Tech's behavior throughout this whole story is CHEF'S 👏 FUCKING 👏 KISS! 👏💋 Sympathized and agonized thought the whole thing. Well done!
The sound of screams are easier than just my thoughts with no one here. But it’s too late, but it’s too late
Sobbing. That's what filled Havoc when the jump was complete. Omega fell to the ground and started crying. Wrecker picked her up and she continued to wail, even as he tried to calm her down. "We'll get him back, we'll get him back-" Wrecker whispered, rocking her back and forth.
In the cockpit, Echo took off his helmet, biting his cheek as he thought what they were going to have to do. Tech sat there, unable to move as he listened to Omega cry, his skin begun to crawl. "Hunter use to cry a lot..." Tech muttered. His voice was barely above a whisper, "Omega sounds like him-" Echo looked over, "He'd cry, he never stopped crying, they'd take him away, put him in a sensory deprivation tank, then when he came back, he'd cry even more-" Tech rambled. But his voice was dull, as if it wasn't even his voice at all.
"-We need to go back! Wrecker! We need Hunter!" I need Hunter! Omega screamed, hitting Wrecker's chest. Who, of course, took all the pain, took every hit, and made not a single reaction. He only continued to hold her and love her.
"We'll get him back-" was all Wrecker could say, he wished she'd stop crying. Hunter, you need to stop crying, it'll make it worse.
"Get him to stop crying, please-" Tech held himself tightly as he begun to shut down. He needed Hunter to stop crying.
"Omega, Omega's crying." Echo said, Tech's head jolted to look at Echo, pure shock on his face. Tech opened up his mouth to speak but all that came out was a squeak as his eyes started to tear up. He never made mistakes like that, he never made mistakes like this. But this, was the second time it happened.
Echo's eyes went wide, seeing Tech's eyes fall apart and in a second, Tech took off his helmet and Echo couldn't help to notice the way his hands shook, Tech's hands never shook. "Omega," Tech spoke, telling himself not to make that mistake again. He tried to hold his helmet, but his hands would start shaking, his bones started to ache, he had to move them, he couldn't keep still. Tech shook his head, discomfort growing until, at last, he threw his helmet on the ground, slamming it on the ground.
"Tech!" Echo jumped up, but Tech, all his moving, and shaking, he'd stopped, he'd forced himself. Inside, Tech was forcing himself not to move, not to blink, not the breath. "Tech." Echo went to his brother as Wrecker came in to see what happened, Omega still crying. Echo gave Wrecker a blank stare, "Tech we're gonna get him back, we just gotta make a plan-"
"I'm aware that we'll get him back!" Tech hissed, standing up, making his brothers jump and Omega turned to look. She stopped crying. "I'm aware of what needs to happen but this never should have happened! We should never have been placed in such a situation where we are missing two of our brothers!" He screamed as he fumed, crying as he did, unable to control everything inside that had just broken loose. They all stared at him. He hated to be stared at.
He looked at them as they looked at him, he tried to pull himself back together, holding himself as if that would shove everything back inside. But he had simply shattered. He couldn't look at them and he didn't want to be in his body. He wanted to disappear, to hide away, he hated this attention. He had been frozen but he couldn't help his shaking. Scared of what they'd say, scared of what they'd think. He was completely terrified, he was only terrified. "I," He looked at them, eyes wide, filled with that terror that crept up his body, whispering in his ear, 'You left them, Crosshair and Hunter, they're going to hate you-' it whispered in Tech's ear. "He ordered me to leave him-"
"He ordered all of us to," Echo spoke softly and slowly. He didn't see past the terrified look on Tech's face, "It isn't your fault." We're not gonna blame you if we never get him back. We're going to blame ourselves.
"No, no he didn't. He said my name, he ordered me." Tech corrected Echo, "It's going to be my fault, just like it would have been my fault if Wrecker hadn't woken up, how it's my fault we keep leaving Crosshair-
"Tech-"
"Don't inturrupt me!" Tech yelled, "I hate it when you do that!" He knew he was being irrational, he'd talk himself down soon enough. So right now, he didn't care. Hunter was gone and for all the logic in the universe, Tech felt it was his fault. It was his fault. He couldn't be here any longer. He needed to hide from his shame brought upon by the wide-eyed look of his brothers and sister. He looked down, cursing himself, all he could do was leave the room. He needed to leave.
As he left, there was a stillness that flowed through them all, defeat. Their brother, they just abandoned, but this brother, the absence of this brother was as if they had one lung instead of two, possible to live, but much too hard and failure to adapt is always possible. Tech, was failing. "Sorry.." He mumbled as he left. He had nothing else to say. Echo and Wrecker just watched, they did not blame him for being unable to exist without Hunter. This was different. Losing Hunter was different. They didn't have a replacement for Hunter.
"Tech!" Omega cried out, unable to do anything else. It was the only thing she could do, yell. Which made Tech freeze. He turned his head slightly, waiting for Omega to speak, "Don't leave us too-" She begged through tears. Tech lingered there in the doorway, thoughts racing, he then looked forward, away from his brothers, away from Omega, and all she could do was beg, "Please," She whimpered,
"Please don't leave me."
Oh. My. FORCE. How did I not notice that?
Wait, so the the original four are pretty obvious, but where do Echo and Omega fit into this? I mean, Omega could be April (clueless but fiesty at the beginning, eventually becomes one of the badasses), but I'm lost on Echo. Also, any ideas for AZI and Gonky?
The realization that Crosshair is the Raphael of the family just hit me like a train
I die every time I see this! Fives delivers that line PERFECTLY. It was nice knowing you Kenobi. 🤣
I know a few people like this... such individuals usually wear me out.😅
frank castle + tumblr text posts
YES! TIMES A MILLION!!! Crosshair's definitely a caring guy, he just has a resting bitch face and is only able to speak in Basic, Shade, and Fighting Words (and that's if you get him to talk).
Just 2 Crosshair things I noticed during my TCW arc rewatch (I’m not a gifer and Disney+ figured out screenshots so you’ll have to go back and watch to witness)
First, the Crosshair sibling energy. Listen, as 1 of 5 kids, I LIVE for the sibling energy the bad batch give. It’s everywhere. First and most evident between Crosshair and Wrecker in TCW arc with the “topping” each other. Now we’re all aware of the badass hallway scene in ep 4, but may I turn your attention to after the intro of ep 3. Wrecker shoots some droids, and then Crosshair takes a turn and after some impressive shots turns to wrecker and does the cocky shoulder shrug, aka the sibling “whatcha gonna do about it??” Obsessed.
Next. Crosshair’s gentleness towards Echo. I know I know, Crosshair HATES regs. He’s grumpy, he’s rude, etc etc. Exhibit A and B that Echo’s the “exception” (and secretly Crosshair is just extremely protective of his brothers). 1. Ep 3, after Echo exerts a lot of energy shooting down a flying droid, Crosshair immediately goes over and pats him on the shoulder in a “job well done, you ok?” gesture. Next, it’s fabled there’s only 1 Crosshair smiling scene found in ep 1 of season 7 TCW. I GIVE YOU ANOTHER! At the end of ep 4 of TCW season 7, after Hunter says “come find us”, Crosshair is full. On. Smiling. At. Echo. And not just “yeah that’d be nice I think we’re cool” but “heck yeah you’d fit right in our squad is so cool you’d be a great addition”.
Listen, I’ll die on the “Crosshair is a good man he’s just the grumpy goth sibling going through puberty and will die for his family but god forbid they know it ” rock and seeing these interactions towards Echo has closed the coffin for me
is it weird or normal to have a shutdown instead of a meltdown? like i’m talking about them overlapping and shutdown taking over meltdown kind of thing.
for example, i’m in a highly distressing situation, either in class, the store, on a trip or anywhere else where there is lots of sensory input, changes, new things and people.
rather than starting to pace, hit my head, scream, punch things and cry my brain goes into shutdown and reboots to avoid a meltdown, and i go into non-verbal autopilot mode until the reboot is done and it feels like i’m starting on a clean slate. zero viruses detected.
so is that normal? i don’t like meltdowns because i can get violent, so shutdowns prevent that, so is it like a coping mechanism or something?
also is referring to my brain as a computer system strange? media and the society overall seems to view autistics as robots and many autistics don’t feel like it’s accurate and rather offensive. but my brain has always operated like that.
Shutdowns vs meltdowns are completely normal and individual. Many (not all) Autistics will also switch from physical meltdowns to more internalised ones (shutdowns) as we get older.
We may not even have meltdowns or shutdowns until life circumstances pitch us enough difficulties to cause one. And some never have them at all.
And yes, I think of my brain like a computer system, too! So all normal!!
Everyone else seems to have their soapbox lately when it comes to Star Wars and representation, so here's mine.
On Autism representation.
I can't think of many examples, but the two that spring to my mind are Thrawn and Tech from TBB. In my opinion, I think they are both done well.
I haven't seen much complaining about Thrawn, but the Tech posts have been rampant. Saying he's tone-deaf, unfeeling, robotic, and misses the point frequently. People have said that this is bad representation. The thing is, that is how Autism can present itself, especially in someone that has been more socially isolated. Something that Tech experiences. His social life is limited to the rest of TBB (which all have various aspects of neurodivergency themselves) , Kaminoans (who are an entirely different species and culture that are also isolated), and the other Clones (who have been shown to treat TBB badly).
I see so many traits in him that I see in myself, my family, and a friend of mine. All of these people fall somewhere on the Autism spectrum. Because that's what Autism is, a spectrum. Everyone experiences it differently.
-leg bouncing when he's anxious
-info-dumping
-meticulously collecting information about topics that he's interested in
-not understanding "it's a feeling" in relation to flying
-frustration when things aren't going according to plan and when the things they are supposed to do are interrupted
-seemingly tone-deaf direct comments on what he sees
-focusing on what's important to him and ignoring other things around him
Everytime he does one of these things, I smile to myself, because I feel seen. The reactions of others around him are so accurate as well. Hunter rolling his eyes/shaking his head. Wrecker saying "yeah yeah we know". I've experienced those reactions my whole life.
Before you criticize representation, and automatically assume that it's bad because it might not be perfect, consider the opinions of those represented. Not their family members, not health professionals, not what you think it is.
Also that ableism term you all like to throw around? Dismissing the experiences of those with the conditions you're critiquing because they don't fit into your narrative is far more ableist than the thing you think is bad.
Remove the stereotype of knowing everything about the so called special interest, I have never had one, but I'm curious why is it called like that, when it isn't for Neurotypicals?
So the list you posted, it just sounds like something a person likes, but why is that it is called special interest?
Because if a Neurotypical would say, if they had those interest(s) that are on that list, or more. Its just...likes. hobbies even. But when a Neurodivergent has any of that, its called a 'special interest' why is that? It just occured to me too this question, I find it strange. That it has a name like that for Neurodivergent but not for the Neurotypicals.
I also feel like, if you utter you like something, then people just assume straight off the bat that it is a 'special interest' when it may not be.
Its the same with the Autistic Meltdown, or that other thang I forgot what the name of it is. Why is it called like that? Because again, if a Naueotypical has, like a big outburst of anger and they get real mad even throwing stuff, whatever someone does, it's not called specifically a meltdown, or that other thing i forgot the name of it. I'm genuinely wondering btw, not trolling.
This is a good question, and completely understandable.
Firstly, a special interest is specific to autism. My post lists a variety of ways that they can manifest, but obviously it's not the only ways.
A special interest is different to a hobby in the way that an autistic engages with it. A hobby for a neurotypical is something they know all about and do to pass the time. They may even take breaks from it.
A special interest for an autistic may not even have a physical component, we have anxiety about not interacting with it, and it's not to just pass the time. It can feel like a core part of us.
Which is why if a special interest fades, we can be left in a state of deep loss. It's like losing a loved one. It can cause grief.
Autistics can also just have hobbies.
Now, an autistic meltdown or shutdown is once again specific to us because it's linked to how we engage in the world. Specifically, sensory input.
A neurotypical can have a "meltdown" after a bad week at work, a break up, plus their car won't start and they'll scream and need a day off. It may even lead to a breakdown. They are serious, and they need self-care. But it's a long build up of stressors.
An autistic meltdown is a painful experience of no longer being able to endure sensory input. We need to escape, and harmful stims, screaming, crying etc are our only coping skills we have left in our arsenal. There is no emotion behind it, no end goal, except to make the pain stop.
I will never not like a Pong Krell hate post, especially one this well done.
Valiant men, the clones have proven to be. Saved my life and yours they have many times. Believe in them we must.
Unbelievable... actually no, that's very believable.😆
Hardcase lends Qui-Gon some of his ‘Special Blend’ he uses for hyperactivity.
It’s a lot stronger than he thought.
I’m looking into autism for myself, and I think I may be autistic? The thing is I don’t really see enough like… examples when it comes to meltdowns or shutdowns or missing social cues. So off it’s not too much trouble… could you maybe share some experiences so I have a better idea??
Certainly! Followers are totally okay to give their own examples, because these can be very individual.
Social Interaction Difficulties:
Not understanding how to perform small talk
Listening/eaves dropping in on other people's conversations in order to create scripts in your head so you can act out successful interactions
Same as above, but learning conversation through books or TV/movies
Getting exhausted from conversations or navigating social situations
Needing days or weeks to recover after social interaction.
Anxiety over interaction because you don't understand how to do it and you dread the exhaustion and the mental leaps it's going to take to do it. This is different to social anxiety, where you dread messing up or being seen as incompetent.
Difficulty holding conversations. You may trail off mid-sentence, talk continuously so that the other person feels like they can't respond, or struggle to listen and respond to the other person.
Difficulty making or keeping friends. May also not be able to define what a friend is.
Low eye contact or no eye contact.
No vocal tone (monotone) or improper vocal tone to what is being said (this can also be due to other reasons other than social difficulties).
No body language or incorrect body language (also can be due to other reasons).
Meltdowns:
Can be sudden or a slow build up
Sensory input can suddenly feel too intense or painful
Often accompanied by an intense need for the input to stop
Stimming often increases. If standard stims don't help, more aggressive stimming may be used such as self-harm, screaming or full body movements such as running back and forth
Has no end goal other than for the sensory input to stop.
Communication is limited and the person may not be in control of their actions.
Some people may be able to hold back meltdowns, but this is very bad for their mental health as the damage continues and they are not able to release the pent up energy.
Sensory input may include: noise, lights, smells, touch, taste, delayed emotional responses, inability to communicate effectively, delayed sensory input (the build up happened mainly before the current moment) or sudden input.
May be accompanied by a time of "reset" (also called a shutdown) where you don't move or respond.
Shutdowns:
As in meltdowns, but no outward signs are given.
Often described as "an internal meltdown". Many Autistics describe these as worse than a physical meltdown, as no relief is given from stims and those around you may be unable to attend to your needs to remove the input.
Yes I talk, or rather text, too much. I mostly just add my two cents to other posts, but I'll try not to where it's not welcome.
93 posts