhood, and build herself up with the support of other women.

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epiphainie · 1 day

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hi! anon about buck and eddie’s facial expressions back here. I agree with everything you said. Particularly this part:

“If you look at it like it's subtext that is meant to one day come to surface, as some sort of proof that this is not the actual story, you're either too deep in your world that you treat these characters like they have agencies and thoughts and feelings and are not, yknow, fictional - or that actors are making the conscious choice to layer their performances with breadcrumbs for a plot that doesn't exist at the time.”

I think so many people fall into this trap of consistently looking for subtext in their words, expressions, and body language because they’ve convinced themselves that buddie is happening and it is in the words and it is exactly what the writers are writing towards. I think this belief has gotten worse/stronger since bi buck because people have taken on the assumption that bi Buck happened as the first step in making buddie happen. That it would not have happened if buddie wasn’t the plan. Or that, if they can make bi Buck happen, surely they can make queer eddie happen, and by proxy, buddie. (I think this is one of the reasons they especially don’t like tommy. because “why is he here when buddie is supposed to be canon”). I largely disagree with that line of thinking and I also think with what we’ve been hearing in the interviews from the actors and Tim, Im not sure how people are clinging so tightly onto those beliefs.

I also think people forget to consider that there’s a general audience out here who are NOT there to read subtext within expressions and words, especially not in an network procedural. They’re going to take what’s being said at face value unless it is explicitly identified that someone may have *other* intentions through musical cues, obvious dialogue, expressions that don’t need to be paused on, etc.

Another thing I wanted to talk about and sorry to bombard you, is long term couple and the endgame conversation. I know endgame conversations aren’t fruitful because the shows still ongoing and external factors can affect situations, but when I look at buck and tommy and what they’ve set up with them, and with what I hope they can do in season 8, I can see them being “endgame” in the same regard as the other solidified couples on the show. Even with those couples we don’t necessarily know if they’re endgame since the show is still going and things could change, but in the world of the show, in the writing of the show, and in our minds, those couples are endgame and are each others other half. Like Maddie and Chim are it. Athena and Bobby are it. Hen and Karen are it. Just like that, I think Buck and Tommy could be it too, in the sense of the writing and not considering external, factors out of creative control.

I think the endgame conversation is different for shows like greys anatomy for instance where there was a revolving door of LI and couples and characters and you just never knew what you were going to get and where you were going. 911 is so different in that we’ve been with the same people since the very beginning and the three main couples have also been with each other since the very beginning. The only two characters who’ve had some what of a revolving door of LIs are buck and eddie, buck more so than eddie. Now going into the 8th season of the show, they’ve found someone for buck who feels largely different than his past LI in many ways and i think if it was earlier on in the shows run, I might be more hesitant to say they could easily be long term and in the running for endgame, but because we’re on s8, 911 is not cheap to make, the stories are seemingly running out, actors may want to move, etc etc, I think what they’ve done with tommy or tried to do with tommy is create a LI and by proxy a relationship that has the same lasting power as the already established relationships on the show. A relationship you can hopefully by the end of s8, see alongside the others, and think yeah this is just as good and believable as the others, albeit in their own unique ways!

Hi anon!

You're not bombarding me, don't worry. Sorry I'll keep this one short as I touched a lot of the points you make here in a previous ask about BuckTommy's potential. Like you said, I find endgame talks very moot but BuckTommy has so much potential that none of Buck's or Eddie's previous love interests had. I think the biggest fail of all of these relationships was how hard it was to bring these women into the fold of the main plot and the group dynamic. Tommy already has so many established relationships with the characters. As a first responder, and specifically air op, he could open up the plot to so many new emergencies. And like I said, they laid the foundation for the romance so well that if they treat them with care in s8 like they did with Madney in s2, at the end of the season, they could make them feel as established as those relationships regardless of endgame conversation. So if they break it in s8, it wouldn't be because of a lack of potential but because a lack of execution imo.

And I totally agree with your point about the general audience. There are some shows that require the audience to look close, to interpret themes and events differently than what has been presented (one of my favorite shows, Black Sails for example, is brilliant at this). 9-1-1 is not that. This is not a diss or me bashing the show, it's just basic recognition of what type of media we're consuming here.

Thanks for your asks!

#mimi talks #911 #bucktommy

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buckttommy · 1 day

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now what do YOU think is Tim Tam’s end goal with including tommy in ep10??

I don't know 🫠 I mean, the BuckTommy dinner date was cute but... it was a nothing scene. Tim said when the karaoke scene was cut that if he adds a minute to one scene, he has to take a minute from another. So, clearly he was intentional about wanting that scene to be in that episode. But why? The fact that Tommy wasn't supposed to be in the episode at all—the fact that his arc was extended from the typical four episodes they usually are, I should say, to the end of the season—makes me think Tim wants Tommy around for longer. Which is fine. He probably saw some room to play there and cooked up an idea. Fine. Whatever. But like... to what end?

Is this, like, another Taylor Kelly situation? Is Tommy going to be around for a season only for him and Buck to fall apart for some reason? Is Tommy going to be a "stepping stone" on Buck's path to Eddie? (Fucking hate that theory, by the way. It's lazy and boring as hell. Very Grey's Anatomy, and not in a good way). Is BuckTommy the new endgame? What about Buddie? Are we done with that? Because despite what fandom says, nothing explicitly romantic happened between Buck and Eddie this season. Nothing. Unlike previous seasons where instances such as the shooting, Buck breaking down Eddie's door, etc. could be interpreted as such, and the writers are responsible for Buddie. They didn't write any of those scenes. So, like. What is it? What are we doing here? Are we building up BuckTommy into an epic endgame love story or are we going full speed ahead with Buddie? And if so, what was the point of keeping Tommy around for longer than four episodes? What is the point of developing him as a character? We developed Taylor as a character and it still didn't mean shit beyond Season 5? So why? If that's what we're doing, to what end is it being done? I just — I have so many questions with absolutely no answers and it's 🫠 it's soooo fun (lying)

#jack answers mail #tv: 911 #bucktommy is cute but what comes after. IS there going to be an “after”#that's what I wanna know

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campfam4lyfe · 2 days

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So good to meet another Brookji/Kenlynn fan! What do you think that will happen between them in JWCT season 2 (or later seasons)?

YESSS ANOTHER BROOKENJI!!!!!

okay so, honestly, i have like. zero clue. of what i think will actually happen, because there could be so many different roads for them to take. i know what i want though, and that is a kenlynn endgame. i understand why they broke up, i do. but to see their faces as it happened. the devastation--neither of them wanted it. but kenji had to do it, and i dont blame him.

but guys! brooklynn loves the camp fam--she keeps their picture up on her mystery board. she kept it as her lockscreen. she loves them. i also have to say, that brooklynn loves kenji. as a boyfriend, as a lover--as her person. darius says she was real broken up about the breakup, and she clearly had regrets. she told darius about how and where it happened. she kept that video with the "brokwie bear" and "kenji wenji." she has that video because she couldn't help but film him bc she thought he was being cute. it was one of the first things they saw when they decided to look through her phone! she loves him!

and kenji loves her--his grief over her death, his anger at the people he suspected of being involved in her death--the constant "where were you's" to darius--he needed to know why he wasnt there. that bit where he says "be honest with me. if you loved brooklynn, and mean, really loved her, why werent you there?" broke me, absolutely, cause goddamn ouch. like. he loves her, so he couldnt imagine not showing up if she called him. to the extent where he needs to know why darius wasnt and its like. does he, somehow, blame himself a lot? is that a veiled, *i* could have been there, why didnt she want me there?? devastating stuff.

but. thats all s1 stuff. youre asking about season 2 and onwards! so. what i think will happen--okay, so, you remember how in the end of s1 cc they showed ben was alive? and then we got a ben&bumpy episode that spanned the near-month he was alone. im wondering if they'll do that with brooklynn at some point. truly, i dont know. its possible, but maybe there going to reveal it in pieces, like flashbacks.

i want to know how brooklynn survived. the extent of her realtionship with ronnie, and about all the stuff she'd uncovered abt the dino smugglers since she started till now.

but also, i want a reunion so so bad, and since CT was handling everything else so well, i think theyll do a reunion justice too. and that means i think they will give some of the characters space to be angry. obviously i think there will be relief--who wouldnt be, to find out your friend is alive? but then i think there might also be betrayal, or anger or both.

and maybe also a little horror. brooklynn lost her HAND. and those moments leading up to it must have been terrifying.

i want the fact that she has lost a hand to be addressed. for instance, she can't drive her motorcycle anymore, at least not without a proper prosthesis. and its clearly something she liked doing--her helmets! one for her and one for kenji. just. AHHHHHH you know???

i want kenji to be wooed, let brooklynn woo kenji CT writers, let them woo each other.

i realize i keep meandering and never properly answering your question. im so sorry! okay--i think things will be tense, probably, with relief mixed in, but also a lot of hurt, and some anger. i think brooklynn will have her reasons, its a matter of whether or not the camp fam can accept those reasons or not, after all, we cannot force anyone to accept our apologies. i think they will however, though it may be at different stages for different characters. i think kenlynn will be able to reconcile, and im hoping for a "i knew youd come around/dont ruin it" call back. (my biggest hope is for that ghost line callback tho) but i also think brooklynn will have to show kenji that she does value his time and being with him, and just, him. which, i think its clear she does, but she got a little too consumed with her mystery for a hot sec.

#answered ask #jurassic world camp cretaceous #jurassic world chaos theory #jwcc #jwct #kenji kon #kenlynn #brooklynn jwcc #brookenji #brooklynn

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uncanny-tranny · 11 months

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The most infuriating form of sanism is this idea that mentally ill people/people with mental disorders are just too stupid or too unenlightened to know how to be a proper, well-adjusted person

So many therapists have ignored signs of my unwellness simply because they assumed I was just... being stupid, and I just needed educating about why I'm acting disordered (apparently, mental disorders stop disordering you once you are condescendingly told why you're just disordered and dumb, who knew (sarcasm)).

Like, I could tell them that I knew my behaviour wasn't "rational," wasn't "reasonable" to do or believe and I'd still be treated like I was so dumb I needed hand-holding and scolding about why I'm acting disordered.

I truly wish that people would be able to take the idea of guidance and stop twisting it into "I am superior and enlightened and the people I am trying to help are stupid and wrong and beneath me!"

#mental health #mental health advocacy #ableism #ableism tw #sanism #sanism tw #yes therapist i was aware that using 1/3 of a bottle of detergent for a medium-sized load of laundry isn't rational...#...and that it could wreck my clothes and my washer (which is why i brought it up in the first place. because i knew it wasn't right)...#...like that's an example and it's SO infuriating just how high of a horse some professionals (and even laypeople) put themselves on...#...like when you stop viewing patients as PEOPLE who need guidance and start viewing them as essentially helpless idiots you have a problem #and that problem should either be addressed or you should leave the practice utterly if you're a licensed professional #call me crazy but i don't think this attitude is conducive to the PATIENT'S well-being #the PATIENT is the person who matters. the PATIENT is the most important part of this ENTIRE interaction #the instance i was thinking about in this tag rant fucking *destroyed* my trust in that therapist #because it just told me that i wasn't being seen as a *person* but as an *issue*#and regardless of if that was their intention i still don't think it was appropriate #you can have the *best* intentions and still be ignorant and say/do ignorant things. even with the best intentions #having 'good intentions' does not absolve you of harm or absolve you of the capability TO harm #another reason i Do Not Like CBTherapy

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coldshrugs · 5 months

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landmark

pairing: io laithe / estinien varlineau word count: 4.6k summary: [modern au] estinien meets io in a support group for grieving youths. set five years before this.

Estinien is early—the first one in the room, as usual, even before Counselor Miounne arrives. It’s part of the ritual.

Hit the lights and dim them to three-quarters. Turn on the fancy instant coffeemaker, make sure there are enough of those little fucking pods for everyone. Sugar and powdered creamer too. Music on, some unobtrusive classical harp thing he doesn’t care for. Then he arranges nine chairs in a loose circle and, selfishly, puts the least squeaky one in his spot across from the window.

It helps, to do these tasks before their sessions. The work allows him to mentally prepare for this, because when is it easy to circle death’s drain for two hours?

With the space set up, he slings his backpack over his claimed chair and waits.

They stroll into the meeting in ones and twos. They make their coffee, ask about their weeks (in the casual way, where you’re supposed to answer “fine” even if it wasn’t; the real answers will come later). Eventually, Miounne enters and everyone finds a seat.

He isn’t great with names, but he knows a few by now. Lyse, the one with the sister and dad, and one of the youngest members. Leofard, the one with the mom. He knows all the faces though, and the one hovering by the door is new.

She’s tall, but slouching a little, crossing her arms like she’s scared to take up space or trying not to be seen. Inky blue hair is piled into a loose bun on top of her head, with long wavy strands hanging around her freckled face. Her eyes are bloodshot, almost too focused. She must be new.

As he watches her, her gaze cuts over to him—

“Estinien,” Miounne calls. His attention snaps from the girl at the door to his counselor. “Another chair, please?”

“Yeah, sure.” He quickly grabs one from the nearest stack, looking for a decent place to put it. Two kids slide their chairs apart so he can fit this one between them. Right in front of the window.

He sits again and Miounne claps softly, still standing in the center of the circle.

“Hi friends,” she says, more gently than usual. “It’s been a while since we’ve welcomed a new face, hasn’t it? I know we’re all capable of extending warmth and patience to those who need it, so let’s be mindful of that as we welcome Io to our group, okay?”

She gestures to the door, beckoning the new girl in. Io. He’ll try to remember that. He wonders who she lost and when, and tries not to wonder how. The how never matters anyway. Gone is gone.

“Welcome to Haven: Youth Grief Counseling, Io. Take a seat, just there, sweetie.”

Io sits down and Estinien regrets this seating arrangement; he’s lost the window view. She glances around the circle, her polite smile is a tight line. Her eyes flick to him once more, then back to the floor.

Miounne sits too. She claps one more time and they begin.

Next week starts the same. His chin is in his hand, elbow propped on his bouncing knee as they arrive. Lyse. Leofard. New girl.

Leo takes his seat next to Estinien and leans over. Oh god.

“Estinien,” he whispers loud enough for almost everyone to hear. His eyes flash to the new girl making coffee by herself. “I found out what her deal is.”

“Happy for you,” Estinien says. That’s not his business. But he stupidly glances at Leo anyway.

“She’s like you. Total wipeout—we’re talking mom, dad, two younger siblings—about a year ago. Just now going back to school, apparently.” He looks at her again, taking a bold head-to-toe survey, and Estinien follows. She’s tall, willowy, and there’s something disciplined about her posture; the set of her shoulders feels intentional even in her depression slump. Her ears tilt, and he turns back around. Leofard is still staring. “Wonder what else she’s ready to get back into…” He winks at Estinien.

“Probably best to leave her alone. She’s not here to find a date,” he says.

Leo huffs in fake offense. “Well, neither am I but if it happens, it happens.”

A month passes, one week bleeding into the next, and Estinien is always early to Haven. But someone is earlier today, of all days. The door is open, the light is on, and the chairs are in their circle.

Io is waiting.

He remembers her name now. It’s easy to remember the girl who hasn’t said anything in five sessions. It’s unusual, but understandable; they’re all strangers to her, and if what Leofard said is true, he’s impressed she’s showing up at all.

Estinien recalls what his loss was like a fresh wound—the anger throbbing in his chest, sobbing his voice raw for days, not eating or sleeping. He wouldn’t speak to Alberic at first, either. It feels so childish to him now. But looking at her… those feelings echo in his chest, and he is sharply reminded that grief doesn’t shrink.

He shoots her a courtesy smile as he starts the coffeemaker and CD player.

“Sorry about the shitty music,” he says as the sound of softly plucked strings fills the space. When he looks over, she’s staring at the floor again, eyes wide—that awkward “what the fuck” face—and his stomach flips. He said something wrong.

Cool.

He takes his seat across from her, trying to bury the urge to wait on the bench just outside the room when his chair squeaks. Great. He takes a deep breath and rolls his eyes. To deal or not to deal? He is, unfortunately, too big for the noise to keep from happening and he can’t be annoyed for the next two hours. What does he care if she thinks he looks crazy?

He stands up and jostles the next chair, which is better but not great. He tries the next. Even worse.

“What are you doing?”

The rasp of her voice is so quiet that he doesn’t fully catch the words.

He looks up from the red plastic in his hand. “What?”

She looks like she wishes she’d not asked at all, rubbing a hand anxiously over her arm. She sighs. “With the chairs. What are you doing with the chairs?”

“Trying to find one that doesn’t squeak. I usually—”

“I took that one.” She glances up at him, grimacing, but there’s a light in her eyes. It’s the least miserable he’s seen her so far. She thinks this is funny. “Sorry. You can have it back.”

He puts a hand up when she stands. He’s not taking the chair from the sad girl. “Uh… no. No, you can take it. There’s probably another one that isn’t annoying as fuck, I’ll find it.”

“Then let me help you. It’s only fair, since I disturbed your whole—” she gestures slowly around the meeting room— “process.” God, her voice is in shreds.

He can’t say no when this is the first sign of life she’s shown in over a month, at least here. He nods. “Sure, if you want.”

They go through the chairs in the circle, then the others neatly stacked in the corner. They don’t really talk, besides simple directions: “I tried that one already,” and “will you pass me another,” and “holy shit, that’s the worst one yet.” Estinien is keenly aware of her shifting around him, slowly at first, and then with less hesitation. Finally, they find a chair that doesn’t creak when he sits or moves. It goes in his spot and they clean up the rest.

“Hey,” Io says, and the word is conspiratorial. She catches his gaze, and something about hers makes him feel like glass, like they almost know each other. Like he’s seen her before, a blurry smile littering the backgrounds of photos in the album he managed to salvage, only viewed in profile or half out of frame, obscured by the barely remembered vacation or birthday party in the foreground. He swallows as she reaches into her bag and pulls out a black marker. “Should we make sure we never lose these again?”

“Vandalism? In our therapy group?” He squints, shoving down the fondness she’s conjured in just a few minutes. “Do you even need to ask?”

She laughs, or tries to. It comes out weak and cracked as she crosses to his side of the circle and kneels beside him. She pops the cap off the marker. “It’s Estinien, right?”

He nods, “Yeah.”

“I’m Io. The other total wipeout”—she air quotes Leo’s label—“but you already knew that.” She scribbles a small “E” on the side of the chair then heads back over to her own, where she writes an “I.”

It’s almost time for group to start.

“Are you gonna talk about it today?” Estinien asks. It’s just them sitting directly across from one another, surrounded by empty chairs.

Io shrugs, and her body seems to fold in on itself. Making herself small again. “I don’t know. It’s hard to talk about it at all. I’ll try?”

“You don’t have to. But it does help, in a weird way.”

The others drift in at the usual leisurely pace, Miounne claps, and they begin.

First question: “How are you feeling today?”

They go in a circle starting at Miounne’s left. Some answers are simple, like Leo’s.

“Pretty good. I started planning a trip for fall break, somewhere I think Mom would’ve liked to see. I’m looking forward to telling you guys about the trouble I got into when I’m back.”

Sometimes there’s a follow-up, sometimes Miounne will let it hang. Estinien has no idea how she gauges that, but it feels right.

He’s third to answer.

How does he feel today? He picks at the frayed edge of a hole in his jeans.

“I’m kind of anxious today. I declared my major this year so everything feels… more real, I guess. I’m trying to study for a couple of tests next week but I read the page and it may as well be blank. Nothing sticks. I keep worrying I might…” He pauses. This is normally when he’d look out the window; when something heavy rises to the surface, it’s easier to look outside, but for five weeks, Io has been sitting in front of him. The broken habit means he shares less. But how can he encourage her if he can’t bend a little himself?

He looks up, and there she is—dark, curious, and strangely calming, her eyes burn a hole right through him. Behind her, the trees in the courtyard are starting to take on shades of autumn, gold and bronze intensified by the sunlight filtering through the leaves. It’s a view he can deal with. Io gives him an almost imperceptible nod.

“I worry I might let them down. It feels stupid to say out loud,” he laughs with a short snorted breath. “It’s always in the back of my mind though: what would they think of me now? What does this action mean to them? I guess it doesn’t mean anything and I should just study for the damn test so I can actually be someone they’d be proud of. Anyway… yeah, I’m anxious today.”

Miounne reclines a little in her seat. “Have you tried anything to help you study, to shift that focus on what your family would think towards something more current?”

He nods, looking from Io to Miounne. “Yeah, uh, I’ve asked a friend to join me. We’re going to try that today. He’s been pretty supportive since learning about all of this, and his grades are better than mine anyway. And I try to think about Alberic, my former guardian, I guess. I think he’d be proud of me no matter how I end up, so that helps.”

“Excellent,” she says, looking around at the others before spelling out the lesson. “Leaning on others is a great way to remind ourselves how loved and valued we are, especially when lower moods may make you want to isolate. Re-establishing bonds of friendship, or building new ones, helps bring your focus to just how strong your current support system is, or where it’s lacking. I think you’re doing that beautifully, Estinien. Thank you.”

He exhales, shying away from the praise and returning his focus to his frayed hem. Maybe that’s enough sharing for this week.

They keep going. Io is second to last, and though everyone expects silence by now, Miounne asks anyway.

“How are you feeling today, Io? Anything you want to share?”

He looks up again—will she actually say something today?—and she’s focused on him now. The room is empty again, except for the two of them in the empty circle. Fresh sharpie smell rising from their initials on the chairs.

“Hey,” she says, raising her hand in a little wave. “Sorry for being weird. I’m trying.”

“No such thing as weird in this room,” Miounne offers.

Io doesn’t look away from Estinien. She brushes a stray lock of hair from her eyes, and the tiniest hint of a smile pulls at the corners of her lips.

“I’m feeling okay today. As okay as I think I can feel right now, anyway. I cleaned my apartment this morning. And I’ve been working really hard on a piece for my school’s symphony showcase before fall break. I even invited some friends I haven’t talked to in… too long.”

“That’s wonderful, Io!” Miounne leans forward, elbows on her knees. “I read you major in music at RSU? What do you play?”

Her eyes fall to her lap. “Pedal harp. Mostly classical, but sometimes I make arrangements of new music, for fun.”

Shit.

“Thank you for sharing today, Io. We appreciate the opportunity to get to know you.” Miounne moves on, and so does everyone else.

But Estinien is stuck on this one thing. His stomach ties itself in a knot. Without knowing, he insulted her, and then she helped him with the stupid chairs… And it doesn’t even matter, because she doesn’t know him. They don’t go to the same university, and the only things they have in common are their dead families and the two hours a week they spend in this room. He has no notions of being friends with her, and definitely nothing like what Leofard has in mind. Still, he can’t stop it gnawing at him.

The session wraps and he approaches Io before she leaves.

“Io?”

She turns to him, for once standing at her full height, and they’re almost eye to eye. The almost-smile is back, and that gnaws at him too. “Hey, thanks for the nudge earlier. You were right.”

“Yeah, well,” He fidgets with his keys. “I’m sorry for calling the music shitty. I didn’t know harp was, like, a thing for you.”

Her laugh is stronger than before. “Wait, are you serious? You had no way to know that, and I’m not the music police. You don’t have to like it.”

He shrugs. “Still not a cool thing to say. I mean, I only really know it from this place anyway.”

“Would you… want to come to my concert?” She asks slowly, then shakes her head. “That might be dumb. That’s all the way across town and we basically just met. I—”

A strand of hair falls into her eyes and his fingers twitch as she tucks it in with the rest. She’s still rambling when the words rush out of him before he considers them.

“Yeah, I’ll come.”

“—Oh.” Wide, surprised eyes blink up at him. “Okay, great! You can bring a friend, or a date, or whatever. I’ll bring tickets for you next week?”

Estinien pockets his keys. “Sure. I’ll see you then.” Despite his clumsy apology to someone who may as well be a stranger, as Io leaves, he feels the same wave of nostalgia from earlier. Some things are true no matter how you fight them.

Estinien enters his dorm with two tickets in hand. Keys in the bowl by the door, backpack under his desk, shoes in the closet. He falls onto his bed with a little bounce, holding the shiny slips of paper up to the light.

“What took you so long?” Aymeric asks from his bed on the other side of the room. He’s reclined on a few pillows, and it looks like he’s alternating between two books. “I’m starving.”

Estinien shrugs. “Got caught up talking to someone after the session. She invited me to her concert in a couple of weeks. Wanna go?” He holds the tickets out for Aymeric’s inspection.

He looks them over, brows raising in slight surprise. “You actually want to go to this?”

“I don’t know, but I said I would.” Estinien sits up. “It can’t be that bad, can it?”

“Is she cute, whoever she is?” Aymeric lazily passes the tickets across the canyon between their beds. “Can’t see why you’d want to go otherwise. I mean, I definitely want to go, it sounds kind of fancy, but you… Hmm.”

“Shut up,” he laughs. There are other reasons, but the most important is making amends for being a dick, even by accident. “Her name is Io. She’s nice, seems cool now that she talks. She’s new to the group.”

“We can go, but you didn’t answer the question.”

“Look, it’s nothing like that. She even said I could bring a date.” Estinien places the tickets in his nightstand drawer, regretting the decision to ask for company.

Aymeric shakes his head and returns to his reading. “You poor, sad muppet. Order a pizza already.”

They stand outside the theater in their untucked button-downs over jeans. Estinien hasn’t been on this campus before, but Aymeric has; thanks to an on-again-off-again thing with some miqo’te guy who goes here, they were able to find the place quickly.

“Are we meeting her before the show?” Ayms asks, scanning the crowd. He’s been eager to learn more about Io in the days leading up to this.

“Nah, she’s backstage, but said I could text her after. It’ll be quick. She has other friends coming, so I’ll just say hi.” It sounds simple enough, but anxiety prickles across his chest.

Inside, they find their seats in the front row of the balcony—a surprisingly nice view.

“Not bad,” Aymeric admires the architecture, comparing things to this venue to the one on their campus, but Estinien hasn’t been in that one either. He only catches half of what’s said, eyes focused on the stage. Aymeric nudges him with an elbow. “She’s the harpist, right?”

He nods. “Yeah, she has a solo at some point.” He rubs his hands on his jeans, sitting forward in the seat a little as the lights go down and the musicians file onto the stage.

“Relax,” Aymeric whispers. “You might enjoy it if you chill out. Look, there she is.”

He points through the dark as she approaches the harp in the back center, almost directly in front of him, and he’s reminded of how they sit during Haven. She’s wearing long black boots and a short dress of the same color, with loose sleeves he can see through. Her hair is down tonight, but pulled back from her face. She’s pretty, even from here.

“Whoa.” Aymeric sits forward too. “You couldn’t just say she’s cute, could you?”

“I told you, it’s not like that. She just lost her fami—”

“SHH!”

Aymeric’s smile is infuriating, cradling his chin in his hand. Estinien shoots him a dark look, then passes a hand over his face as anxiety twists into hot embarrassment, thankful for the darkness as the music starts.

And it’s the music he can’t look away from. There’s more movement in it than he expected, a rawness the CDs or digital streams just don’t portray. Everyone is working to build part of a whole, and each of them can be heard in the larger sound.

Then there is Io.

Admittedly, his experience is limited, but he’s never seen her like this. Every motion is fluid, yet deliberate, even while supporting such a heavy-looking instrument. She is focused, on her hands, on the sheet music in front of her, on the others playing around her. And she looks… serene. Happy.

The tempo slows during the fourth song and a godlight falls on her, a little spot of brightness that eclipses all else. Her solo. Estinien holds his breath.

She builds suspense with sound, then her hands move faster than he can make sense of. Sometimes she places a hand flat against the strings to still them, and that is what hollows out his chest. The elegant control in what he thought was so simple. This is nothing like the CD in their support group. He could listen to this forever.

The rest of the orchestra gradually rises around her until the lights on them lift once more. He might be disappointed if the whole thing didn’t work so well. They bring the song to a close, then stand to take their bows while the audience applauds.

Estinien pulls out his phone. He’s supposed to text her, but how does he follow that? Aymeric hovers over his shoulder, watching him type and delete the same sentence three times.

“What do I say?”

Aymeric rests his chin on Estinien’s shoulder, loudly um-ing and ah-ing, and he almost regrets asking. “How about this: ‘Loved the show. I’m still around if you want to meet up.’ Simple, right? And contextually open-ended, in the unlikely case you get a grip.”

He rolls his eyes but types and sends it while she’s still on stage. It’s several minutes after the musicians exit the stage that he gets a reply: “I’m so glad you came! Take the exit to the left and the door immediately to the right, and tell the attendant you’re with me, see you soon!”

They follow the instructions to a cramped backstage area. People are carrying flowers. Should he have brought flowers? Too late now.

They wander the crowd aimlessly, and his anxiety creeps in with each passing second. There’s a touch at his elbow, light but guiding.

“Estinien,” Io’s voice. Her quiet rasp is familiar to him now, and she sounds far more healthy than when she first spoke to him. He turns to her, and she beams. “Thank you for coming!”

He isn’t sure what to do, and he has no token of congratulations to give her. “Thanks for inviting me. Inviting us, I guess.”

“Us?” Io looks over his shoulder, where Aymeric is practically buzzing as he waits to be introduced.

Ayms extends a hand, “Io, it’s wonderful to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you—”

“He asked constantly. I didn’t want to tell him anything—”

“—and it’s nice being able to put a beautiful face to a beautiful name.”

Estinien covers his face with his hands. “A merciful god would’ve killed me by now.”

Io accepts the handshake, “And you are?”

“Aymeric. Estinien’s roommate and, because he won’t say it out loud, his best friend.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Aymeric. I’m glad you guys came; I know it’s a big ask and it’s not everyone’s taste but—”

“It was amazing,” Estinien’s mouth moves before his mind catches up, something that seems to be common in her presence. Io and Aymeric stare at him, brows lifting in unison. Her neck has flushed red. “I just… didn’t know what to expect, but it was impressive.”

Io’s half-smile, the one he’s learning she wears when she’s nervous, lifts the corner of her lips. “Thank you. I wasn’t trying to change your life or anything. I just thought it’d be cool to show you what I do, and maybe get to know you better too. You know, the “bonds” Miounne is always talking about.”

“Io!” A group of people call out from several feet behind them, waving her over.

She waves to them, then turns to him with an apologetic smile. “Sorry, those are my friends. I’ll be right back.” He watches as she walks away and they sweep her into a noisy group hug.

“Dude,” Aymeric whispers, “Should I go? Do you want me to go?”

“Go where?”

“Go! Home!”

Estinien glances back at Io, and her friends are definitely looking over at them. “And leave me with them?”

Ayms grimaces, balling his hands into fists. “With her!”

Estinien shakes his head. “No, just give me a second and we can both go.” Aymeric silently fakes a scream.

Io returns, wringing her hands as she says, “We’re going to grab some dinner from a place nearby; you guys are welcome to join us.”

He hesitates. Maybe Aymeric is right and he should stay, or maybe assuming someone working through her grief wants anything more than a friendship with him is not in either of their best interests. “We should probably get back. We’ve both got to pack before break starts.”

Io’s expression dampens. “Oh, okay. Well, thanks again for coming out. I’ll see you at Haven in a couple of weeks?”

“Yeah.” He nods. “See you there.”

Estinien turns on the light and adjusts the dimmer. It’s been a while since he’s been first, but Io shows up right after him.

“Hey,” she says quietly, heading to the CD player while he starts the coffee maker. The ritual is no longer just his.

“Hi.” He’s rummaging through the cabinet beneath the coffee station, gathering the supplies, when she starts the music. It’s not their usual instrumental album… “This is from your concert?”

She starts on the chairs. “I hope it’s okay. I emailed Miounne when I got the recording to ask if I could bring it in, to show everyone what I’ve been working on and that I’m kind of normal outside of all this. But I can switch it back, if you’d rather keep the routine.”

His eyes fall closed and he is back in the theater, watching her play in a beam of light, arms unfurling around the strings like flightless wings and he doesn’t think “normal” is a good description of her at all.

“Estinien?”

He opens his eyes.

“No, this is fine.” He stands and arranges the little coffee bar. “I meant it. I thought it was great.”

“That’s a relief,” she laughs a little. “I mean, I believed you, but…”

He frees the rest of the chairs from their neat stack. Their initials are on the last two. He passes her the “I.”

“But what?”

Io crosses her arms behind her chair, bites her lip. The early evening sun illuminates the courtyard, and as it streams through the window little specks of its light catch in her hair. “I don’t know, I always feel nervous trying to make friends.”

Ah.

It’s like he thought. He can tell Aymeric once and for all there’s nothing else going on here. Which is fine, of course. It’s fine. He wants to learn more about her, and let her get to know him too. He doesn’t have a ton, but he thinks he’s a decent friend. He could be a good friend to Io.

“Yeah,” he says, ignoring the heavy, unnameable thing settling in his stomach. “Me too. But it kind of feels like we’re already friends, right? So don’t worry about it too much.”

Io’s smile pokes through her bitten lip as she takes her seat across from him, the sun at her back. “Yeah, I guess we are.”

She is still smiling when everyone joins them, when the session begins, when Miounne asks how she’s feeling today, and when she bids him goodbye with the promise to text him this week. He knows because he can’t help but look at her.

Some things are true no matter how you fight them.

#azia writes #io/estinien #io laithe #estinien varlineau #okay well. i'm throwing this out there #you may ask 'azia why do they not have a cute solo hang prior to the 'we're pals' thing?'#and i think io's initial crush would've simply been unignorable in that instance #and now esti will have some amount of plausible deniability for both their feelings :>#he's able to say 'i told you so' not only to aymeric but himself as well #but the thing is. estinien is RIGHT. this is not a good time or situation for them to even consider dating each other #like he's not great about expressing why but he *knows* why #mentally he's doing okay at this time but io is... not. she does need friends right now. and they are in therapy t o g e t h e r #that'd be so fucked. he's right to kind of distance himself from the idea of it. but then that distance just. continues indefinitely lmao #okay bye. enough director's commentary

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