#and uh not only does it just reek and suck in general but im not paying bc the little asshole peed in my room lmfao

[fappellmoan]

me playing the waiting game to tell my roomie her cat is pissing everywhere bc i guess she just doesnt notice bc it was her birthday and todays her lil bday party and im not looking to show up on a reddit AITA

[rhydium]

Info dumbo about the StarFinite story?

aright u asked for it anon GET READY [cracks knuckles] this is gonna be long so obligatory cut in 3, 2........

...1!

so the uh, the au! the story!! w/e yall wanna call it! full disclaimer, i only began working on this whole thing a while ago, but it's totally taken over my fukn brain. like, we're talking big hyperfixation hrs. am i cringe for being this invested in my own content? yes? cool i do not Care >:3€

i should also throw it out there real quick that i am kin w/ infinite, n this is actually one of my two canons (both of which are my own aus lmfao wow). i didn't go into it expecting it to be but sfsfsgdfs here we are ig!! for that reason it's got extra importance to me n this definitely contributes to the euphoria i get from it!! it's a lil odd writing ur own canon,,? but i kinda just go w/ the flow!

the au n, the story that i will start Eventually, revolves around infinite n starline (obvi) n it's honestly just ... the tl;dr is big healing momence n, what's this? uh oh sisters !!! they are falling in love 😳😳😳

uhhhh so infinite is an android, made by eggman. that's like, the most notable canon divergence here! super important context to have. i've got a whole big theory on the possibility of sega originally intending infinite to be an artificial being (which i explored in the works for my Other canon too), stemming from not only the scene in forces wherein infinite comments on sonic's "data", but a line of dialogue from tails in one of the last stages of the game where he Literally Says "so this is where eggman built infinite". that ... i mean. that contrasts w/ episode shadow pretty hard don't it?? would explain why that dlc was so rushed, n the comic too. ANYWAY adsfsfs um that's a seperate ramblepost. yeah!!!

they are also agender n use they/them (primarily) as well as he/him!! so i'll be refering to them w/ those pronouns!

after the war, infinite is taken in by the resistance n, instead of being dismantled, they're basically given a chance to rehabilitate themselves. it's agreed that they won't be reprogrammed, as despite the potential risks, it feels wrong to do so; like a violation of their free will, individuality n thinking. if infinite is to be a good person, it's not gonna be bc other ppl recreated their entire personality, it's gonna be bc it's what they themselves truly want. robot ethics idk man!! u can't tell me that sonic n co wouldn't offer this to infinite if they offered it to metal in IDW,,,, i am Standing By This!!!

it's, yknow, a bit rocky, at first. infinite has to really fight the urge to return to eggman (something they already tried once, before the resistance found them; they were cast out). it's a struggle against what they were built to do, against giving into unhealthy familiarity over facing a, while healthier, unfamiliarity. new faces, a new life, turning their back on their mission n creator, it's like, a lot.

they work for/with the sonic crew, rebuilding the world they tore down as deemed fitting justice, being closely monitored for a bit as a natural precaution. as it becomes apparent infinite truly no longer has any ambition to harm others (they don't have much ambition for anything, really), they're then granted more freedom, n start taking on more important missions!! it at least gives them something to do, keeps them occupied. they have issues with dissociation, unreality, whether they're truly a real person bc, well, android. feeling purposeless, n a lack of worth, especially. a need to prove themselves. heavy stuff. i'll kinda go into that a bit more in a sec. their work grounds them, if only temporarily.

n soooooo... IDW comic stuff happens. metal virus time. starline gets kicked out of the empire.

now, as the comics are ongoing, n as this is already an au, there's gonna be divergence, n i must admit i haven't planned out all that yet. there's a lot i have to consider!! infinite being w the resistance/restoration is a big game changer ... tho i Do believe that they were absent, likely on a far out mission during most of the chaos. eggman doesn't know abt them, nor does starline or anyone else other than the sonic crew; n some civilians that recognise them.

i'm not 100% sure of Exactly when it happens, but i think it's just after bad guys, that infinite is sent to locate n bring in starline. it doesn't prove too difficult. there's a whole, starline realising "oh fuck it's you???", some bickering n, the two don't hit it off right away. they're both kinda like. not mentally stable ddgddgdds,,,

so uh. starline ends up essentially going thru the same sorta shit as infinite. careful watch, rebuilding, all that jazz, making sure he can be trusted. he's like... very very lost, quite like infinite is. the world has kinda calmed down, in the meanwhile.

it's at this point i'm gonna go ahead n drop a bit of a ramble i subjected my friends to a while ago, to articulate the way i see the two, n their dynamic together!! i was considering making this it's own post a while ago!

analysing their characters a bit... let's look at starline. Like. so we have this, in bad guys, which SENT ME tbfh;

i feel like it's the moment that triggers starline onto the path he is rn canonically,,, he's clearly like. rly mad n bitter. the core of this?? he wants his work n his efforts to be acknowledged.

he's big angry. still kind of in denial at this stage. he has himself obsessed w/ the idea of making eggman see him as Worthy, that if he just tries hard enough, that'll happen. he's dependent on eggman's validation, n i mean, it's no surprise; he's followed him a Long Time by the sounds of it.

then in the recent issue, hold the fuck up, bc we got, This;

god. my god it's all comin together now homies. this???? this right here??? it is the CLASSIC "i have to do this to prove i'm strong n powerful n smart n worthy n should be respected please Give Me Acknowledgement" ..... n who else is Like That? can u see where im going w/ this?

i think most ppl are aware of infinite's character being extremely indicative of self worth/esteem issues n the need to prove themself, right?? the extreme adversity, repulsion, perhaps even fear toward the idea of being weak. the compulsion to prove otherwise, to show their strength, to become powerful, to conquer to make a point. their theme exudes this same energy as their behaviour in-game; an aggressive attitude, trying to assert themself, while if u rly listen...? the lyrics are actually really sad in places. it reeks of cover up, although composition wise, a v interesting thing to note is a lot of the more telling lyrics are prominent while some of the affirming ones are in the background. indicative of a desire to have their true feelings be heard but caught in a vicious loop?

okay okay that's yet Another different analysis. AHEM.

not to get deep on main (oh who the hell am i kidding that's the point of this entire thing) but i think starline has issues w/ his worth in a similar way to infinite. they both seem to have this need to Prove something, whether it's to others or themselves, n get caught in a toxic spiral of doing worse n worse things for Some kind of validation or acknowledgement. they'll go to really big lengths chasing that, n both of them ultimately sought validation in the wrong place n wrong way.

this is a big part of my starfinite dynamic,, n so, what happens, as they get closer n open up??? we have them BOTH realising together that they don't have to do fuck all to prove anything to anyone. they don't need to do all this to show they're strong n smart n worth something, not to anyone else OR themselves. they're enough as they are. they bond over that shared feeling that they have to do xyz, to prove themselves, n that desire to just finally be acknowledged n appreciated n help each other thru it. to help each other understand that other ppls approval, or lack thereof, doesn't define them, their strength, intelligence, and worthiness.

i feel like they have an interesting parallel between them in like... the above could be taken as a general analysis, but to go more in depth on this au specifically?? ...

starline followed eggman for presumably a long time n it no doubt left him feeling a heavy and deep regret for all that time wasted n spent on an unhealthy path. infinite kinda teaches him that what matters is what he's doing Now n also reminds him that if none of it happened, starline wouldn't have learnt a lot of the serious skills he has. n while starline still feels bad, he also realises himself that, he likely never would have crossed infinite's path if none of it happened. for that reason, he wouldn't take it back.

infinite has only been recently made, on the other hand. they haven't really existed long, yet, but so far their experiences haven't been very positive n it can be .... discouraging. starline sorta, shows infinite their limited experiences w/ the world are a very tiny fraction of what's out there, n things can absolutely change, yes, including for the better; that's the essence of life, a neverending, constant flow of change.

it's a big tale of moving on n letting go, honestly; made easier as they're doing it together. n as they heal n grow, well... these bitches gay. sfshshdgds like, ig that's putting it p bluntly but!! they start to trust each other, understand each other more. as they get to truly know who the other is, they both start developing The Feelings. they're both pretty oblivious n the reveal is totally unknown so far!! yeah, i know, bummer. i suck. boo. adafsfsds however i can say there will be lots of content in the making!! if that soothes the soul! i've got of ideas i hope to bring to life.

ofc there's still a lot of more specific things i haven't covered here so! if y'all want more juice hmu w/ more focused questions but !! this is the overview n i hope it was a decent read now that gave some uhhh! Cool Insight! yea!!! ✌

[grubhivemind]

RYAN: -it's reached that point in the party where everyone starts to trickle out, until even her parents have decided to retire for the evening. ryan just wonders when jack is going to wander off too, or...- 

RYAN: -chinhands at him from where she's still sitting at the table.- hm... 

RYAN: do you wanna come inside?

JACK: -eating up the last of the slice from the cake his dad had sent over.- ...Oh. 

JACK: Must be dark now, huh.

RYAN: yep. 

RYAN: you might have noticed its getting a tid bit nippy out here too. -nudges him.- you can eat that inside.

JACK: No need. I'm done. -gathers up the empty plate and trash, ambling out of his chair.- I believe you about the nippy thing.

RYAN: -hops up and takes his arm to guide him.- you impervious to the cold or something? -pokes at his chest and shuffles across the yard back into the house.-

JACK: It's my preference, weather wise. You probably wouldn't believe it with my choice of wardrobe. But it's true.

JACK: -follows her back, trusting her to show him where to go.-

RYAN: mm. makes sense to me. 

RYAN: i like it better when things heat up though.

RYAN: -enters the house, navigating towards the living room where derek is... until he passed out in the middle of his show, snoozing away loudly on his recliner. as dads do.- 

RYAN: ... -she doesn't want to disturb him, so she takes jack up to her room.-

JACK: Hah. Strategic. Classic.  -totally hears Derek asleep and appreciates the dad tier he's achieving. Jack will have to remember to commend him on it later. As Ryan hauls him up to her room, Jack leans at her.- (Ten out of ten.) -says while thumbing back at the living room.-

RYAN: -snrk- hed appreciate you saying so. 

RYAN: -steps on inside into her room.- well make yourself at home. -nudges him in the direction of her bed, as it's the only place to sit at the moment. aside from the bench at her keyboard, that is. and while he makes himself at home (if he does) she turns on her own tv for a little bit of background noise.-

JACK: -Might as well. He's taking off the sandals and everything.- Done. -keeps his hand to the wall, finding his way to the bed and perching there.- And done. 

JACK: -swishes his butt on her bed, much like she did on his the other night.- Cozy.

RYAN: -smiles watching him. what a fucking dork... no, these are thoughts that need said.- what a fucking dork. 

RYAN: -flops beside him, joining him in the wiggles and getting comfortable.-

JACK: I definitely smell like the musk of the outdoors and fire. 

JACK: And so do you, for that matter. -sniffs her shoulder like a wierdo.-

RYAN: -he is a weirdo.- hmm. -leans in and sniffs him back. this is just what they do now apparently.- 

RYAN: smells nice. 

RYAN: except youve got that faint stench of sweat. probably from your dumb ass trying to scale a fence because??? why. -snickers as she leans against him.-

JACK: To test my abilities. -enjoys it when she leans at him. A happy Jack.- I would kill for a shower though.

RYAN: no need to go to such extremes. you can always use mine if its so dire. -pokes at him-

JACK: It's pretty dire. I reek. -gently karate chops her hand from poking him. Hiyah.-

RYAN: my hand!!!! -whines, but then takes up his hand in hers- 

RYAN: its not that bad. but then again i dont have a heightened sense of smell. 

RYAN: for all i know i reek too.

JACK: No, you do. We've established this. -tilts his head and listens to the tv now.- What are we watching?

RYAN: reeking of a nice outdoorsy smell yeah... which is reeking none the less i guess. 

RYAN: -glances at the tv- but anyway i just turned it on for the noise. 

RYAN: im not exactly interested in watching anything... -plays with his fingers, fidgeting a little-

JACK: -smacks his lips a little and hmms, registering her little fidgets. Catches on almost immediately.- 

JACK: I didn't realize you had a thing about musty smells and cake breath. 

JACK: Oh. And your parents' house. With a dad that sleeps like a war veteren.

RYAN: -SHOVES- god youre such a pain in the ass. 

RYAN: -huffs but smiles.- makes me wonder why i missed you so much this past week. -removes a few more blades of grass from his wild hair that she missed earlier.-

JACK: -is shoved, reclining back to lean against an elbow. Pleased by her little nitpickings.- Thanks. 

JACK: I try my best. 

JACK: But honestly. If Citrin hadn't intervened earlier, I probably would have said a thing or two to Sileas. 

JACK: -trails off, fiddling with his fingers.- I am a pain in the ass.

JACK: -waves his hand around.- It was harmless talking. But I saw. I mean... 

JACK: I see things I don't necessarily want to. And it's irksome. I dunno.

JACK: Maybe it was the general attitude of the guy, the same kind that leads him to make some bad decisions. 

JACK: I also realize you don't want to hear about this. We were talking about something else entirely.

RYAN: -blinks, a little surprised to hear him rambling about this... but pleasantly so. she lies down on her side, propping her head up on her hand and watching him speak.- 

RYAN: sure... its a totally different mood but hey i dont mind. 

RYAN: like i said. i just missed you. so... -messes with the hem of his shirt idly- 

RYAN: talk to me.

JACK: Well now I don't want to. -pretends to grump but really just closes his eyes.-

RYAN: pff... oh really??? -she's not buying it. wiggles closer to him and gets an arm around his middle.- 

RYAN: i bet i could persuade you to open up.

JACK: What's worse is that I'm associating this to Sileas. 

JACK: That meme generating motherfucker.

RYAN: -rests her head against him, peering up at him curiously.- associating what?

JACK: Your meek persuasions to get me to open up.

RYAN: -snorts- well maybe if you told me whats bugging you we wont have to focus so much on him... 

RYAN: id really like to be able to hit on you without either of us having to deal with the thought of sileas cropping up and killing the mood.

JACK: Nothing is bothering me about him. It's just an intrusive thought. -hesitates a moment before continuing.- ....I also realize rehab was a very recent occurance for you. And you're still trying to make it back on your feet. 

JACK: ... 

JACK: I'm not sure... 

JACK: I should be complicating this for you.

JACK: As tempting as it is. -ghhhh, he feels himself sound like an asshole.- I'd like... 

JACK: To not feel bad about hanging out with you. Or enjoying your company. 

JACK: Talking. 

JACK: That stuff.

RYAN: -frowns into his shirt. it takes her a moment to think of what to say, ultimately sighing.- youre not complicating anything. 

RYAN: but if you dont wanna talk about this stuff then its whatever. 

RYAN: i just wanna hang out with you.

JACK: Not the talking. It's more the... 

JACK: Tempting you with bad decisions part. -Yells at himself internally for being like a tool when he speaks. This is why he doesn't words, he tells himself.- Not that it's a bad decision. 

JACK: It's a... precarious situation. 

JACK: Also, I'm full of regret.

RYAN: -scoffs- please... 

RYAN: i mean i guess i get it. -sits up a little- maybe. 

RYAN: you usually seem to know things i dont. either that or youre just overthinking. maybe both sometimes? 

RYAN: i dunno. -traces a finger over his chest- but it seems pretty harmless to me. just fooling around a little. 

RYAN: correct me if im wrong. 

RYAN: ... or if im overstepping boundaries or something.

JACK: -squeezes the hand that rests by his chest, eyebrows knitting.- It's not.... just fooling around to me. 

JACK: It's an aspect of our uh. 

JACK: Relationship. 

JACK: That I'd like to enjoy when we've finished patching up the rest of it.

RYAN: -oh... well, that brings a smile back to her face that she hides by burying it against him. not that she needs to, but whatever.- oh okay. 

RYAN: -squeezes his hand back.- im cool with that.

JACK: -exhales after a moment, patting her hand.- It sucks. I'm a dweeb.

RYAN: yeah you are. 

RYAN: -comes out of hiding to nuzzle a little under his chin.- but its cute. 

RYAN: ... and i appreciate it.

JACK: Thanks. 

JACK: Now I don't know what to do with myself. -SIGHS- That shower sounds really great.

RYAN: yeah. go take a nice cold shower. -snickers- 

RYAN: jesus or maybe i should.

RYAN: in any case i can direct you that way. 

RYAN: and youre free to crash here too if you want. might as well return that favor finally.