seeker-of-stories19

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Reposting this link, the story is officially completed and I’d be so grateful to anyone who took the time to read or comment!

Safe•light

noun

a light with a colored filter that can be used in a darkroom without affecting photosensitive film or paper.

Sometimes it feels like that’s what Miguel is for him, the only thing in his life that can touch him without ruining something fragile. It’s been like that since they were kids, since Miguel stood there with his plastic bucket and starfish beaming at him with his missing tooth.

He’s saved him every day since then, even before either of them knew that’s what he was doing.

@keenest-of-heart @mybeautifulillusion @some-dumb-duderino @yoongi12min2 @pluto-plutonium @ivyace @day-dreamsinthedark @miss-starlight @zamsara56-blog @qualityplaidturkey @supersao @piknyu @what-a-gracious-child @ravenmind2001 @theincredibleprincess19 @sansaofyork @thegoddesscirce @princessxx21 @illustep @landing-amongst-the-planets @mickeymousesballsack @megankeene @kierasbawls @phantompoguefangirl @ronaldweasleyhowdareyou @keeneonlovinyou @charlies-candid-corner @colduaire @brihannadiamonds @zomboyofficial @meikodenji @ykbkjg @melon11111 @tvshowgirl81 @justme-idk @eistudy @settraone @si1ver06 @ihavelotsofopinions @kitkatdreamsmpmcyt @l1sbunn @officialmangamochi @r-s-m-168 @lil-italian-disappointment @crookedparadisedreamer @notstoping @tangerineplane

*like this post to be added to my taglist

#cobra kai #robby keene #kiaz #miguel diaz #robby/miguel #robby x miguel #my fanfiction #ao3fic #cobra kai fanfic #johnny & robby #lawrusso

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Mechanical snencils

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Miguel: You know what would be sexy? Eating food off each other

Robby: You didn’t do the dishes

Miguel: I did not

#cobra kai #robby keene #kiaz #miguel diaz #robby/miguel #robby x miguel #cobra kai incorrect quotes #incorrect quotes #source: the internet

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Give him a motorcycle at least Cobra Kai- Miguel would die 😂

Also this movie was great and it made me laugh because Billy was literally Robby which was hilarious because Jaime was also so much like Miguel in Blue Beetle and while I won’t have time to write one anytime soon the crossover/au potential is amazing.

Forever salty Robby won’t lure Miggy in like this.. Xolo was so happy to see him on a motorcycle I’ll never get over this- nor do I wish to recover from my Kiaz stained heart. ♥️ peep the end for Xolo’s usual bark. 😩💀

#how to date billy walsh #billy really was a hot sweetie #and a natural bad boy #kiaz #cobra kai #miguel/robby #robby x miguel #tanner wavy hair supremacy

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The joy I get watching these is crazy 😝

oh word

#tanner buchanan #cobra kai #robby keene #kiaz #miguel diaz #robby/miguel #robby x miguel

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ghost: *being dickish*

soap: mate if you don’t stfu and be nice rn im gonna chloroform you so you take your nap

ghost: that’s why you got shot in las almas, peasant boy.

soap, slamming bleach and rubbing alcohol on the table: you’re taking a nap whether you want to or not.

ghost: oh no. bleach and rubbing alcohol

ghost: wait why are you mixing them, that’s dumb—

ghost, realizing: WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT LISTEN

gaz, whispering: does ghost know soap replaced the bleach and rubbing alcohol with water?

price, also whispering: i’m not sure. i don’t know what’s worse, them fighting until exhaustion or soap threatening to drug ghost.

soap, chasing ghost with a wet rag: COME HERE ITS NAP TIME

ghost, running in circles around the table: I SAID I WAS SORRY FOR CALLING YOU A PESANT BOY YOU KNOW HOW I GET AFTER WATCHING BOOK THREE OF AVATAR

gaz: to be fair soap was talking about wearing a potato sack as a child

price: should we tell him the chloroform isn’t real chloroform

ghost: *sprinting out of the room and away from soap*

soap: *screaming the battle cry of his people as he chases ghost down the halls and around base*

price: …. let them work it out themselves.

(ghost took his nap naturally. soap also ended up taking a nap. the only thing harmed was price and gaz’s sanity)

#call of duty #simon ghost riley #ghost mw2 #john soap mactavish #soap mw2 #ghostsoap #ghoap #soapghost #cod mwiii #price cod

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Sometime in the 90s

Luke - I hate when Bobby says, “Are you even listening to me?” It’s such a random way to start a conversation…

#incorrect quotes #julie and the phantoms #jatp #jatp incorrect quotes #julie and the phantoms incorrect quotes #luke patterson #bobby shaw

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I edited a Cobra Kai scene to make it gay and Kiaz 💖

#miguel x robby #kiaz #cobra kai #miguel diaz #robby keene #robby/miguel #robby x miguel #fan edit

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Omg I’ve never seen this before, how have I never seen this before? It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me! Be ready for Miguel spinning Robby around in all my fics for the rest of eternity 🥰😍😆

the way xolo picked up tanner and swung him around like he’s a princess🥹❤️

#cobra kai #robby keene #kiaz #miguel diaz #robby x miguel #cobra kai season 6 #behind the scenes #lawrusso 2.0

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Reblogging this as a friendly reminder to anyone who ever has a desire to comment on my stories, I am okay with all of the above, comments in other languages, story analysis, questions etc. When I get a comment on one of my stories it honestly makes my whole day, no matter how simple. The only thing I don’t want in my comments is genuine hate for either my story, ship, or themes it portrays. ANYTHING ELSE WILL BE WELCOMED AND SO SO APPRECIATED!!!!

not to be controversial bc I know this is like…not in line with shifting opinions on fanfic comment culture but if there’s a glaring typo in my work I will NOT be offended by pointing it out. if ao3 fucks up the formatting…I will also not be offended by having this pointed out…

‘looking forward to the next update’ and ‘I hope you update soon!’ are different vibes than a demand, and should be read in good faith because a reader is finding their way to tell you how much they love it. I will not be mad at this.

‘I don’t usually like this ship but this fic made me feel something’ is also incredibly high praise. I’m not going to get mad at this.

even ‘I love this fic but I’m curious about why you made [x] choice’ is just another way a reader is engaging in and putting thought into your work.

I just feel like a lot of authors take any comment that’s not perfectly articulated glowing praise in the exact manner they’re hoping to receive it in bad faith.

fic engagement has been dropping across the board over the last several years, and yes it’s frustrating but it isn’t as though I can’t see how it happens. comment anxiety can be a real thing. the last thing anyone wants to do is offend an author they love, and that means sometimes people default to silence.

idk where I’m going with this I guess aside from saying unless a comment is outright attacking me I’m never going to get mad at it, and I think a lot of authors should feel the same way. ESPECIALLY TYPOS PLZ GOD POINT OUT MY TYPOS.

#ao3 #archive of our own #fanfiction #cobra kai #robby keene #migueldiaz #miguelxrobby #kiaz #robby/miguel

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Miguel: Guys help I think I might be bisexual

Eli: How’s that’s possible you either speak the language or you don’t???

Tory: That’s bilingual you fucking moron

#cobra kai #robby keene #kiaz #miguel diaz #robby/miguel #robby x miguel #tory nichols #eli moskowitz #cobra kai incorrect quotes #source: tumblr

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Robby with Miguel draped over him: I love my personal space

Everyone:

Robby: Miguel also loves my personal space

#cobra kai #robby keene #kiaz #miguel diaz #robby/miguel #robby x miguel #cobra kai incorrect quotes #source: the internet

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Miguel: if someone beautiful disagrees with me I will immediately change my views, I have no principles

Robby: well maybe you should have principles

Miguel: you’re right maybe I should

#cobra kai #robby keene #kiaz #miguel diaz #robby/miguel #robby x miguel #cobra kai incorrect quotes #source: the internet

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I have so many Kiaz stories coming including 2 possibly 3 long fics (25,000+ words) and so many one shots. Just be patient with me as I try to finish them, I’m working now and have been busy and scattered with working on different fics depending on my mood and not finishing anything.

#cobra kai #robby keene #kiaz #miguel diaz #robby/miguel #robby x miguel

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Zuko is Autistic

Since I made a post a while ago claiming that Zuko was autistic, some people have been asking for the “proof.” It seems fitting for me to provide said proof now, since it’s autism acceptance month. I’m going to try to be as comprehensive as I can, but if anyone has anything to add, feel free to do so! That said, please do not come on here to tell me that Zuko is not autistic. This is my headcanon, and these are all the things about Zuko that I relate to as an autistic person. 

Alright, buckle up, kids, because Zuko is autistic af and I’m coming with all the receipts - and there are a lot of them.

Let’s start from the beginning. A lot of austistic people develop tactics early on that help us to ‘pass’ as allistic. When unsure of how to act in certain social situations, Zuko tends to mirror Azula. When he was younger, he was shown copying her sense of humor. 

He threw a rock at a baby turtle duck and laughed, saying that this is how Azula feeds turtle ducks. Because Azula thought it was funny, he assumed his mom would think it was funny, too. It wasn’t until Ursa asked, “Why would you do that?” that Zuko even considered it might not be universally funny. 

Zuko is shown laughing at things Azula thinks are funny more than once as a child. If Azula is not laughing directly at Zuko, he usually joins in on the laughter, even if he doesn’t understand the joke. 

Another time Zuko tried to copy Azula was after she demonstrated her skills to their grandfather, Fire Lord Azulon. Zuko immediately attempted to demonstrate his own skills, even though he was not prepared. 

Another thing that some autistic people struggle with is fine motor skills. When Zuko tried to prove to his grandfather that he was as skilled as Azula, he tripped both times he attempted to fire bend. He has obviously improved since that moment, but it took him a long time to do that. 

“You have yet to master your basics. Drill it again.”

Zuko was at sea for three years with Iroh, seemingly doing nothing but training to get strong enough to capture the avatar. After three years, he was still working on his basics, as Iroh points out. Other benders have been shown to become masters much quicker than Zuko. Katara became a waterbending master after one episode. Aang mastered all four elements in the span of about a year. By the age of 12, Toph was already an earthbending master, and she taught herself. Zuko has had to work a lot harder than them to properly control his fine motor skills. It isn’t until he’s mastered his basics that he is able to progress as a bender. 

Since Ozai was obviously not the most supportive parent, Zuko may have had to figure out other ways to hide his autism. 

Another tactic he used was to practice social interactions before they happened. In this scene, he is shown giving a practice performance to a frog:

“The thing is, I have a lot of fire bending experience, and I’m considered to be pretty good at it. Well, you’ve seen me. You know, when I was attacking you?” 

Obviously, this practice session was necessary, because Zuko said plenty of things here that could have easily further escalated the situation. 

Even while using tools like mirroring or practicing social interaction, we all have moments where things might just feel a little off to allistic people. 

Empathy

A lot of autistic people feel empathy differently than allistic people. Some of us might not feel empathy, some might experience hyper empathy, and some might just have a hard time expressing empathy. I suspect Zuko is leaning towards low empathy, or has trouble expressing empathy. 

Exhibit A: 

“My first girlfriend turned into the moon.”

“That’s rough, buddy.” 

Notice how Zuko found it easier to talk about himself. He answered Sokka’s questions about Mai, and the conversation was moving along smoothly. It wasn’t until Sokka shared personal information about himself that Zuko seemed to be out of words. 

Exhibit B:

Toph just told Zuko that her parents gave her everything she ever asked for, but not the one thing she really wanted: their love. 

Zuko spends half of this conversation looking the other way. When he does look at her, notice his expression. He probably has no idea why she is telling him this, so he doesn’t know how to respond. And on top of that, he was under the impression that they were supposed to be looking for Aang. 

A lot of autistic people have what you might call a one track mind (which I’ll get more into later). It’s hard for us to switch focus from one thing to another. 

Toph wanted to partner with Zuko because she wanted a life changing field trip, but Zuko just wanted to find Aang. He was able to have ‘life changing field trips’ with Aang, Katara, and Sokka because he was actively focused on helping them with their specific problems. He had time to mentally prepare to help them. There was careful planning involved in each of those missions. He can’t help Toph in this moment, because her problem is conflicting with the problem they already have: finding Aang.

In both of the examples above, Zuko acknowledges the hardships that Sokka and Toph went through. “That’s rough buddy” and “I know you had a rough childhood.” This may be his way of trying to show compassion, even though it might come across as cold. 

Zuko takes things at face value

Catching things like sarcasm, body language, metaphors, and ‘reading between the lines’ can be difficult for autistic people. This also gives us a reputation for being gullible, because it can be difficult to tell when someone is lying without being able to read the cues. 

The first and most obvious example of this is what Zuko’s entire arc revolves around: 

Capturing the Avatar

Ozai had just fought his own son, a 13 year old, in an Agni Kai. He burned Zuko’s face, intentionally causing permanent damage, and then banished him. All of this because Zuko spoke out of turn. At the time that Zuko was banished, the Avatar hadn’t been spotted for over 100 years. 

Knowing all of that, it seems likely to me that Ozai was being cruel and sarcastic when he said that Zuko could come back after capturing the Avatar. It would be like saying “when pigs fly,” since at that point the Avatar was thought to have been gone forever. 

Iroh, of course, knows this. That’s why in the beginning of the series, he kept reminding Zuko that the Avatar had not been seen in 100 years. He didn’t want Zuko to get his hopes up. Zuko, however, spends every minute for three years training to fight the avatar, and the second he sees something out of the ordinary, he automatically assumes that it is the the avatar’s doing. It’s kind of a miracle that he was right.

Capturing the Avatar = restoring honor. This is an example of both taking what his father told him as fact, and seeing things as black and white, which is also commonly associated with autism. Ozai told Zuko that capturing the avatar would restore his honor, so Zuko became obsessed with finding and capturing Aang. He truly believed that doing so was the only way to restore his honor and return home. It took Zuko years to realize that he could restore his honor in a different way than what his father told him. 

He automatically believes Azula when she says he can come home

“Father regrets?”

It had been three years since he’d seen Azula, and he immediately took what she said at face value. He is excited to be going home, and he is frustrated with Iroh for being skeptical. When Iroh points out that he has never known Ozai to regret anything, Zuko says “did you even listen to Azula?” 

Zuko takes what Azula says as fact, just like he has always done. This is why, as a child, he had to constantly tell himself, “Azula always lies,” because she probably had a habit of fooling Zuko. But now that it has been so long, without the constant reminder that Azula always lies, she takes advantage of the fact that Zuko trusts her so easily, and he falls for her lies once again.

He doesn’t catch on to Jin’s body language

In the episode ‘The Tales of Ba Sing Se,’ Zuko meets a girl named Jin. He immediately is threatened by her, because she keeps looking at him (eye contact is another thing that can be a challenge for autistic people). He assumes she knows they are fire nation. Despite the fact that he has seen her constantly smiling at him, he is completely surprised when he finds out she has a crush on him.

When Jin asks Zuko on a date, he shows up looking like this:

I think most people would catch on that this is Not A Good Look. But when Jin messes up his hair, Zuko gets frustrated. He says, “It took my uncle ten minutes to do my hair!” 

So, Iroh told him this was a good hairstyle, and Zuko trusts Iroh, so he took his word as truth, and went along with it. 

Later on in the date, Jin tries to kiss Zuko. Just before their lips touch, he holds a coupon in front of her face, exclaiming that he brought her a gift.

Zuko likes Jin. He risked a lot to light up the fountain for her. We know he wanted to kiss her, because when she kissed him later, he let her, and he even kissed her back for a moment before he bolted. But in this moment here, he missed the signs that said she was about to kiss him (the hand holding, Jin closing her eyes, leaning forward, etc), so he moved the conversation along in a way that he felt was natural, by giving her a gift. 

He doesn’t realize that Sokka and Suki want time alone

Zuko runs into Suki when he’s about to go into Sokka’s tent. She’s clearly embarrassed, but Zuko doesn’t catch on.

“Sorry, do you need to talk to Sokka, too?”

Suki says no, so Zuko enters Sokka’s tent, to find Sokka like this:

There are roses everywhere, candles are lit, Sokka’s hair is down, he’s posing. Sokka was waiting for Suki to arrive, not Zuko. 

But Zuko doesn’t catch on to that, either, so he sits right down and asks Sokka for advice, totally oblivious to what was supposed to be going down. 

He can’t explain what is ‘off’ about Azula

A lot of autistic people have trouble recognizing patterns. Zuko has known Azula his whole life. He knows what her hair usually looks like. He knows what her makeup usually looks like. She doesn’t usually have dark circles under her eyes. She usually has better posture. I could go on. 

Azula challenged Zuko to an Agni Kai looking like this:

“I can’t explain it, but there’s something off about her.”

This is something I struggle with, too. If my mom dyes her hair, I can tell something is different, but it may take me a few days to figure out exactly what has changed. I think this is what was going on with Zuko here. He knows something is up, but he can’t immediately recognize that Azula has cut her own hair poorly, or that her makeup is different because she did it herself, or that she has dark circles under her eyes, or weird posture, etc. 

Sensory issues 

Sensory issues are also associated with autism. This can manifest in sensory overload and strong reactions to physical contact, among other things.

One way I’ve learned to avoid or come down from sensory overload is to self-isolate and meditate, which is something Zuko does very often. This can also be a way to recharge spoons or mentally prepare for something that might be exhausting.  

This explains why Zuko would react so strongly when someone interrupts his alone time. He needs that time to prepare for every other moment in the day. When this time is interrupted, he lashes out, and has trouble containing his emotions.

Physical contact

Zuko doesn’t always seem to know how to react to physical contact and affection. He reacts negatively if he isn’t prepared, or if he isn’t comfortable with the person. Even if he genuinely likes the person who is touching him (Jin, Iroh, Toph, Katara, etc), he still doesn’t seem to know what to do. 

If Zuko is comfortable with the person who hugs him, he allows them to do so, but he still almost always looks flustered. He doesn’t always hug back, and when he does, it sometimes takes him a moment to process that he’s being hugged before he is able to return the gesture.

Difficulty Changing Plans

As I mentioned before, autistic people sometimes have a one-track mind. We may have difficulty changing plans, and may tend to see things as black and white, with no gray areas. All of these things describe Zuko to a T. 

Zuko tends to get frustrated over any change of plans, but there’s one example I’d like to focus on.

Let’s talk about that angst coma. You know, that time Zuko got physically ill after he did something that completely altered the course of his life? 

That’s the one. The thing is, change is hard. And it can be especially hard for autistic people. Zuko spent the last few years working towards one thing, and one thing only: capturing the avatar. Then, in one day, everything changed. He made a decision to free Appa, which was completely counter to what he has been working towards this entire time. 

I’ve had “angst comas” before, and I know other autistic people who have had similar experiences. Sometimes you really do just need a few days in bed to recuperate and adjust to big changes. 

some side notes that are worth mentioning:

Zuko takes Iroh’s metaphors literally

He repeats Iroh’s metaphors without understanding them, and they come across differently

It took him a minute to realize when Aang insulted him, because the insult was dressed up like a complement. “Hey, that was actually pretty smart of you.” Zuko’s first reaction is to smile proudly at the praise. 

That scene when Aang wants to sit by Katara (bc he likes her) and Zuko is all, “I don’t get it, what’s the big deal? Just sit next to me.”

He saved Iroh’s smelly sandal when he was separated from him

He has a special interest in dao swords

Inaccurate self image (in his imagination he pictured himself without his scar)

He replays memories in his head of times when he thinks he may have said the wrong thing

He has meltdowns when things don’t go as he plans. 

He sometimes messes up jokes when he’s trying to be funny

He paces back and forth a lot, perhaps as a way to stim

In conclusion Zuko is autistic af. I rest my case.

#atla #zuko #actuallyautistic #autismacceptance #autistic zuko #child abuse #peer abuse #bullying #iroh

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I’m ridiculously proud of this and it took way too long to make but I’m really happy ☺️

#cobra kai #robby keene #kiaz #miguel diaz #robby/miguel #robby x miguel #fan edit

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I have a very different interpretation of Miguel’s involvement and purpose in the story but I love the perception of Robby in this piece so much. I’ve always related to him more than any other character and I understand the pain of only being cared for if you make yourself palatable to the people in your life. And the more you do it the harder it is to stop because you stop being your own person and start being a character in their life that exists to be pleasing to them and you’ll watch people in your life fight but when you so much as disagree you become the villain. The more you do it the more you can be around them without conflict but it will never feel good and when the time comes that you speak out against the way you’re being treated or about your feelings you will be demonized every time no matter how calm or polite. You lose your right to be angry or have your own opinion in the eyes of the people you’re trying to please and it might keep you safe but for how long? I hope so much that they don’t end Robby’s story like this and he gets to actually come into himself and find safe spaces with some of the characters to respect and understand him but it’s not looking very good.

I recently came across these quote:

" 'Be the bigger person' is bullshit advice. My bigness is not determined by my capacity to quietly absorb bullying, degradation, and abuse."

"In the toxic family, we're often told to be the better person... with someone who is refusing to be the better person."

After s5, Robby's popularity grew a lot because many fans started "liking" Robby more. The thing is, before s5, many didn't "like" Robby at all, as in empathizing with Robby and understanding all of his nuances as a character. So, now it's seems that they just "like" that he's seemingly not going to be a problem in the obviously toxic blended "family" that they've always wanted for Johnny and Miguel.

Even some of the fans that have generally "liked" Robby the whole time, proudly say that Robby decided to be the "bigger person". Again, it seems to be about wanting Johnny and Miguel to keep their relationship intact, while Johnny gets Robby in whatever form Johnny can. A compliant, people-pleasing Robby is the Robby of choice, especially because Johnny and Miguel haven't changed so of course Robby must become the compliant, "bigger person".

As if people don't see the blatant psychological, emotional, and even physical abuse that Johnny subjected Robby to in s5 for his own gain. s5 was another season that Johnny very obviously chose Miguel and his family over Robby. It really is a choice to ignore Johnny's toxic behavior in s5 and throughout the whole series. In fact, some even agree that Johnny mistreated Robby in s5, but also say that Robby is okay with it now so they're okay with it too... and then they happily talk about what they hope to see next for Johnny and the Diazs. Like I said, it's a choice to brush it all off.

And it's not like Robby didn't speak out at all in s5. Robby tried to, but Johnny kept putting him in situations that he eventually complied. People-pleasing (fawning) is not being the "bigger person". People-pleasing is a trauma response and a defense mechanism.

Robby got upset with Johnny for lying and tricking him into a father-son trip, but Robby stopped speaking out because Johnny dumped him at a bus stop to get home on his own, while Johnny went off to make sure Miguel got home safe while Carmen stayed home safe, even though Miguel had chosen to go to Mexico on his own while Johnny had lied and manipulated Robby into going there and even admitted he did it because he needed Robby's help finding Miguel.

After they returned from the trip, Robby made it clear that he didn't want to be friends with Miguel. He clearly defined his boundaries and said that Johnny and Miguel have their relationship and he just wanted his space from it, but Robby stopped speaking out because Johnny has no respect for Robby's boundaries and put himself, Miguel, the baby, and Carmen above Robby. Johnny doesn't care about who is at fault for the rivalry or the school fight (Miguel) and who continued the rivalry in s5 (Miguel). Robby had no choice but to fight so that Miguel could hurt him, like he's always wanted to, before accepting him. Robby had to be excited like Miguel was about the baby so that Johnny wouldn't abandon Robby again. Robby had to ask for permission from Carmen to have dinner with his own dad. Later, when Robby indirectly commented about Johnny not giving fatherly advice to him but only to Miguel, Robby had to pass the comment off as a joke because Johnny immediately got upset and dismissed him.

Robby stopped speaking out because he's not allowed to. Johnny chipped away at whatever resolve Robby had. Robby had to be the perfect son so that Johnny would allow Robby to continue to be in Johnny's life.

(These are general thoughts and not directed at anyone in particular.)

#cobra kai is robby's story #robby keene #cobra kai