This chapter absolutely broke my heart. They did an incredible job visualising the exact moment the realisation hits Dane's face. Watching him piece together Grayson's reasoning and seeing the sheer heartbreak when Dane realizes Grayson didn't even understand that he was a victim of severe abuse was devastating. Grayson staying with that kid, and making sure the father knew the child didn't run away, came from a place of deep, unhealed neglect. He was doing for that child what no one ever did for him. Looking at the bigger picture of Ashley and Koi's parenting and without justifying or defending their choices, you can see how their own background and untreated traumas bled into every one of their children, especially Grayson. I cant fully bring myself to truly hate Ashley or koi for their poor decisions because they genuinely didn't know any better; Ashley lacked self-control, so he projected that intense insecurity onto his children, firmly believing harsh punishment was the only way to keep them safe and controlled. Meanwhile, Koi's complicity is just as heavy. Even under a literal threat to his life, just random phone calls every now and then to his kids just wasn't enough (Even in the face of danger, he certainly could have afforded security) and i can go on and on about what he could've, should've done to be in those kids lives than complete distance. By failing them, they left the children entirely in the hands of Dr. Stewart. His twisted, clinical obsession with their genetics made him the absolute worst role model possible. He systematically imprinted his malice onto them, molding them into the 'monsters' everyone else fears, especially Grayson, who bore the brunt of it as a literal research subject. It's just tragic all around. (Repost since i couldn't see it any longer)
This chapter absolutely broke my heart. They did an incredible job visualising the exact moment the realisation hits Dane's face. Watching him piece together Grayson's reasoning and seeing the sheer heartbreak when Dane realizes Grayson didn't even understand that he was a victim of severe abuse was devastating. Grayson staying with that kid, and making sure the father knew the child didn't run away, came from a place of deep, unhealed neglect.
He was doing for that child what no one ever did for him. Looking at the bigger picture of Ashley and Koi's parenting and without justifying or defending their choices, you can see how their own background and untreated traumas bled into every one of their children, especially Grayson. I cant fully bring myself to truly hate Ashley or koi for their poor decisions because they genuinely didn't know any better; Ashley lacked self-control, so he projected that intense insecurity onto his children, firmly believing harsh punishment was the only way to keep them safe and controlled. Meanwhile, Koi's complicity is just as heavy. Even under a literal threat to his life, just random phone calls every now and then to his kids just wasn't enough (Even in the face of danger, he certainly could have afforded security) and i can go on and on about what he could've, should've done to be in those kids lives than complete distance. By failing them, they left the children entirely in the hands of Dr. Stewart. His twisted, clinical obsession with their genetics made him the absolute worst role model possible. He systematically imprinted his malice onto them, molding them into the 'monsters' everyone else fears, especially Grayson, who bore the brunt of it as a literal research subject. It's just tragic all around. (Repost since i couldn't see it any longer)