Hellooo, sorry I disappeared! (Again, my bad. I fail to realize when I'm overloaded with shit to do, apparently-)
It's my last week of school and it's been insanely busy '^^

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Ohhh, yeahhh

See, Nico doesn't even realize he's saying anything, they just kinda go on autopilot. Full disassociation, very similar to when the acts first happened to her, actually, it's basically a trauma response at this point, lol

And, again, the information they're actually giving is very limited, you'll never catch her going into detail unless pressured. Not that people couldn't infer, of course. There's just no way to actually know how bad it was, and, really, the only people who will probably ever get any real details, though still not the full, are Garvin (trauma bonding, yay!) and maybe Revan or Akira (it really would be one or the other, not both, and which one would depend on what happened to make Nico open up. Rev would be more likely if Nico had a nightmare trigger and went to him for comfort, or if they genuinely thought that Revan wasn't paying any attention and, therefore, wouldn't actually retain any of the info. Akira would be more likely in the case of a major breakdown, actually, which is mostly just because of how Aki presents themself and as Nico eventually comes to view them... as the main protector of the group and, therefore, of him. Of course, Akira's always their partner first, but in a vulnerable state, Nico would most likely result to childish behavior... In other words, Akira actually reminds Nico of Aurora in some ways.)

Oh, actually, scratch that, Briar will eventually know. Probably more than any of the polycule. Because Briar's a friend, not a partner, they can never be a threat in the same way the polycule can (this is a subconscious thought, obviously). This will also probably result in Briar becoming even more protective of Nico and Nico going to Briar when a bad argument happens. You know what that means!

An arguing polycule (probably just in bigger fights that Nico really can't deal with without a full breakdown) gets to deal with an angry Briar who doesn't hesitate to threaten everyone for hurting their bestie! Yay! :D

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I loved the short story! It was great, though very, very sad. Poor Garvin :'((

You're fine! Life comes first! And, yeah, my last week is coming up quick here too haha-

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Ooo very funnnn

Garvin and Nico trauma bonding is going to be crazy because you know full well they're both glossing over stuff as much as possible. Garvin's basically would be like 'Yeah, this stuff happened.' and then nothing else.

I think Revan is actually one of my only characters that doesn't have sexual trauma.

Man, Garvin and Akira having a bad argument with Revan that results in Briar showing up and threatening all three of them would be crazy. Garvin would not hesitate to turn on Briar and drag them into the arguing in a heated moment like that. Revan probably would actually pause, if only for a second, before starting to argue again and using the fact that Garvin's now trying to argue with Briar too as just more fuel for the fire. It's not pretty. For sure.

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Garvin's also fun because I'm sure most of the polycule would assume Andi as the reason for most of his sexual trauma at first. Like they all know he has at least some because of the whole Andi Arc and all. So whenever he has a trauma response the first assumption is that it's Andi's fault. Which just means figuring out it isn't all just from Andi is going to be even more difficult. And probably even more blood boiling for them too.

Really, it's likely that all of the polycule would never figure out most, let alone all, that happened to him. There's a lot. He doesn't even know all of it. There's a lot he doesn't remember. Dissociation was his only coping mechanism, his only way to survive, for a long time. The information he does give is either extremely watered down or glossed over or with bits skipped entirely or they're given in arguments where he's spiraling and giving way too many details. But even those are never full memories or anything. They're one or two sentences at most, used solely to prove a point.

Again, Devery has tactics. Devery knows how to get information out of him. But other than his tactics, you can either witness it happening or you can push him too far in an argument.

A good thing to mention is that Devery won't give anyone the information he has. Not until he absolutely has to, no way around it. He won't try to get information from Garvin with others around either. He won't show or tell or otherwise share with people his tactics unless he absolutely has to.

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Glad you liked the short story!

Still working on the hair dye one.

I want to include the polycule's reaction but it's already super long and not even done even without the polycule's reaction and I'm not actually completely sure what their reactions would be

Yeahh, we love that. Just two traumatized idiots pretending not to be/not realizing that they're traumatized :)

Oh, well, hey, that's good at least! Lmao

Yeah, the thing is, Briar's interesting. Especially when it comes to their relationship with Nico (and probably Aries as well, once they get closer). See, they're so, so very protective, and they won't hesitate to shame and get on to anyone who hurts those they really care about, but also, especially with Nico, they also wouldn't be willing to actually get dragged into an argument. What's most likely is for them to storm in (probably shoo Ingall out to either go take care of himself or to wherever they left Nico because they aren't about to let another traumatized person be dragged more into everything), and then proceed to (in a deceivingly calm tone) state that Nico is currently very triggered (without explaining anything more than that, really, they aren't about to out any trauma or anything), those who are arguing need to figure things out, and, until they can prove that they have, and they've apologized, they won't be letting any of them near Nico (and potentially Ingall, based on Ingall's current state). Basically also saying that they understand misunderstandings and arguments, but that's no excuse to hurt someone else.

And then, probably without waiting for a response, they're headed straight back to Nico because their bestie can not be alone right now and they're about to do everything in their power to make her feel better (and prevent him from going off to try to apologize to Akira, Revan, and Garvin, lol)

Though I must also point out that the polycule are a group that Briar knows Nico cares about and also isn't particularly worried about any intentional harm. Their reaction would be much different if involving actual abusers. Though their first priority is always making sure the person they're doing all this for is safe and cared for. Which is why, if they ever encounter the arena, they're taking care of Aries before murdering anyone who dared put a finger on him.

Fun things! :D

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And this is why we appreciate Devery :)

... Even if Ingall's the only one who actually appreciates and understands what he's doing at first, lmao

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Ooo, I'm excited!

Just do whatever feels right, I'm sure it'll be amazing regardless! :)

Haha- Yeah. Or some mixture of pretending and not realizing lol

Ooo, love all that information

In that case-

Garvin's probably storming out, leaving the situation altogether. As one does. What happens after that kind of depends on what the argument was about and how bad it was.

Revan's pausing for a good little bit, only to realize Garvin's walking out and then going about ignoring everything/everyone for a bit. He'd wait a bit before approaching Briar and Nico and Ingall and apologizing to the three of them. Long enough that the situation would've cooled down a bit.

Garvin is actually the one that's worse about apologies. Especially because there's no guarantee that he'll remember the argument at all. When he does remember arguments, he's either too apologetic or too defensive. He either won't accept apologies because he's suddenly certain it was his fault and so no apology needs to be given to him. Or he won't accept apologies because he's still upset, still defensive, still thinking they aren't actually apologizing.

Revan will try apologizing to Garvin only to either be met with a downplaying, apologetic Garvin or an isolating, defensive Garvin.

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Haha, yeahhh

Devery's great.

His tactics aren't the best, I will admit. They can be terrible and retraumatizing at times. But they work and they aren't as bad as the other options.

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Hmmm

Okay then

Small question just so I have a small overview

The polycule's reaction to arriving back to the apartment, seeing that Garvin isn't where he was when they left (whom had been in a bad spiral recently), and thus then finding the bathroom door locked?

That should be all I need, I think I can figure out the rest-

Very fun then, lmao

Briar might let Nico around Garvin again after it's been long enough or once they realize Garvin's not really a threat anymore then, lol

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Yeahhh, it could definitely be worse. And, luckily, Ingall sees that, even if my other two boneheads don't XD

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Hmmm, good question-

Akira, naturally, would probably panic. Though, considering they probably already went through the shower thing, they'll probably just end up banging on the door and begging Garvin to let them in and not be an idiot. This behavior may change if one of the others can get them to shut up, lmao

Nico would also be panicky, but he's more likely to try to coax Garvin out with food or cuddles. Or offer encouragement and whatnot

Ingall's probably the hardest to figure out, but he'd probably try to calm everyone down first and then simply ask if he can come in or not. If not given an answer, he'd verbally state that he's going to open the door, but only he (hard glare at everyone else) is going to be entertaining the bathroom, and if Garvin's uncomfortable, he will leave again, and then proceed to walk through every step as he lock picks (surprise?) the door. If, and ONLY if, he sees that Garvin's hurt himself and looks like he's going to do it again, he may use his power to force Garvin to stop (and then feel so shitty and be so apologetic about it all later)

Also, Gall's 100% freaking out on the inside, but he'd basically take control because he feels like he has to, similar to how he probably will be with Devery and July.

That's fair haha-

Admittedly, if Nico ever did try to apologize to Garvin, no matter what he's just going to stare at them in confusion for a bit before explaining that she has nothing to apologize for.

I feel like the polycule is eventually going to get so worried about how bad Garvin's memory seems to be. They can't figure out triggers because Garvin won't tell then what they are and whenever he gets triggered, he never seems to remember what caused it or that it happened at all. They can't talk about arguments calmly and resolve them because by the time everyone is calmed down enough to talk about them(which is not the same as everyone being calm enough to apologize), Garvin doesn't remember the argument. There's even more but I figure those are going to be the ones that especially worry them.

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Devery and Ingall forming an unlikely friendship because Ingall understands Devery does care is hilarious and amazing.

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Oooo, very fun. I could guess Akira, Nico I probably should've guessed, and Ingall is kind of surprising, haha.

But no worries, Garvin hasn't hurt himself by the time Ingall gets in. Just dyed his hair.

Which, in Garvin's opinion, is arguably worse.

The hair dye short novel is so far 5800 words and it is still not done.

It's going to have be posted in parts ;-;

I didn't think it was going to be so long

Or so incredibly sad

Garvin, you lied to me

'Let's write a small short story about dyeing hair, it won't be longer than, like, 2500 words at max!'

Yeah, it'll definitely be a struggle and a stressor, at least for a good, long while. And, yeah, well, Nico's totally gonna try to apologize for literally everything, even things that aren't his fault and little things. God, the first time she breaks a plate or something while cooking is gonna be a total mess-

But, yeah, the amount of times she's going to get scolded by Briar for apologizing when they shouldn't, only to turn around and apologize to Briar for apologizing is unreal, like to the point where Briar will hold up their hand before they even finish their sentence because they know what's coming

Biar: "For the thousandth time, Niki, stop apologizing for things that aren't your fault!! And shut your mouth, I can see you forming those words already! Don't you fuckin' dare apologize to me right now!"

Nico, visibly uncomfortable as she tries to stop himself: "..."

Briar, literally scolding him like a dog: "Don't..."

Nico, sucking in a breath: "I'm sorry!"

Briar, sighing: "Goddamn it."

Nico, wincing a little: "I'm sorry for... Being sorry?"

Briar, so done: "For fucks sake, when's Revan getting ya into therapy?!"

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Yesss. Unlikely and unintentional friendships are the best XD

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Yeah, Ingall's very dependent on the situation, honestly. If I'm completely honest, he's probably the best at handling things when it's Garvin who's struggling. Partially because, with July, he can understand what Garvin needs, and partially because the others all become complete idiots when Garvin's in a rough spot. Like, normally when something's going on, Akira and Garvin are pretty reliable whith how they'll work together (even in the case of an argument, which Gall does not handle well), and, with Garvin in the equation, roles are taken up pretty quickly in order to make things run somewhat smoothly (or not remotely smoothly, but, at that point, Ingall's too overwhelmed to help anyway) and someone can give him something to do. Revan tends to take up the position of financial stability and reliability with getting things done quickly and efficiently (when he's not the one struggling), Akira and Garvin most often take up the protection and survival roles as well as probably helping with distractions if needed, and Nico's the emotional helper.

When Rev's struggling, it's probably either because of an argument (?), which we've already determined Ingall won't do well in, or he's dealing with work/his mother or a nightmare. Gall's not great with the nightmare thing, but he can deal with the work and mother situation.

When Nico's struggling, Ingall will usually step back and let everyone else do their thing and then take up whatever role is left, reactions with vary based on how serious a breakdown is.

When Akira's struggling, Garvin or Nico can usually get to them, and if they can't, part of their family usually can, therefore, Ingall's not needed and will step back unless asked to do something.

However, if Garvin's struggling-

Wellll, Nico's immediately going to emotions, which we've determined doesn't work well. Akira, as with all their partners, is going to panic, but, without the survival support from Garvin and the fact that Kira's first instinct will be to try methods that work for them because they're so similar to Garvin, when, in reality, those probably aren't great in a situation, so they're going to start descending from their typical protective and mildly panicky self into total disorder pretty quickly. This leaves Revan, who will probably helpful, but also may not be present because... He's Revan-

Therefore, if Ingall doesn't step in and "fix" everything, nothing's going to get done. So Ingall will literally throw out their own mental health to create an environment where he can take care of Garvin (adjusting to suite Garvin's needs best) until he's better and simultaneously make sure none of the other idiots self-destructs. So you get a version of Ingall that acts more confident and understanding when he's actually totally panicking on the inside and hoping he doesn't make things worse... And totally neglecting his obsessions and compulsions in the process meaning that, after all this is over, he'll probably be mentally resetting for a couple of weeks or so. Fun!

And, again, things vary from situation to situation :)

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Lmaooo, yeahhh

Characters do that sometimes XD

I look forward to it though!

Oh, also, I don't have any finals until Tuesday, so my hope is to get my AFCS post up tomorrow (fingers crossed, lmao)

Oh, for sure- The apologies for things that aren't their fault is probably going to be something that Revan's actually pretty good at handling. He's actually pretty well adjusted, other than the grief and overworking and whatnot. So he's surprisingly kind of skilled at handling things. Until it involves Akira or Garvin, as discussed. The only time he can handle either of their issues is when it's Akira and hair dyeing.

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Whenever Revan makes a mistake like breaking things on accident- He's much more likely to just quietly clean it up and only apologize if he knows it was special to someone. Maybe beat himself internally for a little bit. Maybe.

Garvin, however, has a much worse reaction. He's likely going to dissociate. And it's also likely that he'll go nonverbal. He probably won't apologize, but that's more so because he can't get words to work at all at that point. But it also heavily depends on the situation. Like what broke or where or if he was already having a bad day or not. Lots of variables with him.

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Yay, all of that is super fun-

Garvin absolutely does not react well to Nico's emotional approach. But that's mostly actually just because of alexithymia. He absolutely does not know how to explain emotions. He absolutely does not know how to recognize emotions. He is so incredibly bad at it. Even on good days.

Mostly when he's struggling though, it depends heavily on just what that entails because there are just so many different types of bad days with him.

No matter what, Revan tends to keep his distance when Garvin's struggling, just because he's aware that him being around Garvin during a bad day tends to lead to an argument.

Really though, the biggest issue concerning Garvin's bad days or spirals are just that he has a ton of different kinds of spirals and bad days that could happen.

And there's the fact that he's a system, which I feel like I haven't mentioned or talked about nearly enough. Which is part of why his reactions and bad days and spirals can be so different from each other.

Which- I think it's important to talk about the whole system thing a bit more so... Here's a little thing I hadn't mentioned.

Garvin has multiple fragments that deal with showering. I think I've mentioned that. Either way. When Akira walked in, there was a switch from one of those fragments to the EP that holds the memory that was in the flashback. By the time that flashback ended, that EP still would've been in front. That specific EP is a little and quite possibly would not have recognized Akira.

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It is over 6000 words so far. It is so long. I am still not done.

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Looking forward to the post!