Stuff, stuff and...you guessed it! More stuff!

*(the moment I pin point is sometime around the rockslide when Luke has to deal with Elliot nearly dying for the first time and when Elliot makes it clear he prefers Luke’s company over Adam’s that summer, so when they are 14) (there is also that moment at the lake when Luke is doing the EXACT same thing to try and connect with Elliot as the other boys are to flirt with Serene— offer to teach him to swim… and if u tell me there’s not subtext there I’ll fight u)

In social situations throughout the rest of the book, Elliot is constantly just slightly wrong and learns it later, leading to hilarious and sad miscommunications. Like you as the reader are meant to know that Myra had a crush on Luke long before Elliot does, that Serene isn’t as serious about her relationship with Elliot as he thinks. You’re meant to understand that when Luke invites Elliot to parents day and to his house for the summer that, though he acts like it doesn’t matter to him and Elliot interprets it as Luke only tolerating his company, Elliot’s presence actually means a great deal to him. And Elliot usually does make an effort to interpret why he and Luke are miscommunicating and gets it mostly right… except for the glaring potential subtext that’s added if Luke has a crush on him.

Like the fact that Elliot eventually figures out “ohhhh luke got mad at me for how I treated Adam because he is also gay and maybe thought I was being homophobic” but neglects to see the ‘smug blond idiot’ of it all and how that comment could be personally hurtful to Luke… especially if Luke already had a tiny crush on Elliot and had read something into Elliot spurning Adam’s obvious flirting all summer in favor of hanging out with him instead.*

Not to mention that one SRB post where she included in the reasons why Adam thought Luke punched him is that Luke has a crush on Elliot

And there are a million moments like that. Like Elliot thinks it’s odd Luke just “decided” to like Dale, but never asks himself why Luke would make up a crush on the spot like that when Elliot asked him about it.

I think it’s interesting that as a reader, you’re essentially trained by the midway point of this book to understand that Elliot misunderstands people, and particularly misunderstands Luke, but we as fans are all still in such disagreement about what exactly Elliot is misunderstanding. Because almost all of it could be interpreted as “Kid with an intense unrequited crush” behavior….... but even I think a good amount of it is he just cares about Elliot in general, and wants intensely for Elliot to care about him back in whatever way.

one day, aaron and andrew get home from high school to an empty house. that's not uncommon; maybe nicky picked up another shift, or he's staying late, or he's using the hours between sweetie's and eden's to run errands. even then, though, there's usually food waiting for them -- this time, there isn't. they spend the rest of the day in their separate rooms (aaron hasn't spoken to andrew since he refused the ravens' offer, for some reason), and maybe they both lay awake listening for keys in the lock downstairs. either way, they're both awake early, peeking into nicky's empty bedroom.

they eat cereal in silence, go to school in silence. spend the day wondering if nicky finally had enough of them. go home in silence, check under the loose floorboard in nicky's room in silence. the meager savings he thought he'd been successfully hiding from them is still there. they wait up for him in silence, but no one comes. days pass like that. they work up the courage to ask each other if he'd said anything before he left, but they dare not ask each other if they think he's coming back.

then comes the ransom note -- because that's undeniably what it is, even though it doesn't look like ransom notes in movies. the gist of it is: if andrew rescinds his no, and signs with the ravens, they get to see nicky again. they'll keep him alive until then.

after they've settled into some semblance of reason (after the "it's just collegiate exy, what the hell--", the "he didn't leave us willingly--", the quiet but shared distrust of cops), andrew says he won't do it. aaron thinks it's because of the proof they've just received that the ravens will cross any boundaries to be the best. really, andrew won't leave aaron, and he sure won't lead him into the maw of the ravens. he knows aaron will hate him for it, but he refuses to change his mind. he'll find another way to get nicky out, if he just gets a day or two to figure it out.

except the next morning, andrew wakes up to an empty house. of course his first thought is that they've taken aaron too, and andrew is ready to follow all of them straight into the nest to burn it all down. except on his way outside, he spots a note from aaron.

My boss, putting on white grease paint and a red wig: Oh, of course! Let’s do it quickly so that you’ll want to keep working with us since you’re going to be making business decisions!

Me: I would sell you to satan for one corn chip and I’m allergic to corn but before you do this maybe you should call someone who is actually on our contact list for our customer and see if they’ve ever heard of this stranger.

My boss, looking through a selection of shoes that honk when you walk: Oh, but she said that it was very important that none of the employees know what was happening because they’re making staffing changes.

Me: As your lawyer I recommend that you just call a single one of our contacts and see if they’ve ever heard of her name.

My boss, shoving all of our technicians into a VW beetle: You’re not my lawyer.

Boss: On the bright side, it’s only the last five

“Hello I am [name] from [security firm] we’ve been hired to verify the security of the facility I need to see your computers.”

“Erm…I’ll have to verify that with my managers.”

“Congratulations, you have just passed the security verification.” [Scribbles on clipboard] “But in all seriousness I do need to verify your security so I need to see your computers.”

Kevin dissociate PTSD/panic attack

Jeremy Knox + Survivor's Guilt/Depression

Riko Moriyama + Mania [my humble opinion]

Andrew Minyard + Anxiety

Andrew Minyard Flashback/Anxiety Attack

Kevin uses ASL

Neil Anxiety/Andrew ED

Aaron Minyard Panic Attack/PTSD Flashbacks

Thea Muldani PTSD/Survivor's Guilt

Jeremy Knox Anxiety

Aaron needs help showering

Andrew + Neil Panic Attacks

Andrew Panic Attack [again]

Andrew Minyard Has Anxiety

kevjerejeandreil Anxiety/Panic Attacks

Nicky Has So Many Issues

Neil uses a cane

“Chief Hakoda?” the Prince of the Kill It With Fire Nation repeats, like his brain is as stupid as his face. Or like he just realized he’s taken a high-value hostage, redeemable for one (1) ransom against an enemy leader.

“Did I say Chief Hakoda?” Sokka laughs, nervously. “I meant, ah—”

“Shut up, peasant,” the prince shouts. And then sort of… chokes on his own words, getting redder and redder.

---

“Perhaps a break, Prince Zuko?” says Uncle, like this is… like this is the tea-time social he’s set the table for. 

Zuko is in the hallway with the door slammed behind him before he can think. Thinking. Thinking is a thing he needs to do, and Uncle’s proverbs only ever leave his thoughts feeling twisted around, and—

And that is not a peasant that sacrificed himself, to give the Avatar a chance to flee. That’s a fellow prince, or whatever the Water Tribe would call him.

---

“So,” Sokka says, spinning the teacup between his cuffed hands contemplatively. “How much poison would you say is in here? And what kind?”

The old man is sputtering indignantly, but Sokka is very seriously considering taking his first sip. If it’s laced with something to loosen his tongue, well, can’t get much worse there. It’s not like he knows where his dad is. Or anything useful. Certainly not more useful than handing the Fire Nation the son of their fleet’s leader. And if it’s something deadly, well...

He doesn’t know what his dad would do or give to get him back. But it wouldn’t be good, for the war or the world or their tribe.

He figured he’d die, when he’d shouted at Katara to go, take him and go. He hadn’t realized how much worse this could get. Was getting. Because the son and heir of Fire Lord Burn Them All was out in the hallway, thinking. 

---

Zuko thinks. About what his own father would do, if he were to receive a ransom letter. The disappointment. The… repercussions. 

---

“You’re what?” Sokka asks. 

“I am releasing you,” His Shoutiness repeats, through clenched and grinding teeth.

“Huh,” Sokka says, and takes another sip from his cup, because oh, this is hallucinogenic tea. Good stuff. “Care to explain that?”

---

No, Zuko wants to shout. But this is the fellow son of a world leader. Zuko hasn’t had many friends, and he’s not looking to add the Water Prince to that atrophied number, but. 

But he could understand.

“You stood and fought when you could not win, for a cause you believed in,” Zuko said, and he didn’t know why Uncle suddenly looked so pained. “I will not demand trinkets from your father for your return. If he hears of this, it will not be from me. You will be released at the nearest neutral port.”

---

Like an undersized fish, Sokka did not say. 

#the nearest neutral port just so happens to be kyoshi island #why say aang and katara what are YOU doing here??

Zuko is grinding his teeth SO HARD he did not come here to start an international incident and he WON'T start one stop looking at him like that Uncle he is doing something Honorable the Southern Prince said so and so help him he is going to KEEP BEING HONORABLE while the other boy is watching even as the Avatar creeps closer and closer one little side step at a time looking all curious and hopeful

like an actual child

THE BENDING PRODIGY SISTER IS THANKING HIM REPEAT ZUKO IS IN THE SIGHTS OF THE BENDING PRODIGY SISTER

she is smiling at him and sounds incredibly sincere

(and also confused)

and he KNOWS what "sincere" smiles from sisters mean

abort abort abort

maybe he can get his ship away from here before she "accidentally" sinks it

(clearly her bending fumbling at his ship was a clever disguise, if she'd REALLY been that bad she'd have been CAPTURED, had she been MOCKING his crew? clearly that was the only--WHY IS THE AVATAR STANDING AT HIS ELBOW)

No really WHY is the unfathomably powerful (literal child) right next to his elbow and GRINNING up at him

And talking about how Zuko is a prince. And Sokka is a prince.

(the sister is laughing behind her hand REPEAT the sister is laughing abort abort abort--)

And since there's two princes and an Avatar here on this neutral island why don't they have

why don't they have

peace talks

"I will make tea!" Uncle beams and instead of using that as cover to retreat back to their ship goes to do so IN THE VILLAGE and Zuko

Zuko can't leave him alone with these people

So there he is. On Kyoshi Island. Incapable of admitting in front of Prince Sokka and Princess Katara and Avatar, The that he might

maybe

not have the ability to create legally binding agreements like a real prince should

which is about when Zhao shows up. And you know who doesn't have the legal right to INTERRUPT peace talks?

Motherturtleducking Zhao

which is to say

he is sincerely sorry, Father, for the overstep of his position

and rest assured no formal promises were made

but please see the enclosed First Draft treaty between the Fire Nation and the United Southern Water Tribes

(as well as a small request for reparations to Kyoshi Island, for peace talk hosting and minor fire damage)

And rest further assured that he has taken the joint advice of Avatar Aang and General Iroh

And will be traveling with the Avatar to facilitate communication with the Dragon Throne

Until such time as the Fire Lord commands him not to

Sincerely,

Your Most Loyal And Obedient Son