You know, I was wondering, if Leonardo ever had a chance to meet little Leo (like with some F!Leo fics I've seen) how would he react and/or what would he say? Considering the peepaws I've read about, T&E F!Leo had a more violent reaction conpared to WMAS, OMO, MNMC, by punching him directly and basically pouring out his trauma onto my poor boy (😭). Tbh, your Leo seems like chill guy high on as much caffeine as he can drink so I don't think he would try and attack him or start telling him his whole family died in the apocalypse because of him. I do wish to hear your personal thoughts, of course, since he is your Leo and all!
Btw, I love your artstyle!!
Hope you're having a wonderful week and it isn't too hot for you (it's boiling where I live, I feel like I'm melting 🥹✌️)
Wait I am actually so glad you asked this, because I've thought about this pretty frequently (this is a "what-if" scenario, of course—it's not gonna happen in my comic or anything) because, like. Low-key I think people expect future leo to be way too harsh with his past self.
Because like, think about it. You think this forty-something year-old war-hardened man who's experienced an immense amount of pain and loss is going to look at a sixteen year-old—a sixteen year-old with hopes, and wants, and issues, like any other teenager—and lash out at him? I mean, some forty-something year olds would do that but like, obviously not Leo considering his personality and what he's been through. He's really not the kind of guy to do that.
I think Leo would more navigate his past self with a sense of guilt and shame. That's not just a kid, that was him at some point. It's a reminder of how he massively fucked up. Yes, he was a shitty little teenager, and he didn't really know any better. Like, really didn't know any better. But he didn't know what was going to happen. He didn't know the gravity of how fucked the consequences of his fumbling with the key would be, you know?
That being said, I do still believe future Leo has massive unaddressed issues with his self-worth and guilt. He doesn't hate himself, but he has a constant hard-wired feeling of having to make up for his mistakes—for everything, even to his detriment. It's not self-harm, it's self-sabotage. It's not "I fucked up and I have to punish myself", it's "I fucked up and I have to make up for it", and he lived every day of the war singing that mantra to himself. He lives for the people he loves and has to take care of, but never himself. Never himself. Because it's not about him.
...Anyway! All that to say, like...future Leo's perception of himself is deeply complicated and messy. He wouldn't be proud of his teenage self, but it would not manifest in any sort of anger or resentment, it would more just be a reminder to him of what he has to make up for. I just don't think he's the kind of person where he's at to lash out at people in general, because he's extremely well-practiced in masking and keeping himself reeled in, if that makes sense.
AUGH. WHAT DO YOU MEAN, THIS IS FIVE PARAGRAPHS? SORRY LMAO I just have a lot of thoughts about Peepaw in particular, he's a very interesting character to me. Thanks for the question, and I'm glad you enjoy my art! Stay cool, soldier. (I also have a heatwave coming my way soon :'T )
