#More of a rant really

[up-sideand-down]

24 for your choosing violence thing! 🌟

🔥 choose violence ask game 🔥

24. topic that brings up the most rancid discourse

Maybe it's because I'm ace, but I do not understand any of the ship wars in FF7. It doesn't matter. I don't care if the ship is toxic, pure like a cinnamon roll, or boring. It doesn't matter. You wanna know why?

IT'S AN RPG. Everyone is going to have a different experience, because you are meant to role play. Fuck it, I've had a difference experience each time I've played.

I don't care that much about your ship. At all. If you love it, good for you. Sometimes I'll read about it. But I'm interacting with you if all you do is spout hate about other ships. You don't have to like them, but for your own sake, stop thinking about them.

Learn to curate your online experience to be more positive for you.

[houxe]

The Ranboo replaces Tommy Narrative and how it’s Just Not True

The title really says it all, but I’m starting to get really tired of people pushing this narrative that Ranboo ‘replaces’ Tommy in the SBI dynamic in canon. Especially now that new people are coming in since season 1 has ended and there’ll be people going back to learn about the first season. Because, as the title says, this idea is not true at all and I feel as though we need to discuss it. As well as the fact that some of the points people give to support this claim are genuinely worrying.

Also, I’m going to preface this by saying there is a difference between a character (Tommy) believing they were replaced compared to them actually being replaced.

Please note, I don’t want this breakdown and opinion to be seen as a ‘gotcha moment’ or a ‘Tommy is better than Ranboo’ post, because that’s not what this is about and people are entitled to like some characters more than others. This is about what actually happens in canon and the actual relationships portrayed in canon that some fans are trying to erase and force their fanon narrative into instead.

Also, all of this is about the characters, unless stated otherwise with ‘cc!’

So let’s get into this.

First off, Ranboo does not interact with SBI the same way Tommy does at all, and their character brings very little development to the others. Whereas almost every encounter Tommy has with SBI, there’s some kind of development or personal growth going on between them. It’s very obvious that Ranboo is some sort of close friend, but not anywhere near what Tommy is to them. 

Hell, Tommy is allowed to do shit to the rest of SBI that other characters would be, and have been, murdered for. 

(We also need to address the false idea that SBI are not morally corrupt characters in canon when they’ve literally committed war crimes—but that’s for another post)

Case in point is when Tommy steals from Techno for the Dream fight and the guy just- doesn't care all that much. Even after the events of Doomsday and how they were both hurt by it.

Ever since Ranboo joined the Commune with Phil and Techno, they had done almost nothing with them, character development wise. They were just there and didn’t build much plot with it. Yes, there were a few mining/gathering streams, the adventure streams, and a few others scattered about. But it didn’t really grow anything in their relationships besides Techno and Ranboo becoming a little closer.

Also, this is not a bad thing. A character not having a lot of character development around specific people doesn’t mean they’re a badly written character or anything like that. It just means that some of these characters don’t play a major role or have an important relationship in someone else’s story and that’s perfectly okay!

Now we’re going to break down the relationships character by character. Starting with the most damning one, Wilbur.

People need to understand that Wilbur was not Ranboo’s friend during the Burger Van Arc. He was using Ranboo for his own gain and you can see that throughout the streams. He did not care about them and only kept them around as a pawn/to make himself feel better because he knows Ranboo just says things people want to hear. 

You can see this by comparing the way Wilbur talks to Ranboo and Quackity. With Ranboo, he changes the tone of his voice and the wording of what they’re doing, so it looks like he changed from the time he was revived. With Quackity, he flips on a dime and immediately goes back to how he was before, antagonizing, cruel, and petty. Showing that he really hasn’t changed, and that he is, in fact, manipulating Ranboo to get what he wants and to fight against Quackity because the man wouldn’t let him into Las Nevadas.

The only time Wilbur stops to care is when Ranboo dies, but even then, he doesn’t mention it all that much. Even when he talks to Phil about it, it feels like he was just placating the man after Ranboo’s death and almost like it was an afterthought to him, something he brushes off almost instantly because he genuinely didn’t care for Ranboo.

Compare this to Tommy, where Wilbur actively tries his best to keep Tommy with him, no matter what. Especially when they’re setting up the trap for Quackity and he demands Tommy’s trust and for him to stay, after Tommy calls out his lies. In fact, he’s so desperate to make Tommy stay, that it’s to the point where he admits that the only reason he didn’t involve Tommy in the Burger Van was because he ‘didn’t want Tommy to get hurt’. Showing that Wilbur was, in fact, using Ranboo as a pawn.

Hell, Wilbur cares so much about Tommy that it got to the point where he didn’t even want to apologize because he was utterly terrified of being rejected and his apology not accepted. Wilbur made the active decision to not apologize because he thought that once he did, it would be over and Tommy would leave him. And that scared him.

His character only starts to grow from this once he finds out about Exile and what happened to Tommy. The man even has a whole ass daydream about beating Dream to death because of what he did to Tommy. He blacks out after it’s explained to him. He is pissed beyond belief and wants revenge for what happened. Obviously, he decides it’s better to get Tommy out from under Dream’s control, but he’s still very protective and was even willing to sacrifice himself and go back to Limbo to help Tommy.

Something he doesn’t even think about with Ranboo when they stepped on the explosives, and it’s very worrying that people don’t see the manipulation that went on between the two and try to push this rhetoric that they became friends. Friends close enough that Ranboo would ‘take Tommy’s place’ when it isn’t true.

Now we’re moving onto Phil.

I am aware that there was supposed to be some whole adoption stream between Phil and Ranboo that was apparently thrown out, and Techno made a joke about Phil adopting Ranboo, but that was honestly retconned as soon as Phil agreed with Wilbur calling Ranboo ‘the neighbor kid’. Also, they didn’t have a lot of streams where they were bonding, and doing a plot like that wouldn’t have made any kind of sense and would have just been out of the blue. Especially because the guy just lost his actual son and destroyed the one physical thing that was still connected to him? Hell, if it had happened, people would think Ranboo was replacing Wilbur, Phil’s canonical son, instead of Tommy, lmao.

But I digress, let’s continue.

Phil’s character is mild compared to everyone else. It can be hard to tell what he’s thinking, and he doesn’t tend to act in a very obvious way. But there are some things that stand out a lot between his relationships with Tommy and Ranboo.

Obviously, Phil hasn’t interacted a whole bunch with Ranboo after offering them a place to stay. He generally doesn’t keep hard feelings, though that is fairly inconsistent since he disowned Fundy but flipped on a dime to take in Ranboo ‘because he could tell he didn’t want to do it.’ Which is a fairly poor excuse when Ranboo has actively disagreed with the cabinet before, but a lot of stuff was really just thrown around during this time. 

I think many people tend to build up this relationship a lot because Phil and Ranboo have not interacted often or shown a close relationship besides being friends. Not to mention there has been little to no character development between the two. There’s nothing to work with and for both characters, the other is just… in the background most of the time, besides the instance where Phil extended a helping hand and a place to stay or when he met Michael. Neither is really a main supporting character in each other’s story and, again, that’s okay. They don’t need to be a main supporting character and you can start to see that this is the case around the time Ranboo dies outside the prison.

Phil almost shrugs Ranboo’s death off, their revival an afterthought when Dream is right there with the power to bring them back. Something Phil knows about because he’s the one who found out Tommy was revived by Dream. Even when Techno remembers that Dream can revive Ranboo and mentions it, Phil just gives a little ‘oops’ and laughs it off before going into his house. And when he meets Ranboo’s ghost, there isn’t much of a reaction either, because they weren’t extremely close to begin with. 

Yes, Ranboo is considered Techno’s friend because they actually had at least a few conversations and meet ups. But that rarely happened with Phil and after a while they just stopped all together besides Syndicate meetings. Do they call each other friends? Definitely! But not to the extent that some try to force into canon.

Compared to Tommy, he and Phil have interacted a lot more. Especially during the time right before Doomsday. The man even had a picture of Tommy in his house, before someone stole the face. Hell, the two had gotten so close during post-Exile that when Tommy died, Phil point blank refused to believe it and actively tried to convince himself it was a lie until he went searching for the truth on his own. 

He genuinely cares for Tommy and made a point to protect him when Dream hunted him down after the prison escape. Even agreeing to walk him home and watch over him until he felt safe, taking the time to try and impart lessons on him, and just generally being there when Tommy needed help because the two have actually bonded. 

Phil was a major point in helping Tommy develop as a character, including the situation where Phil was on house arrest and Tommy was trying to help Techno get him out and was upset by it. There is a real connection there rather than stuff that’s been made up by fans and treated as canon when it’s not.

I do understand that a lot of people like to build up character relationships, and the relationship between Ranboo and Phil isn’t the only one to go through this. The issue only comes when people are actively trying to say one character has a better relationship with another, compared to someone else, when it’s shown to not be true and are trying to force this false narrative of ‘replacement’ into canon. 

I also understand people have a favorite character and wish they had a better relationship with another character they like, and that’s totally fine and valid! But you are confusing people. There are many new watchers who do not want to watch every lore stream and constantly pushing this idea as canon when it doesn’t happen, is what causes arguments amongst fans who are genuinely confused about what is canon and what isn’t.

Finally, we’re going to move onto Techno.

Point blank. I don’t understand why people have this idea that Techno replaces Tommy with Ranboo. Because their relationships are entirely different from each other and we see that in the way they interact. Ranboo is Techno’s friend. Yes, that has been established. And they have also been jokingly referred to as Techno’s student. But Techno has never shown any brotherly or fatherly actions towards Ranboo, and cc!Techno had openly set a boundary against people saying Ranboo is his kid or anything like that. Tommy was also never Techno’s ‘student’ and their relationship is much more complicated and intense than the one between Ranboo and Techno.

Ranboo and Techno are close in a way where they are but are not. Obviously, they’re friends, but this distance is mainly because Ranboo had been lying to Techno since day one and they’re both introverts who only go out occasionally. Their relationship is close, but distant enough that they can go months without feeling the need to talk to each other. Which can excuse their lack of speaking through streams.

I think people forget that the biggest reason Ranboo joined the Syndicate was to spy on them so they wouldn’t go and hurt Tubbo or Snowchester. Which has also no doubt kept Ranboo away from getting too close, because Techno would’ve killed them after finding that out. Before the incident at the prison, obviously. Also, yes, cc!Ranboo also said his character joined because he didn’t like governments anymore, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that Ranboo has been spying on them for their own gain and we all know Techno doesn’t take betrayal lightly and Ranboo knows this too.

And for those who will no doubt bring it up: There is a big difference between Tommy’s ‘betrayal’ and what could’ve been Ranboo’s potential betrayal. Tommy was honest about his intentions and what he wanted the entire time in both Pogtopia and Post-Exile, and Techno knew them. Not once did Tommy try to intentionally gaslight him otherwise. Meanwhile, Ranboo was not honest and continuously lied and misled all of the Syndicate, save for Phil. It was for a good purpose, yes, but not something Techno would forgive like he did with Tommy, and it would’ve been an amazing plot to see.

Tommy’s relationship with Techno has a lot more meaning and connection behind it. They’ve been through revolution, war, physical and mental healing, and hurt feelings caused from both sides. They both show obvious care and affection for each other, even after they split up and were hurt, and we see this in Techno’s will where he purposefully dedicates a little paragraph to Tommy, wishing him the best, and then Tommy admits on stream that he should apologize to Techno. 

Tommy even admits that Techno is like a brother to him and Techno has always acted brotherly towards Tommy in return. Such as indulging him in almost anything he wants, letting him run amok and build ugly cobblestone towers, and steal his shit without even putting up that much of a fight, but still willing to fight and protect him. They have a very clear, even if very complicated, relationship and they continue with this throughout the story/streams, including their little ‘off screen bedrock bros reconciliation’ where Techno indulges all of Tommy’s silly little jokes. Their personalities also just mesh well, especially with Tommy not being afraid to stand up to Techno, like so many other characters are, and speak his mind. That’s not something you can just switch out with someone who crumbles easily under pressure and expect it to be the same. 

Again, I understand that people have a favorite character and you are valid in that, but you can’t just take one character and try to put them in another character’s story when it doesn’t fit. 

It’s okay that Ranboo doesn’t have a strong connection to SBI like Tommy does because they’re their own character and they have their own story. Ranboo has a lot of other relationships (such as Niki and Tubbo) that they put effort into and it’s honestly so sad seeing all these other characters and relationships be tossed to the side in favor of trying to force Ranboo into something they’re not heavily involved in.

You can’t just use Tommy’s story and dynamic and put Ranboo in it because you want them in a better relationship with Wilbur, Techno, and Phil in canon or because you don’t like Tommy, but you like Ranboo and the dynamic. Ranboo has their own relationships with those three. Sure, the relationships aren’t as developed as some people want them to be, nor as nice, but you can build up the relationships that are already there in your own works instead of trying to push this false narrative into canon. 

It isn’t fair to Ranboo’s character, story, and all the work they put into it, nor SBI’s for that matter, to be tossed aside so you can force a square block into a circle shaped hole.

Adding onto that, Ranboo has never shown an incentive to being more than just friends with SBI. They helped Wilbur because that’s just their personality. They talk with Phil because they’re regular friends. And their relationship with Techno never went past being friends/being a student, nor did they try to push that and attempt to have a dynamic with them that’s similar to Tommy’s. Ranboo has shown that they are very comfortable with where they are in terms of their relationship with SBI and hasn’t tried to change it. 

Not to mention, people don’t LIKE being replacements. Ranboo would not like being Tommy’s ‘replacement’ and they would definitely give a whole ass speech about it, if it actually happened in canon. Even with a worm for a spine, they would speak up and be genuinely upset over it for both themself and for Tommy. Just like they did when Tommy took all the blame and got exiled, and the cabinet was talking badly about him. 

Think of it like this: How would you feel if someone only talked to you because you had a few similar traits to someone else? Would you feel good about yourself? Would you like that? Knowing that someone doesn’t actually like you for you and only the things that remind them of another person? If not, why would you think Ranboo would like that? Someone who already has self-esteem issues and clear imposter syndrome because of their Enderwalk state?

Because that’s the idea people are pushing when they try to put Ranboo in Tommy’s place in the SBI dynamic, when they already have their own relationship with them. 

I think fans have a bad habit of mixing up cc!Ranboo’s personality with the character and even then, they still get their character wrong. In what world is cc!Ranboo even remotely similar to Tommy or cc!Tommy? In what world would cc!Ranboo ever be okay with replacing his friend, for that matter? As a cc! who is very vocally against those sorts of things and has made videos about it?

Adding in, people who do this actively have to give Ranboo Tommy’s personality traits because the story and dynamic between 4/4 SBI won’t work with what Ranboo has already made for their character. If they don’t give them these traits, then SBI just treat them like a doll that they can play with and push to do whatever they want because Ranboo has no spine (seriously, a terrible case of being a people pleaser) and the three of them can all be very intense and demanding characters. We’ve already seen this with Wilbur and even Techno. (When he kept pressuring Ranboo to join the Syndicate and backed them into a corner.)

And when people do try to merge these two wildly different personalities, it only makes Ranboo look like a cheap, quiet knock off that SBI only likes because they have traits similar to Tommy, but they can make them do whatever they want. Basically, the same thing above, but with more steps. 

Not to mention, doing this makes it appear as though Ranboo is a tool or a fleeting object to use and toss away. (Especially in Wilbur’s case.) And it just makes SBI look abusive because their 4/4 dynamic with Tommy doesn’t fit with Ranboo’s character. There is constant push back and banter between all of them that can be really intense in the story, (let’s be honest Ranboo would not survive Pogtopia nor Revived Wilbur if they were treated the same as Tommy, and if they were the one to fight Techno, people would be calling for Techno’s head) and eventually Ranboo would not be able to deny them after a certain point. (Again, we’ve seen this with both Techno and Wilbur.) And I’m saying this as a Dark SBI writer who doesn’t even like Ranboo—

Again, Ranboo would not be okay with this. Yes, they have no spine, and it’d take them a bit to work up the courage to speak up, but they would say something if they were actually treated as a replacement in canon. They would feel awful, and self-conscious, and have imposter syndrome about all of it. Both for themself and for Tommy.

And adding onto that, Ranboo and Tommy are nothing alike. I see these comments about how Ranboo is just an ‘upgraded Tommy’ because they’re ‘quiet’ when their personalities are completely different. Ranboo is shy, soft-spoken, awkward, a people pleaser, needs to be pushed to speak their mind, and has more of a deadpanned, responsive type of humor. Tommy, on the other hand, is loud, abrasive, and stubborn. He’s not afraid to speak his mind at any point in time and his humor is about being loud and making random jokes or laughing randomly. They are complete opposites, which is why they were very good friends in the beginning.

Just because you don’t like a character doesn’t mean you can take bits and pieces from them and give it to your favorite. Not to mention, it’s entirely hypocritical for the specific fans who don’t like Tommy because of his ‘personality’, but then they turn around and give bits of said personality to Ranboo. If you don’t like the character, that is completely valid! But don’t try and give a reasoning- just to throw that reasoning to the side so you can change your favorite character’s story in canon.

It’s so insulting to the character Ranboo made to be boiled down to an ‘upgraded version’ of someone else instead of being their own character and personality. Not to mention Tommy’s character, too. You can’t just steal all the stories and relationships and plots he’s worked for and on, and give it to someone else. It’s rude, it’s insulting to both of them, and it doesn’t work.

It isn’t true, it’s not what happens. The characters and their relationships aren’t even remotely similar in any way, and you’re confusing people and potentially causing arguments and fans to dislike characters because of it. 

Just because one character has a relationship with other characters who have a more meaningful relationship with someone else, doesn’t mean they’re replacing said other character. 

That’s like saying Tubbo or Fundy ‘replaces’ Tommy in the Crime Bois dynamic when they all have different relationships and a ‘replacement’ idea would have never crossed anyone’s mind. I genuinely don’t understand why this ‘replacement’ idea was pushed so heavily with Ranboo, when it clearly isn’t the case and they have a normal relationship with SBI. If it was Tubbo in their shoes, it wouldn’t have been a thing at all.

But, again, I digress

Obviously, you are 100% allowed to have your AUs and stories and share them wherever you like! But don’t put out this false narrative because you don’t like a specific character and try to force it to be actual CANON when everything in the story points the other way.

Anyway, I got a little carried away, but these are just my thoughts and opinions on this idea that ‘Ranboo replaces Tommy’ nonsense being pushed into canon. 

[twinkuraba]

TBH OG twewy is like. The only time for me personally that NS actually... works.

And that's because it comes across as exactly what I'd personally label what it is at the time; a mutual teen crush.

They're both in this high stakes-high risk situation where their emotional states are already hitting the roof and continuing to climb so it's not unrealistic to think that 'oh this person is actually pretty cool and neat' is getting mixed in there.

The fact they don't have any hobbies in common isn't a big deal as teens; that's something they could solve by actually dating and figuring mutual interests out together.

But instead Neku gets shoved into the UG again. And Shiki is separated from him for 3 years and we get no background on if they ever even started dating officially and put in that work to ensure their relationship had a sturdy foundation.

It's just taken for granted that because Neku is the Boy and Shiki is the Girl their relationship is 100% a thing without actually putting in the work to make the relationship seem at all viable to anyone besides people who nod their heads and go 'yeah he's the main Boy and she's The Girl of course they're together'.

It's just so. Empty. Perfectly Female Gender Roles girlfriend and Perfectly Male Gender Roles boyfriend playing sweet empty domesticity that you could find in any standard mainstream m/f relationship and completely sandblasting both their original personalities for a relationship that has two people with nothing in common, built off teen feelings instead of anything substantial, where they didn't even see each other for three years, and feels like the narrative just brushes it's hands and goes "it's a Boy and a Girl, that's all people should need to think this relationship works."

And it's not even a ship sinking thing because I have never been under any impression that my main ship was going to be canon (nor did I ever want it to be, JN is more fun when it's non canon); it's basically 'I could cut out Shiki and replace her with Kairi from KH and nothing about this relationship would change.' They turned Shiki from an actual character into a cut and pastable female love interest and I fucking hate it.

[letmetellyouaboutmyfeels]

I am incredibly serious right now when I beg you all, please, and if you have Twitter or Tiktok or whatever to please spread the word: click on an author's profile on Ao3.

You want to know if an author has written more? Want to know if they're still writing? Want to see more from them? Want to know if they've written a trope or kink or sex scenario you enjoy?

Click on their name. And look at their profile.

I cannot tell you how many times in the last six months someone has read a new or newer fic of mine and said they (a new reader who has read nothing else I've done) "can't wait to see what you do next!" I've written 50+ fics and over a million words already.

"I don't know if you're still writing..." click on my profile. I am. I literally wrote a 128k+ fic for that ship last month.

"Would you ever do X?" "Please do Y!" I already did. Click on my name and look at my works.

Archive of our Own is a library. It's an archive. Not social media. It is your responsibility to fight back against the laziness that corporate algorithms have trained into you.

Click my author name. Just click it. Just click it.

Before you demand more, or ask if a writer will do XYZ, or wonder if the author still writing, or anything - click on their profile. Click on the author's profile.

I'm not trying to be mean or condescending or anything like that. I'm just exhausted. It's disheartening and frustrating to repeat myself ad nauseam, because someone couldn't take thirty seconds to do the tiniest bit of work to see if I've written lately, if I've written more for their ship, or scan my works to see if I've written what they're asking for. Please. Please. I'm begging.

Click the author's name, and explore before you ask.

[honeypleasejustkillme]

i thought i was at my lowest but holy shit it gets lower

[hacked-wtsdz]

I love early seasons supernatural aesthetics so much. The isolated highways, funky motel rooms, neon signs, shiny guns and shiny cars, leather jackets, old books, through a film camera lens in seasons one and two, makes for such a specific atmosphere. It transfers the isolation Sam and Dean experience so well, cramped into the seats of a 67’ Chevy impala, claustrophobically un-alone while individually lonely. The nasty, sometimes created with horrible special effects, monsters really do look monstrous, unsettling more than outright terrifying. With yellow eyes, in dirty clothes, glitching and pale. The whole colour palette is grey-ish and cold, you almost feel the contrasted darkness, the distrust, the nagging belief that something wicked may be hiding behind every corner, behind every corner of your own self as well. Idk. The blood looks dark, the sulfur looks sickeningly yellow, the skin looks unnaturally pale. It’s all so horror-coded, and gives such an atmosphere of instability in your own existence in the world, which aligns with the themes of the seasons. This atmosphere, to me, makes it a better horror show than if it had had better special effects and scarier monsters. Because the horrifying is in the daily existence, in how you are, rather than what you face.

[papanowo]

i think dan should get to be a little weird too. as a treat

[sharkylad]

Thinking about the fact that Mabel and Dipper didn't know they had two great uncles.

Yeah they are 12 and at 12 I had a shotty understanding of my family tree- But really? Nobody brought up their great uncle? Stanley? Especially since they'll be staying with his twin brother, Stanford?

Shermie never went to Stan's fake funeral, which to me means the twos relationship was strained on some level. If Shermie is older that means his view of Stan was poisoned in some way, that even as kids they weren't close. If the Shermie is younger then he never even got to meet Stan and all he knew about him was how he failed his family. Hell, people probably barely mentioned Stanley TO Shermie.

The fact that Stan had become a black stain upon the Pines family name makes me so vividly upset. Stanley faked his death and the family just- seemingly decided to strike him from the record. To pretend he didn't existed to spare themselves the sadness and shame.

Stanford and Shermie Pines. The only children worth mentioning of Filbrick and Caryn Pines.

It was never Stanford that was lost to the world. It was Stanley, ever since he had to leave New Jersy- it was always him that had to be struck from the record. Change his name, change his state, change his affiliations, destroy the remains of ghost that was Stanley Pines. Kill him so the family doesn't bring him up, doesn't ask questions, stops asking "Stanford" about his twin.

I just keep thinking about the fact that since the day he made one single mistake all the way up until Ford walks out of that machine- Stanley Pines was killed and did not exist. And Stan himself had no one to blame, he had to play the part in his own demise- He is the only one who ever knew Stanley was alive and has been for decades.

He lives in the multitudes of every personality he's ever taken, all in the hope that he himself can stop being Stanley Pines.

[featheredadora]

Disabled people shouldn't have to jump through hoops!!

[kiingbiing]

-

[ohitslen]

*Vampirizes your Vashwood*

keep reading for more :)

If there needs to be much closer close-up please let me know!

[anewp0tat0]

i lied i had like atleast one more weston thought to expell from my brain, before i miss this boat entirely. we're heading to green lands woooo

[imfinereallyy]

Steve and Eddie don’t get together for awhile—in fact it takes them longer than most people expect. It’s not filled with miscommunication and longing though. Instead it’s a slow build to falling in love.

Steve and Eddie do grow close after the spring break from hell. In fact, they would come to consider each other best friends (second only to Robin, as under the friendship agreement she made Eddie sign). But they fall into an easy sort of friendship, finding more things in common than just the kids eventually. They share a love of weird, eclectic movies, cars, weird food recipes, and even books. They teach each other about the stuff neither one would ever dream to be interested in.

Eddie learns about sports intensely. To the point, he joins a softball league with Steve and Robin (she is only team manager, there to look at the pretty girls who signed up).

Steve learns all about music. To the point he wants to learn an instrument. He wants to learn guitar at first, wanting to share Eddie’s love for it but finds it’s not for him. Instead, he takes up the drums, much to Robins's reluctance.

It’s simple between them, despite their history (both upside down and non-upside down alike). It’s not something Steve has with anyone else, seeing as most of his friendships involve a complexity that he can’t even understand himself.

It goes on for years, supporting each other through nightmares, heartbreak, grief (Eddie), and a sexuality crisis (Steve). They get tattoos together, take odd classes at the rec center together, and eventually share an apartment together with Robin in Chicago.

Robin tries to convince Steve for years there is something between him and Eddie. But Steve denies it, and he really means it.

Eventually life changes, their friendship stays strong but things are bound to take new shape.

Steve moves out to live with his boyfriend of a year. Eddie helps him, even cooks dinner for the two of them in their new apartment. They’re all friends, they hangout all the time.

Months pass, things seem okay, fine. Then, a year and change passea. Things are a little sour. Steve and Eddie’s friendship stays strong, but Steve seems to have problems with his boyfriend. Eddie listens because he cares; he loves Steve, and Steve loves him. They’re best friends; they would do anything for each other.

Including telling your best friend that maybe this guy isn’t good for him.

Steve doesn’t react poorly, just small. He shrinks in on himself. Like he knows Eddie’s right but doesn’t want to agree. Instead, Steve smiles sadly and moves on.

But Eddie doesn’t hear from Steve for a month.

It drives him insane; they haven’t gone that long without talking since Eddie was in a temporary coma. He’s worried he might have cost himself a best friend. Robin had moved in with her girlfriend a month before his talk with Steve, so Eddie was left to his own devices in his new one-bedroom apartment. Spiraling about Steve.

Robin said he was fine, and Eddie should believe her but he can’t help but worry.

He almost cracked and went to Steve’s apartment, keys in his hands ready to storm the castle.

Except….

When Eddie throws his apartment door open, there’s Steve, hand raised, ready to knock.

He looks exhausted, with two bags under his eyes and one bag in his hand.

“Hi.” Is all he managed to croak out before falling into Eddie’s arms, which had been open and ready for the sweet boy.

After the crying had calmed down and they had moved to the couch, Steve explained everything.

How Eddie had been right, Steve and his boyfriend weren’t good for each other. How he had been isolated from everyone except Eddie and Robin. How the last month, the fighting had only escalated. How things had slipped from just arguments to unforgivable words and actions.

How Steve was worried that everyone would choose his boyfriend instead of him.

Eddie rushed to ease his worries and offered to beat the guy up. It made Steve laugh.

Steve tells him he doesn’t have anywhere to go, but he’ll get out of his hair. Maybe go to Robin’s.

Eddie insisted Steve stayed and wouldn’t take no for an answer.

That’s when things start to slowly change.

Steve promises to look for a new place right away, Eddie says it’s no rush.

The first night, Steve tries to sleep on the couch, but Eddie pushes him to the bedroom, insisting they can share. It’s not like they haven’t before; it’s nothing new.

Except it is.

Suddenly, the days pass, and Eddie can’t fall asleep unless Steve is beside him. And Steve can’t stay asleep if Eddie isn’t there.

It starts off on respectful sides, but pushes into tangled limbs in the middle of the night, to finally just snuggling into each other's arms even before they fall asleep.

Everything else is the same….yet somehow different.

It’s like every little thing they do together brings a new kind of joy. Even boring things like doing the dishes or laundry seem so much better with Steve around.

They start to know each other’s habits, even more so than before, with how little space there is now in the apartment. Steve knows the exact place where Eddie always forgets his keys and the way he stretches his spine when he’s tired versus the way he does when he’s bored.

They fall into a lovely pattern of warmth and a type of love they can’t quite place.

They both don’t talk about it, but Steve ponders on it often. Why it feels so different now? After all these years? It hits him one day that it isn’t because he loves Eddie any less or more than he did a few years ago. No, it’s because they both have grown, and changed from who they used to be.

And so has the love between them.

Steve and Eddie, at 19 and 20, could never have the love they have now for each other, for the type of people they were then. Their love was platonic, wholesome, and what they needed then. Steve could not love the kind of man Eddie was then, and vice versa.

Now though, grown and changed but somehow still the same, their love was something new and bright.

Steve only smiled at the realization, not in any rush to move forward. Just enjoying his time with his Eddie.

Eventually, though, Steve stops looking for a new place, and Eddie never asks him to leave. Everyone refers to the apartment as theirs and not just Eddie’s. Robin stops making sly comments and instead smiles happily, almost fondly, at them when they gravitate toward each other. Eddie asks for Steve’s advice on how to deal with the landlord. Steve opens the mail regardless of whose name is on the front. Months pass, and suddenly, Steve is turning 28, and Eddie has a cupcake with a singular candle on it.

“Make a wish, sweetheart.” Eddie says, the soft glow of the flame lighting up his face.

Steve smiles softly at him and leans in. It’s not a risk, in the end, to kiss Eddie. It should be nerve-wracking and scary to change their friendship. But it’s not—it’s easy.

Their lips are soft as they lightly kiss. Steve whispers against Eddie’s mouth, “Don’t want a wish. I have everything I need.”

Eddie huffs a laugh across Steve’s lips. He says nothing—he doesn’t need to. Instead, Eddie leans in again, capturing Steve’s mouth once more.

[menaceadored]

the way that people disregard nancy’s grief in fic is my biggest pet peeve- like she didn’t break up with steve because she wanted to be with jonathan :) she broke up with him bc she was overwhelmed with grief from the death of her closest friend and couldn’t stand the fact that barb’s family were still wondering what happened to her - even going so far as to sell there house to pay murray to look into barb’s disappearance- Nancy broke up with Steve because he wanted to bury the trauma they had experienced and pretend to be normal teenagers. Nancy wasn’t saying that Steve’s love for her was bullshit. She was saying- look at us. Look at everything we’ve been through. Pretending like none of that happened, burying the grief I feel, that is bullshit.- She didn’t go looking for Murray with Jonathan because she had feelings for him and wanted to leave Steve for him. Jonathan, he validated her feelings and was willing to go against the NDA to give Barb justice and give Barb’s family peace. (Or as much peace that can come from at least knowing that they don’t have to wonder where their daughter is any longer- to know that in the least she is no longer suffering.) That was what was most important to Nancy. And being validated in those feelings and seeing that Jonathan could truly empathize with her grief after believing he had lost his brother and that he would be there for her and support her in doing what she believed to be the most important thing she could do- that inspired romantic feelings and led them to get together.

Some of y’all write her like she’s this heartless one dimensional person who just left Steve in the dust because she wanted another guy and that is a huge disservice to her character.

[froggtogs]

rockin’ out!!

[amphibianaday]

day 1421