WORLD STOP. Carry on.

It's not about being tough on crime, because the absolute toughest most brutal measure you could take against "crime" as a social problem is to alleviate poverty, and increase access to education, healthcare and social mobility.

It's about performing "tough on crime" as an aesthetic by enacting violence against a prop, i.e. minorities and the impoverished, who are fetishized and objectified to represent "crime." They are brutalized as punishment for crime, but never with the purpose of alleviating the problem of crime.

Jason, losing his mind: you think- you think BRUCE excluded DICK?! no no no bubba, it’s the other way around,

Bruce: *looking at the ground intently*

Damian: i don’t understand. why did Father not adopt Grayson then?

Jason, genuinely struggling to breathe: he- he tried- *high pitched, now on his hands and knees on the floor to wheeze* Dick- god this is my favourite story ever- Dick didn’t want him-

Tim and Damian:

Tim and Damian: what.

Bruce, blushing slightly: it wasn’t that he didn’t want me, we were just in different places in the relationship,

Jason: *wheezes*

Bruce: Jason shut up.

Tim: i don’t understand.

Jason: he- he asked Dick if he wanted to be adopted, and Dick looked him right in the fucking eyes and went ‘nah, thanks.’ and walked away,

Damian: …are you being serious?

Bruce: he didn’t want anybody to take a legal role that could replace his parents, which is fully understandable and i respect it completely; he’s my child regardless of the legal specifics,

Jason: *dry heaving on the floor*

Bruce: …though it did sting a little bit when i told him ‘you know in my heart you are my son, right?’ and he looked at me and said ‘yeah.’ and nothing else.

Jason: *painful wheeze*

Bruce, starting to get slightly indignant: …-it’s also just slightly awkward whenever people come up to me and bring it up- all ‘why don’t you adopt Dick, don’t you want to?’ and then they list off all the benefits of legally adopting him and i have to stand there staring at them thinking ‘yeah i fucking agree.’

Tim and Damian:

Tim: i’m starting to think we’ve struck a nerve here,

Bruce: -you know i really poured my heart into that ‘i want to adopt you’ speech—had a powerpoint and everything, told him i loved him, basically got down on one knee with the contract. and this little shit stared me in the face wearing my fucking hand-me-downs, and was like ‘i think we should just be friends’ like how in the hell-

Jason, weakly from the floor: god i’m- please, i’m in pain,

Tim and Damian: *awkwardly watching Bruce rant while Jason cries on the floor next to him*

Tim and Damian:

Damian: this may have been a mistake-

Tim: does this mean that Jason being adopted was basically just Dick breaking up with Bruce and Bruce being so heartbroken that he went and rebounded with the first kid he found on the nearest street corner?

Bruce: *pauses rant*

Bruce:

Bruce: WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP SAYING THAT?

Rest in peace to the incredible Anthony Stewart Head (20th February 1954 - 1st June 2026)

The One and Two Years later portions are entirely about setting up what Earth's new normal is in the universe. Marco and Jake are both right in their descriptions of everything happening in stride and also tensions being on the rise. It's a new world and that means there's endless possibilities.

The One Who Is Many encompasses this to: A new threat exists. But it's not just a new danger. It's also a mystery. Why does it call out Jake in particular? What does it actually want?

Even "Ram the Blade ship." isn't as dark as I remembered it being. I believe the authors have said they don't even agree on whether the crew of The Rachel end up dead from this move or not. And as far as the tone is concerned, I don't think it matters. Weird as it may sound either option leads to a feeling of there being more to know: it's just no longer in the scope of this story.

As a kid I was honestly more mad that it was a cliffhanger than because the crew of The Rachel probably died. I wanted more, dammit, and the book was refusing to provide it. Over time I ended up convinced it was "grim" but honestly? It was more like that scene in Avatar: The Last Airbender when Zuko gets to the end of the scroll and says "That can't be it. Where's the rest of it?"

It's sort of like the ending to the first book where the feeling was that the story wasn't done yet.

Not that it needs an official sequel or anything. As a story it's complete. Highlights and flaws it's a full story with an ending that tells you the world will continue to change.

There's a reason this book is called The Beginning and everything about the last book feels like an opening to something else even as the current story closes. It's dark in many ways as we see Jake and Tobias and Marco's dissatisfaction with the post-war but it's also fiercely optimistic in just about every other way.

The Andalite Chronicles ends with Elfangor's story but begins that of the Animorphs.

The Hork-Bajir Chronicles ends with Jara telling Tobias that stories don't end.

Even The Ellimist Chronicles is about a beginning at the end of Toomin's world.

Grace going “oh!! But!” and teaching them about starfish, to their absolute delight

Habits change: suddenly no energy or motivation to do so.

Rereading old texts from someone that used to be special.

They let their hot drinks go cold beside them.

They apologize for things that aren’t their fault.

They linger after everyone else has already left.

They keep checking the door wishing that anyone will walk through.

They sit in parked cars for a long time before going inside.

Avoiding eye contact; gaze never lingers for long. Staring at the floor, instead of at people.

Rubbing the back of their necks or holding one arm with the other. Closed body language & posture shrinks.

They take deep breaths like they’re steadying themselves.

Hesitation before letting go of a hug.

Movements feel slower than usual.

Trembling fingers and limbs and shaky breath.

Sitting on the shower floor, contemplating.

Voice cracks when they speak & hesitate before responding to simple questions.

Avoidance and deflection when speaking such as “It doesn’t matter now” / “Don’t worry about it” / “I just need some sleep.”

Lingering in doorways instead of entering or lingering at the edge of the group.

Sleeping with noise or lights on to avoid feeling alone. Or as a distraction.

Fixating on small, meaningless tasks to keep busy.

Ao3 tags he's filtered for: fluff, tooth rotting fluff, domestic fluff, EXCLUDE angst, EXCLUDE Hurt no Comfort