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mckinlily · 4 months

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Um, okay this is a loaded question, and if you want to play it safe, you can answer me in DMs, but...I personally feel that there's something wrong about how VLD placed Keith in the lead. In a way, I can see him becoming Black Paladin, but Shiro...it feels more natural to me, it feels right that Shiro is Black Paladin. I'm not into VLD beyond Shiro, Keith's parents, and the Lions personally, but I know someone who loves it and makes good points about Keith as a leader, but something just isn't aligning for me. Maybe it's because Shiro and Keith are two radically different archetypes, and they got swapped when they shouldn't have, I don't know.

I came here because I saw one of your post S2 rewrites, and I appreciated it. So, again, feel free to answer me in DMs (if you have problems DM-ing me, let me know and I'll fix it for you) if you don't mind discussing this with me.

As a final note, I'm not trying to hate any particular character. They're all fine on their own, and I don't want to treat one as worse than the other. I just want to figure out this problem I'm having with Shiro and Keith.

Thank you for reading this, and take care.

You came to the right blog! Because I adore Keith and believe he certainly has qualities that could make him a good leader—and absolutely hate him as the Black Paladin.

The thing I never understood about Voltron fandom debates about who should be the Black Paladin is that they always seem based in the idea that because Shiro is a leader and the Black Paladin, that means the Black Paladin is the ONLY leader on the team.

It is worth noting that that premise was disproven in episode one. It was Allura who made the final call on whether the paladins should run or stay and fight Sendak, and Shiro explicitly bowed to her authority. From then on, Shiro and Allura both lead Team Voltron until the show decided to destroy their characters, accepting influence and trading responsibilities depending on which one of them fit the situation at hand. Typically, Allura functions more in a commander and diplomat role and Shiro is more of a field officer, but they both pick up the lead where needed.

I know you didn't bring up Allura, but I think it is vital she is included in any conversation about leadership in Voltron. She is introduced as THE princess of an entire planet, she has more knowledge and experience of the intergalactic landscape than any of the other characters, she's been set up to be a leader since birth, and she IS the leader of Team Voltron for two whole seasons. Shiro makes it VERY clear he considers her to outrank him.

So the question you have to ask any time you consider replacing Shiro as Black Paladin: why NOT Allura? If the Black Paladin is the "best leader", why are you skipping over the one character already established and thriving in a leadership role? (And then you have to ask yourself if that character being a Black woman has anything do with that.)

Now I do think there are ways narratively you could answer that question. For instance, if you keep the Lions as sentient beings, that means they can make choices—including wrong ones. For instance, for a time when I believed anything might be salvaged after season 3, my head canon for Black choosing Keith was that Keith was the one missing Shiro as intensely and desperately as Black in that moment. Therefore, the choice was not about Keith being "better" but rather them being at the same place emotionally and that allowing the bond. The major problem with the Lion swap in canon is that we're given NO reason for Keith to be Black Paladin besides "plot device said so". Especially when we have Allura right there. It's just bad writing.

(By the way, you don't have to be pro-Black Paladin Allura. There's nuance to be had, and I personally am actually more One True Black Paladin!Shiro. But you can't just dismiss her--a capable and proven leader--from the conversation. Erasing her character is not the answer.)

ANYWAY. Back to Keith. Or rather, leadership on Team Voltron. Thing is, there are many different WAYS to be a leader. We already touched on the differences between Allura and Shiro. Keith does a good job of making split second decisions in battle or calling shots if Shiro is incapacitated or somehow separated. If you're in the middle of a fight, the plan has gone to shit, and the team just got separated, Keith is great at telling people what to do and mobilizing because something needs to get done NOW.

But that's not the only way to lead. Keith, for instance, is terrible at pep talks. He misses a lot of the nuances going on between him and his teammates off the battlefield. He doesn't plan ahead, like, ever. Sure he's great at making up stuff on the fly, but sometimes you need a plan.

But it's not just Keith. For instance, when Shiro, Lance, and Pidge go on the mission to rescue Slav, it's Pidge who calls all the shots. Is that not leadership? Pidge is often the one telling people what they need to do to solve technical problems. She's a center for information, typically the one collecting it, organizing and interrupting it, and then instruction others based on her conclusions. We see her take point on a mission, give orders to her teammates, coordinate efforts, problem solve in real time and relay a new plan in order to navigate unexpected challenges. Why not argue PIDGE should be the leader?

And there's when they freed the Balmera and Hunk took the lead. That mission was more challenging, but I'd argue in that arc, Hunk's leadership mattered less in terms of orders and more in terms of determining what type of team they'd be. Hunk was ADAMANT they free the Balmerans and set a tone for the team where they didn't leave suffering people behind. Hunk set up a moral imperative for the team that they'd be lesser without.

And Lance! There's actually lots to say about Lance and his strengths and types of leadership. But it's easy to point out that Lance is the one initiating fun and team bonding outside of battle. And when you're operating a giant robot held together by emotion connection, that's pretty dang important!

Point is, they're ALL leaders. They all have the capability to take point when needed. We SEE them all take charge at different points of the show.

So what's the Black Paladin then? If Shiro's The Leader then what does that mean? And this is the cool part! Because you know what Shiro is really really good? Know who else to put in charge. He's the one who first acknowledges Allura as an authority because he sees she has knowledge and experience he and the others do not. He selects which paladins to go together on which missions based on their strengths and the situations. He steps back and lets Pidge or Lance or Hunk call the shots if they're in an area of their expertise. Shiro's job isn't to tell people what to do. It's to decide who to put in charge of what and place them in best position for success.

There's another aspect of Shiro's leadership that is supporting his teammates, offering comfort, teaching, and giving the kids something solid they can believe in so they don't have to care the full weight of the war. But like letting others take charge where they shine, Shiro's leadership is all about enabling those he leads. One of my favorite Shiro lines is "It's too dangerous—I'm coming with you." Shiro's goal is never control. He is support. He leads the paladins because he sees the best in them and helps them reach it.

Narratively, also, Shiro is just set up to be the Black Paladin. The parallels between himself and the Black Lion are too obvious. From both being controlled and abused by Zarkon to Shiro's missing arm and Black's mission bayard. It's a kid's show. The symbolism isn't all that subtle. And if that weren't enough, we literally get an entire episode A plot in Space Mall about it where Shiro literally fist fights Zarkon for the Black Lion and in the end, he wins because he makes it clear it's the Black Lion's choice and trust.

Remember when I said the problem with Keith in the Black Lion in canon is that we're never given an explanation beyond "because I said so"? We're shown repeatedly why the Black Lion chooses Shiro. Even before we meet most the Lions, the other paladins themselves choose Shiro as their leader when Lance asks him if they should go through the wormhole. We repeatedly see Shiro seek to understand the Black Lion better, and Black responding. We see the similarities between their situations and backstories. We see them bond.

And I think this is really important because when Shiro is in the Black Lion, it's not about him being "in charge." It's about his relationship with the Black Lion. Yeah, of course, the other paladins are leaders! And they should be! But none of them have Shiro's relationship with the Black Lion. In this narrative, the Black Lion isn't a prize to be won but a relationship to nurture, and Shiro has put in the work for that relationship.

Which is really important because it means the Lions aren't a hierarchy. The Black Paladin is one role, an important role in Voltron, but no more important than any of the others. "The Leader" is not the most important person in the room. Instead, Shiro is a facilitator who enables all the others to perform their roles better.

Also can I just remind everyone just how well the Red Lion fits Keith? The paladin who keeps throwing himself out airlocks get the Lion most likely to go AWOL and fly off to save him. Keith defends his friends and team by attacking first and asking questions later, and Red started destroying a planetary body to get to Keith. The kid with abandonment issues gets the Lion who doesn't hesitate a second to go after him. And even the way they're shown to bond—that it's so physical and based in action rather than words—it's so Keith. I freaking love Keith as the Red Paladin. He gets to be as chaotic and free as he was always meant to be and gets a Lion who meets him every step of the way.

But if you say, no, Keith should be the Black Paladin. Well. What about Red wasn't working? Why was that role not one Keith fit in? Because from my reading of canon, Keith was thriving in Red. He got a secure attachment to his favorite person in the world, he gets the freedom to fly while also being part of something bigger, and he's making friends. It's still in its beginning stages, but he's figuring out how to bond with Lance, Hunk, and Pidge and you get the sense these are a kind of friendships he's never experienced before. But you know what could kill that really fast? Making him The Leader, a position that inherently sets him apart from the rest.

This is actually a problem twice over for Keith because unlike Shiro, who is shown to be given his role voluntarily by everyone around him and repeatedly shows he's earned that trust and respect, Keith is basically thrown into the Plot Device Machine and gets a t-shirt that says YOU'RE THE LEADER NOW. And we never get a reason beyond that.

This is actually my biggest problem season 3 and the Lion Swap. Because as soon as they made that choice, the Lions became a hierarchy. But what other explanation do we have? Keith won Favorite Character status got "prompted" to Black Paladin. But as soon as Black Paladin is a promotion, that makes the other paladin roles inferior. Red becomes the "second in command". So Lance get prompted but can never be equal to Keith. Allura gets the "Training Wheels" Lion/Blue, and they didn't have to write that as a massive demotion, but they sure did anyway. Hunk and Pidge are no longer leaders because they aren't in the "Leader" Lions.

It makes me so mad. One of the things I loved first about Voltron was the message of equality and servant leadership. The idea that a leader (represented by Shiro) is someone who elevates and enables everyone else. A recognition for the more "feminine" types of leadership—nurturing, compassion, emotional support. Which support roles are seen as vital and just as if not more important than being the "boss."

But we only got two seasons of that before they pulled the rug out and said, "Nope. We're returning back to patriarchy." Suddenly the Lions were in a strict chain of command, one character was the boss and the rest were his subordinates. There was a top position and a bottom position, and the characters were all fighting over each other. Perhaps most damningly, the Lion lost all personality and agency and become trophies to symbolize a character's power. And I'm not saying they're an accidental representation of how women are treated in Western media but I MEAN. It's right there.

My response when anyone says "[X] character should be the Black Paladin!" is—Why? Is their connection with the Black Lion deeper than Shiro's? Do they have more in common with Black than Shiro does? What could they achieve or obtain as the Black Paladin that they couldn't where they currently are?

And, though I don't think most of us realize it, the answer to that last one is power. Because we're soaked in patriarchy and a certain portrayal of "leadership (derogatory)" that many fans automatically assumed the Black Paladin HAD to be in control of and have power over the other paladins. So of course you want your favorite character to be the Black Paladin! You don't want your self-insert to be inferior!

But that's all the patriarchy talking. The other paladins are NOT inferior. There is NOT a hierarchy of types of people. Keith doesn't have to have Shiro's role because he's already equal as Keith.

Keiths look different from Shiros, but they're all equal and valuable as they are. Same goes for Lances, Hunks, Pidges, and Alluras. The whole point is they're stronger together. Their differences make them BETTER.

So yeah. Of course, Keith has some good leadership qualities. There's plenty of situations where it only makes sense for him to take the lead. But why on earth does he need to be the Black Paladin to do that? He's already Keith!

#voltron: the legendary salt mine #thanks for the ask!#oh gosh this got so long #would you believe this is the SHORT version?#I have a LOT of feelings about leadership and patriarchy and how it shows up in voltron #i didn't even get to go into hunk and lance's roles #and how they deserve so much more respect and appreciation than they receive #hunk especially #if you're somehow not sick of me and want to chat more feel free to dm #or hit my inbox and i'll answer with another monster probably #mckinlily writes #long post #could i use a read more? yes #will i? unfortunately for everyone no

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skyloftian-nutcase · 2 years

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Secrets of the Shadows Pt 3 (Wolf Link Reveal Fic)

(@ludoluck @goosekee @artisticgamer)

Summary: When Link goes missing shortly after his adventure, Rusl is worried. Preparing to leave and search for him, he stumbles onto a wolf. This has to be a sign of trouble, right? Rusl thinks it is, and the swordsman attempts to eliminate the threat... and then realizes that there is far, far more to this beast than he thought possible.

(Click here to read on AO3)

Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 // Part 4

Rusl’s neck was killing him. Probably because he’d fallen asleep in a chair and his head was bent forward at an awkward angle. He stretched, feeling his neck pop uncomfortably, and he grimaced. Then he looked down at the bed to check on Link.

His boy was quiet. Still. Entirely too still. Entirely too pale.

He wasn’t breathing.

“Link?!” Rusl immediately yelped, leaping towards the teenager, shaking him. “Link!”

His fingers slid clumsily towards Link’s neck, knowing there should be a pulse point there somewhere, but he felt nothing. His world started spiraling, and he called out for Renado. He didn’t know what to do, he—

Pulling back the blanket, he saw blood everywhere. Link’s wound—hadn’t it been healed? Why was it—he’d been bleeding all night and—goddesses no, no—

Rusl let out a cry of despair, holding his child and sobbing.

Gasping, Rusl nearly fell to the floor from the chair he’d been sitting on. He looked around wildly, adrenaline still surging through him, and saw that the bed in front of him was empty.

Empty.

No. No, no, no no no no nonono—

Rusl leapt to his feet, dizzy for a moment but ignoring it in lieu of searching for Link. He couldn’t have—that was just a dream, right, there was—the bed wasn’t empty because Link had been taken away, because Link had died, it was just—

Panting for air, Rusl rushed down the stairs of the inn where he had carried Link last night, and he nearly fell flat on his face when he saw his boy standing in the foyer.

“Link—what are you—are you okay?” he asked breathlessly, running to him and putting his hands on his shoulders. Before Link could even get a word in, Rusl added, “You almost died, Link, you need to rest!”

Renado walked up beside him, his calm demeanor bringing down the frantic energy in the room as Rusl finally got his wits about him. Link hadn’t died, he was fine, he was standing here, which was a huge improvement, but also—why was the boy out of bed he needed to recover—

“I was going to say that you should get back to bed,” Renado said serenely, a small smile on his face. “I admire your tenacity, Link, but your father is right. Give yourself another day to recover; the potions healed your wound, but you still lost a lot of blood.”

Link, already starting to look tired from the exertion, nodded reluctantly, allowing Rusl to guide him back towards his bed. He started leaning heavily on him and the railing by the time they got halfway up the stairs, panting for air, and Rusl just picked him up and carried him the rest of the way. When the boy was placed gently on the mattress, Rusl saw that he had a guilty expression on his face.

“What’s wrong?” the swordsman asked as he helped him lean against his pillow and the headboard.

“I didn’t mean t’ cause all this fuss,” Link said very quietly, eyes downcast.

Rusl felt his heart nearly stop. He what? What was he talking about? What would even—why would he—

“Spirits, Link,” Rusl said, his mind whirling. “You didn’t—this isn’t your fault.”

And then the emotions from all of it returned in an instant, and he finally, finally found the words to at least attempt to apologize, to at least try to address all the damage he had done. Rusl wasn’t sure he wanted to have this conversation, but Link’s seeming guilt about the entire ordeal was enough to spur him into action, even if he would rather disappear into the shadows and never have to see his boy look so hurt and scared again.

“I-it’s my fault,” he stammered. “I’m the one who hurt you, and—and I—Link, I—"

Link watched him, his guilt turning into worry and pain, and Rusl nearly lost his nerve right there.

“Damn it, Link, I—I didn’t know,” he choked out, fumbling to make his point. “I—how could I possibly know that you—Link, I am so sorry—”

“Pa…” Link whispered weakly as Rusl cried silently. The boy’s own eyes started to well with tears, and his bottom lip trembled. “P-Pa… Pa it’s okay… you d-didn’t know…”

Rusl continued to cry, his shoulders shaking. He attempted to pull Link close until the teenager winced in pain, and his guardian froze, feeling sick and horrified all over again. He bit his lip to stop himself from outright sobbing in front of the boy. This was not how this apology was supposed to go.

Link watched him, his face pinched in discomfort, and his own tears began to overflow as he clearly started to feel even more guilty. “Pa I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

“Don’t,” Rusl immediately cut off, his voice shaking. He wiped a few stray tears off his boy’s cheeks. “Don’t you dare apologize, Link. Don’t even think about it.”

“B-but you—you think I’m a monster—”

The rest of Link’s ramblings fell on deaf ears as Rusl stared at him with his mouth agape. Did… what?! What in the world would compel Link to think Rusl thought—he—why would—

Was that why Link had been recoiling from him all this time?!

Goddesses. Of course it is. I called him a beast the first time. I almost killed him the second. Of course he thinks I view him as a monster; how many others have called him that?

Rusl placed both hands on Link’s face, cupping his cheeks and wiping the tears away with his thumbs before his hands slid down to grip the boy’s shoulders firmly. He looked him straight in the eye, feeling himself shiver, fighting his own emotional turmoil. He couldn’t even put into words how much it hurt his heart and soul to see Link making such an assumption, to see him suffering from the thought that his loved ones were afraid of him.

To know that he himself was the reason Link felt that way.

Why else would Link not speak of this strange ability of his? Why else would he hide from his family?

“Get away, beast!!”

Rusl bit his tongue, trying to steady his breathing as Link watched him pitifully, eyebrows crinkled together, cheeks puffed, face flushed.

“I’m not afraid of you,” Rusl said softly, breathing as evenly as possible to ensure his voice didn’t quiver. “No matter what form you take, no matter what befalls you, I will never think you’re a monster. You’re… you’re like a son to me, Link. You always will be. Don’t ever think otherwise.”

Link sniffled, biting his lip in an attempt to get a hold of himself. Rusl’s heart ached at the sight, and he pulled his boy to his chest, holding him tightly. “I love you so much, Link, and I’m so very proud of you.”

Link shivered, crumpling in the embrace and holding onto Rusl’s tunic with a weak grip. He shook rhythmically with quiet sobs, and Rusl held him even more tightly. He wanted to give him all the comfort in the world, but a sliver of fear slid into his heart like a dagger made of ice.

Memories of those wretched nights came back, memories of swords and torches and a terrified wolf, and Rusl felt he didn’t even deserve to be holding Link.

“You know I would never willingly hurt you, Link,” Rusl said, dread and a sickening self-loathing filling him at the thought of Link believing he hurt him knowingly. He pulled away to look his boy in the eye. “You know that, right?”

Link’s lip trembled, his eyes filled with tears, and he nodded, saying thickly, “I know, Pa.”

“Don’t lie to me,” Rusl argued, shaking his head as his own voice trembled. “Tell me you know.”

“I promise,” Link insisted, wrapping his arms around Rusl’s neck and hugging him. “I promise I know.”

Rusl sighed heavily, still feeling like the worst guardian in all of Hyrule, but also released from the terror that had been gripping him since that first night. He held Link tightly, carding a hand through his hair and kissing him gently on the head as the tears fell. There was a silent peace between the two, washing away the terror of the past couple days in a way that words could never do. And then Rusl had another thought pop into his mind, and he had to break the moment.

With a morose laugh, he asked, “Any other secrets I should know before disaster?”

Link pulled away a little, hiccupping and looking thoughtful. “W-well… I was trained in more sword skills by a skeletal version of the Hero before me. And he could turn into a golden wolf.”

Rusl stared at him a moment, dumbfounded. Then he decided he didn’t care. Pulling Link back to him, he commented, “At this point, I’ve heard of stranger things.”

Link giggled weakly into his chest, a bubbly, thick, almost carefree sound, and it released the last vestiges of tension in Rusl’s heart. The swordsman smiled to himself, closing his eyes and just living in the moment of having his boy back safe, alive, and no longer afraid. He massaged the back of Link’s neck, feeling the tension slowly drain out of the teenager, and as Link’s hiccups and sniffles settled into soft, relaxed breaths, Rusl felt the boy’s body melt into his arms in exhaustion. Giving him one last kiss on his head, Rusl gently laid Link back on the bed, tucking him in as he slept soundly.

With that heavy conversation finally addressed, Rusl felt simultaneously light and so, so drained. He watched Link sleep for a while, his mind buzzing with different thoughts.

Link had been trained by a legendary hero? Probably the same one who had wielded that sword, right? How did that work? And he could turn into a wolf as well? Was this part of the hero package or something, being able to turn into a beast?

Did that mean Link was doomed to haunt the land for centuries until the next hero came around?

Rusl swallowed thickly, his heart aching as he watched his boy’s soft face. He stood abruptly, filled with anxiety, and stepped out of the room.

He didn’t really know what any of this meant, but he could at least try to sort it out and move on to more practical things. Rusl was fascinated by the world around him, but he wasn’t going to get lost in hypotheticals.

Heading for the sacred spring at the edge of the village, Rusl knelt in the water, listening to it lap against the shore absentmindedly. He felt too tired to come up with words, but the single desire of protect him, don’t let him have such a terrible fate repeated in his mind and heart and soul as he closed his eyes and bowed his head in prayerful petition to whoever might be listening.

He couldn't change the fate of a hero, the destiny laid out by the goddesses, but he could still pray for mercy.

“Rusl, are you alright?”

Renado’s deep voice caught Rusl unawares, and he jumped a little. Turning, the swordsman saw the healer standing at the edge of the spring a few paces from his home. He watched Rusl observantly, mild concern furrowing his brow.

Standing, Rusl sighed, rubbing his face tiredly. “It’s been a long few days.”

“I imagine so,” Renado said sympathetically with a small smile. “Your son will be alright. I believe he’ll be fit to return with you to your home tomorrow. Colin will no doubt be pleased to see him.”

Rusl wanted to smile warmly at the remark, but he couldn’t quite do so. He was eternally grateful to Renado for watching out for his son and the other village children, and he was happy at the thought that Link would be healthy enough to return to Ordon tomorrow. But… the thought of explanations that would have to be made upon returning also weighed on him.

At least he had Uli for support, and she would be so relieved to see Link well.

The smile finally came forth, and Rusl nodded. “Yes, he will be, as will his mother. Thank you so very much for all of your help, Renado.”

The healer tipped his head with grace. “It is always a pleasure to help others.”

The pair spoke for a short while as the sun started to dip towards the horizon when Rusl heard Epona whinny excitedly. Turning, he headed for the area close to the graveyard where she had been grazing and found a teenager who very much should be in bed petting her and smiling.

Rusl sighed heavily, an old exasperation bubbling up inside of him. “Link.”

Link jumped, startled, and then smiled again. “Hi, Pa. I just wanted to see her. I bet she was worried.”

Approaching the pair, Rusl reached out and let Epona sniff his hand, and the horse nibbled it tentatively in expectance of a treat. He looked Link over and was relieved and pleased to see that he wasn’t quite as pale as he’d been, though he was still a good few shades lighter than his usual tan complexion. Link held himself steady, though he was leaning on Epona for support.

“I know,” Link immediately said before Rusl could get a word in. “I need to rest. But… but we can go home, right? I can handle the ride back to Ordon, I promise.”

Rusl watched him worriedly. “Link, not tonight. Why are you in a hurry?”

Link bit his lip. “It’s… I know Ma is alone and caring for Colin and Hana, and I… I don’t wanna be the reason you can’t be with her and help her and she—”

“Link,” Rusl interrupted firmly. “You are the priority right now. It’s okay that we’ll be gone one more day. Uli understands, and she wants to see you come back well, not passed out from exhaustion.”

Brushing hair out of the boy’s face, Rusl softened his tone. “It’s okay to rest.”

Link leaned into the touch, looking a little sad and put out, but also clearly still desperate for reassurance from Rusl that everything was okay between them. The sight broke his heart anew, and he pulled the teenager into a hug.

This was going to take a while to recover.

Rubbing the boy’s back, Rusl whispered, “Come on, let’s get back to bed. We can have some pumpkin soup and you can tell me all about your adventure.”

Link nuzzled into the hold, swaying in Rusl’s arms, clearly sleepy. “Pumpkin soup…?”

The light hint of excitement, blanketed in sleepy slurred words, made Rusl chuckle. “Yes, pumpkin soup. Come on, son.”

The pair walked together back to the inn, bathed in twilight, and for once, Rusl was not overwhelmed with the usual sadness that accompanied it.

#for the record I'm going to do a long post about a story called Deserving by Crimson Ravioli #because it's another Wolf Link reveal fic and it is so so so amazing #much better than mine #and deserves all the love #and it has a Scene that is literal Perfection and I was trying not to just recreate it but couldn't help it because it's literally Perfect #like the dialogue and just everything about it is perfect #and now I feel like I'm copying ugh >_<#so yes I will spill all my love for Deserving later when I have more energy and time #but ANYWAY #writing #wolf link reveal fic #secrets of the shadows #twilight princess #twilight princess link #tp link #legend of zelda #this chapter was fighting me a bit so hopefully it turned out okay #I wanted to wrap this story up in three chapters but there's too much to resolve with the mess I made LOL #but we're on the comfort side of the spectrum now so there's that

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