#and one presents as who mike truly wants

[chirpsythismorning]

u know what? I'm a Willel twin truther now, Mike being in love with El's twin is much better than Mike dating his cousin LMAAO

LMAOOOO a win is a win

[alittlebitofrainbyyourside]

.

[changetyre]

Hiiii, uhm i dont know how to ask this hahha but could you maby do a smut fic with Lance Stroll, you can do any Story you want but i just cant find any fluffy or smut stories with him, plsss (only if you want, but smut pls , would be much appreciated)

SUMMARY: Being a personal assistant to Lance Stroll was complicated considering certain leniencies, when he misbehaves you take all the hear, which naturally caused tension between you both.

WARNINGS: **18+**, not proofread

A/N: Again sorry it took so long but hope you like it ;)

You sat in the meeting room, trying to hide your annoyance but it was clearly evident in your face as well as many others. You looked at your watch indicating you were almost reaching the 40 minute mark of waiting for one person to start.

You would’ve worried if this wasn’t such a common certain for a certain member of the team who was so secure in his position he truly didn’t care for punctuality, no actual punishment for his lack of professionalism.

"This is the 5th time this week alone he's been late to his meetings y/n, I thought you said you handled it the first time-" A team member muttered beside you.

You would've answered if it weren't for the door opening soon after.

“Morning everyone, sorry I’m a little late ran into some traffic.” Lance finally walked into the room.

There was a shared sigh of relief from everyone although for you his appearance only made you angrier reminding you of yet another date you were at risk of canceling because of having to wait for this brat to show up.

“No worries, let’s start right away.” No one dared to scold Lance, even less when the older Stroll was present who didn’t even bat an eye at his son’s tardiness.

The meeting started as Lance took a seat next to you giving you a wink completely dismissing the furious look in your eyes. Lance's hand went to rest on your thigh as he so often attempted to do but was quickly swatted away by your hand as usual.

"So Lance you haven't come in for sim work this week which we really need, are you able to stay for about an hour this evening?" Mike asked him.

"Right I would love to but I think I have an important meeting tonight right y/n?" Lance turned to look at you hoping you would once again pull him out of his duties but you'd had enough.

"No actually, you're all free this evening, as well as the whole day tomorrow...I made sure to clear your schedule." You cockily smirked loving that everyone was here for this as Lance looked at you annoyed.

"Oh are you sure I mean-" Lance tried to push once again.

"100%" You quickly cut him off.

"Perfect, we expect you this evening then." Mike was content as he continued on with the last details of the meeting all while Lance glared at you.

Once the meeting was finished you were quick to pack your things up and head out but Lance was quick to stop you before you could leave.

"What the hell was that?" He asked you once everyone else had left the room leaving you both alone.

"It was me doing the job I am paid to do successfully for the first time in a while." You bit back.

"Fine, but where the hell do you think you're off to in a rush?" Lance watched as you continued packing things up quickly stopping you by pulling you close to him by your waist. He was touchy you knew that and eventually grew used to it.

"Unlike you, I'm done for the day so I'm hoping I can still make it to my date." You attempted to walk by him but he blocked your path.

"A date?" He scoffed. "You're not going anywhere, if I'm staying you are too." he cockily smiled as his hand gripped your waist tighter.

"I was meant to finish over two hours ago I've done my job so no excuse me-" Once more you attempted to walk past him only to be stopped again by him pulling you into his chest.

"You knew this job didn't have strict working hours, you're my personal assistant, and I say when you're done. You get paid generously for every extra minute." He got closer repeating every word right up in your face. You could feel his breath on your lips.

"You're a dick." You shoved him back which only humored him.

"You better cancel that date if you want to keep this job sweetheart." Lance laughed.

You were furious, he knew you couldn't afford to lose his job and he was right in the fact that you always got paid for every single hour you worked.

_____________

After the previous rough evening, you found yourself once again back in the AM headquarters waiting for Lance to show up for more testing which he was late to.

"I thought we said 8am sharp." One of the team analysts looked at you, obviously annoyed.

"I told him to be on time, I gave him his schedule, he knows-" You started explaining.

"Your job is to make sure he is where he needs to be when he needs to be and you have failed to do so for months now." Mike who had also been waiting for Lance to arrive threatened you. "After today you're fired."

"Please I-" You didn't have a chance to defend yourself.

"Morning everyone, let's get started." Lance arrived, smiling as if he hadn't just arrived over an hour late.

Everyone else faked a smile just for him, just to keep him pleased while you were left concerned for yourself.

_______

"You have a marketing day tomorrow, you need to be there at 7am on the dot." You looked through Lance's schedule stressed about everything he had lined up praying for once he would listen to you.

"Hmm...I'm having a late night tonight so might be a little late but-" Lance started ready to approach you with his excuses as he changed out of his uniform.

"NO LANCE!" You blew up. "Fuck." You fell back onto the couch in his room in defeat realizing you had been way too loud. "For once will you just do as you are asked...even if it's the last time." You looked down.

"What are you talking about?" Lance approached you trying to hold you as he normally did but this time you pulled back.

You looked up at him and he noticed the fiery look he normally found in them was missing.

"Mike fired me this morning." You revealed to him too bothered to get angry at him anymore. "I finish today then I'm gone."

"He did what?" There was obvious fury in his voice. "Why would he-"

"Because you never do what I ask you to do." You didn't even let him finish.

"You're saying this is my fault?" Lance asked.

"You know what whatever Lance, do whatever you want. I'm done" You threw the iPad on the couch grabbing your stuff ready to leave.

"Stop." Lance grabbed your arm. "You're not going anywhere."

"I don't think that's your call anymore." You dismissed him but he held you tightly.

"I hired you. So trust me it's my call." Lance cupped your cheek making you look at him. "You're not going anywhere."

"But Mike-"

"Mike does what I say." He didn't even let you refute it.

"Don't worry...you're not going anywhere." He repeated pulling you closer and placing a kiss on your forehead.

"So you're just gonna keep paying me for not being able to do my job well enough?" You looked up at him.

"I would pay you to just keep you around me looking all pretty sweetheart." Lance smiled down at you placing a kiss on your cheek.

"You're infuriating-" You met his eyes again.

"Shut up" Lance kissed you roughly pulling you tightly against him.

"What do you-"Lance deepened the kiss, "think you're-"He began taking your coat off "doing?" you finished asking him between kisses with no real attempt to stop him.

"What I've always wanted to do." Lance quickly answered as he pulled his shirt off before pulling you back in and slipping his tongue inside your mouth.

"We shouldn't do this." You said as you pulled your own shirt off letting Lance unbutton your jeans and begin pulling them down.

"I love doing what I shouldn't." Lance finished pulling your jeans down before pushing you back onto the couch.

"And I hate you for it." You reminded him but were quickly shut up when he went down on you. "Agh fuck-" You moaned as he began to kiss your clit over your panties.

"I thought I told you to shut up." Lance cockily smiled between your legs as he pushed your panties aside licking up your slit before you could even bite back.

"Mhmm...please Lance." You gripped onto his hair.

"Please what baby?" Lance licked and sucked at your clit driving you crazy. "Fuck you're so wet-" Lance drooled at the sight in front of him.

"Don't stop-" You begged him as you could feel your orgasm nearing.

"Nah ah, sweetheart. You're cumming on my cock-" He stopped just before you could finish making you whine in annoyance.

"Lance! Please." You begged annoyed, a tone he was more used to but in a completely new context.

Lance didn't bother to go slowly as he sank fast and deeply into you, your eyes rolling back in pleasure.

"Aghhh shit" you moaned as he began thrusting into you.

"Does that feel good baby?" Lance asked you as he toyed with your tits.

"Fuck Lance...feels-" You struggled to speak through the pleasure. "Feels so good." You got lost in the feeling.

"You're not going anywhere, baby. I'll make sure of it." Lance whispered to you a quiet reassurance while he fucked you harshly, the first time of many.

[sayyourprayers]

Why Will's resentment of El is not an in-show theme:

Diorama scene

Scene begins with El completely clueless about the school dynamics - eg. waving hi to someone who dgaf. She knows she isn't having a great time (hence lying to Mike) but at the same time she feels like THIS IS THE DAY when everything will change. Bruh if you haven't gotten the memo till a day before spring break maybe Hopper didn't call you stupid enough.

Talking about Hopper - presumed dead - presumed hawkins mall fire hero - subject of El's direyama, it wasn't Will's job to find a hero for El nor was it his responsibility to to suggest she make a projected presentation (his own project's a chart ffs). The shots of Will looking nervous and upset when El presents is for 2 reasons:

i) She followed Angela

ii) She followed Angela

It doesn't matter what your project is, your bullies aren't bullying you for quality control purposes. I guess people who think they can just intervene and stop bullying by their aura alone, truly have no idea how bullying works. Hopefully, for better understanding the material being analysed (to death), they do get to experience being at the receiving end of it, even if it's just a little.

As per El's own admission she chose the diorama as a visual aid - as she was allowed to. Idk if y'all expected Ms. My grammar's getting better also to do a verbose write-up or Ms. sheltered in the lab has got no one poor bby to just suddenly know and find heroic inspiration in famous personalities. What is it? Is she undersocialised and trapped or not? Analyse that.

2. Post presentation

Will tries to assuage El that her presentation wasn't that bad (not a lie that it was great but it truly wasn't the worst) But Ms. friends don't lie won't listen to him. (omg willel wonder twins friends). Sidenote: how was Will gonna tell her that her project was "not what she should have made"? I am guessing the lines would be similar to Angela's and El's response would be similar to El's. Anywho. I'm not spending more time analysing this scene that was clearly meant to establish that El's lying in her letter to Mike and she's not really having a great time in California - which isn't just about the school and bullying btw but also (moreso) about her father's death and the loss of her powers (shown by the scene of her walking away merging into a depressed max doing the emo walk to the chart topping kate bush song: nordic walking really fast up a cliff.) But let's forget all that on-screen text for fanfic hit pieces.

3. Die a rammer

Before El's homage to Hopper meets the wrath of Devila there's a small scene (bby scene tiny as hell uwu) of El receiving her maths tests results. And they were F-ing bad. Another scene to establish how much creative writing went into El's letters to Mike. Will should have tutored her though, I agree. The least he could have done for the girl that got him kidnapped and then saved him from the kidnapper - but was it really saving if he's forever changed? Not important: this is about establishing Will's guilt and El obviously has none.

Anyway, El is minding her business and California dreamin' but Angela and the minions trip her up and methodically destroy her diorama. It doesn't help that an enraged El tries to telekinekick Angela's ass, but as we all know (and now re-know) she has lost her powers and is sad and frustrated about it.

Now some brilliant scientific minds of our generation wanted Will to step into that shit show and (and what?) defend El? The guy that famously freezes? The guy who loaded up a gun in 3.5 seconds but froze up and didn't use it on a literal monster with a monsterface? The same guy who has NO POWERS (would be copying El) and has been bullied throughout his life, not only in school by his peers but even whole ass adults. They called him slurs, egged on by none other than his own Papa. So the great analysts with zero experience in bullying and less than basic level of empathy towards bullied people, wanted Will to shatter his little never seen before peaceful Cali existence to save El after the fact? Yes, Zombie boy go save your social pariah wonder woman channeling sister friend. The fact is, he NEVER abandoned her, but he also didn't have enough social standing at school to prevent El from getting bullied. (A point missed in all analyses.)

He was upset and worried and headed over to console El, not in secret no no, out in the open. He is not a fighter. He has never stood up to his own bullies. He's only "sassy" with his friends and family, people he's close to and feels safe with (a feeling he associates with El too, as seen in his "sassiness" with her, but that's for later.)

Poor El had to be rescued by the teacher herself. No other person in that entire school that was present did anything even remotely expressing sympathy - no they were all laughing at her. Only the teacher and Will were in her corner. So much for resentment.

4. Rink O Maniacs

Let's begin with the airport waiting area: Two happy Byers pookies (yes even I have to concede that El was a pookie here) waiting for their incelebrity crush/love - disappointed almost immediately by the scrotoid they fancy cuz they've not discovered feminism yet.

El has the whole day planned, Will is there around them cuz I guess he's too young to be hotboxing with (a concerned and all-knowing) Jonathan and my man Argyle. I mean they could've bonded over being stressed out over not their girlfriends.

Instead though, Angela and the aerobics class decided to eff up El's planned dayte. Angela on being called El--er--Jane's friend grabs her and heads over to the rink. Will knows El's lying, but was he supposed to idk just blurt it out with all that audience? What was he supposed to do? Was he supposed to pre-empt the attack (either) in a crowded place? He wasn't physically gonna stop anyone, let's be real. If Angela would have picked on him, he'd be the one on the rink dressed in milkshake. So let's not pretend it's a reaction unique to seeing El in distress. No that's his response to BEING DISTRESSED - which he was, seeing his sisterfriend whom he likes and doesn't resent (apart from her being the love of Mike's life) in trouble.

Mike goes "above and beyond" i.e. reacts the way y'all would've loved Will to react (but it's not his gene type). Will however is worried and the one that alerts Mike once he realises, things are no longer gonna go anywhere but down under. He finally, reluctantly, but for his sisterfriend El, tells Mike about her problems, or that she's having them. Mike also can hear what's being announced for all the rink (a dedication to Jane the snitch) and coupled with what Will's told him reacts fast and tries (the operative here, he failed too) to stop the show.

Acting prowess aside, Mike and Will are both shocked and worried by El's "wipeout" in a crowded rink where it seems nobody likes her. Mike calls out to El who runs away hurt and embarrassed n not in the mood to answer him.

Now, they BOTH look for El, and MIKE the cunt thinks it's a great time to have a one on one with Will, about him "sabotaging" the day. (I still don't know how he did that, since M11 were pretty much enjoying the date till Angela appeared). The stupid gay fight happens, whatever man, idgaf.

El straightening up in the staff closet hears Angela and the pussycats (and not stupid byler) laughing (most likely at her) and decides, powers or no powers, Angela's gonna feel it tonight. The iconic Angela facelift happens after El's appeals to salvage the day and protect her lies are dismissed. Mike and Will are both again there to give loud reactions and Mike manages to be a moid even in that situation and questions El's overreaction (he at least truly believes that, unlike Will who is ready to lie to the cops abt it being an accident, lol) (Also, a quick mention Mike doesn't remind her of Brenner, Mike's the final straw that takes her back to the lab, she's already feeling weirded out by the blood and the people surrounding her, but ya whatever.)

Commentary:

Will asking El about why she's lying to Mike, isn't just him caring about Mike being lied to over El's well-being. If one's to engage a third braincell, one would notice that Will, too, found out about El's lies that day itself. He realised cuz he lives with his sisterfriend and is with her at school and at not school and so knows whatever she's saying and Mike's recalling from the letters has more imagination put into it than his painting. Will is annoyed at El and Mike (El - cuz he says it, Mike - cuz Mike says it) for being made a third wheel and also being greeted awkwardly (let's not forget he literally didn't gift Mike the painting which he painstakingly made cuz of Mike's weirdo behaviour.) That's not resentment, that's plain annoyance - an emotion Will has shown multiple times over the course of 4 seasons. His emotions don't only exist in the context of El and Mike's existence - you may ask Jonathan and Joyce, if you don't believe me.

It's hard for some people to read Will's character as anything other than a lovesick fool or brother of the main character, and their analysis reeks of this. Let's not forget, unlike Mike Wheeler, Will actually has his OWN stake in the supernatural/sci-fi/horror/superhero plot. Mike is the romantic lead. Will and El have their own journeys and stories both including and completely independent of each other and Mike.

Will not showing El the painting, is more a testament to his enduring feelings for Mike and the post-puberty clarity of romantic/sexual attraction vs puppy love. El didn't show Will her letters to Mike either. (And I am not saying she should have.) Will is not in the text to serve El. In fact, Max herself got promoted from that job. Just slapping on Vecna preys on this juicy shit - doesn't make it true. I am not saying Will and El are perfect siblings, but they're close to it and the show wants us to believe that. (You may take this as a contribution to DBros/MissedOpporunities OTP fanwork)

Will's resentment of El is the jealousy from romantic (not even) rivalry, but it is a very small part of their relationship. He could and should have been more pissy about having the girl who (even accidentally) upended his life just being his new sister now (mike or no mike) but that's not what Will is as a person. Will's jealousy of El is also something he takes out on Mike and NEVER on El.

Maybe there's such a thing as re-watching the show too many times. Y'all jumbling up character names. Y'all need to be peer reviewed.

[glisten-inthedark]

Why it wouldn't make any sense for Byler not to be endgame (Applying only logic to the equation)

Ok, I know that some people might be concerned and I won't sit around and pretend that I'm not. I will, however, point towards a few things that, to me, would mean that everyone in that writers room had terrible lapses in judgment if they ended up not making Byler canon so buckle up because this will be a long post.

Will's misbilief and how he believes he will never find love.

At one point, Will claims he will never fall in love but we'd later learn that surprise surprise, we can't control our hearts.

But it's not that Will assumes he won't find love, it's that he assumes he's not worthy of it. He stated that he sometimes feels like he's a mistake, and that the only person that makes him feel like he isn't is Mike.

So the subtext that we have is that he doesn't believe he'll have a happy ending, he doesn't believe he'll get to find love and be happy. So say the Duffers decide that Byler won't be endgame, what exactly was the purpose of this entire plot line? Torture a kid some more?

Like seriously, he's been through so much already, why do this?

Because doing gives Will, the character we're supposed to root for, a depressing ending. A ending that tells him: you'll never be happy, you're doomed to be forever in love with someone that will never love you back. You don't get your happy ending, you don't get to have what you want.

But not only that, this would be the message the show would be sending the viewers: So one of characters has been through the ringer, has foud out he's gay but oh sorry, he will never be in a happy relationship or find that actually he can be happy. And that's it folks, thanks for watching our show.

2. What Will wants and needs.

I noticed there's this tendency of people downplaying Will's love towards Mike. Maybe because he's young and we have the tendency to assume that the feelings with have around that age aren't lasting, or maybe it's something else, however we need to point out the fact that Will loves Mike Wheeler.

This isn't a crush, this isn't limerence or lust. No, this is love. The writers made a point of showing us that Will loves Mike truly and selflessly. They made a point of showing us that Will already assumes his feelings are and will always be unrequited, so what he wants/what he needs it's to have Mike back in his life.

He was willing to push Mike towards El out of love for him and for her, because he wants Mike to be happy and he doesn't think he could ever give him that, nor does he think Mike wants Will to be the person who gives him that.

The writers showed, through their writing, that Will's feelings are real, are everlasting and unshakable. That Will himself doesn't think he'll ever get over Mike (El - I - Need you and she (I) always will).

So whether you like it or not, Mike is the love of Will's love. So if the writers present some random person as the love interest (which they could've easily done considering they gave us Argyle and the fact Will was in California which is far more accepting than Indiana) it's never going to be enough, because that's not who Will truly loves.

So again, it would send the message that he'll never be truly happy, because the person that makes him the happiest wouldn't be by his side.

3. We have no actual clue about what's happening to Mike

We can chalk it up to lazy writing, or to a character that's all over the place, or maybe, just maybe, to a Mike Wheeler that is complex, that has layers and dimensions.

I don't think it's a coincidence there has been a shift in Mike in the last 2 seasons, because if you pay attention, we have nothing of his inner thoughts. The entire focus of his character has been about El, and maybe that's no accident.

Maybe we don't know what's going on because he's hiding something? And whenever we are presented with facts about him, we don't have all the information.

I already talked about how Mike focusing on El makes sense, because when Will disappeared Mike had to deal with a lot and when Will got back, all these things he buried tried to get back to the surface.

People seem to have a hard time understanding Mike, or acting under the guise he doesn't care about Will or that Will deserves better or seem to think the writers dropped the ball on his character, but maybe there's a reason?

Maybe Mike is a lot harder to grasp? Maybe he's the boy who watched his best friend bike away and not come back? Maybe he's the boy who thought his friend was dead (even for a while).

Perhaps he's the kid who so desperately needed to protect and shield and comfort his friend because nothing in the world was right if his friend was hurting?

Maybe Mike is the boy who doesn't really feels what he should for his girlfriend? Maybe she kisses him and he's confused, doesn't close his eyes because it doesn't feel right?

Is he the boy who was so afraid of what it meant to care so much for another boy, that he decided to compartmentalize so he felt less? Because losing Will once almost destroyed him, and sometimes it's easier if we do the pushing away ourselves?

Maybe he latched onto El because it was easier, it was safer, because it's right to like girls and not boys.

And maybe the Mike of season 2 already had an inkling but didn't know for sure, but when posed with the same thing in a different time-frame was hit with another, deeper meaning.

If we can feel empathy for Steve, or if we can acknowledge Max's trauma, or if we can understand Joyce's one track mind or Hopper's temper or Jonathan's distant behavior, we should grace a child/teen that has no one to turn to with the same grace.

[strangerfigs]

I understand ppl wanting will to be some bad ass but like truly he is just a traumatized kid!! and he is SCARED! and that is OKAY! he was completely traumatized by everything that happened to him in season 1 and 2. like it’s normal for him to be traumatized by that and that doesn’t make him worth any less. I just watched season 3 and it’s CLEAR that will is the most scared out of all of them and the least likely to fight out of them all. he is tired and scared and over it. like in season 3 it almost seems like he has 0 energy in him to fight. where in season 1, he loads the gun, but it doesn’t STOP the demogorgon from taking him. in season 2 where he takes bobs advice and tell the mind flayer to go away (or whatever he says i forget), the mindflayer gets him still. will has NEVER won against these supernatural creatures. in s3, he was never the only one in danger but he was also never the one to proactively fight against the evils. it was always someone else (which is fine). even in the finale, when they are in the mall, will senses that the flayed monster thing is activated and present but he doesn’t even tell anyone which is interesting and made me think why wouldn’t he tell anyone? it was when it was on the roof. it ends up being max who notices and then she tells mike who yells out for nancy. this scene made me really think and question why will didn’t say anything but then it made me think of when the group has flayed billy trapped in the sauna. will’s sense activated and he grabbed his neck but it was MIKE who called out to max to move. it was another time that they were all in imminent danger. the only time that will voiced to those around him that his sense was activated was when Lucas and Mike found him at castle Byers and they weren’t in any imminent danger then. this brings me to my point…

will is TRAUMATIZED. his trauma defense is freezing. trauma defenses can be flight, fight, freeze, or fawn. flight or fight is mostly known to the public. will FREEZES when they are in an imminent danger situation because of all the trauma he has endured. which is FINE. he is traumatized. he has never won against the evil anyway.

my point is will doesnt need to be some bad ass with a gun who is better at mike than fighting Vecna or whatever upside down creatures they encounter. he is already a bad ass in other ways such as being sensitive and compassionate. he doesn’t need to fight. that’s not who his character is. he survived the upside down by “hiding” and using his smarts to figure out how to communicate with his mom. he has other strengths!!! I put “hiding” in quotation marks because I do feel like there is more going on and will has some kind of powers possibly but whatever they will be I do not think that they will be of the nature of “fighting” in the terms that you maybe imagine. I think it would be something else. and wanting will to be this bad ass fighter is taking away from who he is. he is sensitive and kind and does not need to be anything else.

[probablyintensemuses]

Hey Brother, pt 2

summary: in the present, you and Armando have an even rockier start.

authors note: read part 1 if you haven’t already. This one is mostly in Armando’s POV which I think is extraordinarily important.

Read Part 1 Here

Armando let the water run over him, each splash hitting a wound, causing him to wince.

The fight with McGrath’s people had been tougher on his body than he thought, and truthfully, on that tiny boat floating adrift, he didn’t think he’d make it here alive.

Luckily he had, trailing blood up the stairs and into your apartment as he waited for you to come home.

Mike had instructed him to come here and stay until things died down, until there could be some type of resolution for him, one that wouldn’t require more jail time.

He had said you would be fine with it, that you wouldn’t hesitate to help.

Armando wasn’t worried about that, he could see it in the way you’d placed a blanket over him, tucking him in, and stitching him together.

What he was worried about, truly, was facing you.

Yes, big bad assassin Armando was afraid to face his baby sister.

He couldn’t pin point why, exactly.

Maybe it was a mixture of fear, anger…guilt.

Guilt that you, his own little sister, almost died because of him all those nights ago.

Fear that you’d always be afraid of him and what he could do to you.

Anger that he even had to got through any of this shit at all.

Armando’s ran a wet hand through his sleek black hair, dragging water through his strands.

His fist shook and he wanted so desperately to punch something, but this wasn’t his place and he didn’t want to make things worse than what they already were.

So he took a deep breath, counted to ten, and then turned the shower off.

He climbed out of the shower, wrapping himself in the towel you had given him, walked out of the bathroom, droplets of water still coating him.

He tried to be as quiet as possible when closing the bathroom door as not to disturb you.

From the hallway he could see you sat on the couch, a bowl of cereal to your right, textbooks and pencils to your left.

You were studying with soft music trilling in the background, your glasses hung low on the bridge of your nose and your curly hair sprawled out.

Armando felt frozen in time as he observed you.

He hadn’t the slightest clue who your mother was or what she looked like, or the story between her and your father.

But from what he could see, you did look somewhat like Mike. Your brown eyes, thick, dark hair, warm brown skin and rotund face.

The only thing missing was his height, really.

Armando continued to watch as you turned a page in your text book, “you know staring isn’t polite, right?” You said, not looking up from your studies.

Armando coughed, adjusting himself. “I wasn’t staring.” He lied.

“Okay.” You roll your eyes. “Sure.”

“Why would I be staring at you?’ Armando trudged on.

You raised a brow, snatching off your glasses. “I don’t know, you tell me? Perhaps you’re planning to drug me again.”

Armando huffed. “Trust me, princesa, if I wanted to do anything to you, I’d have done it already.”

You look up at him, your eyes widening and your mouth opening and closing like a fish. “That’s not comforting…at all.”

“I’m not going to hurt you.” Armando reassured again, a pang tugging in his chest.

You didn’t trust…and some part of him felt the same about you. What was to stop you from calling the cops on him right now? Especially since Mike dumped him on you without so much as an explanation.

But in another breath it somehow hurt that you didn’t trust him. Wasn’t that part of being an older brother, trusting that he’d never hurt you?

“Why, because we’re family?” You question.

Armando frowned at that word, his nose scrunching. “No,’ his next words were slow to come out. “Because you’re not worth it.”

You scoff, gathering your things. “Wow.”

Armando watches you gather all your study materials in a haste, not sparing him anything more than a cold shoulder.

“Have whatever you’d like,’ you brush past him. “Because you're right, I'm not worth it, to anyone.” You slam your bedroom door in his face, leaving Armando with his thoughts.

Armando threw his head back with a sigh before gathering the clothes you had laid out for him and slipping them on.

Of course they hardly fit.

But that was the least of his worries right now.

The FBI was undoubtedly after him, he had wounds all over his body, he was shaking with his long-lost little sister who hates him, and he hasn’t the slightest clue when he’d be free from all this.

All the lies.

All the trauma.

All the pain.

It be a miracle if he could shake it all.

You force captures his attention, washing over his thoughts and beckoning him towards your door.

Armando leans against the wood, getting a better shot of your conversation.

“Dad?” You whisper.

“Babygirl, are you okay?” Mike asks.

“Am I okay?’ You scoff. “No I’m not okay! You completely violated my privacy by sending him here, not to mention I had his literal blood on his hands and I’m complicit in a fucking crime!”

“Hey! Watch your mouth.” Mike said, sternly.

“Really, my language is your biggest concern right now? Not the fact that you are the one who’s being disrespectful by going behind my back and brining him here!”

Armando winced at the conviction in your voice, you really didn’t like him. And if he was honest, you had no reason too.

Mike was silent for a beat before he responded. “You’re right.” He sighed. “I was just trying to do right by him. Do you know how it feels, having missed out on nearly thirty years of his life, knowing he was lied to and mislead?”

“No, I don’t. But I know how it feels to be thrust into an impossible situation just to make everyone else feel better.’ You sniffled. “I mean dad, I get that he’s your son…but I’m your daughter, and you could have at least taken into consideration how much this sucks for me too! Or even the fact that I’m fucking terrified of him!”

Mike sighs. “I know, I’m sorry.”

“If you know, why couldn’t he have stayed with you and Christine?”

“It would have to much of a risk for us.”

Armando jumps at the sound of something crashing behind the door. “What about me! Do you even care about how I fucking feel!”

“I do baby girl!”

“No you don’t, ever since you found out he was your son, you’ve been obsessed with redeeming him because of your own fucking guilt. So much to the point where you’ve put me in the backseat!”

“That’s not true!”

“Yes it is,’ you growl. “It was him, then Christine, Callie and Judie, and I just fall wherever else. If you feel all this guilt for all these people, you should have at least saved some for me.”

“Why would I save guilt for you, huh?” Mike said, clearly getting angry now.

“You know what,’ you took a deep breath. “I really hope your find a home for your murderous, bastard son soon, because I’m done being the pile you load all your shit on.”

“Don’t—,”

The line when dead before Mike could let out another word.

Armando swallows the last of your words a sharper knife than any he'd ever been stabbed with.

And maybe it wasn't exactly your words that hurt but the fact that you hadn't been lying.

Mike had been obbssesed non-stop with finding the good in all the bad things he'd done, like finding a shining diamond in a dirty, muddied pond; a miracle and an impossibilty.

Instead, he should have been focused on mending the fallout his actions left the both of you, in particular you.

Armando almost felt bad for you.

No, he did feel bad for you.

You were only seventeen when he kidnapped you, he and his mother threatening your life several times, only for you to find out it was all over a lie.

One big, fat fucking lie.

And instead of your father being there for you, shielding you from your greatest trauma, he exploited it by bringing Armando here.

It hit him then, maybe it wasn't hurt he felt when it came to you...maybe it was empathy.

He knew exactly how you felt.

Being exploited by a parent sucked, let alone two.

Armando wasn't sure what came over him, but he found himself knocking on your bedroom door.

It took a few minutes, but eventually you opened up the door.

Your brown eyes were swollen with tears and your bed was a clear mess of fustration and anger.

"I'm not apologizing for anything I said."

"I'm not asking you to."

"What do you want?"

"To apologize.' He swallowed.

You let out a low, sad chuckle. "For what?"

"I don't really know yet, maybe because I know no one's said it to you yet." He admits. "And if anything, you and I both deserve it."

Armando watches you straighten. "And why's that?"

"Because our parents suck."

You shrug. "That's true."

"So, I'm sorry."

"For our parents sucking?"

"Yes...no, I don't know. Look, I just don't want us to hate each other."

"I don't hate you." You say, using your feet to play with the hem of your pants.

"It sounded like you did back there." Armando nods to your cellphone.

"I was upset....I didn't think you'd hear all that."

"You were pretty loud."

"Well it is my house, and you did break in...so."

Armando sighs, "Touché."

"So now what?" You say.

"What?"

"You just say sorry and then what? Do we act like some happy family or do we skate around each other?"

"Up to you."

You sigh, playing with your nailbeds.

"Do you like ramen?" You eventually ask.

Armando shurgs. "I've had worse."

You leave your room. "I'll take that as a yes."

It wasn't much, but at least you were sitting across from him, enjoying a bowl of spicy ramen instead cowering away in fear.

For a moment, Amrando could actually enjoy some peace, a little calm before the storm.

He never imagined it be with the sister he never knew he had.

Life is really...something.

[dipperscavern]

hiiii! the anon who requested the Mike x fem!reader fic here. please don't apologise, I can totally understand😭😭 the show's too addictive, I binged watched the first few seasons really quick too, you can take your time🫶🏾

HII IM SO SORRY FHIS TOOK SO LONG GRR. honestly, i really struggled w this 😭 i didn’t make it very long or defined (i wanted this to set the tone of their relationship), and i left it pretty open ended (on purpose) so it could be built off of in other continuations as maybe a clientsdaughter!reader 🙂‍↕️thank u sm for the ask & i hope u enjoy!! (this is ass)

mike ross x fem!clientsdaughter!reader

mike had learned a countless amount of knowledge since joining the firm. how to talk to people, how to negotiate, how to work, how to win. along with this, he also learned the workings of the office itself — more so the people that were in it.

kyle talks to his girlfriends throughout the day. it’s often mike can catch him leaned back in his chair, not-so-discreetly checking his phone, eyebrows raising as he clicks on the selfie he was sent.

louis keeps his favorite breakfast bars in the top cabinet. rachel chews her lip when she’s thinking. the fax machine only listens to donna — don’t mention if harvey’s having a bad hair day, he knows.

oh. and don’t sleep with clients.

not getting involved with clients was a general rule of thumb. according to harvey, the less emotion involved, the better. even so, harvey himself was guilty of sleeping with a few clients — after business was done, of course. but that was different. harvey was harvey, and mike was a first year associate, already tap dancing on thin ice. he could absolutely not afford to break any rules — no matter how unspoken they might be.

truly, it was all going fine. until he met you.

you & your father are in the racehorse industry. famous for the record breaking times your horses submit (& the world-class conditions they’re always in), thousands come to the races to bet on them. your family has been breeding, training, and racing horses for decades, and your father loves his job. there’s only one issue.

he’s currently being sued for “wrongful termination” by an ex employee. the employee mistreated multiple horses during his time working for you & your father. once you both found out, he was gone.

now, 4 months later, when your most famous horse “knights honor” has died, the employee is claiming the horse was milkshaked before his races (he was not).

“Milkshaked? What the hell is that?”

harvey’s voice carried through his office as jessica presented the case to him & mike. your father was a friend to her, and it was important that harvey got this done. mike remembers the article he read years ago on racehorses when knights honor won his first championship.

“In the context of horse racing and illegal substances, a milkshake is any compound or combination of compounds administered to a horse, pre-race, for the purpose of causing.. metabolic alkalosis of the blood and extracellular fluid of that horse. Although, a previous widely used method to ensure placing times, milkshakes are a prohibited practice on race day in all U.S. jurisdictions.”

harvey and jessica exchange looks between themselves & mike. they're about to raise questions when donna's voice crackles through harvey's phone.

"Translation: Its when the horses are given a “milkshake” of different drugs before a race. It can kill fatigue and improve their endurance."

all heads look down to the phone, then at donna's desk. donna's already looking their way, of course, and she swallows under their field of vision. she shrugs.

"What? I can't.. watch tv?"

she abruptly puts the phone down, turning her chair around to type on her computer. jessica clears her throat.

"Tom is an old friend. He's genuine."

harvey interrupts. "You need me to make it go away.”

“No. This could tarnish his entire reputation… his life’s work. I need you to kill this thing in its tracks. Get it done.”

with that, jessica turns & exists the office. harvey sighs, skimming over the case file jessica dropped on his desk. he looks at mike.

“Find the daughter. Find out everything — previous arrests, divorces, a stolen tangerine from publix- I wanna know about it.”

mike nods, offering a-

“Yes, captain,”

(which makes harvey give him an exasperated look) before he retreats back to his cubicle, moving to start his manhunt. donna winks as he passes her desk.

꧁——————————————————꧂

“No, he doesn’t.”

you can sense the presence of the associate approaching behind you. you quickly thank the man working the stand as he hands you your pretzel, and you turn to face harvey’s right-hand. mike ross.

“I- You don’t even know what I was about to say.”

“Yes, I do.”

he’s cute. pretty blue eyes, a photographic memory, and a boyish charm that you can’t say you’re immune to.

“You were about to ask if he’s had any previous arrests. No, never.”

mike shakes his head. “Sorcery. Speeding tickets?”

you turn to look at him with an exasperated look. “No, officer.” he smiles.

“How did you know? That I’d ask.”

you shrug. “Ancient blood magic.”

a few moments of silence pass, and he’s silently moving his head in tune with his thoughts — like he actually believes you. you decide on mercy.

“It’s the first question lawyers always ask.”

“Ah. Been through this before?”

you shrug.

“Do you always stalk your clients?”

he doesn’t miss a beat. “Only the pretty ones- a hobby of mine.”

you hum, breaking off a piece of your pretzel and handing it to him. he sighs, leaning back.

“Oh you sweet, sweet angel.”

you both continue your walk to pearson/hardman, wanting to get there early to prep for the deposition today. mike breaks the silence once he’s done chewing.

“Do you always feed your lawyers?”

“Only the cute ones,” you break off another piece, handing it to him. “Its a hobby of mine.”

꧁——————————————————꧂

the elevator rings, signifying the end to your journey. mike is in disbelief as you step out of the elevator — mind trying to wrap around your last statement.

“What- are you serious?”

“As a heart attack.”

mike moves to catch up with you. “Okay, multimillion-dollar horse racing company, and you just.. have no security cameras? Zero?”

you turn to face him, giving him a defiant look that makes his heart flutter.

“I don’t see any cameras around here.”

as you approach the glass-doored conference room, mike opens the door for you.

“Touché.”

you shoot him a look across your shoulder before you move to greet your father, already waiting. mike pauses outside, staring, as you hug your father, no doubt offering some sort of reassurance.

“No.”

mikes head snaps toward the voice, harvey’s un-foreseen presence making him jump a little. mike looks around a bit.

“I.. didn’t even-“

harvey points a finger at mike, then at you, then slowly wags it back and forth for dramatics. mike sighs, looking around and putting his hands in his pockets, waiting for his scolding to be done.

“Harvey-“

“Uh uh.”

“Harvey.”

harvey continues his finger wag. “Micheal.”

“Harvey.”

harvey walks backwards towards the door, opening it with his free hand. “Don’t.. do it.”

mike rolls his eyes, following harvey into the room.

okay. don’t get with the funniest, most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen. got it. easy.

easy. right?

the look you give him as he sits down proves him otherwise.

[gayofthefae]

Ok but can we talk about how most of Will's pining shots are just shots of him being normal with fancy closeups and music and most of Mike's normal shots are of him pining?

Upset at being ignored*, worried about the state of his friendship, worried about Mike - who is clearly upset. The only truly romantic twinged ones I would say are his reaction to Mike's apology and of course, the painting speech and all. This is not an argument for the people who denied, it was very clear, it's more further proof of how much framing can do to show you things consistently present (which makes me excited for season 5 all over again! Whatever the leaks, we can never predict the camera angles)

*when he isn't being ignored he's pretty chill about Mike and El. No reaction to their kiss or forehead touch. Additionally, asking what the difference is between you and someone who is being treated better than you is super normal also. And as an add-on, not wanting to grow up too fast (3x03) is also a symptom of trauma. Also I shouldn't have to say that hugging your best friend is normal.

Our boy is like super normal and successful at being in the closet. Meanwhile Mike...

Really, it just goes to emphasize Mike's queerness how subtle Will is. He actually has done very very little suspicious. Which means that Mike's reaction is a hypersensitive one due to it already being on his mind.

[bomikalover]

Did my yearly rewatch of Austin and Ally (all 4 seasons) and now I’m hyper fixated on it. So I decided to yap my head off on here so if you don’t care for anything A&A specific then just scroll and enjoy my other posts or edits of the stuff you do like 🫶🏾

Anywaysss, why I’m here.

AUSTIN AND ALLY’S PARENTS ARENT GOOD PARENTS!!

There i said it.

The only one I give slack is Ally’s mom as she mostly lives in Africa for work (I think?? I kinda black out the parents storyline since I’m here for any else but the parents) plus she wrote a book and when she was in Miami with Ally she spent all her time WITH HER DAUGHTER. She gave advice, presents, and even gave her an opportunity to sing at her event which was the event she overcame her greatest fear. She was polite and sweet to all the kids, put effort to talking to them, and getting to known them. We’ve seen her for maybe 2-3 episodes TOPS in the whole show but I never disliked her. Do I think she could have had a talk with her ex-husband and made him work at his own business?? Yes but they spilt for a reason and maybe she was just already mentally clocked out of anything dealing with him…cuz I know I am.

Her dad on the other hand I majorly dislike. He opened a business just to leave in the hands of his only daughter between ages 14-18 while she was already occupied with school and then her career as an artist. Plus she had friends and a young life that she wanted to live. Fortunately Ally was lucky her 3 friends stuck around all day in Sonic Boom helping out and hanging there instead of completely leaving Ally out since she was constantly busy with work.

He was also extremely cheap. Like being cheap with urself is fine but with ur daughter is a whole nother thing. Like when he gave her emergency funds for when she went to go on tour with Austin and she actually needed it as she was stranded in an unknown state. Just to find out that her dad only gave her $6 and an expired coupon. She once again was on her own and performed for her own well-being.

And he was also unsupportive of Ally sometimes. Like in the first episode when he said that she had one in a billion chance of making it into the music industry. (Austin’s dad said that as well, but we’ll get to him later) WHAT?! Is it so hard to be supportive of ur daughter. (He does support her in future episodes but for me it’s says a lot that the first impression we get of her father is that he’s unsupportive and only wants her to run the family store)

Speaking of no support and forcing their child to follow their footsteps…Mike and Mimi Moon.

They also came out the bat being unsupportive but seemed to care enough to not force Austin to work at the Mattress Kingdom. But they heavily offered the job every time something went slightly off course with Austin’s Career. (Him getting vocal nodes or when he chose loving Ally over his career that he’s been passionately working on for years)

Both of A&A’s parents were just letting their kids travel by themselves or go on tour by themselves. (It’s EXTREMELY common for parents to be MIA in kids tv but these rubbed me the wrong way) like we rarely saw Mr.Dawson at Ally’s performances Vice versa with Austin and his parents. It took Austin having to go the doctors or Ally moving away super far to accomplish her goals to get their attention.

I’m not surprised Auslly has such a strong unbreakable bond when they’re two only children with neglectful parents who are unsupportive of their dreams. They have no one to relate to and share the passion with beside each other. They both have best friends that have been in their lives YEARS before each other yet Auslly talk of each other as if that’s all they have is each other. (Side note: the way Auslly write their songs make me question how much stuff they truly went through together. Like “You can come to me” lyrics are so sweet and intimate but also so deep but it’s extremely evident that they are singing these lyrics to each other and only each other. Like they surpassed hurdles that Dez and Trish weren’t there to surpass with them. I wonder how much of Auslly we haven’t seen and will never see.)

Dez and Trish aren’t only children like Austin & Ally. Dez has a (older?) sister and Trish has a little brother. Both their families seemed extremely happy, loving, and outwardly supportive of them…I can’t say the same for Austin and Ally.

I could go on and on about this topic alone but I’ll spare your eyes from all the reading and stop yapping. But I’ll gladly talk about all my other thoughts about certain A&A things. Like the Auslly dynamic in a whole, why Austin’s passion for music is so strong, or even why Trish can’t keep a job.

But that’s a yapper-sation for another time.

[booksandpaperss]

How Stranger Things (poorly) handles racism as a topic compared other heavy topics it successfully tackles

before we get started, I would to direct you all to some other accounts who have already discussed this that you should check out either before or after reading this post: @wewebaggit @googoogagaeyes @elekinetic and anyone else please feel free to tag yourself or another account that’s discussed this and I’ll happily boost it

Content Warning for in show examples of racism and discussions of racism, as well as mentions of homophobia and the AIDES epidemic

.

. While we're discussing historical accuracy in stranger things and homophobia + ignorance being present even in well meaning characters, I want to point out that if the writers of the show weren't so squeamish about addressing racism in any in depth way, than this type of historical accuracy would be for racism too.

what I mean by this: in this sense, the show is not consistent. It's clear that the writers have done their research on 80s homophobia and how openly prevalent it was, if the AIDES allegory in season 2 and the way homophobia was very clearly present in seasons 1 and 2 (it still is in seasons 3 and 4 but the first 2 seasons showed it in the scope of the entire town), but racism was just as overtly prevalent, and yet the writers have neglected to address it in the same thoughtful and coded way. if the show was just as consistent about racism as it is about homophobia, than the white characters would be at the very least shown as ignorant just like the straight characters are.

and I'm not going to say that it's completely ignored, because that's not true:

-in season 2; mike makes an ignorant comment that implies Lucas should have been Winston because he's black, and Lucas calls him on it. There's also the very racist undertones (that are practically overtones) of Billy's treatment of Lucas. -There is almost nothing in season 3 except for a jokey joke when Nancy says the whole party is her family and the receptionist, who is a black woman, gives Lucas a skeptical look.

-Season 4 is a little better, with the implications (key word: implications, I'll come back to that in a moment) of Lucas's season 4 arc being that he was trying to fit in because he didn't want to be racially targeted and bullied for being a nerd at the same time anymore, that he felt like even more of an outsider compared to the rest of his otherwise all white friend group who, as far as he knows, are all cishet and giving him shit for wanting to lessen how much he's perceived as an outsider because he's automatically seen as even more of a "freak", and his friends just weren't getting it because they were white and ignorant. So the writers aren't blind to race and racism.

However. None of the examples that I've just listed are addressed later in any in depth way; not like the homophobia is. The only one that's even remotely delved into instead of simply being glossed over is Lucas's s4 arc, and even that is still very flitted around and left up to interpretation of the audience.

The writers seem to have a very "hit and run" sort of policy with addressing racism. They clearly know they should, and they at least seem to know that having a black character in an 80s setting with a cast of mostly white characters inherently creates a lot of racial subtext-

-for example, the very loud subtext of Jason (a white boy much older than Lucas) seeing Max (a white girl) in a trance alone with Lucas (a black boy) and immediately assuming the worst + Jason's white friends tackling an 11 year old black girl to the ground: subtext that I'm still not sure if the writers and directors were even aware of bc they never addressed it and their track record isn't great-

-but they hardly do anything about it.

I'm not surprised, considering this show is headed by two white men, but what really gets me is that they all truly could have tried harder. Like I said earlier, it's clear they've done research and put thought into addressing homophobia (it still could've been handled better but that's an entirely different conversation), and it's evident from Max's s4 arc that they also did research on Depression, PTSD, and the impacts on someone of their abusive family member dying. So the lack of care and thought put into addressing racism in the same way is clearly more than ignorance (which would still be bad, when you're writing a show this big in 2023 with topics like this you're actually, shocker, responsible for making sure they're addressed properly, ignorance is a choice at that point), its just fucking lazy. they don't care. And this not caring is inherently harmful on a show this big and frankly, I'm tired of so many viewers and people in this fandom straight up ignoring this fact, just like the show runners.

And I haven't even covered the complete lack of effort put into Patrick's backstory, or the fact that Erica is very much the sassy, mature for her age black girl stereotype (she deserves so much better). Oh, And we can’t forget the copaganda.

I'm glad that season 4 started to explore the dynamic between Lucas and Erica and expand on both their characters, and from the looks of things that will continue in season 5, so the writers have a chance to do their research, actually put effort more effort into the sinclair sibling’s characters, and improve, and I'm hoping they will but as of right now I don't trust them to, and won't unless they prove me wrong.

TDLR; the main issue is that Stranger Things is clearly a show that addresses topics like depression, abuse, homophobia, and racism, but the racism part is neglected compared to the others, just like how Lucas and Erica's characters are handled poorly compared to the white characters,. it's lazy, horribly insensitive, and racist in and of itself. There's a clear bias, and even if it improves in season 5 we still should be talking about it, and more white people (yes white queer people included, we are not exempt from this discussion, if anything we should care just as much about it as when we’re talking about homophobia) in this fandom need to start listening when black and brown people do talk about it instead of just waltzing through and ignoring it for your own peace of mind.

also I should clarify that I myself am white, I made sure I did research before making this post in order to talk about this accurately and consciously, but if I made any mistakes or said something insensitive or used an incorrect term or anything else, feel free to correct me and I will readily fix it

as a final note: please check my rebligs of this for links to more posts that talk abt this issue

[captainhunnicutt]

One of my all time favorite episodes is "The Yalu Brick Road," and sure, part of it is because it's written by Mike - but I think it's also a really interesting study in how BJ uses humor to diffuse any sort of situation. I should preface all of this with, yes, I understand this is an episode that is pure sitcom comedy. The absurdity of the situation is the humor, and we all knew that nothing drastic was ever going to happen to Hawkeye and BJ. They weren't going to die, and even if they actually got captured - they would make it back to the 4077. I suppose there's an argument to be made that by Henry dying, it opened up a world of possibilities where any member of the 4077th wasn't safe - but I've yet to come across someone who truly believed Hawkeye and BJ weren't going to come out of this situation in any other way besides comedic flare.

It's no secret that I think BJ stands out as a character whose complexity goes beyond the surface of his seemingly laid-back demeanor. I think there's a lot of reasons why he appears that way, but maybe it's not a true and accurate representation of him as a whole - but that's another post for another time. In "The Yalu Brick Road," the idea that Hawkeye and BJ are almost captured by Ralph (a single North Korean), who in turn actually wants to be captured by Americans... and they all mutually surrender to one another is just absurd. It's a perfect sitcom plot line. It takes something potentially serious and flips it on its head and makes it ridiculous.

As drafted doctors, one might think that BJ and Hawkeye's reactions to every situation from the time the jeep wrecks is so absurd and unrealistic - and to an extent it is. While I've never been a drafted doctor, I can't imagine that I would remain as calm as they both did. I think it could also be argued that BJ's character was notoriously "calm" and "collected," and his reactions to everything might not have seemed entirely out of character. But... why is that? What is it about what makes BJ tick that makes the calmness in the most absurd situation actually work?

I think it's because Mike recognized that BJ's calmness is rooted in several fundamental parts of his character - starting first with his general professionalism and competence. He's a highly skilled surgeon (yes, Hawkeye is as well and anything that I say is not to negate anything about Hawkeye. I am just explaining my opinion on why Mike made the choices he did for BJ and only BJ.) I think when you're as confident in your skills as BJ was, that easily translates into a steady demeanor under pressure. He can't perform in the OR if he's a nervous mess. It's how he gets out of tight situations - and maybe subconsciously those same methods are applied in the face of either a.) potentially captures or b.) being lost in the middle of a war. I guess what I'm saying is that this level of professionalism is a cornerstone of BJ's character, and it's not really surprising that it would extend to moments of potentially personal danger.

The Korean War presented an array of horrific and absurd situations, and humor becomes a vital coping mechanism for all of those at the 4077th. I've often wondered if the wildness of the A-plot in Yalu is Mike's way of commenting on the absurdity of war in general. How 99% of the situations that these men, women, and children found themselves in is because of the insanity of others. That it is absolutely absurd to think of a war as anything other that blatantly insane, and there are real people impacted and facing ridiculous decisions and situations day in and day out. And that sometimes, the only thing we can do to maintain our sanity is to laugh. By cracking jokes, by being sarcastic, by being himself - BJ shields himself from the potentially overwhelming fear and stress of the situation that could easily consume him. Instead of firing bullets to keep himself safe, he's firing off quips and jokes. It's the one trait of his that never waivers throughout the entire series - and one of the main reasons Yalu works.

The absurdities (I am so sorry for reusing this word as much as I have) of war and touching on them throughout the series helps balance the line between comedy and really tragedy, and showing how the characters cope with the bizarre reality of their situations hits in different ways for different people. BJ's ability to find humor in the absolute absurdity in Yalu, and just the war in general, is a reflection of this broader theme throughout MASH.

I think the fact that he was going through all of the potential danger and fear alongside Hawkeye helped BJ respond and react in the most typical BJ way possible. No reaction. Nothing out of the ordinary. I think the presence of Hawkeye was a significant factor in BJ's overall calmness. Their connection runs deep, and it's not even about Beejhawk. Whether you ship them together or you don't - it's very hard to deny that their connection exists and that they really help keep the other tethered to reality and focusing on the light at the end of the tunnel. I think on some level, BJ just knew that as long as Hawkeye was right there with him, and going through everything as well, they will get out of every situation. He draws strength from their relationship, and sometimes I think this was Mike's way of giving a nod to Alan for welcoming him with open arms, for fostering a community where people could grow and take risks and learn new things, and for just being his friend. The bond between Mike and Alan wouldn't exist without the bond between BJ and Hawkeye, and I think Mike deliberately putting the characters in a potentially really bad situation - but coming out of it unscathed and together - speaks volumes.

"The Yalu Brick Road" is, in my opinion, one of the funnier episodes - but I really love and appreciate that Mike knew exactly who BJ was and knew exactly how BJ would react - and nothing felt weird or out of place. None of it felt forced. The reactions felt aligned with the character arcs, and Mike's ultimate vision of who BJ was and who BJ was going to become.

I also love that Mike saw an opportunity to put Alan in a sidecar and without hesitating took it. Such a BJ move.

[felassan]

BioWare Blog post: An Update on the State of BioWare

by BioWare - August 23, 2023

"Hello again, Today, rather than discuss one of our upcoming projects, I’d like to share an update about the studio itself and outline our vision for BioWare’s future. In order to meet the needs of our upcoming projects, continue to hold ourselves to the highest standard of quality, and ensure BioWare can continue to thrive in an industry that’s rapidly evolving, we must shift towards a more agile and more focused studio. It will allow our developers to iterate quickly, unlock more creativity, and form a clear vision of what we’re building before development ramps up. To achieve this, we find ourselves in a position where change is not only necessary, but unavoidable. As difficult as this is to say, rethinking our approach to development inevitably means reorganizing our team to match the studio’s changing needs.  As part of this transition, we are eliminating approximately 50 roles at BioWare. That is deeply painful and humbling to write. We are doing everything we can to ensure the process is handled with empathy, respect, and clear communication. With that last point in mind, I want to take a moment to explain how we got here, what we’re doing to support our colleagues, and what this means for BioWare’s current and future games. WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW After much consideration and careful planning, we have built a long-term vision that will preserve the health of the studio and better enable us to do what we do best: create exceptional story-driven single-player experiences filled with vast worlds and rich characters. This vision balances the current needs of the studio—namely, ensuring Dragon Age™: Dreadwolf is an outstanding game—with its future, including the success of the next Mass Effect™. We’ve chosen to act now in part to provide our impacted colleagues with as many internal opportunities as possible. These changes coincide with a significant number of roles that are currently open across EA’s other studios. Impacted employees will be provided with professional resources and assistance as they apply for these positions. While it’s unlikely that everyone will find a new role within the company, we are committed to supporting our staff as they navigate this change. Our sincere hope is that they can continue their exemplary work at studios who stand to benefit immensely from their talents. IMMEDIATE IMPACT If you’re wondering how all of this will impact development of Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, let me be clear that our dedication to the game has never wavered. Our commitment remains steadfast, and we all are working to make this game worthy of the Dragon Age name. We are confident that we’ll have the time needed to ensure Dreadwolf reaches its full potential. I can also tell you that every member of our team, even those departing BioWare, deserves credit for crafting a spectacular experience. These are our colleagues and friends, and we would not be here without them. I am so proud of all the work our team has done. WHAT COMES NEXT While this is an extremely difficult day for everyone at BioWare, we are making changes now to build a brighter future. We’re excited for all of you to see what we’ve been building with Dreadwolf. A core veteran team led by Mike Gamble continues their pre-production work on the next Mass Effect. Our commitment to quality continues to be our North Star. As cliche as this sounds, there truly is never a good time to enact changes like this, but we trust that we have the right leaders and team in place with vision, passion, and proven track records to deliver world-class Dragon Age and Mass Effect experiences that our fans will love. For now, I want to thank everyone at BioWare—past and present—for making the studio what it is. I also want to thank our community for your continued support. We’re eager to reveal more about Dreadwolf, and we look forward to discovering what else the future holds. Gary McKay General Manager, BioWare"

[source]

[familyvideostevie]

𝟭𝟮 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀: 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 

day eleven: secret santa with steve | fluff, friends to lovers, 1.8k 12 days of christmas masterlist

Steve opens his front door and his smile makes your face feel hot immediately. It's getting really tedious, being in love with him, And the holidays haven't made it any better -- everything you do together as friends feels like a date and you've dodged so much mistletoe you never want to see a sprig again. 

"Am I the last one?" you ask him as he gives you a brief hug and takes your coat. Your gift is hidden in a bag dangling from your fingers. 

"Yeah, but I've only just got them all to sit down, so you're just in time." This is your first year participating in the Secret Santa exchange with everyone else, and you're a little nervous, not in the least because it's his name that you drew. And in addition to the holidays exacerbating your feelings for Steve ,your friends haven't been a great help, either. Everyone has been teasing you about it for months and on days when you're feeling optimistic you're pretty sure Steve is getting the same treatment. You allow yourself to consider that he likes you, too. But most days the thought of confessing to him and being rejected and losing your friendship is too much, so you keep your mouth shut and swallow your affection.

"How did you manage that?" you ask. He purses his lips and runs a hand through his hair. The sleeves of his sweater are a little too long for him, the cuffs dangling to the edges of his fingers. You want to hug him again. 

"Promised them hot chocolate after it's over." You laugh and Steve beams like you've given him a gift. "Which you're going to help with," he adds, trying to sound stern. You scoff and make your way into the living room where the rest of your friends are in a wonky circle. Small bags and wrapped packages are piled in the center, each addressed to someone in the room. You shuffle them around and try to bury yours in the pile without showing it too much.

"You took forever," Mike says. "Eddie won't stop guessing who has him." The metalhead shrugs from his place on the couch, unbothered. 

"Not my fault you're easy to rile up, Wheeler." Steve appears behind you, letting his hand rest on the small of your back for just a moment before you head to a spot on the floor next to Robin. She eyes you and you refuse to meet her gaze. 

"How are we doing this?" Nancy asks.

"Someone starts and opens theirs and then guesses who gave it to them," Will says. "And when they get it right that person goes next."

Max is eyeing a very round package on the edge of the pile with a furrow in her brows. "Who goes first?"

"Steve," Robin says, a little too innocently. "Host goes first." Everyone titters a little but no one objects. 

"Uh, sure," he says. He digs through the pile in the middle before pulling out a square wrapped in blue paper with his name on it. "I think it's a baseball," he says, getting laughs and groans. 

"That was terrible, Harrington," Eddie says. "Truly awful."

"Bite me, Munson," Steve shoots back, taking his package and plopping on the couch across the circle from you. 

"Not my job," Eddie mumbles. The kids dissolve into giggles and you suddenly find your fingernails fascinating as Steve opens his present carefully, sliding his fingers underneath the taped seams to avoid tearing the paper. You didn't know he'd be so careful with it, so methodical. It makes your stomach flutter. 

"Oh, shit," he says when he sees what it is. "No way!" 

"Well, are you gonna show us?" Max asks. Why is she looking at you like that? She's going to give you away! Steve holds up the now-unwrapped album: Bruce Springsteen Live: 1975-1985. It's more a box than a sleeve, considering it's got five LPs inside. 

Jonathan whistles. "Didn't that just come out?" he asks. Steve nods, eyes raking over the cover as he turns it over with careful hands.

"Those are impossible to get," Eddie adds. "Record shop has been sold out for weeks."

Eddie is right. You had to beg the guy at the store to save one for you over a month ago. It cost more than you'd like to admit but you knew that Steve would love it and you were right. The look on his face is worth every penny. And then he looks up and right at you. You have no idea how he can tell you got it for him, but he's right. 

"You," he says. His tone makes you feel hot all over. The room seems to hold its breath and then you nod and everyone cheers. 

"Got it in one," Lucas says. "Wonder how he did that." Max elbows him. 

"Your turn," Robin says. You stand and dig in the pile for yourself until you find a soft package wrapped in green plaid with a kind of droopy white ribbon bow. You hold it up as you settled back into your spot and everyone oohs and awws appropriately. 

As soon as you tear the paper you feel your throat grow thick. 

"What is it?" El asks. You rip off the rest of the paper and inhale sharply as you realize what you're holding. 

"It's my scarf," you say quietly. Well, it's a newer version of the scarf that you wear all the time but lost a few weeks ago. 

Steve is the only person you told that you lost it. 

"Don't you have one just like that?" Dustin asks. "Kinda lame to get another."

"No," you say, clearing your throat so your voice sounds less hoarse. "No, I used to. But I lost it."

"It's pretty," Nancy said kindly. "Do you want to guess?"

You don't hesitate. "Steve," you say. You finally look at him and see that he's leaning forward, his elbows on his knees, watching you intensely. He blinks a few times and then rubs the back of his neck. Is it blushing?

"Yeah," he says. "Yeah, I'm glad you like it--"

"Crazy how you guys got each other, right?" Lucas says. Max elbows him again. "Who goes now?"

You realize then that it's been rigged. You and Steve were supposed to get each other so that your friends could see what you'd do, could watch this embarrassment play out in front of them. But they aren't cruel, so the only reason they'd do that was if they thought you both needed some nudging. So, that must mean...

You wish you could say that you pay attention to how the rest of the exchange goes. But you don't, not really. You just stroke your scarf and try not to stare too hard at Steve and fail for the most part. Your stomach feels full of butterflies and you can't believe he figured out how to find a scarf that looks exactly the same and you want to kiss him so badly you wonder how much longer you can bear not telling him so. 

Lucky for you the opportunity to do so arrives quickly. All the presents are exchanged and everyone is toying with their new items and gossiping, so when Steve stands to say he's going to start the hot chocolate, no one even blinks. And when you stand to go with him to the kitchen to help, no one says a word. 

And then you're in the kitchen, alone. 

You don't help much, instead hopping up to sit on the counter and watching as Steve pulls out a huge sauce pan and pours milk into it, setting it on the stove so that it'll warm up.

"So," he says, turning to you once he's done and crossing his arms. "Thank you for the records. It's too much, but--"

"It's not too much," you interrupt him. "I know you've wanted them ever since it was announced they'd be doing the collection." 

"You kept the secret pretty well," he says. "I don't even remember telling you that." He steps forwards and you move your knees so that he can stand in the v of your legs. His gaze is so intense you swallow. 

"You kept yours pretty well, too," you say, softer. Your hands tug on the hem of your sweater. You're starting to get worried that you'll reach out and touch him if you don't keep them occupied. "The scarf, Steve--"

"Is such a good color for you," he says. "I know you loved the other one." You hum and look away from him. "So, we're good at keeping secrets. Got any others you want to spill?"

He steps even closer, his hips hitting the counter and your knees brushing his belt. He keeps his arms crosses, still, but he's so close you can see his pupils dilate. You look down at your own hands. "Cause I've got one," he says. "I think it was rigged."

"You do?"

"I do," he says. Laughter trickles in from the other room but Steve doesn't move.

"Why?" Your words sound more like breath than anything else, but Steve understands. He always does. 

"I can think of a few reasons," he says softly. Then there's a slight pressure on your chin and you realize he's guiding it up with the knuckle of his pointer finger. "Can't you?"

"Yeah," you admit. He doesn't move his hand, keeping it touching your face, and you feel him put the other one on your knee. You cover it with one of your own and it's his turn to gasp a little. But he quickly recovers and smiles softly, eyes crinkling at the corners. 

"Wanna share with the class?" The Harrington charm is softer than it once was, and it worms its way into your heart and makes you feel like a million bucks because it's directed at you.

"You don't want to guess?" you say lightly. Steve is leaning forward now, inching closer and closer, but he's doing it so slowly.

"I don't think I have to," he says. "Do I?"

"Steve," you breathe. His hand moves from your chin to cup your jaw, thumb running over the corner of your mouth and up your cheek. You close your eyes and gently squeeze his hand. 

"Okay," he says softly. And then he's kissing you. He's kissing you right there in his kitchen, your knees digging into his hips, milk boiling on the stove, and everyone you love in the next room. He's kissing you and kissing you and kissing you and you clutch at his arm with your free hand and he pulls back a little before touching his forehead to yours. 

"Milk's probably ready," you say, eyes still closed. You feel his huff on your skin. 

"Just a second." His nose rubs against yours. "I'm enjoying my gift." A laugh bubbles out of you at his shameless flirting and you pull him in for a hug, burying your face in his neck. 

"They're gonna be smug," you say. You feel his chest rumble.

"Not as smug as me," he says. "I've got you."

thank you for reading <3 reblog, send feedback, masterlist here!

[hibiscusheir]

Mike Schmidt x Reader (Part 1)

a/n: ... i will not be explaining why I was gone for so long but thank you to those who stuck around even tho I was on an unannounced hiatus. i will try to get to what's in my inbox but at the moment, I'm finishing up my first semester of this year and my finals are literally in two days adkjhewiasdfkj

c/w: all hurt no comfort :), breakups, cursing, fighting, abby's got trauma from her parents being gone so this is rly sad for her-, there's blood in one part, there's sickness in one part, I forgot what nights had what happen but hey it doesn't rly matter all that much-

Out of all the babysitters Abby had had in her life, you were her favorite. You tried to connect with her and supported her when she needed it. You also got along well with Mike, which was a bonus.

It wasn’t until a few months after the first time you and Abby met that you and Mike formed a romantic relationship. You truly loved him, and he was infatuated with you. It was you three against the world, like a little family. More so than it already was with the two siblings. 

Abby enjoyed having you around all the time, instead of just when she needed a babysitter. You acted like her mom, which filled the hole in her heart that had formed when both of her parents had died. Mike did his best to be a good guardian for her, but you just felt like a mom. She thought you and Mike would get married right away from how much you loved each other. For being ten years old, she was observant.

Everything came crashing down when you and Mike had called her into the living room for a conversation. Those weren’t ever good, so she was apprehensive. She swore she could hear her heart shattering when you said, ' We’re breaking up.’ What? Why would you guys do that? You were supposed to be together forever, that’s what Mike had said! You two had promised to love her forever!

“It’s the best decision for what’s going on right now, Abby,” Mike had tried to soften the blow of this news, but it was futile. Abby felt like she had been stabbed in the back, that much was apparent.

Abby had stood up and glared at her older brother. “No! You- you’re supposed to be together forever! You promised! You-” she sputtered, trying to think of something else to say. Her emotions took over and she said something she never meant. “I hate you!” She shouted and ran to her room, slamming the door behind her. You could still see the look of betrayal engraved on her face, and the look of shock and guilt on Mike’s.

Once that bedroom door was closed, Abby pounced on her bed and wrapped her blankets around her figure as tight as possible. The tears came quickly and plenty, falling onto her shirt, pillow, and stuffed animal that she had practically glued to her chest. How could you do this to her? She had already lost both her parents, she had no friends (well, save for the ones only she could see), and- and you both had promised!! That had been her main issue: you two had promised to be with her forever. Now you and Mike weren’t going to want to talk to each other, and you were going to leave, and you weren’t going to want to babysit her anymore, and she was going to lose her favorite babysitter, and- and-

She could hardly breathe with how much she had been crying. Her throat and chest hurt, but the sobs wouldn’t cease. She had laid there, curled up under her covers, with hot, angry tears staining her youthful cheeks, for what felt like hours. Maybe it had been hours, she couldn’t tell. Time didn’t matter to her. All that mattered was that she hated Mike a lot at that moment. A lot a lot.

You and Mike, still sitting in the living room, glanced over at each other. There was guilt present in both of you, but neither one of you said anything. What was there to be said? It wasn’t going to work out at this moment in time was what you had said. “...I’m… gonna call that guy back. For the night job.” Mike had broken the tension-filled silence, albeit awkwardly. He looked over at you hesitantly. “Would you still be able to watch Abby?” he had braced himself for your answer. No, why would I watch my ex’s sister? I never want to see you again, was what he had convinced himself you would’ve said. You had to have hated him. He had broken up with you… right? Or was it you who had brought it up? Maybe it was mutual? He didn’t know.

“Yeah,” you had given him a small nod. “I can still watch her.”

That was three weeks ago. It had taken a little while for all the paperwork to get done, but now, Mike was employed as a nightguard at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. It didn’t pay well, and the hours were shit, but it was something.

You came over almost every night to watch Abby, a smile plastered on your face every time you saw her. Although she had recovered from the breakup announcement, it had put a dent in your guys’ relationship. She spent all her time in her room, drawing and talking to her imaginary friends. This behavior, although previously normal, was becoming alarming, as it was never this frequent. You had tried everything to get her to talk to you: starting conversations, waiting for her to come to you, bribery, et cetera. Nothing worked.

It was about eleven PM when you got to the Schmidt household, your overnight bag slung over your shoulder. You, per usual, opened the door and called out for the young girl. “Abby, I’m here!” You weren’t surprised to see her sitting at the kitchen table, coloring, and not giving you as much as a side glance.

Mike was dressed in his uniform, his vest fitting on his body perfectly. You had always admired how he was able to look good in anything he wore. He could’ve worn a pink onesie and you still would’ve thought he was hot. But you couldn’t tell him that, not anymore, now that you were broken up. Honestly, you thought about asking him if he was open to getting back together. But, then again, what would he even say to that? And even more mind-boggling was thinking about what Abby would say. She already felt betrayed enough- she would probably break down if Mike agreed to get back together.

“(Y/N), hey. Abby needs to be put down for bed, but she won’t listen to me. Think you can handle her?” Mike asked with a small smirk tugging on his lips.

You set your bag down on the floor by the door and walked into the dining room, right behind the young girl. “Hi, sweetpea. Whatcha’ drawing?” You placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled at the surprisingly detailed artwork she had created.

“My friends.” She said monotonously, not even looking up to glance at you. You had become accustomed to this sort of treatment by now, and while it hurt that your smiley girl no longer smiled so brightly, you knew there was nothing you could do to revert her.

She was obviously in the middle of the drawing, with you and Mike on each side of her. In previous pieces, you two had been side-by-side, holding hands and smiling. That was no longer the case. On Mike’s side, there were two other children: one with long blonde hair and one with short dark-brown- maybe black- hair. On your side, there were two more children: one with short blond hair and one with auburn hair. All the children were smiling, while you and Mike had blank expressions.

“Good to know I’m your friend, Abs.” You tried to joke with her, rubbing her shoulder as you spoke, but that seemed to have no effect. When you realized nothing you were doing was going to get her to talk to you more, you sighed. “Abby, it’s time for bed. It’s past eleven.” 

Abby looked up, finally, and frowned. “I don’t want to go to bed. I’m not tired.”

“This isn’t up for debate, love. Bedtime, now. I’ll help you pick out some pajamas while you go brush your teeth.” Your voice wasn’t stern, more calm yet still authoritative. She must’ve realized you weren’t playing around, and with a dramatic huff, she left the table to go to the bathroom. Once she was out of earshot, you sighed and rubbed your face.

“She listens to you so much more than me,” Mike commented, adjusting the collar of his shirt. You glanced up at him and nodded, watching out of your peripherals as he leaned against the kitchen table beside you. An awkward silence bloomed in the already tension-filled air as you both stared ahead, watching the other out of the corner of your eyes.

Finally, you spoke. “This is, what, your fourth night, right?”

“Mhm.”

“Okay. Just making sure.” A partial lie, but he wouldn’t notice. You mostly just wanted to hear his voice again. As always, it was perfect, like the rest of him.

Upsettingly so, he saw right through you. Even worse was that he said nothing on the matter. He stood there, staring ahead just like you, not saying a word. The only sounds in the entire house were the sounds of you two breathing, the sink in the bathroom running (presumably from Abby brushing her teeth), and the soft hum of the air conditioning running through the home.

Mike was the first to move from this position, claiming he had to get going to work. It was disappointing that he couldn’t stay longer to talk, but you didn’t fight him on it.

“I’m gonna go help Abby. Stay safe.” You announced. Mike had never told you about what went on at the Pizzaria, so it made him do a double-take when you told him to stay safe. He stared at you momentarily before nodding and heading towards the door. And with that, it was just you and Abby.

You walked into Abby’s room and looked for some pajamas for her to wear. Sure, she was ten years old and perfectly capable of picking out her clothes, but it was something you had offered to do when you first started seeing her, and she never opposed the action. You finally settled on a pale pink t-shirt and some fuzzy pajama pants with little pumpkins on them. You laid them out on the bed and left the room, waiting for her to go in and change so that you could tuck her in for the night.

Once she called for you, albeit begrudgingly (she’s convinced she doesn’t even need a babysitter anymore), you went in and found her already under her covers, her stuffed animals crowded around her. You smiled and were reminded of simpler times when she would beg and beg you and Mike to read her just one more story or have you sing one more song because although those times are probably long gone, the memories are still embedded in your head. You tucked her in and kissed her forehead, smoothing her hair back before whispering goodnight to her. Thankfully, she whispered the same.

You left the room and went to sit down on the couch. Once your body hit the leather, you immediately sighed heavily and brought your hands to your head, rubbing your temples as though you had a headache. In reality, you were just tired. And maybe stressed. Scratch that, you were feeling a lot of both.

You wanted your family back; the family you had formed with Mike and Abby. You wanted to call him and tell him you still loved him and that you prayed he felt the same. You wanted to sing a million lullabies to Abby every night and tell her every bedtime story imaginable. You wanted that comfort back. But it seemed as though that wouldn’t be happening any time soon.

Sometime in the middle of the night, you woke up to the sound of knocking on the door. You had fallen asleep and groggily looked over to the clock on the wall, reading that it was four in the morning. You woke up immediately, not knowing if someone was trying to break into the house. You grabbed the nearest object, a broken table lamp (in retrospect, you should’ve run to the kitchen and grabbed a knife, not a fucking table lamp), and cautiously made your way to the front door. You took a deep breath and braced yourself before throwing the door open. 

There stood an injured Mike and a blonde woman whom you had never seen before. Your defensive instincts fell, and they were replaced by fear for Mike, and jealousy, because who was this woman? And why was she so goddamn pretty? No, why was Mike hurt? Was he bleeding?!

“Michael Schmidt, what the hell happened?!” You practically yanked the two inside the house and immediately sat Mike down on the couch, looking him over. Your eyes darted from wound to wound as your mind raced with possibilities for what caused this.

He let out a shaky breath, as he was in excruciating pain. “Looks like I didn’t listen to you…” he chuckled, but it stopped once he realized you were glaring at him.

“What? Mike, I’m serious. What happened?” Your gaze moved from him to the mystery woman, who you realized was wearing a police uniform. “What the hell happened to him?” You demanded, your voice dropping.

The woman was quick to assure you that she was not the cause of Mike’s injuries. “Calm down. I can explain everything if you just sit down and let me talk.” She sounded so calm, and that fact pissed you off. How could she be so nonchalant about this?!

“(Y/N). Please.” Mike placed a bandaged hand atop yours, which had been holding onto his shirt sleeve. The action caught you off guard. It made your eyes widen as you realized how desperate he was. 

You gulped and nodded your head. You sat down beside Mike, your legs brushing together, as you looked up at the mystery woman. “You’ve got five minutes.

Surprisingly, the blonde was able to explain a lot in five minutes. For starters, her name was Vanessa. She was a police officer, which was a job you considered in the same genre as Mike’s position as a security guard. She was rather vague about it, but what you got from it was that the pizzeria was a hotspot for kids in the eighties, especially for birthday parties. Once kids started disappearing, and the animatronics started acting ‘off’, the place was shut down. The owner never tore it down, supposedly for its ‘sentimental value’. The reason Mike was hurt, was because the animatronics had attacked him. That made your blood run cold.

“So you’re telling me that Mike has been risking his life these past four nights? For shitty wages?” You turned your head away from Vanessa and Mike and stared ahead at the wall. Did Mike know all this beforehand? Was he planning on keeping this from you, or would he have told you eventually? What would Abby think if she found out her brother got hurt, or worse, died?

You hadn’t realized it, but you began to quiver. You rocked yourself back and forth ever so slightly, your arms wrapped around your body, and your lower lip lodged between your teeth. Mike tried to reach his hand out to place on your shoulder, to comfort you, but you immediately recoiled. He looked more surprised than anything, but there was a hint of hurt there too.

“This is only the second time this has happened, (Y/N), I swear-”

“The second time out of four days of working there?!” Your voice raised but quickly lowered again when you realized where you were. “Mike, please, find another job. We can’t-” You stopped yourself from making a statement that made it seem like you were still a family. You caught yourself, changing up your word choice. “Abby can’t lose you.” Your voice was down to a whisper now, and you looked truly hurt that Mike kept this from you.

Vanessa stayed quiet and backed up a few steps to give you both some space.

You rubbed your eyes in both exhaustion and frustration. You couldn’t even look Mike in the eyes right now.

Mike tried again to calm you, opting to put his hand on your knee. This time, you didn’t push him away. “I’ll be careful. Promise.”

Finally, you glanced over at him. “You better fucking keep it. Because if you die…” You couldn’t even finish that sentence.

“I won’t.” His smile was infectious, and you couldn’t help but fall in love all over again.

You really should’ve just risked getting Abby sick, rather than stay home one night. You had come down with strep throat, and it just so happened that the last day you had it was when you needed to babysit Abby. You called Mike to explain the situation, and although he was a little frustrated because he couldn’t get another babysitter, he assured you that it was not your fault. And so you went about your day, laying in bed, watching TV, eating soup, really just doing anything you could to keep your mind off the guilt you felt.

By the time night rolled around, you were out cold. You had taken some medicine a little bit before bed, and the ‘helps with insomnia’ benefit listed on the bottle was not a lie. You were so deep in REM that you almost didn’t wake up to your phone ringing on the bedside table. Thankfully, you did. The caller ID read ‘Mike Schmidt’, and you picked up the phone, putting it up to your ear.

If you weren’t awake yet, you certainly would’ve been after he started talking. You were still a bit drowsy, and Mike’s words were partially intelligible, but the words you could make out were ‘couldn’t replace’, ‘animatronics’, ‘Vanessa’, ‘Abby’, ‘electrical discharge’, and ‘hurt’. You managed to form your theory as to what had happened, and boy did that wake you up. You shot out of bed and tugged a pair of socks on before slipping on your shoes, not even bothering to tie them. You were about to tell Mike not to hang up, but then he did.

You drove there in record time, probably going over the speed limit, but that didn’t matter. Abby was hurt. Your theory was that Mike couldn’t get someone to watch Abby in time, and so he took her to the pizzeria. That alone was enough for you to feel angry, but you were furious to know that Abby got hurt. Electrical discharges are no joke, and you needed to see her to at least look her over and decide if she was okay. Maternal instincts die hard, you guessed.

You practically broke the door by opening it so quickly. Abby and Mike were sitting on the couch. When she saw you, her face sort of glowed like it used to. She ran up to hug you, and you bent down and caught her in your arms. You swayed her back and forth, rubbing her back and combing through her hair as you whispered inaudible ‘thank you’s to God. She was okay by the looks of it.

When you let go of her, you immediately stared at Mike with the angriest expression you had ever had. He looked sad and guilty. But also sort of numb. Like he’s been through this before. Like he knew this was how it would end. This was how it ended with everyone.

“Abby, go get in bed,” Your voice was stern but softer than your expression.

“But-”

“Now.”

She looked like a kicked puppy when you ordered her away, but she did as you demanded, and slinked away into her bedroom, closing the door.

“(Y/N), I can explain-”

You laughed, but it wasn’t out of humor. It was dry, and he could tell you were pissed. Pissed couldn’t even describe how livid you were with this beautiful, beautiful man.

“You better have a good excuse as to why Abby got hurt, and why you took her to the pizzeria in the first place, knowing it was dangerous.”

Mike had never heard your voice sound this venomous, and it worried him. He was used to everyone looking at him with such disdain, but not you. He had never seen your soft face and gentle smile look like this. “...You’re right. There is no excuse. …I’m sorry.”

“Don’t say that to me. Say that to your little sister, who you’re supposed to protect. I thought you didn’t want to live up to your aunt’s opinion of you.” The moment those words left your lips, you immediately regretted it. That was a low blow, even if you were upset.

Mike’s lip quivered, and he visibly stepped back. “I’m- I’m don’t. I don’t want to live up to that. But if that’s really what you think of me…” His voice trailed off, leaving you two in silence. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. And although he tried to hide it, you could see the tears in his eyes. It was rare that Mike cried, and even more scarce when you witnessed it. You couldn’t bear to see him anymore; you had to get out of there.

And so you did. You left without saying another word. You didn’t even say goodbye to Abby, who would’ve very much appreciated someone coming to check on her. Although you thought she had closed her door, she only pulled it to. She heard every single word exchanged between you and her older brother. She was scared. Scared that you and Mike may never get back together. Scared that Mike wouldn’t be nice anymore. Petrified that she would never see you again. And she didn’t know how to feel about that. She curled up in her bed, pulled the covers over her head, and sobbed until her throat burned and she felt like her lungs were going to fall out. It was all her fault.

(part two will be out eventually, once I get the time to write)

[glisten-inthedark]

Will's love for Mike and how it might be fundamental to the plot

Look, I'm going to be as blunt as possible: If the Duffers had no intention, and I mean even 0.0001% of intention of making Byler canon, they wouldn't have Will being in love with Mike as a part of their plot.

I mean, they could've easily presented another character in the story alongside Argyle to be his love interest, they didn't.

Instead, the entire Cali plot only existed just so we could see Mil*ven's relationship and how it still has a lot of issues and by presenting was with a clear love triangle and with Will's feelings towards Mike.

If they wanted to develop Mil*ven, they could've make him go with her to the Nina project, instead they deliberately made sure that Mike stayed behind and that instead we saw Will and Mike together.

And this is a matter of time management and of moving the narrative towards what they want.

The writers could've focused on talking about a plethora of other things. They could've again, presented a love interest for Will, they could've not make Will in love with Mike in the first place but instead they used precious time they had on their relationship and rebuilding their foundation.

Another point: Will's love for Mike seems to be fundamental to his character. It seems to be a part of who he is as much as being an artist or being gay.

Will loves Mike so completely and irrevocably that he pushed him towards El because that's what he thought he needed. But, we all have acknowledge already that Will seems to be an unreliable narrator (since most of season 4 was through his pov) and maybe things aren't as clear cut as they seem because what he sees vs what we see are two different things aka the Rink O' mania scene.

But I digress.

As I was saying, Will loves Mike unconditionally, truly and deeply. He sees a life with Mike at his side playing DnD and he's satisfied. He doesn't need more nor does he want more, all he needs it's Mike.

His love for Mike is integral to who he is as a character. Obviously I'm not saying it's the only thing that defines him, but it embedded itself into everything that he is and that he knows. Mike makes him feel good about himself, makes him feel like he isn't a mistake, Mike is Will's heart.

So, with all that in mind, what payoff could there possibly be in Mike not reciprocating these feelings. It makes absolutely no sense because we already are under the notion that he doesn't. Most of everyone that I come across on YT already thinks this to be the case and more importantly, Will already believes that to be the case so... What is even the point? Waste money, time, and literally everything that comes with producing the scenes we saw for what? Nothing?

How does that make any sense?

We already think Mike doesn't love him back, there's literally no purpose on dragging this on through another season unless, this love it's a part of how everything will fall into place.

It's clear that if we watch the show, love has been a central part of it from the start. There's the familial love, the platonic love, the friendship love and the romantic love.

There's the love of Joyce that allowed her to feel Will was alive, that was the love of Mike that he also somehow just knew Will was out there (him being the only one in the party that "just knew"), there's the love between Steve and Robin and Steve and Dustin, the love between Nancy and Jonathan (the only other couple that heard each other when one was in the Upside Down and the other wasn't which parallels Mike and who would have thunk it? Will), there's the love between Max and Lucas, love which helped save her, there's the love between El and Max, and so many, many more.

When Will was possessed, it was the love of the three most important people in his life that allowed him to break through and speak in Morse code.

Love has always been the central theme of Stranger Things, in all it's shapes and forms, and maybe, just maybe, it might be the entire point of the show. Maybe Will's and Mike's love for each other, that has been there the show started in the first place, is what will bring everything to a conclusion.

It's no coincidence that whenever shit was hitting the fan, love drove the plot forward and saved everyone, we could even use Billy as another example of that.

Because this love he has for Mike is so much a part of who Will is, of who Mike is, that it might be what saves them all.