lore accurate
hello, I was wondering if you could do a Thomas Hewitt x reader that has two kids. Both being under 10. Like how feels about it and the whole family. You can do wild and do whatever you want for this. I love your writing so much! I hope you have a good day and make sure to take care of yourself. Thank you if you do this.
Hi!!! I'm so sorry this took a while to get to - I've been busy with life things đ Enjoy Tommy + the family with his two precious angels
Also ty ty!!!!
I feel like Hoyt call Tommy's kids his "little buddies"...no idea why lmao
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The day he saw his children was the day Thomas was 'reborn.' He had a purpose outside of killing, outside of his uncle. He had you. He had your children. His own little *or not so little* family - Two mini-me's, what could go wrong?
A lot.
Thomas can get a bit overwhelmed when his uncles are yelling at him, or you, to "shut those kids up" - It reminds him of his childhood...not fun times.
Thomas worries quite a bit. About what, you ask? EverythingâŠ
What if theyâre ostracized? What if theyâll suffer just as he does? What if he isnât a good father? A good husband? Are they going to be okay? Safe? Are you going to be okay?
If he could, he'd be praising his babies to hell and back - He loves them so so much. If they happen to have the same skin condition as he does, or the same cleft-lip, you'll find him crying just thinking about their future. He really doesn't want them to hurt like he did. Like he does. He'll pray to the Lord above to keep them safe.
Tommy has chubby babies - Doesn't matter what size his partner is, the babies are FAT !! Tall kids, too. Chunky mini-me's with curly dark hair and freckles - Maybe a cleft lip??
He loves his babies very much - a very VERY protective and slightly overbearing dad {he just wants whatâs best}Â
Heâd probably wrestle with them if he was in the mood. He'll go easy on them, don't worry :)
Would NEVER let them in the basement. Ever. Do you know how dangerous it is down there? Not to mention how traumatizing it could beâŠ
Always always ALWAYS willing to help. He knows you're tired, and he's willing to do anything to help relieve some stress for both you and the family. He's surprisingly good with bedtimes, too. Although he can't read to his kids, he gives really good hugs before bed.
Totally would sew clothing and toys for his babies - They're a bit patchy and disheveled, but that's the aesthetic of this family, let's be real.
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Luda Mae loves her grandkids, donât get me wrong, but lord, does that woman need a break. Two kids under the age of 10 PLUS Jedidiah? Uh-uh. Nada. No.Â
"Go outside and play with the dogs, you're messing up the kitchen!" Type shit
trust me when I say she will happily discipline them if you or Thomas donât feel like it lmao
Definitely the type to baby-talk them even when they get older, yet at the same time increase their responsibilities lol
She's always there to support them - Showering her grand babies with compliments {except Jedidiah...poor guy}
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Jedidiah will âbabysitâ sometimes. AKA, play dates! hoorayâŠ
Heâll ask to hold them {heâs kinda hesitant though}, draw with them, draw portraits of them {though poorlyâŠheâs trying}, teach them about baseball {because I think heâs into that canonically? I donât remember}
He loves hisâŠcousins? Siblings? Depends on who you ask, I guess....?
â
Monty does not care. At all.Â
âWill someone shut that baby up?â *he mutters under his breathÂ
âWill you cut out that racket?!âÂ
Would probably keep his dog away from the kids..for good reason {That thing bites}
Pouty faces and eye rolls all the time lol. Donât be surprised if the kids end up with his attitude at timesÂ
âUgly little thingsâŠâ
He has love for themâŠ.somewhere. Deep downâŠ..very deep down.
â
Hoyt, as we saw in TCM 2003, doesnât mind kids - let alone babies. At least not when heâs âworking.â
He'll coo at them - "You look just like your daddy, don'tcha? Huh?" - He's the type of uncle who's always asking/assuring that "he's the favorite"....okay buddy
Would make minor jokes about Thomas "finally getting laid" and "getting a family of his own." In all actuality Hoyt Charlie is proud of him. Jealous to bits, but proud - and happy.
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Yay okay! We've reached the end. Sorry if it's a bit short, my brain is still trying to get back into Tumblr-writing lol
AO3 account secured đ
Hi handsome {maximum rizz}
Margaret was exactly who I envisioned she's so adorable đ«
I love the character trope that just goes: Sharp teeth, fish/bug eyes, socially inept ESPECIALLY when it's in the horror genre
like wdym this is bro
reblog from insta 'cause why not
TW: Canon-related dynamics/activities, Incest, Rape/SA, Pedophilia, Abuse {Mental, Psychical, Emotional}, Discussions of mental health, extreme language, Usage of R!slur, War, Hoyt {Biggest warning of them all}
Yapping session again, I apologize {Wrote this whilst listening to Preacher's Daughter, GOATED ALBUM} Poorly edited, a bit more coherent than the last post đ©·
The family dynamic seems to be very..unconventional yet unsurprising. Itâs a family of traumatized, traumatizing, enablers whoâre struggling to survive both in spirit and in actuality. This post was intended to focus mainly on Thomas but I dove deep into Hoyt and the other family members as well because I feel they have such a big impact on Tommy:(
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Thomas is obviously a very closed-off and introverted individual. His childhood was full of ridicule, cruelty, and abuse. His main father figure was and still is Hoyt - Charlie, but his biggest influence is his Momma, Luda Mae. Iâve seen multiple people paint Luda as a saint when in all actuality, sheâs not. Although she may not be as malicious, sheâs an enabler with intense family pride and protectiveness. Her automatic dislike of Erin is proof of this. She assumes Erin {and her friends, brother, boyfriend} are judgemental and arrogant âcity-slickersâ whoâre out to get Thomas. In all actuality, Erin never comments on Thomasâ looks besides her small conversation with Henrietta: âI couldnât, I couldnât look at him.â Even in this segment, she never says anything bad about Thomas except warning Henrietta and the Tea Lady {weâll just call her âKathyâ based on her actor} of his arrival. During this segment, we learn additional information about how the family views Thomas, as well as his general behavior. Dialogue from family members include:
âHe knows better than to be messing around hereâŠPoor Sweet boy--Heâs no harm; Always keeps to himself.â - Henrietta, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2003--1:02
âI know your kind--Nothing but cruelty and ridicule for my boy, all the time he was growing up. Does anybody care about me and my boy?â - Luda Mae, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2003--1:06
âHe ainât retarded; Heâs misunderstood.â - Sheriff Hoyt / Charlie, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning 2006--16:30
âYou donât like playing with me anymore because Iâm a pussy, thatâs what you said. Well, my nephew Tommy ainât no pussy; Maybe youâd like to play with him for a little while.â - Sheriff Hoyt / Charlie, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning 2006--51:35
âYou beautiful bastard, you!â {Honestly this entire scene could be used here} - Sheriff Hoyt / Charlie, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning 2006--1:01:21 - 1:02:40
âThomas, quit playing with your fucking dolls and get up here!..Hmm, I like your new face.â - Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning 2006--1:06:15 - 1:06:35
âThere you go, nice work, Tommy.â - Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning 2006--1:09:55
âThereâs a time when every boy becomes a man.â Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning 2006--1:17:53
As you can see, most of the praise Thomas gets is from Hoyt. Honestly, reviewing Hoytâs character on his own, this may seem surprising, but diving past face-value, this isnât surprising at all. Hoyt is a sadistic, impulsive, traumatized veteran who very clearly values his family. I think both Thomas and Hoyt have the same thought{s}: âFamily is all Iâve known, family is all I have consistently. Therefore, I need to protect it.â This is very apparent in Hoytâs speech in The Beginning 2006: âUs... we're staying right here. The ashes of six generations of Hewitts have been tilled into the soil of this farm. We will never abandon the place of our birth. We're on our own now, people. And alone... we will rise above it all.â Both Hoyt and Thomas value family so much, and this is apparent in their immediate protection of them; As well as how violent they get once the family's safety is in jeopardy. The family also heavily depends on both of them, Thomas more than Hoyt. Luda Mae immediately calling out for Hoyt once Eric throws a brick through their window {48:25}, relying on Thomas to chase down Chrissie, ordering Thomas to âwrap things upâ after Montyâs amputation, Thomas being the main source of income prior to the meat plant shutting down, Hoyt Charlie being the one to protect Thomas from the original Sheriff Hoyt, the deleted scene where Charlie protects Thomas from malicious classmates, Thomas protecting Hoyt by killing the biker {1:01 - 1:03}.Â
Iâd also like to add; As someone with multiple military family members, the military changes you. War changes you. Considering Charlie is a POW, his trauma has to be so deep. {Iâd like to make this clear: !!IâM NOT DEFENDING NOR SYMPATHISING WITH HOYT!!} His lust for violence, domination, control, and protection is most likely a combination of his personality, growing up dirt poor, his relationship with Luda Mae + other family members {which Iâll talk about below}, the war, and their current situation. He definitely gets defensive of his country, the military in general, the South, and his family. I.E: âAinât nothing I hate worse than a draft-dodging hippie protester.â - The Beginning 2006--40:30. He most likely has the same views on âCity-slickersâ as Luda Mae, just more extreme. In fact, I think itâs safe to assume the entire family has that view, maybe even Thomas. {Though his would be more protection-based as opposed to politically divided.} *cough-cough, Hoyt*
Going back to Thomasâ âfather figuresâ, Monty and Hoyt were the only men in the house for Thomas to look up to. Hoyt was gone when Thomas was around 13, meaning during his very âexperimentalâ years, he only had Monty to look up to. Both Monty and Hoyt are sexual deviants with no shame at all; Monty very openly gropes Erin in the 2003 remake whilst calling her a âGood girl.â {I almost turned off the movie, I kid you not} Whilst Hoyt very openly gropes Bailey multiple times, and even toys with Erin. Itâs also heavily implied he raped Bailey {poor girl, this entire movie was so poor to her and Chrissie.} And whilst Luda Mae does get Hoyt to calm down with Erin, she still actively enables this behavior and completely ignores it. Now, I donât think Thomas would replicate this {fingers crossed}; Iâm sure Thomas has âurgesâ but he has so much to do, such little extra energy, and a shit ton of {religious} trauma which would most likely coerce him away from sexual activity. He also very obviously wants praise. The more Hoyt praises and encourages Thomas, the more sadistic he gets. And yes, Thomas is sadistic. Sure heâs trying to survive, protect, and feed his family, but he also actively tortures his victims. I.E; skinning Ericâs arms, bathing Andyâs amputation in salt, ect. And I donât wanna blame this on his âmental deteriorationâ, because thatâs not it in my opinion. Thomas has crossed the threshold of âIâm doing this to protect my family / because Iâm forced to.â No, heâs violent and angry. Heâs so done with everything. He needs an outlet to take his anger from him, and the victims are practically begging him with how infuriating they can be. Also, wearing Kemperâs mask to catch Erin??? Jesus Christ, Thomas, thatâs traumatizing. And he knows heâll get away with it. The law enforcement is gone, Hoyt has done worse, Momma doesnât seem to speak on it, why not continue? And Iâm sure he feels powerful when he finally gets the chance to bite back. This is exactly the kind of manipulation Hoyt did to get Thomas fully on board with this killing-spree shit; âItâs one of those assholes who used to fuck with you in the schoolyard, Tommy!â - The Beginning 2006--1:01:40. This brings me to my next point -Â
The family is immensely good at manipulation. Kinda by default, too. I know Southern hospitality can be viewed as passive aggressive and unnecessary depending on where youâre from, especially if youâre from up North; And I canât disagree in some instances. Luda Mae is the MOST likely to use her âSouthern hospitalityâ as means of manipulation. Her little coo to Bailey about âWe got to get you cleaned up, you donât want to look dirty for company, do you?â at around 42:30 {Which by the way, was Marrietta Marichâs [Luda Maeâs actress] idea apparently.} It was not only a way to distract Bailey from the torture below them, but to indoctrinate herself into believing everything was fine. This was their life, and Charlie Hoyt knows whatâs best, doesnât he? Iâm sure this was really difficult for her; Truly seeing who her son was and how the war affected him so deeply. Her seeming so closed off to Bailey and Chrissie at the community center was a result of the intense lifestyle change. Hoyt is EXTREMELY manipulative as well. I mean, he was a POW, you need a lot of skills in pattern recognition and psychology to survive such things. The way he speaks to everyone; Beginning slightly rational and neutral, only to quickly be angered and intimidated by his lack of power in the situation. This is especially prominent when he speaks to Morgan, Erin, and Pepper; But mostly Morgan. In the first movie, when the car breaks down and he tries to âcalm Erin downâ only to scold all of them for possession of drugs and such; Trying to convince Erin that Kemper killed the hitchhiker when he knew what really happened; Making Morgan reenact the scene whilst threatening him with an unloaded gun, pressuring him into âshootingâ whilst taunting about how theyâll be âaccomplices to murder.â Smashing the bottle in Morganâs face when he says Hoyt can have the Skynyrd tickets. The way he kisses and rubs on Bailey during the dinner scene in The Beginning?? How he coos and taunts Erin once she wakes up from the poison?? Heâs a master in manipulation and puts on a damn good show at that. Henrietta and the Tea Lady / Kathy are also extremely manipulative. When they force Erin to drink the tea, blame her for the baby crying, saying that she âlooks tenseâ and âneeds to relaxâ?? Yeah, this family is full of manipulative and emotionally abusive cycles. Anyway, back to how this affects Thomas.
Thomas was most definitely manipulated in multiple ways. Iâm sure Luda Mae has manipulated him into âdoing what's best for the familyâ and all that bullshit. He definitely has some religious trauma and sure as hell has endured abuse of many kinds.
To tie this all together, I present to you: The Family Dynamic.Â
I saw a post by I believe Scrapnick?{Their art is so so appealing} Anyway, someone had asked why Thomas and Hoyt are both âbrothers and uncle/nephew.â They responded with something like: âLuda Mae most likely got assaulted by her father as a child.â Their post was more detailed than that but that was the main point. And honestly, I agree. At first I thought Hoyt was Luda Maeâs husband, and then I heard him refer to Thomas as his ânephewâ, and then I heard him call Luda Mae âmama.â I went researching on wikis and such only to find results such as âhe doesnât view Thomas as a real brother, therefore he uses uncle/nephew.â Whilst this may be true, Hoyt and Luda Mae only have at MAX a 15 year difference. The actors {Marrietta Marich, R. Lee Ermey} only had a 14 year difference. Considering he also calls Monty his uncle, I think it's safe to assume Luda experienced assault from her father during her teens, resulting in pregnancy. Tying this back to religious trauma, I think this fact really upsets Hoyt. He loves his family, obviously, but I think the idea of him being âborn of sin,â I.E: Out of wedlock, incest, pedophilia; most likely affects him. I wonder if he ever thought âWell, Iâm going to hell anyway, might as well sin.â Iâm rambling right now, I apologize; Welcome to my blog {Yappville.}
Now, this dynamic obviously affected his relationship with Luda Mae. I doubt she loves him any less, but I think it was definitely difficult considering A.) Growing up religious; B.) Being such a young mother; And C.) Growing up and continuing to be excruciatingly poor. I think Hoyt gets a bit jealous of Thomas, surprisingly. Heâs jealous of how much Luda Mae adores him; How he really gets to have a mother instead of a struggling sister/mother who was trying so hard to get by. Hoyt seems to have a closer {yet still distant} relationship to Monty than Thomas does. I think Monty is just a distant, miserable old man whose patience is low and tiredness is high. Heâs worn out, especially after the amputation. The entire family is worn out; Slowly losing their grip on humanity with each passing day. The only consistent thing they have is each other, and yet still their relationships escape them. I think everyone, but especially Thomas {and Jedidiah, poor baby} just want a home to feel safe in. Really, just a stable income, stable food supply, and the ability to rest both physically and mentally. He wants to be able to have a purpose; To work again without needing to worry if his family will be okay. Being able to walk around the house without having to shut himself in the basement to avoid scoldings, demands, or endless calls. This entire family is really fucked up and in need of some rest, family therapy, maybe some physical therapy, and some damn prozac.Â
Okay, yay!! You made it to the end; I apologize for the long post again, I get so into analyzing things and I couldnât resist looking into the Hewitts. Tommy needs some prozac and some Southern cooking {Heâs just like me fr}
Love you all, thank you so much for the support on the previous post đ«
hiii :DDD
how have u been :3
Hi !!!! :D
I've been well - haven't posted as consistently for school reasons lol. BUT - I have a lot planned for this account >:) most of it will be published this/next week đȘ
I think some of you forgot that autistic people sometimes act strange and say things that are poorly worded and speak with incorrect tone and misunderstand or miss social cues because they are autistic
TW: Self-harm, Self-mutilation, Rape {only mentioned twice, and very brief}, Hoyt warning, TCM-Canon-Typical Violence
Thomas {Hewitt} is such a complex character that I feel is taken to such extremes - he's either oversimplified or outrageously radical. For example: The two most-common tropes I see for him {which I'm not demeaning, just critiquing} are A.) He's an extremely sadistic, unforgiving maniac who has no form of empathy or depth to him {this trope usually makes him a rapist, sex-fiend, or someone who uses sex as a way to resolve disagreements.} B.) An extremely-traumatized individual who can do no wrong, doesn't understand the weight of his actions, a consistently-scared man who's socially unaware of EVERYTHING, and just generally a character with no depth. {This trope ALSO usually portrays Thomas as a sex-fiend as well as someone who uses sex as a form of apology.} The truth is - Thomas is such a complex man; Not only in his character but truly in his nature {which I guess is another word for character but whtever.} YES; He is sadistic. YES; He's traumatized. Yes; He's socially unaware at times - But he's NEITHER of those extremes - at least not by default. I understand the first trope , considering he does appear that way to victims - especially Kemper and Bailey. That being said, he {in the mentality of Thomas} had "valid" reasons to target those two: Bailey referred to him as a "what" {"What is that?"} and Kemper barged into the house uninvited. Thomas knows Erin was invited, he was watching through the basement peephole. He knew Andy wasn't invited based off the way Monty treated him. Also - let's address an obvious-but-often-overlooked aspect of Thomas' "killing patterns": The men he kills - the masks he makes - the way he treats the "masks-to-be" all seem to hint at his potential jealously and envy. He tortured Eric by skinning his fuckin arms - he knocked Kemper out with a sledge hammer and presumably {implied by him picking up a chain of meat hooks} attaches him to a meat hook. Kemper's WAKING UP on a meat hook just to get killed and skinned. Thomas' forms of catharsis are destructive in nature - which seem to extend beyond his victims. In the unrated version of the film, during the "first supper" scene, as Thomas rests his arms against the head crest of the dining chair {this is the most popular GIF of him}, there's multiple scars around his arms - all which vary in size, depth, and location. Sure, these could be work-related accidents, which I'm sure some are, but some seem to be a form of self-harm as well. I wouldn't be surprised if the majority are self-inflicted; Considering Thomas has no other outlet of emotional regulation or consistent support system. To get into further detail, let's break down his prominent character traits individually:
Protective + Family Oriented {and Selfless}
It's very obvious that Thomas is protective, both of his things and his people. He's not possessive, at least not in my interpretation. His devotion to his family comes in selfless ways; Including sacrificing his own safety just to keep the family alive and well - Together. He refused to stop chasing Erin; Even after injuring his leg and losing his arm. He killed the slaughterhouse manager because he insulted his family; Insulting him and his family's hard work to survive. He lost not only his job and his purpose that day, but his family's main income. His selflessness often leads to him getting taken advantage of and overworked. For example; The family fully relies on him and Hoyt for their survival; Though mostly Thomas. Hoyt can do enough, sure, but if Thomas was gone, the whole family would go with him one way or another. I find he genuinely doesn't view himself "on their level." As in he's subservient to them. This post is essentially the essence Im hinting at. He focuses on his purpose - If that purpose isn't fulfilled, "I haven't done enough - I'm not trying hard enough - The family's not proud of me - They shouldn't be proud of me - ect."
Reserved / Distant
Thomas is very reserved which is very obviously a defense mechanism developed in early childhood. He's distant not only because of his trauma, but his personality as well. I've always interpreted him as a natural introvert - which would've been amplified if he so happens to be autistic. Of course, not all autistic individuals are introverted, I just figured because of his predisposed characteristics. Thomas prefers to observe rather to interact; Almost acting as a shadow amongst concrete - Or a fly upon the wall: Watching every movement and discerning every sound. I talk more about this in a previous post.
Cautious {and Selective}
Adding on to the previous segment, Thomas is very cautious {and selective} with the people he surrounds himself with. Strangers? Absolutely not - unless it's obligatory. His family? Yes. I think this traces back to his trauma and social anxiety; His speech impediment makes it excruciatingly difficult to socialize, further isolating himself and his family from 'evil outside' civilizations. Hoyt's consistent hatred for 'hippy' city-slingers and the family's already-biased ignorant and overly-traditional values make Thomas' social pool a drying puddle.
Judgmental, Envious, {and Violent}
To add onto Hoyt's hatred for city-slinging, draft-dodging, hippy protesters; This hate definitely rubs off on Thomas. He's judgmental - both for survival and out of envy. His momma's "Christian teachings" about how full of sin the world is surely don't help the judgment issues. It's a calamitous cycle which gets worse with each year they spend in solitude. Their fear of society - fear of judgment - keeps them hidden from the rest of the world: Abandoned by the government as they're forced to fend for themselves. Forced to lay low within the shadows so they can remain together, as opposed to rotting in separate jail cells. In a way, it's their own "solitary confinement." Solitary confinement can cause an increase in violence / violent tendencies - Which is no surprise in the case of the Hewitt family. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness,
"Those with mental illness are overrepresented in solitary confinement, despite the vulnerability and threats to the mental health of those incarcerated. Research shows that the effects of solitary confinement on mental health are often fatal, both during and after incarceration. Half of all suicides in prisons and jails occur in solitary confinement. A recent study shows the long-lasting effects; that any amount of time spent in solitary increases the risk of death in the first year after release. Individuals were overall 24% more likely to die in the first year after release, including from suicide (78% more likely) and homicide (54% more likely). They were also 127% more likely to die of an opioid overdose in the first two weeks after release."
How does this relate to judgment and envy? I'll tell you:
Thomas is so conspicuously envious - We can see it in every scene with Eric. When he beats the shit out of Eric whilst caressing his face in admiration - Only to calculatingly caress his own in desperation. The way he gasps once he sees Kemper's wedding ring {for Erin} - Only to follow it up with wearing his face to visit her?? His envy comes out as judgment; His anxiety comes out as judgment. His judgment comes out as violence. It's a continuous cycle which he's learned over time from multiple sources.
Creative, Appreciative, Resourceful
Do I even have to explain this one? Nah I'm kidding.
Thomas is a creative and skilled individual who knows taxidermy, sewing, patchwork, leather-working/smith, all that jazz. It's not only a form of catharsis, but a form of hiding himself from the world. He takes pieces of what he finds beautiful, stitches them together, and presents himself as that "collection" of beauty. It's his way to turning himself "beautiful." This leads me to believe he finds beauty in the smallest things. A decaying carcass? A new mask. Withered and rusting jewelry? A new accessory. Left-behind tools? His tools now. He takes care of the things he loves, and loves to take care of what's been forgotten. He's appreciative of small things; Especially considering the Hewitt family didn't {and still doesn't} have much but themselves and their old farm. He notices the small things. The usually insignificant, under-appreciated, forgotten things. Maybe it's out of necessity; Maybe it's because he feels he's one of those things - Just not one deserving of the same grace.
Reliant {and Independant}
Notice how the family always calls for Thomas? They call multiple times, sure, but that seems to be more out of annoyance than worry. They know Thomas will get the job done - He always does - and he does it damn well. He works hard; He was quite literally one of the slaughterhouse's hardest workers. He worked 'till he was forced out of there. Thomas is stubborn, sure, but it helps get his work done. And - it keeps him safe.
Besides meal-prep, housing, cleaning, and transport, Thomas is very independent. He can hunt forage his own food; Protect himself and others; Make his own clothes; Hell, he'd learn how to cook and clean if he needed to. He doesn't really need transport - at least not in his mind. He's content - He'll make do with what he has. It's like the quote from 'Pearl' "One day you will understand that getting what you have isn't what's important - Making the most of what you have is."
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Apologies for this being relatively short compared to my other previous analyses; My brain's been kinda foggy recently but we're recovering!
Tommy my beloved socially awkward {autistic} Texanđ«
My favorite GIF of him oml so handsome
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Just saw a post talking about how Thomas probably never had any friends {hit very close to home}, which got me thinking about just how intensely that affected him. Humans require connections, it's essential to our survival and overall wellbeing. Thomas' main influence is his family; And let's be honest, his family isn't all that great at fostering a healthy environment. I don't blame them, I doubt they were raised any better.
Thomas already seems like a closed-off, reserved, and anxious person. His anxiety seems to manifest in small fidgets, excessive staring, zoning out{?}, aggression, and isolation. This paired with his skin condition, facial deformity, and difficulty speaking would make socializing extremely difficult for him. I doubt many people attempted to socialize with Thomas. He was probably that one kid in class who sat by themselves and never spoke up. {I used to be that kid, totally not projecting or anything..} It's fair to assume this stunted some social growth for him, and I doubt being seen as an outcast is any good for your confidence. Confidence isn't just necessary for presenting yourself comfortably, it's also essential for expressing your thoughts, emotions, and boundaries. Putting yourself out there, achieving goals and milestones.
This would most definitely bleed into his relationships {of any kind really, romantic, sexual, platonic, family.} He would not express his emotions to you. Not easily anyway. Want a man who communicates properly despite language / ability barriers? Not gonna happen. Thomas would most likely shut you out. Shut anyone out just to protect himself from further emotional pain. I doubt the Hewitt family puts any emphasis on healthy communication anyway. And Thomas doesn't have experience to model a healthy partner. I'm sure he's an affectionate person, just not by default. ESPECIALLY not during the 2003 timeline. His confidence has grown, sure, but his family has gotten even more socially isolated, making social cues less likely to be processed properly. Another thing, {which connects to the previous statement,} Thomas doesn't fully understand social cues. Not much anyway. {I've discussed this so much, I apologize for the repetition.} He's an observant, quick learner, but that doesn't mean his brain computes certain things {am I projecting? Maybe}. I don't think he'd understand that staring at someone whilst they eat isn't appropriate {to most people}; He'd probably stare into people's car windows from afar, watch people from other rooms/windows/doorways, ect. Now, that doesn't mean Thomas is a nosey guy; Because I don't think he is. He knows not to eavesdrop, and he knows when to mind his business. I think it's more of "I'm zoned out / I'm confused and trying to figure you out" type of staring.
I'm sure Thomas understands boundaries.....the familyâs boundaries that is. Hoyt disrespects boundaries all the time; But Luda Mae puts him in his place when {she feels} need be. Monty just flat-out refuses to acknowledge boundaries. That guy is arguably worse than Hoyt; He'd be offending like Hoyt does if he still had legs, I'm sure of it. He's just not as vocally aggressive as Hoyt, but I'm getting off-track here. It seems like Thomas has to respect the family's boundaries, but they don't have to respect his. Nor do I think he understands how to set up boundaries. It's kind of an unspoken rule in the Hewitt household that the basement is Thomas' space. No one goes down there without reason. That's probably the only boundary they respect. {I'm sure Luda Mae gives him space and patience though.} Combining his lack of knowledge / experience with boundaries, his excruciatingly-low confidence, and his social alienation, Thomas would be very, very hesitant towards intimacy. Having to not only be physically exposed {which is such a sore subject for him,} but emotionally?? Mentally?? That's not something he's used to nor ever been encouraged to embrace. I doubt Thomas even understands sex on an emotional level. {What seems to be} His only experience with sex is through his uncles; And maybe Luda Mae's "no intimacy before marriage" lectures. And you KNOW how Monty and Hoyt view sex. There's no intimacy there; It's just the primal, selfish urges. Now, I'm sure deep down those two want genuine intimacy and emotional connection; They've just buried it so deep down to resist being seen as 'weak'. Thomas most likely picked up on this, at least some of it, which has influenced his views on intimacy. He'd really have to trust someone on EVERY level; He also might cry after, idk. OR feel very uncomfortable. Probably have a moment of existentialism and some serious rethinking to do. Not necessarily about the act itself, but how he views it and what he's been taught. To add onto his hesitance: I see a lot of fan fiction involving him and the reader getting married within 1-5 months, which just..doesn't seem too realistic to me. Thomas most definitely has a lot of self-doubt, and the family wouldn't adjust to someone that quickly. I'd say AT LEAST a year before they {the family} consider it. Anyway..this is long enough but I'm fully willing to do pt. 2 on anything I've covered before :)
TLDR: Thomas would definitely need some guidance, the whole Atlantic Ocean's worth of reassurance, and some lessons on boundaries.
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Anyway, yada-yada, Thomas needs some guidance and emotional regulation tools, what's new - đ«