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#and i love how lis2 does exactly what i talk about here...
williamaltman · 2 months
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Life is Strange 2 thoughts/feelings/review
So, Life is Strange 2. I finished the game yesterday and watched the other endings today. Things are not as fresh in my mind as if I had just finished and I talked a bit about it in other places so this feels a bit hard, but I'll try to lay down all my thoughts...
First of all... All my homies love LIS2, fuck you if you don't like LIS2! Seriously though, for years I've seen people say that the game wasn't good, that the characters weren't as good as the ones from the first one, that the Sean/Daniel relationship wasn't that interesting... I kinda did suspect it was just nostalgia goggles or whatever, but now I know for sure. I don't think there's anything wrong with connecting more with LIS1 and having a deeper relationship with it, but in this case I think you shouldn't even be comparing them and expecting the game to live up to that to you in the first place.
Now, onto the actual game. God, this was so fucking heartbreaking. I think I cried in every single episode. The very core premise of the story is just so sad, so unfair, and despite the powers so rooted in reality that it left me legit feeling uncomfortable with how fucked up their whole situation was. There are good moments, sure, but honestly every single thing that happens from the moment their dad is shot is just... Not how their life should've had to be.
Sure, LIS1 and BTS had dark themes too. But here, it's like, they lose everything from the beginning. Sean doesn't get to go to his party, to hang out with Lyla, to continue his normal life in any way. Daniel loses a part of his childhood. They're both forced to grow up so much faster than they should. There's a line Sean says in episode 3, and it's just a little idle VO, but it fucking crushed me, "Stop overthinking. You're not a teenager anymore". Even though he's fucking 16... He's 16 and he has to essentially become a parent. I knew what the game was about and lowkey followed it a bit when it was releasing, knew a few spoilers, but that didn't make anything any less heartbreaking.
I thought it was beautiful how the game took the opportunity to showcase and celebrate alternate lifestyles. The "family", Away, their freedom and how they interacted with society brings so much into perspective. I'm still a bit conflicted about Karen tbh, but I'm glad that at least they did show something beautiful through her story.
My biggest problem overall is probably how they handled the Finn romance route... I knew back when the game was releasing that despite adding a male LI, they pushed the female one more onto you and gave her more content, while locking the option to kiss him with a "bad choice" (I didn't know what exactly it was). And yeah, that is still true. I still think it was a mistake to lock the kiss with accepting the heist, and while I kinda understand the writer's explanation for that, I still think it could've been handled in another way, or they could've just let him kiss you and "betray" you by doing the heist anyway, since he still does that when you're friends lol.
I see people complaining that because they moved from place to place each episode, there wasn't enough time to connect with the characters... Idk if I'd say I disagree, but it just wasn't really the case for me. I was very invested in all the relationships, in Finn, Cassidy, Jacob, Chris, Karen. Everyone at the farm was cool and everyone in Away too. Lyla. You get so many tidbits about the characters even when they're not there on screen. The only thing I have to say which is kinda related to that, is that I think the time jumps were maybe a bit too big, and that the way they handled Mushroom was... weird.
I got the Parting Ways ending, and I'm satisfied with it. I kinda planned to get it, but only in the sense that I was spoiled that you get with Finn there. I didn't know that the whole morality thing had anything to do with it, and I played the first two episodes without even knowing that there was a points system about that and about brotherhood. I just made all the choices that were high morality (besides killing the cougar and the heist) because it was what I would do, and tried to be a good brother for Daniel. I figured that choosing to cross the border would most likely give me that one, but I just couldn't accept Sean having to go to prison for 15 years for something he didn't even do. If we were able to choose between Parting Ways and Blood Brothers, then I would actually be conflicted about which I wanted.
With the way the game's system works though, where you need to have low morality to get Blood Brothers, I couldn't really do it. I can't imagine myself teaching Daniel to be selfish and not care about killing people. I actually think it's super cool to watch Daniel use his power offensively and fuck shit up, but it just wouldn't be my version of the story. It's funny because, if we just played as Daniel, I wouldn't mind going that route. But since we play as Sean, with it being our job to raise Daniel, I feel a different kind of responsability towards leading him to become a good person. I also think it's beautiful that he gets to have the rest of his childhood, teenagehood, and live a "normal" healthy life with his grandparents. He does it in the redemption one too, but as I said, that just screws up Sean too much.
So, I'm a little disappointed that they're separated (and maybe can't ever see each other again? I'm a bit confused about Daniel's situation and whether he could visit), and that it's a bit shorter than the others (at least than the redemption one), but it IS the ending my playthrough led to and in that I'm satisfied.
I think this story is just incredible. It touched me so much, and the fact that some people can't see it genuinely frustrates me. The people complaining it's too political in particular can just go fuck themselves. It might not be perfect, but like with all things I appreciate, I'm just so glad it exists.
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bazwillendinflames · 3 years
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Gravity Falls/LIS2 AU
The last place Sean wants to spend his Summer is in a weird town in the middle of no where, Oregon, reconnecting with a Mother who hadn’t wanted to see them in years in her weird tourist trap. But Daniel is determined to go and his Dad gives Sean little choice but to babysit him.
But soon it becomes clear there is more to Beaver Creek than meets the eye and the strangeness of the town soon unlocks some family secrets and strange abilities. Maybe their Summer won’t be so boring after all.
AO3 
“Lyla, I will die of boredom.” 
“It can’t be that bad,” she replied, her voice a little tinny still. The bad reception was just one of many reasons that Sean was having an awful time. (In the week and a half since they had arrived, he’d already made a list.) 
“Nope, it is exactly as bad as I’m saying.” 
“I mean, come on, you’re Mom’s there. What’s that like that?” 
Sean scowled. “Number one on reasons this place sucks. All she talks to us about is all this weird mystic stuff she likes. Her store is so weird, it’s all crystals and bad poetry.” 
Lyla snorted. “Really?” 
“Yep. Not to mention this is the whitest town ever.” He glanced out the window, where Karen was smoking, notebook in hand and ducked his head before she could spot him. “There are no cool people.” 
“Come on, you have Danny.” 
“I get enough babysitting at home thanks.” He glanced outside again, wondering exactly how long he could bitch on the phone for and call it a break. “Anyway, this place is just making Daniel weirder. He’s convinced this place is magic or something.” 
“That’s sweet. Hey, we used to play witches when we were kids, remember?”
“Hey, you were the witch, I was a manly wizard.” 
That time Lyla actually laughed. “Sure dude. I’ll believe it when I see it.” 
“Anyway, we were into the Harry Potter books, you know before terf-face ruined them. Daniel is into the ancient runes and fake spell cards Mo- Karen sells.” 
“That’s adorable.” 
“Ugh, only you could find him adorable. That’s only because Daniel doesn’t kick you in your sleep-” 
“Did Lyla call me adorable?” 
Sean sighed as Daniel barged in. Not much had changed since home tehre at least, apart from the fact they now shared Karen’s attic room. (Bunk beds, making the being kicked in the shin at night thing even more annoying.) 
“Hey, I’m kinda on the-” 
Daniel yanked the phone and rolled on the bed. “Hiiiiii Lyla. Do you miss us?” 
“Give me that back.” 
He wiggled out of his grap. “Did you know Sean talks in his sleep, it’s so weird-” 
“You would know about weird,” he grumbled, snatching his phone back, only to find the shitty signal had finally cut out on Lyla. “Dude.” 
“Sorry.” Daniel grinned at him. “Hey, I’m helping Mom restock, can you help me reach the top shelves?” 
He checked the time on his phone. He had almost managed a whole brother-free hour. 
“Guess I should I get back to work.” 
“Cool.” Daniel followed him downstairs, bouncing with energy. “Hey, Sean what does terf-face mean?” 
  Sean was stuck behind the register, although the store was still empty. He wasn’t sure why Karen insisted on such early opening hours when no one else showed up. 
He rubbed his eyes, the early start not helped by the fact Daniel had been reading with a torch all night. He had picked up a weird book from the store or something. Of course he would pick up a late night reading habit once they were sharing a room. 
“I brought you guys some toast.” Karen balanced the plate on the top of some unsold art books. (Her organization was as great as her parenting.) 
“Thanks Mom!” 
Sean poked at a black spot under a thick layer of peanut butter. “Yeah, thanks.” 
“I gotta do some inventory but I’ll be back up for lunch.” 
“Can we go to the cool diner? Chris says the milkshakes are great.” 
Karen smiled. “Yeah. Does that sound good Sean?” 
He grunted in response and her grin flickered. 
“Right, work. You boys got this.” 
“We’re not your boys,” Sean muttered, although she didn’t hear. 
“Why are you so mean to Mom?” Daniel asked, his mouth full of toast. “She’s always nice.” 
“Right, she’s been real nice the first nine years of your life.” 
Daniel looked up at him with big eyes. “Sean…” 
“Fine, I’ll try. Put those eyes away Bambi.” 
He smiled. “So, I was thinking the strawberry milkshakes are Chris’ favourite but I like chocolate more so you could get one and we could share?” 
“Huh, yeah, sure.” Sean had only been half listening, distracted by the newest customer. Waking up early suddenly had its appeal. The girl had matted purple hair, an arm full of tattoos and a guitar strapped to her back. She caught him looking and winked. 
“Are you okay Sean? You just went really red and-” 
“What? No. Shut up.” Sean moved into a more casual position, his eyes still fixed on the pretty girl. His elbow knocked the tip jar and it fell off the edge. “Shit-” 
“Here.” Daniel put it back. “Woah…” 
“Good catch Enano.” 
“Yeah. Catch! I totally caught it.” Daniel smiled a little suspiciously. “Hey, you said a swear, you owe me a dollar.” 
“A dollar? It’s only a quarter at home.” 
“Now we’re away from Dad, you’re supposed to be a good influence.” 
“You get a quarter.” Sean dropped the coin in his hand. “Be cool.” 
“What?” 
“Hey boys.” The purple-haired girl leaned against the other end of the counter, an easy smile on her face. Her voice had a faint Southern tang. “So, I come to this town every Summer and I don’t recognise either of you cuties.” 
“I- we- um-” 
His brother beat him to it. “I’m Daniel.” 
Cursing his stammering, he finally managed to introduce himself. “I’m Sean.” 
“Why hello. I’m Cassidy.” 
“Hi. Um, cool guitar. You play?” (Internally, Sean cringed: You play? Why else would she have a guitar?) 
“Yeah, funnily enough. I’m actually here to hand out flyers for my band’s show. Could you hang it up?” 
“Yeah.” Sean took the flyer. “Your show is this Friday?” 
“And every other Friday. You wanna come?” 
“I’m invited?” 
Cassidy laughed. “Yeah sure. It is a concert. You’re lucky you’re cute, City Boy.” 
“City boy?” 
“It’s on your sweatshirt idiot,” Daniel whispered. Seattle Track Meet, 2015. He was frowning in the general direction of Cassidy. “We’re busy Friday so-” 
“No. Nope, I’m not busy. Ignore him.” Sean flattened his hair. “I’ll be there Friday.” 
“I’ll look out for you City Boy. Nice to meet you.” 
Sean waited until Cassidy had left before pumping his fist. “Yes! She called me cute Dan!” 
“You’re the worst.” 
“What?” 
Daniel pouted. “You promised you’d take me camping in the woods Friday. I already brought us marshmallows and walkie-talkies.” 
“Hey, there is plenty of time to camp in those freaky woods. But I only have one chance with a girl like Cassidy.” 
“Wrong, you have zero chances with any girl.” Daniel stomped off to the corner of the store. “You’re the worst.” 
“Dan- come on.” His brother went back to ignoring him. Sean crossed his arms. “Fine. Be like that!” 
There was the only sound of a raspberry in response. 
  “Nope, I’m totally with Danny. That was a jerk move.” 
“What? Lyla, you’re supposed to be my hype man- er woman. You’re always trying to set me up on dates.” 
“Dude, three weeks ago you were so into Jenn.” 
He sighed. “And Jenn was into Derek Anderson. We had ice cream and everything.” 
“Dude, don’t fuck up your relationship with Danny over a dumb Summer romance.” 
Sean buried his head in his pillow. “You sound like my Dad.” 
“Go to this hippy girl’s show next time. You Danny will do the face.” 
“The Bambi face?” Sean groaned. “I have been facing the Bambi face all week.” 
Lyla scoffed. “Is there anything else to add?” 
“Fine. I’ll go camping. But only for the s’mores.” 
“Okay, brother of the year.” 
“Thanks jerk.” 
Lyla blew him an exaggerated kiss. “Aw, love you too.”
Sean grabbed his backpack, moving to shove in his hoodie and torch. Daniel had already shoved one of the walkie-talkies inside. 
“Calling little wolf, we are back on for camping.” 
There was nothing but static on the other end. Sean pocketed the walkie-talkie and headed downstairs, calling his brother’s name. There was no one in the kitchen and only Karen sitting in the living room, chewing on the edge of a pen. 
“Hey, have you seen Daniel?” 
Karen looked up. “Oh, I thought you already left? Daniel passed by twenty minutes ago with the sleeping bags.” 
“That little-” Sean wasn’t panicking, but he was maybe sweating a little more than he had been before. “Um, right. I just forget a…” he scanned the room and grabbed Daniel’s weird book, “scary story. Classic camping right?” 
“Oh. Have a nice time then.” Karen hesitated. “I know you’re not thrilled to be here. But I hope by the end of the Summer we can understand each other better. 
“Me too.” Sean tried to look as un-guilty as possible. “See you tomorrow Karen.” 
  “Daniel!” He yelled, running head first into the spooky mass of woodlands beyond their store. “Dan, I’m sorry okay. Quit hiding!” 
No answer. Sean went digging for the walkie-talkie, now glowing an eerie blue. 
“Dan?” 
The walkie-talkie crackled again- “Sean?” 
“Dan.” He let out a shaky breath. “Hey, I’m sorry I ditched you-” 
“Sean, help!” 
He was clutching the walkie-talkie so hard his knuckles went white. “What’s wrong? I’m coming okay. What’s happening?” 
“Creature- help- monster- ahh!” 
Sean scanned the trees around him, suddenly aware he was lost too. Daniel had been the one eager to explore the woods but he had said it was too creepy and now it seemed he was being proven right. 
“Sean- book- monster-” 
He dug around to find the weird book Daniel had been carrying around all week. He had assumed it was from one of Karen’s displays but now he was looking at it, the journal seemed too real to go with the modern witchcraft bullshit she was trying to sell. The cover was dark blue and the pages thick with drawings and polaroids. 
“Dan, I have the book, what do I need to look for? What is this thing?” 
“Page- tree- monster-” Daniel was breathing heavily. “Hear?” 
“I can hear you,” he said comfortingly, “I’m coming.” 
He held the torch in his teeth, flicking through pages until he came across a few marked with Daniel’s doodles and writing. He seemed to be studying telekinetic powers, complete with a superhero sketch: SUPER /DUDE DAN/ WOLF? ask Sean for name ideas
He finally came across the page that looked like a bush drawn with yellow eyes. 
Dangerous 
camouflage shape shifters 
Hard to photograph shush ma-
Likes dark 
Under the original writing Daniel had added his own note: babies in woods. 
“Hey,” Sean held up the walkie-talkie, “is it these moss creatures? What well?” 
“Sean!” This time Daniel’s voice was clearer, his voice steadier. 
“Dan. What happened? Please tell me you had a good reason to go into the woods alone without telling me or Karen.” 
“Come on, that’s it? Can you yell at me when I’m not being chased?” 
“Okay. I’m coming, where are you?” 
“Where are you?” 
“By some trees. There’s a sign for a lake?” 
“Go to the lake, I’ll meet you there.” Daniel was cut off by some more static. “Hey, stop chewing that Mushroom!” 
Sean followed the signs, hoping Daniel at least would know a way out. How did he know the woods so well already? Was Sean that much of a shitty brother he hadn’t noticed him running off into these haunted-ass woods? 
The lake slowly came into the view but it was empty. 
“Daniel? Dan?” 
The lake was weirdly normal, just muddy water and a few droopy looking frogs. Still, Sean was still on edge, swinging the heavy torch from hand to hand. The faster they got home, the better. 
His relative peace was interrupted by the rustling of tree branches and heavy footsteps. Daniel came barging through the trees, a small bundle of something wrapped in his checked shirt. Something was chasing him and fast- Sean barely had time to move out the way as Daniel crashed into him. Something big and fast ran past. 
“Sean!” Daniel threw himself into his arms. “I’m sorry, don’t yell at me.” 
“I’m not mad. But you did scare the shit out of me.” 
“Sean-” 
“Fine, you get a dollar, let’s just go-” 
“No, look.” 
Sean turned slowly, met with amber eyes and a large face of bark and weeds. The creature sniffed at him curiously. 
“Um-” 
Daniel hid behind him. “Any ideas?” 
“You have the stupid haunted book!” The creature snorted, blowing hot air in his face. “Wait, the book said-” Sean slowly moved for his pocket, finding Dad’s lighter. 
“Dan, on three, we run.” 
“One-” he reached for a branch, “two-” he flicked the lighter on, “three!” Sean held the flaming branch up the creature’s face, dragging Daniel out the way as it squirmed. “What, the light should have scared it off.” 
“Remember when you said you weren’t going to get mad?” 
Sean turned to him, as Daniel revealed the squirming mass of moss in his arms. 
“You stole it’s kid?” 
“I always wanted a puppy! She’s called Mushroom-” 
Seeing it’s child, the larger creature started inching slowly towards Daniel. 
“Put it down! We can’t keep this weird monster-baby!” 
“We bonded!” The larger creature nudged its nose towards the smaller one, poking his chest with a spikey horn. “Okay, I’ll give her back.” 
Daniel held out his arms, placing the small creature on the floor. It wiggled a loose vine that could almost be a tail and followed its parents into the woods. 
Sean punched him in the arm. “That’s for trying to adopt an actual monster.” 
Daniel rubbed his arm. “Ouch.” 
Sean pulled him into a hug. “And that’s for scaring the shit out of me. I’m glad you’re okay though.” 
“Me too.” Daniel smiled. “Hey, now you owe me two dollars!” 
  After all the excitement, the brothers’ settled on camping in Karen’s yard. 
“So, you found that spooky book in a tree and didn’t think to tell me?” 
“You were being the worst!” 
Sean laughed. “Okay, I deserve that. But, next time you find a weird monster thing, tell me. We’re in this together.” 
“Okay promise.” Daniel threw another marshmallow at him. “Sorry I made you miss your concert. I guess Cassidy wasn’t that bad.” 
“Hey, I saved your butt, that’s more important.” Sean took a bite out a s’more. “Hey, there isn’t anything else you’re not telling me right?” 
“Actually,” Daniel held out his hand, a marshmallow hoovering a few inches above his palm. “Surprise?” 
(A boring Summer suddenly looked so much more appealing.)
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superpotato824 · 3 years
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i just finished Life is Strange: True Colors, so here are my thoughts on it (this is gonna be VERY long)
WOW okay my head hurts from staring at a screen that long but omg that game was so beautiful! The scenery, the ambient sounds, the characters, oh my GOD it was a visual masterpiece. The flower bridge, the flower shop, dang just the whole entire town of Haven!!!! Such a pretty place and so breathtaking. And the character animation??? I was scared it would look weird or creepy but WOAH it looks amazing. Definitely loved how the game looked and felt. All the characters were well fleshed out and that made it easier to connect with them as a player.
Now, for the plot... I really did love it. At least... I think I did? I'm determined to love every LiS game so take this with a pinch of salt. The plot was very interesting and definitely refreshing for the LiS series. In the original game, the plot kinda centers around the supernatural tornado or whatever that Max saw in her vision. In the LiS2, the brothers are running cuz of an accident caused by Daniel's supernatural powers (also its been a while since I played BtS so uhhh I don't really remember it oops) ANYWAYS in True Colors!!! It's finally different! The main conflict is not caused due to the character's supernatural powers! It's different, but honestly really cool. For once, you don't have a nagging feeling about causing the end of the world or being caught by the cops whenever you use your powers! Well, sort of... I don't know if it was just me, but some times when Alex used her powers, it felt like blatant emotional manipulation. Like, she would "dive into the hearts of others", find their greatest secret, fear, whatever it is, and then turn it against them. Using her powers to make Mac tell her the truth about what happened with the call Gabe made. Idk it just didn't sit right with me sometimes. Alex's powers are so unique and honestly I love the idea behind them and how the game works with it! But... I was at least hoping for SOME mention of how this was emotional manipulation on Alex's part. I mean, even in the original game, the nightmare-Max or whatever says that Max is using her powers to know exactly what to say and manipulate people into liking her. That's why I was so excited when a nightmare-esque scene began, cuz I thought we were about to dive deeper into that. But no, the nightmare-esque scene just showed us Alex's past, which was very interesting and definitely good to get to learn! But not exactly what I was hoping for. Sure, sometimes Alex makes an offhand comment about how she is using her powers to manipulate people, but it never stops her. Idk I guess I just wanted to see more into that but maybe that's just me. ANYWAYS again.
Honestly, I kind of saw the "surprise bad guy" being the bad guy way from the start. Idk something just seemed off about him to me or maybe I'm just used to LiS making good characters their surprise bad guy lol. Still, definitely made for a super cool and complex plot! Also though, at the end of it, I only felt like the choices that changed the end of the story were 1.) Who you romanced and 2.) Literally what you tell Gabe at the end of the game. Like,,,, I haven't seen any other playthroughs yet, but I really hope the game is different depending on your choices throughout, even if the ending is kinda stagnant (if that makes sense)
Thought of this last minute so I'm just gonna add it here before my final statements!!! ALEX'S POWERS. They are honestly SO COOL. I love how she goes from seeing them as a curse, something that makes her broken, to seeing them as a way to help people and to make things right. It's really so beautiful how the storytelling with her powers went. And her powers help flesh out the characters around her! We get to see little glimpses into the past and into these random strangers around town! It really adds another level of world building and makes the town of Haven seem even more real.
I really did love the story and oh my GOD did I love how the game looked! Definitely glad I got this game and I really wanna play it again to see how/if your choices really make a difference at the end of the day! Dang this was long and I still probably have even more thoughts on this game but I'll stop now. I think I love this game. If not for the beautiful scenery and town, then definitely for the cool, fleshed out characters living there.
Anyways if anyone wants to talk about this game or ANY other LiS game (or really anything tbh) send me a message!!! I'm bored and making friends is fun!
WAIT ALSO I JUST POSTED THIS BUT I THOUGHT OF SOMETHING ELSE!!!! There are some choices to "take" people's emotions from them. We... never see the long term consequences of that? Do they get them back? How does it affect Alex? Sure we see that the character that had anger taken from them is now numb to it, but do they ever get it back??? Can Alex give it back? And what about the character that had fear taken? How did that affect them? Sure we see they turn against the company that used to scare them, but is that the only fear Alex took? And again, how does this affect Alex??? After taking their emotions, we see Alex have a small breakdown, feeling a sudden urge of these feelings way after she took them. Like when she yelled about Gabe being dead and how nothing would bring him back, or when she curled up on herself, in fear of being watched. Does it just... go away? Does she ever deal with it? Does it ever come back???? And it doesn't help that you can choose NOT to take their emotions! That makes it harder to address in the long term. AAAA NOW IM CONFUSED AGAIN
AAAAA AND AGAIN ANYWAYS ALSO JUST REALIZED THIS WAS A LIS GAME THAT DIDNT MAKE ME CRY AT THE END. LIKE THE ENDING WASNT SAD? AT ALL? LIKE THE END FITS THE STORY AND I LOVE IT BUT WOW A LIS GAME THAT DOESNT HAVE A TRAUMATIC ENDING? CRAZY
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bazwillendinflames · 4 years
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Read on AO3
A Diaz brothers Hogwarts AU for @head-full-of-things for the LIS2 Secret Santa. 
Sean’s baby brother is born at the height of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named’s terror. The first time Sean saw Daniel he was struck by just how tiny he looked. 
The world outside was so scary and Sean had already been taught what to do if there was trouble. (Find Mum or Dad unless he can’t. Then hide and be very, very quiet.) Sean can’t help but look down at the tiny baby curled in his cot and worry that baby Daniel wouldn’t be very good at hiding. He cried when he woke up and he only settled if someone told him a story; part of hiding was being quiet, what if- 
Sean made a promise to himself to look after Daniel no matter what, whether scary wizards or thunderstorms. 
Daniel grows a little and starts to walk and make noises that might be words. Outside, things get worse. 
His parents tried to keep the reality hidden. But Sean overheard worried conversations between them, read snippets of the news about deaths, heard them cry late, over lost friends, when he should be sleeping. 
And then it just stops. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named stops. Sean spent that fateful Halloween night huddled at home with his Dad. Having a set of Muggle-born parents made any late night walks impossible, even for treats. 
The next morning, they tell him it’s safe. Or safer. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is dead now, stopped by a boy his brother's age. (That horrified Sean. That he would try to kill a baby. That someone might even want to kill Daniel.) 
The magical world is alive once more, full of joy and celebration. Just not for the Diazs. Karen walked away from magic; walked away from them . She gives Sean her wand and Esteban an address to write to. She leaves baby Daniel with nothing. 
Sean spent that night with his Mother’s wand under his pillow, pledging to use it to protect his baby brother if needed. His childhood had taught him that you had to be careful and if Daniel was too young to look out for himself, it must be Sean’s job to fill that role. 
He just hoped wherever Harry Potter ended up, he had someone to protect him too. 
  “Davis, Tracey.”
Sean glanced over at the group of first years, quiet for the first time since they had entered the hall and still waiting in line, trying to pick out his brother’s dark hair. In the crowd, it was impossible to find him. 
“On ‘D’ now,” Lyla whispered, “Dan will soon, right?” 
“Yeah.” Sean gave up on trying to find him. “Is it weird I’m more worried about his sorting than my own?” 
“Slytherin!” The hat roared, followed by applause from the table. Tracey ran over, leaving the stool at the front of the great hall empty again. 
Lyla laughed. “It’s sweet. You complain about Daniel, but it’s all talk.” 
“Diaz, Daniel.” 
Sean ignored Lyla, looking over as the tiny figure of Daniel moved towards the front of the hall. Daniel’s eyes drifted over to their table and he smiled at his younger brother, although he didn’t seem to notice. (Daniel was staring at Lyla all doe-eyed instead, typical .)
There was a long moment as Daniel pulled a face at whatever the sorting hat was whispering to him. Stubborn as ever. 
Then, Daniel looked directly over at their spot, giving Sean an excited thumbs up. He knew which house Daniel was in before the sorting hat declared him a “Hufflepuff!” 
Lyla poked him, “move up.” 
They shifted along, making a big enough space for Daniel to squeeze in. 
“Sean, Sean, we’re together!” 
“I knew we would be.” 
The sorting continued, with a few more additions to the Hufflepuff table. To Daniel’s delight, Chris joined them too. He lived in the same village as their Grandparents and the two had spent last summer together. They were also joined by Jacob’s sister, who seemed much less shy than her older brother. 
A hush fell over the hall when “Potter, Harry” was called. He looked even smaller than Daniel, with an explosion of messy black hair covering his scar. It was hard to believe someone so young had put an end to the terror of his childhood. 
“So cool,” Daniel whispered. 
The sorting hat declared him a Gryffindor and Sean was a little relieved. It wasn’t his fault but Sean had always thought Harry Potter would be a magnet for trouble. The last thing he wanted was Daniel getting dragged into it. 
His brother didn’t seem to share that concern. “Ah, no fair. He’s like so cool.” 
“Nah, you’re already enough of a handful enano .” 
“Hey!” Daniel stuck out his tongue and he smiled at his younger brother. 
Sean was glad that Daniel was in Hufflepuff with him. He could keep an eye on him and keep him on the right track. Truthfully, Sean couldn’t imagine Daniel anywhere else. His natural curiosity may have suited Ravenclaw (seriously, the kid never stopped talking) but Daniel had the biggest heart.
Besides, it seemed just right the Diaz brothers were together. 
   After the welcome feast, Daniel insisted on showing Sean his new dormitory. Whilst most of the other students seemed tired after a long day of travel and heavy meal to follow, Daniel was bouncy as ever, practically leaping up the stairs, dragging Sean behind him. 
“I’m coming, enano, slow down.” 
It was sweet, actually, to see such excitement on his face when he first saw the castle. Daniel had been pestering him for years about what Hogwarts was like, both in his letters and during his otherwise peaceful summers. He had been counting down the days till he got his school letter for as long as Sean could remember. 
“Ta-da!” 
Daniel was already bouncing on the bed in the furthest corner, messing up the homely, yellow patchwork blanket on top. The room was nice and clean, still yet to be turned into the unorganised tip Sean’s own was after five years of living there. 
“Come jump with me.”
“Really Daniel-“
“Please.” 
Sean glanced between the open door and his brother’s pleading face, before jumping onto the bed with him. Daniel laughed giddily, half-crushing Sean when the brothers eventually lay down. 
“Do you think Dad will miss us now we’re away?” 
“No way, he’ll love the peace.” 
“No fair. I don’t talk that much.” 
Sean wrapped his arms around him. “Okay, okay enano, he’ll probably miss us every day.” 
“Can I write to him soon? Just to let him know I’m okay.” 
Sean glanced at the slightly worried expression on his face. “Sure. I’ll show you where the owls are kept later.” 
“The hat wanted to put me in Gryffindor.” 
“You are pretty brave sometimes. And reckless.” 
Daniel nudged him. “You mean cool.” 
“Yeah. Guess you’re stuck with me instead.” 
“That’s not too bad. I guess.” 
“Dad was in Gryffindor.” 
“Cool!” Daniel sighed. “What about…” 
He swallowed a lump in his throat. “Karen was a Ravenclaw. She was artsy and shit.” 
“I wish I could write to her too.” 
He frowned. “You know Karen made her choice.” 
Daniel pulled a pillow over his chest. “Okay. It’s so big here. And the stairs move! So magical.” 
“We’ll help you so you don’t get lost. Jake and Lyla are prefects so they’ll watch over you.” 
“But you’ll help too?” 
Sean nodded. “Yeah.” 
“Will show me where the dragons are?” 
“There’s no dragons at Hogwarts. And don’t go looking. The forest is dangerous.” 
Daniel half-yawned. “Okay. But... it’s safe here, right?” 
“I promise.” 
Daniel seemed relieved. “Will you help me unpack?” 
“No chance,” Sean said, pulling himself off the bed. “Leave it for tomorrow. You’re had a long day.” 
“I’m not even tired,” Daniel said, trying to cover another yawn with his hand. 
“Whatever you say.” Sean ruffled his hair, watching as Daniel rolled over in bed, blinking sleepily. “Goodnight Enano.” 
Sean pulled a blanket over him, watching his brother breathe peacefully. 
He’d look out for Daniel, no matter what. 
   The first week back from school was always hectic. After weeks of sleeping in, Sean felt zombified each morning. Lyla was her usual bubbly self no matter what time of day, so he relied on her to drag him to the right class. 
Having Daniel around was a little weird at first. His brother usually wrote to Sean every few days, sending pages of rambles and questions and drawings. Having him there in person instead meant most of the questions came directly from him, and his morning were much louder, but it also meant that Sean could actually hug his brother and the usual homesickness wasn’t so intense. Another figure appeared at their table in the library and all his Hufflepuff scarves seemed to go missing. 
Despite all the little changes having Daniel there meant, Sean was glad to share it with him. His Dad would be surprised at how well they got along at school. Even in his weekly letter, he seemed impressed that Sean was helping him. (Esteban wrote more to Daniel than him. Daily, even. So he wasn’t the only homesick one.) 
“You’re a big softie,” Lyla said. She was lying across his lap, eyes closed. Their closeness used to get a lot of strange looks and questions (how many times had he had to pretend to be sick when people asked if he was dating Lyla before they got the message?) but in the sixth year of platonic cuddles, no one looked twice. 
“Shut up,” he replied, already knowing what she meant. 
(Okay, maybe that’s why people called them a married couple.) 
   It hadn’t even been a full month when Harry Potter caused his first drama. Daniel, despite not being there, was more than happy to explain exactly how a first year had gotten on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Sean couldn’t help but roll his eyes: flying perfectly the first time and immediately getting on the team was a typically Gryffindor thing to do. (He was a good player, from the little Sean actually got from Quidditch. He only went to the games to help Lyla heckle the teams. Plus, the announcer with the purple hair was cute.) 
“Do you think I can join the team?” 
“No way Enano.” 
“No fair.” He pouted. “Well, I’ll practise all Summer with Dad and then I’ll be the best ever.” 
Sean couldn't help but snigger, Daniel had been on a broom exactly once and fallen off and into their neighbour’s garden. His training broom had been in the shed ever since. 
“Can’t wait.” Lyla fist bumped him. She was the captain of the Quidditch team. Sean mostly went to the games to support her, he was better at sports played on the ground. (“There’s no magic in being a fast runner.”) 
“Harry is so cool,” Daniel continued, “do you think he’s the Chosen One?” 
“There is no ‘Chosen One’. He’s just a kid.” 
“He’s my age.”
“Exactly.” Sean ruffled his head. “Just stick with Chris and Noah, okay?” He glanced over to where Jacob was chatting with his sister. “And maybe talk to Sarah-Lee. She seems nice.” 
Daniel was frowning but he nodded. 
Lyla flicked the back of his head. “Chill dude. I’m pretty sure he already has a Dad.” 
“I’m just looking out for him.” 
“He’s a sensible kid. Dan will stay out of trouble.”
“Shut up,” Sean replied, which Lyla knew meant she was right. 
“Plus,” she added, “Hogwarts is a safe place.” 
   “Troll, troll in the dudgeon!” 
Panic rippled across the hall as teachers rushed to hurry them somewhere safe. Lyla disappeared to lead the younger years inside, Sean following her quickly. 
“Sean?” Jacob’s voice was heavy with worry. “Have you seen my sister?” 
“No. Isn’t she with the other first years? Lyla’s meant to be leading them.” 
“No. She left dinner early. She was upset, our parents-” 
“I’m sure she’s on her way to the common room.” 
“I know she’s not.” Jacob glanced in the halls. “Do you ever have feelings of like, older brother instinct?” 
With growing dread, Sean nodded, all too aware he hadn’t seen Daniel since breakfast. “I’ll help you look for her.” 
Jacob smiled gratefully, his reason for agreeing so quickly going unsaid between them. With all the chaos and the looming threat of a troll, they slipped off easily. Sean hoped that Daniel was with Lyla; chances were that he was looking for Sean, not the other way round. (He almost-believed it.) 
“Where do we start?” 
“Sarah’s still new so she doesn’t know a lot of places. When she gets upset at home, she locks herself in the toilet.” 
“It’s a start.” 
The hallways were so empty it was almost eerie. Sean and Jacob stuck close together, both holding out their wands as a precaution. The first of the girls toilets they checked was empty, the second belonging to a miserable ghost. 
“Maybe she did go back-”
Jacob’s hand suddenly grabbed his wrist. Sean jumped a little. 
“What-” 
“Did you hear that?”
Sean listened and a moment later he was met by a scream and a heavy thump. 
“That has to be the troll?”
“Shit.” Sean followed Jacob’s sprint, already running through all the healing spells he knew. (The voice sounded so young.)
The bathroom was a mess, with smashed bits of sink and wall everywhere. The troll stood in the middle, growling at four small figures by its feet. 
“Sarah!” Jacob called, spotting his sister, who was clinging onto the hand of the Gryffindor girl next to her. There was a Gryffindor boy too, with the signature Weasley red hair. But all of Sean’s attention was on his own brother, who had positioned himself protectively in front of the two shaking girls. 
The troll roared, oblivious to their arrival. It swung the hefty club down. Sean cast a protective charm, hoping his simple ‘Protego’ would be enough to help, just as another small figure jumped up on the troll’s back, sticking something up its nose. 
Sean held his protective charm, trying to work out if he could cast on the other kid, when one of them shouted ‘Wingardium Leviosa’, causing the club to hit the top of its head. It slumped down and the kid rolled off, close enough that Sean could make out his signature scar. 
What the hell was Daniel doing fighting a troll with Harry Potter?
“Jacob,” Sarah sobbed, running over and flinging herself at him. 
“What the hell is going on here?” Sean mostly directed his question at Daniel, but all the first years (they were first years…) seemed a little terrified of him. 
“I was going to ask the same thing Mr Diaz.” Professor McGonagall stepped into the bathroom, followed by Professors Snape and Quirrell. “You’re lucky you weren’t killed.” 
Daniel shuffled back a little, unsure if Sean or McGonagall would give him a sterner talking to. 
“Well-” 
“Mr Diaz, Mr Hackerman, as sixth years, perhaps you could explain why you are here too?” 
“Some of our first years,” Sean began, fixing Daniel with a stern look, “were missing. As a Prefect, it’s Jacob’s job to look for them.” (It was mostly true.) 
“I asked Sean to come too,” Jacob added. 
“I suppose the fact it was your siblings were the ones missing has nothing to do with it?”
Under her strict gaze, Sean felt like a first year himself. 
“Although, I am much more concerned that a bunch of first years felt like they were capable of taking on a troll by themselves-” 
“Excuse me, Professor McGonagall…” the Gryffindor girl began timidly, “it’s my fault. I thought I could handle it alone because I’ve read about trolls. Harry and Ron came to rescue me.” She glanced at Daniel and Sarah-Lee. “They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I thought I could be all heroic but…” 
Sarah-Lee had another little sob and McGonagall turned to her. In a much kinder voice she suggested Jacob take his clearly distressed sister to the medical ward. 
“Daniel,” Sean said, “are you hurt?”
“No.” 
McGonagall continued to lecture the poor girl about responsibility, taking away ten points for Gryffindor. “As for you two,” she said, addressing Sean and Daniel, “it is clear that the older Mr Diaz was only trying to help protect some overambitious younger students. Ten points to Hufflepuff. Same for Mr Hackerman. As for the younger Mr Diaz, perhaps you would like to explain what you’re doing here?” 
“I was just trying to help Sarah. She got all upset and ran off so I brought her some food. I didn’t know about the troll.” 
“I see no reason to punish being in the wrong place or time. Sean, please escort your brother back to your common room.”
Sean and Daniel headed out. Daniel was being unusually quiet, his eyes downcast. 
“Sean, I-” 
“Come here.” Sean pulled Daniel close to him in a tight hug. “You scared the crap out of me Daniel.”
“Oh. I’m sorry.” He murmured. “I just wanted to help Sarah-Lee and…” 
“He was,” a voice said, “Daniel was really nice.” 
It was the Gryffindor girl from earlier. Her face was a little red and she sniffled a little. 
“Are you okay Hermoine?” 
“Yeah.” Hermoine smiled at Sean. “Thank you for helping us. That protective shield was good thinking.” 
“Thank God you didn’t need it.” He sighed. “You… okay kid?” 
“I was only in the toilet because I was crying,” she said, her voice wavering a little, “and then Sarah and Daniel came in. He brought her some sweets because she missed dinner. I was upset because…” she sniffled, “I don’t really have any friends. So, Daniel gave me some too.” 
Daniel blushed a little. “You said to be nice to Sarah-Lee, so…” 
“When the troll showed up, everything got very out of hand. Harry and Ron were trying to stop it.”
“Not you?” 
She looked a little embarrassed. “Well, I-” 
“Look kid, just be careful. When you first start and you have magic it’s easy to feel invincible. But sometimes, you have to know when to walk away. Or run, in the case of trolls.” 
Hermoine nodded but Sean wasn’t convinced. It was impossible to keep a Gryffindor out of trouble. 
“If you don’t have any friends yet,” Daniel said, “you can sit with us in lessons. Plus, you’re so smart!” 
Sean couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride for his brother’s offers. Daniel was definitely an extrovert, able to make friends with anyone. 
“I’d like that.” Hermoine smiled, a little shy. “I should go back to my common room now. But, I’ll talk to you tomorrow Daniel. Thanks again…” 
“Sean.”
“Thank you Sean.” Hermoine left, looking much more positive than before. 
That left Sean and Daniel alone again. 
“Do you think Professor McGonagal will tell Dad?”
Sean had been in trouble enough times to know. “Yeah.” 
“Ah man.” 
“Dad will understand.” Sean ruffled his hair. “Hey, I got in trouble for the first time way before Halloween my first year.” 
“What happened?” 
“Well, it was all Lyla’s fault really…” 
   “You must have been so freaked out.” 
“I know. What the hell am I supposed to tell my Dad?”
Lyla was half-lying on Sean but he made no effort to move her. It was the only thing stopping him from getting up to check if he was safe in bed. (Sean had done the same when Daniel was a baby. He used to creep in at night to look in on his brother. If Daniel got restless or woke up, Sean would whisper stories through his cot bars until one of them fell asleep.) 
“It was an accident.” 
“That’s even worse. It’s like he’s in danger by just being here.”
Lyla patted his hand. “I don’t think trolls are a constant problem. And you can’t expect him to just go home.” 
“I know.” Sean resisted the urge to turn to the direction of his dorm. “So, what do I do?” 
“Maybe…” 
“Oh, I could walk him to class and…” 
Lyla sighed. “Sean.” 
“I’m going all Dad-mode. I know.”
“Wish I had an answer dude. Just look out for him.” 
“It’s not just Daniel. That Gryffindor kid used ‘Wingardium Leviosa’ and it worked but also it was the only spell they remembered.” 
Lyla rubbed her forehead. “Cause they’re kids. Shit.”
“Yeah, shit.”
They sat in silence for a while, thinking. (Worrying mostly, on Sean’s behalf.) 
“Let’s help them then.”
“Help them what?”
“Protect themselves.” Lyla sat up. “Who better to help them then the best freaking fighters?” 
Sean pulled her into a hug. “This is why you’re my best friend.”
   (They spent free afternoons teaching Daniel defensive spells, sometimes joined by Chris, Sarah-Lee or even the three Gryffindors Daniel had managed to befriend - fighting a troll together helped, he guessed. Hogwarts might not be safe but it was home. And Sean always wanted his brother to feel safe at home. 
And if that meant the best freaking fighters gained a few more fighters… that was okay.) 
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